The members of Lijiapo brought their own chopsticks and bowls and crowded into the backyard, while others waited outside the gate.

The fried dough sticks in Li Chang's pot were devoured in no time.

Li Kang and his men watched from the sidelines. This was also Li Xiangdong's suggestion. With so many people, trouble was bound to happen. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the cannery was a big event, and they didn't want anyone to start a fight over food, otherwise a good thing would turn into a bad thing.

Sure enough, some people started making a fuss!

Li Kang saw that Liu Yubin, a notorious troublemaker in the brigade, was arguing with Aunt Niu.

When asked, it turned out that Liu Yubin was standing behind Aunt Niu waiting to eat fried dough sticks. While others would take a couple and then go to the side to eat, Aunt Niu wouldn't have it. She would hold a bowl and snatch the fried dough sticks as soon as they came out of the pan. Several groups of people had come and gone, but Aunt Niu just stood there unmoved.

Liu Yubin had just eaten fried dough sticks and pickled vegetables, and drank two bowls of fish soup to fill the gaps. After chatting with others for a while, he got hungry again, so he lined up to get fried dough sticks again. But Aunt Niu, that old woman, never stopped trying to take advantage of him. Liu Yubin got angry, and the two started arguing.

Li Kang frowned and said to Aunt Niu, "What did I say yesterday? You can only eat it, but you can't take it home. Did you stuff donkey hair in your ears?"

Aunt Niu has a really thick skin; she didn't even flinch. "My Niu Yonggui didn't come, so I have to bring him some food!"

"Bullshit! Your Niu Yonggui has been burping the whole time he's eaten!" someone interrupted from the side.

Seeing the eager looks on everyone's faces, Li Kang knew they were tempted. If he didn't intervene, they would take all the oil from the pot home in no time!

Li Kang snatched the basin from Aunt Niu and dumped all the fried dough cakes on the table. "No one is allowed to take any outside. Even if you eat a hundred here, I won't care. But if anyone takes any home, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Seeing Li Kang's reaction, everyone suppressed their desire to take advantage and began to laugh at Aunt Niu for snatching the basin and running away.

Of course, this was just a minor incident.

As the sunlight began to intensify, Li Xiangdong got out of Liu Donglai's jeep, followed by Liu Donglai, Wang Fugen, the director of the county's Administration for Industry and Commerce, Director Yan, and Huang Guimei.

Li Jin and the team members were already waiting at the door. As soon as Liu Donglai got out of the car, they quickly went to greet him.

"Secretary Liu, Director Wang, Factory Director Yan, Sister-in-law Huang! Welcome, welcome!"

Li Jin and the others shook hands with each of them one by one.

These are guests specially invited by Li Xiangdong for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Needless to say, Liu Donglai is Lijiapo's biggest backer.

Wang Fugen was brought over by Liu Donglai. Lijiapo wanted to set up a collective enterprise, and Wang Fugen, as its direct supervisor, was indispensable.

Factory Director Yan is a technical expert at the cannery. Huang Guimei originally didn't want to come; she wasn't the type to join in the fun. But Li Xiangdong persuaded her with just one sentence: "Little sister is getting fatter and cuter every day. Don't you want to meet her?"

Li Jin had already arranged for an eight-immortal table to be set up in the cannery office. On the table were a shallow tray of fried dough sticks and pancakes, fried tiger-shaped pastries, a plate of stir-fried pickled vegetables, and a large porcelain basin of fragrant, thick white fish soup.

"Please have the distinguished guests seated," Li Jin said. "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Please, Secretary Liu, Director Wang, Factory Director Yan, and Sister-in-law Huang, try the fried dough sticks and pancakes made with wheatgrass seeds. This is a specialty oil from our Lijiapo!"

Liu Donglai and his friends lived a life far better than ordinary people, but their salaries were fixed. Most cadres in this era were honest and incorruptible, so they usually ate cornbread and steamed buns made from a mixture of three kinds of flour. When they saw freshly fried dough sticks, their mouths would water.

Li Xiangdong used serving chopsticks to put a fried dough stick in each of their bowls, saying, "Uncle Liu, Director Wang, Uncle Yan, Aunt, hurry up and try it while it's hot, it's so delicious!"

Wang Fugen was definitely a smart man. He took a bite of the fried dough and praised how delicious it was. Then he said to Li Xiangdong, "Xiangdong, why are you being so polite with me? Just call me Uncle Wang. Calling me Director Wang is too polite!"

Li Xiangdong knew that Wang Fugen was doing this out of respect for Liu Donglai, so he put another fried dough stick on his plate and greeted him warmly, "Uncle Wang!"

Li Jin was naturally very happy to see his son so close to the county leaders. Everyone else was already used to Li Xiangdong's abilities, but Li Weijun, who was following behind, was filled with envy and jealousy!

I wish I could take his place; why wasn't I the one with such a prominent position inside?

If I were that close to the county's top official, would I need to be thinking about digging for a living in the soil every day?

How wonderful it would be to be a permanent employee with a non-industrial household registration!

Li Weijun has always believed that the way out in life is not in agriculture, so what way out is there in the countryside?

So, no matter how much Li Xiangdong was tinkering with harvesters and canneries, Li Weijun thought it was all a waste of time. Wouldn't it be better to use that energy to think about his own future?

However, no one present paid any attention to what Li Weijun was thinking, and he could only worry in his heart.

After Huang Guimei finished her meal, she quietly asked Li Xiangdong, "Where's Xiao Yanzi? Is she with your mother?"

Li Yan is young and loves to sleep. Everyone else in the family got up, but she was still sleeping soundly. Li Zhen was at home watching over her. Just now, when Li Xiangdong went out to relieve himself, he saw Li Zhen carrying Li Yan back.

"It's right outside, I'll take you there!"

Li Xiangdong led Huang Guimei to Li Yan, where the little guy was sitting in Zhao Sufang's lap drinking fish soup. He was quite happy to see Huang Guimei and kept putting half a fried dough into her mouth.

Li Xiangdong introduced the two parties, and Huang Guimei, with a smile in her eyes, said to Li Yan with envy, "Sufang, I really envy you! You've given birth to so many wonderful children!"

Li Zhen is good-looking and has a refined and gentle demeanor; she's likable at first glance.

Zhao Sufang felt a connection with Huang Guimei as soon as she saw her.

The mother and her children had just been chatting for a while when Li Xiangjie ran over and called to Li Xiangdong, "Second brother, your uncle is calling you! He said the ribbon-cutting ceremony is coming up soon!"