The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 193 Major Restructuring of Distribution Centers, New Support for Middle Schools

As usual, the conference room was filled with smoke.

Zhou Gu, the accountant of Xiping Production Brigade, was writing and drawing in the ledger with a pencil. The brigade has developed rapidly this year, and he is very busy. He dares not waste any time in meetings.

There was also a veteran named Guan Erdou, a talent that Qian Jin discovered during his trip to the countryside.

Guan Erdou is a veteran, fifty years old this year. He is a retired soldier from the Korean War. He sits upright on the bench, his old military uniform is washed white, and the leader's badge on his left chest is polished to a shine.

There's also Zhang Minsheng—a sales agent for a dual-store business who had made significant contributions to Qian Jin.

Back when Ma Defu was hiding in the county having an affair, it was Zhang Minsheng who gave Qian Jin the letter paper Ma Defu used to pass messages, allowing Qian Jin to discover that Ma Defu was hiding in the guesthouse, thus catching him in the act of adultery.

Another man named Sun Youcai was also a talent discovered by Qian Jin during his trip to the countryside.

His family had been chefs for generations. When they ate communal meals, he was in charge of the canteen at Shuanggou Production Brigade. He was a very good cook and had a knack for turning waste into treasure.

He was squatting in the corner smoking a pipe, and he couldn't understand why he had been urgently summoned to the supply and marketing cooperative's office.

Could it be that Director Qian cooked a meal for me when he went to the countryside, and now he wants to treat me to a meal in return?
But is it really necessary to rush here in the wind and rain?
No one in the office knew what was going on.

They wanted to have a chat, but it was their first time entering the supply and marketing cooperative director's office, so they didn't dare to be presumptuous and could only smoke in silence.

Qian Jin pushed open the door, and they quickly stood up, all turning their puzzled and curious gazes to him.

Liu Xiulan followed them in and handed them enamel teacups.

Each cup contains a small pinch of tea leaves.

Qian Jin sat down and gestured with his wrist:

"Please sit down, everyone. We're here today for an urgent meeting. After consulting with the leaders of the Labor and Wages Section of the County Supply and Marketing Cooperative, I will be presiding over a meeting to appoint and dismiss staff at the distribution stations."

Everyone was shocked.

Some people are still confused, while others already understand what he means.

Zhang Minsheng was the first to understand, and he was overjoyed.

The office started to get noisy.

Qian Jin tapped on the chipped desk and said, "Quiet down first, let me say a few words, and then everyone can speak."

"This matter is indeed quite sudden. Because it involved certain confidential matters, I was unable to disclose the information to you in advance."

"Today's operation to arrest certain criminals within the supply and marketing cooperative system has been successfully completed, which is why the county leaders allowed me to hold this meeting."

Everyone quickly shut their mouths and sat down again.

Qian Jin continued, "None of you are dealing with me for the first time. Old Zhou, you've dealt with me quite a few times, so you know my temper, right?"

"Then I'll do what I always do and get straight to the point."

Zhou Gu instinctively strained, and the pencil tip broke off instantly.

He swallowed hard.

His rough hands couldn't help but rub against the muddy trouser legs.

Qian Jin said, "During Ma Defu's tenure as director of the supply and marketing cooperative, he arbitrarily placed his cronies in the distribution stations, and then, through the vicious means of deceiving his superiors and subordinates, he embezzled the production and living materials that each brigade and production team should have. It was extremely hateful!"

"Ma Defu has been taken away for investigation, and all of his confidants at the distribution station have also been arrested and brought to justice today."

“The evidence against these people is conclusive, and they will definitely go to jail, so the distribution station has no staff.”

“That won’t do. In at most ten days, the brigades will begin the wheat harvest, which is a key agricultural task for our commune. So the higher-ups have assigned me to quickly assemble a temporary working group.”

"Next, I will make some appointments. These appointments are not mandatory. You can raise any objections, and you can withdraw if you do not wish to come to work."

"Understand?"

Everyone nodded like chicks pecking at rice.

Guan Erdou said loudly, "Understood."

The others chimed in, "Yes, yes, we understand."

"Thank you for your trust, and thank you, Director Qian."

"Holy crap, I'm going to be an official?"

Qian Jin said, "Comrade Zhou Gu, you are a good accountant. You are most familiar with the production material needs of our farmers."

"The cooperative store is now in your hands. You will be responsible for both supplies and accounts until a new accountant is assigned to you, after which you will hand over the accounting duties."

Zhou Gu stared wide-eyed and swallowed hard.

He wanted to say something, but Qian Jin didn't give him a chance to speak and continued:
“The buyback station is an important unit. It needs to purchase all kinds of agricultural and sideline products from our farmers to support the country’s construction. You know Wei Quanmin’s style. He’s rough, barbaric, and simplistic. This won’t do.”

“In the past, our commune members suffered under his care. The medicinal herbs that were clearly top-grade were given ordinary grade because he was unhappy. How much injustice and loss did our commune members suffer?”

“This job requires a comrade with Party spirit and principles. Comrade Guan Erdou, you are a people’s hero who has been tested by blood and fire. It is best if you are in charge of this job.”

Guan Erdou stood up, his military posture upright.

After Qian Jin finished speaking, he immediately saluted: "Reporting to the leader, I guarantee to complete the mission!"

This salute is so perfect it could be included in textbooks; the cuffs of his old military uniform were patched, and it fluttered in the wind when he swung it.

The medical station was naturally handed over to Zhang Minsheng.

Upon hearing that he was to take over the medical station, this honest and simple man rubbed his hands and stammered, "I...I will definitely do a good job, Director Qian, I will not let you down..."

"It doesn't matter if you let me down, just don't let down the expectations of our commune members. Don't be like Li Weiguo, who prescribes yeast tablets when someone has a headache or a fever!" Qian Jin laughed.

Zhang Minsheng shook his head vigorously: "That's impossible, we absolutely can't do that."

Qian Jin handed him the stethoscope that Li Weiguo had left behind: "The barefoot doctors have it tough. You have to be their medicine pot and medicine box."

"However, the health center is responsible for this aspect. Your more important task is to take good care of the poultry and livestock. You are a veterinarian, this is your specialty, and you must achieve results!"

Zhang Minsheng gripped the stethoscope tightly and nodded repeatedly.

I was so excited that I couldn't speak.

Qian Jin pointed at Sun Youcai: "The food store will definitely be a success if you take it over. I've tasted your skills. Wild vegetables can be turned into delicious dishes in your hands. The rice, flour and cooking oil of our supply and marketing cooperative will definitely be even more outstanding in your hands!"

Food stores are the most lucrative units in the distribution network.

The commune was in poor condition and could not afford to hire a cook except for the commune canteen. As a result, the food store became the only place that could supply ready-made food, and the person in charge of the store became the only cook outside the commune.

There's an old saying: even in a famine, a cook won't starve.

Since its inception, the Zidian Commune area has been in a state of poverty, and the people longed to be able to have enough to eat.

If Sun Youcai works honestly and doesn't cheat or do anything wrong at the food store, he and his family will definitely be able to eat their fill.

Upon learning that Qian Jin had entrusted him with the responsibility of such an important unit, Sun Youcai was incredulous: "Director Qian, we're not related at all. You're asking me to take over Wang Pangzi's position? You really want me to go?"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "If you were related to me, I wouldn't let you go."

"Like I said, go there and do a good job..."

"Old Sun, you should pickle the vegetables well. Every time I go to work on the river, I love eating your pickled ginger, spicy bellflower root, and the like," Zhang Minsheng said with a smile.

Hearing this, Zhou Gu chimed in, "If you want to eat pickled vegetables, wait for our brigade later, hehe."

No one understood why he said that out of the blue.

However, everyone was so excited that no one cared what anyone said.

Qian Jin placed the key to the food store in Sun Youcai's chapped hands.

The keys were shiny and had a distinctive look, typical of a food store.

Qian Jin then appointed other people.

These people are all sales agents in their respective brigade's dual-agent stores.

The office was bustling with activity and everyone was having a great time.

Outside, however, wind and rain raged, and the sky was filled with gloom and despair.

Police cars arrived in the county town.

Liu Jianguo and his men escorted Li Weiguo, Wei Quanmin, and everyone else onto the vehicle one by one.

The police car was parked outside the supply and marketing cooperative, and could be seen from the office window.

So when Li Weiguo and the others were escorted into the police car one by one, it was all clearly seen by everyone in the office.

Suddenly, the office became eerily quiet.

As everyone watched their exes get into police cars in handcuffs, some even being helped or dragged in by security guards, they all fell silent.

The newly appointed heads of various units looked at each other, their eyes revealing both eagerness and a hint of apprehension.

This is the favor that Qian Jin asked Liu Jianguo to do.

The people in charge were all people he had carefully inquired about and contacted during his time in the countryside, and he believed that these people were reliable.

But you can know a person's face but not their heart. Even if you know them well now, their hearts can change easily. No one knows what these people will become after being wrapped in sugar.

So Qian Jin first gave them a lesson in reality.

The police car drove away.

Qian Jin distributed diaries and pens to everyone present.

One set per person:
"These are employee benefits from your company; they are pens and notebooks for you to use to write your work logs."

"There is a handwritten message on the title page. You can look at the words and remember them at all times!"

Zhou Gu opened the notebook, looked at the title page, and read aloud: "Don't reach out, or you'll get caught!"

"All the accounts that need to be handed over are here with me." Qian Jin pushed open the creaking window.

The rain poured down, and a damp, cold wind blew in, instantly clearing my feverish mind.

Qian Jin continued, "If you have any objections to the work, raise them now."

"Those who do not want to come to work can raise their hands. The supply and marketing cooperative will not force anyone."

Anyone want to raise their hand?
Everyone here is a farmer; who wouldn't want to work at the supply and marketing cooperative?

Even if it's just as an unofficial staff member.

Qian Jin nodded: "Since you're willing to come to work, then let me tell you, your tasks are very heavy. Each of you will be responsible for inventorying the inventory. Based on the ledgers left by your predecessor, you must do a thorough inventory without making any mistakes."

Guan Erdou raised his hand and shouted, "Leader, report!"

Qian Jin nodded: "Station Chief Guan, please speak."

Guan Erdou stood up, the patch on his trouser leg jiggling with the movement: "Director Qian, I'm quite familiar with Wei Quanmin's situation. The buyback station has cheated many ordinary people in the past. How should we settle this?"

Qian Jin said, "You have full authority to handle the registered cases. Refunds should be made where appropriate, and compensation should be paid where necessary."

“If it’s not registered, I suggest you handle it carefully. We’ll discuss it in a separate meeting later.”

"Any question?"

Guan Erdou said, "No."

Qian Jin looked at the others, who all shook their heads and said no.

"Meeting adjourned." Qian Jin clapped his hands. "Starting today, our Zidian Commune is going to change its way of life!"

"Don't just stand there. I'm not providing meals today. After you've taken stock of the bills and inventory, and served our fellow villagers well, I'll treat you all to a meal together!"

Everyone hurriedly got up to say goodbye.

Dark clouds loomed overhead, and the world was shrouded in mist and darkness.

The lights were on in the lobby of the supply and marketing cooperative.

They saw the lights and realized that the commune was still somewhat dim, but finally there was light.

Everyone braved the rain to get to their posts. When the rain stopped, the commune members returned to the commune to make purchases, only to find that the supply and marketing cooperative had changed drastically.

Just like the rain that had just stopped.

The dark clouds dissipated, and the sun shone into the commune.

There were no problems with the handover of work between the various units, since they are all small units with not much stuff inside.

After the change of management, these distribution stations also changed their working style.

Zhou Gu and others are honest and warm-hearted people. The commune members are not afraid of them and trust them, which makes the work go more smoothly.

After Qian Jin stayed at the company for a week without any problems, his work became simpler.

Although he did not deliberately cultivate confidants like Madfu did.

However, these leaders were naturally grateful and loyal to him, and he had control over all the units, making the supply and marketing cooperative operate much more smoothly than before.

When I have free time, I frequently return to the city with my money.

He returned from the city in mid-June with a bunch of things strapped to the back of his motorcycle.

Three boxes of stationery wrapped in oil paper, and two large bags of books, notebooks, and exam papers.

In the past, he would provide study rooms for educated youth, but now that the college entrance examination has ended and the study rooms are closed, he plans to send them to the junior high school in Zidian Commune.

Zidian People's Middle School was the highest institution of learning in the commune, but its conditions were very poor.

He rode his motorcycle over there, and a circle of earthen walls came into view.

The earthen wall was low, which made it easy for students to skip school. They didn't even need to climb it; students with good jumping ability could just hold onto the wall and jump over.

Qian Jin stopped the car. On either side of the mottled school gate were screen walls with the words "Study hard and make progress every day" written on them.

"Director Qian, what brings you here?" The old gatekeeper greeted us, clutching a bamboo broom, his military green shirt patched in many places.

It's very hot.

The wheat in the field has turned golden yellow, and the harvest is about to begin.

Qian Jin stopped his motorcycle and said, "Is Principal Ai here? I managed to get a batch of stationery when I went back to the city this time. Hehe, I figured our school must be short of these, so I brought them over for you."

As he spoke, he patted the back seat of the motorcycle hard.

The box on the back seat suddenly made a series of muffled thuds.

The old gatekeeper was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Such a good thing? This is great news! Come quickly, come quickly!"

Qian Jin followed the old man across the small playground. On the 30-meter square dirt ground, more than 20 students were squatting in the shade of a tree doing their homework.

They didn't write in books; instead, they each held a stone slab in their arms and wrote on it with soapstone.

The little girl in the front row didn't even have a stone slab like that, so she had to squat on the ground and scratch at it with a twig.

Qian Jin felt uneasy.

This was the state of education in impoverished rural areas before the reform and opening up.

The old man, with money in his hand, stopped in front of the classroom of the third year of junior high school.

The podium was made of two door panels joined together, with half a piece of chalk stuck in the seam.

Principal Ai, who is fifty years old, is writing on the blackboard on tiptoe, his gray hair hanging down over the collar of his faded Zhongshan suit.

The duty roster in the upper right corner of the blackboard was covered with cigarette box paper, and the wooden chalk box on the podium was piled with chalk stubs, the longest of which was no more than a finger's width. Principal Ai picked them up and used them.

Upon seeing Qian Jin arrive, Principal Ai put the chalk stubs back into the wooden box, dusted off his hands, and came out: "Director Qian, what brings you here..."

"Director Qian wants to provide our school with teaching supplies!" The old gatekeeper hurriedly interrupted him.

Principal Ai's face lit up with delight: "Oh? Really! Is that so!"

Qian Jin said, "The motorcycle is parked at the entrance. Do you want me to drive it in or have the students carry it?"

Principal Ai hurriedly said, "Let our students carry it; they'll definitely be happy to."

The students in the third year of junior high school are not young anymore; some of them are already strong and capable laborers.

Once the wheat harvest begins, junior high school students will have a break for the harvest, and they will have to return to their respective production teams to work in the fields.

Principal Ai selected a few strong students, who happily went out to carry stationery and books:
"Move it to my office."

"Come on, Director Qian, let's go to my office and cool off."

His office was a small mud-brick house.

Mud-brick houses may look unremarkable, but they are actually more comfortable to live in than cement brick houses, as they are warm in winter and cool in summer.

“This is a pointer we made ourselves.” Principal Ma picked up a shiny twig from his desk, with a red yarn tied to the end.

"Last time the county came to inspect, they saw that our school's conditions were inadequate and said they would provide us with some teaching equipment..."

Qian Jin said, "So they didn't give us any?"

Principal Ai sighed: "I understand. The county's conditions are not good either. Last winter, the college entrance examination was suddenly reinstated, and resources were strained in all schools."

"Actually, one of the cadres in your supply and marketing cooperative in the province is my classmate. He helped our school. If it weren't for his help, our faculty and students would have had an even harder time. However, his salary is not high, so he can't be of much help."

Qian Jin asked curiously, "Which leader is it?"

Principal Ai said, "His name is Zheng Chaoyang. I don't know his specific position. He never talks about your unit when he's out. He just makes a special trip to see me whenever he comes to Haibin on business..."

As they were talking, the students brought in supplies.

Large boxes were laid out in a row.

Urea bags are placed side by side.

There was a lot of stuff inside, as you could tell from how out of breath the students were.

Before leaving, a student asked, "Principal Ai, when does get out of class end?"

Principal Ai glanced at the sun and said, "Let's dismiss get out of class. It'll probably be 10:30 by now."

Qian Jin checked the time on his watch.

10:25.

He asked Principal Ai, "How do you tell the time? You don't just look at the sky, do you?"

Principal Ai laughed and said, "There used to be a sundial, but it was smashed. What a pity."

Qian Jin immediately took off his watch and handed it to Principal Ai: "From now on, a watch will be more accurate!"

Principal Ai firmly refused: "Director Qian, what kind of person do you take me for? We don't need this. Our Comrade Wang is a human clock; he's very good at reading the weather."

"What if it's cloudy and rainy? How do you tell?" Qian Jin asked.

The old gatekeeper chuckled: "No problem, I can probably guess it pretty well."

Qian Jin shook his head: "When you need to check your watches in the future, I'll get you an alarm clock too."

"Don't refuse. This isn't for you personally; it's for the school and the students. It's our supply and marketing cooperative supporting the education cause in our commune!"

Principal Ai was still embarrassed.

The old gatekeeper advised him, "Forget it, Principal. Director Qian is a well-known good person and good cadre in our whole commune. It would be difficult to refuse his hospitality. It would seem pretentious for us to refuse."

Principal Ai could only nod with difficulty.

Qian Jin then took out the fountain pen from his pocket and slammed it on the table. The gold lettering "Serve the People" on the pen cap shimmered in the golden sunlight.

Principal Ai was about to speak.

Qian Jin opened the box: "This was specially approved by the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives. It was originally intended to support our Taishan Road Study Room."

The box contained oil paper, and inside were brand new tin pencil boxes with multiplication tables printed on the inside of the lids.

Opening another box revealed pencils, pens, ink, and other new items, with plastic film bearing the logo of the supply and marketing cooperative still wrapped around the pen clips.

This is what Qian Jin asked the four little entanglements for.

Principal Ai and the old gatekeeper started wiping their sweat together.

The old gatekeeper muttered, "We're rich! We're rich!"

"Director Qian, you've provided even greater support to the school than the county education bureau!" Principal Ai's voice choked with emotion.

He extended his hand to shake hands with Qian Jin.

Qian Jin noticed that the index finger of his right hand, which was holding the chalk, was missing half, with the broken end wrapped in medical tape.

He asked, "Principal Ai, what happened to your finger?"

Principal Ai said casually, "It was accidentally smashed, many years ago."

Qian Jin knew there must be something wrong with the broken part of his index finger, making it unsuitable for him to hold chalk, which is why he wrapped it with medical tape.

But the medical tape didn't work well, so he decided to buy some special finger cots at the mall next time.

The students finished class, and the campus became lively.

The news that the director of the supply and marketing cooperative had delivered stationery spread like wildfire throughout the campus, quickly attracting the students' curiosity.

Principal Ai shouted, "Call Chunsheng here."

Chunsheng was a tall, thin boy who gave a shy smile when he saw Qian Jin.

Principal Ai handed him a pen first: "You won an award in the spring math competition on behalf of the school. I promised to give you a pen as a prize, and now the prize has arrived."

Chunsheng examined the fountain pen, which had an exquisite lacquer finish, closely. He asked tentatively, "Can it draw ink?"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Of course it can! How could a fountain pen not be able to draw ink?"

Chunsheng said, "Teacher Han's fountain pen can't be dipped in ink; she dips it in the ink bottle and writes with it."

Qian Jin fell silent.

Principal Ai hurriedly waved Chunsheng away, saying, "Hey, that's just how conditions are in rural schools. Director Qian, you're making a fool of yourself."

Qian Jin said, "This isn't me laughing at the joke; it's the supply and marketing cooperative's work that's making us laugh."

“But Principal Ai, you are an adult, you understand. Supply and marketing cooperatives are not omnipotent service providers. We really do not have the conditions to unconditionally supply the work needs of all industries across the country.”

Principal Ai laughed and said, "Of course I know that. We can't blame your supply and marketing cooperative."

"On the contrary, we should thank you. Every few days, Lao Zheng would send us coupons and money for rice, flour and meat. He would give them to us to supplement our nutrition, even though he couldn't bear to eat them himself."

"Not to mention you, Director Qian. Oh, the stationery you brought us is like a quencher of our thirst in the sweltering summer."

Qian Jin said, "Every time I go back to the city in the future, I will try my best to bring something back to your school."

“We have a study room on Taishan Road, and our conditions are much better than yours. We can help your school in any way.”

Principal Ai instinctively grasped his hand again and shook it repeatedly: "Thank you, Director Qian, but you've provided us with enough supplies this time."

"If you still have the energy, you might as well help out the primary schools in the production brigades. Actually, our school has the support of the commune and can still keep going, but the primary schools in the other areas are really having a hard time."

He sighed as he spoke: "You wouldn't believe it, some primary school teachers in production brigades ate nothing but gruel for dinner."

"We drink corn porridge after the autumn harvest and wild vegetable porridge when spring comes. We can still solve the problem of food and drink. It's not a year of major disasters. We can always find food in the fields and in the wild."

“But teaching tools and stationery can’t be found in the wild, which really makes the teachers sad.”

Qian Jin squeezed his hand tightly and said, "There are difficulties, but let's solve the immediate ones first."

"After returning to the city, I will organize a fundraising campaign for our rural schools. I will try my best to come back with money and ration coupons next time, and do my part for our rural education!"

Principal Ai lowered his head, bent slightly, and held his hands tightly.

This is genuine respect.

(End of this chapter)