Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space novel Chapter 490

Chapter 490: Chapter 375: Steel, Oh Steel

The bustling street canteen life lasted only a few days before Aunt Wang and the staff from the neighborhood committee announced the latest news — iron smelting.

Everyone in the canteen was having breakfast, listening and discussing.

"Everyone, please quiet down first. Since you eat at the canteen, what’s the use of the iron pots at home? After breakfast, everyone should go home and collect all the iron items and place them at the door. We will come by before noon. Please be proactive, don’t make us come in and start on our own."

Someone quickly asked, "Auntie, when you say all iron items, do you mean we should donate things like scissors and hoes as well, apart from kitchen items?"

"Yes. Go back and check carefully. As long as it’s iron, we need to turn it in. Every street is starting this morning, we can’t let others beat us to it."

Someone laughed out loud, "Don’t worry. Our street, if not first, will be second. I’ll go home and have my wife pry off the handles from the cabinets."

Immediately, someone else added, "My front door is still iron. Everyone come help with it later."

Aunt Wang saw everyone’s positive attitude and happily clapped her hands, causing the whole crowd to follow suit with applause.

The enthusiastic applause continued, and once things quieted down, she continued, "Since we’ve got iron, we need a furnace. I have invited Master Cui to guide us on how to build a blast furnace. Now, let’s welcome Master Cui to say a few words."

Mother Zhang secretly tugged at her older son’s sleeve, looking at him anxiously.

Zhang Guoqing smiled at her and nodded reassuringly.

Mother Zhang immediately laughed heartily, pointing at Master Cui who was walking up front, "Let’s listen to what the master has to say."

Master Cui stood on a stool, his tone passionate as he shouted, "... There are many people on our streets. What’s the benefit of having many people? Strength in numbers! That’s why we must strive even harder to seize the number one spot in the county. Let’s unite, work hard to produce more iron, and show the whole country! Let’s show the Northeasterners..."

Mother Zhang was a bit puzzled and quietly asked the family, "Why isn’t he talking about how to build the furnace? What’s he doing?"

Hearing this, Zhang Guoqing put his fist to his mouth, coughed a few times, and said, "He’s so excited he hasn’t thought it through yet."

"I’ve seen this old man a few times. Every time, he’s just chatting with people. Don’t worry, Mom, just wait a little." Zhang Meili quickly said.

Zhou Jiao glanced at Zhang Guoqing, about to say something, when she heard Master Cui finally getting to the point. She immediately turned her head forward. The man gestured as he spoke, loudly expressing his views, spitting wildly.

"... So we need to build a blast furnace in the small square..."

Zhou Jiao was secretly pleased, luckily it’s in the small square, or she’d be disgusted if it were near her home.

"... We need to build the biggest one. Haha... just kidding. I mean the tallest and biggest in the county. What do you think? Why can’t our men, old and young, make it to first place? Do you agree?"

A woman immediately shouted, "Master Cui, equality between men and women. We women can also fire the furnace. Please add another furnace, old sir."

Zhang Guoqing looked at the woman with a headache. That crazy fool, she caused his wife so much trouble. Before he could think of an excuse, more women were shouting to add more furnaces.

Frustrated, Zhang Guoqing only wanted to go up and slap these foolish women.

The exchange of voices rose and fell, continuing until it was almost work time, resulting in a decision to build a nine-meter blast furnace, with every household on the street, regardless of age, participating in the activity.

As for Master Cui’s tallest and largest furnace in the county, that was never mentioned again. It was just a joke, even the head of the largest textile factory in the county wouldn’t dare make such a decision.

Zhang Guoqing silently patted his son. His son couldn’t escape either, though he didn’t know what such a young child would do. He didn’t want to think more about this ridiculous situation.

On the way, the Zhang family’s old couple worried about their village courtyard and decided to walk home.

To Zhang Guoqing’s regret, after joining the commune, everything became collective property. Now there wasn’t a single horse-drawn cart on the street.

Back home, the couple settled their son. According to plan, they piled up some scrap copper and iron at the door, along with two large pots left by Professor Liu, and a bunch of kitchen knives. They finally noticed the handle on the front door, exchanged bitter smiles, and still took it off and threw it onto the pile.

After tidying up, Zhang Guoqing went to his workplace, where another meeting had just been held an hour earlier. This time, the unit also needed to build a furnace.

As expected, he followed his colleagues to pry off the big iron doors and collect all iron items, piling them on the vacant lot to the right of the unit. This would be the site for the furnace.

Strength in numbers.

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