sbdcsierra Chapter 1385 A Pen Full of Fat Pigs
Chapter 1385 A Pen Full of Fat Pigs
Chapter 1385 A Pen Full of Fat Pigs
"This isn't quite right—"
Li Xuewu glanced at the large pile of garbage surrounded by wooden fences in the distance, then turned to Bi Yuding, the factory director of Gangcheng Electronics Manufacturing Plant, who was beside him, and said, "I mentioned this issue when I went to the car manufacturing plant the day before yesterday, and you guys are quite something, you even know to cover it up with a fig leaf."
"Take a look for yourself." He pointed to the garbage mountain in the distance and asked Bi Yuding, "Can this thing cover it up?"
"Even if you can cover up the garbage heap in front of you, how can you cover up the garbage heap in your heart?"
He turned around and looked Bi Yuding up and down, saying with some dissatisfaction, "You old Bi, you're not trying to be mean."
Bi Yuding had already experienced firsthand how sharp Li Xuewu's words could be when he worked at the Hongxing Factory. Furthermore, having worked in the same department for nearly two years, he had a deep understanding of the situation.
How to put it? He doesn't use any vulgar words in his sentences, but every sentence is full of them. He can disgust you to death and make you feel disgusted.
Although he was mentally prepared and had previous experience, he still blushed when he heard these words.
Bi Yuding is an honest man and can't stand this kind of criticism, especially when he is really wrong.
"Sir, I need to explain something," Yang Zili, the deputy director of the electronics factory who was accompanying the two on the research trip, reported softly. "We are also aware of your research findings at the automobile manufacturing plant and are preparing to make rectifications."
"Oh—they're preparing for rectification."
Li Xuewu glanced back at Yang Zili, then looked at Bi Yuding and said, "Then why cover it up?"
Bi Yuding was in a hurry. He wanted to glare at Yang Zili, but he was afraid of leaving a mark and angering Li Xuewu.
Li Xuewu has a bad temper; he's easily swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force. If he wanted to discipline you, he definitely wouldn't give you any hints.
I don't know what Yang Zili was thinking. Didn't he know what his relationship with Li Xuewu was?
Li Xuewu did not point out the problems at the car manufacturing plant, but only brought them up at the symposium.
I told him this on the spot today, and he even used a smacking tone. What the hell does that mean?
Damn! This is the intention of a trusted confidant!
Why the hell are you pulling this stunt on me? Can't you see I've been obediently listening and taking it all in? This is a matter of attitude.
If Li Xuewu truly trusts you, he'll treat you seriously, even criticizing you in formal settings. You'll only be in trouble when he discovers a problem and smiles at you without saying a word.
Therefore, Bi Yuding was not flustered at all. His silence made his attitude clear: he would resolutely obey Li Xuewu's instructions and would not complain or have any opinions.
The results of it?
Yang Zili, you're being a bit presumptuous. You don't mean I should thank you, do you?
I thank you for the blessings of your ancestors!
"This—" Yang Zili's face turned embarrassed, as Li Xuewu's question had hit a nerve.
How should he answer? Should he explain how this fig leaf has become a joke, a waste of money and resources?
“Leader, we will rectify the situation immediately and provide you with a rectification report within three days.” Bi Yuding had to step forward at this moment, fearing that Yang Zili would make another foolish move.
Li Xuewu didn't agree, but just glanced at him up and down before turning around and continuing to walk forward.
Bi Yuding twitched the corner of his mouth, turned around and gave Yang Zili and the other members of the electronics factory leadership team behind him a deep look.
Dude, if you're not going to help, then don't make things worse, okay?
Today, my older brother came to see me make a statement, not to see me perform. Why are you all so enthusiastic?
"Which production line has the biggest inventory pressure of electronic components?" Li Xuewu stood in front of several production workshops, scanning the entire row of electronics factory workshops, and added to the question from before: "I'm asking specifically about imported electronic components."
"Still televisions and radios."
Bi Yuding stepped forward and stood beside Li Xuewu, explaining softly, "We have already increased our import orders, but the annual import quota is limited."
"You can't catch this thing."
Li Xuewu frowned slightly, curled his lip, and said, "If someone tries to choke you, you say, 'Let go a little, let me catch my breath.' Why should he let you catch your breath?"
As he asked this, he turned to look at Bi Yuding and said, "I'm not advocating that you differentiate between insiders and outsiders, but the idea that those who are not of our kind must have different hearts is not a fallacy."
"Don't you dare tell anyone that!"
He started making gurgling noises and turned around to point at the electronics factory cadre following behind him.
These cadres, including Deputy Factory Director Yang Zili, looked at each other, nodding repeatedly while also feeling a bit strange.
How could the leader be so...thuggish...?
Bi Yuding was quite used to him being like this. The two hadn't worked together for over a year, and now listening to him was quite a nostalgic experience.
Only when Li Xuewu speaks with a halting or slurred tone does it indicate that he is about to tell the truth, to speak the absolute truth.
Only at this moment did he listen attentively, because this must be Li Xuewu's core requirement.
What was the actual export rate of your factory's export-type electrical appliances that went through customs last year? Can anyone tell me?
He glanced sharply at the crowd, and frowned when he saw that they looked at each other without saying a word.
At this moment, Bi Yuding glanced at Yang Zili. Yang Zili was quite astute and turned back to give a few instructions to the office director, telling the accompanying cadres to step back.
The content of their upcoming discussion with their superiors is not suitable for public disclosure, otherwise it could cause serious problems.
The cadres were all very sensible; they followed the office director to stand aside and wait. Regardless of their inner doubts about what secrets the leaders wanted to discuss, their faces showed complete blankness.
"Boss, we really haven't kept statistics on electrical appliances exported through legitimate channels."
Bi Yuding reported earnestly: "The sales work of the electronics factory has been handed over to the branch of the sales headquarters in Gangcheng in accordance with the group's arrangements and requirements."
"So you're just working in isolation, aren't you?"
Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and looked at him, saying, "In this respect, you are indeed inferior to Lü Yuanshen."
"He knew how to do market research and had sales data from the Steel City Automobile Manufacturing Plant in every city."
He pointed at Bi Yuding with his finger and reminded him somewhat rudely, "You can't always walk with your head down. You have to look up, look ahead, and look back."
"If you can't see these things, you'll never know the real reason why they're choking you and not giving you more import quotas for electronic components."
Li Xuewu's expression was serious, and his tone was fierce as he said, "Are you going to fight a battle you're not prepared for?"
"Hmm?" He frowned and asked with a "hmm," while his gaze swept over the other members of the electronics factory's management team.
"Sir, I don't know..." Yang Zili looked at him with obvious confusion and asked, "What does 'exporting electrical appliances through legitimate channels' and... mean..."
"Just ask around and you'll find out."
Li Xuewu squinted at him, then glanced at the others before saying, "The statistics for Yazhi brand electrical appliances exported through customs differ by more than 30% from the production capacity statistics of the electronics factory."
"Now think about it, do you understand why they want to strangle you?"
"This, this—" Yang Zili seemed to be hearing about this situation for the first time, looking at Bi Yuding with some confusion. Just because he didn't know didn't mean Bi Yuding didn't know either.
The head of the electronics factory didn't seem surprised; he was just frowning and thinking about something.
The other team members exchanged glances; some knew about it, while others hadn't.
Some people do know about this, but they are not in positions of authority and therefore do not concern themselves with it.
If we think about it more deeply in line with what the leader said, we actually already have the answer in our hearts.
Seeing that Bi Yuding had no intention of answering his question, Yang Zili turned to Li Xuewu.
He wanted to ask if the leadership wanted them to limit production capacity or the quotas for appliances manufactured through informal channels. This was indeed within Bi Yuding's area of expertise.
Somewhat strangely, Bi Yuding, who has a soft personality, took charge of this job when managing the factory.
At first, everyone thought he was trying to make a quick buck, since the Yazhi brand of appliances only does export trade.
Given the nationwide shortage of electrical appliances, the production specifications of appliances sold through unofficial channels are particularly valuable.
But as time went on, Bi Yuding didn't seem to make a fortune from this, nor did he accept any gifts from anyone, which seemed strange.
In the end, everyone agreed that Bi Yuding was timid and afraid that others would try to profit from this, so he kept it to himself.
Although everyone had some complaints, they thought that Lao Bi was only trying to ensure safety, so they let the matter drop.
Therefore, apart from picking up goods through official channels, all other indicators have always been Bi Yuding's responsibility, and no one else has interfered.
Furthermore, regardless of the channel through which the electrical products were purchased, they were all coordinated and allocated by the Tianjin Trade Management Office of the Sales Headquarters. There were no problems with the procedures and formalities, so how could they have any doubts?
It wasn't until Li Xuewu asked about it today that they were reminded of the issues involved.
Bi Yuding, however, was very clear that Li Xuewu was definitely not trying to restrict non-trade export channels, but rather...
That's right, a fight is about to break out.
In fact, his cooperation with the sales headquarters was limited to the allocation of quotas within the factory area. He knew nothing about how the Tianjin Trade Management Center operated.
Elegant brand electrical appliances briefly appeared in the black market around the steel city, but were later replaced by Red Star brand.
The reason is simple: the power supply voltage of Elegant brand appliances is different, and many of their plugs are different from those used in China.
This isn't a problem with changing the wiring or plug; it's that it's completely unusable. The domestically sold Red Star brand, on the other hand, works perfectly.
Therefore, despite Li Xuewu's claim that more than 30% of the electrical appliances left through informal channels exceeded the production capacity of electronics factories, almost none of that 30% actually remained in China, nor could it possibly be.
Does anyone have the ability to replace the circuit?
So where did those 30% of the Elegant brand appliances go?
Where the hell can they go? Those guys at the sales headquarters are incredibly daring. Especially those who came back from the training in Hong Kong; they were already pretty bold, but now they're acting like madmen.
He had heard about this matter before; although Li Xuewu hadn't told him, he hadn't kept it from him either. The group's leadership's decision was a strategic guiding opinion made by the group.
It now appears that this is why Sanwa Corporation has been slow to respond to the issue of importing electronic components.
We're cooperating, I'll supply you with core components, and you're stealing from my house, am I supposed to put up with you?
If you weren't also controlling my lifeline, I would have cut off your supply long ago. You still want to expand production capacity? Dream on.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Li Xuewu said with a smirk when he saw him looking over. "You're the factory manager of the electronics factory. Do you need to ask me about this?"
"That—that—"
Bi Yuding is really angry. You didn't say that back then, and now you're passing it all on to me?
But a higher-ranking official can have absolute power; since this bastard is my boss, I can only try to negotiate.
“It’s all about the push and pull, whether it’s cooperation or trade, isn’t it the same as dating?” Li Xuewu pointed at him, then looked at the leaders of other electronics factories, raised his eyebrows and emphasized, “Don’t tell me you’ve never dated anyone.”
"This this--"
"Hehehe——"
This was the first time the electronics factory management had encountered a group leader like Li Xuewu. Not all group leaders are so serious, but Dong Wenxue was different.
Director Dong is always gentle and kind. Isn't it said that Li Xuewu is Director Dong's student...?
Hmm, the students taught by Director Dong are like bandits, speaking with a very江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and outlaws) air.
How could they possibly respond? Well, whatever. Anyway, if the sky falls, there's always someone watching over it. It should be Bi Yuding who answers.
"I knew you were too honest—"
Li Xuewu glared at Bi Yuding with displeasure and said, "I've only heard that you've been cooperating well with Sanhe these past few years, but I haven't heard you do anything to them."
"Leader—" Bi Yuding was about to cry. This was something a leader should say.
What do you mean by "take them down in one go"?
They were originally in a cooperative relationship, aiming for common development. He had finally obtained this opportunity, so how could he dare to act recklessly?
Li Xuewu glanced at him, then looked at the group of people, who didn't seem to be any troublemakers.
It's true what they say: a bad soldier is just one bad soldier, and a bad general makes a bad army.
"Don't be too honest, or people will look down on you." Li Xuewu, who had chosen this underling himself, could only patiently advise, "International trade cooperation is a completely different matter from cooperation between our brother units in the mainland. You can't be too honest."
"Besides, we have to be careful when cooperating with our domestic partners. If we don't play mind games with these kids, this electronics factory will fall into their laps in the future, won't it?"
"Hiss—" Yang Zili seemed to have realized something.
Li Xuewu glanced at him, then raised an eyebrow. He actually preferred using someone with more cunning.
"Let's do something about it, we can't just sit here and wait to die."
Li Xuewu turned to look at Bi Yuding and continued, "The research institute is actively communicating to complete the technical blockade of key components as soon as possible."
"You should really think about the import quota for electronic components. Whether you resort to insults or shamelessness, don't let someone choke you and put you in a very passive position."
After saying this, he led the way into the workshop and looked at the production line through the glass of the corridor.
It is said that the factory built by Hongxing Steel Group in the steel city has high standards and is more in line with the requirements of a modern factory.
Look at how well this cleanroom in the electronics factory is made; it's very well-made. Although it was built under the guidance of Sanhe Co., Ltd., they really spared no expense.
Of course, Li Xuewu doesn't hold grudges, but he's still quick to teach those little devils a lesson.
We need to do our best to localize the production of components, and also learn and conduct research and development during production to develop domestically produced electrical appliances.
On the other hand, we need to increase non-trade exports and prevent Sanwa Corporation from earning too much and dominating the market.
He wasn't greedy and wanted to give Zhou Yamei more smuggling quotas. In fact, the "Sea Coachman" project wasn't very profitable; most of the profits were subsidized by the overall project.
Investments include shipbuilding, transit investment, personnel investment, and investment in agents in the target location.
There's no such thing as low profit margins and high sales volume with this stuff. Everyone's risking their lives to make a living, and every voyage overseas is a one-off deal.
Good luck and prosperity, we'll eat chicken tonight; if the boat capsizes and the cargo is lost, the whole village will feast—that's how it is.
Previously, Dong Wenxue was concerned that the group's foundation in other industrial sectors was weak, its foreign trade partners were relatively limited, and cooperation would be difficult.
But starting this year, the situation has changed.
Firstly, from the perspective of the group, the construction of the Tianjin Binhai Club and the establishment of the Port City Andrew Buyers Club have built a bridge for foreign trade.
Secondly, from a policy perspective, looking up from the group's point of view, it is very clear that there is a strong signal to vigorously develop the economy; all that is missing is an independent and clear document to implement it.
Even Lao Li has understood the recent series of documents and has begun to focus on the group's economic development.
If you ask Lao Li what he understood, actually he didn't really look at the document content; he only looked at the document signature.
If you think there's nothing interesting about this signature, and that there's no content here, then you're sorely mistaken.
In Lao Li's words, this signature is like a weather vane; wherever the weather vane points, that's where he'll head.
Who made a comeback, who took charge of the work, who gave a speech, and who formulated new policies—these are all part of the content.
Li Xuewu did not intend to overturn or negate Dong Wenxue's management policies in the steel city, but rather to make adjustments.
Trade and cooperation are inherently a process of tension and tug-of-war, which is what Li Xuewu understands as a positive development.
However, what was seen on the faces of Bi Yuding and the members of the electronics factory leadership was surprise and incomprehension.
Perhaps they thought Li Xuewu's words were too bold and his guidance on trade was too radical.
But in Li Xuewu's view, the real test is how to transform a flock of sheep into lions.
He only spent three years in the steel city, but the same was true for the electronics factory and the group.
What happened in 1972 may be unknown to others, but Li Xuewu certainly knew. Without competitiveness and without a forward-looking perspective on international trade, how much would they suffer?
***
He would spend a whole day in the electronics factory, just like he would in a steel rolling mill, a car manufacturing plant, or an aircraft manufacturing plant.
He didn't just wander around aimlessly all day; he was observing, asking questions, speaking, and taking notes. It was genuine research, not just a charade.
Judging from his recent series of actions, the workers in Liaodong Industrial Park reacted most enthusiastically and directly. It's rare to see a group leader still alive and active; some people you might not even see once a year. This time, they've seen him quite often.
In the workshop, canteen, dormitory, and warehouse, many workers were discussing this group leader.
He has a fierce appearance, is very young, speaks directly, and is very polite whether asking questions or having conversations.
This leader is quite different from the group leaders that everyone is used to. At least he is not the kind of leader that workers say. He speaks in a halting manner, but it is not annoying. On the contrary, it is friendly.
It's not that the quality of the frontline workers in the workshops of Hongxing Steel Group is worrying, or that they speak in a rambling manner, but rather that this kind of communication skill is very down-to-earth and makes people feel comfortable.
He wasn't the aloof, brilliant, and wise group leader on paper, but rather an ordinary and approachable person just like everyone else, whose words were reasonable and easy for everyone to understand.
Compared to how grassroots workers perceive the group's leaders, the impressions and feedback from cadres are generally not as strong.
Why? Because the leaders' attitude towards them was also indifferent, and they didn't show much affection.
It's not so much about being authoritative, but rather about not trying to be friendly or ingratiating; it emphasizes order and rules.
To put it simply, based on this leader's past work record and his behavior after arriving in Liaodong, it's quite obvious that he's not the type of cadre who likes to bypass levels or engage in underhanded tactics.
It's just that many cadres like to do these things these days, especially during the major study campaign a couple of years ago.
Everyone has a little devil hidden deep inside, which can sometimes take over and cause harm to others.
However, it seems that leaders do not want such cadres to emerge in the near future.
From his time at the steel rolling mill to today, his actions, words, and questions have been summarized by some.
The key aspects include: production, safety, environment, and economy.
It seems that the leadership's management policies in the steel city will basically revolve around these key objectives.
The garbage dump issues he raised at car manufacturing plants and electronics factories were definitely not random questions.
These days, other companies that he is waiting to visit are also asking what issues companies that have already completed their inspections should pay attention to.
First and foremost is the environment. Garbage piles should not be allowed to accumulate into mountains; they must be cleaned up promptly, and attention should be paid to the factory area environment.
Fortunately, a large waste recycling station recently opened next to the steel city industrial park. Otherwise, we would have to find a place to landfill and dispose of this industrial waste, which would have been a huge hassle.
Both car manufacturers and electronics factories directly contact waste recycling station personnel for on-site cleaning.
Why do we say that the waste recycling station over there is a large-scale recycling station? Because they use trucks and grabbers; their machinery looks very advanced and professional.
In fact, all of these industrial wastes have recycling value, but these companies do not have the capacity to recycle them.
It's simply not worth building another energy recycling plant just for this garbage, so when someone does it, they're used to taking the easy way out.
Furthermore, this large-scale waste recycling station is licensed and has a corporate bank account and official seal.
No agreement was signed for the first collaboration, but representatives from that side have already come to discuss waste recycling cooperation with various factories.
The factory naturally had no objection to receiving a fee for recycling the waste, and signed the agreement after reviewing it.
Next door to the waste recycling station is the thermal power plant that the group has set up in Liaodong. The person in charge of the recycling station came here to discuss the intention to cooperate in depth.
It turns out that this large waste recycling station is going to carry out electrolysis processes and also carry out metal and non-metal recycling projects.
Needless to say, they also need cooperation in waste management, specifically the processing of combustible waste.
Industrial waste should be sorted, with those that can leach metals being separated and those that can be processed and reused being separated.
Finally, some of the remaining unusable waste will be incinerated, while the rest will be landfilled.
This differs from urban waste disposal procedures, because urban waste collected by recycling stations is mostly of usable value and is almost never landfilled or incinerated.
This waste recycling station wanted to develop processing techniques for both industrial and urban waste.
Electricity is the main energy source and driving force for modern industrial production. For waste recycling to move towards energy regeneration, it must undergo a process of industrialization and specialization.
Previously, waste collection stations and recycling stations would sort the waste they collected and then hand it over to the main station.
Now it's different. The energy recycling plant that was set up on the edge of the steel city industrial zone before the Lunar New Year was the first step for the Beijing waste recycling and secondary sales station, which was specially linked to the tripartite acquisition agreement between the Beijing waste company Jiaodaokou Nanluoguxiang (supply and marketing cooperative), to move downstream in the industry.
If we can recycle and process energy, the next step is to continue cooperating with metallurgical plants and other companies on energy reuse projects, supplying them with raw materials for production.
Don't underestimate the energy recycling industry; if you make it big, you can become incredibly wealthy.
Of course, it's normal if you say you've never seen a renewable energy company that's incredibly wealthy, because this business can't grow very large.
-
"Uncle, do you like coffee?"
Fu Zhidong stared at the tea cabinet for a while before turning to his uncle on the sofa and asking him a question.
Li Xuewu looked up at him, then smiled and looked at Zhou Yamei who was coming down from the second floor.
Zhou Yamei blushed slightly, lowered her head, and went to the kitchen. She was increasingly convinced that Li Xuewu was a bad person.
"Ahem, Uncle doesn't like coffee," Li Xuewu said earnestly, picking up his teacup. "Uncle prefers tea."
"Then why did you bring the coffee machine back?" Fu Zhidong jogged over from the tea cabinet, pounced on the sofa next to him, and asked curiously.
"Because someone in our family likes to drink it." Li Xuewu glanced at the kitchen with a smug smile, just as the kitchen door closed.
Zhou Yamei couldn't stand seeing him so smug, and she chuckled to herself in the kitchen, thinking he was being too stingy.
The two were just playing a little game, but Li Xuewu deliberately used this method to provoke her; men always have a childish side.
"Let's go, let's go put up the Spring Festival couplets."
Seeing her like this, Li Xuewu stopped teasing her, after all, they were in front of the child.
He put down his teacup and newspaper, and led Fu Zhidong to the study, where he and Zhou Yamei had written the Spring Festival couplets together the night before.
Yes, today is Lunar New Year's Eve.
To prepare for New Year's Eve, the two of them spent a long time working on it in the study last night, even ruining several sheets of red paper.
It wasn't that Li Xuewu had a strong grip; it was just that Zhou Yamei wasn't very cooperative and was a bit reserved.
When you're seriously writing a big "Fu" character, what's there to be nervous about? You can't even hold the pen properly, and what you're writing looks like scribbles.
In the end, he kept complaining that he was tired and couldn't take it anymore. It was Li Xuewu who wrote the Spring Festival couplets.
Li Xuewu's calligraphy skills are actually quite average; he was just forced to learn it by his father for several years from a young age.
This thing might fool those who don't know anything about it, but it wouldn't be presentable to a true expert.
Unfortunately, there are many people who write calligraphy well these days, especially those who copy the works of calligraphy masters, which has become a pleasure or a cultural habit.
It will be very difficult to find someone who writes good calligraphy in later generations, simply because times have changed.
Li Xuewu led Fu Zhidong to spread out the prepared Spring Festival couplets, selected the places to paste them, and then carried the paste outside, the father and son exchanging auspicious New Year greetings as they walked.
It was Fu Zhidong's first time spending the Spring Festival with his uncle, and everything felt new and exciting, like a happy little bird.
Every year, his mother would take him back to his maternal grandparents' house for the Chinese New Year. It was monotonous and old-fashioned, with no fun at all.
He was young, but he was sensible early. His father was a taboo topic in the family, but how could he feel when his uncle's children called him "Dad"?
Why did he hope his uncle could stay in the steel city for the New Year? Even though his mother reminded him that his sister Li Shu also needed her father.
But—he just wanted his uncle to stay.
When he learned that his uncle would be spending the Spring Festival in the steel city, he was overjoyed and looked forward to it every day.
This year, he doesn't need to go to his maternal grandparents' house for the Spring Festival; he can still put up Spring Festival couplets and set off firecrackers with his father.
In his heart, his uncle was his father, and his father was also his uncle; both uncles called him son.
"The scenery here is exceptionally beautiful, and the land is so magnificent!"
Fu Zhidong stood in front of the gate and read the words on the Spring Festival couplets with a smile, looking cheerful, but more like he was showing off.
That's right, he went to school, learned to read and write, and could even read the characters on the Spring Festival couplets.
He was trying to impress his uncle, waiting for his uncle to praise him.
Li Xuewu understood what his godson meant, but he didn't praise him directly, as that would be too meaningless.
Let me tell you a joke—
He smiled and put his arm around his godson as they walked into the yard, saying as they went, "What kind of couplets did we put up for the Spring Festival in the past?"
"The character '福' (Fu, meaning good fortune)?" Fu Zhidong didn't know what his uncle wanted to say, so he only answered with what he knew.
Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Yes, in the past we would put up the character '福' (Fu, meaning good fortune) on the front door, and there were also other kinds of Spring Festival couplets."
"Then why aren't you posting them now?"
Fu Zhidong was also a little curious because he remembered that when he was a child, his mother would paste the character "福" (fortune) on the Spring Festival couplets.
Li Xuewu couldn't answer this question because even if he did, Fu Zhidong wouldn't understand.
This year, the policy regarding the Spring Festival has been relaxed, and the concept of abandoning the Spring Festival is no longer rigidly required.
Of course, some companies and organizations will handle the Spring Festival holiday issue flexibly and will not make things difficult for their employees.
Some leaders are timid and strictly follow the policy, which means they don't celebrate the Spring Festival.
No one will bother you if you put up Spring Festival couplets and set off firecrackers at home, but you have to come to work at the factory and you can't take leave.
Hongxing Group has implemented a staggered holiday policy for three consecutive years, and even implemented a shift system during these three days.
In other words, all employees have three days of annual leave, and how to arrange it is a matter for the workshop leaders and the unit office.
For three years, no one bothered the group, so the employees felt reassured and could enjoy the Spring Festival with peace of mind.
Of course, Spring Festival couplets cannot be pasted up randomly, and everyone is still very careful, only daring to write the poems of that particular person.
Li Xuewu certainly wouldn't cause trouble for Zhou Yamei just to show off his calligraphy, nor did he have the talent to compose Spring Festival couplets.
Pretending to know what you don't will only make you a laughingstock.
"This year, we pasted the character '福' (fortune) inside our house, which means good fortune has come to our home," Li Xuewu could only explain.
Short couplets with auspicious phrases like "May you be blessed with good fortune upon leaving home," "May good luck shine upon you," and the character "福" (fortune) are absolutely forbidden to be posted outside, as they would be considered feudal superstition. Even greeting relatives and friends with clasped hands and the words "Gong Xi Fa Cai" (Wishing you prosperity) is unacceptable.
After dealing with his godson's curious little head, he continued the previous topic, "There are not as many couplets in the city as in the countryside. In the countryside, there are also couplets like 'Good fortune from a well,' 'Fat pigs fill the pen,' and 'Golden roosters fill the coop,' which are related to agricultural production."
“I know, and the Kitchen God too,” Fu Zhidong responded enthusiastically, “My maternal grandmother’s house has one.”
“Yes, the Kitchen God is worshipped on the 23rd of the lunar year.” Li Xuewu explained traditional cultural knowledge to his godson. “What’s that saying again? ‘Speak good words in heaven and bring good fortune back to the palace.’ This Kitchen God is petty, so we have to persuade him properly.”
"Hehe—" Fu Zhidong opened the door with a laugh and said, "My grandma also said he's petty."
“I was talking about Spring Festival couplets.” Li Xuewu chuckled and flicked his forehead, saying, “Once upon a time, there was a good-for-nothing boy who thought that just because he had studied for a few years and learned a few words, he could help his family put up Spring Festival couplets.”
"Their family lived in the countryside, so they prepared a lot of red paper and asked a scholar to write a set of Spring Festival couplets for them. But when he got home, he couldn't recognize all the characters, so he started to paste them up by guessing and making a big joke of it."
Li Xuewu continued to lead him to stick the stickers elsewhere, while continuing to tell the story: "When his father came back from the market, he was so angry that he almost lost his temper. He had stuck the entire pig pen to the door of the inner room."
"Hahaha—" Fu Zhidong understood his uncle's joke, and found it both novel and amusing.
Li Xuewu smiled and advised his godson, "You must never make such a mistake."
"Uncle, I recognize all these words now—"
Fu Zhidong was afraid that his uncle would misunderstand him as an ignorant and incompetent young man, so he quickly clarified that he was innocent.
Zhou Yamei came out of the house, patted her son's head and said with a smile, "Your uncle is reminding you not to be arrogant or complacent, and even more so not to be overconfident. Instead, you should maintain a humble, modest, cautious and respectful attitude towards others."
Li Xuewu looked at her speechlessly, his lips twitching as if he wanted to ask her, "You've already said it, what am I supposed to say?"
"Go help your uncle, breakfast is ready, but he has to go to work today."
Zhou Yamei gently nudged her son's shoulder. Fu Zhidong was still looking at Li Xuewu, waiting for his godfather to explain.
Upon hearing his mother's reminder, Fu Zhidong widened his eyes and asked, "Uncle, are you coming back tonight?"
"I'll be back, but it will be a little late."
After Li Xuewu finished pasting the couplets on the door, he turned to him, smiled, and said, "You can get some rest early. We'll set off firecrackers together early tomorrow morning."
Li Xuewu didn't know when people in the South put up Spring Festival couplets, ate dumplings, and set off firecrackers. He only knew that in the North, people basically put up Spring Festival couplets on the morning of New Year's Eve, set off firecrackers and ate dumplings in the evening, and then ate dumplings again on the morning of the first day of the Spring Festival. That was the start of the New Year celebrations.
“I’m going to stay up all night to wait for you to come back—” Fu Zhidong said earnestly, raising his little head. “Uncle, you have to come back soon. I’m waiting for you to set off firecrackers together.”
-
As firecrackers crackled and the old year departed, and the warm spring breeze brought new life to the land, Li Xuewu, carrying his godson's hopes and instructions, ate breakfast and then got into the car to begin his journey for the day.
Apart from Yingcheng Shipyard and Fengcheng Machinery Factory, which he hadn't visited yet, he had already visited all the Liaodong Industrial enterprises in Gangcheng in the past few days, including the weapons manufacturing plant.
After the New Year, I plan to go to Yingcheng and Fengcheng. Only after I have visited both places will I decide to return to Beijing for the New Year.
He postponed his Spring Festival holiday until after the third day of the Lunar New Year, and could only rest after everyone else had finished their holidays.
This reflects the responsibility of the group's main person in charge in Liaodong, and also the duty of the company's top leader.
Today is the last day of the year, and the metallurgical plant is already filled with the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year. Many employees have already gone home for the Spring Festival or are working shifts to return to Beijing to visit their relatives.
Compared to usual, the atmosphere in the factory was quieter, and there were noticeably fewer pedestrians on the factory roads.
Li Xuewu's car first went to the factory office area to meet Wang Shuqiong, the deputy director of the metallurgical plant, and then the two of them took a car to the factory hospital.
The metallurgical plant has been operating in the steel city for many years. Many retired employees have settled here, and some injured workers are recuperating at the plant hospital.
Today, the leaders who were at home, including Office Director Liao Jinhui, were divided into three groups to visit the homes of injured employees and veterans to express their condolences, which is commonly known as the "sending warmth" campaign.
Li Xuewu and Wang Shuqiong were in the same group. They first visited the injured employees who couldn't go home for the Spring Festival at the hospital, and then visited the homes of the veterans. They were the group with the heaviest workload.
The Volga M24 was accompanied by a Hongyun minivan, which was loaded with rice, flour, cooking oil, special New Year's gifts from the factory, as well as some drinks and snacks.
What's the most fashionable way to give New Year's gifts these days?
Canned food, that's the undisputed answer.
Hongxing Steel Group has its own food processing plant, and canned food is just one of its many product categories.
However, canned goods from food factories are divided into many categories, such as fruits, meats, and vegetables.
Starting this year, the sales headquarters has begun to exert its efforts, centralizing the operation of mature products from various industrial enterprises within the group, and taking advantage of any holidays or festivals that come along.
And so, the canned goods, packed in cardboard boxes, became the most presentable New Year's gift from Hongxing Steel Group.
The steel city is not as developed as Beijing; the group's operations here are still somewhat lacking. Meanwhile, the group has already launched a sales frenzy for holiday gifts in Beijing.
We partnered with supply and marketing companies and various affiliated units to sell New Year gift boxes like crazy.
This is also included in the benefits for employees of the group.
Li Xuewu suggested to the sales company that they connect the products with culture and integrate them with daily life.
Sitting in the back seat of the car, Wang Shuqiong carefully observed the leader out of the corner of her eye.
It wasn't that she didn't know Li Xuewu, but this was the first time the two of them had sat so close together.
Previously, whether Li Xuewu came to Gangcheng for research or just passed through, he basically had no contact with them.
Of course, this refers to private, close fieldwork; regular meetings are still held.
She also wanted to take this opportunity to observe this leader who was rumored to be polarizing and unconventional in his actions.
Li Xuewu keenly sensed the probing gazes from those around him and calmly turned to look at her.
"Comrade Shuqiong, is there any flower on my face?"
"Happy New Year, may everything go well, the leader will naturally be beaming." Wang Shuqiong, caught red-handed, didn't panic at all. She smiled and said, "He's beaming."
"You're a propaganda officer, after all; you're more talkative than me," Li Xuewu smiled, turning to look at the front and saying, "Please put in a good word for me later. I'm a rather introverted person and not good at socializing."
"No way—" Wang Shuqiong asked him jokingly, "You're even lying to your own people?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu just chuckled.
Hehe, we're on the same side—
(End of this chapter)