The train driver in the courtyard

Chapter 346 Meet Director Zhang again in the canteen of the machine repair plant, large purchase of the locomotive depot

night.

Starry.

In the grinding yard west of Cuijiazhuang, a bonfire is burning.

The tongues of fire accompany the breeze, sometimes rising high and sometimes falling low.

Gently lick the grilled meat skewered on wires.

Grease dripped into the campfire, making a crackling sound.

As the smoke and wind change, there is an alluring aroma of barbecue.

A rough hand pinched a pinch of salt from the salt shaker.

Put your five fingers together, making the classic gesture of a barbecue guy, and sprinkle the white salt grains on the barbecue casually.

Gently tear off a piece of fat and thin roast.

The aroma of barbecued meat has a hint of sweetness, which can be poured directly into Tianling Gai from the nostrils.

The meat is fresh and smooth, fat but not greasy, and it really tastes like roasted squab

Phew, this smell is simply amazing.

Li Aiguo seems to have found the feeling of eating barbecue in later generations.

Seeing Li Aiguo squatting there and feasting, Cui Ergou couldn't help but swallowed: "Driver Li, is vole meat delicious?"

"What is a field mouse? This is a domestic deer, do you understand?" Li Aiguo said with a serious face.

"Obviously a field mouse"

Cui Ergou is obviously an ignorant boy.

I also have to teach people in the city, so I have a hard time talking about it.

"You're an uneducated kid! If you keep talking nonsense, you'll have nothing to do with roasting field mice." Cui Dahu's eyes widened and he hit him hard on the forehead.

Li Aiguo: "."

You are also an uneducated person.

We only caught four voles today, one for each person, and they were not enough to eat at all.

Fortunately, it was autumn, and the sweet potatoes in the fields were big and sweet. Cui Dahu pulled out a few big sweet potatoes and threw them into the bonfire.

While pulling the sweet potatoes with a wooden stick, Cui Dahu asked in a low voice: "Driver Li, do you want to continue collecting things if you stay here?"

Li Aiguo likes to deal with people who understand. He took out a pack of cigarettes and spread them around, saying: "Brother Tiger, life is hard for railway workers. In order to improve the lives of workers, our Qianmen Locomotive Depot needs to collect a group of chickens and ducks. Of course, big fat pigs are also required." Can.

But don’t plow the oxen and donkeys. "

Cattle and donkeys were the productive forces of this era, and they could not be eaten.

"This is easy to handle. I will gather the members tomorrow." Cui Dahu nodded without hesitation.

After the mutual aid group was transformed into a high-end commune, chickens and ducks could no longer be raised, so it was better to exchange them for money.

Cui Dahu is the president of Cuijia Village.

With his help, everything goes smoothly.

Early the next morning.

Li Aiguo and Liu Dongping held a "small agricultural product purchase meeting" in the mill.

This acquisition is no longer an exchange of goods, but real money.

Brand new one dollar bills and national food stamps.

Both are hard currencies.

The villagers in Cuijiazhuang became even more enthusiastic.

In just one morning, Liu Dongping purchased more than 30 big roosters, forty or fifty hens, and a big fat pig from Zhang Fu's family.

Zhang Fu also wanted to sell his donkey, but Li Aiguo refused.

At this time, the jeep has not returned.

Li Aiguo asked Cui Dahu to help drive all the small animals into the village committee's warehouse, guarded by villager Cui Ergou.

Cui Dahu said to Cui Ergou with a straight face: "Ergou, if you lose a chicken feather, I will hand you over to Driver Li and send you to the locomotive depot police station."

"President, Ergou promises to complete the mission."

Cui Ergou's face turned pale with fright.

He didn't know what was so scary about the locomotive depot's police station.

But thinking of Cui Rendong and Cui Dake lying together with two snakes yesterday, they couldn't help but clench their buttocks.

Cui Dahu was relieved and walked back to Li Aiguo: "Driver Li, are these enough? Several nearby villages are also setting up high-level communes. I know the village chiefs of those villages and can help you connect."

Cuijiazhuang is full of food and drink this time, and Cui Dahu cannot forget those poor brothers.

Li Aiguo’s official acquisition this time.

With the purchase quota for the canteen of the locomotive depot in hand, the villagers do not need to risk their lives to go to the pigeon market in Beijing to sell things.

In addition, the locomotive depot is not short of money.

The prices were not lowered because the villagers were eager to sell.

Li Aiguo came out to make purchases this time. Of course, the more materials he purchased, the better.

After chickens and ducks are slaughtered, they can be frozen and stored.

By then, the ice warehouse of the popsicle factory in the locomotive depot will be freed up, which can hold dozens of tons of meat.

Anyway, the weather is getting colder and the sales of popsicles are not good either.

Lao Ma, who was in charge of the popsicle factory, stood on the street all day long rubbing his hands anxiously, hoping that someone would buy his popsicles.

It can be considered as helping him solve the problem.

It's a triple win.

"Then there's Brother Laohu." Li Aiguo handed over his hand.

"Driver Li, please don't call me Brother Hu. It feels similar to the powerful Immortal Hu in Journey to the West." Cui Dahu, as a cultural person, has read the comic book Journey to the West.

He doesn't want to be a villain.

What's more, he's a tiger spirit.

"Then what shall I call you?"

"Xiao Cui." Cui Dahu puffed up his chest.

Li Aiguo: "."

He thought of the donkey-faced man.

Yes, Xiao Cui is Xiao Cui.

Considering that Li Aiguo wanted to make a large purchase this time, Cui Dahu found Zhang Fu's donkey and pulled a flatbed truck.

Zhang Fu went to town yesterday to sell donkeys, but everyone was not stupid.

A high-level commune is about to be established. Who wants to be the villain and the successor?

It was enough for Zhang Fu to return without success. In the evening, he was dragged to the commune by Cui Dahu and had a study session.

As Zhang Hongliang said, taking advantage of small things will lead to big losses.

The autumn fragrance overflowing in the wild is creeping on the rural land, dense and fluttering, making the village intoxicated in it.

In the warm autumn wind.

The donkey pulled the flatbed cart along the rugged path to Liu Mawan next door.

Li Aiguo lay flat on the donkey cart, holding a piece of dogtail grass in his mouth, humming a tune, and stared at the white clouds in the sky.

Why does this thing look like a marshmallow?
Cui Dahu followed with three Cuijiazhuang militiamen.

Liu Dongping had gone to the countryside to do procurement before. Passing through such remote villages, he had to be wary.

I was afraid that if I was not careful, even my bike would be taken away.

How could Li Aiguo be so comfortable!
He felt a sigh of relief. When Li Aiguo helped Cui Dahu, he still didn't understand.

Now I understand.

Many friends, many paths.

Liumawan is only three or four miles away from Cuijiazhuang.

The donkey cart was moving at a tortuous speed, and it only took less than ten minutes.

As the donkey cart swayed across the small bluestone bridge, Li Aiguo heard a burst of noise from ahead.

"Dear fellow villagers, we are the leaders of the Jingcheng Machine Repair Factory. We came to your village today to purchase chickens and ducks."

Good guy, have you been robbed first?
Li Aiguo sat up straight and looked.

I saw a lot of people gathered in the grinding yard in front, and the big truck from the machine repair shop was parked in the center of the grinding yard.

Liang Ladi and driver Xiao Huang stood on both sides of the truck.

The donkey-faced Director Zhang held his waist with both hands, stood on the front of the car with his big belly, and shouted loudly at the onlookers.

It seems that the news of transforming the commune has also been noticed by the purchasing department of the machinery factory.

Materials are scarce these days, and the materials distributed by ministries and commissions are often not in place. In order to ensure the normal production of their own factories, each factory often purchases according to its own capabilities.

The capable ones eat steamed buns, while the incompetent ones drink porridge.

Director Zhang in the machine repair shop cafeteria is a capable person.

He looked down at the eager crowd, filled with excitement.

As long as this purchase is completed and you return to the factory, you will definitely be praised by the factory director.

The villagers in Liumawan were also aware of the commune reform policy. When they saw someone coming to purchase, they immediately became active and gathered around them with chickens and ducks.

An old woman hobbled forward on crutches: "Comrade leader, how do you collect the old hens?"

She has gray hair and looks to be in her 60s. Her back is as stooped as an old willow tree, and her soap blue clothes are patched in patches.

The old lady looked at Director Zhang with a nervous and expectant look.

It seems that this big director from the city is her savior.

"Thirty cents per catty, plus the weight of the chicken feathers, and five cents per big rooster." Director Zhang smiled with a bulging belly and squinted eyes.

"Leader Thirty Cents, we can sell it for sixty cents per catty in the capital."

When the old lady heard this price, her already stooped body seemed to become shorter.

Both of her sons were captured before liberation and disappeared.

Fortunately, after liberation, the village considered the old lady's difficult life and asked the villagers to provide some food every month to maintain food and clothing.

The old lady couldn't do farm work, so she raised some old hens, sold eggs for money, and bought some odds and ends like salt and oil.

Now that I can no longer raise chickens, I want to sell the chickens to convert them into money and save up.

Who wants to.
The old woman's lips trembled slightly, and her wrinkles were filled with disappointment: "Chicken feathers can be sold for money, young man, please don't fool me."

Director Zhang looked at the old aunt, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and smiled with squinted eyes: "Auntie, that's the price for selling to the capital. If you have the ability, you will always go to the capital."

Village Chief Liu of Liu Mawan frowned slightly.

He walked forward, held out a native cigarette with both hands, and begged: "Leader, our village is in a difficult situation. Do you think the purchase price can be increased a little?"

Director Zhang looked at the cigarette donated with scrap homework paper, and then saw the dirt between Village Chief Liu's dirty fingernails, and felt sick to his stomach.

He frowned slightly and waved his hand to refuse the cigarette.

"Village Chief, I didn't set the price. If you want to bargain, you have to talk to the leader of the machine repair shop."

Liang Ladi stood aside, her brows knitted into knots.

Why does the leader of a machine repair shop negotiate the price? !

As a part-time buyer, Liang Ladi knows this all too well.

When I came to purchase supplies this time, the prices set in the factory were the same as those on the market in the capital.

As long as the supplies can be purchased in full, the mission is completed.

Director Zhang just took the opportunity to lower the price and enrich his own pockets.

This kind of thing is very common in the canteen of the machine repair shop.

It's just that the lives of these villagers are so miserable, and Director Zhang is a bit heartless if he still does this.

The price offered by the machine repair shop was almost like taking advantage of the situation, and the villagers who originally planned to sell their chickens and ducks hesitated.

Director Zhang puffed up his belly and said calmly: "Fellow fellow villagers, your place will be transformed into a commune in a few days. All these chickens and ducks will be confiscated. If it weren't for our machine repair shop to buy it, you wouldn't even get a penny."

Those chickens and ducks were raised by the villagers with hard work. No one was willing to sell them at a low price, so they could only turn their attention to the village chief.

The old village chief, who had never frowned when facing the Japanese, now had his dark brow plowing ditches.He sighed deeply, gritted his teeth, and slipped his big hand from the air: "Sell it, sell it all."

"That's what it's like." Director Zhang raised his head proudly: "People must be self-aware!"

While he asked Liang Ladi and the driver to weigh the purchase, he told him not to suffer a loss on the scale and not to let these idiots take advantage.

While mentally calculating how much money I can earn this time.

A big rooster can earn a full yuan, and thirty of them are 30 yuan plus ducks, rabbits and other miscellaneous things.

No matter what you do, you can still earn 80 or [-] yuan.
Maybe if you finish this sum, you can buy Xiaocui a radio.

Xiaocui will definitely let him do whatever he wants by then.

Thinking of Xiaocui's soft and white figure, Director Zhang almost drooled.

By the way, Xiaocui also has a red bellyband. After wearing it, she will definitely be very energetic.

at this time.

There was a ringing of bells in the distance.

The voice was not loud, but the villagers all turned their heads to look.

I saw a donkey cart coming from a distance.

Liang Ladi saw the man on the donkey cart clearly and couldn't help but exclaimed: "Driver Li!"

Director Zhang was having a sweet dream, and he recognized Li Aiguo at this moment, and he murmured in his heart.

This person is from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

I'm afraid I came here to buy supplies.

But he wasn't worried.

After all, there is only one donkey cart in the Qianmen locomotive depot. How much can it carry?
Liu Mawan is a large village with thousands of households.

Although Village Chief Liu did not know Li Aiguo's identity, he recognized Cui Dahu who was following the donkey cart.

While stopping the villagers who were about to sell chickens and ducks, he dragged his crippled left leg forward to meet them.

"Brother Dahu, I heard that you have become the president of the club. If you don't stay in the village to greet the members, why are you here with us?"

At this time, Li Aiguo had jumped out of the donkey cart.

After Cui Dahu exchanged greetings with Village Chief Liu, he introduced the two of them.

"This is Driver Li from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot."

"Village Chief Liu, Liu Laizi, participated in the assassination of the Japs back then and his left leg was injured."

Li Aiguo always respected these seniors and hurriedly took out a cigarette and handed it over.

Liu Fengshan reached out to take it, and then remembered the scene where Director Zhang refused to smoke, and felt a sigh in his heart.

They are both leaders from the city, so why are they so different?

After striking a match and lighting it, Liu Fengshan looked at Cui Dahu: "Dahu, what are you doing today?"

"It's a good thing, a great thing!" Cui Dahu said in a loud voice: "The Qianmen Locomotive Depot needs to purchase a batch of supplies. I just sold the old hens at home, and I was thinking about you. How about it, I I remember you also raised several old roosters at home, do you want to sell them?"

"Sell it, why don't you sell it!" Liu Fengshan said, waving his hand behind him: "Dan'er mother, bring those roosters over here."

A man in a soap blue coat carried several big roosters on his little feet, walked up to Liu Fengshan, and said in a low voice: "Master, you didn't even ask the price, why did you just sell it!"

"Don't interfere with your mother-in-law's affairs when it comes to men's matters." Liu Fengshan winked at her and scolded her in a low voice.

He took the big cock and handed it to Li Aiguo, and said openly: "Comrade, you are Cui Dahu's friend. Just give me some."

Li Aiguo looked at him deeply, turned around and handed it to Liu Dongping, and said, "According to the price of Cuijiazhuang, it should be paid to Village Chief Liu."

"One is three pounds, one is two pounds and eight taels, one is two pounds and one tael. Sixty cents per catty." Liu Dongping reported the weight skillfully, took out a handful of money from his canvas pocket and handed it to Liu Fengshan.

Sixty cents per catty. Isn’t this the market price?
Liu Fengshan looked at the money and did not accept it.

After being stunned for a moment, he suddenly smiled bitterly and said, "Dahu, am I being clever again?"

Cui Dahu laughed twice and patted Liu Fengshan twice on the shoulder.

"Old Liu, how many times have I advised you not to play tricks on everyone, otherwise you will lose all your friends."

"Can the friends I brought here trick you?"

Liu Fengshan scratched his head.

His face was full of embarrassment, and he just wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

At this time, Zhou Ke had already arrived in a jeep. After handing the money to Liu Dongping, he stood aside and watched the excitement.

This scene left him dumbfounded and scratched his head: "Dong Ping, what's going on? Why doesn't the village chief accept the money?"

"You are still too young to notice it." Liu Dongping whispered: "Just now, Village Chief Liu wanted to use his friendship with Cui Dahu to sell for a few cents more and help the villagers take advantage.

Who would have thought that Driver Li directly gave the market price? He felt like a villain. "

"Then if our price is very low or we don't pay him, won't he lose money?" Zhou Ke still doesn't understand.

"We are all friends, how can we lower the price?" Liu Dongping looked at Zhou Ke as if he was an idiot: "Even if the price is lowered, Village Chief Liu only loses three chickens, and the villagers will not suffer."

Good guy, selling a few chickens is so complicated. Only then did Zhou Ke realize: "So, Village Chief Liu is a good village chief who does things for the villagers."

Although Li Aiguo didn't like Liu Fengshan's tricks of playing tricks on people in person.

But considering that he also thinks about the villagers, it is understandable.

“Village Chief, the price of our locomotive depot is the market sales price.

When we buy the villagers' things later, it will be at the same price.

You, feel free to accept it. "

Be firm!

Resolute attitude!

Liu Fengshan then took the money, handed it to his little-footed wife, and told her: "Go home immediately, kill the remaining big rooster, and then go to town to buy a bottle of old wine. Today I want to apologize to the distinguished guest."

"Master, I'm going right now!" The little-footed daughter-in-law ran quickly.

The way he walked was different from that of ordinary people, as if he was walking on stilts and twisted.

Liu Fengshan was full of apologies at this time. He took out the local cigarettes from his pocket and handed one to everyone.

He struck a match, put his hands together and lit it for Li Aiguo, and asked: "Driver Li, how much supplies can your locomotive depot receive?"

"We charge as much as you have!" Li Aiguo said loudly, taking a puff of cigarette.

Liu Fengshan suddenly became energetic and turned to look at the villagers.

"Come here quickly, everyone. The maintenance department will purchase chickens and ducks at market prices."

The villagers were stunned.

"Market price? The maintenance section doesn't earn a share?"

"It's said that workers and farmers are one family. Today I saw the truth."

"Compared to other people, the fat guy in the machine repair shop is just a rich man who eats human bones."

After the villagers reacted, they evacuated from the truck to the donkey cart.

At Liu Fengshan's greeting, the villagers lined up in a long line, and Liu Dongping, a full-time buyer, officially opened the business.

Seeing the big roosters, ducks, and rabbits being piled on the donkey cart, Zhou Ke was so happy that he couldn't open his mouth from ear to ear.

Now the locomotive depot will not be short of meat until the end of the year.

Everyone was gone in an instant, and Director Zhang, who was standing on the truck, was stunned.

The fat duck in the mouth was just snatched away by the maintenance department?
Why did they buy it at the original price?
Why not take the opportunity to make money from it?

Are these people in the locomotive section idiots?
It's just that now Director Zhang is too concerned to explore this issue.

He quickly realized the seriousness of the problem.

There is a quota for the purchase of materials this time.

If he failed to meet the quota, the leaders in the factory would not be able to spare him.

Pfft!
Director Zhang jumped off the front of the truck, his feet softened, and he squatted on the ground.

He didn't care to wait for Driver Huang's help, staggered over and pulled Li Aiguo aside.

He took out a pack of Chinese cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out and handed it over.

"Driver Li, it doesn't seem appropriate for you to do this." Director Zhang smiled with a knife in his face: "It's Liu Mawan who came first from our machine repair shop. If you want to collect supplies, you have to wait in line."

Li Aiguo waved his hand and refused his cigarette, squinting at him: "Hey, senior cadre, do you think this is queuing up to go to the latrine?!"

"You" Director Zhang took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and squeezed out a smile: "I am the director of the canteen of the machine repair factory, and I am a deputy section-level cadre. You must give me some face!"

The machine repair shop, like the steel rolling mill, is a state-owned enterprise at the director level, so the factory director is at the director level.

The workers' canteen is under the control of the machine repair factory's logistics department, which is a mid-level department-level unit.

The logistics director is at the department level, so the director of the machine repair shop canteen is at the deputy department level.

"Deputy Section Chief Zhang, taking money from the farmer brothers' buttocks, it's such a great official power." Li Aiguo looked at him coldly and said: "If you don't go so far today, maybe I will give you some. , now, don’t think about it! Get out of here.”

When the onlookers heard this, they applauded in unison.

Director Zhang is also a strong-willed person. Knowing that he has offended the public this time, it is impossible to receive chickens and ducks from Liu Mawan.

"Train driver in the locomotive depot, just wait for me!" He said harshly and walked straight to Driver Huang.

He yelled at the top of his lungs: "Let's go to Majiazhuang next door. I don't believe it anymore. If you take the money, you won't get the chicken or duck."

But what he didn't expect was that Driver Huang squatted there motionless, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Director Zhang frowned and said, "Xiao Huang, start the truck quickly. If you complete the procurement task, you will also be criticized."

"Director Zhang, look at what you said. What does your canteen purchase have to do with me, a truck driver?" Driver Huang threw away the cigarette butt and winked at Li Aiguo, as if to say, train driver, let me show you my truck driver. prestige.

Li Aiguo smiled.

This little driver is quite interesting.

It’s just that Director Zhang is the leader, what can he do?

Director Zhang became angry when he saw Driver Huang abandoning his choice: "Huang Zhen, I will complain to the truck team immediately when I return to the factory."

"Director Zhang Da, the dispatch task I received is to send Comrade Liang Ladi to the agricultural machinery station to repair agricultural machinery.

Then I'll send you to Liu Mawan to buy supplies.

There is no Majiazhuang on the mission. "

Driver Huang squinted his eyes, as if he was convinced by Director Zhang:

"If you want to go to Majiazhuang, please ask the Truck Fleet Dispatch Office to send me another dispatch task letter."

Director Zhang's face suddenly turned pale when he heard this, but he couldn't say a word.

These days, truck drivers are all uncles. As the saying goes, 'If you turn the steering wheel, it won't change even if you give it to the county magistrate.'

Even the workshop director doesn't look down on these uncles in the factory, let alone the canteen director.

I was careless. I thought I was in the canteen of the machine repair shop.
Director Zhang was in an embarrassing situation at this time.

This time, to save face, I didn’t ride a bicycle.

If I go back to the capital now, I can only rely on two legs.

This is one or two hundred miles.

But if you stay here, you will definitely not be able to complete your mission.

It has to be said that this guy is also a ruthless person. He finally decided to walk to Majiazhuang on his legs, collect a donkey, and use the donkey cart to return to the capital.

Li Aiguo definitely doesn't like him either.

Turning to look at Cui Dahu: "Xiao Cui, do you know the village chief of Majiazhuang?"

"It's so familiar. Village Chief Ma's wife is the sister-in-law of my mother-in-law's second aunt's third aunt's cousin." Cui Dahu puffed up his chest.

"Please go to Majiazhuang and tell Chief Ma that our Qianmen locomotive depot will go to the village to purchase supplies later." Li Aiguo said with a faint smile.

Zhou Ke raised his hand and said, "Brother Patriot, we only have a donkey cart, which can't hold so many supplies."

Li Aiguo chuckled, took out a pack of cigarettes and stuffed it into Driver Huang's pocket.

Driver Huang immediately came to his senses, turned around, banged the front of the truck, and said cheerfully: "My truck is empty for the return trip. According to the regulations of the truck fleet, you can take a little cargo with you. You can load it as you like."

He gave Li Aiguo a thumbs up and lowered his voice and said, "Driver Li, you are helping our workers vent their anger."

Driver Huang was not greedy for that pack of cigarettes.

Director Zhang and his gang worked all day long in the canteen for the leaders, and the truck drivers could only drink porridge.

You really are a truck driver, not a leader!

The drivers have long wanted to deal with him.

(End of this chapter)