60s: I have a store

Chapter 565: Village Chief Wang seeks help!

As dusk climbed over the green tiles, the wooden door of Erzhu's house creaked shut.

Xiulan lowered her head and added firewood to the stove. Sparks splashed on her blue apron, making her cheeks red.

Erzhu rubbed his hands awkwardly, his Adam's apple rolling up and down, and finally managed to say, "Xiu Lan, I was too harsh just now, I'm sorry!"

He secretly glanced at his wife's profile and saw her red eyes still glistening with tears, and his heart suddenly tightened. He remembered the time when Xiulan sat at the other end of the eight-immortal table during the blind date, drinking tea with her head down, as gentle as a reed by the stream.

Everyone in the village said that Erzhu must have done good deeds in his previous life, which was why he was able to marry such a good wife, but he actually got angry with her over a few pounds of meat.

Xiulan wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, but the corners of her mouth could not help but rise: "It's okay, Erzhu. From now on, we can just live our lives behind closed doors."

The crackling flames in the stove made her smile look particularly warm.

Erzhu suddenly stepped forward and held her hand that was covered with wood ash: "Xiu Lan, don't worry, you have the final say in the family from now on! If I don't obey, ask Uncle Sixteen to scold me!"

This made Xiulan burst out laughing, and she punched him lightly: "You just know how to talk nonsense!"

Erzhu scratched his head and smiled foolishly, but secretly swore in his heart that he would cherish his wife in the future.

A few dog barks were heard in the distance, accompanied by the aroma of food coming from Zhoujiazhuang, turning this storm into a small ripple in life.

At this time, Zhou Yimin was sitting on the river bank, his bamboo fishing rod slightly bent, and fine ripples appeared on the water surface.

Amid the chirping of cicadas, he stared at the buoy, but his thoughts drifted far away - when he helped Xiulan with housework in the morning, he suddenly realized that the villagers were living better and better, but the ways of the world and the wisdom of life still needed guidance.

"Yimin!" A shout interrupted his thoughts. Turning his head, he saw Wang, the village chief of Shangshui Village, walking breathlessly through the reeds in his muddy shoes.

The man was in his early forties, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. His shirt sleeves were rolled up high, revealing his tanned arms, and the bamboo pipe on his waist swayed with his steps.

"Village Chief Wang, what a rare guest!" Zhou Yimin put down his fishing rod and stood up to greet him.

Village Chief Wang's forehead was covered with sweat and his shirt had large sweat stains, obviously he had been running all the way.

Village Chief Wang didn't even have time to catch his breath and said straight to the point: "Yimin, the chickens in our village chicken farm are ready to be sold! I heard that you helped Taojia Village sell chickens at a good price. Can you help us too?"

There was a hint of urgency and trepidation in his tone. After all, in an era of material scarcity, being able to sell at a high price meant that the whole village could exchange for more food coupons and cloth.

Zhou Yimin felt relieved when he heard this.

He handed over the kettle with a smile: "I don't think it's a big deal! No problem! I'll call Dazhong later and ask him to pick up the samples and send them to the factory for pricing."

Village Chief Wang was relieved, and held Zhou Yimin's hand tightly with his rough big hand: "Thank you so much! If it weren't for you, our village would never have such a good thing!"

He took out his bamboo pipe from his waist, but found that he had forgotten to bring tobacco, and smiled awkwardly.

Zhou Yimin patted him on the shoulder and said: "We are from neighboring villages. Only by helping each other can we all live a good life!"

When the sun was high in the sky, Zhou Yimin put away his fishing gear and walked towards the village telephone booth.

An old rotary telephone was placed on the wooden table in the village committee, with several circles of tape wrapped around the receiver.

He turned the dial skillfully, and the "ding-ling-ling" sound echoed in the empty room.

"Hello? Is that Dazhong? The chickens in Shangshui Village are ready to be sold. Come quickly to get some samples and send them to the factory for pricing." Zhou Yimin's voice was steady and powerful.

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Dazhong immediately agreed: "Okay! I'll ride over right away!"

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Dazhong stuffed the wrench into his tool bag, got on the clanking 28-inch bicycle, and with the wheels kicking up dust, he sped towards Shangshui Village.

At the entrance of Shangshui Village, the security team members wearing red armbands recognized Zhou Dazhong from a distance.

"It's Comrade Zhou! Come in!" The wooden door creaked open, and he walked across the bluestone road as if he was familiar with the place and came to the house of Village Chief Wang.

"Da Zhong is here! Come on, let's go to the chicken farm!" Village chief Wang grabbed the straw hat, and the two of them walked on the muddy path and headed straight to the east end of the village.

From a distance, you can hear the crowing of roosters, mixed with the scent of straw and poultry.

In the chicken farm, hundreds of local chickens flapped their wings, and their golden feathers shone glossily in the sun.

Village Chief Wang rolled up his sleeves and picked through the chickens. Sometimes he squatted down to observe the chicken's claws, sometimes he opened the chicken's beak to check its mouth, and finally he chose a rooster with bright feathers and a strong physique: "This is it! The fattest one!"

Zhou Dazhong looked at Village Chief Wang's serious expression, smiled and shook his head.

He knew that this was not just a chicken, but the hope of all the villagers in Shangshui Village.

When he took the chicken, he tied the chicken's feet with a hemp rope and carefully placed it in the bamboo basket on the back seat of the bicycle.

"Be careful on the road!" Village Chief Wang patted him on the shoulder. Zhou Dazhong nodded and stepped on the pedal hard, and the wheels rolled over the gravel road, making a "crunching" sound.

He calculated the time in his mind, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, soaking the clothes on his back.

Finally, I got back before the leaders got off work, and reported the matter to Section Chief Wang and Director Ding.

After learning about this, the two came to the cafeteria, where the fluorescent tubes emitted a slight humming sound of electricity.

Section Chief Wang Weimin pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses that had slid down to the tip of his nose, held a fountain pen in his fingertips, and made notes on a brown paper notebook.

Director Ding, with his hands behind his back, paced around a live chicken on the table. The hem of his military green Zhongshan suit swayed gently with his movements, and the sound of his heels tapping on the concrete floor was particularly clear in the silent room.

"This chicken looks quite energetic." Director Ding suddenly stopped and reached out to grab the wings of one of the roosters.

The chicken fluttered in fright, its tail feathers brushing the back of his hand, but he was unaware. He squinted his eyes and looked at it: "The comb is bright red, and the claws are clean. It's bigger than the one sent by Taojia Village last time."

Wang Weimin came over, with another hen already hung on the spring scale in his hand: "The net weight is 3.2 jin, 3 liang more than the standard slaughter weight."

Director Ding picked up a kitchen knife from the corner, and with a flash of cold light, the sharp blade was already against the rooster's throat.

The moment the chicken blood splashed into the white porcelain plate, Wang Weimin subconsciously took a half step back, but he saw that Director Ding was skillful and quickly removed the feathers and gutted the chicken with smooth movements - this was a skill he had acquired in the kitchen in his early years.

"Look at this subcutaneous fat." Director Ding picked up a piece of golden fat with the tip of his knife. It had a warm luster under the fluorescent light. "The free-range chicken that has been raised for a long time is different."

He turned to look at Wang Weimin, his eyes testing him, "Yimin said last time that Taojia Village's price was 2.8 yuan. If we lower the price this time, we can't do that this time."

Then he told Zhou Dazhong the price. Since he would collect the goods tomorrow, he didn't need to go to Shangshui Village tonight.

However, he still made a phone call back to Zhoujiazhuang and asked Zhou Yimin to inform Village Chief Wang and collect them tomorrow.

Zhou Yimin said: "Okay!"

Then he asked someone to inform Village Chief Wang, but he did not go in person.

Early the next morning, before the morning mist had dissipated, Zhou Dazhong was already waiting in front of the steel plant's garage.

The strong wind blew the fallen leaves across the concrete ground. He stomped his feet, and the white breath he exhaled condensed into mist in the cold air.

The Jiefang brand truck of the Transportation Department made a low roar. Ding Sanming, wearing blue canvas gloves, was checking the tire pressure.

"Dazhong, are you all ready?" Ding Sanming's voice mixed with the sound of the truck engine, with a bit of roughness.

"Brother Ding, no problem!" Zhou Dazhong patted his chest.

The truck bed was covered with thick straw to prevent the chickens from being frightened.

The truck bumped along the winding dirt road, and the iron cage in the truck bed made a clanging sound as it shook.

Ding Sanming held a cigarette in his mouth and turned the steering wheel skillfully: "I heard that the chickens in Shangshui Village are well raised?"

Zhou Dazhong looked at the poplar forest passing by outside the window and smiled, "That's right! Village Chief Wang and his men use corn grown right here, and their chickens run on the hillside all day, so the meat is very firm!" At noon, the truck finally drove into Shangshui Village.

Village Chief Wang had been waiting for a long time under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village.

He was wearing washed-out clothes, and he stood on tiptoe from time to time to look into the distance. His trouser legs were still stained with grass debris wet by morning dew.

Seeing the dust raised by the truck, he immediately waved and several villagers came out from behind the trees to help guide the vehicle.

"Dazhong! We've finally got you here!" Village chief Wang came forward and held Zhou Dazhong's hand tightly with his rough hands. The calluses on his palms hurt.

Behind him, the sound of roosters crowing one after another came from the direction of the chicken farm, mixed with the busy shouts of the villagers.

"Let's go to the chicken farm first!" Village Chief Wang shouted at the top of his voice. As he turned around to lead the way, the bamboo pipe on his waist made a crisp sound.

The chicken farm is a scene of bustling activity.

The villagers wore straw hats and held net bags as they shuttled back and forth among the chickens.

The chickens flapped their wings and fled in all directions, their feathers flying in the sun.

"Be careful not to hurt the chickens!" Village chief Wang gave orders while personally taking part in the battle.

He spotted a sturdy rooster and quickly grabbed its wings, his movements as smooth as those of an experienced hunter.

In the middle of the chicken coop, dust was flying and people and chickens were fighting.

Some chickens hid in the cracks of the wooden frames and could not come out no matter how hard the villagers poked them; some chickens became so anxious from being chased that they flapped their wings and flew to the roof, looking down at the panicked crowd below.

Village Chief Wang held up a bamboo pole and commanded: "Those ones on the east side! Stop them quickly!"

He was not idle either. He spotted a rooster that was running around, rushed over, pressed his knees against the chicken's body, and held its wings tightly with both hands, subduing it like taming a wild horse.

"Be careful! The chicken flew out!" someone shouted.

A frightened rooster broke through the encirclement and flew into the sky, flapping its wings.

Zhou Dazhong was quick-witted and picked up the bamboo basket from the corner. He rushed over and drew an arc in the air, catching the flying chicken accurately. The villagers watching burst into cheers: "Good!"

During the process of catching chickens, exclamations, laughter and scolding were heard from time to time.

A hole was pecked in Zhao Daming's trouser leg by a chicken. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "This chicken is more vicious than a wolfhound!"

Aunt Zhang's headscarf was blown off by the chicken, and her hair was messy, but she was still happily catching the chicken.

The entire chicken coop seemed to have turned into a joyful battlefield, with contests between people and chickens going on one after another.

As time went by, the number of chickens in the iron cages gradually increased.

The villagers' faces were covered with dust and their clothes were dirty with chicken feathers and grass clippings, but there was excitement in everyone's eyes.

When the last chicken was put into the iron cage, Village Chief Wang wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief: "It's finally done!"

The chicken farm was in a mess at this time, and the air was filled with the smell of chicken feathers and dirt, but everyone's heart was filled with the joy of harvest.

Zhou Dazhong and Ding Sanming stood aside, carefully observing the process of catching the chickens.

Zhou Dazhong took out his account book and carefully recorded the number of chickens in each cage: "In the first cage, there are 28 hens; in the second cage, there are 32 roosters..."

Ding Sanming kicked the iron cage from time to time to check whether it was firm.

"Village Chief Wang, please count again before loading, don't make any mistakes." Zhou Dazhong reminded.

The loading speed was much faster. The villagers worked in pairs, carrying the iron cages and placing them steadily into the carriage.

The straw cushioned the vibrations well, and the chickens gradually calmed down.

Zhou Dazhong took out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes and handed one to Ding Sanming: "Brother Ding, you've worked hard!"

The two men squatted beside the truck, lit cigarettes, and watched the busy figures of the villagers.

Smoke rings rose in the twilight, mixed with the unique smell of the chicken coop, but it didn't smell bad at all.

"Village Chief Wang, a total of 867 chickens were collected this time." Zhou Dazhong closed the account book.

Village Chief Wang also arranged for someone to keep count, and there was no difference between the two: "That's right!"

Zhou Dazhong said at this time: "Village Chief Wang, why don't you go to the factory with me?"

He didn't want to carry so much money from the steel plant to Shangshui Village. You know, holding so much money in your hands would feel hot.

Village chief Wang was stunned at first, then his eyes lit up.

He had never ridden in a truck in his life, let alone been in a big place like a steel plant.

Although he was confused and didn't understand why Zhou Dazhong suddenly made this request, he readily agreed when he thought about the opportunity to see the world: "Okay! I'll go with you!"

When the truck started again, Village Chief Wang was sitting in the passenger seat, holding the handrails tightly with both hands, feeling both excited and nervous.

Outside the car window, the familiar fields gradually faded away, replaced by wide asphalt roads and numerous factory buildings.

The steel plant's huge chimney was emitting white smoke, and from a distance it looked like a black giant.

"We're here!" Ding Sanming stepped on the brakes and the truck slowly drove into the factory.

The workers heard the noise and gathered around. "There's chicken to eat again!" "The chicken looks really good this time!"

The constant exclamations of praise gradually calmed Village Chief Wang's originally uneasy heart.

In the finance office, the accountant was wearing reading glasses and carefully checking the accounts.

The tip of the pen rustled on the account book, and Village Chief Wang stood aside, not daring to breathe.

When he took the 2427.6 yuan in cash, his hands couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Such a thick stack of banknotes is the result of more than half a year of hard work by the entire village.

At this time, Village Chief Wang finally understood why Zhou Dazhong asked him to come over. It turned out that he didn't want to take so much money.

At this time, he hurriedly called out: "Da Zhong!"

Zhou Dazhong paused and said, "What's the matter, Village Chief Wang?"

Village Chief Wang didn't care about being embarrassed: "Dazhong, could you please take me back to the village on your bicycle?"

It would definitely be unsafe if you were the only one holding so much money, so it would be safer if you asked one more person to do so.

Before I knew it, it was dark. The moonlight was shining on the country road, and the sound of bicycle bells was crisp and melodious.

Village Chief Wang held the cloth bag tightly in his arms.

When the lights of the bicycle finally illuminated the entrance of Shangshui Village, Village Chief Wang breathed a sigh of relief.

He jumped off his bicycle and held Zhou Dazhong's hand: "Dazhong, thanks to you! If the village needs anything in the future, just let me know!"

Zhou Dazhong waved his hand and watched Village Chief Wang hurriedly disappear into the night. Then he turned around and set out on the road back to Zhoujiazhuang. After all, it was so late and it would be too dangerous to be alone, so he decided to go back to the village and wait until tomorrow to meet at the factory!

(End of this chapter)