Chapter 70 Four Updates in One (Catching Bugs)

The new factory area of ​​the second factory was completed, with four workshops, a two-story office building, a cafeteria and a dormitory building. Although it is not as spacious and grand as the factory next door, it is brand new compared to the past.

There was a lot of dust in the newly built factory building, so the workers from the second factory spontaneously arranged shifts and took turns to clean it. The floor was swept clean, the windows and doors were wiped clean, and even the open space in the factory area was almost dust-free and bright.

Zhao Jianjun found a few burly workers and transplanted a few towering trees. When entering the second factory, which mainly produces and sells coconut juice, tall and straight coconut trees are lined up on both sides. The crisp, green and vibrant coconut leaves as wide as feathers sway in the summer breeze.

The narrow gate of the second factory, which used to look like a back door, has also changed its appearance. It has been opened up and connected to the old factory area directly to the entrance of the new factory area. A six-meter-long iron gate is majestic and solemn, accompanied by two rows of red brick walls and stone piers on both sides, guarding the glittering glory of the new second factory.

When the new factory area was almost cleaned up, the second-hand equipment that Factory 2 purchased with a grant from Factory 1 was also shipped to the island.

This second-hand soda production line equipment was learned by a few people in the office when they went to participate in the National Food and Drinks Fair and had a casual chat with the Jianghan Beer Factory. The brewery had opened a soda line before, but there is a big difference between producing fermented beer and soda, and the factory could hardly support two categories. Finally, they had no choice but to cancel the soda line and had a set of soda production equipment left.

Although it is idle second-hand equipment, it is not too old. After all, it is much newer than the original equipment of the second factory, and all parts are also functional.

The workers transported the equipment to the new factory area and put it in good order. Lin Xiang then asked Master Feng from the maintenance team of the first factory to come and help with the inspection. After testing everywhere and confirming that there were no problems, everything was finally ready.

"Everyone, pack up everything you want to take with you and throw away anything you don't need."

In the office in the old factory area of ​​Factory 2, Zhao Jianjun was instructing his three subordinates to clean up their things, as they would move one after another after packing up.

The not-so-large office instantly became a mess. All kinds of documents and materials were taken out of the cabinets and piled on the table. Several people were looking through them to identify which ones needed to be taken away and which ones could be discarded.

Over the years, the Second Factory had accumulated quite a bit of documents and data, filling up several cabinets. However, they had been sealed for so long that dust was flying everywhere. Lin Xiang checked them one by one while wearing a mask. She put the useful ones into the burlap bag at her feet, and put the completely useless ones aside to be dealt with together later.

While flipping through the documents, Lin Xiang saw a worn and yellowed booklet among a pile of long-dusty documents.

The cover was peeling and the edges were curled and yellowed. It was obviously an old notebook. It was so worn out that Lin Xiang didn't dare to touch it, for fear that the pages would rot and fall off if he touched it lightly.

Through the unrecognizable cover page, Lin Xiang could vaguely see some words on the title page. He vaguely recognized that it looked like a name. The first word was completely unclear, and the next two words seemed to be Jin...Hua? The year in the row below was vaguely 1900s.

It was difficult to identify the possible names, so Lin Xiang tried to carefully open the notebook, and saw the beautiful handwriting on it, which seemed to be a study note. It was neat and beautiful, and most of the records were some recipes, including some for making sauces or mixing soda...

"Director!" Lin Xiang was more and more surprised as she flipped through the documents. She hurriedly asked others, "Was there a person named Jinhua in the food factory that was the predecessor of our factory? I found a notebook of hers, which seemed to be written in 1920s."

Kong Zhenzhen put down the documents in her hand and hurried over. Looking at the badly damaged notebook, she didn't know where to start. She could only look at Lin Xiang's hand and said, "Wow, there is such a thing! But is this someone from the factory?"

Ma Defa naturally didn't know either, and the three of them looked at Zhao Jianjun in unison.

Zhao Jianjun looked at it carefully and shook his head: "I don't know that either. I have only heard of the names of several managers of the food factory that was our predecessor, but they are not the owner of this notebook."

"But there are many recipes recorded here, including those for making sauces and juice." Lin Xiang carefully found a piece of newspaper to wrap up the notebook and put it away separately. "Maybe it will be useful. Let's study it when the time comes."

"OK."

The things in the office were packed up. At the same time, the workers in the workshop also packed up the public items in the workshop. Zhao Jianjun picked an auspicious day on the calendar, a suitable day for moving, and the second factory moved in a bustling manner!

All the carts in the factory were put to use. Strong workers pushed the carts piled with large sacks of burlap back and forth between the old and new factory areas, while other workers also carried objects. After a busy day, the old factory area became empty, while the new factory area was packed to the brim.

A string of bright red firecrackers was hung outside the gate of the new factory. Zhao Jianjun invited Director Huang and Secretary Tang from Factory 1 to come and witness the event. He himself spoke a few passionate words of encouragement to the workers and glanced to the left.

Lin Xiang picked up the gong and struck it in tacit understanding.

The sound of gongs rang out, and Zhao Jianjun personally struck a match to light the firecrackers. Amid the happy faces of everyone in Factory 2, the crackling sound was heard continuously, and the red firecracker confetti flew everywhere, festively covering the ground.

"Director Huang, Secretary Tang, thank you." Zhao Jianjun shook hands with the two leaders and was excited for a moment.

Factory Director Huang smiled, and was pleased to see the current state of the Second Factory: "Not bad, you guys have to work hard from now on."

"That's right!" Zhao Jianjun turned around and looked at Secretary Tang again, only to see that Secretary Tang had a tense face, with a half-smile on his face, and looked very embarrassed.

Finally, he managed to utter a few words: "Do it well!"

After the two leaders left, Zhao Jianjun shouted to the workers of Factory 2: "Let's work hard! Go back and pack up your things. You won't work today. Pack up and go home."

There was a burst of cheers from the crowd!

Lin Xiang, Kong Zhenzhen and Ma Defa stood in front of the two-story office building, looking up at the tall and towering small building, their eyes full of satisfaction.

"Oh my, I never thought that one day we would be able to work in such a beautiful office." Kong Zhenzhen sat on a new and beautiful mahogany chair. She raised her hand to touch the desk, then reached down to touch the chair legs, feeling very happy.

The four of them still maintained their seating arrangement in the old factory area. In a room that was twice the size of the original office, four desks were placed in order. Zhao Jianjun sat at the deepest part. The desk was large and imposing. Behind him was a newly built transparent glass bookcase, in which he was putting some old documents one by one.

Ma Defa asked everyone to wipe the tables and chairs again. Lin Xiang went to the corridor with a kettle to get some hot water and came back. After a busy period of tidying up, it was hard not to be happy looking at this beautiful office.

Zhao Jianjun couldn't stop looking around and touching everywhere, and the curve of his mouth never faded.

But now there are only four of them in the entire second-floor building, which makes it a little lonely. Zhao Jianjun said excitedly: "It will be lively when we recruit more people. Otherwise, it will be quite boring for us to just sit here."

Thinking about recruiting a lot of workers, Zhao Jianjun pondered again: "We also have to change our titles. From now on, Xiaolin will be the head of the administrative group of the second factory office, Xiao Kong will be the head of the financial group, and Xiao Ma will be the head of the human resources group. They will all be promoted!"

Newly appointed head of administration team, head of finance team, and head of human resources team: "..."

There is no one behind us. We have been promoted and are in charge of the air.

Director Zhao continued to draw cakes: "When the time comes, we will recruit more people and arrange some helpers for you. You can arrange it yourself."

Kong Zhenzhen was delighted when she heard this: "That's great. I've never been an official since I was a child~"

Lin Xiang agreed: "We need to recruit more people, otherwise we will be left alone."

On this day, everyone in Factory 2 got off work very early. At around 3:00 p.m., they all packed up their things and went home quickly.

Lin Xiang went to the food station, spent one pound of meat coupons and 70 cents to buy a pound of pork belly, and then went to the seafood station next door and spent 10 cents to pick up a bag of seafood to take home. There were many vegetables in the yard, green and yellow. Lin Xiang picked a few potatoes with fresh soil on them and a handful of tender green onions in the yard and went into the kitchen.

The pork belly is cut into pieces and marinated, then coated with rice flour. The potatoes are peeled and cut into pieces, and then placed together in a Haikou porcelain bowl and steamed. The steamed pork is moist, fragrant and glutinous, the pork belly is tender but not mushy, and the rice flour wrapped around the meat and potatoes is steamed until formed, fragrant, soft and delicious, and tastes great.

To celebrate the relocation of the second factory, Lin Xiang cleaned the clams that had been soaked in water and dripped oil and spit out sand, and stir-fried them with dried chili peppers, green onions, ginger and garlic. The stir-fried scallion-flavored clams were shiny and red, and each piece of tender white clam meat was covered with red oil soup, which was very tempting.

He Hongyuan returned home and smelled the fragrance from the kitchen, so he took the big group of people with him over.

Lin Xiang heard the noise early on. She was busy washing crayfish when she turned around and saw a plump, green watermelon!

"Why did you bring back a watermelon? Was it given by the army?" Lin Xiang stepped forward and patted the watermelon. She was very satisfied when she heard the crisp empty sound. She immediately took the watermelon and put it in the bucket to soak.

He Hongyuan took over his wife's job of brushing the crayfish. It was a bit awkward to hold such a small brush, but he was deft and strong, so he replied, "It was issued by the army, starting from the commander and going down to the deputy commander."

"By the time we finish eating, we'll be almost soaked by the water." Lin Xiang loves watermelon, especially in the 1970s when there was a lack of sweetness.

"Did you move today?" He Hongyuan had heard Lin Xiang talking about this all night yesterday, and his words were full of excitement.

"We've moved!" When Lin Xiang mentioned moving, she was so excited that she couldn't stop talking about today's situation. "You haven't seen how beautiful and magnificent our new factory is! Come to me some other day and I'll take you around."

It's like introducing a new toy to a child.

He Hongyuan did not refuse: "Okay, let's go visit it someday when we have time."

Lin Xiang was in a good mood and prepared a table full of dishes to celebrate the second factory's move to a new home.

The steamed pork with rice flour is fragrant, glutinous and oily. The first bite is of dense and glutinous rice flour. The second bite satisfies the taste buds of the fat but not greasy pork belly. The potatoes are also steamed to be glutinous, fragrant and sweet.

The stir-fried clams are spicy and fragrant. The rich condiments enhance the spicy taste and blend perfectly with the sweetness of the clams.

A pot of spicy lobster is even more tempting with its bright red color. The lobster meat is white and tender. Peel it off from the hard shell and dip it into the bright red spicy soup. The sweet lobster meat instantly turns red, and the spicy soup seeps into the meat, filling it with fragrance every time you chew it.

Such stimulating food is naturally accompanied by the "defective" coconut juice that Lin Xiang brought back. The two of them each had a cup, which relieved the spiciness and greasiness, and was a perfect match.

The summer evening breeze blew the fragrance from the house to the next door. Instructor Sun's parents had been here for a few months to take care of their son and daughter-in-law. They had smelled the scent many times and couldn't help but look in out of curiosity.

"Captain He and his wife eat so much. It's like Chinese New Year all the time." Grandmother Qin Yurong muttered.

Then he saw that the food at home was not bad. As an instructor, his son had a good salary and allowances, and he received a lot of material supplies. Even the sugar coupons, meat coupons, and oil coupons issued every month were quite a lot. However, even such food was surpassed by the food next door.

I originally thought my food was delicious, but now when I smell the food from next door I can’t eat anymore, it’s too delicious!

"Xiao Lin is a good cook and knows how to cook." Jiang Wenfang served food to the three girls while eating, and occasionally glanced at the fourth girl who was sleeping soundly on the bed in the bedroom, "It's no wonder that she works in a food factory. She is very capable."

This is what Lin Xiang said to Jiang Wenfang. She said that she must have worked in a food factory for a long time so her cooking skills are pretty good. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain how she knows so many ways to process seafood.

Grandmother Sun couldn't help swallowing a few times, picked up a potato and stuffed it into her mouth: "Okay, let's eat quickly. Wenfang, remember to take your medicine after dinner."

Jiang Wenfang paused as she heard this. Thinking of the unbearable bitter taste of the medicine, she felt nauseous and hummed softly.

Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan ate very well and cleared all the dishes on the table. Lin Xiang touched her slightly round belly and stood up to digest the food, while the man with a huge appetite was already busy washing the dishes.

It is said that people have two stomachs, one for eating meals and the other for eating fruits and drinking drinks.

Lin Xiang is the same.

No matter how full you are, you can still eat watermelon.

The watermelon that had been soaked in water for more than two hours became cool. With a light scratch with the tip of the knife, the watermelon seemed to be cut open and split open instantly, revealing the bright red sandy flesh inside.

The fresh and sweet watermelon secretes sweet watermelon juice. Who can resist such temptation?

The two of them finished one. Of course, Lin Xiang ate three pieces and couldn't eat any more, so He Hongyuan finished the rest.

The weather in July on Langhua Island was already very hot, and there was no refrigerator at home, so the opened watermelon had to be eaten the same day and could not be left behind.

On this day, many families in the family compound were eating watermelons, especially the children, who were biting on watermelons with their mouths full of red. A few watermelon seeds fell on their faces, looking like pockmarks, which was really funny.

Lin Xiang ate watermelon at home, and the next day she went to the factory and ate watermelon again.

The troops have opened up areas to grow watermelons, which are not only supplied to the soldiers, but also benefit the 119 Food Factory which can now give back to the troops.

Several truckloads of watermelons were pulled to the gates of Factory 1 and Factory 2. The workers spontaneously helped unload the watermelons. Everyone got a share!

The leftover watermelons could be kept frozen in the factory freezer, and the remaining ones were piled in a cool corner. In short, they were eaten for several days in a row.

Eating watermelon in the office, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan and feeling the breeze outside the window, Lin Xiang felt comfortable. The heat seemed to have dissipated, after all, a calm mind brings coolness.

She and Kong Zhenzhen studied the next recruitment matters, sorted out the recruitment numbers and standards, and coordinated with the factory.

The HR officer of the factory office was curious: "If you ask me, why don't we just assign some of the workers to do it the same way as before? Is there any need to do so many things?"

What Factory 2 means is that this year Factory 1 and Factory 2 will recruit workers separately, and even the recruitment notices must be written separately.

Lin Xiang smiled and said, "Let's split up. It's not good to always split up between you. When the time comes, I, Sister Zhenzhen, and Brother Xiaoma will come over to organize the interview. This way, you can have an easier time."

After Lin Xiang and Kong Zhenzhen left, several people in the factory office of Factory 1 began to murmur, "Look at Factory 2, it has really expanded. After moving to a new factory area, they have to recruit people themselves. They don't feel tired at all."

"Why do you care? Wouldn't it be easier for you this way? Besides, they have a good idea. How many people will sign up for Factory 2? Maybe in the end, it will be the same as in previous years, and we will have to transfer some people from the tail end of the group that signed up for Factory 1."

"That's right!" The administrative officer complained a little, then thought it was over. It would be none of his business if no one signed up for Factory 2 anyway.

This year's recruitment was still organized by the factory office as usual. Several staff members of the factory office posted recruitment notices on the walls near the food factory and various places in the family compound, attracting many military wives to come and take a look.

Many military wives are illiterate, and quite a few of them cannot read a single word.

When Lin Xiang got home from work, she saw a group of people gathered by the wall at the entrance of her family's compound. She listened to Song Qingya, an elementary school teacher who was on summer vacation, reading the job openings on the notice.

Song Qingya had a job herself, and was helping other military wives find out about job openings. She saw Lin Xiang in the crowd, smiled at her, and squeezed out of the crowd to chat: "Xiangxiang, your factory is really capable. This year, they are recruiting separately!"

Lin Xiang smiled, with a hint of pride in her eyes: "It's a small improvement."

The wives of soldiers around spread the word and all heard about the difference in this year's recruitment. The Second Factory, which everyone disliked before, was actually going to recruit workers separately!

Some people were confused and asked: "Who would sign up for the second factory? Is there something wrong with their brain?"

"Oh, isn't it said that the second factory is different now? The coconut juice is selling so well that they have moved to the new factory area."

"No matter how capable you are, it's still under the management of the factory. In my opinion, you should still apply to the factory."

"That makes sense..."

Lin Xiang ignored the various noises in the family compound, and in a blink of an eye she and He Hongyuan went to the military hospital to visit Shen Jianming and Zhou Yuezhu.

Shen Jianming's condition has gradually improved, and he can now walk around, but he can't get emotional. Zhou Yuezhu often comes to see him, and the smile on her face becomes more and more obvious.

The two brought a bag of apples. Shen's mother took them enthusiastically and thanked them. She also did not forget to praise Yuezhu for her concern and asked her son to treat Yuezhu well after his injury healed.

Shen Jianming's face, which had turned pale due to injuries, gradually regained color. As he listened to his mother praising Yuezhu, he blushed along with her: "Mom, I will definitely do it."

Lin Xiang looked at them and couldn't help but smile at what a pure and innocent couple they were.

Before leaving, Yuezhu saw her cousin and his wife out, saying warmly and considerately: "Cousin and his wife, please come over often. When Jianming's injury heals, we will definitely treat you to a meal."

After leaving the military hospital, Lin Xiang said to her husband, "I feel like Yuezhu has grown up and matured a lot."

He Hongyuan nodded: "After going through things, one always grows up."

Many people have been visiting the military hospital recently. The day after Yan Min and Zhang Huafeng's wedding, they heard that Yuezhu's partner was being taken seriously and became worried. They went to visit her several times. Now that she has woken up, they are naturally relieved.

Then he came to Lin Xiang with a basket of seafood.

Neither of the couple is a good cook, and they kept thinking about the seafood hotpot that Lin Xiang had mentioned before. How yummy!

Yuezhu was also brought out to relax. Shen Jianming felt sorry for her having to run around to take care of him, so he advised her to go eat seafood hotpot.

A bunch of people in the room all followed Lin Xiang to give orders. Yan Min was not a good cook, but he was obedient and followed her instructions: "Xiang Xiang, tell me what you want us to do. Assign the tasks quickly."

Lin Xiang checked the seafood that Yan Min and Zhang Huafeng had brought. Wow, there was quite a lot. Five or six abalones, a few crabs, a bunch of clams, a mackerel, a grouper, and a dozen prawns...

"Hongyuan and Political Commissar Zhang, go wash the shrimps. Remember to wash them thoroughly. Chief of Staff Jiang, take care of the fish. Just fillet the grouper. Minmin and Qingya, help me make fish balls. Uncle Zhou and Aunt Feng, just take a good rest." After Lin Xiang assigned the tasks, Zhou Yuezhu, the only one who was not assigned, was curious.

"Cousin, what about me? What about me?"

"You, take a good rest too." Lin Xiang pushed her to the sofa and made her sit down. "You've been so busy lately that you've lost a lot of weight. Today you should eat more and try to gain the weight back."

Feng Li saw that her daughter had indeed lost some weight, and felt distressed: "Yuezhu is very busy, and I am worried that she has a poor appetite. I will go and help her, and you can talk to your father."

Lin Xiang didn't let the elders do it, after all, eating seafood hotpot is always more convenient than stir-frying.

The three grown men in the living room were busy. Lin Xiang, Yan Min and Song Qingya were pounding fish balls, but it was a waste of effort. Yan Min said, "Zhang Huafeng, come in and help. You have strong hands."

After handing the almost-muddy fish paste to the man, she did not forget to make arrangements: "When you are tired, pass it to Captain He and Chief of Staff Jiang. We can't be too honest, everyone should join in."

Lin Xiang listened to this and raised her eyebrows slightly: "Oh, it's different after getting married. I feel so sorry for Political Commissar Zhang."

Yan Min swung her butt and squeezed Lin Xiang's butt: "Still making fun of me!"

It turned out that the three young soldiers outside were really good at it. They pounded the fish paste into a fine and smooth consistency, looking very presentable. Lin Xiang took it over and rolled it into small balls together with Yan Min and Song Qingya.

A kerosene lamp was lit on the dining table, and an iron basin was placed on top to boil water. Lin Xiang took the dish containing seafood and put a few crabs and abalone into the soup. When the color of the soup changed from clear to slightly white, she added fish balls and clams.

A group of people sat around the table, watching the bubbling seafood clear soup pot. Thin grouper fillets were put into the pot, boiled for half a minute, taken out, and dipped in a bowl or a plate.

The fish meat without the dipping sauce is fragrant, fresh and sweet, with the ultimate original freshness, as if the sea is right in front of you, with the sea breeze blowing gently. The part of the fish meat coated with the hot and sour dipping sauce enriches the taste buds, with a hint of sour and spicy in the sweetness and freshness, and after the sour and spicy taste, the mouth is filled with sweetness.

The fish balls are delicate and sweet. You can eat half a piece in one bite. The dense texture and elastic chewiness make them the most popular hot pot dish, suitable for people of all ages.

The prawns are not long cooked before being taken out of the pot. The shrimp meat, clam meat, and the crab and abalone meat that were prepared earlier can all be shared. The clear soup retains the most original and ultimate freshness of the seafood. After a meal of hot pot, everyone has a thin layer of sweat on their forehead, but the fragrance lingers on their lips and teeth. How can they not be satisfied?

Yan Min took another sip of the coconut juice and almost cried because it tasted so good: "It's so delicious! I've never eaten such fresh meat! It's so delicious with the coconut juice."

Today's coconut juice was bought by Jiang Weijun. Each person got a glass bottle. After drinking, they had to return the bottle to the supply and marketing cooperative and he would get five cents for each bottle.

"By the way, Xiangxiang, is your factory no longer selling guava juice?" Song Qingya accompanied her husband to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy coconut juice this morning, but she didn't see the new one.

"It's almost sold out. The weather is hot now, and guava is out of stock. Pineapple juice will also be almost gone after a while, so we're going to put in new ones." Lin Xiang thought of the book he had been studying in the office these days, and he actually made a discovery.

After enjoying the seafood hotpot, Lin Xiang returned to the factory full of energy. She carefully held some recipes she had copied down and approached her colleagues: "Didn't I say before that we could try to make kumquat juice? I saw some experimental mixing data in this note. It mentioned that a small oval dark yellow fruit should be kumquat. It said that it should be mixed with salt, and there is a detailed ratio formula. We can try it."

Zhao Jianjun didn't expect that there were so many things in the notes he found, so he immediately asked Lin Xiang to study it when she had free time. It would be good if she could copy out a new copy.

"Then you can go find Qiu Hongxia later and ask her to get some people to pick some wild kumquats and try to mix kumquat juice to see how it tastes."

Lin Xiang nodded, and then worried: "But Director, this old salt is not easy to handle."

Old salt is the sea salt that is unique to Haining Province. It is not available in factories or homes, and it should only be produced in salt fields.

"I'm thinking about applying to see if I can purchase some sea salt to give it a try." Zhao Jianjun still had to file a report and purchase aged salt on a factory-to-factory basis.

Lin Xiang had drunk salted yellow peel water before, but she was not very clear about the mixing ratio. She just hoped that the things in this notebook would be useful.

The task of picking wild kumquats was handed over to the melon seed sister Qiu Hongxia, who patted her chest and said, "Don't worry! I will definitely get it done!"

Lin Xiang nodded in satisfaction and prepared to leave, when she suddenly heard Sister Guazi ask, "But what does Guo'er look like?"

Lin Xiang: "..."

I guess you don’t know what kumquat is.

Lin Xiang drew a diagram, with the vivid yellow peel jumping out on the paper, and even explained the color. Sister Guazi understood it and said, "Okay, I'll find a few workers to go around with me, and we'll definitely find it!"

After assigning the task of developing new products, Lin Xiang began to worry about the recruitment situation.

She and Kong Zhenzhen went to the factory office and happened to see the factory staff counting some registration forms.

The HR officer saw the two people coming and smiled meaningfully: "Comrade Lin, Comrade Kong, are you here to check the registration status of Factory 2? Unfortunately, no one has signed up for Factory 2."

That's true. They just counted dozens of application forms, and everyone chose the same factory, exactly the same as in previous years, without any changes.

Kong Zhenzhen's face changed when she heard this: "How is that possible!"

The second factory is obviously getting better, don’t these family members have good vision?

Lin Xiangchong smiled and said, "Okay, I'll trouble you guys later. We'll come back and take a look in a few days."

After saying that, he took Kong Zhenzhen away.

"Xiangxiang, did you hear that? No one signed up for the second factory." Kong Zhenzhen was angry and anxious. The most important thing was that she couldn't understand, "Our factory is not bad now!"

Lin Xiangan comforted her, "It takes time. Factory 1 has been in charge for so many years, and it has a high status in the hearts of its family members and even the people of Phnom Penh. It is impossible for us to change it overnight. But I believe that there will be no one who will sign up for Factory 2. There will definitely be someone with a keen eye."

"What! No one signed up for the Second Plant?" Although the registration had only been open for a few days, it was still a pain in the face that no one had signed up. Sister Guazi slapped the equipment, and when she came to her senses, she blew a few breaths on it and wiped the shiny equipment with her sleeves, cherishing it very much. "How can we let people look down on our Second Plant? My daughter wants to sign up. You guys wait, I'll urge her to get the registration form right away."

The first application form for Factory No. 2 was submitted by Qiu Hongxia's daughter Zhang Yafen. However, because she was a relative of a Factory No. 2 worker, several people in the Factory No. 1 office did not take it seriously. They just wanted to save face, so they asked the family to save face.

Several people gathered together and couldn't help but sigh: "It's said that the Second Factory has expanded. How can everyone not recognize which factory is in charge of 119? If you want to recruit workers to join the factory, you would rather join our First Factory!"

"That's right!"

Just as he finished speaking, a military dependent suddenly came over to hand in his application form. He hesitated for a while before handing it over: "Comrade, I'm here to hand in my job application form."

The clerk from Factory 1 took it and glanced at it casually. Wow, it turned out that he had taken the initiative to sign up for Factory 2!

After a while, more people came one after another. Among the families of those who registered for Factory 1, there were always a few who registered for Factory 2...which made the people stunned.

The monthly report of the 119 Food Factory is prepared by the publicity officer. Shen Chunli and Director Tian discussed the topic of this month and prepared to focus on interviews with the shrimp sauce workshop and the soda workshop of the second factory.

Shen Chunli was in a dilemma when facing Liu Qingshan, deputy director of the shrimp sauce workshop, who was talking nonstop and enthusiastically. She couldn't help but interrupt him: "Deputy Director Liu, Director Qin really doesn't want to be interviewed?"

Liu Qingshan smiled and said regretfully, "Director Qin is busy and said he has no time, so he asked me to come."

"Okay." Shen Chunli didn't want to force it, so she quickly finished the Q&A session and then packed up and left.

A few days later, she went to the new plant site of Factory 2 to prepare for an interview. After all, in just one year, Factory 2 seemed to have changed completely.

The first time Shen Chunli stepped into the new factory area of ​​​​the second factory, she was amazed by the grand, clean and beautiful factory. Is this still the second factory that everyone disliked before?

The workshop is neat and beautiful, the office building is majestic and tall, and even the cafeteria and dormitory building that have not been opened yet are clean. There are rows of coconut trees planted on both sides of the road, which complements the coconut juice they are producing and bottling.

During a tour of the workshop, I saw that the workers were wearing uniform sanitary suits, sanitary caps and gloves. They were full of energy at work, but also relaxed and comfortable, with laughter and good spirits.

Is this still the same factory as before?

After interviewing Director Zhao Jianjun, Lin Xiang, and three worker representatives, Shen Chunli couldn't help but say to Lin Xiang as she left: "I didn't expect your Second Factory to have changed so much."

Lin Xiang liked to hear this, her eyebrows curved into beautiful crescents: "Then you have to write more beautiful words for us."

Shen Chunli raised the corners of her lips: "I seek truth from facts and never lie!"

She paused and continued, "But whatever your factory writes now is just nice words."

When I left Factory 2 and returned to Factory 1, I heard a commotion in the room as soon as I entered. Several colleagues in charge of recruitment said something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Shen Chunli walked over.

"We may have counted wrongly." Bai Ganshi simply couldn't believe his eyes.

"I must have counted it wrong. How could there be more people signing up for Factory 2 than for Factory 1?"

"Yes, yes, yes, let's count again."

Several people did not believe it. When Shen Chunli heard this, she stared at the registration form in their hands and calculated with them.

The result of the re-examination remained unchanged. Among the more than 300 application forms, 180 were for Factory 2, which exceeded the number of applications for Factory 1.

Everyone in the factory office was shocked: "What's going on?"

"Are they all crazy?"

Shen Chunli recalled the scene she had just seen at Factory 2 and couldn't help but sigh: "Actually, Factory 2 seems to be pretty good."

After collecting application forms for a few more days, when the deadline came, the factory office of Factory 1 counted the final number of applicants, and there were 563 people who registered, including 233 people who registered for Factory 1 and 330 people who registered for Factory 2. Even if Factory 2 wanted to recruit more workers this time, it would not really surpass Factory 1!

Everyone in Factory 1 was dumbfounded, and they all looked towards Factory 2, where a two-story building had been built on flat ground just across the wall, with great curiosity.

Lin Xiang and Kong Zhenzhen took the recruitment forms from the factory office clerk with a smile on their faces. It was a thick stack that felt like a thousand pounds in their hands.

Kong Zhenzhen was very excited: "In the past, no one in our Factory 2 has ever taken the initiative to sign up. Every year, the family members of those who signed up for recruitment passed the assessment, and Factory 1 assigned the last part of the people to Factory 2. This year, so many people took the initiative to sign up for our Factory 2. Hahahaha! I almost woke up laughing in my dreams!"

The smile on Kong Zhenzhen's face infected Lin Xiang. Although she had only been in the factory for a year, she had real experience last year. After all, she had originally signed up for Factory 1, but ended up in Factory 2 by mistake.

In the office, Zhao Jianjun and Ma Defa were delighted. Zhao Jianjun walked around the desk and soon helped three people screen the application forms, mainly classifying their age, education and previous experience to see whether they were workers from the city or farmers who lived in the countryside. Different positions have different requirements.

As he was selecting, Zhao Jianjun couldn't help but smile. He said with a sigh of disapproval, "Oh my, there are so many registration forms. We are really exhausted. Why can't there be fewer people signing up?"

Lin Xiang held back her laughter, and looked at Kong Zhenzhen and Ma Defa, then they all tilted their heads and smiled.

Three days later, Zhao Jianjun, together with Lin Xiang, Kong Zhenzhen, Ma Defa and workshop workers Qiu Hongxia and Yang Tian, ​​organized a recruitment interview for the second factory. The interview was mainly based on the impression they gave, their ability to speak and do things, their ability to learn, and whether they were diligent. Some military dependents spoke haltingly and could not learn the soda-making process after a long time, so they had to be eliminated. Some military dependents had never been to school and could not read a single word, but they had a very strong learning ability. They could remember the process sequence after watching Qiu Hongxia's demonstration once, so they were naturally selected.

After a week of investigation, the second factory finally recruited 86 workers, instantly expanding the workforce!

When new employees joined the company, Lin Xiang and Kong Zhenzhen followed the usual process, taking them to visit the workshop and explaining the history of the second factory. Finally, they gave them the leader's quotations and onboarding benefits, including an enamel cup and a towel.

Lin Xiang thought about the situation when she first joined the company. Isn't this a kind of inheritance?

The workers were high-spirited and full of energy. Except for the six employees who entered the factory office, Qiu Hongxia and Yang Tian organized senior workers to give technical training to the rest. The newcomers started to operate the soda production line processes, which gradually alleviated the problem of staff shortage in the second factory.

As the area of ​​119 Factory 2 has grown and the number of people has increased, it has become more lively and laughter often breaks out.

However, the atmosphere in the factory just across the wall was low at the moment. As the traitor was never identified, the atmosphere in the factory was depressing and everyone was whispering to each other. Everyone felt something was wrong and started to be suspicious of each other.

Director Huang saw that this situation was not acceptable, so he immediately issued a notice in the factory. After confirming the investigation, it was found that there was no traitor in the factory, and that the four kinds of canned fish were produced by mistake. Privately, he led the leadership team to hold a meeting, requiring all departments to rectify the atmosphere and suppress the traitor in advance. The two canned fish workshops were secretly investigated by the workshop directors, and the matter could not be made a big deal.

"If things continue like this, people will lose their morale and everyone will be suspected to be a traitor." Factory Director Huang reprimanded sternly. He felt a headache thinking that all the core personnel in the two canned fish workshops who were close to the formula had been questioned and no flaws had been discovered for the time being.

Although the explanation was a bit dull, under the iron-blooded suppression of the leadership team, the workers in the factory had no choice but to accept the fact that there was no traitor. This was better than everyone being suspicious of each other, making everyone extremely cautious in what they said and did.

In mid-August, canned shrimp paste continued to support most of the factory's business, especially after the Shiwei Food Factory launched canned fish with exactly the same taste. The sales of the factory's four major canned fish products were eaten up by half, and now the factory can only hold on to canned shrimp paste.

This is the last straw for the factory.

Director Qin and Deputy Director Liu of the Shrimp Sauce Workshop, together with Team Leader He of the Fermentation Group, watched as five trucks of canned shrimp sauce roared away from the factory. Director Qin, feeling the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, said solemnly: "The factory is facing many crises now. Our workshop is the top priority. We must not be defeated by the taste of food. Everyone must cheer up and not make any mistakes!"

Deputy Director Liu responded: "Director, don't worry, our workshop can definitely handle it."

Team leader He sighed: "Factory 1 is counting on us. We will definitely not fail. If we fail, then 119 will be finished! Let's see which workshop can send out five truckloads of goods in one go."

This is the goods supplied to major department stores and supply and marketing cooperatives throughout the province, and the quantity is astonishing.

As soon as Team Leader He finished speaking, trucks came from the second factory next door, one after another, as if there was no end in sight. The three of them glanced around, counted them, and found that there were also five trucks.

"How come this Second Factory sells so much coconut juice?" He Zhigang was stunned. He never paid much attention to this Second Factory which he looked down upon, but now he was really shocked to see how it had caught up with his workshop!

Director Qin said in a muffled voice, "At the meeting this morning, the factory director praised the second factory, saying that summer is here and the demand for soda and juice has increased. The profits they have created in the past 30 days have already equaled those of our shrimp sauce workshop."

"What!" He Zhigang and Liu Qingshan's eyes widened as big as copper bells. They looked towards the direction of the second factory again, but still couldn't believe it.

The shrimp sauce workshop has been developed for many years, but the second factory has only been in operation for one year!

With the arrival of summer, people's love for soda and fruit juice reaches its peak, and it is also the peak sales period for major soda factories, and the second factory is no exception.

Fortunately, the factory area was expanded, equipment was purchased, and new employees were recruited. After some training, they started working. Factory 2 worked hard, orders doubled, and truckloads of coconut juice were shipped out. All the July bonuses issued at the end of the month were spent, which made everyone very happy!

Coconut juice took the lead, and the kumquat that Lin Xiang asked sister Qiu Hongxia to find was also found. It was heard that there was this kind of fruit in a jungle on Langhua Island, and there were quite a lot of it. There was no one living there, it was all trees, so it was quite hidden.

Qiu Hongxia quickly set out with several workers, preparing to pick a basket of tangerine peels to study how to prepare salted tangerine peel water.

Lin Xiang continued to copy down her notes in the office, turning the pages carefully, her handwriting beautiful and neat. After she had copied one-third of the notes, she was looking at them and pondering, when she suddenly heard a commotion outside.

"Oh no, oh no."

"Something happened. There's a bomb!"

Lin Xiang was on the second floor of the office building when she heard this. She was shocked. A bomb?!

She hurried to the corridor and looked down. It was Sister Guazi and her group who had returned. They looked frightened and were muttering that something was wrong.

"Let's go down and take a look." Kong Zhenzhen and Ma Defa also rushed out, and the three of them walked downstairs in a hurry.

"What's going on?" Lin Xiang supported the terrified sister Guazi, "Sister Hongxia, you guys were going to pick yellow peels, what happened? What's the situation with the bomb?"

"It was horrible!" Qiu Hongxia licked her dry lips and recalled, "We went to pick yellow tangerine peels. We had picked a basket and were about to return. It was already a bit uncomfortable due to the heat, so we thought of taking a shortcut with sweat all over our foreheads. We ended up finding a bomb on the road!"

Several workers nearby added, "It's so big and looks scary, much bigger than a hand grenade, and it even has spikes! We didn't dare to look at it any further!"

"Not only are there thorns!" Qiu Hongxia covered her head, her hands and feet going limp, "There's also poison gas! It must be the bombs left behind by the Japanese during the Anti-Japanese War. It's making me dizzy. Oh my god, it must be poison gas. I'm poisoned!"

At that time, other people were trembling with fear and dared not move forward. Some suspected that it was a bomb, and no one dared to move. Qiu Hongxia bravely approached the "bomb". She had seen muffled thunder before, and thought that this strange thing must also be muffled. Little did she expect that as soon as she approached to study it carefully, she smelled a smell that made her dizzy and nauseous. It was so uncomfortable.

Several people fled in a hurry, their legs weakening as they carried the basket of yellow leather goods. They hurried to the 119th Unit to report the situation and request for support.

Lin Xiang was shocked: "There are actually bombs that release poison gas. That's too dangerous. Fortunately, you are not in trouble."

The workers around were also scared. If the explosion really happened, the consequences would be disastrous.

There seemed to be that smell still in Sister Guazi's nostrils. She felt dizzy and uncomfortable, so Lin Xiang and Kong Zhenzhen helped her to go to the factory clinic for treatment.

Thinking that maybe she was poisoned by the gas released by the bomb, Sister Guazi felt choked up and grabbed Lin Xiang's hand, saying, "If something happens to me, please take good care of my daughter."

Zhang Yafen, the daughter of Qiu Hongxia, also entered the factory through this recruitment assessment. She now works in the workshop and becomes Yang Tian's apprentice.

Lin Xiang thought it shouldn't be that dangerous, so she tried to comfort her and asked the doctor, "Doctor, is Sister Hongxia okay?"

"We didn't find anything during the test. She said she smelled poison gas. Our clinic doesn't have the ability to treat poison gas. Otherwise, you should send her to the military hospital."

"Okay!" Lin Xiang and Kong Zhenzhen helped Sister Hongxia go to the military hospital for hospitalization, and let the doctor give her a thorough examination.

After all, if you really smell some poisonous gas, it may cause damage to your nerves, so you must treat it seriously and with caution.

Lin Xiang was very worried, not knowing how such a scary bomb could have happened. She was going to go back to the factory and arrange for other workers to go to the hospital for a check-up. However, as soon as she reached the back door of the military unit, she saw her husband leaving with several soldiers.

"Hongyuan." Lin Xiang looked at them fully armed and suddenly thought of something, "Are you going to defuse a bomb?"

He Hongyuan said seriously, "Yes, we received reports from your factory workers and we must go and check it out immediately."

If it is a highly toxic bomb, it is likely to cause harm to the surrounding people and land. At this time, the soldiers must rush to the front.

"But..." Lin Xiang really wanted to stop the man. After all, the bomb that released poison gas from Sister Hongxia's mouth was too dangerous.

In particular, she recalled that the news had reported many police officers or soldiers who were injured while defusing bombs. This job was indeed fraught with dangers.

"It's okay, I'll be careful." He Hongyuan looked determined, holding his wife's shoulders tightly, and promised, "I will definitely come back safely."

Lin Xiang had no right to stop him. There was no way to stop a soldier from carrying out his mission.

Looking at He Hongyuan's back as he left with several soldiers, my heart ached.

Back at the factory, Lin Xiang was upset, but she could only pretend to be calm and took several other workers to the military hospital for examination. On the way, she clasped her hands together anxiously and nervously, and asked in detail about the appearance of the bomb.

The workers spoke excitedly of the terrible bomb, vying to describe its appearance.

"Yellow. This is the first time I've seen such a golden bomb."

"It's covered with thorns, all densely packed with triangular thorns. It's so scary."

"The main problem is that the smell is too bad. I don't know what kind of poison gas is so powerful."

The more Lin Xiang listened, the more she felt something was wrong. Was that a bomb? Could it be the food she loved so much before she traveled through time?! ! !

I was just worried about something! I even felt a little hungry all of a sudden.