Unlimited Resources: Raising a Minister with a Space Supermarket-Chapter 494 - 442: Steward Liu Shuangli

Yu Xiaolian wanted to build a Red Sausage Factory. The recipe for the red sausage was in her culinary compendium, consisting of simple ingredients. Although there were no preservatives at that time, Yu Xiaolian had learned a method for meat preservation from Ding Wulang’s wife, Zhang, while in Luocheng.

Niter could also be used for meat preservation. Its main component is sodium nitrate, which can keep the meat fresh, red, and prevent deterioration. Zhang’s father was a hunter; when he had surplus game that couldn’t be consumed immediately, he would turn it into hams for storage. Ham made with niter was red and resistant to maggots, allowing long-term storage.

Aside from niter, ancient people also used salt, lime, plant ash, strong white wine, and various "niter" and "alum" as preservatives. The simplest method was using "glauber salt," sodium sulfate, for tanning leather, making preservation no concern.

Yu Xiaolian was worried about the casing issue; a pig’s intestine couldn’t stuff a pig’s worth of pork.

Finally, Yu Xiaolian decided to keep the pig legs and make smoked hams, using other parts for sausage stuffing.

A few days later, Li Wenyuan took the startup funds and over fifteen hundred people to Wuyuan Mountain to build a cement plant.

On this side, Yu Xiaolian still had not selected the site for the Red Sausage Factory.

But she couldn’t let these two hundred people journey long distances daily to inquire at the county government. Although Yangcheng County was small, they were all nearby town residents or villagers, making constant travel time-consuming.

Yu Xiaolian was anxious, thinking about solidifying the matters of the Red Sausage Factory as soon as possible.

However, Yangcheng had no suitable place at the moment. At last, Yu Xiaolian set her sights on a plot of land on the outskirts of Yangcheng.

It was actually a piece of saline-alkali land, unfit for growing crops. Naturally, this land didn’t even grow grass, thus bypassing the step of clearing vegetation.

Considering that women had less strength for building factory buildings, Yu Xiaolian spent additional money hiring masons and carpenters. Skilled workers’ wages were slightly higher; each had to be paid forty coins daily.

Yu Xiaolian hired many workers, paying wages daily without delay. The masons worked quickly and earnestly, completing the vast factory building in just over a month.

Although work began late, the progress was faster than that of the cement factory.

Besides factory buildings, the Red Sausage Factory had designated places for smoking sausages and hams and also built a line of dormitories for employees, where each room had a large stove capable of sleeping over ten people.

After all the tools for making red sausage were prepared, the newly constructed stove was dried, and Yu Xiaolian called all female workers to the factory, marking the official start of work.

Of course, the factory also had men, as tasks like slaughtering pigs had to be done by men.

These men were not external hires but long-term workers with death contracts from Su Jingchen’s family.

Besides these long-term workers, Su Jingchen also entrusted Yu Xiaolian with an older accountant named Liu Shuangli, whom Su Dafu trusted.

Yu Xiaolian appointed Liu Shuangli as the steward of the Red Sausage Factory, managing tasks like procuring pigs, balancing accounts, disbursing wages, noting who came, who didn’t, and who needed leave, among other responsibilities.

Yu Xiaolian never thought that two hundred people standing together would occupy quite a space.

Knowing them all and remembering each name would be impossible, but on the first day of the Red Sausage Factory’s official operation, Yu Xiaolian did have words to say.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Sisters, and Brothers, starting today, we will work in this factory. Our factory has a time schedule, working four and a half hours daily. Please arrive at hour of the dragon in the morning to start work, stop to rest and eat at hour of noon, and resume at three quarters hour of noon, working until three quarters hour of the rooster.

After work, those living nearby can return home at their convenience, while those further away may stay here, but you must bring your own bedding from home!

In winter when it’s cold, heat your bed yourselves; the factory will provide firewood. Ensure your room is warm enough and do not freeze!

Regarding meals, we will have two meals a day, one at noon, one in the evening. At noon, each person will receive two steamed buns with unlimited vegetable and egg soup.

In the evening, we will eat vegetable pancakes, each person also getting two pieces, with unlimited vegetable and egg soup. One point I must emphasize is not to secretly take factory items home. I understand taking steamed buns one can’t finish home for the children, but meat and sausages must not be taken secretly. Anyone caught will be treated as guilty of theft.

We are all aware of theft penalties. Those with goods equivalent to five strings of coins (one thousand coins per string) face execution; less than five strings face twenty strokes and three years of labor.

Please conduct yourselves well and do not commit crimes. I’ll assess the situation and improve meals every ten days. If everyone abides by rules and performs well, I might improve meals more frequently!

Apart from these, during holidays, I’ll distribute welfare, possibly in red sausages or silver coins. You’ll get to choose whether to take money or red sausage home to taste. The choice is yours!

Regarding hygiene, we are making red sausages, a food product. We must adhere to hygiene standards so it’s fit for consumption both in distribution and personally.

Hair strands, fingernail clippings mustn’t fall into the meat mixture. In downtime, bathe frequently. If anyone is found too dirty repeatedly without change, I’ll have to let you go home. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

There’s also the issue of tardiness and leaving early: adhere strictly to the schedule arriving for work. Conversely, we won’t delay at quitting time, and if we need to work overtime, you will be compensated additionally.

I’ve drafted factory regulations, posted next to our factory’s bulletin board. Those with questions should ask Steward Liu. In my absence, Steward Liu has authority!" Yu Xiaolian concluded eloquently, feeling parched.

But she feared missing something crucial as this was her first time opening a food factory.

Her previous workshop in Luocheng employed relatives, offering peace of mind. This time, hiring people from various places in Yangcheng, she worried about ill-intentioned individuals among them, risking misfortune if there were problematic ones.

After all, it was a food factory, and poisoning food posed an easy threat. Without monitoring, identifying the poisoner would be near impossible.