Hearing this, the female workers cheered happily. The atmosphere in the workshop became even more lively, and the roar of the machines seemed to lighten. Lin Wanqiu looked at the scene before her, her heart filled with emotion—from initially making pastries in her own small courtyard to now owning a factory covering an acre and providing employment for more than thirty impoverished families, the journey had been full of hardships, but also yielded abundant happiness. She knew that this was not only due to her own efforts, but also the result of the joint support of her entire family and fellow villagers.

Around noon, the convoy that had been buying wild hawthorns returned, its trucks overflowing with bright red fruit, exuding a fresh, fruity aroma. Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou personally greeted them at the door. They saw the purchasing agents busy settling accounts with the villagers, every transaction meticulously accounted for, and the villagers' faces beaming with satisfaction. An elderly man with gray hair took the money and tightly grasped Lin Wanqiu's hand: "Director Lin, thank you so much! Nobody wants these wild hawthorns on the mountain, but you were willing to spend money to buy them, allowing my wife and I to earn some extra income. You're such a kind person!"

Lin Wanqiu smiled and said, "Grandpa, you're too kind. These wild hawthorns are all good stuff. They can be made into hawthorn cakes and sell for a good price. We're helping each other out and making money together. If you can pick any more wild hawthorns in the future, just send them over. We'll buy them all."

The old man nodded repeatedly, beaming from ear to ear: "Good! Good! We'll definitely pick more and bring you more in the future!"

After seeing the villagers off, Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou went to the raw material warehouse to check the quality of the wild hawthorns. Inside, the wild hawthorns were neatly stacked in bamboo baskets, each one plump and red, without a single rotten fruit. Shen Tingzhou picked up a wild hawthorn, wiped off the dew, and tasted it: "The sourness is just right, and the sweetness is sufficient. It's perfect for making hawthorn cakes." He turned to Lin Wanqiu, his eyes full of admiration, "Wanqiu, you have such good taste! You thought of using wild hawthorns to make a new product, solving the raw material problem and increasing the villagers' income at the same time."

Lin Wanqiu smiled and said, "This is a solution we all came up with together. Our food workshop wouldn't have reached its current size without the support of our fellow villagers. We also need to find ways to help them make money so that it can last." She suddenly remembered something, took out a slip of paper from her pocket, and handed it to Shen Tingzhou: "By the way, this is what I discussed with the teachers at the commune's middle school yesterday. Our food workshop will sponsor ten impoverished students to go to school, and we will cover their tuition and book fees. These children come from poor families, but they are all very sensible and have excellent grades. We can't let them drop out of school because they don't have money."

Shen Tingzhou took the note and looked at the student's name and family situation written on it. He was deeply moved: "Wanqiu, you've thought of everything. We'll do as you say. I'll go to the commune middle school tomorrow and make sure the sponsorship is in place. We not only want to help our fellow villagers find jobs and earn money, but we also want to help the children go to school so that they will have the skills to contribute to our commune and our region in the future."

The food workshop was bustling with activity for the next few days. The new production line was officially operational, and the aroma of hawthorn cake wafted from the workshop, permeating the entire industrial area and attracting many passersby. After the first batch of hawthorn cake was produced, Lin Wanqiu specially packed several boxes and delivered them to the commune secretary's office. The commune secretary tasted a piece and praised it repeatedly: "Delicious! Delicious! This hawthorn cake has a perfect balance of sweet and sour, and a delicate texture. It's even better than what's sold in the city's supply and marketing cooperative! Wanqiu, you're truly capable, turning a small workshop into a large enterprise that provides employment for so many people. You're a source of pride for our commune!"

Lin Wanqiu smiled and said, "Secretary, this is all thanks to your and the villagers' support. Our next plan is to participate in the regional commodity fair to promote our products to more places, let more people know about our Hongqi Commune's 'Wanqiu Food Workshop,' and also allow more villagers to find employment and earn money right at their doorstep."

The commune secretary nodded, his eyes full of expectation: "Good! Good! Go ahead, the commune will definitely support you! If you need any help, just let me know, and I will do my best to coordinate."

As the days went by, the reputation of "Late Autumn Food Workshop" grew. It became a household name not only in the surrounding counties but also in the region itself. People knew that there was a "Late Autumn Food Workshop" in Hongqi Commune that produced pastries that were both delicious and affordable. Many distributors from other places came to them, wanting to sign supply contracts. The food workshop received more and more orders, and the number of workers in the workshop increased from the initial thirty-odd to more than sixty. Most of them were poor women and laid-off workers from the surrounding villages.

That afternoon, Lin Wanqiu was organizing trade fair materials in her office when she suddenly heard a lively commotion downstairs. She went to the window and saw a black sedan parked in front of the food workshop. Several men in Zhongshan suits got out, the leader of whom was the director of the regional light industry bureau. She quickly went downstairs to greet him. Just as she reached the door, the director greeted her with a smile: "Director Lin, hello! I'm Director Zhang from the regional light industry bureau. I've come specifically to visit your food workshop today."

Lin Wanqiu quickly shook hands: "Director Zhang, hello! Welcome to inspect and guide our work. Please come in, let me show you around our workshop and production line."

Director Zhang nodded and followed Lin Wanqiu into the workshop. Inside, the workers were working methodically, the assembly line was running smoothly, and raw materials and finished products were neatly arranged. Looking at the scene before him, Director Zhang's eyes were full of admiration: "Director Lin, I never expected your food processing plant to be so large and so well-managed! It's truly surprising! I heard from the commune secretary that you've created jobs for over sixty impoverished families and sponsored impoverished students' education. You're truly running a business and doing good deeds at the same time—a model for all businesses in our region!"

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