Chapter 64 Significant Progress!!!

After receiving the news that the quota for the Food and Drinks Fair was confirmed, Factory 119 No. 2 celebrated greatly. The restless voices of the busy workers in the workshop seemed to overturn the ceiling of the workshop. It was only after a while of commotion that the noise died down.

However, to participate in the Food and Drinks Fair, you must have three to five distinctive products to show off; Factory 119 No. 2 is not enough.

As spring approached and the weather cleared up, Lin Xiang remembered the drink she had before traveling through time, and went to the wild with her sisters Qiu Hongxia and Yang Tian to pick some wild guava.

Guava is the guava that Lin Xiang had eaten before. Most of the wild guavas near Langhua Island are red-heart guavas. Unlike white-heart guavas, red-heart guavas have a sweet and sour taste under the yellow-green skin, while white-heart guavas are mostly sweet and less sour.

If it is used to squeeze juice, it will naturally taste better with sweet and sour taste.

A basket of green guava was brought back to Factory 119, where guava juice was prepared using the previous technology.

When the new product was prepared, the workers at Factory 2 couldn't help but be amazed when they tried it.

The taste of guava juice is different from the sweet coconut juice and the greasy orange soda. It is a mixture of fruit acid and sweetness. The sour and sweet taste is particularly stimulating to the taste buds and has a unique flavor.

The four people from the second factory's office set off, bringing with them the second factory's current flagship product, coconut juice, fresh guava juice, orange soda that had been produced and sold in the past, and finally coconut wine, which was the stepping stone for this Food and Drinks Fair.

This time, he would be gone for almost a week. Lin Xiang packed a lot of clothes at home in advance, and packed her spring clothes into a rattan-woven suitcase. He Hongyuan counted the time at home and couldn't help but say, "You are really busy every day, even busier than me when I go on a long trip."

He Hongyuan has not been out to sea much recently, and has mostly been completing missions with the army.

Lin Xiang smiled and said, "You can't stand this? If the juice from our factory is sold all over the country, maybe I can go on business trips all over the country. If it is sold all over the world, I..."

Halfway through her speech, the overly excited Lin Xiang suddenly remembered the strict ban on overseas activities, and she fell silent.

He Hongyuan obviously thought of this as well, and he curled his lips and said, "Are you really going to run away to the horizon?"

"No, no, no, no~" Lin Xiang calculated the time and had to leave. She picked up her suitcase and prepared to leave. Before leaving, she ran into the man's arms and kissed him on the cheek. "Wait for me to come back. I'll bring you something delicious!"

He Hongyuan: "..."

He always felt that this sentence was very familiar.

Oh, now I remember, adults in the family compound who are coaxing their children like to say this.

Lin Xiang and other colleagues gathered together, and the four of them took a boat to leave Langhua Island. After entering the city, they took a train to Jianghan City at Phnom Penh Railway Station. This train takes two days and one night to reach the destination. The distance is not short, but the four are very excited.

Kong Zhenzhen rarely has the opportunity to travel far, and she kept looking out the window, saying in amazement: "It would be great if I could go out once a month."

Director Zhao laughed twice: "Xiao Kong is dreaming, there are not so many opportunities for us to go out. I had to persuade the four of us to go out and get the letters of introduction."

This is true. Factory No. 2 got a quota for the National Food and Drinks Fair. Because they needed to take a train across provinces, they naturally had to have a letter of introduction from the factory before they could travel. However, at the beginning, Secretary Tang from Factory No. 1 only allowed two people to go out. They had never seen so many people go out at once.

It was a rare opportunity to go out and see the world, and the three kids in the office were eagerly looking forward to it. Director Zhao spent two days nagging Secretary Tang before he impatiently agreed. He wrote a letter of introduction for the four of them and they went to Hanjiang City on a business trip.

On the green train, the attendant once again inspected the passengers' letters of introduction. Lin Xiang put away the letters of introduction that were returned after the inspection, leaned against the window sill, and felt the gentle breeze around her. She felt comfortable. In this world, it is a luxury to be able to ride on a train. The scenery that passed by so quickly was already beautiful.

With excitement in their hearts, the green train rattled and swayed as it arrived at Jianghan Railway Station. The four of them walked out of the station, each carrying their luggage. When they saw the scenery of another city that they had never seen before, their eyes were shining with excitement.

Jianghan City is located in the central part of China, with many large rivers passing through it and beautiful scenery. In March, the people of Jianghan City have already taken off their thick and bulky cotton jackets and put on thin sweaters. Everyone is active and energetic, eating breakfast while standing, squatting or sitting on the roadside, under the eaves or on the doorsteps.

The aroma of noodles, fried dough sticks, and bean curd skin wafted in from the surroundings, tempting Lin Xiang and the others to salivate. Zhao Jianjun couldn't help swallowing his saliva and immediately decided, "Let's go to the state-owned hotel for breakfast first!"

Zhao Jianjun used his connections to exchange for national ration coupons in advance. Only with national ration coupons could one eat at state-owned hotels in other provinces and cities. He handed over a total of 8 taels of national ration coupons and paid 32 cents, and four bowls of hot dry noodles were served.

The oily, red and spicy hot dry noodles are shiny and will make you want to eat them at first sight. The salty and strong alkaline noodles are chewy, mixed with the rich aroma of sesame paste and the salty and spicy chili oil, and the flavor is unique and tempting.

"This tastes good." Zhao Jianjun had never eaten noodles mixed with sesame sauce before, and it had a unique flavor.

Kong Zhenzhen and Ma Defa also had the opportunity to visit other cities for the first time. They were excited to eat and nodded: "It's delicious. It's said that the local climate and soil nurture the local people. It's true that everything is different everywhere."

Take the upcoming Food and Drinks Fair for example. The sugar and wine brought by sugar factories and wineries from all over the country will have different characteristics.

Lin Xiang tasted the noodles with rich layers of flavor. She finished a bowl of hot dry noodles in no time and finally took a sip of coconut juice, which was refreshing.

The four of them quickly finished their breakfast and contentedly carried their luggage to the venue of the National Food and Drinks Congress.

This National Food and Drinks Fair was held at the Red Star Guesthouse in Jianghan City. The main organizers were the National Grain and Oil Corporation and the National Food and Drinks Association, and the organizing unit was the Jianghan Municipal Government.

As a guesthouse under the municipal government, the Red Star Guesthouse is also the largest and highest-specification guesthouse in the city. It mostly hosts large-scale government meetings and city-wide meetings. The auditorium on the first floor was vacated in advance for simple decoration as the venue for the National Food and Drinks Fair.

Representatives from more than 80 sugar factories and wineries across the country will stay at the Red Star Guesthouse. After registering and confirming their identity information at the front desk on the first floor, they will receive a participant badge. With this badge, they can freely enter and exit the Sugar and Wine Fair for the next five days.

When Zhao Jianjun and three people from the second factory rushed to the Red Star Guesthouse, many representatives from other provinces and cities had already arrived and were chatting in the lobby. After all, there were only two industries, and there were colleagues everywhere, so they had a lot of common topics.

"Comrade, please show us the invitation letter for this Food and Drinks Fair, the introduction letter of your factory, and the household registration page of the participants." Xiao Li at the front desk checked the information as usual. When he looked up, he found four unfamiliar comrades in front of him. One of them was a young female comrade who was pretty and beautiful. He couldn't help but look at her a few more times. If he hadn't known that this was a Food and Drinks Fair, he would have thought that they were some movie actors.

But when the pretty female comrade handed over various letters from her bag, Xiao Li saw the words "119 Food Factory" and his face changed immediately. He stepped back seriously and said, "Comrade, this is a food and beverage fair, not a place for fun. Please don't make trouble."

Lin Xiang: "..."

I am innocent.

Representatives from other sugar and wine factories nearby heard the commotion in front of the stage and looked sideways. After all, it was strange for someone to come and cause trouble. Those people looked decent and did not look like they were up to no good.

Lin Xiang explained with a faint smile: "Hello, comrade, we are representatives of Phnom Penh 119 Food Factory. We are here to participate in the Food and Drinks Fair. This is the invitation letter we received. We are here with a legitimate quota."

"How is it possible!" Xiao Li frowned. How could someone from a food factory come to the Food and Drinks Fair? Especially since the introduction letter clearly stated that it was the second food factory and the soda factory. How could someone selling soda come here?

Ma Defa said calmly: "Comrade, just take a look at the list of participants and you will know whether we are on it or not."

Xiao Li had a page of attendee list in his hand, which listed the participating factories and representatives, and required the representatives to sign. After he got it, he quickly glanced at it and didn't take it too seriously. After all, everyone knew that the Sugar and Wine Fair was attended by sugar factories and wine factories. Now that someone reminded him, he silently lowered his head and took a look.

Wow, there actually is a 119 Food Factory inside!

After making such a blunder, Xiao Li carefully checked the information and certificates of the four people from the 119 Food Factory. Not giving up yet, he left to ask his superiors. He got a positive reply that there really were people from the soda factory participating in the Food and Drinks Fair. Xiao Li was completely shocked.

After handing out work badges to the four people, he couldn't help but look at them, muttering, "It's really strange, how can a soda seller come to participate in the Food and Drinks Fair?"

After such a delay at the front desk, the representatives from the sugar factories and wine factories who arrived in the hall first had some surprise in their eyes. A soft drink factory would actually come to participate in the Sugar and Wine Fair?

And it’s a soda factory that I’ve never heard of! It’s not famous at all.

This is really confusing!

The limelight of more than 80 state-owned factories was immediately stolen by this soda factory that no one had ever heard of. The representative of the Capital Sugar Factory happened to greet the representative of the Haining Sugar Factory who took the initiative to introduce himself. He immediately asked: "Chief Gu, you are all from Haining Province. What's going on? Why is there a soda factory attending the conference? This factory is very famous in your province?"

Upon hearing this, Section Chief Gu of the Haining Sugar Factory frowned and said, "It's not famous at all. It's just a small factory. I don't know how it got a place."

There are only two quotas in the entire Hai Ninh province. Section Chief Gu of the Hai Ninh Sugar Factory is naturally unhappy that a small factory like Phnom Penh has also come to join in the fun, bringing shame to his own province.

Representatives from wineries in other cities came to join in the fun after hearing about it: "Wow, that's really weird, wait and see."

Who would like to see such a person who must have connections who came in through the backdoor?

Seeing the four people from Factory 119 coming into the hall, the representatives from other factories who were originally greeting each other enthusiastically fell silent at the same time. Everyone stared at the four people with burning eyes, their eyes full of inquiry. Because they were new here, naturally no familiar colleagues came forward to greet them, which formed a strong contrast with the previous lively and friendly scene.

Some people smiled with disdain on their faces, feeling embarrassed for these small factories that got in through connections and had no skills at all.

Look, these people are definitely at a loss and have to find a corner to stay alone.

"Oh, you must be Section Chief He from the Capital Beer Factory, nice to meet you." Zhao Jianjun took two steps forward and shook the hand of a middle-aged man tightly twice, then turned around and greeted the female comrade next to him, "Hello, comrade from the Shanghai No. 1 Sugar Factory, hello, your White Rabbit milk candy tastes so good, it's amazing!"

"Hey, your last name is Zhao too. We were a family five hundred years ago! It's fate that we meet here today. We should have a drink some time. Old Zhao, the liquor you make in your factory is really good. It tastes incredible."

"I was wondering who you look like. You look a lot like my distant cousin. I felt very friendly when I saw you. I thought I was meeting a relative! But you look younger than my cousin..."

"We're all veterans, so we're brothers! Don't be so formal!"

The originally quiet hall was now filled with the voice of Zhao Jianjun talking and laughing. His shiny forehead seemed to reveal a bit of happiness, and the wrinkles on his face were full of joy. He was always friendly and enthusiastic when speaking to everyone, which naturally made the people on the other side shake hands with him and exchange a few words of greeting.

Especially when Zhao Jianjun praised the products in your factory, everyone felt comfortable.

After Zhao Jianjun had shaken hands with all the representatives of the factory and led three people from the factory to greet the employees of the National Grain and Oil Company outside, his colleagues in the hall began to whisper.

——"Do you know him? You two seem to be having a great time chatting."

——"I don't know him, but he was so enthusiastic the moment he arrived, and I couldn't push his hand away."

——"So you are very familiar with him? How come you are almost like brothers?"

——"I thought you knew him. Didn't you both talk about an ancestor from hundreds of years ago?"

......

After everyone talked to each other, they found out that he didn't know anyone!

Lin Xiang, Kong Zhenzhen, and Ma Defa followed behind Director Zhao and were shocked to see him socializing with ease throughout the event.

It's a pity that Director Zhao didn't go into sales. He could go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instead.

Kong Zhenzhen and Ma Defa had been with Zhao Jianjun for a longer time, so they were used to it. "Don't worry, if our director wants to, he can chat with any dog ​​that passes by."

Lin Xiang: "..."

Awesome!

"Hello, Manager Xu." Zhao Jianjun knew that the quota for his factory was decided by this Manager Xu of the National Grain and Oil Company, so he came over to pay his respects immediately, "We are from Factory 119 in Phnom Penh. Thank you for giving our factory this precious quota..."

Manager Xu heard that Factory 119 in Phnom Penh finally remembered that Hai Ninh Provincial Grain and Oil Company had finally reported that it wanted to compete for the spot. It would be quite funny if a soda factory came to join in the fun.

However, he was shocked to hear that someone had seized on a loophole in the text of the Food and Drinks Fair to say that coconut wine was also wine. In addition, he had never drunk any coconut wine, so he thought it would be a good idea to give people a chance and give Haining Province some face, thereby increasing its enthusiasm for participation.

"Director Zhao, right? I've heard a lot about your coconut wine. I must try it the day after tomorrow."

"That's right, Manager Xu, you are in charge!"

After the first day of reporting, Factory 119 became famous among its peers at the Food and Drinks Fair. It was not because of the outstanding products, but out of sheer shock, and the people in this factory were considered extraordinary.

After the report, everyone carried their luggage and checked into the guesthouse. The men stayed on the third floor and the lesbians stayed on the second floor, with two people staying in each room.

It was convenient for Lin Xiang and Kong Zhenzhen to live together. After packing up, they prepared to go downstairs for dinner. However, before dinner, she found the front desk and made a phone call to the military communication room to report her safety to He Hongyuan.

When I came back, Director Zhao was already drinking with a group of colleagues from the Food and Drinks Fair. They were so friendly that it seemed like they were brothers who had known each other for more than ten years.

"The director is really amazing." Lin Xiang sat next to Kong Zhenzhen and sighed in a low voice.

Kong Zhenzhen smiled knowingly: "This is his normal performance. But you young people are really something. You have to spend a lot of money to make phone calls every time you go out?"

Oh, it made her teeth ache.

Lin Xiang tilted her head, took a bite of the fish with chopsticks, and said with a smile: "Captain He is worried."

"Eh~" Kong Zhenzhen said angrily, "If I call home, my husband will just say that I'm wasting money. I have to tell him when I get home that I should learn a lesson from Captain He!"

After a sumptuous dinner and a good night's sleep, Lin Xiang was in high spirits at the first day of the Food and Drinks Fair.

Lin Xiang inquired about the process in advance. The Sugar and Wine Fair is divided into five days. On the morning of the first day, provincial and municipal leaders and the organizers held a meeting and gave speeches. In the afternoon, representatives of each factory went to the venue to set up their own booths. The next four days were the Sugar and Wine Fair. Many provincial and municipal leaders, representatives of grain and oil companies, and reporters would appear. Starting from the third day, the people of Jianghan City could also visit the fair and make purchases at will. Whether you can promote your products, sign orders, and sell things to other places depends on your ability.

Such a National Food and Drinks Fair is a rare opportunity to expand sales and make a name for ourselves.

Lin Xiang applauded along with the crowd, listening to the leaders of the Jianghan Municipal Government, the director of the Industry and Commerce Bureau, the general manager of the National Grain and Oil Corporation...all the bigwigs took turns to speak on stage, which showed how much importance this country's only Food and Drinks Fair had.

In the back row of the auditorium, camera flashes were clicking non-stop, and reporters from the Jianghan Daily were recording important moments.

In the afternoon, everyone went to the venue to set up their own booths. The locations of the booths of more than 80 factories had already been determined, and they were arranged in order of fame, scale, etc. Lin Xiang and her four companions walked and walked, but they couldn't find their own booth after searching around the venue.

Zhao Jianjun touched his smooth forehead and wondered, "Where is our booth? Did we forget to write it down?"

Kong Zhenzhen looked around but didn't see the number 119: "I'll go ask the staff."

"No need to go." Lin Xiang called out to Kong Zhenzhen, and pointed her slender index finger at a hidden corner of the venue, "Ours is here."

Zhao Jianjun approached the staff and said, "Comrade, our booth is too hidden. I can't even see it with my eyes wide open. Can't we move it to another place?"

The staff was helpless: "We can't help it. Your factory was added last. It's good to have a place."

Zhao Jianjun: "..."

The same goes for this.

Lin Xiang advised: "Director, forget it, let's just make arrangements properly."

Although the booth was at the back of the venue and too hidden to be seen unless you looked carefully, fortunately it was still set up.

She came with a secret weapon.

Compared with the sugar and wine displays prepared by other sugar factories and wineries, Lin Xiang took the trouble to bring a large sack from Phnom Penh, which was filled with a bunch of fresh eggs.

In addition to a display stand that simply displayed piles of candies or lonely beer and liquor bottles, there was a display stand that actually had a pile of fruits.

Coconuts with brown and green shells, a few small yellow-green guavas, and a bunch of golden oranges, such rich colors grabbed the attention of many people.

Except for the provinces and cities surrounding Hai Ninh Province, most people present had never seen or even heard of coconuts and guava. Now everyone was curious and thought that this soda factory was too flashy.

Does this mean they are no longer selling alcohol or soda, but are selling wild fruits instead?

The fruit juices are placed next to the piles of fruits, which is bright and eye-catching.

Lin Xiang finished styling her things and heard Kong Zhenzhen's voice coming over from outside, "They're coming, a lot of people are coming in."

Those who swarmed in included leaders of various provinces and cities, officials from the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, directors of some large department stores and supply and marketing cooperatives, and of course, the indispensable reporters.

The venue was large, and people started to look in from the entrance, and then interacted with the factory booths from these big cities in the capital Shanghai. Leaders asked questions, factory representatives answered, reporters took photos, and then people were invited to taste the newly released candies or newly released wines. It was a lively scene.

Even if the leaders walked separately, they mostly stayed at the booths in front, staying in front of each booth for a long time. The booths behind were looking forward to it, not knowing when they would come to their booths.

Zhao Jianjun looked at the situation ahead and realized that they might not be able to wait until today, so he simply told his three men to go out and explore on their own.

In the huge venue, the sweet aroma of candy wafted everywhere, and the spicy and stimulating taste of white wine and the malt aroma of beer were even more intoxicating.

Because everyone could taste the wines for free, Zhao Jianjun almost got drunk. None of the wineries that could participate in the Wine Fair were fake; all of them had real ingredients!

Tsingtao Beer, Harbin Beer, Yanjing Beer, Reebo Beer, Shancheng Beer...

There are also various types of liquor, the taste is spicy and you just feel refreshed after taking a sip!

Director Zhao was intoxicated by the free drinks, while Lin Xiang and Kong Zhenzhen were reluctant to leave the sugar factory booth. All the sugar factories that came this time were well-known domestic sugar factories, with various flavors of sugar, diverse varieties, excellent taste, and sweet and delicious.

Peanut nougat has a strong aroma and is sweet and delicious. White Rabbit milk candy is full of milky fragrance and leaves a lingering fragrance on your lips and teeth. The crispy candy is even more complicated, with a dense filling under the crispy outer skin. The colorful assorted gummy candies are soft and chewy. The various fruit candies are even more rich in flavor, including lemon candy, hawthorn candy, orange candy, glucose, pear candy...everything is available.

Most people in the country have never seen so many types of sugar. After all, without such a large-scale exhibition, it is difficult to invite factories to participate. Everyone sells in their own province or city, and many are not sold nationwide.

Lin Xiang and Kong Zhenzhen were truly eye-opening, with a sweet taste in their mouths. They couldn't help but pay for some candies to take back and share.

Seeing that the progress was slow, especially some big leaders seemed not to visit all the booths. They would probably just take a look at the first few, take some photos, accept the interview and then retreat. Lin Xiang couldn't help but worry.

While chewing some grape gummies, she went to Zhao Jianjun to report: "Director, let's bring a few boxes of coconut juice and give one bottle to each booth."

Zhao Jianjun was drinking happily. Hearing this, he thought for a moment and understood what Lin Xiang meant: "Okay, send it out."

Lin Xiang came back and told Kong Zhenzhen and Ma Defa about this. Ma Defa was surprised.

"Isn't that the coconut juice that we are going to sell here? We are going to see if it can be sold out to make a name for ourselves. If we really give one bottle to every booth, there won't be much left."

After all, they came here by train, and it was not easy to get 9 boxes of coconut juice and several boxes of other fruit juices. If they really had to send them out, Madfa was worried that it would be a waste of effort.

"If we don't deliver it now, we won't even have a chance to be seen, not to mention making a name for ourselves." Lin Xiang whispered to the two of them and convinced Ma Defa. The three of them rushed to deliver coconut juice everywhere.

The sugar factory and the wine factory were both displaying their own products. After talking until they were dry-mouthed, they couldn't just drink sugar or wine as water. They could only drink the boiled water in the kettle. But sometimes they were too busy to take care of it. When the kettle was empty, they didn't have time to get more water.

It was not until the strange and bizarre representative of Factory 119 was so kind as to bring a bottle of milky juice that everyone was surprised and could not help swallowing.

Although I have never seen anything like this, it looks beautiful and is pure white, so I think the water must be delicious.

"Comrade, you must be thirsty after working so hard. Have some coconut juice from our 119 factory. It tastes delicious." Lin Xiang pressed the table top of the booth and opened a bottle and handed it over. Soon, the unique sweet aroma of coconut juice gradually spread, which was very tempting.

The representative of Shanghai No. 1 Sugar Factory couldn't wait to take a sip of the coconut juice. His eyes lit up. It was refreshing, sweet, and mellow. "It's delicious! What kind of juice is this from your factory?"

Lin Xiang smiled and said, "119 coconut juice, drink it slowly, I'll send it to the others."

After all the busy work, a bottle of milky white glass juice was placed on each booth, which was particularly eye-catching.

The leader of Jianghan Municipal Party Committee visited several booths. The secretary looked at the time and reminded him that he had to go back to the meeting. The reporter had collected enough materials. The leader of the Municipal Party Committee nodded and said, "Let's take a look at one more booth. The rest can be looked at by themselves."

He just turned around and scanned the entire venue one by one. The densely packed booths made it really difficult to make a decision. When he came to his senses again, Secretary Hong suddenly discovered that there was a special-looking glass bottle on each booth.

"What is this? Whose wine is it?"

Kong Zhenzhen was eating candy nearby. Upon hearing this, she immediately shouted, "That's coconut juice from Factory 119. They also have coconut wine."

The municipal party committee leader was led to the deepest part of the venue out of curiosity. Seeing a booth piled with fruits, his interest immediately piqued: "What is this booth selling? Which factory is it from?"

Lin Xiang stepped forward and introduced: "Secretary Hong, we are from Phnom Penh 119 Food Factory. We mainly sell coconut juice, orange soda, guava juice and coconut wine."

Secretary Hong was puzzled: "The Sugar and Wine Fair is not for selling sugar and wine, why are there people selling soda here too?"

The secretary asked the question in person, and everyone present looked at each other in bewilderment. Even if the secretary's tone was calm and just full of doubt, other people would interpret it as a different attitude. Was he going to blame them?

Many people came over to watch the excitement, and felt that the 119 Soda Factory was really bold. It would have been fine if they had entered through the back door and hidden quietly, but how dare they even confront the leader? Wasn't this just asking for trouble?

Lin Xiang smiled faintly and said, "Secretary Hong, coconut wine is of course also wine. The regulations of the Food and Drinks Fair state that wine can participate. Our coconut wine is naturally included in the wine category."

"Hahaha." Secretary Hong laughed a few times. He knew that the people in this factory were being clever, but it didn't matter. "If you think about it carefully, it makes sense. It doesn't say that you can only sell liquor and beer. Come and see the products in your factory."

As soon as the words fell, Ma Defa and Kong Zhenzhen poured coconut wine and soda for the leaders and reporters who were gathered around Secretary Hong.

They had prepared small cups in advance, which came in handy at this moment, so that everyone could take a sip of the drink.

For most people who have never heard of, let alone drank, coconut water, coconut juice and coconut wine are really surprising, as well as new things like guava juice.

After tasting it, Secretary Hong smiled and said, "The coconut wine tastes a bit worse, and still can't compare to beer and liquor. Although they are both alcohol, beer and liquor still have better flavor."

The crowd of onlookers were listening to these words, some of them were making faces and watching the show, and those with gossipy eyes seemed to be saying - look how the guy who got in through the back door was singled out for criticism by the secretary!

But Secretary Hong didn't finish his words: "But coconut juice and ba...what juice."

Zhao Jianjun said quickly: "Guava is a wild fruit in our area."

"Well, coconut juice and guava juice taste very good, with a unique flavor. Especially this coconut juice, it is not inferior to the orange soda that is sold all over the country." Secretary Hong thought of the most famous orange soda now and joked, "Beibingyang Soda Factory has a rival."

Wow, everyone was shocked when they heard this!

After the leaders left, I was still thinking about it, and I was amazed at how highly this leader spoke of the coconut juice from Factory 119!

After the excitement died down, the leaders of various provinces and cities who were invited to attend the conference, as well as the directors of major department stores and supply and marketing cooperatives, were still lingering around the various exhibition booths. Their mission was to introduce excellent sugar or alcoholic products from other provinces to enrich the lives of the people in their provinces and cities. Although they had just visited the booth selling coconut juice, the categories approved did not include soda. Although they had looked at it, no one talked about introducing it.

Kong Zhenzhen was a little disappointed: "So many people came to watch the excitement just now, and even Secretary Hong praised us. I thought I could gain something."

Lin Xiang comforted her: "It is also a gain, at least more and more people know us."

This kind of thing cannot be forced. After all, they took advantage of a loophole in the rules to enter the market, and it is not easy for them to be in the spotlight for a short time.

In the next few days, several people worked hard to welcome the leaders and the people of Jianghan City who had gradually gained some popularity due to Secretary Hong's visit.

No matter where the Food and Drinks Fair is held, it is a hot topic, after all, it can benefit the local people. More than a month in advance, the people of Jianghan City are excited, and when the People's Open Day of the Food and Drinks Fair arrives, they swarm into the venue to see the novelties, and many people spend money to buy good things.

After all, most of the things here are not available locally, so they are so fresh.

The coconut juice from Factory 119 is quite popular among the common people, but the quantity they brought is limited, and most of it was given away on the first day. Now even if they want to sell some in small quantities, they can’t sell too much.

Ma Defa regretted: "Look at those sugar factories and wine factories. They have basically signed a lot of orders. Not to mention selling to all cities in the country, each factory can get orders from two or three cities. It's really amazing."

It is really amazing that participating in such a food and beverage fair can easily expand sales.

Zhao Jianjun drank a few glasses of wine for free every day, and comforted him with a look of enjoyment: "Don't worry, it's good that we can come here. It's expected that we can't sign. It's a pleasant surprise that we can sign."

On the second to last day of the Food and Drinks Fair, most of the factories had signed orders. Although 119 received many guests, it was still not open for business. Representatives from several wineries nearby looked at us with disgust and contempt, and whispered sarcastic words to us from time to time.

Lin Xiang adjusted her mentality well. This was already a historic step and there was no need to force it. However, it was not easy to come here and it was hard to say whether there would be a next time. She had to seize every opportunity.

Seeing a reporter fiddling with a large camera at the entrance of the venue and preparing to leave, she hurried over to help him. After all, she had used such an old-fashioned camera before when she visited retro attractions. She immediately helped take pictures of the man and invited the reporter to have a glass of coconut juice.

The reporter from Jianghan Daily had been busy for four days. He felt refreshed after drinking the refreshing coconut juice. He also saw that this booth was decorated differently from other booths. He became interested after listening to Lin Xiang's introduction and took a few photos.

It is said that people who are good at taking pictures always like to take pictures of handsome men and beautiful women. This is true. When the reporter saw Lin Xiang, who looked like someone who walked out of a movie poster, his hands itched for a moment: "Comrade, why don't you stand next to the booth so I can take a picture of you."

It would be a shame not to take a photo of such a good-looking gay.

Lin Xiang thought that if there was an opportunity to be published in the newspaper, it would be a perfect advertising spot, so she accepted it immediately. She stood beside the booth with a bottle of coconut juice in her hand and a faint smile on her face.

There was a click, and then another click. The reporter couldn't help but take one more photo and couldn't stop admiring it. This comrade is so photogenic.

"Comrade, how about I take one too? I'm pretty handsome too." Zhao Jianjun appeared in the reporter's sight with a shiny forehead and a flushed face due to drinking.

The reporter stepped back and declined: "Sorry, comrade, I'm out of film and can't take the photo."

Zhao Jianjun: "..."

This is discrimination, blatant discrimination!

"Not bad, not bad." Zhao Jianjun was very satisfied holding the newspaper. He never thought that his coconut juice would be in the newspaper! It was really a great honor for his family. He had to buy a few copies to post on the wall of the second factory and also send them to the people in the first factory to see.

——

After finishing work, Lin Xiang went back to the front desk of the guesthouse and paid to call He Hongyuan. In short, she talked about what happened in the factory: "Our factory has already gained a lot, but no one came to sign the order at the last step, which is a bit of a pity."

He Hongyuan only hoped that his wife would come back soon, and consoled her: "This is your first time there, it's not bad, there will be opportunities in the future. By the way, will you arrive tomorrow night?"

Lin Xiang nodded across the phone line: "Yes, I estimate that I can return to the island at 8 o'clock in the evening. You don't have to pick me up. The four of us are all taken care of here."

He Hongyuan hummed vaguely, without saying whether he would answer the call or not.

After talking on the phone for a minute, Lin Xiang spent 20 cents, which was almost enough to buy a pound of pork. She knew she couldn't waste it, so she said sweetly before hanging up, "Hongyuan, I miss you so much. Please wait for me to come back. Do you miss me?"

The person on the other end of the line seemed to have stopped breathing, with only the crackling sound of electricity, which was unique to telephones of that era, ringing out.

He Hongyuan was so soft inside, but when he saw the gossipy look from the operator next to him, he still maintained the dignified posture of the army's lively and lively leader, and said in a charming voice: "Yes. But I have an operator listening here."

Lin Xiang: "...!!!"

Forgot about it.

"Goodbye!" Lin Xiang hung up the phone directly.

Lin Xiang, who had forgotten the embarrassing moment after a good sleep, welcomed the last day of the Food and Drinks Fair.

On this day, the morning edition of Jianghan Daily reported on this grand national food and beverage fair. The huge page detailed the entire process from preparation to holding, including interviews with leaders of various departments, organizers, and representatives of nationally renowned participating factories.

In the one-page report, Factory 119 actually occupied a very small corner. In the black-and-white photo, a pretty lesbian held a bottle of milky white coconut juice and looked at the camera. The text next to it recorded: "...In addition to various types of sugar and wine, the Sugar and Wine Fair even had a delicious alternative soda coconut juice, which was sweet and mellow, and was really special."

"Not bad, not bad." Zhao Jianjun was very satisfied holding the newspaper. He never thought that his coconut juice would be in the newspaper! It was really a great honor for his family. He had to buy a few copies to post on the wall of the second factory and also send them to the people in the first factory to see.

The last day of the Food and Drinks Fair is almost over. Although it is the last day, there are actually not many people. In the morning, the factories exchanged technology and experience with each other and learned and improved together. In the afternoon, they packed up the venue and prepared to go home. The orders that should be signed had been signed a few days ago. All major factories returned with full loads. Everyone had an order, except for Factory 119.

Because the 119 factory gave everyone free coconut juice, many colleagues came to comfort them: "It's normal for your factory to come here in the first year. Maybe you can sign orders in the future and sell it to other places. Don't say anything. If you can really sell it here, I will definitely buy it!"

"I'll buy it too. I drink orange soda every year. Your coconut juice is quite different. I will definitely spend money on it."

Lin Xiang thanked everyone, but some people around her also said some sarcastic words to her.

Several wineries were not grateful and continued to mock: "I don't know why the soda sellers are here to join in the fun. We have already reported this to the grain and oil companies. They need to make the regulations clear next year. Only beer and liquor sellers are allowed to register. We can't let any random people in. We can't sign the orders. No city is interested in them. If they come in, it will only cause delays for everyone."

Lin Xiangchong smiled and said, "Comrade, we applied to be admitted in a formal manner. We must abide by the rules this year. Even Mayor Hong agrees. Besides, those who sell soda are no less than those who sell beer. Maybe in the future this sugar and wine fair will become a convention where all kinds of products can be exhibited and sold. There is no need to hide anything. Wouldn't it be better for everyone to develop and progress together?"

Someone around praised the 119 factory for being aware and criticized those older wineries. The venue suddenly became lively.

The representative of the Laozhige Winery snorted, "What's the point of talking so much? We want to develop and progress together. Look, everyone has made progress, but only your factory hasn't signed any orders. Our factory has signed orders from five cities this time. What about you? If you can't sell anything, don't bother yourself."

Kong Zhenzhen couldn't bear to listen any longer and was about to say a few more words when she suddenly saw a strange man walk into the venue, anxiously looking for someone from Factory 119.

"Is the factory that sells coconut juice still there?"

Kong Zhenzhen raised her hand and said, "I'm here!"

"There is a list of the white juice from your factory. Grain and oil companies in eleven cities want to attract them to sell it. It's good that they haven't left. Come and take a look."

The staff member's words stunned everyone in the room. The winery representative was the first to react: "Manager Zhang, did you make a mistake? How come no one came to sign orders with them in the past few days, but now that the business is about to end, there are suddenly so many people coming."

Officer Zhang said, "We all came here with the mission of buying sugar and wine. After completing the mission, we went back to ask our superiors if we wanted to try the juice. Look at me, I still don't remember the name or what the juice is."

Dozens of people in the meeting answered him in unison: "119 coconut juice!"

When Zhao Jianjun was signing in the office behind the scenes of the Food and Drinks Fair, his hands were shaking. He clenched his left hand and forced his right hand to remain steady. Looking at so many orders and thinking that his coconut juice could be sold to 11 cities outside Haining Province, he almost burst into tears!

Manager Xu of the National Grain and Oil Company did not expect that the 119 coconut juice would capture the hearts of so many leaders who came to inspect the product, and become the manufacturer with the largest number of orders signed this time.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that other large manufacturers have already supplied many provinces and cities.

But such performance is still impressive.

Zhao Jianjun calmed down, grabbed Manager Xu's hand and shook it again and again, "Manager Xu, thank you, thank you, on behalf of all the people in Factory 119, I would like to thank the Sugar and Wine Fair, thank you!"

Manager Xu was overwhelmed by the veteran's strength and managed to free himself from the grip. He encouraged him by saying, "It's also because your factory's products are so good."

Zhao Jianjun is used to following the lead: "That's right. Our factory has always been adhering to the spirit of serving the people. We are down-to-earth and hardworking, and we are determined to add luster to the lives of the people."

Manager Xu: "..."

"Director." Lin Xiang was happy, but she did not forget another important thing. She thought about how several wineries had excluded them and had reported to their superiors to modify the rules to exclude soda sellers like 119 from the Food and Drinks Fair. The 119 factory could not stop such a proposal. After thinking for a while, she proposed a solution to Director Zhao.

Zhao Jianjun understood immediately and said, "Manager Xu, I have something else to tell you. We want to sponsor the Food and Drinks Fair. What do you think?"

Manager Xu was puzzled: "Sponsorship?"

Lin Xiang stepped forward to explain: "That's right, Manager Xu, we came here and found that there are so many sugar factories and wine factories setting up booths. We have been busy for several days and have almost no time to drink water. Even if we drink water, there is a bottle of water for each booth. When we are really busy, we don't have time to get water. We often have to endure thirst. We can't stand it, and want to serve everyone. In the future, at every Sugar and Wine Fair, our 119 factory is willing to provide free coconut juice to all booths, so that everyone can drink it for free!"

Manager Xu understood what sponsorship meant and was shocked. He shook Zhao Jianjun's hand and shook it excitedly: "Director Zhao, your factory is really very enlightened. On behalf of all the participating factories, I would like to thank you!"

That's coconut juice at 1.5 cents a bottle, and Factory 119 is willing to sponsor it for free!

What a great spirit!

Zhao Jianjun held Manager Xu's hand and continued to press: "Since we are sponsoring so much coconut juice, we should have more people from our factory. It shouldn't be too much to set up a booth at the end of the venue, Old Xu."

Free sponsorship? Just get more orders and it will come back!

I have never suffered a loss!

Manager Xu: "..."

So you're waiting for me here!

However, Factory 119 is so aware that providing so many boxes of coconut juice does require a lot of manpower, so it is certainly not excessive: "Sure, welcome you, we will welcome you to every Sugar and Wine Fair in the future!"

......

"Manager Xu, the rules of next year's Food and Drinks Fair must be changed, and they must be clearly stated." Representatives of several wine factories that had previously argued with Factory 119 jointly approached the National Grain and Oil Corporation to protest, "We agreed that this is a Food and Drinks Fair, so we must clearly state that only liquor and beer sellers are allowed to register."

Having said that, several people looked at the four people from Factory 119 with pride.

Let you brag again? So what if you signed a contract with 11 cities? You still won't be able to attend the Food and Drinks Fair in the future.

Zhao Jianjun touched his smooth forehead and said excitedly: "Manager Xu, I agree! Change it! It must be changed! Factories that sign up to participate in the Food and Drinks Fair must sell sugar, liquor and beer. We can't give others the opportunity to take advantage of it."

Several people at the winery: “…?”

What kind of trick is this? Scolding yourself?

After the four people 119 left with satisfaction, Manager Xu also agreed to revise the registration rules for the Food and Drinks Fair, clearly changing the alcohol category to only factories selling beer and liquor being able to participate.

The representatives of several wineries were satisfied, but before they left, they heard Manager Xu say, "Factory 119 will not sign up anymore. We will sponsor coconut juice for you, and we will come."

Everyone: ?????

——

On the return train, Zhao Jianjun and his three men kept admiring the orders signed with 11 cities across the country. Their faces were beaming with joy as they recalled the difficult times at the second factory. Once they were excited they would talk for at least half an hour and could not stop for an hour, leaving the three men speechless.

Lin Xiang & Kong Zhenzhen & Ma Defa: You are so long-winded.

But there was no escape on the train, so the three of them teamed up to interrupt Director Zhao.

Kong Zhenzhen: "Director, the weather is really nice today."

Ma Defa: "The dinner on the train today is delicious. Director, would you like some more water?"

Lin Xiang raised the most realistic question: "Director Zhao, our factory has received so many orders, the production task is not easy, and by then we won't be able to produce coconut juice or store it."

The second factory, which had been equipped with new equipment, was able to supply coconut juice and other soft drinks to the whole province. However, the supply of coconut juice to 11 cities across the country suddenly increased. The amount was so large that the second factory was not big enough. The site was not big enough, storage was difficult, the freight needed to be increased, there were not enough workers, and even the supply of coconuts was a problem. The increase in orders brought many problems, and they could not just be happy.

Zhao Jianjun naturally understood, and waved his hand and said, "Expand the factory, recruit workers! It must be put on the agenda! Our factory must be bigger and stronger! Get off the train immediately, and go back to find Xiao Tang to make arrangements!"

Lin Xiang: "Who is Xiao Tang?"

Kong Zhenzhen and Ma Defa didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Secretary Tang."

Lin Xiang: "..."

He is Xiao Tang behind people’s back and Secretary Tang in front of people. The director is really awesome.