Reborn in '77, I have a job panel!

He was holding a piece of paper with a few lines of text written on it and the brigade's seal.

Old Zhao handed the paper to Qian Cheng: "Here, take it. The team leader asked me to bring it. From now on, you're the head of our production team's sideline production group, officially."

Qian Cheng took it and looked at it. It read: This is to certify that Qian Cheng, a member of our brigade, serves as the head of the sideline production group of the production team and is responsible for the sale of agricultural and sideline products.

The document was signed by the Laowozi Village Production Team and stamped with a red seal.

Qian Cheng folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao."

Old Zhao waved his hand: "Don't be so polite. Just do a good job. The team leader said that if you succeed, the team will give you a commendation at the end of the year."

Old Zhao is gone.

Qian Cheng grabbed Qian Lu's arm: "Brother, let's go to the mine first thing tomorrow morning."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Qian Cheng and Qian Lu got up.

Qian Cheng packed the basket of bean sprouts he had saved from yesterday, and also took a small bag of homemade pickled cabbage, wrapped it in a cloth. The pickled cabbage was made by his mother, Hou Yufen, and tasted authentic; it wouldn't be embarrassing to give it away.

Qian Lu asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why are you bringing all this?"

Qian Cheng patiently explained, "It's my first time visiting, so I can't come empty-handed. I'm bringing some things from my own farm. They're not valuable, but they're a token of my appreciation."

The two went out the door and headed towards the mining area.

The mining area was located east of the town, more than 30 miles from the village. The two walked quickly and arrived in a little over an hour.

From afar, you can see the mine's derrick and rows of red brick houses with smoke billowing from their chimneys.

Qian Cheng stopped, looked at the houses, and asked Qian Lu, "Brother, you know this place well, where's the canteen?"

Qian Lu pointed: "Over there, that row of red houses, the canteen is behind them."

"What's the cafeteria manager's last name?"

"His surname is Liu, and his name is Liu Baoshan. I've met him a few times. He's in his fifties and quite amiable."

Do you know where my hometown is?

Qian Lu thought for a moment: "It seems to be from Kaoshantun, not far from our village."

Qian Cheng nodded, understanding the situation.

The two walked to the back door of the cafeteria and stopped. Qian Cheng didn't rush in. He first wandered around the area and looked around.

The back door of the canteen was open, and people were busy inside. The sounds of pots and pans clattering and smoke rising from the chimney carried the aroma of food.

Qian Cheng waited for a while and saw a middle-aged man in a white apron come out to pour water. He was in his forties, tall and thin, and wearing a white hat, looking like a cafeteria worker.

Qian Cheng walked over and asked with a smile, "Master, could you tell me if Director Liu is here?"

The man glanced at him and asked, "What do you need Director Liu for?"

"I'm from the production team of Laowozi Village. I have something I'd like to discuss with Director Liu."

The man looked him up and down, then glanced at the basket in his hand, and said, "Wait, I'll go call him."

Not long after, a man in his fifties came out.

He was wearing a blue work uniform and a hat; he had a round face and looked quite amiable.

"Who's looking for me?"

Qian Cheng went up to him and said with a smile, "Director Liu, I am Qian Cheng from the production team of Laowozi Village."

This is my brother, Qian Lu. He worked at our mine for two years.

Liu Baoshan looked at Qian Lu and nodded: "I recognize him. I've seen him a few times at the mine."

After saying that, he looked at Qian Cheng again: "What's up?"

Qian Cheng didn't rush to talk about business. He handed over the basket first: "Director Liu, this is my first time visiting, so I didn't bring anything nice."

These are bean sprouts grown by our production team, and some pickled cabbage we made ourselves. Try them; they're nothing, just a token of our appreciation.

Liu Baoshan glanced at the bean sprouts in the basket and paused for a moment.

The bean sprouts are white and tender, each one plump, and they look even fresher than those sold in the market.

"Did you sprout these bean sprouts yourselves?"

"Yes." Qian Cheng nodded. "It's grown at home, using well water. It takes four or five days to produce a new batch."

Liu Baoshan looked at it again and asked, "What is it? Tell me."

Qian Cheng cleared his throat and said, "Director Liu, it's like this. We all know that the miners work hard every day, digging coal to support the country's construction. It's so tough for them."

Now, in the dead of winter, besides the cabbages and radishes we stocked up on before winter, we can't even find a single crisp, fresh vegetable to eat.

Qian Cheng paused for a moment, then continued, "In winter, when there was no work in the fields, our production team started a collective sideline business: sprouting bean sprouts."

I brought you a few kilograms today because I wanted to improve the meals for our workers and express our gratitude as farmers to our older brothers in the workforce.

"I don't want a penny. Just have the cook prepare a dish for the workers to try at lunchtime."

As Liu Baoshan listened, his expression changed repeatedly.

He looked at Qian Cheng: "What's your production team's sideline business?"

"Yes." Qian Cheng took out the paper from his pocket and handed it to Liu Baoshan. "This is a certificate issued by our brigade. I am the head of the sideline business group in the brigade. It is compliant and legal, and it is definitely not private speculation."

Liu Baoshan took the certificate, looked at it, nodded, and returned it to him.

"So you're planning to supply the mine?"

"Director Liu, we're not here to steal your business. I know the mine must have a stable supply chain. We were just thinking that fresh vegetables are scarce in winter, and the newly sprouted bean sprouts would be a good addition to the canteen, giving the workers a change of pace. Try taking a small amount; if you don't like it, that's fine too. We definitely won't cause you any trouble."

Liu Baoshan didn't say anything, and looked at the bean sprouts in the basket again.

The bean sprouts are really good; they're white and tender, with thick sprouts and short roots, and they look so fresh.

He thought for a moment before saying, "Okay, you come in first and let the head chef take a look."

Qian Cheng and Qian Lu followed him into the canteen kitchen.

The kitchen was steaming hot, and several chefs were busy at work.

Some were chopping vegetables, others were stir-frying vegetables, and the flames on the stove were leaping high.

Liu Baoshan handed the basket to a portly man: "Old Zhang, what do you think of these bean sprouts?"

The chubby chef took it, looked at it, picked up a bean sprout, broke it off, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and his eyes lit up: "Great! These bean sprouts are tender and fresh, much better than the ones we brought back from the market."

Liu Baoshan nodded, looking at Qian Cheng: "Can you guarantee it will be available every day?"

Qian Cheng said, "Yes, our team specializes in this. We get three cylinders a day, rotating them so there's always fresh stock."

"What's the price?"

"Price is negotiable. We'll follow the national price list. We're willing to lower our prices by even a penny compared to the state-run vegetable market."

We're doing this as a collective sideline business to earn some income for the team. It's not about making a fortune; the main thing is to deliver fresh vegetables to our fellow workers and support production at the mine.

Liu Baoshan found these words thoughtful and nodded in agreement.

He then asked, "How will the delivery be handled? Will it be on time?"

Qian Cheng patted his chest and assured him, "Director Liu, don't worry. Even if it snows heavily and the roads are blocked, I'll carry the basket and crawl to deliver it to you on time. It will definitely not delay lunchtime, and there will be no shortage of supplies."

After a pause, Qian Cheng continued, "Also, our bean sprouts are delivered fresh every day, and we guarantee that the roots are all trimmed and washed clean."

The master chef can cut it right away without having to bother with cleaning, saving a lot of labor.

If it's even slightly rotten or not fresh, you can return it to me immediately, and I'll replace it with a new one on the spot, free of charge.

After listening, Liu Baoshan remained silent for a while.