In the 1970s, it started with contracting out communal dining.

Chen Wei immediately sensed Qian Degui's hesitation and couldn't help but step forward to ask.

"Deputy Factory Director Qian, is there some difficulty you're facing?"

Qian Degui hesitated for a moment, then scratched his head somewhat awkwardly.

"To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed to say this. I know you mean well, Xiao Chen. Normally, a wedding banquet should have fish and meat, but carp are not easy to come by at this time of year."

Logically speaking, Jinshi, located at the lower reaches of nine rivers and a land of fish and salt, should not have lacked fish to eat. The difficulty lies in the fact that it is now late summer and early autumn, the peak season for prawns and ribbonfish.

In addition, ordinary people can only buy fish from seafood stores, and they have to order in advance from the Jingang Bridge area. Moreover, the quality of the fish they buy is often not good.

Right now, the seafood shops near the Jin Gang Iron Bridge are overflowing with prawns and ribbonfish. It would be fine to add a dish of prawns to a wedding banquet, but it's carp that's hard to come by these days.

"Actually, I originally planned to have a wedding banquet, and it wouldn't be right to not have fish. But you know, we definitely can't get carp, so I thought I'd get some crucian carp to make up the numbers! We'll have a table of braised crucian carp for each table, with two fish on a big plate. If necessary, we can also add a dish of prawns to each table. Our relatives and friends won't be able to say anything about it."

To put it bluntly, this wedding banquet is ultimately a matter of saving face.

Especially when the wedding banquet is held in the factory canteen, in addition to the relatives of both the bride and groom, there will definitely be many familiar leaders and old neighbors in attendance.

Qian Degui must have thought of these things in advance, so he not only had to control the budget for the wedding banquet, but also had to figure out the source of the ingredients.

Chen Wei nodded upon hearing this, and sighed heavily in his heart.

Carp are really hard to come by unless you go to the canal in the suburbs to buy them. If you're lucky, you might run into some fishermen who have just caught them in the canal, and you might be able to buy a few for a little money.

However, if it's a large quantity of carp for a wedding banquet, which is held at a fixed time and place, it would indeed be a bit of a challenge for Deputy Factory Director Qian.

It seems I still can't try making sweet and sour carp!

Chen Wei pursed his lips, wanting to dismiss the idea and offer a few words of comfort to Deputy Factory Director Qian.

Suddenly, Wu Xiaochun, who was next to him, poked his head out and squeezed into the small window of the canteen, baring his teeth at Deputy Factory Director Qian outside.

"Deputy factory manager! I can get some carp!"

"you?"

"you!"

Chen Wei and Qian Degui were both surprised. What was this kid trying to do?

Then Wu Xiaochun said with a smug look on his face.

"Brother Chen, didn't you just say you wanted me to be in charge of purchasing ingredients for our canteen? If you ask me, since Deputy Factory Director Qian is holding his wedding banquet in our canteen, can you also give me the task of purchasing the ingredients?"

"Forehead……"

Old Qian immediately looked embarrassed, as he had never heard that the task of purchasing ingredients had been handed over to Wu Xiaochun.

The fact that this kid suddenly said it is still a bit hard for him to accept.

Chen Wei quickly chuckled, "What are you going to buy? Deputy Factory Director Qian already said that his family has already prepared all the ingredients, so we don't need to worry about it! Look how thoughtful Deputy Factory Director Qian is! Didn't you just say you knew where to get carp? Tell me quickly where we're going to get some!"

"hey-hey……"

Wu Xiaochun scratched his head, realizing that what he had just said was a bit inappropriate, and quickly tried to salvage the situation.

"Brother Chen, didn't I tell you before that my third uncle's family moved to the suburbs? If I remember correctly, there's a big reservoir near their place, and my third uncle said it's full of fish! I was thinking if we went over there and caught as many as we could, they'd be ours."

"A suburban reservoir?"

Chen Wei raised an eyebrow. He didn't recognize the place. He figured it must have been obscure in his previous life. He had lived two lives in this place and never heard of it.

However, Wu Xiaochun's idea was indeed a good one. Chen Wei looked up at Qian Degui, and his meaning was clear: as long as Qian Degui nodded, they would do it!

Qian Degui wasn't a fool. Having worked in the factory for so many years, he could ponder a single glance or half a sentence several times over.

Naturally, a smile immediately appeared on his face: "See, I told you young people are the most resourceful! My brain is getting old and useless! Xiao Chen, if you can add this festive dish to my Da Mei's wedding banquet, I'll definitely give you a big red envelope!"

Old Qian has agreed!

Chen Wei grinned and immediately nodded.

"Okay, it's settled then!"

-

While the cafeteria was bustling with joy, Zhao Hongfei's office was filled with a somber atmosphere.

Ma Qianjin stood in front of the desk, while Zhao Hongfei, with a gloomy expression, sat behind it.

Both of them were smoking, but Ma Qianjin's face clearly showed some embarrassment.

After a long silence, Zhao Hongfei finally spoke with a gloomy face.

"Old Ma, what happened to your nephew last time had nothing to do with Chen Jianguo and his nephew Chen Wei. He quit because he couldn't stand the heavy workload of online work! How can you still hate them!"

"this……"

Seeing how blunt Zhao Hongfei's words were, Ma Qianjin felt a little embarrassed.

He carefully considered his words and explained, "No, factory manager, that's really not the reason today. You've misunderstood! After all these years, don't you know what kind of person I am?"

"Snap—"

Zhao Hongfei slammed the tea mug he was holding onto the desk, splashing the tea high into the air.

"It's precisely because I know what kind of person you are that I called you into my office to give you some pointers! Do you expect me to embarrass you in front of everyone? Old Ma, after all these years, I really don't want to say anything too harsh."

That's harsh enough already.

Ma Qianjin's face flushed red and then turned pale, and he finally managed to swallow Zhao Hongfei's reprimand.

His hatred for Chen Jianguo and Chen Wei, that little beast, deepened even further.

For so many years, he had never lost his temper with Zhao Hongfei, but who knew that he would be defeated by two hotheads today.

Ma Qianjin felt a flush on his face, but he still had to give the factory director face.

He then stammered, "Factory manager, I admit I was wrong today. I meant well, I was worried about the hygiene and safety of the canteen..."

He was only halfway through his sentence when Zhao Hongfei impatiently waved his hand, interrupting him.

"Anyway, you're not allowed to cause any more trouble for those two from now on. Alright, that's the end of this matter for today, and no one is allowed to mention it again."

After coldly uttering those words, Ma Qianjin was pushed out of the office by Zhao Hongfei.

He clenched his fists, his face gloomy.

Ma Qianjin knew that Zhao Hongfei's heart was now completely devoted to the Chen family uncle and nephew, and he had no idea that his own nephew, who was also a cook, had been forcibly squeezed out.

He simply couldn't swallow this insult.

Chen Wei, huh? You just wait, you'll get what's coming to you sooner or later!