The sky was overcast, and it was raining moderately. On the road outside the factory gate, more than a thousand workers lined up in two rows. They were dejected and soaked. Their feet were in the mud, they were shivering, and they stretched their heads from time to time.
Look towards the end of the road.
Behind them were dozens of soldiers in raincoats, holding big guns in their arms, yawning, tapping their feet lightly on the ground, and scanning the workers in front of them with bored eyes. They seemed to be monitoring these workers.
The workers seemed to be protecting someone else.
At the far end of the two rows, there are a dozen potbellied officers on the side of the road. They are all in their forties or fifties, with fat faces and small eyes. Compared with the skinny workers, these people are like pigs.
.
Behind each of them, there was a soldier holding an umbrella for them. The two soldiers held a large plaque in their arms. The plaque was wrapped in oilcloth so that no words could be seen.
From here to the factory gate, a distance of more than 100 meters, the road is covered with a layer of tarpaulin, and the rainwater accumulates on it, glowing. This "oilcloth road" extends all the way into the factory gate and leads inside.
Across the highway, he carried a huge silk banner with eight nondescript characters embroidered in gold thread:
The emperor's grace is so great that the mother-in-law is reborn
The following line of small print:
——We sincerely welcome the Imperial Envoy to inspect Factory 0251
Among the dozen or so fat men, the biggest fat man had a lieutenant colonel on his epaulettes. He looked very anxious, but he still kept a kind smile and kept looking at his pocket watch. The pocket watch was golden and yellow, even on a rainy day.
Dazzling.
"Grandma, it's eleven o'clock," he finally stopped laughing and muttered breathlessly, "The notice said he would come at nine o'clock, but it's already fucking eleven o'clock."
A major next to him nodded cautiously, echoed "That's right," and then said tentatively:
"Mr. Factory Manager, maybe it's a rainy day and the road is not easy to drive... There are too many potholes on the Beijing-Baozhou Highway. It's usually difficult for cars to drive. Now it rains and the potholes are full. Maybe the Imperial Envoy's car got stuck.
Maybe in a road pothole..."
The factory director's face returned to a kind smile and he nodded slightly.
The lieutenant colonel next to him saw him smiling and smiled too. Everyone regained their harmony and continued to wait "patiently" in the rain.
The factory director had already cursed in his heart: There are so many potholes on the Beijing-Baozhou Highway? The Beijing-Baozhou Highway has very few potholes! These new asphalt roads now are not as good as the old dirt roads! The imperial government allocated funds to build asphalt roads, but that time it wasn’t
I haven't even seen a single stone, but it has been separated layer by layer. It would be good to use a quarter or a fifth of it for road construction.
Now we have these dilapidated roads, which were very bright when they were first repaired, and they asked the people to play gongs and drums, kill pigs and sheep, and raise money to build merit arches... But it didn't last for two or three months.
The archway is not even half-finished yet, and it’s already filled with potholes? Not to mention big trucks and cars, to be exaggerated, even ordinary people’s donkey carts will make big potholes on the asphalt road!
Now because of these dilapidated roads, local governments have created a new way of making money: every one or two months, they ask the people to pay to repair the roads. Then they fill in two shovels of sand as a token of the road, and it is considered repaired. Then they ask the people to pay
Money to celebrate. Then, if it rains again, the road will naturally be "washed away by the heavy rain", and naturally money can be collected to repair the road.
…
The factory director listened to the sound of raindrops hitting the tarpaulin above his head, squinted his eyes, and thought about these irritating things... Grandma is really irritating, why didn't the fat guy in charge of the highway let me exercise in the first place?
Up. Now I have spent a first-class price, but got a third-class fat vacancy. Although the arsenal is also a fat vacancy, and the annual allocation can also retain 50-60%, the arsenal is not a trivial matter, and there are too many things to manage up and down. In the end
If you put it in your own pocket, it would be a good achievement...
After all, it is no better than building roads like them. There is no risk and you can make a lot of money. Moreover, it is often damaged and repaired frequently, so you can make money all year round.
A junior officer ran over and whispered to the factory director:
"Sir, another one fainted over there."
The factory director frowned and looked at his gold watch. It was already half past eleven. His stomach was growling. He smacked his lips and complained:
"Grandma, the same goes for these workers. Where did the strength to ask for wages go? A very big man fainted after standing in the shower for half the morning? Didn't he eat steamed buns last night? He also drank some wine this morning.
It's porridge... Let the Imperial Envoy see what it looks like... Let them stand for a while longer. Let's do this until half past one. If the Imperial Envoy doesn't come yet at half past one, I will make the decision for everyone and let everyone take turns to go in and drink hot food.
water."
Soon, loud shouts came from the workers’ welcome queue:
"Hold on, everyone. It's a rainy day. It's not easy for the Imperial Envoy to come see us! He is the Imperial Envoy, and he represents the Emperor. Seeing the Imperial Envoy is equivalent to meeting the Emperor! Let you line up in line.
The emperor here is a blessing earned in his previous life!... You are still not satisfied, you are pretending to be a bear... Now even the factory director and so many other adults are standing here with you... Hey,
What are you doing, sneezing? Okay, if you sneeze, sneeze quickly, finish it now, don’t wait for the imperial envoy to come and sneeze again... I can’t afford the punishment..."
At the gate of the factory, a tricycle rode out and rode along the "oilcloth highway" in full view of two rows of workers until it reached the dozen or so officers. Then the rider pulled off his raincoat and hat and said with a flattering smile:
"Sir, hehe, thank you for your hard work, it's a rainy day... the kitchen has burned a bucket of pig's trotters and ginger soup, and the adults will have a small drink to drive away the cold..."
"Well, okay..."
"Hehehe, pig's trotter soup, good, good..."
A group of officials with cheerful faces and big bellies asked the soldiers behind them to hold umbrellas and gathered around to share the hot soup.
…
Suddenly a soldier shouted:
"Coming, coming!...Sir, the motorcade is coming! The imperial envoy is coming..."
More than a dozen officials threw down their bowls and spoons in panic. The factory director waved his hands and shouted:
"Quickly, pull it away! Pull it away!"
The cook quickly jumped on the tricycle and rode towards the factory gate. The officials immediately stood neatly, with the general's belly stretched out, facing the direction of the car. A junior officer hurriedly ran to the road, commanding and shouting, "The road is coming."
Workers on both sides squatted down, grabbed the oilcloth on the road, and lifted it to both sides at the same time, revealing a brand new red carpet on the entire road.
The carpet is thick, brand-new, and as wide as the highway. The entire asphalt highway has become a "carpet highway." This red carpet is embroidered with unicorns, animals, phoenixes, and birds. It is very exquisite, dazzling red, and red.
It has to be like blood.
At the same time, two extra-long firecrackers, each more than 100 meters long, were held in the hands of two rows of workers. The two workers squatted at the end of the firecrackers, ready to light them when ordered.
The "commander-in-chief" junior officer raised his arms and looked back at the imperial envoy's car, watching for the opportunity and ready to issue orders at any time.
...Unexpectedly, the imperial envoy motorcade did not drive all the way to the red carpet, but stopped at the end. A fat man wearing a brocade robe and mandarin jacket slowly squeezed out of the car, and immediately several umbrellas rushed over his head.
That fat man was the imperial envoy. He seemed to be planning to get out of the car and chat with the factory officials first... He didn't look too arrogant.
It's just that the "Firecracker Commander" here is depressed. His two extra-long firecrackers were brought out too early. This is very difficult. No one knew it would rain today. If they were taken out too early, they would get wet and explode.
It doesn't sound; it was taken out too late, and the best opportunity was missed, and the effect of "firecrackers lined the road to welcome the imperial convoy" was lost.
He was so anxious that he ordered the workers to use their bodies to protect the firecrackers from the rain. But the workers seemed very happy to see that the firecrackers did not explode, and they all took their time to gloat.
Fortunately, the imperial envoy did not stay long and got into the car again. The officers from the factory also gathered on both sides of the convoy and followed it towards the factory. The "commander-in-chief" waved his hand as if he had been granted amnesty, and two firecrackers exploded at the same time.
A dozen or so cars of the imperial envoy drove on the red carpet. Firecrackers on both sides exploded with the imperial envoy's car, flashing, crackling, and green smoke accompanied them all the way. In addition, the workers on both sides shouted in unison:
"The Emperor's grace is great! Rebirth of my mother-in-law!... The Emperor's grace is magnificent! Rebirth of my mother-in-law!..."
Although the sound is weak, it is quite neat. I don’t know how many times I have practiced it beforehand.
In the few cars behind, several photographers from Daqing Daily came out with cameras. Someone behind them held an umbrella and took pictures of the imperial envoy.
…
Emperor Guangwu of the Qing Dynasty was quite dissatisfied with the national armament production during this period, especially the production of aircraft, which lagged far behind that of the Southern Ming Dynasty. So starting in May, he gave the Minister of Military Aircraft Mulong'e the title of Imperial Envoy, and was sent by the emperor to inspect the national military industrial system.
After Mulong'e left Beijing, the first military industrial base he had to inspect was the Baoding Arsenal, code-named 0251 Arsenal. It mainly produces various artillery shells and bullets, and is the largest ammunition production base in the country.
Twice a car in the imperial envoy's motorcade drove into a puddle. Fortunately, it was not a single car and could be towed out by other vehicles. But the imperial envoy was already very angry. However, when he arrived at the place, he saw another car.
The red carpet and long firecrackers are obviously quite satisfactory. This means that this place has made up its mind and will do its best to curry favor with itself at all costs.
Just as I thought, this nationwide tour is destined to be a "wealth journey". This first place has a good beginning. Very good.
Mu Longer entered the factory and was surrounded by factory officials. Without looking at the workshop or the production line, he was directly welcomed into the "officers' mess." This was actually a luxurious restaurant built by the arsenal itself, covering an area of tens of thousands of square meters.
, the interior luxury level is not inferior to that of Beijing or even high-end restaurants in downtown Nanjing.
"The Imperial Envoy has worked tirelessly for the sake of the country and the people, and for the Emperor. He has worked tirelessly in the dust and rain all the way. He is truly a role model for our generation..."
The factory director flattered him for a while, then said with a flattering smile:
"It's spring that's cold in Youdao. Although it's May, it's raining continuously and the weather is still a bit cold... Xiaguan specially prepared a few flavored side dishes to dispel the cold, haha... They're all simple local products. Please
Your Majesty, please give it a try and protect the Imperial Envoy from the cold..."
Mu Long hummed in response to the situation, nodded and smiled. He glanced at the table-topped cold dishes that were expensive but common at the banquet. He was not interested at all. Why are the people here so ignorant? It's a pity that they keep saying
Can you give me a taste?
He snorted coldly and was about to show off his face, but then his eyes widened.
Several graceful women dressed in Western costumes came up singing and dancing, followed by twelve strong men in Western robes, carrying a giant wooden tray.
Lying on the wooden tray...a camel.
The half-grown camel, weighing two to three hundred kilograms, has been roasted until it is brown and tender, and is sprinkled with various condiments and green fragrant leaves. The aroma is fragrant and mouth-watering.
"Haha, sir," the factory director said with a flattering smile, "compared to adults, you don't often eat local specialties like this in Beijing... Baoding is close to the Western Regions, but it is much closer than Beijing... Roast Camel, this can be considered a Western Region
Special side dishes, hehe... Sir, for this roasted camel, the camel is first hollowed out and washed, and then a pig is stuffed into the camel's belly. A lamb is stuffed into the pig's belly, and a chicken is stuffed into the lamb's belly.
A pigeon is stuffed into the chicken's belly, a fish is stuffed into the pigeon's belly, and an egg is stuffed into the fish's belly... Haha, the aroma is fragrant. Although you are eating only one vegetable, you can taste the taste of many kinds of vegetables.