Siheyuan: I live next door to Xu Damao, my last name is Cao

On the day when the steel rolling mill paid its salaries, the atmosphere in the factory was very cheerful, happy and worth celebrating.

The workers in the factory were a little restless.

Because after finishing this day's work, it's time for the steel rolling mill to pay wages. After finishing the work, there will be a few days of Spring Festival holiday, and I can have a good New Year, so of course I will be very happy.

In fact, the tasks today are not very heavy. Basically, we are just dealing with some previous parts. There are no too heavy tasks, so the working atmosphere is very relaxed.

The leaders of the steel mill were also very considerate of the workers. They prepared a good lunch for them today, even adding a lot of oil and meat.

Finally, it was afternoon. The work in the afternoon was easier, and we finished the work in the workshop.

Cao Wei sat in his own private office, slacking off and reading.

Since his last appointment, Cao Wei has joined the D, participated in the D Committee training, and successfully became a qualified cadre.

His current job is to slack off in the office every day. Occasionally, when he is in a good mood, he will go around the workshops to check if there are any problems with the new machines.

He had checked the installation of the machine and there were hardly any abnormalities.

Improper operation by workers every day may cause machine failure, and Cao Wei’s job is to check this.

If you are in a bad mood, just sit in the office for a while, read a book, or do some homework. The work is very easy.

At about one o'clock in the afternoon, the steel mill's loudspeakers suddenly began broadcasting New Year greetings.

"Everyone, I am today's broadcaster Cao Wenbin. The Spring Festival is a day for family reunion. People who have been busy working for a year are looking forward to reuniting with their loved ones and welcoming the New Year. We have worked hard for a year and are about to usher in this beautiful day... Today's winter is particularly cold, but our workers are working tirelessly. On this cold day, their sweat is boiling like steel flowers, and what is forged is steel and what is tested is will. Here, I would like to send you my most sincere blessings. Because of you, our country can be built better..."

There is a lot of blah blah, and finally I would like to express my beautiful wishes for the New Year and set goals for myself to continue working hard for next year.

The beautiful blessings made many workers excited.

Of course, the most practical thing is to pay wages. Since there are quite a lot of people in each workshop, the factory leaders arranged a few more offices and let everyone line up and get paid in order.

As a cadre, Cao Wei certainly could not sit idle. He worked with several factory leaders to organize the workers to line up and maintain order.

After all, a steel mill is a large factory with tens of thousands of employees. It would not look good if the scene was chaotic when paying wages.

The payroll process lasted about three hours before it finally ended.

Cao Wei also received his first month's salary after becoming a cadre, ninety-nine yuan.

Add some subsidies, it’s one hundred and ten yuan and fifty cents.

Cao Wei happily took his salary and rode his bicycle home from get off work.

It was already deep winter in the twelfth lunar month and it was already getting late.

Cao Wei felt a little regretful. He didn't expect it to get dark so quickly. By the time he rode his bike back home, it would probably be dark.

When the salaries were being distributed just now, Cao Wei happened to meet Lou Xiaoe who also came to collect her salary.

The two of them made an appointment that if they got off work early, they would go to the department store together to buy some daily necessities and New Year's goods in preparation for the New Year.

On the only way to the courtyard, Lou Xiao'e's bicycle was parked on the side of the road, and she stood on the side of the road and kept blowing air into her hands, hoping to keep warm with the little warmth. The breath condensed into white mist under the influence of the cold air.

Cao Wei was a little stunned when he saw Lou Xiao'e.

He told Lou Xiao'e to go home after get off work, and then go home to find her after Cao Wei finished his work. He didn't expect that she had been waiting here all the time.

Cao Wei quickly stopped the car, walked to Lou Xiao'e and took her hand.

My goodness, this hand is really cold, like floating snowflakes, which makes people feel chilled when touched.

God knows how long Lou Xiao'e has been waiting here.

"Sister Xiao'e, why are you waiting for me here? Didn't I ask you to go home first?"

"Just now the director of our Women's Federation asked me to talk about something, and then I was delayed. I thought you should not have left yet, so I waited here for a while. I just came out not long ago." Lou Xiao'e said softly.

"Then you should leave first after get off work. I will look for you when I get home. There is no need to wait for me here. It is too cold in the snow."

Cao Wei said with great concern: "Come on, I'll take you to eat copper pot to warm your hands and body."

"it is good."

Lou Xiao'e nodded happily. She seemed to have never been to these shops with Cao Wei.

In this weather, eating hot pot hot pot meat around the hot copper stove is simply a pleasure.

It was just past five o'clock at this time, so the restaurants and other places should not be closed yet.

Soon, the two men rode their bikes to Wangfujing Street.

Cao Wei did not take Lou Xiao'e to the restaurant immediately. Instead, he went to the department store with Lou Xiao'e and bought her a pair of thick gray knitted gloves and a light blue scarf.

He gave Lou Xiaoe the gloves because he wanted her to wear them when riding a bike, so that her hands could be protected and she wouldn't be so cold. As for the scarf, he saw that Lou Xiaoe's was a bit worn out and even had some threads on it, so it didn't look good when she wore it.

Lou Xiao'e was very happy about the gift Cao Wei gave her.

He immediately put on the scarf given by Cao Wei.

"nice."

Looking at herself in the mirror, Lou Xiao'e was very happy.

"I'm glad you like it. Let's go and have dinner."

After changing, of course you have to go eat.

Afterwards, the two rode their bikes to Dong'an Market.

If you want to eat copper pot, you can’t go without the old brand in old Beijing, Donglaishun.

Although it is the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, there are still many people eating here.

This copper pot is very popular in Beijing.

A popular folk song "Nine-Nine Songs" goes like this: "On the first and second nine days, don't go out; on the third and fourth nine days, walk on the ice; on the fifth and sixth nine days, look at the willows along the river; on the seventh nine days, the river blooms, and on the eighth nine days, wild geese come; on the ninth nine days plus the tenth nine days, oxen walk all over the land..."

Every ninth day is the day when the old people in the city eat mutton hotpot.

The older generation of Beijingers also call copper pot hot pot "Jiujiu pot".

This shows how popular this copper pot hot pot is in the old city.

How delicious is the copper pot hot pot in Sijiucheng?

I think you can understand it this way.

Emperor Qianlong once held a banquet for a thousand elders to promote it.

According to the Qing Dynasty imperial kitchen archives, there was not a single stir-fried dish at the banquet, only 1550 copper hot pots.

Cao Wei also liked to eat hot pot, especially in winter, when he would sit around a big stove and enjoy the meal.

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