Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 887 886 Do you believe that Xiao Liu will sneak into your bed at night?

June 24th is the day Liu Chengzhi was buried.

Early in the morning, there were unfamiliar faces standing and smoking at the entrance of the large courtyard behind the building.

Standing at the gate of the Tang family's house, both sides could see each other clearly across the long alley.

As soon as Xiao Wang stepped out, a shifty-looking guy stared at her furtively. Tang Zhitong noticed him and stopped by the water room, saying, "Hey buddy, if you keep staring, your eyeballs might fall off and get trampled."

The guy was caught red-handed and felt very guilty, so he turned around and went into the yard.

Right now, Liu Zhangshi is still in jail. If she were at home, she could use a necromancy spell to summon Liu Chengzhi and he would immediately recognize that this shifty-eyed guy was "Rat," the coworker who teased Chu Chunxue.

"Why bother arguing with someone like that? It'll only make you angry." Xiao Wang had already sensed the man's gaze, but she didn't take it seriously. She had seen all sorts of looks since she was a child; dealing with them one by one would exhaust her. However, after hearing her husband's warning to the man, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

"I'm angry, but I want to vent my anger even more. But he's so clueless. If he could at least say something back at me, I could find a reason to teach him a lesson. I didn't expect him to be such a coward." Tang Zhitong spat to the side, looking down on this kind of cowardly creature.

"Alright, let's go quickly, you have an exam early this morning." Ms. Wang didn't want her husband to get into a fight; she would be heartbroken if he got hurt.

After the young couple rode away on their bikes, the shifty-looking rat sneaked out again.

"Hey old man, who was that guy just now? Is he some kind of tyrant around here? He's got a pretty arrogant attitude!" Haozi approached Old Zhu, offered him a cigarette, and tried to get information out of him.

"Coming to help?" Old Zhu squinted his remaining eye, took the cigarette, but didn't give the other person the answer they wanted.

“Yes, we’re coworkers in the same workshop as Xiao Liu. Oh dear, Xiao Liu is in such a bad situation. The company wanted to show their concern, so they sent us over to see if there was anything we could do to help.” Haozi’s small eyes darted around. The company did send someone from the workshop, but he wasn’t on the list. He had to force his way in to get this opportunity.

"Hmm, your company is pretty good. Once you're here, do your job well and don't embarrass the company." Old Zhu tucked a cigarette behind his ear, showing no intention of smoking.

"Hey, buddy, something doesn't sound right to me. So I got a lecture for offering you a cigarette?" Haozi was a little unhappy that Lao Zhu had taken the cigarette, inquired about his background, but hadn't told him what he wanted.

"Your eyes are practically glued to that guy's wife, and you won't even let her tease you a little? It's only because she's good-tempered and easy to talk to. If she had a temper, your eyes would be on the ground right now." Old Zhu glanced at Haozi, looking down on this cowardly coward, his words full of contempt.

"Hey, you old man! How dare you insult someone like that? Did you gouge your eyes out of someone's wife?" The rat, having been thwarted twice, got angry and started insulting Old Zhu.

I'm young, strong, and tall, so if I can't bully an old man, why can't I?

"Hey, you want to know?" Old Zhu wasn't angry. He took the cigarette that Haozi offered from behind his ear, put it in his mouth, lit a match, exhaled a puff of smoke, and slowly said, "Come closer and I'll tell you."

"Come closer if you want, what are you going to do about it?!" It was rush hour, and the streets were packed with people. Mouse wondered how strong the old man could be. If he slapped him, he would have a reason to fight back.

Old Zhu smiled and wasn't in a hurry, waiting for Haozi to offer his face to him.

When the mouse came closer, Old Zhu whispered in his ear, "Do you believe that Xiao Liu will sneak into your bed tonight?"

"You!" Upon hearing this, Haozi was startled and felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly leaned back, pointing at Lao Zhu, speechless.

"Hmph! You can't hold two ounces of sesame oil in your belly. With your little schemes, you'd better keep them to yourself!" Old Zhu squinted at the mouse with his last remaining eye, the cold glint in it sending chills down one's spine.

Because of his work, Lao Zhu was the first to open the door at Tielugu.

This morning, he saw Liu Chengzhi's coworkers come over, and he also saw Chu Chunxue come over to fetch water to boil for the guests.

As the old saying goes, a man who wants to look good should wear black; a woman who wants to look good should wear mourning clothes.

Chu Chunxue was dressed in mourning clothes, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Her tearful appearance was so beautiful that even a monk would be moved.

Liu Chengzhi's coworkers had some of their eyes on Chu Chunxue, but the one in front of them, with his shifty eyes, was the most blatant. The place where his gaze lingered was also the most despicable, and the desire on his face was impossible to hide.

"Pah! I'm not going to stoop to your level." Although Old Zhu was just sitting there, he put a lot of pressure on Haozi. He left with those last words and then got up again.

Only the family knows its own affairs. When Haozi first saw Chu Chunxue, he was amazed by her beauty. However, Liu Chengzhi kept a close eye on her, and he never found an opportunity to make a move.

Since Liu Chengzhi left, Haozi has been having sleepless nights. He felt his chance had come, but after what Lao Zhu said today, he became a little scared. It's only been three days, not even the seventh day after the funeral. He's already eyeing someone else's wife; what if tonight…

The mouse dared not think any further, and even dared not look into Liu Chengzhi's portrait.

Tang Zhitong had already scratched the mouse, so the matter was over. There were so many things to do, why bother arguing with a nobody who had glanced at Xiao Wang a couple of times?

I took one exam this morning, and that concludes today's exam schedule.

Tang Zhitong arrived at the National Library early to have lunch with his classmate Xiao Wang.

"The draft is revised. Are you satisfied?" When Ms. Wang saw her husband, she first handed him the draft she had been writing since she started working, and then poured him a glass of water and placed it aside.

"Great, very well written. Not a single word needs changing; you can use it directly." About five minutes later, Tang Zhitong finished reading the speech and was very satisfied. "It's not as good as you say. You can take another look and revise it." Xiao Wang said modestly, but her dimples revealed her satisfaction with her husband's reaction.

“It’s not easy to earn money, so let’s leave it at that. Shall we get ready for lunch? I have to go to the security office this afternoon.” Tang Zhitong put the speech into his bag and took out the lunch his mother had prepared for him.

Although it's still a bit early, it's not a big deal for Xiao Wang to skip the cafeteria and eat early in his office.

"Okay, let's switch." Tang Zhitong's lunch was the same as always: cornbread with pickled toon leaves. Little Wang thought it looked plain and wanted to trade his for Tang's.

Xiao Wang didn't want any special treatment, but Zhang Guifang insisted. After friendly negotiations, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law reached an agreement: Xiao Wang's lunch would consist of steamed buns and salted eggs as the basic staple, and any additional dishes would depend on what was available at home. Today, they added pickled green beans.

"It's not as scary as you say. You eat the yolk, but I don't like it." Xiao Wang didn't believe her husband's nonsense. She washed her hands, peeled the salted egg, and easily pried out the yolk.

"Burning newspapers at the grave? Are you kidding me? I'll have a piece of egg white, and you can have the rest." Seeing that Xiao Wang was determined, Tang Zhitong gave in a little and took the small piece of egg white. He didn't need the yolk; Xiao Wang liked it and it was more nutritious.

However, Tang Zhitong broke his promise and gave Xiao Wang an extra pickled green bean to eat.

The "doujuezi" that Shandong people have had enough of is transformed into sour and spicy pickled cowpeas after being soaked in brine from Sichuan and Chongqing. They are not only crunchy but also refreshing and appetizing, making them a great accompaniment to rice.

Chili peppers were a poor man's meat dish. Tang Zhitong would occasionally eat a few bites at home, but he dared not eat too much, lest he suffer from a burning sensation when defecating the next day.

"Have you ever tried garlic chili sauce?" Seeing how happily Xiao Wang was eating pickled green beans, Tang Zhitong thought of getting her a cheaper alternative to further reduce her nitrite intake.

"No, is it good?" Xiao Wang shook his head and asked.

"I thought it was pretty good, I'll make some for you to try when I get home today." Xiao Wang spent a long time looking through recipes last night but didn't order anything. Tang Zhitong knew that she was worried about the ingredients, but garlic chili sauce was not an option. There was garlic at home, and plenty of chili peppers, so she could make it right away.

"Okay. Then you can go straight home from the security office, you don't need to pick me up." Xiao Wang didn't refuse and agreed with a smile.

“That works too.” Tang Zhitong nodded. The journey from the escort department to the National Library spanned almost half of Beijing, and the round trip would take up a lot of time. If he could get home earlier, he could ensure that Xiao Wang would have garlic chili sauce for dinner.

In the summer, the time after noon is the hottest part of the day. If you stay at the National Library for a while, it will get even hotter on the way. After eating and drinking water, Xiao Wang urged her husband to hurry up and go to the escort office.

Everything was normal at the escort office. Ma Wei didn't mention the back row of the movie theater, which relieved Tang Zhitong. However, she couldn't expect a young woman to talk to her superiors about such things. In the end, it would depend on whether Comrade Wu Gousheng could react.

After finishing processing the receipts, Tang Zhitong packed her bag and headed out, intending to sneak home to make garlic chili sauce for her classmate Xiao Wang. Before she even reached the bike shed, she bumped into Fang Yuan.

"Anzi, we're leaving late, and I have something to tell you." Fang Yuan was already used to this young man's lateness and early departures. Since he held multiple positions, he was always a bit more lenient in managing him than other employees.

"Okay, Brother Yuan, what are your orders?" Tang Zhitong swung his bag behind him and followed Fang Yuan to the shady spot.

"I just received a notice that the higher-ups have decided to reduce the grain rations for residents of the capital, but it will start with leading cadres." After arriving in the shade, Fang Yuan took out a pack of economy cigarettes, lit one, and spoke.

"I personally support leading cadres playing a leading role." Tang Zhitong was slightly surprised by this, after all, when he met with Huo Xiaoping a couple of days ago, Huo said that there was resistance to reducing the quota, but he did not expect the wind to change so quickly.

"You're aware of the situation, but why don't you ask how much the quota will be reduced?" Fang Yuan looked at the lush green potato seedlings not far away, feeling somewhat confident about the reduction in quotas.

"Sigh, I'll just follow the orders from above. I'll lower the quota by whatever amount they require." Tang Zhitong was more confident and supported lowering the quota, but she didn't cut her own size; she was only prepared to lower it according to the requirements.

Last year there was a reduction, and this is the first reduction this year. As the situation develops, it will need to be reduced again to leave some room for future adjustments.

"The higher-ups require that the average ration for residents of the city be reduced to 28 jin, and our unit needs to reduce it by 2 jin per person on average." Fang Yuan felt that this goal was not too much of a burden, since the land in the yard could be planted twice a year, and distributing it among everyone would be enough to make up for the reduced ration. In addition, with the subsidies from the farm, the employees' annual ration would at least not be a loss.

"Two pounds less? That's acceptable. I'm on a student quota basis. If Brother Yuan is in a difficult position, I can lower it a little more." Although Tang Zhitong wanted to stick to the lowering requirement, she also had to consider Fang Yuan's intention in stopping her. Perhaps he wanted to persuade her to lower it even more?
“No need for that. Everyone’s getting two pounds. If you see someone in need and want to help them out privately, that’s your own favor. Everyone’s struggling to make ends meet, so there’s no need to be stingy with the quotas. After all, this price drop won’t be just a month or two; it’ll take at least a year.” Fang Yuan clearly rejected Tang Zhitong’s suggestion.

"Hey, that's why working with you is so worry-free; you always think of the employees' needs," Tang Zhitong complimented lightly, then asked, "Brother Yuan, will the new quotas be implemented starting next month?"

"Starting with the distribution of grain coupons next month. This month, individuals will first report their quantities, then the masses will discuss and evaluate them, and individuals will adjust their rations according to the evaluation results. When the August grain coupons are distributed next month, the latest rations will be implemented." Fang Yuan squinted and exhaled a smoke ring as he explained the arrangements.

"The residents' needs will be extended further?" Tang Zhitong asked, noticing that Fang Yuan hadn't mentioned the residents of Beijing.

"Well, we'll probably have to wait until leading cadres set an example before lowering the price. At the earliest, it won't be implemented until September."

"It's alright. This is the season for summer vegetables, so we can manage by digging up some wild greens in the fields. But winter might not be so easy." After learning about the reduction in rations for residents of Beijing, Tang Zhitong nodded. The timing wasn't too far off from what he remembered. This autumn, Beijing would also enter its peak season for edema…

"When the country is in trouble, everyone has to tighten their belts and get through the difficulties together." Fang Yuan supports reducing rations to overcome the difficulties together, but he also has opinions about those who make irresponsible remarks. What kind of nonsense is that in the newspapers? It's not that there's less grain, but that there are too many people eating grain. Is that even human language?
What a load of rubbish! Even if the number of people eating grain increases, it's just new infants and toddlers. How much is their monthly ration? And that doesn't even include the rations reduced by deaths!

Instead of using their brains to find a reliable excuse, what a bunch of idiots!

"A bunch of despicable bastards! Little Liu's body is barely cold, aren't they afraid of being confronted by him tonight?" After discussing the quota, Fang Yuan let Tang Zhitong leave. Just as Tang Zhitong reached the iron wheel handle, he heard Old Zhu's angry curse.

(End of this chapter)