60s: I have a store

Chapter 552 The Lively Beginning

Director Li called, and after the old branch secretary picked up the phone, he quickly asked someone to notify Zhou Yimin. He could only chat with Director Li about family matters, and wait for Zhou Yimin to come over, and then let Director Li and Zhou Yimin connect!
After Zhou Yimin learned about it, he hurried from home to the place in the village where the telephone was installed.

When the old branch secretary saw Zhou Yimin, he quickly gave up his seat and said, "Director Li, Yimin, come here, let him talk to you!"

After saying that, he handed the phone to Zhou Yimin.

Zhou Yimin answered the phone: "Aunt Li, is there any problem?"

Director Li's voice came: "Now there is a big problem. There are so many people, and the street office doesn't have that many bicycles. If we walk, it will take a while."

She knew that there was a tractor in Zhoujiazhuang, and she said this on purpose because she wanted Zhou Yimin to drive the tractor over and pick up the people.

Director Li has also been doing ideological work with those female comrades these past two days, and finally managed to convince twenty female comrades to attend the blind date conference in Zhoujiazhuang.

Many people who have fled here really don’t want to go back to the countryside and want to become city dwellers so that they don’t have to go hungry anymore.

Zhou Yimin thought it was a big deal, but it turned out to be just a matter of pick-up and drop-off: "Aunt Li, don't worry, I'll drive my tractor into the city to pick you up early tomorrow morning. Do you think this is okay?"

Director Li saw that the goal had been achieved: "Okay, let's arrange it this way for tomorrow!"

She was not worried that Zhoujiazhuang would not be able to offer any good things to entertain them if they wanted to make this happen.

Even if there is no meat, they will ask Zhou Yimin for help. As long as Zhou Yimin is willing to help, meat will definitely not be a problem.

The next day, as scheduled, Zhou Yimin got up early in the morning and prepared to drive the tractor into the city to pick people up.

Since there are so many people to be transported this time, I don’t know if one tractor can accommodate them all.

Then he called the old branch secretary.

The old Party secretary asked quickly, "Yimin, why haven't you set off yet?"

"What's the problem?"

He was a little anxious. If he didn't set off yet, he would leave a bad impression on Director Li, which would not be good!

Zhou Yimin expressed his doubts: "Old Party Secretary, I think a tractor may not be able to seat so many people. Why not drive a motorcycle as well?"

Wait a minute, if we get there and can’t attract so many people, wouldn’t that be awkward?

The old branch secretary didn't expect Zhou Yimin to be so thoughtful: "Yimin, what you said makes sense!"

"How about this, you drive the motorcycle and I'll ask Zhiming to drive the tractor?"

After all, everyone in Zhoujiazhuang knows that Zhou Yimin takes great care of his motorcycle. Besides, no one in the village knows how to drive one. If someone else drives it and something gets scratched, that would be bad.

Zhou Yimin was quite satisfied with the old branch secretary's arrangement, so he did not refute: "Okay, let's follow your arrangement, old branch secretary!"

The old branch secretary hurried to find Zhou Zhiming.

Zhou Zhiming understood that this matter was extremely important to Zhoujiazhuang, so he did not delay and agreed to it directly.

You have to know that in the entire Zhoujiazhuang, apart from Zhou Yimin, he is the only one who has the best tractor driving skills, so this task can only be given to Zhou Zhiming.

Zhou Zhiming rushed to where the tractor was parked, sat on it skillfully, started the tractor, and drove towards the village entrance.

He thought he had to wait for Zhou Yimin, but unexpectedly, Zhou Yimin was already waiting at the village entrance on a motorcycle.

Seeing this, Zhou Zhiming stepped on the accelerator hard, and the speed increased immediately.

When Zhou Yimin saw Zhou Zhiming driving a tractor, he led the way.

It took Zhou Yimin about an hour to drive here before Zhou Zhiming arrived at the street office. On normal days, it would take Zhou Yimin more than half an hour to drive a motorcycle.

When I arrived at the street office, I saw a group of people standing in front of the gate, and there were also staff members of the street office, including Director Li.

Because of the loud discussions around, no one heard the sound of the engine.

At this moment, a young girl pointed in the direction of Zhou Yimin and his group and said, "Look, tractors and motorcycles!"

Sure enough, this voice immediately attracted everyone's attention.

For many people, tractors and motorcycles are rare, let alone bicycles, let alone even rarer things.

After hearing this, Director Li knew that it was Zhou Yimin and his team who came, but it seemed a little strange because he clearly didn't ask them to drive a tractor, so why did they drive a motorcycle as well?

When I turned around, I saw Zhou Yimin coming behind me. Suddenly, I looked at Zhou Yimin with a smile on his face.

Director Li was startled for a moment, his legs went weak, and he fell backwards involuntarily.

Seeing this, Zhou Yimin quickly grabbed Director Li and said, "Aunt Li, are you okay?"

Director Li recovered and scolded with a smile: "It's okay, it's you who scared me."

Zhou Yimin suddenly felt innocent: "Aunt Li, I didn't scare you at all"

Director Li looked at Zhou Yimin who was still mumbling and interrupted him: "Stop playing tricks."

Zhou Yimin immediately returned to normal: "Okay, Aunt Li, you can arrange for someone to get on the car."

Director Li nodded, then clapped his hands: "Comrades, let's get on the bus in an orderly manner!"

After hearing this, everyone got on the tractor in an orderly manner according to Director Li's request, but everyone wanted to sit in a better position.

After all, it was everyone's first time riding a tractor, so they were definitely very curious and some minor friction occurred.

However, under Director Li's majesty, everyone could only obey Director Li's words.

However, there was a very embarrassing thing, that is, there was still a girl who couldn't sit down. Seeing this, Director Li finally understood why Zhou Yimin drove the motorcycle over. It turned out that he was worried about this kind of situation happening.

However, it was not appropriate to let Zhou Yimin sit alone with that female comrade.

Zhou Yimin said at this time: "Aunt Li, it seems that you have never been to my house. Why don't you take this opportunity to go and see me?"

He was worried about the same thing. After all, this lesbian was not his partner, so in order to avoid any rumors, it would be better to add one more person.

Director Li looked at Zhou Yimin meaningfully. She also knew why Zhou Yimin said that. After thinking for a while, she said, "Okay, sorry to bother you, Yimin!"

Then Director Li and the female comrade got on Zhou Yimin's motorcycle. This made those who were on the tractor feel that the tractor was not so popular. After all, with so many people on the tractor, there was not even enough space to turn around, let alone any comfort.

You know, motorcycles are many times cooler than tractors.

Many people suddenly felt that they had lost out. If they had known earlier, they would have lined up at the back. Wouldn’t they have been able to ride on the motorcycle?
But it's useless to say this now. They don't dare to speak up. If they ask others to change, they will definitely leave a bad impression on Director Li. So they can only envy him.

After Zhou Yimin saw that everyone was seated, he started his journey back.

On the way back, we drove even slower because the tractor was fully loaded with so many girls, and there were potholes of all sizes on the road. In order to give the girls a good impression of Zhoujiazhuang, we had to drive slower.

But let Zhou Zhiming drive very fast, just like flying a plane. By the time he arrives at Zhoujiazhuang, how many girls will be able to eat? It would be good if they are not torn to pieces.

After an hour and a half, we finally saw the entrance to Zhoujiazhuang village.

Several naked children ran and shouted, their belts swinging behind them: "Here they come! Grandpa Shiliushu has brought his men to the village entrance!" The threshing ground became quiet in an instant, and twenty well-dressed young men adjusted their collars awkwardly.

Erzhu secretly pinched his thigh and grimaced in pain: "Why am I more nervous than going to the battlefield? The sweat from my palms has soaked my new shirt."

Zhou Dazhu, who was standing by, rubbed his hands vigorously, his Adam's apple rolling up and down: "The sweat from my palms can be used to water the ground. I counted sheep until late last night, and all I could think about was how to talk to the girl later."

After hearing this, no one laughed because they were in the same situation.

After entering Zhoujiazhuang, everyone smelled a fragrance, and their already full stomachs immediately issued a "warning".

Director Li knew it was the scent of meat as soon as he smelled it. It seems that Zhoujiazhuang attaches great importance to this blind date conference, so he did not waste his two days in counseling these girls.

We soon arrived at the threshing ground and everyone got off the bus in an orderly manner.

In the center of the huge grain-drying area, three iron pots with a diameter of three feet were placed above the bonfire. In the bubbling broth, fat and lean pieces of meat floated up and down, and the oil shone with an attractive golden glow in the sun.

The stone tables around were filled with white flour buns. Each of the snow-white steamed buns was as big as a fist, and next to them were brightly pickled cucumbers.

The most eye-catching thing is the plate of neatly cut braised meat. The amber skin is wrapped around the firm lean meat, and the cut surface is still oozing with shiny juice, which even attracts flies and makes them buzz around.

"Gudong——" The sound of someone swallowing saliva was particularly clear and echoed in the silent venue.

Xiulan, who had a pigtail, clutched the corner of her clothes tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms.

She could not remember the last time she had eaten meat. She only remembered that last winter, before her mother died, she stuffed the last half of a steamed bread into her hands and closed her eyes forever.

The aroma of meat lingering in her nose at this moment made her stomach churn. Her hungry stomach suddenly began to ache, and even spots of white light appeared in front of her eyes.

"What are you all standing there for? Please invite the girls in!" The old branch secretary's shout broke the silence.

Zhou Dahu was the first to react. His shoes slipped on the ground and he almost fell. He trotted over to help the girls get off the tractor.

Xiulan walked down the wobbly wooden stairs. As soon as her heels touched the ground, a wave of heat mixed with the smell of meat hit her in the face. She turned her head away in a hurry, afraid that she would not be able to control the tears that were about to burst out.

The wind blew up the strands of hair around her ears, and there was still some stove ash between her hair that she had rubbed off last night to cover the patch.

“Girls, don’t be so formal!” Aunt Zhao came over with a smile, holding a freshly-made scallion pancake. The golden and crispy pancake surface was still sizzling with oil. “Fill your stomach first, there will be more dishes later!”

A suppressed gasp was heard from the crowd. A round-faced girl stared at the fried pancake, her Adam's apple moving rapidly a few times before she hurriedly lowered her head - she knew that her eyes must be terribly greedy at this moment.

Her companion gently tugged at the corner of her clothes, and the two looked at each other, seeing the unconcealable desire in each other's eyes.

Director Li wiped the sweat from his forehead, pulled Zhou Yimin over and whispered, "I deliberately let them eat multi-grain porridge this morning, otherwise..."

Before he finished speaking, a girl in a floral shirt on the sidelines suddenly staggered.

Zhou Yimin quickly supported her, and then he found that the girl's face was pale and sweat was pouring down her forehead: "Comrade, what's wrong with you?"

"No... I'm fine." The girl's voice trembled. She stared at the bubbling broth on the stove in the distance, her Adam's apple rolling up and down. "It's just... I just smell the fragrance and I feel a little dizzy."

Her wrists were as thin as bamboo poles, and the skin exposed by her cuffs still had scars from frostbite.
Zhou Yimin felt a pang in his heart, turned around and brought half a bowl of broth from the table, and picked up a piece of fat and lean meat: "Drink it while it's hot, don't be polite."

The girl's lips were trembling violently and her hands holding the bowl were shaking.

When the first mouthful of hot soup slid into her throat, she suddenly covered her face with her hands, and tears flowed through her fingers into the bowl.

The boiling liquid with the aroma of meat ignited her long-frozen taste buds like a fire, and also ignited her heart's desire for a stable life.

She recalled how she had gnawed on rock-hard wild vegetable balls in the cold wind while wandering, and how her brother had been beaten to a pulp when he was so hungry he stole sweet potatoes.

On the other side, Xiulan was staring at the steamed buns in front of her. The steaming buns were white, and the aroma of wheat mixed with the sour taste of yeast brought back countless memories.

When I was a child, the white flour steamed buns that I could only eat during the Chinese New Year were always broken into small pieces by my parents and given a little each to me and my younger brother.

The steamed bun in her hand, which is bigger than a fist, is enough for her and her brother to eat for three days.

She carefully poked the bun with her fingertips, and the soft touch made her eyes warm.

"Girl, try this?" A shy voice interrupted her thoughts.

Looking up, a young man in a washed-out blue shirt stood in front of him. His dark face was flushed with red, and he held a plate of neatly cut braised meat in his hands. "My name is Erzhu, and I'm from the village security team."

As he spoke, his back teeth were still stained with the crumbs of scallion pancake he had just stolen.

Xiulan's eyes were uncontrollably drawn to the dish of meat.

The crystal jelly is wrapped around the firm lean meat, with a layer of translucent oil condensed on the edge.

She forced herself to look away and whispered, "Thank you, I...I'm not hungry."

As soon as he said that, his stomach growled, causing a few people around him to laugh secretly.

Her face turned red instantly and she wished she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

Erzhu scratched his head and pushed the meat plate in front of her: "Don't be polite! We don't have anything else in our village, but honesty!"

Then he took out an oil-paper bag from his pocket and said, "This is the sweet-scented osmanthus candy my mother made specially for you. Try it."

The oil paper package was opened, and the tiny sugar grains sparkled in the sunlight. The sweet fragrance mixed with the meaty aroma made Xiulan's throat tighten.

Xiulan picked up a pill and put it into her mouth with trembling hands. The sweet taste instantly bloomed on the tip of her tongue and tears blurred her vision again.

During the days of fleeing, not to mention sugar, even salt was a luxury.

She remembered that once her brother had a fever, she searched through all her belongings but couldn't scrape together a dollar for medicine, and could only watch her brother delirious in her arms due to the fever.

The sweetness at this moment can heal her broken heart better than any medicine.

At this time, the bonfire in the center of the threshing ground gradually became stronger, and the flames licked the iron pot, making crackling sounds.

The old Party Secretary stood on the high platform and cleared his throat: "Dear guests! Today, we in Zhoujia Village open our doors to find a good home for the children! Come, eat and drink first, and then we can chat while we eat!"

His voice echoed over the threshing floor, startling a flock of sparrows nesting in the haystacks.

As soon as the words fell, the whole audience burst into warm applause. The young men took action one after another, some adding soup to the girls, and some handed over freshly baked sweet potatoes.

The tension in the air gradually dissipated, replaced by laughter one after another.

Zhou Dahu was dancing and telling a few girls a story about how when there was a locust infestation in the village, everyone held torches and drove them away all night long. The girls laughed so hard that they cried, and their tears dripped into the bowls and mixed with the broth.

Director Li looked at the scene in front of him, his eyes slightly moist.

She recalled what she had seen and heard in the neighborhood shelter these days: the children crying with hunger and the young girls begging for a bite to eat.

And now in Zhoujiazhuang, she saw hope—not only the hope of having enough food to eat, but also the hope of rebuilding her life.

A girl in a grey cloth shirt was carefully licking the oil on the edge of the bowl with her tongue, her eyes full of cherishment. This scene reminded Director Li of his own childhood when his mother was also reluctant to waste a drop of oil.

(End of this chapter)