Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 823 822 Half a Day of Leisure

“Come back! You’re so impulsive. Do you think you can get real grain coupons back by going there?” Tong Wang beckoned and called his son back.

When his father asked, Tong Xiangsong was speechless for a moment, and stammered, "At least we can get the money back, right?"

“If you return the money, you still won’t have any grain coupons, right?” Tong Wang picked up the fake grain coupons on the table, stacked them into a pile, shook them in his hand, and said, “At least try it first. If you can’t spend them, it’s not too late to return the money.”

Tong Wang didn't care about money; grain coupons were something that money couldn't buy these days.

As for where to spend these fake grain coupons, Tong Wang had already made up his mind.

You can't go to the grain store because they have "sample tickets" there. These sample tickets are actually grain tickets, but they have the words "sample ticket" on them.

The sample coupons were distributed to grain stores by the invoicing agency on a regular basis so that grain store employees could learn to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit grain coupons.

Grain coupon workers deal with grain coupons every day, so their ability to distinguish them is better than that of ordinary people, and Tong Wang is unwilling to take the risk.

There are many other places where grain coupons are used.

Although there has been no official notice from above stating that food coupons are required to eat at restaurants, most restaurants currently do accept them. The very few that don't might be certain entertainment venues, but those venues have nothing to do with the Tong family.

Choosing a restaurant is also an art. First, you shouldn't go to places where the cashier's hands are wet, such as steamed bun shops or mantou shops. The salesperson in these places usually also works as the cashier, and if their hands are even a little wet, the fake food coupons will be exposed.

Restaurants selling fried dough sticks and fried dough rings, especially larger ones, don't face the risk of being exposed, and that's what Tong Wang is targeting.

"Then...where should we spend the money? What if we get caught?" Tong Xiangsong didn't have many worries in his mind; he was just waiting for his father's instructions.

"Don't worry about it, I'll handle it." The only downside to using food coupons at restaurants is that you have to get up early to queue, but Tong Wang is getting old and doesn't need much sleep. Plus, it's not winter, so queuing early isn't too cold, and he can barely accept it.

Tong Wang didn't plan to spend the money in his own neighborhood. To be on the safe side, he would have to go at least two blocks away. If he was caught, he could just say he found it on the street. By the way, before using the fake grain coupons, he had to crumple them up a bit.

Tong Wang believed he had thought things through very thoroughly, and he was looking forward to spending the grain coupons.

After the black market was shut down, the Tong family lost their source of extra grain coupons. Merchants would occasionally come to deliver a chicken or something. As for red meat, Tong Wang only wanted whole pieces and refused any small ones, for fear of buying a "long-tailed rabbit".

These days, Tong Wang still goes to the Bell Tower to wait for Tang Zhitong, but he spends less and less time there. Most of the time, he sits at the gate for a while after get off work and goes home when the sun is about to set.

…………

Tang Zhitong worked all day and finally finished writing the draft of the proposal.

I deliberately stayed a little later on my way home because I promised my classmate Xiao Wang yesterday that I would pick mulberries, and I had to keep my promise today.

Whether there are mulberries on the mulberry trees outside the escort office or not is not important. What is important is that there are still some mulberries lying in Tang Zhitong's space, which is enough to satisfy his needs.

At this time of year in previous years, vendors would already be pushing carts or carrying bamboo baskets, selling mulberries and cherries from street to street, but Tang Zhitong hasn't seen any this year.

The vendors don't use scales to sell cherries and mulberries; instead, they use teacups as measuring tools. They price each cup and then measure it out and often put it in walnut leaves or lotus leaves.

Tang Zhitong didn't have lotus leaves, so he still used his lunchbox directly. He didn't care if it was dyed; after all, he was using the lunchbox himself and didn't mind.

When they got home, Xiao Wang saw the mulberries her husband had brought back, and her dimples appeared on her face. She didn't look away from the smile until she finished eating and returned to her room.

"Teacher Wang, the organization has an important task for you." Tang Zhitong put down her bag, took out the proposal she had finished writing that day, and handed it to Xiao Wang with both hands: "You can't just eat mulberries for nothing, you have to help me check it carefully."

"Hmph, if you don't pick mulberries, am I not going to help you check? Don't go picking them anymore. You're a grown man, if you tear your pants, how will you get back?" Little Wang joked as he took the proposal.

"I am capable of capturing dragons above and subduing tigers below. A mere mulberry is nothing to me. I would never do anything that would make others feel ashamed, inferior, or forced to admit defeat!" Tang Zhitong said meaningfully.

"Pah, shameless." Little Wang understood; wasn't he just bragging about his own size?

After spitting on her husband, Xiao Wang focused intently on her work, checking for errors in the proposal, including but not limited to formatting, wording, and typos. Tang Zhitong, on the other hand, leisurely picked up a book that Xiao Wang had placed on the desk and began to read it.

The book is "Water Margin". Many years ago, it was translated into English by a foreign author and called "All Men Are Brothers". Chinese literati are romantic, so they translated it again as "All men are brothers within the four seas".

As for the so-called "The Fantastic Story of 105 Men and 3 Women," that's pure nonsense. The novel *Water Margin* was never translated into that version.

The copy of "Water Margin" was borrowed by Xiao Wang from the National Library of China. Tang Zhitong couldn't tell which dynasty it was from either, but judging from the yellowed pages, it was definitely quite old.

These days, a copy of "Water Margin" like the one in my hand is common and not particularly valuable; it's sold in many secondhand bookstores and stalls.

The majority of secondhand bookstores are located in Liulichang and Longfusi, such as Lai Xun Ge, Sui Ya Zhai, Fujin Bookstore, and Song Jun Ge in Liulichang; and Dong Ya Tang, Wen Kui Tang, and Daya Tang in Longfusi.

There are also scattered shops in other places, such as Zhongyuan Bookstore, Chunming Bookstore, and Wuzhou Bookstore in Dong'an Market; and Wenguang Bookstore in Xidan Shopping Mall.

There were also many individual stalls in Dongsi and Quanyechang. As long as they paid their taxes on time, no one cared about the scrap metal they sold.

As for the antique shop, let's not even talk about whether these old books are qualified to be sold there. It was only established this month on Liulichang Cultural Street.

Those time travelers who come to this era hoping to find a bargain should take note, lest they make a wasted trip.

The old book was written in a mix of classical and vernacular Chinese, and contained many traditional Chinese characters, but Tang Zhitong found it easy to read.

Given the orderly transmission of Chinese characters, this situation will still exist even after the millennium when simplified characters have become widespread. Many people can read the characters accurately even if they cannot write traditional characters.

"Where are you looking?" After helping her husband revise the proposal, Xiao Wang noticed that he was leaning back in his chair with his socked feet propped up on the desk. The posture was incredibly unseemly, but he seemed quite comfortable.

"We've seen Song Jiang kill Yan Poxi in a fit of rage, but Jinlian hasn't even appeared yet." Tang Zhitong put the book on her lap and turned to look at her classmate, Xiao Wang.

"Pah! All you do is look at those unclean things. Learn from her how generous and loyal she is." Little Wang knows about Pan Jinlian; she's not only in "Water Margin" but also in "Jin Ping Mei."

"Bah! Song Jiang is a typical traitor, a petty person who will stop at nothing to achieve his personal goals."

Chao Gai treated him well, didn't he? He gave him ten taels of silver right away, yet he gradually betrayed and killed Chao Gai. And then there was the attack on the Zhu Family Village; not only did he loot the village and kill Hu Sanniang's family, but he also forced Hu Sanniang to marry a short, ugly man—wasn't that just setting up a messy marriage?

He constantly proclaims that he is "acting on behalf of Heaven," but in secret he has harmed countless people, and he has hardly shared any of the gold and silver he stole with his fellow villagers.

Later, he even used the heads of his brothers as a pledge of loyalty to gain high-ranking official positions and generous salaries.

I have no respect for that kind of person. If I were writing it, I'd kill off Song Jiang in the very first chapter, and then it would connect to *Jin Ping Mei* later on.

Although Tang Zhitong didn't finish reading Water Margin this time, he had not only read the book but also watched the TV series before.

When I was a kid, I read it as a light novel, but as I grew older, I realized that Song Jiang was a really scoundrel. As for the "Timely Rain" character, I just laughed it off. He was just a local gangster's protector, and he took a lot of dirty money. The money he gave away wasn't clean money at all; it was just for building relationships.

"Pah! If you link it to 'Jin Ping Mei,' how can there be the Four Great Classical Novels?" Seeing her husband waving his hand too much and the chair tilting back, Xiao Wang was a little worried, so she went over to support him, afraid that he might fall to the ground in his excitement.

"I don't think so. This thing looks pretty awful." Tang Zhitong put his feet down, holding the book. It wasn't just Water Margin that was awful; Journey to the West was awful too, especially that Tang Sanzang whom everyone wanted a piece of. What was wrong with the Women's Kingdom? Why did he have to go on a pilgrimage? Getting rid of his disciples and living a carefree life with the Queen of the Women's Kingdom would be the greatest happiness in life.

"I haven't finished watching it yet. Is it really as scary as you say?" Xiao Wang asked skeptically.

"Water Margin is a very successful negative example. You'll understand once you finish reading it. Song Jiang is a black-hearted man." Tang Zhitong simply closed the book. Nowadays, many people know about Journey to the West and Water Margin, but the information they receive is mostly fragmented. Firstly, there are many illiterate people and books are not widely available. Secondly, radios do not currently have storytelling programs, so the sources of information are limited.

As one of the Four Great Classical Novels, the printing of these novels has not stopped in recent years, but there has been no surge in publication. After the wind blows, there will be a brief ban, and then the books will be reopened and reprinted.

“Now that you mention it, I’m even more eager to read it. I’ve finished revising the proposal, you can take a look at it, I’ll read for a while.” As she spoke, Ms. Wang nudged her husband to the side, making room for him to sit down.

"Don't rush the proposal, we can revise it tomorrow. Teacher Wang, you've worked hard. Let me tell you a riddle, let's clear our heads and rest." Tang Zhitong turned around and pressed Xiao Wang back into his seat.

"The story goes that a little white rabbit got lost in the forest. It met a little black rabbit and asked, 'How can I get out of this forest?' The little black rabbit said, 'Let me have some fun, and I'll tell you.'" Tang Zhitong told the story while massaging Xiao Wang's neck to relax it.

"Hey, what kind of riddles are you spouting? You're being ridiculous!" Little Wang spat, clearly not wanting to listen.

"Don't rush, listen carefully, the problem is yet to come." Tang Zhitong remained unmoved and continued, "The little white rabbit continued to walk in the direction the little black rabbit pointed out, but unfortunately, it got lost again. However, it met the little gray rabbit again and asked the little gray rabbit the same question: How should I get out of this forest?"

The little gray rabbit said: "If you make me happy, I'll tell you."

"Afterwards, the little white rabbit finally walked out of the forest following the direction pointed out by the little gray rabbit."

"Soon after, the little white rabbit gave birth to a baby rabbit. So the question is, what color is this baby rabbit?"

"Black?" Xiao Wang listened attentively and thought for a moment before answering.

“No, keep guessing.” Tang Zhitong shook his head.

"That...gray?"

"That's not right either." Tang Zhitong shook his head again.

"White?"

"Still not right." Tang Zhitong continued to shake his head.

"It can't be a pattern, can it?" Little Wang couldn't think of an answer.

"No, do you want to know?" Tang Zhitong asked, suppressing a laugh.

"Yes," Xiao Wang nodded.

"Hehe, let me have some fun, and I'll tell you." This time, Tang Zhitong burst out laughing...

Tuesday, May 5th.

Tang Zhitong was so busy having fun last night that he didn't have time to look at the proposal. As soon as he got to work today, he worked overtime to copy the revised version by Xiao Wang.

After having lunch at the escort office, Tang Zhitong rode her bicycle to the Women's Federation.

This is my first proposal. Not only do I and my classmate Xiao Wang take it seriously, but Ye Zhijuan also takes it very seriously. When we talked about it the day before yesterday, Director Ye asked her son-in-law to give her the draft after he finished it so she could go through it again.

Tang Zhitong wished he had a wise mentor to guide him, and gladly accepted Director Ye's kind offer.

On her way to the Women's Federation, Tang Zhitong heard the long-lost sound of pigeon whistles.

In the past, people in Beijing spent the whole year surrounded by three sounds: hawking, camel bells, and pigeon whistles.

The hawking cries of the old city of Beijing are somewhat baffling, not only because of their varied and winding tones, but also because of their unique content.

For example, in previous years, when vendors sold cherries and mulberries at this time, they would often shout, "Cherries are better than plums! Cherries, extra for you!" The inverted word order not only highlighted the name and characteristics of the product being sold, but also emphasized "extra for you," giving people a feeling that it was cheap.

The sound of camel bells has disappeared for many years, but the sound of pigeon whistles has not stopped, just much less.

As everyone knows, there are no roads in Beijing, only tunnels. Pigeon whistles are a unique local specialty of Beijingers, and they probably won't have as many fans outside of Beijing.

The "Records of Pigeon Breeding in the Capital" states: "The wealthy tie more than ten whistles to a single pigeon, and when it flies, the sound is like layers of clouds and waves." A pigeon and a string of whistles became a symbol of status and taste.

Master Jing has taken pigeon whistles to a whole new level, creating all sorts of them: tubes, triple whistles, five-string whistles, seven-star whistles, nine-star whistles, eleven-star whistles, thirteen-eye whistles, three-row whistles, five-row whistles, whistles with stars surrounding the moon, whistles from Yingzhou, and mother-and-child whistles. The variety is as extensive as the knowledge of "Old Man Red".

Pigeon whistles are sewn onto the tail feathers of pigeons. When the pigeons take flight, the wind causes the whistles to make a "clanging" sound, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes near, sometimes far, and sometimes melodious.

If this were heard by the Manchu bannermen, it would be considered the highest sacred sound, and they would praise it as "exquisite".

Tang Zhitong, being a non-native Beijing resident who never travels the streets, only found pigeon whistles noisy. To him, the only use of pigeon whistles was to distinguish whether the pigeons flying in the sky were domesticated or wild pigeons or doves.

(End of this chapter)