Siheyuan: Bringing Warehouses to 1959

The food at the steel mill has never been so bad.

The workers held steamed bread made from a mixture of sorghum and corn flour in their hands, and eggplant without oil in their bowls.

When the two are added together, there is absolutely no way to match the workers' labor.

The weather is hot now, and the workers in the steel mill have heavy workload, especially the workers in the hot rolling workshop who are now venting their dissatisfaction. The workshop is like a steamer, and you have to shed a layer of skin before you can come out after entering.

The workers all look forward to having a good meal in the canteen, and some even look forward to taking the canteen meals home to supplement their family income.

But now, the food in the cafeteria is only a little drier than at home, without any oil or water.

The workers have to spend money on meals, so naturally they are dissatisfied. Over time, when dissatisfaction accumulates, they have to vent it out.

"What are you arguing about? What are you arguing about?" Sha Zhu came to the window, holding a frying pan in his hand, "I know you are not satisfied. What does your dissatisfaction have to do with us, the chefs?"

"Bah, you guys cooked the dishes and made the meals, who else should I look for if not you?" a worker yelled.

"You are stupid!" Sha Zhu put down the frying pan, put his hands on his hips and said, "We are cooks, but we are not gods. We need things to cook. Without meat, how can we get oil? Without noodles, how can we get steamed buns? You have to find the purchasing department, find Director Song of the canteen."

This statement was reasonable and well-founded. The angry workers were instigated and rushed into the cafeteria and rushed to Director Song's office.

Halfway through the walk, they suddenly discovered that Director Song was having dinner with Deputy Factory Director Li Huaide.

Li Huaide has always been a good talker and a good wife.

Neither of these can be made public. He has a separate meal for lunch every day.

At this time, there was half a chicken, a dish of twice-cooked pork, a dish of fried potatoes, and a soup on Li Huaide's table.

There were only two people eating, Li Huaide and Director Song.

Director Song was speaking well of his relative Hu Guangyong, hoping to promote Hu Guangyong, who had returned to work as a purchasing agent, to deputy director of the canteen, in charge of all canteen purchases. The chicken on the table was obtained by Hu Guangyong.

As for why there was only half of it, the other half was taken by Sha Zhu. Now he not only has to support himself, but also has to support Qin Jingru and help Qin Huairu.

When the workers saw the chicken and meat on the table, they became even angrier.

"Well, we work so hard to eat black buns and eggplants without oil, while you eat chicken and meat here."

"It's so unfair!"

"We want meat!"

"Yes, we want to eat meat..."

The public is angry, food is the most important thing, no one cares whether you are the deputy factory director or not.

Li Huaide's face turned green. He knew that the consequences of angering the public would be serious. If he didn't handle it well, he would be beaten.

"Comrades, there is a misunderstanding..." Li Huaide stood up quickly, "This is not for us to eat, it is a reception meal, and we are trying to find a way to solve the workers' food problem.

"Everyone, please be patient. The factory will definitely solve your food problem..."

When they heard that it was a reception dinner and was to entertain leaders who could solve their eating problems, the workers' anger subsided a little.

An older worker stepped forward and said, "Director Li, we are not the ones causing trouble. Look at what we are eating. Black steamed buns and eggplants without oil. We are still spending a lot of money. How can we work if we are hungry?"

"You've raised a good point. The factory leaders have already noticed it." Li Huaide said righteously, "We are dealing with it!" After he appeased the workers, he immediately went to work on the spot and scolded Director Song, "Director Song, you, the canteen director, are also responsible. What are the purchasers doing? They can't use up the unplanned indicators..."

Li Huaide was cunning and shrewd. He calmed the workers with just a few words and put out their anger.

He then promised the workers that their food would be improved in three days. When the workers heard this, they thought there was nothing to make a fuss about and they dispersed immediately.

After the workers left, Li Huaide wiped his sweat and looked at Director Song angrily: "Old Song, you need to solve this problem quickly. You still want Hu Guangyong to be the deputy director. Bullshit, if the food problem in the factory is not solved, there will be big problems. The purchasing quota cannot be used up. He should stop doing purchasing and go to the workshop as before."

Director Song didn't dare to talk back. He had just seen that the workers were indeed angry.

"Don't worry, Director. I will handle this matter right away and I will make sure it won't be difficult for you!" Director Song patted his chest and assured Li Huaide that the problem would be solved within three days, otherwise Hu Guangyong would be dragged out and killed like a chicken to quell the workers' resentment.

I would rather die than have a friend die. No matter how important a relative is, he is not as important as myself.

Director Song came out of the cafeteria without even eating, and rode his bicycle to look for Hu Guangyong, who was hanging around somewhere. He searched for a long time, and finally found Hu Guangyong in a restaurant in the evening after dinner.

"Director, how did you find this place?" Hu Guangyong had just ordered the dishes, but before they were served, he immediately called the waiter, "Comrade, give me another portion of braised pork and a bottle of Niulanshan."

"You still have the mood to eat?" Director Song had been looking for people all afternoon, and Wuming was furious. "You are eating delicious food and drinking spicy drinks here, and the workers in the factory are going to rebel."

He didn't say where Hu Guangyong got the money for food and drink, because he knew how Hu Guangyong worked.

That’s right, Hu Guangyong was a purchasing agent like Cui Dake, who used his relationship with the steel mill to maneuver around, but most of the benefits went into his own pocket, and the rest was given to Director Song, and some was given to Li Huaide as a special favor.

"Don't be anxious, Director. What happened? Please sit down first and tell me slowly!" Hu Guangyong greeted.

Director Song took a sip of water and told the story: "Li Huaide said, if you can't improve the workers' meals in three days, you will be fired to calm the workers' anger."

"Director, are you kidding me? Where can we get supplies in three days?" Hu Guangyong was mad. "There are more than 10,000 people in our factory. How much meat do we need to improve the food? If you put dozens of kilograms of meat in, you won't see any splashes. Without hundreds of kilograms of meat, don't expect to see any oil."

"Then I don't care. This is your buyer's business." Director Song said unhappily, "It's better for you to go down than for me. If I go down, you won't even have a chance to turn things around. If it really doesn't work, go find Director Qian of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Don't you have a good relationship with him?"

The Director Qian he mentioned is the former Director Qian of the Jiaodaokou Purchasing Station. Because of his good work performance due to the help of Zeng Wangcai, he was promoted to the director of the district supply and marketing cooperative after some networking.

Hu Guangyong did not dare to neglect the matter. He left Director Song here alone to eat and drink, and went out on his bicycle to visit Director Qian.

On the way, he thought that at this critical juncture, even Director Qian could not give him so many supplies.

After much thought, he came up with a crooked idea.

More than half an hour later, Hu Guangyong invited Director Qian to a restaurant and sat down in a remote area for the conversation.

Hu Guangyong tried to probe: "Director Qian, our factory workers feel that the food is not good, and they almost caused trouble today. Can you help me get 500 kilograms of pork and 500 kilograms of fish? Let me hold on for a while. When I have recovered, I will go to the Red Star Commune to purchase their agricultural and sideline products..."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Director Qian refused without hesitation. "I'm the director of the supply and marketing cooperative, not the farm director. Even if I were, I couldn't get you so much meat at this time. Even if I searched all the purchasing stations I manage, it wouldn't work.

"Another thing is that the Red Star Commune is in a very bad situation this year. The members are almost out of work. It would be better if you asked Maihe Commune to help. Maihe Commune has a good harvest and abundant agricultural and sideline products."

"But I don't have any acquaintances in Maihe Commune," said Hu Guangyong.

Director Qian naturally wanted to beat his benefactor Zeng Wangcai, as well as Zhang Xiuzhi, the section chief at the steel rolling mill. He originally wanted to ask Hu Guangyong to ask Zhang Xiuzhi for help, but then he thought that he and Hu Guangyong were not on that level, and besides, Director Zhang from the Street Office said that Zhang Xiuzhi did not like this kind of thing.

So Director Qian didn't say this.

Hu Guangyong couldn't remember so much at once. It had been a long time since he had been against Zeng Wangcai, and Zeng Wangcai had not been in the factory for a long time.

After thinking about it, Hu Guangyong decided to use his own method. He leaned over and whispered a few words in Director Qian's ear.

"You... I don't know. I know nothing." Director Qian stood up. "I will pretend that I have never heard of this matter. You can do it yourself. I don't care. Don't drag me into it."

"Director Qian, you don't need to do anything. Just say you saw me today if anyone asks you!"

“That’s fine, but I won’t tell you anything else.”

"This is enough!"

The next day at noon, Hu Guangyong rode in the factory's truck in a grand manner. There were a lot of things in the truck bed, but it was covered with cloth, leaving only a few tied chickens jumping around.