Chapter 56

This reason is something ordinary people can't think of; even the chief of the Materials Section has nothing to say, but in the Steel Rolling Mill it's not like that.

Everyone agreed, this is called 'one soldier is a bear, a general is a den of bears.'

Deputy Factory Director Li slapped the table in the office; the Materials Section is his most important department under him, and even this small matter can't be handled well, so the workers will definitely have opinions.

Absolutely cannot do that.

After thinking in the office for a morning, Deputy Factory Director Li finally came up with a good idea: it could divert the workers' attention and also pass the buck back to He Yuzhu.

After finishing work in the canteen at noon, He Yuzhu received an instruction from the factory office to launch a one-week 'recalling bitterness and cherishing sweetness' activity, requiring the canteen to make 'bitterness-recalling rice'.

As expected, Deputy Factory Director Li used this activity to shift the workers' attention. Moreover, how to make the bitterness-recalling rice became a problem for the canteen; if mishandled, I would still get into trouble.

Everyone knows what bitterness-recalling rice means, but the Steel Rolling Mill involves heavy physical labor; eating poorly can harm the body. At that time, these workers will surely be unwilling and will definitely report upward.

"Master, there's no need to worry." Ma Hua held the notice, unbothered, "We've done this before; we can just muddle through."

Before we could do it this way, but this time it won't work; He Yuzhu is certain Deputy Factory Director Li will definitely come to inspect, and then he will surely raise a big fuss, turning things upside down.

This is a task that blocks both ends.

"I have an idea: let's just cook soup, and add more meat later."

He Yuzhu shook his head, told Ma Hua to hurry up and get busy, while he considered whether there was any foolproof plan.

He remembered that in his previous life he had watched a TV drama where a cook seemed to have encountered this problem, and he seemed to have used a tasty wild vegetable dumpling.

Actually this is also a method; He Yuzhu began to think how to make this dumpling so that no one could find fault.

At noon the next day, the workers walked slowly toward the canteen; today was the first serving of bitterness-recalling rice, they didn't want to come eat, but the leaders forced everyone to attend.

At the canteen window, there was a large basin of sorghum rice and pumpkin soup, and on the other side some vegetable dumplings were placed; their pitted, uneven appearance left everyone with no appetite.

"One bowl of rice, one vegetable dumpling, one bowl of pumpkin soup per person."

Yi Daye stood in line with a blank expression, unlike others who had some pickled vegetables brought from home in their pockets; when eating bitterness-recalling rice, one must hold oneself to strict standards, absolutely no cheating.

Although he didn't like eating it either.

"Yi Zhonghai's meal ticket."

Ma Hua took out He Yuzhu's specially made vegetable dumpling from a basket placed under the window; this was specially prepared for him, and of course also included Deputy Factory Director Li and his group.

Seeing his coworkers eating well, gulping it down, Yi Daye also boldly took a bite; a bitter, astringent flavor instantly spread from his tongue throughout his body.

Yi Daye felt this wasn't eating a vegetable dumpling, but rather eating a handful of wild grass.

Could it be that these coworkers have become so enduring of hardship? But upon careful observation, something seemed off; others seemed to be eating dumplings made of cabbage and celery.

Mine is made of gray vegetable.

No wonder it tastes so awful; He Yuzhu is doing this to get back at me. Yi Daye felt angry and uncomfortable all over, but since it's the bitterness-recalling rice activity, he couldn't complain to the canteen just because it tasted bad.

"Look, some comrades can't even stomach this bitterness-recalling rice; they've forgotten their roots." A worker pointed at the dumpling Yi Daye had taken a bite of, "Shouldn't we send him to the toughest workshop to experience it?"

"Go, you've only been on the job a few days, do you know who this is?" An old worker pushed him away, "This is Old Yi, a notorious moral degenerate in our factory; not eating is totally normal for him."

Yi Daye's eyes turned red upon hearing this; he picked up the vegetable dumpling and ate it in big gulps, hardly chewing, choking and swallowing it down.

He almost couldn't catch his breath.

"Old Yi did pretty well, finishing the dumpling so quickly; this was deliberate, trying to sneak back into the ranks of the good people—indeed he has some scheming."

Yi Daye resignedly packed up his things and returned to the workshop; these workers' mouths are too harsh, this is more painful than cutting flesh off oneself with a knife.

The meal Deputy Factory Director Li had at noon in the office—the gray vegetable dumpling—almost made him doubt life; even as a child, when his family was poor, he had never eaten something so awful.

He wasn't as foolish as Yi Daye; he immediately guessed that He Yuzhu was playing double standards.

After inspecting the canteen, Deputy Factory Director Li found no evidence; he could only admonish He Yuzhu to cook honestly and not play those little tricks. m.

"Master, does this dumpling have a secret recipe?" Ma Hua, seeing Deputy Factory Director Li had already left, asked quietly, "I've eaten three today and still can't taste anything."

Of course there is a secret recipe; in the ordinary dumplings, He Yuzhu added some clear chicken broth, making the dumplings' flavor richer; the ones given to Yi Daye and those people have none.

At noon the next day, Yi Daye received another gray vegetable dumpling; he angrily asked, "How come everyone else gets celery dumplings, but what is this I have? Is it edible?"

He Yuzhu smiled slightly and said, "This is actually a good thing, also known as rouge plant; in the past it was a high-end good thing, and only someone your age would get it—others wouldn't even get a turn."

It is indeed a good thing; in the past Daoists would use this herb to make elixirs, because the leaves at the top are slightly purple, like the rosy clouds on the horizon.

Now it is indeed just a wild grass.

"Tasty? Then eat this dumpling." Yi Daye slapped the glass, "I don't believe you can eat it."

"Don't talk nonsense; not eating means you're evading the recalling bitterness and cherishing sweetness activity. Later you'll go to the criticism column to find your name; we still have work to do, so please stay away."

Yi Daye felt that everyone's gazes in the canteen were focused on him; should he stand firm to the end, or take the chance to admit defeat?

"I'll settle the score with you later." Yi Daye threw out a harsh remark and left.

He Yuzhu had just finished inspecting the canteen when the office secretary came over with a notice; because they needed to meet the production deadline, the recalling bitterness and cherishing sweetness activity would proceed only up to this point.

Going forward, the canteen must guarantee the quality of workers' meals, not substitute inferior goods for good ones, especially meat must be kept up; otherwise the workers will have no motivation to work.

After only two meals they gave up, and He Yuzhu thought even less of Deputy Factory Director Li; thinking back, those people used to eat something even worse than this.

"Ma Hua, take out the meat; tomorrow we'll make braised pork to give everyone some extra fat and oil." He Yuzhu ordered, "Add more meat, less potato."