60s: I have a store

Chapter 625 The Tea That Was Eyed
Zhou Yimin had just started working at the steel plant and sat down in his office. He had just made a cup of hot tea and hadn't even had a chance to take a sip when the office door was gently pushed open.

He looked up and saw Zhou Dazhong. Zhou Yimin put down his teacup and asked with a smile, "Dazhong, what brings you here?"

Zhou Dazhong stood at the door, rubbing his hands on the hem of his clothes, looking somewhat embarrassed and shifty. He remained silent for a long time, appearing hesitant and awkward.

Seeing his appearance, Zhou Yimin guessed that he was in trouble, so he spoke again: "Dazhong, just say what's wrong. We're all family, what can't we say?"

After all, given his relationship with Zhou Dazhong, Zhou Dazhong should call him Sixteenth Uncle according to seniority, and they usually get along like brothers, so there is absolutely no need to be so reserved.

Zhou Dazhong took a deep breath, as if gathering immense courage, and said in a low voice, "Sixteenth Uncle, my wife Shumin... just found out she's pregnant. I was thinking of buying more meat to nourish her body, but as you know, the situation is too difficult. Even if I had meat coupons, I might not be able to buy any meat."

He paused, then added, "As for meat coupons, I still have a little, but meat is basically in short supply right now. Unless you go to the supply and marketing cooperative before dawn to queue up, you might have a chance to buy some, and even then, it's only a 'chance.' If you go too late, you won't even get soup."

As he finished speaking, his voice grew softer and softer, his face filled with helplessness.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yimin's face immediately lit up with a delighted smile. He jumped up from his chair and patted Zhou Dazhong on the shoulder: "Dazhong, you're a good kid! This is great news!"

Zhou Dazhong was a little embarrassed by the praise. He scratched his head, his face flushed, and he smiled awkwardly: "Hehe, it was just found out, and I'm quite happy about it."

Looking at his honest and simple appearance, Zhou Yimin was happy for him. After thinking for a moment, he said, "How about this? I'll take some meat over tonight, and we can all get together and have some fun."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Dazhong's eyes lit up instantly. He quickly stepped forward and said gratefully, "Uncle Sixteen, thank you so much! You've really gone to so much trouble!"

He knew in his heart that he owed his current life entirely to Zhou Yimin's help.

It was Zhou Yimin who introduced him to the steel plant, and it was Zhou Yimin's strong support that enabled him to become a section chief.

He has always kept this kindness in his heart. Now that there is a happy occasion in his family, he is still able to receive Zhou Yimin's care, which warms his heart.

Zhou Yimin waved his hand: "Don't be so polite with me. We're all from the same village. Your wife's pregnancy is a joyous occasion, and we should celebrate. Don't bother queuing up tonight; just wait for me."

Zhou Dazhong nodded emphatically, said a few more words of thanks, and then left the office with light steps.

Watching his departing figure, Zhou Yimin smiled, picked up his teacup and took a sip, pondering what to bring for the evening, both to help Shumin recover and to make the dinner party lively.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Zhou Yimin opened the folder on the table and began to deal with the backlog of documents.

A pile of documents lay on the table, requiring his careful review, signature, and approval.

Sometimes he would furrow his brow, repeatedly calculating the data on the report, and other times he would pick up a pen and write down specific processing opinions on the edge of the document.

At other times, he would make internal calls to communicate with the relevant department heads about the details.

And so, Zhou Yimin was completely immersed in his work. The sunlight outside the window gradually rose and then slowly slanted westward. Before he knew it, a morning had passed.

He put down his pen, rubbed his aching temples, and sighed inwardly as he looked at the many documents still on the table.

He now misses the days when he was a section chief.

Back then, the area under my jurisdiction was small, and I had few tasks to handle. After finishing my regular work each day, I still had plenty of free time to drink tea and chat.

But ever since I became the section chief, I feel like I've been wound up like a clockwork, with endless things to deal with, from production scheduling to personnel management, I have to worry about everything.

Let alone taking a few days off, even if you want to leave work on time, you have to sort out and arrange your work in advance.

I wonder what other people would think if they found out?

When it was lunchtime, Zhou Yimin went to the factory canteen and had a quick meal of one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and two steamed buns.

Back in his office, he set up his folding bed, covered himself with a light blanket, and planned to rest and recharge. The past few days of busy work had left him physically and mentally exhausted, and he fell into a deep sleep shortly after lying down.

I don't know how much time passed, but the office door creaked open.

Zhou Yimin has always been a bit grumpy when he wakes up. When his afternoon nap was disturbed, his brows furrowed instantly. Still half asleep, he wondered who was being so rude.

But when he opened his eyes and saw who was pushing the door open, he immediately lost his temper. He quickly sat up from the folding bed, hurriedly straightened his clothes, and rushed to greet him: "Director Hu, what brings you here?"

Director Hu held an enamel mug in his hand, a gentle smile on his face, and waved his hand: "Little Zhou, did I disturb your rest? I was just passing by and came in to take a look."

Zhou Yimin knew perfectly well that as the head of the factory, Director Hu was usually so busy that he wouldn't really "pass by and take a look".

But he didn't say anything, and instead put on a smile and warmly greeted him, "Director Hu, you're too kind. It's my honor to have you here. Please have a seat."

He then led Director Hu to sit down in a chair next to his desk, while he turned around and rummaged through a cabinet to find a tin tea canister.

This tea canister looks unremarkable, but when you open it, a refreshing aroma of tea wafts out.

Zhou Yimin pinched a small amount of tea leaves and put them into Director Hu's enamel mug. He then poured in hot water, and the tender green tea leaves slowly unfurled in the water, quickly turning the tea soup a light yellowish-green.

"Director Hu, please try my tea. It was a gift from a friend, and it tastes quite good."

Factory Director Hu picked up the enamel mug, brought it to his nose, and smelled it. His eyes immediately lit up.

He recognized the tea leaves; they were a rare find on the market, with whole leaves and a rich aroma. Even he didn't have much of it in stock and had to drink it sparingly. He never expected that Zhou Yimin would have such good tea and even bring it out to treat him.

A slightly embarrassed thought popped into his mind, and he wanted to ask for some back, but then he remembered that he had important business to attend to, so he held back for the moment, took a sip of tea, and said, "Good tea, indeed good tea."

After sipping his tea, Director Hu put down his enamel mug, his expression gradually becoming serious. Finally, he couldn't help but speak up: "Yimin, there's something I'd like to hear your opinion on."

Zhou Yimin's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the main topic had arrived. He straightened his posture and replied, "Director Hu, please speak."

"Yimin, the higher-ups just spoke with me, saying that the small dryers our factory produces are very popular abroad, and they want us to expand production," Factory Director Hu said slowly, tapping his finger lightly on the table. "You know, the factory's production capacity is limited. We can't just stop producing other products and focus solely on small dryers, can we? After all, other products can also earn foreign exchange."

He looked up at Zhou Yimin, his tone questioning, "What do you think I should decide?"

When Director Hu mentioned the small dryer, Zhou Yimin had a pretty good idea of ​​what he wanted to say.

After a moment's thought, he offered a fair suggestion: "Director Hu, I think we should consider opening a separate factory to produce the small dryer. It's really not worth stopping other products for it."

"Think about it, the market for small dryers is only so big. Even if they are popular now, there will eventually be a day when it becomes saturated."

“But our factory’s other products are different. They have all been tested by the market and have been making stable profits in the long run. If we stop selling them for short-term gains, and other factories take over the market, it will be difficult to get it back.”

After listening, Director Hu nodded heavily, a look of approval on his face.

That's what he thought too. Many of the steel mill's products are highly sought after, and many factories are eyeing them. If he were to give up, others would definitely take the opportunity to get a piece of the pie.

"What you said makes a lot of sense; you've thought things through very thoroughly."

Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "Director Hu, you flatter me. I was just sharing my perspective from the point of view of specific production."

Factory Director Hu picked up his enamel mug and took another sip of tea. The little thought about tea that had been nagging at him resurfaced. Looking at the tea canister in Zhou Yimin's hand, he chuckled twice, "Yimin, your tea is really good..."

Zhou Yimin understood immediately from his expression and readily handed over the tin tea canister: "If Director Hu likes it, please take this tea and drink it."

Factory Director Hu's eyes lit up even more. Without any hesitation, he took the meat, weighed it in his hand, and smiled with satisfaction: "Then I won't stand on ceremony. I'll have my wife make some braised meat for you and send it over later."

"You're too kind."

The two chatted for a few more minutes about the details of expanding production before Factory Director Hu happily left with his tea canister.

Zhou Yimin watched his retreating figure, smiled helplessly, turned around and sat back down at his desk to continue working on the unfinished tasks.

Director Hu carried the can of tea and walked briskly back to his office.

As soon as he entered the room, he carefully placed the tea canister in the most conspicuous position on his desk, as if he had received a treasure.

He settled into the chair, the fragrance of tea still lingering on his fingertips, and the hesitation in his heart completely vanished.

He reached for the black telephone on his desk, spun his fingers around the dial pad a few times, and connected to his superior.

A steady voice quickly came from the other end of the phone: "Xiao Hu, have you thought this through?"

Factory Director Hu took a deep breath, nodded heavily, and said firmly, "Sir, I've thought it through. I'd still appreciate it if you could coordinate the opening of another small-scale drying plant!"

After saying this, he seemed to have a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He let out a long sigh of relief, his whole body relaxed considerably, and he leaned back in his chair, his tense shoulders slumping down.

The leader on the other end of the phone was clearly not expected to give this answer. After a moment of silence, his tone was slightly shocked: "Are you sure?" You should know that when they talked on the phone in the morning, Director Hu's attitude was still very firm. He insisted on expanding the production of small dryers within the steel plant and refused to open a new plant under any circumstances. Unexpectedly, his attitude had changed so much in just a few hours.

Factory Director Hu smiled and explained, "It's confirmed. I just talked to the staff and we think that opening a new factory is indeed more suitable. It can ensure the output of the small dryer without affecting the production of other products in the steel plant, so that neither end is delayed."

Upon hearing this, the leader breathed a sigh of relief. This was for the best; it was much better for Director Hu to figure things out on his own than forcing his way out. "Alright, since you've thought it through, leave the rest to me! I will arrange for someone to inspect the site and coordinate with the relevant departments to complete the necessary procedures as soon as possible."

"Thank you very much, leader," Director Hu said hurriedly.

"No need to thank me, it's all for work." After saying that, the leader hung up the phone and began to arrange the follow-up matters.

Factory Director Hu put down the phone, looked at the tea canister on the table, and couldn't help but smile.

After hanging up the phone, the superior leaned back in his large office chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table.

He knew that expanding the production of small dryers was the most important task at present. Since Director Hu had already agreed to open a new factory, the next step was to implement it as soon as possible.

He recalled a similar project from the past, in which a poorly performing factory was renovated and put into production. This not only revitalized idle resources but also saved the cost and time of rebuilding the factory, and the results were very good.

We might as well do the same this time. Find a factory that is not doing well and transform it into a factory that can produce small dryers. This way, we can start production quickly and solve the factory's predicament. It's a win-win situation.

Thinking of this, he picked up the internal phone on the table and dialed the secretary's office number: "Xiao Chen, come over here and bring me the list of factories that are not doing well recently."

"Okay, boss, I'll be right there," came the respectful reply from Secretary Chen on the other end of the phone.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the office door, and Secretary Chen walked in with a folder in her hand. She respectfully placed the folder on the desk in front of the boss: "Boss, here is the list of factories with poor performance that you requested. I have sorted them according to the degree of loss."

The leader nodded, indicating that Xiao Chen could put down the folder and leave.

After Xiao Chen left, he opened the folder, which contained a detailed list of more than a dozen factories, including their names, addresses, main products, and performance over the past year.

Most of these factories are in a state of loss due to outdated products, poor management, or shrinking markets, and some are even in a state of partial shutdown.

The leader flipped through the list page by page, his brow furrowing slightly as he carefully selected suitable candidates.

He needs to find a factory with a suitable location, usable factory buildings and equipment, and a working workforce so that the renovation can proceed more smoothly and production can begin as soon as possible.

His finger traced across the list, pausing occasionally to look at the details of a particular factory, muttering to himself, "This one's location is a bit out of the way, transportation isn't very convenient... This one's equipment is too old, upgrading it would be too costly..."

After searching for a long time, he finally circled a few factories on the list that seemed suitable and planned to have someone visit them in person the next day before making a final decision.

He put down the list, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and felt much more at ease, as if the matter had taken another step forward.

(End of this chapter)