Chapter 54
Ye Manzhi is currently in charge of three areas of work: civil affairs, education, and family handicrafts.
Issuing letters of introduction and marriage registration are services directly facing residents, so the importance of civil affairs goes without saying.
With the strong support of Director Mu, adult literacy and primary education have now become one of the important tasks of the street office.
Compared with the first two jobs, the cottage industry is like the yellow cabbages in the field. Although it is mentioned by the leaders in every meeting, no one really cares.
The coal furnace factory that Ye Manzhi was running in full swing was a large-scale industry, not a family handicraft.
What is a cottage industry?
As the name suggests, it is a handicraft that can be done at home. It does not require opening a factory or industrial and commercial registration.
Like the paper-making group led by my second sister's mother-in-law, Aunt Xu, and the glove groups, sewing groups, carpentry groups, mold-making groups, blacksmith groups, etc. convened by various neighborhood committees, the products they produce can be classified as family handicrafts.
For the subdistrict office, the benefits of developing cottage industries are minimal.
Why?
Because the street has to contact orders and assign tasks to these handicraft groups every month, it takes a lot of effort, but it cannot intercept the profits. Most of the income must be left to the residents and a small part must be paid as taxes.
Moreover, the number of employees is large and scattered, making management particularly difficult.
For the street office, family handicrafts require large investments but have low outputs. Apart from being able to absorb housewives into work and increase the average income of street residents, they have no other obvious advantages.
Neither the director nor the deputy director took it too seriously, and Ye Manzhi, the junior cadre in charge, didn't really care either.
If Zhang Qinjian hadn't mentioned it suddenly, she wouldn't even know that the average monthly income last year was only 350 yuan.
"Xiao Ye, did you make a mistake when filling in the numbers?" Mulan didn't quite believe that a small family handicraft business could generate a monthly income of more than a thousand yuan.
Ye Manzhi found her account book and the tax payment certificate from the tax office and handed them to Director Mu.
It's her own fault too.
These days, she was immersed in the joy of moving into a new house, and had been thinking about how to clean the yard and the house in the spring. In addition, her unit did not pay much attention to family handicrafts, so she did not report to her leader immediately after filing her taxes.
The key point is that she didn't think that an average monthly income of one thousand yuan was a particularly big achievement at the time.
If she had known that one thousand yuan was three times what it was before, she would have taken credit for it to her boss long ago!
Mulan carefully checked her account book and tax payment certificate, and the numbers on them did match the contents of her report.
That's not a filling error.
Wei Zhen also took the account book and looked through it. Before Ye Manzhi took over, the family handicraft industry had always been in charge of her.
She knew best how difficult that job was.
Not only do I have to deal with a lot of things every day, but I don't see much progress. Occasionally, I have to mediate conflicts between several neighborhood committees competing for business.
No matter how capable Xiao Ye is, it's impossible for him to make the performance soar as soon as he takes over, right?
This account book records the accounts from September to December in detail.
It can be seen that when she first took over in September, the income from the family handicraft industry did not improve significantly. The total income for that month was 418.24 yuan.
It was not until mid-October that many inexplicable income items suddenly appeared.
There are not only various small items such as pots, pans, cutting boards, pot lids, brooms, silk threads, but also large items such as wooden beds and bellows. The most amazing thing is that there are actually 9 coffins!
The total income in October was 1,351.43 yuan.
"Hey, this..." Wei Zhen pointed at the "coffin" line and asked, "Does our crafts team still accept coffin-making business?"
"Yes, there's a Master Qu over at the Third Residential Committee. He used to work in a coffin shop. When he got too old and couldn't do it anymore, he taught his son the trade. But his skills weren't very good, so the shop didn't let him take over his father's business," Ye Manzhi explained. "The expansion of Factory 656 will occupy the cemetery, so many families need to relocate their graves. When they came to register with me, I introduced Master Qu's son to them."
Funeral affairs are also part of civil affairs work. Before residents relocate the graves of their ancestors, they must go to the street office to register.
Ye Manzhi was therefore able to obtain first-hand information.
Although Master Xiaoqu's craftsmanship is not as good as his father's, he is cheaper. For those who do not want to spend too much money on relocating graves, he is the first choice.
So she contacted 17 business orders for Master Xiaoqu in just two months.
Because there were too many orders, he couldn't handle it all by himself, so even Master Qu came back to work.
Mulan carefully looked through her account book, adding up the unit price and total price of each item. Then she pointed to the "broom" column and asked, "What kind of broom is this? Why is the unit price so high?"
"It's just an ordinary sweeping broom."
Mulan was surprised: "How can a sweeping broom be bought for as high as 40 cents a piece?"
If the purchase price of a broom is 40 cents, then the retail price in the market and supply and marketing cooperatives will probably reach 60 or 70 cents.
Is the broom worth the price?
According to the records in the account book, in October, 300 brooms alone were sold, with an income of 120 yuan.
Ye Manzhi nodded and said, "You'll know if you go to the supply and marketing cooperatives. Many of them are out of stock of brooms and mops. The ones that are available are not cheap. Average quality ones are around 40 cents, while good quality ones can go for 70 cents. Our handmade group produces the high-quality ones."
Wei Zhen asked a question that everyone was most concerned about.
"Xiao Ye, I see you've added a lot of new handmade items to your account book. Where did you end up selling these products?"
The street office is responsible for contacting orders for family handicrafts.
In order to receive long-term and stable orders, it is usually necessary to produce supporting products for the factory.
For example, we produce matchboxes for match factories, cigarette boxes for cigarette factories, pepper powder paper tubes for seasoning factories, and help hat factories cut hat covers...
But there were only a few factories, but there were tens of thousands of resident production groups throughout the city.
If you want to get factory orders, you also need to use connections and find ways.
Xiao Ye is a child of Factory 656, so he might have some connections in this area.
However, Ye Manzhi said as a matter of course: "These new products are sold to wholesale markets and supply and marketing cooperatives!"
Everyone: “…”
That's a bit far-fetched.
Everyone knows how difficult it is to get into a supply and marketing cooperative.
People won’t accept products just because you’re pretty, right?
Zhao Erhe asked curiously, "Xiao Ye, how did you convince the supply and marketing cooperative to accept these products?"
"No need to convince me. I'll have my handcraft team produce whatever the market needs. As soon as the products are produced, they can be directly delivered to the supply and marketing cooperative counter."
"Then how do you know what's in short supply in the market? You can't just go to the market every day and watch it, right?"
Ye Manzhi is responsible for marriage registration, managing a literacy school and a coal furnace factory, so she has no time to do market research.
"The product information was provided to me by my fourth brother Ye Mangui and Uncle Wei!"
"Which Mr. Wei?"
"It's Uncle Wei Guojin," seeing that no one responded, Ye Manzhi had no choice but to say the other person's nickname, "Wei Jianjin!"
“Ohhhh~”
It turned out to be him!
When "Wei Jianjin" was mentioned, everyone suddenly understood.
Wei Jianjin was a broker before liberation.
What does a broker do?
They help buyers and sellers to connect with each other, and their income mainly comes from shares and kickbacks.
After liberation, these brokers who took kickbacks were banned by the state, and most brokers changed their careers voluntarily or involuntarily.
Some went to work as sales clerks in stores, while others were assigned to the supply and marketing departments of factories.
At that time, Uncle Wei was assigned to work as a salesperson at the "Live Pig Trading Service Office".
However, he retired two years ago.
After retirement, he never forgets his original intention and helps people to make connections from time to time to earn some extra money.
After being caught by the Industrial and Commercial Bureau and the police station, he did not change his bad habits and continued to do it after being released.
Others were sent to the palace twice or three times, but Uncle Wei had no idea how many times he had been there, so everyone gave him the nickname "Wei Jianjin".
For people like him, the main punishments are fines and persuasion and education, so Uncle Wei is also an acquaintance of the street office.
I get educated by the street several times a year.
On the one hand, Mulan felt that Xiao Ye was able to dig out Wei Jianjin, which was a sign of knowing people and assigning them to the right positions. On the other hand, she felt that this matter was not very reliable.
"Then Wei Guojin didn't ask you for a kickback, did he?"
"No, I've made him a consultant for the 'Homemade Handicraft Service Club.' He frequently visits various markets, so I reimburse him 80 cents a month for his travel expenses. It's all recorded in the account book."
Ye Manzhi was able to get in touch with Uncle Wei thanks to her fourth brother.
It was Uncle Wei who helped Fourth Brother find ways to sell his flowers, birds, fish and insects.
The two of them often go to the market together, and they have visited all the major markets in the city.
In the 80-cent transportation fee, there was actually 40 cents from Fourth Brother, but if she said that Fourth Brother's transportation fee was also reimbursed by her, it seemed that she was abusing her power for personal gain.
Zhang Qinjian asked suspiciously, "When did we have this 'Homemade Crafts Service Club'?"
"I just fooled him casually at the time," Ye Manzhi said embarrassedly, "I didn't expect Uncle Wei to believe it so much and work so enthusiastically."
Everyone: “…”
The office was silent for a long time. After an unknown amount of time, Mulan finally broke the silence and said, "I think we can open a 'family handicraft service center'. Let Wei Guojin be the consultant."
They are state officials and cannot trick the old man into doing work.
If Wei Guojin can really increase the income from his family handicraft business, it would be no problem for the street to give him some subsidies.
"It seems Xiaoye's report is filled out correctly," Mulan said with a smile. "Old Zhang, you should explain to the district that this is the true achievements of our cadres. Also, the materials for the application for advanced collectives should be reorganized to include the achievements of the family handicraft industry."
She felt a little sorry for Ye Manzhi.
Although she asked the four young people to write application materials for advanced individuals, that was mainly to encourage and motivate the young people.
The award committee examines the performance of the entire year. In principle, advanced individuals must have worked for a full year.
Among the five application materials submitted by Guangming Street, only Wei Zhen met the requirements.
This year, she organized and opened a nursing home in the neighborhood, sending many childless, widowed, and lonely elderly people to the nursing home for centralized care. She has achieved remarkable results in welfare work.
This award for advanced individual will most likely be given to Wei Zhen.
However, the progress of the family handicraft industry may add some weight to the awards for advanced groups.
…
Zhang Qinjian personally went to the district and explained the problem of falsification of family handicraft data to the award committee.
It is impossible to fake it, this is the true level of our street!
In the fourth quarter of 1956, Guangming Street's income from family handicrafts ranked first in Zhengyang District, and the total amount was twice that of the second-ranked Qianjin Street!
If it was just an extra three or five hundred yuan, the district leaders might not have any idea.
But with an extra 1,500 yuan, the boss will definitely ask about it!
The deputy district mayor in charge of industry quickly organized a research team to conduct research on Guangming Street.
If the secret of doubling income is not revealed by one's own people, it is difficult for outsiders to find out the reason.
However, Wei Jianjin was a controlled element who refused to change despite repeated warnings. When he was a "consultant", he "entered the palace" again.
Mulan couldn't push a regulatory official out, so he could only let the research team figure it out on their own.
The research team looked at Ye Manzhi's account books, visited the handicraft group to inspect the situation, and visited housewives.
Apart from discovering that they have a wide variety of products, I didn't find any other experience that can be promoted.
*
After the research team returned empty-handed, Ye Manzhi thought the matter was over.
However, a few days later, Mulan suddenly came back and announced that Guangming Street's family handicraft industry performance in the fourth quarter ranked second in the city.
Both year-on-year and month-on-month growth ranked first in the city!
Guangming Street thus earned the title of "Second-Class Model of Socialist Industrialization".
If the time hadn't been so short, he would probably have been awarded the title of "First-Class Model".
This is the work that Ye Manzhi is responsible for. She is so honored that the unit can win an award for this!
Come and clap along with everyone!
"After New Year's Day, the city will hold a 'Conference of Model Industrial Workers.' Our street, the second-class model, must send someone to attend and share with the city's people the experience of the tremendous progress made in the family handicraft industry." Mulan looked at Ye Manzhi and said, "Xiaoye, get ready. You'll come with me to the conference. This part of the work will be your responsibility. Go up on stage and share your experience with everyone."
"???" Ye Manzhi murmured, "Director, you know the situation very well. What else can you share?"
She couldn't possibly share Uncle Wei with anyone else, could she?
Mulan knew that this was not a easy task, but Wei Jianjin was brought in by Ye Manzhi, so she should not bother two people with the same task. She was also responsible for summarizing the experience!
This made Ye Manzhi very worried.
When she saw Wu Zhengrong, she said with a mixture of worry and a touch of pride, "Oh, it's all my fault for not trying harder. I accidentally pushed my family's handicraft business to second place in the city. How can I summarize this experience?"
The literacy classes and primary schools she invested a lot of energy in have not yet seen any results, but her unexpected family handicraft business has won the unit a model title.
Wu Zhengrong asked curiously, "You really don't have any clue about the work you're doing?"
"Actually, I can find a little, but that's just my guess," Ye Manzhi whispered. "I recently looked through the account books again and found that most of the businesses that Uncle Wei helped to broker were household items, like brooms, mops, rolling pins, clothespins, cutting boards, and the like."
Apart from coffins and bellows produced for the coal stove factory, most of the items are small daily household items.
"There are only two reasons for a market shortage: residents panic-buying, or manufacturers halting production. Small household items like these generally don't cause panic buying, so it's likely because the manufacturer has stopped production! I suspect it has something to do with city policy. Factories and cooperatives alike are promoting 'serving large-scale industry,' with everyone producing industrial ancillary products. Naturally, fewer people are producing these small, everyday household items."
Wu Zhengrong praised: "Isn't this a very good analysis? Just say it like this when the time comes."
"This is my guess. What if my guess is wrong and someone refutes it on the spot? How embarrassing it would be for me on stage!"
Wu Zhengrong said in a calm tone, "Many discoveries are made by working backwards from the results. As long as you firmly believe in your conclusion and find some real data to support it, no one will refute you. After all, the right to speak lies in the hands of the winner, and you already have successful experience."
Ye Manzhi asked hesitantly, "How about I give it a try?"
"What else can we do if we don't try? Push Wei Jianjin out?"
"Hey, don't call me Wei Jianjin," Ye Manzhi corrected him and pushed her lunch box to him, saying, "I can't eat anymore."
"You don't even want to eat fried mushrooms? It's rare to eat fresh mushrooms in winter."
Wu Zhengrong ate the few mouthfuls of rice she had left, and covered the remaining half box of fried mushrooms with the lid, leaving it for her to eat tomorrow.
"It won't be crispy tomorrow, so just eat it all." Ye Manzhi had no appetite and stared at him while eating with her chin propped up. "I heard from my dad that the military working group gave our factory's military representative office an excellent rating for their work? You're amazing!"
"It's OK. It's mainly because everyone supports the work of the Military Representative Office."
Ye Manzhi complained, "My dad said that only five military factories nationwide were recognized as exceptionally good, and ours is one of them. With such a great achievement, why are you still being so modest? Comrade Military Representative, do you have any advanced experience you can share with me, a 'Second Class Model'?"
Wu Zhengrong had heard her mention "Second-Class Model" four or five times, and thought that Cadre Xiao Ye was quite vain.
He couldn't help but smile, and after a while he said, "My experience is to mind your own business."
Ye Manzhi: “…”
How is this advanced experience?
"Are you kidding me?"
"No, you must have heard that the Military Representative Office's oversight is very broad. In some factories, every production process requires the signature of the Military Representative Office. Without the signature, production cannot continue."
"Well, isn't that the case with our 656?"
“It used to be, but it’s not anymore.”
After Wu Zhengrong came to 656, he simplified the entire supervision procedure.
He only signs when technical data is formulated, raw materials are inspected, and finished products are accepted.
He canceled almost all other links.
Overly complicated procedures will intensify the conflict between the military and the factory. The military representatives in many factories are at odds with the factory leaders.
The reason is that the military representative office is too involved.
The military representative office accepts products in the middle of the month. If the procedures are too complicated, it may not be completed until the end of the month.
At that time, it will directly affect the evaluation and bonuses of the workshop workers.
Over time, the conflict between the two sides will naturally intensify.
Military representatives from other factories were often reported to the central government by factory leaders, but Wu Zhengrong did not like to meddle in other people's affairs, so he got along harmoniously with the factory leaders.
The fact that the Military Representative Office of Factory 656 was able to receive this excellent evaluation was actually entirely due to the support from its peers.
After listening to his experience, Ye Manzhi said admiringly, "Comrade Military Representative, you are a classic example of grasping the principal contradiction! I will write your experience in my diary and think about it carefully in the future."
Wu Zhengrong couldn't stand her habit of writing everything in her diary.
Moreover, he really didn't think the value of this "excellent" was very high. It might be comparable to her "second-class model".
He quickly finished the remaining few mouthfuls of rice, put away the lunch box and said, "Let's go, don't talk about work. I'm going to visit my father-in-law and mother-in-law on New Year's Day. Tell me about the situation at home."
Ye Manzhi put on a hat and gloves, and trotted out of the cafeteria after him.
"You know my family situation well. Besides my parents, I have two sisters, two brothers-in-law, three brothers, and two sisters-in-law. My sister probably won't bring her children with her, so Maiduo might be the only child there that day."
Ye Manzhi thought for a moment and then quickly asked, "You should know the process of meeting your son-in-law for the first time, right?"
"About the same."
Wu Zhengrong thought to himself, what procedures are there for the first visit?
It's nothing more than meeting with the Ye family, drinking and eating.
Except for her fifth brother, he knew all the men in the Ye family.
Ye Manzhi was afraid that he didn't understand these things, so she reminded him again: "There may be a lot of people coming to our house at that time. After all, it's the first time for the future son-in-law to come to our house, and everyone wants to come and see the fun."
Wu Zhengrong was not afraid of being seen. Since he was going to marry a girl, he had to integrate into her family as soon as possible.
Following Ye Manzhi's suggestion, he prepared gifts to bring to his visit on New Year's Day.
He also went back to the provincial mansion to collect some cigarettes, alcohol and other things.
New Year's Day is Tuesday, a national holiday.
Wu Zhengrong was dressed neatly and looked brand new. In the morning, he took the gifts he had prepared and went to the Ye family’s residential building.
Ye Manzhi was waiting for him at the entrance of the building. As soon as they met, she reminded him again: "There are a lot of people from home today, so you should be mentally prepared!"
"Um."
Wu Zhengrong was already prepared and went to the third floor with her, carrying gifts.
As soon as I reached the stairs, I heard laughter coming from inside the Ye family's door.
Ye Manzhi led him to the door of her house. Before the door was fully opened, Wu Zhengrong saw the scene inside.
“…”
There are at least thirty people in this room, right?
Seeing his stagnant expression, Ye Manzhi couldn't help but explain in a low voice: "My uncle and three aunts are here too. Didn't you say you knew the process of a matchmaking ceremony? The Thunder God in the sky is the Grandfather, and the uncle on earth is the Grandfather. The sky is big, the earth is big, but my uncle is the greatest. When I bring my partner home, my uncle must show up! His words are more effective than my dad's. My dad's attitude doesn't matter, you just need to accompany my uncle!"
Wu Zhengrong: “…”
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