54: Chapter 54 The Soy Products Factory Commences Operations

After more than half a month of intense construction, the concrete road from Zhengjia Village to the township had been completed a week ago.

Although this road, spanning over ten kilometers, was not wide, it was smooth and solid, glistening with a blue-gray luster under the sunlight.

On both sides of the road, small saplings planted spontaneously by the villagers had sprouted new buds, swaying gently in the breeze.

This road completely changed the traffic situation in Zhengjia Village: the rugged mountain path that used to take three hours to walk could now be covered in half an hour by bicycle to reach the township.

What made Li Dakang even more gratified was that it paved the way for the subsequent industrial development.

To make full use of the newly built road, Li Dakang acted quickly: he transported advanced bean product processing equipment back from the provincial capital, including automatic pulp grinders, presses, and packaging machines. The gleaming machines shone in the sunlight, leaving the villagers, who had never seen modern equipment before, amazed.

At the same time, Li Dakang sent people to purchase a large quantity of high-quality soybeans from surrounding counties and cities in advance, stockpiling a full twenty tons, enough for the factory to operate for three months.

These soybeans were plump and golden in color, stacked in the warehouse and emitting a faint bean aroma.

After a week of intensive training and under the patient guidance of technicians, the villagers finally learned how to operate the machines.

From soaking the soybeans to grinding the pulp, and from boiling the pulp to molding, every step was strictly controlled.

Li Dakang personally supervised the training to ensure that every operator could skillfully master the technical essentials.

The facility for the Bean Products Factory used the original granary of Zhengjia Village, an old brick-and-wood structure with an area of about five hundred square meters.

Although not spacious, after simple renovations, it was able to meet the initial production needs.

The exterior walls of the factory building were freshly painted, and a wooden plaque reading "Zhengjiacun Bean Products Factory" hung at the entrance, looking particularly eye-catching.

On the day operations began, the entire Zhengjia Village was buzzing with excitement.

Men, women, and children gathered in front of the factory building, their faces beaming with joy and anticipation.

Li Dakang stood on a temporarily erected wooden platform and announced in a resonant voice: "I declare that the Zhengjiacun Bean Products Factory is officially open for business!"

As the power switch was flipped, the machines roared to life, and the factory building was instantly filled with vitality and energy.

The first bucket of soy milk flowed out from the grinding machine, emitting a rich bean aroma; the first tray of tofu was removed from the mold, white as jade, drawing rounds of cheers from the watching villagers.

At this moment, everyone present was extremely excited. This was the first village-run enterprise in the history of Guantian Township, and its birth marked the first step taken by this barren land toward industrial development.

Li Dakang was almost harsh in his quality control of the products. He knew well the particularities of the food industry; once a quality issue arose, it would directly affect the company's reputation and future.

Therefore, he often went to the production site without notice to inspect every step.

"Party Branch Secretary Zheng."

Li Dakang said earnestly to Village Party Secretary Zheng Yaoxian: "Tofu is something people consume, so quality is more important than anything else. Those moldy or spoiled soybeans must never be mixed into the production process; otherwise, it will affect the taste and even endanger the health of consumers."

Village Party Secretary Zheng Yaoxian nodded solemnly, his wrinkled face full of determination: "Township Head Li, rest assured. Although we villagers are poor, we will never lose our conscience for the sake of making money."

He turned to the workers and said loudly: "Everyone, isn't that right? We must put our hearts into making every piece of tofu so that consumers can eat safe and delicious bean products!"

"Right!"

"We must ensure quality control!"

...

The workers responded one after another, their voices echoing in the factory building.

Li Dakang nodded with satisfaction, appreciating the attitude of Village Party Secretary Zheng Yaoxian. He knew that with such determination, the bean product industry in Zhengjia Village would surely get better and better.

Meanwhile, another major project was also being prepared intensively: the construction of a road from Guantian Township to the county seat.

To raise funds, on the second day after leaving the Tianxing Road Police Station, Li Dakang specifically visited Vice Governor Cao Jianhui.

After learning the true identity of Li Dakang, Vice Governor Cao Jianhui keenly realized that this was an important opportunity.

Therefore, when Li Dakang proposed the hope of securing road construction funds from the province, Vice Governor Cao Jianhui approved a grant of three million without hesitation and specifically instructed that the funds be transferred directly into the Guantian Township financial account to avoid interception by city or county finances.

With the funding secured, Li Dakang immediately set about looking for a construction team.

He thought of the team led by Gao Qiqiang who built the road in Zhengjia Village; that road was not only built quickly, but its quality also stood the test, so he decided to entrust this more important road to Gao Qiqiang.

When Gao Qiqiang received the notice from the Township Government, he was having lunch with the workers at the construction site.

Hearing the news, the chopsticks in his hand dropped to the ground with a "clatter."

"Township Head Li wants to see me?"

"Is it about the road from Guantian to the county?"

After receiving confirmation, Gao Qiqiang immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks, hurriedly washed his face, changed into a clean set of clothes, and rode his motorcycle toward the Township Government.

Along the way, Gao Qiqiang felt both excited and anxious.

He was excited that if he took on this project, his construction team would become famous; he was anxious because there were many variables in official circles, and he feared a last-minute change of heart.

In the office of the Township Head, Li Dakang was reviewing documents.

Seeing Gao Qiqiang enter, he put down the documents, smiled, and gestured for the other party to sit down.

"Boss Gao, I am very satisfied with the road you built in Zhengjia Village."