Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 683 Chapter 682
Because its call is relatively rough, people often call it "old crow".

People do not have a good impression of crows. There is even a saying: When crows crow, others will die.

Although Tang Zhitong has a cheat, Crow is not his first choice.

Firstly, it was because it was unlucky, and secondly, it was said that crow meat was sour. Luo Qingquan had helped him a lot, so he couldn't just use sour meat to fool people, right?

Compared with crows, the people of the old city prefer gray magpies. There is also a saying: When the magpie calls, good things are coming.

Whenever an old friend or a distinguished person comes to visit, the host usually starts the conversation like this: Hey, what brings you here? No wonder the magpie outside the window keeps chirping early in the morning.

Tang Zhitong also did not choose magpies. It was a good choice, but it was said that magpie meat was more unpalatable than crow meat and it was smelly.

Tang Zhitong had no idea whether these rumors were true or not, and he was unwilling to try. He was not that curious. His target was pigeons or pheasants.

However, there are fewer pigeons over the city recently.

In previous years, you could hear pigeon whistles in the air from time to time, but this year there are obviously fewer of them. Perhaps it is because many pigeon breeders have not released their pigeons recently in order to avoid having their pigeons hit by others.

From the Beijing Library to the Post and Telecommunications University, Tang Zhitong saw a few pigeons but did not take out his slingshot.

This is a residential area. If you miss the target, the bullet could easily nick someone's tiles or glass, and you'd be scolded.

As for cheats, Tang Zhitong plans to use them as little as possible in this matter, and not compete with the public for the meat. Everyone eats the meat based on their own abilities. The things that he had previously taken into the space are another matter, those are all his, and he can fight however he wants.

Since he didn't have to take a detour to send his two younger sisters, Tang Zhitong arrived at school early today, and his voluntary barber stall had not yet been closed.

After practicing for a period of time, Gu Mancang and Lu Shi's barbering skills have improved day by day. The two brothers take turns to run the stall to save time for learning. Today it is Gu Mancang's turn.

Although there is a barber shop on campus and college students have scholarships, college students these days generally have a strong sense of family responsibility. Except for a few from wealthy families, most students from working-class and peasant families will save money and send it home. That’s why many people come to Gu Mancang and Lu Shi to get a haircut. After all, it’s free and it smells great!
The school turned a blind eye to the brothers' behavior, and the barber shop outside had no objection either. Even if the brothers cut twenty hairs a day, it would not affect them. What's more, they couldn't cut twenty hairs.

Speaking of which, the sponsored students in dormitory 219 are quite supportive of Gu Mancang, because his family financial situation is the most difficult in the dormitory.

In order to support Gu Mancang, Lu Jian and Dou Yongchang invested in the purchase of razors, whetstones, and cowhide, and asked Gu Mancang to shave their brothers every now and then, and everyone gave him one dollar per month.

The price is not expensive, but it is stable and will not delay Gu Mancang for too long. The brothers can also save money on razor blades, so it is a win-win situation.

Gu Mancang was a studious man. In order to master the technique of shaving, he shamelessly went to various barber shops nearby to learn the skills under the pretext of getting a haircut.

Whenever it was almost his turn, he would run away saying he forgot to bring money.

After visiting several barbershops, I first tried the razor on my own chin, then on a classmate who came for a free haircut, and finally on my roommate in Room 219.

I tried my hand at it on a classmate who came for a free haircut. I didn't shave his beard, but shaved the hair on the back of his neck.

Due to the limitations of hairdressing equipment, it is impossible to cut off all the hair at the back of the neck. Many students raised this issue in the early stages, and this time their wish was fulfilled.

Tang Zhitong came to the men's dormitory but did not go upstairs. Instead, he watched Gu Mancang cutting hair in the lobby of the dormitory building.

Those who can come here for free have already prepared themselves mentally and don’t have too many requirements for their hairstyle, otherwise they would have gone to a barber shop outside the school long ago.

Gu Mancang knew this very well. He tied an old cloth apron around his waist and moved his hair vigorously and quickly. He could finish one in a short while.

After cutting the hair, Gu Mancang picked up the razor and rubbed it on the leather belt, and gave the customer an instruction: "Lower your head."

Tang Zhitong saw him holding the knife at a certain angle to the skin. His hand was very steady. With a few slight "snapping" sounds, the hair at the bottom of the neck fell off.

Next, Gu Mancang dipped some talcum powder on the brush and gently patted it on the back of the customer's neck, sweeping it left and right, trying to remove as much loose hair as possible.

Finally, she untied her scarf, shook the loose hair off and dropped it into the corner, and said to the customer with a smile, "Look, classmate. Are you satisfied?"

"Satisfied, satisfied, thank you!" There was a mirror in the hall. The student who was cutting the hair looked at himself, then lowered his head and brushed away the scattered hair on Gu Mancang's head a few times, trying to remove as much of the scattered hair as possible.

"Classmate... Hey, Teacher Tang." In order to improve the efficiency of haircutting, Gu Mancang was very focused on his work. He thought Tang Zhitong was a classmate waiting for a haircut. He was holding a big scarf in his hand and wanted to ask for a haircut, only to find out that it was Tang Zhitong when he wanted to ask for a haircut.

"Mancang, your skills are pretty good. This classmate looks much more energetic after having his hair cut." Tang Zhitong nodded to the classmate next to him who had just had his hair cut, and both of them grinned with joy.

"Teacher Tang, you go up first, I'll tidy it up first." Gu Mancang took a look at Tang Zhitong's hair, it was not yet time to cut it.

Gu Mancang had never cut Tang Zhitong's hair before because he was not confident in his skills. But now, he felt that he could give it a try, and he would definitely be more careful because he really had nothing to show for his gratitude for Tang Zhitong's help.

"My hair on the back of my neck is a little long. Can you shave it for me?" Tang Zhitong touched the back of his neck. He could tolerate the hair on his head being a little longer, but he couldn't stand the hair on the back of his neck being too long.

The hair on the back of the neck is stuck at the collar position. Once it grows longer, it is easy for the hair to get stuck in the gap, which will hurt when you turn your head and make you uncomfortable.

"Okay!" Seeing that Tang Zhitong had a need, Gu Mancang immediately became energetic. He didn't even take off the old apron around his waist. He shook the apron vigorously with both hands, for fear that the broken hair on it would stick to Tang Zhitong.

Gu Mancang was very careful. He did not use a razor right away. Instead, he used a clipper to trim the hair at the back of Tang Zhitong first, giving the hairstyle a natural transition.

Tang Zhitong lowered his head and let Gu Mancang do what he wanted, but he was not idle. He asked a question: "Mancang, there is a person who is very stubborn. Do you know who he will follow orders to the letter?"

"Teacher, right?" Gu Mancang said as he trimmed Tang Zhitong's hair.

"No, the teacher doesn't allow me to skip classes. How many classes have I skipped?"

"Is that a doctor?" Gu Mancang continued to guess.

"Not really. There are so many patients who don't listen to doctors' orders." Tang Zhitong denied Gu Mancang. Maybe more people listen to doctors now, but in a few decades, there will be patients who find ways to play tricks on doctors and even use leave requests.

"Who is that? Teacher Tang, lower your head." Gu Mancang put down the clipper, picked up the razor, and prepared to shave. "Barber. You see, if you tell me to lower my head, I have to lower my head. It's more effective than what the teacher says." Tang Zhitong lowered his head obediently and said.

"Hehe, it's true." Gu Mancang didn't expect Tang Zhitong to find different ways to praise his voluntary labor profession, so he laughed.

"Teacher Tang, the class monitor came over early this morning and asked me if I had seen you." After laughing, Gu Mancang remembered what happened in the morning and mentioned it to Tang Zhitong.

"Really? I'll ask him later." Tang Zhitong was stunned. Why did Luo Zhiping ask him? He was going home on Sunday. Could it be that Su Qingxiang was so quick?
Gu Mancang was not a talkative person, so he didn't say anything after saying this. However, he was very careful when tidying up Tang Zhitong's hair after shaving. Tang Zhitong could feel the talcum powder applied three times even though his back was facing away. "Teacher Tang, it's done."

"Your skills are really good. If you are not satisfied with your income in the future, you can work as a barber part-time." After cutting his hair, Tang Zhitong turned sideways to the mirror, glanced at the back of his head with his peripheral vision, and was very satisfied.

"Hehe, my father said that having many skills is always a waste." The class was about to begin, and Gu Mancang smiled innocently while tidying up his stall with swift hands and feet.

The hairdressing tools were stuffed directly under the stairs in the hall. Tang Zhitong had already taken care of this for the two brothers and had given cigarettes to the dormitory manager in private.

When the two returned to the dormitory together, Tang Zhitong was pestered by Luo Zhiping. It can't be said that he was inseparable, but he was always by his side. However, he didn't say a word.

As soon as Tang Zhitong saw Luo Zhiping's condition, he felt that his guess was almost right. Was he going to hold him accountable?

After saying hello to a few roommates, Tang Zhitong put the lunch he brought into the closet. As the weather was getting warmer, there was no need to put it on the radiator.

On the way to the teaching building, Tang Zhitong deliberately distanced himself from his roommates and fell behind, and so did Luo Zhiping.

"Teacher Tang, did you tell my uncle about what happened between me and Lu Yan?" Luo Zhiping asked after he had distanced himself from his roommate.

"Yes." Tang Zhitong admitted it readily. Su Qingxiang had asked him to take care of Luo Zhiping if there was anything. Even though he and he were roommates and he could help him with school matters, when it came to matters of the heart, it was for his own good that he stood on Su Qingxiang's side.

"Oh, my good teacher Tang, why are you complaining to me?" Luo Zhiping didn't expect Tang Zhitong to admit it so readily. He felt dissatisfied but couldn't express it.

"Hey~ This is not right, right? I praised you a lot at that time, saying that you are responsible, accountable, diligent and hardworking for the class. I also said that you have been very enthusiastic about helping female classmates get meals recently. This doesn't count as complaining, right?" Tang Zhitong scratched his head. He didn't lie. He just changed the order of what he said to Su Qingxiang.

As for the suspicion that he had tasted meat, Tang Zhitong never mentioned it, because at that time he only gave Su Qingxiang a hint, and did not say that the relationship between Luo and Lu had deepened to the point where it was very likely to create a new life. After all, there was no real evidence, it was just his own guess.

"Ah? That's it?" This time it was Luo Zhiping's turn to be dumbfounded.

"That's it, what else?" Tang Zhitong spoke righteously and glanced at Luo Zhiping. This silly boy must have been tricked by Su Qingxiang.

"Then I wronged you." Luo Zhiping saw that what Tang Zhitong said was true, and said with a guilty look on his face.

"It's okay, it's just a misunderstanding. It will be fine once it's talked about." Tang Zhitong is very "magnanimous". He is betting that Luo Zhiping will not review the entire process of communication between him and Su Qingxiang with his uncle, and that Su Qingxiang will not sell himself out completely in front of Luo Zhiping on this matter.

"Oh!" Luo Zhiping's face was full of worry. The misunderstanding between him and Tang Zhitong was resolved, but his own affairs were not yet dealt with.

"Why are you sighing at such a young age? Be more energetic. You will have a bright future ahead of you and our motherland is waiting for us to build it." Tang Zhitong said this as he took out a cigarette from his pocket and gave one to Luo Zhiping. Cigarettes and alcohol can relieve all worries. Since he didn't have any alcohol on hand, he could use a cigarette to relieve his worries.

"When I went home yesterday, my uncle gave me a lecture." Luo Zhiping stopped, lit a cigarette and took a puff, with no intention of going to class.

"Director Su is doing this for your own good." Tang Zhitong could only stay by his side and be a qualified listener.

"Hmph, for my own good, he advised me to focus on my studies, saying that we shouldn't hinder each other's future. He also said that we would go our separate ways after the work was assigned, and we would be far apart in the future and wouldn't be able to be transferred together, so it's better to suffer a short pain than a long one. He just didn't think highly of us." Luo Zhiping was furious and felt very upset.

"Ah? Just that? Nothing else?" Tang Zhitong scratched his head. What Su Qingxiang said made sense, but he was beating around the bush. Was he trying to make them break up?
I did remind Su Qingxiang, but I didn't mean to let the two break up. I just wanted Su Qingxiang to remind Luo Zhiping not to kill anyone!

As a person who has experienced this, doesn't Su Qingxiang understand the impulsiveness and stubbornness of young people? This shouldn't be the case! It's unacceptable.

"Finally, let me communicate with you more and tell you that we young people have a common language." Luo Zhiping said sullenly.

"Huh?!!!" What a common language! Tang Zhitong's eyes darkened. I'm going to stab you, Su Qingxiang, you have such a trick up your sleeve, it's not fair!
Old fox, you are too embarrassed to point out that layer of window paper, so you let me point it out, right? Do I have the nerve to say it?

Tang Zhitong wanted to slap himself twice at this moment. Why did he give Luo Zhiping cigarettes?!
"Teacher Tang, what do you think I should do?" Luo Zhiping took a deep breath, smoke coming out of his nostrils.

Tang Zhitong could tell from Luo Zhiping's oral communication that he was unwilling to break up with Lu Yan, so he decided to encourage him: "Follow your inner thoughts and do things that you will regret if you don't do them now."

At this moment, it no longer matters what Su Qingxiang thinks of his encouragement to Luo Zhiping. Let's put that aside for now.

As the saying goes, "It is better to destroy ten temples than to break up a marriage."

Tang Zhitong knew Lu Yan's personality. If he lost his food coupons, he would be as upset as if the sky had fallen. If he lost his food coupons, wouldn't he jump off the building?!

By then, not to mention Luo Zhiping, I'm afraid the whole school will have to suffer.

As for advising the two young people to be careful about successfully conceiving a child, Tang Zhitong did not even mention it.

It is true that I am the living committee member, but the deep physical and mental exchanges between men and women are minefields. As long as the parties involved do not take the initiative to say it, it is difficult for others to find out.

If you don't handle it properly, you will become a hooligan.

Tang Zhitong felt that even if Luo Zhiping didn't mind, his persuasion might not be effective.

College students have the most open minds. Didn't many people crawl into the wild grass when we went to the Old Summer Palace two years ago? Didn't my classmate Xiao Wang and I also run more than 20 miles to crawl into the woods?

It's not easy to control a fire that's burning like dry wood.

As someone who has experienced this, Tang Zhitong knows that only when one hits his head against a wall and feels the pain and suffering deeply, will one repent.

In the eyes of young people, the earnest advice of others is nothing but unwanted nagging. In their hearts, those experiences are worthless. Instead, they will think: ┗|｀O′|┛Oh~~So you did the same thing in the past!

(End of this chapter)