Chapter 58
Ye Manzhi's proposal was hasty, but the timing was perfect.
The city has only carried out a few free market pilot projects in rural areas, which shows that the city does not yet have the conditions to open a free market.
Guangming Street is located at the very edge of the city. Although it is close to the township, it is still a city street.
If we had applied to open a free market at another time, the city would definitely not have made the move.
However, the rickshaw drivers made a fuss in the city for three days!
Most people think that since they have already lost their jobs, why should they be afraid of their leaders?
Therefore, even if they were persuaded to go back by the motorcade and street leaders the day before, they could still continue to hang banners in front of the People's Committee the next day.
Mulan and Zhang Qinjian therefore frequently went to the city.
She didn't take Ye Manzhi's suggestion seriously at first. After all, the drivers were making a lot of noise, and persuading them to return was already a headache for her. How could she have time to think about the free market?
What's more, the free market has been closed for several years, and applying for its reopening may be more difficult than persuading the rickshaw drivers to return.
However, when she braved the heavy snow and went to the city to pick someone up for the third time, she was suddenly attracted by Xiaoye's proposal!
It is impossible for the city to create tens of thousands of jobs at once; it must be solved step by step and in batches.
The drivers have to support their families and cannot just sit there and wait without any income.
After Mulan figured this out, she personally went to Gongnong Township, which was adjacent to Guangming Street.
Persuade the head of Gongnong Township to go with her to the city to apply for the reopening of the free market.
After the free market is established, it will not only provide convenience to the residents of Guangming Street, but also generate income for the farmers in Gongnong Township.
This is a good thing that benefits both parties.
Ye Manzhi didn't know how Director Mu did it, she only heard that their district chief and the county chief next door were both invited to the city.
Not long after that, the city launched a pilot program of "free market under state leadership" in Gongnong Township.
The market is located at the junction of Guangming Street and Gongnong Township.
The approval document was issued on Friday, and Ye Manzhi organized a meeting of all the handicraft team leaders in the street on Saturday morning.
"Our subdistrict has already agreed with Gongnong Township to officially reopen the market this Sunday, tomorrow! Each group should carefully organize and record any inventory they have. We'll sell all of this inventory on the open market tomorrow!"
"Comrade Xiaoye, this is too soon. We haven't had time to prepare yet. How about we go next week?"
Ye Manzhi waved her hand and said, "Auntie Li, think of it this way: the sooner the market opens, the sooner we can make money. What will the scene be like if the free market, which has been closed for four or five years, suddenly reopens? Everyone will definitely want to buy everything they see. Our 'Family Handicraft Service Club' must take advantage of this opportunity to sell off all our previous inventory!"
"Commissioner Xiao Ye is right. Tomorrow will definitely be the busiest. If we wait until next week, everyone will have bought everything they need and their money will have been mostly spent. Even if we prepare more things, it will be useless. I think we should just go tomorrow!"
The free market has reopened, and some are happy while others are worried.
My second sister's mother-in-law, Liu Chunhua, is the leader of the paper-making group. Upon hearing this, she complained, "Niuniu's aunt, other groups have things they can sell, but we can't just sell paper-making, right? What should a group like ours do?"
"Auntie, no sugarcane is sweet at both ends. Your cardboard is supplied to the factory, and the orders are stable, so there is always a market. If you feel that you are at a disadvantage by making cardboard, you can exchange it with other ladies."
"Yes, Lao Liu, come and trade with me. Our group is making kang brooms now. They're 1.5 cents a pair, which is more profitable than making paper mache."
Liu Chunhua remained silent.
Although making paper shells does not earn much, it is a long-term and stable job.
It is unknown how long this free market will last. If it is stopped again in a few days, who will we sell the kang brooms to?
…
As the Spring Festival approaches, the reopening of the free market is indeed a big event for the residents.
On Sunday morning, before the familiar bugle call was sounded, the crackling sound of firecrackers could be heard outside the window.
Ye Manzhi turned over and wanted to cover his ears and continue sleeping, but was dug out from under the quilt by Chang Yue'e.
"Mom, why are you getting up so early on the weekend?"
"Isn't there a big market today? Who would sleep in during a big market?" Chang Yue'e pulled her up. "Your handicraft cooperative still has to set up stalls. You're a cadre, so don't you have to keep an eye on it?"
There was a wall of fire next to Ye Manzhi's bed. After sleeping next to it for a night, her face turned red from the heat.
As she grabbed the blanket, she muttered, "Uncle Wei, the consultant of the service agency, used to be a broker. We just need to listen to him when it comes to setting up stalls in the market. We don't need to get involved."
"That won't work! Hurry up and get up. Let's go to the market for breakfast today!"
Hearing this, Ye Manzhi finally stopped fighting for the quilt. She got up obediently, got dressed, and waited to go to the market for dinner.
According to the city's requirements, major commodities related to national economy and people's livelihood, such as grain, cooking oil, cotton, and coal, must still be purchased and sold in a unified manner.
Only daily necessities and small local products can be sold in the free market.
The scope of this small local product is actually quite difficult to define.
Whether or not the surplus grain can be turned into small local products depends on the wisdom of the working people.
When Ye Manzhi followed Chang Yue'e out, it was just dawn. Many people were already setting up stalls in the area allocated by the city for the free market.
She looked around, trying to find something delicious.
However, because the weather was too cold, almost all the food baskets were covered with a quilt to keep them warm, and she really couldn't tell what was in those baskets.
There was only one stall with a piece of cardboard in front of it that said "Korean Rice Cake".
Although each word is missing some parts, it does not affect understanding.
Ye Manzhi quickly pulled Chang Yue'e over and asked, "Comrade, how much are the rice cakes?"
"Comrade Xiaoye, I don't know how to price this rice cake. Try two pieces first, and I won't charge you."
When Ye Manzhi heard her voice, she realized that the woman opposite her who had her head and face covered tightly was actually Xue Qiaoer.
"Qiao'er, did you make this rice cake?"
"Yes, the lady from the neighborhood committee said the free market will open today, so I made some Korean rice cakes overnight and thought I'd try my luck."
Reselling grain is not allowed in the market, but grain products, especially the special snacks she makes, seem to be allowed to be sold. Just now, the comrades from the Industrial and Commercial Bureau wandered around her for a long time and did not stop her from selling rice cakes.
"Sister, try the rice cake made by my mother, it's delicious!" Xue Qiaoer's eldest son opened the cotton curtain and clumsily promoted his family's rice cake to customers.
"Then let me try a piece," Ye Manzhi asked with a smile, "Guoqing, did you write the words on this paper sign? It seems you are good at studying! After just one semester, you can already write such difficult characters! Your mother's tuition money is worth it!"
"I can't write Korean, so I asked Grandpa Zhang next door to help me write it." Zheng Guoqing saw her eating her homemade rice cake and asked nervously, "Is it delicious?"
"It's delicious. The dough is soft and delicate, just as good as the ones sold at grocery stores. I think you can sell it for four cents a piece."
"Isn't four cents too expensive?" Xue Qiao'er hesitated, "A pound of sticky rice is only 15 cents."
One pound of glutinous rice can make at least twenty pieces of rice cake.
"Red bean paste is free? White sugar is free? Then there are the food coupons, sugar coupons, and your labor costs! A pound of rice cake costs 70 or 80 cents at the grocery store. I think 4 cents a piece is very reasonable."
Ye Manzhi handed the lunch box to Guoqing, "Please help me put twenty pieces of rice cake in it."
"Can you eat so much?" Zheng Guoqing asked suspiciously.
The rice cake was quite large in portion, and he was full after eating three or four pieces.
"I have a big family. If I share it with my family, it will be gone." Ye Manzhi turned around and asked, "Qiao'er, I heard that the city has arranged a job for you in a textile factory. Why are you still setting up a stall here?"
There are very few female rickshaw pullers, and they all have the burden of supporting their families, so the city first solved the employment problem for female drivers.
Almost all female masters were recommended to work as workers in textile factories.
There are many female workers in textile factories. Nowadays, the dream of many girls is not to study and go to college, but to get a job as a worker in a textile factory and get a stable job.
Xue Qiaoer had little education, so she was able to work in a textile factory as a female worker without having to pass an exam. This was a blessing in disguise.
"I don't want to work in the textile factory," Xue Qiao'er said with her head down after covering the cotton curtain. "I've asked the city government to find me another job."
"The textile mill is state-owned, and the pay for regular workers is very good. It would be a shame if you gave it up! Besides, the other rickshaw pullers haven't found jobs yet. If you give up this opportunity, the city may not even arrange a second job for you. I don't know when you'll get your turn again."
Seeing that she kept her head down and didn't speak, Chang Yue'e nudged her daughter with her elbow and then said to the little boy, "National Day, right? Go to the market for grandma to see if there's anyone selling rolling pins. I'm old and my eyesight isn't good anymore."
After the child agreed and ran away, she asked, "Did someone at the textile factory gossip about you?"
Xue Qiaoer was silent for a while, then nodded lightly.
"Tsk, let them talk. You've been through it all smoothly for so many years, why are you afraid of what people will say? The textile factory is such a good job, it's easier than pulling a cart. It would be a shame to give it up!"
"They disliked my background and threw things at me..."
Although riding a tricycle is hard work, Xue Qiaoer works alone most of the time. She keeps to herself and never hears any unpleasant words.
But in a textile factory, people work and live in a collective, so any news spreads very quickly.
She had just been working at the textile factory for two days when her past was dug up.
Moreover, she divorced the paralyzed Zheng Dong. People outside Guangming Street didn't know the whole story and just thought that she had abandoned Zheng Dong.
Someone threw her bag of clothes out of the dressing room, and someone else made indirect accusations in front of her, saying that whores were heartless and actors were disloyal.
Chang Yue'e frowned and asked, "You've only been on the job for a few days, and your past affairs have been dug up so quickly? No matter what they say, just deny it!"
"It's true anyway. There's no point in me denying it."
Chang Yue'e glanced around and whispered, "You've been a good woman for so many years! Who can remember the past clearly? Just say that you were responsible for boiling water and cooking in Liushao Hutong, and you didn't do anything else!"
Ye Manzhi and Xue Qiaoer: "::::::"
This lie is so lame, who would believe it?
"You young people are so stubborn!" Chang Yue'e said bluntly, "Apart from your former customers and your husband, who knows what's really going on with you? The doctor who examined you back then has long forgotten you. Just say you're innocent. How dare those men who used to visit brothels dare to object? And your ex-husband is even less likely to expose you!"
“::::::”
"There's a saying that goes, 'Three people make a tiger,' understand? Explain this to people in the future. If you repeat it enough, even lies will become true. You've long since turned a good person. You're no threat to society, and you shouldn't do anything to hurt others. Does it really matter whether you were a real prostitute or a fake one? There were so many women in Liushao Hutong back then, and Zheng Dong's ability to bring you home further proves your innocence. If anyone dares to criticize you in the future, just be tough and say you're innocent!"
Ye Manzhi: “…”
She once again looked at her mother with admiration.
We can consider developing Comrade Chang Yue'e into a street activist.
Xue Qiaoer didn't think she was a stubborn person, but she had never thought about it in this direction.
The main thing is that what she did in the past was true. She had no choice but to accept what others said about her. She didn't expect that she could do this.
She forced back the tears and said regretfully, "But I slapped that guy on Friday, and the workshop director told me to go home and reflect on it, and didn't let me go to work yesterday. The women assigned to us are still on probation, and if the director doesn't give us a satisfactory evaluation, we'll be sent back to our original unit. They already have a prejudice against me, and now that I hit someone, I might not be able to stay."
Chang Yue'e sighed: "Young people are too impulsive."
Ye Manzhi thought for a moment and said, "Go back to the textile factory first and try to speak well of yourself to the director. You still have to fight for a stable job. If it doesn't work out, don't be discouraged. Our street office occasionally has work quotas, and I'll keep an eye on them for you. If it really doesn't work out, go to the coal furnace factory. There is always a way out, and life will always get better and better."
Having said that, the coal furnace factory sells seasonal products, and it may not need so many workers after the spring.
She still hoped that Xue Qiaoer could stay in the textile factory.
After daybreak, more and more residents came to the market after hearing the news, and business at several nearby stalls became prosperous. Ye Manzhi stuffed the money for making rice cakes into Xue Qiao'er's pocket and asked her to continue her business. When she tried to refuse, she took Chang Yue'e and ran away.
The mother and daughter bought a lot of things at the market and took them home.
Ye Manzhi picked out some food in her lunch box and planned to go to Wu Zhengrong's place.
"You're a grown woman, why do you always run over to someone else's place? You haven't even gotten married yet, and you're already taking things from home there." Chang Yue'e grumbled, then, inconsistent with her words and actions, poured her a jar of soy milk and warned her, "Come back quickly after you've talked for a while, and don't stay too long."
"I know!"
Ye Manzhi wrapped the lunch box in a towel and trotted to Yard No. 16.
Wu Zhengrong was sawing wood in the yard. Seeing her rush in like a gust of wind, he looked up at the sun and asked, "Why are you here at this hour?"
Comrade Xiao Ye sleeps until nine o'clock on weekends.
They never met on Sunday mornings.
"I went to the market this morning and bought a lot of goodies. There's another market next week, and I'll take you there to see the world!" Ye Manzhi pulled him into the house to wash his hands, then asked, "What are you doing in the yard? Why are there so many pieces of wood?"
"I'm going to make a new bed," Wu Zhengrong said without further ado. He opened the lid of his lunch box and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
"I'll go home and eat later!" Ye Manzhi said seriously, hands behind his back, "Comrade Wu Zhengrong, I have two good news and one bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"
Comrade Wu Zhengrong stuffed a piece of rice cake into her mouth and said with a smile, "You have quite a lot of news. Let me hear the good one first."
"Yes, sure."
Ye Manzhi wanted to take something out from the hem of her cotton-padded jacket, but it got stuck in the inner pocket halfway through.
It seemed a little strange to take off her clothes in front of Wu Zhengrong, so she turned her back, unbuttoned her cotton jacket, and took out the photo frame she had carried with her all the way.
"This is a photo of me speaking at the Industrial Model Workers Conference. It's been published in the Binjiang Daily. The newspaper sent me two photos. I'll give you one!"
The background of the photo is the podium in the auditorium, with a banner of the Model Conference above it. Ye Manzhi has two pigtails, and under her sweetheart-neck sweater, she has buttoned her white shirt to the top button.
At first glance, he is a socialist successor with a strong heart and a strong will.
Wu Zhengrong held the photo frame and looked at it for a moment, then touched the face in the photo and asked, "Why is the face red?"
"The comrades at the newspaper helped me color it! I don't think the colored one looks as good as the black and white photo!" Ye Manzhi felt regretful for a moment, then said conceitedly, "But it's not bad, the foundation is here!"
Wu Zhengrong placed the photo album on the desk in the study and said with a reassuring smile, "The photos are beautiful. If you're not satisfied, we can take a few more ourselves later."
These days, ordinary people can barely take a single photo in a year. Ye Manyi thought he was talking about taking wedding photos, so she pursed her lips and said nothing.
Starting this year, the marriage registration process has changed a bit. Not only do you need to do a pre-marital physical examination, but you can also attach a photo of the couple to the marriage certificate.
She changed the subject and asked, "There's good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"
"Then let's hear some bad news to change things up."
Ye Manzhi said happily: "The bad news is, you really are as good as a god. My mother said that the curfew for me to go home will be changed to 6 o'clock from now on!"
Wu Zhengrong: “…”
It seems that I really have to get married soon.
Seeing his handsome face fall, Ye Manzhi couldn't help but laugh. She stood on tiptoe and patted him on the shoulder, saying to herself, "The good news is that our national style music concert will participate in the first National Quyi Festival. We have to intensify rehearsals every night recently."
Wu Zhengrong smiled clearly and responded quickly, "Then practice well. Tell Auntie to put her mind at ease. I'll be responsible for picking you up every night."
"Well, thank you for your hard work, comrade military representative." Ye Manyi still remembered Chang Yue'e's instructions, emptied his lunch box, and prepared to go home for dinner.
Wu Zhengrong knew that his mother-in-law was keeping a close eye on him, so he didn't keep her any longer.
When he was seeing her off, he stopped her and asked, "Which newspaper published the news about your speech at the Model Assembly?"
"There's both the daily and evening editions on Monday. The photo is bigger in the daily edition, but you can barely tell it's me in the evening edition. Why are you asking?"
"Send the newspaper back to the old house and show it to my grandfather. He's quite concerned about your progress."
*
Ye Manzhi remained calm in front of Wu Zhengrong, as if being in the newspaper was not worth mentioning at all.
However, the fact that she attended the model conference and was featured in the newspaper had already caused an uproar in the unit and the Ye family.
The main reason was that the photo of her in the daily newspaper was of particularly large size, second only to that of Vice Mayor Liu and a representative of the Mining Bureau.
It's the kind of photo where you can clearly see her facial features, and someone she knows would be able to recognize her at a glance.
She specially gave the photo to Wu Zhengrong today, actually she also wanted to show off a little.
The other party took the initiative to give the newspaper to his grandparents, which satisfied her vanity again.
hey-hey.
She was secretly happy for the whole morning, and maintained this good mood in the afternoon as she went to the Party School's advanced training class.
The training course for grassroots cadres lasts for three months, and the graduation examination will be held after the Chinese New Year.
Ye Manzhi was actually quite reluctant to leave this advanced training class.
First, she learned a lot of new things in class, and second, she made several new friends in the advanced course.
The female comrades in the advanced training class always sit in the front row and attend classes together, often exchanging work experiences and opinions.
They are at the level of township head or deputy town head, almost at the same level as Director Mu, and their experience and knowledge far surpass hers.
Ye Manzhi, a newcomer, can learn a lot from these older sisters.
When she came to the Party School for class today, she had just sat down in her seat when she was booed by several classmates.
"Oh my! Isn't this our second-class model representative? Xiaoye, you're amazing! You're so young and yet you've already made the front page of a provincial newspaper!"
"Haha, our unit won the award as a group. It's all due to collective effort. I'm just here on behalf of the unit."
Wang Min, the head of Honglian Township, said with a smile, "Every unit has organized a cottage industry, but most have been mediocre. Only your Guangming Subdistrict Office has achieved such outstanding results and even received an award. Since your leaders are willing to let you speak on behalf of your unit, you must have made outstanding contributions to this work."
Ye Manzhi said modestly: "This is my first time to be in charge of a family handicraft business. In fact, it was an accident."
"Success doesn't happen by accident. There must be a reason why handicraft industry income has increased so much. Xiaoye," Wang Min asked seriously, "would you consider coming to work in Honglian Township? I can make the decision right now and offer you the position of Director of the Industrial Office!"
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