The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 502 The Evil Beast (Part 9) (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!)
After tidying up at home, Gong Liang took the snacks his mother had given him and went to the theater troupe to pick up Guo Mingzhu after her shift. As for Gong's mother, she pushed her father downstairs early in the morning, and when they left, she didn't forget to take two coconuts with her. It seemed that she was really going to deliver coconuts to Zheng Da at the state-run restaurant and also watch the fun.

If he had a choice, Qin Huai would actually like to go with Gong's mother. Before, because of the family changes, Gong's mother was lifeless and like a walking corpse, showing no personality and not like a living person.

Now the Gong family is thriving, and Gong's mother has returned to her former vibrant self—a talkative woman who loves to watch the excitement.

Qin Huai felt that following Gong's mother would mean there would be plenty of excitement to watch every day.

Following Gong Liang wouldn't work. The young Gong Liang was far from the eloquent and charismatic figure he became after achieving fame and fortune, nor was he as unrestrained as he was later. Watching the newlyweds showering everyone with affection all the way, Qin Huai felt this memory was utterly meaningless.

Seriously, this is meaningless, let's skip it.

The newlyweds were still showing off their love after returning home that evening, all lovey-dovey. Gong Liang shared some funny stories from his business trip, and Guo Mingzhu talked about some gossip that wasn't allowed to be worn outside the troupe. The two then talked about their future, discussing whether to have a daughter or a son first, what to name their daughter, and what to name their son.

The chat was a mix of boring moments and lots of sweet moments.

Qin Huai was too lazy to watch the young couple being all lovey-dovey, so he went straight through the wall to the next room to see what was going on.

The two neighbors next to the Gong family were the Xia family and Master Jing. The Xia family had many children and lived a very frugal life, with all sorts of trivial and chaotic things happening every day. Today, two of the Xia family's sons were among those who went to the train station to pick up Gong Liang. The Xia family had even had a fight last night over the coconuts that Gong Liang brought back from Qiongzhou.

The argument was about trivial matters, nothing more than the younger sister feeling that her older brother drank a few more sips of coconut water than she did, and the older brother feeling that he should drink a few more sips of coconut water since he moved the coconut.

As for Master Jing's family...

Master Jing hasn't returned yet.

State-run restaurants close late; if leaders or foreign guests come to dine, the kitchen staff sometimes don't close until nine or ten o'clock. From his previous memories, Qin Huai knew that Zheng Da and Huang Shengli had lived at Master Jing's house when they were young, sharing a room and a bed with their fellow apprentices.

As the two grew older, it became inconvenient for them to share a room, so Master Jing partitioned off an extra room from the living room. After living like this for a while, Zheng Da felt it wasn't good and was taking up too much of Master Jing's time, so he moved back home.

Later, Huang Shengli was promoted and applied for a single dormitory room, so he moved out. When Zheng Da saw Huang Shengli move out, he moved back in. That evening, Gong's mother and father talked about this, saying that Zheng Da had also been promoted, but given his personality, he probably wouldn't apply for a single dormitory room.

This is good too. After Master Jing retired, he lived alone, and his neighbors were worried about him being all alone. Having his apprentice living with him would at least provide some care.

When the clock on the wall of the Gong family's house pointed to 9 o'clock, Master Jing and Zheng Dacai returned from get off work.

Qin Huai heard footsteps while watching the Xia siblings arguing at the Xia family home. He immediately went through the wall to see what was happening and found Master Jing, whose legs were even more injured than before.

Master Jing had always had a limp, and not many years had passed since Qin Huai last saw the memory, but Master Jing had obviously aged considerably. His hair was somewhat gray, his legs were even more inconvenient, he walked slowly, and his overall energy and spirit were clearly not as good as before.

Sometimes aging happens in an instant. If Qin Huai didn't think Master Jing was very old before, and thought he could barely be considered a middle-aged man who was about to enter old age, Master Jing is now a real old man.

It's no wonder that Zheng Da and Huang Shengli advised him to retire early; given his current mental state, it would be really difficult for him to do the demanding work in the kitchen.

Zheng Da was excitedly discussing tomorrow's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet with Master Jing: "Master, how about I make all the difficult desserts tomorrow? The main dishes at this banquet are meat dishes, so leave the desserts to me, and your senior brother will assist you."

“Master, don’t you think my skills have improved a lot since I became a full-fledged employee? Although everyone always complains behind my back that my fermented rice buns are not good, I really think that I’ve been making them quite well lately, much better than before! Give me a few more months, and I’m sure no one will complain about my fermented rice buns.”

"Mhm." Master Jing nodded with a very perfunctory smile. When he arrived at Gong Liang's house, he deliberately glanced at the window and saw that the kerosene lamp was lit. Knowing that the Gong family had not yet rested, he stopped at the door.

Master Jing knocked on the door twice.

"Hey, Master, are you looking for Gong Liang?" Zheng Da also stopped in his tracks.

Master Jing nodded slightly and said slowly, "You told Shengli that Gong Liang brought back a lot of coconuts from Qiongzhou this time. I want to see what kind they are."

"There are different kinds of coconuts? Master, have you seen coconuts before?"

I saw it at home when I was young.

"There are coconuts in the North? By the way, Master, where are you from? I've never heard you mention it before. You're officially retiring tomorrow. Should my senior brother and I take a long leave and accompany you back to your hometown?"

Master Jing was taken aback by Zheng Da's words, and then fell into a long silence without answering. He simply knocked on the door again.

The Gong family didn't hear the knocking from the front, but they did from the back. Even after Gong Liang rushed to the door to open it, Master Jing didn't answer Zheng Da's question.

Gong Liang quickly welcomed Master Jing in: "Master Jing, please come in quickly. It's windy outside, don't catch a cold. I just heard from my mother this afternoon that you had a cold a while ago."

Master Jing slowly walked in. The two sacks of coconuts that Gong Liang had brought back were placed in the living room. One of the sacks was only half full. That evening, the neighbors living nearby came one after another to collect the coconuts after being notified by Gong Liang. Each household received one coconut.

The quantity was small, but because it was a rare item that Gong Liang had specially brought back from Qiongzhou, everyone was very happy and received it with the joy of receiving New Year's goods.

Upon hearing that Master Jing had come to see the coconuts, Gong Liang quickly took a few out of his sack and handed them to Master Jing. Master Jing examined them carefully and asked, "Little Liang, how many coconuts will you have left after you've distributed them to everyone?"

Gong Liang pointed to another unopened sack: "Those, that sack was specially reserved for you, Master Jing, Zheng Da, Huang Shengli, and Section Chief Chen. Section Chief Chen took two back today, and I plan to send the rest to him tomorrow. Of course, half of the sack is for myself."

"Master Jing, you like coconuts, right? If you do, I'll give you half a bag!"

Master Jing shook his head and explained with a smile, "I haven't seen coconuts for many years. The last time I saw one was decades ago. Isn't tomorrow the Mid-Autumn Festival? I heard you brought back a lot of coconuts. I'd like to see what kind of coconuts they are and whether they can be used to make coconut mooncakes."

"Coconut mooncakes?" Gong Liang and Zheng Da asked in unison.

"Making coconut flakes and then baking mooncakes with fresh coconut flakes makes them fragrant and sweet. My aunt loves them," Master Jing said, a nostalgic look on his face. "I haven't made them for decades, and I don't know if I can still make them well."

"Of course!" Gong Liang said, picking up a sack of coconuts. He looked like he was going to take the whole sack to Master Jing's house. "Please do as you please. I have a whole sack of coconuts here! I don't think Zheng Da and Huang Shengli need to eat that many coconuts. Section Chief Chen has two, which is enough. I ate a lot in Qiongzhou and I don't need to eat any more now, right, Zheng Da?"

Zheng Da: ?
“Yes!” Zheng Da quickly chimed in, “I don’t like coconuts. I didn’t like those two coconuts this afternoon.”

Master Jing smiled and said, "Alright, I'll take this bag of coconuts. We'll go to the state-run restaurant tomorrow night for fresh coconut mooncakes."

"How long can coconut mooncakes last? I'll make a lot for you, Xiaoliang, so you and Mingzhu can have them for breakfast for the next few days."

Although Gong Liang didn't know what coconut mooncakes tasted like, just hearing Master Jing say that made him so happy that his mouth stretched almost to the back of his ears.

Gong Liang didn't say a single unnecessary word and immediately started moving the coconuts to the next room.

That night, Master Jing and Zheng Daguang processed coconuts until after midnight.

A sack of coconuts looks like a lot, but in reality, the amount processed into coconut flakes is quite small. Master Jing claimed he hadn't seen coconuts in decades and might not be skilled, but his technique was anything but rusty. He was adept at opening coconuts and didn't waste a single drop of the coconut meat and water. Except for some coconut meat and water that Zheng Da ate while working, the rest was all processed into coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut flakes, and coconut oil. Even the coconut shells weren't thrown away; they were piled in a corner, probably for making small gadgets later.

The next morning, Gong Liang ate a corn cob before going to work.

The silk weaving factory has a canteen where you can eat with meal tickets. Meal tickets require grain coupons and money to buy, and there is a monthly limit. Because of subsidies, the prices are very cheap.

Because Gong Liang was in sales, he was often away from home. Even when he wasn't away, he rarely stayed at the factory. He was either at another factory or in the countryside. He basically didn't eat in the canteen, so Gong Liang sold his meal tickets to his colleagues.

There are advantages to not eating in the canteen: you don't have to get up early. Salespeople don't have to go to work on time anyway, so Gong Liang can take Guo Mingzhu to the theater troupe first and then to the silk weaving factory.

It was already 10 a.m. when Gong Liang arrived at the silk weaving factory. There were only two people in the sales department sitting in the office. When they saw Gong Liang, they greeted him. One of them, who was very sweet-talking, did not forget to flatter Gong Liang, saying that Section Chief Gong was really amazing, and that he had managed to close such a difficult order in Qiongzhou.

After greeting everyone with a smile, Gong Liang went to his office to drink tea and read the newspaper—not the kind of tea-drinking and newspaper-reading that involves slacking off. Previously, Gong Liang read newspapers mainly for information about various factories; now, he reads more about changes in local affairs and current policies.

The two salespeople sitting outside were also chatting, talking about the tremendous changes that have taken place in the South in recent years. They said that it's getting harder and harder to close deals now, and the state-owned factories they used to work with are all struggling. Even if they close a deal, the payment is still owed, so it's better not to negotiate at all.

Gong Liang seemed to have overcome the lowest point in his life and reached the peak, but little did he know that the next low point was already being set up at the peak, waiting for him.

Qin Huai had heard Gong Liang say that the two years he spent as the head of the sales department at the silk weaving factory were the factory's last period of glory. Gong Liang could close one big deal after another, even foreign exchange deals, with his outstanding business skills, saving the silk weaving factory from the brink of collapse. But he was not a god; he was just a salesman. He couldn't be a savior who could bring the entire factory back to life.

The silk weaving factory is like a large tree riddled with holes by insects. Filling in a few large holes can only improve it for a while. A thousand-mile dike is breached by an ant hole. It only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. The silk weaving factory will eventually go bankrupt.

As for how to address the root cause...

Please check out the exciting plot of Accountant Wang's novel next door.

Gong Liang served as the head of the sales department at the silk weaving factory for less than two years. Just when he thought he could be promoted, he realized that the silk weaving factory had no future. At that time, it was very popular to take a leave of absence without pay to start a business, so Gong Liang joined the ranks of those who went into business. For the first two years, he was ripped off like a dog. At his worst, he couldn't even sleep under a bridge—and even good spots under bridges had to be fought for.

After the business took off, Zheng Da resigned from the state-run restaurant and went into business for himself. Gong Liang could be said to have supported his brother as soon as he made money, getting soaked in the rain himself while providing a large and stable umbrella for his brother. Only then did his brother have a smooth and steady path to success, building his business steadily to where he is today.

From this perspective, Gong Liang's life was quite...

Well, actually there weren't any major setbacks; it was just a typical wish-fulfillment story.

After reading the newspaper in the office all day, Gong Liang received a notice just before the end of the workday that he could go to the logistics department to pick up a small mooncake and a bar of soap.

Don't underestimate the small amount of food; it's an incredible Mid-Autumn Festival perk. All the silk factory workers were overjoyed. They received mooncakes but were reluctant to eat them themselves, taking them home to share with their families that evening.

When it was Gong Liang's turn to collect the mooncakes, the logistics staff, seeing that Section Chief Gong had arrived, specially picked out the largest one for him. Qin Huai examined it carefully and thought it was probably just an ordinary vegetarian mooncake, made with fairly substantial ingredients. Judging from the oily surface, it was purely a mixture of sugar and oil, and the taste probably wasn't very good.

Gong Liang had a big meal that evening, so he wasn't in a hurry to eat the mooncakes. He put the mooncakes in his pocket and went to pick up Guo Mingzhu from the theater after work. The two of them went to the state-run restaurant together.

Tonight, the state-run restaurant will only be open to neighbors attending the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

Everyone knew that this was both a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet and Chef Jing's retirement banquet. The state-run restaurant's management had made an exception for Chef Jing, charging him only the bare minimum cost price. Apart from Chef Jing, Zheng Da, and Huang Shengli, all the other chefs and waiters in the restaurant left early, exchanging Mid-Autumn Festival greetings before heading home.

As for the banquet, only three tables were set up.

Each table seats 12 people, totaling 36 people, and the tables are set up in the main hall.

Of course, the neighbors who have taken care of Master Jing over the years are not limited to these 36 people. However, everyone knows that Master Jing paid for the banquet out of his own pocket, so it must be very lavish. They feel embarrassed to let Master Jing spend too much money, so they bring their families. Basically, each household sends one or two representatives to come and enjoy the feast.

Only four people from Gong Liang's family came, mainly because Gong Liang's family had the best relationship with Master Jing. The Xia family only sent two younger members, the eldest son and eldest daughter. This was the result of the lottery last night, which Qin Huai witnessed the entire process of drawing lots. It was absolutely fair and just, and no one tampered with it.

As soon as Gong Liang arrived at the state-run restaurant, neighbors called out to him, "Xiao Liang, you've finally arrived! Master Jing has been asking you to help out in the kitchen."

"Oh, oh." Gong Liang hurriedly ran into the kitchen, where a bustling scene was unfolding. Zheng Da and Huang Shengli were so busy they barely had time to breathe, while Chef Jing was simultaneously tending to three pots and two stoves.

When Gong Liang arrived, Master Jing smiled and waved to him. Gong Liang stepped forward somewhat blankly, clearly not understanding what he could do to help at this time, and Master Jing gave him a piece of coconut milk cake.

"Coconut milk cake, made with fresh coconut milk. It was ready this afternoon. Zheng Da said you would definitely skip work and come over to eat it this afternoon. He even made a bet with Shengli. If you didn't come, Zheng Da lost a dollar."

Gong Liang: ...

Gong Liang looked at Zheng Da, and Zheng Da gave Gong Liang a mournful look.

“Xiao Liang, you’re the head of the sales department now. Everyone’s keeping an eye on such a young department head. How could you possibly skip work to come here? It’s good to teach Zheng Da a lesson,” Master Jing said.

"Master Jing, you called me in just to have some snacks?" Gong Liang asked.

Master Jing smiled and nodded: "I'll be retiring starting tomorrow, and it won't be convenient for me to make pastries in the state-run restaurant anymore. Many pastries are easy to make in the restaurant, but troublesome to make at home. These coconut milk cakes, coconut mooncakes, and 'Fan Po' cakes were all made with the coconuts you brought back yesterday. I don't know when I'll be able to make them again."

"If you don't eat something in the kitchen before dinner today, you won't be able to eat it later."

Gong Liang was a little embarrassed: "Master Jing, I'm not a child anymore. I won't sneak into the kitchen to steal snacks like I used to."

Upon hearing Gong Liang's words, Zheng Da was furious: "Gong Liang, what do you mean? I even ate some snacks in the kitchen last Chinese New Year."

Gong Liang: ...

Master Jing smiled and said, "You, Zheng Da, and Shengli are all children I've watched grow up. No matter how old you are, you're still my children."

As they were talking, the coconut mooncakes came out of the oven.

Freshly baked coconut mooncakes are incredibly fragrant, with an overpowering sweet aroma from the baking of coconut flakes mixed with a sugar and oil mixture—an aroma that truly awakens one's primal appetite.

"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival," said Master Jing.

"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival," Gong Liang said, looking at the coconut mooncake.

"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival," Huang Shengli replied with a smile.

"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!!!" Zheng Da shouted loudly, clearly not convinced, then became genuinely happy, "Haha, my voice is the loudest."

(End of this chapter)