The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 148 New Business Takes Shape, Big Gold Chest Emerges

The next day, the neighborhood committee submitted a support application to the Changzheng Slaughterhouse.

Qian Jin then arranged for Liu Dali and Han Hongqi to be responsible for fetching pig heads and offal, and for the two of them to be in charge of braising the meat.

"We have to leave at four o'clock tomorrow morning and ride our bicycles directly to their slaughterhouse."

Qian Jin unbuttoned his cotton-padded coat and took out a new ledger.

"No need to pay, just sign and pay on credit. I've already discussed it with their manager, and we'll settle the account at the end of the month based on the bulk price."

He suddenly remembered something, patted his forehead, and added:
"You don't have to eat breakfast at home, go to a breakfast shop instead. Hmm, the reimbursement limit is 25 cents per person per day."

Liu Dali and Han Hongqi whispered to each other, "Just bring some dry food from home, drink some hot water and eat it."

"Yes, if you save up the reimbursement money, you'll earn an extra seven and a half yuan a month, hehe."

Before dawn, the two rode their bicycles and wandered towards the northern part of the city.

A flashlight was installed at the front of the car, and breath condensed into white mist under the light.

The wheels crunched and creaked as they rolled over the frosty asphalt.

Icicles hung from the iron gate of the back alley of the slaughterhouse. After the two arrived, they knocked on the door and took out the account book.

A man wearing a leather apron verified their identities and then handed them two burlap sacks.

"Five pig heads, five sets of offal, only ten pig trotters can be given, all in the sack."

The two men carefully opened the sack, and the cold air carrying the pungent smell of a pig's head rushed out.

Han Hongqi touched the blue quarantine stamp on the pig's ear, and the ice shards made him pull his hand back: "It's frozen solid, it must be fresh!"

Outside the neighborhood committee's warehouse, a stove made from gasoline drums was set up, and two people had to use rosin to remove the hair from pig heads.

Qian Jin came over early in the morning and took a look. Amidst the rising heat, the two of them were so busy that their feet barely touched the ground.

Liu Dali greeted him, "Chief Qian, we finally managed to beg and plead to get this little bit of rosin. I'm afraid if we get five more pig heads, it'll all be used up. What will we do then?"

Qian Jin nodded: "Use it without worry, there will be something usable on Sunday."

He had already made plans in this regard.

There's a product in the mall called rosin glycerol ester, which is a high-viscosity rosin block specifically used for removing feathers from chickens, ducks, and poultry, and for plucking hair from pig heads.

Rosin glyceryl ester is a food-grade synthetic compound that is non-toxic and odorless, making it perfect for plucking hair from pigs.

The only problem is that these things are sold in large bags of fifty kilograms each in the mall, and even his largest gold chest can't hold them all.

So, to upgrade the gold chest, you need to get an even bigger gold chest.

Fortunately, he has enough money on hand now. He already has 2.2 million yuan in savings, and he also has a Pearl River 7 twin-lens reflex camera, which is very valuable.

Because it is in near-new condition, it can fetch a price of nearly 400,000 yuan in the mall.

Qian Jin couldn't bear to sell it.

He had inquired about it and found that the camera was very important and valuable—this was evident from the price listed in the mall.

In 1969, the state issued an instruction to develop high-end cameras, which was then the responsibility of the First Ministry of Machine Building. The ministry then arranged for some of its subordinate camera manufacturing enterprises with technical capabilities to research and imitate high-end cameras from abroad.

Among them, Yangcheng Camera Factory was tasked with researching and imitating the German-made Rolleiflex medium format twin-lens reflex camera.

With strong support from the province and assistance from various parties in providing all the necessary raw materials, the camera factory finally produced two prototypes by the end of 1969, named "Pearl River 7". In 1970, ten more were produced.

This camera is quite high-end by today's standards, with powerful performance, but because of its limited quantity, it was not put into the civilian market and was taken by Xinhua News Agency.

So Zhujiang Factory invested more than 100 million RMB to manufacture about 100 sets of parts, but due to the difficulty in standardizing the process and materials, only about 10 sets of qualified products were assembled.

This caused a problem. At that time, the price of imported Rollei cameras was only two thousand to two thousand five hundred yuan. The cost of making counterfeit products was higher than the import price, making it impossible to carry out industrial production.

As a result, after only a few dozen units were produced, the camera was forced to cease production, and therefore the total number of surviving units is now very small.

Initially, all of these cameras were given to Xinhua News Agency. Later, due to various circumstances, some cameras ended up in other units, and the one that ended up in Haibin City was probably the one from the customs office.

At the time, Song Hongbing was in a hurry to deal with Qian Jin, and by a twist of fate, he managed to borrow this camera through connections, but then lost it.

The person who lent him the camera was a tough nut to crack; he pressured him to return it immediately, threatening to demand double the cost of the camera—5000 yuan—as compensation if he didn't get the camera.

Don't think that Song Hongbing was extorted; they didn't ask for a single extra penny.

Besides the prototype, the Pearl River 7 was produced in two batches. The cost of the first batch was 2500 yuan, but the price of the second batch soared to 5600 yuan!
After making inquiries, Qian Jin learned that after several years of turmoil, very few of these cameras remained, making them highly collectible.

So after he got his hands on it, he put it on the store, but never sold it.

Reluctant.

Now that he needed a large gold box, he had no choice but to give it up, and in the end, he used his 260 million yuan savings to buy nearly three kilograms of gold.

In this way, creating a large gold chest with a side length of one meter is obviously not a problem.

Qian Jin plans to go to Hongxing Commune on Sunday, so he'll braise the pig's head and offal today. He won't sell this batch; he'll use it as gifts.

The spice mix was easy to find; he bought pre-packaged spice packets, which weren't cheap—a fist-sized packet cost 50 yuan.

Of course, the mall also sells those spice packets for a few dollars for ten bags, but Qian Jin doesn't think these cheap products are trustworthy.

Having a spice packet isn't enough; to make delicious braised pig's head and offal, removing the gamey smell is crucial.

Qian Jin also bought a seasoning called "Fish Removal King".

This stuff is expensive; a pound of it costs sixty yuan.

This seasoning contains glucose, maltodextrin, spices, food additives, and various edible flavorings.

Anyway, the main focus is on technology and ruthless skills.

However, they are all edible additives that meet national requirements, such as monosodium glutamate and silicon dioxide.

Qian Jin had a lot of confidence in them, after all, cooking wine and various scallions, ginger and star anise helped to remove the fishy smell.

Zhu Tao, who was preparing to set up his stall, came over after smelling the fishy odor: "Hey, Dali, you're up to something? Keep it up, and I'll apply for an award for outstanding individual in the neighborhood at the end of the year."

Liu Dali chuckled: "Captain Zhu, thank you so much."

Qian Jin is the head of the mobile canteen, Zhu Tao and Zhao Bo are his two deputies, and then there are sub-team leaders.

Zhu Tao came over to check the braising liquid. After smelling it, he said, "Did you forget to add cinnamon? I can't smell any cinnamon."

Liu Dali pointed at Qian Jin: "Ask Chief Qian about the ingredient package he provided."

Zhu Tao sniffed the smell again and muttered to himself, "Damn it, I have a cold and my sense of smell is not working properly."

As the sun climbed to the horizon, the five pig heads began to have their hair plucked in turn.

Qian Jin instructed them, "You must clean up the hygiene issues. The most difficult thing to deal with with this pig's head is the hygiene."

"Once you've taken care of the hygiene, all that's left is to remove the fishy smell and simmer it in the braising liquid. Then you two will have an easy time."

Han Hongqi wiped his nose and flicked it on the ground: "Don't worry, Chief Qian, I'll definitely scrape its ears clean and clean its nose thoroughly."

Qian Jin was not at all at ease about this: "Hey, brother-in-law, remember to write up some rules and regulations and work discipline for our mobile canteen. When working in a big organization, discipline must be strict!"

Wei Xiongtu took out his notebook and added a new item to his work plan.

He is now Qian Jin's secretary.

Han Hongqi was completely unaware. He stuffed a piece of wood into the stove and said to himself:
“Back in the commune, I was in charge of scraping the pig’s face every time we slaughtered a pig. Just you wait and see, Chief Qian. I dare say that no one in our team is as good at scraping pig hair as I am.”

Qian Jin nodded: "I believe that, which is why I chose you and Dali to work together. You two do a good job. I have to go to work now. I'll check your work results when I get back tonight."

The flames leaped up, making their faces glow red.

The two were very motivated.

Although the mobile canteen for the people has added fish balls as a meat dish, seafood still can't compare to meat.

The emergence of braised pig's head, braised pig's offal, and braised pig's trotters has given the mobile canteens for the people a solid, presentable menu item.

Qian Jin deliberately left work early that day.

As dusk began to paint Taishan Road red, he had already cycled to the warehouse.

Looking at him panting, Wei Xiongtu said, "Hey, don't be so busy lately. I feel like you have very little energy and you look very weak."

Qian Jin, panting heavily, said, "Could it be that I haven't drunk enough tiger bone wine?"

Wei Xiongtu shook his head: "I'm not joking with you. Look at your eye sockets, your lips, and your skin. You didn't always look like this."

Qian Jin calculated the time and said, "It's okay, I'll be back to normal in a few days."

Wei Qinghuan's period is coming soon.

He can recover his health then.

The two stopped the car, and Liu Dali got out, still skewering vegetables in his hand: "Chief Qian, Teacher Wei, can you smell the aroma?"

Qian Jin nodded in approval.

Five large iron pots were lined up in a row, with white steam slowly rising from around the lids of each pot.

The fire has been extinguished.

Soaking pig's head and offal in water to remove blood and impurities takes two hours. Subtracting processing time, the actual braising time is only about half a day.

But it's enough.

Qian Jin lifted the lid of the pot.

In an instant, thick white steam billowed into the air, and Wei Xiongtu couldn't help but exclaim, "This is what they call 'the wind follows the tiger, the clouds follow the dragon'!"

Qian Jin looked back.

Where did this chuunibyou (delusional) handsome guy come from?
The trembling pig's head meat was a deep brown color. He used a cleaver to slice through the skin and meat, revealing layers of walnut-like patterns embedded in the fat.

Qian Jin asked, "Is there garlic in the warehouse? Didn't you mash some garlic?"

Han Hongqi shook his head: "We weren't prepared that thoroughly. Chief Qian, would you like to try it now?"

Qian Jin said, "I want you to have a taste. After all, you've been busy all day, from before dawn until now. The first bite should definitely be yours."

Liu Dali and Han Hongqi exchanged a glance, and were immediately annoyed.

I miscalculated; I should have prepared minced garlic.

After all, as the old saying goes, eating meat without garlic is the same as not eating garlic at all.

Qian Jin had a solution: smash two cloves of garlic with a cleaver, smashing them quite hard if necessary.

Minced garlic and vinegar are enough.

He cut off the tips of the pig's ears and gave them to the two of them. The hot meat, when it came into contact with the minced garlic, released a burst of spicy flavor.

Liu Dali and his companion had been savoring the aroma for a while, ignoring the heat, they were even breathing on their ears to cool them down.

After chewing it thoroughly, he couldn't bear to swallow it, and mumbled, "Delicious, absolutely, Chief Qian, this seasoning is amazing, absolutely delicious!"

Qian Jin kept two pig heads, a set of pig offal, and ten braised pig trotters, while distributing the rest of the pig heads and offal to the labor shock troops.

With so many people, we didn't get much food, but it was enough to go back and enjoy with our families.

But welfare benefits are always a mixed bag, sometimes more and sometimes less.

Qian Jin gave half of the ten braised pig trotters to Wei Xiangmi. After all, they were using the neighborhood committee's premises, so they had to show their appreciation to the neighborhood committee director.

He took the remaining braised pig's trotters back with the Wei siblings and others, and Huang Chui ate until he was stuffed that night.

Wei Qinghuan was worried that eating too many bones would make it unable to poop, but Zhang Aijun said it didn't matter: "I'll help it poop."

Qian Jin was stunned: "How did you get it working?"

Zhang Aijun brandished his military dagger.

As it turned out, Wei Qinghuan's worries were not unfounded. The next day, when Qian Jin was about to go to work, he found Huang Chui making constant "woo-woo-uh-uh" noises.

It squatted on the ground for a while, then got up and walked a few steps, then squatted down again for a while, whimpering for a while before finally being able to stand up again.

Qian Jin's heart sank.

This thing ate too many bones, and they're causing problems in its intestines after digestion.

He couldn't really let Zhang Aijun use a bayonet, but luckily there was also enemas available in this era.

So he bought some glycerin suppositories and gave Huang Chui two, which finally saved Huang Chui's life.

That dog Huang Chui is very shrewd.

It became increasingly clear who the big boss was, and it became utterly subservient to Qian Jin, obeying his every word.

February 6, 1978, the 2th day of the twelfth lunar month, less than half a month before the Chinese New Year.

It's now the sixth nine-day period of winter in the Chinese lunar calendar, and the mornings in Haibin City are unusually cold.

In the iron-gray morning mist, Qian Jin sprayed half a bottle of hot water into the carburetor of the Jiefang truck before it could start.

The headlights cleaved through the salty fog drifting in from the bay as he stepped on the gas and set off.

The neighborhood committees in the city have organized labor task forces to clear snow and ice, but most of the task force members on the streets are listless and just going through the motions.

The early morning trams sparked blue as they ran through the air, the carts selling vegetable buns creaked on the stone pavement, and people were already waiting at the local grocery stores.

The Little New Year is just around the corner, and many families are preparing for the New Year.

The red and white swivel at the state-run barbershop was covered in frost, like a frozen mint. Since haircuts were not allowed during the first month of the lunar year, the lines outside the barbershop were even longer, and some people even fought over cutting in line, with cotton hats rolling into the frozen drainage ditch.

The roads outside the city were difficult to travel.

Snow froze and then fell again, and even the mud and water crushed by car, horse-drawn carriage, and bicycle tires froze, causing small trucks to slip on the icy roads.

Qian Jin realized this wouldn't do, so he quickly bought anti-skid chains from the mall.

He put snow chains on all four tires, and this time when he stepped on the gas, the truck ran much more steadily.

Outside the city, the branches were covered with frost, and Qian Jin drove towards the Red Star Commune.

Feeling lonely on the road, he bought a radio from the mall. He had just finished listening to the news broadcast when "The Spring Water in the Frontier is Clear and Pure" started playing again.

Gradually, the road became deserted, leaving only his car.

After much hesitation, he decided not to wait for the big boxes and to buy soybeans and coarse grains here first.

Otherwise, there would be a lot of people in front of the blacksmith's shop, and if they saw that his cart was empty but he had delivered so much grain to the Liu family, it would be difficult to handle.

After working for more than two hours, the truck bed was half full again.

The trucks behind, loaded with heavy loads, came up, their wheels screeching on the ice.

Qian Jin was so tired that his breath smelled bad. He rinsed his mouth with water, rolled down the car window, and spat it out. The mountain wind slapped it against the windshield, and it quickly condensed into an ice flower.

The car drove off again, and a girl in a red scarf appeared by the roadside.

The girl, wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket and carrying a bamboo basket, flagged down the car: "Driver, please stop by." Without Zhang Aijun by his side, Qian Jin was very cautious.

However, considering that it is just a girl, there should not be much danger, since the surrounding area is all flat farmland where no one can hide.

Besides, he's not afraid of anyone. He has Huang Chui with him. If things go wrong, Huang Chui will make the first move, and he'll always have time to draw his gun.

So he stopped the car and looked outside.

The girl had rough skin but delicate features, with two big, bright eyes and a dimple when she smiled: "Driver, could you give me a ride? My bicycle chain fell off and I can't put it back on."

Qian Jin asked warily, "Where are you from? Where are you going?"

"I went to visit relatives in the city and started my journey back to Hongxing Commune early this morning." The girl's accent was also from the Hongxing Commune area.

Qian Jin got out of the car, helped her load her bicycle, and let the girl sit in the passenger seat.

The girl carefully lifted the basket, took out an egg, and handed it to him: "Master, have an egg."

Qian Jin shook his head: "I've already eaten, I'm not hungry."

The girl was behaving very well on the way, and Qian Jin realized he was being overly cautious, so he started chatting with her.

This girl is very lively and talkative.

The red scarf swung back and forth, like a flame leaping in the passenger seat.

Qian Jin kindly helped her out and was unexpectedly rewarded.

As they drove through a snowdrift, the wheels suddenly slipped. The girl looked out and quickly shouted, "Turn the wheels hard to the left! There's a ditch below this section of road. A couple of days ago, one of your city trucks fell into it and froze overnight..."

Qian Jin turned the steering wheel hard, shifted gears, and slammed on the gas pedal, finally managing to drive off.

He was a little scared: "How come there is such a place? It wasn't there when I left before."

"You're quite something, you even know to turn the wheel to the left."

The girl laughed happily: "Hey, don't look down on me, I'm one of the two female tractor drivers in our Red Star Commune."

"To be honest, I've always wanted to learn how to drive a car, but unfortunately I don't have the opportunity."

Qian Jin couldn't help her.

He was driving without a license.

The girl asked him again, "You said you've driven this road before? But you look unfamiliar. I know all the drivers who frequently drive this road. Which company do you work for? Where are you going?"

Qian Jin mumbled, "Go to the Liu family in Hongxing."

The girl's eyes lit up with excitement, and she asked, "Oh, you're that city cadre who often goes to Liu's village to support agriculture, right? I remember your name is Qian Jin!"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "You even know that? The ones nearby?"

"I'm from Xiamaqiao," the girl said happily.

Qian Jin was completely relieved to know this place.

The Xiamaqiao production team was neighbors with the Liu family. He and Xu Weidong had driven tractors to help with the autumn harvest in Xiamaqiao.

In this way, the two were practically acquaintances. The girl then started chattering, asking him why he kept going to the Liu family to support their agriculture, and whether he was the one who supported the tofu workshop and fish ball processing workshop that the Liu family had started.

Someone struck up a conversation on the way, which was quite nice, and before I knew it, we had arrived at the Red Star Commune.

Qian Jin said he had to go to the blacksmith's shop, and the girl readily said, "Then I wish you a safe journey. I'll get off here."

"Boss, look, I hitched a ride with you. I was thinking of paying for the ride with eggs, but you don't want eggs, so what do you want?"

Qian Jin smiled and waved his hand: "I serve the people, I don't want anything, I don't want anything in return."

Goodbye, comrade.

The girl looked at him with her big, watery eyes, her eyelids fluttering, as if she were thinking about something.

The truck drove to the blacksmith's shop.

There were still quite a few people gathered at the blacksmith's shop to warm themselves and chat. When they heard the sound of the cart, Old Huang came out on his own initiative: "Haha, I knew it was you, leader, who came."

Qian Jin laughed and said, "You wouldn't come here without a reason, so you'd better send him away. Later, you'll need to make me a large gold chest."

Huang Laotie readily agreed, "Okay, leave this to me. I'll get things done for you today."

He went inside, waved his hand to shoo people away, and said, "The leaders of the supply and marketing cooperative asked us to build a new tool. This needs to be kept secret. You'd better get out of here. I'm not providing hot water here anymore."

The commune members, who had been seeking warmth, walked away laughing and joking, glancing back with a hint of envy in their eyes as they left.

They knew that the city leaders had brought good things again.

Qian Jin naturally brought some good things with him.

I didn't bring anything else this time, just some plasters, liquor, and a piece of pig's head.

Whole pig's head meat.

This was a rare item in the commune, and the four blacksmiths gathered around to examine it.

"What a big pig's head! It must weigh at least six or seven pounds!"

"That pig's face is so fat, it makes my mouth water."

"The braised pig faces in the city are really good. You should try this braising broth jelly, it tastes really good."

Huang Laotie and Qian Jin were no longer being polite.

He picked up the blacksmith's pliers, clamped the pig's ear, and gently tore it open. The trembling gelatinous layer shone with an agate color in the morning light.

Qian Jin said, "I'll have a couple of drinks later, cut some pig's head meat, and grab a handful of peanuts. I'll have to trouble Master Huang today."

Chen Jingdi wasn't here; he planned to team up with Huang Laotie to swing the sledgehammer.

With the workload doubled and a capable assistant lost, Huang Laotie would definitely have to expend more effort and time, so he arrived early in the morning.

Huang Laotie waved his hand: "I'll go to the inner room to work first, and I'll eat lunch later. I'll have something to look forward to, so I'll have more energy to work later!"

"What job? Shall we do it together?" Old Dog asked.

Qian Jin said, "I'll work with Master Huang and assist him. Please help me out and don't let anyone in this morning."

Old Dog nodded: "Alright, go ahead without worry."

Qian Jin tied Huang Chui to the door: "Don't let anyone in, or you won't get lunch. You'll just be our meal."

Huang Chui understood, sat down, and peered out diligently.

Qian Jin had already bought the gold bars, and after taking them out, he threw them to Huang Laotie.

After looking at it, Huang Laotie didn't hesitate at all: "I was thinking of finding you a crucible. That thing can melt gold, which will save us trouble."

"As it turned out, the rural area was too remote, and even asking around didn't help us find the crucible."

Qian Jin was taken aback: "If the crucible is used to melt the gold, how can you then thin it out?"

He can buy crucibles; the mall has plenty.

Huang Laotie laughed and said, "It's such a simple thing. I can just make a mold. I can just pour the gold liquid in and make it follow the mold."

Qian Jin slapped his forehead: "This is no trouble, Master Huang. I'll ask someone to buy you a crucible later. There are these in the university labs."

Huang Laotie said, "Alright, let's keep swinging the sledgehammer today!"

He poked the coke oven until sparks flew, then put the gold bars into the coke pile: "This time we don't need gas. The coke can reach a similar temperature, and it's easier to control."

"The first time you swung the hammer, you didn't count the number of blows. You had to count the count yourself. After eighteen blows, you had to go back to the furnace."

After saying that, he poured the water from his water bottle onto the anvil, which sizzled and produced white smoke.

Qian Jin's palms were sweaty as he gripped the hammer.

It's not that I'm nervous, it's just really hot.

The red-hot gold bar resembled a frozen sunset. The moment the copper clamps gripped it, he swung the sledgehammer and brought it down with the first blow.

The gold bar emitted a strange buzzing sound, which made my hand go numb.

"Too short!" Old Huang was very strict when he worked. "I'll do it. Watch how I forge it. Snakes have their paths and rats have their ways. You have to follow the grain of the crystal when you forge iron or gold."

The old blacksmith's scarred hands covered the hammer handle, and after a few blows, the gold bar went limp.

Qian Jin followed suit and swung the hammer, turning the gold plate into gold flakes.

Just like last time, the gold box is assembled, with a gold lid on the top and bottom, and then the main body around it.

This way, the gold is soft enough that he can fold it up and store it in a smaller gold box.

He already has three gold boxes, and this one is number four, the largest in size.

Huang Chui's roar could be heard outside.

Qian Jin pressed his face against the narrow window and looked out. Cai Laoliu went out and shouted a couple of times before coming back. Huang Chui sat down.

The two worked until nearly noon and successfully crafted the No. 4 gold chest.

It was bigger than Qian Jin had expected.

The side length is about 1.5 meters.

Under the glow of the fire, the golden box reflected a deep red flame, making it look exceptionally beautiful.

Once back to before liberation.

Qian Jin laughed self-deprecatingly.

However, he was very satisfied. This time he could purchase more supplies. He could not only buy large items, but also buy more things at once. For example, he could buy a 100-kilogram bag of grain.

He folded the No. 4 gold box, put it into the wooden box he had brought, took it out, and locked it in the driver's cab.

The blacksmith shop's main hall has been cleaned.

Cai Laoliu asked them if they had finished their work and could open the door. Qian Jin said yes, and he rushed out the door.

"Where did Sixth Brother go?" Although Qian Jin thought it was impossible, the way he looked made it seem like he was in a hurry to inform on someone.

Old Dog chuckled and explained, "He went home and had his wife collect garlic."

As he spoke, he swept the charred ash off the largest piece of anvil and spread out old newspapers to use as a cutting board.

The pig's head meat, which had already solidified into a jelly from the braising liquid, became tender under the heat of the stove, and Shi Tou used a sharp knife to cut it into large pieces.

Qian Jin also tossed out a bag of peanuts, saying, "These are just as good as pork head meat when you're drinking."

Then the old dog brought over an enamel basin filled with minced garlic and oil droplets.

"Well, you're even willing to add sesame oil?" Old Huang said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

The old dog chuckled, "When the leader comes, don't we have to serve him well?"

Qian Jin took out a bag of Sichuan peppercorn salt and gave it to them: "Try dipping this in, it has a unique flavor."

Once the bottle of baijiu was opened, the first cup was poured into the stove, and flames immediately shot up.

"First, let's pay homage to Laozi, the patriarch of blacksmiths."

Old Huang poured himself a drink, sipped it, and squinted his eyes: "When was the last time we ate pig's head here?"

"I can't remember," the others shook their heads. "It must have been quite a few years ago."

Qian Jin picked out a whole piece of pork palate cartilage, dipped it in salt and pepper, and handed it over: "Master Huang, try this."

Huang Laotie really put in a lot of effort today.

Old Huang chewed with relish, his mouth full of aroma: "It tastes good. Where did you buy this? It must have cost a lot of money."

Qian Jin took a sip of water containing iron filings and laughed, "I didn't spend a penny. This is something my small collective enterprise makes itself, and now we sell it."

"You guys just wait, I'll make sure you're sick of pig's head meat. This year for Chinese New Year, I've also prepared pig's head meat and offal for you, one set for each of you."

The blacksmiths were overjoyed.

After a few rounds of drinks, Huang Laotie took out a cloth bag and handed it to him: "When I visited you last time, you had quite a few kids. Here, make some toys for the kids to play with."

Qian Jin held the heavy object in his hand. When he opened it, he found it contained a series of gleaming silver swords.

He took it in his hand and asked in surprise, "Is it made of aluminum? No, it's too light."

The old dog chuckled, "Wood wrapped in aluminum, how's the workmanship? Not bad, right?"

Qian Jin said, "Great! If we take this back to those little ones, they'll be overjoyed."

After chatting and eating his fill, he took the barbecue grill and prepared to go to Liu's production team.

The blacksmiths were very helpful.

They built him six barbecue grills in one go, which will be enough for the whole summer.

The truck entered Liu's production team again, and the children chased after it as usual. This time, they weren't afraid of the truck anymore, probably because they were afraid of being beaten by their parents.

Qian Jin stopped his car in front of the production team office, where the people inside were already waiting outside.

Besides Liu Wangcai, Liu Youyu, and others he knew, he also saw the girl with the red scarf who had been passing by on the road.

The girl jumped up and down when she saw him: "How about it, boss? Didn't expect us to be here, did you?"

Qian Jin also saw two unfamiliar men, who must be 'us'.

He greeted him politely, and Liu Wangcai, smoking a cigarette, asked him, "From what Honghu said, you brought her back today? And you went to the blacksmith's shop too?"

The girl's name is Red Tiger, a rather fierce name.

Qian Jin took down a piece of braised pig's head and a set of braised pig offal and handed them to him, saying, "Yes, we just happened to run into her."

With outsiders present, Liu Youyu kept a low profile after climbing into the car, only nodding and smiling at Liu Wangcai.

Liu Wangcai was secretly pleased, but his face remained calm.

He introduced two middle-aged men to Qian Jin.

One of them is Honghu's father, Sheng Jinshun, who is the captain of the Xiamaqiao production team.

Another one is Sheng Chenggong, the patriarch of the Sheng family at Xiamaqiao, who is one of the two managers.

After the introductions, Liu Wangcai smiled at the three men and said, "You three have come at the perfect time. The leader brought some pig's head and offal for us. We can have a good drink together at noon."

Sheng Honghu laughed happily, "I smelled the aroma of braised meat in the car, but I was too embarrassed to ask what it smelled so good. It turns out it was braised pig's head meat and..."

Qian Jin introduced the fish balls to her, saying, "These are braised by a local business," and then said to Liu Wangcai, "If you have something to discuss, please do so first. I'll go check on the fish ball processing workshop."

Liu Wangcai waved and said, "Boss, don't go! They're coming for you at Xiamaqiao!"

(End of this chapter)