Chapter 111: Finding Another Base

Every time a factory opens up recruitment, it stirs the hearts of thousands of families.

It’s precisely because urban jobs are so scarce and can’t support so many people that the “Down to the Countryside” policy was introduced.

From ancient times to the present, the countryside has always served as the safety net for China’s development.

In Zhou Dazhong’s home, the siblings were listening to their mother speak, and unsurprisingly, the topic was about the noodle factory’s recruitment. This opportunity meant a great deal to them.

The odds were in their favor, after all, Zhou Yimin had gone out of his way to help them.

What they needed to think about now was how to repay Zhou Yimin—both the money and the favor.

Their mother’s suggestion was that once Xiaoxue started working too, the two siblings should each set aside 10 yuan every month to pay Zhou Yimin back.

Before becoming official employees, the wages wouldn’t be very high—around 18 yuan. Keeping 8 yuan for living expenses and so on should be enough.

At 20 yuan a month, that’s 240 yuan a year. They’d be able to repay him in full within three years.

720 yuan—that was about the going rate, wasn’t it?

Not long ago, they’d discreetly asked around in the courtyard. Typically, the market price for a job slot was somewhere around 700 to 800 yuan.

“Once you start working, you need to work hard. After you’re officially hired and promoted a wage level, the pay will go up, and it’ll get a bit easier,” Zhou Dazhong’s mother said.

Not only do you have to pay Zhou Yimin back, but you also need to start saving up for your younger brother. He’ll need a job when he grows up too. The money for that job will have to come from you two.

“Don’t worry, Mom!”

Hearing the promise from her children, Zhou Dazhong’s mother felt at ease. They were her children—she knew them best.

She wouldn’t claim to have raised them perfectly, but at least their character and values were sound. She had taught them to be filial and grateful—those traditional virtues of being a decent human being.

Even if she passed away, she could face her husband and the ancestors of the Zhou family with peace of mind.

“And most importantly—”

Before their mother could finish, Zhou Dazhong said, “Listen to Uncle Sixteen.”

“Yes! That’s right!”

Zhou Dazhong’s mother nodded with satisfaction.

The next morning, Xiaoxue and her mother had a quick meal and then returned to Zhoujia Village. Along the way, her mother reminded her again and again not to talk about the noodle factory just yet, so as not to make things difficult for Uncle Sixteen.

“Mom, of course I won’t say anything!”

…

Zhou Yimin woke up and, per his usual routine, went straight to the one-yuan flash sale section and snapped up the items.

Today’s haul: 100 jin of highland barley and 100 jin of toilet paper.

Highland barley—not something most people have eaten, though they’ve likely heard of it.

It’s a variety of barley, an annual or biennial herb. It has a short growing season and is a staple grain for Tibetans.

For hundreds of years, highland barley has mainly been used for brewing and grinding into tsampa.

Tsampa is essentially roasted highland barley flour, and Tibetan people have it in nearly every meal.

Highland barley wine is known for its mellow, delicious flavor. It’s said that among folk remedies, a concoction of barley wine, butter, and honey called “Qiong Zha” is particularly effective at treating low blood pressure.

Zhou Yimin had never tried it before—he decided to keep it for now.

Toilet paper? Great!

Lately, all the toilet paper he had been using came from the store in his mind. It wasn’t too expensive, but it wasn’t cheap either.

For breakfast, Zhou Yimin had two buns, two fried dough sticks, and a cup of soy milk.

“Uncle Sixteen!”

Zhou Yimin nodded at Zhou Dazhong. “Come with me.”

He led Zhou Dazhong to Luo Dapeng’s house, where there were all kinds of supplies stacked—cooking oil, grains, and meat.

Seeing so many supplies, Zhou Dazhong’s eyes widened in shock.

He knew Uncle Sixteen had powerful friends, but he had still underestimated him.

“Yimin, keeping everything here… it’s not very safe,” Luo Dapeng couldn’t help but say.

Though he always locked the door when he went out—and not even his family had a key—it still didn’t seem like a sustainable setup. In his opinion, the best solution was to find a secret “base” somewhere outside.

That way, even if they got discovered and raided, it wouldn’t involve everyone.

Zhou Yimin had already considered this and nodded slightly. After thinking for a moment, he said, “You’re right. I’ll find another base soon.”

Luo Dapeng hesitated.

“If you’ve got something to say, spit it out. Don’t hem and haw.”

Luo Dapeng said, “I’ve got a friend whose ancestral home is a standalone courtyard. I’ve been there before—it’s not only private, but there’s also a basement underneath. Perfect for a base.”

Zhou Yimin frowned slightly.

Your friend? Is he trustworthy?

Seeing Zhou Yimin’s concern, Luo Dapeng explained, “He’s reliable. Besides, he’s planning to move to the Northeast. The ancestral home—he’s looking to sell it. Because it’s a little out of the way, he’s offering it at a low price.”

“How low?”

“One thousand yuan. I’m close with him, so I might be able to talk him down to 900,” said Luo Dapeng.

“Sounds pretty good, the way you’re putting it. Fine. Go talk to him. Oh, when’s he moving out?” Zhou Yimin asked.

How great would it be to move to the Northeast?

If there’s anywhere in the country right now where you won’t go hungry, the Northeast definitely makes the list. That black soil is so fertile they say you can plant a chopstick and it’ll sprout.

Plus, the Northeast’s industry is thriving—it’s the industrial heart of the country.

The title “eldest son of the republic” wasn’t for nothing. Especially after the discovery and large-scale development of the Daqing Oilfield, the Northeast would only grow more prosperous.

“In the next few days, I think. The sooner the better, otherwise he wouldn’t be so eager to get rid of his ancestral home and sell it cheap.” Luo Dapeng really liked that house.

Once he got all the details, Zhou Yimin sent Luo Dapeng off to negotiate.

Then he said to Zhou Dazhong, “Dazhong, you don’t need to go to the countryside anymore. The land’s already been stripped bare—there’s nothing left to find. From now on, come here every few days and take stuff to the factory to complete your procurement tasks.”

“Got it!” Zhou Dazhong didn’t ask anything more—he just agreed.

He knew Uncle Sixteen wouldn’t harm him.

Strictly speaking, this was helping him. No more toiling in the countryside for resources—just come here and easily fulfill the factory’s tasks. That way, he could become a permanent employee sooner.

If this wasn’t help, what was?

Zhou Yimin appreciated people like him.

“Do a good job. Try to get officially hired in a month or two. As for what and how much you take each time, think it through yourself.” Zhou Yimin could tell—on the surface, Zhou Dazhong seemed honest and simple, but deep down he was smart and steady.

“Uncle Sixteen, I understand!”

After giving those instructions, Zhou Yimin casually grabbed two cured ducks and a 5-jin bottle of canola oil and headed to Eldest Uncle’s house.

He had business with Eldest Uncle—something they’d already discussed a couple of days ago.

“Auntie, is Uncle at home? Didn’t go to the factory today?”

When Auntie saw Zhou Yimin arrive with two ducks and a bottle of cooking oil, she immediately lit up. No need to guess—he clearly had something he needed from her husband, and these were gifts for their family.

“He’s here! I was just wondering why he wasn’t in a rush to go to work—turns out he was waiting for you, Yimin.” Auntie laughed.

(End of Chapter)

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The “Down to the Countryside” policy (上山下乡运动) was a campaign in China during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), especially active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Under this policy, urban youth, particularly recent high school graduates known as “educated youth” (知青), were sent to rural areas to “learn from the peasants” and be re-educated through manual labor.

Initiated by Mao Zedong, the policy aimed to address urban unemployment, promote revolutionary ideals, and bridge the gap between urban and rural populations. In practice, many youths faced harsh conditions, poor living standards, and limited prospects for returning to the cities. The policy officially ended in the late 1970s after Mao’s death and the Cultural Revolution’s conclusion.