Chapter 71: The Secret of Freshness
So, following Secretary Zheng, even Secretary Zhao and the families of several other leaders began to like eating in the school kitchen, and Gu Wan became busier and busier.

We really need to hire two more helpers, yes, more!

Although Secretary Zhao was also annoyed by the two people's lazy work attitude every day, everyone's job now is what is commonly known as a "iron rice bowl."

Basically, as long as they don't make major mistakes in principle, you can't fire people at will.

After all, Secretary Zhao is the top leader, it is impossible for him to keep an eye on such trivial matters.

Secretary Zheng came forward. Since he is an old man and is about to retire, he is not afraid of offending anyone.

Secretary Zheng directly asked the two helpers to go back to the cafeteria in front of everyone. "You are not working hard here anyway. I guess you are unwilling to help Xiao Gu. In that case, continue to stay in the cafeteria."

Both of them were stunned. They didn't expect Secretary Zheng to be so disrespectful and say such words in front of everyone.

But neither of them dared to refute, because it was also a fact that they did not do their job with all their heart and soul, and more than one person in the commune canteen knew about it.

However, in the past, because the two families had some connections in the commune, most people would not think of offending them and would not dare to say it out loud.

It was precisely because they wanted to be lazy and take the money without working that they were deliberately transferred to the small kitchen. They thought that Gu Wan was new and just a little girl and would not dare to do anything to them.

But now, Secretary Zheng spoke directly, and they were both dumbfounded.

Being sent back to the cafeteria under such circumstances, one can imagine how their future life will be. It would be strange if Chef Li could make their life easy.

Afterwards, Secretary Zheng directly said to Gu Wan: "Find two more people to help."

He also specifically reminded Gu Wan that they could recruit people from their village, but they could only be temporary workers for the time being.

What's wrong with being a temporary worker? I believe many villagers would be willing to have a job in the commune, even if it's just as an assistant or a temporary worker.

The matter was settled. Gu Wan planned to give one spot to the eldest aunt or the second aunt as previously discussed with her grandmother and her mother.

Gu Wan did not ask to whom it was given to. It was a matter that the three sisters-in-law of the old Gu family discussed among themselves.

The other spot will be given to the captain as a favor, and he will be responsible for the arrangement.

Today's mission has been completed, and Gu Wan originally wanted to go back quickly to tell his family the good news.

Unexpectedly, Secretary Zheng called her and said, "Comrade Xiao Gu, wait a moment."

Gu Wan turned around and smiled, "Uncle Zheng, what's the matter?"

Because Secretary Zheng and his wife always eat in the small kitchen at noon, and they both like Gu Wan's cooking skills.

Therefore, he didn't want to be too distant with her, so he simply forbade Gu Wan to call them by their titles, and called them uncle and aunt.

Gu Wan accepted this well. She also knew that Secretary Zheng was basically just a figurehead and rarely interfered in the major affairs of the commune. If she decided to make friends with him in private, others would not be jealous or anything.

Before he even opened his mouth, Secretary Zheng blushed. "Uncle, please forgive me for asking you for a favor. I wonder if you are willing to help me."

Perhaps it was because he had experienced too many things recently, even exceeding Gu Wan’s life experiences in the past eighteen years.

So now she is no longer the same person she was yesterday. At least she is much more cautious in her dealings with others.

Gu Wan did not agree immediately, but asked cautiously: "Uncle, please tell me what it is first."

"Well, actually, the thing is, my wife and I have been married for forty years. It's a big day worth remembering, and we originally wanted to take advantage of the break to go to the county town to have a good meal." Secretary Zheng paused, his face still a little embarrassed, but he finally mustered up the courage to say, "My wife and I are old and don't have any other hobbies, so we thought that we should eat more of our favorite food when we are old. Now we both think that Comrade Xiao Gu's cooking is so delicious, so we thought about inviting Comrade Xiao Gu to our home to cook a meal for us, how about it?"

Secretary Zheng felt a little embarrassed and added quickly, "Of course, we won't let Comrade Xiao Gu work in vain."

Even if the words are not clearly expressed, it is enough as long as everyone understands the meaning.

To be honest, it is rare to see a couple of Secretary Zheng's age who have gone through so many ups and downs for forty years and still have such a good relationship.

We don’t know how many years we have left to live, and these two old men and women want to waste some of their time.

Their children are not around, and it is impossible for them to take leave just for this matter.

Feeling very guilty, I even called and asked the old couple to celebrate properly.

Apart from anything else, the two of them had been eating together in the small kitchen for several days, so they naturally knew that Gu Wan’s cooking skills were good and very much suited their tastes.

However, in order to avoid taking advantage of public funds, Secretary Zheng only ordered one portion of rice each time and ate it with his wife, along with the steamed buns bought from the cafeteria.

This auspicious day, I thought of inviting Comrade Gu to my home and specially cooking for them a few of their favorite dishes.

But Secretary Zheng didn't know whether Gu Wan would agree. After all, the higher-ups have been strict in the past two years and private business is not allowed.

This is cooking for people at their doorstep...

Gu Wan pondered for a moment and felt that there was nothing impossible to do.

As a younger generation, I visit my elders at their homes and cook them a meal of their favorite food.

It’s normal for elders to be happy and give big red envelopes to younger generations, right?
Both parties agreed and everyone was happy. Gu Wan also specifically asked about the time and found out if the old couple had any dietary restrictions or special hobbies.

I sighed sincerely: "My uncle and aunt have been married for forty years and their relationship is still so good. I really envy them."

Secretary Zheng chuckled. Well, he didn't want to be too modest.

He himself is very proud of himself. He and the old woman were introduced by the organization.

Unexpectedly, the two of us have similar personalities and interests, so our relationship got better and better as time went by. In the blink of an eye, forty years have passed.

The main thing is that the couple will discuss things together when encountering problems, and they will communicate seriously about everything.

They had even agreed that no matter how they quarreled or had conflicts, they would never stay up all night.

They were all resolved on the same day, and this is the real reason why their marriage has been able to remain fresh and the same for forty years.

After returning, Gu Wan did not specifically mention this matter. After all, the current policy has not been relaxed.

Private individuals are not allowed to do business, and everyone is very taboo about this. If she is used or reported by someone with ulterior motives, she will be in big trouble.

Just as they had discussed before, Gu Wan made it clear after returning that her small kitchen would hire two helpers.

Secretary Zheng said that this person could be recruited from the Red Flag Brigade, and he could only be a temporary worker for the time being. As for whether he would be converted to a regular employee in the future, it mainly depended on how the small kitchen could be operated and whether it could survive in the long run.

(End of this chapter)