It was the start of the workday, and streams of employees came and went through the machinery factory gates. Seeing Xu Ying setting up a large iron pot and lighting the coal fire, many of them stopped curiously.
“What’s going on here?” someone called out.
Xu Ying greeted them brightly:
“Hello, comrades. We’re from the Yu County Food Factory. These are our new products—braised duck (a traditional Northern-style soy-braised delicacy), braised pork, and fried snacks. Everyone may try them for free!
Even foreign guests love our food. During the Spring Festival, they placed orders worth millions of yuan. If foreigners can appreciate such authentic Chinese flavors, how can we ourselves not enjoy them?”
Her lively words stirred the crowd. Hearing that “foreigners” had placed such large orders, many were instantly convinced that this food must be extraordinary.
“Girl, hurry up then! We need to get to work soon,” someone urged.
Xu Ying smiled calmly. “It’ll be ready in just a moment.”
The braised duck had already been fully prepared, while the fried snacks were half-finished. All they needed was to heat the oil and fry them fresh.
Uncle Xu poured out the steaming braised duck, the rich aroma spreading through the air.
“Come, comrades,” he waved enthusiastically. “Taste our braised duck! Free for everyone. And if you like it, tell your families—bring them by, they can taste it for free too!”
The workers who had just arrived hesitated, alarmed.
“Free meat these days? And even letting families come and eat too? That sounds like some kind of scam.”
At that moment, Yang Nan, always shameless and full of bluster, stepped forward and shouted loudly:
“Don’t miss out, comrades! We’re from Yu County Food Factory. This is just a free tasting. We want to test whether our products are good. If they are, they’ll go to the local department store. If not, we won’t continue.
Don’t worry—we aren’t scammers. We have proper letters of introduction [official documents in Mao-era China that verified one’s work unit and purpose of travel]. With so many of you here, how could we possibly cheat anyone?”
The hungry workers exchanged glances. With so many people watching, it was impossible for this group to try trickery. If they dared cheat, the crowd could report them for “profiteering” [投机倒把, an illegal offense during the planned economy period].
Encouraged by the thought, some stepped forward and asked hesitantly, “Shall we try a piece?”
“There are many of you, but we have limited supply,” Uncle Xu explained warmly. “Each person may only taste a small piece.”
He handed over a slice to one of the newcomers.
The worker took a bite—and his eyes immediately lit up. The meat was tender, soaked in the fragrance of soy sauce, star anise, and cinnamon, layered with a sweet-spicy aftertaste.
“Little brother, can I have another?” he begged, licking his lips. The flavor lingered long after swallowing.
Uncle Xu chuckled but refused politely. “Big brother, this is a free tasting. We have costs, you know. If I give you another, everyone else will want the same, and soon we’ll have nothing left to continue with.”
The man sighed in disappointment, but the others, seeing it was no scam, suddenly became bold.
“Give me a piece too!”
“I want a duck foot!”
“I’ll take the duck wings!”
“Wait—is this pig intestine? How could that possibly taste good?”
“You won’t know until you try it. It’s free anyway!”
Soon, the stall was surrounded by a lively crowd.
Meanwhile, Qiao Yuzhu and two other textile factory workers stood frozen, clutching the bundles of clothes they were supposed to promote.
Uncle Xu, busy handing out food, turned to them impatiently. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help!”
Qiao Yuzhu frowned in confusion. “Director Xu, aren’t we supposed to be doing promotion for the textile factory? Why are we helping with the food factory’s work? Aren’t we meant to sell clothes?”
Uncle Xu rolled his eyes. “Foolish! Don’t you see? If the food factory succeeds, we can leverage that success. We’ll bring these food products into the Friendship Building [a high-end banquet and reception hall built in 1950s Shanghai to host visiting Soviet officials, later used for state events] and also into the department store. Once the door is open, we can recommend the textile factory’s clothes with just a few words.
Clothes aren’t like food. Snacks are cheap, and everyone is eager to try. But your clothes cost thousands of yuan. Who here can afford a whole set without influence?”
Qiao Yuzhu nodded slowly, realization dawning.
As the first batch of fried snacks dropped into the wok, the fragrance of hot oil and sizzling batter exploded into the air. The irresistible aroma of fried meat instantly spread through the machinery factory, making everyone’s mouths water.
Even the textile factory workers quickly joined in the distribution.
Seeing the growing crowd, even Qian Yuanyuan, eager to catch Zhou Yi’s attention, threw herself into the work, passing out samples with a bright smile.
“What’s going on here? Why are so many people crowding around instead of working?”
It was Wang Yongan, head of the machinery factory’s Human Resources Department. He had been plagued with worries these past few days.
The factory’s old director had just retired, and a new one had taken charge. Traditionally, year-end bonuses were distributed after the Lunar New Year in the form of daily necessities, but this year, the new director wanted to change the benefits system. The employees had been overjoyed, but Wang Yongan, already quarreling with his wife at home, was at his wit’s end.
Now, seeing a crowd gathered at the gate, he stormed forward—only to find people selling food!
His face flushed with anger. He pointed at Xu Ying and the others and shouted sternly:
“What are you doing here? Selling food at the factory gate? That’s illegal speculation and profiteering! You could be arrested for this. Pack up your things immediately and leave, or don’t blame me when I report you!”
Xu Ying stepped forward calmly, smiling politely. “Uncle, you’ve misunderstood. We’re employees of Yu County Food Factory. This isn’t selling—it’s a tasting event. Everything here is free, so the public can try our new products.”
Wang Yongan frowned suspiciously. Free tastings? With so much meat? In a major city where each factory had thousands of workers, if everyone came to taste, the cost would be enormous. Surely there was a trick here.
Xu Ying smiled again and presented a small plate of freshly fried snacks, dusted with fragrant cumin and chili powder.
“Uncle, why don’t you try one yourself? I promise once you taste it, you’ll want more.”
The rich fragrance rose straight into Wang Yongan’s nose, making his mouth water despite himself.
Swallowing hard, he reluctantly picked up a skewer, took a bite—then froze, eyes widening.
“This… this is crispy meat? How can it be so delicious?”
Each piece was golden and plump, the surface shimmering with oil. When he bit down, the crisp skin cracked audibly—crunch!—releasing savory juices that filled his mouth with lingering spice and meat fragrance.
Xu Ying seized the moment. “Yes, our crispy fried meat (zha rou, 炸肉) is marinated in advance. All you need to do is take it home and fry it in hot oil. Convenient and delicious.”
But Wang Yongan still frowned, muttering, “This still sounds like speculation…”
Yet even as he spoke, his eyes betrayed his desire. He wanted more—he wanted to buy some—but with so many workers watching, he couldn’t say it aloud.