Chapter Five Quota is Full

  "Brother! What are you thinking about?!" Liang Sanping chuckled and said: "I met some robbers on the way here. I took care of them all..."

  Liang Sanping said, and also took out the certificate issued by the police station from his bag. At the same time, he told Liang Daping about helping Xia Zhendong, and after Liang Daping looked at the certificate, his face improved a bit.

  "Sister-in-law, this is indeed good fabric and other cloth, take it to make some clothes for Dafeng and the others..." Liang Sanping saw that his big brother wasn't speaking, so he smiled and handed the fabric over to his sister-in-law.

  "Also take away these cigarettes and liquor. I don't smoke much myself, and I don't drink that much either. Leave them all for big brother..."

  "This...this is so embarrassing..." Aunt Qing said with a smile, but she quickly took the thing and turned into the inner room.

  Li Daping looked at his wife's figure, snorted and wanted to say something but didn't say it. Li Daping stood up, but sat back down again.

  Then he turned around and said to his son: "Dafeng, go find Captain Wang. Tell him I'm waiting for him at home..."

  "Ah!" Da Feng responded with a smack of his lips, turning to leave but was stopped by Liang Da Ping: "And! Bring your Uncle Lan and Aunt Tao's whole family along too!"

  "Alright!" Da Feng smiled and took off running.

  Liang Sanping smiled, he knew that his elder brother was preparing to help him arrange a job. Generally speaking, the work of hiring workers requires the signature of the team leader's recommendation before they can be reported to the scene.

  Then assigned to a workshop and allocated a job type. After completing the probationary period, they are recommended by the team leader of the hiring company to become a formal employee based on their performance.

  At that time, the Kunlun Farm was still managed in a military manner for all matters. There were classes in the company, and several companies formed a district to manage.

  And above the district department is the field department. The field has production departments, labor departments, planning departments... and so on, and the party secretary general manages all of this, as well as the field leader and deputy field leaders.

  "Haha... Old Liang! What's the good news you've got for me this time?!" The voice arrived before the person did. Wang Dachang, team leader of Jianghai Farm's 11th team, was a straightforward man.

  Although he is almost the same age as Liang Da Ping, he is not as taciturn and reserved as Liang. Instead, he is good at handling interpersonal relationships. He often has a smile on his face and is never seen losing his temper with anyone. This is also one of the reasons why he became the captain of Team 11.

  "What else can I do?! Can't I even invite you over for a meal when nothing's wrong?!" Liang Daping chuckled and said, "We've been comrades-in-arms for so many years, and I still can't treat you to a meal?!"

  Wang Dachang hastily waved his hand and said, "What are you talking about?! Don't you know me yet?! As long as you call me, I'll be there anytime! However, you're not being very kind, just say what's on your mind! Among comrades-in-arms like us, what's the point of hiding things from each other?!"

  The Jianghai Farm was originally a military unit that converted to agricultural reclamation, and most of the people in the farm were retired or demobilized soldiers who settled there. However, Jianghai Farm is different from other farms.

  Although Hainan Island is a border area, many farms here still need to bear the task of guarding the border. Therefore, Jianghai Farm, in addition to ensuring rubber production, also has a fully armed armed company.

  Armed rubber plantation troops, apart from engaging in rubber production, also bear the task of border defense. They are trained year-round and equipped with weapons including light and heavy machine guns and automatic rifles.

  The selection of armed company personnel is also extremely strict. First, they must be formal employees of the farm. Secondly, individuals and families need to be fully qualified politically.

  In addition, the captains and instructors of each district team are naturally armed personnel outside the company. They are also responsible for organizing workers to join the militia and organizing training within a specified time.

  "Old Liang, is this your younger brother?!" Wang Dachang looked at Liang Sanping and nodded: "Not a bad young fellow! Tomorrow follow me to register, there are still quotas for hiring workers..."

  Hiring laborers is what later generations called "temporary workers". However, the treatment was much worse than that of later generations. Not only did they do some farm work with a lack of manpower, but the wages were low, there were no benefits, and not even job security.

  Of course, the management is also very relaxed. If you don't want to work anymore, you can just leave without saying goodbye and no one will say a word. At this time, the formal workers on the farm are generally only qualified for old workers' children.

  Others or those like Liang Sanping who came to rely on relatives can only enter the employment column first and then move their household registration to Qiong Island, after which they can be converted into formal workers through recommendation.

  "Thanks, Brother Da Chang!" Liang Sanping smiled at Wang Dachang. If nothing unexpected happened, he would go back to doing the job he had done in his past life tomorrow - quarrying stones.

  Farms often use large stone slabs as a foundation for roads or houses due to their durability and strength.

  While Dashiban was formed under such demand, it is a small team. The leader of the team is naturally a formal worker, but all members in the team are hired workers.

  "Big Ping, your brother is here?!" The three of them were chatting when they saw a dark-skinned man with a small parting in his hair and wearing a blue jacket with patches, looking somewhat refined, walk into Liang Daping's home.

  Li Sanping recognized him, he was Lan Bin. And the little woman behind him who was smiling lightly, a bit short and chubby but looked extremely lovely, was his wife A Tao.

  "Lang Ge, Tao Jie!" Liang Sanping stood up and softly called out. This call might not be heard by others, but Liang Sanping knew how much emotion was carried in this greeting.

  The couple later helped each other a lot, and the friendship between themselves and Lan Bin lasted for decades. As for Tao Jie, it's not necessary to mention that during their hometown in Guangxi Province, Tao Jie's family and their own family were intermarried for generations.

  Even Lan Bin was able to marry Tao Jie, it was all thanks to his elder brother Liang Da Ping's help.

  As for this, Lan Bin was also grateful. Even after he left the island and returned to Guangbei, he helped Dafeng and others who later went to work in Guangbei a lot.

  "You're Sanping, right?! I've heard your brother mention you so many times, and today we finally meet." Lan Bin spoke in a soft and gentle tone, which might have something to do with his upbringing.

  Years later, Liang Sanping knew Lan Bin inside out. Lan Bin's background was not ordinary, and he came to the island as a educated youth because of that disaster.

  As expected, after two months, his father, who had returned to work, would transfer Lan Bin back to work by his side.

  "Everyone is here, let's start!" Liang Daping smiled and asked everyone to take their seats. After a round of polite refusals, Wang Dachang and Liang Daping sat down in the main seats.

  Qing Sao was busy bringing out the soup and some green vegetables. There weren't many dishes on the table, just a plate of stir-fried eggs and a small bowl of peanuts.

  All that's left is vegetables, and apart from eggs, no other meat has been seen. The farm is relatively more relaxed compared to other places, you can raise one or two chickens for eggs on your own.

  This won't be anyone's business. But if there were more, then it would have to "cut off the tail of capitalism". And at this time, people could barely eat their fill. Food was rationed, and there was no surplus grain to feed too many chickens and ducks.

  One of the benefits provided by the farm to its employees is called "self-retained land". This means that some vegetable fields will be opened up in the company for employees to grow their own vegetables to eat.

  There were only a few long benches, and the simple place couldn't hold all the children. So, with some stir-fried eggs and vegetables in their bowls, the drooling kids were sent outside.

  The Sanhua wine was also opened, and Liang Daping filled everyone's cups. Captain Wang picked up his cup and sniffed it first, sighing: "Sanhua wine! This wine is much more fragrant than the millet wine we usually drink..."

  "Haha... after all, it's our Guangxi Province wine, this wine is not bad." Liang Daping smiled and picked up his cup: "Come on, let's have one!"

  "Good! Let's go for a round!" Everyone laughed and cheered, downing their drinks in one gulp. Only then did they put down their cups and pick up their chopsticks with a smile.

  At that time, the farm was just barely making ends meet. In a country where goods were scarce, the farm was relatively better off than other places.

  At least the farm workers' private plots can guarantee that they have enough to eat with the sweet potatoes and yams planted there. The farm's subsidiary breeding farms are responsible for raising chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, cattle, etc., which provide meat for the workers during holidays.

  The deputy industry team is planting crops including rice, corn, sweet potatoes and so on for the farm's own consumption. The insufficient part will be subsidized by the state. This is called "self-reliance".

  In an era of such scarcity and strict restrictions on all sides, only farms had such benefits. In most areas, cutting off the tail of capitalism was even more severe.

  A meal was quickly finished, and Wang Dachang, who had been stuffed with a package of silver balls in his pocket by Liang Daping, smiled and patted Liang Sanping's shoulder, saying something like "good job". Then he turned around and left.

  He and Liang Daping have been comrades-in-arms for over 20 years, from the battlefield to now colleagues. The two of them don't need to say anything, just a drink together and they understand each other's situation. Seeing Liang Daping get up to see him off, Captain Wang waved his hand with a smile and left.

  "Dahping, I might be leaving soon..." Lan Bin sighed and put down his wine cup as he spoke to Liang Dahping after seeing Wang Dachang leave.

  "My dad has already sent a telegram, and the organization has restored his job. He has begun to make arrangements for me to return to northern Guangdong..."

  "This is a good thing!" Liang Daping laughed and said to his old friend: "Returning to Yuebei, the prospects for development are broader than staying in our small place!"

  Lan Bin smiled and nodded, then solemnly said to Liang Da Ping: "Da Ping, I will not forget the care you have shown me over the years. When there is an opportunity, you must go to Guangbei to find me!"

  This sentence was said with great solemnity, and Liang Sanping also knew that Lan Bin later tried hard to fulfill this promise. But it never came true, which became one of Lan Bin's regrets later on.

  The elder brother later died of illness, and as the eldest son of the elder brother, Liang Dafeng went to work in northern Guangdong. At that time, he was not treated poorly by Lan Bin, and even several jobs were found for him by Lan Bin. For a while, Dafeng lived in Lan Bin's home for a long time.

  "What's the point of saying that?! I, Liang Daping, am good to you just so you can repay me?!" Liang Daping laughed and said: "I'm being nice to Ah Tao, she's an old friend of my family."

  "Hmm! I will." Lan Bin nodded heavily and the three of them chatted for a bit before dispersing from the banquet.

  The next morning, Wang Dachang came knocking on the door early. Even as a team leader, Wang Dachang didn't have very good clothes either. He was still wearing his blue work uniform.

  Liang Sanping had already gotten up, brushed his teeth, washed his face and finished a bowl of thin porridge, waiting at Liang Daping's home for Captain Wang to take him to register.

  "Captain! Captain! There's a phone call for you in the field!" Just as Wang Dachang was about to ask Liang Sanping to register, a young man who looked like he was in his early twenties came running over and shouted at Wang Dachang.

  "Is there a phone call in the field?! Is there something going on?! Wang Da-chang furrowed his brow, at this time it should be that nothing is happening. How did a sudden phone call come from inside the field?! Could it be that there are new instructions?!"

  "I don't know! They said it's from the personnel department, and they have an urgent matter to discuss with you..." The young man was still panting, and Wang Daichang gestured to Liang Sanping with a wave of his hand.

  "Sanping, you go with me to the office first. I'll finish this call and then take you to register." Liang Sanping smiled and responded with a "yes", then followed Wang Dachang in a small run towards the team's office.

  In those days, there were no mobile phones, not even pagers. On the farm, only the brigade headquarters had a program-controlled telephone to contact the general bureau. The connection between the work area, company and brigade headquarters below could only rely on the old-fashioned hand-cranked telephone.

  This phone requires a switchboard, and the switchboard is usually located in the office area. There will be a dedicated operator responsible for answering calls, and many times the office needs someone to be on duty.

  So that some important things can't be found. And this telephone network is roughly equivalent to a wired intranet on a farm. Only when the telephone line is connected can these areas be accessed.

  "I am Captain Wang Dachang of the 11th team, who is looking for me?!" Wang Dachang rushed to the office quickly, while Liang Sanping was waiting outside the office for Wang Dachang.

  "What?! Not allowed to hire temporary workers?! What's the reason?! We've always been hiring them ourselves, when did it become the personnel department's turn?!"

  Suddenly, Wang Dachang, who was on the phone, let out a loud roar. The windows of the office shook and the glass vibrated with the sound.

  "What's the point of hiring workers who are also temporary employees?! Why haven't you guys come to manage them even once?! Hey... hey... hey!!"

  Liang Sanping listened to the noise in the office and sighed inwardly. He didn't need to think much to know that this must be about himself, recalling the unfriendly gaze of Director Gou from before when he was at Rehe.

  It's easy to guess, Director Gou must have contacted the venue. The leaders of the venue would not offend the director of the two courts for a rootless hired worker, right?

  "Sanping, your quota for hiring workers... is gone!" Wang Dachang hung up the phone and hesitated for a while before walking out of the office. Meanwhile, Liang Sanping was not surprised by the news and calmly comforted Wang Dachang.

  "Big Brother Da Chang, it's okay. If nothing works out, I'll just go find a job myself..."

  King Da-chang, with his head hung low, suddenly raised his head and gritted his teeth, saying loudly: "This matter can't be settled like this! San Ping, come with me to the arena for a trip! I must get them to explain clearly!"

  As he spoke, Wang Dachang had two large Dongfeng bicycles fetched and hastily set off towards the scene with Liang Sanping. Liang Sanping smiled wryly, knowing it was pointless to go, but since Wang Dachang called him, he could only follow...