Twenty years of cold chain

"Shutong, how are we going to manage thirty sets of equipment at this critical juncture?"

"Teacher, we came with a mission. We worked so hard beforehand, and now all we need is the equipment. Why can't you provide it?"

"The situation is special now. Mobilizing thirty sets of equipment is a huge undertaking. Besides, nobody can predict when the epidemic will end. If something really happens..."

"Just tell me whether it can be done or not."

"By then, all the food was cold and had died!"

"What's the rush! Even if we get the equipment, what about all those workers? You need to understand the reality. Do you know that many villages are under lockdown? If a large number of people are stuck there, things will become even more complicated!"

"I don't need workers, just give me the equipment."

"Don't want workers? Think twice before you act! You're acting impulsively now, have you thought about how you'll handle the consequences?"

"Give me a call before the equipment is ready; I don't have time to listen to your lecturing."

After a long while, just as Hu Shutong was feeling uneasy, the voice on the other end made him quickly pull the receiver away, exclaiming, "Even more stubborn than I was back then!"

……

Before Lianghuzhuang was sealed off, Hu Shutong had thirty-five warehouses in his hands, including those transported here before, but Lianghuzhuang had more than two hundred households.

Hu Shutong knew that the cherries were beyond saving; his target was the plums in June. At this time, people's enthusiasm for the cold storage was unprecedented. Ever since large trucks stopped coming to the village, Shengxi's cold storage had become a place where relatives and friends crammed in supplies. Now it was unbearable to look at; sooner or later, it would have to be cleared out and the goods replaced.

During this time, rumors spread throughout the village, and Weng Huzi found himself on the "opposite side of justice." Lianghuzhuang was a village where everyone within the Five Blessings area was related to the Liang family. How could Weng Huzi, who couldn't lead the village's vehicles, withstand the flood of rumors from the Liang family? In no time, all sorts of evil deeds were dug up, not to mention the cold storage facility. Everything Weng Huzi had said under the big and small trees was brought up again.

If Hu Shutong remembered correctly, the atmosphere in the village had changed ever since Liang Lu returned.

Sure enough, just as Hu Shutong was taking inventory of the equipment, Liang Lu came up to him, and his request surprised Hu Shutong.

"Brother Shutong, the village is generally short of money. My dad and I discussed it and decided to buy fifteen storage rooms at once so that we can help everyone store fruit together."

"You said you want fifteen?" Hu Shutong asked, frowning.

"That's right, that's right, a little more wouldn't hurt."

In Liang Lu's opinion, he had brought Hu Shutong a pleasant surprise. Putting aside everything else, the task was completed in one go, and it also met his expectations for the cold storage to be distributed in the village.

But to his surprise, Hu Shutong's expression turned cold. "That's impossible."

Liang Lu chuckled, "Brother Shutong, how could you not do it? You applied for so much equipment in just three days, you're incredibly capable!"

"Liang Lu, the micro-credit program is a direct subsidy for each household, one quota per household. The government's subsidy of 35% is a huge investment; how could we possibly let your family get fifteen?"

"Brother Shutong, things are all about human effort. There are policies from above and countermeasures from below. Who can control what's going on in this desolate village? If that's the case, and all the cliques and collusion with big truck drivers are exposed, how will the villagers survive?"

Hu Shutong couldn't control public opinion, but no one could sway his mind on how to do this. These words made him look at Liang Lu with new respect; all the talk about helping everyone store fruit was a lie. Hu Shutong wasn't a fresh graduate; he knew Liang Lu's true intentions the moment he opened his mouth.

This kid wants to consolidate the cold storage facilities. Then the Liang family will have the power of life and death over them. There's no such thing as free cold storage; he's perfectly capable of charging by weight or by day. Looking at the whole picture, how could the Liang family be someone who works for the benefit of the villagers?

But Hu Shutong didn't expose these things. His refusal was clear, so why bother explaining why? But to his surprise, when this approach failed, Liang Lu immediately came up with a second plan: a list of twenty people. Hu Shutong glanced at it and thought to himself, "What a brilliant move."

Having been in Lianghuzhuang for so long, Hu Shutong wasn't just keeping an eye on what fruits were in which season. He had a general understanding of the relationships between the families in the village. This list included either Liang Dafeng's brothers or Liang Lu's cousins. To put it bluntly, it was just a different way of controlling the cold storage.

Seeing Hu Shutong hesitate, Liang Lu brought up the matter of "prayer money" again.

"Blessing money" is a euphemism. In the village, it's called "blessing money" when someone offers money for something that can't be done, something that requires a lot of effort, or something that needs to be kept secret.

Hu Shutong felt that Liang Lu, despite his young age, was already almost cunning, and he rejected this proposal again. If they really did that, the future of Lianghuzhuang would be even more terrifying than leading the cart.

Liang Lu looked at Hu Shutong as if he were a stranger, unable to believe that this was such an inflexible person. Where had all those years of learning gone? These were things that even a child could understand perfectly well, so why was an adult pretending to be a saint?

On a grander scale, it was the leniency shown to him by the wealthy Liang family these past few days; on a smaller scale, it was the caring greetings from the New Year's Eve fried fish vendor. He couldn't possibly take all of this for granted, could he? And this blessing money—isn't that just the rule for adults?

At this moment, Hu Shutong was just like his father back then, standing there stubbornly in his own yard with a shovel in his hand, saying, "If you're so nice, I'll accompany you; but don't even think about taking a step!"

Liang Lu left dejectedly, shaking his head in bewilderment. Yet, a few fleeting moments flashed through his mind, filling him with fear. His outward resentment was merely a facade to mask his unease. He realized he dared not meet Hu Shutong's gaze; what seemed to overwhelm him was not merely a matter of scholarship.

Hu Shutong's eyes were calm. Liang Lu's visit had given him real insights, but people were people's affairs, and the treasury was the treasury's affairs; he tried his best not to think about those things anymore. Right now, the most important thing was—

Save the plums!

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.