Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

The backyard, the home of the deaf old lady.

An older woman said to the deaf old woman, "Grandma, today Jia Zhangshi stole rice, flour, and two hundred yuan from Wang Feng's house. She's already been arrested by the police. Could it be that Jia Zhangshi was also responsible for the theft that happened to your house last time?"

The deaf old woman put down the steamed bun in her hand and waved her hand: "Zhang girl isn't that bold, it shouldn't be her."

......

The Intermediate People's Court, the Wang family.

After lunch, Wang Feng moved a recliner outside.

Lying on the recliner, Wang Feng looked at the two old hens in the coop outside the door with a puzzled expression.

I don't know what's wrong with Jia Zhangshi. She stole all the rice and flour, but didn't touch these two old hens.

Now that Jia Zhangshi has also gone in, I wonder if we can catch the stick-stem fish with these two chickens.

At 2 p.m., Qin Jingru returned to the house and saw Wang Feng lying on the recliner by the door. She quickly parked her bicycle, smiled and walked behind Wang Feng, and very obediently massaged his shoulders.

"Brother Wang Feng, aren't you going out today?"

"I came home specifically to wait for you," Wang Feng said.

"wait for me?"

Wang Feng nodded and immediately recounted what had happened that day to Qin Jingru.

Upon hearing this, Qin Jingru's eyes widened instantly, filled with disbelief.

"Brother Wang Feng, are you saying that Jia Zhangshi stole the two hundred yuan I left under the bed?"

Wang Feng took out two hundred yuan and handed it to Qin Jingru, saying, "I've got it back. You'd better hide it well this time."

Qin Jingru took the money, nodding repeatedly with lingering fear.

"Brother Wang Feng, I'll definitely hide the money well this time. I never expected that Sister Huai Ru's mother-in-law would be this kind of person."

Just as Qin Jingru was about to go back and hide the money, Wang Feng stopped her.

"Jingru, Jia Zhangshi has touched our sheets and blankets, and I think they're dirty. Could you wash them later? There are some new ones in the closet, so let's use the new sheets and blankets tonight."

"Okay, Brother Wang Feng, I understand. I'll go wash up right away."

After explaining things to Qin Jingru about his family, Wang Feng rode his bicycle to the steel rolling mill.

He hasn't been to the steel rolling mill for over a week; he's really not doing a very good job as deputy section chief.

However, he had already made arrangements with Li Huaide. As the deputy section chief, he was only in charge of procurement and not other tasks. As long as he could complete the tasks, no one could do anything to him.

Upon entering the office of the Third Purchasing Department, only Zhang Dali and Ma Jianjun were present.

"Hey, isn't this our deputy section chief? You're so free today, you have time to come to the factory?" Zhang Dali teased with a smile.

Wang Feng had a good relationship with Zhang Dali and Ma Jianjun. They used to joke around together often, and even now that he's been promoted to deputy section chief, he hasn't distanced himself from them.

Wang Feng took out a Daqianmen cigarette, offered one to each person, and laughed:

"Dali, Jianjun, what are you two doing? I'm telling you, this is an office, don't you dare do anything reckless."

"Wang Feng, don't talk nonsense. Jianjun and I were chatting, didn't you see?" Zhang Dali said with a laugh.

"That's right, Wang Feng, even though you're a deputy section chief now, don't talk nonsense. If others hear this, Dali and I will never be able to clear our names," Ma Jianjun said anxiously.

"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore."

"By the way, why aren't you two going to the countryside? What are you doing at the factory?" Wang Feng asked curiously.

"Why."

Zhang Dali sighed, "It's almost the end of the month, and Jianjun and I haven't finished our tasks. That's why we came back to discuss it and think of a solution."

"How much more do you need?" Wang Feng asked, taking a drag of his cigarette.

Zhang Dali was silent for a moment before speaking, "I'm still 30 yuan short of the quota. Jianjun is in an even worse situation; he's 46 yuan short."

"Wow, Dali, Jianjun, how come you two are so different? Did you both rush home to have babies this month?" Wang Feng's eyes widened.

Ma Jianjun also wore a bitter expression and sighed:

"Wang Feng, you're like a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of an starving man. You have your father's connections, making it easy for you to meet your monthly targets. But we don't have any connections. Right now, there's a shortage of grain and meat in the market, and wild game in the countryside is becoming increasingly scarce. If we offer a high price, we'll lose money. If we offer a low price, no one will sell to us. What can we do?"

Wang Feng nodded: "That makes sense. You've all completed your tasks in the past two months, haven't you?"

"It's done." The two nodded.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Feng said, "Dali, Jianjun, anyway, if our purchasing department fails to meet its quota for three consecutive months, we will be transferred to the workshop. If you still can't meet your quota the month after next, tell me and I'll try to find a way. But you mustn't tell anyone else. My quota is only so much each month. I can help you, but I can't help others."

Zhang Dali patted Wang Feng on the shoulder, looked at him with some emotion, and nodded heavily, saying:

"Wang Feng, thank you. I'll remember this favor, brother."

"Wang Feng, thank you. Enough said, let's see each other in the future."

Ma Jianjun patted Wang Feng on the shoulder heavily and said with a serious expression.

"Alright, stop making it sound like a life-or-death situation," Wang Feng said jokingly, waving his hand.

"screw you."

"By the way, Wang Feng, Deputy Factory Director Li asked you to come and see him."

"Okay, you guys chat first, I'll go see what's going on."

"Go."

Upon arriving at the deputy factory director's office, Wang Feng knocked directly on the door.

"Knock knock knock".

"Please come in."

Upon entering the office, Li Huaide saw Wang Feng, put down the documents in his hand, and jokingly said with a smile:

"Wang Feng, you're really something else. You got promoted to deputy section chief and now you've disappeared, haven't you?"

Wang Feng took out a Zhonghua cigarette and handed it over, laughing, "Brother Li, you're wronging me. We agreed before that I would only be in charge of purchasing and not handling anything. Now I'm thinking about getting more meat for the factory every day, and I'm running to the countryside every day. Look at my legs, they've gotten so thin from riding the bicycle so much lately."

Taking the cigarette, Li Huaide laughed and said, "Hey, you're something else, kid. You've become a deputy section chief and you're even smoking Zhonghua cigarettes now."

Wang Feng was about to speak when Li Huaide interrupted him.

"Alright, stop complaining. Tell me, what have you been up to lately?"

"Oh, right, there's something I almost forgot."

As he spoke, Li Huaide took out a light blue ID from the drawer, handed it to Wang Feng, and said:

"This is a gun license. Your father was killed by robbers while he was in the countryside a while ago, so the factory applied to the ministry for a gun license for the purchasing department. From now on, you can bring guns when you go to the countryside. Go to the security department later to pick up a gun and practice shooting."

Wang Feng frowned as he took the gun license.

It's not that legal gun ownership is bad, he just feels it's a bit of a hassle. After all, even with a gun license, he can't always carry a gun, let alone bring it home overnight.

This is the gun I picked up from the factory's security department when I went to the countryside. When I returned to the factory in the afternoon, I had to hand it back. Even if I used a single bullet, I had to explain why.