Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 945 944 Inspiration strikes!

"It's true, the fish I caught at the southeast corner of Shichahai will probably become a popular fishing spot starting tomorrow." Although communication isn't very advanced these days, Tang Zhitong doesn't dare underestimate the speed at which word spreads among anglers.

"There are so many fish in Shichahai?" Seeing her husband's earnestness, Ms. Wang was still somewhat incredulous. Not only did some people in her workplace enjoy fishing, but even some of the big shots enjoyed this activity. However, she had never heard of such a speed at which fish were being caught, which refreshed her understanding.

"If I can catch it, then it must exist. I couldn't possibly conjure it out of thin air, could I?" Tang Zhitong spread his hands and told the truth, but no one believed him.

"You're so lucky." Recalling the past, her husband had never come back empty-handed when he went fishing, it's just that he hadn't done it this many times before.

"Yeah, we're on a roll today, every single one of them is a good one, and none of them are off the hook. If we're this lucky every time, we can not only pay off our debts quickly, but we can even get a mattress." Tang Zhitong emphasized luck in his words, which was a way of giving Xiao Wang a heads-up.

"How can you be so lucky every time? Waiting for something to happen by chance is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Xiao Wang took out five yuan and gave it to her husband, then put the rest of the money away.

"Pah, pah, pah, I still hope our luck will improve, so our lives will be easier." Tang Zhitong emphasized luck again.

Luck will be very important in daily life going forward. Starting in August, the rations for cadres will be reduced, and even if ordinary residents postpone their rations again, they will still face the reality of strictly implementing everything based on ration coupons.

With luck on his side, Tang Zhitong felt that if he occasionally ate some fat and "caught" some fish, his family should be able to make ends meet.

Even if the neighbors find out their food is good, they can attribute it all to unfounded luck in fishing.

"Then I'll be hoping you'll have boundless good fortune," Xiao Wang teased her husband as she stuffed the money into the wardrobe.

Regardless of the dynasty or social class, everyone holds beautiful expectations for life; only in this way can life have hope.

If life were predictable, with no chance of turning things around and no obstacles ahead, many people might consider giving up, abandoning their lives, or even ending their own.

The young couple were very happy with today's income. They chatted a lot in the evening, talking about their achievements at the music academy and their wonderful visions for the new courtyard. Even the meowing of the cats outside sounded more pleasant.

Tonight, Tang Zhitong didn't mention composing music or writing lyrics for "The Painter," taking it as a day off.

Meanwhile, Yan Xiongfei and Wang Huiru were chatting in bed after putting the child to sleep.

"Little Tang has sent things to our house several times, shouldn't we show our gratitude?" Wang Huiru was grateful to Tang Zhitong for not only saving Ningning but also arranging a job for her nephew as a barefoot doctor. Logically, she should be the one rushing to thank him, but now it was the other way around.

“He moved. I’ll contact him tomorrow and find a chance to visit him.” Yan Xiongfei had a similar idea to his wife. Although Tang Zhitong had asked him to do two private favors, it was still nothing compared to their son’s life.

Yan Xiongfei did not receive Tang Zhitong's letter about moving, but the coal station on Zhishanmen Street called him today, saying that a young man had used his permit to buy coal.

Firstly, it's a way to show off one's achievements, and secondly, it's a way to verify the authenticity of the approval slip.

Yan Xiongfei rarely did this kind of thing. After finding out the young man's height, he was basically certain that it was Tang Zhitong. However, the home address did not match because he had asked the city post office before and found out that the Tang family lived in the outer city.

The station manager personally accompanied the workers to deliver the coal at the coal station. In addition to tidying up the coal, the station manager also extracted a lot of information from Zhang Guifang, and reported it to Yan Xiongfei when he returned to the coal station.

"Alright, don't be impolite." Seeing that her husband had already made arrangements, Wang Huiru didn't say anything more.

Friday, September 7st.

As usual, Tang Zhitong took his two younger sisters to the music academy. After a period of study, they bought a bottle opener on their way home.

Most bottled wines, soy sauces, and vinegars are now sealed with pressure caps. Even the poorest families will encounter situations where the caps need to be opened several times a year.

However, not every household provides a bottle opener specifically for opening bottles.

In most cases, we make do with other methods to get things going.

Making do includes, but is not limited to, using teeth, chopsticks, or the corner of a table.

All of the above methods require a certain level of skill and strength, which Fengzhi and Jingmin clearly lack, so they still need a bottle opener.

Bottle openers today are similar in style to those from decades later, both using the lever principle to open bottle caps, only differing in the materials used.

The materials are brass and iron. Tang Zhitong chose the iron one because it was cheaper.

Even if it's made of iron, it should last forty or fifty years without any problems.

Back home, Tang Zhitong first took the catfish out of the cellar.

Catfish are very resilient, and even after spending the night in the low-temperature cellar, they were still breathing.

Whether it's panting or not, the catfish will always end up in the pot.

In Tang Zhitong's mind, the best way to cook catfish is by stewing, either with tofu or eggplant, or even without any side dishes.

There's no tofu available right now, but Zhang Guifang bought two eggplants from the vegetable store yesterday.

The reason I bought so many vegetables yesterday is because the supply of vegetables in Tielugu has been scarce lately, and the Tang family couldn't buy them. So they had been saving up their vegetable coupons, and now that they've moved here, they can finally use them.

Catfish have a strong earthy smell. To remove this smell, in addition to draining the blood when killing the fish, you should also focus on cleaning the mucus layer on the catfish's body.

If possible, you can even pour boiling water over it and then scrape it clean with a knife while it's still hot.

In addition, stewing catfish requires garlic, half a head or even a whole head of garlic, which should be smashed with a knife, without cutting, and thrown directly into the pot.

Large chunks of catfish, large chunks of eggplant, a spoonful of diluted yellow soybean paste, half a head of garlic, plus half a spoonful of oyster sauce and a little salt, stew together to make a delicious pot of stew.

If there's a downside, it's that it's a bit salty. But if it's not salty, it's not a proper dish. Aside from catfish stewed with eggplant, the only other option is to eat pickled toon sprouts.

After finishing his meal, Tang Zhitong went to buy popsicles wholesale as usual.

I chose the same thing as yesterday: a five-cent popsicle and a bottle of Arctic Ocean soda.

Yesterday we didn't sell any Arctic Ocean sodas because we ran out of bottle openers. Hopefully things will improve today.
Even if they can't be sold, it doesn't matter; they can store them in their space and drink them slowly. After returning home, when Tang Zhitong delivered the Arctic Ocean soda to the cellar, he took two chilled bottles into his space, intending to treat himself to a snack whenever he felt like it.

After setting up his stall and leaving behind the bottle opener, Tang Zhitong was about to head to the transport office. He hadn't been there for several days, and it wouldn't be right for him to skip work again.

"Brother-in-law, soda, soda!" Jingmin grabbed Tang Zhitong. Yesterday, he had promised Tang Zhitong soda, but Xiao Wang had stopped him because he was worried about his brother's stomach, so it had to be today.

"Keep the bottle caps, I need them." Tang Zhitong opened a bottle of Beibingyang soda for Jingmin and handed it over, instructing him as he did so.

Bottle caps can be sold as scrap or used for crafts, such as peeling potatoes.

Tang Zhitong wanted to keep the bottle cap to make a fish scale remover.

The method is very simple: use a nail to punch a hole in the middle of the bottle cap, and then use screws to fix the bottle cap to the small wooden board.

Arrange them neatly, screw on several bottle caps, and you've made a fish scale remover.

"Mmm, mmm." After agreeing, Jingmin hurriedly took a sip of Beibingyang soda, then boasted to Fengzhi with a cheeky grin, "Wow! Soda is so delicious, icy cold, and bubbly, it's so refreshing. With Beibingyang, I don't have to worry about getting heatstroke anymore!"

Fengzhi rolled her eyes at Jingmin, and her mouth started to water. She had never tasted Arctic Ocean soda before!

However, in the end, she resisted. A bottle of Beibingyang ice cream costs a little over ten cents wholesale, and she would have to sell more than ten popsicles to earn that back. Drinking it like that would be a bit extravagant.

"Hey, you're so easily satisfied." Tang Zhitong shook his head at his brother-in-law's smug look.

The Arctic Ocean has limited effectiveness in preventing heatstroke; for that, Huoxiang Zhengqi Water is the better choice.

Before the escort team went to work on the farm a while ago, Sister Chen from the trade union prepared a lot of materials, which Tang Zhitong had come into contact with. They already had the prototype of the small plastic bottle that would be produced decades later.

It's currently packaged in large bottles, with the words "Longshunrong" printed on the packaging.

Tang Zhitong later learned that Long Shunrong was a leader in the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. He not only successfully developed Huoxiang Zhengqi Water Tincture, but also manufactured the first tablet in the history of Chinese medicine—Yinqiao Jiedu Tablet.

"I wish I could have a bottle every day." Jingmin thought his brother-in-law was implying that he had a slightly bigger appetite, so he made an outrageous request.

After saying that, Jingmin felt a little guilty. While making excuses for himself, he also dragged Fengzhi into it: "It's hot outside, and we're still young. If we get heatstroke, everyone will worry. How about one bottle a day... or we can share one bottle?"

"No way! My sister-in-law and brother spent a lot of money on moving houses and buying furniture. I need to save up to pay off the debts." Fengzhi rolled her eyes at Jingmin again. She also craved soda, but she could tell which one was for the family and which one was for making money.

"Not bad, you still care about your family. Here's a bottle as a reward." Tang Zhitong felt very pleased that Fengzhi thought this way and decided to reduce the number of times he treated his younger sister like a donkey in the future.

"One bottle per person, no arguing, but we're out of popsicles today." Tang Zhitong handed the opened Arctic Ocean soda to Feng Zhi, waved his hand, and rode his bicycle straight to the transport station.

Under the bright sunshine, on his way to the transport depot, Tang Zhitong felt the warmth of Beijing and realized he desperately needed a cold drink.

However, not only Beibingyang, but also Bingfeng and Dayao, Tang Zhitong felt that the flavors were not well-balanced, and the spiciness was too prominent after entering the mouth.

In comparison, Tang Zhitong prefers Heqizheng among summer cold drinks, but unfortunately, Heqizheng disappeared when Wanglaoji and Jiaduobao were fighting.

Hmm? Is there any potential with Wanglaoji? Director Ye still owes us some tasks!
Wanglaoji has a long history, and Tang Zhitong is not sure whether Wanglaoji has launched a herbal tea beverage at present.

If so, export earnings should be the priority.

The target audience for these traditional Chinese medicine products is limited, so the direction for foreign exchange earnings must be Southeast Asia, where Chinese people are concentrated.

Tang Zhitong thought he could consult Zeng Xinghuai of the Chemical Metallurgy Research Institute later, since he was an overseas Chinese from Manila and should know something about this.
Thinking of Zeng Xinghuai, Tang Zhitong recalled their conversation when he first learned that Zeng was an overseas Chinese from Manila.

I talked to him a lot about the local customs and climate. When I left the metallurgical institute, I still felt like I hadn't quite grasped the inspiration.

Looking back now, it seems to match up, but it doesn't feel like it matches up completely because I didn't get excited.

As they approached the transport depot, Tang Zhitong finally couldn't resist stopping the car, pulling out a bottle of Beibingyang soda, and gulping it down.

The taste is still not quite right, but it's so much better than Baihua Shecao Shui (a type of herbal drink).

White Flower Snake Grass Water is a purely dark-themed beverage.

Tang Zhitong let out a long, comfortable burp, froze on the spot, and suddenly became excited.

I finally finished talking with Zeng Xinghuai about what inspiration he wanted to capture in Manila: White Flower Snake Grass Water!
Although he didn't know when Wanglaoji herbal tea went overseas, he knew that Baihua Shecao Water was only established in 1962, and its original purpose was to generate foreign exchange. It was in high demand in Southeast Asia and was not sold domestically at all!
Tang Zhitong was very excited and couldn't wait to go to Director Ye to implement it, but he held back. After all, the white flower snake tongue grass grows in the southeast of the country, which is too far from Beijing. There must be a suitable reason to contact and understand it before talking about development and utilization.

After gathering his emotions, Tang Zhitong forcibly suppressed the agitation caused by the dark-colored drinks and entered the escort office first.

As soon as you enter the gate, you can see Fang Yuan working by the newly opened pond.

"Brother Yuan, have you started cultivating Chlorella?" Tang Zhitong stopped his bicycle and went over to greet Fang Yuan.

“Yes, most people in the company support growing Chlorella, so we dug a pond.” Fang Yuan stopped what he was doing, nodded to Tang Zhitong, as if explaining why he hadn’t listened to Tang’s advice not to grow Chlorella.

"That's good, it's responding to the national call." Tang Zhitong smiled, not taking it seriously. This little algae farce is not limited to the escort department, even the lake is not immune, all the big and small agencies will keep some.

"Where did the Chlorella come from?" Looking at the lush green pond, Tang Zhitong was puzzled. Fengzhi didn't get any, and Jingmin only had a tiny bit the size of a grain of rice. The original Chlorella strain must be very rare, right? Why is the transport station almost full?
“They’re in ditches and lakes; my colleagues who live nearby fished them out.” Fang Yuan spoke with pride. His employees were very enthusiastic about cultivating Chlorella, and he hadn’t had to put in much effort, which was one of the reasons he didn’t object.

Tang Zhitong was taken aback. Was it really that casual? There were other algae in the rivers and lakes, not just Chlorella!

Are we supposed to raise them and then eat them all?

But thinking about it, it makes sense. If steel can be made into blast furnaces anywhere, then using algae as a local material doesn't seem so outrageous.

(End of this chapter)