60s: I have a store

Chapter 551: Venue Arrangement and Preparation
Due to the rushing around and the fact that he wasted a lot of time with Director Li, by the time Zhou Yimin walked out of the courtyard of the street office, it was already completely dark.

Zhou Yimin rode his motorcycle at full speed on the dirt road back to Zhoujiazhuang. The dust raised by his wheels left a long trail behind him, which was soon blown away by the evening breeze.

The wild grass on the roadside swayed in the wind, making rustling sounds, as if telling of the day's fatigue.

The mountains in the distance have blurred into gray-black silhouettes, with only a few birds returning to their nests occasionally chirping, breaking the increasingly thick silence.

From a distance, Zhou Yimin saw the familiar figure under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village.

The old branch secretary was still sitting on the stone pier, his hunched back looking even thinner in the twilight, like a solidified statue.

The roar of the motorcycle came from far away, but the old branch secretary seemed to be immersed in his own world. It was not until Zhou Yimin stopped the car steadily and the metal bracket collided with the ground with a "clang" sound that the old branch secretary suddenly came to his senses.

A hint of surprise flashed in the old man's turbid eyes, and he quickly stood up on his knees. His movements were much slower than usual, and he staggered towards the motorcycle.

"Yimin, you're finally back? Have you thought of a solution?" The old branch secretary's voice was obviously anxious, and there was a hint of trembling in his hoarseness. He was afraid that several hours of waiting would bring him an answer he didn't want to hear.

Zhou Yimin took off his helmet, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and told the old branch secretary everything about his conversation with Director Li at the street office without hiding anything.

From the surging crowds of refugees in the old city, to the huge pressure faced by the street office, to his plan to integrate resources and hold blind dates, every detail was disclosed without reservation.

The old branch secretary frowned more and more as he listened. When Zhou Yimin finished speaking, he sighed heavily, reached into his pocket to take out his pipe, and said as he filled it with tobacco leaves: "Yimin, is your method reliable? What if some unscrupulous people enter the village and make it a mess?"

The old man's hand trembled slightly as he struck the match, and the flame flickered in the twilight. "It has not been easy for our village to develop over the years, and we have many secrets. If it gets out..."

After all, Zhoujiazhuang’s development to its current state is inseparable from Zhou Yimin’s help. If this matter were to get out, the relationship with Zhou Yimin would be damaged.

This is the result that the old branch secretary is most reluctant to see. Although Zhoujiazhuang has undergone significant changes with the help of Zhou Yimin, it is still unknown whether this change will return to its original state without Zhou Yimin's help.

So the old branch secretary didn’t dare to take this gamble!
Zhou Yimin felt helpless. He had been running around the whole day, thinking about solving the problems for the village. He thought the old branch secretary would agree after hearing his idea, but he didn't expect that he was still hesitating.

He suppressed his irritation and patiently explained, "Old Party Secretary, think about it, most of these female comrades who fled left their hometown because they had nowhere else to go. They just want to find a stable place to live. How could they want to cause trouble? Besides, we can understand the situation in advance and take the first step."

Seeing that the old branch secretary was still hesitant, Zhou Yimin gritted his teeth and decided to use provocation: "If we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to help so many young men get married at once next time. Old branch secretary, if you think it's not possible, I will go and tell Director Li that we won't do this anymore!"

The old branch secretary showed an embarrassment on his face. On one hand, there were many young men in the village who were eagerly looking forward to starting a family, and on the other hand, he was worried about unknown risks. He was caught in a dilemma.

Zhou Yimin saw that the old branch secretary was wavering, so he struck while the iron was hot and began to analyze the pros and cons of this plan in detail.

From increasing the village's labor force, to promoting cooperation with other villages and street offices, to enhancing the influence of Zhoujiazhuang, each and every item was clearly explained.

"Old Party Secretary, the reason why Zhoujiazhuang is what it is today is because we dared to think and act. If we succeed this time, not only will we solve the lifelong affairs of our children, but we can also establish connections with the city and other villages. The road ahead will only become wider and wider." Zhou Yimin looked at the old Party Secretary firmly, his eyes full of expectation.

The old branch secretary was silent for a long time, and finally sighed softly, raised his head and said: "Yimin, how should our village prepare?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yimin was delighted, knowing that the old branch secretary was finally convinced.

"Old Party branch secretary, I think we must prepare some meat so that others won't look down on our village. At this blind date event, we must let others see our sincerity and strength." Zhou Yimin said seriously.

The old branch secretary nodded, but then frowned again: "As for meat, it is indeed a bit difficult! As for food, there is still a little bit, so don't worry."

Zhou Yimin was well prepared and said, "Old Party Secretary, how about this? We can ask the village security team to go hunting in the mountains. If they succeed, everyone will be happy. If they don't catch any prey, I can still give some money."

After hearing this, the old branch secretary's worries were immediately reduced. He patted Zhou Yimin on the shoulder and said, "Okay, let's do as you say!"

The night completely enveloped Zhoujiazhuang. The old branch secretary had no time to rest and went straight to the security team's rest area.

Inside the house, several young security guards were sitting together chatting. When they saw the old branch secretary come in, they all stood up with straight postures.

The captain stepped forward and asked in a loud voice, "Old Party Secretary, what brings you here?"

The old Party Secretary did not beat around the bush and said directly: "Captain, can you lead the team to go hunting in the mountains tomorrow? There is an important event in the village and we need to prepare some meat."

Upon hearing this, the captain immediately perked up and asked with sparkling eyes: "Old Party Secretary, is there anything wrong? Just tell me. As long as it's a matter related to the village, our security team will never hesitate!"

The old branch secretary explained Zhou Yimin's plan in detail to everyone. As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of excited discussion rang out in the room.

Several young team members were eager to try, and the team leader said excitedly: "Old Party Secretary, don't worry, I will lead the security team into the mountains to hunt tomorrow. We will definitely bring back more prey and will not hold the village back."

The next day, Zhoujiazhuang was already bustling while it was still dawn.

The members of the security team gathered at the entrance of the village early in the morning. They were all in high spirits, carrying homemade bows and arrows and hunting rifles, with ropes and knives hanging around their waists.

In the cold morning mist, the white air they exhaled condensed into a cloud of mist. The captain stood in front of the team, raised his hunting rifle, and said loudly: "Brothers, we must go all out today, bring back more prey, and contribute to the great cause of the village!"

The team walked on the dew and marched towards the back mountain in a mighty manner.

The mountain road was rugged and full of thorns. The team members' trouser legs were soon wet by dew and covered with a lot of grass clippings.

The captain walked in front, chopping away the bushes that blocked his way with his long knife from time to time, and vigilantly observing the movements around him. "Everyone, be alert and listen carefully to the sounds around you!"

He reminded the team members quietly.

The mountains were filled with the smell of damp earth, and occasionally the calls of unknown birds could be heard, but there was no sign of prey.

After walking for about an hour, team member Xiao Zhang suddenly stopped and pointed at a vague mark on the ground. He lowered his voice and said excitedly: "Captain, look, this looks like a hare's footprint!"

Everyone gathered around immediately. The captain squatted down and took a closer look. His brows furrowed. "These footprints are dry. They must have been left yesterday."

Despite some disappointment, everyone continued to move forward with hope. They dispersed and carefully searched every bush and every cave.

Time passed by, the sun gradually rose, and the skin became hot. The team members' clothes were already soaked with sweat and stuck to their bodies. Suddenly, there was a slight noise in the bushes ahead.

The team members held their breath instantly, gripped their weapons tightly, and slowly approached.

The captain made a gesture, and the team members fanned out to attack. However, when they parted the grass, they only startled a gray-brown titmouse, which flew away with a flutter.

"Alas, what a waste of time." The team members shook their heads helplessly and continued to search. In this way, after searching for several hours, the forest was still silent. There was no trace of the hares and pheasants that were everywhere in the past, and even the bird nests on the trees were empty.

"Captain, there is a shortage of food everywhere now. Many people go into the mountains to hunt. Even the bark of the trees has been stripped off. Where are the prey?" Team member Xiao Li sat down on the ground in frustration, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

The captain looked at the barren forest in front of him, feeling unwilling, but he had to accept the reality.

He clenched his fist and slammed it heavily on the tree trunk beside him: "Let's retreat, go back to the village and tell the old party secretary the news."

The team returned to the village dejectedly. Along the way, everyone was silent, and only the sound of footsteps echoed in the silent forest.

The team leader walked at the end, looking back at the empty forest from time to time, his eyes full of helplessness and guilt.

He knew that he had disappointed the villagers this time, but what else could he do in this difficult world?

When the old branch secretary learned about this, his face instantly became solemn. He immediately went to Zhou Yimin's house and told him that the security team had found nothing. His eyes were full of worry: "Yimin, what should we do? Director Li will bring people here tomorrow. Without meat, how can we save our dignity?"

Zhou Yimin seemed very calm and consoled him, "Old Party Secretary, don't worry!"

After saying that, he turned around, walked out of the house, got on his motorcycle and left the village.

The old branch secretary stood there, feeling very nervous, and could only wait anxiously at the entrance of the village.

Time passed minute by minute, and the old branch secretary kept looking outside the village, his eyes full of anxiety.

Zhou Yimin walked around the area for a few times, looked at his watch, found that the time was about right, and found a secluded corner.

Fifty kilograms of pork and thirty kilograms of beef were taken directly from the store. Zhou Yimin saw this and thought that this amount of meat should be about the same.

Zhou Yimin was wondering what was missing, and suddenly remembered that he was still short of candy, so he bought ten kilograms of candy from the store. Although White Rabbit milk candy was also available, ten kilograms of White Rabbit milk candy was a bit too ostentatious, so after thinking about it, he decided to buy ordinary candy.

Seeing that things were almost ready, Zhou Yimin drove his motorcycle towards Zhoujiazhuang.

Finally, he saw a familiar figure appearing in the distance, and the roar of Zhou Yimin's motorcycle came closer and closer.

The old branch secretary walked quickly forward, and when he saw the dozens of kilograms of beef and pork, and the bags of candy hanging on the back seat of the motorcycle, his heart finally settled down.

"Yimin, you are really a timely rain!" the old branch secretary said excitedly, with a touch of emotion in his eyes.

Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "Old Party Secretary, this is all for the important events of the village. With these, tomorrow's blind date will surely be held smoothly!"

When Zhou Yimin returned to Zhoujiazhuang with the meat, the old branch secretary finally felt relieved.

The news spread throughout the village as fast as wings. Upon learning that the blind date plan was about to be put into practice, the villagers took spontaneous action and turned their attention to the largest open space in the village - the threshing ground, preparing to create a lively event here.

The threshing ground, which is usually used to dry rice, is now full of dry straw and scattered grains.

Zhou Daming and a few young guys came here first. They waved brooms, and the "swish" sound of sweeping echoed in the open space.

The women were walking around the venue holding colorful strips of cloth and ribbons. After all, this blind date event was related to whether their sons could get married, so everyone was very serious.

Even those who usually try to be cunning and sly did not slack off. Instead, they followed everyone else and worked diligently to set up the venue.

At this time, Aunt Zhao and Aunt Liu stood by the fence of the threshing ground, tying strips of cloth to wooden stakes. The ribbons fluttering in the wind added a lively atmosphere to the venue.

"What do you think about weaving these wild flowers into wreaths and hanging them on the fence?" Aunt Zhao asked, holding up a bunch of freshly picked wild chrysanthemums.

Aunt Liu's eyes lit up: "What a good idea! Pick some more vines and wrap them around the fence. It will definitely look good!"

The two of them started working as soon as they said it, and in a short while, the originally simple fence was decorated with vitality, with the fragrance of flowers and grass intertwined.

The old men sat on the stone piers beside the threshing ground, smoking their pipes and directing the young people.

"Move that platform a little further east so the sun can shine right on it!"

"Don't place the tables too close together, leave aisles for easy movement!"

Although they cannot do the work themselves, their rich experience allows the venue to be arranged more reasonably.

Zhou Yimin and the old branch secretary patrolled the venue back and forth.

The old branch secretary looked at the site that had taken shape and smiled with satisfaction: "Yimin, look at this threshing ground, it is better than I thought!"

Moreover, Zhoujiazhuang can be said to have paid a lot for this blind date conference. Even if it were moved to other cities, the hospitality standards might not be as high as those in Zhoujiazhuang.

You know, Zhoujiazhuang prepared 50 kilograms of pork, 30 kilograms of beef, and 10 kilograms of candy.

Zhou Yimin nodded and looked around the venue: "It can be even better. Let's dig a pit in the middle of the venue and light a bonfire at night. Everyone can chat and dance around the bonfire. The atmosphere will definitely be lively."

After hearing this, the old branch secretary praised it repeatedly and immediately arranged for people to make preparations.

As the sun sets, the threshing ground changes completely.

(End of this chapter)