Starting from 1950

After the meal, the three reminisced about the past, and Su Yang and Wu Xinxue finally learned why Ruan Sumei had come to Shenzhou.

After they left Beijing last year, more than a thousand people from the dozen or so reformatories in Baishun Hutong were sent away one after another.

However, compared to Su Yang and his friends, the others either went to the southwest or to the grasslands.

This autumn, after sending off the last group of women, the reformatory completed its historical mission.

I heard that the Beijing municipal government plans to transform that area into a normal residential hutong.

Just as troops began to be stationed on the border, Shenzhou, as the rear area, became short of manpower.

Wang Cui, Ruan Sumei, and other former staff members of the reformatory awaiting resettlement were sent from Sijiu City to Shenzhou for support.

After learning the whole story, all three of them were somewhat moved.

I never imagined that we would be able to reunite in this way in my lifetime.

After resting for a while, Su Yang and Wu Xinxue took Ruan Sumei to the factory.

Both of them originally wanted Nguyen Su Mai to live with them, but Nguyen Su Mai did not want to cause them any trouble and firmly chose to stay in the dormitory.

The two couldn't persuade her otherwise, so they had no choice but to agree.

After making arrangements for Ruan Sumei, Su Yang also learned from Li Yan about the factory's plans for this group of people.

The fields to the left and right of the Limin Flour Factory will be used to build a new workshop to produce military rations, and the newly recruited employees will be the workers in the new workshop.

Wang Cui and several other newly arrived former staff members from Sijiu City will be the future managers of the new workshop.

Before the workshop was completed, this group of people had to temporarily work as construction workers.

Su Yang would sometimes wander around the new workshop construction site, and just looking at it made him feel the hardship.

In Shenzhou, the temperature dropped sharply after November. Winter is not a good time to build houses, but the war at the front waits for no one, and no matter how hard or tiring it is at home, we have to grit our teeth and go for it.

With everyone working tirelessly, the new workshop was finally completed before the first snowfall.

The north wind carried a biting chill, stirring up dust in the streets and bringing with it the scent of distant war.

Newspapers no longer simply issued condemnations; instead, stirring phrases like "Resist the M and Aid the C, Protect Our Homes and Defend Our Country" and "Everything for the Front Lines" began to appear frequently.

As truckloads of wounded were taken to various hospitals in Shenzhou, people realized that a real fight had broken out.

On the streets, numerous calls for donations of money and supplies to the front lines from various organizations appeared, and the general public responded enthusiastically.

The atmosphere at Limin Flour Factory became heavy and tense.

As a major city in Northeast China and a vital link to the front lines, Shenzhou has become the most important logistical base.

Limin Flour Factory, a unit closely related to food supplies, was unsurprisingly included in the front line of support and security.

Inside the factory, slogans such as "Down with the MD wolf!" and "Produce more flour to support the front lines!" were plastered on the walls.

The roar of the machines seemed more urgent than usual, and in addition to the familiar smell of flour dust, there was also an indescribable aroma of burning.

The entire factory is operating at full capacity, working day and night to produce bags of snow-white flour.

The flour wasn't taken away by the grain company; instead, it was directly transported to the new workshop and transformed into fried noodles, a much-needed supply for the front lines.

Ten specially made large iron pots were lined up in a row, with roaring fires in the stoves, reflecting the sweat on the workers' faces.

The air was thick with heat, carrying the unique, smoky aroma of roasted wheat, soybeans, and cornmeal, so rich it was almost overwhelming.

"Quick! This pot is done! Take it out and let it cool!" Wang Cui, the newly appointed workshop director, had already shouted until her voice was hoarse. She waved a shovel-like spade and directed the workers to shovel the golden-brown and fragrant mixed flour onto a huge reed mat to cool.

"Quick! Keep frying." Everyone was like a tightly wound spring, not daring to relax for a moment.

The female workers sat around piles of fried noodles, and under Wang Cui's guidance, they quickly and efficiently carried out the final packaging.

The bags were long, narrow cloth bags about the thickness of an adult's fist, each containing 10 jin (5 catties) of fried noodles, which was a soldier's rations for a week.

"...Fellow workers of the factory! Every extra pound of noodles we fry adds strength to the soldiers on the front lines! They are shedding their blood and sacrificing their lives for us. We are the front line for the entire nation, and also the rear line for the soldiers on the front lines..."

"...Urgent Notice! The Support-the-Front Committee is calling on all women in the city to sew cotton-padded clothes, quilts, and gloves for the soldiers on the front lines! The required cotton and fabric will be collected and distributed by the factory's labor union..."

"...Honor Roll: Liu Guilan's team in Workshop 1 exceeded their fried noodle packaging target by 120% yesterday!"

The broadcast echoed over the factory day and night, the voice no longer sweet, but hoarse, like invisible drumbeats striking everyone's heart.

Wu Xinxue has recently been sleeping in the broadcasting room, on call 24 hours a day.

The manuscripts sent by higher authorities were like snowflakes. After she finished reading her manuscript, she often didn't even have time to drink some water before she had to look at the next one.

Su Yang hasn't been home for many days either.

The aroma of the cooked flour is strong, making it more attractive to rats. For every bite a rat takes, the soldiers at the front will have one less bite to eat.

He patrols the factory for more than 15 hours a day. If it weren't for the panels supporting him, he probably would have collapsed long ago.

That evening, Su Yang had just come out of the workshop after helping to move the packaged fried noodles. He was brushing off the flour from his clothes when he saw Factory Director Zhou Zheng walking briskly towards him with several cadres in military uniforms, looking travel-worn. Zhang Zhenguo and Yu Feng followed behind with serious expressions.

The soldier at the head of the group had a solemn expression, exuding a chilling aura reminiscent of the lingering smoke of battle.

"Director Zhou, time is of the essence! The logistics line has just been established, there are countless things to do, and the transportation capacity is severely insufficient! This batch of fried noodles that your factory is responsible for is a 'special supply' to the vanguard troops. You must complete the expedited production, inspection, and packing of 100,000 jin within 48 hours! The train will depart from Shenzhou at 7 pm the day after tomorrow!" The soldier's voice was decisive and left no room for doubt as he shoved a document stamped with a red seal into Zhou Zheng's hand.

Zhou Zheng took the document, glanced at it, and his brows furrowed into a knot.

Time is too tight!

"Rest assured! Limin Flour Factory guarantees to complete the mission!" Zhou Zheng didn't mention a single difficulty, snapped to attention, and made a loud guarantee.

After returning the salute, the soldiers quickly got into a jeep and drove away.

He then turned to Zhang Zhenguo and Yu Feng behind him, speaking rapidly: "Section Chief Zhang! Immediately notify all workshop directors and team leaders to be in the conference room within five minutes! Activate the Level 1 Emergency Production Plan! Captain Yu! All security personnel are on duty. For the next 48 hours, none of the factory's 928 employees are allowed to leave!"

Su Yang listened attentively from the side and silently calculated the accounts in his mind.

The Limin Flour Factory has a total of 20 large pots in its two workshops.

Even if the inspection and packaging are not delayed, it is impossible to fry 10 catties of noodles within 48 hours.

Five minutes later.

All managers at the team leader level and above were present in the conference room of Limin Flour Factory.

Su Yang followed him in. As the factory's pest control officer, he could go anywhere.

The conference room was filled with a mixture of burnt smells and sweat, and the air was so heavy it felt like you could wring water out of it.

Zhou Zheng stood at the end of the long table, his back ramrod straight, like a javelin, his sharp eyes sweeping over each participant.