Siheyuan: He Yuzhu since 1958

When the older sisters present heard He Yuzhu's words, they looked at each other. Finally, Sister Huang took the lead and took one. Then the others followed suit and picked up the bread and started eating.

He Yuzhu saw that Sister Huang had finished eating and asked with a smile: "How does it taste?!"

Sister Huang replied: "Of course I need to say that! How can the food you make not be delicious?!"

He Yuzhu continued, "You all watched and learned how to make bread just now. The dough I just kneaded should be ready to rise in a while. I won't do it this time. You guys do it and I'll watch from the side."

Sister Huang said, "Zhu Zi, it's not difficult for us to make bread. But we are not sure about the ratio of flour, yeast and water."

He Yuzhu said, "This is easy. I'll write down the proportions and post them on the wall. We have a balance scale in the kitchen. You can just weigh them according to the proportions, right? Foreigners make food just like they make parts, with proportional dimensions. As long as the proportions and time are right, there will basically be no mistakes."

About half an hour later, another batch of bread came out of the oven. He Yuzhu picked up a loaf of bread, broke it open and looked at it. Just as he was about to speak, Director Yang's voice came from behind He Yuzhu: "Zhuzi, what are you working on again? Why do you think so?!"

He Yuzhu said, "Director Yang, you've come at the right time. This is freshly baked bread. Please try it."

Director Yang took the bread from He Yuzhu, put it in his mouth, took a bite, chewed it twice, and his eyes suddenly lit up. He said, "Zhuzi, your bread is good! It tastes better than the one I had on the plane last time. And it doesn't even fall apart."

He Yuzhu said, "Director, the bread is falling apart. It's probably because it was baked too dry or too old. This is fresh bread. I calculated that the red bean paste bread you just tasted costs 0.6 cents each, and it's about 2 taels each. The red bean paste bread produced by the supply and marketing cooperative's pastry factory is about the same size as ours, and they sell it for 0.12 cents each, and you need 2 taels of food coupons." Then He Yuzhu picked up a bread with eggs and said, "This kind of egg bread costs 0.54 cents each. The one from the supply and marketing cooperative is more expensive than the red bean paste bread."

Director Yang asked, "How are you going to sell the canteen?!"

He Yuzhu replied, "Red bean paste bread is 1 cent each, and egg bread is 1.2 cents each. No more food coupons are needed. When the bread production is stable, I will add other varieties." He Yuzhu found a lunch box, put a few breads in it, handed it to Director Yang, and said, "Director, these are test products. Take them back and let your family try them."

Director Yang said, "You want me to make a mistake, right?!"

He Yuzhu said, "Director Yang, this is a test product. Not only you, but also the deputy directors and people in the department will have some in a while. For new products, we always let everyone taste it and give their opinions."

Director Yang thought about it and said, "Okay! I'll take it."

"That's right!" He Yuzhu echoed, and chatted with Director Yang. After sending Director Yang away, he looked at Sister Huang and others and said, "Ladies! Don't just stand there! Let's make the rest of the dough!"

"Hey!" Sister Huang and others responded and continued to work.

One after another. As the workday drew to a close, all the bread was out of the oven. He Yuzhu counted the number of loaves and found a few paper bags. After packing two loaves each, he left some for the people in the kitchen, then took the packed bread with the people and went to the office building.

Since the canteen and the supply and marketing cooperative at the gate of the steel mill started selling bread, the supply has been in short supply every day. The number of people making bread has grown from more than 20 to more than 50. Later, the street office approached Director Yang. After some discussion, the steel mill separated the tertiary industry from the canteen and established a food factory under the steel mill.

He Yuzhu was invited to Director Yang's office again. As soon as he entered the office, he asked, "Director, what do you want to talk to me about?!"

Director Yang asked, "You know about the establishment of the food factory, right?!" Seeing He Yuzhu nod, Director Yang continued, "The food factory is now in need of a director. The factory wants you to be the director."

He Yuzhu shook his head and said, "Director Yang, please don't ask me for this matter! I can't do the job of a director. You should find someone else!"

"He Yuzhu!" Director Yang called He Yuzhu who was about to leave, then stood up, pulled He Yuzhu to sit on the sofa, and continued to persuade him: "Zhuzi, you have managed the canteen and the tertiary industry well during this period. You have also made achievements. And you have skills. No one is more suitable to be the director than you."

He Yuzhu said: "Director Yang, I'm already forced to manage the canteen. Now you want me to be the director of the food factory, I think it's better to give up." After saying that, He Yuzhu left Director Yang's office as quickly as possible despite Director Yang's attempts to stop him.

Director Yang watched the office door close and sighed helplessly.

He Yuzhu returned to the office and just sat down, before he had time to drink a sip of water, the phone on the desk rang. He Yuzhu picked up the phone and asked, "Hello! This is He Yuzhu."

The boss's voice came from the other end of the line: "Zhu Zi, I heard that you are now the canteen director! Congratulations!"

"Big leader?!" He Yuzhu shouted excitedly, and asked, "You and Big Sister are back to the city?!"

The big boss smiled and replied, "I'm back! I just arrived today."

He Yuzhu said, "Boss, I will go to see you and my elder sister the day after tomorrow, Sunday." Then he asked, "Boss, where are you living now?!"

The big boss replied: "Still live in the old place."

He Yuzhu quickly agreed, "Okay! I'll go see you and Big Sister on Sunday."

"Then I'll wait for you at home!" After saying that, the boss hung up the phone.

He Yuzhu put down the phone and thought to himself, "Didn't Director Yang say that the big boss would come back after the Chinese New Year? How come he's back now?!" He Yuzhu thought for a while, but couldn't come up with an answer, so he stopped thinking about it. When it was time to get off work, he went home directly.

"Uncle, where are you going?" He Yuzhu just turned into Nanluoguxiang on his bicycle and saw Yan Bugui walking towards him. He Yuzhu stopped his bicycle and greeted him with a smile.

"Zhu Zi!" Yan Bugui sighed and said, "Where else can I go? Wandering around the streets."

He Yuzhu asked, "Uncle, why are you wandering around on the street instead of going home?!"

Yan Bugui said, "Jie Kuang and Jie Di are back and making a scene at home!"

He Yuzhu said: "What can they do to you?!"

Yan Bugui replied: "Why else?! Of course it's work. Jie Kuang and Jie Di both wanted to take my job. But I sold my job to Jiefang for 500 yuan."

He Yuzhu said, "Since they have sold it to Jiefang, the job belongs to Jiefang. Can't you just let them go to Jiefang?! Besides, didn't they break off relations with you in the beginning?! Why are they pestering you again?!"

Yan Bugui said: "Who made me so unlucky? I was betrayed by Yan Jiecheng. He told them my current address."

He Yuzhu said: "When they come back, where will their household registration be?!"

Yan Bugui replied: "It means there."

He Yuzhu said, "Since Yan Jiecheng has taken them in, let them go to Yan Jiecheng. If they insist on staying, you can go to the street office or the police and ask them to drive Yan Jiekuang and Yan Jiedi away." Then He Yuzhu changed the subject and said, "Uncle, with Yan Jiecheng's stinginess, how could he let Jiekuang and Jiedi register their household registration under his name for no reason?! Even if he is willing, will Yu Li agree?!"