The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 92 Serving Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers, and Establishing New Small Collective Enterprises

The bicycle team arrived at the commune and turned to go to the blacksmith's shop.

During the day, when Huang Laotie learned that he had gone to the countryside again, he specially asked someone to deliver a message to Liu's family, saying that the solid copper belt buckle had been made and that he should come and pick it up.

Qian Jin had no intention of visiting the blacksmith's shop, so he didn't bring any gifts for the blacksmiths.

The blacksmiths were honest men and didn't mention it at all.

When Qian Jin entered, Huang Laotie was hammering a red-hot iron block. Sparks flew onto his patched-up trouser leg, burning a new hole in it.

Upon seeing the person in question enter, he immediately wiped his hands and took out the item that was carefully packed in a wooden box.

Not only were there two solid brass belt buckles, but also a kerosene stove and a small steel crossbow:
"Look, boss, isn't this a good thing?"

The copper belt buckle was made from Russian copper ship nails, shaped like a tiger's head with fangs, and could be used as a flail when worn with the belt.

Giving this to Zhang Aijun would be like adding wings to a tiger.

The steel crossbow is new.

"We were originally going to make you a slingshot, but we heard from Chief Chang of the commune that you had encountered murderers and robbers? The world is indeed not very peaceful in our countryside, so we made this for you instead."

Huang Laotie wiped his hands with a tattered towel and said, "There wasn't enough time, so it was done in a rush. Otherwise, I could have added five-pointed stars to the handle, which would have made it look absolutely beautiful."

"It may not look good, but it works well. The firing string is made from the tendons of an old cow's leg. I found an old master craftsman to make it using ancient methods. Give it a try."

Qian Jin inserted an arrow into the crossbow and laboriously cocked it.

With a 'whoosh' as ​​the trigger was pulled, the bark of the old poplar tree in front of them splattered everywhere, and the arrowhead was completely embedded in it!
be honest.

They didn't drink his wine for nothing.

Qian Jin was absolutely enamored with this small steel crossbow!

Xu Weidong was astonished by the power of the crossbow: "If this thing were used to shoot someone, wouldn't they be covered in bruises in no time?"

Wang Dong was particularly fond of the small crossbow, and when he held it in his hand, he hesitated, implying that he wanted Qian Jin to part with it.

Qian Jin bombarded him with insults: "With your temperament, can you handle this? Causing someone's death is no joke!"

Huang Laotie felt proud to see his masterpiece receiving praise from everyone.

Upon learning that Wang Dong was a member of the security department of the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill, and that there was also a security task force here, he said, "Since you are under Leader Qian, then we are all on the same side."

"If you're interested, give us some time, and we'll work overtime to install another ten or eight on your vehicles—no more, that's all the track steel we have!"

The team members were delighted to hear this.

Qian Jin, however, was afraid something might happen.

This is the murder weapon!

Wang Dong said, "Chief Qian, you'll be in charge of keeping these things safe from now on. We'll just play with them right under your nose, okay?"

Others also spoke up:
“Chief Qian, we’re a security task force now. Relying on sticks alone isn’t enough. With this in hand, at least we won’t be afraid of trouble…”

"Someone even hired an assassin to slit your throat. We can't afford to be careless about this..."

"You can deposit it with the neighborhood committee when the time comes. We won't do anything unless you give the order..."

Qian Jin felt that having weapons and not using them was a completely different matter from not having weapons at all.

So I reluctantly agreed.

The team sets off.

Braving the cold wind, we broke through the night to return to the city.

The neighborhood committee has a warehouse.

Qian Jin is now a local bigwig in Tai'an Road Subdistrict. He's not a formal employee of the neighborhood committee, but he can come and go as he pleases.

After all the vegetables were unloaded into the warehouse, he picked up one of the large bags and said:

"Remember to come to my house first thing tomorrow morning, I'll give everyone something to try."

"In addition, this is a sausage prepared by the production team to thank everyone for their efforts today."

The bag was opened, and inside were sections of local sausages.

The sausages have been air-dried, making them firm and fragrant.

Although it was still raw meat, the high temperature of the sun during the drying process brought out the flavor of the spices, making it very fragrant.

The sausages were bulging with fat, oozing oil. When the team members saw them, they pushed forward, exclaiming, "So many!"

Qian Jin said, "Regardless of size, six sausages per person is the sentiment of all the members of the production team."

Zhao Bo was shocked: "Their production team looks quite poor, how come they can still produce so many good things?"

He picked up the sausage and looked at it: "It's pure meat."

"This stuff is only sold in grocery stores after the twelfth lunar month. It's my favorite food. It's so fragrant. One sausage is enough for my whole family to share with ten big steamed buns!"

Qian Jin said with a heavy heart, "You can see it too, their production team is poor."

"But they were honest and grateful that we had come all the way from the city to work, so they gave us the best of everything!"

"They originally raised a few pigs to sell to the purchasing station at the end of the year so that the villagers could have a good New Year. Now they've made sausages for us in advance and even slaughtered a pig for us to eat..."

The team members all fell silent.

Wang Dong is a man of strong character who believes in repaying kindness and avenging wrongs.

He slammed his fist on the wall and said, "When I first started working, the department gave me ten kilograms of oil coupons."

"I was originally planning to give it to my father-in-law, but I'll buy some oil tomorrow and then give it to the Liu family in their village!"

Zhou Yaozu said in a deep voice, "Count me in. I have some extra grain coupons at home. I'll get some fine grains so that the villagers can eat dumplings in the winter."

Xu Weidong said, "I'm even better off here. Just watch me, I'll get my hands on some good stuff!"

Upon hearing this, others chimed in with their own ideas to give back to the people of Liu's hometown. Some even took out money and coupons they had on them and donated them on the spot.

Wang Dong spat upon seeing this, and in a panic, he ran home and brought all the oil coupons, meat coupons, and cloth coupons he had saved.

Qian Jin smiled with satisfaction after reading it.

Next time he brings a large amount of supplies to the countryside, he will say it is a gift from the entire commando team to support rural construction.

At that time, even if someone had questions, they couldn't find any problems.

From then on, there were many unresolved issues between the assault team and the Liu family's production team, and he could always find a reason to justify any gifts he made.

Each person received six sausages, and the team members happily carried them home.

Their families were bound to complain when they came home so late, but the team members didn't explain and just put the sausages on the table.
"Where did it come from? I earned it through hard work in the countryside!"

With the arrival of the cold wave, the coastal city, which was in late autumn, almost entered winter.

Qian Jin was freezing, so he got up in the middle of the night, turned on the light, took out the gold box, and started operating.

Huang Chui, who had been woken up, yawned and got up to look at him.

Then I saw something pour out of the small box in his hand, which turned into a big box, and then another big thing poured out of the big box, which turned into a chest...

That's not all; they pulled another blanket out of the big box!
It stared in disbelief, questioning its very existence!
Qian Jin originally wanted to buy a down comforter, because it's the warmest thing.

But the down comforter was also quite large when folded, and the gold chest was still not enough, so he had to compromise and buy a wool blanket.

The wool blankets didn't look very thick, so when folded up they could be transported in a gold box, yet they were warm enough.

This wool blanket costs two thousand yuan. It is made of pure wool and is very breathable.

When a person lies on it, the pores between the fibers under the textured surface can form an airflow layer, which provides a relatively constant temperature for the body during sleep.

As for the pattern on it, it's quite ordinary. It's an import from Mongolia, and the pattern is a traditional Mongolian floral design. It's colorless and doesn't look luxurious.

The blanket has dense, fine fibers that don't irritate the skin, and it feels soft and smooth to the touch. Lying on it feels like lying on a young girl's body.

Qian Jin bought one, tried it on, and found it very warm and comfortable, so he bought another one.

He slept very well with one bed on top of the other and the other as a cover.

Get up in the morning.

Frost flowers had already appeared on the windowpane.

Qian Jin couldn't help but sigh that 1977 was really cold, and he estimated that the entire month of November 2027 wouldn't even reach below zero.

The sea fog condensed into morning frost, turning the road to Mount Tai grayish-white.

Qian Jin fiddled with an aluminum pot in the room, boiling water inside. He then began buying packets of spicy hot pot base and some soy products such as frozen tofu.

There is a metal biscuit tin at home.

This box is usually not used, but now it can be used to store the base for mala tang (a type of spicy hot pot). A box of this can last for quite a while.

The packaging bag was burned, and the water in the aluminum pot began to steam.

He divided the vegetables he brought back last night into portions, and when the aluminum pot started to bubble, he threw in a piece of base sauce.

Footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a jumble of voices from a group of team members: "Is Chief Qian up yet?"

Do you think Chief Qian might have a daughter in his family?

"It's nothing, girl. I'm just worried I'll see a ewe later. What do you guys think I'll do if I see a ewe? Would that be considered indecent assault?"

Qian Jin quickly opened the door.

Who knows what kind of news will come out later!
As the group entered, they saw Huang Chui stretching out his body, his front paws gripping the ground and his rear end sticking up.

Xu Weidong squeezed to the front to take a look and said seriously, "It's nothing, it's a male dog!"

Wang Dong, who was in front, had a nose that was red from the cold, like he had a hawthorn on his head.

Half a fried dough stick peeked out of his military satchel and he said, "Commander Qian, Commander Qian, try the fried dough sticks you stole from the state-run restaurant."

"Hey, what does it taste like?"

The aroma of Sichuan peppercorns mixed with butter exploded in the small room, which was only a dozen square meters.

Just as Zhu Tao was about to warm his hands by the coal stove, he suddenly sneezed loudly.

Qian Jin stirred the bubbling red soup with a long-handled iron ladle, and the layer of red oil floating on the surface emitted an enticing aroma.

Several people crowded around: "Hey, what's this?"

Qian Jin didn't say anything, he just kept busy.

When the heat was just right, he lifted the lid and added the vegetables.

Instantly, the dozen or so young men who had arrived all swallowed hard.

The chili oil bubbled and steamed in the aluminum pot, and the floating tofu, soaked in the broth, swelled up like a ten-month pregnant woman.

Lou Xiaoguang's glasses fogged up. He took them off and wiped them, saying, "This smell is even stronger than the solder in my dad's factory!"

"What is it?" Xu Weidong put his arm around Qian Jin's shoulder and looked at him curiously. "Is it hot pot? It smells pretty much like it."

Qian Jin scooped up a spoonful of broth and poured it over the pre-cooked black fungus, saying, "Look, Section Chief Xu is indeed a leader of a large organization; his knowledge far surpasses yours!"

“I know about hot pot, but I was sent to the countryside in Miyun. People in the capital love to eat hot pot in winter, but it doesn’t taste like this,” Mi Gang said curiously.

Qian Jin said, "This is Sichuan hot pot, spicy and fragrant, you could also call it Mala Tang (spicy hot pot)."

"I'm not too sure about the specifics, but it's a seasoning that my older brother from the state-run restaurant gave me—remember when I said I wanted to start a small collective enterprise?"

Xu Weidong immediately realized: "Set up a restaurant to sell this? Then let me taste it and see if the general public likes it."

"Can the street still open a restaurant?" Zhou Yaozu hesitated.

Now, in addition to state-run restaurants, some neighborhoods have also opened small joint-venture restaurants.

However, these are usually breakfast shops, wonton shops, or steamed bun shops, which belong to small or large collective enterprises.

However, it is difficult to get approval for such small joint venture restaurants. For example, Yangchun Restaurant, which Qian Jinru ate at, is of this nature.

Yangchun Restaurant is also a time-honored brand. In the 1950s, it was a joint public-private enterprise. The owner handed the shop over to the state and took his son to manage the kitchen, which is why the signboard and storefront have been preserved to this day.

It's now quite difficult for any neighborhood to apply for the establishment of a restaurant without a valid reason, but it's not impossible:

The problem isn't policy; the problem is the means of production.

That is, rice, noodles, meat, vegetables, and chefs.

As for the sources of rice, flour, meat, and vegetables, that was even more difficult to solve, as these all required ration coupons!

In contrast, it is easier to set up restaurants in rural areas, such as commune canteens and small restaurants run by communes.

They used grain beyond what they paid to the state and vegetables belonging to the production team to open a restaurant, which then closed down after a while.

First, there's a lack of customers; second, there's a lack of skilled chefs!

In those days, what kind of chefs were there in the countryside?
There's a shortage of chefs in cities right now.

For many years, chefs either worked in state-run restaurants or in canteens of factories and government agencies. In rural communes, there were usually only one or two chefs who worked in the commune canteen.

Qian Jin said with a smile, "Don't ask whether we want to or can set up a restaurant yet. You guys should try it out first and see how it tastes."

The tofu skin, soaked with chili oil, curled into golden waves.

The cabbage leaves shrank into small clumps as they were boiled.

There were also slices of white radish that were cooked until they became translucent.

The aluminum lunchbox was opened, and red soup and various cooked vegetables fell into it.

A few more people arrived, and as soon as they entered, they sneezed: "What's that smell? Are you eating Sichuan peppercorns?"

Xu Weidong bit off half a slice of lotus root, the crunching sound accompanied by a spicy and savory flavor.

For the palate of the 1970s, which had never been tempered by technology and hard work, this taste was too domineering, directly elevating his soul!
Zhou Yaozu couldn't handle spicy food, but he insisted on taking a sip of the red broth first, which made him gulp down cold water because of the spiciness, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
"Great, Chief Qian, this is much better than the three dishes we always have in the canteen!"

Wang Dong liked this stimulating flavor.

He kept rummaging through the hot aluminum box, oblivious to the fact that the buttons on his uniform were popping open and the seams were creasing.

"Don't just stand there!" Qian Jin shoved the thinly sliced ​​potatoes into the pot. "Come on, everyone, try them and see how they are!"

The aroma of spicy food appeared in the old tenement building for the first time.

The smell swept through the room, giving everyone's taste buds a complete shock!

"Delicious, so delicious!"

"On this freezing day, a couple of sips of soup warmed me up!"

"This is hot pot? No wonder people in the capital love it. It's already unbeatable when it comes to vegetables, but what if it were mutton?"

The group praised it highly, and no one raised any objections.

Even people who can't handle spicy food are deeply fascinated by this burning sensation all over their bodies.

Especially the team members who have just entered the room.

On such a cold day, their breath turned into white mist. They went out early in the morning, their noses and ears aching from the cold, and their whole bodies were so cold they could be made into popsicles.

But after entering the house, I took a sip of the red soup.

It's hot and numb!

My whole body suddenly felt alive again!

Qian Jin said with a smile, "Yesterday I went to support the farmers, and the production team gave us plenty of vegetables."

"If we use this to cook vegetables and then sell them to working people at the port, bus station, or train station, how do you think the business will be?"

Xu Weidong wiped his lips and said firmly, "Is that even a question? It's bound to be a hit!"

Zhou Yaozu was always cautious: "We want to do business? That won't do, will it? That's not in accordance with the policy!"

Qian Jin was about to explain.

Zhu Tao said, "We're not doing business like any other. I tasted the hope of spring in this spicy soup. We're helping people remember and look forward to the beauty of spring in the depths of autumn!"

Zhao Bo nodded in agreement: "This is a revolutionary meal. It's different from ordinary food. Look how bright red it is. Eating this isn't just eating; it's eating the fervor of our working class!"

Some people say, "This is especially important for students preparing for exams. It's spicy and hot enough to melt away the frozen ground in their minds, helping them to study better and serve the people better in the future!"

Zhou Yaozu couldn't help but laugh: "When you get arrested by Lao Xu and his men, I hope this will move them."

Voting clubs are their nemesis.

Everyone looked at Xu Weidong.

Xu Weidong, his cheeks puffed out, ignored the noise and kept showing off his food!

Play deaf and dumb.

This hot pot broth is extremely popular, known for its rich and mellow flavor.

The vegetables cooked in it are spicy but not dry, numbing but not astringent, and have a wonderful aroma that makes you want to take another bite after just one bite.

Mi Gang pondered for a moment and said, "Let's set up a small collective enterprise, and instead of running a restaurant, let's serve the people. We'll push carts out to sell our wares!"

What is a small collective enterprise?
This is a form of economic organization from the planned economy era, a collectively owned enterprise established by grassroots units such as streets, communities, communes, or even production teams. Qian Jin nodded and said, "That's right, Team Leader Mi is right, so you can eat without worry."

"I can tell you with certainty that we are not going to run a restaurant, but rather a small collective enterprise that sells mala tang (a type of spicy hot pot), and that's perfectly fine."

“I’ve already spoken with Director Wei, and he agreed that the neighborhood committee will help us apply to establish such a small collective enterprise!”

Private individuals are currently prohibited from engaging in buying and selling.

A group is acceptable.

Some communes established brick kilns, some production teams established tofu workshops or oil pressing shops, including the blacksmith shop that Qian Jin was familiar with; these were all small collective enterprises.

Three characteristics of small collective enterprises.

First, the means of production are collectively owned by the working people and are not directly controlled by the state.

Secondly, members engage in joint labor, with distribution based primarily on work, reflecting the socialist economic attributes.

Third, because the scale and level are relatively small, management authority can be delegated to the street or neighborhood committee level.

Qian Jin explained to them that this small collective enterprise had already applied for certification.

The application process is simple, but there are too many core approval procedures.

The first step is the easiest: the neighborhood committee submits the application materials for the proposed business, including documents explaining the business scope, personnel composition, and source of funds.

Wei Xiangmi didn't need Qian Jin to worry about these things. In return, in order to achieve results in her own work, she privately found someone to provide the documents.

In addition, the neighborhood committee also needs to provide proof of the production site, which was directly provided by room 204.

Therefore, once the small collective enterprise is established, then 204 can be openly and legitimately occupied by Qian Jin.

The second step is approval from the relevant district authorities.

Businesses need approval from the Industry and Commerce Bureau, the Handicraft Bureau, and the Health Department.

The third step is to file the record with the Planning Commission to ensure that it is included in the management of local economic planning indicators.

The final step is business registration, which involves obtaining a business license.

In those days, there were no business licenses, and any small collective enterprise that wanted to do business needed a permit.

Qian Jin explained the process to the team members one by one, and they were overjoyed to learn that they could potentially sell the spicy hot pot at the market.

"At that time, this will be a new type of socialist communal meal, and workers, peasants and soldiers will definitely praise it."

They've already eaten it and know exactly what this spicy hot pot tastes like.

If it can be sold for money, then it can definitely be sold for a lot of money.

Because they judged others by their own standards, these labor shock brigade members, who didn't have much money, were all willing to spend money to buy spicy hot pot.

On a cold day, a bowl of piping hot food with vegetables, oil, and soup is truly a comfort to the soul!
Xu Weidong and others went to work, and Qian Jin made arrangements for Zhao Bo.

He handed over a tin box of hot pot oil and said:
"Today we're going to Jiagang to try out the workers' tastes. Don't skimp on the oil, it's okay. My brother Guan has really strong connections in the kitchen, he can keep supplying us with a steady stream of ingredients."

"But remember this: if anyone asks, you absolutely cannot reveal the existence of my brother Guan—just say that you learned this delicious recipe while supporting agriculture in the countryside!"

Zhao Bo nodded: "Understood, I definitely can't expose Team Leader Guan!"

Qian Jin said, "Yes, we can't expose him, but he won't admit it either."

The team members nodded.

indeed.

Who would admit to this kind of exploitation of public funds?
This is something that will get you fired!

Qian Jin rode the north wind southward toward the coastal port of Jia.

The metal cranes swung their claws under the gray sky, and boats of all sizes lost their vitality in the cold wind.

Occasionally, a ship's horn would sound, but it would be cut off by the wind and sound weak and feeble.

Qian Jin arrived at work, his breath steaming in the air, just in time for roll call.

A new member joined the moving team; his name was Li Chenggong.

He was a former educated youth who had just returned to the city. According to him, many former educated youth were making a fuss about returning to the city after learning about the resumption of the college entrance examination.

Qian Jin knew that his small collective enterprise would be successfully approved.

To accommodate the returning educated youth, major cities will hastily establish a large number of small collective enterprises.

These companies later became the main body of private enterprises.

A batch of bicycles arrived at the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives today.

Old Guai winked at Qian Jin: "These cars have speed axles!"

"Acceleration shaft" is a term from a bygone era; it actually refers to the future gear shift. Phoenix and Forever have already started producing multi-speed bicycles.

This bicycle is a cutting-edge product; ordinary workers can't afford it.

In other words, when Qian Jin and Wei Xiongtu performed meritorious service last time, they received a fashionable bicycle that only the children of cadres could own.

Transporting bicycles is no easy task, because new bicycles must be kept in brand new condition before being put on the rack, so they cannot be pushed or ridden. The movers have to carry them onto the truck one by one!

The porters worked listlessly and without energy.

But around noon, boxes of Warrior shoes arrived at Kaohsiung.

Hu Shunzi got excited. Forgetting about going to and from get off work, he grabbed a broken box and started pulling shoes out of it.

"Check the shoe sizes, one pair for each person, hurry up!"

Wei Xiongtu wanted to say that this was wrong.

Qian Jin held down his upright but emotionally inept brother-in-law.

He witnessed the old worker stealing sugar on his very first day there!
Such matters are common in all positions within the supply and marketing system.

Otherwise, why would everyone want to get into this system?

It's all about making money!

The Warrior shoes delivered this time are white sneakers, the most fashionable shoes for young people in the 70s. Their wavy soles are very suitable for anti-slip in the port, making them a favorite among porters.

Qian Jin and Wei Xiongtu were given shoes that fit their own size, and even temporary worker Li Chenggong was given one.

Then Hu Shunzi took all the shoes back, stuffed them into a box, kicked the box into the sea, and asked, "This time it's Er Biao's turn, right?"

The man named Yin Erbiao chuckled, "That's it, no bonus this month."

The others chuckled at him: "You have connections up there, they can wipe the disciplinary action clean for you and you'll get a bonus again, right?"

Hu Shunzi, after gathering his emotions, glared at him angrily and unleashed a furious rage:
"Er Biao, you son of a bitch, after Sunday you've been using all your energy on your wife?"

"Get the box out of there! I have to report this to my superiors and severely criticize you!"

Someone on a nearby boat frowned and looked over.

Yin Erbiao said with a long face, "Foreman, I didn't do it on purpose. Someone peed here and it's too slippery."

"I'll take responsibility for my mistakes, I'll go and get it out of there..."

As he spoke, he took off his clothes and jumped into the sea to retrieve the box.

Soon, the person came up soaking wet, their lips turning blue from the cold wind, shivering: "We finally got them out!"

This time it's not acting.

Even though it was already noon, it was still quite cold!

Hu Shunzi inspected the box and sighed, "What a pity, what a pity, it's all soaked in water. What was originally a brand-new product has become a defective one."

"Forget it, let's write it off as a loss. We can buy it at a discounted price, which will at least reduce the country's losses!"

"Huh? Some of them are missing? This is utter bullshit!"

Yin Erbiao hurriedly ran to the office to change his clothes.

A small cart arrived.

Qian Jin spotted Zhao Bo, Zhu Tao, and others.

Upon seeing this, he greeted them, saying, "Hey comrades, didn't you all want to know how Lao Wei and I would celebrate after we were officially promoted last week?"

"Today, I'm treating everyone to something special!"

Several porters asked with interest, "What do you want to eat?"

Qian Jin pointed to the cart: "Eat that, come with me!"

Zhao Bo parked his car in front of a sheltered warehouse.

He pressed his reddened knuckles against the edge of the aluminum pot to warm them, while the eerie blue flame of the kerosene stove licked the ice crystals that had formed on the bottom of the pot.

"Little Qian, what's going on here?" Old Zheng from the transport team lifted the earmuffs of his woolen hat, revealing his dark face, cracked by the sea wind.

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Old Wei and I are treating everyone to lunch today, so the comrades can work up a sweat."

Zhu Tao rolled up his sleeves and began taking the cleaned vegetables out of the cardboard boxes.

He explained, "We arrived a bit late, so the team had to clear a flower bed at the last minute."

Upon hearing just that, the porters, whose minds were bigger than their butts, immediately guessed the identities of several people:
Street-level labor task force!
Zhu Tao continued carrying vegetables out one by one, which made some people unhappy.

I finally treated you to a meal, and you only served vegetables?

That's really generous!
Kang Xinnian said with a grin, "Did your labor shock brigade switch to being a cookhouse? This soup is so bland..."

He deliberately tapped the edge of the pot with a steel bar, causing the lid, which was starting to steam, to tremble violently.

Hu Shunzi never knew the meaning of politeness.

He directly lifted up the other cardboard boxes to look.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be all vegetables with at most a few noodles, and he scoffed in dissatisfaction:
"Little Qian, you're not being honest! Do you think our dock is a rabbit hutch?"

Several workers chuckled and hopped like rabbits, the slogans "Work Hard and Speed ​​Up" and "Serve the People" on the back of their cotton-padded jackets flashing on the floor—a scene brimming with irony.
"Exactly! Are you telling us to eat grass in this freezing weather? We'd be better off boiling a couple more kettles of water to warm ourselves up!"

Zhao Bo, Zhu Tao, and others have recently joined the security task force and made consecutive meritorious contributions, which has made them arrogant.

Besides, when they went to the countryside yesterday, the members of the Liu family's commune gave them a lot of face.

Hearing this, they were displeased and sneered, "Gentlemen, why don't we try it first before we talk?"

He lifted the lid of the steaming aluminum pot.

The rich aroma of butter mixed with Sichuan peppercorns exploded!

Old Guai tried to smooth things over, saying, "It's good stuff! Look at all the oil in it! Goodness, my family wouldn't even eat this much oil in a year!"

Hu Shunzi sniffed and leaned closer: "What is this? It looks like chili water!"

Qian Jin handed his aluminum lunchbox to Zhao Bo.

Zhao Bo scooped up some wood ear mushrooms, lotus root slices, and potato slices, along with the red soup, and handed them to Hu Shunzi.

The lunchbox shook, and inside, red oil mixed with a few pieces of dried chili peppers floated aimlessly.

Hu Shunzi is not afraid of getting burned.

He casually tilted his head back and gulped down the red soup.

After two bites, his Adam's apple suddenly bobbed violently.

Under everyone's gaze, the man, who was at least 1.9 meters tall, blushed bright red.

He wanted to cough, but saw Zhao Bo, Zhu Tao, and others looking at him with their arms crossed and laughing.

Clearly, this person was deliberately trying to watch the spectacle.

He forced back his cough, his eyes turning red from holding it in.

This startled Li Chenggong, who asked, "Foreman, are you poisoned?"

Hu Shunzi poured another mouthful of soup into his mouth, and after a while blurted out: "Your grandma's steamed bun pie, it's not poisoning, it's just that her tongue is on fire!"

After saying that, he quickly shoveled the food into his mouth, chewing as he handed over the lunchbox: "Another bowl, please! This is really good stuff!"

The others went to get their lunchboxes with some skepticism.

When they returned, Hu Shunzi was wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve: "Damn! This spiciness is even stronger than strong liquor!"

"Let me try." Er Biao handed over a dented aluminum lunchbox.

The moment the scalding soup slid into his stomach, his face, which had turned pale from the cold, began to redden again:
"It smells good! I'm telling you, Xiaoqian is a real man, he wouldn't just give us a bunch of grass to get rid of us. Everyone, have a taste, this is really delicious!"

"I felt like I was going to freeze to death when I went into the water, but damn it, after I swallowed this stuff, I came back to life!"

"This is good stuff! It's a lifesaver in this freezing weather!"

Others started scrambling for it.

The spicy and savory flavors began to assault their taste buds.

Sweat poured out as the hot, spicy food went down my throat.

It was lunchtime, and the other porters and loaders were eating.

The workers squatted in the sheltered parts of the warehouse or box and cabinet, gnawing on cornbread and eating cold rice. The rising steam was torn to shreds by the north wind as soon as it left their mouths.

This contrast made the porters eat even more heartily:

“Give me a bowl!”

"Comrade, I love potatoes, could you give me a few more pieces?"

"I'm not picky, just give me some..."

The porters had big bellies.

Mala Tang (a type of spicy hot pot) is appetizing, and vegetables don't really fill you up.

The vegetables brought by Zhao Bo and others were all snatched up and eaten!
Old Guai said to Hu Shunzi, "There's a cargo ship at Pier No. 2 with a captain named Lengzi. It collided with another ship when it was docked, and they just cleared out twenty baskets of broken seaweed!"

"Can you get seaweed?" Hu Shunzi asked Qian Jin with wide eyes.

Qian Jin said, "No problem, it tastes even better after washing, it's just right!"

Hu Shunzi personally went to grab the seaweed.

Old Guai shouted from behind, "Bring a net or something!"

Hu Shunzi's buttocks bounced as he ran.

He returned shortly afterward with a torn fishing net.

Besides seaweed, it also contained clams the size of a thumb, a swimming crab with a broken leg, broken clams, and even a large yellow croaker.

A bearded man followed behind, and upon seeing this, he chuckled: "You, Hu Laoliu, are you giving me special treatment here?"

“This doesn’t violate any rules,” Hu Shunzi said nonchalantly. “They’re all discarded items from the ship, used to feed the boilers and fill the seabed.”

Put the cleaned kelp and seafood into the pot.

The hot pot was bubbling and steaming, and the bearded man smelled the aroma: "Get me a bowl."

No one ignored him.

He pulled out his money and said, "Fine, I'll buy it, okay?"

Zhao Bo quickly waved his hand: "Sorry, comrade, we don't do business."

If these people are not acquaintances or even strangers, and they eat and drink their fill here before turning around and reporting them for doing business, then their great cause will be nipped in the bud.

But the bearded man was quick-witted. He pulled out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes and said, "Comrades, how about we exchange some things?"

Zhao Bo looked at Qian Jin.

Qian Jin nodded.

The bearded man looked at Qian Jin and was surprised. The person in charge was so young.

Half a box of red soup was served with seaweed.

The bearded man gasped as soon as he put the food in his mouth, then sped up his eating and drinking.

A long blast of a ship's horn came from the sea not far away.

Perhaps the weather is warmer at midday, or perhaps the sunshine brightens one's mood.

The sound of the ship's horn at this moment sounded even louder and more enthusiastic.

Qian Jin turned up the heat of the kerosene stove.

The flames suddenly shot up, illuminating the group's faces in a bright red glow.

The spicy hot pot warms you up from head to toe.

It doesn't seem that cold today!
(End of this chapter)