On Monday morning, before the fog had completely dissipated, a few pedestrians had already appeared on the streets of the commune. Lin Wanqiu sat in the carriage, clutching the canvas bag containing her application materials tightly to her chest, her fingertips slightly cold with nervousness. Shen Tingzhou sat on the carriage shaft, his hand holding the reins steady and strong. He occasionally glanced back at her, his reassuring gaze flowing like a warm current through her heart: "Don't panic, we have all the materials ready, it's just a formality."

The carriage stopped in front of the commune's industrial and commercial administration office. The two-story building, made of blue bricks, looked solemn in the morning mist. The wooden sign hanging at the entrance, which read "Serve the People," was wet with dew and gleamed with a warm light. Lin Wanqiu took a deep breath and followed Shen Tingzhou through the gate. The corridor was filled with the faint smell of ink. Most of the wooden doors to the offices were ajar, and the occasional scratching sound of pens writing on paper could be heard.

The person in charge of the approval was a clerk surnamed Liu, around forty years old, wearing a faded Zhongshan suit, and a pair of glasses with a broken leg held together by tape. He took the materials handed to him by Lin Wanqiu, his fingers slowly sliding across the paper, but his brows furrowed more and more. After a long while, he finally looked up, his tone somewhat perfunctory: "There's a problem with your application. 'Red Flag Food Workshop'? What village needs such a formal name for a side business? Besides, how much production can you make by hand? Wholesale and retail, I'm afraid it doesn't comply with regulations."

Lin Wanqiu's heart sank, and she quickly explained, "Officer Liu, this isn't some small-scale side business. You see, we've signed a cooperation agreement with the county food factory. Our handmade pastries are supplied to pastry shops in the county town, and we've also involved more than twenty households in the village as shareholders. Without a license, we can't follow the proper procedures with the food factory, and we can't provide any guarantee for our fellow villagers." As she spoke, she took out a copy of the cooperation agreement with the county food factory from her bag and handed it over. "This is our cooperation agreement. It clearly states that handmade pastries are an important supply channel."

Officer Liu glanced at the agreement, casually put it aside, picked up the enamel mug on the table, took a sip of tea, and said in an even colder tone: "The county food factory is a state-owned enterprise. You, a village-run workshop, are going to cooperate with them? I doubt it. Besides, the approval of licenses depends on the commune's planning. I haven't heard of any approvals for food-related workshops recently. You should go back and wait for news. I will notify you when there is a result."

This was clearly an excuse. Shen Tingzhou frowned, took a step forward, and said in a deep voice, "Officer Liu, we are fully prepared. We have the venue, funds, and personnel all ready. Even the brigade secretary has issued a letter of recommendation. How can it not meet the requirements? If you think there is a problem with the materials, we can supplement them; if there are any requirements in the process, please tell us clearly, and we will not be ambiguous."

Liu, the clerk, was intimidated by his imposing manner, but still maintained a stern expression: "I said, we have to wait for the commune to study it. If you're in a hurry, go ask the commune leaders. I can't make a decision here." After saying that, he picked up the newspaper on the table and ignored the two men, clearly giving them the order to leave.

Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou had no choice but to leave. As they reached the door, they ran into a young cadre carrying documents. Seeing their unpleasant expressions, he whispered a reminder: "You're from the Hongqi Production Brigade, here to apply for a workshop license, right? Cadre Liu has been in a bad mood lately. A while ago, his relative wanted to open a small shop, but it wasn't approved, and he's probably taking his anger out on you. And... I heard that the brigade secretary's son, Zhao Jianjun, also went to him, and it seems he's not too happy about you opening a workshop."

The two men felt a chill run down their spines, instantly realizing what was happening—Zhao Jianjun had always harbored resentment towards Lin Wanqiu. He had previously tried to force her into marriage but was rejected, and now that he saw they were going to open a workshop and make a lot of money, he was definitely trying to sabotage them behind their backs. Shen Tingzhou gripped Lin Wanqiu's hand tightly and whispered, "Don't be angry. Let's go to the commune and find the secretary. He supported us before, so maybe he can help."

The commune office was right next to the industrial and commercial administration office. The old locust tree in the courtyard was just beginning to sprout new buds, its tender green leaves swaying gently in the breeze. The two found the commune secretary's office, where he was reviewing documents. Seeing them enter, he quickly put down his pen: "Wanqiu, Tingzhou, what brings you here? Has the license been approved?"

Lin Wanqiu recounted her ordeal in detail, mentioning that Zhao Jianjun might be causing trouble behind the scenes. The Party Secretary's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table: "How could this Liu cadre let personal emotions interfere with work! And Zhao Jianjun, he's becoming more and more outrageous! Don't worry, opening a workshop is a good thing to help the villagers get rich, and it's in line with the commune's development plan. I'll call Liu cadre right now and have him approve it according to regulations."

He picked up the black telephone on the table, cranked the handle, and connected to the Industry and Commerce Administration Office: "Old Liu? The application for the Hongqi Production Brigade to set up a food workshop is complete and meets the requirements. You should process it according to the procedure as soon as possible, so as not to delay their start-up. Also, if Zhao Jianjun tries to interfere, ignore him. I'll take responsibility if anything happens!"

After hanging up the phone, the Party Secretary smiled and said to the two of them, "Alright, he won't dare to make excuses anymore. Go again this afternoon, and you should be able to get the approval. However, it will take a few more days for the license to be issued in the end. We need to report it to the county's Administration for Industry and Commerce. Don't be too anxious. Just get the factory built first, so that neither of you can delay anything."

The two quickly thanked him, feeling a weight lifted from their hearts. Stepping out of the commune office compound, the sunlight had dispelled the mist, bathing them in warmth. Lin Wanqiu looked at Shen Tingzhou and said with a smile, "Luckily, the commune secretary helped us, otherwise we don't know how long we would have been held up by Cadre Liu. Zhao Jianjun went too far, resorting to underhanded tactics behind our backs. We'll have to be careful around him in the future."

Shen Tingzhou nodded: "If he dares to cause trouble again, we won't hold back. We'll get the approval this afternoon and go back to the village. We'll have Uncle Zhang organize people to build the factory as soon as possible. The bricks, tiles and timber will arrive next week, so we need to hurry."

At noon, the two ate a simple bowl of noodles at the commune's canteen and then went to the Industrial and Commercial Administration Office. This time, Officer Liu's attitude was noticeably better. Although he still didn't smile much, he quickly produced an approval opinion form and had them sign it to confirm: "The commune secretary has already spoken to you, so I won't make things difficult for you. This is the approval opinion. Take it back, and I will notify you to pick it up once the county approves the license."

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