The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 290 The Zhou Family Enters the City, Working Hard and Ruthlessly

This job is very simple.

In the past two years, Qian Jin has helped many units at all levels formulate management regulations. The management regulations for training schools are relatively simple, and he can formulate them with ease.

The main reason is that there is a blueprint.

You can buy a management file in the mall, which contains the rules and regulations of various organizations.

However, it cannot be used directly; it still needs to be adapted to the current historical context.

Qian Jin made arrangements for everything, from organizational structure and job responsibilities to teaching plans and course arrangements, student management and assessment, financial systems, safety regulations, library borrowing rules, and environmental hygiene requirements.

No matter how small the matter, we must strive for clarity and a clear division of responsibilities.

He knew that a newly established technical school with a special nature, without strict rules and regulations and a clear organizational structure, could easily slide into chaos and disorganization if it relied solely on enthusiasm.

This training school is a key project; it will become the Whampoa Military Academy of his business empire, so the foundation must be solid.

As noon approached, the familiar roar of an engine grew louder as a small truck, kicking up dust and chilly air, drove into the compound.

Qian Jin rubbed his hands together and hurried out.

The sea breeze felt like tiny knives.

The carriage opened, and Zhou Tiezhen jumped out, followed by a dozen or so heavily dressed, dusty men.

The group got off the car and looked around the training school compound with curiosity and restraint, their eyes revealing the nervousness and unease typical of country people coming to the city.

"Comrades, you've all arrived? It must have been cold on the way here, right?" Qian Jin greeted them and went up to Zhou Tiezhen, extending his hand: "Captain Zhou, thank you so much for your help this time."

Zhou Tiezhen said casually, "Hey, what trouble have you caused me? It's our brigade that's been troubling you the most."

"Hehe, this is your school campus? It's so nice and bright. I can see the sea in front of me? Is this a school by the sea?"

Zhu Zi followed along and said, "Captain, I've seen many small buildings along the way. They're so beautiful, much nicer than the thatched stone houses in our mountains."

"Those are villas, they must be beautiful, and they're all where officials live," Chen Shoujiang explained to them.

Qian Jin noticed that they were cold and hungry, so he quickly invited them to come inside.

Zhou Tiezhen waved his hand without any hesitation and said, "Come on, let's go inside and warm ourselves by the fire."

“Yes, let’s warm ourselves by the fire first, then I’ll take you to a restaurant for dinner,” Qian Jin said.

Zhou Tiezhen was polite this time: "Going out to eat? Hey, forget it. What would a bunch of peasants like us do if we went out to eat? It's too embarrassing. We'll just eat whatever we have at home."

"I brought eggs, my mom boiled them for me." Zhu Zi pulled out a bag and chuckled.

Qian Jin said, "When we were in Xiping, I followed your arrangements because you were the hosts."

"Now that we're in Haibin City, this is my territory. Just do as I say."

The two stoves inside the house were burning brightly.

All of these stoves were purchased by Qian Jin from the mall; they were all made of high-quality steel and had excellent heat transfer capabilities.

Water was boiling on the stove, and Qian Jin had specially prepared a large bag of milk tea.

The carpenters knew they were coming to work and would be living and eating there, so they brought enamel mugs and lunchboxes with them.

Qian Jin told them to bring out the jars, pour the milk tea from the packaging bags into them, and add the hot water from the barbecue.

Instantly, the rich aroma of milk tea filled the classroom, causing several boys' stomachs to rumble.

Zhou Tiezhen sniffed, showing great interest in the milk tea: "Is this milk powder? Hehe, we're not babies anymore, why are you giving us milk powder? It's such a precious thing!"

Qian Jin said, "It's not milk powder, it's milk tea. You guys drink it; it'll warm you up."

Zhou Tiezhen blew on the steam, took a sip, and immediately nodded with delight: "Delicious, this stuff is delicious, fragrant and sweet."

He then introduced Qian Jin, saying, "Director Qian, I've brought all the people you wanted."

"This is Old Huai, the man you kept asking about yesterday. He's my second uncle. He's a real expert; he can do anything. He can catch fish, rabbits, and dogs. He can also do carpentry and masonry. He's the most capable man in our brigade."

Old Huai was a tall but thin old man with a full head of white hair, but a ruddy complexion and excellent spirits.

Qian Jin shook hands with him. Old Huai didn't talk much, but he liked to smile.

Zhou Tiezhen continued, "These two are Lao Nian and Sixi. According to seniority, they are both my uncles. They are both veteran carpenters in the brigade who have been working for twenty or thirty years."

“Zhu Zi and Magan’er are the young men who learned their skills from these two. I brought them along with me. Their skills are not as good as Uncle Lao Nian and Uncle Sixi, but they are young and strong and can do heavy work.”

“Their skills are also quite good; they all learned from us and have completed their apprenticeships,” Old Zhou said in a deep, muffled voice.

Zhou Tiezhen said, "Yes, anyway, I heard you say there was an urgent matter in the city, so I called them. And we comrades are really good; when we heard it was Director Qian who needed to do something, we all came together."

As he spoke, he pointed to the carpenters behind him and introduced them one by one.

Old Zhou had gray hair, a slightly hunched back, and was not good with words; he just smiled sheepishly at Qian Jin.

Si Xi's eyes are lively, but he has the restraint of a farmer in this era.

After listening to Zhou Tiezhen's introduction, he rubbed his calloused hands and kept smiling apologetically at Qian Jin.

The other strong laborers had all worked together yesterday, and they were more generous, or rather, more carefree. Now they were each happily drinking milk tea from their enamel mugs, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Qian Jin then smiled and said, "Masters and comrades, you've all had a hard time. I know you've had a bumpy and tiring journey, and you must be freezing and hungry."

"Let's have some hot milk tea first, and then we'll go out to eat! Let me make this clear from the start: I hired you guys to work, to do manual labor, so let's eat our fill later, so we can get back to work when we're full!"

"Are you really going to a restaurant?" The old carpenters were stunned and looked at each other in bewilderment.

For these farmers who toiled in the fields year-round to earn work points, the state-run restaurant's white walls and bright glass windows seemed like a paradise.

Normally, they don't even have the chance to pass by, let alone go in for a meal. There's nothing they can do; it's their first time in the city. Apart from Zhou Tiezhen, none of the dozen or so people had ever been to the county town.

"Oh dear, Director Qian, you're going to such lengths. We have a stove here; we can just use an iron pot to cook some hot food." Old Huai hurriedly declined.

But Qian Jin waved his hand: "I'll say it again, when you're on my turf, you listen to me!"

Zhou Tiezhen waved his hand: "That's right, listen to Director Qian. Director Qian is a high-ranking official in the city, he definitely knows what he's doing."

The milk tea was so delicious that the men had never tasted anything like it before, and they sipped it for a full half hour.

After they put down their enamel mugs, Qian Jin immediately led them to the car: "To the State-run No. 2 Restaurant."

Zhou Tiezhen immediately introduced excitedly to the group in the carriage: "Hey, we've finally hit the jackpot this time! Good heavens, we're going to eat at the State-Run Second Restaurant!"

Si Xi asked, "What's wrong with this restaurant?"

Zhou Tiezhen slapped his thigh and said, "When I went to the commune for a meeting, I heard the leaders say that they didn't dare to eat at the state-run No. 2 Restaurant when they came to the city. It was a place specifically for entertaining leading cadres and foreign guests."

"This guy, we're really benefiting from Director Qian's support, hehe. You all better keep your eyes wide open and don't make a fool of yourselves and embarrass Director Qian."

It was lunchtime, and the entrance to the state-run No. 2 Restaurant was bustling with people. As soon as the door opened, the aroma of food and the noise of people rushed out all at once.

Like the Liu family from Hongxing, the Zhou family was visiting the State-run Second Hotel for the first time and were immediately awestruck by its grandeur.

The bright glass windows were polished to a shine, the main door was made of solid glass, and the floor inside was paved with marble.

Then waiters in smart uniforms moved around, carrying trays of steaming hot food, and chefs in white coats and chef hats came out from time to time; everything was quite professional.

The air was filled with the aroma of fried meat and stewed dishes, and everywhere people were clinking glasses and exchanging toasts, with every table laden with food and drink.

This was Zhou Tiezhen's impression of the state-run hotel.

"Sit down, sit down," Qian Jin said, pointing to an empty table by the window for everyone to sit.

Several carpenters sat down with their bottoms close to the edge of the bench, unsure of where to put their hands and feet, afraid that their old cotton-padded coats would dirty the bench.

The pillar and the hemp stalk sat upright, like elementary school students waiting for class.

Their attire was quite different from that of the other diners; everyone else was dressed neatly and cleanly.

In this situation, they are somewhat like conspicuous bags.

The stares from some diners made them feel uneasy.

But the waiters were very attentive.

They brought them hot water, teapots, bowls, and chopsticks, and even kindly pointed out the direction to the restroom: "If you want to wash your hands, go that way, there's hot water inside..."

Zhou Tiezhen sighed in a low voice to the people around him: "I always hear people in the commune say that when they go to restaurants in the county, the waiters are all rude and disrespectful."

"In comparison, the service staff in this city are much more courteous. Look at how they treat us; they certainly don't look down on us..."

Everyone nodded and gave the waiter a thumbs up.

Qian Jin took out his money, meat coupons, and grain coupons to order food.

It's so cold, let's eat something hot.

Braised pork knuckle, braised cabbage and pork belly with vermicelli, braised radish and shrimp, chicken soup with tofu, braised pork belly, and beef with potatoes.

We also ordered a bowl of mutton soup, and a large bowl of mutton soup with hard-crust flatbread for each person! Soon, the dishes were served one after another.

The braised pork belly was glistening with oil, red and shiny, and trembling as it steamed.

A braised pork knuckle with a rich, dark brown color and firm, meaty texture.

There was also an enamel basin bubbling with steam of cabbage, pork belly, and glass noodles, piled high with glistening slices of pork belly. The sight of these dishes immediately caught the eyes of several carpenters.

The rumbling in my stomach started again.

No one could say anything about anyone else; they were all in the same boat. Their throats were moving involuntarily, and their tongues were unconsciously licking their dry lips.

Greedy!

I thought I would be satisfied with just a plate of stir-fried cabbage with vinegar or shredded radish.

As a result, all that was served were steaming hot meat dishes.

Especially that pot of braised pork belly with vermicelli.

There were so many slices of pork belly on top, covering the entire area. Zhu Zi couldn't help but say, "How many meat coupons did this take?"

"Yes, how many meat coupons did you use?" Zhou Tiezhen asked Qian Jin in a low voice.

He dared not act recklessly or shout loudly in this place.

"Don't worry about anything else, and don't stand on ceremony. Just one sentence: Comrades, let's eat!" Qian Jin waved his hand.

"You need to eat well to have the energy to work. Besides, we've gone to so much trouble to treat the workers to a meal, shouldn't we make sure they eat well? Alright, alright, everyone, don't be shy, eat as much as you like!"

Lamb soup with hard-crust flatbread was also served.

A group of people at the next table were quite dissatisfied: "How come they serve their food so quickly? We arrived half an hour earlier than them!"

Qian Jin pretended not to hear.

He was indeed in the wrong, but he couldn't show any style in this situation, so he could only accept whatever the restaurant arranged.

The waiter, however, was not going to tolerate that table of guests: "They called our restaurant in advance to order, and didn't you see? That table of guests are working people, our farmers."

"Our leader went to great lengths to treat this farmer to a meal, shouldn't we give him priority in being treated?"

The waiters at state-run restaurants may not be very quick with their hands and feet, but they are absolutely quick with their tongues.

The men kept their heads down, rummaging through the hard, flatbread in their bowls.

Upon seeing this, Qian Jin stood up, picked up a large plate of braised pork, and divided it among them.

Two pieces of meat per person, and no one objected.

Both rain and dew are touched.

As soon as a piece of braised pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat was stuffed into their mouths, the men could no longer resist their appetite.

The rich aroma of oil and the salty, sweet and savory flavor of the sauce exploded on their tongues, instantly filling them with an indescribable sense of happiness.

Stomachs, long deprived of oil and fat, sent a hungry signal to their brains, and the men couldn't help but start shoveling chunks of meat into their mouths.

A profound sense of satisfaction replaced the feeling of hunger and filled his entire body.

What's with the restraint?
What's there to be afraid of being laughed at?

All of this crumbled in the face of the temptation of delicious food.

The sounds of chewing and swallowing filled the air instantly.

Even someone as taciturn as Lao Huai couldn't help but exclaim, "The food in this restaurant is truly delicious!"

Old Nian held his bowl and shoveled mouthfuls of the hard-crust baked bun.

He picked up a large, trembling piece of pork belly with his chopsticks, stuffed it into his mouth without even looking at it, his cheeks bulging high, and his white beard gleaming with oil.

Si Xi set his sights on the freshly served mutton soup. When he saw the waiter bring out rice, he quickly ordered a bowl for himself.

He didn't want to eat the mutton soup with baked flatbread. He first used a spoon to scoop the meat and broth into his bowl, then mixed rice with the broth and slurped it down his throat, eating without even looking up.

Seeing this, Zhu Zi didn't stand on ceremony and quickly grabbed a bowl of rice as well.

He used braised pork belly with glass noodles to mix with rice, and after one bite, he couldn't help but exclaim, "How can it be so delicious?"

He slurped up the long rice noodles with a loud slurping sound, and soon his mouth was covered with oily soup. With the sliced ​​pork belly, he swallowed more than half a bowl of rice in just a few bites!
The rich, mellow flavor made him squint his eyes in satisfaction.

Zhou Tiezhen initially wanted to maintain some semblance of dignity as the "brigade leader".

But seeing the meat rapidly disappearing from the plate and hearing the chorus of swallowing that sounded like piglets fighting over food, he simply rolled up his sleeves and joined the fray, quickly vying for the delicious treat.

For a moment, the only sounds on the table were the clinking of chopsticks, spoons, bowls, and plates, and the sounds of chewing and smacking lips.

Qian Jin smiled as he watched the scene unfold before him, inwardly sighing with emotion.

This is what farmers were like in 1980; they really didn't have much money to eat.

This table full of oily and greasy food is probably their first meal since leaving their mother's womb.

The men eat like they're fighting a war.

After the last bit of broth from the braised pork belly with vermicelli was drunk up by someone carrying a porcelain basin, only a few greasy empty plates and bowls remained on the table.

The fierce battle at the dinner table has ended.

The group leaned back in their chairs, wiping their mouths and patting their bellies with satisfaction. Their faces were flushed, and fine beads of sweat glistened on their foreheads. Their bellies were visibly bulging, and from their hair to their toenails, they exuded an unprecedented sense of peace and happiness.

"Burp..." Mayor Zhou Tie let out a long breath, smacked his lips and said, "Director Qian, I really have nothing to say about this meal, I just want to thank you, thank you for improving our lives."

The experienced workers, including Lao Nian and Sixi, repeatedly expressed their gratitude, while the younger laborers kept nodding and grinning.

"Are you full?" Qian Jin asked with a smile.

"I'm so full! I've never been this full before, my belly is round!" Sixi chuckled, rubbing his belly.

“Alright,” Qian Jin said seriously, “Let’s get down to business.”

“My brother-in-law has probably already told everyone that the reason we invited all the craftsmen here today is to make good use of the wood that was cut down yesterday.”

"As you can see, our new school is in the process of rebuilding from scratch. The main structure is almost finished, but the carpentry and masonry work, such as the doors, windows, blackboards, desks, chairs, and benches, hasn't been done at all."

"The deadline is tight and the task is heavy, so I'll have to trouble you to put in a lot of effort these next few days."

Zhou Tiezhen habitually slammed his hand on the table.

With a loud slap, several people looked over with displeasure.

The boastful words he was about to utter were immediately swallowed back. In the end, he said with an awkward laugh, "Director Qian, I won't say any more. See you later!"

Qian Jin nodded, his attitude sincere and solemn: "Our work is very urgent, and we need to work overtime. We'll eat and live on the construction site over there. We have materials and a site available."

"Then let's talk about the treatment. It's almost Chinese New Year, so we won't calculate it by work points or money. I'll settle the payment for the supplies directly."

Qian Jin stretched out his large hand, breaking off a finger for each item he mentioned:
"Food and lodging are provided, with plenty of food and warm accommodation. Each person receives daily supplies: five jin of high-quality white flour, five jin of Northeast rice, and one jin of thoroughly cured pork!"

He paused, then continued, “In addition to meals and wages, before work begins, I will give each craftsman a brand-new set of carpentry tools, a cotton-padded coat, a pair of sturdy and durable work gloves, and a pair of thick suede work shoes.”

"Wow!" Upon hearing this, everyone at the table gasped.

Old Nian's cloudy eyes widened, and he couldn't help but ask, "Is it every day or in total?"

Qian Jin nodded: "Every day."

"Five catties of wheat flour, five catties of rice, and a catty of cured meat every day?!" Zhou Tiezhen asked immediately.

Qian Jin said, "Yes, and there's plenty of food. Don't worry, there's rice, noodles, vegetables, and meat. It's not as good as today's meal, but I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

No one had any objections.

Where would there be any objections?

Putting everything else aside, the food here is better and more plentiful than the rations they would receive after working hard for half a month in the production team.

And meals are provided, with meat every day!
These are conditions I never even dared to dream of!
As for brand new tools, work clothes, gloves, and safety shoes?!
In the countryside, even the most skilled craftsmen might not be willing to buy a complete set!
They didn't know what tools they had, but it was definitely an axe and chisel set, and that set was already considered good. These people usually used the same few old axes and chisels for generations.

And brand new cotton-padded shoes and coats?
What's the difference between this and a regular worker in the city?

Overwhelmed with joy!

They felt incredibly lucky today!

First, I had a feast of delicacies, and then I received such a wonderful job that I never dreamed of!

Nothing said.

We must work hard and relentlessly!
(End of this chapter)