As requested by Sister-in-law Yu, Yu Yin prepared the necessary supplies. She had most of them, but some items, such as tea and honey, still needed to be exchanged in the village. Everyone knew that Yu Yin always traded things in their village, and they were all happy to see her come to exchange.
Yu Yin also left a few unique little toys, which she had traded from the old man, for Anze and Anna.
Yu Yin's feelings for her older brother were so-so, but she had quite a bit of affection for the two children last time, even though Anna was a bit spoiled. As an aunt, preparing small gifts for the children was perfectly acceptable to her.
After sending Sister-in-law Yu's package, Yu Yin finally had some free time. She wondered how far Chu Jianguo and his team had progressed in their matter, and whether they had successfully communicated with all parties involved.
Yu Yin was thinking about this the day before, and the next day, she received a call from Shanghai.
The first people I contacted were the staff at the Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug Administration. They inquired about the prices of some supplies, how to transport them, and the quantities needed…
The county government was overjoyed when they received the call.
Previously, when Director Chu and the Party Secretary mentioned this matter, many people were skeptical, thinking it was a pipe dream. A city as large as Shanghai, needing to purchase supplies from a border region? What a pipe dream!
Now, facts speak louder than words.
Despite the pressure of skepticism from many, Director Chu and the Party Secretary overcame all objections and got the job done. The supplies were tallied, and they sought military assistance for transportation; all that was left was the final step – waiting for a call from Shanghai.
Now I can finally rest assured. They consulted us and expressed their intention to purchase; it's just a matter of how much to order.
In the following days, the Shanghai Department Store, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and the pharmaceutical factory all called to discuss cooperation.
At this point, this matter has little to do with Yu Yin anymore, and she doesn't want to draw attention to it. She only helped with the contact as a side favor, simply wanting to lend a hand to the local farmers. The follow-up matters are handled by designated personnel, and since she doesn't know much about them, she won't meddle.
All departments in the county worked together with the townships, communes, and production brigades below to mobilize.
The project was managed by the Party Secretary and Director Chu, but Director Chu was the one who actually handled the main tasks. The Party Secretary had other responsibilities and couldn't be involved in just one project.
Director Chu has handed over the security work to the police, so he won't be raiding homes or doing anything trivial. He just wants to do something practical to improve the living conditions of the local people.
They need to take this order from the Shanghai Stock Exchange seriously and make a good start so they can plan for the future; they can't let it become a one-off deal.
Yu Yin was eventually conscripted to be responsible for counting the various orders and verifying the quantities.
Yu Yin also got busy. She received orders from grocery stores, supply and marketing cooperatives, department stores, and pharmaceutical factories. Although the quantities weren't particularly large, the variety was impressive. This was also a test to see if they had the capacity to fulfill the orders, which would determine whether they would continue to cooperate in the future.
Yu Yin also focused her attention, checking each form several times to ensure that nothing went wrong.
Moreover, Yu Yin used a relatively mature statistical table, listing each item clearly and concisely, which made it easier for them to check the goods later.
During this time, Yu Yin was too busy to take care of her family, so Lu Shurui took on the heavy responsibility of caring for the children, doing housework, cooking, and so on. Seeing how busy her parents were, Ping An and An thoughtfully helped out with whatever they could.
Yu Yin is very gratified. No matter how busy she is every day, she will give her two children a loving kiss so that they can feel their mother's love.
The orders from various places have been tallied. Most of the items requested by the grocery stores are dried mushrooms, dried bamboo shoots, and dried vegetables, which are all things that can be used for cooking at home every day.
Department stores were interested in various dried fruits, honey, and other higher-priced goods that weren't considered necessities. Supply and marketing cooperatives had the most diverse needs, placing orders for almost anything that could be used in daily life.
The herbal medicine factory ordered both common and uncommon herbs, with quite a few specific requirements. Unlike other things, herbal medicines don't have such strict requirements, so they sent many staff members with medical knowledge and folk doctors to help with the preparation—this was the main expense!
After all the supplies were prepared and confirmed repeatedly, they contacted the military supply trucks to help transport them to Kunming Railway Station. Wang Wenye and his two companions, along with an official from the county party committee office, traveled together to Shanghai for the handover.
Director Chu thought that if they were satisfied with this transaction, they could discuss further cooperation. Shanghai is such a large city; they could make more connections there. Yunnan Province is also vast, with countless areas needing assistance. They chose Menghai as a pilot area, a place they could control, making operations easier. Other matters could be discussed later; they needed to pave the way and establish a framework first.
Wang Wenye and his three companions followed the transport truck, enduring a bumpy ride to Kunming Railway Station. There, together with the comrades they had previously contacted, they loaded the supplies onto the truck and transported them to Shanghai Railway Station. The four of them then traveled to Shanghai ahead of time to contact the other party to pick up the goods.
The four of them found seats, but this time they weren't so lucky; there were no sleeper berths, only hard seats. They were all young men, so they figured they'd endure the hardship; they couldn't waste the country's money.
Lu Shuqi was experienced; he had taken this train many times before. He arranged for the other three to sit down; this journey would take several days, and it was going to be tough.
It's late March now. The temperature is high in Yunnan Province, but it's not so warm in Shanghai. They prepared warm clothes in advance. Wang Wenye and Qian Weiguo are not short of money. Their families know they are doing something worthwhile now, and they receive all sorts of subsidies. They're overjoyed.
The only outsider was Jiang Fei, an official sent by the county committee, who was older than them and married with children.
Having worked with them for so long, he can tell the difference in their demeanor and knows they're connected. Moreover, two of them are children of high-ranking officials. He won't try to lead them just because he's older; he only needs to cooperate.
It is always important to understand your own position.
With Jiang Fei's cooperation, the group got along well. Aside from eating and drinking, they discussed how to proceed with their work in Shanghai.
None of them had ever dealt with this kind of thing before; they were all novices and a bit at a loss. Lu Shuqi decided to go to her cousin-in-law, who was a purchasing agent at a department store and had a lot of experience in this area, so he could give them some pointers.
Wang Wenye and the others agreed with Lu Shuqi's words. Rather than letting them figure things out on their own, it would be better to find an experienced person to guide them. A few pointers from that person would be enough to benefit them. Right now, there's no time for them to figure things out slowly; they've come all this way, and it's not easy for them.
With a clear goal in mind, the group felt much more at ease. At least they knew what to do after getting off the bus, instead of wandering around aimlessly.
Oh, this taste!
Now that I feel more confident, I'm no longer tense. I'm even more inclined to be disgusted by my surroundings, and I can even smell the sour stench on them.
"Alright, let's call it a day for now. Let's go to the restroom and change our clothes. This smell is unbearable."
Wang Wen also sniffed his clothes; they really smelled terrible.
"Okay, let's take turns going, instead of all of us going at the same time. Someone needs to watch the luggage."
"Yes, it's always better to be safe than sorry."
The four reached a consensus and began to take action.
The crowded carriages and the noise left an indelible mark on their hearts!
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