Chapter 64

At noon, Lin Qiangsheng stayed at the watch factory to have lunch. The factory had hired a few village aunties to cook lunch for the workers.

The meal was quite varied, with a pot of stewed radish, potatoes, vermicelli, Chinese cabbage, and pork, with plenty of ginger and spices added. Two large pots of oil soup were enough to feed everyone in the factory.

In Northeast China in December, even when the workers were assembling watch parts inside the factory, it was still very cold. Other parts of their bodies were fine, but the cold fingers were unbearable.

People in those days lacked fat and nutrients. Watching the workers scattered around the room and yard, holding mixed-flour steamed buns and sipping soup from their bowls, their faces showed satisfaction.

Lin Qiangsheng said to Wang Guoxi, "Master Wang, after the workers finish eating, let them go home and rest. It's now 12:05 PM, and they should return to the factory at 1:10 PM. From now on, this will be the lunch break. Also, install a few radiators in the rooms to make them warmer, so the workers can work with their hands more comfortably."

Wang Guoxi nodded and said, "Good, that's a good idea. I didn't really feel the cold before, but these past few days, my hands have been freezing!"

The old man used to be a technical worker and had never managed a business. The factory lacked management talent, and many things had not been considered.

After finishing the meal, Lin Qiangsheng drove to the Hongqi Commune.

With the cold weather, his sister Lin Xiang probably couldn't stay there much longer. Their parents were thinking of having Lin Qiangsheng bring her back home.

"Sister, our parents want you to come back home. Let's go today," Lin Qiangsheng said to Lin Xiang.

Lin Xiang nodded and said, "Okay, I also want to go home and see them. By the way, He ZhenGuo has been looking for you to discuss something. Wait here, I'll call him."

Soon, He ZhenGuo came over, carrying a bottle of Erguotou and a roasted chicken. He pushed the door open and smiled at Lin Qiangsheng, "Qiangsheng, I've been waiting for you! Let's have a few drinks!"

Lin Qiangsheng smiled and nodded, "I'll have to drink less, as I need to drive back this afternoon."

He ZhenGuo smiled and said, "Sure, do as you please."

They sat down, had a few drinks, and ate some dishes. He ZhenGuo hesitated and asked, "Qiangsheng, I heard you opened a factory in my uncle's village?"

Lin Qiangsheng nodded and said, "Yes! What about it?"

Lin Xiang also asked, "Qiangsheng, how is your small factory doing?"

Lin Qiangsheng looked at the two of them and smiled, "You guys have something on your mind, don't you? What's up? Is the commune saying something? Not letting me do it?"

He ZhenGuo quickly waved his hands and said, "No, no! Absolutely not! Qiangsheng, listen to me. My father wants me to find out if you can help the commune get some work from your father's car factory? You see, the men in our commune are idle in winter! They are also strong laborers, you know?"

Lin Qiangsheng nodded. The situation in the countryside was different from the city. In those days, personal economies in the city were barely getting by, but farmers in the countryside had more freedom. Many farmers went to the city to work as temporary workers, doing odd jobs and street vending. Next year, to solve the problem of many unemployed young people in the city, the central government would require all levels of enterprises to lay off farmers and encourage them to return home.

Lin Qiangsheng knew that He ZhenGuo's father was the commune secretary, and when the country restored township governments, he would be a township party secretary. The words of a township party secretary were important. Thinking about this, Lin Qiangsheng looked at He ZhenGuo and realized he was a second-generation official! He had never paid much attention to the commune secretary before. Now, he realized that a township party secretary was the highest official in the township!

Lin Qiangsheng asked He ZhenGuo, "Of course, a factory can be built, but what does your Hongqi Commune have?"

He ZhenGuo became excited and immediately said to Lin Qiangsheng, "We have mountains, water, and forests! We have everything! The only problem is the large population and poverty. If we could have a factory, it would be great!"

Lin Xiang added, "The national highway also passes through the Hongqi Commune!"

Lin Qiangsheng nodded and said, "That's an advantage! Good transportation means a good location!"

After thinking for a moment, Lin Qiangsheng slapped his thigh and said loudly, "Let's start a factory!"

He ZhenGuo was overjoyed and asked excitedly, "Qiangsheng, what kind of factory should we start?"

Lin Qiangsheng looked at He ZhenGuo and asked, "What kind of factory does your father want to start?"

He ZhenGuo asked, "Can't we start a factory like the one you started in my uncle's village?"

Lin Qiangsheng smiled and said, "That could work, but you should also ask your father if it can be affiliated with a large unit in the city, like the watch factory."

He ZhenGuo nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go back and talk to my father."

He ZhenGuo ran off without even finishing his meal.

Lin Qiangsheng smiled and said to Lin Xiang, "He's really in a hurry!"

Lin Xiang smiled and nodded, "Qiangsheng, you can't let the commune lose out! The commune has been good to the young people, taking care of them. We should give something back."

Lin Qiangsheng nodded and said, while gnawing on a chicken leg, "I understand. Just for this well-cooked roasted chicken, I can't be dishonest!"

A short while later, He ZhenGuo and his father, He Yunhai, entered the room one after the other.

"This must be Qiangsheng! What a good young man!" He Yunhai had been a soldier, with a loud voice. He was in his fifties but still in good health.

"Uncle He, hello!" Lin Qiangsheng stood up and said.

He Yunhai walked over with a smile, patted Lin Qiangsheng's shoulder, and said, "I can't let you call me uncle. Your father is a big factory manager, in charge of thousands of people, just like my regiment commander when I was in the army."

For a moment, everyone was at a loss for what to call each other. Finally, Lin Qiangsheng said, "Since you are older than my father, I will respectfully call you uncle. Let's each stick to our own."

He Yunhai nodded and didn't object anymore. He smiled and said, "Qiangsheng, I heard you started a small watch factory, and it's doing well! You even got all the machinery!"

"I was thinking of visiting you and talking about it, but it's good that you're here today! Qiangsheng, can you start a factory here in the commune?" He Yunhai asked hesitantly.

Lin Qiangsheng smiled and nodded, "No problem. Uncle He, do you want to start a factory like the watch factory, affiliated with my father's unit, or a collective factory for the commune?"

He Yunhai thought for a moment and asked, "What's the difference between the two? We have commune-run factories, like brick and lime kilns, which we run ourselves."

Lin Qiangsheng asked, "I want to ask, Uncle He, do your commune factories sell bricks and lime to the city?"

He Yunhai and He ZhenGuo looked at each other. He Yunhai shook his head and said, "We haven't tried that. One reason is the long distance and lack of transportation. Another is that our production is limited. With about 20,000 people in the commune, we can't even meet our own needs, let alone sell to the city. So, the commune has been subsidizing these factories."

Lin Qiangsheng thought for a moment and decided to learn from Huaxi. He said to the two of them, "I've thought about it. I plan to build a hardware factory in our commune, specializing in small hardware parts. What do you think, Uncle He?"

He Yunhai thought for a moment, nodded heavily, and smiled, "Good! Small hardware is useful for the people! As long as we get the factory up and running, we won't have to worry about sales. During the off-season, the commune members will have a way to earn a living."

"Qiangsheng, the production equipment will be your responsibility! You will be in charge of the factory. You've helped the Hongqi Commune, and the Hongqi Commune will not let you down!" He Yunhai said, patting his chest.

Lin Qiangsheng nodded and smiled, "As long as I can help everyone!"

Lin Qiangsheng spoke confidently, but when he and his sister returned to the city in the afternoon, he was troubled. He wasn't sure if he should involve the commune.

With the commune involved, he would have to consider the collective interests, and if there were conflicts with the commune members, he would have to deal with them. He was a person who disliked trouble.

Lin Xiang, sitting in the passenger seat, saw her brother frowning and said, "Qiangsheng, if you don't want to, it's fine. Don't make it hard on yourself! Don't let my being in the commune make things difficult for you!"

Lin Qiangsheng smiled and said to Lin Xiang, "It's not that, I just don't like trouble! In the future, with the commune collective in the factory, there will inevitably be different opinions, and conflicts will arise." At that time, there would definitely be fights, and he might need to raise some big dogs for protection.

Lin Xiang reached over and rubbed Lin Qiangsheng's forehead, smiling, "You, so young, yet so many thoughts! I don't know how you grew up like this!"

Lin Qiangsheng smiled, thinking to himself, "This is my second life, after all!"

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