Chapter 62: Tang Xue's Street Vending Observations

Qingshan County, State-Run Sugar Factory!

As the county's only large-scale sugar manufacturing enterprise, it employed over a thousand workers daily and was a prominent, major institution in Qingshan County.

However, this morning, instead of discussing production progress or remaining quotas for permanent employment status, the workers at the factory were all talking about whether that young man who set up a street stall would come back.

From the factory director and deputy directors down to the ordinary workers, everyone was extremely fond of Li Yi's little stall.

Because the sugar factory was exceptionally profitable, the wage level of its workers was among the highest in Qingshan County. Even temporary workers who had just entered the factory could earn twenty-five yuan a month.

Regular employees generally made thirty-five to thirty-eight yuan, while team leaders and factory leaders earned at least forty-five yuan.

High wages meant strong purchasing power, but before Li Yi set up his stall here, they didn't know where to spend their money even if they had it.

In their spare time, they would simply invite a few friends to pool their money and buy some pork to stew!

Ever since Li Yi arrived, however, everyone had grown accustomed to heading over to his stall at noon to buy a portion of cold skin noodles, eat a white-crust flatbread, and chat idly with three or five friends. You couldn't imagine a more wonderful life.

Even with such daily indulgence, it only cost six or seven yuan a month—truly a fantastic bargain.

Yet just yesterday, some accursed soul had reported the young man, and the public security officers had come and hauled him away directly.

Everyone knew that the authorities were cracking down quite hard on speculation and small-scale peddling these days, and that young man might very well end up sentenced to prison.

At the thought that they would never again get to eat such delicious cold skin noodles, everyone felt a sense of regret!

As the time for the morning shift to end drew near, the workers, who had grown accustomed to eating cold skin noodles and white-crust flatbreads at noon, felt an empty void in their hearts, as if some important thing was missing.

"Ring, ring, ring..."

The shift-ending bell finally rang, and the workers immediately put down the work in their hands and walked out of the production workshop.

Just as everyone was wondering what to do for lunch, the sugar factory's loud-speaker suddenly broadcasted an announcement: "Attention, workers of all workshops! The little comrade who sets up a stall at the front gate is back again, he's back again!"

This broadcast repeated three times before finally stopping amidst the astonished gazes of all the workers.

Everyone desperately wanted to know how that young man had managed to clear his name and slip away from the public security bureau, but they were even more curious about what had gotten into the young lady running the broadcasting room to suddenly make such an announcement over the loudspeaker.

Such thoughts merely flashed through their minds before everyone's actions became astonishingly synchronized: they bolted like hares toward the front gate!

Yesterday, many people had missed out on the cold skin noodles because they arrived too late; they definitely couldn't afford to be late today!

While the workers swarmed toward the front gate en masse, several factory leaders inside the two-story administrative office building directly facing the gate stared blankly at the scene!

After a long silence, a middle-aged man in his forties suddenly asked, "Why is the broadcasting room suddenly making announcements about this? Isn't this just making a mockery of discipline?"

"Director Qiu, you're in charge of that department. Why don't you go check it out?" another leader said with a frown.

Director Qiu of the sugar factory office wore a completely bewildered expression as he immediately replied, "I had no idea about this, and I certainly didn't give any instructions to the broadcasting room to broadcast such a thing. I'll go see what's going on right now..."

At that moment, Factory Director Liang Yukui, seated in the primary seat, suddenly spoke up, "No need to check. I'm the one who told the broadcasting room to make that announcement!"

"Old Liang, what are you doing? Is that young man some relative of yours?" Deputy Factory Director Zhou Jian asked in surprise.

Director Liang shook his head and said, "If he really were a relative of mine, I wouldn't have done it this way. Wouldn't it be better to simply invite him into our factory's small cafeteria to make cold skin noodles exclusively for us?"

"Then what are you..."

"A friend at the public security bureau asked me to do this. He said that the young comrade setting up a stall at the gate is not breaking the law, and since they failed to understand the situation properly yesterday and disrupted his business, he asked me to look after him as a favor!"

Hearing Director Liang's words, everyone present fell into deep thought.

None of these people could have attained their current positions without being shrewd, veteran foxes.

Although Director Liang spoke rather obscurely, they had all understood loud and clear: that young man outside had connections within the public security bureau.

And anyone who could be on good terms with Director Liang and be called a friend by him was definitely not an ordinary person.

With someone of that status and backing protecting him, doing a little small-scale business in the county suburbs really didn't require worrying about much.

At that moment, Office Director Qiu Liangyong suddenly spoke up, "None of the leaders have eaten lunch yet, have you? How about I treat everyone to cold skin noodles and white-crust flatbreads today?"

Director Liang thought for a moment and then said, "Since Director Qiu is willing to bleed a little, let's not stand on ceremony with him. Let's go!"

"Hahaha, Lao Qiu is treating us to a meal. It'd be foolish not to eat!"

"Let's go, let's go! Today I'm having two flatbreads..."

Following that, the group walked out of the office amid laughter and chatter, heading straight for Li Yi's small stall.

By this time, the little stall outside the factory grounds was already surrounded by workers.

Tang Xue was accompanying Li Yi on his stall-vending venture for the very first time, and she never imagined his small business could be this booming.

Looking at the sea of workers waiting to eat cold skin noodles right before her eyes, Tang Xue felt a deep sense of shock.

In contrast, Li Na was already familiar with the routine, stepping forward to help Li Yi collect money and make change, bustling about delightfully.

Tang Xue wanted to help as well, but she discovered she didn't seem to have anything she could do. Furthermore, Li Yi didn't want her to get her hands dirty, telling her simply to sit in the shade of the tree and watch.

And true enough, watching this pair of siblings bustling about, Tang Xue felt the scene was rather heartwarming.

In fact, before coming here, she had wondered what Li Yi's stall would be like when operating. Would it be like the illicit black market transactions in the county town, where everyone rushed about in secrecy like thieves?

Once she arrived, however, she discovered it was nothing like that at all. Both the buyers and the seller were completely relaxed.

After buying their cold skin noodles, the workers would carry their bamboo containers over to the shade of the nearby trees, chatting and laughing with friends while they ate.

They ate with satisfaction and chatted happily, completely free of any nervous tension!

At the same time, Tang Xue found herself wondering: will the person standing by Li Yi's side in the future be me?

If so, that would actually be quite wonderful.

Even though it meant traveling back and forth to the county town every day—a round trip of dozens of kilometers—having a stable and considerable income, accompanied by someone who cherished her, and escaping all those messy, wretched family troubles back home... such a life seemed rather nice indeed.

At this thought, Tang Xue could not help falling into a gentle, daydreaming trance!