The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 95 People's Mobile Canteen
Zhang Aijun was ruthless.

Ma Tiezhu slumped on the muddy ground, his legs trembling like noodles, unable to stand up for a long time.

However, considering that this bastard had become enraged and even stabbed someone with a knife, Zhang Aijun had already shown mercy by only breaking his wrist and smashing his nose.

Qian Jin wanted to take them to the police station, but Ma Tiezhu couldn't get up and had to be carried on a door.

"Go and tear down a door in the principal's office!" Qian Jin spat angrily, furious at the school leaders' inaction. "If officials can't serve the people, they might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes!"

Wei Qinghuan stopped him and shook her head:
"Our principal has his reasons. He was only reinstated and assumed a leadership position last year. In the past, he was given a hard time by these troublemakers. Seeing this scene now, it's no wonder he's upset..."

The female teacher twisted the hem of her blue Zhongshan suit, her words ending in a sigh.

Qian Jin changed his mind and led his men to the gatehouse to dismantle the door.

The old gatekeeper in the guardhouse, who had been watching the commotion from the window, ended up becoming the commotion himself.

Seeing several young men aggressively coming up to tear down the door, he stood to the side with his hands in his pockets and said weakly:
"You wouldn't dare, young man, that's a crime! If the security guards find out, it'll be a serious matter!"

Qian Jin retorted angrily, "Now you remember there are still security guards in this world?"

"I'm asking you, when Teacher Wei was being bullied by these vagrants, why didn't you call the police?"

The old man mumbled, sometimes saying he didn't see it, sometimes saying he couldn't afford to offend him.

Qian Jin was too lazy to talk to him, and left with a curt "You didn't see it this time either," before closing the door behind him and leaving.

The old man stood with his hands in his pockets, shaking his head and sighing.

Ma Tiezhu was lifted up, while the other three had their hands tied behind their backs and were kicked every step of the way. The four brothers were sent to the police station together.

In comparison, their fate was much better than that of the wolfhound.

Whether it was an arrow to the chest or a vicious blow from Huang Chui, the wolfhound eventually died.

Mi Gang carried it back to Taishan Road; they were going to stew dog meat for dinner.

Qian Jin had been to the local police station before, and Wei Qinghuan was an acquaintance of the station.

She explained the situation.

With hundreds of students who could testify, and Zhang Aijun's penetrating wound on his arm as evidence, the police station did not make things difficult for Qian Jin and his colleagues. After taking their statements, they directly detained the four of them.

Qian Jin remarked with deep feeling that before the standard for legitimate self-defense was established, sentencing was indeed quite simple.

If a vagrant goes to beat someone up and ends up getting beaten up himself, then he deserves it!

It was only when Qian Jin was giving his statement that he learned why Ma Tiezhu was targeting Wei Qinghuan.

It turns out that Wei Qinghuan's father was a well-known middle school principal in the area.

In 72, Ma Tiezhu's family used underhanded tactics to allow him to impersonate a martyr's family member and become a worker-peasant-soldier college student.

Upon learning of this, the upright father of Wei resolutely exposed the matter, which led to Ma Tiezhu being expelled from school and serving two years in prison.

The Ma family hated Wei's father. Coincidentally, someone was targeting Wei's father, so they slandered him, spread rumors, and fabricated charges to force Wei's father to step down and commit suicide.

This incident made Wei Qinghuan hate the Ma family to the core. She said:

“My brother had already been sent to the countryside at that time. After learning the truth, he wanted to come back and fight the Ma family. It was only with great difficulty that I persuaded him to go back.”

“After Ma Tiezhu was released from prison, he always wanted to cause trouble for my family, but I was also sent to the countryside at that time, so he kept holding back his anger without being able to vent it.”

“Until two years ago, when I returned to the city and became a teacher at a night school thanks to my brother’s sacrifice, he found out and began targeting me intermittently…”

They left the police station safely.

Qian Jin took Zhang Aijun to the hospital to disinfect and stitch up his wound, while Wei Qinghuan went back to oversee the stewing of meat.

She has a real talent for cooking.

Now that the labor commando team is going to venture into the catering industry, Qian Jin has prepared enough seasonings, giving her a lot of room to maneuver.

When Qian Jin and Zhang Aijun returned to the tenement building that evening, the aroma wafted around in the autumn breeze, tempting many residents to come and feast their eyes.

For several days afterward, a delicious aroma wafted from Qian Jin's house.

He had been simmering various seasonings, but first he needed to let the residents of Taishan Road know about their plan to establish a small catering collective enterprise.

In late November, the business license was finally issued!
Wei Xiangmi approached him and asked, "What should we name our company?"

Qian Jin said, "Let's call it the People's Mobile Canteen."

Wei Xiangmi nodded: "Okay, you'll be in charge of this, and you can decide on the name as well."

Qian Jin noticed she was constantly frowning and sighing, and asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem with running this small collective enterprise?"

Wei Xiangmi was taken aback: "No problem."

Qian Jin pointed to her eyebrows: "You look pretty unhappy."

Upon hearing this, Wei Xiangmi sighed: "I made some inquiries and found out that Zhang Hongbo has already gone to the Northwest, and the position of director of our street office is now completely vacant."

“You know I’m interested in this position, but the higher-ups have other considerations. Several deputy directors from other neighborhood committees have been pledging their loyalty to the leaders, so the leaders have doubts. In the end, this position will probably go to someone else.”

Qian Jin became a little anxious upon hearing this.

He has many secrets and a lot to do, and his home turf is on Taishan Road.

Therefore, it is best for the director of the neighborhood committee to be someone from within the community.

Even if they're not one of his own, they should at least be someone who won't hold him back.

Wei Xiangmi has a gentle temperament and gets along well with him, so he was able to accept her as the director of the neighborhood committee.

If someone from another neighborhood were to do it, we'd have to start building relationships and connections all over again, which would cause a lot of delays.

Qian Jin then asked her, "Then why don't you pledge your loyalty to the leader?"

Wei Xiangmi rolled her eyes at him: "I went to pledge my loyalty immediately, but the leader is a traditional person who thinks that women should be the women's director and that the street director should be a man."

Qian Jin thought for a moment and then asked, "Hey, does the leader have any preferences?"

Wei Xiangmi immediately understood what he meant and pondered for a moment before saying, "He's not young anymore. I haven't heard of any special hobbies before, but after the four people fell from power last year, he started to like writing calligraphy and painting traditional paintings."

Qian Jin slammed his fist on the table: "I have a driver friend who recently drove a trip to Xiangshui. Do you know Shanlian Town?"

Wei Xiangmi shook her head.

Qian Jin said, "Shanlian Town is the birthplace of the Chinese writing brush in Chinese history. It has always been said that the writing brush technique is the best in the world. They produce good writing brushes there."

“My friend bought a set of calligraphy brushes. He owes me a favor, and he wanted to give me these brushes as a gift to repay the favor a while ago.”

"But I'm not interested in drawing or painting, so I didn't accept the gift..."

Wei Xiangmi's cheeks flushed, and she asked excitedly, "Was it the driver you rescued from the murderer on your way back from the countryside?"

Qian Jin said vaguely, "Well, we're friends now. Anyway, his set of calligraphy brushes is very good. I'll get them for you, and you can give them to your boss and see if you can put them to good use."

Wei Xiangmi hesitated.

She is a very upright person and doesn't want to break the rules or take shortcuts.

The desire to take control of Taishan Road Subdistrict is even stronger.

She clenched her fist tightly one last time and said, "Okay, I'll give it a try."

Small group businesses can start operating the next day.

With the help of the Fourth Primary School, Qian Jin arrived at the neighborhood committee early in the morning with several boxes and crates.

Wei Xiangmi arrived early today and was stunned to see him carrying a large, antique wooden box into the director's office:
"This is?"

Qian Jin nodded.

This is a set of writing implements that he carefully selected last night.

He also paid a heavy price this time in order to help Wei Xiangmi rise to power.

This set of the Four Treasures of the Study contains eight writing brushes, one ink stick, one brush rest, two inkstones, two paperweights, and can also be assembled into a brush holder. In those days, it was definitely a top-tier product in the eyes of artists.

Wei Xiangmi didn't know anything about writing tools, but she could sense the value of the wooden box when she saw it.

The box is carved from walnut wood, with a saturated luster and rich, full colors. It has a brass clasp on the front, exuding a noble temperament in its simple elegance.

Qian Jin opened the box and showed it to her:
"The materials of their brush hairs are different. Look, this is a wolf hair brush, this is a sheep beard hair brush, and there are also cow ear hair, pure sheep hair, mountain horse hair mixed hair, badger hair mixed hair, etc. Each has its own use, and an expert can tell at a glance."

Wei Xiangmi was stunned and could only nod blankly for a moment: "Oh, I see. I think this inkstone is quite nice."

Qian Jin said, "Director Wei, you have a keen eye! This is the famous Duan inkstone!"

"What is a Duan inkstone?" Wei Xiangmi asked, both curious and embarrassed.

Qian Jin said, "Just tell the boss that, and those who understand will understand!"

"And this paperweight and pen rest are both made of purple sandalwood, they're beautiful and durable!"

Wei Xiangmi exclaimed, "It's really beautiful. This could be a family heirloom, right? How much would it cost?"

Qian Jin said, "Whether it can be passed down as a family heirloom is hard to say, but it should be enough to win over the leaders."

Wei Xiangmi then asked, "How much did it cost? What kind of ticket did your friend use when he bought it?"

Qian Jin pushed it to her: "I don't know, he didn't tell me. Take it, you must get the leader's support!"

"You should come up with a reason for where this set of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones came from. Remember to mention it to the leader. Women on Taishan Road can hold up half the sky. He shouldn't underestimate us women."

Wei Xiangmi said, "I understand, but I have to pay you first..."

“Giving me money is speculation!” Qian Jin laughed. “Besides, why would I provide this to you for your money?”

“I have no other thoughts, I just think that Director Wei is a good person and a good leader. With your leadership, Taishan Road will definitely rise to great heights in the future.”

"So I'm trying my best to help you with this, which is also helping our Taishan Road!"

Wei Xiangmi was deeply moved upon hearing these words.

Qian Jin's eyes were sparkling.

Qian Jin sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off, so he quickly said, "I have something to do, so I'll go out first."

This isn't just making excuses.

He really has something important to do today.

The mobile canteen for the people has officially opened for business.

The kerosene stove had been placed on the tricycle, and there was also a coal stove on the vehicle, with an aluminum pot on top.

The sea breeze howled, and steam rose from the gaps in the lids of the two aluminum pots.

He lifted the lid to look inside, and saw the chili oil bubbling away.

The neighborhood committee also helped with the operation of the mobile canteen. The reason he was so concerned about Wei Xiangmi's business was because he had already tasted the benefits of having his own people help him.

Let's talk about the broth.

The broth for Mala Tang (a type of spicy hot pot) cannot be made by simply adding water to the bottom of the pot; it is best to use bone broth.

Wei Xiangmi waved her hand and helped him find a way to bring back twenty catties of beef bones.

The beef bones have been simmering overnight to make a thick soup, which is now boiling.

A layer of red oil floats on the milky white soup, with spices such as hawthorn slices and dried tangerine peel bobbing up and down, giving the hot pot a touch of the turbulent red sea.

The broth's spicy and numbing aroma was incredibly potent, mixed with the freshness of the vegetables; the scorching smell made everyone around sniffle.

Zhu Tao stirred the soup with a long ladle: "Comrades, starting today, we're going to give the working class a boost!"

Team member Liu Dazhuang squatted beside a coal pile, peeling potatoes.

His fingers, roughened by years of street chores, were still red from the cold: "Chief Qian, I talked to Old Chen at the supply and marketing cooperative about our business, and he said we're a remnant of capitalism..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Tao slammed his iron ladle against the tricycle with a loud thud: "Supply and marketing cooperatives can sell goods, restaurants can sell food and vegetables, so why can't our small collective enterprise sell things?" "They serve the working people, but we don't? We sell freshly cooked food to the working people!"

Qian Jin scooped up a piece of frozen tofu that had soaked up all the broth, scalding it as he tossed it back and forth between his hands.

When he ate the tofu, he found a peppercorn inside, which made his right eyelid twitch with numbness.

Upon seeing this, Xu Weidong asked, "Is your right eye twitching a sign of good fortune or misfortune?"

"A twitching eye means good fortune! Whether it's your left eye, right eye, or both eyes twitching together today, it means good fortune!" Qian Jin answered firmly.

Then he waved to his team members and shouted, "Comrades, today is our grand opening! The People's Mobile Canteen will definitely be a huge success, and you can just wait to get your share of the benefits!"

The damp, cold sea breeze brushed against everyone's face.

No one felt cold; dozens of dusty figures stood up straight, like rocks rising again after the tide receded.

Wang Dong looked at Qian Jin with admiration: "Chief Qian, no matter whether the mobile canteen business takes off or not, you're still the best!"

He gave a thumbs up.

“In the past, our commando team members were called vagrants. We were always looked inferior on the streets. The brothers’ eyes were dull and gray. Before you came, even the youngest one, Xiao Zhou, always had his shoulders drooping.”

“Look at us now,” he said, looking around. “If you give the order now, all the comrades can charge back and forth to Shangganling three times!”

The aroma wafting from the open pot lid first attracted the neighborhood committee staff.

Old Zhou, who was tending the boiler, looked on curiously and came up to ask for a bowl to try.

Zhu Tao displayed an unyielding and impartial attitude:
"A string of vegetables costs 2 cents, and a string of bean curd costs 5 cents. According to the regulations of the Industry and Commerce Bureau, it also needs to be paired with grain coupons, so vegetables are sold in pairs, which is exactly one grain coupon for one ounce!"

"This is incredibly cheap! Look how much profit is in here! Our team members have used up all their gas coupons at home. Not asking you for gas coupons is already a demonstration of our commitment to serving the people..."

Old Zhou glared at him: "You little brat, you think you're all grown up now? I ate a skewer of your food and you're asking me for money?"

Zhu Tao wouldn't back down: "Uncle Zhou, did you not pay us when we went to your boiler room to get hot water?"

Qian Jin smiled and handed Old Zhou a dime: "Uncle Zhou, you take the tickets yourself, I didn't bring any."

Old Zhou snorted, "Why can't you guys be the captain instead of Xiao Qian?"

He stuffed money into Zhu Tao's hand, saying, "I don't have any food coupons with me right now, but as long as it's delicious, don't worry, the coupons won't be a penny less!"

Zhu Tao let him choose vegetables.

Old Zhou chose two skewers of cabbage and three skewers of bean curd sheets.

The red soup was bubbling.

Zhu Tao scooped the soup and vegetables into his aluminum lunchbox.

Old Zhou was panting heavily after taking a sip of the spicy soup.

But the morning was cold, and the numbing spiciness gave people the confidence to resist the cold wind.

He continued eating, enjoying each bite more and more, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Qian Jin scooped a spoonful of non-spicy pork bone broth from another pot to help him catch his breath. The red characters "Labor is Glorious" on the pot were reflected in the morning glow, as red as chili oil.

After finishing his drink, Old Zhou let out a satisfied burp: "I'll go back and get you the food coupons now."

"Chief Qian, don't worry, you didn't invite me for nothing. I'll pass on the message to the old neighbors right away: your mobile canteen can help dual-income families solve the problem of getting good meals."

Qian Jin smiled and said, "Then thank you for your trouble, Master Zhou."

One cent was deposited into the account.

This business is now officially open for business.

Today is a good day to open a restaurant business like Mala Tang (a type of spicy hot pot).

Because the weather was exceptionally cold, the northwest wind, like a thief stealing fragrance and jade, would find a crack and slip into people's bodies.

The tricycles circled the intersection, specifically targeting commuters.

Actually, it would be better for them to go to the entrance of restaurants and hotels.

It can be used for precise strikes.

As for whether the waiters and chefs of state-run restaurants have any objections?
They're paid a fixed salary and they'd love to have no customers all day long, so what complaints could they possibly have?
However, at that time, the state had regulations that restricted the business scope of small collective enterprises and prohibited them from competing with state-owned enterprises. For example, catering enterprises were not allowed to set up branches in the areas covered by state-owned restaurants.

However, Qian Jin and his team members were not worried about the customer base.

These days, people have few entertainment options but plenty of curiosity, so they especially love to join in the fun and experience new things.

The idea of ​​using a tricycle to push a stove to do business was novel enough to quickly attract young people to gather around.

When Qian Jin was about to go to work in Jiagang, a line of more than ten meters long had already formed in front of the tricycles.

Liu Dazhuang brandished a strainer, his voice booming: "Comrades from Taishan Road Subdistrict, please say that we're old neighbors, so we should at least give you an extra bunch of cabbages!"

Some of the older comrades, being more cautious, asked with concern, "Young comrades, isn't what you're doing considered speculation and profiteering?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Tao shoved a bowl of seaweed into his hands.

"Old comrade, please have a taste. This is a warm meal for the working class. We're not doing business; we're contributing to socialist construction!"

Xu Weidong rode his bicycle beside Qian Jin: "I'll talk to the director later and ask him to get us a plaque for 'Advanced Pilot Project in the Street'."

Qian Jin asked curiously, "There's such a thing?"

Xu Weidong nodded: "Yes, there are new policies in place. The country is really showing a new look now. Not only has the college entrance examination been reinstated, but we are also taking big strides forward and have put forward many advanced policies!"

Qian Jin said, "Hurry up and handle this. Also, check with your brother units to see if they still have any of these three-wheeled bicycles."

"If they have one, we'll exchange it with their company; if not, we'll have to modify our own bicycles."

There's plenty of base material.

However, there are very few means of transportation.

Qian Jin arrived at Jia Port and saw that Hu Shunzi's face was dark: "What's wrong?"

"Leave me alone." Hu Shunzi picked at his ear and ignored him.

Qian Jin asked Lao Guai, "What's wrong?"

Old Guai shook his head and said, "I don't know what's going on, but judging from the foreman's pathetic state, he's probably got a big job."

An old man is shrewd, an old horse is cunning, and an old rabbit is hard for an eagle to catch

Old Guai's guess was absolutely right.

Their task today is very heavy: moving coal dust!
Qian Jin used to move white sugar and flour. Luckily, a forklift was there to help him, otherwise he would have been exhausted.

But back then, white sugar was scarce, as it was a hot commodity, and the monthly quota available to the entire city was not much.

There's a lot of coal dust to move today!
The porters began to sigh.

They changed into work clothes made of coarse cloth, tied on leg wraps, and wore wicker safety helmets and large hooded shoulder pads, essentially arming themselves completely.

The coal dust bags come in various sizes, with the smallest weighing at least fifty kilograms.

Hu Shunzi did a good deed this time, and he patted Qian Jin on the shoulder and said:
"You new recruits, go carry the small bags. Damn it, you need to get used to this amount of work, or you'll be peeing blood today!"

Qian Jin nodded, put on the gloves knitted by Wei Qinghuan, and prepared to work.

Wei Xiongtu's eyes widened when he saw it: "Where did you get this thing?"

Qian Jin chuckled as he looked at the torn work gloves on his hands: "You guessed the answer, what's wrong? Jealous?"

Wei Xiongtu angrily said, "Why would I be jealous? It's been cold lately, and too many stitches in work gloves let in the wind, so I knitted myself a pair of these gloves after get off work."

"Xiaoqing said her hands were terribly cold and asked me to take it. I never expected that!"

He was so angry that he rolled his eyes.

Qian Jin shrank back.

Wei Qinghuan is really something, she's got the makings of a good wife. She's not even married yet and she's already learned how to bring things from her parents' home to her own.

The cold wind blows most fiercely at the dock.

But soon he was drenched in sweat.

This is going to be tough.

Although the shoulder pads prevented coal dust from falling into his neck, the flying coal dust mixed with sweat still turned his face into a mess in no time.

A little dirt is fine; the most important thing when handling coal ash is safety, as there is a risk of being injured by falling cargo during loading and unloading.

Deputy foreman Kang Xinnian sighed and urged Qian Jin and the other new recruits, "We all have wives and children, so it doesn't matter. You young people should change careers as soon as possible."

"Those of us in this line of work are dirty and exhausted all day long, and we're too ashamed to face anyone back on the street. Finding a partner is a real problem!"

Qian Jin thought that Wei Xiongtu would mention that he had a child upon hearing this.

As a result, Wei Xiongtu just grimaced and carried the coal dust bag forward.

Qian Jin sensed something was wrong with him and rushed over to ask, "What's wrong?"

"It's alright," Wei Xiongtu said through gritted teeth.

Qian Jin helped him unload the coal dust bag: "We're family, why are you putting on airs in front of me?"

Wei Xiongtu lifted his shirt to show him the bandage wrapped around his waist: "I can't do the work of a porter anymore. I haven't been doing it for many days, and my lumbar spine is giving out."

Qian Jin had noticed the thing wrapped around his waist last time in the condiment shop.

He was too busy arresting people at the time to ask many questions and forgot about it later. He didn't expect that Wei Xiongtu already had a back injury.

He went to find Hu Shunzi and, without saying a word, handed him a pack of cigarettes.

Hu Shunzi was a bit simple-minded, but after working as a porter for a long time, he had become shrewd. He simply pushed the cigarette back to him.

"What are you doing? Trying to bribe me? Don't you want to work?"

"Okay, go get another forklift and I won't let you work anymore. You can take a couple of days off!"

Qian Jin said, "It wasn't me, it was Xiao Wei. He injured his back."

Hu Shunzi accepted the cigarette and sighed, "Xiao Qian, it's not that I don't want to help you, and I also want Xiao Wei to rest, but look at this job, even if we work overtime, we'll have a hard time finishing it."

"Old Kang was right. You young people should switch jobs if you can. This kind of moving work is not for humans. Which of us old workers doesn't have injuries?"

Qian Jin said, "How about I find someone to replace Xiao Wei? The person I find will definitely be more capable than Xiao Wei!"

Hu Shunzi nodded in agreement: "That's acceptable."

Qian Jin went to find the educated youth moving team and happened to run into Qiu Dayong carrying a crowbar and strolling around.

The two met face to face, and Qiu Dayong's face lit up with joy: "Hey, Comrade Qian?"

After exchanging a few pleasantries with him, Qian Jin got straight to the point.

Without hesitation, Qiu Dayong put the whistle in his mouth and blew it.

The whistling, three shallow and one deep, carried far, and dozens of young men and women, carrying shovels, crowbars, rakes, hooks, and nets, surrounded them.

Qiu Dayong waved his hand: "Brothers and sisters, this is Brother Qian Jin who delivered the anti-scalding ointment to Haozi and Dahu."

"Didn't you guys ask me recently how my meals have improved? It's because Brother Qian Jin lent me a batch of grain coupons and meat coupons."

“He’s also doing loading and unloading work in Port A now, and he’s run into a lot of heavy cargo that he can’t handle. What should we do? Shouldn’t we step in and show him what we can do?”

The youths shouted in unison, "Let's do it!"

Qiu Dayong slammed his raised arm down: "Let's go!"

(End of this chapter)