Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 427 426 Progress
Wu Haiyang and Tang Zhitong drank and chatted, talking about Tang Zhitong's work and study, but did not mention Wu Haiyang's work.

They also talked about a lot of people they knew in common, and Wu Haiyang mentioned Secretary Huang.

Secretary Huang, Wu Haiyang’s full-time communicator when he was at the construction site last year, has retired.

Wu Haiyang didn't explain the reason, and Tang Zhitong didn't ask. The two of them didn't have much of a relationship.

Tang Zhitong had the impression that Secretary Huang was a cheerful person who liked to eat alone.

Tang Zhitong was not surprised by this, and it might not be a bad thing for Wu Haiyang.

Hanging out with a few close friends, chatting about everything under the sun, expressing one's opinions without regard to personal interests, this is a moment of relaxation that belongs only to men.

There was not much fat in their stomachs, and although white wine has its own energy, after finishing a bottle of white wine, they each drank a bowl of mutton soup and ate a sesame cake.

As expected, the mutton soup and sesame cakes won unanimous praise from Wu Haiyang: "After drinking this, I really miss the big pot dishes you made on the construction site."

"When I have a chance, I'll make it for Brother Yang." Tang Zhitong put down the bowl, breathed a sigh of satisfaction, took out the cigarette box, pinched out a cigarette and put it under his nose. Since Doctor Lu was present, he did not light it.

"Haha, that's great. I'll get you something else." Seeing Tang Zhitong's behavior, Wu Haiyang got up and went to the study, and took out a can of lighter fluid in a short while.

"I don't smoke anymore. You can take it together." Wu Haiyang handed the kerosene to Tang Zhitong.

"Brother Yang, you don't need this. You can keep it. I still have the one you gave me last time." Tang Zhitong declined.

"Just take it if I tell you to. How could I be without it?" Wu Haiyang stuffed it into Tang Zhitong's hand without further ado.

"Hehe, then I have to come often." Seeing Wu Haiyang's determination, Tang Zhitong did not refuse. Although he had never used the lighter much, this thing was something to be prepared for any eventuality, so there was no harm in keeping it.

After seeing the two finished eating, Xiao Wang helped clear the table. The four chatted for a while, then the two stood up to say goodbye and declined Doctor Lu's offer to see them off.

Wu Haiyang sent the two downstairs, patted his younger brother on the shoulder and said with great emotion: "I really wanted to keep you by my side at that time, and I am very lucky that I didn't keep you by my side. Work hard!"

"Hehe, I have to thank Brother Yang for where I am today. If you need anything in the future, I'm always at your disposal. See you later!" Tang Zhitong did not refuse again. He hung the pressure cooker on the handlebars and waved goodbye.

On the way home, Xiao Wang hugged her man's waist, put her feet together, and was so happy that they were almost lifted up.

Be happy for your man and be happy for yourself.

The reason why Xiao Wang is happy for Tang Zhitong is that she understands that many things are not determined by personal will, but are pushed forward by events, and her man's progress may be just around the corner.

She was happy for herself because she had met all of her man's friends, which was a kind of recognition. On this point, Xiao Wang felt that she had not done enough and had not brought him to meet her friends.

Although he had drunk some wine, Tang Zhitong was clear-headed. When Xiao Wang came over in the morning, he just leaned on his back, but now he was hugging his waist, which inevitably attracted more people's strange looks.

Hugging and kissing in the street was certainly inappropriate, so Tang Zhitong sang "The East is Red" loudly.

I didn’t understand it when I was young, but when I got older I realized that the big guys are really amazing.

This song is sung willingly and with deep affection.

After arriving home, Tang Zhitong drank a glass of water. Instead of lying down to rest, he lit the stove in the west wing and planned to boil water for a bath.

The bad thing about burning wood in the stove is that if no one is looking after it, it basically won't last more than an hour and you have to light the fire again when you need it.

Tang Zhitong squatted down and boiled water in an iron pot. He went out and glanced at the south wall. There was no change in the coal.

"Mom, isn't there anyone delivering anything today?" Tang Zhitong asked worriedly, fearing that Zhang Guifang would send the person away.

"Who? What are you sending? Have you made an appointment with someone?" Zhang Guifang was stunned and asked.

"Mom, I bought some coal and they said it would be delivered this afternoon." Student Wang heard the conversation between her mother-in-law and her husband, and hurriedly poked her head out of the side room and replied on behalf of Tang Zhitong.

"Oh, why do you two always think about buying coal? This thing is indispensable." When Zhang Guifang heard that it was her daughter-in-law who went to buy it, she glared at her son and complained, but didn't say anything else.

"Mom, I went back to my parents' home and heard what my mom said. It won't do any harm to prepare some for a while. Please don't tell anyone else about this." Student Wang put the blame on her own mother. The probability of the two mothers meeting each other was very small, so she was not afraid of being exposed.

"Oh, my dear mother-in-law, you are so thoughtful. How much did it cost? I'll give it to you." When Zhang Guifang heard that it was Ye Zhijuan who said this, she immediately stopped objecting and became grateful. What level is she? Would she dare to cheat me? Since she asked me to buy it, it must be for the good of my family. If it wasn't for my daughter-in-law, she might not even bother to raise her eyelids.

"It doesn't matter what the money is. Just consider it as my filial piety to you." Xiao Wang waved her hands repeatedly. The money was originally given by her husband.

Zhang Guifang wanted to say something else when another question came from outside the door: "Excuse me, does Comrade Wang Jingwen live here?"

"Hey, here you are, please come in." Student Xiao Wang hurried over.

As expected, these people came to deliver coal, but they were not the same group as yesterday.

This group of students were quiet and didn't ask many questions. After confirming their seats, they started to work.

Compared with the coal delivered yesterday, there were more pieces of coal today, but Tang Zhitong still accepted it all without saying a word.

If there are residents who really dislike the broken coal after receiving it and ask the coal transporter to compensate for the damage, the coal transporter will definitely not pay compensation.

Not only will they not pay, they will also shout: I'll kill you, you bastard!

Then he went forward to have a friendly exchange of blows with the residents, almost like signing a life and death agreement.

Do you really think the coal transporter is easy to bully?

What's wrong with transporting coal? They are workers after all, and they have a mother, and this mother is the trade union!
Of course, the normal practice of the residents of the old city is to greet the coal transporters warmly and pour them water, and Zhang Guifang is no exception.

A truck of coal weighs several hundred kilograms, and usually there is only one coal transporter, who has to pull and carry the coal, which looks tiring.

People are all kind-hearted. Even if they are transporting honeycomb coal and there are occasional bumps, the residents will be polite to each other. They have all earned their money through hard work, and everyone is considerate of each other. Very few people will deliberately make things difficult for others.

After transporting the coal, Tang Zhitong carried a basket into the main room and said to Zhang Guifang, "Mom, change some coal for the stove and boil some water. We'll take a bath today."

"Okay. Shall we all take a shower?" After the weather turned cold, our family hasn't had a shower for a while. We are used to taking a shower every few days, and if we don't take a shower for a long time, our whole body will feel itchy.

"Wash them all. I'll take out the earthen stove, and we can burn three stoves together to provide supply." Tang Zhitong was full of confidence. There was no shortage of coal or firewood, and with a little help, there would be no big problem.

Since last year, the Tang family has been bathing and washing their hair more frequently, and with the occasional medicine distributed by the street, lice, fleas, and bedbugs have gradually disappeared. Personal hygiene is very important, and Tang Zhitong doesn't want to go back to the old days.

Zhang Guifang and her two daughters washed first, Tang Zhitong was responsible for watching the pot outside, and classmate Xiao Wang was responsible for pouring hot water into it.

Under the supervision of Zhang Guifang, the water was neither too hot nor too cold.

After they finished washing and changed the water, Wang Jingwen and Tang Zhitong took their turns to take a bath.

While the Tang family was taking a bath, students from the Post and Telecommunications College who were participating in social practice were also taking a bath in the bathhouse.

Mentoring and guiding others is a fine tradition. Although the students in Class 593 did not work for many days, they have been leading other classes in labor since yesterday.

The college only gives each student a few bath tickets every month. If you want to take more baths, there is no way. Even if you pay, you can't get in. So even though the female students are a little tired after a busy day, they are still very happy.

The boys' bathhouse was more lively. A bunch of young men full of vigor and vitality first took a shower, then threw themselves into the bathhouse to soak comfortably for a while, and finally rubbed each other's backs to wash away the day's fatigue.

After taking a shower, everyone went back to the dormitory in groups of three or four.

Lu Jian had been working for two days and was already a little tired. He regretted not choosing to "give the opportunity to someone who needs it more" like Tang Zhitong did. But things had come to this point and there was no reason to give up halfway, so he could only grit his teeth and persevere.

Today, as an experienced worker, Lu Jian was assigned an assistant from another class by the college. The young man was very enthusiastic, but lacked a little in social skills.

"Brother, I was reading the newspaper yesterday and was deeply touched by the report about the servicemen. I also want to be a serviceman. What do you think about me not charging for this internship?" Ever since the young man started following Lu Jian, he has been calling him brother all the time. If you don't know him, you might think they are brothers.

"Did you figure it out yourself?" Lu Jian strolled slowly, falling behind the others. This young man was not just talking big. Today, when he saw him smoking, he actually bought him a pack of cigarettes when passing by the joint venture store.

Hardman, Class B cigarette, red label, looks the same color as Huazi.

"Well, brother, do you think it's okay?" The young man was eagerly waiting for Lu Jian's reply.

"Hey, why are you doing this?" Lu Jian looked the young man up and down. He came from the countryside and his clothes were patched up. From the outside, his family was similar to Gu Mancang's.

"I can't hide it from you, I want to make progress." The young man said it frankly and sincerely.

"Hey, the cigarettes you picked up are so hot." Lu Jian took out the box of cigarettes, but instead of returning it to the young man, he took one out and lit it.

We are all classmates from the same school, and it would be a bit embarrassing to give him this kind of advice. This kind of person might even offend him, so it is better to give him some advice and buy out the "friendship" of this box of cigarettes.

After taking a sip, Lu Jian slowly spoke: "If you don't take it, the teacher in charge of distributing the wages for this social practice will probably praise you for being conscious. Do you want to leave a good impression?"

"Yeah." The young man nodded and admitted it without any concealment.

"Then have you ever thought about this? The wages are settled between the college and the coal yard. If you don't accept it, you have to pay it back to the coal yard, right?" Lu Jian flicked the ash off his cigarette and took another puff. "For this one or two dollars, the teacher has to make another trip, right?"

"It's no big deal to make a trip, maybe it's on your way. Have you ever thought about how the coal yard will account for the money?" Although Lu Jian knew that this situation would most likely go into someone's pocket quietly at some point, he couldn't talk about it, otherwise it would become slander.

The young man was stunned after hearing this. His parents taught him to be nice to others, be sweet-spoken and be diligent at home, but they didn't teach him these things.

"If you don't take it, it will be difficult for other students to take it either. If you don't take it, what do you think they will think? How will they treat you in the future?" Lu Jian did not stop and continued.

The bathhouse was not far from the third dormitory. When they reached the dormitory door, Lu Jian took another puff, stood still, flicked the cigarette butt out, patted the young man on the shoulder, and said earnestly: "Think more about things, it's best not to just move yourself, and don't just show off yourself."

As for whether it is considered to cause trouble to everyone, that is something the young man has to figure out and make his own choice. Lu Jian would never say such things. It's just a box of cigarettes.

Then, without waiting for the young man to reply, Lu Jian entered the dormitory and left the young man thinking at the door.

The reason why Lu Jian accepted this box of cigarettes was related to his previous experience.

The brand of Hademen cigarettes is not a new one. Like Daqianmen, its name originated from Chongwenmen and Zhengyangmen in the old city.

When Lu Jian was young, he saw an advertisement for Hardman cigarettes and heard some old smokers saying dirty words while looking at the characters in the advertisements. But he didn't understand at the time and only wanted to follow the smokers to ask for a Hardman cigarette card.

Cigarette card, colorful, but not every cigarette box has it, you have to rely on luck to get one. It’s very face-saving to get it in front of your friends.

After growing up and experiencing the world, Lu Jian finally realized that cigarette cards were nothing. The jokes told by old smokers and the slogans in advertisements were the fun for adults.

"After sucking it all, he's still the best." The beautiful lady dressed in rouge, powder and lipstick, is only at this level, wow~~~
The young man and Lu Jian were not in the same dormitory building. He stood at the door of the third boys' dormitory and thought it through before walking towards his own dormitory.

A box of Hardman is not cheap, but the young man does not think that he has lost money. On the contrary, he thinks that he has made money. If no one points out many things, the parties involved will remain in the dark until they suffer losses...

As soon as Lu Jian entered dormitory 219, he took out the Hardman and shared it with several other big smokers who were on training.

"Wow, dormitory leader, these cigarettes are good. They will improve everyone's life." Dou Yongchang pinched one, put it in his mouth, and joked.

"It's one dollar a day. You've made money now. You can improve your lifestyle. You've always eaten coarse grains, but today you can eat fine grains." Lu Jian also responded jokingly.

There are eight students in dormitory 219, from Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Hebei, and Henan. Gu Mancang's hometown was the first to be nervous, followed by Hebei, Shanxi, and Tianjin. Now even Beijing is not well off.

Gu Mancang and Lu Shi live frugally and send part of their subsidies back home. The same is true for other trainees, who keep most of their wages for family expenses.

There are already signs of tobacco shortage in the inner city, and other places will be no exception. This has been confirmed through letters.

Dou Yongchang was one step ahead of everyone else. He bought some tobacco leaves and rolled his own cigarettes using corrected homework papers, with the main goal of saving money.

Tobacco leaves are much cheaper than boxes of cigarettes. Occasionally, when people ran out of food, they would get some of Dou Yongchang's tobacco leaves to satisfy their cravings, so there was a saying of "improving life".

Although it is difficult, no one has the intention to quit smoking.

Although smoking is harmful to health, it is not without its merits.

Dormitory 219 was filled with smoke all day long. In addition to feeding Gu Mancang and Lu Shi secondhand smoke, some of the little ones couldn't stand the smell and chose to run to other dormitories.

There are no mosquitoes, fleas, lice, bedbugs, cockroaches or anything like that in Dormitory 219.

If the student union were to check dormitory hygiene these days, Dormitory 219 would definitely be the model dormitory for hygiene, the kind that once the mobile red flag is awarded, you can never think of taking it off.

(End of this chapter)