Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 944 Printing Plant

Xiao Wei said, "We'll follow your rules and not cause you any trouble. Besides, this isn't something that will happen in a year or two. If you have any requests, just tell us."

Chen Hui asked, "You've been in touch so early?"

Zhang Lianwang said, "Yes, our gas supply started a month earlier than the local area, and it stopped a month later in the spring. We provide heating for the entire area, whether it's individual homes or businesses. Residents pay 30 cents per square meter (building area), and businesses pay 1.2 yuan per square meter."

Before I came up, I saw you had the military region's "Support the Army and Give Preferential Treatment to Families of Servicemen" plaque on your sign, so that means you're a brother unit. We'll give you 80 cents for heating expenses, is that alright?

Chen Hui said with a smile, "Brother Zhang, heating fees are hard to collect every year, aren't they? I feel like government agencies always seem to be behind on payments."

Zhang Lianwang nodded: "You're not outsiders, so I won't hide it from you. It's really hard to collect. The heating business is actually losing money every year. The province, military region, city, and district will give some subsidies, but not much. To be honest, it's all government business anyway, so it's all up to the leaders."

Xiao Wei asked, "Are private homes easy to collect?"

Zhang Lianwang said, "What's so easy about collecting it? Most residents have employers who collect it for them. Only a small number of people pay it themselves. But then again, what if they really don't have the money? We can't just stop paying for the whole area because of one or two families, can we?"

Chen Hui said, "In this area, the farmers probably don't need heating, right? I don't see many buildings."

Zhang Lianwang said, "There are quite a few. Government agencies, enterprises, factories, and schools all use our heating. Now the province is talking about heating reform, but we don't know when it will be completed. When that happens, we'll be a heating company too, and then we'll probably be able to collect the fees more easily."

Chen Hui nodded and said, "They're working on it. There are quite a few heating companies now, big and small. Our company has one too."

Zhang Lianwang asked, "General Manager Chen, which company do you work for?"

Chen Hui said, "I work for the power company."

Zhang Lianwang said, "Your electricity supply here is definitely not a problem. I heard that this area will be supplied with heating by a combined heat and power plant in the future, but I don't know if it's true or not, did you know?"

Chen Hui said, "The thermal power plant did indeed establish a heating company, but I haven't really asked about the specifics. I'm not familiar with them; we're all in the power system, though. Our units and residential areas here all have their own boilers."

Xiao Wei asked, "How much does it cost here?"

Zhang Lianwang asked, "Do the residents upstairs pay themselves, or do you pay for them?"

Xiao Wei said, "We paid part of it."

Zhang Lianwang said, "This whole area of ​​buildings, shops, factories, and courtyards, totals 116,000 yuan for the whole winter."

Chen Hui asked Xiao Wei, "What about those residents whose homes are being demolished? Are we going to collect the money?"

Xiao Wei said, "For employees, consider it a benefit. It's not much money. Once the buildings here are completed, our own staff will move in, and we won't be responsible for that anymore. They can pay for it themselves then. Tomorrow, I'll have the office put up a notice explaining that our company paid for the heating this year due to the relocation, and next year each household will pay for their own."

Zhang Lianwang said, "Do you have a calculator? Let me calculate it. This number is based on the original price."

Chen Hui did the math in his head and said, "Seventy-seven thousand."

Xiao Wei glanced at Chen Hui and said, "Okay, check or cash?"

Zhang Lianwang said, "That's fine, that's fine. Thank you so much for supporting my work."

Chen Hui said, "It's okay, we'll have plenty of time to deal with each other in the future. When we're hot enough, I'll come find you."

Zhang Lianwang said, "Okay, no problem."

Chen Hui stood up and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to get the check. Did you bring the receipt?" The two went out, and Xiao Wei shook his head, laughed a few times, and got up to continue with his work.

The amount Zhang Lianwang gave was calculated separately for civilian and work-related expenses, then combined. Chen Hui's discount was applied to both, resulting in a 6.7% discount. This meant that the civilian portion hadn't been paid to the work-related portion, yet there was still a discount on the work-related portion. It's unclear whether Zhang Lianwang genuinely didn't notice or was pretending not to.

Before the 90s, heating was a welfare benefit, and no one charged for it. Larger factories and mines built their own welfare housing and provided their own heating, so they couldn't charge their employees. Back then, electricity cost only a little over one or two cents, which was actually a kind of welfare benefit.

Most non-employee residents in the city lived in single-story houses and did not receive heating. In fact, many employees also lived in single-story houses and could receive a heating subsidy from their employers to supplement their household income. Starting in 92, heating reforms began, and heating companies began to emerge.

Heating is now done by large boilers, and in winter the whole city smells of coal smoke, causing air quality to plummet.

To reduce the number of boilers and minimize losses, centralized heating was implemented in designated areas, no longer based on individual work units. When a unit's heating service ended, heating fees were collected. This led to various outstanding debts.

It can be said that heating companies in the 90s relied on various subsidies to survive.

By the late 90s, starting in 98, in order to solve the problem of unpaid heating bills, the system was converted to individual household heating. Each heating company modified the pipelines in its own area, with one pipe for each household. If someone did not pay, their pipe would be cut off, which meant the gas would be shut off, without affecting other families or units. The heating companies began to make a profit, and at the same time, the air quality in the city improved in winter.

The heating cost in Liaodong has now reached 26 yuan per square meter, and many households have stopped using radiators and are now using electricity instead.

It's not that we can't afford to pay, but everyone is paying the same amount yet enjoying different temperatures. The closer an area is to the boiler, the higher the temperature. Moreover, the heating temperature is unstable, fluctuating throughout the day. Since we're paying the same amount, why not use electricity? At least it would be more stable.

……

I had only sat down for a few minutes, and before I could even concentrate, there was another knock on the door.

Xiao Wei looked up and said, "Please come in."

As soon as the door opened, Xiaowei's secretary, Shi Li, walked in: "Chairman, two people from the printing factory have arrived. Sister Li said she was busy and asked me to bring you here."

Xiao Wei said, "Come in, let me make you a cup of tea." He stood up and walked towards the reception area.

Shi Li went out and came in with a man and a woman, saying, "Chairman, this is Director Liang from the printing factory. Director Liang is our Chairman Zhang."

Xiao Wei reached out and shook hands with Factory Director Liang. Then she looked at the man who had come with her. He was about 1.78 meters tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. His head was a bit big, making him look like a bobblehead. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed. He extended his hand to Xiao Wei and said, "Hello, hello, Chairman Zhang. My surname is Chen, Chen Lei." Factory Director Liang glared at him.

Xiao Wei shook hands with him: "Sit down, Director Liang, Chen, Chen Lei."

The three sat down. Shi Li brewed some tea and brought it over to Director Liang and Chen Lei. She then took Xiao Wei's teacup, added water, and gently placed it in front of him. She took out cigarettes and a lighter from the cabinet next to the sofa and put them on the coffee table. She smiled at Director Liang and Chen Lei, then left and closed the door behind her.

Xiao Wei offered one of his cigarettes to Chen Lei and asked, "Are you two family?"

Factory Director Liang nodded and said, "Yes, he's my husband. My name is Liang Dongmei, and this is my business card." Liang Dongmei was petite and about 1.6 meters tall. She didn't look like a typical Northeasterner. She had short, permed hair that reached her ears like instant noodles. She had bright eyes and was very pretty.

Xiao Wei took the business card and glanced at it. It read: Fengtian Liangchen Packaging Products Factory, located in Shenhe.

Liang Dongmei looked at Xiaowei and said, "We've made things for you before, including a batch of tote bags. We came to visit you and see if there's any other work you can help us with."

(End of this chapter)