50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 107 Old Zhang's Parents Come to Beijing
"I know you're a high-ranking official, but your ration is definitely not enough. And these canned food and milk powder, since you don't have a baby at home right now, it must be difficult to get them. So, I just got some and brought it to you."

"What's going on with grandpa and grandma? Why are they in the hospital right after arriving?"

Old Zhang was silent for a while before he said, "The situation back home wasn't good. My dad saw that things weren't going well, so he quickly borrowed some money and ran away."

"They took four steamed buns and boarded the bus. After getting off, they walked all the way to the compound and waited for the guards to drop them off at their doorstep. They were almost dying and had to be rushed to the hospital immediately."

"Then what did the doctor say?"

"The doctor said he was severely malnourished and, coupled with his age, needed to be well cared for."

"So, I came at the right time. Millet porridge is nourishing. Drink some honey water every day. Once your stomach feels better, eat more meat and you'll be healthy again soon."

"Zhiwei, thank you. I was just worried."

"Haha, now is not the time for you to worry. What you should worry about is the future."

"It's not easy to transfer the household registration of two elderly people. There is no quota in the future. How are you going to make a living?"

This sentence immediately silenced Lao Zhang.

What he is most thankful for now is that a few years ago, he listened to Sun Zhiwei's advice, brought his wife and children over, and found a job for his wife. Now, two people in the family are paid, and the five people have a fixed salary.

However, if two more people are added, the amount will obviously not be enough.

After a while, he said, "They won't stay too long. They will definitely go back in the spring of next year. They can't leave us at home."

"Everyone in the village eats in the canteen now. Why did they come this time? Because they can't afford it."

"So how are we going to get through next year's summer harvest? What if the situation doesn't improve next year?"

"This can't be?" Lao Zhang felt a little confused.

Seeing that Lao Zhang seemed to have no other ideas, he could only give him a few more suggestions.

"First, once the old man has recovered, you can use your connections to arrange for them to work in the kitchen. The head chef in the kitchen is still Chef Zhuang, right?"

"Give him a greeting. From now on, Chef Zhuang will take care of them. They won't have to do any heavy work. Just treat it as a way to kill time. Are you afraid of going hungry when you work in the kitchen?"

"Secondly, you should explain the situation to Lingdao. I'll let you get money from the kitchen to buy a meal ticket."

"Finally, if all else fails, you can go to Pigeon Market to buy food. Do you remember my uncle? They both work as buyers in the logistics department."

"Your status isn't suitable for going to Pigeon City, but they're fine. I'll tell them to bring you some food when they go shopping."

As soon as Sun Zhiwei put forward his three ideas, Lao Zhang's expression improved visibly.

Indeed, given his situation, it was not difficult to solve the problem, but Lao Zhang had been playing by the rules all his life and had not been able to find a way out.

Uncle Daxiang and his nephew would certainly like to have a good relationship with Lao Zhang, the quasi-senior in the compound. Even if he is not at their level, they would certainly be willing to help Lao Zhang make a few trips every month.

Lao Zhang is a native of Lingdao, so they will definitely be willing to do such a favor for free.

Just as the two were talking, two children in their teens rushed into the house from outside.

One of them yelled loudly, "Zhang Guizhi, I'm thirsty. I want to drink some water."

The other one saw something on the table and rushed over to look through it. When he saw the honey, his eyes lit up and he immediately shouted, "Zhang Guizhi, I want to drink this."

Zhang Guizhi immediately refused: "No, honey is for grandpa and grandma to drink to recover from illness."

"I want to drink it, open it for me."

"That's right. Grandpa and grandma will give us drinks when they come. Please open it for us." Sun Zhiwei heard the conversation of several children nearby, raised his eyebrows, and didn't say much.

Instead, he stood up and said, "It's late today, so I won't go to the hospital to see the two old people. I'll come visit them on the weekend."

"Won't you sit for a while?"

"No, I have to go to work tomorrow. I just got the news today and rushed over."

"Uncle Zhang, if you need any help, you can ask Daxiang and his nephew in the logistics department to send me a message. If it's urgent, you can also call the kindergarten during the day."

"Okay, if I really need your help, I will."

Lao Zhang sent the two downstairs, and Sun Zhiwei and Tong Jiajia rode their bikes directly out of the security compound.

On the way, Tong Jiajia told him about the two boys in Old Zhang's family: "Those two kids are a bit rude."

"Haha, not only is he rude and disrespectful to his sister, he's also spoiled. Old Zhang didn't teach him well."

"Then how are we going to get along with Uncle Zhang's family in the future?"

"If we continue to interact normally, given the temperaments of those two children, they will eventually clash with us, and by then the relationship between our two families will naturally fade."

"Aren't you going to remind Uncle Zhang?"

"Distance does not separate relatives."

"Besides, the child has been here for several years. Don't you think Uncle Zhang can't see this situation?"

"Are you saying that Uncle Zhang also favors boys over girls?"

"It's hard to say. There were some signs before. Uncle Zhang treated me much better than he treated Nannan. Traditional concepts are not so easy to change."

"I understand. Let's do as you say."

The two returned home, washed up and went to bed.

The next day after get off work, Sun Zhiwei went to Daxiang's house and told Daxiang about Lao Zhang. Daxiang agreed without hesitation.

A few days later, Lao Zhang's parents returned to the compound from the hospital.
They didn't really have any serious illnesses, they were just hungry, and if they lay down and ate something good, they recovered quickly.
Because they are not registered in the compound and cannot enjoy free medical care, they are unwilling to waste money and would rather go back to their son's home to lie down.

On the weekend, Sun Zhiwei and his family of three went to the security compound together. This time he brought a can of milk powder, two pounds of soybeans and half a pound of sugar.

These are all nutritious products. With two ignorant kids around, I don’t know how much the old couple can get to eat.

But that was their family's private matter. They delivered the things to repay Lao Zhang's favor, and they had no right to interfere in anything else.

Without staying at Zhang's house for long, they left the compound and went to the grain store to buy food.

Today is the 24th, and it is time to buy next month's ration. The whole family should work together to buy all the food at once. If we delay until the end of the month, we may not be able to buy fine grains.

When we arrived at the grain store on Xishiku Street, there was a line at the door. The first group of people who got up early in the morning to buy grain had already bought theirs and left. The second group was not large, so they just got in line.

After more than half an hour, it was finally their turn. Tong Jiajia took out the food book from her canvas backpack, which contained food coupons.

The rations for the three of them were: Sun Zhiwei 35 kilograms, Sun Ailai 32 kilograms, and Tong Jiajia 30 kilograms.

Tong Jiajia's was relatively normal, but Sun Zhiwei and his sister's were obviously taller. The staff at the grain store took a look at them before asking them how much they wanted to buy.

(End of this chapter)