Chapter 2341: Commemorative Liquor

As the deputy factory director of the Woolen Mill, and also the deputy factory director in charge of logistics, Liu Lijuan had eaten at high-end hotels, restaurants, Western restaurants, and even the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse more than once, but this was truly her first time coming to a place like a bar.

Upon entering the bar, there were none of the messy scenes she had imagined; instead, it gave people a quiet and comfortable feeling. Except for the resident singer singing on the stage and the occasional laughter, no one was shouting loudly.

"Old Zhou!"

Wu Hongkang was still sitting in his old spot, keeping his eyes on the entrance. Seeing Zhou Andong arrive, he raised his hand to greet him. Then he saw Liu Lijuan, and he, who had been sitting, stood up immediately.

One was the factory director of the Hongxing Liquor Factory, and the other was the deputy factory director of the Woolen Mill. It was impossible for the leaders of two large state-owned factories not to know each other. Moreover, a few years ago, the two factories often had interactions, which was using liquor to exchange for blankets and wool fabrics.

"Factory Director Liu, I really didn't expect you to come too. Welcome, welcome!" Wu Hongkang greeted her with a face full of smiles, enthusiastically stretching out his right hand to shake hands with Liu Lijuan.

"Factory Director Wu, hello!" Liu Lijuan responded with a smile at the corner of her mouth, "I'm an uninvited guest, so to speak. I hope you don't blame me."

"You are a distinguished guest who couldn't be invited even if I wanted to, so how could I blame you." Saying this, Wu Hongkang made a gesture of inviting her to sit. "Even if I were to blame someone, I would blame Zhou Andong for bringing you, a distinguished guest, without notifying me in advance so I could be mentally prepared."

Zhou Andong raised his hand and pointed at Wu Hongkang, laughing and scolding, "You old rascal are getting worse and worse. You must have been in contact with Old Zhang for too long and been corrupted by him. You'd better stay away from him in the future, lest you be corrupted even more."

While joking, the three of them sat down. A waiter who had been waiting not far away appeared beside them like a ghost, silently and softly asking, "Chairman Zhou, this lady, what would you like to drink?"

Zhou Andong cast his gaze toward Liu Lijuan: "What would you like to drink?"

"This is my first time in a bar, I don't know what to drink." Liu Lijuan looked at the waiter: "Do you have any recommendations?"

The waiter asked: "Would you like liquor or fruit juice?"

"Of course liquor!" Zhou Andong took over the conversation: "Besides Jiang Xiaomei, what other liquor is suitable for ladies?"

As a deputy factory director in charge of logistics, responsible for the reception tasks of superior leaders and distinguished guests visiting the factory, Zhou Andong had no doubt about her drinking capacity.

"There are many liquors suitable for ladies, red wine, champagne, cocktails, etc." Saying this, the waiter paused, his gaze fixed on Zhou Andong: "There is also the newly developed Jiangzhou Yugong cocktail, which is very popular and sells very well, but it's a bit strong."

"Oh?" Zhou Andong laughed: "It doesn't matter, bring us three, one for each. We must try it."

The waiter continued to ask: "What about fruit platters and nuts?"

Zhou Andong waved his hand: "You decide on that."

"Okay!" The waiter turned and left.

Zhou Andong looked at a box of Erguotou placed nearby. It was the plastic beer crate type, and the bottles of this Erguotou were brown, almost the same as beer bottles.

Zhou Andong kicked the box of Erguotou with his foot: "I saw this box of liquor from far away. You come to a bar and bring your own liquor to drink. Since when did you, Wu Hongkang, become so stingy?"

Wu Hongkang rolled his eyes at Zhou Andong in annoyance, bent down, and moved the liquor to the table very carefully: "Why are your feet so annoying? I was very careful when I brought it here, and you actually kicked it."

Zhou Andong immediately realized that this was definitely not ordinary Erguotou: "Old Wu, tell me quickly, what's the background of this liquor?"

At this time, Liu Lijuan suddenly asked: "Factory Director Wu, is this the commemorative liquor?"

Wu Hongkang was stunned, then immediately gave a thumbs up: "Factory Director Liu really has a good eye."

"Commemorative liquor?" Zhou Andong's eyes lit up immediately, looking brighter than a 200-watt light bulb: "Is this the legendary commemorative liquor?"

Chinese people all know that Moutai is the national liquor, but few people know that Erguotou is actually the real national liquor. And Zhou Andong only heard about Erguotou commemorative liquor when he opened his bar and accidentally heard customers chatting about it.

"Yes!" Wu Hongkang recalled: "My parents were the first batch of workers at Hongxing. I was four years old the year the liquor factory was established. I have a hazy memory of other things, but I have a very deep memory of the scene on the day the liquor factory was established, and I still can't forget it to this day. That scene was really gongs and drums, colorful flags fluttering, and a sea of people..."

Zhou Andong's thirst for knowledge was aroused, and he said: "Tell me the story inside."

"Story, huh!" Wu Hongkang fell into memories, his voice becoming a bit ethereal, as if traveling through time and space: "Before the founding of New China, there were twelve famous old liquor workshops in the capital.

At that time, these workshops were still traditional manual workshops, and the efficiency of brewing was quite low. Although everyone knew that if it could be changed to an industrial assembly line production, it would definitely greatly increase output and quality, but because each workshop was independent and the scale of operation was small, it was really difficult to form a climate.

Moreover, at that time, the state issued an important regulation, which was to allow only one liquor workshop in the capital to specialize in the burning and selling of liquor, which undoubtedly brought huge challenges to these old liquor workshops.

Thus, after careful consideration and consultation, the twelve old liquor workshops were merged to jointly establish the Hongxing Liquor Factory. However, at that time, it was called the North China Liquor Monopoly Company Experimental Factory."

Speaking of this, a proud smile appeared on Wu Hongkang's face, and he even glanced at Zhou Andong: "Immediately after, the newly established Hongxing Liquor Factory received an arduous and glorious task—to produce a batch of commemorative liquor for the birth of New China.

This was a mission of historical significance. To complete this task, the Hongxing Liquor Factory quickly established a special working group for brewing the founding commemorative liquor."

Just as Wu Hongkang was telling the story, the waiter walked over with the Jiangzhou Yugong cocktails, fruit platters, pastries, and nuts, and placed them gently on the table in front of the three of them.

"Thank you!" Liu Lijuan said thank you. Because she hadn't eaten dinner, she was a bit hungry, so seeing the snacks, she picked up a piece of cake and took a bite.

"Come, try this Jiangzhou Yugong cocktail." Zhou Andong picked up the glass in front of him, took a small sip, and after savoring it carefully, a satisfied smile appeared on his face: "Hmm, the taste of this liquor is not bad."

Wu Hongkang, sitting opposite, heard this, and a look of curiosity appeared on his face. He also picked up the glass and took a sip, then said with great dissatisfaction: "Why is there only Jiangzhou Yugong cocktail, but no Erguotou cocktail?"

"Your Hongxing also opens bars, so there will be Erguotou cocktails then?" Zhou Andong looked at Wu Hongkang with disdain and said in annoyance: "It's useless for you to be envious, hurry up and continue." ===== CHAPTER 2342 =====