Chapter 92: The Brigade Food Factory

Chapter 92: The Brigade Food Factory

The food processing plant of the ecological farm was not built in Tangjia Village but near the Yujin Brigade.

The location offered better transportation and proximity to water sources, which facilitated production.

The expansion of the pig farm and the food processing plant began in the spring of 1976 and continued until late autumn, during which several significant events occurred in the country. Besides the loss of several great leaders, there were also nationwide celebrations, such as the downfall of the Gang of Four.

The Qianjin Brigade, Xiangyang Brigade, and Yujin Brigade were largely unaffected. They poured all their energy into the ecological farm, turning their grief into strength and working even harder after mourning.

As the pig farm expanded, the canning line officially went into operation.

In the spring of 1977, Tang Yuan and Feng Chen accompanied Factory Director Lu to Guangzhou for the trade fair, officially promoting the reputation of the ecological farm and its eco-friendly meat.

Their first participation in the trade fair was not for securing orders but for promotion.

This year's trade fair was destined to be extraordinary, grander than ever before, with a steady stream of visitors from around the world.

They came from different corners of the globe, with skin tones ranging from black, white, yellow, to brown, speaking various languages, converging on the Guangzhou Trade Fair.

Tang Yuan wanted to introduce the concept of China's ecological farm to foreign merchants, ensuring that when they thought of China, they would not just think of backward and primitive rural areas.

That wasn't backward or primitive; it was natural!

She and Feng Chen personally designed exquisite promotional brochures and had thousands printed at the provincial printing factory. Of course, this wasn't for widespread distribution but only for interested clients.

If someone showed interest, they would receive a brochure with contact information, an invitation to visit, and an offer to place orders.

Those who weren't interested wouldn't get one; the brochures were expensive, after all.

Initially, the foreign merchants who took the brochures didn't immediately show signs of placing orders; they were merely curious, wanting to learn more. Some were already operating ecological farms in their own countries and saw this as an opportunity to capture the Chinese market.

Tang Yuan wasn't in a rush because the farm already had stable orders from Lin Fulong, Ivan, and the provincial military district, keeping the machines and workers busy non-stop.

Ivan's father had actually sent the gift from his son to a professional testing institution for analysis. They tested the nutritional content, trace elements, and pesticide residues of the eco-friendly meat, concluding that it was rich in nutrients, free from excessive pesticide residues, and an environmentally friendly green food.

After receiving ten thousand cans, Ivan's father continued to place orders, maintaining a quarterly volume of ten thousand cans.

Among the foreign merchants at the Guangzhou Trade Fair, some knew Old Feng, who had imported a batch of eco-friendly meat cans from China. Seeing Tang Yuan's promotional materials, they telegraphed Old Feng for inquiries.

Although Old Feng didn't want competition for his supply, he still gave a very high evaluation, advising them to buy early and earn early.

From the summer of 1977, the ecological farm's phone lines were busy, with calls coming in every few days for information and visits being scheduled.

After hosting several groups of pure visitors, the farm finally welcomed a spontaneous client.

It was Mr. Tanaka from Japan, who came with his wife, who also served as his secretary.

Though they couldn't speak Chinese, they were fluent in English, so they didn't bring an interpreter.

Tang Yuan and Feng Chen personally accompanied them on a tour of the farm.

It was early August in the lunar calendar, and both crops and herbs were in the harvest season. The members responsible for planting were busy working.

They were no longer surprised by foreigners, having seen people of all skin colors.

When they saw the Tanakas, they nodded naturally, smiled, and greeted them before returning to their work.

Tanaka Yumi smiled warmly and turned to her husband, saying, "Despite their busyness, they remain calm and composed, without any signs of impatience or rudeness. It reminds me of my childhood village, where my grandfather and father were like this."

Tanaka nodded, "The peaceful and serene atmosphere of the Qianjin Brigade farm is indeed rare nowadays. People have become restless and can no longer find contentment in simplicity."

The pig farm was similar to modern ones, with paved roads and specialized pigpens.

Feeding, watering, and cleaning the pigs were all convenient.

The breeding area was clean and comfortable, with pregnant sows moving about, ready to give birth when the time came.

To prevent the sows from crushing or eating their piglets, the caretakers closely monitored them, providing timely nutrition and addressing any issues promptly.

About two and a half miles from the pig farm was the food factory, separated by a fruit orchard and herb garden, which helped block pollution.

The pig farm was also isolated from Tangjia Village residents by a green belt and orchard, which, though still young, would grow into a dense forest in a few years.

The pig farm's waste did not pollute the environment, as it was fermented in biogas pits.

Thus, despite the pig farm being southwest of Tangjia Village, the canning plant remained free from unpleasant odors.

The canning plant covered about ten acres, with an administrative building at the entrance—a simple three-story red-brick structure. Behind it was a large L-shaped factory, followed by a cold storage facility and a three-story dormitory for educated youth and out-of-town workers.

Local single youths, facing housing shortages, also preferred living in the dormitories, finding them clean and fashionable, comparable to city life.

Although it was 1977, many educated youth would return to the cities the following year, but in reality, a large number would only return in 1983 or 1984.

These numbers represented six to seven years of their lives.

However, the educated youth in the Qianjin Brigade now had no desire to return to the city.

Why go back?

No jobs, no food rations, and nothing to eat?

At the ecological farm, they were paid workers.

Factory Directors Tang and Feng did not favor relatives; they did not limit employment at the canning plant to brigade members but selected the most outstanding young people through unified training and public competitions.

While the educated youth had education, not all could qualify.

Even after the unified training bridged the educational gap, many were not as capable as the local members.

Everyone cherished this hard-won opportunity, working diligently and conscientiously, with no one shirking or slacking off, let alone engaging in petty theft.

The Cannery had excellent meals!

There was meat every day!

The factory manager even gave them two days off every ten to fifteen days so they could buy the factory's processed offal to take back to their families in the city for better meals.

They all thought that what their families cooked wasn't as good as what the factory canteen prepared, so they preferred to gather and cook it there, then take it home to heat up and eat.

Now, their families praised them for their successful relocation, unlike the other young people who went elsewhere and suffered much more.

Of course, the members of the three brigades also benefited from improved meals. They no longer raised pigs individually; if they wanted meat, they would go to the farm's slaughterhouse regularly.

Pork was fifteen cents cheaper than in the city, and offal and skin were very cheap, sometimes even on a buy-one-get-one-free promotion.

Many members didn't buy pork but only offal and skin, which were also delicious and greasy!

In addition to pork, there were chicken, duck, and eggs.

Members could buy three or four eggs each week from the chicken farm at a price five cents cheaper than when they sold them to the supply and marketing cooperative, or they could trade coarse grains and insects for them.

The two managers said that they wanted the members to benefit and stay healthy to work with enthusiasm.

Of course, members from other brigades could also come to buy, but the prices would be one cent higher.

This was the benefit for their own people!

The members felt very comfortable.

Sometimes, they didn't feel particularly pleased about getting a good deal themselves, but once they saw others paying more, they felt satisfied.

Tang Yuan and her friends accompanied the Tanaka couple to the Cannery, leading them through the entire facility, from the shoe-cleaning station at the entrance to the changing room, disinfection room, and workshop.

Although it was just past midsummer, the workshop had neither a damp, moldy smell nor a strong disinfectant odor, only a fresh herbal scent.

It was noticeable but not overpowering, and it wouldn't contaminate the food.

Yumi liked this scent: "It's very similar to the incense we burn."

Tang Yuan smiled and explained, "Our brigade doctor researched ancient texts and worked with dozens of old TCM practitioners to develop this."

Of course, it wasn't that exaggerated. Tang Zhonghe had accidentally bought an old handwritten medical book from an elderly patient, from which he learned several formulas.

One of them was for making incense to ward off illness and evil.

Yumi instantly became interested in the incense and said she wanted to find time to talk with Doctor Tang.

Tang Yuan said, "That's very convenient."

She turned to He Jianming and said, "Go find Doctor Tang and invite him to have dinner with us."

Now, He Jianming, He Songtao, and Feng Yi, among others, served as secretaries for Tang Yuan and Feng Chen, handling documents and other tasks.

He Jianming handed his notebook to Feng Yi to hold while he ran to find Tang Zhonghe.

After visiting the canning workshop, they went to the smoked meat workshop.

With the help of the mechanical factory and the Agricultural Machinery Factory, and through the concerted efforts of Wei Mingqi and other technicians, Tang Yuan and Feng Chen finally developed equipment for cold smoking and a vacuum packaging machine.

It wasn't fully automated and required some manual assistance.

Tanaka was very interested in the factory's process of collecting smoke liquid for cold smoking, which he had never seen before. "Director Tang, you should apply for a patent."

Tang Yuan smiled and said, "For any unique inventions and processes, we have dedicated personnel responsible for applying for patents."

She was exaggerating; the factory didn't have dedicated personnel, but the provincial and municipal committees handled it.

Because the farm was developing healthily, the local government provided significant support.

Not only did they give the green light, but they also responded to every request.

During dinner, Feng Chen and Tang Zhonghe joined them, bringing some medicinal incense and moxibustion sticks made from aged mugwort and herbal packets, specially for the Tanakas.

Tanaka didn't understand much, but Yumi did. Her family owned a beauty and wellness salon, and she often went there for moxibustion.

"Thank you, Doctor Tang. Your family is truly prosperous and talented," Yumi flattered Tang Zhonghe.

In the past, Tang Zhonghe would have been so flattered that he couldn't speak, but over the past two years, he had met more foreigners and received more praise. Being ambitious and not wanting to embarrass his wife and Tang Yuan, he focused on his medical studies.

While he hadn't advanced much in medical skills, he could speak confidently about medical theories and had learned to research herbal incense, oils, and wines.

Tang Yuan said that if these herbal packets, incense, oils, and wines sold well, they would also apply to the government to put them into production.

When they initially set up the factory, she chose the name Food Factory instead of Cannery to expand into other products.

In five to ten years, the factory would expand and start producing health and wellness products, using animal fats and herbs from the farm to make handmade soaps and plant-based skincare products.

Anyway, they would take it step by step.

Yumi immediately wore a sachet filled with various fragrances, which had a fresh, subtle aroma that suited her taste.

"Our country also likes to wear sachets during the Dragon Boat Festival."

During dinner, Tanaka chatted with Tang Yuan and Feng Chen about business strategies, overseas experiences, economic conditions, and commercial competition, while Yumi talked with Feng Yi, He Songtao, and Tang Zhonghe about beauty and fragrance.

After the meal, Yumi had already placed orders with Tang Zhonghe for medicinal oils, wines, and incense, and the quantities were not small.

"My family owns a beauty and wellness salon, and we need these products."

Tang Zhonghe couldn't hide his excitement; it turned out that what Tang Yuan had said was true—his research could indeed earn money and foreign exchange.

At first, when Tang Yuan told him this, he didn't dare to believe it.

The Tanaka couple stayed at the factory for three days.

The factory had specially set aside several suites and standard rooms in the dormitory building to accommodate visiting foreign merchants, government officials, and staff from other factories. The rooms were ventilated daily, bedding was aired out in time, and incense was burned and new bed linens were changed before guests arrived.

The environment was simple, but the service was excellent.

Yumi, a picky Japanese businessman, was very satisfied, feeling that it was no worse than staying in a hotel and even more personal.

She worked in the service industry and liked the personal touch.

Tanaka originally had a good impression of the farm, and under his wife's influence, he increased the order amount.

Like Ivan, he placed orders on a quarterly basis, which amounted to a year's worth of orders at once.

In addition to regular luncheon meat and braised pork, he also specifically ordered many offal canned goods, such as soybean pig trotters, liver pâté, braised large intestines, braised pig head meat, and braised pig tongue and ears.

He believed that liver pâté could be used as baby food because it contained no additives and was healthy and nutritious.

He also ordered some cold-smoked meats, vacuum-packed in aluminum foil food bags, not only extending the shelf life but also being more hygienic. If the smoked meat was not packaged, it would easily be rejected by Japanese customs.

He bore the cost of this packaging himself.

Tang Yuan asked He Songtao and others to calculate the meat supply from the pig farm and the share of all orders on the spot. If it exceeded the capacity of the cannery, she suggested that Tanaka appropriately reduce the order quantity.

Meat products were not something to be taken lightly; they were raised bit by bit and could not be rushed.

Currently, the pig farm in Tangjia Village had 3,000 pigs, including 1,000 free-range pigs. Xiangyang Brigade had 1,100 pigs, and Yujin Brigade had about 1,000 pigs. They were all fed with a unified formula, with the difference being that the pig farms in the other two brigades were slightly smaller.

They were not concentrated in one place to avoid risks, as poultry and livestock can easily spread diseases to each other.

Although there were over 5,000 pigs, the cannery could not produce without limit because the pigs were of different sizes and their slaughter dates were not uniform.

During the cold winter and early spring, piglets were prone to death, and sows suffered, so even with the factory's insulation facilities, fewer piglets were born during these months.

With fewer newborn piglets in these months, the number of pigs ready for slaughter a few months later would also be slightly less, while in other months, it would be more.

Tanaka nodded frequently and smiled, "No problem, we'll adjust our orders according to the pig farm's slaughter volume."

Tang Yuan said, "Thank you for your understanding. I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

After the meal, Tang Yuan led them to the finance department to connect with the accountant.

The factory's accountant was Xia Xiaoguang. She had gone to the agricultural college and studied English on her own outside of her main courses.

Last summer, after graduation, she was assigned a job. She could have gone to the provincial import-export company, but she was replaced by the child of a certain leader and was sent to a production factory as an accountant.

She had to start learning again.

Last year was a sensitive and turbulent time, and the factory had severe internal conflicts, with continuous purges and counter-purges, making it impossible for employees to work in peace.

Feeling that there was no future, after talking with Tang Yuan and learning about the good development of the ecological farm, she decisively transferred her job here.

Transferring from a rural unit to a city unit was difficult, but transferring from a city unit to a rural unit was easy.

There was no irreplaceable person; as soon as she left, someone immediately took over her position through connections.

Now, she was very happy working at the farm's food factory. Because she was a returned educated youth, people felt she had a conscience and sympathized with her being squeezed out to the countryside, so they treated her with special care and respect.

She now earned 35 yuan a month, more than she would have in the city.

Moreover, she was the official accountant of the factory, handling everything independently, without being manipulated by the old accountant.

Tang Yuan didn't look down on her as a newcomer and even helped her contact training programs. She was eager to learn, and now she was very proficient in accounting.

Not only could she handle internal accounts, but external ones were also no problem.

Tang Yuan felt that paying her 35 yuan a month was too little; a bilingual accountant was worth 55 yuan.

By the end of the year, she planned to find a reason to raise her salary to 40 yuan, counting her years of service in the countryside and saying that she had passed the probation period and deserved a raise.

When Tanaka saw that a small rural brigade cannery actually had an English-speaking accountant, he was greatly impressed and gave a thumbs up.

After the Tanakas left, the factory continued to rush the orders. For orders with specific trademark requirements, they had to go through the Provincial Cannery to place orders with the printing factory.

Yumi's medicine packets were not paper bags but fine hemp cloth bags, providing another opportunity for women in the brigades to earn extra income.

On Tang Zhonghe's side, they also needed to increase manpower to produce the required goods, all done by hand, with very attractive prices.

This winter, the members of the three brigades would be busy again.

The busier they were, the brighter their smiles became.

Initially, they enjoyed chatting about how much labor points the brigade would earn this year.

In the past, ten labor points might only be worth 30 cents, and in bad years, even less, around 27 or 28 cents. Later, with the rice fields and biogas pools, it broke through to one yuan.

Then, with the pig farm, chicken farm, and the cannery, they felt that breaking two yuan was conservative.

Of course, the farm carried a lot of debt, but Director Tang and Director Feng did not make the members tighten their belts to repay the loans. Instead, they continuously improved everyone's diet and still gave year-end bonuses as usual.

In previous years, a strong laborer might earn 100 yuan at most, deducting grain and other expenses, leaving only 30 yuan in hand.

Families with more laborers might get a bit over 100 yuan, while those with fewer laborers might owe the brigade money.

Now, their earnings from the cannery averaged 25 to 30 yuan a month, higher than many workers in the factory.

Many urban workers and apprentices earn 17 yuan, and after turning regular, it's just 25!

The workers from the Forward Brigade, Xiangyang Brigade, and the Leap-Forward Brigade's cannery all earn more than the city workers!

Of course, they're proud of it!

The pig farm's feeders also don't earn less; they get around fifteen to twenty yuan a month, plus they have offal subsidies.

Considering hygiene issues, the pig farm doesn't have a canteen, so the workers either take turns going home for meals or bring their own food to heat up, hence the offal subsidy.

The chicken farm, medicinal fields, mushroom greenhouses, and field workers all earn about the same.

Especially noteworthy are the medicinal fields, where perennial herbs are harvested continuously, and shrub and tree-based medicines are beginning to bear fruit and generate profits, increasing income.

All these earnings are included in the brigade's dividends, benefiting everyone, even newborns receive a per capita bonus.

Due to the success of the medicinal fields and mushroom greenhouses, they have been promoted to Xiangyang Brigade and Leap-Forward Brigade, which follow the farm's unified arrangements.

In a couple of years, when these herbs start generating profits, they will also participate in the dividends.

Everyone is full of enthusiasm, and children learn to say "work, make money!"

Amidst the busy days, eight days after Tianzhong and his wife left, the government suddenly announced the resumption of the college entrance examination.

The radio in the farm office, connected to the loudspeakers outside, directly announced this good news to all the members and educated youth.

Announcer Qiu Jinping excitedly broadcasted, "Comrades, comrades, the central government has resumed the college entrance examination! Resumed the college entrance examination! All those who meet the conditions can register!"

Educated youth in other brigades might worry that the brigade leaders would use their background and class status to screen them, but not in the Forward Brigade.

Tang Bingde wishes they would all take the exam, especially Xia Xiaoguang, who returned to work at the cannery after university, making him particularly proud and confident.

The Forward Brigade is the best!

We don't lack talent; you can come and go as you please!

Foreigners travel across mountains and seas to buy our canned goods and smoked meat; do we really need to worry about young, capable workers?

No worries.

Ever since Tang Yuan and Feng Chen took on the heavy responsibilities of the farm, he and Secretary Liu still serve as brigade leaders. He continues to manage farming and agricultural work, while leaving the pig farm and cannery to others. Whatever Tang Yuan says, he follows.

Now, Secretary Liu is completely speechless.

Oh, right, didn't those four fall last year? The officials who rode their wave to power across the country have been purged or removed from office.

He doesn't know much about distant places, but the Municipal Committee and County Party Committee have insiders, and the information is quite reliable. He knows many people from both committees have been demoted.

Among those he knows are Han Shourong, Gao Sheng, and several other county officials.

Liu Guangming's father-in-law has retired, and although Liu Guangming hasn't been completely stripped of his position, he has been marginalized.

Secretary Cui and Ding Shangyi, among others, have also stepped down.

Now, Xie Xingzhi calls the shots in the County Party Committee, and the new secretary doesn't involve himself in economic matters.

Ji Hongyue, being too young, hasn't been promoted, but he has secured the position of County Agricultural Bureau Director, with the next step being Deputy County Magistrate or a move to the municipal level.

Han Shourong, Gao Sheng, and Ding Shangyi, among others, have been investigated, and it's said that a lot of assets were seized, with some even sent to prison, and a few executed for excessive crimes.

Similarly, commune secretaries and directors below have been investigated, arrested, and executed, mostly for dereliction of duty, altering national policies, corruption, bribery, oppressing the people, and mistreating educated youth.

Those with severe crimes were executed.

Anyway, it's all the same old story. Tang Bingde heard a bit but found nothing new, so he stopped listening.

Secretary Liu fell seriously ill again over this matter, feeling guilty and ashamed, as he had cooperated with the county in exploiting his own brigade back then.

But now the members are living well, and their hearts are open; they haven't thought about it that way, mainly because Tang Bingde is magnanimous and hasn't led any struggle against him. Otherwise, he fears he wouldn't have a good end.

Secretary Liu, leaning on a stick, came out shakily to listen to the loudspeaker.

Although there's a radio at home, he now enjoys listening to the brigade and farm broadcasts, finding them particularly invigorating.

"Old Tang, the college entrance examination has been restored, aren't you worried?" He saw Tang Bingde walking briskly with his hands behind his back and couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.

This old man seems to be getting younger, doesn't he find work tiring?

Tang Bingde laughed, "What am I worried about? Can I go take the exam?"

He isn't afraid of the educated youth taking the university exams.

Secretary Liu: "The two farm managers are also eligible."

Ah? Tang Bingde was taken aback; he hadn't thought of that.

In his mind, Tang Yuan and Feng Chen are already very capable, more so than university graduates. They could teach at universities, let alone take the exams.

However, if they want to take the exams, he must support them.

If they go to university, it doesn't mean they won't return. Besides, the brigade has a telephone, so they can call back anytime.

He will arrange for someone to man the phone 24/7.

He proudly said, "If they also take the exams, who knows how many from our brigade might pass."

He heard from Tang Zhonghe that He Jianming, He Songtao, and Feng Yi all study well. Apart from serving as secretaries to the two factory managers, they also teach literacy classes to the members, and everyone says they teach well despite their different styles and habits.

Teaching is harder than studying; if they teach well, they must have studied well themselves.

Tang Bingde went to look for Tang Yuan.

To his surprise, Tang Xiang was there too; she had come specifically to find Tang Yuan.

Tang Xiang’s face wore an enigmatic calm, yet something seemed to be weighing on her.

Tang Yuan felt a twitch at the corner of her mouth. Just say what you have to say, don’t put on an act.