The success of "Zhenbei Textile Workshop" was like a spring rain, instantly nourishing the parched and cracked land of the military dependents' compound.
Smiles returned to the women's faces, the children stopped crying all day, and the entire compound was filled with an unprecedented, vibrant energy.
Lin Wanwan felt a great sense of accomplishment every day as she looked at the ever-increasing production figures in the ledger and the women's increasingly bulging wallets. But she was not satisfied with this.
Her gaze had already passed over the low earthen wall of the military compound and landed on the military camp, not far away, the place that would truly determine the future of Zhenbeiguan.
That noon, Lin Wanwan took the opportunity of delivering lunch to the women in the workshop to arrive at the gate of the military dependents' compound.
She saw several newly discharged recruits walking out of the barracks, looking dejected. Instead of returning to their barracks, they found a sheltered corner, squatted down, and pulled out several dark, rock-hard steamed buns from their pockets, eating them expressionlessly in the cold wind.
Lin Wanwan still vaguely remembered one of the new recruits. A few days ago, it was he who secretly fed Xiao Che, who was being punished by fasting, half of the same black steamed bun late at night.
"Sisters, are our men eating well on the front lines?" Lin Wanwan suddenly turned around and asked softly to a military dependent who was helping to distribute food.
The soldier's family member paused for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile: "Madam Lin, you don't know. Those damned guys in the kitchen feed the new recruits thin porridge made from old rice mixed with sand. The steamed buns are so hard they could break a wolf's teeth. Even a pig would shake its head at the sight of them, let alone eat them."
Another woman added indignantly, "That's right! My husband said that Squad Leader Zhang San and his men get special treatment every day, with lots of meat and fish! It's us ordinary soldiers who suffer because we don't have any connections!"
Lin Wanwan listened quietly, and in the game of chess that had already begun to unfold in her mind, she made another move.
She looked at the new recruits munching on cold steamed buns, then glanced behind her at the women in the workshop eating steaming white steamed buns and large pot meals with vegetables and meat. A bold plan quickly took shape in her mind.
In the afternoon, during a break at the workshop, Lin Wanwan once again gathered all the military dependents together.
After these past few days of "paying salaries," her prestige among military families has now surpassed that of General Meng Wei. The moment she speaks, everyone holds their breath, looking at her with eyes full of admiration, afraid of missing a single word.
"Sisters," Lin Wanwan said with a gentle smile, "you've all worked so hard these past few days. Business at our workshop is booming!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd.
"So, I discussed it with my husband," Lin Wanwan changed the subject, "and we've decided to add another 'perk' for everyone!"
Benefits? New benefits again?
Everyone's eyes lit up!
Lin Wanwan clapped her hands, and two servants carried out a large wooden board with words already written on it, placing it in front of everyone.
"Announcement on Upgraded Welfare at Zhenbei Textile Workshop: Starting today, the workshop will open a 'community canteen'!"
"First: All female workers in the workshop will have three meals a day provided free of charge by the canteen!"
"Wow!" The crowd erupted again! Free food! This was like a windfall!
However, what shocked them even more was yet to come.
Lin Wanwan pointed to the second line on the wooden board and read it out slowly and deliberately:
"Second: All the husbands and sons of the female workers in the workshops who are serving in the Zhenbeiguan Army can come to this canteen for a free extra meal by presenting their identification badges!"
Free...extra food?!
The entire open space fell into a deathly silence in an instant.
All the women stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, unable to believe their ears. Their husbands, their sons, could come here... for free? For free meals with meat and vegetables?
"Mrs. Lin..." Li Daniu's wife, her voice trembling, was the first to speak, "You...you're telling the truth? My husband...can come and eat too?"
“Of course it’s true.” Lin Wanwan nodded with a smile. “Anyone serving in the military is a hero who protects our country. How can heroes who shed blood on the front lines go hungry? Our workshop should use the money we make to reward our most beloved people!”
These words were spoken flawlessly and were full of righteousness.
After a brief silence, a deafening cheer erupted from the crowd, a cheer mixed with cries!
"Lady Lin! You are a living Bodhisattva!"
"Waaaah... My little guy can finally have a hot meal!"
...
The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire Zhenbeiguan military camp, down to the lowest-ranking soldiers.
"Have you heard? That Mrs. Lin from the military family compound has opened a canteen! All the workshop families can eat there for free!"
"Really? Is this for real?"
"It's absolutely true! Old Wang from the shop next to mine, his wife works in the workshop, and at noon he really did eat a huge bowl of meat soup noodles! He was so full he could barely walk!"
In an instant, the entire recruit camp was in an uproar. Those soldiers whose families had female relatives working in the workshops became the object of everyone's envy and jealousy.
The next day at noon, the young recruit who had once stuffed black steamed buns into Xiao Che's mouth hesitated for a long time, but was eventually driven by hunger. He nervously carried his mother's workshop certificate and arrived at the "public canteen" outside the military family compound.
A long queue had already formed at the entrance of the cafeteria.
When he saw those large pots steaming with hot liquid, filled with real chunks of meat, radishes, and potatoes, his eyes instantly welled up with tears.
When it was his turn, he nervously handed over his receipt. The woman serving the food glanced at him, and without saying a word, poured a large spoonful of steaming hot broth, meat and vegetables, into his bowl, and also gave him two snow-white steamed buns.
"Young man, if you're still not satisfied, bring me more!"
The young recruit's hands trembled as he held the heavy bowl of rice, which smelled enticingly of meat.
He found a corner, squatted down, and eagerly took a sip of soup.
The moment the rich, piping hot, meaty broth slid down his throat, tears streamed down his face.
He ate ravenously while crying, as if he wanted to swallow all the grievances he had suffered in his life along with the bowl of broth.
He cried.
For this bowl of rice, the first meal he had eaten in his three years of military service, a meal that tasted like human food.
More and more eligible soldiers flocked to "Lady Lin's Public Canteen".
Gradually, things began to change.
Those soldiers who did not meet the requirements watched their comrades eat meat soup and white noodles while they could only eat sandy rice. The psychological gap was even more painful than being beaten with twenty lashes.
Finally, some soldiers couldn't take it anymore and ran to question the fat man in the mess hall and their squad leader.
What he received in return was a barrage of insults and a beating.
Then, a strange phenomenon occurred.
Every noon, the area around the communal canteen was filled with soldiers who didn't qualify and could only watch others eat. The aroma of meat and the sounds of others enjoying their meals made their mouths water and their eyes gleam with envy.
...
Inside the military supply depot, in Qian Canjun's private courtyard.
"Smack!"
Squad leader Zhang San slammed his hand on the table, roaring angrily, "Cousin! We can't let that woman surnamed Lin continue like this! Now, damn it, nobody in the recruit camp eats the mess hall food anymore! Everyone's saying that our mess hall food is for pigs, while Lin's mess hall is for human consumption!"
Qian Canjun's face was so gloomy it could drip water.
He squinted his small eyes and sneered, "What waves can a woman stir up? How much money does she have to support so many people? I think she's just putting on a show. Once she runs out of money, let's see how arrogant she is!"
“But cousin…” Zhang San said anxiously, “The morale of the army is almost gone! The new recruits are looking at us like they want to eat us alive!”
"What's the panic!" Qian Canjun waved his hand impatiently. "It's just a meal, right? I don't believe she can invite everyone to dinner!"
He had barely finished speaking when a trusted soldier came stumbling in, panting, shouting:
"Sir...Sir! Captain...Captain! Something terrible has happened!"
"What is it now?!" Zhang San said angrily.
The soldier said with a mournful face, "That...that Lady Lin, she's...she's come up with new rules again!"
"What rules?"
"She said...she said the mess hall is short-staffed, and welcomes...welcomes all soldiers to 'help out' in the mess hall when they are not on duty! Anyone who helps out will...will be provided with a meal!"
Qian Canjun and Zhang San were stunned for a moment.
Help me out... with meals?
What the hell is the difference between this and treating everyone to a free meal?!
Zhang San could no longer sit still. He suddenly stood up, grabbed the knife on the table, and said, "No! I have to go and ask her myself! I want to see what she's up to!"
After saying that, he stormed off with a few trusted confidants to the military family compound.
At the entrance of the public canteen, Zhang San and his men aggressively blocked Lin Wanwan, who was directing the distribution of food.
"Lady Lin!" Zhang San shouted, his voice sharp but his tone weak. "What do you mean by this? Do you know that what you're doing is demoralizing the army?"
Lin Wanwan looked up and saw Zhang San. She gave him a gentle and innocent smile, as if she were looking at a child who was being unreasonable.
She took an account book from the steward beside her, slowly turned the pages, pointed to a page, and said softly:
"Captain Zhang, you're wronging me."
She handed the ledger to Zhang San, pointing to a clear name on it—"Xiao Shisan".
"Look, I'm just giving my cousin a little special treatment, to improve his meals... is that not allowed?"
Zhang San's face instantly turned a deep liver color. His cousin? Which cousin?
Lin Wanwan seemed oblivious to his expression, and pointed to the long, densely packed list of names at the back of the ledger, her smile becoming even more "sincere":
"As for the others..."
She blinked and said with an air of matter-of-fact certainty:
"They... are all here to 'help'."
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