For employees working in the kitchen, Lin Mai only requires good skills, and there is no limit on education level.
In the 1980s, there were still many illiterates. It didn't matter if you were illiterate, as long as you did your job well.
In the end, Lin Mai selected three aunts from poor families who were hard-working but agile and skilled.
In her previous life, when selecting employees, she tended to choose candidates who came from poor families and were constantly striving for self-improvement. Such talents were worthy of help and valued their work.
When recruiting employees responsible for sales, Lin Mai's requirements are higher. They must have at least a primary school education and a bright mind.
Among them was an applicant named Wang Xiaoli, who was eighteen or nineteen years old. She actually had a high school degree, which shocked Lin Mai.
In this era, not many people can finish high school.
Lin Mai asked: "Since you have a high school diploma, why don't you find a job in a state-owned unit?"
Wang Xiaoli smiled bitterly: "My parents are too honest and there is no way out."
Lin Mai looked at her thin face and white washed shirt and admitted her.
Lin Mai arranged the working hours of the four applicants according to the work they had to do every day.
The three aunts who roll out dumpling skins, make buns, and make dumplings come to work at six in the morning and get off work at nine-thirty.
Wang Xiaoli comes to work at half past six and gets off work at ten o'clock. Everyone's salary is fifteen yuan a month.
This salary is not low, after all, I only work three and a half hours a day.
After recruiting good employees and having a quick lunch, leaving Zhou Caiyun alone to sell lard and egg fried rice, Lin Mai drove his tractor, billowing black smoke, to Simei Town to haul eggs and rice flour oil, and by the way, he took the time to make kimchi for the folks.
The jar is returned to others.
Grandpa Fang helped buy the eggs, and Lin Mai could load them when he went there.
In the land of fish and rice, rice, flour and oil cannot be short of anything. Even if these agricultural products are harvested, they can be easily purchased.
When buying grain and oil, a poor old woman came over several times, as if she wanted to say something to Lin Mai, but she said nothing.
Lin Mai said to the old woman kindly: "Old woman, just say whatever you have to say."
The old woman hesitated and said: "Yes...that's it. I have a big jar of chili sauce that I wanted to sell to you, but I don't know if you want it..."
A villager from the same village as the old woman said to Lin Mai: "If you can buy the chili sauce from Grandma Tian's house, buy it. Her grandson is sick and has no money to treat it."
Lin Mai thought, there are many people in Jiangcheng who love spicy food.
I bought the chili sauce from Granny Tian’s house and they sell egg fried rice at noon. If you like spicy food, you can give him a spoonful. They might come back to eat it next time, so I followed Granny Tian to her house.
Granny Tian lives in a very dilapidated adobe house. Because there is no glass and the windows are sealed with urea bags, the light in the house is very dim.
After Lin Mai entered, it took several minutes to get used to the dim light inside.
I saw a sick, skinny little boy sitting in the main room.
The little boy's eyes were dull and desperate, which made people feel distressed.
Lin Mai stopped and asked, "Is this your sick grandson?"
Grandma Tian nodded sadly.
Lin Mai looked at the little boy: "Your grandson's situation cannot be delayed any longer. He must be sent to the hospital."
Grandma Tian even swallowed: "I...I have no money!"
"Let your son and daughter-in-law think of a solution~"
Grandma Tian started to cry: "My son and daughter-in-law all died in an accident the year before last. It's just me and my grandson who depend on each other."
Lin Mai felt heavy and uncomfortable after hearing this.
After thinking for a moment, he took out five large unity sheets from his body and handed them to Granny Tian, asking her to use the money to treat her grandson's illness.
Grandma Tian was moved and wanted to kneel down to her, but Lin Mai held her in her arms.
Granny Tian burst into tears and said: "I borrowed money from people everywhere and wanted to take my grandson to see a doctor.
But they are all afraid that I will not be able to pay them back, so no one is willing to lend me money. Only you are kind and take the initiative to lend me money.
Don't worry, I will definitely pay you back even if I have to fight for it."
Lin Mai waved his hand: "You don't have to fight with your old bones. From now on, you can raise more chickens every year and sell them to me and pay them back gradually."
In fact, she wanted to donate the fifty yuan to Granny Tian for free. It was really difficult for her and her two grandsons.
But since Granny Tian wanted to repay, Lin Mai would not refuse, so she pointed out a repayment method within her ability.
Granny Tian wiped her tears, said "Hello" gratefully, and then went to the room to bring out a jar of chili sauce.
She opened the mouth of the jar, took two spoonfuls of chili sauce with a small spoon and put it in a bowl for Lin Mai to taste: "Try it and see how it tastes. If it's good, buy it. If it's not, forget it."
After hearing this, Lin Mai couldn't help but look at Granny Tian.
The life of her grandson and grandson has become so difficult that they can't even look down upon their illness, but she doesn't want to be miserable and forcefully sells her chili sauce.
Lin Mai took a sip of the chili sauce, three words, fresh and spicy.
In her personal opinion, it is not inferior to the Lao Mama chili sauce that became popular all over the world in later generations.
If I had to single out something inferior, it would be the lack of beef, peanuts, black beans and other ingredients.
Tian Po's chili sauce only has chili peppers and soybeans, but the chili sauce produced is even fresher than Lao Mama's chili sauce, which is amazing.
Lin Mai took another mouthful of chili sauce and savored it carefully.
In her previous life, she was a big shot in the catering industry in Hu Province and had a strong appreciation for food.
But after taking two bites, she couldn't figure out why Granny Tian's chili sauce could be so fresh.
Although soybeans themselves are fresh and sweet, otherwise soybeans would not be used to make soy sauce, but they are not as fresh as this.
Lin Mai asked in confusion: "Grandma Tian, why is your chili sauce so fresh? Do you have any tips?"
Granny Tian was a little confused: "I don't have any tips."
Lin Mai thought that there must be some tips, but Granny Tian didn't want to tell them.
But this is someone else’s secret recipe, so it’s normal for someone to refuse to tell you.
Lin Mai took out five yuan from his body and handed it to Granny Tian: "You can make two jars of this chili sauce for me every month."
Granny Tian agreed with a smile, but did not accept the five yuan handed over by Lin Mai: "My jar of chili sauce is only twenty kilograms. Even if I sell it to you for ten cents a kilogram, this jar is only worth two."
Yuan, but you gave me so much!"
Lin Mai couldn't help but laugh when he thought about the price of his old mother's chili sauce in his previous life: "Where can such cheap chili sauce be found? I think these five dollars are too little."
He forcefully handed the five yuan to Granny Tian, which elicited another thank you from Granny Tian.
After leaving Grandma Tian's house, it was already sunset when she returned to Grandma Fang's house. Grandma Fang had already prepared dinner waiting for her.
Lin Mai washed his hands and ate with the two old men.
Grandpa Fang mentioned that Zhou Caiyun's father came to see him and asked her how her daughter was doing in the city. He wanted her to come back home, otherwise he would be worried.
Lin Mai nodded: "In a few days, Sister Caiyun will have completed one month. At that time, I will give her two days off and let her go back to visit her parents."
Everyone chatted with each other about the current situation. Lin Mai asked Grandpa Fang to buy some chickens and ducks for her before May Day. She planned to go to the black market to sell chickens and ducks again.
She also pointed out that she used several holidays to resell agricultural products such as chickens and ducks to earn back the cost of buying the tractor.