Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 890 889 Ligation?

"Old Ruan, this is Yan Xiongfei." As soon as the call connected, Yan Xiongfei's voice rose.

"You have a good student in your college who came to me hoping to get some coal for the college to get through the winter." Yan Xiongfei didn't mention Tang Zhitong, but all three parties knew that he was talking about Tang Zhitong.

“I really want to help, but I really can’t. The coal shortage in Beijing is too big. Many companies even said that the university part can be put on hold, since it’s winter vacation and students can be away from school, which can save some money.”

Yan Xiongfei swung his stick, almost overturning the table. Before he could finish speaking, Ruan Yan began to refute this claim, saying how difficult it was for students, and so on.

"Yes, yes, I understand, I didn't agree. It's all distributed proportionally, our Materials Bureau won't favor any particular group." After listening, Yan Xiongfei offered another incentive, assuring everyone that he wouldn't do that.

Yan Xiongfei had a loud voice, and Ruan Yan's voice was also quite loud. Tang Zhitong, who was sitting next to him, could hear Ruan Yan inviting Yan Xiongfei over to sit down, using the excuse that he had just hired a chef.

"Okay, I'll definitely go if I have the chance. I have something to do here, so I'll hang up now."

"Old Ruan said your college has hired a top chef and wants me to come over and try his cooking. He said you hired him. What nonsense! Isn't this putting you in a difficult position?" Yan Xiongfei hung up the phone and expressed his dissatisfaction with Ruan Yan to Tang Zhitong.

If it weren't for the fact that Tang Zhitong would be in a difficult position, Yan Xiongfei would have directly criticized Ruan Yan, asking what kind of person he thought he was.
"Hey, people are desperate and will try anything. Director Yan's response was brilliant; I need to learn from him." Tang Zhitong didn't expect Ruan Yan to bring him up again. Even if she was dissatisfied, she had to keep it to herself and didn't complain with Yan Xiongfei. Instead, she gave Yan Xiongfei a thumbs up.

Yan Xiongfei didn't hide his phone call from me, which shows that he trusted me.

He said he wanted to secure coal for the college, but he didn't say whether it was his own initiative or something he was entrusted by Ruan Yan.

None of this matters. Nobody's a fool. This is just to save face for Ruan Yan.

“You don’t need to learn these things. You’ll naturally learn them when you take on a leadership position. However, the coal supply in the second half of the year is indeed very tight, less than in previous years. Although I can’t give your college special treatment, I can still help you out. Take my note, and you can go to the coal station anytime.” Yan Xiongfei waved his hand at Tang Zhitong, speaking modestly, while his hand was already twisting open a fountain pen and writing swiftly on a piece of paper.

Yan Xiongfei has been in charge of coal supply for several years and knows the industry very well. Since last autumn, it has been difficult to transfer coal from other places, but through coordination, the demand in Beijing during the winter has been stabilized.

Although coal production in Mentougou is relatively normal this year, the shortage is still significant, and it is difficult for other regions to respond as promptly as in previous years.

It's foreseeable that this winter will be tough. He's currently overwhelmed with work, spending his days negotiating with other companies in other regions to secure coal supplies.

Yan Xiongfei didn't dare wait until the last minute to urge them; if they could stock up more now, the pressure in winter would be less.

There's plenty of coal at the coal yard right now, so giving Tang Zhitong a pass wouldn't be a problem. It's not exactly in line with the rules, but Yan Xiongfei isn't reluctant at all because Tang Zhitong not only saved his son but also helped his nephew get a spot as a barefoot doctor—these are great favors.

Besides, even if you have a note, the coal isn't free; you have to pay for it. So what if you sell it to someone?
"Thank you, Director Yan, but my family doesn't need coal for the time being." Tang Zhitong waved his hands repeatedly. He had already troubled Yan Xiongfei by coming here against his will, and he couldn't let him give him special treatment, as it would not be good for him.

“The supply will definitely be tight this winter, and we’ll be rationing it by household soon. It’s summer now, so residents use less coal and the supply can keep up. You should take the coal and store it for now, just in case.” Yan Xiongfei ignored Tang Zhitong’s advice, tore off the note after writing it, and shoved it into his hand.

"Well... thank you, Director Yan." Tang Zhitong looked at the approval slip in his hand, unable to refuse such a kind offer.

"Calling me by my title makes me seem too formal. If you don't mind, just call me 'brother'."

"Okay, Fei-ge. Never mind, I'll just call you Yan-ge. Fei-ge sounds like a bicycle brand." Tang Zhitong scratched his head after calling him that, and changed his mind.

"Haha, whatever!" Yan Xiongfei laughed heartily...

The two chatted for a while, and it was already time to get off work. Yan Xiongfei invited Tang Zhitong to his home for a visit, but Tang Zhitong declined.

On his way home, Tang Zhitong felt a little heavy-hearted. The note Yan Xiongfei had given him was enough to buy a ton of coal.

Tang Zhitong knew that Yan Xiongfei was thinking of him. This ton of coal, plus the quota, would be enough for his family to have a prosperous New Year this winter, but it could also affect Yan Xiongfei's reputation in the Bureau of Materials.

Tang Zhitong hasn't decided yet whether or not to take the coal; he plans to wait and see.

When they were almost home, Tang Zhitong stuffed twenty eggs into his bag. His mother had been giving Xiao Wang extra meals lately, so they needed to replenish their energy.

Upon entering the house, Xiao Wang was already back and was busy with his mother-in-law tying up Bei Bei.

"Why are you tying him up? I've seen dogs tethered, but I've never seen a cat tethered." Tang Zhitong saw Bei Bei lying on the ground biting the rope around his neck, looking unwilling to regain his freedom.

"Do you remember hearing a cat screaming on your way to work a few days ago?" Xiao Wang revealed her dimples, patted the cat fur on her hands, and took the handbag from her husband.

"Yes, I remember. Be careful, there are eggs inside." Tang Zhitong nodded. How could he not remember? It was his own handiwork.

"Give it to me, I'll get it out." Upon hearing that there were eggs, Zhang Guifang immediately took them, afraid that her daughter-in-law might accidentally break them.

"Today a reader came to borrow a book from us and said that the cats in the south of the city are meowing in droves, and they're meowing so pitifully, like they've been stabbed," Xiao Wang said, handing her bag to her mother-in-law and explaining to her husband why they had to leash the cats.

"It's just a couple of barks, it's perfectly normal." Tang Zhitong walked to the washbasin, scooped up some water to wash his face, and then covered his face, afraid he would burst out laughing.

"This is not normal. That person has raised cats for many years and has several cats. This is the first time I've seen this situation. I suspect someone poisoned the cats," said Xiao Wang, recounting the speculation that the person had shared with others.

"Poisoning cats? It's unlikely. How much poison would it take to make all the cats in the south of the city meow? Besides, I heard cats meowing the other day when I went out, but I didn't hear of any cats in our neighborhood being poisoned." Tang Zhitong rubbed his face, wiped it with a towel, found a loophole, and decided to treat it as a joke. He thought it would be okay to laugh it off.
"That seems to make sense, or maybe it's an infectious disease?" Xiao Wang frowned. She couldn't understand why the cat was meowing like a chorus, one cry after another.

"Maybe the cats are just chatting. It's like when we see an old friend and call out from afar, asking if they've eaten." Tang Zhitong admired Xiao Wang's imagination, but that's really not the case. The reason those cats were meowing was simply because their testicles were being pulled and it hurt too much.

"Why did it start meowing all of a sudden? I've never heard it before, why did it only happen at that particular time?" Ms. Wang didn't believe her husband's explanation. How could a cat greet someone like a person?
"Maybe they've called before, but we just didn't hear them. Don't dwell on it, it's too much of a headache." Tang Zhitong was almost at her wit's end. It was lucky that no one noticed that all the cats meowing were male. If they knew the truth, wouldn't they be known as "egg-stealing thieves"?

How about we pause the cat neutering project for now? We can't let rumors spread all over Beijing, can we?
"Oh, right, Yueyue gave birth." Unable to figure out what was going on, Xiao Wang changed the subject.

"Wow, what a happy occasion! Boy or girl? When did this happen?" Tang Zhitong glanced at Xiao Wang's belly subconsciously. She got married earlier than Gu Yong, but she was behind in having a child.

“It’s a boy. He was born last night. I went to see Dr. Lü the day before yesterday, and he called to tell me today.” Xiao Wang noticed her husband’s gaze and instinctively placed her hand on her stomach. “This child is lucky. I happened to bring back some eggs today; if I go tomorrow, I’ll definitely give him the nickname ‘Egg.’” Tang Zhitong laughed after saying this. She had not only brought back eggs today, but she had also collected a lot of “eggs”—Gu Yong’s child was destined to be associated with eggs!

"Go away, you're so unserious, or Brother Yong will beat you up." Xiao Wang rolled her eyes at her husband; this idea was just too unreliable.

"Hehe, what's up? It's Sunday tomorrow, want to go visit?" Tang Zhitong was joking, of course. Fang Yuan liked to name his children after "eggs," but Gu Yong's family would definitely not do that.

“Sure, I have some free time, let’s go take a look.” Ms. Wang agreed to her husband’s suggestion. It’s fine if you don’t know about this, but now that you do, it’s more appropriate to go and visit.

"I bought two cans of meat. Do you want to take them with you if you're going?" Zhang Guifang asked immediately when she heard the young couple were going to visit a friend.

She couldn't go empty-handed, so she preferred to send canned meat first rather than eggs.

"Have you finally come to your senses?" Hearing her mother say that she had bought canned meat, Tang Zhitong's anger only intensified. She had advised her mother to use the meat coupons to buy canned meat a while ago, but her mother always felt that there would be long-tailed rabbits in the cans and insisted on waiting for raw meat.

“I think Wenwen is right. Not only are you irresponsible, you also deserve a beating.” Zhang Guifang was a little embarrassed and annoyed by her son’s teasing.

Yesterday, when the neighborhood committee was distributing next month's invoices, many people were saying that there would be no more raw meat available. Zhang Guifang panicked, fearing that everyone would rush to buy it and eventually they wouldn't even be able to buy canned meat. So she went to queue up early this morning, and sure enough, the queue was quite long.

The reason for choosing to buy canned meat is that my daughter-in-law vomits when she smells offal, so offal is excluded.

As for cooked meat, my son said that good quality meat is not cooked before being sold because it will shrink. Those cooked meats are most likely from diseased or dead pigs that have been disinfected at high temperatures before being put on the counter.

In the end, only canned meat was left to choose from, but canned meat has its advantages: as long as it is not opened, it can be stored for a long time.

"Hehe, these are all good things, take whatever you want. You can choose one to keep and take the rest with you." Tang Zhitong didn't argue and wisely chose to back down.

Fengzhi shook her head in disappointment. If her mother didn't beat her brother, there wouldn't be any good show to watch.

Beibei had a knack for untangling yarn; she managed to pull the noose out of her neck by kicking the rope.

After coming out, Beibei ran to Tang Zhitong's feet and meowed to complain. Seeing that her owner had no intention of standing up for her, she ran out again in a flash.

Tang Zhitong saw all of this and thought that rather than making his own Beibei suffer, it was better to let the other cats prioritize "Big Orange" and the neutering project still had to be carried out.

But shouldn't we change our strategy? We need to change our approach; we can't keep pulling and tugging. We need to be gentler. How about trying tubal ligation?

At most, there will be some discomfort during ligation, but it shouldn't be more painful than being pulled or yanked. But what kind of surgical suture is used for ligation?

Since he wasn't formally trained in medicine, Tang Zhitong couldn't remember.

After finishing their meal and returning to their room, Tang Zhitong told Xiao Wang about his trip to the Materials Bureau that day.

"That Director Ruan of yours is really unethical. Even Director Yan gave him face, but he still won't let you go. Is he trying to get some entertainment?" Xiao Wang complained after hearing this.

"He was probably forced into this situation. Anyway, it wasn't for his own sake, it was all for the sake of the academy." Although Ruan Yan's actions were not ethical, Tang Zhitong could understand him. It's like a working ox or horse running a sales job; you never know what kind of effort or sacrifice a salesperson makes to close a deal.

"You mean well." Ms. Wang gently pushed her husband and muttered, but she wasn't angry. She couldn't have been attracted to him in the first place because of his kindness!

"Hey, I wanted to ask you what to do with this note. Should we mention it or not? Would mentioning it have a bad impact on Director Yan? It doesn't seem good if the neighbors see it either." When in doubt about foreign affairs, ask Google; when in doubt about domestic affairs, ask Xiao Wang. Tang Zhitong flicked the note, making a crisp and pleasant "pop."

A ton of coal is not like a chicken, a rabbit, or a hundred pounds of grain. You can carry those back by bicycle or even throw them into a spatial storage space to avoid being seen. But you can't hide the location of coal. You can only have the coal station deliver it. Even if the coal deliveryman fills the cart to the brim, it will probably take four or five trips.

In the sweltering summer heat, most of the unofficial staff at the street intelligence center were out enjoying the cool air, inevitably getting seen. With so many voices going around, Tang Zhitong worried that it would be difficult to explain later.

“If Director Yan dared to approve your application, it means he’s confident. Have you forgotten that you bought coal last year? Since the supply will soon be allocated to each household, you’ll definitely have to buy more. When you buy, discuss with the coal station about delivering it in several batches. Director Yan should have some influence at the coal station, right?” Little Wang answered readily.

"Okay, let's buy it!" Tang Zhitong nodded and chuckled.

I've been here for two years now. Although I've become a bit bolder, I've only grown a tiny bit, and I'm still quite a distance from Xiao Wang.

As for whether doing this is in accordance with the rules...

Tang Zhitong once saw a saying that said things in the world can be simply divided into three categories:
The first one is correct, that is, it is legal and compliant, and no one can find fault with it;

The second type is authentic, meaning it's less compliant;

The third type is wrong, and this wrongness refers to matters of principle.

Most people do the first type of thing, living within the framework. The advantage is that they feel secure, but the disadvantage is also obvious: they always feel like they don't have enough money to spend.

A small number of people dare to do the second thing, and most of the first people to get rich are this kind of people.

The third type, needless to say, are all in jail, some even waiting in line for seaweed and egg drop soup.

Tang Zhitong strives to be the kind of person who does the first kind of thing, but now he's showing a tendency to become the kind of person who does the second kind of thing.

This was barely acceptable, but Tang Zhitong resolutely refused to become someone who did the third kind of thing, drawing a red line for himself in his mind.

I just don't know if this red line will gradually decline over time...

(End of this chapter)