Chapter 197 Do you want to come to Beijing?
Hearing this, Lao Ge immediately took over the conversation: "See, I knew you would understand me. If you were there, that guy would probably have been skinned alive." He changed the subject, "However, let bygones be bygones. Battalion commander, you are so pompous now, almost catching up with our regiment commander. You even have a communicator?" He joked.

Liu Zhiye smiled calmly and shook his head gently: "It's nothing for me. Since I have multiple jobs and am quite busy, the organization is just taking care of me. Otherwise, I would not be qualified!"

"Let's talk about you!" he asked directly, "What are your new plans after taking off your military uniform?"

Ge Shuping smiled nonchalantly, saying lightly: "What else can I do? I just transferred to my hometown in Shishi. I have been assigned to the security department of the local cotton mill as a deputy section chief.

Coincidentally, my wife also works in this cotton mill as a clerk. This is good, we can finally put an end to our separated life like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl!" His words revealed a sense of relief and satisfaction.

Liu Zhiye nodded slightly, with a heavy heart. He grabbed another cigarette, lit it, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. He said in a deep voice: "Old Ge, we have been comrades for so many years, and I really don't want to part with you. Let me ask you, have you ever thought about working and living in Beijing? There are more opportunities there, and maybe we can create a new world together."

When Ge Shuping heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up. For him, Beijing is not just a place name, but also the heart of the motherland, a place that makes people all over the country yearn for. He is no exception, and deep in his heart he has always longed to work and live here.

"Of course I want to!" He blurted out, his voice full of eagerness, "Who doesn't want to come to Beijing to try their luck? This is something I've dreamed of. But unfortunately, I'm not from Beijing, so it's not that easy."

Liu Zhiye asked in a steady voice, word by word, "If I can find a way to transfer you here, what do you think? Are you willing to come?"

He paused for a moment, then said solemnly: "When you get a stable job, I will try my best to find a suitable job for my sister-in-law. In this way, you two won't have to endure the pain of living apart from each other anymore."

His words revealed his genuine concern for Lao Ge, and made people feel his deep friendship and sincere help for his comrades.

"Hey! That's great!" Lao Ge responded readily. The livelihood of their entire family depends on each other.

There is no need for excessive politeness between the two. Their friendship is deep and they are brothers who have experienced the test of life and death.

Between them, except for their wives, they can give each other everything without reservation. This love is heavier than the mountains and deeper than the sea.

Time passed unnoticed in the warm atmosphere of the two reminiscing about the past. In the blink of an eye, the bell for leaving get off work rang, breaking the tranquility of the office.

“We workers have the power
Hey we workers have power
Busy at work every day

Hey, I’m busy at work every day
......"

"Let's go, Brother Ge, we won't leave until we're drunk today." Liu Zhiye stood up briskly, his eyes revealing a hint of unruliness. He patted Ge Shuping on the shoulder, nodded to Li Ming, and the three of them strode out of the office together.

The afternoon sun was shining like golden light, injecting more enthusiasm and anticipation into the upcoming drinking party. Liu Zhiye walked steadily, and suddenly turned to Li Ming and said, "Go, call Zhou Weiguo and Sun Li, let's have a good drink together." His words were concise, but revealed an unquestionable aura.

"Hey!" Li Ming responded quickly and turned to look for Zhou Weiguo and Sun Li.

Liu Zhiye and Lao Ge walked side by side to a canteen, revealing his plan in his words: "Lao Ge, I want you to join the Security Department of the Red Star Factory. Our factory is the core of the Ministry of Metallurgy and a large pillar enterprise of the country.

If our factory issues a transfer letter, it is easy to transfer the work of ordinary personnel. " His words are full of power, showing the courage and confidence of a large factory.

"Okay! Anyway, I'll leave my 180 kilograms to you!" Lao Ge nodded repeatedly after hearing this. Ripples appeared in his heart and he was full of expectations for the future.

Liu Zhiye raised his lips, stared at him with a sharp gaze and said, "This is a great opportunity for you to change your fate. Think about it, if you continue to stay in that local cotton mill, your life will be unpredictable, how boring it will be.

But this is an important place in the capital, the deputy chief of the security department of a ministry or a large factory. This position is more important than the police chief in your county. So, isn't it worse than being a deputy battalion commander?"

When Ge Shuping heard this, a sly smile appeared on his face. He chuckled and said, "That's great! I just don't know if it's easy to do. Will it be too difficult for you?"

"Don't worry," Liu Zhiye raised his lips and said in a firm tone, "In Red Star Factory, my words will definitely count." His words seemed to be a reassurance, making Ge Shuping feel much more at ease.

In the Red Star Factory, Liu Zhiye's status and influence cannot be underestimated, and every decision he makes can cause a stir.

"The people who will be here in a while are all elite comrades from the Security Department. They are not only excellent at their work, but also my capable men." Liu Zhiye's tone revealed his appreciation and trust for his subordinates. "You should get to know each other in advance and establish a good cooperative relationship. This will be of great benefit to future work." He told Lao Ge, his eyes flashing with expectations for future cooperation with these people. After hearing this, Ge Shuping nodded slightly, and he already understood in his heart that these people were probably Liu Zhiye's confidants. He then said concisely: "I understand, and I will properly handle the relationship with them." His words revealed a calmness and competence, and he was obviously a veteran who was good at communication.

When they arrived at a small cafeteria of a restaurant, the two of them exchanged a few words with Lao Ma.

"Old Ma, don't be polite! Give us some delicious dishes and bring out all the good stuff!" Liu Zhiye instructed Director Ma in his usual generous tone.

Director Ma was beaming with joy, his brows revealing an unconcealable happiness: "Haha, it's better to come at the right time than to come early! Today we just brought back a batch of goods from Liujiazhuang, a dozen spirited roosters, and several hundred kilograms of extremely plump 'Shengfang crabs'.

These crabs are really fat, I guarantee you will have an unforgettable aftertaste. I will let Sha Zhu prepare them for you quickly, so you can taste this delicious delicacy. "

When Liu Zhiye heard that, his eyes suddenly sparkled, "Oh? Really? That's great! Just choose them, and serve the dishes quickly!" He has been very busy lately and has not set foot in Liujiazhuang for a long time.

Little did people know that the Shengfang crabs carefully farmed in the rice fields are already plump and delicious, and are now on the market at the right time.

……

"Lao Sun, Xiao Zhou, Geng Pin, let me introduce you to this, this is Comrade Ge Shuping, my old comrade-in-arms!"

"Old Ge, this is Comrade Zhou Weiguo, Sun Li, and Geng Pin."

I won’t mention the few people anymore after introducing themselves.

"Here it is! Steamed 'Shengfang Crab'..." Liu Lan began to serve the dish.

Sun Li was very surprised and said, "Hey! I like this! A few days ago, I was talking about when to go to Zhengyanglou for a meal!"

"Come on, don't be polite! Take it yourself!" Liu Zhiye called out, and took a crab impatiently. He opened the crab shell and took a look. "Wow! It's full of yellow! It's full of oil!"

"I'll try it. This is a crab farmed in the rice fields of Liujiazhuang. How does it feel compared to the Shengfang crab?"

After devouring one in a hurry, Sun Limeng nodded with satisfaction and praised it endlessly: "Mm! It's really delicious! Compared with the ones in Zhengyang Tower, it's not inferior at all, and it can definitely be called 'hat goods'..."

The reason why the steamed Shengfang crabs in Zhengyanglou are so delicious must be that they have their own unique features. After the Shengfang crabs arrive in Beijing, they are first selected by Zhengyanglou and other big restaurants as the first batch of "Haoer goods".

Xia Renhu of the Qing Dynasty recorded in "Miscellaneous Notes on Old Beijing": "The Zhengyang Tower in Qianmen is also famous for its crabs. The crabs come from Shengfang and are first selected by Zhengyang Tower before being put on the market. Therefore, the crabs sold in Zhengyang Tower are big and plump. No matter whether they have pointed navels or round navels, they are all of excellent quality and have yellow color and rich fat.

According to "Qing Bai Lei Chao" by Xu Ke of the Qing Dynasty, "Crabs are the earliest to come out, often in summer. Those with pointed navels are filled with fat, and when the shell is opened, they are as white as solidified fat. Those with round navels are yellow, and the northern crabs are soft and sweet, while those from the south are hard and tasteless, far inferior." Therefore, the plump Shengfang crab is famous in Beijing.

"Shengfang Crab" is one of the three famous crabs in Chinese history, along with "Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab" and "Daze Huajin Crab".

When crabs are available in large quantities in autumn, vegetable stalls in the old capital often have signs reading "Tianjin Shengfang Crabs".

After tasting the crab, Ge Shuping and his companions praised it highly and agreed that the "Liujiazhuang crab" was almost the same as the real "Shengfang crab". After steaming, it was yellow and fat, with tender meat, and a fresh, sweet and fragrant taste.

Liu Zhiye finally put down the heavy stone in his heart, and the reputation of Liujiazhuang's crabs will gradually be established as word of mouth spreads in the market.

He had been worried that if any differences appeared in the new breeding environment of these crabs, it would seriously affect their reputation and market prospects.

Now it seems that these worries are unnecessary. The crabs from Liujiazhuang still maintain the original quality and flavor of "Shengfang Crabs", which also makes him full of confidence in the future.

(End of this chapter)