Now that all the leaders who were supposed to come had arrived, Lu Yuan and Lu Guoan led them to the supply and marketing cooperative.
Even the commune members who weren't helping with the pig-killing feast at the brigade headquarters rushed over there. There were already quite a few people at the supply and marketing cooperative, and now there were even more; the courtyard and surrounding area were packed with people.
Lu Yuan checked the time: 9:45. There was still some time before the scheduled opening at 10:00.
He then led the group on a tour of the supply and marketing cooperative.
Luo Yaoguo and his group were all surprised to see such a wide variety of goods on display.
In particular, Director Cai of the commune's supply and marketing cooperative knew what goods had been allocated to this area, but now the amount allocated was significantly more than what they had initially received.
They even have big-ticket items like bicycles, radios, sewing machines, and watches—items their supply and marketing cooperative often lacks.
And the types and colors of cloth they had were even more numerous than those of their supply and marketing cooperative.
The cigarettes they were given were all low-end, but there were also mid- to high-end cigarettes in this glass display case.
Those leather shoes, their supply and marketing cooperative didn't even have them, but those two big vats of rapeseed oil and soybean oil...
The Changhe Brigade Supply and Marketing Cooperative clearly had more goods than theirs, and it looked much more impressive.
Director Cai felt a pang of jealousy. He glanced at Luo Yaoguo and sighed inwardly, "Alas, there's no use being jealous; their connections are undeniable!"
He assumed that the extra goods that their supply and marketing cooperative had were all allocated through Luo Yaoguo, so he dared not say anything, much less show any dissatisfaction.
Luo Yaoguo was unaware that most of the goods were sourced by Lu Yuan himself, assuming that Director Cai had provided them all. He even patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder and praised him for his good work.
Director Cai's spirits lifted, and he wondered what County Chief Luo meant by this.
Is it a subtle rebuke to him for being sarcastic, or an implication that he will be promoted in the future if he doesn't hold a grudge?
Regardless of the circumstances, the best course of action is to maintain a good relationship with Lu Yuan and always support the work of the Changhe Brigade.
After visiting the supply and marketing cooperative, the formalities began. Lu Yuan and Lu Guoan, along with a group of leaders, had just stood at the main gate when a series of firecrackers went off.
The pungent smell of sulfur filled the air, and the red firecracker paper exploded, adding to the festive atmosphere of this auspicious day. Everyone grinned and squinted their eyes.
Luo Yaoguo ripped off the red silk from the vertical signboard on the side of the door, revealing the words "Changhe Brigade Supply and Marketing Cooperative." Everyone clapped excitedly, forgetting to cover their ears.
For a moment, thunderous applause and the crackling of firecrackers were equally loud, blending together to create a deafening roar.
After a while, the firecrackers stopped, but the applause continued for a long time.
Leaders Luo Yaoguo, Qian Weixin, and Feng Tao spoke in turn, each following a similar pattern.
First, they congratulated them on the establishment of their supply and marketing cooperative, then they talked about the significance of its establishment, and finally they expressed their expectations and blessings, hoping that their supply and marketing cooperative would do better and better.
Several leaders also specifically praised the wild boar meat sent by their brigade.
After the leader finished speaking, Lu Guoan announced the official establishment of the Changhe Brigade Supply and Marketing Cooperative!
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone started pushing and shoving inside. Before they even got inside, they were already shouting in the courtyard, "I want to buy cloth!"
"I want a packet of salt!"
"I want two ounces of oil!"
"I want a box of matches."
I want to buy a pound of soy sauce.
...
Everyone rushed forward in a swarm, and Lu Yuan, Lu Guoan, and several leaders were pushed back one after another. Feng Tao was not paying attention and was pushed so hard that he almost fell. Qian Weixin, who was standing next to him, quickly caught him.
"Thanks……"
Before they could finish thanking each other, their eyes met, and upon seeing that it was each other, they immediately looked away.
Qian Weixin then let go of Feng Tao's hand. Feng Tao staggered a couple of times before regaining his balance, secretly rolled his eyes, and muttered "childish" under his breath.
Seeing that even the leaders almost tripped and fell, Lu Guoan shouted anxiously, "Don't push, don't push, everyone line up and come one by one."
But the sound was drowned out by the noise, and no one heard it at all.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan knew that pushing like this wasn't a solution and might actually injure the leaders. He immediately stretched out his long arm to block the crowd and shouted from his dantian, "Stop!"
He took a deep breath, and his powerful voice instantly drowned out all the noise. The word "Stop" was like a spell that froze everyone in their tracks, and they all stared at him in a daze.
Seeing that it was working, Lu Yuan hurriedly said, "If you want to buy something, you have to line up properly. The leaders are all here, so don't push and shove and make a scene, embarrassing our brigade."
Seeing the anxious look on some people's faces, knowing what they were worried about, he added,
"We have plenty of stock, and we can replenish it at any time even if there is a shortage. So don't worry about not being able to buy what you want and try to squeeze in. Please line up and come one by one."
When Lu Yuan speaks, there's no reason not to listen. Besides, everyone realized they almost bumped into the leader earlier, so they all obediently started queuing up.
Lu Guoan and Zhang Yongan secretly wiped the sweat from their foreheads. It was their oversight that they hadn't considered the safety issues beforehand, and it almost led to a disaster. Fortunately, Lu Yuan was there.
Luo Yaoguo and several other leaders looked at Lu Yuan with surprise. They hadn't expected him to have such prestige in the Changhe Brigade, even more so than the brigade commander.
Wen Moxue secretly gave her man a thumbs up and winked at him playfully, her eyes full of admiration.
What man could resist that look from the woman he loved? A slight smile played on his lips, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he thought, "Little girl, I'm going to teach you a lesson tonight!"
The sales at the supply and marketing cooperative proceeded smoothly, and Lu Yuan and Lu Guoan led Luo Yaoguo and the others to wander around the brigade.
They also visited a rabbit farm and a pig farm before returning to the brigade headquarters.
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