My 1978 Hotel

“Secretary Gao, you overestimate us. A steel mill as big as that would never look twice at our small production team furniture factory.” Li Feng took a sip of tea and observed Gao Ming and Wu Feng’s expressions.

The two fell into deep thought. The steel plant was a third-line enterprise, which had no jurisdiction over the region or county. Normally, the county leaders would probably not even give it a second glance, let alone a production brigade like Hanjiaba.

However, Gao Ming was genuinely tempted by Li Feng's proposal for cooperation. On the one hand, the drought in Ma Ya Commune was severe, and the food crisis was in dire need of funds. If the Han Jia Ba Furniture Factory could grow and expand, it could solve some of the funding problems. On the other hand, if he could establish a relationship with the steel mill, there would be a lot of benefits to his political career.

Wu Feng never expected that his in-laws Han Fuguo and Li Feng would cause such a big incident. He didn't know who started it, but they were really bold to try to cooperate with a large first- or third-tier steel mill.

This is like a small town enterprise going to talk to companies like TikTok and Alibaba about cooperation—how audacious! Wu Feng was highly skeptical about the possibility of such a collaboration, but seeing how seriously Li Feng spoke, this kid was no ordinary person.

At first, everyone thought the furniture factory was impossible to succeed. Wu Feng initially laughed when he heard An Jun say that it was not so easy to make it happen. But the factory has been developing better and better, and now he heard that it sells tens of thousands of yuan worth of furniture in a month.

Judging from the tone of this guy, he even wants to expand production. Wu Feng figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. "Secretary Gao, I think our commune should give him some support."

"Secretary Wu, you've shared my thoughts."

Gao Ming smiled and said, "Comrade Li Feng, you are a great writer with broad knowledge. I imagine you have ideas about this collaboration. Don't keep them to yourself."

"Secretary Gao, you're too kind."

Li Feng put down his teacup and said with a smile, "When it comes to being knowledgeable and experienced, no one can compare to you and Secretary Wu."

"Don't be modest."

Wu Feng said with a smile, "Hurry up and tell me your thoughts."

"Secretary Gao, since Secretary Wu has said so, let me share some of my thoughts." Li Feng briefly explained his initial ideas, and Gao Ming and Wu Feng nodded slightly in agreement. Originally, the two of them did not have much hope for this cooperation.

However, after Li Feng's suggestion, the two felt there was indeed a slight possibility, although they still had some doubts about the commune's involvement. "The commune shouldn't be a problem, but we are already short-handed, so I'm afraid we can't be of much help."

"Secretary Gao, Secretary Wu, your words are enough."

Li Feng only intended to use the commune's name as leverage; the specifics would definitely have to be discussed with the Hanjiaba Furniture Factory. He didn't expect the commune to send anyone initially, and even if they did, he probably wouldn't be happy about it.

Now it's great, we can use the commune's name without being restricted. Of course, there will be exchanges. If we achieve good results, the commune will definitely get a share. Both Li Feng and Han Fuguo have long been aware of this.

Besides, this will also help Han Anjun. The commune and Hanjiaba will definitely have closer ties in the future, and Han Anjun will be the best link between them. Secretary Wu will definitely help him again.

It's possible that Han Anjun will be able to enter the commune's standing committee within two years. With this connection, Li Feng doesn't need to worry about any mishaps on the commune's side. Secretary Wu certainly doesn't like anything going wrong, after all, Anjun is his son-in-law.

As the top leader of the commune, Secretary Gao would always get a share of the credit for any achievements, and he would definitely lend a hand. So, all things considered, there shouldn't be any problems for the commune as a whole.

"Is it really a deal?"

Han Futian and Han Fuguo learned that the commune had agreed, meaning they could now negotiate with the steel mill in the commune's name. "Great job, I knew you were capable."

"Uncle Tomita, it's really not a big deal."

Li Feng waved his hand dismissively, leaving Han Futian speechless. This kid gets all cocky when praised, but it's a good thing.

"By the way, regarding the recruitment, Secretary Gao said that a meeting will be held no later than Monday to notify all production teams."

Li Feng looked at Han Fuguo and Han Futian. "Uncle Fuguo, Uncle Futian, we may need to recruit more people this time."

"Oh, how many people are you hiring?"

The two were somewhat alarmed. "Did Secretary Gao and Secretary Wu say exactly how many more people they'd be hiring?"

“A squadron needs at least two people.” Li Feng calculated for a moment. “That makes at least twenty-four or twenty-five.”

"so much?"

Han Fuguo and Han Futian were really frightened. Having more than twenty carpenters suddenly meant a considerable expense. Their monthly wages weren't much, only about twenty yuan per person, so it would amount to nearly five hundred yuan.

The carpenter's wages certainly wouldn't be low, and they wouldn't be happy to ask for a lower salary. At this moment, Han Fuguo and Han Futian were starting to regret their decision; this expense was a bit too large. "Fengzi, is this cooperation really going to work out? If it doesn't, we'll suffer a huge loss."

"You won't lose money."

Li Feng has already considered this. "Even if the steel mill doesn't agree, we can choose other manufacturers to cooperate with. At worst, our original orders were enough to take on these carpenters."

"I will hold a few more seminars at that time."

Li Feng looked at the two of them. "If we promote our furniture to the region and the province, even if we don't know how much the orders will increase, at least we will be able to pay the carpenters' wages."

When Han Fuguo and Han Futian heard this, they were relieved to learn that Li Feng had planned ahead and considered all aspects. Suddenly having more than twenty people, earning four or five hundred yuan a month, was something they wouldn't have dared to dream of a few years ago.

Although it sounds a bit scary at first, once you calm down and think about it, you have to admit that 500 yuan is a lot, but it's only enough for two sets of modular furniture. With more than 20 people, how much more modular furniture can be produced in a month?

All things considered, it was a good deal. It's just a pity that the five hundred yuan in wages didn't end up in the hands of the members of Hanjiaba commune. "I need to hold a meeting with everyone when I get back, especially to settle these young people. They must learn well, and ideally, they should learn all the carpentry skills."

That way, they wouldn't need to hire outsiders anymore; their own production team would have enough carpenters. They wouldn't have to worry about having too many orders and not enough manpower. Li Feng knew the two were worried about their wages, but this job not only attracted more than ten other production brigades but also the entire commune—it was a worthwhile deal.

"Go back and have a meeting. Fengzi, you should have a good talk with everyone."

"Row."

Li Feng did not refuse. This matter definitely needed to be discussed in a meeting, otherwise people might gossip behind his back. Although it wouldn't affect the overall situation, it would still be annoying to hear.

"Then let's go back to the team first."

"I was planning to invite you to dinner tonight." Han Anjun had just gotten some information from Secretary Wu about Li Feng's recent activities, and he had benefited greatly from it. In addition, Li Feng had helped him and Wu Xiaofeng, their matchmakers, with a whole day's work and had even given them such a nice gift.

There's time to eat.

Li Feng smiled. "Today is your wedding night, a precious moment of bliss. Don't let it be ruined by treating me to a meal."

Han Anjun blushed. People these days are still quite shy when talking about these things, especially young people like Han Anjun who haven't experienced much. "Haha, I won't keep you any longer. We can talk about dinner in a few days."

"Definitely."

Han Anjun hurriedly said, "After your return visit, we'll treat you to a meal together."

"Okay, go ahead and get busy. We're heading back now."

It was almost five o'clock when they got back to Hanjiaba. Han Fuguo and Han Futian immediately announced that they would hold a meeting under the banyan tree that evening.

"Finally, we can use the loudspeaker."

It had been gathering dust for a while, but now that it's connected to the furniture factory's generator, it's finally been put to use.

"What kind of meeting is this again?" Han Wangshi muttered.

"Is it probably just about splitting the money?" Han Angui muttered under his breath. "If only we could really split the money."

"What are you thinking about?"

Han Fujii glared at his son, who had been talking about dividing the money every day lately. "As for the furniture factory, Futian said we'd talk about it at the end of the year."

"Who knows what they're up to."

Han Wangshi muttered to herself, "I'm watching the money being transported back truckload by truck."

"What? A whole truckload of them?"

"What nonsense."

"I didn't say anything nonsense."

Han Wangshi gets angry whenever she talks about it. "Tell me, my Angui is such a good laborer, why is he treated like he's with an outsider?"

“An Gui is an apprentice, while the other is a master craftsman. How can they be the same?”

"What's wrong? The furniture factory is still part of our team, why are they giving so much money to outsiders?" Han Wangshi couldn't understand why the furniture factory didn't take care of her son first, even though they were all close relatives.

"Alright, hurry up and eat, we're in a meeting."

The whole of Hanjiaba was talking about what the meeting was for. The autumn harvest was long over, and the grain had been distributed. Although it wasn't much, it would last for two months. They also received a sum of money, which would help offset some of the deficit.

At least we can get through the winter. Of course, we buy some coarse grains. Fortunately, the furniture factory will still give us a share of the profits at the end of the year. This is the biggest part of the profits, and everyone is quite excited. With something to look forward to, everyone works happily without a trace of bitterness.

In the past, during a drought year like this, the entire brigade would probably have been gloomy. But now, everyone is all smiles, and their worries have disappeared. The furniture factory is doing so well.

Now, many women and children in the village who have free time in the evenings also go to help out, earning two or three cents a year, or even five cents. This is all cash. In the past, who would have dared to dream of earning more than a dollar a day with a large family?

During the meeting, everyone was chatting and laughing, but when Han Fuguo mentioned the matter of recruiting carpenters from outside the team, the people below the stage became restless.

“A wealthy country like ours, how can we let the good stuff go to outsiders?” Fifth Master stood up, leaning on his cane.

“Yes, Fuguo, that doesn’t make sense. How can our brigade’s furniture factory hire people from other brigades?”

"This carpentry work, you can learn it slowly. If you don't learn it now, why would you need to hire someone from outside the team?"

The murmurs below grew louder, and Han Fuguo gestured for them to stop. "Let me say a few words about this matter."

"That's right, a lot of furniture a family orders is for their wedding. We can't delay their schedule, or they'll back out. You know, it takes at least one or two years for our kids to learn a trade. Can they wait that long?"

“Besides,” Han Fuguo said, “we’re hauling furniture out every day; everyone in the surrounding production brigades is watching. That’s something that will make people jealous.” “We can’t possibly make all the money,” he added.

"What if the other brigades say something? If things get out of hand, the commune won't be able to say anything either."

"Is this true?"

Everyone agreed, thinking that this person was only thinking about his own benefits and how his own child could learn carpentry and make a lot of money, without considering that other brigades might not have enough to eat, and what would happen if they aroused jealousy.

"There's another thing, about the county furniture factory. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd worry."

When Han Fuguo mentioned that the county furniture factory had noticed them and might take action, everyone panicked. Han Fuguo thought to himself, "It's that kid Li Feng again; everything he said today was something Li Feng told him."

This is an exaggeration of the harsh external environment. Although the conditions are real, Han Fuguo exaggerated them this time, which really scared everyone.

"what is it now?"

"Yes, Fuguo, the county won't stop us from setting up a furniture factory, will it?"

Now everyone stopped talking about hiring. They were all worried. Not only the few who had just spoken, but also Aunt Big Foot and the others were worried. Even those who didn't know the specifics of the situation became worried.

We've only had a few good days, what if the county furniture factory makes it impossible for us to run a furniture factory?

"Everyone, please be quiet."

Han Fuguo pressed his hand down. "I was shocked when I first heard about this. So I asked Fengzi, and Fengzi, Futian, Fuqiang, and I discussed it until midnight, and finally came up with the solution we just discussed."

What method?

"We are looking to hire a carpenter from outside the team."

Han Fuguo was quite pleased with himself. These people usually caused quite a bit of trouble, so he needed to scare them a bit, otherwise they would be really hard to manage. Fengzi was the one with the best ideas; look, everyone was completely calm now.

"Does hiring carpenters from outside the county mean we won't be afraid of the county furniture factory?"

"Yes, that makes sense."

"Alright, let Fuguo speak."

Fifth Master stamped his foot. "Fuguo, you're the captain, you definitely know more about this than we do, so quickly explain it to everyone."

"Alright, Fifth Uncle, here's the thing. First, let's talk about the orders. We have a lot of orders, but we don't have enough manpower, especially for carpenters. Now that we've hired more people, our output will be much higher. Don't be fooled by the fact that we have to pay wages for hiring; the more furniture we produce, the more money we'll get in the profits. The people we hire from outside don't get any money; they just get a fixed salary..." Han Fuguo's analysis made everyone exclaim, "Wow, this is actually a good thing! Our families might even get a bigger share of the profits!"

Han Fuguo glanced at Li Feng, who chuckled. This was something Li Feng had told Han Fuguo.

"You're a smart kid."

Han Futian said with a smile, "I think it's a good thing to hire people. We should hire more people."

"Haha, Uncle Tomita, that's how it is, everyone just hasn't figured it out yet." Li Feng thought to himself, it all depends on how you put it, right now I'll definitely say the good things.

"If we hire carpenters from other teams, what will the surrounding brigades say? They won't support us in setting up a furniture factory."

Han Fuguo said with a smile, "Speaking of the county furniture factory, we've asked Secretary Gao and Secretary Wu for help in recruiting people. This will bring the commune into the picture. When the county furniture factory tries to suppress us, the commune won't agree."

"What did you say? Are we hiring? Hiring carpenters from other teams?"

"Yes, we have to confess, we absolutely must confess."

"Hire more, Uncle Fuguo, so I can also learn some skills from him."

"Haha, Ancheng, that kid, he's right about that," Han Fuguo said. "Our brigade has few carpenters. With so many skilled carpenters coming this time, those with young children at home should pay close attention and learn from them."

"That takes real skill." (End of Chapter)