Siheyuan: Bringing Warehouses to 1959

The one waiting for Zeng Wangcai here was not Fat Zheng from Peking University, nor Director Qian from the purchasing station, but Hu Guangyong, a buyer from the steel mill.

After Hu Guangyong failed to get what he wanted that day, he made inquiries from many sources and found out everything. He knew that Zeng Wangcai just wanted to get his brothers into the factory to replace him, and that those materials that were so-called obtained in partnership with his brothers were actually obtained by Zeng Wangcai on his own ability and had little to do with other people.

Knowing Zeng Wangcai's fishing skills, Hu Guangyong developed a great sense of crisis. He felt that Director Song could not protect him this time. Unless he got the supplies as agreed, he could leave Li Huaide speechless.

For this purpose, he ran around all day on Sunday, really working hard to purchase goods. But now things have changed. It is no longer the case that he can just find a commune to solve the problem.

During the day, Hu Guangyong ran to two communes in a row, risking violating regulations. He even went to the more distant Red Star Commune, but it was of no use. There were so many big shots to deal with there, and no one would bother with a small purchasing agent like him.

In desperation, Hu Guangyong went to the Pigeon Market to use his connections and bought four chickens with his own money, spending 24 yuan, and also bought a pack of Red Peony. In fact, it was not really paid out of his own pocket, but rather he was vomiting out a little bit of what he had eaten before.

Hu Guangyong was heartbroken, knowing that four chickens could only provide a solution and could not play a decisive role. After thinking it over, he still came to the courtyard. One reason was to see how much stuff Zeng Wangcai had, and the other was that if Zeng Wangcai had a lot of supplies, he would ask him to show mercy even if he had to kneel down and kowtow.

He arrived at around six o'clock and waited for several hours.

"Hu Guangyong, why are you here? If you don't go home at this time, be careful or your wife will beat you up." Zeng Wangcai recognized this guy in the dim light.

To be honest, Hu Guangyong originally thought that Zeng Wangcai's return so late should have yielded a lot of gains, and that there would be a lot of noise in the middle of the night. He never expected that Zeng Wangcai would come back empty-handed.

"Brother Wangcai is back..." Hu Guangyong lifted his butt off the bricks on the floor and stood up quickly, "Why are you empty-handed? Where's the meat and fish?"

If Zeng Wangcai didn't get anything, then he could win with the four chickens, and he wouldn't need to say anything else or kowtow, so this was the first thing he asked.

Zeng Wangcai guessed what Hu Guangyong was thinking and asked with a smile, "What about you? What did you buy?"

Hu Guangyong hesitated and refused to show his cards, but unexpectedly at this time Zeng Youqian came out of the house with his bare chest.

"If you two have something to say, go inside and talk. Don't disturb the neighbors here." Zeng Youqian, who was holding the curtain, said to his son with a crooked mouth, "He only bought four chickens..."

That is, listen to the words before Zeng You, four chickens are enough.

Unconsciously, Zeng Wangcai's efforts to change his family's mindset took effect.

"Uh..." Hu Guangyong was stunned for a moment. He forgot that he had met Zeng Youqian first when he came here. Because he was worried that Zeng Wangcai would not agree, he begged Zeng Youqian for a long time and even played the pitiful role and talked about buying chickens.

In fact, Zeng Youqian's worry about disturbing the neighbors was completely unnecessary. There was a hanging flower door behind the back house, so it would be fine as long as he didn't shout loudly. And there was no need for Yan Bugui's family opposite to make any noise at all, as the couple had already opened the door to watch the fun.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Yan Bugui simply came out of the house, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan and said with a smile, "What's the point of making a fuss, Lao Zeng? I don't have to go to work tomorrow. It's hot in the house, don't let the child get too hot, let's talk here."

It is indeed hot inside the house, and many people sleep outside in the central and back yards.

Zeng Wangcai didn't want Hu Guangyong to go into the house, so when he saw his two younger brothers coming out, he asked them to move out a few stools and sit outside to keep cool.

After all parties sat down, Zeng Wangcai thought that the harvest this time could not be concealed, nor did he need to conceal it, so he said very straightforwardly: "Toda, I called you a fool. It's not that we want to squeeze you out of the position of purchasing agent. It's Deputy Director Li who is dissatisfied with the food in the cafeteria. In addition, you sent yourself to the door to issue a military order. My brother is a high school graduate. What job can't he find?

"My brother joined the steel mill as a buyer. That was the idea of ​​Deputy Director Li. You were just trying to catch rabbits while scavenging grass, and you got beaten up in the process."

Zeng Wangcai didn't want to patiently explain to Hu Guangyong, but he just learned from his father that this guy was a shameless person, so he might as well divert the blame and not let him get in the way.

"I know. I don't blame you, brother Wangcai. You see, I have an 80-year-old mother and hungry children. You sell the things you get to the steel mill canteen through me. I know what to do next." Hu Guangyong was anxious and blurted out all kinds of words.

Zeng Wangcai glanced at Yan Bugui and rejected Hu Guangyong straightforwardly.

Hu Guangyong begged for a long time, but seeing that Zeng Wangcai refused to give in, he gave up and finally asked unwillingly, "What did you get when you went to the countryside?"

"Haha, you will know tomorrow." Zeng Wangcai said with a smile.

"Okay, let's wait and see!" Since there was no hope, Hu Guangyong stopped smiling and said, "Everyone can brag about being awesome, but I don't think you got anything this time..."

"You're talking nonsense, my elder brother can get good stuff with just a flick of his fingers!" Zeng Lai Fu couldn't help but stand up to defend his elder brother.

Zeng Wangcai patted his younger brother's head and sent away Hu Guangyong, who was respectful at first but arrogant later.

Zeng Xiaoqiang asked curiously, "Brother, what did you get when you returned? Why are you empty-handed? You were never like this before."

"Not much, three wild boars, seven hundred kilograms of fish, twenty-nine pheasants..."

"Bah!"

The matchbox in Zeng Youqian's hand fell to the ground, and the cigarette in his mouth was visibly shaking.

"call!"

The palm-leaf fan in Yan Bugui's hand stopped, as if it suddenly became a thousand pounds heavier: "What are you talking about? Three wild boars, seven hundred pounds of fish, and twenty-nine pheasants?"

"In fact, I didn't do it alone. Many villagers helped. I gave a wild boar and ten pheasants to the villagers. There were 1,500 kilograms of fish in total, 800 kilograms of which were given to the villagers. I got 700 kilograms, not much..."

Haha, it’s drizzling!

At this moment, Zeng Wangcai was in a very happy mood, so happy that he couldn't express it in words. Now my family has everything we need, who would dare to doubt it?

Yan Bugui was jealous, really jealous, and his tone unconsciously became higher: "Isn't this enough? How much is too much? Can your family finish it..."

He wished he could kowtow and become a disciple to learn skills. Forget hunting, he would learn fishing. Seven hundred kilograms, fifteen hundred kilograms, the weight kept increasing.

The tranquility of the courtyard at night was broken by Yan Bugui's cry of jealousy to the core.

The neighbors in the yard were not jealous at all. Zeng Wangcai didn't care what they said and slept soundly with Lin Huyang all night.

Of course, sleeping with the emperor was just a joke. The two of them moved a bamboo bed out and slept on it in the yard all night.

Early in the morning, Zeng Wangcai drowsily heard his mother get up and prepare to light the stove to make breakfast. He touched his body and found a pillowcase on his stomach, as did Lin Huyang next to him.

This was what Chen Yumei got last night when she saw her son going into the house alone naked. No matter how hot the weather is, people must cover their belly buttons when sleeping. This is a tradition deeply ingrained in the Chinese people.

"Mom, what time is it? It's too early!" Zeng Wangcai rubbed his eyes and sat up. Lin Huyang was still sleeping soundly. Suddenly, he didn't care and set up the small tent.

"It's getting late. It will be too late to cook any later." Chen Yumei found some dry bark firewood.

There are many sycamore trees planted in the old city, or in many places. The bark of this tree will shed dry and can be used to light the stove.

Because the Zeng family has no shortage of food now, Chen Yumei has to make dry food in the morning, which takes a lot more time than making porridge.

Zeng Wangcai yawned and snatched the tool from my mother's hand: "Don't do it, I'll go out to buy some buns, you can just make some porridge, our family can afford it now."

Going to buy buns for breakfast early in the morning is a common behavior in later generations but it is unusual now. Not to mention the Siheyuan, there are not many such buns even in the entire Nanluoguxiang.

"This kid is so extravagant that even a mountain of gold and silver will eventually run out of money," Chen Yumei muttered. "Do you think our family is bannermen? Even if we are bannermen, go and look at those uncles who wander around the alleys all day long and eat on credit. Which one of them has any decent things in their homes?"

This statement is biased and only partially correct. Many old people and young people still have treasures at home.

Zeng Wangcai didn't argue with my mother. He went out without washing his mouth or face, wearing cloth shoes. Soon, he bought two large paper bags of buns.