Chapter 167 Another batch of good junk was picked up from the anti-mold paper!

Xue Haiyang: "Sister-in-law—Director Qin, although your idea is excellent, there are many practical problems. Just because you have wood doesn't mean you can immediately turn it into a musical instrument. You need a carpenter, and you also need a tuning master..."

Xue Haiyang smiled wryly, “People say that even a skilled cook can’t cook without rice, but we have rice but no one to cook it.”

"Factory manager, this is a textile factory, we don't have any grade eight carpenters."

"Many real-world problems are facing us."

Qin Xiangxiang knew that things couldn't be accomplished just by talking, especially when it came to making musical instruments. "This batch of spruce wood is all good material, we can't waste it. Don't let our factory's carpenters mess it up, go find the top-level eighth-grade carpenter."

Xue Haiyang: "???!!!"

Qin Xiangxiang: "We also find the best instrument tuners."

"How do we find them? How can we persuade them to come?"

Xue Haiyang hesitated, then said, "Director Qin, your barter system won't work here. You haven't figured out one thing. When you try to barter with the steel mill, you're using scraps of cloth, but even a small piece of spruce wood is precious. Besides, those who tune Western musical instruments have questionable backgrounds; they won't dare touch it or accept it."

“These are musical instruments for our workers. We can use them, but they wouldn’t even take them if they were scrap spruce wood…”

"Poppy silk and wave yarn aren't very good either. What we're looking for this time are... many of them are people with questionable class backgrounds."

People with questionable backgrounds tend to live low-key lives, preferring to remain invisible, and are unlikely to seek the limelight or get involved with "good stuff."

Even if the factory has good products now, they can't exchange them.

And those carpenters and masters are naturally unlikely to agree to make instruments or tune them.

"...That's true." Qin Xiangxiang also realized that the previous barter system was not working. People were afraid to take these good things, even the scraps, for fear of being accused of being "bourgeois," especially those who were sensitive about the composition of the goods.

Even the waste materials from their factory, such as poplin, voile, and spruce wood, stand out among these people.

However, just like "high-temperature roasting of the crotch", there are no walls that don't leak air. Besides roasting the crotch, there is also stuffiness in the crotch... There are always many pain points, and they want to directly address those pain points!

Qin Xiangxiang: "What are the pain points for people who play musical instruments? Wear and tear... Actually, musical instrument maintenance is very troublesome, just like high-end textiles, it needs to be protected from moisture, corrosion and mold."

Xue Haiyang: "Musical instrument maintenance is very important."

A sudden thought flashed through Qin Xiangxiang's mind, but she couldn't quite grasp what that elusive, intriguing light was. Her mind wasn't particularly sharp; she was only discerning when it came to food, drink, and entertainment.

She likes nice things and good materials, so she wants to apply for Nordic spruce wood...

"Yeah, I feel like something's not right. What is it?" Qin Xiangxiang suddenly widened her eyes. "Wait, wait, how is this batch of spruce wood packaged?"

Xue Haiyang: "???"

“This batch of timber has traveled all the way across the ocean to our side, and the packaging and filler inside must contain something good!” Qin Xiangxiang immediately grasped the light in her mind. “Our high-end textiles undergo anti-corrosion and moisture-proof measures before being shipped, and professional timber merchants must have done the same. They have additional anti-mildew technology.”

If Qin Xiangxiang hadn't experienced foreign trade orders, she would never have thought of this. They had gone to great lengths to prevent moisture and mildew in high-end textiles and had taken great care in protecting them, just in case something went wrong and it could lead to international trade disputes.

Nordic timber merchants must have taken this into account.

This batch of timber is very valuable, and the packaging materials that protect it are at least "treasures".

Qin Xiangxiang took Xue Haiyang to the warehouse, where they happened to see the workers disposing of "garbage".

"Stop, stop, stop!" Qin Xiangxiang ran over. "Don't touch these things yet. Go find someone among the educated youth who understands chemistry, find a mentor who understands chemistry."

"This is diatomaceous earth?!?"

"These are special anti-mildew papers."

The other workers were stunned: "Isn't this just waste and garbage?"

"Wait! Go rummage through the trash!"

There's treasure in the trash!

...

Qin Xiangxiang said, "Keep all the packing materials from this batch of timber!"

"Factory manager, this anti-mildew paper is a great product!"

"Is this imported diatomaceous earth?"

Qin Xiangxiang and the others discovered that the packing materials for this batch of timber were actually quite good, especially in terms of waterproofing, moisture-proofing, and mildew prevention. Qin Xiangxiang slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "If only we had asked for double the packing materials!"

—Thinking about it, I've picked up another batch of good junk!

The "companion packaging items" of this high-quality wood are also all good stuff.

Qin Xiangxiang said to Xue Haiyang, "Using this anti-mold paper to find people is useful. Those who need to maintain musical instruments definitely need anti-mold and moisture-proof treatment, and there are also carpenters... This is 'high-grade imported special anti-mold paper'."

"Look, this anti-mildew paper has an ordinary surface; people might even think it's waste material."

"And this diatomite, this is imported diatomite."

Xue Haiyang was dumbfounded: "???!!"

To be honest, this is indeed a good product, but it's just packaging and filler "garbage" that came with the purchase of timber.

Using the waste from buying wood to hire carpenters and musical instrument masters for help... isn't that a bit too exploitative?

But this does hit the nail on the head.

Qin Xiangxiang: "Just say it's high-grade special anti-mildew paper!"

"An extremely rare and precious item! It's excellent for protecting wood and musical instruments!"

Xue Haiyang stammered, "Okay...okay...I'll give it a try."

Xue Haiyang actually managed to fool people into helping him make violins by using so-called "imported anti-mildew paper".

"This, this is truly an extreme example of utilization." Xue Haiyang found it unbelievable.

Li Jinling: "My sister-in-law is very smart, of course. She comes up with an idea in the blink of an eye."

Xue Haiyang wholeheartedly agreed.

Xiao Zhier entered Feiyan Textile Factory. This batch of new female workers included military family members, commune members, high school graduates, educated youth, and worker-peasant college students.

Xiao Zhier happened to be assigned to a shoe-making workshop that was short-staffed, and became a female worker in the workshop.

The wages in the shoe factory are lower than those of textile workers, which disappoints many people. However, the work in the shoe factory is easier, and you can see many beautiful shoes.

However, they also have some special benefits. They can save up workshop waste materials, make new shoes on their own, and exchange them for residents in need in the county town, thus earning some extra income.

Besides these, Xiao Zhier was most satisfied with the workers' canteen, which served braised meat and borscht. These were all good things, especially the borscht, which Xiao Zhier loved. If they were frugal, they could share a borscht between two people, each taking half, and eat it with rice, pickles, and vegetables. They could enjoy their meal to the fullest, satisfy their taste buds, and save a lot of money.

"Our factory canteen has free soup with every meal, it smells so good! And it's even covered in oil!"

Almost all factory canteens offer free soup, but this is essentially just the water used to wash the meat and vegetables in the pot. You just add some water and salt to the pot where you cooked the meat and vegetables, and you have a pot of "free soup." This is a kind of wisdom from that era.

This free soup, with oil floating on top and a salty taste... the key point is that it's free!

"The best thing to eat is braised pork; the marinade for it is especially fragrant."

"The factory also makes various kinds of chicken bone noodles and pork bone noodles, which are especially fragrant!"

"We have a chef in our factory who is very good at using bean sprouts to enhance the flavor. His bean sprout soup is better than any MSG!"

...

"Sister, I brought back some braised meat for you and brother-in-law to eat." Xiao Zhier's tone revealed a hint of showing off.

Her sister, Xiao Ye, always boasted that her brother-in-law, Jiang Changtian, didn't like the food in the canteen, so she tried every means to cook special meals for him and even invited his comrades over to eat with him.

However, after eating at the Feiyan Textile Factory canteen, Xiao Zhi'er's opinion immediately changed, because she felt that the canteen food was much better than what her sister cooked.

In reality, the workers' canteen served mostly meat-flavored dishes, and the factory director, Qin Xiangxiang, was meticulous and wanted to make the most of every ingredient.

The style of the canteen also reflects the factory director's style.

Just like a chicken, the normal parts are used for the main dish, while the chicken breast is separated to make chicken noodle soup; the chicken carcass is separated and smoked and braised to become braised chicken carcass; the chicken bones are used to make soup and noodles, becoming chicken bone noodles... One chicken can be prepared in two or three ways, benefiting the general public.

Xiao Zhier: "Our factory offers late-night snacks for female workers after get off work. A bowl of chicken bone noodles costs two cents. Sometimes when I can't sleep, I go out and eat a bowl of chicken bone noodles in the middle of the night. It's so delicious."

“The braised and smoked chicken frames in our factory cost four cents each… They’re so fragrant you almost swallow the bones. When I’ve saved up enough money, I’ll eat braised chicken frames too.”

...

"In the morning, there are also shumai with a little bit of shiitake mushroom and minced meat. Take a bite while it's hot and your mouth will be full of soy sauce flavor."

“I’ve noticed that many of the female workers in the residential compound often pack up shumai to bring back for their children to eat.”

Upon hearing Xiao Zhier's words, Jiang Changtian swallowed repeatedly. In the army, where men are the main focus, the canteen food is rather simple and doesn't have many fancy dishes; the main thing is to provide large portions and ensure you're full.

The canteen at Feiyan Textile Factory, managed by Qin Xiangxiang, is characterized by its meticulous attention to detail and exquisite style, making the most of everything.

"This braised pork tastes delicious. Sister, brother-in-law, you should try it."

Jiang Changtian tasted a piece of braised meat and was immediately amazed.

Xiao Zhier said, "I love braised soybeans in this sauce the most, it's simply a delicacy!"

Jiang Changtian couldn't help but turn his gaze to Xiao Ye.

Xiao Ye's face was very ugly. She felt like she had been kicked while she was down. Everyone dared to step on her face, and even her sister came to show off the cafeteria food.

Xiao Zhier said, "My new coworkers and I have calculated that we can keep our daily food expenses to around 40 cents, which is 12 yuan a month. We can have some meat every day, and we can also use 1 or 2 yuan for extra meals, and occasionally add some good stuff and late-night snacks."

"If you can earn forty yuan a month, and spend fifteen on food, you can save twenty-five... I heard that some of the female workers in our factory can earn seventy or eighty yuan a month."

Xiao Zhier: "Gao Rong downstairs works very hard. The old master craftsman praised her for her good quality. I heard that her husband can wear an imported watch!"

"Her husband wears an imported Rolex watch!"

“Even my brother-in-law can’t afford an imported watch.” Xiao Zhi’er’s eyes held a hint of mischief. She thought that if she became a skilled worker and found a worker or the military representative stationed at the factory as her partner, she might live a better life than her sister and brother-in-law.

Xiao Zhier also heard that the children of the factory workers could learn musical instruments for free!

Xiao Ye's face turned green. "Who said your brother-in-law can't afford it? He just looks down on that kind of thing."

“Oh…” Xiao Zhi’er drawled out her words.

Jiang Changtian's gaze was fixed on Xiao Zhier, revealing boundless admiration. He couldn't help but imagine that if he had chosen a woman with Xiao Zhier's mindset, the couple could have supported each other and lived a better life.