Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 912 911 Shall we go take a look at the yard?

Tuesday, May 7th.

Tang Zhitong saw Xiao Wang off, delivered the letter, and went directly to the research class of the Institute of Posts and Telecommunications.

"Professor Tang." Tang Zhitong not only secured two spots for the research class to stay in Beijing, but also treated most of the students to a hearty meal, which made the students in the research class respect him even more.

Tang Zhitong smiled and nodded to his classmates as a greeting.

Shi Zhengze has already reported to the Second Bureau of Commerce. The Second Group has now selected a new group leader, who was previously involved in the development of the insulated box, named Peng Lishan.

As a member of the third research group, Tang Zhitong first went to greet his group leader, Bi Bin.

A few days ago, Tang Zhitong had talked with Bi Bin, who aspired to work in the military industry, so he didn't care much about staying in Beijing.

"Mr. Wei from logistics came to see you yesterday and said you should come see him when you arrive." Bi Bin saw Tang Zhitong and remembered Wei Zhizhen's instructions.

"Okay, thank you, team leader. I'll be there in a bit." Tang Zhitong was a little confused. Why did Wei Zhizhen want to see him? Could it still be about the coal?

Speaking of coal, Tang Zhitong still held the slip of paper approved by Yan Xiongfei in his hand. Because the chemical raw materials company was going to change houses, he hadn't gone to the coal station to exchange it. He planned to go to the coal station to pick up the coal after changing houses, so that he could save himself the trouble of going back and forth.

After chatting with Bi Bin for a while, Tang Zhitong turned to Peng Lishan. Not everyone has the same ambition as Bi Bin; there are many people who want to stay in Beijing, and Peng Lishan is one of them.

"Teacher Tang, don't worry, I guarantee I'll complete the task!" After hearing Tang Zhitong's request, Peng Lishan excitedly accepted the blueprints and patted his chest to assure him that he wanted to advance in his career and stay in Beijing.

"Whatever materials you need, just go through the trouble of running errands and give me the receipts later." Since it's about building hospital beds, it has to look like a project. Tang Zhitong took out twenty yuan to pay for the initial funding and planned to go to the Women's Federation again to try to get some more funding.

“Okay!” Peng Lishan took the money and agreed readily.

"Call me if there's anything urgent. There's a lot going on at work. Leave a message if I'm not here." Tang Zhitong picked up a pencil and wrote down the phone number of the Finance Department of the Escort Office on the drawing.

Not many students in the research class knew their own workplace's phone number, so Shi Zhengze might not have given Tang Zhitong's number to Peng Lishan when he went to the Second Commercial Bureau.

After explaining everything clearly, Tang Zhitong didn't linger and went straight to the logistics department.

Wei Zhizhen knew Tang Zhitong's work unit's phone number, but instead of calling, he left a message, so Tang Zhitong thought it probably wasn't anything urgent.

"You're on holiday, right? Chef Zheng from the cafeteria couldn't find you, so he came to me. He probably wanted to express his gratitude," Wei Zhizhen told Tang Zhitong directly.

"Oh dear, what a mess this has become. My senior brother doesn't have so many hidden agendas, did he cause any trouble for Teacher Wei?" Tang Zhitong responded to Wei Zhizhen with an apologetic smile regarding Zheng Liangcai's actions.

"It's alright. Chef Zheng's skills are unparalleled. Director Ruan has praised him several times. Finally, he can surpass other universities in terms of dishes." Wei Zhizhen chuckled. Whether or not he stays is not up to him. It seems that Zheng Liangcai has established himself in the cafeteria by relying on his skills.

After exchanging a few polite words with Wei Zhizhen, Tang Zhitong went to the small canteen.

Tang Zhitong was a little worried that this junior brother would cause trouble, as he was too honest.

If Zheng Liangcai can't find himself, he can ask Teacher Wang or inquire about his classmates, since Luo Zhiping is still at school with Lu Yan.

Contacting Wei Zhizhen is the worst possible strategy. Wouldn't that expose their relationship to his direct superior, and not even enough to exchange contact information? It would seem far too distant.

"Comrade Tang, thank you!" Zheng Liangcai was preparing food in the small kitchen when he saw Tang Zhitong coming over. He carefully wiped his hands on his apron and immediately grabbed Tang's hand and shook it vigorously.

"Brother Zheng, you can just call me Xiao Tang. Your thanks have confused me. What's the matter?" Tang Zhitong felt Zheng Liangcai's enthusiasm, but didn't know why he was thanking him.

"I got paid!" Zheng Liangcai said excitedly. A couple of days ago, when he received his salary, he felt something was wrong. He had only worked for less than ten days in June, and the amount was much higher than the agreed salary.

Fearing that the finance department might make a mistake, Zheng Liangcai asked one more question.

The finance department confirmed that the amount was correct, and that even if employees were only on duty for less than half a month, they would still be paid for half a month.

After the finance department explained it this way, Zheng Liangcai finally understood that this was a formal job, not a temporary one.

To be on the safe side, Zheng Liangcai even checked with the finance department to confirm that he was indeed a formal employee and that a portion of his pay had been deducted from his union dues.

Zheng Liangcai was overjoyed to hear this. He had been working as a temporary worker for so long and had really wanted to pay his union dues, but he had never had the chance. He never expected that Tang Zhitong would give him such an opportunity.

Because of his work, Zheng Liangcai went to collect his salary in the afternoon after preparing the vegetables. He still had to cook in the afternoon, so he didn't go to find Tang Zhitong immediately.

The next day was Sunday, and Zheng Liangcai went to the logistics department only to find it empty. He finally found Wei Zhizhen on Monday.

"Isn't it normal to get paid for work?" Tang Zhitong hadn't grasped Zheng Liangcai's excitement and was still a little confused. The salary was agreed upon in person, so what was there to be happy about?
"He's a full-time employee!" Zheng Liangcai, who was bad at talking, finally revealed the answer this time.

"Oh, it's my fault for not explaining it clearly to you back then. This position is a permanent employee position." Although Tang Zhitong didn't ask at the time, there's no such thing as outsourcing canteens in government agencies now. The canteens are all self-operated, and the canteen staff are naturally all permanent employees.

"I didn't expect that. My uncle said that many companies are reducing staff this year, and many restaurants are also advising their employees to return to their hometowns. Even if they are hiring, they are all temporary workers. I thought it was the same here," Zheng Liangcai explained embarrassedly.

"I really don't know about that. It would be better to have a permanent position. Brother Zheng, do your best here." Tang Zhitong patted Zheng Liangcai's hand and comforted him.

As the saying goes, "every profession has its own secrets," and Tang Zhitong was indeed unaware of the information Zheng Liangcai had provided. From a basic perspective of class consciousness, government agencies and restaurants are different. If a unit's canteen employs only temporary workers whose livelihoods are not guaranteed, then there's no guarantee that someone won't be dishonest, perhaps even spitting into the food.

This natural disaster is nationwide, and many organizations are advising people to return home. In Beijing, universities are probably the only ones still processing urban residency applications on a large scale this year, so it's not surprising that they're giving chefs a permanent position.

"I'll definitely do my best! I don't have anything special here, but I've prepared a few cans of food, take them with you." Zheng Liangcai said, pulling Tang Zhitong's hand as they headed towards the kitchen.

"Brother Zheng, I already received your gift last time, so I won't thank you a second time. You're busy, I have something to take care of at work." Tang Zhitong wasn't one to like receiving gifts, and she broke free from Zheng Liangcai's offer and headed out.

Zheng Liangcai was very persistent and wouldn't let Tang Zhitong leave, but Tang Zhitong insisted on going, creating a stalemate. "Brother Zheng, you're making me make a mistake, and I'm getting angry." Tang Zhitong was a bit annoyed by Zheng Liangcai's stubbornness and enthusiasm, so she could only pretend to be angry to get rid of him.

Upon hearing Tang Zhitong's words, Zheng Liangcai's attitude softened, and he looked embarrassed, unsure of what to do.

In the end, Tang Zhitong refused Zheng Liangcai's gifts, gave him a good talk, and then left for the Women's Federation.

On Xinjiekouwai Street, Tang Zhitong used a box of Daqianmen cigarettes as a way to buy a bicycle chain and a piece of bicycle inner tube from a bicycle repair shop.

Jingmin's chain gun needs to be put on the agenda; I'll do some crafts tonight.

Strictly speaking, the project of converting hospital beds is like getting on the bus first and buying a ticket later.

According to the normal procedure, Tang Zhitong would have to report to the Women's Federation, have the project approved, and then receive funding. However, there were no technical difficulties in modifying the hospital bed. He could simply buy a single bed, disassemble it, reassemble it, and weld on a power transmission device.

After all, hospital beds are related to improvements in health and medical conditions. After listening to Tang Zhitong's idea, Ye Zhijuan did not use the Women's Federation's funds as she had used for the incubator last time, but instead planned to get some funds from the editorial team.

The original purpose of incubators was to improve the survival rate of premature infants. One of the tasks of the Women's Federation is to care about children's growth, so there is no problem with this part of the cost going through the Women's Federation.

But hospital beds are different; they serve not only women but also men. If you go through the Women's Federation, it would be somewhat of an overstepping of boundaries.

"Don't forget about the invention." Ye Zhijuan wrote out a note, signed and stamped it, and handed it to her son-in-law.

"I've been thinking about it every day lately, and I've lost a lot of hair, but I still can't come up with a solution." Faced with his mother-in-law's urging, Tang Zhitong could only scratch his head. It was a bit difficult to choose something that met the current level of industrial development and could generate foreign exchange.

"Yes, I know it's a bit difficult for you, but you have to understand your Aunt Li. The situation is not optimistic right now. Having more foreign exchange in hand will make you feel more at ease." Sister Li had talked to Ye Zhijuan about this, and quite a bit.

Newspapers carry news reports almost daily about drought relief and crop replanting; drought has become the biggest obstacle preventing people from filling their stomachs.

Ms. Li said that although local governments have been promoting grain substitutes, relevant departments have not made any official statements. Next, these departments may make some announcements through newspapers, such as regarding chlorella.

Sister Li also mentioned that she had proposed using foreign exchange to buy grain, aiming to solve the food problem for as many people as possible, which would alleviate some of the burden on the country. However, she currently had relatively little foreign exchange on hand.

Ye Zhijuan understood what Sister Li meant; she was urging her to push her son-in-law forward.

After the conversation, Ye Zhijuan specifically asked Miao Xiaoqin to find information about Chlorella.

After reading it, Ye Zhijuan could only let out a long sigh...

"I understand, Mom. I will definitely try my best to do this well." Tang Zhitong nodded seriously when she saw Director Ye's solemn expression.

After leaving Ye Zhijuan's office, Tang Zhitong glanced at the approval slip: one hundred yuan.

It's much less than last time, but it's enough.

Miao Xiaoqin helped Tang Zhitong collect the funds. Tang Zhitong didn't delay and went straight to the transport office. The transport office would be busy preparing the land and planting pumpkins these days, so it was best to be there and participate in the work.

"Section Chief, a colleague surnamed Meng from the Chemical Raw Materials Company called you this morning." As soon as Ma Wei saw Tang Zhitong, she immediately reported the missed call he had received.

"Thank you, is this the phone number?" Tang Zhitong was overjoyed; it seemed she had found a suitable apartment.
"Yes, I happened to have a newspaper on hand, so I just wrote it down here." Ma Wei smiled slightly. Paper is in short supply now, and the quality of paper has also declined. There is less stationery available in the department now, so we naturally have to be careful.

"That's good, it saves money." Tang Zhitong smiled along, not feeling that writing it in the newspaper was disrespectful. The notes from the leaders were like dog tongues, just a piece of paper, but who can blame them when things are tough right now?

Since it concerned his own house, Tang Zhitong took it very seriously. He put his handbag on his desk and dialed the number Ma Wei had left.

Seeing this, Ma Wei naturally took her water glass and walked outside.

"Is this Director Meng? This is Tang Zhitong." Tang Zhitong introduced himself after the call was connected.

"Oh, Comrade Tang, I've been waiting for your call all morning, and it's finally here. The courtyard has been found, shall we go take a look?" Meng Qingfeng was very concerned about the house change. Not only was there the demand from the chemical raw materials company pressing him, but he also wanted to maintain a good relationship with Tang Zhitong. The two photos in the Tang family's side room had a significant impact on him; there were photos of the couple together. What kind of future did they have?
“Okay! When is a convenient time for Director Meng?” Tang Zhitong was also eager to see what kind of courtyard Meng Qingfeng could find for them. The difference between moving from the outer city to the inner city was significant. Most of the courtyards in the inner city could be preserved in the future. Even if they fell on hard times, they could still be sold for tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan, enough to support three generations.

"It's almost lunchtime. How about we meet at the entrance of the National Library at 1 p.m.?" Meng Qingfeng glanced at his watch. He had prepared two houses, and it would probably take two or three hours to look at them all. He couldn't go house hunting on an empty stomach, so he postponed the time.

“Okay, then let’s meet at one o’clock this afternoon.” Tang Zhitong readily agreed.

After hanging up the phone, Tang Zhitong glanced at his watch. It was already eleven o'clock. He could just review the receipts he had and go have lunch with Xiao Wang before looking at apartments together.

Upon arriving at the National Library, Tang Zhitong estimated his cycling distance that morning to be about fifty kilometers, and his thighs were now rock hard.

Tang Zhitong planned to surprise Xiao Wang, so she didn't call ahead. When she arrived at Xiao Wang's office, she found the door locked and the office empty.

After waiting for quite a while, it was almost 12:30 before Xiao Wang finally arrived.

"Did you go to deliver books?" Tang Zhitong took out a handkerchief and wiped Xiao Wang's bangs, which were sticking to her forehead.

In addition to tinkering with ancient books, Xiao Wang has an extra task at work—delivering books.

The boss's time is very valuable. Sometimes when he wants to read a certain book, he will call the library through his secretary. At this time, someone will be needed to deliver the book to him.

Xiao Wang does this part-time.

"Why are you here?" Xiao Wang stood still, enjoying her husband's attentive care, and did not answer.

"The chemical raw materials company called and said they've found a yard. Let's grab a bite to eat and go take a look." Tang Zhitong didn't press Xiao Wang about his avoidance of the topic. There were rules for these things, and it was good enough that he knew what Xiao Wang was doing; he wouldn't pry into anything else.

(End of this chapter)