Chapter 162
What Ye Manzhi said to Director Luo was not an exaggeration.
That's what she really thought in her heart.
Currently, Meilin is the number one canned food factory in Shanghai, and its reputation has spread throughout the country.
If it weren't for the production line of Yimin Factory No. 2, what Ye Manzhi most wanted to visit and learn about was the Meilin Cannery.
During the years she worked in the Industry Department, there were mergers between companies in the province almost every month. Both the province and the city wanted to expand the companies and support a few well-known brand-name products.
Ye Manzhi had never been a leader of such a high position, but she felt that the leaders' ideas might be similar.
First, politics must be put in command, and second, large-scale industry must be developed.
Merlin has a good foundation and is an industry benchmark. In order to prevent it from being overtaken by its peers from other places, the city will probably find ways to expand Merlin.
Then isn’t Yimin No. 2 Factory, which specializes in canned food, a ready-made choice?
Ye Manzhi was not making this up. There had been rumors in the city about the two companies merging, but it had never been implemented.
"I wonder if Director Luo can get any traction with the Municipal Industrial Bureau," Ye Manzhi sighed, facing Jiang Feng. "I hope he'll be quick. My letter of introduction is about to expire."
"As long as the factory director agrees, the city generally won't strongly object," Wu Zhengrong said, grabbing the back of the little girl's collar with one hand to prevent her from poking her head over the ship's railing. "For the Municipal Bureau and Yimin Factory No. 2, the most important thing is to get control of that imported production line."
"The old production line was purchased with money from the Municipal Bureau. From what Director Luo said, this isn't going to be easy." Ye Manzhi shook his head and said, "Forget it. I'm not thinking about it anymore."
The three of them rarely find time to take a night cruise on the Huangpu River together.
Wu Yuzhuo was so excited that he started singing "Let's Row the Boat" on the deck, holding the railing with both hands and looking towards the shore.
They took a ferry along the river, but there were no night tours along the river, and there wasn't much scenery to see at night, unlike the brightly lit Bund in Shanghai.
"I'm going to the department store to buy something tomorrow," Ye Manzhi said excitedly. "This time I came to Shanghai on a business trip, my eldest sister, my third sister-in-law, and my sister-in-law Zhenfang all asked me to help bring some vanishing cream, but I haven't bought it yet!"
Wu Zhengrong said, "I haven't had time to buy the things you assigned me before. Since you're here, go buy them yourself."
"Yeah." Ye Manzhi leaned on the railing to catch the breeze, turned her head and asked with a smile, "Have you heard that saying? Comrades who come to Shanghai on business trips are like princes when they leave the car, like rabbits when they get off the car, like grandsons when they get to work, and like mules when they come home. I don't have any other feelings, but getting off the car like a rabbit anxiously looking for a hotel is quite vivid, haha."
Wu Zhengrong casually took her empty soda bottle, and remembered the shopping list Ye Lai Ya gave him before the business trip. He thought to himself, tomorrow you will know what it feels like to go home like a mule.
Luo Jianmin had not replied yet, so Ye Manzhi got up early the next day, had breakfast with Dr. Wu, and then went shopping on Nanjing Road with her little tail.
In addition to the vanishing cream, shampoo, Shanghai brand watches, White Rabbit milk candy and camera film that she brought for relatives and friends, she also wanted to buy Wu Yuzhuo a new pair of shoes.
She could make her own clothes, but not her own shoes.
The pair of small leather shoes she bought in Beijing last year are no longer tight, so Ye Manzhi has to buy her a new pair.
This time, Wu Yuzhuo was by her side, allowing her to choose for herself, but the little girl had developed a certain aesthetic sense and was very picky about the styles of her new shoes. Ye Manzhi took her to three department stores before she found a pair of white leather shoes that she liked.
By the time they returned to the hotel with their bags, it was already dinner time.
Before she went upstairs, the receptionist called out to her, "Comrade Ye, someone was looking for you just now."
"Did the other party leave his name?"
"It's a gay man named Niu."
Ye Manzhi was stunned when he heard this and asked suspiciously, "Does this comrade have an accent from another place?"
"Yes, he's probably on a business trip too. He said he'd find a guesthouse first and come see you tomorrow."
Ye Manzhi thought to himself, could this person be Director Lao Niu?
She had just called him yesterday morning and told him about Luo Jianmin's attitude. How could Niu Enjiu come from Beijing so quickly?
However, the next morning, she really met Director Niu, who was sweating profusely.
"Director, why are you here?"
"It's too hassle to call. It costs more than 10 or 20 yuan to talk for just a few words. Buying a train ticket to Shanghai is also more than 10 yuan. I might as well come to Shanghai and talk to him in person."
The weather in Shanghai has been very hot and humid recently, and the hotel room doors are all wide open.
Ye Manzhi quickly invited him into the room and poured him a glass of boiled water.
"Director, it's great that you can come to Shanghai. I really can't handle it all by myself, and my letter of introduction will expire in a few days."
She came to Shanghai on a business trip to attend an industrial exhibition, and her letter of introduction was only valid for twenty days.
Niu Enjiu put down his water cup and asked, "Is there any news from Yimin Second Factory?"
"Not yet," Ye Manzhi whispered. "Although Director Luo hasn't given a firm answer, when he saw me off that day, he said he would hold a meeting with the team to discuss the matter and then report it to the Municipal Industry Bureau."
"Then he should be inclined to cooperate with us."
"Yes." Ye Manzhi omitted the part about using Director Lao Niu as an example and briefly summarized the content of the conversation that day. "I think there is still great hope..."
Before she could finish her words, the receptionist came upstairs and knocked on the door and said, "Comrade Ye, the front desk has your number. The caller's last name is Luo."
Ye Manzhi and Niu Enjiu looked at each other, and they stood up almost at the same time and hurried downstairs to answer the phone.
She held the receiver and listened for a while. Her originally relaxed expression gradually became serious and her brows became more and more furrowed.
"Director Luo, I still need to discuss this matter with the factory. I'll contact you later."
Ye Manzhi exchanged a few pleasantries with the other party before putting down the receiver and said to Niu Enjiu beside him, "Director Luo said we can cooperate, but we have to pay a little money as a token of our appreciation."
"How much?"
"Five thousand."
"Haha, five thousand yuan is just a token of my appreciation?"
Niu Enjiu put his hands behind his back and became angrier the more he thought about it.
Spending five thousand yuan to buy an old production line is indeed cheaper than a new machine, but if both parties want to cooperate, the external explanation is that Yimin Factory No. 2 helped Binjiang Factory when it was in trouble.
For this old production line, Binjiang has to owe a favor to Shanghai.
If they can really get a set of free equipment back from Shanghai, then the favor will be owed.
But making them owe someone a favor and spend five thousand dollars, how can this be done?
Ye Manzhi's expression didn't look good as he relayed the story. He frowned and said, "The city bureau leaders meant that Binjiang didn't need to accept the favor. They just told the Ministry of Light Industry that Yimin No. 2 Factory sold the equipment to our factory at a low price."
Niu Enjiu pulled a face and snorted, "Haha," "That's a really clever idea!"
So he ran from Binjiang to Beijing to stand guard for several days, and he was standing guard for the Shanghai Industrial Bureau!
The Binjiang factory went to great lengths to help others get a brand new, free production line, but it had to spend five thousand yuan itself!
Not only can they get the most advanced equipment and earn 5,000 yuan, but they can also earn a good reputation in the ministry!
You know, Binjiang went to the door of the ministry to stand guard, which posed a problem to the ministry leaders.
But at this critical juncture, Shanghai sold the old equipment to Binjiang Factory. From an outsider's perspective, wasn't that helping the leaders solve a problem?
Only Binjiang and Shanghai know about the preliminary exchanges. How could Beijing know the ins and outs of the matter?
This trick not only leaves a good impression on the leaders and increases the weight in winning the Hungarian production line, but also allows them to dispose of the old equipment, earn back 5,000 yuan, and make Binjiang owe them a small favor. After all, equipment worth 5,000 yuan is indeed cheap.
This is not just killing two birds with one stone, it is killing several birds with one stone!
Niu Enjiu flatly refused: "No, I can't give you these five thousand yuan!"
If he hadn't gone to Beijing to stand guard, it would have been a good deal to spend 5,000 yuan to buy a production line.
But he had already been to Beijing to serve as a guard, so buying equipment from Yimin Factory No. 2 was not just an economic act, but also had some political significance.
Even though Yimin No. 2 Factory verbally said that they did not need to remember favors, in the eyes of outsiders, they were taking advantage of Shanghai and buying equipment at a preferential price.
Ye Manzhi also knew that this matter made people feel uncomfortable, but the purpose of her business trip to Shanghai was to get equipment.
As long as she can get the canning equipment back to Binjiang and resume production in the canning workshop, her goal will be achieved.
As for owing favors, saving face, etc., they were not within her consideration.
The two parties are so far apart, what does it matter even if you owe someone a favor?
It would be best if she could get the equipment for free, but if it requires spending some money, she can actually accept it.
She told Niu Enjiu about her idea, and the old factory manager, Niu, muttered with a dark face, "Is five thousand a bargain? If they're willing to hand over the production line to us for five hundred yuan, I'll pay right away!"
A five-thousand-dollar device isn't worth the favor he owes it, but a five-hundred-dollar one is.
*
Ye Manzhi and Director Niu went to Yimin Food Factory No. 2 several times to discuss purchasing the production line for a small amount of money.
Lao Niu's desired price was 2,500 yuan, but the Municipal Industrial Bureau was only willing to sell it for 4,500 yuan.
The two sides held several talks without any results. The matter was still unresolved until Ye Manzhi's letter of introduction expired and he had to leave Shanghai as soon as possible.
Niu Enjiu's letter of introduction was valid for one month, so Ye Manzhi had no choice but to ask Director Niu to stay here and take charge personally.
She returned to Binjiang alone.
As for Wu Zhengrong and Wu Yuzhuo, well, it makes people jealous just to talk about them.
Dr. Wu completed his work in Shanghai the day before yesterday. In order to prevent Wu Yuzhuo from delaying his work in Shanghai, Dr. Wu brought the cub back to Binjiang.
That’s nothing, the key point is that the father and daughter left on a military plane!
Ye Manzhi has never been on a plane in her life, but her little one actually got on a plane first!
By the time she took the train and traveled thousands of miles back to Binjiang, the father and daughter had been home for nearly a week.
Wu Zhengrong met his wife at the train station and revealed to her: "You'd better be mentally prepared. Youyan is not the same now."
"What's the matter?" Ye Manyi asked.
"Improvement," Wu Zhengrong's lips curved more and more sharply. "You'll know when you go back and take a look."
Ye Manzhi thought that this so-called progress was academic progress or improvement in self-care ability.
However, when she returned to the military academy's family compound, she saw her daughter standing at the gate from afar. She had a wooden gun on her back and a large sleeve on her thin arm. She was standing next to a young soldier on duty.
When the distance between them was shortened, she found that what her daughter was wearing on her arm was not a sleeve, but a red armband.
"Baby, what are you doing standing here?"
"I'm on guard!" Wu Yuzhuo answered proudly.
Ye Manzhi couldn't help but laugh and asked, "What kind of post are you on?"
"Mom, please stop talking to me. Talking is forbidden while on guard duty." Wu Yuzhuo violated the duty rules and secretly waved his hand, saying, "Mom, go home first!"
Wu Zhengrong supported her daughter's work very much. She started the motorcycle and took her curious mother away.
The sidecar motorcycle went quite far away, but Ye Manyzhi was still looking back.
"What's going on? She's less than a meter tall. Why is she standing guard?"
Wu Zhengrong revealed: "Comrade Wu Yuzhuo has just become an official member of the Youth Street Children's League and has a guard duty today."
Ye Manzhi asked in surprise, "How could she join the children's group? Isn't she too young?"
The Children's Corps is similar to the Young Pioneers, but it accepts younger children.
Generally, children join the Children's League when they are young, the Young Pioneers when they are older, and the Communist Youth League when they are even older.
Not all children could join the Children's Corps. The Youth Street Commune where the Military Academy was located organized a Children's Corps, but only thirty or forty children were able to join.
Ye Manzhi didn't know much about this children's group, but she had seen children wearing armbands doing voluntary labor in the compound before. They looked to be about seven or eight years old.
Wu Zhengrong's tone was full of smiles when he spoke again. "The selection process for the Children's Corps was quite strict, but Youyan had been to Shanghai and visited the publishing house that published '100,000 Whys.' She told the children about Shanghai every day in the compound and said she was the successor of the revolution. When the leader of the Children's Corps heard about it, he personally recruited her."
Ye Manzhi: “…”
They spent quite a while in Shanghai this time, so they had plenty to talk about.
Moreover, her little girl has a good memory. In order to go home and tell her brother and sisters about her experiences, she even wrote a diary in dog-scratching handwriting. If she were allowed to talk freely, she could talk for three days and three nights.
The kid has joined the children's group, which is indeed progress.
Wu Yuzhuo's guard duty time was one hour. After Ye Manzhi went home to wash up and have dinner, she finally waited for Comrade Wu Yuzhuo to complete his mission.
"Baby, where did you get this wooden spear?"
Ye Manzhi had seen children on patrol before, but they didn't seem to be carrying guns.
Wu Yuzhuo took the wooden spear off his body and hung it carefully next to the small red flag that read "Crossing the Binjiang River." He said excitedly, "My dad made me a gun! My dad said you have to have a gun when you're on guard duty. It's not proper to be without one!"
"..." Ye Manzhi kicked the man's calf and complained, "She's already short, and you're putting a gun on her. What if she doesn't grow taller?"
Wu Zhengrong said indifferently, "She doesn't have to stand guard every day. How heavy can it be if she only carries it for a short while? Let her carry a gun to hone her revolutionary will."
Wu Yuzhuo echoed, "Yes, I want to hone my revolutionary will! Uncle Lei Feng was once the leader of the Children's Corps. If I perform well, I can become one in the future!"
Ye Manzhi: “…”
Her daughter has made great progress!
*
Wu Yuzhuo's joining the children's group made the value of this trip to Shanghai continue to soar.
"That double room isn't wasted."
When Ye Manzhi returned to work to report for leave, she was still thinking about Dr. Wu's expression when he hugged her and said these words last night.
It can be seen that Wu Zhengrong is more pleased than amused by his daughter's progress.
Ye Manzhi was really curious about how Wu Yuzhuo could hold back his laughter when he saw him carrying a spear.
Anyway, she couldn't help it, she wanted to laugh every time she passed by the wall with the guns hanging on it.
Ye Manzhi finished her vacation and returned to the office to inquire about the latest developments in the factory over the past half month.
"Has the personnel department started recruiting yet?"
Zhou Ruyi said, "The job posting has been posted for a week, but Director Niu hasn't returned from a business trip yet, and the personnel department hasn't set a specific exam date."
Ye Manzhi sighed inwardly.
This is how things are at the food factory. Niu Enjiu holds the power over personnel matters. When he is not at home, the personnel department even has to postpone its recruitment plan.
She called Lao Ye and heard that the list of people going to the third front had not been announced yet. She breathed a sigh of relief and asked Lao Ye to urge her fourth brother to read and review. The food factory would be recruiting soon and her fourth brother must pass the written test.
Old Ye readily agreed and then asked, "When is the specific exam time?"
"It should be soon. Our Factory Director Niu is on a business trip recently. We can arrange the recruitment exam when he returns."
Many people in the factory are looking forward to Niu Enjiu's return, not only for the recruitment exam, but also hoping that he can bring back good news for the factory.
Several deputy factory managers knew that the factory was eyeing Shanghai Yimin Factory No. 2. As long as the production line was in place, their canning workshop could start production immediately.
As everyone expected, Niu Enjiu finally returned ten days later.
It is already August, and the chirping of cicadas in midsummer makes people feel restless.
After receiving the news, Ye Manzhi rushed back to the factory from the workshop and went directly to Niu Enjiu's office.
Several other deputy factory managers were there, but their faces were not looking good.
Seeing this, Ye Manzhi felt something was wrong and forced a smile to ask, "What happened?"
Wang Shihu whispered, "That Shanghai production line is dead."
"Didn't we agree on the price, or what's the reason?"
Niu Enjiu shook his head and said, "I was still negotiating the price with them over there when I suddenly heard the news that the tomato sauce production line imported from Hungary had been handed over to Guangxi. The Comprehensive Planning Department of the Ministry of Light Industry approved an investment of 840,000 yuan to build a factory in Guilin."
“…”
"If Shanghai didn't get the new production line, then the old one couldn't be sold. I didn't stay there. I bought a ticket back the same day I got the news."
Ye Manzhi: “…”
There was clearly a win-win opportunity, but it turned into a lose-lose situation just because of a few thousand dollars.
If they had been more decisive and submitted their application to the Ministry of Light Industry earlier, there might have been some room for maneuver.
Why.
Ye Manzhi was overwhelmed by a huge sense of loss and sat on the sofa for a long time without saying a word.
The office was so quiet that the chirping of katydids outside the window seemed even louder.
Niu Enjiu was silent for a long time, then said, "The responsibility for this matter lies mainly with me. I wish I hadn't been entangled with them for so long."
Ye Manzhi said hurriedly, "Business talks require give and take. How can we just give them whatever they ask for? It's a shame we didn't get the production line, but Yimin Factory No. 2 must be having a bigger headache than us. In order to apply for that imported production line, they signed contracts with three production teams. Now that the plan has fallen through, we don't know what to do with the excess raw materials."
"That's right," Jiang Wenming said, "Director Niu has done his best. We can't influence the decisions of the higher-ups!"
"I don't think there's any point in buying someone else's old production line. When we have enough money, we can just buy a new one!"
…
Several deputy factory managers comforted each other in Lao Niu's office and chatted until the end of the day before leaving one after another.
Ye Manzhi walked home listlessly and lay on Wu Zhengrong's back as soon as she entered the door.
"What's wrong, Director Xiaoye?"
Wu Zhengrong had just finished repairing a car in the yard, and his hands were covered in oil. Now he could only hold up his hands and let her hug him around the waist.
"The production line at Yimin Food Factory No. 2 is gone," Ye Manzhi explained slowly, sighing, "all our efforts have been in vain!"
"You went to Shanghai to participate in the Shanghai Industrial Expo. Getting the equipment was a pleasant surprise, but not getting it was understandable." Wu Zhengrong washed his hands in the basin, patted her on the back, and said, "Director Ye, you're no longer a novice. Are you discouraged by this little setback?"
"I just had too high expectations. I thought it would just be a matter of the price being a little higher or lower, and that we'd definitely be able to get the production line," Ye Manzhi said dejectedly. "Yesterday I was organizing everyone at the factory to clean up the workshop, and today I was told that the production line couldn't be obtained. This psychological gap is huge..."
Wu Zhengrong thought to himself that if Ye Lai Ya went to work in the research institute, he would probably be disappointed every day.
Scientific research progresses very slowly and requires inspiration.
Wu Zhengrong has become indifferent to failure. If these words were said by the researchers in his unit, he would have asked them to leave and closed the door.
However, now that the target has become his own wife, he not only has to comfort her with kind words, pat her on the head and back, but also has to actively offer suggestions and provide effective advice, otherwise it will be easy for Ye Lai Ya, who has come to his senses, to take revenge on him later.
Ye Manzhi leaned in Dr. Wu's arms, seeking comfort and drawing some spiritual strength from the intellectual.
Finally, I stopped worrying about the production line of Yimin Factory No. 2 and started thinking about the next arrangements.
How else can the factory get other production lines?
The sound of sunflowers outside the window brought her back from her wandering thoughts. Ye Manzhi suddenly asked, "Didn't you go pick up Youyan from school today?"
"Yes, the children's group had an activity, and she went to participate with other children."
Ye Manzhi asked curiously, "What activities do they have? Why does the children's group always have activities?"
Wu Zhengrong was well aware of his daughter's movements. "The commune granted them a piece of land where they can grow vegetables and grain, and sell it as honorary grain. It's said that the money from selling honorary grain can be used for public welfare. Wu Yuzhuo went to the fields with them to catch insects."
Ye Manzhi: “…”
It sounds like playing house.
The child followed the main force to participate in the labor, and the labor location was right in the compound, so the couple were not too worried.
It was not until the clock pointed to eight o'clock and there was still no sign of Wu Yuzhuo that Ye Manzhi realized something was wrong.
"It's dark outside, how can we catch bugs?"
"I'll go out and look for her." Wu Zhengrong made a gesture to go out.
However, before he could push the door open, Wu Yuzhuo jumped into the yard.
He was holding a somewhat mottled tin can in his arms.
"Baby, what's in your arms?" Ye Manyi was afraid that she would put the insects she caught into a jar and bring it home.
"Money!" Wu Yuzhuo opened the lid of the tin can and showed the banknotes inside to his mother.
"Where did you get so much money?"
The 15 yuan that Grandma Wu and Chang Yue'e gave her to go to Shanghai had been deposited by Ye Manzhi in the bank and exchanged for Wu Yuzhuo's passbook.
The little brat only has two cents of pocket money every week.
Wu Yuzhuo snapped the lid on the jar and said proudly, "This is what our team leader gave me!"
Wu Zhengrong frowned and asked, "Why did he give you so much money?"
His family is only five years old...
"The leader said I'll be the accountant for the Children's Corps from now on!" Wu Yuzhuo couldn't contain his joy and spoke rapidly, "Guo Dongdong embezzled five cents of public funds and the leader found out. He said he'll never let Guo Dongdong be the accountant again and will let me be the accountant!"
Ye Manzhi asked in disbelief, "Baby, are you really the accountant for the children's group?"
This is just nonsense.
Wu Yuzhuo didn't think the captain was fooling around. He nodded happily, then took the tin can back to his room and went to find a place to hide the money.
Ye Manzhi and Wu Zhengrong: "::::::"
Their daughter's progress is so fast. It's only been a short time since she joined the Children's League, but she has already become an official!
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