Chapter 63

When Niu Zhuangzhi came back from the city, he received an envelope handed over by clerk Xiao Liu.

"Who sent the letter?"

"Boss, this isn't a letter, it's a challenge!"

Niu Zhuangzhi said "Hey", opened the envelope and quickly looked through it.

The handwriting on the manuscript paper is quite neat, which shows that it was written by a female comrade.

The wording of the letter was polite, but the content was not.

The other party claimed that they wanted to respond to the call of the Municipal Party Committee and complete the production tasks of the first five-year plan ahead of schedule. They specially invited the "3rd Hardware Society" and the "State-owned Guangming Coal Stove Factory" to launch a unique production labor competition!

Niu Zhuangzhi reread the letter of challenge and wondered, "Have you heard of this Guangming Coal Furnace Factory? Has it ever dealt with our company before?"

How come he has no impression?

"This factory is right on our street. It's a local state-owned factory. It's not very large, with maybe 20 or 30 workers. Their supply and marketing staff even came to our cooperative to sell honeycomb coal stoves."

Niu Zhuangzhi frowned and said, "They're a local state-owned factory, and we're a collective cooperative. We're different in scale, and we produce different products. How can we have a production labor competition? Isn't that nonsense?"

The hardware cooperative is a collective enterprise. We produce as many products as we get orders. There is no such thing as production tasks!

Can this production competition be carried out?

He folded the letter of challenge and put it back into the envelope, not intending to pay any attention to this inexplicable challenge.

"President, should we accept the challenge?"

"What battle?"

Niu Zhuangzhi is not in the mood to fight now!

When he went to the city in the morning, he heard that the city leaders were going to take action against the cooperatives and turn collective ones into state-owned ones.

Niu Zhuangzhi initially thought that this reform had nothing to do with his family.

Their cooperative is doing well, with substantial dividends distributed over the past two years, and the products produced can even be sold to other places!

Apart from a few members who felt their wages were too low, there were no other discordant voices.

He felt that there was no problem with his company's production and operations, and the city leaders would not be looking for trouble.

However, their cooperative is quite large, so it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Xiao Liu gently reminded, "Boss, shouldn't we write a reply to the director of the coal furnace factory? If we keep silent, it will seem like we're cowards!"

Niu Zhuangzhi handed him the envelope and said, "You go and write a reply. I'm busy all day long. How can I have time for this kind of competition?"

If the hardware cooperative is really transformed into a state-owned factory, the city will most likely send special cadres to incorporate it. It is unknown what the president of the company will do then.

Who still has the heart to participate in competitions?

Xiao Liu took the challenge letter, unfolded it and read it. When he saw the last paragraph, he hurriedly called out to the president who was about to leave.

"The director of the coal furnace factory said that if we can't compete with them due to production schedules, we could instead have workers from both sides exchange skills. The coal furnace factory is state-owned, after all, so why don't we have a competition?"

The hardware cooperative is a collective cooperative with 200 people, and the coal furnace factory is a state-owned factory with 20 people. There is really no comparison between the two units.

But the coal furnace factory is a state-owned unit. I heard that the Municipal Bureau of Commerce and the Supply and Marketing Cooperative place orders directly with them, so the benefits should be good.

Xiao Liu is very confident in his own hardware cooperative. Their performance is impressive among the cooperatives in the city.

Even if you don't respond to the challenge, you can still exchange ideas with state-owned units!

Niu Zhuangzhi waved his hand and said, "Then you go and make the arrangements. The agency has been busy lately, so don't make a big fuss. Just let Lao Zhang come out to entertain them."

*

After receiving the reply from the hardware society, Ye Manzhi decided to visit the cooperative for exchange on the day when Old Ye was off duty.

Ye Shouxin has extensive experience in participating in production competitions.

Factory 656 holds competitions almost all year round, not only within the workshop, but also between workshops and between factories.

Old Ye boasted to his daughter, "Our competitors are all over the world, the farthest one is in Guangdong! I, Old Ye, have never lost!"

He doesn't even take that hardware club seriously.

However, on the day of the visit, Ye Shouxin also called along his two apprentices and a sixth-level lathe operator, Lao Luo.

It is called a boost of momentum.

When Ye Manzhi brought people to the hardware club, she directly revealed her identity. She was a street cadre and the director of the coal furnace factory. This time she brought a seventh-level welder, a sixth-level machinist, and two second-level welders to exchange ideas with the hardware club.

Vice President Zhang didn't expect that there would be seventh-level and sixth-level workers in such a small factory, and he immediately shook hands with the two masters enthusiastically.

"That's nothing!" Ye Shouxin said politely, "I heard your hardware club has some talented people too. There are forty or fifty level four workers alone, as well as level six welders and level five machinists. Let's have a good discussion later!"

"Hahaha, no problem."

The 3rd Hardware Society was one of the first cooperatives established. At that time, the society attracted many technical experts, and Vice President Zhang was still confident in the society's technical strength.

He took them to visit the production workshop and introduced the company's best-selling products. "This kind of door lock we produce has been sold to Tianjin!"

Ye Shouxin picked up a sample, took a look at it, and objectively commented, "Your factory's manufacturing process is pretty good. The craftsmen must have some skills. But door locks are a very simple product. Just give them a file, a hand drill, and a lathe to make a few small parts. Any apprentice can make it."

He threw the door lock onto the table, his tone full of contempt, "President Zhang, no matter how well your door locks sell, technically speaking, they're all shoddy products. They're meaningless. Do we have any more advanced products?"

Ye Manzhi: “…”

I’m so afraid that Lao Ye will get beaten!

Vice President Zhang and several other technicians were shocked by Lao Ye's arrogant expression!

Aren’t you here to exchange ideas and communicate with each other in the club?

Why does it look like you're looking for trouble?

Master Yao, a sixth-level welder, frowned and asked, "Master Ye, your coal furnace factory only produces coal furnaces. How can your products be considered high-end?"

"Haha, the coal furnace factory's products are pretty good. They recently released two new products, which can be considered an upgrade. I'm just a consultant for the coal furnace factory, helping them solve some technical problems. I usually work at Factory 656, and we produce cars!"

Ye Manzhi added: "Master Ye is a level 7 welder. It was Master Ye who led the team to weld the products presented by Factory 656 for National Day last year."

The masters of the hardware club: "..."

That's really advanced.

Ye Shouxin once again showed his annoying face and said, "I heard that your hardware club is very profitable, so I brought my apprentice here to exchange ideas with you. But once I saw the products you produce, I knew there was no need."

A technician makes a living by his skills. Although Master Yao respects his skills, he really can't stand his arrogant attitude.

"Master Ye, there are only a few factories capable of producing cars. Each factory has its own mission. As long as we can produce good products and serve socialism, our skills will not be in vain!"

Ye Shouxin nodded with his hands behind his back, "You have a point, but I don't think your welding skills are level six, maybe level four or five at best."

Seeing Master Yao's gloomy face, Ye Manzhi was really afraid that her father would be beaten, so she quickly interrupted and reminded him: "Master Ye, we are here to exchange and learn..."

"It's for the sake of exchange and learning, so I'm telling the truth!" Ye Shouxin said with a look of regret. "Old Yao, although what I say may sound harsh, it's the truth. Take me for example. When we weld cars, we often have to lie on the ground and weld upwards. And each weld must be completed in one go without stopping. This is a huge test of both physical strength and arm strength. It's like singing an opera. You have to practice every day. If you skip a day, your hands will shake when you pick up the welding gun."

"Your hardware store produces door locks all day long, but for a master like you, it's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, or using an anti-aircraft gun to smother a mosquito! If you can only produce this kind of crappy stuff all year round, haha, let alone technological advancement, you'd be lucky if you didn't regress!"

Master Yao's face turned red as he was hit in the vital spot.

He is mainly responsible for guiding young workers in the cooperative. Since joining the cooperative, he has not made much progress in his skills.

However, everyone works to support their families, the hardware company's products sell well, and year-end dividends can be paid out on time, which is much less stressful than when he worked alone, so there is nothing to complain about.

"Forget it, forget it. Everyone has their own aspirations. Since we're here to exchange techniques today, let's show off our unique skills! Yangzi..." Ye Shouxin called his third apprentice, "Show off your skills on behalf of our coal furnace factory!"

Hearing this, Guo Yang stepped out and walked to the workbench. After asking about the manufacturing process of the door lock, he picked up the welding gun and completed the welding work on a semi-finished door lock.

However, unlike other welders, Guo Yang completes the task through mirror reflection welding.

This method is suitable for welding tasks in narrow operating spaces or where direct visual observation is not possible. Although it seems simple to operate, experts like Master Yao know that it is impossible to achieve such skills without practicing in front of a mirror for a year or two.

No one in their company, not even himself, could complete this operation.

As he expected, the technical skills of the workers sent by the hardware store were only average.

Even if he and Lao Chen personally took part in the battle and restored some face for the Hardware Society, it could not change the fact that the Hardware Society was inferior in skills.

They had dinner in the hardware club cafeteria. Ye Shouxin clinked glasses with a few of the master chefs and said to Vice President Zhang, "Lao Yao, Lao Chen, you're really wasting your skills and burying your talent by working in this cooperative! How much can you two earn in a month?"

"Not necessarily. We pay a basic salary plus piecework wages. The more work you do, the more you get paid. Technicians with higher technical ratings will also have higher basic wages."

Ye Manzhi asked: "Can a level 6 worker like you get 60 yuan a month?"

"About the same."

"So if we make the same 100 products, your salary is much higher than that of a second- or third-level worker, right?"

"Um."

Ye Manzhi thought, wouldn't the lower-level technicians be satisfied with this wage system? We're all making the same product, and the level 6 technicians have limited room to develop their skills. Why should they get paid so much more?

Ye Shouxin clinked glasses with several of the hardware shop's craftsmen and chuckled, "If you ask me, you'd better find a job in a state-owned factory! A sixth-level worker in a state-owned factory earns about the same. Wouldn't it be more enjoyable to produce high-end goods than door locks?"

Vice President Zhang: “…”

Is it appropriate to encourage the master chef to change jobs in front of him?

"Master Ye, we all have shares in the cooperative, and we can get labor dividends at the end of each year!"

This is the proudest thing for the cooperative members!

"Haha, I know about your dividend."

Ye Shouxin recalled the information his daughter had given him about the cooperative, and repeated her words in his mind. Then he curled his lips and said:

"When the cooperative was first established, your share of the gold was indeed quite high, but how many years have passed? The hardware cooperative's public accumulation has continued to increase, and your shares have long been diluted. How much do you still have now? I heard that the city has also stipulated that the dividends distributed by your cooperative cannot exceed one month's salary."

Lao Luo, who had come with him to pick a fight, responded, "What's the point of such a small dividend? You're doing the same work as the workers now, and just because you get dividends, you're still a small private owner. You might as well go to work in a factory! The working class is so glorious! We working class are the masters, and we can speak more confidently than others!"

Seeing that people on his side were becoming uneasy due to the instigation, Vice President Zhang quickly interrupted and said, "Working anywhere is a job. We all have shares in the hardware cooperative, and we all regard the cooperative as our home. We can get dividends and contribute to socialist construction at the same time. Isn't this the best of both worlds?"

Ye Shouxin didn't really want to be a villain. After receiving his daughter's gaze, he toasted Vice President Zhang with a glass of wine and said with a smile, "I just value talent. I've been a bit long-winded. Wouldn't it be better if your company could produce some high-quality goods for everyone to practice? After all, the state-owned factories have a certain threshold for recruiting, and it's not easy to get a job in a factory these days."

…

Ye Manzhi took her father to the hardware store for a spin, and she felt that it had some effect.

So, when Feng Dacheng and Li Tingting asked about the progress of the work again, Ye Manzhi told them the truth.

"There may still be some obstacles on the management side, but the members, especially the master chefs, should have loosened up." She asked worriedly, "Tingting, if we allow the members to withdraw their shares, can you guarantee that the full amount will be paid out in one lump sum as soon as possible?"

"Then I have to go back and ask my boss. Someone mentioned before that if the share capital is too large, it may be paid in several installments."

"It would be best if we could promise to pay it off in one lump sum," Ye Manzhi whispered. "I feel like the members are more concerned about financial benefits. If we don't see the cash, this matter will probably be difficult to handle!"

Feng Dacheng asked, "Given the current situation, what are the chances of success if we go to the Third Hardware Company to discuss the factory transfer?"

"About 50-60 percent. You and Tingting should go to the hardware cooperative and talk about transferring to another factory," Ye Manzhi revealed. "This cooperative has a special organization called the 'Board of Directors and Supervisors,' which is similar to a labor union but has more say than a labor union. Matters like this must be discussed by the Board of Directors and Supervisors. Among the members I met the other day, some are on the Board of Directors and Supervisors. Those master craftsmen are already interested. If we strike while the iron is hot and offer an opportunity to transfer to another factory locally, perhaps they can help with this matter."

She had just gone to provoke someone's cooperative in her capacity as the director of a coal furnace factory. If she were to go and get a job at the transfer factory right after that, anyone with a discerning eye would be able to see what was going on.

Therefore, she planned to take a nap for a few days, and when the hardware club held a general meeting of all members, she would go as a representative sent by the street and bear witness in her capacity as a street cadre.

*

Feng Dacheng and Li Tingting went to the 3rd Hardware Society first to discuss the factory transfer. While Ye Manzhi was studying the situation of other cooperatives, she was also preparing for the graduation examination of the grassroots cadre training class.

Because she stayed up late to study until ten o'clock the night before, yes, going to bed at ten o'clock was considered staying up late for Ye Manzhi. When Chang Yue'e woke her up the next morning, she was still drowsy.

"I have a day off today, so I don't have to go to work."

"If you don't get up, the noodles will get lumpy." Chang Yue'e pulled her out of bed. "Eat the longevity noodles before you go back to sleep. I've boiled two eggs for you!"

Today is the second day of the second lunar month, when the dragon raises its head. In addition to eating pig ears, people usually also eat a bowl of noodles when the branches are full of leaves.

Her birthday is February 2nd.

The Ye family has many children, and they never celebrate any one child's birthday separately. A bowl of noodles and two eggs are the standard for every child.

Even Ye Manzhi, the only biological child of his parents, was no exception.

Ye Manzhi slowly got up from the bed, slowly ate her bowl of longevity noodles, gave an egg to Mai Duo, and received a blessing from her eldest nephew, "May you live a long life."

After breakfast, she was hesitating between taking a nap or reading and reviewing when Wu Zhengrong suddenly came to her door.

"Why are you here?"

And she is dressed so smartly.

Wu Zhengrong raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you ask to go shopping? To buy a gift for that friend of yours."

"Oh, right."

Ye Manzhi finally came to her senses. Her birthday and Qingmei's were only four days apart. They didn't celebrate their birthdays, but they would prepare little gifts for each other every year.

She knitted a pair of fingerless gloves for Qingmei this year.

However, the gift Qingmei gave her the day before yesterday was also a pair of gloves she had knitted herself, and they were the kind with all ten fingers intact.

She always felt that if she gave Qingmei another pair of gloves, she might not be surprised when she received the gift. So Comrade Xiao Ye, who had her salary and New Year's money, decided to spend a little money to buy her good friend another gift.

It was a rare opportunity to go shopping with Wu Zhengrong. Ye Manzhi went back to her room to dress up, then asked excitedly, "Should we go to Shidao Street or China Street?"

"I'll do as you say."

"Then let's go to China Street. After buying you gifts, I can also take you to visit my new house!"

Ye Manzhi made the decision for the two of them without hesitation.

It was obvious that the military representative was not someone who went shopping often, so asking him to make a decision would be a waste of effort.

As expected, Wu Zhengrong acted indifferent and followed her onto the tram.

China Street is the most prosperous commercial street in Binjiang. Before liberation, the entire street was lined with foreign banks and foreign companies, and both sides of the road were full of unique European-style buildings.

It is to Binjiang what Wangfujing is to Beijing.

Except that it is too far from Guangming Street, there is no other problem!

When Ye Manzhi arrived on the streets of China, he was like a mouse falling into a rice jar. He would rush into any shop that was open.

After walking down half the street, I still haven't chosen a gift for Qingmei.

Wu Zhengrong followed her into the nearest consignment store and suggested, "It's already noon. After we finish shopping here, let's find a place to have lunch."

Ye Manzhi nodded absentmindedly, his mind already attracted by a small gadget on the shelf of the consignment store.

"Comrade, what is that singing box?"

"Music box." The salesperson took down the wooden music box and placed it on the glass counter. "This is brand new."

Most of the goods in consignment stores are old items, including second-hand goods and even third- and fourth-hand goods.

Therefore, brand new products on shelves and counters can be given special emphasis by sales staff.

When Ye Manzhi just walked in, she was attracted by the tinkling music before she even saw the whole picture of the music box.

Although the tune was a bit slow, she could tell it was the classic folk music piece "Flower Tune".[1]

They often play this piece in their concerts.

Ye Manzhi did not reach out to touch the music box which might be very expensive. Instead, he bent down slightly and observed it carefully.

The music box is made of wood, in a natural wood color. When the lid is opened, there is a wooden figure that moves with the music.

She moved closer to observe. The wooden figure seemed to be a girl holding a pipa, but the carving craftsmanship was average. She felt that the pipa seemed to be missing two strings.

When the music stopped, the little man also stopped spinning.

After the salesman wound up the strings several times, the pipa girl started playing again.

"This is so fun!" Ye Manzhi exclaimed.

"Well, it suits you quite well," Wu Zhengrong suggested, "Why not buy one?"

Ye Manzhi knew that the items in the consignment store were not cheap. After hesitating for a long time, he carefully asked, "Comrade, how much is this music box?"

"50 cents."

Ye Manzhi: "How much?"

"Fifty cents," the salesperson said cheerfully. "Foreign music boxes are valuable, but this one is domestically made. Someone made it and put it on consignment here, so it's hard to tell the price."

"Ahhh, then I'll take it!" Ye Manyi didn't hesitate at all and quickly took out money from his pocket to get the invoice.

A fifty-cent music box!

She was so lucky today, she got a great bargain!

What's wrong with domestic products? They're just as good as foreign ones!

She just likes domestic products!

Ye Manzhi paid the money and finally dared to touch the music box.

"Look!" She held the music box in her hands and asked Wu Zhengrong to look at it together. "Isn't the workmanship very good?"

Wu Zhengrong agreed with a smile: "It's pretty good, and looks almost the same as foreign products."

Ye Manzhi took off her gloves and handed all the bags in her hands to Wu Zhengrong.

She went out with the music box in her hands, her whole body bubbling with joy.

What luck she has!

Fifty cents can actually buy such high-end goods!

She walked ahead to avoid buying defective products, and hurriedly checked all the parts of the music box.

When checking the side, I found that the side of the music box was movable.

She gently pulled on the side panel and pulled out a small drawer covered with red velvet.

There was also a note stuffed in the drawer.

Ye Manzhi thought it was an invoice from a consignment store, or some document left by the previous owner.

However, when she slowly unfolded the note, she was confronted with familiar handwriting.

Happy birthday, Comrade Ye Manzhi. May you be brave and fearless every year and become a mountain and sea of ​​your own.

When Li Ying composed "A Birthday Poem for My Wife," he wrote, "Mandarin ducks embrace for a thousand years, and the harmony of the zither and the qin lasts for a hundred years."

[These two sentences have made me envious for a long time.]

[I also want to give this poem to you, but unfortunately I am not qualified at the moment.]

Therefore, 19-year-old Comrade Ye Manzhi, I am proposing to you today.