The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 167 The New Journey of Zidian Commune

The night Qian Jin was to go to the countryside, he and Wei Qinghuan lay in bed, neither of them able to fall asleep.

A passionate, unending love!

Until midnight, moonlight shone through the thin curtains, casting a crystal-clear white pattern on the bed and the cement floor.

“You’ll be in a completely unfamiliar place there, so please be careful,” Wei Qinghuan said, wiping her husband’s sweat. Her voice was muffled.

“We’ve all been to the countryside and know how bad the conditions are. If there’s anything you can’t handle, don’t force yourself; adapt gradually…”

Qian Jin sensed the hesitation in her voice, so he reached out and put his arm around his wife's smooth shoulders:

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Besides, I'm coming back on the weekend, so we're only apart for a short time."

The two were deeply in love and had been inseparable since their marriage. Now that they suddenly had to separate, Wei Qinghuan felt somewhat uneasy.

She doesn't consider herself a pretentious woman, and she knows her husband isn't a pretentious man either.

She was still somewhat apprehensive when she learned that her husband was going to be demoted and sent to the countryside to work as a sales clerk.

She would rather go to the countryside herself.

It doesn't matter if I become a teacher in a primary or middle school in the countryside.

“I will write you a letter every day.” Qian Jin gently patted his wife’s smooth back.

"You don't need to worry about me. It's you who has to take care of the children, work, and cook for your family here. You need to take care of yourself and get some rest."

Wei Qinghuan didn't speak, but Qian Jin could feel her shoulders trembling slightly.

A few hours later, just as dawn was breaking, the female teacher got up and gave Qian Jin dumplings.

Dumplings before boarding and noodles upon disembarking are a local custom.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the first rays of dawn were just beginning to appear.

The lights in the room also need to be turned on.

Wei Qinghuan tiptoed to take the white porcelain basin from the top of the cupboard, and Qian Jin lay on the bed with his chin resting on the back of his hand to look at it.

The slender waist, accentuated by the tight wool sweater, bent like a tender willow in the dim morning light.

He suddenly realized that his beloved wife should learn dance instead of music.

The special supply of high-quality rice flour from the supply and marketing cooperative dripped into the bottom of the basin, and Wei Qinghuan always focused intently on cooking.

Her wrist, which was scooping water, was held very steadily, and the water flowed along the edge of the aluminum ladle in a silver arc, completely submerging the depression in the center of the dough pile.

"Chop, chop, chop," the sound of horses' hooves echoed as the two knives struck the elm wood chopping board.

Qian Jin wanted to help, but Wei Qinghuan pushed him away: "A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen. Besides, you're going on a long trip today. How can you make dumplings for yourself? Are you going to make them for yourself?"

Her body trembled from chopping meat earlier, and a lock of her hair loosened, letting her dark hair fall down her alabaster neck, swaying gently with the force of chopping the filling.

Qian went in and got a hair clip to hold her hair in place, laughing, "It's only a journey of seventy or eighty kilometers, what's so far?"

Wei Qinghuan remained silent and continued to concentrate on chopping the meat.

The marbled pork belly gradually turned into pinkish clouds, mixed with jade-green chopped scallions. The aroma rising when drizzled with sesame oil made Qian Jin smack his lips involuntarily.

Wei Qinghuan is a master of making noodles. She can spin the dough into a snow-white top in her palm, and after rolling it three times with a rolling pin, it becomes a round piece as thin as a cicada's wing.

With her slender, white fingers, she pinched up the dough, and with a flick of her fingers, she caught the bulging meat filling. Her fingertips deftly pinched out even pleats, and soon the dumplings were placed on the mat, looking just like plump, crescent-shaped fish.

Making dumplings is much faster than steaming buns.

After all, there's no need to proof or let the dough rise.

While making dumplings, Wei Qinghuan also boiled water. When the dumplings were almost done, the water boiled.

With a sizzle, hot water was poured into the pot, releasing billowing steam.

The first batch of dumplings slid into the boiling water, which was teeming with chrysanthemum petals.

Wei Qinghuan lifted her apron to wipe away her sweat. The steam made her cheeks flush red, and the half of her forearm exposed when she stirred with the copper spoon was covered with fine water droplets, like a lotus root with dew.

Qian Jin couldn't watch any longer.

The more he looked at his wife, the less he wanted to leave her.

He had never seen such a wonderful woman in his past life, even when watching porn.

Wei Qinghuan raised Qian Jin like a son.

She served the dumplings to us without charging us to go inside and get a plate: "Would you like some more garlic sauce? Are you going to the bus station today? You'll inevitably be talking to people there, and garlic will leave your breath smelling."

Qian Jin shook his head.

He didn't care about the taste; he could just chew a couple of pieces of gum later. The main thing was that he didn't want Wei Qinghuan to go through the trouble.

Because if he wants minced garlic, Wei Qinghuan will definitely have to prepare it herself.

Qian Jin picked up a dumpling and blew on it.

The translucent skin encases a trembling meatball; the moment it's bitten, scalding juices burst forth, pooling into golden droplets of oil on the rough porcelain plate.

These are pork and scallion dumplings, a dish that few families can afford these days. Even for New Year's dumplings, most families have to add cabbage.

In reality, regardless of whether it's in the city or the countryside, ordinary people usually eat vegetarian dumplings. When they eat meat dumplings during festivals, they just add a little bit of meat or even some lard to the vegetarian filling.

Wei Qinghuan was very frugal; even after following Qian Jin, she rarely made pure meat dumplings.

In other words, Qian Jin could not enjoy such delicacies very often.

With the dumplings right in front of him, he didn't care that they were scalding hot. He puffed out his cheeks, chewed and savored them, and couldn't help but give a thumbs up and praise, "Nothing tastes better than dumplings, so good..."

Wei Qinghuan suddenly turned to look at him.

Qian Jin quickly said, "Nothing feels better than lying down."

"倒着" is a dialect word in Haibin City, meaning to lie down.

Upon hearing this, Wei Qinghuan smiled and stepped forward to wipe the oil from the corner of his mouth with her fingertips.

Qian Jin swallowed the dumpling with a gulp, only belatedly realizing that his scalding tongue could taste the spiciness of minced scallions and ginger, mixed with the warmth of lard that seeped into his internal organs.

Soon, the plate printed with the characters for Double Happiness and Loyalty was reduced to a swirling ring of oil, reflecting Wei Qinghuan's swaying waist as she untied her apron, more tempting than the oily meat filling of dumplings.

Qian Jin figured there was still time.

"When you get there, first check what kind of bedding is provided in the supply and marketing cooperative's dormitory. If it's not good, call home immediately so I can send you some bedding," Wei Qinghuan instructed as she stuffed clothes into her canvas bag.

"Yuezhou is colder than Haibin City, so I brought you a cotton coat. You don't need to wash it, just bring it back for me when you come back."

Qian Jin nodded silently and wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind.

The sun was already peeking over the eastern sky.

The morning light tinged the sky with orange-red.

There's something ambiguous about it.

Wei Qinghuan didn't refuse anything; she was about to turn around to meet him when Qian Jin whispered, "Don't move, just like this..."

So when Qian Jin was about to leave, the female teacher had to help him carry his bag.

The two walked one after the other on the quiet street, neither of them speaking.

The female teacher was somewhat sentimental because it was the first time she and her husband had been separated.

Qian Jin had no strength left except for walking.

As they passed a peach tree in full bloom, a gust of wind blew by, and petals fluttered down on them.

“It’s so beautiful,” Wei Qinghuan suddenly said, reaching out to brush a petal from Qian Jin’s shoulder. “By the time you come back, the flowers will probably have withered.”

Qian Jin said, "It's good that your flower won't wither."

The bus was crowded in the morning, and the two of them finally managed to squeeze on.

He could actually ride his motorcycle to the bus station, but Wei Qinghuan doesn't know how to ride a motorcycle and wouldn't be able to ride back. Also, it's cold in the morning, and riding a motorcycle would be a real ordeal.

Qian Jin still needs to buy a car for family use, but unfortunately, his current circumstances don't allow it.

The bus station is located in the city center, bustling with noise and long queues at the ticket windows.

Qian Jin bought a ticket to Yuezhou. He would first have to report to the county supply and marketing cooperative before being assigned to the commune.

With the departure time still early, he and Wei Qinghuan stood in a corner of the waiting room, surrounded by passengers carrying large and small bags.

"Go back, you still have to go to work." Qian Jin glanced at the wall clock. "Don't be late."

Wei Qinghuan shook her head: "I'll watch you get in the car before I leave."

The flight attendant, holding a tin megaphone, began announcing the boarding of passengers bound for Yuezhou.

A large number of people were pushing and shoving forward.

Qian Jin picked up his luggage, two bulging canvas bags filled with things Wei Qinghuan had packed for him.

The car horn sounded, urging passengers to board.

Qian Jin glanced at Wei Qinghuan one last time, then turned and walked towards the conductor to check tickets and prepare to board the train.

There were no seats left on the train, so his ticket became a standing ticket.

When he got on the bus, the driver glanced at him, then looked him over again and again: "Hey, comrade, isn't your surname Qian?"

Qian Jin nodded: "Yes, my name is Qian Jin..."

"Hey, Brother Qian!" The driver, who was clearly older than Qian Jin, cheered. "I'm Brother Qiao's junior apprentice. We learned to drive from the same teacher and often drink together."

The driver community is very small.

Qian Jin had become acquainted with almost all the freight drivers in half of Haibin City, so if he wanted, he could find connections with all kinds of drivers in Haibin City.

The driver yelled at the female ticket seller on the bus: "Xiaoqin, what are you doing? You have no sense of propriety. This is my brother's brother. Hurry up and help him with his luggage."

Qian Jin hurriedly got on the bus: "It's alright, it's alright, I can carry it. I'll just use it as a stool later, so there's no need to trouble the ticket seller."

The driver said enthusiastically, "Brother Qian, aren't you just slapping me in the face? Do you think I'd let you stand or sit with your luggage?"

The ticket seller has a seat right in front of the door, which is considered a prime seat.

Despite Qian Jin's repeated refusals, the driver and ticket seller insisted that he sit in the seat.

The crowded passengers looked at him with envy.

Some mothers even taught their children, "Study hard, get into university, become a cadre in the future, and be treated like this uncle when you go out."

Qian Jin was extremely embarrassed.

He would like to get off the bus if he could.

It would be better to have the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives arrange a car to take him to the countryside.

His original intention was not to seek special privileges, but now, in the eyes of all the passengers on the bus, he is a member of the privileged class.

Fortunately, he didn't try to take other passengers' seats, otherwise he would have been really embarrassed.

The bus horn sounded. The Huanghai brand bus, now considered a new type of passenger vehicle, started shakily.

Qian Jin leaned out of the car window and saw Wei Qinghuan standing there, her hair swaying in the wind like dancing snakes, her eyes brimming with tears.

The driver noticed her and muttered, "Whose young wife is here to see her lover off? She's really pretty."

"My wife," Qian Jin said in a low voice.

The driver immediately exclaimed, "No wonder Brother Qiao said you married a wonderful wife, Brother Qian. My sister-in-law has such deep feelings for you!"

Qian Jin laughed: "Brother, you should just call me Xiao Qian. I'm not worthy of being your brother."

The driver turned the steering wheel and said, "This is what Brother Qiao instructed. Really, he said all of us younger brothers have to call you 'brother' when we see you..."

As the car slowly pulled out of the station, Qian Jin watched through the car window as his wife's figure grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the morning mist.

He wasn't in the mood to chat with the driver. He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and could still vaguely see Wei Qinghuan.

The vehicle bumped along the potholed dirt road for more than three hours, and even stopped to help a bus with a flat tire.

We set off in the morning and arrived in the county around noon.

Having connections makes things easier; now bus drivers are required to pick up and drop off passengers at a few fixed points.

It doesn't need to go into the county's bus station; it can fill up with passengers going to the coastal city by simply going around the pick-up and drop-off points.

He drove Qian Jin to the county supply and marketing cooperative office building. When Qian Jin got out of the car, he handed the driver the sunglasses he had prepared for himself.
"You'll be driving south under the sun on your way back, so wearing this will be comfortable and will help you drive safely."

The driver tried to be polite with him, but he waved him off and went to report for duty.

He knew he would definitely need to take this bus again later, so he was very courteous.

The driver called out from behind him, "Brother Qian, if you want to take a bus again, don't bother buying a ticket. Just give Brother Qiao a call, and he'll arrange it for you. We're family, so everything's convenient!"

Qian Jin waved to him with a smile and strode into the county supply and marketing cooperative's office building.

The process was simple: after checking his registration certificate and letter of introduction, the county arranged for a delivery truck to take him to the countryside.

The delivery truck still had a mission, so after Qian Jin got off with his luggage, it quickly drove away.

Standing by the dusty roadside, Qian Jin looked around.

The Zidian Commune was even more rudimentary than he had imagined.

The main street is lined with low bungalows. The supply and marketing cooperative is located at the corner of the street. The storefront is small, and the faded red characters "Zidian Commune Supply and Marketing Cooperative" are written on the peeling paint wooden sign.

Qian Jin took a deep breath and pushed open the door of the supply and marketing cooperative.

The room was dimly lit, and a young woman in her early twenties was sitting behind the counter, knitting a sweater with her head down.

Hearing the door open, she looked up and continued knitting: "Comrade, what do you need to buy?"

"I'm Qian Jin, here to report for duty." Qian Jin took out his letter of introduction. "The organization has transferred me to work here."

The young woman immediately stood up: "Oh, you're the new sales clerk?"

She took the letter and glanced at it, her eyes widening immediately: "Comrade Qian Jin? You're from Haibin City, right? What brings you to our poor, remote place? Wait a moment, I'll go get Director Ma."

These days, urban workers have a sense of superiority over rural workers, even though they are both employed by the government and have secure jobs.

The girl put down her knitting needles and hurriedly ran into the inner room.

A short while later, a short, stout man in his forties came out.

He was wearing a faded Zhongshan suit with a pen clipped to his chest; he looked every bit the cadre.

"Comrade Qian Jin, is that right?" He extended his hand. "I'm Ma Defu, the director of the supply and marketing cooperative. Welcome, welcome!"

Qian Jin shook hands with him and felt that the other person's palm was soft and weak, and the handshake was not warm, much less like the palm of a veteran grassroots supply and marketing cooperative employee.

Supply and marketing cooperatives are good organizations, and being a sales clerk is a good job, but that doesn't mean they can live a life of luxury.

In reality, frontline sales clerks have to do manual labor, and whether they are workers or managers, they are prone to developing calluses on their hands.

In addition, Qian Jin was pondering this name.

Ma Defu...

He knew of a man named Ma Decai, who, like him, was a member of the preparatory group for the Foreign Investment Office.

Are these two related?
Ma Defu looked Qian Jin up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on Qian Jin's slightly worn cotton-padded coat and leather shoes: "You're from Haibin City? I heard you used to be a battalion commander?"

He chuckled and said, "Our little temple is probably too small to accommodate such a great figure as you."

Qian Jin sensed the barb in Ma's words, but pretended not to care: "Director Ma is joking. The organization has arranged for me to come here to study and work, and I will definitely do my best."

"That's good, that's good." Ma Defu turned to the girl and said, "Xiao Liu, take Comrade Qian to the backyard to check on the dormitory, settle him in, and then he can come back to work this afternoon."

Qian Jin was keenly aware of this.

Madford did not welcome him.

According to the unspoken rules of each unit, new recruits are given at least one day of rest upon arrival, and they usually have to work on the second or even the third day.

Ma Defu's request for him to start work as soon as he was settled seems reasonable, but it reveals something.

The so-called dormitory was actually a bungalow in the backyard of the supply and marketing cooperative. It was originally a warehouse for storing miscellaneous items, but it was temporarily vacated and people were paid to move in.

Diagonally opposite this room is the director's office, which has a large door and windows and is clean and tidy.

Unlike these bungalows, whose roofs are probably all damaged, so when it rains heavily outside, it will drizzle inside.

Furthermore, the room was poorly furnished, containing only a wooden bed, a table with a missing leg, and a wobbly chair.

Several burlap sacks were piled up in the corner, emitting a musty smell.

This environment is terrible.

Xiao Liu clearly realized this and said with an embarrassed smile, "Sorry, Brother Qian, we didn't expect you to come so quickly. We haven't even tidied up your dorm yet."

Qian Jin looked around at the furnishings in the room and said, "You're too kind. I can tidy up my own dormitory."

Two of the four panes of glass in the south-facing window of the dormitory are broken and have been sealed with thin wooden boards, resulting in very poor lighting in the room.

Three commemorative medals for learning from Daqing in industry are hanging under the window. These medals have hooks on them and can be used as hooks.

Hopscotch squares were drawn in chalk on the cement floor, but it's unclear when they were drawn; they've been worn down into a blurry Bagua diagram by the soles of shoes.

Xiao Liu hurriedly went to get him a thermos.

The outer shell of the tin thermos was painted with the words "Belongs to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Do Not Keep Privately" in red paint, and the spout was covered with white-yellow calcium carbonate crystals.

In addition, the inner liner of the thermos was a little wobbly. Xiao Liu said, "I'll find a piece of paper to put under it, and it will be fine after that."

She fetched a piece of paper, which turned out to be a newly issued notice, mimeographed using a stencil: "Notice on the Resumption of Night Schools in Communes and Streets."

Xiao Liu's full name is Liu Xiulan. She was quite enthusiastic and introduced herself to Qian Jin as the second accountant and sales clerk of the supply and marketing cooperative.

This was a quick and efficient girl. As she spoke, she helped Qian Jin tidy up the room and then brought over a quilt.

"Comrade Qian, please don't mind, this is just how things are in our commune," Liu Xiulan said somewhat embarrassedly. "Director Ma said you're a high-ranking cadre from Haibin City..."

Qian Jin shook his head: "What high-ranking officials? They're all just serving the people."

He paused for a moment, then decided to ask for some information: "Comrade Liu, how many people are there in our supply and marketing cooperative now?"

“If we’re talking about the supply and marketing cooperative itself, there are five of us, including you.” Liu Xiulan counted on her fingers, “Director Ma, you, me, Master Zhao Dazhu is an accountant, and Uncle Jin Hai is a warehouse keeper.”

Qian Jin nodded.

Five people are indeed enough for such a small supply and marketing cooperative.

But Liu Xiulan continued to tell him that while the supply and marketing cooperative itself didn't have many people, it had a large number of workers employed by it.

It turns out that townships and communes are different from cities. Their supply and marketing cooperative was considered a leading unit in Zidian Commune.

The food stores, medicine stations, cooperative stores, and purchasing stations in the commune were all under the jurisdiction of the supply and marketing cooperative.

Their business is very comprehensive; they not only sell goods but also buy them.

They handle everything from purchasing live pigs and sheep to various non-staple foods, meat, milk, kerosene, and diesel.

In addition, Qian Jin also came into contact with a new entity called the cooperative store.

The so-called cooperative stores were basically stores transformed from private capital through public-private partnerships. In some large production teams or production brigades, they were called "dual-agency stores," which were stores that acted as agents for purchasing and selling goods.

More than that.

Liu Xiulan had only been working for a few months, and she couldn't explain it clearly in a short time.

She told Qian Jin that the commune now had a market, and the buying and selling at the market was managed by the supply and marketing cooperative.

The reason why the supply and marketing cooperatives have such a wide jurisdiction is because the state carried out a reform a couple of years ago, merging the Ministry of Commerce and the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives.

She didn't know the answer to that question, but Qian Jin knew it better.

The commercial sector has repeatedly separated from and merged with units such as the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives and the grain sector.

When they were separated, the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives mainly provided retail services, while the commercial department was responsible for things like material procurement and wholesale of goods.

Now that they have merged again, these businesses are now fully managed by the supply and marketing cooperatives.

In the afternoon, Qian Jin officially began his work at the Zidian Commune Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Ma Defu arranged for him to follow Jin Hai to familiarize himself with the warehouse and goods.

Jin Hai is a man in his forties. He is a local and was recruited by the supply and marketing cooperative as a warehouse keeper because he made contributions in a robbery of the commune's supply and marketing cooperative in his early years.

Although this man had joined the supply and marketing cooperative, he still participated in the production team's labor, so his dark face was covered with wrinkles, his hair was gray, and he looked older than his actual age.

Qian Jin observed that Jin Hai was not talkative, but he was efficient in his work.

When they interacted privately, Qian Jin would offer him cigarettes.

Jin Hai looked at the cigarette filter and gave a simple, honest smile. He then took out his pipe and newspaper and gestured, "This is fine for me. The filter is for the cadres."

Qian Jin shoved a pack of cigarettes into his pocket: "They're for the working people!"

Jin Hai grinned, revealing teeth stained yellow with cigarette tar: "Thank you, my mouth is benefiting from yours."

After entering the warehouse, he gave Qian Jin an introduction:
"This is fertilizer, this is pesticide, be careful not to mix them up. They're all stored in the same large vat."

Jin Hai pointed to several large vats and introduced them to him one by one.

"This side has fabrics, and that side has daily necessities. We have to keep accounts of every day's incoming and outgoing goods; we can't be careless."

Qian Jin listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

He found that although the warehouse was simple, the items were arranged neatly and the ledgers were clear.

Clearly, Jin Hai is a reliable person.

Qian Jingang praised him for his diligence, but upon closer inspection of the ledger, his brows furrowed involuntarily—the amount of fertilizer purchased and shipped did not match.

Two tons less in the first quarter of this year!

This is where things get tricky!

(End of this chapter)