Hard times: I worked as a truck driver in the county town

Yian County has nine communes, each with more than ten production brigades. Each production brigade has an average of about eight sub-brigades, and each sub-brigade has about thirty to forty households.

The commune had its own canteen, which was for the commune's staff. Each brigade also had its own canteen, while the smaller production teams did not have their own canteens and ate at the brigade canteens of their respective production teams.

Jiang Cheng arrived at the county government office before 7:00 AM, explained the situation, and then parked his car at the entrance of the office.

This time, we're transporting people to the countryside, so we need to install the carport canopy to block the wind. Normally, the canopy is taken down unless it's raining. Because the tarpaulin used for rain protection is quite valuable these days, if it's left on all the time, it'll rot quickly from the wind and sun.

Jiang Cheng gave some instructions to the government officials who had come with him, and then followed one of them to the government canteen. A meal there cost only a few cents, but even county leaders had to pay with food coupons.

According to regulations, when Jiang Cheng comes to the government canteen, it's at most for official business, not for special reception. His meals might be cheaper than breakfast stalls outside, but they can't be free.

This is similar to the practice of cadres going to the countryside. The rule is that when cadres go to the countryside, they also have to pay for food with grain coupons.

Rules are rules, but you have to be flexible in many things.

The canteen in the government office wasn't as good as Jiang Cheng had imagined. They provided breakfast so he could eat as much as he wanted, and it was already a blessing if it was free.

A bowl of porridge, two steamed buns, and a small dish of pickled vegetables. Here, government employees don't have to pay for the pickled vegetables, but each person gets only one dish; you can't ask for more.

Each steamed bun contains two ounces of flour and is quite large. But a soldier who has just been discharged from the army can eat as much as he wants, and has no problem eating seven or eight.

Two free fine-grain steamed buns were already a very good treat; only Jiang Cheng, the driver, received this privilege. If people from the lower communes came here on business, they would have to pay with grain coupons to eat at the canteen.

Jiang Cheng liked to take a big bite from the protruding corner of the white, tender steamed bun. He finished two buns in no time with porridge and pickled vegetables.

By the time Jiang Cheng finished breakfast, the carport had been set up. County officials had simply attached two long benches to the sides of the back of the vehicle, with the carport's poles providing handholds. If the car was driving on uneven ground, passengers could grab onto the railings and poles.

"Master, I'm really sorry to trouble you today."

You're too kind.

As soon as Jiang Cheng returned to his car, a government official came up to him and greeted him. As soon as he got close, a pack of cigarettes was handed to him.

Peony cigarettes, 35 cents a pack, the best cigarettes for entertaining guests in the county, a hard currency.

After accepting the cigarettes, the two chatted casually.

This clerk works in the county's general affairs department, which is similar to the logistics department in a company or factory. The head of the administrative department is similar to the head of logistics.

Jiang Cheng will inevitably have to come here to do business in the future, and he will be liaising with the administrative staff. His vehicle dispatch slips will need the signature of the head of the administrative staff here.

Without the section chief's signature, Station Master Chen cannot obtain the documents to settle the freight charges here.

The county's canteen, guesthouse, fuel, communications, transportation, and all other official supplies were managed by the head of the administrative section.

This morning, I ate free food and cigarettes at the government canteen, all at the section chief's request. It wasn't paid through official government accounts; some of the accounts are complicated and can't be explained in a few words, but it will be reimbursed through other channels.

After the county leaders get into the car, the county secretary will sit in the passenger seat. Firstly, the car might have an accident, and the passenger seat isn't safe. Secondly, someone needs to give directions wherever they go; it's not practical to have the leaders sit in the passenger seat just to give directions.

Jiang Cheng is still young. The living environment in the army is relatively simple. After retiring from the army and starting work in the local area, especially as a driver, there is a lot to learn and observe.

If they hadn't said anything, Jiang Cheng would have genuinely assumed that the passenger seat was occupied by a high-ranking official, and that he might have chatted with that official for a bit. However, even a county secretary is considered a high-ranking official by ordinary standards.

We were to inspect the canteen at the commune, and the scheduled departure time was eight o'clock sharp.

Around 7:40, the county's office secretary arrived. The office secretary's name was Wang Xuebing. He was a demobilized soldier who returned to his hometown to work and had a junior high school education.

In those days, having a junior high school education was considered quite educated among the cadres in a county town; many leaders probably only had an elementary school education.

Jiang Cheng had also served in the army for three years and was a junior high school graduate. With similar educational backgrounds and military service, plus Jiang Cheng's presentable appearance, Wang Xuebing had a very good impression of him.

"Secretary Wang, it's almost Chinese New Year, and the county leaders are still going to the communes to inspect the canteens?" Jiang Cheng asked curiously.

Many companies are preparing for the Chinese New Year and want to have a peaceful and prosperous holiday. Jiang Cheng's father's company, a soy sauce factory, completed its pre-holiday inspection two weeks ago.

"A meeting was held a few days ago, which mentioned the current situation of the commune's collective canteens. They demanded that the canteens in the counties be run well. Not only our county is going to inspect them, but other places are doing the same thing," Secretary Wang told Jiang Cheng without hiding anything from him.

"Will you be able to cover all the communes in one day?" Jiang Cheng continued to inquire, as this might actually affect his driving record.

"I can only visit two or three communes a day at most. It would take at least four days to inspect all the commune canteens in our county. But I only visited today before the New Year. The communes I didn't visit will be arranged to be inspected immediately after the New Year," Secretary Wang said. Even if Jiang Cheng hadn't asked, he would have told him about this.

Jiang Cheng nodded, understanding that he might have to drive for several days in a row after the New Year. But that was fine too; at least with these driving assignments, he could get breakfast and lunch every day, saving some food coupons.

Soon, some county leaders appeared at the entrance of the government office building and walked towards the car, chatting and laughing.

This time, we went down to the lower levels for inspection by car, which was much easier than riding a bicycle before.

When Wang Xuebing saw the cadres and leaders who were going to inspect the area, he went straight to greet them.

Don't underestimate a secretary. Jiang Cheng initially thought that a secretary was just a low-level cadre. But when he saw Secretary Wang approach, he noticed that several cadres were clearly showing her respect.

This inspection of the canteens in the communes was led directly by the county's top leader, along with the head of agriculture, Director X. A member of the county committee also accompanied them to maintain appearances and record the proceedings.

In addition, there are several department cadres who must be present, such as cadres from the Agricultural and Industrial Department, who manage the communes, brigades, canteens, and production.

The officials from the grain bureau went to check the grain reserves below. To run the canteen well, there must be enough grain.

The cadres of the county supply and marketing cooperative need oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar for cooking, and the cooperative must provide these.

The health department staff are responsible for inspecting the hygiene of the canteen.

To put it bluntly, when county leaders go on inspections, it's actually the lower-level cadres who check whether everything is in place and then report back on the spot. Do you expect the leaders to personally inspect every single thing?

The county's top official got on the car first, sitting in the middle of the innermost part of the back compartment, before the other personnel boarded one after another.

However, before getting on the bus, the cadres from the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives actually greeted Jiang Cheng and even knew that his surname was Jiang.

(Thanks to Dragon Beard Candy and Chicken Feather for the monthly tickets; even a single ticket in the early stages can make a difference in ranking. Also, thank you to the brother who stood too high for the 500-coin reward. As for those who only voted for recommendations, you're just low-level cadres, you have no leadership qualities whatsoever.)