Lin Fan remembered Su Tang's instructions and smiled innocently: "I don't know either. Team Leader Su told me to do it. She said... um... to make the coal burn more completely."
Upon hearing this, Sun Hong was overjoyed.
What does "more complete" mean?
Such ambiguous statements clearly indicate a lack of confidence.
He made a show of taking a tour, making sure he saw all the "shabby" and "simple" aspects of Su Tang's team, and then went back satisfied.
As soon as he entered Workshop No. 3, he couldn't wait to tell Gao Dongliang what he had seen as a joke.
"Gao Gong, you didn't see that! Their shed could be blown down by the wind! The tools are all our discarded ones! The furnace they made isn't even half my height, it's black and ugly, like a lump of iron! I asked them what it was, and they couldn't even explain it themselves! I think they're just messing around, we're definitely going to win this time!"
A burst of laughter erupted in the workshop. The expert team members became even more dismissive of their opponents, and their work became increasingly careless.
On the last night of the three-day deadline, Su Tang's team was the first to finish building their furnace.
It stood quietly in the center of the shed, its appearance simple and unadorned, only half a person's height, and even seemed somewhat short due to its compact design. This was precisely what Su Tang had designed to reduce the footprint, since many mountain outposts on the border were only so big, and a huge furnace would take up the soldiers' precious living space.
In contrast, the two-meter-tall furnace in the expert team's workshop, wrapped in polished steel plates and gleaming with a powerful presence, looked particularly impressive.
On the eve of the competition, it was already pitch black, and the cold wind, carrying snowflakes, made the canvas of the work shed howl loudly.
None of Su Tang's team members left. They gathered around their stove, making final checks over and over again, their faces showing exhaustion and anticipation.
Just then, a lively chatter came from outside the workers' shed.
"Team Leader Su! Is Team Leader Su here?" It was Li Xiumei's loud voice.
Su Tang was taken aback and looked up to see Li Xiumei, Wang Cuicui, and several other familiar military wives, each carrying a large basket, walking in through the wind and snow.
The basket was covered with a thick cotton cloth, and when it was uncovered, a steaming aroma instantly dispelled the chill in the shed.
These are freshly steamed meat buns! And a big pot of steaming brown sugar ginger soup!
"Oh my, my dear sisters! Look at you, you're all exhausted!" Li Xiumei looked at Su Tang's face, which was red from the cold, with heartache, and without saying a word, stuffed a hot bun into her hand. "Quick! Eat it while it's hot! Let it warm you up!"
Wang Cuicui also brought over a bowl of ginger soup, her face showing genuine concern: "Team Leader Su, we family members can't really help much, but we know you must not have been eating or sleeping well these past few days. This is just a small token of our appreciation. You must eat your fill so you'll have the energy for tomorrow!"
"Yes, Team Leader Su, we've all heard! You're doing this for the benefit of all of us, challenging a top expert from Beijing!"
"We don't understand any advanced technology, but we all trust you! Our whole family is waiting to get a new stove made by you!"
"Team Leader Su, keep it up! We all support you!"
The military wives chattered amongst themselves, their words simple yet filled with the most sincere trust and support.
Geng Xiangdong, an old man in his fifties, had tears in his eyes as he looked at the scene.
Lin Fan, Chen Xue, and the other experienced chefs silently accepted the steamed buns and ate them heartily, feeling a warm current flow from their stomachs all the way to their hearts.
Holding the warm bun, Su Tang looked at the sincere faces in front of her, and the coldness she felt from being offended by Zhou Huai'an was completely melted away by this warmth.
She nodded heavily, her voice a little hoarse, but incredibly firm.
"Don't worry, everyone."
"I will make sure that everyone in the entire military region has access to the best stoves."
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