Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 939-938 This family is quite something!

To make fruit taste sweeter, besides adding a little salt, you can also cool it down by refrigerating it.

In low-temperature environments, the furan-type fructose in fruits will gradually be converted into pyran-type fructose, which is three times sweeter than furan-type fructose.

In addition, when people eat cold foods, their taste buds become more sensitive to sweetness and less sensitive to sourness.

The combination of two things creates a synergistic effect, which is why fruits with the same acidity taste sweeter after being refrigerated.

Refrigerators are not common nowadays, and fruits are scarce in winter, so there aren't many opportunities to enjoy chilled fruits. Today, the employees who came to help were very satisfied to eat chilled peaches and apricots.

While they ate fruit and chatted, Zhang Guifang lit a stove under the front porch and squatted down to steam rice.

There were many workers helping with the move today, and there weren't enough steamed buns at home. The only dry food that could be cooked quickly was rice, so she planned to steam a big pot of it.

After a short tea break and the assembly of the mahogany bed, the colleagues at the security office continued their work.

Male colleagues do the heavy work, helping to place furniture in designated locations, while female colleagues help with tasks such as wiping furniture, arranging books, and making beds.

With many hands making light work, the east wing was quickly mirrored to resemble the west wing of the old house.

Xiao Wang and several female classmates were tidying up together. Since there were no nails hammered into the wall, they simply placed the picture frame on the desk.

After wiping the screen, Shu Qing noticed newspapers on the outside of the picture frame, picked them up, and was about to tear them off.

Actually, she wasn't curious. Before the move, Fang Yuan had instructed her to have a female colleague help with the tidying up and to clean up afterwards to minimize the follow-up work.

Upon seeing the dismantling, Shu Qing stared wide-eyed in disbelief, frozen in place.

"What's wrong?" Ma Wei placed stacks of books on the bookshelf, arranged them according to book size, took a step back and examined them carefully. She was quite satisfied and was about to pick up the rope on the ground when she noticed Shu Qing's unusual behavior.

Ma Wei only knew Shu Qing before, and the two had no relationship. It was only when she suffered from food poisoning a few days ago that Shu Qing took care of Ma Wei at Tang Zhitong's instruction, and the two became acquainted.

Shu Qing seemed not to hear, still staring blankly at the photo frame.

"What did you see?" Ma Wei's curiosity was piqued, and she smiled as she leaned forward, wanting to see what had made Shu Qing so flustered. As she got closer, her eyes widened as well.

"Cough! Cough!" Fang Yuan saw two employees standing there in a daze. One was the department's little princess, and the other was the lover of Tang Zhitong's friend. He couldn't criticize them, so he could only make some noises to remind them not to stand there in a daze and to get busy.

Fang Yuan's cough drew everyone's attention, including that of Xiao Wang.

"Sister-in-law, are you alright?" Xiao Wang saw that Shu Qing was holding a photo frame with a torn corner of newspaper in her hand, and knew why she was standing there in a daze, so he quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.

Actually, according to her instructions, these two photos were supposed to be removed after the security guards left, but now that Shu Qing had removed them, she couldn't say anything.

"Jingwen...this...this..." Shu Qing was afraid that she would drop the object if she let go of it, so she subconsciously tightened her grip, and her knuckles turned white. After hearing Xiao Wang's voice, she slowly turned her head, her eyes still filled with disbelief.

"Sister-in-law, it's true. Let me open it so you can see." Now that things had come to this, Xiao Wang couldn't just cover it up with the newspaper anymore. He stepped forward, took the photo frame from Shu Qing's hand, tore off the newspaper, and generously handed it to Shu Qing, wanting her to take a closer look.

But Shu Qing didn't dare to accept it. She waved her hand repeatedly and took a step back, afraid that she would fall to the ground in her nervousness.

Now, Fang Yuan, who was standing to the side, could also see the photo in the frame clearly. His throat cleared and his eyes widened.

"Is this you?" Ma Wei asked Xiao Wang tentatively.

Both of them knew of each other's existence and their relationship through their respective men, but this was the first time they had met in person.

Ma Wei was very surprised. She had never heard Gou Sheng mention this before, and the girl in the photo looked younger than Xiao Wang, so she couldn't believe it and subconsciously thought that she was Xiao Wang's sister.

"Yes, it was taken a few years ago," Xiao Wang replied with a smile.

The group spoke in a cryptic manner, successfully piquing the curiosity of the others. Once one person came over to look, a second, a third, and so on...

Although everyone lives in Beijing, the chances of taking a group photo are probably very limited. The staff of the security escort department immediately started to flatter them, saying things like "young and promising" and "Section Chief Tang has good taste."

While being modest, Xiao Wang also took in everyone's expressions.

Some were genuinely praising him, while others seemed a little jealous. They were all in the same boat, so how did Tang Zhitong get so lucky to find such an outstanding partner?
"There's a picture of Anzi too." Xiao Wang didn't care what others said about her, but she couldn't stand it when others looked down on her husband. She was afraid that her husband would be ridiculed for being a kept man at work. She put down her own photo and tore off the newspaper from the other photo frame.

Many people in the Municipal Bureau knew that Tang Zhitong had been received, but no one mentioned having a photo! And it was a friendly photo of him patting her on the shoulder and encouraging her!
Upon seeing the photo of Tang Zhitong, the words of praise became "a perfect match," "complementary," and "like-minded," and even some people no longer felt jealous.

It was as if this was how the two of them were supposed to be, as if only a family like this deserved to be moved by three trucks.

Using the car only when moving is already very low-key, let alone the fact that some people treat using the car for their family as part of their job...

Hearing these compliments, Xiao Wang smiled even more sweetly.

There were still stone mills and rollers outside that hadn't been installed yet. Tang Zhitong measured the dimensions outside, marked the installation locations on the floor tiles, and then received a barrage of compliments after entering the house.

Hearing his colleague's words, Tang Zhitong could only smile and say, "These are all in the past. In the future, I will definitely serve the people better under the guidance of the great ideology and strive to make greater achievements!"

Tang Zhitong's statement garnered another wave of praise, and at the same time, some people asked about the scene during the meeting again. Xiao Wang was no exception, as he was surrounded by several female comrades.

Only after everyone's curiosity was satisfied could the moving work continue.

The men were responsible for completing the last load of goods: stone mill, stone roller, hot water bucket and rack, firewood, coal, etc., all placed in the designated locations.

After washing his hands, Fang Yuan was about to lead everyone back when Zhang Guifang objected, saying, "Leader Fang, everyone has come all this way to help us move, we can't go back hungry. I've already started steaming rice, it'll be ready in a bit, have a bite before you go."

"Auntie, I appreciate your kindness, but it's only right for us colleagues to help each other. Please go back now." Fang Yuan waved to Zhang Guifang as she walked out.

"Oh dear, this is... so impolite!" Fang Yuan ran fast, and Zhang Guifang couldn't catch up, so she could only pull Ma Wei, who was lagging behind.

"Auntie, we didn't put in much effort, and we didn't tidy it up perfectly for you. Please keep it neat and tidy, we have to go back to work." Ma Wei was being pulled along and couldn't easily break free, so she looked at Xiao Wang for help.

"Mom, let's leave it at that. Everyone missed a morning of work, and we need to make up for it this afternoon." With food rations tightening, Xiao Wang understands everyone's concern for their families, but most people have already left. Holding onto Ma Wei now would be pointless. They can't just leave her behind, can they?

"Sigh! What a mess!" Zhang Guifang let go of her hand with a look of annoyance, and Ma Wei took the opportunity to say hello and jog out. Tang Zhitong, of course, wouldn't let it go so easily. Carrying two baskets of unfinished fruit, he saw his colleagues off at the door. After watching everyone get into the car, he handed the two baskets to them and smiled:

"Thank you all for your hard work today. These are for eating on the way. Please keep the baskets for me and leave them at the finance department later."

"Alright! I guarantee it will be delivered intact to Section Chief Tang in the finance department. Ma Wei is my witness." The colleagues in the escort department did not refuse the fruit.

"Okay, here you go, smoke on the way." Tang Zhitong agreed with a smile, then took out two more packs of Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket and threw them on.

"Xiao Tang, don't rush to work tomorrow. Stay home and tidy up. Go back now!" Fang Yuan leaned out of the passenger seat, waved to Tang Zhitong, and instructed.

"Alright! Everyone, be careful!" Tang Zhitong waved goodbye to his colleagues and watched the truck drive away.

"I steamed a big pot of rice, how could it just leave like that?" As the truck turned the corner of the alley, Zhang Guifang was a little worried. It's hot now, and there aren't many of her family members. Even if they all eat their fill, that rice would last for four or five meals. The key is that it's hot now, and it won't keep!

"Mom, it's alright. Our cellar is cool, so we can put any leftovers down there. Besides, Jingying and Jingmin are coming over this afternoon, and the tutor is coming tomorrow. We'll finish eating by noon tomorrow at the latest," Tang Zhitong comforted her mother cheerfully.

My mother is hospitable, so it's inevitable that she'll do a lot of cooking.

If someone comes to help, you can choose not to eat, but you can't not cook for yourself.

According to the customs of Shandong, even if guests arrive uninvited, meals must be prepared immediately. If there are no meals at home, they must be ordered in advance; otherwise, it is considered impolite.

Of course, generally speaking, guests are quite self-aware. Those who come uninvited usually don't plan to eat there and will try their best to stop the host from doing anything.

Fish head wine may be off-putting, but the hospitality it evokes is heartwarming.

After hearing Tang Zhitong's words, Zhang Guifang sighed and walked back. At least she hadn't wasted the food, even if she couldn't entertain him properly.

The family returned to the courtyard. With no outsiders around, Zhang Guifang began to think about the grain her son had brought over the day before.

"The cellar is damp. Let's carry the grain out of the cellar first," Zhang Guifang said, urging Tang Zhitong and her to go down and carry the grain out of the cellar.

"Mom, I can do it myself, please don't get down." Tang Zhitong didn't object to her mother doing some light physical labor, but heavy physical labor was out of the question.

“Going up is no more tiring than sending it down, you can’t do it by yourself.” Zhang Guifang wouldn’t listen, as if she was determined to go down.

"Mom, Anzi and I will go downstairs, you stay upstairs." Xiao Wang also disagreed with her mother-in-law going downstairs and suggested that she accompany her to the cellar.

"Wenwen, you and Mom stay up here and pass me the rope. I'll get down myself." One is elderly, and the other is pregnant. Everyone in Jinan knows to give up their seats to the elderly, the weak, the sick, the disabled, and pregnant on buses. Tang Zhitong naturally couldn't agree to let them get down to do physical labor, so she directly ordered Xiao Wang without further ado.

"Okay." Seeing her husband's determined eyes, Xiao Wang did not object.

Tang Zhitong went down into the cellar. The first bag she tied up was a bag of dried goods sent by her uncle. This bag was the lightest, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law could carry it.

Starting with the second bag, Tang Zhitong would secure it firmly, then climb out of the cellar himself, grab the rope, and lift the sack up.

The lighter loads were carried by the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, while the heaviest corn was carried by Tang Zhitong and poured into the jar.

Looking at the golden corn kernels, Zhang Guifang grabbed a handful, carefully touched them, and after confirming that the surface was not damp, she still wasn't satisfied. She picked out a kernel and placed it between her teeth, then squeezed it...

If it doesn't crack open, try biting it again with your canines. With a slight crack, the corn kernel splits in two.

"Mom, it's only been downstairs for a day, it won't get damp." Tang Zhitong didn't know what to do about her mother's caution, after all, there was a real food shortage right now, and being extra careful was never too much.

"Alright, go back inside and help Wenwen with some chores. Don't just stand there like a boss; do some work." Zhang Guifang covered the kang with a wooden board and started tidying up the earthen bed, also urging her son out.

"Okay!" Tang Zhitong agreed readily. Well, at least he didn't ask where he got the paste from. That's good.

Tang Zhitong left the main house and, from a distance, placed some more peaches and ripe apricots into the cellar.

"A half-grown boy can eat his father to death." Although there are still some left in the cellar, Jingying and Jingmin are coming today, and Teacher Gu will also be coming starting tomorrow, so the consumption will definitely increase. We might as well take advantage of the move and arrange to bring more at once, since the temperature in the cellar is comparable to that of a refrigerator, which can effectively keep things fresh.

Well, there are some flaws, though; the cellar is missing two shelves.

There's no rush for this. Tang Zhitong plans to buy it gradually later. After all, she's already spent the pocket money that Xiao Wang prepared for her. If she wants to buy something else, she'll have to ask Zhang Guifang, but the money she has is for household expenses.

After making these small movements, Tang Zhitong subconsciously walked towards the west wing, only realizing halfway there that she had moved to the east wing.

"Is there anything else I need to do?" Tang Zhitong asked as he entered the room, like a player waiting for an NPC to issue a quest.

"Where's the nail? Let's hang up the photo together." Xiao Wang put down the rag in his hand and asked, pointing to the cleaned photo frame.

"I remember it's in the toolbox. I'll go look for it in the main room." With that, Tang Zhitong turned around and went out the door.

When he returned, Tang Zhitong had an iron nail in one hand and a hammer in the other.

"Be careful not to hurt your hand. And try not to damage the wall; it's freshly painted, it would be a shame to break the paint." Ms. Wang held up her chair for her husband and gave him these instructions from below.

"Don't worry, it'll be spotless." Tang Zhitong turned around and smiled. After making sure that Xiao Wang couldn't see where he was going to make the cut, he used the wall hanging to make a small hole, put the nail in the hole, and hammered it three times. A perfect hook for hanging a picture frame was born.

Copy, paste, and with two nails in, Tang Zhitong hung the picture frame up. He got off the chair, stood in the living room, and examined it. He was very satisfied, satisfied with his own hands-on skills, and also satisfied with the 360 ​​ways to use the frame in the home.

"I acted a bit impulsively today. I hope it won't affect you in any way?" After hanging up the photo frame, Ms. Wang told her husband the whole story of how the photo was discovered.

"It's okay. They know we have a photo together, which might make things much easier for me at work in the future," Tang Zhitong said with a smile, trying to comfort me.

The finance department doesn't face much resistance to begin with. Although people talk about contributions and dedication, nobody turns down money.

In recent years, material conditions have indeed been difficult, causing everyone to focus solely on food, leading to a slackening in other areas. The social atmosphere has been the most relaxed in recent years.

Once supplies improve, class struggle will be brought up again and intensified. It's not a bad thing to let colleagues know about my glorious past now; there might even be unexpected gains.

(End of this chapter)