The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 168 Commune Monster Hunt, BOSS Confirmed
The ledgers were checked repeatedly.

Qian Jin asked in confusion:
"Master Jin, this fertilizer seems a bit off."

Jin Hai's side became tense.

He coughed, looked around, and when he found no one was around, he leaned closer and whispered, "Comrade Qian, don't worry about this. Director Ma has his own arrangements."

Qian Jin felt a chill run down his spine, vaguely understanding something.

His feeling was right.

Madford did not welcome his arrival.

This hostility is not unfounded.

The other party might very well think he came with a mission to deal with them, and that he wanted to investigate something.

Qian Jin did not feel wronged.

Since arriving in this era, he has been fighting against people. In the beginning, he fought against Du Daozui, and later against Luo Huijuan, Zhang Hongbo, Bai Dongfeng and others. He has already gained experience in fighting.

So when he discovered that Ma Defu had a problem, he vaguely guessed that the organization might have had ulterior motives in arranging for him to come from the Dian Commune.

The organization didn't just randomly assign him to a grassroots supply and marketing cooperative; they specifically sent him from the store's supply and marketing cooperative to "fight monsters."

Director Ma is the monster he needs to deal with!
It seems that what his employer wants to assess him for is not how many products he sells as a salesperson, but whether he can resolutely and bravely fight against illegal activities and courageously achieve victory!

But he didn't pursue the matter further; he simply noted down the anomaly.

In the afternoon, he mainly helped Jin Hai with inventory and sorting of warehouse goods, which was physically demanding work. Ma Defu said, "It's a good opportunity to return to your old profession," and assigned him to this job.

This attitude is clearly very wrong.

According to the unspoken rules of various units, enterprises, and factories, since he is here to report for duty today, Ma Defu, the person in charge, should at least prepare a lavish meal to welcome him back in the evening.

but.

Qian Jin had dinner at the commune government canteen with Jin Hai and Liu Xiulan.

There were no activities in the countryside in the evenings, and it was too cold to show movies, so everyone went home after dinner.

Jin Hai lives in his old home in the nearby Jinjiamen production team, and he was willing to invite Qian to come in and have a chat.

But his eldest son is getting married soon, and the family is busy preparing, so they can't entertain him.

Qian Jin returned to his dilapidated dormitory and lay on the hard wooden bed. Gazing at the dim light bulb hanging from the beam, he was filled with a myriad of thoughts.

Not long ago, he was spending time with Wei Qinghuan at the Yintan Park Guesthouse, all lovey-dovey, but now he finds himself in a remote commune.

He not only faces a significant drop in living conditions, but also a potentially hidden secret.

The true intention behind that transfer order seemed to be slowly emerging before his eyes.

The dilapidated house is very cold.

Wei Qinghuan, however, rolled up the electric blanket from home and brought it back to Qian Jin.

This left Qian Jin both touched and helpless.

He doesn't need that.

However, electric blankets can be useful in Zidian Commune because the commune has just been electrified and a brand-new power grid has been installed, which can support the power of electric blankets.

So at night, Qian Jin would crawl into bed, turn the electric blanket to a medium setting, and comfortably drift off to sleep.

Early in the morning, Qian Jin was awakened by the noise from the street.

Upon closer listening, it seemed that the boys who got up early to collect manure were fighting over a pile of cow dung.

As dawn broke in the east, Qian Jin, unable to sleep, decided to get up.

He went outside and saw dust rising from the dirt road in Zidian Commune. Several teenagers were fighting and kicking each other on the dirt road, all over the ownership of a pile of cow dung.

Qian Jin felt a pang of sympathy.

He pulled out a bag of cookies, waved to the boys, opened the package, wrapped them in newspaper, and gave each of them a few pages.
"Anything should be discussed and resolved through negotiation. Don't resort to fighting all the time. Fighting can solve some problems, but you are the hope of the country. You can't always think about using violence to solve problems."

"Remember, use your brain more."

The five boys nodded repeatedly, their eyes fixed on the golden-brown cookies, their faces filled with longing.

Qian Jin stuffed the cow dung into their pockets: "Alright, this pile of cow dung is like your uncle giving you cookies, you can divide it equally."

How precious are cookies?
For the teenagers, this was like a windfall, and they naturally obeyed Qian Jin, their god of wealth.

A boy smiled at Qian Jin and said, "You're the new salesman, Uncle Qian. I know you."

Qian Jin asked in confusion, "How did you know me? Did you see me at the counter yesterday?"

The boy made a face at him: "Uncle Jinhai said it last night, he said you're a cadre in the city. It's true, you city people are rich and generous."

Qian Jin hadn't expected that there were Jin Hai's younger relatives among them, so he waved to him and said, "When you see your Uncle Jin Hai, remember to give him my regards."

The boys sped away happily.

The sun gradually rose.

No one told Qian Jin how to solve breakfast, so he made it himself.

He locked the door, made instant noodles with boiling water, and ate them with two braised eggs, his face beaming with delight.

Comfortable!

When it was time for work, Qian Jin arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative wearing the navy blue work clothes issued by the cooperative.

"Comrade Qian Jin?" A middle-aged man wearing yellow-rimmed glasses poked his head out from the gatehouse of the supply and marketing cooperative. He was holding an enamel mug with a few tea leaves floating on the surface of the water.

Qian Jin guessed his identity and took the initiative to extend his hand to greet him: "Accountant Zhao?"

The other person nodded and shook hands with him.

This is Zhao Dazhu, the number two person in the supply and marketing cooperative.

Zhao Dazhu went to a meeting in the county yesterday, and the two didn't get a chance to talk.

Today was the official start of his workday. Zhao Dazhu gave him a price list and guided him through the process of familiarizing himself with the prices and grades of various products.

Liu Xiulan is diligently cleaning.

The counters in the lobby of the supply and marketing cooperative, though made of cement, had been polished until they were shiny with oil.

Behind them were multiple shelves, some displaying food and beverages, others containing items such as thermos bottles printed with the Double Happiness symbol, peony-patterned bed sheets, cigarettes, gloves, shoes, and so on.

The largest shelf, in the most prominent position, displays a bust of the leader, its plaster base cracked with years of incense ash.

Zhao Dazhu opened the counter drawer again and pulled out a "Commodity Supply Quantity List". "You have to check this against the list. You can't just sell randomly."

Qian Jin nodded.

At this moment, Jin Hai came out and greeted him: "Xiao Qian, Director Ma wants you to go to his office."

The supply and marketing cooperative is located in a single-story building, which was originally the ancestral home of a local landlord and consisted of three courtyards.

Ma Defu's office is located at the deepest part of the three courtyards.

When Qian Jin pushed open the mottled wooden door, he saw Director Ma putting grain coupons into a leather book.

The door suddenly opened, and Director Ma subconsciously trembled, causing the reflection of his Shanghai-brand watch on his wrist to flicker.

He quickly moved the enamel mug to a different position, and Qian Jin, with his sharp eyes, noticed that he was pressing down on a green foreign exchange certificate.

“Xiao Qian, you were once a cadre in the city, why didn’t you knock on the door?” Ma Defu said, very dissatisfied.

Qian Jin said helplessly, "I'm sorry, Director Ma, I meant to knock on the door, but it wasn't closed and I knocked it open with all my might."

Ma Defu said coldly, "So you're blaming me for this?"

Qian Jin was stunned.

This bastard really makes no attempt to hide his hostility towards me.

He wondered if Ma Defu had gotten used to being a tyrant in the countryside and really thought of himself as a local emperor.
Qian Jin had never been scolded like this since he transmigrated.

His face immediately fell, which surprised Ma Defu.

Is the other person about to get angry?!
Instead of continuing to give Qian Jin the cold shoulder, he quickly changed his attitude and said gently, "Little Qian, you're a cadre from the big city, aren't you used to living in the countryside?"

"That's how it is in our countryside. The houses are dilapidated and it's cold at night. It's okay now that there aren't many flies and mosquitoes, but when the weather gets hot, there will be flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, and fleas everywhere. It's really not a place for a human to live."

Qian Jin said, "No, Director Ma, I'm doing quite well."

Ma Defu paused for a moment, then asked, "Was it cold last night?"

Qian Jin said decisively, "It's not cold. I'm young and energetic, sleeping on the bed is like sleeping on a warm kang (heated brick bed)."

Ma Defu scrutinized him carefully.

However, Qian Jin's complexion was rosy and his spirits were high, and he certainly did not look like he had caught a cold.

So he could only say reluctantly, "Okay, that's good. I was just thinking of telling you that if you feel cold, I would have arranged for Xiao Liu to give you an extra blanket."

"Then let's add another quilt. Thank you for your concern, Director Ma." Qian Jin immediately seized the opportunity.

Ma Defu was a little confused by his train of thought: "Aren't you not cold?"

Qian Jin said seriously, "But I can't refuse the care of my superiors. Before I went to the countryside, Section Chief Cui Hu gave me a special lesson, telling me to respect my superiors and get along with my colleagues."

"We can't be like we were in the transport team before, coughing all the time."

Intrigued by his words, Madfu asked, "What's wrong all the time?"

Qian Jin gave a vague answer: "Nothing happened."

Ma Defu blinked and asked again, "The section chief Cui Hu you just mentioned, is he the section chief Cui from the Labor and Wages Section?"

Qian Jin said, "Yes."

Ma Defu nodded slowly, indicating that he should go to work first.

Qian Jin chuckled to himself.

He discovered that this Ma Defu wasn't a particularly formidable figure. This was understandable, given the man's age; if he was related to Ma Decai, then Ma Defu's background was likely quite powerful.

This further proves that he has no ability. Otherwise, with his qualifications and background, he wouldn't still be the head of a supply and marketing cooperative in a commune; he could at least be transferred to the county as a cadre.

If the organization's test for him is whether he can gather evidence of Ma Defu's illegal and criminal activities and bring him down, then Qian Jin is quite confident in passing the test.

However, there is one thing we must be wary of!
Ma Defu is playing dumb to take advantage of others!

In other words, what Qian Jin is seeing now is what he wants Qian Jin to see.

Be lenient in anticipating the enemy.

Qian Jin made two preparations.

He's a salesman now. Yesterday he went through inventory checks to understand the stock situation, and today he'll be working as a salesman at the counter.

Nowadays, you need to find a mentor for any job, and Qian Jin's mentor was Liu Xiulan.

He bowed slightly to Liu Xiulan respectfully and said, "Hello, Master."

Liu Xiulan's face immediately turned red, and she hurriedly waved her hand, saying, "Brother Qian, how could I possibly be your master?"

"Our best salesperson here is Director Ma. I was trained by Director Ma, and you should also be trained by Director Ma."

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Director Ma is very busy now. With two of us sales clerks in the supply and marketing cooperative, he probably doesn't need to personally go out and sell goods."

Jin Hai chimed in, "Xiao Liu, why don't you take Qian Jin with you?"

Liu Xiulan nodded blankly and said, "Okay, but I'm also a new sales clerk, and I'm afraid I won't guide you well. There are still many rules I don't know."

Qian Jin said, "It's alright. As long as we serve the people with enthusiasm, we will surely gain their trust."

He first checked the price list to identify the goods.

This is not difficult.

First, there is a shortage of goods currently available.

Secondly, he had been working at the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives for some time. Although he had previously worked as a warehouse worker, he had always been exposed to various commodities. In addition, he had been exposed to them in his daily life and knew the prices of most commodities.

Biscuits sold in rural supply and marketing cooperatives are generally divided into two types: high-end biscuits sold in packages and ordinary biscuits sold in bulk by weight.

Cookies need to be kept dry, so they are stored in a fairly large wooden box with a lid. The lid should be kept tightly closed normally, and the lid should only be opened to take out the cookies and weigh them when a customer comes to buy them.

However, the lid of the supply and marketing cooperative's box was already half open at this time.

Qian Jin immediately went up and fastened it.

Upon seeing this, Liu Xiulan quickly said, "Don't cover it. Director Ma said to open it to prevent the biscuits from getting oily or stale."

Qian Jin laughed when he heard this.

He didn't say much and reopened the lid.

After a while, he casually asked, "Master, does Director Ma keep the box open to preserve the cookies?"

Liu Xiulan nodded.

Qian Jin has a plan.

This is a despicable tactic.

Biscuits have a strong ability to absorb moisture. If the same pound of biscuits is placed in a humid environment, it will increase by two ounces in just one day.

This makes the cookies less crisp and less fragrant, but the increased weight undoubtedly means they can be sold for more money.

But where does the extra money go?
Qian Jin took a deep breath.

Needless to say.

Not only that, but someone else was pushing a cart and delivering tofu, bean curd sheets and other bean products.

Jin Hai put the bean products on the shelves, and people started coming to buy them intermittently.

At this moment, Ma Defu also came to the counter. He was in charge of selling bean products and also kept the bills himself.

Zhao Dazhu kept the accounts for all other goods once they were sold.

Qian Jin made a note of this.

They still ate lunch at the commune government canteen.

After eating there last night, Qian Jin knew the food here wasn't good.

The government canteens in 1978 were different from those in the 21st century; they could at least fill your stomachs, but getting good food was just a dream.

The cafeteria serves two dishes for each meal: one is cabbage stewed with vermicelli, and the other is radish stir-fried with dried shrimp.

The cabbage stew with glass noodles had very few glass noodles, no meat, and no oil. It tasted only salty and had no other flavor.

The stir-fried radish with dried shrimp had very little dried shrimp. The radish shreds were cut very finely, but the cafeteria chef was reluctant to burn firewood, so the radish shreds were undercooked and still a bit raw.

It's important to know that the radishes we're using now are an older variety, and their main flavor is spicy.

Radish shreds that are not fully cooked or stewed are especially spicy, and you can't taste the freshness of the dried shrimp, so they are not tasty either.

But no one can blame the head chef.

Jin Hai introduced to Qian Jin that the head chef of the canteen was an old comrade who had cooked for the volunteer soldiers on the Korean battlefield.

As a result, one time American planes discovered their mess hall's position and dropped bombs on it.

The old comrade was lucky to survive the explosion, but his ears were almost completely deafened.

So even if someone complains that the food he cooks is bad, he ignores it, pretending not to hear. When his boss asks, he just says he didn't hear clearly...

When Qian Jin went out for lunch, he was quite happy to see that the food had been changed.

This time, I made stewed potatoes and stewed cabbage with glass noodles.

Jin Hai was used to this and calmly said, "Alright, tonight it'll be stewed potatoes and stir-fried shredded radish."

Qian Jin understood: "We're not going to keep eating the same three dishes in rotation, are we?"

Jin Hai nodded with a smile.

Potatoes, radishes, and Chinese cabbage are the three staple foods for ordinary people to get through the winter.

Qian Jin wanted to eat stewed potatoes.

But when someone saw the stewed potatoes, their face turned pale, and they asked, "Chef Luo, Chef Luo, none of the potatoes have sprouted this time, right?"

Master Luo kept his head down and didn't say anything, just kept serving the rice.

Jin Hai hesitated for a moment: "Xiao Qian, you'd better not cut potatoes. Master Luo is reluctant to burn firewood when cooking, so these dishes are always undercooked."

"It's okay if the radish isn't fully ripe; it'll just be a little spicy."

"But sometimes when the potatoes sprout, Master Luo won't throw them away. Instead, he'll break off the sprouts and continue stewing them. However, he's reluctant to use enough heat when stewing them, so every now and then, people get food poisoning from eating the stewed potatoes."

Qian Jin was stunned: "This is possible? People get food poisoning every few days?"

Jin Hai nodded: "Besides you, all four of us in our unit have been poisoned by eating sprouted potatoes."

A cadre who had recently suffered food poisoning from stewed potatoes yelled at an older comrade: "Master Luo! We are serving the people, we are not corrupt officials, you don't have to kill us, do you?"

The old comrade was displeased upon hearing this: "I am also wholeheartedly serving the people, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

"Are you serving the crematorium or the hospital?" a commune cadre shouted.

Master Luo got angry: "What kind of talk is this? What do you mean by that?"

Someone tried to smooth things over: "I didn't mean anything by it, Master Luo. Could you please use more firewood when you cook in the future and make sure the dishes are thoroughly cooked?"

Master Luo waved his hand and said, "Our volunteer soldiers ate cold, frozen potatoes on the battlefield, and even those weren't enough to fill their stomachs, but they still went to kill the American devils, didn't they?"

"You're eating stewed fresh potatoes, why are you being so picky!"

Another official said helplessly, "Master Luo, are these dishes cooked thoroughly? Why do people keep getting food poisoning after eating them?"

Master Luo's eyes widened: "Secretary Wang, how can you slander someone's innocence? Are you saying that the comrade who got food poisoning did so because he ate the food I cooked?"

"But I always eat the same food as you, right? I even eat your leftovers, right? So why have I never had food poisoning?"

Jin Hai secretly said to Qian Jin, "There's no doubt about it. I don't know if it's because Master Luo was trained with American chemical weapons, but he's really resistant to poison."

Secretary Wang was too lazy to say more to him, and finally waved his hand and said, "Okay, Chef Luo, how about you put more MSG in your dishes from now on?"

"Launch a satellite? I won't do that, launching satellites is wrong." The old comrade resolutely refused.

Secretary Wang is the top leader of Zidian Commune.

He was speechless and could only blink at the old comrade.

Qian Jin discovered that in front of Master Luo, this top secretary was as naive as a green recruit.

After being reminded, he didn't dare to order potatoes, but instead ordered a cabbage stew with glass noodles.

When it was time to leave work in the evening, Jin Hai invited Qian Jin to go to the cafeteria. Qian Jin asked, "Why don't you eat at home?"

Jin Hai told the truth: "Because eating at the cafeteria is free, I have to use my own family's grain to eat at home."

Qian Jin paused for a moment, then said, "Here's what we're doing. To avoid us both dying at Master Luo's hands, you go get some soybean dregs. We'll have dinner at my place tonight."

Jin Hai waved his hand: "You're still young and not married yet, right? Save your money and don't spend it recklessly. You still need to get married."

Qian Jin waved his hand and said, "I'm already married. Besides, I don't waste money. My wife prepared some pickled vegetables for me. I'll make some stir-fried bean curd with pickled vegetables. That's not a waste of money, is it?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Hai did not refuse again.

It's just stir-fried pickled vegetables, so it's really not a waste.

Besides, he was also scared of being messed up by Master Luo's cooking.

His son's wedding is just around the corner, and he doesn't want to get food poisoning and suffer from vomiting and diarrhea.

(End of this chapter)