60s: I have a store

Chapter 589: Can't Wait Even a Second
On the way back, Li Anguo was very concerned about the five chickens, as they were the key to whether he could continue to stay in the purchasing department.

Even if he himself falls off the car, these five chickens cannot fall off the car.

Finally, after more than an hour's drive up the mountain, we finally returned to the steel plant.

Zhou Yimin brought Li Anguo to the cafeteria.

Incandescent light bulbs were buzzing under the iron roof of the sample room. Five egret chickens were placed in a makeshift bamboo cage, and the sound of their flapping wings was particularly clear in the empty room.

Zhou Yimin unbuttoned two buttons on his collar. The cuffs of his work clothes were still stained with mud splashed on the road. He turned to look at the uneasy Li Anguo and said, "Go and invite Director Ding. Remember to bring what you just recorded."

Although Li Anguo didn't quite understand, he still followed the instructions.

First, I went to Director Ding’s office and knocked on the door politely.

"Come in!"

Only then did Li Anguo push open the office door.

As soon as he entered the office, he got straight to the point: "Director Ding, Section Chief Zhou invites you to set the price!"

When Director Ding heard this, he thought Zhou Yimin was reliable and could help the factory purchase a lot of meat at once, so he put down his work and came to the canteen.

"Yimin, you called me?" Director Ding's voice came along with the sound of leather shoes hitting the ground.

The veteran who has been in charge of purchasing for many years folded his arms across his chest and glanced at the chickens that were holding their heads high in the bamboo cages. There was a scrutinizing look behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

He reached out and picked up a hen, pressed his fingertips on the chicken breast and gently kneaded it, and suddenly said: "The chickens raised in Lijia Village are no worse than those in Taojia Village!"

After saying that, he gave up his seat and Director Ding started to work.

Li Anguo's heart was in his throat, and his hands holding the notebook were shaking slightly.

Director Ding put the chicken back into the bamboo cage and took the quarantine report handed over by Zhou Yimin. The paper made a rustling sound as he turned the pages.

"The breeding cycle meets the standards." He pushed his glasses and his eyes fell on the feed ratio notes scribbled by Li Anguo.

Zhou Yimin leaned against the rusty iron frame and spoke casually, "Village Chief Li adjusted it overnight."

His eyes swept across Director Ding's thoughtful expression and he knew that the other party was calculating the costs and profits in his mind.

"Two dollars and eighty cents." Director Ding suddenly closed the report, and his voice exploded in the silent room.

Li Anguo raised his head suddenly, and the tip of his pen drew a long ink mark on the notebook.

This price is the same as the purchase price in Taojia Village!
He subconsciously looked at Zhou Yimin, but saw that the section chief just nodded slightly, with an imperceptible curve at the corner of his mouth.

Zhou Yimin felt relieved. If the chickens were fed the same feed, why did the purchase price of the chickens be different?

"I'll buy it at this price." When Director Ding turned around, the hem of his military green Zhongshan suit swept across the bamboo cage, startling the chickens and making them chirp a few times. "Xiao Li, you should learn from Chief Zhou."

Li Anguo quickly said: "Director Ding, I will!"

After the footsteps completely disappeared, Zhou Yimin walked to Li Anguo and patted his trembling shoulders: "The rest of the connection is left to you."

Zhou Yimin was thinking that if he couldn't even handle such a simple matter, there would be no need for Li Anguo to continue helping him. Whether he could stay in the purchasing department at that time would depend on his own luck.

Before he finished speaking, Li Anguo had straightened his back, his chest rising and falling violently under his work clothes: "Don't worry, Section Chief Zhou! I will complete the task!"

The afterglow of the setting sun poured in through the air vents, giving the chickens in the bamboo cage a golden edge.

Li Anguo looked at the chickens' shiny feathers and suddenly felt that the pen in his work clothes pocket was as heavy as a thousand pounds - this was not only a purchase contract, but also his ticket to gain a foothold in the purchasing department.

The ceiling fan in Purchasing Department 4 was creaking, mixed with the sound of keyboard typing.

When the sound of Zhou Yimin's leather shoes rang out in the corridor, Old Zhang, who was checking the report, looked up suddenly, and his reading glasses slipped down his nose; Xiao Lin's movement of turning the ballpoint pen suddenly froze, and the ink spread dark marks on his fingertips.

Even Sister Wang, who was busy keeping accounts in the corner, quietly moved her calculator to the edge of the partition, revealing half of her face and looking around.

"I'm back!" Someone said in a low voice, and the whole department suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

Zhou Yimin stepped over the threshold carrying a briefcase covered in chicken feathers. There were still mud spots on the knees of his army green overalls. The movement of him taking off his sunglasses created a gust of wind, which made the purchase orders on the table rustle.

Everyone's eyes were like the blue light of a welding gun, fixed on Li Anguo, who was feeling uneasy behind him - the young man's work shirt was wrinkled like dried pickles, and half of a yellowed hemp rope was exposed in his pocket, which was obviously used to tying a chicken coop.

"What are you looking at?" Zhou Yimin's voice was as cold as ice. His briefcase slammed on the table with a bang, causing the attendance sheet under the glass to jump.

He walked straight to the office, and the moment the frosted glass door closed, more than twenty burning gazes were completely blocked out.

But this did not extinguish everyone's curiosity. Instead, suppressed whispers surged like a tide.

"See? The mud spots on Li Anguo's trouser legs don't show the way to the city at all!" Lao Zhang pushed up his glasses and poked a small hole in the blank space of the report with the tip of his fountain pen. "The last time Xiao Zhao went out with the section chief, he came back and bought several hundred chickens for the factory."

When other people around heard this, they were also very envious. Many of them had the same problem as Xiao Zhao, which was that they were worried that the task could not be completed.

Xiao Lin turned his chair and came closer, the ballpoint pen leaving an afterimage on his fingertips: "Maybe he really is going to discuss purchasing! Look at Li Anguo's cowardly look, he must be hiding something!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Anguo happened to pass by, and everyone suddenly scattered like birds and beasts, pretending to lower their heads and busy themselves with the work at hand.

The young man felt the back of his neck getting hot, and his back under his work clothes was already soaked with cold sweat. He pretended to be calm and opened the drawer, but dropped the straw-stained notebook on the ground, attracting several glances like a snake's tongue.

"An Guo!" Lao Zhang's voice came from behind the partition, with an undeniable warmth, "Help me take a look at this list of suppliers?"

Li Anguo held the price list, which was still hot, in his hand, and his throat tightened. "I don't have time now. I'm busy sorting out the information."

Before he could finish his words, he was drowned out by the endless inquiries.

He looked at the closed door of Zhou Yimin's office, and vaguely saw the light of the section chief's cigarette through the frosted glass. He suddenly realized that in this silent game, silence was the sharpest shield.

The cool breeze of the sun blew through the yellowing sycamore leaves. When Li Anguo got on his 28-inch bicycle, the patches on the knees of his overalls were rustled by the bicycle chain.

His heart was beating wildly in his chest, like a rabbit eager to break free - Section Chief Zhou's words "I'll leave the rest to you" were still echoing in his ears, and at this moment he had only one thought in his mind: He must tell Village Chief Li the good news immediately!

He didn't bother to tie his loose shoelaces, his key chain jingled in his trouser pocket, and the bicycle bell was squeezed so quickly that it shrieked, startling the gray pigeons pecking at food on the roadside. The wind blew into his open collar, and the hem of his work clothes, which smelled of rust, fluttered, but he felt that the cold sweat on his back was cooler than the autumn wind.

"I must not mess it up. This is a chance to prove myself!" He repeated it in his mind over and over again, pedaling faster and faster, as if he would miss something if he was a step slower.

So I pedaled faster and faster.

The asphalt road was covered with fallen leaves, and the wheels made a crisp sound when they rolled over it.

The price list was hidden in the pocket closest to my chest. As I rubbed it gently with my breathing, the numbers "two dollars and eight cents" seemed to be burned into my skin.

Li Anguo thought of his colleagues' suspicious looks and Section Chief Zhou's scrutinizing gaze, and suddenly clenched his teeth.

This time, I must impress everyone! When passing the stone bridge, the bicycle chain suddenly got stuck and he almost hit the stone railing beside the bridge.

His palm brushed against the rough railing, and the burning pain made him sober up - don't be impatient, the closer you are to success, the more steady you have to be!

He casually pulled out the thread from the cuff of his work clothes and wrapped it around the wound, then pushed the bike a few steps and stepped on the pedal again.

The drooping rice ears in the roadside rice fields swayed in the wind, and in a trance they all turned into Village Chief Li's surprised smile, which filled his originally weak legs with strength again.

There were a few dead leaves hanging on the branches of the old locust tree at the entrance of the village. Li Anguo slammed on the brakes, and the tires crushed the fallen leaves with a rustling sound.

When he jumped off the bike, his knees trembled slightly, and he couldn't tell whether it was due to fatigue from riding for too long or nervousness because the answer was about to be revealed.

He parked the car, dusted himself off, took a deep breath and rushed into the village office. His heavy breathing startled the sparrows under the eaves, making them fly around.

"Village Chief Li! Village Chief Li!" he shouted at the top of his voice, and his voice echoed in the empty yard.

The few seconds of waiting seemed so long that my heart almost jumped out of my throat.

Only when he saw Village Chief Li turning the corner with his pipe did he find his voice again: "The price is set! Two dollars and eighty cents!"

As soon as he said this, he suddenly realized his rashness, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face - this was not only a price, but also his "pledge of allegiance".

Otherwise, why would Village Chief Li entrust the purchase of so many chickens to himself? Any purchaser could do it.

Village Chief Li's pipe fell to the ground with a clang, and his cloudy eyes lit up instantly.

When the old man rushed forward and grabbed his shoulders, Li Anguo felt the warmth from the other's palm, and his eyes suddenly felt hot.

When he took out the crumpled pricing list, his fingers were still trembling slightly. He was afraid that the numbers were wrong, but also looking forward to witnessing a miracle.

Only when he confirmed that Village Chief Li was so excited that he hugged him and shook him, causing the last few leaves on the tree to flutter down, did he dare to truly breathe a sigh of relief.

The autumn wind blew his sweaty hair, bringing with it the unique scent of a threshing floor, which was fresher than any perfume.

He knew that the crowing of roosters in Lijia Village at this moment would become the most beautiful music in his career.

The old clock in the corner made a dull ticking sound. In the dim light of the oil lamp, the pipe of Village Chief Li's dry pipe flickered, and the ashes fell on the kraft paper on which the contract was drafted.

"Look at the time!" Village Chief Li suddenly slapped his thigh hard, shaking the tea bowls on the Eight Immortals Table. "It's getting dark, how can you walk on the mountain road in the dark?"

His cloudy eyes were full of reproach, and when he stood up, he knocked over the bamboo chair behind him, "No matter what, you have to stay at my house for one night!"

Li Anguo waved his hands hurriedly. The pen in his overalls pocket hurt his thigh: "No, no! I can ride a bike fast and it will take only half an hour."

He was interrupted before he could finish his words. Village Chief Li had already grabbed his arm and dragged him to the main hall. The patch on the coarse cloth sleeve rubbed against his wrist: "Don't be stubborn! The road behind the mountain is full of wolves howling at night. There was one in our village last time."

After hearing this, Li Anguo suddenly felt scared. After thinking about it, he felt that it was indeed not safe at night, so he had no choice but to agree.

Village chief Li immediately asked his wife to clean up a room for Li Anguo, but he left home.

Then notify the villagers to hold a meeting tonight.

Everyone felt strange about this meeting, but thinking that it might be related to the chicken farm, everyone had no choice but to come out in the autumn wind.

Village Chief Li held the piece of paper with the price written on it in his hand, as if holding the lifeline of the entire village. He stood on the dirt pile in the threshing ground and shouted at the top of his voice: "Men and women, aunts and wives, come to the threshing ground! There is great news!"

The sound of gongs "clanged clanged", startling the swallows under the eaves and making them fly in panic. The wooden doors of every household creaked open, and the beams of light from flashlights and halos from kerosene lamps, like tiny fireflies, gathered towards the threshing ground.

Uncle Wang was the first to arrive, leaning on his cane, his cloudy eyes full of confusion: "Old Li, it's the middle of the night, what's the hurry?"

Before he finished speaking, Aunt Zhang, who was holding a child, and strong young men carrying hoes came over, and the threshing ground was instantly crowded with people.

The moonlight sprinkled on everyone's wrinkled faces and rough backs of their hands, making everyone's eyes sparkle.

"The chickens in our village can be sold for 2.8 yuan per pound!" Village Chief Li's voice trembled, almost shouting. In an instant, the threshing ground fell into silence. Everyone was stunned at first, and then cheers, exclamations, and incredulous discussions broke out like a boiling pot.

"Is it true? It's just like Taojia Village!"

"Oh my God, this is great!"

"We have so many chickens in our village, how much can we get in exchange?"

Everyone present was happy to hear the good news.

Aunt Zhang was so excited that she kept wiping away tears. The child in her arms also danced with joy: "His father passed away early, and we were hoping that these chickens could be exchanged for money to pay for the child's tuition. Now we have a solution!"

A few young guys couldn't contain their excitement. They jumped up and down in the threshing yard, kicking the corn kernels on the ground, making them roll around.

Uncle Wang took out his pipe with trembling hands, but he couldn't light it. He kept muttering, "Okay, okay..."

Li Erzhu suddenly emerged from the crowd, climbed up the stone mill next to him, waved his arms and shouted, "After we sell the money, we can buy a tractor, so we don't have to work so hard to farm in the future!"

"Yes! Buy a tractor!"

"Build a new house!"

Everyone was talking and describing the future. Laughter and shouts echoed over the village, startling the night birds in the distant mountains and forests so much that they flapped their wings and flew away.

(End of this chapter)