Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 182 The First Important Thing Upon Joining the Company

The two slowly returned to the courtyard. Xiaoman reluctantly went back to the west wing, while He Yuzhu went to the main room to tell them he was back, and then also went back to his east wing.

On Monday, He Yuzhu first attended a meeting at the bureau. When he returned to his department, he told the deputy director that he had to go out on business and that if anyone needed him, he should come back in the afternoon. Then he took a bicycle for purchasing and went out.

Not long after, He Yuzhu rode his bicycle to Jiaodaokou Subdistrict Office. The gatekeeper didn't stop him at all; they knew him too well.

He went to Wang Hongxia's office by himself, knocked on the door, and went in.

"Zhu Zi, what brings you here? Is everything alright at work?"

"That's why I'm here to take care of some business!"

"Oh? Our two organizations don't have any business dealings."

"No."

"So what you're doing? You're not just making up an excuse to buy your own house, are you?"

"Aunt Xia, am I that kind of person?"

"Just kidding. Tell me what it is, and I'll definitely do it if I can."

"Does your subdistrict office have any vacant warehouses?"

"A warehouse? Your department should have one, right?"

"The ones from the bureau aren't reliable, and besides, it's not good to bother my Uncle Zhao with such a small matter."

"Oh, it's not good to bother Old Zhao, but it's good to bother your aunt? Is he a higher-ranking official than me?"

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant."

"Alright, just kidding. Okay, tell me, how big do you want?"

"A few hundred square meters would be fine, but it would be best if it had a yard or something, so that a car could drive in."

"With so many requests, is there any progress on the unplanned grain supply?" Wang Hongxia lowered her voice.

"It's better to be prepared. We can't just find a place at the last minute. Besides, if we manage to get the place sorted out, it shouldn't be a one-off event!"

"Yeah, too."

Are there any location requirements?

"The fewer people around, the better."

"Okay, you wait here, I'll go look for it."

"Aunt Xia, there's something else. Could you help me get some burlap sacks and grain bags?"

"You silly child, isn't this like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree? What does your workplace do that you have to come here looking for me?"

"Look at my brain, I was just thinking about doing everything at once."

"By the way, have you reserved that east wing? Are you sure you want to buy it? If so, we can do the paperwork together. Did you bring the money?"

“I brought it, I brought it,” He Yuzhu said, pulling a wad of cash from his bag.

"Why are you carrying so much money to work? You didn't come here today under the guise of official business, did you?"

"No way, business is more important. Please help me find a warehouse first. The yard matter isn't urgent."

"Alright, since you're here, let's get it done together. Wait here for me for a bit."

Soon after, Wang Hongxia returned and gave He Yuzhu a set of keys and a note with the warehouse address on it.

"Zhu Zi, your aunt helped you find the warehouse. If it works out, I should have priority in purchasing it, right?"

Yes, yes, it must be there.

"That's more like it. Come on, let's take care of your own house as well, so you don't have to make another trip."

"it is good."

After completing the formalities and obtaining a modification permit, He Yuzhu waited for the car to return to his workplace.

No one dared to ask where their section chief had gone. What if He Yuzhu stirred things up again? Who knew what their section chief might do or what new ideas he might have?

In the afternoon, He Yuzhu actually made a phone call to the grain import and export department and contacted Zhu Ziheng.

"Xiao He? Where have you been transferred to? I only found out you weren't working at the Ministry of Trade when I got back."

"Old Zhu, I've been transferred to a new place, the Beijing Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce."

"The Industry and Commerce Bureau? Why did you go there? How about coming to work for us? We guarantee you'll get a good position and good benefits!"

"No need to trouble yourself. Cambodia is enough to keep you busy, so I won't go looking for work for you."

"Hahaha, you're trying to avoid causing us trouble? You're just praising yourself!"

"hey-hey!"

"Speak, what do you want? I know you rarely contact people on your own initiative."

"What else could I possibly need from you, the leader in charge of grain imports and exports? I'm currently in charge of logistics at my unit."

"Is it you alone, or..."

"Don't overthink it, I'm just asking in my personal capacity."

"That's good, that's good. The planned ones definitely won't work, you should know that. As for the unplanned ones, there's a problem with the currency transfer. You know the situation with this contract, after all, you were the one who led the negotiations." The other person visibly relaxed, even their tone became more relaxed.

"Hmm, do you have any ideas?"

"Yes, we do, but this amount?"

"I don't have any specific requirements, I'll pay whatever amount you have, but I can only settle in domestic currency."

"In that case, you'll definitely lose out. We'll have to exchange it for foreign currency or gold. You know the difference in exchange rates!"

"Old Zhu, since you put it that way, I'll be frank with you. People are starving to death right now, what can we do with that money?"

"You see things very clearly. I only realized how serious this disaster was after I came back. Many places have no harvest. We all had reservations about your three-year contract, but those of us who came back are very impressed."

"Historically, there has never been a natural disaster that could be overcome in a year."

"Oh, it's a pity you were transferred out of the Ministry of Trade."

"Wherever I go, I am serving the people."

"Yes, it's all about serving the people, no matter where you are. I'll be back with a batch next month, and I'll give you priority. Ten tons, no, twenty tons, can you handle that?"

"I can definitely eat, no matter how much I eat."

"That's good."

"By the way, do you have any way to get some frozen meat back?"

"Hey, I wish I could, but we don't have a ship with refrigerated compartments," Zhu Ziheng said, sounding a little frustrated.

"There will be."

"By the way, how are you going to get the goods back once they arrive? Twenty tons will require some transport capacity."

"I'll go ask about that, and see when it will arrive."

"Around the fifth."

"Okay, I'll go ask now. Thank you, Lao Zhu."

"No need to thank me. If anyone should be thanking someone, it's us all. You don't know how proud our company is now. Before, when we couldn't buy it back, we were always caught in the middle."

"Hahaha, isn't that good?"

"It's good, but it brings more troubles."

"I understand, like me, right?"

"What's this? Only what's planned can be considered justified."

"Old Zhu, you can help someone's life, but not their poverty."

"I'll remember what you said: help a life, but don't support poverty."

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. I won't take up any more of your time; you must be very busy."

"It's nothing. Talking to you has made me feel much better. Come to Tianjin sometime and I'll treat you to a meal." "I'll treat you, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

"Then I'll take it seriously."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuzhu left his office and went straight to Lao Zhao's office.

"Knock knock knock," He Yuzhu knocked on the office door.

"Please come in."

He Yuzhu pushed open the door and entered.

"Zhu Zi, is something wrong? Is the studio in trouble?"

"No, Uncle Zhao, I have something else to talk to you about."

"What is it? Just tell me."

"Didn't you work for the Tianjin Military Control Commission?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

Do you know anyone at the railway crossing?

"The railway? Is there news from there?" Old Zhao muttered to himself, then suddenly remembered something and asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I just made a phone call."

"How many?" Old Zhao asked in a low voice this time.

"Twenty tons, but the price will probably be higher, after all..."

"It's good enough that there's food to eat; you don't need to worry about the price."

"Tell me how to contact you, and then you don't need to worry about it."

"That won't do. I just went to Aunt Xia's place and borrowed a warehouse from her. I told her I would give her priority to purchase it."

"Don't we have any in our unit? Why don't you go to the neighborhood office?"

"Aren't you two family? Besides, there are a lot of people in our unit, and many are watching me if I make a move."

"That's true. Let's give her one ton. That seems a bit too little. Two tons will do."

"Aren't you afraid of getting a beating when you get home?"

"She dares? You little brat, you've even started joking around with me?"

"hey-hey."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"You don't need to worry about it. We'll take the goods with the receipt, payment first, then delivery. We only recognize the receipt, not the person."

"It's all thanks to you, kid. It's a real waste to have a unit sent down here for you."

"It's all the same no matter where you go."

"Okay, we'll do it your way. Anyway, you're in charge of logistics. By the way, is this the only batch?"

"Specific details haven't been discussed yet, but there should be more follow-up, though the timing is uncertain."

"Well, something is better than nothing."

"Please help me arrange a freight car first. It will arrive at the port on the 5th of next month. There are still some things that haven't been brought back. Please don't tell anyone, or I'm afraid you won't be able to cover it up."

"Get lost, you brat. I'll ask about the wagons. Let's get this straight, you can't just use them for free. You know what you're transporting."

"I don't care about that. We'll still pay for the transportation. We can't just take the grain for free."

"The problem is they definitely don't want money, are they stupid?!"

"Then go with the price. I'll find out the price first, then you can talk to them."

"Alright."

Without mentioning how Lao Zhao contacted the railcars, He Yuzhu went back to his office and directly found the section chief in charge of procurement, asking him to get a batch of burlap sacks and grain bags, secondhand ones would be fine.

When the section chief asked how much, He Yuzhu replied that the more the better.

This gave the section chief a headache, as they had no plans to purchase this thing. He Yuzhu said it was for private purchase, so the section chief asked what it was for.

He Yuzhu could only say that his comrade's hometown was near the river and he wanted to take advantage of the dry season to repair the dike.

After seeing them off, it was lunchtime for the purchasing manager. He Yuzhu went to the cafeteria to get his food, and everyone in the cafeteria was quite busy.

After a quick look at the cleanliness and other details, He Yuzhu got his food. The cafeteria supervisor kept glancing over, trying to see He Yuzhu's expression, but unfortunately, he couldn't discern anything.

After finishing their meal and leaving, He Yu said, "You've made a little progress. Keep up the good work."

The cafeteria staff breathed a sigh of relief; at least they hadn't been scolded.

That evening, He Yuzhu gave a report, again without notes. Of course, the focus of the report was slightly adjusted, incorporating the current situation. The bureau leaders were quite satisfied.

On October 25, 1959, Lao Zhao told He Yuzhu that the price of the wagons had been agreed upon. Then he asked He Yuzhu about the price of the rice. He Yuzhu raised the price by five cents on top of the 60 cents quoted by Zhu Ziheng, because he couldn't lose money on the freight.

Old Zhao had no objection to this; the price of rice on the black market had already reached 2 yuan, and there was no market for it.

In three days, Lao Zhao sold off the entire 11-ton quota. Then, on November 1st, He Yuzhu took a car to Tianjin. In addition to the cashier, there was a security officer in the car. He Yuzhu also brought a gun, which was Lao Zhao's request. He Yuzhu had no choice but to carry a bag and take the train himself.

Perhaps because there was too much money, everyone except He Yuzhu was very cautious along the way. After all, there was too much money, more than ten thousand yuan. In this day and age, how many people, apart from bank tellers and cashiers of large factories, have ever seen so much money?

When they arrived, He Yuzhu treated Zhu Ziheng to a meal, but it was a family dinner, which He Yuzhu prepared. He Yuzhu also brought some ingredients, directly betraying his master and saying that his master had helped with the preparations.

Zhu Ziheng then learned that He Yuzhu had studied his craft in Tianjin ten years ago, which made him even more eager for this meal with He Yuzhu.

Once He Yuzhu started working, Zhu Ziheng became restless.

After finishing the meal, he exclaimed repeatedly, "If I had known you were such a good cook, why would we have eaten their noodles in Cambodia? We almost threw up!"

"How could I dare to show off? After I finish this, will I still have time to do my work?"

"That's true. It's a pity, a pity, that you're not in Tianjin."

"If you can consistently supply this, I'll come over every time."

"For your skill, I have to try my best to get it for you," Zhu Ziheng said through gritted teeth. In fact, these unplanned items were all purchased from the Cambodian government. After all, most of the planned purchases had already been allocated, and there were so many relationships that couldn't be refused, so they could only buy them with money. Cambodia could squeeze out a little bit to generate revenue.

"Thank you in advance." He Yuzhu knew all too well that his side was probably only a small part of the business.

During the days while waiting for the ship to arrive at the port, He Yuzhu didn't have any free time. He first went to see his halal chef, Yuan Taihong, who was overjoyed and drank too much. Ten years had passed, and the naive boy had grown into a young man.

He Yuzhu asked his master to help him contact sheep farmers, and he got a few pairs of lambs. As for piglets, Yuan Taihong didn't have any connections, so He Yuzhu went to several places himself and actually managed to buy two pairs.

Thank goodness I had a car, otherwise I would have really worn my legs out from running around.

During this time, He Yuzhu also went to the seaside to buy a lot of dried goods, which he sent to the temporary warehouse left by the railway. Since he had made the trip, he couldn't let it go to waste.

This time, we didn't encounter any bullies or hooligans, only emaciated fishermen. Can you imagine what it's like to eat seafood as your staple food every day?

Of course, he also collected the money from the railway company; Zhu Ziheng's payment for the goods couldn't be less.

The grain-carrying ships entered the port, and Zhu Ziheng arranged for trucks to help transport the grain.

He Yuzhu glanced at the ship and saw a clear 'HK' sign on it, indicating that there was still no shipping capacity available domestically.

After arriving at the train station and completing the handover with the other party, and seeing that the loading was finished, He Yuzhu and his team started heading towards Beijing.

They didn't ask for too much; they only asked for two tons, probably just for an emergency.

Upon returning to Beijing, He Yuzhu and his group went directly to the train station, only to find that the car arranged by Lao Zhao had already arrived.

When He Yuzhu asked, he found out that there were several organizations involved, including their own workplace, Dongcheng District, and the Public Security Bureau.

After finishing the loading, He Yuzhu looked around and realized that there was no need to go to the warehouse anymore; he could just take everything back to his own workplace.

The next day, the company notified everyone that they could buy 20 jin of rice from the logistics department, still at 65 cents a jin, and also two salted fish. Of course, this would only begin after get off work and would be done in batches.

Whether you buy it and exchange it for whole grains or whatever you do with it is your own business, just don't get caught.

Being too obvious isn't good either. The same goes for the neighborhood office. Wang Hongxia even told He Yuzhu that they could bring back more salted fish next time. They really couldn't offer anything as a token of their appreciation. A few pounds of grain plus two salted fish would be enough. He Yuzhu would probably give them coarse grains instead of rice. Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

(End of this chapter)