Chapter 1386: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 1386: Changing the Eggs to Whole Ones

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

After bustling about all noon, he finally got these fools settled, and only then did Xiao Hua have time to eat.

Fortunately he had Wang Chang prepare a bit extra in advance, otherwise he wouldn't have known where to solve lunch.

After all, the Village doesn't have takeout.

If he cooked it himself at this hour, it would probably be three in the afternoon by the time it was done.

Xiao Hua wolfed down his lunch, and right then Wang Chang walked over carrying bowl and chopsticks; he had only just started eating himself:

"Director Wang, this workload is a bit much. From now on, doing just this every morning, we won't have to do any other work."

Xiao Hua ate with his head down.

He knew Wang Chang's words carried a subtext.

Back when he proposed this plan to Chen Yuancheng, Chen Yuancheng told him it would add a lot of workload for grassroots cadres.

Xiao Hua knew it would add a lot of workload, but he didn't expect it would add this much.

It might also be the first day doing this work, still not skilled, causing the time spent to be comparatively more.

Xiao Hua said:

"From now on buy some easier-to-cook dishes, save some time. Additionally, once they form the habit, they'll come on their own, and we won't have to drive to pick them up."

Xiao Hua looked at Wang Chang:

"Brother Chang, do you think my plan is wrong?"

Wang Chang chuckled and hurriedly denied it:

"I didn't say it was wrong. But to tell the truth, if you want political achievements to pave the way for future promotion, you can completely do that elsewhere. There's no need to fuss over these fools every day."

Wang Chang's words left Xiao Hua somewhat at a loss whether to cry or laugh.

He actually thought Xiao Hua was going to all this trouble for promotion and wealth.

Time flew by a week. The fools of Changjiang Village Committee had already formed the habit, coming to the Village Committee on time every day to eat lunch. After eating, they played on the Village Committee Square for a while, and only went back when it was nearly evening.

Meanwhile, the Town Government Office had already processed the fiscal procedures.

Starting next month, poverty alleviation subsidies can be distributed daily to those fools.

And the news that Changjiang Village Committee has free lunch — who knows when it started — spread without legs, passing around.

Gradually, not only fools came to eat; even other poor households with normal limbs came shamelessly to eat.

Xiao Hua saw this and thought: this won't do?

More and more people freeloading meals — it can't stay free.

His monthly salary is only two or three thousand; he can't support these big lazybones.

So that day, taking advantage of everyone eating, Xiao Hua announced to all:

"Starting next month, lunch will be charged. Five yuan per person for material and production costs."

Xiao Hua thought that would be enough to stop those freeloaders.

Unexpectedly some lazybones came early to eat, and after eating even packed leftovers to take away — eating one meal but packing two more, equivalent to solving all three daily meals at the Village Committee for only 5 yuan!

Xiao Hua's head ached; he could only issue more regulations to patch this Village Committee cafeteria.

Eat on-site only, no takeout!

Moreover, people who come to eat — their poverty subsidies from now on can only be distributed daily, no longer monthly!

With these two rules down, those lazybones coming for lunch gradually decreased.

After all, spending a whole morning running here for one meal isn't worth it!

And many people hoped poverty subsidies could be distributed monthly, because monthly distribution lets them get a lump sum — gamblers can go gamble big, those wanting the bathhouse can go splurge at the town bathhouse once.

Anyway, getting ten-odd yuan a day doesn't feel satisfying.

The fools were different.

If they don't come, no one cooks for them; they can't eat such good rice and dishes.

So basically they come on time every day.

This rural canteen custom-made for fools finally gradually stabilized.

Many things are like this: when you first do them, you envision them beautifully, rules aren't so many, but they can't withstand the test of human nature, so you can only keep patching later, and rules just keep increasing.

Actually not only this rural canteen — even policies issued at the national level are the same.

This world never lacks people who exploit loopholes and shear wool, especially in our country known for wisdom.

This rural canteen gradually returned to its essence of cooking for fools.

He Zhixiong at this time suggested to Xiao Hua:

"Director Wang, why not raise the meal price a bit? Five yuan per person per meal — sometimes we still have to pay out of pocket. Anyway those fools have no concept of money; a small raise won't meet opposition."

Xiao Hua glanced at He Zhixiong:

"Then how much do you say to raise?"

He Zhixiong said:

"At least 10 yuan per meal. One meal 10 yuan, 9 fools, that's only 90 yuan collected. 90 yuan letting them eat well every day is already very good for them! We haven't been idle either; we ought to at least have a drink."

Xiao Hua knew what He Zhixiong meant — he just wanted to skim a little oil. Though the oil was minuscule, working for others for free made him very unhappy. Acting as free labor every day, spending so much time and energy, yet getting nothing — actually not only he had complaints; Guo Dafu, Li Jiandi, even Wang Chang began to have opinions.

Xiao Hua knew this work couldn't be demanded of others purely with a spirit of contribution.

He could demand contribution spirit of himself, but he couldn't force others to have contribution spirit.

So he said:

"How about this: from now on, 8 yuan per meal, and additionally regarding food ingredients, whatever we can provide ourselves, don't go buy in town; whoever provides the ingredients, that day's collected money goes to them."

He Zhixiong heard this and immediately showed delight:

"Then it's settled!"

The next day making lunch, Xiao Hua instructed Wang Chang to go buy eggs; today making a dish of stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, nine fools, two eggs per person, that meant buying 18 eggs.

At this time He Zhixiong came over, took the initiative to say no need to go buy, his family had eggs, today's ingredients would be provided by him.

After Xiao Hua finished instructing on the dishes for lunch, he went to town once; he wanted to buy a motorcycle, otherwise in these mountains many jobs were hard to carry out.

After buying a motorcycle and returning, lunch was also done.

Xiao Hua took one look at that stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, inside were all tomatoes, not a few pieces of egg, and knew something was off.

Xiao Hua called Wang Chang over to ask:

"Brother Chang, did this dish use 18 eggs?"

Wang Chang said:

"Secretary He brought 20 eggs over, even two extra!"

Xiao Hua frowned:

"That shouldn't be right, how could 20 eggs be such a small amount?"

Wang Chang said:

"I wouldn't know about that, I was cutting tomatoes, it was Secretary He who beat the eggs, he first beat all the eggs into a plate, mixed evenly, then fried the eggs, and finally stir-fried the fried eggs together with the tomatoes."

Xiao Hua immediately went to find He Zhixiong and asked:

"Secretary He, how come the eggs in this stir-fried tomatoes and eggs feel a bit few?"

He Zhixiong laughed heartily and said:

"Eggs laid by rural native chickens are all relatively small, so a smaller amount is perfectly normal!"

Xiao Hua didn't say anything more.

However by the next day, Xiao Hua laid down a rule:

From now on when cooking eggs, chicken legs, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and such, they must be kept intact one by one, don't chop them up before cooking; additionally, brought-back ingredients must be personally inspected by him before they can be processed.

He also didn't go say anything to He Zhixiong.

He Zhixiong also couldn't well express any opinion, just laughed embarrassedly.