The spring breeze of 1982, carrying the fresh scent of wheat fields from the outskirts, blew into the industrial zone of Hongqi Commune. Outside the newly built "Late Autumn Food Workshop," the vermilion signboard gleamed in the sunlight, its gilded characters edged with lotus scroll patterns. From afar, it appeared even more impressive than the commune's supply and marketing cooperative. Inside the factory, the roar of machines mingled with the laughter of workers. Beside the assembly line, female workers in uniform blue overalls deftly packed sesame crisps into oil paper bags printed with the words "Late Autumn," folding the bag openings into neat triangles, their movements as practiced as if handling precious jewels.
Lin Wanqiu stood by the window of her second-floor office, her fingertips lightly brushing away the condensation on the glass. Outside, several trucks bearing the "Wanqiu Food Workshop" sign were slowly driving out, their cargo beds filled with sealed gift boxes of pastries, ready to be shipped to supply and marketing cooperatives in five surrounding counties. She turned to look at Shen Tingzhou behind his desk. He was bent over checking the ledgers, sunlight streaming through the blinds and casting dappled shadows on his dark blue Zhongshan suit. "Tingzhou, I just got a call from the county supply and marketing cooperative. They said our purple sweet potato cakes and peanut candy are sold out in the county town, and they need us to expedite the delivery of another two hundred boxes this week." Lin Wanqiu's voice was filled with barely concealed joy, her eyes reflecting the bustling scene below, brighter than the spring sunshine outside the window.
Shen Tingzhou looked up, put down his pen, and gently traced the numbers in the ledger with his fingertips—since the food workshop expanded last year, monthly sales had tripled, not only paying off the loan for the factory expansion but also accumulating a considerable amount of working capital. Looking at the smile in Lin Wanqiu's eyes, he felt a surge of satisfaction: "I've already had Wang Fugui contact nearby peanut farmers, and they'll be able to purchase a batch of new peanuts next week, ensuring production isn't delayed. By the way, the commune secretary called yesterday, saying the regional supply and marketing cooperative wants to sign a long-term supply contract with us and also asked if we want to participate in next month's regional commodity fair."
"A regional trade fair?" Lin Wanqiu's eyes lit up. She quickly walked to her desk, picked up the invitation—the gold-embossed envelope bore the words "Regional Light Industry Bureau." Inside was a floor plan of the trade fair booths, their booth prominently positioned near the entrance. "This is a great opportunity! We can use this trade fair to promote our new product, 'Jujube and Walnut Cake,' and maybe even attract distributors from other regions." Her fingertips traced the recipe notes for "Jujube and Walnut Cake," a version she had improved using modern baking techniques from her space. It used locally grown golden jujubes and walnuts, retaining the traditional flavor while being more nutritious than ordinary pastries.
As they were talking, the office door was gently pushed open, and Shen Nian'an walked in carrying a schoolbag and a cloth bag in his hand: "Mom, Dad, I'm home from school. These are wild hawthorns that my classmates and I picked on the mountain. Do you think we can make hawthorn cakes? That way, our food shop can have another new product!" The boy is twelve years old this year. He is tall and straight, and his eyebrows and eyes have inherited Shen Tingzhou's heroic spirit, but also have Lin Wanqiu's liveliness. Now he is a top student in the commune middle school and often helps his family come up with ideas for new products.
Lin Wanqiu took the cloth bag and looked at the bright red wild hawthorns inside, still glistening with fresh dew. "Nian'an has a great idea! These wild hawthorns are very sour, perfect for making hawthorn cakes. They're appetizing and refreshing, sure to be popular with the people." She turned to Shen Tingzhou, her eyes full of anticipation. "Tomorrow we'll arrange for someone to go up the mountain to buy wild hawthorns, and then have the workshop set aside a production line specifically for hawthorn cakes."
Shen Tingzhou smiled and nodded, reaching out to ruffle Shen Nian'an's hair: "Okay, I'll listen to you two. But when buying wild hawthorns, remember to make the price clear to the villagers, so they don't suffer losses." He knew that the food workshop's current scale was inseparable from the support of the surrounding people—when the factory was expanded, the villagers in the commune took the initiative to help; when there was a shortage of raw materials, farmers from nearby villages gave them priority in selling their grain; even the workers in the workshop were mostly women recruited from impoverished families, who had elderly people and children to take care of at home, and working at the food workshop allowed them to earn money while also taking care of their families.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the food workshop's purchasing agent set off with a convoy to buy wild hawthorns from the surrounding villages. Lin Wanqiu, on the other hand, went to the workshop to check on the preparations for the new production line. Inside, the female workers were busy cleaning the machines and wiping the workbenches. Seeing Lin Wanqiu enter, they all stopped what they were doing and greeted her with smiles: "Director Lin, you've arrived!"
"Thank you all for your hard work!" Lin Wanqiu responded with a smile, walking over to a female worker named Li Xiulian. Li Xiulian has three children, and her husband injured his leg at a construction site last year, leaving the entire burden of the family on her shoulders. Lin Wanqiu, seeing her plight, specifically hired her in the food processing workshop and even advanced three months' salary for her husband's medical treatment. "Xiulian, have you learned the operating procedures for the new production line? If there's anything you don't understand, don't be shy about asking the technicians."
Li Xiulian nodded quickly, a grateful smile on her face: "Thank you, Director Lin, I've learned it all. The technician taught me very carefully. Yesterday I even tried making a small batch of hawthorn cakes, and they tasted just as good as yours!" She took out an oil paper package from her pocket and handed it to Lin Wanqiu, "These are the hawthorn cakes I brought home yesterday. My child said they were delicious and asked me to thank you. He also said he would study hard and grow up to be as capable as you."
Lin Wanqiu took the oil paper package, feeling a warm glow inside. She opened the oil paper, picked up a piece of hawthorn cake, and put it in her mouth—the sweet and sour flavor was just right, and the texture was delicate, even better than she had expected. "Xiulian, you did a great job! Once the hawthorn cake is officially in production, I'll give everyone a bonus, and I'll also give each child a box so they can taste the pastries we made ourselves."
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