"Come on, tell me in detail. I never expected that private factories are doing so well these days."
Minister Liang also lamented that society is changing too fast now, and it's easy for them, these old folks, to be left behind and become outcasts of the times.
In the years since Zhong Liang left the army, he has traveled all over the country and seen a lot, especially in the south. He said with emotion, "Minister Liang, if you go for a trip in the south, you will find that the pace of the times is much faster than we think. It is no exaggeration to say that things change every day."
Zhong Liang told Minister Liang about his experiences in the south, which were two years ago.
"No, I'm too old, I can't keep up with the times. Luckily, I'm retiring in a few years, otherwise..."
Minister Liang felt he was getting old, really, and couldn't keep up with the times.
Zhong Liang couldn't find his own words of reflection, and had even annoyed Minister Liang. He quickly steered the conversation back on track. "Minister Liang, our factory wants two large trucks and one jeep, what do you think..."
Minister Liang stopped expressing his sentiments; business was more important.
"There's no problem with the large cars. I can pick out two good ones for you from this batch that are being phased out. But there aren't any good jeeps. We only replace them as a last resort."
Zhong Liang understood that the military's budget was tight, and resources were being allocated to essential items. Even the jeeps, though worn out, weren't beyond repair and should last for a few more years. He believed that they could afford better ones later—a man's intuition, though without any basis.
"Minister Liang, could you also help me pick out a Jeep with a good price-performance ratio? Please give me some consideration..." Zhong Liang said with a grin, acting like a scoundrel.
"You've become more and more successful. You're nothing like you used to be, always grinning and joking!" Minister Liang also understood that leaving the army was a new beginning, and he needed to adapt to the environment.
"Isn't this right in front of you? When I'm at the factory, I'm always serious and never smile. The workers all say I'm like Bao Gong with his black face."
Perhaps because he was back in a familiar place, Zhong Liang's body naturally relaxed.
“The car is not a problem. After we agree on the price, you can send us sausages of the same price. We are a big customer, so you should give us a discount.”
Minister Liang may be making a fuss, but he may have forgotten his job responsibilities.
“Minister Liang, our ham sausages retail for 1.2 yuan each and wholesale for 1 yuan each. I’ll give you the wholesale price. However, we can’t pay in full at once; we’ll pay in installments. Otherwise, the funds won’t flow back.” This was what Zhong Liang and Yu Yin had agreed upon.
“No problem, let’s do it this way. Come over tomorrow, we’ll sign a contract, and then the car can be driven away.” Minister Liang didn’t hesitate; he had a very good impression of the model unit for supporting the military.
"Thank you, sir. We really need the vehicle. Thank you for your support."
"Alright, kid, you're being too polite. We're all on the same side. We should take in more veterans in the future; it's not easy for any of us."
Minister Liang was also trying to build goodwill for his soldiers. After all, not everyone can genuinely accept wounded soldiers and give them the dignity they deserve.
After Zhong Liang finished his business, he said goodbye and left. Minister Liang was no idle person, and he was very grateful that he could spare so much time for him.
Zhong Liang returned to the factory and reported the outcome to Yu Yin, who was surprised that things had gone so smoothly.
"I'll call the farm later and ask Shi Jun and Gao Hongbing to come over. They'll drive tomorrow. Brother Tan said we don't need to hire anyone yet. We'll hire temporary workers when it's time to plant crops. He can drive himself to haul things normally, and the other farm workers can drive too."
Zhong Liang then talked about the farm, and Yu Yin exclaimed, "Our soldiers are all all-rounders!"
Zhong Liang felt a little ashamed after hearing Yu Yin's words. How did they become Yu Yin's soldier brothers?
Sigh, people in later generations call soldiers "brother soldier" everywhere; it's nothing new.
"Alright, you and Brother Liang keep an eye on things here. I'm going home now. I promised to grill sausages for the kids, and I can't go back on my word. Also, I've finished writing the publicity plan. You and Brother Liang take a look and give me any feedback. We're going to make our debut this weekend."
Yu Yin glanced at the sky; she had to go back, as it would get dark soon and it wouldn't be safe.
After seeing Yu Yin off, Zhong Liang thought to himself, "Now that we have the Jeep, I need to get a driver and bodyguard for Sister Yu Yin."
That evening, Yu Yin grilled half a box of ham sausages. The smell was amazing, and all eight members of the family, young and old, ate a lot of them and fell in love with the taste of the ham sausages.
The next day, Yu Yin and Zhong Liang took Shi Jun and Gao Hongbing to the military base, where Yu Yin needed to sign and stamp the documents.
"Minister Liang, this is our boss, Yu Yin," Zhong Liang introduced. Yu Yin quickly stepped forward to greet him, "Minister Liang, hello, I'm Yu Yin. Thank you for the support from the military."
Minister Liang never expected his wife to be so young; the younger generation is truly formidable.
"Hello, Mr. Yu, you're young and promising. Thank you for supporting the military and accepting our veterans." Minister Liang could also tell that the two behind him were veterans.
"Minister Liang, just call me Xiao Yu or Yu Yin. I didn't do anything. After all, I'm a child of our military family. I grew up in the military family compound listening to bugles."
Minister Liang was surprised to learn that Yu Yin was a military dependent; he was genuinely unaware of this.
Zhong Liang quickly explained, "Sister Yu Yin's father was a regimental commander before he was demobilized, and her brother is still serving in the Air Force in Beijing."
"No wonder, they are descendants of our soldiers. No wonder they are so outstanding."
Minister Liang smiled broadly, while Zhong Liang thought to himself, "Who are you praising?"
"Xiao Yu, we finalized everything with Zhong Liang yesterday. We'll sign the agreement in a bit. There's something else I want to discuss with you," Minister Liang said, a little embarrassed, unconsciously licking his lips.
"Is there something troubling Minister Liang?"
Yu Yin noticed that Minister Liang was hesitant to speak and sensed that something important had happened.
"Sure, now that you have this Jeep, do you need a driver who can also be a bodyguard?" Minister Liang finally spoke up, having no other choice but to do so for the sake of his men.
Zhong Liang was surprised that the question he had thought of just yesterday was raised by Minister Liang today; it seemed they were on the same wavelength.
"Oh, that's right. Minister Liang has a suitable candidate, and I really need one. I can't drive."
Yu Yin can drive an automatic car, but she really can't drive an old-fashioned manual Jeep. Besides, her persona is that she can't drive.
"Sigh, our excellent reconnaissance soldier was injured on a mission a while ago, losing three fingers on his left hand and needing to be discharged. But this kid is a bit stubborn, doesn't want to be taken care of, and absolutely refuses to report to his assigned unit." Minister Liang was also heartbroken; that was a child he had watched grow up, the outstanding son of a comrade-in-arms, who never expected...
"Where have I been assigned? Minister Liang, who is this? Do I know him?" Zhong Liang felt that an excellent reconnaissance soldier shouldn't be one of the new recruits in recent years; maybe he knew him.
He Haifeng.
"What, Haifeng?" Zhong Liang was a little flustered. Haifeng was a few years younger than him and was the son of Commander He.
“Sigh, you’ll meet him in a bit. He doesn’t want to work at the neighborhood office; he thinks it’s a retirement home.”
Minister Liang also felt it was a pity. What an excellent soldier! But once he put on this uniform, who knows when an accident might happen!
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