Those queuing behind, seeing that the people in front of them weren't moving any faster, got impatient. What was going on? They were starving! They immediately started yelling, "What are you doing? Why aren't you moving? Are you ever going to stop?"
The person in front, annoyed by the shouting, turned around and yelled back, "What are you shouting for? The cafeteria is out of food, what does that have to do with me? Come and see for yourself, what's the use of shouting at me?" At this, everyone stopped queuing and a large group of people surrounded the cafeteria's food serving window.
Seeing this, Ma Hua had already exchanged a glance with Liu Lan, then shouted to the crowd, "Quiet down, don't rush, I'll go to the kitchen to see if the food is ready. Comrades, don't be impatient." He then slipped away. It wasn't his fault; why should he be the one getting yelled at?
Liu Lan followed Ma Hua to the backyard, somewhat annoyed. "Hey, Ma Hua, why did you call me? What's wrong? Tell me quickly." Liu Lan was a little unhappy; she was just watching the commotion when Ma Hua called her out.
"Sister Lan, are you still standing there watching? Do you believe our coworkers who won't have food to eat will curse us to death? Why aren't you getting out of there? What are you still doing there?" Ma Hua said helplessly, looking at Liu Lan who had a gossipy look on her face.
My sister Lan is good in every way, except she's naive and has a sharp tongue that easily offends people. What if she gets into a fight with one of the coworkers? Wouldn't she become their punching bag?
"Ah, okay, thank you so much, Ma Hua. So, what about us? Let's go back and get on with our own business, and see how Sha Zhu and the others handle this. And, Lan Jie, let me tell you a secret..."
"I've already asked Director Wang to inform Director Li. I told Director Wang that you were the one who reminded me, so don't let it slip." Ma Hua glanced around to make sure no one was watching before speaking mysteriously to Liu Lan.
"Okay, thanks. Just let me know if you need anything in the future," Liu Lan said gratefully to Ma Hua, belatedly realizing her mistake. She was so busy watching the commotion that if Li Huaide found out she hadn't informed him of something so important, she'd be in trouble. Then, as if remembering something, Liu Lan looked at Ma Hua with some surprise: "Ma Hua, how did you know I...?"
"Of course, it was something Sha Zhu said when he was drunk one time, Sister Lan. I'm just honest, I'm not stupid. I know what our kitchen is like, and I know what kind of person you are. I know you have a sharp tongue but a soft heart, but I was Sha Zhu's apprentice before, so I couldn't help it..." Ma Hua explained helplessly. He naturally seized the opportunity to shift the blame onto Sha Zhu. Anyway, the two of them were like oil and water, so who else could he blame but Sha Zhu?
Don't be fooled by the small size of the canteen; it's a place rife with intrigue and backstabbing. Liu Lan and Director Wang belong to Li Huaide's faction. Li Huaide is the logistics director of the steel rolling mill, in charge of the entire plant's logistics and is the plant's second-in-command.
Sha Zhu, Ma Hua and Fatty are on Director Yang's side. Director Yang is the director of the steel rolling mill, in charge of production and related work. He's the top boss in the factory, and his word is law. (The Party Secretary has the most power in the whole factory, but cough cough, the Party Secretary doesn't have much of a presence here, so let's just say he's retired and doesn't care about anything. Please be kind and don't criticize me.)
The other women doing odd jobs were fine; they were just there to coast along. The other head chef in the canteen, Chef Yang, was a centrist, not taking sides, and listened to everyone. He was a very honest and simple person, but unfortunately, his cooking skills weren't great; he could only make large-scale dishes.
After Ma Hua finished talking with Liu Lan, they each returned to the kitchen. There, Sha Zhu was working feverishly, sweating profusely. Previously, Ma Hua would chop the vegetables and leave them for Sha Zhu, but today Ma Hua hadn't done it. Sha Zhu and Fatty were furious. Sha Zhu, while chopping vegetables, muttered under his breath, "That ungrateful bastard Ma Hua, I'm not finished with you!"
Even rushing wouldn't be enough. Sha Zhu and Fatty, who's always lazy, had never chopped so many vegetables before. They chopped them properly at first, but then Sha Zhu, seeing they were running out of time, told Fatty to hurry up while he heated oil in a wok to stir-fry the vegetables.
Don't be fooled by the fact that anyone can cook big pot dishes; without some skill, they might not taste good. There are specific requirements for the timing of adding each ingredient.
In addition, unlike in later generations, we are not willing to use as much oil. If your technique is not good, this good pot of food will turn into boiled food, watery and unappetizing.
"You silly Zhu, aren't you always hiding your true self? Let's see what you can manage to cook this time, even if you rush it." Ma Hua chuckled to himself as he worked. This was the most crucial moment. Even if you had nothing to do, you had to find something for yourself. Otherwise, when the leaders came and saw the canteen in complete chaos while you were just sitting there, who else would get scolded but you?
After a long while, Sha Zhu finally finished stir-frying the vegetables in the pan, panting heavily. The moment it was done, he collapsed to the side, looking at the finally cooked food, and finally sighed. "Finally done," he thought, "It wasn't easy, really not easy."
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