"Yes! Wanqiu, we'll all listen to you!" The villagers echoed, their voices full of gratitude. Most of them were poor households in the village, who used to barely make ends meet by earning work points. Since joining the sideline group, they not only receive wages but also learn skills, and their lives are getting better day by day. They have grown to respect Lin Wanqiu even more.
After seeing off the villagers, only Lin Wanqiu and her family of three remained in the courtyard. Shen Tingzhou covered the last basket of pastries with oil paper, then turned to see Lin Wanqiu sitting on the threshold, lost in thought, her eyes filled with longing. He walked over, sat down beside her, and gently took her hand: "What are you thinking about?"
“I’m thinking that once our pastries find a market in the county town, we’ll teach the recipe to more villagers so that everyone can make money by making pastries.” Lin Wanqiu leaned on his shoulder, her voice full of anticipation. “Then we’ll open a tofu shop, making tofu, vermicelli, and bean curd sheets, and expand our side business so that Hongqi Production Brigade becomes the richest village in the commune.”
Shen Tingzhou looked down at her, his eyes full of tenderness: "Yes, as long as you're here, our lives will definitely get better and better." He paused, then said, "After delivering the pastries tomorrow, I'll go to the county town to see that liaison officer. Once I've figured out the mission, I can finally relax and stay home with you and Nian'an, and help you manage your side business."
Lin Wanqiu looked up, her eyes filled with surprise: "Really? That's great! I'll wait for you to come back and tell me the good news." She had been worried that Shen Tingzhou's mission would be dangerous, and now that the truth was finally about to be revealed, half of the weight on her heart was lifted.
Nian'an ran over, hugged Lin Wanqiu's leg, and looked up at her with her little face, saying, "Mom, I want to deliver pastries tomorrow too. I want to see if Director Wang will praise you like he did last time when he sees the pastries we made."
Lin Wanqiu smiled and nodded, patting her son's head: "Okay, I'll take you with me tomorrow. But you have to promise your mother that you'll behave well when we get to the county town and not run around."
"I understand!" Nian'an nodded vigorously, her little face full of excitement.
The next morning, before dawn, Shen Tingzhou had already harnessed the carriage. Lin Wanqiu and Nian'an sat on the carriage shaft, while the villagers sat in the carriage, guarding the bamboo baskets filled with pastries. The carriage moved slowly forward in the morning mist, the wheels crunching over the thin layer of ice on the road, making a "crunching" sound, like a light and cheerful ballad.
Nian'an, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, nestled in Lin Wanqiu's arms, gazing curiously at the scenery outside the window. Morning mist shrouded the fields like a veil, and distant villages were faintly visible. The occasional crowing of a rooster added a touch of life to the quiet morning. Pointing to the smoke rising from distant chimneys, he excitedly said, "Mom, look! There are people cooking over there. Are they making the pastries you taught me to make?"
Lin Wanqiu smiled and shook her head: "Not yet, but maybe it will be in the future. Once our pastries become popular in the county town, perhaps more people will learn to make them, and then everyone will be able to enjoy delicious pastries."
Shen Tingzhou gripped the reins, glanced back at the mother and child, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips. Sunlight gradually pierced through the morning mist, casting long shadows of the three on the carriage, a warmth that sweetened their hearts.
The carriage traveled for more than an hour before finally arriving at the county supply and marketing cooperative. Director Wang was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing the carriage, he immediately greeted them with a smile: "Comrade Wanqiu, Comrade Shen, you've finally arrived! I've been looking forward to seeing you all morning."
Lin Wanqiu jumped out of the car and said with a smile, "I'm sorry to have kept Director Wang waiting. These are some pastries we made. Please try them and see if they suit your taste." She took a peach shortbread from the bamboo basket and handed it to Director Wang.
Director Wang took the peach shortbread, took a bite, and his eyes lit up immediately: "Great! It's even better than the last sample! The crust is crispy enough, and the sweetness is just right, not greasy at all. The people in our county will definitely love it!" As he spoke, he picked up a piece of sesame cake and tasted it. "This sesame cake is also good. It's soft, chewy, sweet, and has the aroma of sesame. Both the elderly and children love it!"
Shen Tingzhou unloaded the bamboo baskets one by one from the car. Director Wang had the pastries moved into the supply and marketing cooperative's warehouse. As they walked, he said, "Comrade Wanqiu, let me tell you, ever since you sent the samples last time, the cooperative's regular customers have been asking every day when they can buy your pastries. Now that's great, we have so much stock, we can definitely meet everyone's needs."
Lin Wanqiu smiled and said, "Director Wang, don't worry. As long as the supply and marketing cooperative has a need, we can supply goods at any time. In the future, we will also develop new flavors, such as peanut cake and almond cake, to give people more choices."
"That's wonderful!" Director Wang exclaimed excitedly. "I'll arrange for people to put the pastries on the shelves right away, and we'll start selling them today!"
Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou followed Director Wang into the supply and marketing cooperative. They saw that a number of customers had already gathered in front of the shelves, most of whom had heard that new pastries had arrived and had come specifically to take a look. When the cooperative staff placed pastries such as peach crisps and sesame cakes on the shelves, the crowd immediately erupted in excitement.
"These peach shortbreads look delicious, weigh me a pound!"
"I want two pounds of sesame cakes, my wife loves them!"
"Give me a pound of mung bean cake and a pound of jujube paste cake, so the children can have a taste too!"
Customers rushed to buy, and in no time, most of the pastries on the shelf were sold out. A man in a Zhongshan suit walked up to the shelf, picked up a peach shortbread, tasted it, and his eyes lit up. He turned to Director Wang and said, "Old Wang, where did you get these pastries? They taste so good. Please get more in the future. I'll come to buy them every month."
Director Wang said with a smile, "These were made by the sideline production group of our commune's Red Flag Production Brigade. They are all handmade and have no miscellaneous ingredients added, so you can eat them with peace of mind."
The man nodded, bought three more pounds of peach shortbread and two pounds of sesame cake. Before leaving, he specifically asked for the address of the Hongqi Production Brigade, saying that he would visit it in person later.
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