Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 881 880 You have to sit in the back row to watch a movie

Tang Zhitong accepted the task given to him by Ruan Yan, but did not immediately go to find Yan Xiongfei.

With summer vacation just around the corner, final exams are an unavoidable hurdle. Tang Zhitong plans to deal with them after the exams, since winter is still a long way off and a few more days won't make a difference.

The department has suspended classes for the final exams. The bell is still ringing, but it's mainly used to remind students of the time.

Getting into university these days isn't easy. Plus, there are no internet cafes, novel shops, or arcades outside, so most university students stay in the classroom and study their weak areas in order to get high scores on exams.

Even Lu Yan, who had recently undergone surgery, appeared in the classroom.

Tang Zhitong noticed that her complexion looked quite good, indicating that she had recovered well.

Luo Zhiping sat in the back row whispering with several other sponsored students from class 219, discussing how to make good eyesight play a more important role in the exam.

Tang Zhitong overheard a bit of their conversation. The guys had thought things through very thoroughly; they had even considered the angle from which sunlight would enter the classroom during the exam and whether it would cause reflections.

Everyone is trying their best to pass the final exams in their own way.

After two classes, Wei Zhizhen and Gongsun Tai from the security department approached Tang Zhitong again: "Comrade Tang, there's something we need to discuss with you."

"Section Chief Gongsun, please speak."

"It's about the case from a couple of days ago. The canteen waiter confessed later, admitting that the three jin of grain coupons were a frame-up against you."

According to our investigation, the young man came from a poor peasant family and was usually quite honest. This time, he was so hungry that he couldn't stand it anymore, but he only stole one steamed bun.

If we were to take any action against him, this matter would have to be reported. Considering that it wouldn't look good if word got out that a college employee was stealing food because he was hungry, the logistics department was thinking of trying to get him lenient treatment.

You are the person he framed; we need to consult your opinion on this matter.

Gongsun Tai adopted a businesslike demeanor, and after finishing speaking, he waited for Tang Zhitong to continue.

Tang Zhitong did not answer immediately, but looked at Wei Zhizhen beside him.

"He also made contributions in confessing Huang's crimes, and besides, the small kitchen is short-handed." Wei Zhizhen nodded, confirming that this was indeed the case.

"Then let's treat it leniently, I have no objection." Tang Zhitong knew that he benefited from his status as a representative of Beijing, otherwise he would never have been consulted on such a matter.

Firstly, he had not suffered any substantial harm, and secondly, Tang Zhitong was worried that making a big deal out of a steamed bun and labeling the poor peasants as "a bloody incident caused by a steamed bun" would be exposed later, so he simply agreed to the college's handling plan.

"Then I'll bring Xiao Song over to apologize to you," Gongsun Tai suggested when Tang Zhitong agreed.

"No need, it's not a big deal. Just let him focus on his work and make sure he doesn't make the same mistake again." Tang Zhitong smiled. Since he was being forgiven, he should be thorough and not bother with any formalities.

"No way. He almost peed his pants when I told him about the consequences of framing someone." Gongsun Tai laughed, recalling Song Tie's cowardly appearance. He had been in this line of work for a long time and could tell at a glance who was a habitual offender and who didn't have the guts to commit a crime. Song Tie was clearly a coward.

"That's good. If there's nothing else, I'll go back and review." Tang Zhitong nodded to the two of them, intending to go into the classroom to reinforce the knowledge points.

"Xiao Tang, Master Zheng seems a bit uneasy. He kept saying he wanted to see you, but I managed to calm him down for now. Could you go over there when it's convenient for you?" Wei Zhizhen reached out and stopped Tang Zhitong.

"Okay, I'll go over after I finish lunch." Tang Zhitong nodded in agreement.

Although he did not see Zheng Liangcai, Tang Zhitong could roughly guess why he was uneasy.

Tang Zhitong kept his word. After lunch, he took a nap in bed. He packed his bag when everyone got up to study. He planned to see Zheng Liangcai first, and then go to the transport office. He hadn't gone yesterday, so he had to make up for it today.

The reason Tang Zhitong chose to take a nap before coming over was because he felt that the busy hours at the small canteen were different from those at the large canteen. The large canteen was where students ate communal meals, and the meal times were more concentrated. The small canteen, on the other hand, focused on à la carte dining and generally opened earlier. If there were many customers, the chefs' rest time would be extended.

When Tang Zhitong arrived at the small canteen, Zheng Liangcai and Song Tie were eating. The two sat together chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was much more harmonious than when Song Tie was with his cheap master.

"Brother Zheng, did you just finish your work?" Tang Zhitong knocked on the door frame and greeted Zheng Liangcai cheerfully.

Upon hearing Tang Zhitong's commotion, Song Tie jumped in fright, his smile freezing on his face. Before he could even swallow the food in his mouth, he knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"What are you doing?" Tang Zhitong stepped forward to help him up.

"I'll never dare to do it again, I'll never dare to do it again." Song Tie had food in his mouth, but his smile had vanished, replaced by fear and trepidation; he was practically begging for mercy.

"Alright, get up. If you keep this up, I'll take you to the security office." Tang Zhitong gave him a scare and, together with Zheng Liangcai, helped the boy up. Now he finally understood why Gongsun Tai said this boy wouldn't make any mistakes.

"What's going on here?" Zheng Liangcai, unaware of the cause and effect, was still puzzled after helping Song Tie up.

"It's alright, it's all in the past." Tang Zhitong explained to Zheng Liangcai first, then patted Song Tie on the shoulder: "Work hard in the future. If anyone bullies you, just tell the school. Don't do anything crooked."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Song Tie repeated this sentence over and over as if he had been stressed.

"You eat, I'll chat with Chef Zheng for a bit." Tang Zhitong originally wanted to leave Song Tie behind and take Zheng Liangcai out to talk, but Song Tie ran faster than a rabbit when he heard this, leaving the small kitchen space for the two of them.

Zheng Liangcai wasn't oblivious to the situation. Seeing that Tang Zhitong refused to explain what had happened between him and Song Tie, he didn't press the matter further.

"Brother Zheng, how are you? Are you getting used to it?" Seeing that Song Tie had run away, Tang Zhitong didn't chase after him, but turned to Zheng Liangcai to find out what was going on.

"I'm used to it, it's much easier than I imagined." Zheng Liangcai chuckled sheepishly. He had been genuinely taken aback by the list of dishes Tang Zhitong had ordered yesterday. If he ordered like that, he probably could only cook five or six dishes in one mealtime. "You'll get used to it. Just relax and work here until you retire." Tang Zhitong knew Zheng Liangcai was uneasy, and this trip was to put his mind at ease.

"Comrade Tang, I will definitely do my job well, but I'm not at ease. It's too much to handle such a high salary. Does that leader surnamed Ruan want your help? Have I caused you any trouble?" Zheng Liangcai wasn't completely stupid; he could tell that Ruan Yan only agreed to give him a third-level salary because of Tang Zhitong's influence.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. He's being offered such a high salary, it's a burden for him.

“Brother Zheng, even without your involvement, he would have spoken up anyway. At least you benefited this time, and I gained face with Teacher Wang. Take it with peace of mind; I'll handle the rest.” Zheng Liangcai wasn't a close relative, so Tang Zhitong didn't deny that Ruan Yan had asked him for help.

Lying to your own family and downplaying the situation is to put their minds at ease.

In this situation, the wisest choice is to frankly admit it. Let the other party clearly know that they owe you a favor, and when they need your help in the future, will they not try their best to help?
"I feel uneasy about this. How about... how about you talk to the leader again? I'm fine with taking the seventh-level salary." Zheng Liangcai nervously wiped his hands back and forth on his apron, not knowing what to do for a moment.

He didn't want to cause trouble for Tang Zhitong, but he really needed the job.

"Oh dear, Brother Zheng, I'll handle it. Your work not going wrong is the best support you can give me. Alright, you can focus on your work. I have a lot to do this afternoon—delivering some plates to Teacher Wang and then going to my workplace." Tang Zhitong smiled; Zheng Liangcai's idea was truly terrible.

"Comrade Tang, wait a minute!" Zheng Liangcai called out to Tang Zhitong as he was about to leave. He hurriedly slipped into the inner room and came out a short while later carrying two bottles of wine.

"Comrade Tang, I don't know how to thank you. These two bottles of wine are a small token of my appreciation. Please don't find them offensive." Zheng Liangcai said, trying to hand them to Tang Zhitong.

"Brother Zheng, I'm practically Teacher Wang's student, so I should call you senior brother. There's no need for such formalities between us. How about this: whenever I encounter a dish I don't know how to cook and come to ask you for help, just don't hold back." Tang Zhitong pushed the dish away, not intending to accept it.

"I don't know anything else but cooking. As long as Comrade Tang thinks highly of me, I won't hold back. I'll even cook for you if you ask. If I say no, I'm a son of a bitch." Zheng Liangcai spoke with conviction, his hands busy as he kept pushing the wine towards Tang Zhitong.

Today, Tang Zhitong stepped in, and Zheng Liangcai's salary jumped from the agreed-upon level seven to level three. Level three pays seventy-one yuan and fifty cents, a full thirty yuan more than level seven, almost doubling. Zheng Liangcai has lived most of his life and has never received such a high salary.

He feared that if he didn't repay this kindness, his master would drag him by the ear and scold him a hundred years from now.

As for the fellow disciples Tang Zhitong mentioned, Zheng Liangcai wasn't foolish enough to take it seriously.

"Brother Zheng, you're too kind. Why don't you give the wine to Teacher Wang later? Without him, I wouldn't be able to find you, would I?" Tang Zhitong was struggling to resist, but Zheng Liangcai, who was always flipping the wok, had a lot of strength in his arms.

"I can't forget my uncle, Comrade Tang. This is a small token of my appreciation, please take it." Zheng Liangcai grabbed Tang Zhitong's hand and wouldn't let go, almost prying his fingers open to stuff the net bag's ties inside.

"Okay, okay, I'll take it." Tang Zhitong couldn't resist Zheng Liangcai's enthusiasm, nor could she withstand his muscular arms honed from thirty years of wok tossing, so she finally accepted the net bag.

Yesterday, Tang Zhitong suspected that the man surnamed Huang had instigated Song Tie to slander him, so he revealed that Huang had withheld ingredients. In order to ensure that Wei Zhizhen would have no worries about dealing with the matter, he brought up the connection with the technical college.

Unexpectedly, things took an unexpected turn. The man surnamed Huang went to jail, Zheng Liangcai arrived, and not only did he get two bottles of wine, he also took on the responsibility of ensuring the students of the Post and Telecommunications Institute had heating this winter.

Who can I talk to to explain this?

After leaving the small canteen, Tang Zhitong threw the two bottles of wine into his spatial storage and went to the technical school first. From his spatial storage, he picked out a pig kidney, half a pig stomach, and a small portion of large intestine, which was slightly more than the amount he had tasted yesterday, but not by much.

Upon meeting Teacher Wang, the topic of Zheng Liangcai's third-level salary came up. Teacher Wang was overjoyed and refused to accept the goods offered by Tang Zhitong, leading to another round of arguing between the two.

After everything was settled, Tang Zhitong rushed to the finance department.

As soon as Tang Zhitong entered the finance department, he saw Ma Wei smiling and holding the phone. Judging from the sweetness of her smile, it was Wu Aijun calling.

From their second meeting until now, it's only been a little over twenty days, and things have already come to this. Who can they complain to?

There are plenty of illogical things in the world; if you insist on finding a reason for them, you'll exhaust yourself.

"The section chief is back, see you in a bit." After hanging up the phone, Ma Wei greeted Tang Zhitong, "Hello, section chief."

"Oh, so you mean I interrupted your call?" Tang Zhitong nodded and joked with a smile.

As for how long the two talked on the phone before he entered, Tang Zhitong didn't even ask. It wasn't his money, so he didn't need to worry about it.

Besides, what's wrong with the little princess of the post office using the escort office's phone?
"No, we just made plans to go see a movie together after get off work." Although Ma Wei was generous in her newly established relationship, it was still her first time dating, and she was a little unaccustomed to it. Her face was flushed when she said this.

"Watching a movie is great. You look so happy, it's written all over your face. Did your parents agree?" Looking at Ma Wei, Tang Zhitong was a little emotional. She hadn't expected Wu Aijun to be such a good girl chaser. In less than a month, he was already able to arrange to go to the movies at night. Back then, most of her dates with Xiao Wang were during the day. She only went to see "Teahouse" once at night, and Aunt Li caught them in the act.

After chatting with Ma Wei for a few minutes and processing the documents that had accumulated over the past few days, she couldn't wait to leave as soon as it was time to get off work.

Tang Zhitong had the advantage of long legs, and when he went out, he ran into Wu Gousheng, who had skipped work to pick up Ma Wei. The kid was in a hurry and was sweating profusely. Ma Wei thoughtfully took out her little handkerchief to wipe his sweat and fed Tang Zhitong a mouthful of dog food.

Ugh, that stinky smell of love!
Wu Aijun grinned foolishly, waiting for Ma Wei to finish wiping him, then took out the movie ticket from his pocket and boasted, "Look, front row! You can see everything clearly!"

"The screen is so big, the people in the front row have to crane their necks. It must be exhausting to watch a movie like that. You two aren't nearsighted, so next time buy tickets for the back row. You won't have to look up to see anything." Wu Gousheng had gotten incredibly lucky, winning over Ma Wei was a piece of cake, but he clearly lacked experience watching movies with girls. Tang Zhitong chimed in after hearing this.

"That seems to make sense." Wu Gousheng paused, pondering whether his neck was tired.

"See you later." The wonders of the back row could only be discovered by the two of them slowly; Tang Zhitong couldn't reveal the mystery.

After saying that, Tang Zhitong got on his bike and rode away without looking back. Today was the summer solstice, and he still had to go back to make braised meat.

(End of this chapter)