60s: I have a store

Chapter 655 Rewards based on merit
Another ten minutes or so passed, and with Master Gu's final stroke on the sketch, the renovation plan for Li Chongguang's home was finally finalized.

From the color of the walls to the style of the furniture, and even the location of the flower beds in the yard, everything was planned out clearly.

Li Chongguang looked at the plan and clapped his hands in satisfaction: "Great, let's go with this. Thank you both for your hard work."

Zhou Yimin stood up and stretched his legs, which were a little numb from squatting: "It's good that the plan is finalized. Now it's up to Master Gu's skills."

Just then, Li Chongguang noticed that Master Gu was looking at the plan, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words back, his face showing some hesitation.

Li Chongguang was a little puzzled. He had been present throughout the entire discussion, and the plan seemed quite reasonable. He hadn't noticed any problems.

He couldn't help but ask, "Master Gu, is there a problem with this renovation plan? If there's anything unsuitable, we can make changes."

Problems should be addressed promptly; otherwise, if they are brought up during the renovation process, the cost of resolving them will be significantly higher.

When asked this question, Master Gu quickly waved his hand, a slightly embarrassed look on his face: "No, no, Section Chief Li, the plan is fine, it's very good. I just... I have a favor to ask."

Seeing this, Li Chongguang said gently, "Master Gu, please speak freely. As long as it is within my power, I will do my best."

Master Gu rubbed his hands together, his voice lowering slightly: "It's like this, I wanted to ask if... could the labor cost for this renovation be... could it be paid in grain instead of cash?"

Upon hearing this, both Li Chongguang and Zhou Yimin were stunned. The smile on Li Chongguang's face slowly froze, and his heart skipped a beat—how could he have forgotten about this?

The ration in our family's food ration book is just enough to feed my wife, children, and elderly mother. Last month, my child got sick, and in order to supplement their nutrition, we used a lot of extra food coupons to exchange for some meat. Now, the rice in the jar is only enough to last until the end of the month. Where is there any extra grain to exchange for wages?
Looking at Master Gu's haggard face and the earnestness in his eyes, he felt a pang in his heart.

But if they refused, Master Gu's family was on the verge of running out of food, and they simply couldn't bring themselves to say no.

I'll agree. We really don't have any food to spare, and we can't let our wives, children, and elderly parents go hungry.

Li Chongguang pursed his lips, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the seam of his trousers, caught in a dilemma, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

Seeing that he hadn't spoken for a while, Master Gu's expectation gradually turned into disappointment. He stammered, "Section Chief Li, if it's inconvenient, then forget it, just pretend I didn't say anything..."

“No, Master Gu,” Li Chongguang quickly said, his voice slightly hoarse.

"But... but my family really doesn't have any extra food. Please allow me to think of a way."

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze falling on Zhou Yimin, his eyes filled with a clear plea.

Among the people he knew, Zhou Yimin was quick-witted and had a wide network of connections; perhaps he could find a way.

Zhou Yimin noticed the plea for help in his eyes and had already made up his mind.

He stepped forward, patted Li Chongguang on the shoulder, and said to Master Gu, "Master Gu, don't worry. Section Chief Li's family is indeed in trouble, but I'll take care of the grain. However, I can only get some negotiated grain, which is a bit expensive, but it will still be enough."

Zhou Yimin could buy grain at a price even lower than the market price, but he should do this less often, and he wasn't very familiar with Master Gu either.

Therefore, it's not worth the risk.

Upon hearing this, Master Gu's eyes lit up instantly, and he excitedly grasped Zhou Yimin's hand: "Yimin, thank you so much! You really saved our whole family!"

Li Chongguang also breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Zhou Yimin gratefully: "Yimin, we really owe you a lot this time."

Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "We're all colleagues, so there's no need for such formalities. Master Gu, please focus on your work. I'll take care of the grain issue right away and make sure it won't delay your needs."

Li Chongguang quickly turned around and went into the house. He came out a moment later and said to Master Gu with an apologetic look on his face, "Master Gu, I've told my family. You can rest assured and continue with the construction. If you need any help or if no one is home, just let my wife know when you come in or out."

He also gave a few special instructions on protecting the household items, which Master Gu agreed to.

Master Gu carefully tucked the renovation plan into his pocket, as if it were a precious treasure, and said urgently, "Then I'll go back and call my two apprentices to bring all the tools over, so we can start work as soon as possible and finish as soon as possible."

He was preoccupied with the food supply and just wanted to finish the work as soon as possible so that his family could have a proper meal.

"Don't rush, pay attention to safety and quality," Li Chongguang said quickly. Master Gu smiled and responded, then turned and walked away quickly, his steps as light as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Watching Master Gu's hurried departure, Li Chongguang turned to Zhou Yimin and said, "Yimin, let's hurry to the factory too, so as not to delay our business."

Zhou Yimin nodded, and the two walked side by side out of the courtyard.

As he locked the door, Li Chongguang couldn't help but glance back at his yard, as if he could already see what it would look like after the renovation, his heart filled with anticipation.

One rode a bicycle, and the other drove a motorcycle, heading towards the steel factory.

The number of pedestrians on the road gradually increased, mostly workers rushing to work. The sounds of bicycle bells and people talking mingled together, creating a vibrant atmosphere of daily life.

"Once Master Gu finishes renovating the house, I'll definitely invite you over for a good sit-down and to taste my wife's cooking," Li Chongguang said sincerely to Zhou Yimin as he pedaled his bicycle.

Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "Then I'll be waiting. But for now, let's take care of things at the factory first. I wonder how those small dryers are doing at the port. I need to ask the foreign trade department for updates."

"Yes, I hope everything goes smoothly," Li Chongguang said with emotion.

As they talked, the two pedaled their bicycles faster, getting closer and closer to the steel mill's chimney. A new workday was about to begin, and there were still many things waiting for them to handle.

Zhou Yimin returned to the purchasing department office, had just made a cup of hot tea, and hadn't even had a chance to take a sip when the phone on his desk rang.

He picked up the receiver, and the other end said, "Yimin, inform everyone in the research lab, as well as you and Section Chief Li, to come to the conference room on the third floor immediately. Director Hu has something important to announce."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yimin's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly got up and walked towards the research lab.

Li Chongguang had just sat down at his desk and spread out the blueprints to study the next step of technical improvement when Zhou Yimin rushed in: "Section Chief Li, the office has notified everyone in the research lab, including the two of us, to go to the conference room on the third floor immediately for a meeting."

Upon hearing this, Li Chongguang was also somewhat surprised. He looked up at the other people in the research lab, and everyone had a puzzled expression on their faces.

Xiao Zhang stopped his experiment and couldn't help but mutter, "Is this meeting at this hour because something's wrong with those small dryers?"

These words immediately created a somber atmosphere in the research lab.

The group looked at each other, and each saw a hint of worry in the other's eyes.

After all, the five thousand small dryers had just arrived at the port, and it was a critical time. If something went wrong, all the previous efforts would be in vain.

"Stop guessing, we'll find out when we get there." Li Chongguang took a deep breath and walked out first.

Zhou Yimin and the others from the research lab quickly followed, and the group walked nervously toward the conference room on the third floor.

Pushing open the conference room door, everyone immediately saw Director Hu already seated in the main seat, holding a document and looking down at it. His expression was unclear; there was neither his usual smile nor obvious anger. Seeing this, everyone tacitly refrained from asking questions and quickly found seats.

The conference room fell silent for a moment, with only the soft breathing of the attendees and the occasional hum of machinery coming from outside the window.

Zhou Yimin sat next to Li Chongguang, quietly observing Director Hu's expression and secretly guessing what the meeting was about.

Did the dryer run into trouble at the port?

Or is there new information from the Ministry of Foreign Trade?
Or have there been any new arrangements in production?
Everyone was on tenterhooks, but no one spoke first; they simply waited quietly for Director Hu to speak.

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze, filled with an indescribable tension.

Li Chongguang tapped his fingers lightly on his knees as a flood of questions welled up in his mind.

He couldn't hold back any longer, cleared his throat, and was about to ask a question when Director Hu suddenly raised his head and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

"Alright, everyone's here, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer." Director Hu slammed the documents in his hand on the table, his voice booming.

"The reason I invited you here today is to reward you for your contributions!"

"Reward for meritorious service?" Li Chongguang repeated subconsciously, his eyes full of surprise.

Everyone in the research lab was stunned, but then they realized what was happening, and their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, were immediately relieved.

Xiao Zhang's tense shoulders relaxed, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. Old Wang almost dropped the pen in his hand, quickly adjusted his glasses, and his wrinkles on his face spread out in a smile.

The tense atmosphere in the meeting room instantly vanished, replaced by an indescribable sense of ease and joy.

"Director Hu, what do you mean..." Li Chongguang was also a little excited, his voice trembling slightly.

"It means exactly what it says." Director Hu stood up and paced around the conference room.

He looked at everyone, his eyes full of admiration: "The factory has decided to reward you all handsomely. Don't be shy, everyone, tell me what kind of reward you want?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a low murmur arose in the conference room.

Everyone looked at each other, their faces beaming with happy smiles, but no one made the first request.

Xiao Zhang opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed his words back, only exchanging an excited glance with his colleague next to him.

Old Wang stroked his chin, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes filled with satisfaction, but he didn't say anything.

Most of the others were also whispering among themselves, their eyes sparkling, but none of them tacitly expressed their specific thoughts.

Although this wasn't the first time the factory was going to reward people for their research and development achievements, everyone was both excited and a little embarrassed. They wanted to see what others had to say and also hear what the factory planned to do.

Director Hu stood there quietly, his hands behind his back, a gentle smile on his face, letting everyone talk without interrupting or urging them, as if patiently waiting for them to make up their minds.

Looking at the scene before him, Li Chongguang felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He looked at Zhou Yimin, who smiled at him, his eyes full of approval for the team.

They all knew that whatever the reward was, it was an affirmation of everyone's hard work, and this recognition itself was more inspiring than any material reward.

In this day and age, honor is far more valuable than material possessions.

If it were in later generations, the opposite would be true.

The sunlight streamed through the window, bathing everyone in a golden glow.

Everyone was still whispering among themselves, their faces full of anticipation, waiting for Director Hu to say something next.

Factory Director Hu raised his hand to look at his watch. The hour hand was already pointing to ten o'clock. He cleared his throat, and the discussion in the conference room immediately stopped. Everyone's eyes were on him.

"Alright, it's almost time. I'll announce the reward plan now." Director Hu walked to the conference table and picked up the list on it.

"The successful production of this small dryer is largely thanks to the hard work of the colleagues in the research lab, with Comrade Zhou Yimin being the one who made the greatest contribution."

Zhou Yimin suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with surprise.

Factory Director Hu looked at him solemnly and said, "After deliberation by the factory, it has been decided that Comrade Zhou Yimin's administrative rank will be promoted by one level, and he will also be awarded a bicycle voucher and two catties of fatty pork!"

The moment these words were spoken, the conference room fell silent, followed by gasps of shock.

Everyone looked at each other, their faces filled with shock.

The pencil in Xiao Zhang's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," but he didn't even notice. He just stared at Zhou Yimin with his mouth wide open.

Old Wang's hand, which was adjusting his glasses, froze in mid-air, his eyes wide with surprise. Li Chongguang was also somewhat surprised; he knew Zhou Yimin deserved a hefty reward, but he hadn't expected the factory to be so generous.

A promotion in administrative rank means a raise in salary, bicycle tickets are in high demand right now, and on top of that, there's two pounds of juicy pork—this reward is incredibly generous!
"My God, this reward is too generous!" someone whispered, expressing everyone's thoughts.

Looking at everyone's reaction, Director Hu smiled with satisfaction. He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet: "Comrade Zhou Yimin overcame many technical difficulties during the research and development process, and also ran around coordinating the production process. He deserves this award."

Zhou Yimin stood up, his voice tinged with emotion: "Thank you for the factory's recognition. I just did what I was supposed to do, and this wouldn't have been possible without everyone's support."

Although he didn't value it that much, he certainly couldn't say it out loud. If others knew, they would definitely think Zhou Yimin was in Versailles.

"This is what you deserve." Director Hu waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"Don't worry, everyone, there will be rewards."

These words were like a pebble thrown into water, instantly creating ripples.

The crowd's eyes were filled with anticipation, and their initial shock was gradually replaced by excitement.

Xiao Zhang sat up straight, his ears perked up; Lao Wang picked up the pen that had fallen to the ground and gripped it tightly in his hand.

Everyone else held their breath, waiting for Director Hu to read out their names and rewards.

(End of this chapter)