Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 393 Everything is ready
In the 1950s, most cars belonged to the government, and only a small number of people in some big cities owned private cars.

In rural areas, animal-drawn carts are the primary mode of transportation, and ownership belongs to the collective.

Taxi services are mainly concentrated in cities, and the requirements for taking a taxi are relatively high, so most people do not meet the requirements. Taxis became widespread in rural areas much later, and they are now rarely seen.

Zhang Daya rode his bicycle with He Yuanchao for a while, pondering the bicycle the whole way. Finally, after the bicycles crossed the dirt road and entered the gravel road, he couldn't contain his curiosity and asked:
"Brother, where are you looking for a bike? Tell me exactly where, otherwise I can't ride it if it's wobbly and bumpy."

He Yuanchao, sitting with his legs crossed on the back of the bicycle, laughed upon hearing this:

"Don't worry, you don't need to go too far. Just find a place where you can make a phone call."

Do you know anyone in this area?

Zhang Daya couldn't figure out He Yuanchao's background, and his heart skipped a beat when he heard the phone call, but he pretended to be nonchalant and said:

“Brother, let me tell you, these days it’s not easy to find a truck that can carry more than a thousand catties of grain. You need to know someone, and the procedures are troublesome. If they ask about the purpose, you won’t know what to say. If all else fails, I’ll find you a few more flatbed trucks, and I can get the grain to your destination just the same.”

Zhang Daya wasn't doing this out of helpfulness, but because he was genuinely scared and wanted to be in control of the situation by finding a car himself, thus minimizing the risks.

He Yuanchao already had a plan in mind and wouldn't change his mind because of Zhang Daya's few words, so he casually replied:

"Don't worry, I have a good friend who has a car. He'll be there as soon as I give him a call."

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Zhang Daya stopped arguing and rode his bike while mentally planning how to act according to the situation.

To be fair, Zhang Daya was a local street hustler; he knew everyone. After riding along the main street of Yangqu County for a short while, he stopped in front of the gatehouse window of an agricultural machinery factory.

Seeing the person in the gatehouse, Zhang Daya felt a headache coming on. Why did he have to run into this stubborn old man? But since he was already there, he could only bite the bullet and greet him:

"Uncle Yu, are you on duty today?"

As he spoke, Zhang Daya skillfully pulled out half a pack of Ziqi Donglai cigarettes from his pocket and handed it through the window.

The old man was in his fifties, with gray hair, wearing reading glasses, and a slightly worn brown-green military uniform. He looked quite dignified.

"Those who are overly solicitous are either up to no good or have ulterior motives. Don't try to get close to me. Just tell me what you want."

The old man was quite cultured, but his tone of voice was a bit harsh.

Zhang Daya pushed the half-pack of cigarettes on the table by the window toward the old man, smiling ingratiatingly:
"It's nothing serious. A friend of mine has an urgent matter and wants to borrow the phone. Could you please do me a favor, Uncle Yu?"

Uncle Yu didn't even glance at the half-pack of cigarettes on the table, but turned his head to look at He Yuanchao next to Zhang Daya a few times.

The old man knew what Zhang Daya did for a living, and seeing He Yuanchao dressed so well, he assumed they were cut from the same cloth and didn't give him a friendly look.

"The phone belongs to the government, and I have no right to lend it out. If you want to use the phone elsewhere, you can't use it here."

Zhang Daya was a little angry at being rejected, but he didn't show it on his face and still said with a grin:
"Uncle Yu, what are you saying? The phone is with you, it's just a matter of a word from you. We see each other all the time, you can just do me a favor."

"No, I've already told you this belongs to the public, so my decision doesn't count."

As they were talking, the old man got up and handed the half-pack of cigarettes from the table out the window.

Seeing that Old Yu wouldn't budge, Zhang Daya could only curse under his breath and had no other choice but to tell He Yuanchao to go somewhere else.

He Yuanchao didn't know how far away the next place where he could make a phone call was, nor was he sure if he could make one. He thought he would try again with the old man, so he didn't respond to Zhang Daya's words. He took out his cigarette, took one out, stepped forward and handed it to the window, saying: "Old sergeant, I want to make a phone call to the nearby troops. Could you please make an exception for me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Daya was startled and turned to run away. But as soon as he lifted his foot, he realized something was wrong. This was not a matter for soldiers. He forced himself to stay still and waited to see what He Yuanchao was up to.

The old man didn't take the cigarette, but looked He Yuanchao up and down again, tentatively asking, "Were you a soldier?"

"I was with the army for four or five years, and only returned to civilian life last year."

Hearing He Yuanchao's words, the old man's face lit up with a smile. He took the cigarette, lit it, took a puff, and casually said:

"Why are you calling the military?"

Seeing that there was hope in making the call, He Yuanchao didn't hide anything and told the truth: "I have a comrade-in-arms in the army here, and I'm calling him to talk to him about something."

After saying that, to increase credibility, he took out his work ID from his pocket and handed it to the old man.

The old man, with a cigarette between his fingers, took the work permit with the other, glanced at it, and seeing that it was from Kyoto and belonged to the deputy director of the security department, he finally believed He Yuanchao's words and realized that he and Zhang Daya were not on the same side.

Having understood the situation, the old man didn't waste any more words and handed the phone and his work ID to He Yuanchao with a smile.

Zhang Daya heard what the two were saying and took the opportunity to glance at the cover of He Yuanchao's work ID. He knew that He worked at the Beijing Red Star Steel Rolling Mill and was not a member of the public security bureau. He finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

He Yuanchao first thanked the old man, then took the work permit and put it away before picking up the phone to make a call.

Through the telephone switchboard of Zhang Zhao's unit, He Yuanchao quickly contacted Li Hongtao.

With Old Man Yu and Zhang Daya present, He Yuanchao spoke cryptically, only saying that he had gathered everything he needed and needed a truck to haul it back.

Li Hongtao wasn't stupid; he immediately understood what He Yuanchao was talking about and, without saying a word, directly asked for the address.

After a few words, Li Hongtao didn't waste any time. He told He Yuanchao to wait for him forty minutes and then hung up the phone.

With the matter settled, and knowing that Zhang Lide was still waiting for news at the hotel, He Yuanchao put down the phone, thanked Old Man Yu again, and then urged Zhang Daya to ride his bicycle to take him back to the hotel.

Zhang Daya was quite happy to have confirmed that He Yuanchao was not Lei Zi, and he became a rickshaw driver without any complaints.

Old Yu watched the two ride away, frowned, and couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"These aren't cars traveling on the same road, so how did they end up rolling together?"

Zhang Daya was in a good mood and rode his bike with extra effort, arriving at the restaurant in no time.

Zhang Lide, Zhang Zhao, and their driver Xiao Wang had finished their meal and were standing by the jeep outside the restaurant, looking around.

To be honest, Zhang Lide was feeling a little regretful at this moment. He shouldn't have let his promising son-in-law go to the black market to buy grain. What if something went wrong? How would he explain it to his family when he got back?

Just as I was getting anxious, I suddenly heard the driver, Xiao Wang, speaking.

"Boss, look over there, isn't Comrade He back?"

(End of this chapter)