Siheyuan: Xu Damao's New Life

"Da Mao, is what you said true?"

"Of course it's true. Today I'm mainly informing some cadres first. I think there will be news from the factory tomorrow."

"Da Mao, can you help get Jie Cheng to the factory? You know that Jie Cheng and his girlfriend are getting along well and are planning to get married after the new year. Having a formal job will allow him to support his family, and it will also be more face-saving when he talks about it when he gets married." Yan Bugui swallowed the pig head in his mouth and said anxiously.

"This shouldn't be a big problem. We're going to recruit more than 3,000 people this time. The factory may allocate some quotas to cadres and some senior workers." Xu Damao said, stroking his moustache.

"I understand, I understand. I'll go and collect the money later. I can't let you give up your spot for nothing. But Third Uncle is a bit short of money, so I can't pay you the price on the black market." Yan Bugui said a little embarrassedly.

"It's okay, just don't let me lose money. We have been neighbors for many years." Xu Damao waved his hand, thinking to himself, "I know better than you how much money you have." But he didn't argue with him. He didn't lack this little money. He just wanted to collect some money to shut up other people in the compound.

Liu Haizhong, who had been waiting impatiently, asked after he finished speaking: "Da Mao, what are you talking about as an official?"

"Think about it, uncle. If we recruit so many new people and build so many new workshops, won't we need a lot of team leaders?"

The eyes behind his bangs lit up, as if he saw his chance.

"You said that with so many people, we can't let a newcomer be the team leader to lead them, right? Then who do you think should lead them according to convention?" Xu Damao patiently and instructively acted like a good teacher.

"Of course, we will select some skilled and experienced masters from the previous workshops to lead them!" said Liu Haizhong.

"Does the seventh-level blacksmith in the workshop, who has worked in the factory for decades, meet this condition?" Xu Damao continued to ask.

"Ah, I know, I know what to do. Otherwise, why do people say you are smart, Damao! Come, your uncle will toast you a glass." Liu Haizhong stood up excitedly and drank the glass in one gulp.

Xu Damao and Yan Bugui also stood up and raised their glasses to drink together. The three sat down and chatted again. Xu Damao suddenly remembered that Liu Guangtian and Yan Jiefang had joined the army, so he asked, "My two uncles, how are Guangtian and Jiefang joining the army? When will they leave? Should we hold a farewell banquet for them?"

Liu Haizhong said: "The registration notice says that we should gather at the Sijiucheng Railway Station on March 1st and then set off together. These two guys were grouped together, and they are both going to the southwest."

Xu Damao thought about the war that would happen in the southwest in the future. It seemed that there would be some conflicts, but he couldn't remember the exact year. He only remembered that they won easily, and later it was regarded as a joke by many netizens and made into videos and jokes.

"Old Liu, it's an honor for these two children to join the army. How about our two families spend some money and set up a few tables in the yard to see the children off?" Thinking of his son who was going to join the army, Yan Bugui was both worried and proud. In a blink of an eye, his good-for-nothing son had grown up.

"Okay, since you, Old Yan, are willing to do it, how can I not agree? It's settled then. I'll have to trouble Damao to help me get some ingredients when the time comes." Liu Haizhong said.

"Okay, I can't say how much, but it will be no problem to add some meat or something. Come on, come on, drink." Seeing that the two of them were busy talking, Xu Damao began to persuade them to drink.

The three of them drank two bottles of white wine before leaving, one of which was drunk by Xu Damao himself. However, considering his current alcohol tolerance, this amount of wine was nothing.

Around eleven o'clock at night, Xu Damao quietly got up, put his bicycle into the space, climbed over the wall and went out of the compound. He rode his bicycle straight to Xicheng District. Along the way, he opened the scan from time to time when he heard any movement and carefully avoided the patrol officers on the street.

Xu Damao finally arrived at the Prince Gong Mansion in the southwest corner of Shichahai. This mansion had had several owners, the most famous of which were Heshen and his sons Fengshen Yinde and his wife, Prince Qing Yonglin and Prince Gong Yiyixin. At this time, the palace had also been requisitioned and used as dormitories by the China Conservatory of Music, the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Opera, and the Beijing Academy of Arts.

Xu Damao first put the bicycle into the space, then turned on the dimensional walking and scanning and went directly into the yard. He believed that Heshen and Yikuang, the two corrupt officials, would not let him down.

This palace was so huge that Xu Damao searched for nearly half an hour. In order to save time walking in the dimension, Xu Damao only used skills occasionally, relying more on his own vigilance. Sure enough, he found a mezzanine behind a wall, which was neatly arranged with a large amount of gold and silver treasures, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and countless jewelry. Xu Damao did not hesitate and put them all into the space.

Soon after, a blocked secret room was found under a rockery in a courtyard. Inside, gold bricks and silver ingots were neatly arranged, and many rare treasures sparkled under the illumination of the night pearl. What was there to hesitate about? Of course, I quickly accepted them and went to the next place.

Xu Damao visited more than ten mansions that night, and it can be said that he had gained a lot. The underground warehouse in the space expanded more than ten times. Xu Damao raised his arm to check the time. It was already past three in the morning, and the skill time had just run out, so he simply took out his bicycle and went home.

When he was almost at the courtyard, Xu Damao met a masked man on the street. He stopped and looked around from time to time while walking. He looked a bit like the second uncle Yan Bugui. So he pedaled his bicycle hard a few times to get closer to the figure in front of him. He was sure that it was Yan Bugui.

But it was so late, what could Yan Bugui do outside? He couldn't be an enemy spy! Then there was only one possibility, he must be going to the black market. Thinking of what Yan Bugui said when they were drinking that night, Yan Jiecheng was about to get married and wanted to get a formal job, he must be going to sell the gold bars hidden at home. But out of caution, Xu Damao still scanned it, and sure enough, Yan Bugui was carrying more than a thousand yuan.

Xu Damao decided to catch up with Yan Bugui and scare him, so he whispered, "Comrade in front, what are you doing so late at night?"

The figure suddenly paused, and ran away without even turning his head. Xu Damao didn't expect Yan Bugui to be so timid and didn't recognize his voice. He smiled helplessly and raised his voice slightly, "Don't run, Uncle, it's me."

The figure in front of him was relieved when he heard someone calling him Second Uncle. He thought it was a patrol officer. He stopped and turned his head to look back, "Are you... Damao?"

"Yes, Second Uncle, I just wanted to scare you, but who knew you would just run away." Xu Damao said.

"You unlucky child, you don't know that scaring others to death is dangerous in the middle of the night, and you even play such a joke on your uncle." Yan Bugui said angrily.

"Okay, okay, Uncle, I know I was wrong. Let me take you back, and I will send the glasses frames to you tomorrow as an apology." Xu Damao asked.

Yan Bugui's anger subsided when he heard him say that. "Last time, you said you would change a pair of glasses for me. How long has it been? You can't lie to me again this time."