Chapter 216: Dovarishi

In the afternoon, Ning Weidong returned from Shunyi, his mind still pondering that winery.

Objectively speaking, that winery could not be called poor among factories of the same type, it was just that there was a gap between it and Ning Weidong's requirements.

Ning Weidong did not need a brewery; what he wanted was a bottling plant.

The bottling workshop at Shunyi Winery had no highlights whatsoever; it was all manual bottling, the equipment was old, and efficiency was low.

Furthermore, according to current regulations, it would be too difficult for Ning Weidong to transfer this winery under the Dongyi Company.

If the factory were particularly to his liking and could be used immediately upon acquisition, Ning Weidong would have accepted the trouble.

But as it stands...

Getting out of the jeep, Ning Weidong reined in his thoughts, stretched his body, and said to Ning Wei, "Xiao Wei, you lot hurry up and learn to drive for me. Damn it, making me act as your chauffeur for such a long distance."

Ning Weidong grumbled as he walked inside, mainly because the two-plus hours of driving back and forth had truly exhausted him.

Ning Wei followed behind, responding. Once they entered through the Chuihua Gate, Ning Weidong returned to the north room, leaving Ning Wei and Liu Dong behind.

Liu Dong hurriedly said, "Brother Wei, I used to drive an electric cart at the Manager..."

Liu Dong was quick-witted; the moment he heard about learning to drive, he immediately realized this was an opportunity.

This era was not like later generations, where one could take a driver's license test at will, with "road killers" all over the streets.

In this era, knowing how to drive a car was a proper skill; regardless of whether one drove a large vehicle or a small one, it was a good job.

Moreover, on today's trip, Ning Weidong had driven the entire way, which made him see the opportunity even more clearly. Even if Ning Weidong hadn't said anything, Liu Dong had intended to take the initiative to discuss it with Ning Wei.

After work in the evening, Zhao Ruyi came over and asked about the situation at the winery.

Ning Weidong pursed his lips and shook his head: "The situation... how should I put it~"

Seeing Ning Weidong's attitude, Zhao Ruyi knew it wasn't quite to his liking: "Then let's keep looking~" She then asked: "By the way, people from the Soviet Union are coming; have you prepared everything for the reception?"

Ning Weidong said: "There's nothing much to prepare; it's just a visit of a private nature on his part. The only thing to pay attention to is that we must find a reliable translator."

When the time comes, Ning Weidong and Xieliaosha will certainly have to discuss some matters that cannot be told to outsiders, so the translator must be reliable.

Zhao Ruyi originally knew Russian, but without a language environment around her, she could manage reading books or newspapers, but if she really had to speak and communicate with people, it would still be a bit of a stretch.

Zhao Ruyi thought for a moment and said: "That is indeed a problem. They should be bringing people with them, and we must also have our own translator to avoid misinterpretation during communication."

Ning Weidong could not solve this matter, so he still had to let Zhao Ruyi find a way.

Language ability was secondary; the key was that they had to be reliable.

In the following days, various tasks were pushed forward intensively.

After careful consideration, Ning Weidong ultimately gave up on that winery in Shunyi.

The various conditions of the factory were secondary; the main thing was that after specifically understanding the various policies, the difficulty of actual operation was greater than expected.

It would even require Father Zhao to personally coordinate some relationships.

That would be quite counterproductive; it would be better to simply establish a new collective-nature factory directly under the Dongyi Company.

Having made up his mind, Ning Weidong simply stopped looking for other factories.

No matter what kind of factory it was, the current situation was about the same.

Until this morning, when Ning Weidong arrived at the train station.

On the platform, a few people who had arrived early to meet the train were waiting sparsely.

Liu Guangzhi stood by Ning Weidong's side, representing Natasha.

Besides the two of them, there was a translator in his early thirties wearing glasses named Wang Zhiguo, as well as Ning Wei, who was holding a sign for meeting the train.

Ning Weidong raised his hand to check the time, and almost simultaneously, a locomotive emerged from the distance of the railway.

"They're here!" Ning Weidong's heart stirred, and he perked up slightly.

A moment later, the train slowly pulled into the station.

Although the stopping position was not like the high-speed trains of later days that could stop directly at a predetermined spot, it was roughly not far off.

Xieliaosha was riding in a soft-sleeper carriage. After the carriage door opened, three blond-haired and blue-eyed foreigners were soon seen.

Accompanying the three were two Chinese people.

Ning Weidong immediately went up to meet them, and Ning Wei followed behind, holding up a sign with 'Xieliaosha' written in both Russian and Chinese.

Sure enough, after the three foreigners got off the train, they immediately walked over.

First, Translator Wang went up and said a few words to the people opposite, then immediately returned to Ning Weidong's side and said: "Manager, that's them~"

Ning Weidong nodded, smiled, and stepped forward: "Comrade Jiluoliaofu!"

"Ning~ Wei~ Dong~" Xieliaosha saw Ning Weidong and recognized him too, coming up to shake hands with a smile on his face: "My dear Dovarishi..."

Although it was their first meeting, they did not seem like strangers due to the enthusiasm on both sides.

Xieliaosha was tall and sturdy, about the same as Ning Weidong, with a typical Slavic appearance, and a scent of wine lees accumulated from years of drinking on his body.

Ning Weidong then kindly blurted out a few sentences in Russian.

Ever since he decided to focus on the Soviet Union line in the future, Ning Weidong had started self-studying Russian; relying on a translator was ultimately inconvenient.

Relying on his brain and memory after transmigrating, his learning progress was very fast, but the time was too short and there was no language environment, which was why he needed a translator to serve as a backup.

Xieliaosha was slightly surprised and said with a smile: "You can speak Russian!"

Ning Weidong said: "I am currently learning; I have deep feelings for the Soviet Union."

After some polite exchanges, they began to introduce each other.

"This is my wife, Lyudmila Grigoryevna." Seryozha introduced the woman accompanying him.

"Beautiful lady, it is an honor to meet you~" Ning Weidong shook her hand politely.

Liudemila was quite beautiful according to Western aesthetics, with a tall and full figure, delicate and deep facial features, and a head of light blonde hair.

Subsequently, Ning Weidong also introduced Liu Guangzhi.

Hearing that he was his brother-in-law, Xieliaosha was quite polite and took the opportunity to ask about Natasha's condition.

Through an interpreter, Liu Guangzhi indicated that Natasha was not feeling well and could not come to the train station to greet them, asking for their understanding.

Xieliaosha and his wife did not mind; in fact, anyone with a discerning eye knew that Natasha was merely a pretext for their trip to Beijing, and their true purpose was never about this half-sister.

But they still had to keep up appearances.

After some procedures, the group exited the station, and Ning Weidong had arranged for cars in advance.

Borrowing two Shanghai Brand sedans from the Red Star Factory, plus that 212 jeep, it did not look shabby at all.

Yet, Ning Weidong was calculating in his heart that he must get a few cars as soon as possible.

Ning Weidong sat in a car with Xieliaosha, watching the Beijing streetscape outside the window, and the two managed to converse in Russian.

The interpreter, Wang, sat in the front passenger seat helping to smooth things over, and they were actually chatting quite happily.

They soon arrived at the arranged guesthouse.

The guesthouse was under the Mechanical Department, and the accommodation level was not low.

After getting settled, Ning Weidong did not stay long.

Regardless of what he thought in his heart, Xieliaosha and his wife would certainly go to visit Natasha, this sister living away from home, next.

It was not appropriate for Ning Weidong to be present for such an occasion.

Just now in the car, both sides had already agreed to meet again tomorrow morning. ……

On the second floor of the guesthouse, Xieliaosha stood by the window, watching Ning Weidong leave by car.

Liudemila walked up and called out, "Darling."

Xieliaosha withdrew his gaze, fished a cigarette from his pocket, and asked while lighting it with a lighter: "What do you think of this Chinese man?"

Liudemila said: "A very charming young Oriental man."

Xieliaosha raised his eyebrows; he had to admit that even by Slavic standards, Ning Weidong was an exceptionally outstanding male.

Tall and strong, with an impressive way of speaking.

Liudemila continued: "I didn't expect him to be so young."

Xieliaosha understood her subtext, which was that she hadn't expected the Chinese side to let Ning Weidong come to liaise with them.

Xieliaosha said: "Don't underestimate him; when I spoke with him just now, he had only learned Russian for two months."

Liudemila showed an expression of surprise. She had heard Ning Weidong speak Russian just now; although it wasn't very fluent, it was at a considerable level.

Russian had never been an easy language to learn, especially for an Oriental person, to reach this level in just two short months.

"Two months! You're not joking?" Liudemila looked stunned.

Xieliaosha was noncommittal and turned to ask: "Are the gifts we brought all ready?"

Liudemila nodded: "Don't worry, I have everything prepared."

……

On the other side, Ning Weidong returned to the company.

Zhao Ruyi had taken the day off and was waiting there.

Seeing him return, she immediately asked about the situation at the station.

Then she asked: "What is your impression of this Soviet Union person?"

Ning Weidong said: "Just met, can't say much about an impression, but one thing is certain: his alcohol tolerance is definitely not small."

Zhao Ruyi was taken aback and blinked her eyes: "How do you know?"

Ning Weidong pointed to his nose: "I smelled it. That Comrade Jiluoliaofu seems to have been soaked in a vat of alcohol for years; he carries a scent of distiller's grains on him."

Zhao Ruyi was speechless and took the opportunity to ask: "Speaking of which, what are your plans for that distillery?"

Ning Weidong said: "Thinking it over, taking over an existing distillery is too much trouble, with all sorts of messy things; it's better if we do it ourselves."

Zhao Ruyi frowned: "You want to build a distillery yourself!"

Ning Weidong knew she had misunderstood and waved his hand: "It doesn't need to be that troublesome. This is what I'm thinking: we don't need to brew the alcohol ourselves; we can buy low-grade white spirits from outside, the cheaper the better. Soviet Union Vodka has a process where the brewed alcohol must be filtered with activated carbon to remove impurities and get rid of some of the off-flavors produced during the brewing process..."

Unlike traditional Chinese white spirits that pursue different aromatic profiles and tastes, the Soviet Union people pursue the essence of alcohol when they drink.

Therefore, no matter what raw materials they use to brew—sweet potatoes, potatoes, or various grains—they eventually filter it into pure alcohol and then dilute it with water according to a ratio.

Ning Weidong continued: "We start directly at this step and do two procedures: one is filtering, and the other is bottling."

Zhao Ruyi's mind was quick, and she immediately understood the key to it.

After thinking rapidly, she couldn't help but nod slowly.

If that were the case, building a factory oneself would indeed be simpler than other methods.

Ning Weidong said: "It just so happens that our Office is running out of space; if that doesn't work, we'll just get a piece of land in the suburbs and solve both the factory building and the office building at once."

The suburbs at this time would become the city center in less than twenty years.

Zhao Ruyi said "Mm."

Ning Weidong emphasized: "The office isn't urgent, but the factory must be implemented as soon as possible; it cannot be dragged out."

Zhao Ruyi was slightly surprised: "Is it that urgent? But if..."

Ning Weidong understood her worry—what if the negotiations with Xieliaosha didn't go well this time? Ning Weidong said: "It doesn't matter; the alcohol must be sold. Even if this time doesn't work out, there are other channels. As long as Moscow continues to adopt a suppressive and restrictive attitude toward drinking, there will be excess profits in it, and there will be people who will cooperate with us."

……

The next morning, Xieliaosha and his wife arrived at Ning Weidong's Office.

"This courtyard is actually over three hundred years old!" Xieliaosha stood in the middle of the Siheyuan, looking at the surrounding houses: "China is truly a country with a long history."

Ning Weidong smiled: "Xieliaosha, when you compliment a country for having a long history, it's actually like complimenting a lady for having class..."

Xieliaosha and Liudemila were both stunned, not understanding what kind of curveball Ning Weidong was throwing.

Ning Weidong was not surprised they didn't catch the joke and explained: "I think that lady must not be pretty."

The two suddenly realized.

Xieliaosha smiled and said, "That is not what I meant."

Ning Weidong said, "No matter. To speak truthfully, our current development is indeed very backward compared to yours and America's, but I believe the future will only get better." He then gestured toward the house: "Let's go inside and sit, and taste the best tea in our China."

The group arrived at the reception room in the center of the north wing and sat down.

Ning Weidong took out the fine tea that Zhao Ruyi had stolen from home and brewed a pot himself.

Although Xieliaosha and his wife felt this tea without sugar or milk was a bit bland, they still praised it endlessly.

Ning Weidong did not take it to heart, chatting away happily until it was nearly eleven o'clock: "Xieliaosha, today at noon I will let you and Liudemila taste authentic Chinese Official Cuisine."

"Offi~cial~ Cui~sine?" Xieliaosha was a bit confused.

Ning Weidong explained: "In your terms, you could also call it aristocratic cuisine; it is the food made by private chefs in the homes of nobles in the past."

The Tan Family Cuisine passed down in He Yuzhu's family was just right for entertaining Xieliaosha and his wife today.

Liudemila said, "I have heard that Beijing roast duck is very famous."

Ning Weidong smiled and said, "Although Beijing roast duck is famous, the shop is right there. Whether now or in the past, if you have the money, you can go eat it. But this Official Cuisine... even if you have money, you might not necessarily be able to eat it."

Xieliaosha and his wife suddenly understood and could not help but feel some anticipation.

At the same time, they could also feel Ning Weidong's thoughtfulness and respect, and the two were very pleased.

At this time, the kitchen in the front courtyard was already bustling with activity.

It was not just He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu; the two apprentices He Yuzhu originally trained were also called over to help in the kitchen, and Xiao Dang and Huaihua were there helping out as well.

They had started preparing the ingredients three or four days in advance.

At this moment, He Yuzhu was also a bit nervous; although it was claimed to be the family-transmitted Tan Family Cuisine, he had not actually cooked it properly many times.

It was truly because the ingredients for making Official Cuisine were quite particular, and generally speaking, one simply could not afford it.

Nearby, the sisters Xiao Dang and Huaihua were whispering to each other.

Xiao Dang asked, "Did you ask your Ning Wei what those two foreigners are here for today? Making such a big scene."

Huaihua said, "I wouldn't ask. Mom told me, for a man's business in the outside world, ask what should be asked and don't ask what shouldn't be."

Xiao Dang curled her lips: "You're not even married off yet~ and you're already acting like a virtuous wife and good mother, aren't you ashamed."

Huaihua rolled her eyes at her: "It's my own man, what's there to be ashamed of."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and gave a flick, and a brand-new wristwatch actually slid out from the cuff of her white shirt.

Seeing this, Xiao Dang could not help but exclaim: "You bought a watch!"

(End of this chapter)