Siheyuan: There are three little cats at home

Chapter 419
And at the same time.

Over in the courtyard, Sha Zhu learned from Xu Xiaoya in the front yard that Lou Xiao'e was back. He felt a thump in his heart and asked hurriedly:
"Xiaoya, who did you listen to?"

Xu Xiaoya said: "Brother Yuzhu, Sister Xiao'e came to my eldest brother's grain station in the afternoon, and I saw her."

Yan Bugui and Yan Jiecheng, father and son, together with Yu Li and the third aunt, were confused as they listened to the conversation between Sha Zhu and Xu Xiaoya.

Of course they didn't know that Lou Xiao'e didn't enter the compound when she came back.

Moreover, there were not many people in the compound at that time, and no one had come back from get off work yet. The third aunt was also in the kitchen of her house, busy making dinner.

Xu Xiaoya was dubious about Lou Xiao'e's return.

Silly Zhu believed it. After all, Xu Qing had mentioned to him before that after the change, Lou Xiao'e would be fine and would have to come back sooner or later.

At this time, Silly Zhu dragged Xu Xiaoya to the crescent gate of the front yard and the middle yard, avoiding the third uncle and his family, and asked in a low voice:
"Sister Xiao'e, is she still at Qingzi Grain Station?"

Xu Xiaoya said: "When I left, Sister Xiao'e was asking my eldest brother something. I don't know whether I'm leaving now or not. I wanted to bring her back to our compound at that time, but Sister Xiao'e said that she would leave at night I still have something to do, so if I don’t come back, I will leave again early tomorrow morning.”

Upon hearing this, Silly Zhu took two long puffs of the economical cigarette in the corner of his mouth, spit it out heavily, and returned to his room in the middle courtyard with a lonely look on his face.

After closing the door, Shazhu took out the letter Lou Xiao'e left for him from under the kang bunk, read it again, frowned, and had a lot of thoughts in his heart.

Lou Xiao'e returned to Sijiucheng but did not return to the compound, indicating that she did not want to see him.

But he wanted to see her, but as a man, his pride made him reluctant to lose face.

Although he and Lou Xiao'e had a one-night stand, they didn't get along for long. They hadn't seen each other for more than ten years. How could they go there without a valid reason?
Besides, what's going on when he goes to Xu Qingliang Station to look for it this late at night?

Silly Zhu was smoking a cigarette, sitting on the kang, leaning against the quilt, raising his head and staring blankly at the dim light emitted by the incandescent bulb, feeling even more confused.

He really could not forget Lou Xiao'e and the tenderness she had given him.

It's sweet every time I think of it.

However, when I thought about it, I thought that she was back, but she didn't want to see me.

Silly Zhu's heart ached like a knife for a moment. He couldn't take a good breath of cigarette, and he choked and coughed again and again, and tears welled up in his eyes.

I don’t know how long it took, but Silly Zhu threw a bunch of cigarette butts under the edge of the kang.

After hesitating again and again, he stood up and walked back and forth in the room. After a while, he turned back to the kitchen, grabbed the wine bottle, and poured a big mouthful of Laobaigan into his mouth. With the strength of the wine, he plucked up the courage to walk out of the room directly. Go toward the front yard.

In the front yard, Shazhu shouted to Yan Bugui who had turned off the lights and fell asleep:

"Third uncle, let me use your bicycle!"

After Si Zhu finished speaking, regardless of whether Yan Bugui, who had already fallen asleep, was willing to lend him a bicycle, he just pushed out of the courtyard, stood in the alley, crossed his legs across the beam, and ran as fast as he could towards Xu Qing's grain station as soon as he got on the bike. .

The night is quiet, the moon is bright, and the clouds are light.

Silly Zhu was pedaling his bicycle without a flashlight, relying on the light of the street lights, anxiously trying to rush to Xu Qing's grain station to see Lou Xiao'e.

He wanted to know why she did this to him.

He left without saying goodbye and didn't say a word when he came back.

If Xiaoya hadn't said it, he wouldn't have known she was back.

However, when Silly Zhu hurriedly rode Yan Bugui's old, useless bicycle to the Xu Qing Liang Station near Dongdan Vegetable Market.

The whole person was instantly disappointed.

In the grain station, there were only Xu Qing and the four cats.

Lou Xiao'e is not here.

Silly Zhu put Yan Bugui's bicycle against the entrance of the grain station, staggered with Xu Qing's bicycle, stepped in, and asked urgently:

"Qingzi, where are the Lou Xiao'e people?"

Xu Qing was drinking tea alone and teasing the calico cat with a feather duster. Seeing Silly Zhu coming, he asked himself Lou Xiao'e, shook his head and said:

"Brother Silly Zhu, Sister Xiao'e has left. If you had come an hour earlier, you could still see her."

When Sha Zhu heard what Xu Qing said, he immediately bared his teeth and said:
"Hey, this Lou Xiao'e won't come to our compound when she comes back. Is she avoiding me?"

Silly Zhu spoke lightly and didn't seem to care about Lou Xiao'e, but he cared deeply in his heart and regretted why he didn't make up his mind to come here earlier.

Silly Zhu sat dejectedly on the chair next to Xu Qing, lowered his head, put his hands on his legs, covered his face for a moment, and said:

"Qingzi, what did Lou Xiao'e say to you?"

Xu Qing bent down and took out a clean enamel cup from behind the counter, poured a cup for Sha Zhu and said:

"Brother Silly Zhu, Sister Xiao'e asked me about the changes in the situation in our country, and also asked about your situation."

"Ask me?" Silly Zhu raised his head and looked at Xu Qing with a serious face, "Qingzi, don't comfort my brother, Lou Xiao'e doesn't even want to go back to the compound to see me, how could she ask you about me. "

Xu Qing said helplessly: "Brother Silly Zhu, the conscience of heaven and earth, brother, what I said is true, I didn't lie to you."

Silly Zhu didn't believe what Xu Qing said. He looked at the calico cat scratching his trouser legs with its claws and sighed:
"Qingzi, brother, I finally understand that even if Lou Xiao'e comes back, there will be nothing going on between me and her."

After Si Zhu finished speaking, he straightened up, reached out and took out the economic cigarettes on his body, handed one to Xu Qing, and then started smoking on his own.

Seeing this, Xu Qing smiled bitterly and said: "Brother Silly Zhu, you are overthinking, aren't you? Sister Xiao'e can ask you something, how can you two have nothing to do in the future?

Sister Xiao'e will only be back for one day this time, and her schedule is quite busy. She doesn't know much about the situation in our country outside. In recent years, she has heard some news, so she came back specifically to inquire about the situation. Maybe she will come back in a few months. Won't leave. "

Silly Zhu listened to Xu Qing's words without any change in his frustrated face. Xu Qing had no choice but to stop talking for the time being, picked up the meowing calico cat Xiaohua at his feet, got up and put it on the grain pile behind.

Walking back to the front, Xu Qing sat on the chair again before continuing:
"Brother Silly Zhu, Sister Xiao'e said that next time she comes back, she will definitely come back to our compound to find you."

Silly Zhu hummed with dull eyes, puffed on his cigarette, and said nothing.

At around eleven o'clock in the evening, Silly Zhu pushed the third uncle's bicycle away.

Xu Qing stood at the door of the grain station. After watching him leave, he yawned. He looked up and saw the dark night sky. He saw that the moon and stars had been obscured by clouds. After pushing the bicycle into the grain station, he closed the door, rolled up the bedding and spread it on the counter. Cans and bottles specially used for throwing cigarette butts were placed aside. The man sat on the counter, smoking a cigarette, and taking out all the money and food stamps he had on him.

Four cats jumped off the grain pile at the back, jumped onto the counter, surrounded Xu Qing, and kept howling.

Xu Qing had no choice but to drive them away with his hands to prevent them from causing trouble.

Today, the grain station sold more than 100 kilograms of white flour, 42 kilograms of stick noodles, [-] kilograms of rice, [-] kilograms of millet, and [-] kilograms of red beans.

I received a bunch of dime stamps for money and several handfuls of food stamps.

While Xu Qing was sorting out the money, he was worried about the food stamps placed in front of him.

He doesn't need to use his ability to distribute food stamps now. Food stamps don't mean much to him anymore.

Xu Qing straightened the cents and counted them. Today he received a total of 73 yuan.

Several hundred kilograms of grain have not yet broken through.

He couldn't help but sigh.

There is no way, who makes the price of food so cheap these days? A pound of white flour costs less than two cents. The price of mung beans, red beans, millet, and rice can be higher, but not much is sold.

White noodles and stick noodles are in high demand, and the other four can only be regarded as supplements.After putting the organized money into his pocket, Xu Qing grabbed the food stamps and sorted them one by one.

The four cats surrounded Xu Qing, two squatting aside, one white and one yellow, staring at Xu Qing as he picked up one food stamp, then another, with bulging eyes full of curiosity.

Xu Qing named them according to their colors. The white one is called Xiaobai, the black one is called Xiaohei, and the three-flowered one is called Xiaohua.

As for the yellow one, Xu Qing called it Xiaojin, but it was actually an orange cat. It was not running a grain station to do business, but for good luck, it was used to attract wealth.

It's a pity that Xiao Jin has a cold personality, even though he is just a cat.

He is always indifferent to everyone.

Ever since he was brought back to the city by Xu Qing from the countryside and put in a grain station to catch mice, he could catch three mice in one night, making his body round and fat after eating. During the day, he would hide in the grain pile and sleep without being heard.

What a great man.

The pure black Xiao Hei is more withdrawn than other people. In the beginning, he could not see anyone during the day and night, and he would not make a sound when he was hungry.

Fortunately, after he got used to the environment of the grain station and became familiar with Xu Qing, Xiaoya, Sanhuzi's wife, and Meijuan, he would sometimes wander out on his own, raise his tail, and let others smooth his fur.

In other words, Xiaohua and Xiaobai are more docile and like to be clingy.

When I had nothing to do, I lay down on the abacus on the counter and fell asleep.

Even if someone comes in to buy food, no one is allowed to touch it.

Xu Qing packed up the food stamps and put them in his pocket. He took off his coat and put on a red vest. After turning off the lights, he lay on the counter with his head on the pillow and secretly thought about cooperation with several branches of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill.

As for Xiaohua and Xiaobai, one was lying next to Xu Qing, and the other was curled up above Xu Qing's head.

As for Xiao Jin, he jumped off the counter early and lay down on the chair.

As soon as Xiao Hei turned off the lights, he seemed to be invisible in the dark grain station. He didn't like to shout in the first place. Xu Qing didn't know whether it was on the counter or ran to the grain pile.

However, Xu Qing was thinking about how to start the grain station business and was not in the mood to care about them.

Grain stations cannot just rely on selling to individual customers. There are now state-owned stores, department stores, and supply and marketing cooperatives in Sijiucheng. New ones are opened every year.

There are not just a few places that sell grain.

In addition, after the country was reformed, not only Xu Qing could open a grain station, but also people with connections and abilities.

The location Xu Qing chose was good. In front of the vegetable market, people within a ten-kilometer radius could go to his grain station to buy food when they were shopping.

Xu Qing's grain station business is also booming.

But if you want to make big money, you still have to find big customers.

Xu Qing used to work in the No. [-] Hongxing Steel Rolling Factory, and later became the director of the No. [-] Factory.

These days, I use my connections and contacts to discuss food supplies with several branch manufacturers.

There is no need to say anything about the Fifth Factory.

The first place Xu Qing went to was the Fifth Factory, and within 10 minutes, the deal was settled.

As a former factory director, he is familiar with everyone.

The chefs in the canteen of the Fifth Factory were supplied with food by his grain station for the next ten years.

The contract was signed for ten years.

It's just that Xu Qing also gave a profit to the fifth factory.

Mutual benefit.

Besides, Xu Qing also has some feelings for the Fifth Factory. After all, he was the one who managed it.

In addition, you have to be more diplomatic when doing business.

If you follow the price stipulated by the state, every penny is a lot.

How to talk about long-term?
Although Xu Qing earns one cent less per pound of grain, he can still earn a lot with small profits but quick turnover.

The fifth factory has thousands of people and supplies thousands of kilograms of grain a day.

Two cents per pound, earning 20 yuan a day.

After a month, based on 30 days, this will be 600 yuan.

Throwing aside the original grain that was hauled to his grain depot by the state, he had the ability to separate it, but he still had 300 yuan.

Not even counting this, the profit divided is not [-] cents, but the profit of one kilo for buying a kilo of white flour. Excluding the [-] cent, the net profit is [-] cents.

The more Xu Qing thought about it, the more beautiful he felt. He reached out and stroked the little flower lying beside him, thinking about what if the other branches were also taken.

If you add up to tens of thousands of people, you can make even more money.

The goal of households worth [-] yuan can be said to be within reach!
But today, Xu Qing encountered some trouble when he went to the second branch factory.

Director Wang of the second branch factory didn't have any objections. He had worked together before and met each other during meetings at the main factory. They had a good relationship. He felt that Xu Qing was now opening a grain station to supply food to the canteen's kitchen, so there would be no problem.

Anyway, if the canteen's back cook doesn't buy food from Xuqing Grain Station, he has to go elsewhere.

Why not be a favor and buy from Xu Qing's grain station in the future.

Furthermore, Xu Qing said that each kilogram of grain can be a penny cheaper than elsewhere, which is also a good thing for the Second Branch Factory.

But Factory Director Wang felt that signing a ten-year contract at once was not something he could make the decision on his own. He had to hold a meeting with several other deputy directors of the branch factory to discuss it before he could give Xu Qing an answer.

Otherwise, Xu Qing can hire people and cars tomorrow morning to deliver food to the Fifth Branch and Second Branch Factory.

For the other branch factories, Xu Qing was not in a hurry.

After the second branch factory is taken down, take your time one by one.

If he delivers food to several branches at once, the food in his food station will not be enough right now.

The night passed.

In the early morning, Xu Qing woke up, opened the grain station, and saw a light rain falling outside.

Water mist spread across the entire street, and with the cool breeze, it continued to flow into the grain station.

The four cats, Xiaobai, Xiaojin, Xiaohua, and Xiaohei, followed Xu Qing and stood at the door, each one stretching his head and looking around outside.

It rained early in the morning and the weather was cooler, making it seem a bit deserted than on sunny days. However, the Dongdan Food Market was as noisy and noisy as ever.

People who came to buy food, some holding umbrellas, some wearing ponchos, and wearing black, green, or red leather rain boots, walked in and out of the market.

Xu Qinggang turned around and packed up the bedding on the counter. A silver-haired old man walked in carrying a vegetable basket and putting away his umbrella.

"Boy, pack five pounds of white flour for me!"

　The chapters posted the day before yesterday and yesterday were blocked all night. Alas, this unfortunate thing is so difficult to handle!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)