The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 194 Provincial and Municipal Cadres Go to the Countryside, Assessment Officially Begins

Wheat is harvested in June, vegetables ripen in July, and then it's August.

In August 1978, the coastal city was sweltering with heat.

Two Capital Jeeps, kicking up clouds of yellow dust, slowly drove into the commune compound on the dirt road of Zidian Commune.

The car door opened, and several men who looked like cadres, wearing polyester shirts and carrying briefcases, got off one after another. The one in the lead was a man in his early forties with a serious expression.

"Section Chief Feng, is that the Zidian Commune Supply and Marketing Cooperative?" Sun, a staff member of the Political Bureau of the Provincial Supply and Marketing Cooperative, looked at a large compound not far away.

The slogan "Develop the economy and ensure supply" on the dusty wall was painted in bright red, clearly indicating that it had been painted regularly.

Feng Changfan wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded, saying, "Yes, Officer Sun. But we won't go directly to the supply and marketing cooperative today; we'll visit the various production teams first."

This is an assessment team dispatched by the Provincial Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Led by cadres from the Political Bureau, Labor and Wages Section, and Foreign Affairs Office, and accompanied by deputy leaders from the Political Work Section and Labor and Wages Section of the Haibin City Supply and Marketing Cooperative, they came to assess the staff of the Haibin City Supply and Marketing Cooperative's Foreign Business Office Preparatory Group.

They started the assessment at the beginning of the month, assessing one person every day. Now it's Qian Jin's turn, who works at the Zidian Commune Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Officer Sun carefully examined Qian Jin's file and smiled at an elderly man with gray hair, saying, "Team Leader Zheng, this Qian Jin is quite remarkable. He rose to the position of team leader in the transport team and director in the supply and marketing cooperative. He's very impressive."

Team Leader Zheng frowned: "Qian Jin, Qian Jin, that name sounds familiar. President Wei mentioned him, I remember him."

“Deputy Director Feng, I remember this is the cadre that your political work section has the highest hopes for? He’s surprisingly young, only 26 years old this year.”

Feng Changfan understood what the two meant: they suspected that Qian Jin had connections and had been promoted through connections.

He was prepared for this and handed a bag of files to Team Leader Zheng: "Take a look at his detailed resume. He is an outstanding comrade, very excellent, and loves what he does."

"He made many contributions when he was working as a porter, and after being promoted to team leader, he made even more contributions and was commended by the joint unit many times."

He emphasized the words "joint units" with a louder tone.

Team Leader Zheng naturally understood his subtext:
Qian Jin has no connections; otherwise, he wouldn't have received joint commendation from multiple organizations for his meritorious service.

Of course, there is also the possibility that his background is very powerful, powerful enough to influence multiple organizations to help him find opportunities to make meritorious contributions, and powerful enough to allow multiple organizations to hold commendation meetings for him.

But then another problem arises.

If you have such a strong background, why start as a porter?

It's important to understand that being a porter is a job that truly requires physical exertion, and there are few opportunities to earn credit or gain recognition from superiors, making it difficult to get promoted.

Furthermore, nowadays, once you join any organization, there are basically no opportunities for job transfer.

Qian Jin had previously found it difficult to transfer to a sales or purchasing position. It was only by chance that the reform and opening up was about to begin, and the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives was setting up a new department at the city level. He was only able to transfer to a new position after being assessed.

Director Zheng and Secretary Sun, among others, understood the reasoning behind it. They were all veterans in the supply and marketing cooperative, so Feng Changfan didn't need to say much; after a brief explanation, they had no more doubts.

Feng Changfan further explained: "There is a reason why Comrade Qian Jin was transferred to work at the Dian Commune Supply and Marketing Cooperative. He was a key talent to be observed after a meeting between the Provincial Foreign Investment Office and our unit."

“We arranged for him to come to the grassroots supply and marketing cooperative, firstly to see his frontline service awareness, and secondly to see how he would handle illegal and criminal activities within the unit.”

Team Leader Zheng nodded: "President Wei mentioned this to me, and he handled it well."

Feng Changfan said, "Yes, it's quite good."

"He single-handedly brought down the corrupt official Ma Defu. Not only that, he also successfully started from the grassroots production team and mobilized the masses to accuse the person in charge of the distribution station—all of whom were Ma Defu's confidants."

"Qian Jin obtained evidence of Ma Defu's embezzlement and bribery, and recruited the head of the distribution station as a witness to accuse Ma Defu."

"In this way, he successfully sent Ma Defu to prison and was promoted to director of the supply and marketing cooperative."

Upon hearing this, Officer Sun exclaimed in amazement, "He's a talented person. We should have him give a presentation on this work in person when we get the chance."

"This opportunity will have to wait until later."

In order to understand the true situation of the members of the Foreign Investment Office Preparatory Group in their new positions, they did not notify the members themselves during the assessment process, but instead went directly to the grassroots level through local connections to understand the situation.

The five-member assessment team, led by Feng Changfan, first went to the commune to report their itinerary.

These days, rural areas are not safe.

Highway robbers and bandits frequently appear, and people often get into trouble in rural areas.

The commune secretary is not home today; the main leadership team went to the county town for a meeting.

However, Feng Changfan and his group did not need the commune leaders to accompany them; what they needed were the commune's security officers.

After reporting their itinerary, the commune contacted the local police station, and Liu Jianguo personally escorted the leaders from the provincial capital.

They first went to the Qidao Production Brigade, which was closest to the commune, through connections made by Team Leader Zheng.

On the way, Liu Jianguo kept looking at Team Leader Zheng.

Team Leader Zheng laughed and said, "What's wrong, Director? Is my face covered in flowers?"

Liu Jianguo chuckled: "No, boss, you look familiar."

Team Leader Zheng smiled but remained silent upon hearing this.

When they arrived at the brigade, it was a little after nine in the morning. The villagers had already gone to work in the fields, and only a few elderly people and children were enjoying the shade under the trees.

"Old comrade, where did Cheng Jiadong go?" Team Leader Zheng asked politely.

An elderly man squinted at them and asked, "Who are you?"

Team Leader Zheng smiled and said, "I'm Cheng Jiadong's friend. He used to stay at my house when he went to the provincial capital for medical treatment..."

"I understand, you're a high-ranking official in the provincial capital!" The old man immediately understood. "When Da Dong came back from the provincial capital two years ago, he talked a lot about the situation there and thanked you profusely, saying you were a good official."

Team Leader Zheng waved his hand: "When I'm on duty, I'm an official; when I'm not on duty, I'm just like you, with my head between my shoulders, just an ordinary citizen!"

The old man laughed and said, "You can tell from this sentence that you are a good official. Only a good official thinks like this. Director Qian of our commune's supply and marketing cooperative is similar to you. He is easy to talk to, doesn't think of himself as an official, and loves to squat at the village entrance and chat with us old farmers."

Upon hearing this, the group scratched their heads.

By sheer accident, we've gotten straight to the point.

Then, Officer Sun gave the leader a look, and the leader nodded.

So Officer Sun squatted down and struck up a conversation with an old man who was weaving baskets: "Uncle, is this Qian Jin the director of your supply and marketing cooperative? We heard someone mention him on the way here, but it seems like he doesn't have a very good reputation."

The old man squinted at the group of cadres, his hands never stopping their work: "Director Qian has a bad reputation? You're joking with me. If his reputation is bad, who has a good reputation?"

"It must be because the leaders listened to what that guy, you know, Madgobi's relatives and friends, or the relatives and friends of those bastards like Li Weiguo and Wei Quanmin," another old man said.

The children who were playing suddenly started shouting upon hearing this:

"Madgobi, you're a scoundrel! You take advantage of ordinary people, stealing their money!"

Feng Changfan waved his hand and said, "Kids, you can't use foul language."

The old man weaving bamboo baskets laughed and said, "You can't tell he's from around here. This isn't swearing; it's just a rhyme."

An old man stroked his beard and said, "Ma Degobi isn't an insult; it's a nickname. It was the nickname of Ma Defu, the former director of the supply and marketing cooperative."

"Ma Defu has a nice name, but he does terrible things. We ordinary people call him Madgobi because he is a terrible person."

"Why does the jingle say that he takes advantage of the people's clothes and eats their chickens? Because he takes advantage of his position as the director of the supply and marketing cooperative to deduct things from the people in every way. Moreover, he likes to go to the countryside, and when he goes there, he goes to the various production brigades to drink and harm the people!"

Sun, the clerk, was furious: "There are people like this?"

Team Leader Zheng waved his hand: "You'll know if you go to the countryside often; there are too many cadres like this."

"Brother, tell me, how's the supply and marketing cooperative doing these days?"

The old man immediately said, "That's much better than before."

"Oh? How exactly will it be enforced?" Section Chief Li from the Labor and Wages Department took out his notebook.

"After Director Qian came, the liquor wasn't diluted anymore, and the biscuits weren't soggy." The old man gestured with his rough fingers. "Before, Ma Defu's liquor was so diluted that you could taste the blandness in a sip!"

"Back then, the cookies you bought were soggy, you'd feel embarrassed to give them to relatives, but you couldn't just not buy them either, right? You couldn't expect your relatives to come and leave empty-handed."

"Things are different now. Hmm, go buy some cookies and snacks now. They're crispy, fragrant, and delicious."

Officer Sun laughed and asked, "What's going on here?"

The old man looked at him with surprise and said directly, "Even if you are from the city, you should still have this kind of life experience."

"Biscuits and peach shortbread absorb moisture. If you don't store them in an airtight container, they will absorb moisture from the air, become soft, and become heavy..."

Sun, the clerk, wasn't embarrassed by the old man's directness; he suddenly realized:

"I understand. The supply and marketing cooperative absorbs moisture to increase the weight of the biscuits so they can sell them for more money, and then Director Madgobi can embezzle some of the money."

"It's not just a little, it's a lot. He doesn't just do it with biscuits, he does it with other snacks and tea treats too. And with white sugar and brown sugar, he does it all the same way." The old men said indignantly.

"And the urea fertilizer guy, he also opened the bags to absorb moisture, especially on rainy days, he would deliberately put them at the door to absorb moisture..."

Sun, the clerk, said angrily, "How can this be allowed? Chemical fertilizers and urea are prone to spoilage if they get damp and harden."

"He doesn't care about this or that?" The old man laughed contemptuously. "He only cares about delivering the fertilizer and urea to the production team in full weight. Whether it works or not is none of his concern."

Having such cadres under his command made Feng Changfan, the political commissar, feel ashamed.

He coughed and said, "Let's talk about Qian Jin, about the current supply and marketing cooperatives..."

When the topic of the current supply and marketing cooperatives came up, a group of old men beamed with pride:

"The supply and marketing cooperatives of today are truly remarkable. They are genuine warriors armed with the spirit of the leaders, and they genuinely serve the people."

"No matter what it is, they handle it properly according to the rules and regulations. The biscuit box is always tightly closed, and he still insists on pressing it with a ten-pound iron disc."

"Yes, every time I go to weigh the biscuits, he gives me an extra five or eight coins. But he doesn't let ordinary people take advantage of public resources. What's going on? These biscuits are always wasted, and there will be biscuit crumbs in the end. In the past, Ma Defu would soak them in water and eat them for breakfast. Director Ren Qian would divide them equally among the customers."

"Let's talk about fertilizers like urea. When the brigade goes to weigh them in bulk, they check the moisture content on the spot, but there's actually very little moisture. Director Qian usually requires the cooperative stores to store the fertilizers dry, and the amount of kilograms marked on the bag must be exactly that amount!"

The old men recounted similar stories over and over again.

When they have nothing to do, they like to sit under the trees at the village entrance and gossip, so they know quite a lot of information.

Cheng Jiadong was then called over.

Upon seeing Team Leader Zheng, the old man hurriedly extended his hands: "Isn't this a leader from the provincial capital? Leader, you've arrived? Oh dear, I've gone to Principal Ai several times to inquire about you, hoping to know when you'll be here so I can repay your kindness."

Team Leader Zheng shook his hand with one hand and patted his shoulder with the other, saying, "Why are you being so polite? There's no such thing as repaying a debt of gratitude. I'm just happy to help my fellow villager."

"Would you like to come to your place for a while?"

Old man Cheng Jiadong excitedly grabbed his hand and said, "You must come in and sit down. You're already at my doorstep, how can you not come in and sit down? I'll treat you to lunch."

Team Leader Zheng shook his head: "This is unfortunate. I don't have enough time. I just came to take a look. I have to go to other places to work later."

The research team entered the old man's home.

The old man's family was doing quite well; his three sons were all strong laborers in the team, and they would bring him food and help him clean the old house on a daily basis. The members of the research team nodded as they entered the house.

Cheng Jiadong poured them water and took out a box of tea leaves to make them tea.

He chuckled and said, "It's so hot. I really didn't know the boss would be coming. I didn't prepare a watermelon or anything at home."

"Drinking tea in this hot weather isn't really suitable, but this is green tea, and people say it can help prevent heatstroke."

A young staff member helped brew tea, and after smelling the tea leaves, he said, "Old comrade, your family is really well-off. This tea is excellent."

Cheng Jiadong laughed and said, "My family's circumstances are so-so, we just won't starve."

"This tea is indeed excellent. It was given to us by the director of our commune's supply and marketing cooperative. It's top-quality tea, the kind that city people give to their cadres."

Officer Sun asked curiously, "Did Director Qian even send tea to your home?"

Cheng Jiadong shook his head with a smile: "They didn't deliver it to me, they delivered it to my neighbor."

“My neighbor’s eldest son died in North Korea in 51, leaving behind two daughters. But the two daughters are married and have some difficulties, so my family goes over to help them.”

"Around April and May, Director Qian secured sponsorships from city streets and factories, purchasing daily necessities such as rice, flour, cooking oil, cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, and tea, and delivered them to our commune's elderly living alone and families of martyrs and soldiers."

"My neighbor thought my family was nice, so they gave me some things from my house. It's like I benefited from it, haha."

Officer Sun looked at Team Leader Zheng.

Team Leader Zheng pondered for a moment before revealing the true purpose of today's event.

They learned that these were cadres from the supply and marketing cooperative investigating Qian Jin's work and character.

Upon hearing this, the old man slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Boss, you saved my life! If you hadn't found a doctor in the provincial capital to operate on me, I would have died long ago. So I can't possibly lie to you."

"Then you want me to speak from the heart, then I have to say that Director Qian is a really good person and a good cadre. Director Qian often comes to the countryside to ask us what we need. He asks the higher-level units for whatever the people need."

"In June, when it's wheat harvest time, he even went to the county town to borrow a combine harvester. You won't believe it, but he drove the combine harvester himself, because no one in our commune knew how to drive one."

"We were busy working in the fields, and Director Qian was also busy working in the fields. He would drive to whichever team was having difficulties. It is said that he even paid for the diesel fuel out of his own pocket. Anyway, he really solved a lot of big problems for many of our production teams!"

The group was completely dumbfounded.

Only Feng Changfan and Liu Jianguo grinned.

Liu Jianguo couldn't help but say, "Distinguished leaders of the provincial capital, I am the head of the commune's security office, and Qian Jin is the director of the commune's supply and marketing cooperative. Logically speaking, I shouldn't say anything here, since we are colleagues, and my words might involve unfairness or bias."

"But there's an old saying that one should recommend the virtuous without avoiding relatives. I'm not very educated, so I don't know if I'm using this saying correctly, but anyway, it means the same thing: Director Qian is a really good cadre. No matter how you judge my motives, I'm going to say it: he is this one!"

Liu Jianguo gave a thumbs up, and Cheng Jiadong followed suit.

That concludes the investigation for this location. The second place they visited was Shuanggou Production Brigade, a place where Officer Sun had arranged through connections.

He was looking for Li Guifang, the women's director.

Li Guifang has distant relatives in the provincial capital. This time, when Officer Sun came to Yuezhou County on a business trip, he happened to be able to help her relatives send a letter to her family and bring some money, tickets, and other gifts.

When the group arrived at the brigade, it was lunchtime, and Li Guifang was busy distributing lunch to the educated youth.

Hearing that someone from the provincial government was looking for her, she quickly wiped her hands and went out to greet them.

After Officer Sun explained the relationship and gave them gifts, Li Guifang treated them with exceptional enthusiasm:

"Have the leaders eaten yet? How about they eat something here with us?"

Feng Changfan waved his hand: "No need to trouble yourself, we just want to know about Comrade Qian Jin's work at the supply and marketing cooperative."

Li Guifang's eyes lit up: "Director Qian? He's a really good cadre!"

"A couple of nights ago, our brigade leader had relatives come to his house. There was nothing at the brigade leader's house, so we rushed to the supply and marketing cooperative, but it was already closed."

"But when Director Qian, who lives in the office, heard the noise, he quickly came to open the door. He sold us the same things as before, and even gave our brigade leader some of his own pickled red oil vegetables to entertain his relatives when he came back."

Sun, the clerk, took notes and then asked, "What shortcomings does Comrade Qian Jin have?"

Li Guifang thought for a moment and said, "If I had to point out a flaw, it would be that he's too meticulous. My husband wanted to buy more brown sugar, but he insisted on giving him the prescribed amount without any consideration for others."

The members of the research team exchanged knowing smiles.

It's inappropriate to conduct research with these brigade cadres.

This kind of weakness is actually a strength in the workplace. Saying that it's a weakness is like saying that the leader works too hard and doesn't take care of their health, which is something from movies and model operas.

However, the assessment team visited two more production teams in the afternoon.

The feedback received was all excellent.

Team Leader Zheng closed the folder and said, "We don't need to go to the countryside anymore. Comrade Qian Jin has a very good reputation."

“Especially in this Xiping production brigade, Qian Jin has become a saint here,” a worker exclaimed.

Feng Changfan tentatively asked, "So where do we go next?"

Team Leader Zheng said, "Go to the supply and marketing cooperative for a surprise inspection. Xiao Jiang, you're a professional accountant, so you'll have to check the accounts carefully later."

The young staff member nodded: "Yes, sir."

The jeep bumped along the mountain road, heading straight for the commune, and then entered the supply and marketing cooperative.

Feng Changfan stepped forward, explained his purpose, and asked, "Is Director Qian here?"

The sales clerk quickly led them into the back office: "It's really unfortunate, Director Qian has gone to the countryside and hasn't returned yet, but he should be back soon. He went in the morning and usually returns before four o'clock in the afternoon."

“We’re not looking for Director Qian, we just want to check on the store’s situation,” Officer Sun said, showing his work ID.

The sales clerk then led them inside the counter.

Several people carefully examined the goods on the shelf:

The wine jars were sealed tightly, the biscuit tins were lined with moisture-proof paper, and the brown and white sugars were packaged in small cloth bags. Each item was clearly priced.

“This brown sugar…” Section Chief Li rubbed it between his fingers, “is very dry.”

The saleswoman, Liu Xiulan, cautiously said, "This is a new rule set by Director Qian. All goods that are easily affected by moisture must be stored in this way."

"Is this a new rule? Wasn't it like this before?" Officer Sun asked with a smile.

Liu Xiulan said with a smile, "It wasn't like this before. Not only did we not take any moisture-proof measures, but we also had to open the desiccant box. When Director Ma was around, a pound of brown sugar could absorb moisture and increase its weight by 10% to 20%!"

Several people nodded.

They looked carefully at the shelves behind the counter, then nodded to each other.

no problem.

Feng Changfan asked, "Your accountant here is Comrade Zhao Dazhu, right?"

Zhao Dazhu, who was smoking with his head down nearby, quickly stubbed out his cigarette, looked up, and said, "Yes, boss, it's me."

"Accountant Zhao, the leaders from the province want to know about the accounts of our supply and marketing cooperative," Feng Changfan introduced.

Zhao Dazhu was prepared.

He rubbed his rough hands together and said, "The accounts are all in my accounting office. Leaders, please follow me."

Officer Sun said bluntly, "We are very strict in our audits, so you'd better tell us in advance if you have any questions, so you don't lose face if problems are found later."

Zhao Dazhu was quite reliable in this regard. He said, "Leaders, please investigate. I don't know anything about the other things that I didn't manage, but I managed all the bills myself. I have a clear conscience and nothing to hide!"

Team Leader Zheng looked at him with interest: "You manage the accounts yourself? Your director didn't interfere?"

Zhao Dazhu frankly said, "To be honest, I'm not lying. Director Qian never asks about the accounts. At most, he'll ask me before he leaves work each day if there are any problems with the day's bills."

The accounting office was small, but it was kept very tidy.

A label reading "Account Books and Vouchers" was affixed to the iron cabinet against the wall, and an abacus and a pen were neatly arranged on the table.

Officer Sun noticed a set of handwritten rules and regulations hanging on the wall, with neat handwriting.

He carefully read the rules and regulations. He was initially attracted by the neat handwriting, but after reading the contents carefully, his attention was drawn in.

Team Leader Zheng also went to take a look, and nodded repeatedly after reading it: "This financial work official seal system is well written."

"Are these rules established after Director Qian arrived?" Officer Sun asked, pointing to the regulations on the wall.

The supply and marketing cooperative did not have such rules and regulations, and they also felt that the unsophisticated accountant in front of them did not have the brains to come up with such a rigorous new thing.

really.

Zhao Dazhu smiled and said, "That's right! Director Qian was busy with spring plowing and ensuring the success of the project in April, busy with wheat harvest preparations in May, and after the wheat harvest in June, he started to reorganize the finances and established the 'three accounts and one form' system."

"Leaders, look here," he said, pulling open a drawer and taking out several ledgers.

"This is the cash journal, this is the ledger, this is the subsidiary ledger, and a balance sheet needs to be prepared at the end of the month. To be honest, when Director Ma was in charge, it was just a simple cash flow record, and it was very confusing."

Section Chief Li took the ledger and carefully examined it. Every income and expenditure was recorded clearly, without even a few cents' error.

He looked up and asked, "Comrade Qian Jin, do you understand finance?"

“I understand! Of course I understand!” Zhao Dazhu’s eyes lit up. “Director Qian’s understanding of financial work is different from that of ordinary people. He is good at strategic work, but not good at tactical work.”

"If you ask him to use an abacus, he's definitely better than me. But he can also guide me on how to carry out accounting work. He personally participates in the monthly inventory, and it's accurate to the last detail."

Xiao Zhang from the Foreign Affairs Office asked curiously, "Were there any discrepancies in the previous inventory checks?"

Zhao Dazhu looked around and lowered his voice: "When Director Ma was around, we could be short twenty catties of brown sugar and a whole jar of liquor a month. Now?"

He patted the ledger, "Exactly correct!"

Officer Sun laughed and said, "You guys have a lot of opinions about the old Ma Defu."

Zhao Dazhu awkwardly rubbed his hands: "Um, no, I'm just an accountant. I just do whatever the boss tells me to do. I don't have any complaints about the boss."

"However, it's not that you don't know the value of something, it's that you have to compare it with others. To be honest, Director Qian and Director Ma are not the same people in terms of their management."

“Working under Director Qian not only makes me feel at ease but also makes me feel relaxed. Director Qian is truly knowledgeable. He doesn’t interfere with things he doesn’t understand but learns first.”

"He only gives guidance after he has learned it—oh well, leaders, I was too nosy."

The accounting department began auditing the accounts.

The young clerk, Xiao Jiang, nodded repeatedly: "Team Leader Zheng, we must promote this innovative approach of 'three accounts and one form' to supply and marketing cooperatives at all levels. It's a really good thing."

“The accounts of grassroots supply and marketing cooperatives are often just a record of transactions, which has many problems. It is very difficult for me to investigate, and sometimes I am still confused when I do.

"Look at the bills here, they're so clear, just keep going down and sorting them out."

The bill was checked very quickly.

The research team has more time to investigate other aspects of the work.

Jin Hai, the warehouse keeper, carried a box of goods in from the backyard, covered in sweat.

The research team then invited him to sit down and chat.

Jin Hai wiped the sweat from his neck with a towel and asked honestly, "What do the leaders want to know?"

"Tell me about Comrade Qian Jin's work in commodity storage." Officer Sun turned to a new page of his notebook.

Jin Hai perked up immediately: "Director Qian has revolutionized storage! Before, brown sugar and white sugar were just piled up in the warehouse, getting damp and clumping together, and nobody cared. Now?"

He led the research team into the warehouse: "You see, each sugar bag is lined with a bag of lime, and there are also kraft paper dividers between them to prevent lime from getting into the sugar bags..."

Inside the warehouse, all kinds of goods were arranged in categories. Grains were stored on wooden shelves 20 centimeters off the ground, and loose snacks were placed in earthenware jars covered with moisture-proof cloths.

In the corner, several cloth bags labeled "lime" stood out conspicuously.

“This is Director Qian’s idea,” Jin Hai said, pointing to the lime bag. “It’s very effective at absorbing moisture. And this wine, before it’s delivered to the lobby, must be wrapped in this kind of thin film so that not a trace of the wine smell can escape.”

Feng Changfan leaned closer to examine the film.

Jin Hai said, "It's just ordinary agricultural plastic film, the kind that farmers use to cover vegetable seedlings in winter."

Feng Changfan nodded upon hearing this: "This is a good way to infuse the wine with fragrance."

Officer Sun couldn't help but exclaim, "These methods are simple, but very practical. Director Qian is excellent."

"Director Qian is definitely good." Jin Hai was one of Qian Jin's top protégés in the commune. He didn't know if the provincial leaders came to investigate Qian Jin to promote him or if Ma Defu's relatives were retaliating against Qian Jin and had found someone from the province.

Anyway, he knew that no matter what the situation, he had to say nice things to Qian Jin.

So he continued, "Our Director Qian's greatest strength isn't his work ability, but his care and concern for the farmers. He often tells us this."

He coughed lightly and mimicked Qian Jin's tone, saying, "It's not easy for farmers to earn money. If our supply and marketing cooperative sells substandard goods, we can't live with ourselves."

Team Leader Zheng smiled and said, "That's right."

Back in the front hall, Liu Xiulan was selling cloth. She took down several bolts of cloth and handed them to two women for comparison.

The two women argued and debated animatedly, but finally chose a piece of blue cotton cloth and left satisfied.

Liu Xiulan was naive. Even though she had already interacted with the leaders, she was still nervous as the group returned to the lobby. She kept bowing and scraping and kept offering to refill tea and water.

"Comrade Xiao Liu, don't be nervous," Feng Changfan said kindly. "The leaders just want to know about our supply and marketing cooperative and Comrade Qian Jin's daily work."

Liu Xiulan hurriedly said, "Leaders, I've told you everything I know. Ask me whatever you want to know. I'll definitely tell you what I know and I won't lie."

Her innocent demeanor drew laughter from everyone.

Sun said with great interest, "We just went to see the work of the finance and warehousing departments. Your Director Qian is quite capable; he has come up with new rules and regulations."

"Then tell me, do you have anything similar here?"

Liu Xiulan twisted her apron as she said, "Yes, there is. Our Director Qian is a sales clerk, just like me. We learn from each other every day, but I mainly learn from him."

"He summarized our work, saying that the most important thing is the three clear and three pronounced sounds."

"When you see guests, there are three greetings: a greeting, a greeting, and a farewell greeting; when goods enter the premises, there are three things to be clear about: the name of the product, the price, and the quantity."

She pointed to the shelves: "The leaders can ask any questions. Every item in the lobby has a price tag, and the price tags are changed every day."

Team Leader Zheng couldn't help but nod: "Everything is very standardized."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiulan hurriedly nodded: "Yes, yes, leader, our Director Qian always uses this word, 'standard'."

He said that the country's various industries will not remain in chaos forever, and will definitely become more standardized in the future. Our supply and marketing cooperative has a wide variety of products, and the people we deal with at the grassroots level are farmers who are not very educated, so we must be more standardized.

Sun, the clerk, sat down.

Liu Xiulan immediately pulled out a thermos and a teacup from under the counter and poured him water.

"You're quite well-prepared, even bringing water to your workstations? I see you have quite a few thermos flasks," one of the clerks remarked.

"Oh, this is a public service point set up by Director Qian," Liu Xiulan explained. "It provides free boiled water in the summer and hot water in the winter."

"Director Qian said that some people came from a long way. They don't have bicycles and have to walk the whole way, so they can have a drink of water, rest their feet, and then go back. It will make them feel comfortable both physically and mentally."

Upon hearing this, Team Leader Zheng couldn't help but be moved: "Very good, very good. Always keeping the people in mind means keeping the leader's teachings in mind and applying them to practical matters."

Others nodded.

After drinking some water, Officer Sun clapped his hands and said, "Sir, shall we conclude our internal inspection of the supply and marketing cooperative?"

Xiao Jiang asked, "Or should we wait until Director Qian comes back and then talk to him?"

Team Leader Zheng walked out with his hands behind his back, saying, "No need, let's go."

When they talk to the person in question, it's usually because someone has reported a major problem at the person's work, and they want to hear what the person has to say.

If there's no problem with the work at the Zidian Commune Supply and Marketing Cooperative, then why are we even talking to the person in charge?
Even if there is to be recognition, it shouldn't be done now.

(End of this chapter)