Cheng Su knew about the decline of the supply and marketing cooperative from her previous life, but Luh Kai’s awareness came not from reincarnation like hers, but from his breadth of vision.
His eyes were sharp, his mind clear, and he had a thorough understanding of the current economic system. He also analyzed the cooperative’s future development and clearly, the outlook was not positive. Knowing this, why would he still choose to take up a post there?
Curious, Cheng Su waited for Luh Kai’s response in silence.
Seeing this, she thought he had some unspeakable difficulties and quickly said, "If it’s inconvenient for you to talk about it, just pretend I didn’t ask."
Luh Kai smiled and said, "It’s not that there’s anything I can’t talk about. In fact, I was a teacher in a neighboring county. Last month, my dad passed away."
Cheng Suxin’s heart gave a lurch, and she said with some regret, "I’m sorry."
"It’s okay," Luh Kai felt a slight warmth in his heart and looked at her before continuing, "My dad worked at the supply and marketing cooperative his entire life, experiencing its glory and its decline, and he was distressed to see its current state deteriorate day by day. He already had poor health, and in his efforts to improve the cooperative’s performance, he wore himself out, thinking day and night. Then suddenly, he fell ill."
Cheng Su pursed her lips, guessing the reasons why Luh Kai took up the position.
Indeed, Luh Kai continued, "Before he died, he wished for me to take over his role and keep the cooperative going, to maintain it so that the old employees who had followed him for most of their lives wouldn’t be laid off and left without a fallback in their old age. So, I came."
Cheng Su sighed.
"But societal development is inevitable, with economic reform everywhere, the country introducing foreign trade, and even exports. Staying with the old generation’s way of thinking won’t work," Luh Kai sighed, "What I can do now is merely to buy one more day, striving to secure one more day’s work points and seniority for these workers."
Cheng Su didn’t know how to comfort him and could only say, "Don’t lose heart. There is still time before the decline, and by the time it comes, maybe the workers will all have retired."
Luh Kai looked at her and smiled, "Seeing how young you are, you have a clear perspective. Who knows what the future holds!"
I know!
But those were words Cheng Suxin wouldn’t speak. She didn’t understand this industry well, and during her school days, she just had a general grasp of the reform and opening-up process.
And the decline of the supply and marketing cooperative was inevitable—it seems to have started in the mid to late 1990s when they began to operate poorly, accumulating massive debts and incurring countless losses.
However, by the twenty-first century, the supply and marketing cooperative system made a comeback, with agricultural material products, chain supermarkets, renewable resources, and agricultural sideline products as their primary income sources. Yet this was something even harder for Cheng Su to explain, how could she?
"Director Luh, you need not worry or put too much pressure on yourself. People’s lives can’t do without food, clothing, and daily necessities. Just keep focusing on these aspects. Moreover, there’s no need to resist reform. Follow the nation’s reforms, and as the saying goes, ’Go with the flow.’ Perhaps one day, the supply and marketing cooperative system might become a dominant force," Cheng Su finally found the words to say.
Luh Kai was surprised.
"We can’t stop the changes of the times, so let’s just go with the flow. Sometimes, what seems bad might not necessarily be completely bad." Cheng Su chuckled, then hearing the bus conductor announce the stop, she quickly said, "This is my stop, I need to transfer. Director Luh, let’s chat another time."
"Oh, ah," Luh Kai promptly stood up to let her out.
"Oh, and about the price of the jam in your cooperative, find me later. I’ll get our business manager to give you a discount!" Cheng Su added.
Grateful, Luh Kai nodded with a smile. As the bus drove off, he watched Cheng Su’s figure grow smaller and murmured, "Go with the flow!"