Chapter 214 A fine horse and a hardworking ox.
A Shanghai food factory sells cream cakes. A triangular cream cake costs 1.2 yuan; a round birthday cake costs about 5 yuan.
Round birthday cakes sell better than triangular cakes because triangular cakes are clearly for individual consumption, while birthday cakes are for the whole family, and only on special occasions do the whole family buy a single cream cake together.
According to Li Jianzhi, a cream cake that's only two fingers wide would only cost a few cents... which is too stingy, but everyone could afford it.
"If the cafeteria wants to serve cream cakes, it still needs to make its own fresh cream and get fresh milk... so that cream cakes can be served on a fixed day each week."
In Shanghai, cream cakes are available every afternoon around 3 or 4 pm, but their factory certainly doesn't have the capacity for that; they can't consume that much milk alone. However, if they could supply cakes for one afternoon a week, they could still meet the demand.
"We can order a large tub of milk in advance, modify the centrifuge to use high-speed rotation to speed up the cream separation, and then whip the cream by hand... We can even make our own butter! Make butter cookies!"
Qin Xiangxiang returned to the textile factory and convened a meeting of all employees. She proposed that the factory would provide cream cakes and butter cookies one afternoon each week, and asked everyone to vote on the date. She also proposed that the canteen chef learn how to make cream cakes.
This task fell to the pastry chef who usually makes shumai.
"Does our factory supply cream cakes?"
"My goodness! The benefits at our factory are getting better and better!"
Let's choose Sunday!
"I think Saturday is good. The cake can only be made in the afternoon, and most people start their holiday on Saturday. It's the best time to eat cake and watch a movie in the evening."
"The young couples in our factory are so lucky!"
Qin Xiangxiang's suggestion to supply cream cakes received everyone's support. Assistant He hesitated, but Qin Xiangxiang pointed to the certificates on the wall: "We are not only a pioneer in foreign exchange earnings, but also a foreign affairs reception unit. Isn't it normal for our factory to supply cream cakes?"
Assistant He whispered, "That's what they say, but apart from hosting the Khmer prince that year, no other foreign guests have come."
Qin Xiangxiang: "And the shipping magnate of Hong Kong."
Assistant He: "..."
"Better safe than sorry! Our guesthouse is about to be built, and if we are to receive foreign guests in the future, we will certainly need some special desserts."
"In addition to serving this cream cake, we also serve cream milk tea... I discussed the specific recipes with the cafeteria staff."
Assistant He: "Summer is almost here, and our factory should be learning how to make soft drinks!"
"Director Qin, most factories make their own soft drinks! Our factory, however, is making iced bayberry soft drink, taking advantage of our local conditions!"
Qin Xiangxiang: "Oh, Assistant He, you've got quite a few little schemes up your sleeve."
Whether it's homemade cream cakes, homemade milk tea, or homemade soft drinks and ice cream, start making them all!
Without waiting for the master to go to Shanghai to learn how to make cream cakes, Qin Xiangxiang led the masters to start separating cream using the traditional method. The resulting thin cream was poured into a large bucket with a sealed lid, and like the master chefs in Shanghai with amazing arm strength, they frantically shook and whipped the cream by hand.
A small piece of cake topped with a dollop of cream costs two cents!
A triangular cream cake, priced at one dollar!
A round birthday cake, priced at five yuan!
"Birthday cakes need to be ordered in advance. We only make four of these triangular cakes at a time. Any extras also need to be ordered in advance. We'll make more of these two-cent cream cakes."
The small cream cakes costing two cents were a perk for the employees.
A one-dollar cake is too expensive to buy, but many people are willing to try a two-cent cake every week. Two cents is not cheap, but it's not expensive either!
When giving gifts, buying a cake that costs 5.2 yuan looks more presentable than a triangular cake, and it can be shared among five people, which can be described as "spending a little money to gain a lot of face".
This two-cent cake was well received by all the employees of Feiyan Textile Factory as soon as it was launched.
"Cream cakes are available every Saturday afternoon after 4 pm. Triangle cakes and birthday cakes need to be ordered in advance!"
Professor Shen and Dr. Ye both ordered a triangular cake, and Dr. Ye also insisted on having a cup of coffee.
Although the two were demoted, their salaries were not reduced. They received all their back pay during the Chinese New Year. Professor Shen, in particular, had a high monthly salary and could easily afford a small cream cake.
Dr. Ye: "The factory has a TV, and now they're supplying cream cakes... Life is getting better every day."
“They slaughter a pig every few days.”
Professor Shen: "The factory manager is farsighted and knows how to run a business."
Qin Xiangxiang ordered a round birthday cake and picked it up on Saturday. She planned to take it home to share with her neighbors. When she picked up the cake, she waited a while and found that the cakes in the cafeteria were selling very well. They were served at 4 p.m. and were all sold out before 5 p.m.
"A cake that costs two cents, we'll make a quick buck and sell a lot!"
"Master, could you make more next time? I didn't get any!"
"Can't this cake be served every day?"
...
The factory's cream cakes were in short supply. The canteen worker whispered to Qin Xiangxiang, "Some employees are buying them for their relatives and friends, so the supply can't keep up with demand! Some people buy a dozen or twenty at a time! The cream cakes are so cheap at two cents each."
"Other companies also ask our factory employees to buy things for them."
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Make a little more next time."
"The price of the cake will remain unchanged at two cents, serving the public! We strive to ensure that all children can enjoy cream cakes."
Master: "It's just that the size is too stingy."
Qin Xiangxiang said, "This is a benefit for the factory's employees. When the bayberry season comes, we can put a bayberry on top of the small cake and make a bayberry cream cake. It will look nice too."
Qin Xiang happily made up her mind, took the cake home, cut it into twelve pieces, and distributed them to her neighbors upstairs and downstairs.
As the factory manager, she earns a high salary, and her husband, Li Jianzhi, as the regimental commander, also earns a decent salary. The couple can easily afford a five-yuan cake, especially since the cake is made in their own factory and requires no coupons, just money.
Zhong Li: "This cake is delicious!"
"It's all thanks to our new employee Pingping who's capable!" If it weren't for Yin Pingping, Qin Xiangxiang wouldn't have thought of supplying cream cakes in the factory. Moreover, the canned cream that Yin Pingping brought back gave Professor Shen an idea. Perhaps their factory could also make its own canned cream and canned butter.
Let's raise more cattle on the farm...
Their Feiyan Textile Factory was thriving, and eventually their affiliated food processing plant became a dominant force in the industry.
Qin Xiangxiang would rather be the manager of a food factory than a textile factory!
As the two ate cake, they chatted about the four talented men whose fevers had subsided. Zhong Li shook her head: "None of them made it! They've all cooled down now."
Qin Xiangxiang: "None of them worked out? Lin Xiuqin and Zhou Zhenbang didn't work out either?"
"It didn't work out."
Qin Xiangxiang asked in disbelief, "It didn't work?"
She thought Lin Xiuqin would marry Zhou Zhenbang, and that Zhou Zhenbang would lose his chance to be the male lead.
Does Lin Xiuqin still like Chen Ruifeng?
Zhong Li laughed: "It didn't work out. I heard that Lin Xiuqin is still pestering him. We met once last time, but Zhou Zhenbang didn't make any progress. He probably didn't like her."
Qin Xiangxiang: "That's really surprising."
"Do you think everyone is as lucky as your old Li, marrying a beautiful wife at such a young age?"
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Our Li is a hardworking and conscientious ox. He eats grass and produces milk."
And they diligently cultivated the land.
Zhong Li: "???"
Zhong Li: "My husband, Lao Yang, is a pig!"
As the two chatted, it got late. He Xiuxiu and Lin Xiuqin went up to the second floor. At the corner, they met Qin Xiangxiang's eyes. Qin Xiangxiang and Lin Xiuqin hadn't finished eating their cream cakes yet.
Lin Xiuqin was filled with worries. She hadn't thought about Qin Xiangxiang for several days, but found her leisurely eating cake. Wasn't Qin Xiangxiang a workaholic career-oriented genius?
Every time I come to the family compound, I always run into Qin Xiangxiang chatting and gossiping with her neighbors, not doing anything serious.
As for Lin Xiuqin's career, let's leave that aside for now. She suffered a major setback in her love life. Her relationship with that bastard Zhou Zhenbang ended without a trace. That old fox Zhou Zhenbang! He's so hateful! He was polite and discreet on the day they parted ways, but they never contacted each other again.
Lin Xiuqin waited for two or three days and then took the initiative to ask He Xiuxiu, but He Xiuxiu said it wouldn't work.
Lin Xiuqin wanted to see Zhou Zhenbang again—but there was no chance at all!
He's an officer; he works every day and lives in a double dormitory. He's either on a warship or in his office and double dormitory.
In this day and age, without cell phones, it's impossible to contact anyone.
He Xiuxiu told her, "If you still think about him, write to him and chat for a few years. Maybe he will get to know your soul and fall in love with you."
Lin Xiuqin: "..."
Lin Xiuqin turned around and abandoned Zhou Zhenbang. She had only been attracted to his family and job conditions, but she didn't have the patience to argue with him, fearing that she would end up with nothing.
Lin Xiuqin has now set her sights on Zhao Rui, a naval technology engineer.
Engineers, that sounds cool too.
Lin Xiuqin kept pestering He Xiuxiu to introduce her to Zhao Rui. He Xiuxiu was a little confused when she saw that Lin Xiuqin had changed her target so quickly.
Upon seeing Qin Xiangxiang and the other person, He Xiuxiu took the initiative to ask, "Does either of you know Zhao Rui? Could you help Xiuqin make a connection?"
Qin Xiangxiang shook her head: "I've never seen it before."
Zhong Li: "I've only met Dr. Bai."
He Xiuxiu: "Director Qin, didn't you go see Zhao Rui? I heard he looks a lot like your Commander Li, like a spirited steed!"
Lin Xiuqin's eyes lit up.
Qin Xiangxiang said, "My husband, Lao Li, is a hardworking and conscientious ox."
Just then, Li Jianzhi, who happened to be coming upstairs, thought: "??????"
He had just received a call from his mother, Comrade Wu Xueyan, who said she was coming to the island to visit relatives, but of course, her main purpose was to learn how to raise pigs.
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