area51novel Chapter 250 Disbandment
Chapter 250 Disbandment
In the early spring of 1967, in the steamy kitchen of the steel mill, Sha Zhu stared at the yellowed "Chef Service Team Regulations" on the wall, the cigarette in his hand almost burning his fingers.
"Master, have you really decided?" Ma Hua held the abacus in his hand, his voice trembling, "We have saved nearly two thousand in the past six months..."
Sha Zhu said nothing, his eyes sweeping over the densely packed figures on the account book - 120 yuan in revenue from the military district's New Year's Eve dinner, 85 yuan in surplus from the municipal party committee's reception, food expenses from the railway bureau's training... These accounts, neatly written in pen, recorded their four years of hard work.
Sha Zhu put out his cigarette and took out an iron box from under the table. Food coupons and meat coupons were neatly stacked inside, and at the bottom was a black-and-white photo - on the day the service team was established, more than 20 men in white aprons were standing at the factory gate with their teeth showing and their eyes not showing.
"Tomorrow," he suddenly said, his voice very hoarse, "call all the brothers here."
The next day was the Waking of Insects, and spring thunder rumbled in the clouds. The canteen warehouse was packed with people, and a large pot of braised pork was stewing in the stove, the aroma was irresistible.
"Everyone." Sha Zhu raised his teacup, "The service team...will be disbanded tomorrow."
Ma Hua's chopsticks fell to the ground. Master Zhang stood up and said, "Director He! What did you say?"
Sha Zhu pulled out the official document from the steel mill. The red official seal hurt his eyes: "This is a decision from the higher-ups. From now on, all jobs outside the factory will be dispatched by the factory."
"Bullshit!" Master Liu punched the noodle board, "Isn't this robbery?"
Sha Zhu stood up and took out a dozen keys from his trouser pocket - keys from the military region's logistics department, the municipal party committee guesthouse, the railway bureau cafeteria...
"Over the years," Sha Zhu picked up the keys one by one, "we have cooked for 27 companies." He threw the key chain into the stove, splashing countless sparks, "Now, it's all over."
It suddenly started to rain outside, and the raindrops hit the iron roof like beans. Ma Hua handed over a cloth bag with red eyes: "Master, we will listen to you."
Sha Zhu looked at them and suddenly laughed: "We were too popular before, but now the situation is not good. We are being targeted by others. If we don't break up now, none of us will be in good shape. When there is a chance in the future, if everyone still wants to do it, I will definitely lead everyone to continue. Well, Director Li will host a banquet for the new leader of the Machinery Bureau tonight, and he specifically asked me to make lion's head. Brothers, pack the braised pork and go your separate ways."
Everyone put the braised pork into lunch boxes in silence and walked to the door dejectedly. Sha Zhu said, "What's wrong? It's not like we're not going to see each other. Don't we have to go to the steel mill to work tomorrow? It's just that we'll make less money. As long as we don't do anything stupid, what we earned before will be enough to spend for more than ten years."
After listening to Sha Zhu's words, everyone suddenly stopped being depressed. Yes, it's just that they don't have to do outside work anymore, it's not that they are jobless, so why are they begging for money?
The rain was getting heavier. When Sha Zhu walked into the kitchen wearing an apron, Li Huaide was accompanying the new leader on a tour. The new director, a former soldier, suddenly stopped in front of the stove and said, "Your knife skills are good."
Sha Zhu flipped his wrist, and the knife shone like a sharp sword: "Thank you for the compliment, this is what I do. If the basic skills are not up to standard, I will not be able to become a master."
The new director nodded. "Not bad. What's your name?"
Li Huaide quickly interrupted, "Director, his name is He Yuzhu, and he is the director of our canteen. I heard that you were coming to inspect the factory, so I arranged for him to cook for you. His cooking skills are well-known in our metallurgical system."
"Director He, we must taste your cooking skills later."
"Leader, please don't call me director. I'm just a soldier in front of you. You can call me Xiao He or Zhuzi." As he often chats with Uncle Guan, Sha Zhu knows very well how to deal with people who have served in the army.
"One soldier. Okay, Zhuzi, then I'll wait." The new director laughed and left.
The lion's head was particularly tender that night. After three rounds of drinks, the new secretary knocked on the table and said, "Your cooking skills are really good. Such talents should be transferred to the Machinery Bureau!" Li Huaide smiled and agreed, but turned around and saw Sha Zhu smoking at the kitchen door. The look behind the smoke reminded him of the painting "Tiger Descending the Mountain" in his father-in-law's study.
When the banquet was over, the rain stopped. Sha Zhu walked home with his backpack, the moonlight stretching his shadow very long. Turning into the alley, he suddenly said to the darkness: "Come out."
Xu Damao came out from behind the electric pole. The wind and frost in the mountains made him thin and slender. "Okay, Shazhu. I thought you would fight Li Huaide to the end, but I didn't expect you to give in."
"Not as good as you." Sha Zhu shook the kitchen knife, "The mushrooms brought from Yi County are good. Director Li's father-in-law is very satisfied."
Xu Damao's face suddenly changed - how could Sha Zhu know that he secretly sent local products to the leader's house?
"I heard," Sha Zhu suddenly came closer, smelling of oil smoke, "the Machinery Bureau is going to build a new factory in Xishan," the back of the knife gently patted Xu Damao's shoulder, "work hard, but you don't have a chance."
Looking at Xu Damao's fleeing back, Sha Zhu smiled and gripped the knife handle.
When I got home, Yu Li was already asleep. On the table was the last account book of the service team, with a new line of words added on the cover with a brush: "March 1967, 3, farewell dinner expenses: 6 kilograms of pork, cabbage..."
The light bulbs in the steel rolling mill warehouse flickered. "Director Li, Xu Damao has always been loyal to you, and he is..." She deliberately unbuttoned the top button of her cotton-padded jacket, revealing the gold necklace around her neck - it was given to her by Li Huaide last month.
"Bang!" Li Huaide suddenly threw the teacup onto the cement floor, and the broken pieces splashed onto Qin Huairu's trouser legs. "Who do you think you are? Are you qualified to give orders?"
Qin Huairu suddenly froze, her ears buzzing. She looked at Li Huaide's angry expression, "No... I was just thinking..." Her voice trembled unconsciously.
"What are you thinking about?" Li Huaide slapped Qin Huairu in the face, the sound was particularly harsh in the empty warehouse, "Do you think you can get ahead of me just by sleeping with me a few times?" When he got closer, his eyes were full of contempt, "Let me tell you, the female workers in the steel mill who want to get into my bed can line up all the way to Yongdingmen!"
The stevedores' shouts came from outside the window, and Qin Huairu's back was already soaked. She bit her lips tightly until she tasted blood - this necklace, the humiliation of letting him fiddle with it in the warehouse for all these years, was it worth this sentence of "queueing to Yongdingmen"?
"Think clearly about your identity." Li Huaide adjusted his collar, "Tell me what you think tomorrow."
Qin Huairu bent down to pick up the broken porcelain pieces, and she didn't even notice the blood on her cut fingers. When she looked up, she had a gentle smile on her face: "Director Li's lesson is... I was wrong..."
Walking out of the warehouse, the March wind blew on her face like a knife. Qin Huairu suddenly remembered the warehouse that Li Huaide took her to last winter after getting drunk. He hugged her and said, "Look, this is my small warehouse. There are a lot of things here. I will come back in the future..."
"Pah!" A mouthful of bloody saliva mixed with broken teeth was spat into the snow. Qin Huairu rubbed her face and walked towards the small warehouse with her head held high. She wanted to see if she could do anything.