Chapter 93: Really Not Bad, Purchasing Agent Su

The next day, Pei Huaiye took Su Qingyue to the County Health Center for a check-up; Su Qingyue was already one month pregnant.

Pei Huaiye said with an excited expression, "Doctor, is there anything we need to be careful about?"

"Do not overexert yourself, pay attention to nutritional balance in your diet, keep a happy mood, and also, you cannot have intercourse for the first three months."

Pei Huaiye's expression turned stern, "Thank you, Doctor." The two scheduled their next prenatal check-up.

Su Qingyue whispered, "A Ye, let's not tell anyone else about my pregnancy yet. Can we wait until after three months?"

"Fine, I'll listen to you, but you cannot be too tired with work."

Just as Pei Huaiye finished speaking, Su Qingyue's delicate eyebrows arched, and she said in a wronged tone, "No, the soy products are only halfway done; I can't stop this!"

Pei Huaiye knew she was unwilling to accept that Zhang Jun had snatched away the Qingshan Team's business, so he said helplessly, "I hadn't finished speaking yet. I'm going to ask for ten days of leave and will be at your beck and call. Once your recent work is settled, can you rest properly then?"

Su Qingyue lifted her small face and said happily, "Thank you, A Ye, but can you really take ten days off?"

"I can. I have enough saved leave that taking a month or two wouldn't be a problem!"

"Girl Qingyue, are you sure you want one thousand jin of soybeans?" Captain Liang looked at the number on the contract and asked with some uncertainty.

Xiang Jianming smiled triumphantly, "Sign it, Old Liang. It's settled that the soybeans from your village can only be sold to our village!"

Both of them felt a sense of urgency whenever they thought of Qingshan Village; there wasn't much time left for them to win the Advanced Brigade title at the end of the year.

"That's for sure. We are cooperating first, and besides, I, Old Liang, don't just cooperate with anyone!"

They signed the contract, and Su Qingyue settled the payment of two hundred yuan with Captain Liang according to the purchase price of two mao per jin.

She and Xiang Jianming returned to the workshop, and the two master craftsmen also left after receiving their wages.

These people were smart and diligent, understanding everything with just a hint.

Especially Li Zilan and her husband, who spent all day surrounding them asking this and that; in the end, they were moved and shared everything without holding anything back.

Anyway, once the soy products were made, they would supply them to the State-run Restaurant at a cheap price, saving them from having to make it themselves every day.

This was also the reason why Su Qingyue was able to hire the two master craftsmen in the first place.

Su Qingyue entered the room and saw Li Zilan using the soy milk grinder, "This machine is fast. It usually takes an hour or two to push the millstone, but now it grinds into soy milk in just over ten minutes."

Liu Chunxing and her husband were filtering the soy milk, "Our fine sieve is also easy to use, and everything is of a uniform size. I looked at the vegetable tofu that Qingyue bought back; each piece was uneven in thickness. Over time, everyone will be able to compare the good from the bad."

Li Zilan calculated, "As long as there are enough soybeans, making six hundred jin of tofu a day is no problem, and we have both soft tofu and firm tofu!"

Su Qingyue said happily, "Then we start supplying tomorrow!"

Su Qingwu was making bean curd sheets on the stove, his movements already very skilled. He used an enamel basin, ladled two scoops of the boiled soy milk into it to a thickness of about one or two centimeters, and after letting it sit for about five to ten minutes, he used chopsticks to gently lift a sheet of bean curd and spread it on a rack to dry.

"There's about a hundred jin of dried bean curd sheets. If we are selling them all tomorrow, I'll find bags to pack them."

"Sell them! Pack them up!"

Su Qingwu said cheerfully, "Bean curd sheets are especially fragrant when put in stewed dishes or soaked until soft and stir-fried, but this work requires patience."

Xiang Jianming's two daughters-in-law brought out the finished bean sprouts in large basins, "They were all made according to the master craftsmen's standards. It's not much different from our usual methods; bean sprouts are the easiest to get the hang of."

The fermented black beans needed to be sun-dried, the bean paste needed to be pickled, and the pressed tofu was not yet set.

Su Qingyue and Xiang Jianming discussed it with everyone, "Tomorrow, let's first take the tofu, bean sprouts, and bean curd sheets to the Hongqi Supply and Marketing Cooperative to sell. We'll talk about the rest once they are finished products."

Pei Huaiye smiled, "Then I'll drive the tractor to deliver the goods." He was worried about Su Qingyue and definitely had to go along.

The next day, the Hongqi Supply and Marketing Cooperative was surrounded by a crowd making a scene again.

The bearded man brought a group of thugs and came again, "Where is your Purchasing Agent Su? Why hasn't she been laid off yet? Is your leadership intentionally shielding her?"

Su Qianqian said gloatingly, "Purchasing Agent Su has taken leave. She's sick and hasn't recovered, so that's why she hasn't come."

"Is she sick, or is she faking illness because she's afraid to come? She has no ability but still works as a purchasing agent at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative; if this isn't shielding, what is?!"

Chen Yan scolded sternly, "What nonsense are you spouting? Comrade, you have been coming here to cause trouble for many days without buying anything. Do you have some conspiracy? And why are you holding onto Su Qingyue? Who is instigating you?"

The bearded man insisted on Su Qingyue's lack of ability, "She promised everyone she would supply tofu, but she didn't supply any. Do you call that having ability?"

The people behind all joined in the clamor. "Lay her off! Lay her off!"

Zhang Jun came to find Jiang Meng for lunch and watched this scene with great interest; Jiang Meng's cheeks flushed red when she saw him.

Pei Huaiye drove the tractor directly to the back door of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and Xiang Jianming led people to unload the goods inside.

Zhang Dongfeng had just arrived at the front hall of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to appease the customers when Su Qingyue arrived, "Who said we don't have tofu!"

"Where is it? Try turning one jin out for me to see?!" The bearded man shouted at the top of his lungs, but halfway through his sentence, a large crate of tofu was carried in.

Zhang Dongfeng's hunched back straightened up instantly, and he gave a few orders, arranging for the Tally Clerk to help unload and display the goods.

Su Qingyue picked up a small blackboard, whispered a few words to Zhang Dongfeng, and then scribbled the prices on the small blackboard.

Zhang Dongfeng personally hung the small blackboard in the most conspicuous position in the lobby.

Today's special supply at Hongqi Supply and Marketing Cooperative:

Soft tofu, two hundred jin, price: one mao four per jin.

Firm tofu, four hundred jin, price: one mao four per jin.

Bean curd sheets, one hundred jin, price: two mao three per jin.

Bean sprouts, three hundred jin, price: eight fen per jin.

Until sold out.

Su Qianqian looked at the delicate handwriting on the small blackboard and widened her eyes in disbelief.

Su Qingyue continued to write on a second small blackboard, which highlighted the cooking methods for the bean curd sheets.

Although it was hard to believe, as crate after crate of soy products were moved into the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, everyone held their breath.

Zhang Jun and Jiang Meng also looked at Su Qingyue with astonishment. She had taken leave, so where did the tofu come from? And there were even bean curd sheets and bean sprouts?

An old lady looked at the small blackboard and immediately reacted, "Good, good, this is really great, Purchasing Agent Su. Weigh ten jin of tofu for me, five jin of bean curd sheets, and five jin of bean sprouts too."

She had a dozen people in her family, and two little grandsons were at the age where they were growing; after buying the soy products, she also bought quite a few wild mushrooms and went home happily.

The people behind all crowded together, scrambling to buy the soy products. There were too many people, and Su Qingyue had to help calculate the bills.

Zhang Jun watched the booming business at the Hongqi Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and his hands and feet turned cold for a moment, but he calmed down instantly; the tofu Su Qingyue purchased was ordinary, while their tofu was vegetable tofu, which was still slightly superior.

The bearded man tried to slip away amidst the chaos, but Pei Huaiye blocked the doorway and caught him; he dragged the man to the entrance of a deserted alley and landed a few heavy punches on his head, "Speak, who put you up to this? If you dare to lie, your arms will be crippled!"

"It was Su Qianqian! She was the one who ordered it!"