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

In the state-run factory canteen in 1978, meat was not available every day.

Under the planned economy, it was already a blessing if people could eat some vegetarian dishes. Today, Chen Wei's Mapo Tofu contained a lot of lard, which made all the workers praise it highly, saying that the dish was incredibly fragrant.

This is a sign that your stomach is lacking in nutrients.

There was no other way; each person only had a limited quota of a few kilograms of pork per month, and the factory canteen would only cook meat dishes once or twice during holidays or when receiving inspections from superiors.

Dumplings and noodles are limited-edition products that can only be available during holidays and festivals.

The vegetables we usually eat are greens, radishes, potatoes, and cabbage grown in the small garden behind the canteen. If you add a little extra oil, the cooks will all give you a thumbs up.

Moreover, even if Chen Wei applied for pork purchases from his uncle now, it wouldn't work—everyone has a fixed number of meat coupons, and there are many elderly people and children in their families. Who wouldn't want to save money to treat their children and elderly relatives to a meal?

Everyone in the market was eager to save up their meat coupons so they could get their share of pork when the pig was slaughtered for the New Year. Who would be willing to use their meat coupons to buy food at other times?

But since the recipe has been given, I still have to make it.

At worst, I'll just make less, maybe ten or eight portions. What if some young people aren't under pressure and are willing to eat and drink?

"cough--"

Chen Wei was buried under the tap, pondering all of this, when he suddenly heard a heavy cough behind him.

He quickly lifted his head from under the tap and wiped the water off his face.

Then he saw his uncle, Chen Jianguo, standing in front of him with his hands behind his back.

I was still wearing that same Dacron shirt, but I didn't sweat much today.

He stood behind Chen Wei, a proud expression on his face.

"Uncle? What's wrong...?"

At this time of day, Chen Jianguo should be resting in his office. Why is he here today?

Chen Wei was puzzled when he saw Chen Jianguo grin.

"Come on, come home with me!"

"go home?"

Chen Wei was stunned for a moment before he remembered that the factory had notified them a week ago that there would be a major overhaul of the equipment today, and all employees except those in the equipment department would have half a day off.

Chen Wei had just transmigrated that day and hadn't figured out the situation yet, so naturally he didn't remember this incident.

"Your aunt has been talking about you for days, let's go." Chen Jianguo said slowly, his face showing anticipation.

Chen Jianguo's wife, Liu Rufang, works at the Jinshi Food Factory. She is an excellent cook of braised dishes and is the foreman of the braised dish workshop at the factory.

Chen Jianguo called Chen Wei back because Liu Rufang usually treated Chen Wei like her own son, and she missed him after not seeing him for many days.

It's obvious that the original owner's aunt has already prepared a huge feast for her when she gets back.

Recalling the taste of that lunchbox of pig's trotters from before, Chen Wei couldn't help but lick his lips and laugh out loud.

"Why."

No matter how delicious vegetarian dishes are, they can't be as delicious as meat!

-

Chen Jianguo's home was in a dormitory building assigned by the factory, on the third floor, with two bedrooms and a living room, which was considered the best accommodation in those days.

How can we say that he and Liu Rufang were both working parents, and both of them were leaders, so their family's financial situation was much better than that of the average person.

As soon as you enter, a fragrant aroma of meat and rice wafts over you.

Chen Wei couldn't help but sniffle—braised pork belly! Stir-fried eggs with green peppers! These are all delicious dishes!

"You're back?!"

A small space of one and a half square meters was partitioned off from the north balcony, where a small gas stove was placed. This was the Chen family's kitchen.

Liu Rufang peeked out from the half-open kitchen window with a smile. She was in her forties, but she was very well-maintained and still retained some of her former charm. She greeted Chen Jianguo with a beaming smile.

"Old Chen, turn on the fan quickly! There are popsicles in the jar on the table, take them out for Xiao Wei!"

Chen Wei looked down and sure enough, there was a cold water bottle on the small dining table facing the door.

Back in the day, this was a rather special item. In the days before refrigerators existed, everyone used this as a refrigerator.

The principle is very simple: the inside is a mercury-plated inner pot, and there is another layer on the outside.

You could fill the outer layer with cold water, and then put soda or popsicles inside. They'd keep things fresh for about half a day, but since it required little technology, it was the first choice for ordinary families back then.

Chen Jianguo threw his briefcase on the chair, turned around and saw Chen Wei standing at the door without moving, and couldn't help but say something.

"What? You haven't been back for a week, don't you recognize your home?"

Chen Wei then realized that his expression was a bit too reserved, so he quickly gave a sheepish smile and went inside.

Fortunately, the original owner of this body was not good with words, so there was no need to find an excuse.

I had just sat down at the table when I heard a rustling sound from the inner room.

The curtain of the small bedroom was suddenly lifted, and a bright young girl with braids and wearing a dress ran up to Chen Wei and grabbed his hand.

"Brother! You're finally back!"

The girl was quite grown up, looking about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a face full of youthful collagen. As soon as she saw Chen Wei, she clung to him. She was soft and had a sweet voice. Her calling him "brother" almost gave Chen Wei a psychological trauma.

Then it dawned on me who this person was.

Chen Wei's younger sister – Chen Liling, the only daughter of Chen Jianguo and Liu Rufang.

Such a big girl, she pounces on you the moment she walks in the door, what normal man could resist that!

Chen Wei looked embarrassed and wanted to distance himself from the other person.

The girl blinked her big eyes and looked Chen Wei up and down, scrutinizing him as if looking for lice.

The fragrant aroma wafted to Chen Wei's nose, making him feel slightly intoxicated.

He quickly pushed the girl away with force.

"What are you looking for?"

"Brother, you said you'd bring me a book back last time! A foreign one! Where's my book? You didn't forget about it, did you!"

A book? Or a foreign one?

Chen Wei swallowed hard. That stuff must still be a sensitive commodity these days!

Then, Chen Jianguo coughed lightly: "Cough—!"

"Go do your own thing. Have you done your homework?"

Chen Liling pursed her lips, finally letting Chen Wei off the hook. It was clear that her uncle was still very strict with his daughter.

"Lingling, your brother just got back, so don't bother him. Xiaowei, hurry up and wash your hands, we're about to eat! It's hot, I'll have Xiaoling go out and buy some soda!"

Liu Rufang finally came out of the kitchen with the dishes, eagerly pulled Chen Wei, and pressed him down to the dining table.

As expected, the dishes on the table were all Chen Wei's favorites: braised pork, stir-fried eggs with green peppers, cold mung bean noodles, and a dish of pickled mustard greens.

Chen Liling was sent out to buy soda, which finally brought some peace and quiet to my ears, while Liu Rufang went into the kitchen to serve rice.

The room fell silent again, leaving only Chen Wei and Chen Jianguo sitting opposite each other.

Chen Jianguo glanced at him before speaking slowly.

"I've recently discussed with the factory about raising your wage from twenty yuan to thirty-two yuan. The regulations should be finalized in a few days, so you should prepare to submit an application."

Chen Wei was stunned.

He never expected to get a raise so quickly. After all, he was still nominally Wang Defa's apprentice. Generally speaking, apprentices needed to apply for a raise before the factory would approve it.

But when it came to Chen Wei, he completely bypassed Wang Defa.