Chapter 1288: Yang Xun

"This is one of the workshops in our textile machinery production department; all parts are manufactured within our county. What everyone is seeing here is our final assembly workshop..."

"This is the factory's toilet and washroom; over there is the bathhouse. Don't think we specially cleaned these just for your visit; this is the factory's hygiene standard. We have dedicated hygiene management personnel; if an inspection team finds the hygiene substandard, they report it to our factory director during the factory affairs meeting, and the relevant leading cadres of the hygiene management post must come here to scrub the toilets themselves."

"When we first implemented this, there were many incidents; people even came to blows several times. However, the factory dealt with them all. In our factory director's words, it was 'kill one to warn a hundred'; once rules are set, they must stand firm."

"This is our factory's cinema, capable of seating five hundred people; every factory has one. This basically meets the workers' needs for watching films. If there is a particularly good movie, the factory will set up a large screen outside in the evening for collective viewing."

"We have installed large loudspeakers that broadcast songs every morning, noon, and evening, covering all our production factories; the songs played are all recently popular ones."

"Our factory also expanded the county's theater to one thousand seats. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays evenings, Huizhou Opera is performed; on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays evenings, Huangmei Opera is performed. Tickets cost fifty cents each, anyone can go, and the factory subsidizes the actors. If the people have a need, we will also arrange other operas; the day before yesterday, we invited a Peking Opera troupe."

"This is where denim is woven..."

The factory's reception staff led the university student inspection group everywhere, observing the various conditions within the factory.

What left the deepest impression on the university students and faculty, aside from the rows of roaring machines and the scene of hundreds or even thousands of people working in coordination, was Jin Ling's hygiene.

The nearly obsessive public hygiene management manifested in restrooms so clean they even carried a fragrance; places like the factory canteen, heavy with grease and oil, were so spotless that windows were bright and tables clean, with cutting boards gleaming. Inside the production workshops, the hygiene environment was controlled to the maximum extent; even in mechanical manufacturing, where various stubborn stains are hard to deal with, they were minimized to the point of becoming only faint, light-colored traces.

The situation in the county town was the same; wherever dust rose, someone nearby would spray water. The county also had many sanitation groups composed of retired elderly men and women with nothing else to do, who swept the streets daily to maintain hygiene and safety.

As for the production of sanitary napkins, which had the strictest standards, needless to say, the requirements were lethally rigorous.

However, what equally impressed everyone was the enthusiasm and drive of the workers; although there were complaints, they diligently executed the factory's various standards.

They asked the reception staff why such stringent hygiene systems were established. The answer received was that with so many people in the factory, once a public health incident occurred, existing medical conditions would be unable to resolve it, causing too much harm; therefore, to nip problems in the bud, they cut them off directly at the source.

Thus, people came to understand Factory Director Wang's painstaking efforts and perceived the comprehensiveness of Factory Director Wang's thinking...

"Is there still money for sanitation work?"

Watching the grandpas and grandmas in green short-sleeved shirts gathering to rest in the shade of the street, some chatting, some playing cards, others playing chess, Song Yunhui asked this question.

"Of course there is; how could work be done for free?" Wang Yan smiled. "Their retirement pensions are basically less than twenty yuan a month; the county supplements five yuan, and the factory pays for three meals a day, eaten together with government personnel. Earning extra money each month, having meals solved, the work isn't tiring, and there are people to play with—how wonderful is that?"

"There are quite a few retired people, right? Can you arrange placements for all of them?"

"Don't they still have children to take care of? The retired elders care for the young; it's just such a cycle. Our factory conditions are good, so workers all want to have more children; plus, with the family planning matters, many women in the factory are walking around with bellies swollen."

"Going against the wind? Will the county allow this?" Song Yunping pressed.

"Certainly not allowed." Wang Yan shook his head. "They don't arrest people or force abortions, but fines must be paid, and the fines are substantial. Two hundred for a second child, five hundred for a third. The workers would rather borrow money to pay the fines than not have children. Everyone has reached a consensus: at least two children must be born."

Speaking of these matters, he couldn't help but laugh.

This issue was actually quite serious, but County Head Xu was a man of backbone, able to withstand the pressure and unwilling to make things so nasty. Wang Yan also expressed his support, saying that while Jin Ling was a top student nationwide, it should be allowed to have slightly poorer grades in one or two subjects; Jin Ling could afford to raise children.

Thus, the county unified its opinion; let the city curse if they wanted, whatever happened, happened. As long as the county people paid the fines, birth permits were granted, and household registration was issued.

Of course, there were also many who could not afford the fines but insisted on having children anyway. When commune personnel went down to collect money, knives were drawn directly. But since the money had to be collected, the county directly issued loans to these people. It was explicitly stated that repayment must be made on time; if payments were continuously overdue, the entire family would be barred from entering the textile factory in the future.

This was a very significant threat.

After all, every ten days or half a month, people from various villages entered the city and the factory; whenever everyone went out to build roads or construct houses, it was all paid for by the factory. The benefits of entering the factory need no elaboration; no one dared to treat this lightly.

Therefore, overall, although there were some contradictions, they were successfully resolved and digested, basically maintaining harmony, stability, and booming prosperity throughout the entire county...

Song Yunping nodded and asked again, "Can our factory handle the care requirements?"

"It's not a big problem; raising children is mainly supported by parents using their wages and benefits. The factory's expenditures mainly lie in the cost of providing these welfare benefits to workers, such as recently starting research on diapers and milk powder, building schools, and providing educational environments; we must fully consider the situation of our next generation."

"By the time this generation of children grows into adults, nearly twenty years from now, I believe our factory will definitely have the capacity to support these people by then."

Wang Yan waved his hand. "That's talking too far ahead; we are here to see the new vitality of reform. Look at this street; from here to that end, a distance of over eight hundred meters, more than one thousand stalls are set up. Some came from the city, some from the province, and people from our county are also setting up stalls here; the goods sold are a dazzling array, everything imaginable. Did you see over there? That's where electronic watches are sold."

"No ration coupons needed?" Song Yunhui asked.

"Currently, only two things require coupons in our county: grain and oil. Our county's own production capacity is sufficient, raw material procurement is quite ample, and there are not many restricted areas."

"This is a benefit resulting from the inspection by people from Beijing earlier, right?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile. "There is still some wisdom involved; our county is a national advanced model; do you think we became advanced for nothing? Procurement of various raw materials has been very smooth, especially since we ourselves pay promptly, always settling cash on delivery, so others are willing to supply us."

This street was truly lively; even though it had already heated up by late morning, there were still many people strolling here. Some were urban workers, some were farmers entering the city to handle affairs, some were unlucky kids with nothing to do during summer vacation, and there were even police standing in the shade, their eyes scanning the crowd. On one hand, this served as a deterrent; on the other, it allowed them to spot dangers and resolve them in time.

The county's public security issues had always been a top priority; whenever there was a lull, a major cleanup sweep would be launched...

The three walked along with the crowd, and occasionally someone would greet them.

"Hello, Factory Director."

"Factory Director, is this your wife? She's truly beautiful."

While it couldn't be guaranteed for the entire Jin Ling County, within the county town, Deputy Factory Director Wang was almost like a living sage, deeply beloved by the people.

"It's truly exhausting coming out with you," Song Yunhui couldn't help but complain.

Song Yunping criticized, "Xiaohui, this is the people's trust."

"Ah, only my wife understands; such ideological awareness." Wang Yan laughed heartily. "Brother-in-law, you still have much to learn and improve upon."

Song Yunhui rolled his eyes and changed the subject: "This street is indeed arranged very well; as the saying goes, 'blocking is not as good as dredging'; such centralized management is indeed much more convenient. The county earns money, reduces management difficulties, and the people gain an extra place for leisure."

"However, there is one downside; since a place has been provided, it might be better to be more straightforward and open up some storefronts for them, so they have a place to operate when the wind blows or rain falls."

"Reform cannot be achieved overnight; this street has only been implemented for three months. To further liberalize, there must be a process first," Wang Yan answered his brother-in-law's doubts with a chuckle.

"Since you say that, you must already have some ideas, right?" Song Yunping asked with a smile.

"A loving wife knows her husband." Wang Yan raised an eyebrow at her, then said, "The county plans to build a large market and move these vendors over there. As for the shop issue Xiaohui just mentioned, restrictions on some storefronts nearby will also be lifted to allow rentals, further invigorating our Jin Ling market."

"There are still too few people, Brother-in-law."

"It's impossible for it to always be just these same people; we haven't yet solved all the county's problems. Once those are resolved, we will definitely absorb external population to strengthen our county. Didn't I say yesterday that within five years, the county must completely eliminate poverty? Judging by the current development speed, it might not even take five years; good days are not far from our Jin Ling; we'll catch up with just a few steps."

"You think too optimistically." Song Yunhui shook his head, still somewhat unable to believe it. After all, that was a population of over two hundred thousand, and it was still growing; just distributing welfare benefits alone could bankrupt the factory's finances.

"Prepare for the worst, but strive for the best. The road is long and arduous, but if you walk, you will arrive," Wang Yan smiled. "Don't be so depressed; as the Instructor wrote in a poem, 'Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind to it.' We will act according to the highest instructions, and sooner or later, we will realize socialism."

"Your awareness is too high, Brother-in-law; I find it hard to imagine that with your kind of upbringing, you could have grown into what you are today."

"Wife, he's insulting me."

"Xiaohui!" Song Yunping stared wide-eyed at her younger brother.

Song Yunhui was speechless, choking back words, merely letting out a long sigh before quickening his pace to leave, distancing himself from these two...

After the three had walked a while longer, someone suddenly called out in delight: "Brother Xiaohui! Hey, Sister He Xiaoping!"

Following the voice, they saw a stall owner by the roadside jumping up and down while waving.

"Yang Xun?" Song Yunhui called out the man's name and walked straight over.

"This is Xiaohui's eldest son from the Women's Director's family back when he was sent down to Shanbei Village; his whole family took especially good care of Xiaohui," Song Yunping explained the situation to Wang Yan, then pulled him along as they walked over together.

"Brother Xiaohui, Sister He Xiaoping," Yang Xun greeted them again with a smile, his gaze falling on Wang Yan; he let out an "Aiyo!" and said, "You must be Factory Director Wang, right? When you and Sister He Xiaoping got married before, our home was far away, so this..."

"It was me who didn't let Xiaohui tell your family; considering your family's difficult situation, with everything relying on your mother alone to manage, I knew if we didn't forbid you from giving gift money, you surely wouldn't listen, so I simply didn't say anything—we couldn't burden you with extra trouble."

Song Yunping offered an explanation, then immediately changed the subject: "Why have you come here to set up a stall? What are you selling?"

"Hair ties," Yang Xun said with a smile. "I still need to thank Factory Director Wang and our county's County Head Xu; I heard it was you who stood firm against the city authorities to designate this street, giving us small vendors a way to make a living."

"You make it sound as though the state intends to drive small vendors to death. Before the reforms, no one came out to sell goods; now that reforms are underway, if we're not allowed to sell, does that mean we're being driven to death?"

Wang Yan shook his head with amusement, yet paid no mind to Yang Xun's low level of political awareness, and instead asked, "Looking at you, you must be seventeen or eighteen, right? I heard from He Xiaoping that your mother is the Women's Director, and with so many children in your family, a quota for factory employment should have long been assigned to you, shouldn't it?"

"Factory Director Wang, I..."

"You're close to Xiaohui, we're all old acquaintances, so don't be so polite; just follow Xiaohui and call me Brother-in-law."

"Ai, Brother-in-law," Yang Xun said, grinning broadly; though still very young, he already understood the weight behind that single address of "Brother-in-law."

He continued, "My father passed away early; all these years, my mother raised the four of us siblings alone, and we received no small amount of help from fellow villagers. Going to work at the textile mill was something everyone in the village fought over. Our family had it hard, but other families did too; when those people came begging to our household, asking us to delay entering the factory, how could our family possibly bring ourselves to refuse?

Still, it's just as well; now that the country is reforming, I can hustle some goods to sell, which at least earns us a bit more money to supplement our household expenses. These past few years, the county has developed rapidly; many people have left the village to enter factories, the grain allotments we receive have increased considerably, and life is always better than before, so the current situation is quite fine.

"Brother-in-law..." Song Yunhui looked at his good brother-in-law.

Song Yunping, standing beside Wang Yan, also quietly tugged at the hem of his clothing.

Wang Yan smiled, then opened the bag he had been carrying, took out a notebook, and with a fountain pen swiftly wrote a few lines; he then tore off the sheet and handed it to Yang Xun.

"Take this paper to the original site of the textile mill and find the Personnel Department; they will arrange your entry into the factory. Once there, whatever job you wish to do, tell them directly; they certainly won't refuse any position they can assign. Of course, aspiring to become a leader is impossible; currently, no factory has such a precedent—no matter which factory, you must start from the very lowest level.

"Thank you, Brother-in-law, Sister He Xiaoping, Brother Xiaohui; thank you all. I'll go home right away to tell my mother this good news; she'll surely be delighted. Brother-in-law, rest assured, once I enter the factory, I will definitely work hard and guarantee I won't bring shame upon you."

"More work, more pay; the capable rise, the incompetent fall; how far you go depends entirely on yourself, not on working for me," Wang Yan said, waving his hand. "This time counts as us getting acquainted; henceforth, if you encounter any trouble you cannot resolve, just come find me. If I can help, I certainly won't stand by and watch.

"Yes, thank you, Brother-in-law."

"Don't be so polite."

"How is Director Yang? Is his health still good?"

"Still the same. Brother Xiaohui, you've changed quite a lot; just now, I didn't even dare to recognize you."

The Song siblings chatted with Yang Xun for a while; nothing special occurred, merely exchanging updates on each other's circumstances over the past two years or so; after chatting for more than ten minutes, they parted ways.

Yang Xun sold off the hair ties and other items on his stall at low prices to competitors on the same street selling similar products, then bid farewell to Wang Yan and the other two with a thousand expressions of gratitude, and hurried home to share the good news with his family.

Watching Yang Xun's figure recede into the distance, Song Yunhui shook his head: "Yang Xun has changed somewhat."

"Too enthusiastic toward your brother-in-law?" Song Yunping readily grasped her younger brother's meaning.

"A little, perhaps; I'm not saying this is bad, and I respect him, but even so, it makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable."

Wang Yan said, "He's simply too immature; he'll be fine later on."

"Bureaucratic thinking!"

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile, paying it no mind: "Wait until you start working before you say such things to me; come on, let's go; there's a stinky tofu vendor up ahead who makes it especially fragrant—I'll take you two siblings to taste it.

Thus, the three continued strolling, sensing the new vitality burgeoning within this small county town...

The university student inspection group stayed in Jin Ling County for a total of ten days; every evening, Wang Yan held a large meeting with everyone, answering some of their questions; the matters involved were relatively deep, even including numerous exchanges regarding ideology.

This was, of course, unavoidable; nowadays is precisely a time of turbulent thought, and this is how public intellectuals emerge...

During these ten days, the university students observed various conditions within the factories, inquired with factory workers about specific matters, and even traveled together into the countryside to personally examine what rural life in Jin Ling is like now; to avoid any staged performances by the factory, they even spontaneously proposed visiting other nearby villages rather than following the arranged itinerary.

The result, of course, disappointed them, yet alongside that disappointment, they indeed expressed high approval of Jin Ling's work; the countryside is truly changing, becoming visibly wealthier, with people's spiritual outlook greatly improved, and there are quite a few bicycles in the villages—every village must have more than ten bicycles.

A considerable portion among them were already familiar with rural conditions; even if not originally from the countryside, they had been sent down to rural areas. Here in Jin Ling, one could truly call it prosperous; many people sincerely admired Wang Yan's capabilities.

After all, everyone knows that Jin Ling's achievements today are owed overwhelmingly to Wang Yan's contributions...

Reporters, of course, recorded the various details even more thoroughly, awaiting their return to finalize layouts for printing.

Thus, on a rainy day, Wang Yan personally saw off the visiting contingent of over four hundred people, with the weather itself seeming to join in the farewell...

After sending off the university students, the senior leadership of the textile mill, headed by Wang Yan, went to the county seat to attend a meeting...