Chapter 597 Dinner
The twilight was like iron filings melted by molten steel, slowly seeping into the criss-crossing pipes of the steel plant.
In the steelmaking workshop, red molten steel surges in the converter, reflecting everyone's face like dancing flames. The pungent smell of sulfur and the steaming heat waves wrapped in the roar of machines weave into the usual tense work network.
The workshop director, Old Wu, climbed up onto the operating table using a wooden ladder covered in iron slag, the wrenches on his waist clinking with his movements.
He shouted at the top of his voice: "Stop! There is great news!"
The shrill roar of the overhead crane came to an abrupt end, and the casting machine fell silent after spitting out the last string of sparks. Hundreds of pairs of eyes covered with engine oil and iron filings looked at Old Wu in unison.
The old-fashioned ceiling fan rotating overhead stirred the turbid air, raised the dust on the ground, and formed tiny beams of light under the dim light.
"This year during the Chinese New Year, the factory will give everyone half a chicken!" Old Wu's voice was torn into pieces by the blower, but it was like a tempered steel knife, accurately splitting the depression in everyone's heart.
Old Li, who was demoulding a steel ingot, straightened up suddenly, and his safety helmet hit the steel frame with a loud clang.
Xiao Zhang, who was in charge of adding materials, slammed the shovel in his hand on the iron plate with a clang. The sparks fell on the oil-stained cement floor and went out in an instant.
The exhaust fan in the corner was buzzing, carrying the excited voices of several female workers into the air.
"Is it true?" Questions mixed with heavy breathing came one after another.
Old Wu said seriously: "The chicken farm that Section Chief Zhou contacted is absolutely reliable!"
Before he finished his words, the incandescent light above his head suddenly flickered twice, as if startled by the joy.
Immediately afterwards, thunderous applause broke out in the workshop, resonating with the sound of steel rolling coming from afar, shaking the "Safe Production" slogan on the wall slightly, and fine dust fell from the gaps between the refractory bricks piled up in the corner.
The news spread throughout the steel plant in less than an afternoon.
After the workers learned about this, they worked even harder.
Outside the heat treatment workshop, the dry poplar branches swayed in the cold wind, but could not block the laughter coming from the window.
Master Wang took off his heat-insulating gloves covered with oxide scale and patted his companion's shoulder excitedly to shake off the iron filings on his shoulder: "Half a chicken! Enough to make a big pot of soup!"
Lao Zhao from the mechanic class threw a wrench onto the greasy workbench. The sound of metal collision startled the sparrows napping on the windowsill. "My daughter keeps talking about eating meat. This time I can show her how to cook spicy chicken!"
Time passed day by day, and unknowingly, winter had arrived. The north wind brought fine snow that hit the glass windows of the steel plant, dyeing the streets of the old city gray.
The icicles under the eaves hung down like sharp swords, and even the roaring sounds of machines in the workshop seemed to be muffled by the freezing.
That morning, someone knocked hard on the door of the research room. Xiao Zhao, who was debugging the heat collector, looked up suddenly and almost dropped the wrench in his hand: "Director Hu has notified us to gather in the office immediately!"
Although everyone didn't quite understand what was going on, Director Hu had already informed them that they had to go regardless of whether it was good or bad.
Even Zhou Yimin was notified.
In Director Hu's office, the coal stove was burning brightly, and the iron chimney was winding around the corner, but it could not stop the cold air from seeping in through the crack in the door.
When more than twenty people filed into the laboratory, the old radiator made a muffled "clang clang" sound, as if cheering for this special gathering.
The office, already piled high with production reports and equipment models, was now packed to the brim.
"Ouch, Xiao Li, you stepped on my shoe!"
"Excuse me, let me stand by the window for a while. I can hardly breathe in this room!"
Amid the noisy noise, Zhou Yimin was squeezed next to a filing cabinet, with his lower back pressed against the protruding iron handle.
"Are you all here?" Director Hu took off his glasses and wiped them. The white mist on the lenses lingered for a long time.
On the wall behind him, the slogan "Technological Innovation" was reflected red by the fire, forming a sharp contrast with the white snow outside the window.
Lao Zhang from the Finance Department couldn't help but mutter: "The factory director called so many people here, is he trying to..."
Before he could finish his words, the person next to him poked him in the waist.
"The feedback from the solar water heaters has been very good, so today we are celebrating your success." Director Hu raised his voice, his cloudy eyes sweeping across everyone's red, frozen faces.
When everyone heard that it was a celebration, they finally felt relieved, at least it was not a criticism.
"Really?!" Xiao Wu jumped up excitedly, and the back of his head hit the chandelier, causing the light and shadow of the bulb to flicker.
"Quiet, quiet!" Director Hu knocked on the enamel pot.
The coal stove crackled in the corner, and flying sparks landed on the tip of Director Hu's shiny leather shoes. He raised his hand to suppress the boiling sound, and the pen in his Zhongshan suit pocket clinked lightly with the movement.
The incandescent light in the office suddenly flickered twice, casting a flickering halo on the faces of everyone looking up.
Director Hu said at this time: "This time the reward for Yimin is a solar water heater!"
These words were like a red ingot of steel thrown into an icy lake.
The notebook that Xiao Wu was holding fell to the ground with a "click". She stared at Zhou Yimin, her eyes as big as searchlights in the workshop.
The enamelware pot in Lao Zhao's hand was tilted, and he was unaware of the scalding hot tea flowing down through his fingers.
The voices of several young people in the back row pierced through the noise: "A water heater? That would save a lot of honeycomb coal!"
Zhou Yimin did not expect that the reward this time would be so generous. You know, a solar water heater cannot be compared with an air fryer.
He looked at the brand new water heater model behind Director Hu. The nickel-plated tubes were emitting a cold light under the light.
Li Chongguang squeezed through the crowd and patted him on the shoulder: "Good job, kid! Next time you take a shower, you have to ask me to get some hot water!"
There was laughter all around, but no one noticed that Lao Chen quietly pushed his glasses up, and his eyes behind the lenses were surprisingly bright.
Director Hu cleared his throat, and the conference room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. He opened the brown paper folder, the edges of which were still stained with tea. "Section Chief Li received two kilograms of meat coupons and twenty kilograms of grain coupons."
"Wow!" There was a gasp from the front row.
The people present were also shocked by the generous reward. Although they knew the reward would not be low, they did not expect it to be so high.
"Old Chen, one pound of meat coupons and ten pounds of grain coupons."
When his name was called, Old Chen straightened his back abruptly, and the patches on the cuffs of his work clothes swayed slightly with his movements.
The snow particles outside the window hit the glass with a rustling sound, but the house was filled with hot air.
When the last name was read out, Xiao Wu suddenly clapped his hands. The crisp applause was like a lit fuse, instantly filling the room with a roar.
The flames from the coal stove shot up higher amid cheers, illuminating the "Technological Innovation" slogan on the wall red, as if to completely melt the ice and snow of this cold winter.
When the wooden door of Director Hu's office was pushed open, the biting north wind blew in with snow particles, but it could not blow away the smiles on everyone's brows and eyes.
Section Chief Li carefully folded the meat coupons and grain coupons and stuffed them into his inner pocket. He patted his chest and said, "Good boy, two kilograms of meat coupons are enough to make meat-filled dumplings for my wife and children!"
Old Chen held his reward between his fingers and rubbed it repeatedly. His eyes narrowed into slits behind the lenses, and he muttered that he would go and exchange it for some soybeans to nourish his hospitalized wife.
The incandescent lights in the corridor swayed in the cold wind, lengthening and shortening everyone's shadows.
Xiao Wu jumped towards Zhou Yimin, the calculator in his work clothes pocket jingling: "Chief Zhou, your water heater is so tempting! Can I take a shower in it later?"
Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by laughter. Xiao Zhao imitated Xiao Wu and rubbed his arms exaggeratedly: "Alright, alright, let's think about what to eat tonight!"
This sentence was like a ignited fuse. Everyone unconsciously slowed down their pace and started discussing the matter.
"I'll give you half a pound of food coupons in exchange for some peanuts!"
"It would be nice if we could get some loose wine!"
Amid the buzz of discussion, someone suddenly suggested, "How about we get together tonight?"
As soon as the words fell, the snow-covered factory road suddenly became quiet.
The north wind blew through the rusty pipes, making a whimpering sound, but it could not cover up the echoing sounds that came one after another.
"OK!"
"It's time for a good drink!" Li Chongguang pushed through the crowd and walked up to Zhou Yimin. The cuffs of his work clothes were still stained with oil from debugging the equipment. "Chief Zhou, are you free?"
Zhou Yimin looked at the shining eyes of the crowd.
The knuckles of Wu's fingers turned white as he held the reward slip. Old Zhao was wiping the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, not sure if it was because of the cold wind or because he was too excited.
He recalled the days when everyone was crowded in the research room eating cold steamed buns and drinking cold water, and suddenly felt his throat tighten: "Of course I have time!"
"Then let's all come to my house tonight!" Li Chongguang slapped his thigh, and his voice echoed in the empty factory area.
Some people cheered and hooked his shoulders, while others had already started thinking about what snacks to bring.
Zhou Yimin looked at the crowd surrounding Li Chongguang as he walked away. The water heater receipt in his work clothes pocket was warmed by his body temperature.
The lights of the workshop in the distance flickered in the snow, and at this moment, their warm gathering had just begun.
When the bell for the end of get off work broke through the twilight, a thin layer of ice formed on the asphalt road in the factory, which made a crackling sound when stepped on.
Everyone in the research lab wrapped themselves tightly in cotton-padded jackets, and the white air they exhaled condensed into tiny mist balls under the street lights.
Zhou Yimin was pushing the half-new motorcycle with a bulging canvas bag tied to the back seat, which swayed slightly with the bumps of the wheels.
Li Chongguang almost jogged home, the meat coupons in his overalls pocket softened by his body temperature.
When I opened the door, the hot steam from the coal stove wrapped in the aroma of cabbage stalks hit me in the face. My daughter-in-law was squatting in front of the stove, poking the stove, and sparks were crackling on the blue brick floor.
"My colleagues from the research lab are coming to dinner tonight!" he said as he took out his meat coupons, "Take out the vermicelli we have saved and borrow the aluminum pot from our neighbor."
When Li Chongguang stepped out of the house with the meat ticket in his hand, the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley was shaking off the snow.
As soon as I turned the corner, I ran into Zhou Yimin pushing a motorcycle.
The headlights cast a swaying spot of light on the snow, stretching the two people's shadows very long.
"Chief Li, where are you going?" Zhou Yimin took off his earmuffs, and tiny ice crystals condensed on his eyelashes.
"Let's go to the grocery store and exchange for meat!" Li Chongguang waved the ticket in his hand, "We have to give everyone a good meal no matter what!"
Before he finished speaking, Zhou Yimin had already bent down to untie the canvas strap on the back seat of the motorcycle, and the cold air mixed with the rich aroma of meat blew towards him.
"Chief Li, there's no need to bother. I brought some meat!"
Li Chongguang's fingers trembled slightly when he took the heavy cloth bag.
There were dark red oil stains on the burlap, and you could feel the firm flesh through the cloth.
He weighed it and found it was at least ten kilograms, which was almost the meat quota of an average family for a whole year.
"Chief Zhou, this, this is not enough for you to eat so much meat!" He hurriedly took a step back, but Zhou Yimin held the bag steadily.
"Don't worry about such trivial matters. As long as everyone enjoys their meal!" Zhou Yimin's palm covered the back of his hand, with the residual warmth from the motorcycle handlebars.
Unable to overcome Zhou Yimin's insistence, Li Chongguang had to step aside to lead the way.
When I pushed open the mottled wooden door, the warmth in the house came out with my wife's surprised voice: "So much meat? Put the aluminum pot on the shelf!"
The flames of the coal stove shot up high, reflecting the unmelted snow on the shoulders of the two people, turning this unexpected richness into the warmest friendship in the winter night.
When dusk completely engulfed the last ray of daylight, the courtyard of Li Chongguang's house was as lively as boiling molten steel.
The chimney of the coal stove spewed out billowing white smoke, drawing a winding trajectory in the cold night. The frozen iron door was pushed open and closed, and the creaking sound was mixed with greetings one after another.
"Mrs. Li, this is homemade sauerkraut!" Xiao Wu lifted the cotton-covered enamel jar, and the sour aroma instantly filled the air.
Old Zhao stepped into the doorway carrying a half-sack of cornmeal, his overalls still stained with mud from the road: "I know my sister-in-law wants to make steamed cornbread, this little bit of coarse grain is enough!"
The bashful apprentice, Xiao Zhang, blushed as he took out an oil-paper bag, which contained two pieces of fruit candies that he had bought with the candy coupons he had saved for three months. He insisted on giving them to the youngest daughter of the Li family who was helping at the stove.
Zhou Yimin put ten pounds of fresh meat on the chopping board. The sound of the knife cutting through the skin startled the tabby cat squatting in the corner and pricked up its ears.
Li Chongguang's wife, wearing an apron covered in patches, was busy cutting the meat into large chunks. Amid the sizzling sound of oil being poured into the iron pan, she turned her head and said with a smile, "Brother Yimin, this meat and potatoes stew is so delicious!"
As time passed, a small hill gradually piled up on the Eight Immortals Table.
The braised pork in the enamel basin has a glossy luster, and the fat and lean pieces of meat are soaked in the thick soup.
The aluminum pot was bubbling, and the aroma of sauerkraut stewed with vermicelli made people salivate. The moment the steamer was opened, hot steam wrapped in the sweet aroma of cornmeal hit us in the face, and the golden steamed bread glowed with an attractive color under the incandescent light.
"Come, try the peanuts I fried!" Lao Chen shook the enamel pot, and the unique burnt aroma of fried food mixed with the smell of white wine spread.
Someone took out a crumpled oil-paper bag from his arms, which contained loose biscuits exchanged for food stamps and distributed them to the children present.
When the last plate of stir-fried pork with green peppers was served, Li Chongguang raised the enamel jar as a wine glass, the notch on the rim of the jar gleaming under the light: "No need to wait, let's eat!"
Before he finished speaking, the sound of chopsticks clinking, soup being scooped from enamel bowls, and exclamations of admiration filled the room.
Xiao Wu picked up the trembling braised pork and blew on it because it was so hot but he was reluctant to put it down. Lao Zhao broke off half of a steamed bun, dipped it in the broth and ate it with a satisfied look on his face.
Several children gathered at the corner of the table, staring at the fruit candies and biscuits in the bowl with smiles on their faces.
No one was polite, there was meat, this was everyone's goal.
(End of this chapter)
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