Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Lu Shi, the old man guarding the gate, had noticed Zhang Changyao long ago.

After he fell, he leaned against the wall quietly, so I went over and started talking to him.

"Uncle, I just got married and I'm broke. I'd like to find some work to do."

I don't know who to talk to. If I don't know anyone, how can they hire me?

Zhang Changyao is good-looking and speaks very honestly.

"Young man, let me ask if they're still hiring."

Seeing that the young man was new to the area, Lu Shi wanted to help Zhang Changyao.

Lu Shi went into the courtyard and didn't come out for about half an hour.

Before he even reached Zhang Changyao, he shouted, "Young man, it's done!"

"Uncle, this is a small token of my appreciation. If you don't help me ask, my trip will have been in vain."

Zhang Changyao gave Lu Shi a box of golden gourds that he had bought from the supply and marketing cooperative in Yeniu Town.

"Young man, you can't start spending money before you've even started earning it."

"Your uncle is a straightforward person; this kind of thing won't work between us."

Although Lu Shi said that, he had already taken the cigarette and put it in his pocket.

Lu Shi led Zhang Changyao into the backyard of the grain depot and introduced him to Wang Jianjie, the captain of the loading and unloading team.

This Wang Jianjie is not tall, has a pear-shaped head, a pointed head and a big face, and speaks in a muffled voice.

Seeing Lu Shi, Zhang Changyao rolled his eyes at him, pretending not to like him.

"Jianjie, this is a cigarette the young man bought for you. He hasn't made any money yet, so make do with it for now."

"Wait until he's worked a full month and has the money, then he'll buy you something nice."

Lu Shi took the golden gourd that Zhang Changyao had given him from his pocket and put it into Wang Jianjie's trouser pocket.

"Old Lu, the people you brought are all sensible. You should teach them more in the future."

These young people nowadays are so socially conscious; you really won't learn unless you teach them.

Wang Jianjie, all smiles, shoved Lu Shi. Seeing that Wang Jianjie had nothing more to say, Lu Shi turned and left.

"What's your name?" Wang Jianjie turned around and asked Zhang Changyao, his expression turning serious again.

"Zhang Changyao." Zhang Changyao didn't dare to say much, answering only what was asked.

"Zhang Changyao, I can tell you're a novice. You definitely won't be able to catch the bag if you go up directly."

Go and stack the bags first, then pick them up in a few days.

Wang Jianjie pointed to the location of the large cargo box at the back of the Jiefang truck.

The grain depot in Bison Town is not a national reserve; all the grain collected there must be transported away.

Zhang Changyao was young, and he didn't feel tired at all when stacking grain with one of the older men.

After working for a few days, he realized that stacking grain earned him very little.

The newly arrived laborers were paid daily, which provided Zhang Changyao with favorable conditions to curry favor with Wang Jianjie.

He gave half of his earnings to Zhang Kaiju and used the other half to buy a pack of good cigarettes for Wang Jianjie.

As soon as Wang Jianjie saw that there were good cigarettes, he immediately assigned Zhang Changyao to the team carrying heavy loads.

And so, Zhang Changyao would get up before dawn every day and walk to Wild Buffalo Town.

The lunchbox in Yang Wuni's arms was wrapped up in layers of cloth, and it was still warm at noon.

Carrying heavy loads is pure physical labor; you can't carry them if you're not well-fed or have eaten too little.

Zhang Kaiju and Yang Wuni both knew about Zhang Changyao's hardships.

The two who didn't do any work at home just drank thin porridge, while Zhang Changyao got all the solid food.

After two months, Zhang Changyao not only didn't lose weight, but actually gained a few pounds.

There's always a time when all the work is done, and at the end of the year, the loading and unloading team disbands because they have no work.

Before leaving, Zhang Changyao bought Wang Jianjie a pack of the best cigarettes.

They didn't forget the source of their blessings and bought Lu Shi a bag of pig's head meat and a bottle of loose liquor.

Lu Shi was so moved that tears streamed down his face, his round face trembling with sobs.

"Uncle Lu, if there's any work for me tomorrow, please ask around for me."

"As long as I make money, I'll buy you pig's head meat and cheap liquor."

Zhang Changyao was left speechless, unsure of how to comfort him.

"Zhang Changyao, how can you talk like that? Is it because you bought meat and wine that your uncle is doing this?"

I used to ask around for jobs for people, but those bastards would make money and then run away.

No one knows as well as you where salt is salty and vinegar is sour.

Based on this alone, I know you're a promising young man.

Uncle will tell you about a good business opportunity; you can make quite a bit of money during the Lunar New Year period.

Lu Shi whispered something to Zhang Changyao.

The people standing nearby strained to hear what was being said, but they couldn't make it out.

Zhang Changyao slapped his thigh. "Oh dear! Uncle Lu, how come I didn't think of that?"

"If you could figure it out, you would be me. It's because you couldn't think of it that your uncle is telling you this."

Lu Shi looked smug, and the flesh on his round face jiggled again.

Zhang Changyao usually sits for a while at Lu Shi's door on his way to and from get off work.

When the two were chatting, Lu Shi learned that Zhang Changyao had only graduated from high school, and he felt sorry for him for a long time.

Now Lu Shi has found Zhang Changyao a suitable business that can also make him money.

That means taking advantage of the upcoming Chinese New Year to wander around the surrounding villages.

Writing a letter costs 15 cents and writing a couplet costs 25 cents.

If a few households in a village need it, it can generate a considerable income.

Few people in the village could read, so when someone wrote a letter or couplet, they had to ask someone for help.

Asking for favors may seem like it costs nothing, but the debt of gratitude you incur is hard to repay.

Also, the letter should not contain any overly obscure content.

Otherwise, it would become an open letter known to the entire village.

Zhang Changyao thought Lu Shi's idea was good, so he went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought paper and fountain pen ink.

He took out half of the remaining money and put it in his pocket, saving it for his father.

The other half was used to buy two pieces of cloth and two kilograms of cotton.

Since Yang Wuni entered her home, she has been wearing the same clothes she wore when she arrived.

She was also a clean person; she would wash her clothes at night and dry them on the kang (a heated brick bed). If they weren't dry by morning, she would wear damp clothes.

Yang Wuni washed Dad's clothes and pants until they were tattered.

He always made do with his own clothes, like a gong player.

After buying everything, Zhang Changyao also bought a piece of fatty meat.

I found a hemp rope and strung everything together, then divided it into two parts and draped them over my shoulders.

The ink in the fountain pen is the most important thing. I keep it in a warm place close to my body and hold the letter paper close to my chest, afraid that I will wrinkle the corners and make it look ugly.

When Zhang Changyao reached the fork in the road, he saw Wang Ga driving a donkey cart back home.

"Hey! Changyao, are you celebrating the New Year early? You've bought so much stuff."

"Brother Ga Zi, which village did you come back from?"

Zhang Changyao sat on the back of the donkey cart and unloaded his belongings.

"Changyao, I heard you made a lot of money carrying heavy loads at the grain depot."

"After the New Year, when you go to the grain depot again, can you take me with you?"

Instead of answering Zhang Changyao's question, Wang Ga asked him to take him along to carry the heavy loads.

"Brother Ga Zi, carrying heavy loads is not as leisurely as being a noodle-making master now."

If a 100-pound bag falls from the conveyor belt, catching it is fine, but if you fail to catch it, your back will be ruined.

"At our age, this is the time when we need to use our backs the most; we can't afford to ruin them."

Zhang Changyao had a wicked grin on his face, and both of them understood what those words meant.

"Changyao, to be honest, it doesn't really matter whether my back is broken or not, I can't use it at night anyway."