Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 675 Chapter 674 A Man's Gas Station
Today is the day Zhang Chengping goes into the city.

In order to transport these seven young people, the commune sent a special car that did not burn oil but ate grass, consuming about five kilograms of hay per 100 kilometers.

People had nothing to eat these days, and the animals were not much better off. They were dry and listless, moving slowly forward with a ticking sound.

With a bright future in front of them, a few skinny young men sat on their belongings and chatted enthusiastically.

In the morning, the commune held a special meeting for several people. In addition to encouragement, they also rewarded them with a lunch - three steamed buns for each person.

Zhang Chengping ate two and stuffed the remaining one into his bag, intending to keep it as a snack after returning to the city.

The eyes of others were full of longing for the future. Those who had been to the city talked about its prosperity. Zhang Chengping did not participate because he was still thinking about what happened yesterday.

Zhang Yongming being taken away yesterday did not cause much shock to Zhang Chengping, but Wan Qiaoyun later specifically sought out Zhang Chengping for a talk, which was quite a shock to him.

Zhang Yongming accepted gifts from members. If there was only one person who took the lead in talking to the working group about this matter, there would be a second and a third one.

Zhang Chengping did not take the initiative to look for him, but Zhang Yongming confessed that the eggs were returned, and the two boxes of cigarettes became bad debts because they had been smoked by Zhang Yongming a long time ago.

Wan Qiaoyun hinted at this indirectly, and her words had one meaning: she wanted Zhang Chengping to tell his aunt's family about the commune's treatment of Zhang Yongming after he came to the city.

After returning home, the father and son discussed it and suddenly realized that the commune arrested Zhang Yongming in order to show Zhang Guifang's family. They were worried all night and did not sleep well.

Zhang Yongxiang thought he knew the situation of Zhang Guifang's family quite well. Her brother-in-law had passed away, and the only thing the family had was a courtyard.

After discussing the matter of getting the job done, the father and son decided that Tang Zhitong's wife had contributed to it...

Zhang Yongxiang and his son wanted to express their gratitude for this kindness, but their family was penniless and the only money they had was given by Zhang Guifang.

Things like cornmeal and peanut meal were given by Zhang Guifang and her son, so it would be inappropriate to send them over like this.

There was nothing good to eat in the countryside at this time of year, so the father and son thought about it and got up early today. They went to the fields as soon as it was light and dug half a bag of shepherd's purse.

According to Zhang Yongxiang, it would be possible to dig shepherd's purse all night long, but he was malnourished recently and could not see at night, so he could only work during the day.

Zhang Chengping carried half a bag of shepherd's purse to the commune and took it with him today, intending to give it to his aunt after entering the city.

Tang Zhitong knew nothing about this. He returned to the escort office, picked up a shovel and helped Fang Yuan water the land.

"Brother Yuan, what does the department plan to plant?" Although there was a discussion a while ago, there has been no conclusion. Some people suggested planting crops, some suggested planting vegetables, and each had their own reasons.

"Plant a crop of potatoes first, and then plant pumpkins or sweet potatoes after the harvest." Fang Yuan said while standing nearby and smoking.

"Have you solved the potato seed problem?" Tang Zhitong nodded. Harvesting two crops a year, both of which are high in starch content, is a very reliable arrangement.

The potato planting depth is about 10 centimeters, so you won’t find yourself “adding fertilizer” to the escort department, which is a good arrangement.

"Sister Chen from the trade union has coordinated and it will be in place in the next two days." When everyone was discussing what to plant, potatoes were the most controversial because potatoes are the most special. The seeds are not like pumpkin seeds. You have to use whole potatoes or cut them into pieces and bury them in the soil.

"Hey, it has to be Sister Chen again. These fields will require about 300 kilograms, right?" Tang Zhitong estimated the area and speculated.

"Almost, thanks to Sister Chen, otherwise it would be difficult to do." Fang Yuan was very emotional. He also privately asked acquaintances about buying potato seeds. Even though he had his own face, people still wanted to collect food coupons and money.

"The trade union is our mother's home. When children encounter difficulties, they must call on their mothers." Tang Zhitong stepped down and closed the ridge of land that was watered thoroughly. He also opened a hole next to it to let the water flow to the dry land that had not been irrigated.

"You're still talking in a roundabout way, but Sister Chen will definitely like to hear it." Fang Yuan moved aside to make room for Tang Zhitong.

"Then I'll praise her in front of Sister Chen." Tang Zhitong walked back to the side of the road and asked, "When planting potatoes, you need to mix the seeds with wood ash. Is there enough wood ash?"

Tang Zhitong has grown potatoes before, but potatoes are rather troublesome to grow.

Potato seeds must be cut into seed blocks before planting. Each seed block must have 1-2 buds. In order to ensure the quality of germination, the size of the seed block cannot be too small.

The tubers need to be "bandaged" after harvesting. Dip the cut into wood ash as soon as possible before the potatoes react. Otherwise, the wood ash will not be able to stick to the cut once the potato wounds dry up.

Not too much wood ash is needed in the germination step, but this little bit of wood ash can play a big role.

It not only ensures that potatoes will not rot, but also acts as a natural potassium fertilizer to ensure the germination rate of potatoes, and can also act as a natural bactericide and disinfectant to prevent diseases and insect pests.

"There's still some in the cafeteria. I'll think of a way if it's not enough." Fang Yuan was worried about this problem. Most people in the city burn coal, and there is very little wood ash.

"Don't even think about it. I'll bring some from home." Tang Zhitong said.

"Oh? You have one at home?" Fang Yuan was very surprised.

"Hey, I changed the stove last year, and I saved all the firewood and wood ash that had been burning, waiting to use them in the spring." Tang Zhitong was still very proud of this.

Fertilizers are difficult to get right now. In order to make the vegetables in the yard grow well, Tang Zhitong dug a pit in the yard and poured the ashes from the burning stove into it every morning. In order to prevent it from being insufficient, he sometimes added some wood ash he collected at the construction site.

"Good man, this is really like someone offering a pillow when you are sleepy. I personally welcome it, but is your home enough?" Fang Yuan knew that Tang Zhitong had a yard and grew vegetables in it, but from a simple point of view, he did not want his little brother to demolish his own dike to repair the hole in the escort department.

"It's okay to bring some over for germination, but I can't guarantee the fertilization later." The germination step is critical. Tang Zhitong doesn't want to see all his colleagues' efforts go to waste, so he plans to pull it from the space and not use up his own quota. However, he doesn't dare to pull too much because it is difficult to explain the source.

"Okay, on behalf of all the staff in the Escort Department, I thank you!" Fang Yuan said very formally.

"Don't worry, Brother Yuan. I'm still in school and can't usually participate in the daily management of the potatoes. Just consider the wood ash as my effort in advance. You can't deny me the harvest just because I didn't participate in the labor." Tang Zhitong laughed. It wasn't much and it wouldn't have a big impact on him, but saying this would make Fang Yuan feel better.

"That's not possible. Regardless of whether you participate in the labor or not, anyone who has a working relationship with the escort department will have a copy." Fang Yuan shook his head and said frankly.

"Hey, our escort department is still the best. The treatment given by Brother Yuan is unmatched by other places." Tang Zhitong flattered Fang Yuan gently.

The two chatted while watering the land. When they finished watering, it was time for lunch. Tang Zhitong had lunch in the canteen of the escort department.

There are very few vegetables on the market these days. In previous years, when there was a supply shortage, grocery stores would supply some bean sprouts, soybeans, dried tofu, tofu, tofu skin and other soy products in limited quantities and at limited times to spice up the tables of people in Beijing.

But this year the supply is only sporadic, and not only is the supply not as large as in previous years, but the variety is also not as complete as in previous years.

The supply of outside food was sometimes unavailable, and people had to rely on pickles most of the time.

The canteens of some large units are better than the dining tables of ordinary people. After the outside dishes are brought into Beijing, they can be distributed per person. Although it is not much, it can ensure that we can eat two dishes every few days. If we are a little more frugal and only have soup, we can ensure that there are green leafy vegetables in the soup every meal.

Tang Zhitong got a bowl of soup from the cafeteria at noon, the Pearl Jade Soup, which was not even as good as the Pearl Jade White Jade Soup that Zhu Yuanzhang drank because it lacked the tofu.

Although there is only one soup, Gao Lide did a good job. He added water starch after the pot boiled, which made the soup look a lot thicker. He also added a lot of salt, so it still scores highly as a soup to go with rice.

After dinner, Tang Zhitong welcomed an uninvited guest - Zhang Ruojian.

"Anzi, I'm here to tell you the good news." As soon as Zhang Ruojian saw Tang Zhitong, he enthusiastically shook Tang Zhitong's hand.

"Has the prescription produced any results?" Tang Zhitong asked speculatively. He hadn't been to the Women's Federation for a few days and didn't have real-time knowledge of the dynamics there.

"Not only the recipe, but the finished product is also ready." Zhang Ruojian looked at Tang Zhitong with such affection, because with this buddy's words, his promotion was a sure thing.

"That's great, you guys are pretty quick. Come on, let's go inside and talk." Tang Zhitong led Zhang Ruojian into the escort office from the main gate.

Zhang Ruojian did not refuse, he came here with a mission this time.

In the Finance Department, Ma Wei made room for Zhang Ruojian to take out two finished products from his bag, a pill and a medicinal wine, and handed one of each to Tang Zhitong.

Tang Zhitong was curious. It was the first time he saw this Chinese patent medicine that appeared because of him. He took it and looked at it carefully.

Maybe because it is not a formal product, there is basically no packaging, and the main focus is on simplicity.

"Brother Zhang, have you asked anyone to try it? How effective is it?" Tang Zhitong was not familiar with medical theory, so he didn't care about the ingredients, but was more concerned about the effects.

"I've asked someone to try it, and they all said it's effective." Although there was no one else in the office, Zhang Ruojian still lowered his voice because both of these medicines are used to enhance a man's virility.

"It's good that it's effective. There aren't any tiger and wolf drugs in the ingredients, right? This stuff requires warming and nourishing. It can't be too strong, and it can't have serious side effects, which will ruin its reputation." Tang Zhitong looked at the ordinary pills sealed with wax, took the medicinal wine, and smelled it from the seal.

"No, they are all carefully selected prescriptions, and they have been approved by well-known Chinese medicine practitioners. You can rest assured about this." Zhang Ruojian saw that Tang Zhitong was curious about the wine, so he simply unscrewed another bottle and handed it to Tang Zhitong: "Come, smell this."

"Is it appropriate to open it directly?" Seeing that Zhang Ruojian was so aggressive, Tang Zhitong thought it was too late to stop him.

"Hey, I gave it to you to try." Zhang Ruojian acted indifferent.

"I'm still young, and I can't see any effect from using it. It's a waste of time for me to try it." As a man, who is willing to admit that he is not good enough? Even if he is not good enough, he will make up for it secretly and tell no one.

"Keep it, you never know when you might need it in a few decades. These two things are just like tiger whip wine, they are durable, don't worry." After saying this, Zhang Ruojian did not forget to wink at Tang Zhitong, giving him a look that said "you know".

"Okay. Then I'll keep it." Tang Zhitong understood. There were quite a few pills and medicinal wine. This was a disguised benefit to himself.

However, the benefits cannot be reaped in vain. As a newcomer with a lot of experience, Tang Zhitong gave Zhang Ruojian some advice: "I can't help you with the efficacy of the medicine, but I have some ideas about the packaging."

"You talk, I'm all ears." Zhang Ruojian took out a pen and a small notebook from his pocket and opened them to take notes.

"The spiral mouth of the wine bottle is well designed." Tang Zhitong praised it first. Among the two things, only the spiral mouth is outstanding. After all, not everyone can drink a one-pound bottle of wine in one meal.

After saying that, Tang Zhitong poured a little into the wine cap, took a sip, and tasted it carefully.

Frowning and swallowing, Tang Zhitong continued, "Let's talk about the wine first. I won't comment on the color or the efficacy. Is the taste a bit strong?"

"This thing is for wealthy people abroad to drink. If it's too unpalatable, it will definitely discourage some users. If it can be made more palatable, maybe some people will directly take it as a daily drink."

“And this wine bottle is too big to be used in a one-pound bottle.

This will give people the impression that the product is cheap and common. It is better to use small packaging instead, with a bottle of no more than three taels.

The small bottle should also be packaged in an independent paper box with beautiful printing and solid materials.

Although the cost is higher, people can tell at a glance that it is a high-end product and can be sold at a high price. As long as the price goes up, the initial investment can be earned back, and even more can be earned.”

"Then there's the trademark and the instructions for the medicinal wine. The wine bottle can be made flat, with the trademark on the front and the instructions for use, the ingredients of the medicinal wine, and the origin of the prescription on the back. Anyway, write whatever makes it sound precious." Tang Zhitong put down the wine bottle, grabbed the letter paper and pencil, and started drawing on the letter paper, imitating the small bottle of a certain Sanbian wine, and gave Zhang Ruojian a design.

"As for prescriptions, my suggestion is not to be too specific. For some key points, just write the word 'etc.' at the end and ignore them, so that other places that also recognize traditional Chinese medicine will not copy them."

After Tang Zhitong finished drawing, he tore it off and gave it to Zhang Ruojian, then prescribed a pill. Since it was a trial, he had to have the attitude of a trial. At least his attitude had to make Zhang Ruojian and the pharmaceutical company feel that it was value for money.

The pill was designed as a wax pill. Tang Zhitong pinched off a small piece and put it in his mouth to taste it. It was much more palatable than medicinal wine, at least he could swallow it.

"The pills taste okay, but the packaging is not. The wax pills should be packed in a small box, the kind wrapped in silk, with about ten pills in a slightly larger box." Tang Zhitong referred to the packaging of the Zhibao Sanbian Pills.

The precious Three Whip Pills should have started to be exported by now. Tang Zhitong didn't know what kind of packaging the Three Whip Pills were currently using, but it didn't conflict with his idea.

As for whether there would be competition since the two drugs have the same efficacy, Tang Zhitong was the least worried.

The market for drugs that restore men's virility is huge, and since there is no "blue pill" now, the market can accommodate two brands. If both sides enter the market, consumers will have more choices, and they will be able to compete with each other and develop healthily.

(End of this chapter)