"My relatives are visiting, so make it substantial," the man said.
The server understood. These days, who didn't have poor relatives visiting?
However, Director Gu's relative was quite fair-skinned and rather handsome.
Zhang Wenfeng and Wang Tiezhun were unaccustomed to such social engagements. Xie Sui had sent them off to eat ramen. Having them loitering around would only hinder his own performance.
They ordered one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and one soup. Wasting food was not an option in those days, and the portions were generous enough.
State-run restaurants served rice as their staple. Noodles weren't suitable for conversation, so they weren't served in formal settings. They were messy to eat, and the noodles would get mushy and unappetizing. Rice was better.
Xie Sui's hospitality surprised Director Gu. This was not the kind of worldly wisdom one would expect from a rural child.
"Sister Gu, it's an honor to introduce myself. My name is Xie Sui, Xie from Emperor Sui of Tang. It's my honor to meet you, Sister Gu. It’s a pity there’s no alcohol, otherwise, I would certainly toast you."
Gu Yu smiled. "Stop with the flattery. This meal must have a purpose. Tell me, I see you as a diligent young man, and it's not easy for you. I'll help if I can."
One had to admit, people of this era were truly simple and honest, especially Gu Yu, who, as the women's director, handled the everyday affairs of the factory women and was most enthusiastic.
"There are two matters. First, regarding the wild game. It's not easy for us country folk to earn money. We used to sell it to the state-run restaurant in town, but they demanded too much of a kickback, and I couldn't bear that injustice."
"Is there such a thing? This must be taken seriously. I'll investigate when I have the chance," Gu Yu said.
Xie Sui quickly replied, "No, don't trouble yourself, Sister. I'm not trying to ruin anyone's livelihood. Isn't there righteousness in trade? I just need to find new sales channels, such as our county's state-run restaurant."
Gu Yu readily agreed. "That's easy. I'm an old friend of the head chef here. It's just a matter of a word. The state now encourages citizens to develop side hustles and become prosperous. Your self-reliance is commendable."
"Thank you, Sister Gu. There's another matter. Do we have a plastic factory in our county? I'd like to purchase a batch of small plastic bags for making small snacks. Our village's peaches rot on the trees, and the canning production line is too expensive. I was thinking of making dried fruit and selling it to the small grocery stores. That would be another sales channel."
"Dried fruit?" Gu Yu had no experience with that. "I can help you inquire. I'll get back to you in a couple of days."
"Alright, thank you for your trouble, Sister Gu."
After discussing business, they chatted about family matters. Xie Sui learned that Gu Yu had two daughters and one son. Her daughters were married, but her youngest son was unemployed and idling at home, which was a cause of great worry for her.
Xie Sui had a plan forming in his mind but didn't commit immediately. Things had to be taken step by step.
The meal cost two yuan and thirty cents. Gu Yu insisted on paying, as earning money was not easy for rural people, and she didn't want to take advantage of the young man.
Of course, she had also spoken to the head chef. He had agreed to accept wild game as long as it was delivered. After all, the restaurant bought game from somewhere, and fresh wild game was not common.
The head chef, named Fang, was a stern old man, taciturn, with sharp eyes. Xie Sui immediately tensed up. People of this disposition disliked glib and frivolous young men, and first impressions were crucial.
He was the top dog in the restaurant and rarely made an appearance unless a significant figure arrived. He was, essentially, the head of the state-run restaurant.
With the wild game issue resolved, Xie Sui finally felt relieved. He could have sold it himself at a street stall, as there were many factories and wealthy people in the county. However, that would be too troublesome. He preferred to find a long-term partner so he could free up his time for other businesses.
Humming a tune, he arrived at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative. His two underlings were relaxing under the shade of a tree. Xie Sui patted them awake. "The donkey has been taken."
"What? Who stole my donkey? I'll kill him!" Zhang Wenfeng jolted awake and quickly reached for the donkey's hindquarters. The familiar sensation brought him relief, and he glared at Xie Sui, ready to fight. Xie Sui quickly dodged, chasing away their sleepiness.
"Stop sleeping. Do you want to buy some things for home? We're preparing to head back."
Wang Tiezhun had earned over six yuan. He had never held so much money in his life and wanted to buy too many things. After looking around, he finally bought half a jin of pipe tobacco for his father and two jin of meat. There were no young children at home, so he didn't buy candy. He planned to give the rest to his mother, not daring to spend it recklessly.
Xie Sui coaxed the young man. "Keep a dollar. A man can't be without pocket money. When you find a girl you like, you'll need it to buy her a flower, buy her clothes. You should prepare early."
"No, I won't listen to you. You're full of bad ideas."
Xie Sui was displeased. "If a man isn't a little bad, women won't love him. What do you know? Never mind, a fool's advice is good for them. You'll regret it."
Zhang Wenfeng asked with a smile, "Brother Xie, how much pocket money have you saved?"
Wang Tiezhun also looked at him intently. Did Wanwan sister know he was hiding pocket money?
"Do I need to hide it? I'm in charge of the money in my house. Wanwan is so virtuous; she supports everything I do."
"Is that so? How does she support you?"
"When I say I want braised pork, she doesn't say we should have pickled cabbage pork. When I ask for money to buy her new clothes or toys for the children, she never says no!"
"Pfft!"
Both of them scornfully dismissed his statement. Anyone would support him in that situation!
Although there were a few minor setbacks during the day, the gains were quite substantial. Zhang Wenfeng went home with his two yuan. He wasn't envious of how much Xie Sui had earned; earning two yuan was enough to satisfy him.
The meat Wang Tiezhun bought made the whole family happy. Wang Niang was even more supportive of her son following Xie Sui to earn money.
However, his elder sister-in-law, Liu Yuxia, had a sly idea. "Tiezhun, why don't you let your brother go with you too? The two brothers can catch more fish and earn more!"
Wang Tiezhun was slow-witted. He felt it wasn't appropriate. He was relying on Zhang Wenfeng's donkey cart to get home, and it wouldn't be right to bring his elder brother along. He just didn't know how to say it and lowered his head in silence.
Wang Niang saw through her ulterior motive at a glance. "Eldest daughter-in-law, if you want to catch fish and sell them, or even if you and your husband want to go, that's fine. But don't drag Tiezhun along, and don't trouble Xie Sui. We can't expect someone to support our entire family."
"Don't be so short-sighted. You've barely seen any money, and already you're getting ideas."
"If you have that kind of energy, hurry up and give me a grandson! Looking at Xie Sui's two sons every day makes me so envious. You're always coming up with schemes. Go to the fields tomorrow and work."
Liu Yuxia was scolded so severely she couldn't look up and had no rebuttal. A grandson, a grandson—didn't she want to give birth? She couldn't hold her head up at home if she couldn't have a son. That was the mindset of women for centuries. She didn't consider that giving birth to a son was not a one-person matter.