Siheyuan: Starting to work in the street office

A few days passed in the blink of an eye. It was the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the last working day of the subdistrict office. After work, Zhong Shan found Uncle Qin and said, "Uncle Qin, please give me the keys to the tricycle. I'm going to pick up the New Year's gifts."

Uncle Qin took out a key tied with a red string and handed it to Zhong Shan: "What will you give out this year?"

Zhong Shan did not answer. He opened the tricycle and walked out, saying, "You'll know when you come back."

After riding his tricycle out of the street office, Zhongshan did not go back immediately, but wandered around the city. The streets were full of people and the tricycle could not ride fast. When he passed by the supply and marketing cooperative and looked towards the door, he saw that the line was lined up to the street and he could hear the salesperson shouting from outside.

Every household also posted couplets on their doors. Zhongshan's family also asked the third uncle to write a couplet: "Hard work, simplicity and frugality to build a new society, heroes are full of vigor and vitality, and man will conquer nature."

Most of the Spring Festival couplets of this era were of this type. The themes of the couplets were all about loving the collective, building the country, and unity between the military and civilians. They were not about seeking wealth like in later generations.

After walking around for a while, Zhongshan couldn't find an empty alley. He had no choice but to ride his tricycle into the yard of Heizhima Hutong. After pushing the tricycle into the yard, he took out a pig that had been cleaned up in the space. Then, after pushing the tricycle out, he put the torn quilt in the empty space of the tricycle, took out some eggs, and gently placed them on the quilt.

After finishing everything and locking the door, Zhongshan rode his bike back to the neighborhood office.

Arriving at the door: "Lao Qin, come and help me push it."

Uncle Qin heard the noise, came out and saw Zhong Shan coming back, and looked behind the tricycle: "Wow, that's a lot of meat."

After that, he helped Zhong Shan push the tricycle into the gate and then to the entrance of the cafeteria: "Lao Qin, please take a look. I'll go call Director Li."

After saying that, Zhong Shan walked towards Director Li's office.

After knocking on the door three times, "Aunt Li, I got the meat back. Would you like to take a look?"

After hearing Zhong Shan's words, Li Sulan also put down the work in her hands: "Okay, let's go and take a look."

In the cafeteria, Director Li looked at the pork on the cart at the door. A group of people gathered around. Director Li said to the chef in the cafeteria, "Lao Wang, put down your work first and divide the meat and eggs according to the number of people. Xiao Zhong, ride your bike and go out with me."

After unloading the pork and eggs, Zhong Shan and Director Li went to the logistics warehouse of the supply and marketing cooperative to get some daily necessities such as enamel basins, mirrors, wooden combs and soaps. These are distributed every year, but they are not complete products and have some defects, which does not affect their use!

When I returned to the street office again, they started distributing New Year's goods. Everyone received a piece of meat, a net bag of eggs, and some daily necessities.

This piece of meat is enough to eat during the New Year, and everyone is very happy. This is the first year that Song Lili has started working, and it is also the first year that she has been given gifts. Unlike others who are happy to see the meat, Song Lili's family has no shortage of these things. Instead, she is very excited to see the enamel basin, mirror and small wooden comb that she was given. It seems that she will use them when she gets home.

After distributing the items, Zhong Shan returned to the office and saw how happy Song Lili was. He handed her his own items as well and said, "I'll give them all to you. You can use them when you go home!"

Although Song Lili liked it very much, she still said, "This set of mine is enough. You can take it home and use it. I will also change it to a new set during the Chinese New Year!"

Zhong Shan looked around and saw no one was around, but Song Lili was in front of him, and he whispered, “Take it home, and wait for me to go to your house!”

When Song Lili heard Zhong Shan's words, her face turned red. She gave Zhong Shan a white look and then went to look in the mirror happily.

After get off work, the holiday began. There were three days for the New Year: the 30th, the 1st, and the 2nd. Zhong Shan took the things that they shared and sent Song Lili home.

When we arrived at the Song family, Song's father had not come back yet. After putting the meat and eggs in the kitchen, he said, "Lili, I'll leave now. I'll come back tomorrow."

After Song Lili put her things away, she turned around and heard Zhong Shan was about to leave: "Well, my brother will be home tonight, so he should be home when you come tomorrow, so see you tomorrow!"

"Okay, see you tomorrow!" Zhong Shan said, and seeing that the nanny was not in the living room, he kissed Song Lili when she wasn't paying attention: "I'm leaving, haha!"

"Rogue!" Ignoring the red-faced Song Lili behind him, Zhongshan walked out of the compound and headed towards Nanluoguxiang. The street was crowded with people during the New Year, and at the entrance of the alley he saw many people carrying things and walking home.

"Xiao Zhong, are you back from get off work? You are a cadre, so why did you come back empty-handed? Didn't your company give you New Year's goods?" Well, it's hard to comment. You can tell who the person is without even looking at the picture because he can say such lame words.

Zhongshan turned around and saw that it was indeed the second uncle Liu Haizhong, holding pork, eggs, a chicken, and a few apples in his hands. He was walking back with a bulging belly. Seeing Zhongshan with empty hands, he felt superior: Hey, Zhongshan, although you are a cadre, you are a young man who has just started working, and you are still not as good as me, a seventh-level blacksmith. So what if you are a cadre?

Thinking of this, I didn’t envy Zhong Shan so much anymore: “Xiao Zhong, you still have to work hard and contribute to society. In the future, you will have everything!”

Zhong Shan suppressed his laughter and responded to Liu Haizhong in a very serious tone: "Second Master, you are right. You have issued a lot of these things. After all, you are an old worker, a seventh-level blacksmith, and a treasure of the factory!"

Although Liu Haizhong felt that something was not right, he did not think much about it. After showing off, he looked at the person with contempt and staggered into the yard.

Zhong Shan did not follow. Seeing He Yuzhu, Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu coming back together, he walked slowly and waited for them.

"Uncle, you're back. I have to say that your steel rolling mill has the best welfare. You've given out a lot of these things!" Everyone came forward, and Zhong Shan took the initiative to talk to Yi Zhonghai. The things Yi Zhonghai gave out were similar to those given by Liu Haizhong, but He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu did not have apples. It should be that they were only given to the old craftsmen who paid more.

Yi Zhonghai saw that it was Zhong Shan. Although he had nothing in his hands, his mind was much deeper than Liu Haizhong. He did not ask any more questions: "Hey, you can make contributions wherever you are. Xiao Zhong, you are off work now!"

He Yuzhu had been in contact with Zhongshan a lot recently and was quite familiar with him. He was also a person who could not keep things to himself. When he saw Zhongshan with empty hands, he asked, "Shanzi, why did you come back empty-handed? Did you buy the New Year's goods?"

Zhong Shan also greeted He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu: "Sister-in-law, Brother Zhuzi, your steel mill is also on holiday, I have also been given some, but I didn't take them back, and I didn't spend the New Year at home, so I gave the things I gave to others."

After a pause, he said to He Yuzhu: "Brother Zhuzi, come to my house later, let's have a drink. Uncle, you can come too. We haven't had a meal together since we were busy with work. It's a good opportunity for us to get together during the New Year holiday!"

He Yuzhu had eaten at Zhongshan’s house several times, so he agreed without thinking too much: “Okay, then I’ll go to your place when I drop you off.”

Yi Zhonghai thought about it and decided that it would be a good idea to go there and test Zhongshan's background, so he agreed: "Okay, I'll let you pay for it tonight."

After returning to the yard, Zhongshan took out the meat and thought for a while before deciding not to call Yan Bugui. If two of the three uncles came, it would be bad if he didn't call Liu Haizhong. If he called him, he would be causing trouble.