The train driver in the courtyard

Chapter 227 The Marriage of Xu Damao

puff
dun dun dun.
The cold drink went into my stomach, and the pores all over my body relaxed.

One word, cool!

Bottles can also be exchanged for money.

After returning the bottle, Wang Dakui found a friend who was a melon seed salesman here.

His surname is Bai, he is tall and thin, he speaks politely, but his attitude is very enthusiastic.

After learning that Li Aiguo and the others wanted to buy radios and bicycles, he patted his chest and promised that he would let them pick the goods.

Only then did Li Aiguo remember.

In this era of supply and marketing cooperatives, not only can items not be returned or exchanged, they cannot be exchanged from the moment the salesperson takes the goods out of the counter.

Either buy it or not buy it, there is no third option.

Even if the Capital Department Store is the largest 'supply and marketing cooperative' in the country with the best service attitude, it won't work.

When an acquaintance helped, Li Aiguo naturally nodded in thanks.

Gao Gao Bai asked his colleagues to take over the shift for him and led the three of them to the counter selling radios on the third floor.

On the counter were seven or eight brands of radios, including Red Star, Mido, Magic, and Bailing.

The tall man Bai entered the counter, and after a while of greetings with the elder sister in charge of sales, he said with a smile: "Sister Zhang, these are all my friends, you can keep an eye on me."

"Don't worry, I will definitely help your friend choose one, but you have to leave some for me." The saleswoman said cheerfully while eating melon seeds.

"Don't worry, Sister Zhang, I'll leave you two catties today."

The two were chatting, and Wang Dakui whispered into Li Aiguo's ear and explained: "Lao Bai sells melon seeds. The melon seeds at the counter are all packed in wooden warehouses. Customers buy the good ones, and the rest are called Chencang." Bottom line, the price is so low that these salesmen have divided it up.”

Good fellow, as expected, the one who is near the water and the tower gets the moon first.

At the same time, Li Aiguo also looked at Wang Dakui with admiration. Although this boy dropped out of school early, he had been practicing in society for so many years and was already proficient in the ways of the world.

After getting the benefit, the saleswoman became more enthusiastic and took out a brown paper box from under the counter.

The packaging of goods in this era was very crude. Judging from the packaging, this thing was worth a lot of money.

Open it, and there is a Dongfanghong radio inside.

The vermillion-lacquered surface sparkles under the light, and the antenna is actually chrome-plated, with four speakers at the front and rear.

On the front panel made of cowhide, there are three gilt characters "Dongfanghong". The row of white jade-like plastic buttons below can directly adjust the band.

What amazed Li Aiguo most was that the lower part of the front panel was entirely made of plastic.

In later generations, high-end speakers were often made of wood, but in this era of backward chemical industry, plastic is the symbol of high-end.

“This is the latest full-band radio produced by the state-owned Hankou Radio Factory, and it has a built-in tuning rod, making the reception of signals more sensitive.

I, Zhang Xiaohui, don’t lie. You can’t find a second channel in the supply and marketing cooperatives in Beijing. "

The waitress introduced it with a proud expression.

"That's it!"

Li Aiguo took a liking to this cute little guy at a glance.

Not for anything else, just because of the characters "Dongfanghong".

Because the cost of this brand of radios was too high, only a few batches were produced and then discontinued.

If you buy this thing, it might become a family heirloom in the future.

The waitress didn't expect Li Patriot to be so decisive.

After all, radios are expensive. One usually costs more than 100 yuan, which is equivalent to an average person's salary for four to five months. People always hesitate.

When she saw Li Aiguo taking out the radio ticket, she realized that he really wanted to buy it.

He quickly smiled and said: "Comrade, our department store has clearly marked the price. This radio costs 160 yuan, and I can't give you a discount. We happen to have matching knobs here, so I'll give you a set."

This kind of tube radio is generally not broken, but the buttons are easy to wear because they are made of plastic. Once the paint is rubbed off the surface, it will be particularly ugly.

It would be nice to have a spare set of knobs.

After checking the radio to make sure there were no defects.

Li Aiguo took out 160 yuan from his pocket and handed it over.

Seeing Li Aiguo being so happy, Gao Bai became curious and quietly pulled Wang Dakui aside.

"Dakui, what does that man do?"

"Train driver." Wang Dakui said cheerfully.

"No wonder, I heard that a train driver's monthly salary is more than 100 yuan." The tall man Bai was a little envious.

Wang Dakui patted him on the shoulder: "You salesmen are not bad either. As for the eight members, they are nothing like me. Now I can only guard a scrap point."

"Go, go, you are the manager now, no better than your brother."

The two were in Versailles and saw that Li Aiguo had picked up the radio. Wang Dakui quickly went up to pick it up.

"Let's go buy a bicycle for the girl."

There is nothing to choose from when it comes to bicycles.

On the [-]th of this year, there are several brands such as Forever, Phoenix, and Flying Pigeon.

but.

[-] bicycles are only Feige brand.

The bicycles were hung on the wooden rack on the counter, and there was a cardboard hanging next to it with big red letters on it that said "Please don't touch!"

The bicycle was covered with red cloth, and from the outside, it was impossible to tell whether the paint was peeling off.

At this time, Gao Bai's role was reflected again.

After going up and chatting for a while, the salesperson helped He Yuyu pick out a brand new bicycle.

The price of a bicycle is 170 yuan and a bicycle ticket.

Pushing the bicycle, He Yuyu was as happy as a child. He wanted to go out and give it a try.

Li Aiguo asked He Yuyu to push him outside for a familiar lap.

He pulled Wang Dakui aside, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and gave it to him.

"Your friend has helped a lot, we can't treat him badly."

A pack of cigarettes may seem inconspicuous, but it is the lubricant of relationship communication.

People living in society are like spiders. Only with a dense network of relationships can they catch more prey.

"Brother Patriot, the relationship I'm looking for has naturally been taken care of a long time ago." Wang Dakui chuckled.

Li Aiguo put the cigarette in his pocket and patted him on the shoulder: "You're on the road now."

The two of them were talking here, and He Yuyu couldn't wait any longer.

"Brother Patriot, come quickly."

She had ridden Li Aiguo's tandem bicycle before.

That thing has four wheels, so even if you don't know how to ride it, you won't fall down.

The [-] bicycle was different. He Yuyu tried it twice, feeling a little timid.

In order for He Yuyu to practice driving, Li Aiguo took her to a nearby playground.

He Yuyu was smart and had well-developed motor cells. It only took him half an hour to learn it.

Seeing that it was still early, Li Aiguo took He Yuyu to the police station to get a stamp and paid three yuan for insurance.

Only then did he return to the courtyard.

Yan Jiedi was the happiest person when she saw He Yuyu coming back pushing a brand new bicycle.

She jumped out of the house, stroking the smooth car bars with her hands, her eyes as wide as bells.

"Sister Yuyu, what kind of bicycle is this? Why is it different from my bicycle?"

He Yuyu did not answer Yan Jiedi, but kept staring at Yan Jiedi's pants.

Under the faint sunset, the blackened word 'private' on the pants made of flour bags was particularly dazzling.

Li Aiguo was also surprised at how much water had been washed, but these words had not been washed away.

The quality is good enough.

He Yuyu felt a little embarrassed.

A while ago, at the police station, He Yuyu met a woman named Xiao Fengxian.

At that time, He Yuyu was still curious about the relationship between the woman and Wang Zhenshan.

After all, if her relationship with the police officer goes smoothly, Wang Zhenshan will be her husband.

But she asked several people, but no one knew Xiao Fengxian.

Hard work pays off, He Yuyu meets Xu Damao.

Xu Damao is an old customer.

I know the depth of Xiaofengxian.

Only then did He Yuyu know that Xiao Fengxian came from Bada Hutong.

At the same time, I also learned some weird knowledge.

"It's a [-] bicycle."

A few casual remarks.

He Yuyu tied up the bicycle, pulled Yan Jiedi aside, leaned into her ear, and whispered a few words.

Yan Jiedi looked down at her pants, and her face suddenly turned red.

He quickly rushed into the house.

After a while, there was a loud noise in the house.

"Mom, I won't wear these pants anymore. It's too embarrassing."

The news that Aunt Liu bought a bicycle for He Yuyu also caused quite a stir in the courtyard.

When everyone saw the shiny bicycle, they all felt that Li Aiguo had done a great thing and made He Yuyu accept Aunt Liu as his godmother.

If he was still involved with Silly Zhu, he might not even be able to go to school now.

He Yuyu and Yan Jiedi rode their bicycles around the courtyard, bursting into small bursts of joy from time to time.

Aunt Liu was sitting at the door of her home, so happy that the wrinkles on her face were smoothed out.

"Patriot, why don't you add a frame to the front of the bicycle so that you can ride it to and from school in the rain and have a schoolbag inside?"

"There are ready-made baskets for sale in department stores. You can buy them later and just screw them on."

Li Aiguo smiled and nodded.

Just as he was enjoying himself, the door of the Xu family opened.

Xu Damao ducked out, approached Li Aiguo, and chuckled: "Brother Patriot, I heard you bought a radio?"

"Yes."

"Then try it quickly and listen to the sound quality." Xu Damao rubbed his hands.

Seeing Xu Damao's impatient look, Li Aiguo was a little confused: "Da Mao, do you still know what sound quality is?"

"Looking at what you said, I am a movie projectionist, a cultural person, and a literary and artistic worker."

Xu Damao perked up at the mention of this, followed Li Aiguo into the room, and winked: "A while ago, I went to a leader's house to play a movie. Do you know what the leader said?"

"." Li Aiguo felt that Xu Damao was infected with Yan Bugui's bad habits - he asked and answered his own questions.

Seeing that Li Aiguo didn't answer, Xu Damao felt bored and could only continue: "The leader said that the sound quality of movie players is not as good as that of record players. Look, this fully illustrates the importance of sound quality."

Good guy, Xu Damao can be regarded as drawing inferences from one example.

At this time, He Yuyu, Zhang Gangzhu, and Liu Guangqi heard that they were going to try the radio, and they all gathered around.

"pat"

Li Aiguo turned on the radio, and a burst of well-spoken voices came from inside.

"The people who came today are not here to bring relatives, but to sell swords. Zhang Liang said that his ancestors left behind three swords, and each one is a rare sword."

"Hey, "Zhang Liang sells swords", this sounds good."

At some point, Yan Bugui also squeezed into the room and got close to the radio.

Xu Damao joked: "Third uncle, don't you have a radio at home?" "Damn, Damao, don't talk nonsense. I don't have a radio at home." Yan Bugui's face changed with fright, and he waved his hands quickly.

He Yuyu didn't know why and asked curiously: "Third uncle, when I was at your house two days ago, you specially let me visit your radio. Why is it gone now?"

Yan Bugui's face turned red instantly, and he couldn't deal with it.

This Yan Bugui is really a thief.

The Yan family's radio is like Schrödinger's cat, in two states of existence and non-existence at the same time.

Every time when the electricity bill is about to be charged, the radio in Yanbu Gui’s family disappears.

When the electricity bill was over and Yan Bugui needed to show off, the radio appeared.

the reason is simple.

In this era of courtyard houses, a total of twenty households shared a 2.5-amp electric meter.

The electricity bill needs to be shared by each household, and for sharing, each household's share must be calculated.

If there are no other household appliances, the electricity bill is based on the number of lamp holders, and each household is limited to using 25 light (watt) light bulbs.

If you have household appliances, you need to convert them into light bulbs according to the power.

A radio needs to be folded into a light bulb.

In order to save money, Yan Bugui hid the radio. On weekdays, he only dared to listen to it hidden in bed.

If that were the case, no one would be able to discover it.

The key is that Yan Bugui is still a good-looking person.

If you have a radio and don't show off, it won't be a waste of money.

and so.

The residents in the courtyard all know that the Yan family's radio comes and goes, which is very magical.

Li Aiguo watched from the side and was very happy: "The radio in the third uncle's house is like a mouse. Sometimes it comes out and sometimes it disappears?"

This remark immediately caused a burst of laughter.

Yan Bugui felt a little feverish in his face.

"Hey, patriotic. Hey."

There were seven or eight sounds of hey, and there was no way to explain what happened to Yan Bugui.

After all, you can only do things like scheming secretly. If you really show it, Yan Bugui is not that thick-skinned.

Li Aiguo: "Third uncle, I understand that you want to save money. However, the electricity in our compound is all powered by an electric meter. If you save money, other people will have to pay more. Don't you think so? "

"Yes Yes Yes"

Yan Bugui felt a little regretful.

If he had known that Xu Damao would target him.

I won’t join in the fun today.

Li Aiguo gave him an idea: "If you really don't want to bear the electricity bill, go to Liu Haizhu, who repairs bicycles, and get a grinding wheel and a belt. Use a bicycle to drive it. The pedal type can also be used to grind electricity. listen to radio."

"Really?" When Yan Bugui heard this, he immediately became energetic.

"Of course, you just have to keep pedaling." Li Aiguo nodded: "If you stop, the battery will run out."

In my previous life in rural areas, some people used this method because of frequent power outages.

The grinding wheel can not only drive radios, but even televisions.

Yan Bugui thought even more profoundly than Li Aiguo.

After he successfully borrowed a grinding wheel from Liu Haizhong's car repair shop, he cut off all the electricity in the Yan family.

Connect the grinding wheel to the bus.

At night, when you pedal and grind the electric wheel, the light bulbs in your home will light up.

You can save a lot of money in a month.

It's just a useless child.
Time passed little by little.

The name Silly Zhu appears less and less frequently among the residents of the Siheyuan.

In the intelligence station in the courtyard, the marriage of Xu Damao and Liu Lan became a hot topic.

Liu Lan's calmness these days made the residents in the compound uncertain whether Liu Lan was related to Deputy Factory Director Li.

In addition, whether Liu Lan's two sons will change their surnames has also become a matter of concern to everyone.

After all, anyone with a discerning eye can see that Xu Damao married Liu Lan largely because of Liu Lan's two sons.

Xu Damao has not been idle these days.

After tidying up the house, I bought two pounds of fat and one pound of brown sugar.

He also bought a pair of cotton boots for Liu Lan's mother as a betrothal gift, and went with Xu Jixiang to Liu Lan's house to propose marriage.

Although Liu Lan's sisters-in-law disliked Xu Damao for being stingy, no one dared to say a word with Liu Lan's mother standing there.

Xu Damao then took the letter of introduction and went directly to the Civil Affairs Bureau to obtain a certificate from Liu Lan, and the two were considered married.

After finishing these things, when he appeared in the courtyard again, Xu Damao took Liu Lan and delivered wedding candies door to door.

Li Aiguo just came back from get off work and took a White Rabbit toffee from Xu Damao's hand.

"Da Mao, when are you planning to hold the wedding?"

"Tomorrow, we will set up a table in Donglaishun. You must come then." Liu Lan said first.

"Congratulations to you. From now on, the husband and wife will work together and live a prosperous life."

Dong Laishun. It seems that Xu Damao attaches great importance to this marriage.

Li Aiguo agreed immediately, turned around and entered the house.

Xu Damao and Liu Lan then went door to door handing out wedding candies and inviting residents to his wedding banquet.

It was sent to Jia Dongxu's house. Jia Dongxu was spinning around in the house holding a stick.

"Hey, it's Damao. Is he really married?"

Xu Damao: "We will get married tomorrow and have a wedding banquet in Donglaishun. I hope you can come then."

He put the candy into Jia Dongxu's hand and wanted to leave.

Jia Dongxu stopped him with a joking look on his face.

"Da Mao, don't worry. Let me ask you something. What are your two sons' surnames now? Also, do they call you dad?"

These words directly hit Xu Damao's sore spot.

These days, no matter how nice he is to Zhou Hailong and Zhou Haitao, these two boys just won't change their tune.

He has always been called Uncle Xu.

As for changing the surname, it is still far away.

Xu Damao was speechless for a moment, but Liu Lan snorted coldly, and his sharp eyes flashed across Banggeng's face.

"My Damao knows that Hai Long and Haitao are not his biological children. As long as he raises them in the future, they will be treated like his biological sons. I'm afraid some people don't even know whether their own sons are biological."

These days, Liu Lan pays a lot of attention to her opponent Qin Huairu.

Naturally, he knew what happened between Li Aiguo and Qin Huairu.

Jia Dongxu's face turned red when he heard this, and when he loosened his grip, the stick almost fell to the ground.

"Da Mao, let's go!"

After getting angry, Liu Lan took Xu Damao's arm and turned away, leaving Jia Dongxu behind.

Xu Damao was extremely proud.

This time he married a good wife.

The wedding of Xu Damao and Liu Lan was a success.

Xu Jixiang used many years of relationships.

Not only many relatives and friends were invited, but also the section chief of the publicity department of the steel rolling mill and several old colleagues were invited.

On Liu Lan's side were several colleagues from the canteen, such as Ma Hua and Fatty, who also attended the wedding.

Considering the high price of food in Donglai Shunli, the residents of the courtyard basically sent representatives to participate.

For example, Aunt Liu's family sent He Yuyu, Wang Gangzhu's family sent Wang Gangzhu, and Yi Zhonghai's family sent Auntie.

Only the whole family of the Yanbu Gui family was dispatched, seven or eight of them, and Xu Damao's face turned green at that time.

Li Aiguo handed the gift money to the second uncle who was responsible for writing the gift list, and Liu Haizhong wrote down his name and the amount of money on it.

Gifts in this era were mostly just a few dollars, two dollars was neither more nor less.

It was not until the wedding banquet was over that Xu Damao was completely relieved when he saw no sign of Deputy Director Li.

If Deputy Director Li comes, how should he face it?
Night falls.

The young people in the courtyard gathered around Xu Damao's house to prepare for the wedding ceremony.

Especially Yan Jiecheng, Liu Guangqi, Liu Guangtian and several children of the Zhang family were particularly excited.

These days, there are no entertainment activities, and there are no big action movies.

The primitive and wild activity of having sex in the bridal chamber often stimulates the hormones of young people.

The capital is a bit better, because it promotes new civilized practices and won't cause any trouble.

Maybe in the wild countryside.

It is common for the first child born to a new daughter-in-law to look nothing like her husband.

Yan Jiecheng was half tired from carrying coal in the locomotive depot, so he was not honest.

Before it got dark, I ran to Li's house.

"Brother Patriot, let's go to Xu Damao's house for the wedding ceremony."

Li Aiguo put down his book and said with a smile: "You can go alone, I won't join in the fun today."

joke.

An ordinary new daughter-in-law would be extremely shy and timid.

It must be interesting to make a fuss about the bridal chamber.

But well.
Liu Lan is a little widow, you guys are no match for her.

However, Liu Lan has been married twice after all, and she no longer has the shyness of a new wife.

really.

When Yan Jiecheng, Liu Guangqi, Jia Dongxu and several young people from the Zhang family gathered in the house, they were preparing to have a wedding ceremony.

Liu Lan slapped Xu Damao on the chair, stood up and took out a stick from the door, smashed the stick on the ground, pinched his waist with one hand, pointed at the young men and cursed: "You guys who are still young, want to eat, go home." Go find your mother, I’m still helpless!”

Yan Jiecheng: "."

Liu Guangqi: "."

Jia Dongxu: "^_^"

All the young people: "."

Zhou Hailong and Zhou Haitao also rushed out of the house carrying sticks, as if they wanted to protect Liu Lan.

Arriving at a new house was originally a festive event, but seeing this situation, the young people also lost interest, chatted for a few words, and left early.

The night was getting darker.

Xu Damao washed his feet early and got into bed.

Looking at the charming Liu Lan, Xu Damao couldn't help but rub his hands.

"From today on, I, Damao, also have a wife."

"Virtue!" Liu Lan rolled her eyes at Xu Damao, turned around and started to unbutton her shirt.

Halfway through, she stopped suddenly and looked towards the window.

Xu Damao realized something was wrong and jumped out of bed before he could put on his boots.

When he opened the door, he saw only a figure running away in embarrassment.

"Like that grand thief Jia Dongxu!"

(End of this chapter)