Siheyuan: There are three little cats at home

Chapter 482 Country Night
Outside the warehouse door, the sunset dipped into the sky. Old Wu stretched his hands to scratch his hair and said nothing.

A gust of cool wind blew, blowing the surrounding dust and flying into the sky.

Xu Qing didn't say anything to Lao Wu anymore, and asked Er Mazi to go into the warehouse and call out all the workers inside.

In front of everyone, he took out the money from his body, paid the young man's salary, and reiterated:

"Everyone, I will let you work and rest for a while when processing flour. I am afraid that the machine will overheat and cause an explosion. You still want to smoke in it, what's wrong? Don't you all think you have a long life?!

If anyone thinks it's unreasonable, just take my salary and leave, don't stay and harm others! "

After Xu Qing finished speaking, no one dared to say a word.

Er Mazi stood aside and echoed after a moment:

"Did you hear everything? What the shopkeeper said, whoever dares to smoke in the warehouse from now on, if caught by me, I will not let him off lightly!"

After Er Mazi finished speaking fiercely, he then tried to smooth things over and said:
"Okay, if you want to smoke, you can get out now and get over your craving. If you don't want to smoke, go back and continue working!"

Four or five workers returned to the warehouse. Two or three of them took out their cigarettes and looked at Xu Qing and the young man.

The young man felt aggrieved and held on to the money, feeling unwilling to do so.

But Xu Qing ignored it. As the boss, he didn't want to say a word to the young man.

It has been emphasized many times before that smoking is not allowed in the warehouse, but it has always turned a deaf ear.

As the boss, Xu Qing had done his best to settle his wages.

There is no circle without rules, and clearly established rules and regulations are not followed.

Why did Xu Qing keep him?

He knowingly committed a crime and did not take himself seriously.

Why should Xu Qing bother talking to him?

Although Xu Qing is kind-hearted, kindness also has dimensions.

Don't be kind and cause harm.

Fortunately, there was no accident today. If there was an accident, it would be a big deal.

As a boss, Xu Qing knew very well that he should not be too nice to workers.

If we keep that young man today, he may do it again next time.

He couldn't let Lao Wu continue to work just because of his plea.

If fruits and vegetables were stored in the warehouse, Xu Qing could just be accommodating and criticize them.

But this is a warehouse where grain is stored, not any other place. Today he must kill the chicken to scare the monkey, as a warning to others, and to prevent similar things from happening in the future.

Old Wu turned around and sent the young man away. Xu Qing said to Er Mazi:

"Brother Mazi, I came here today to tell you something."

"What's the matter?" Er Mazi followed Xu Qing to the plum tree near the warehouse.

Xu Qing said: "The third uncle of our courtyard wants to come here to find a job after the school has summer vacation in a few days. I agreed to his request. When he comes over, you don't have to keep an eye on the warehouse. We two Go to the countryside."

Er Mazi leaned against the tree, took out a cigarette, handed it to Xu Qing, and said:

"Qingzi, bro, I'm tired of staying here in the warehouse. I can't even see a woman all day long. It's boring to death."

Seeing Er Mazi say this, Xu Qing smiled and said:
"Okay, then let's go to the countryside in the next half of the month."

In the blink of an eye, it's mid-July, the weather has entered the dog days, and Hongxing Elementary School is on summer vacation.

Xu Qing called the third uncle in the courtyard early in the morning and took him to the suburban warehouse. After explaining to Lao Wu, he asked Yan Bugui to take over Er Mazi's place and watch over the warehouse.

But before Xu Qing left, he specifically said to Yan Bugui:
"Third uncle, no one is allowed to smoke in the warehouse, no matter who it is, not even Old Wu."

Yan Bugui chuckled and said:
"Xiao Qing, don't worry. I understand these three uncles. There is food in the warehouse. Smoking in it is not courting death. I have been teaching for decades and I understand all this."

Seeing this, Xu Qing smiled and said, "Third uncle, I'll leave the warehouse to you. Er Mazi and I will leave first."

Yan Bugui was so happy that he had a new job. He waved his hand and said, "Xiaoqing, you go about your business. I'm here in the warehouse and nothing will go wrong."

Xu Qing said yes, rode his motorcycle, and Er Mazi, who was riding a bicycle, went to San Huzi's mother's house for a tour, then left the suburbs and returned to the city.

After entering the city, Er Mazi went home to pack his luggage. Xu Qing was not in a hurry and took a ride on his motorcycle to his Dongdan Grain Station.

He told his sister, Hui Lihua and others that he and Er Mazi would go to the countryside to collect grain tomorrow.

After a while, he rode his motorcycle back to his compound.

The money he carries now is 700 yuan.

Two thousand was taken from the grain station.

One thousand is for Patriot and Fengming, five hundred for each of them.

The two of them had only been married for a few years and had little savings.

Xu Xiaoya and Liu Jianjun, who got married just last year, also received three hundred.

In order to support their eldest brother Xu Qing, they dug out their wealth.

The eldest brother Xu Qing's career is on the rise, and Patriot, Feng Ming, and Xiaoya, as younger brothers and sisters, how can we not contribute!

In the past, when the three of them were little, they relied on their eldest brother for everything. Now that they have grown up, they naturally have to think about him and help him and his sister-in-law.

In addition, Ma Jiefang, under the instruction of his parents, sent one thousand two thousand dollars to Xu Qing in the compound to use as a favor.

The big head is naturally produced by Ma Guohua. Ma Jiefang has little money now, and Wu Yuemei has just given birth to her second child.

Ma Jiefang didn't save much this year and could only spend two hundred.

The rest were borrowed by everyone in the compound from Xu Qing.

Yi Zhonghai’s 1000 yuan and Silly Zhu’s [-].

Xu Damao is worth seven hundred, and Yanbu is worth one thousand.

These four families pooled together 200 yuan.

Xu Qing originally didn't want these three thousand and two.

If the people in the courtyard hadn't taken the initiative to come up with the money, he would never have asked to borrow it in the courtyard.

Although he had no money, he could wait until September when several branches of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill settled their payments for the third quarter.

There's really no need for him to borrow money everywhere.

That is to say, when you go to the countryside to collect grain and pigs, you have to slow down a little.

As for the other families in the compound who didn't take the money and took the initiative to lend it, Xu Qing didn't mind.

After all, not everyone has a lot of savings.The Jia family is barely getting better. Not long ago, they borrowed money from various places and bought Bangge a bicycle. There was no money left.

Qin Huairu was thoughtful. She had always remembered Xu Qing and Jinghong's help to her family over the years. The night before yesterday, she went to the backyard and sat in Xu Qing's room. She said that she would be able to spend 20 yuan after her salary was paid next month.

Xu Qing smiled and waved his hand, saying no.

What can you do with 20 yuan?The grain harvest is tens of thousands of kilograms, and it can’t be measured at all.

Liu Haizhong, who lives in the backyard, actually wanted to borrow money from Xu Qing. When Yi Zhonghai, Shazhu and Xu Damao went to Xu Qing's house, he and the second aunt saw them.

Xu Qing is currently experiencing difficulties, and he wants to take this opportunity to repair the relationship with Xu Qing's family.

However, Liu Guangfu came back to live this year. In order to build a house, he teamed up with Liu Guangtian and his two brothers. They took their wives with them and coaxed and cheated to get money from their parents.

Liu Haizhong spent money to build a house for his youngest son Liu Guangfu, and money was really tight.

Thinking of Yi Zhonghai giving Xu Qing one thousand.

He is also the man in charge of the courtyard, so he is too embarrassed to give out one or two hundred.

He never dared to enter Xu Qing's house.

As for Liu Guangfu, Liu Guangtian, and Yan Jiecheng, these three families think about borrowing money from others every day, so how can they lend money to others.

Furthermore, the three of them, except for Yan Jiecheng and Yu Li, had accumulated some savings over the years. Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu spent whatever money they had.

Saving money has never occurred to me.

Xu Qing returned to the compound and rested at home for a whole day.

At eight o'clock in the morning the next day, as the weather started to heat up, he rode his motorcycle and took Er Mazi to the countryside towards his hometown commune.

Last year, he and Er Mazi went to the countryside to collect grain around August.

This year it is more than half a month ahead of schedule.

But it doesn't matter. Winter wheat matures in June. Now in mid-July, counting the days, most households have almost finished harvesting the wheat.

Sure enough, when Xu Qing and Er Mazi arrived outside the commune compound, they happened to see the village chiefs of each village, together with the production team leader of the brigade, reporting this year's grain harvest situation to commune secretary Wang Mingsheng in the commune compound.

Xu Qing and Er Mazi did not enter the commune courtyard, turned the front of their motorcycles, and went to the supply and marketing cooperative in the town.

It wasn't until after five o'clock in the afternoon, when everyone in the commune courtyard finished the meeting, that they found Wang Mingsheng and told them about the grain and pig collection.

Wang Mingsheng warmly entertained Xu Qing and Er Mazi, sat in the still bright commune courtyard wearing a gray cloth coat and said:
"We are just waiting for you to come. No, the captains of several production teams have not left even after the meeting today. They are just waiting for you to come and collect grain."

Xu Qing smiled, ate the shredded potatoes fried by Aunt Li in the commune's big stove, nodded and said:
"Secretary Wang, then we will have to trouble you again this year."

Wang Mingsheng held a cigarette in his mouth, shook his shoulders, tugged on the clothes on his body, and said happily:

"It's no trouble. You said you have a city registered residence, but your grandparents, your second father, and others are not all from our commune. What's the matter? You go see the pigs in the next two days. If anyone wants to If you want to buy it, you can collect the pigs first. After I finish paying the grain to the country in the next few days, you can start collecting the grain."

Hearing this, Xu Qing nodded, raised his wine glass with Er Mazi, touched it with Wang Mingsheng, the commune secretary, and continued drinking and chatting with laughter.

It's very cold at night in the countryside.

Even though it is noon during the day, people who are exposed to the sun will peel off their skin, but once night falls, it seems like it has entered late autumn.

Especially when the wind blows on my body at night, it is so cold that I shiver even in short-sleeved clothes.

But the night in the countryside is surprisingly peaceful. The stars look brighter than those seen in the city, and the moonlight is also brighter.

A few thin clouds passed under the moon, and were reflected like white gauze.

Occasionally, a few dog barks came from a distance, accompanied by the sparse chirping of insects, which sounded indescribably pleasant and peaceful.

And this is difficult to experience in the city.

Er Mazi and Xu Qing were sitting in the commune courtyard. After smoking a cigarette, they went straight back to the house in the cold.

Xu Qing smiled, stayed alone for a while, and then returned to the house.

It was only around nine o'clock in the evening, but few rooms in the entire commune compound had lights on.

When Xu Qing and Er Mazi turned off the lights and went to sleep, the entire commune compound fell into the silence of the night.

Er Mazi was covered with a quilt and saw the moonlight shining brightly on the hemp paper on the window. He reached out and took out a cigarette from the side, handed one to Xu Qing, used the lighter he bought for the New Year last year, turned over and lay on the edge of the kang, and whispered road:

"Qingzi, I feel like the moonlight is so bright tonight. If I go out to pee tonight, I don't even need a flashlight."

Xu Qing took a puff of his cigarette and whispered, "It's fifteen today, so there's no light, let alone going out to pee, even if someone goes to work in the fields at night, it's okay."

Er Mazi puffed on his cigarette, turned sideways and said, "Qingzi, when you say it, it's true that such a bright night is almost like daytime."

Xu Qing and Er Mazi were smoking cigarettes and talking quietly in the room.

However, someone suddenly shouted: "Secretary Wang, are you asleep? On the opposite hill, someone held a flashlight just now. I don't know whether it was a scorpion catcher or a tomb robber. Should we send someone over to have a look."

An unexpected cry broke the silence.

Xu Qing Er Mazi was shocked when he heard the sound coming from outside the commune compound.

"Qingzi, let's go out and take a look."

Xu Qing smoked a cigarette, sat up, wrapped himself in a quilt and glanced out the window. Seeing that the commune secretary and the commune accountant were both dressed in clothes, they went to the courtyard, so he and Er Mazi got dressed, also wearing long-sleeved coats. Out of the house.

The night outside the house was bright and clear, and the tractors, bicycles, and various farm tools placed against the wall in the yard were all clearly illuminated, as was Xu Qing's motorcycle parked at the door of the house.

"Which village boy is out and about at night? Let's go over and have a look. If you catch the scorpion, forget it. If you dare to rob the tomb, catch those bastards and send them to the police station overnight."

Wang Mingsheng cursed and called the accountant who followed him out of the house to call someone. He smoked with a sullen face. When he saw Xu Qing and Er Mazi coming out, he quickly said:

"Comrade Xu Qing, you go back to your room and rest quickly. It has nothing to do with you. You have something to do tomorrow, so go to bed early."

Xu Qing said: "Secretary Wang, you really don't need help?"

Wang Mingsheng turned around and walked up to Xu Qing and Er Mazi, spit out the smoke from his mouth, glanced at Xu Qing's motorcycle, and thought:
"Let me use your motorcycle."

After Wang Mingsheng finished speaking, he became angry and said harshly: "Eighty percent of them are the tomb robbers. After the reform, many tomb robbers became rampant. Since last year, people have been thinking about the things buried in the tomb every month. Those bastards are willing to make any money. I led people to arrest them several times, and the people from the police station and the police station squatted for several nights, but they couldn't catch anyone. Every time they got close, those people ran away. , you came here on a motorcycle today, just in time for us to use it, let's see how fast those tomb robbers can run!"

While talking, the commune accountant called out a group of people.

Seeing this, Xu Qing said: "Secretary Wang, you can just ride my motorcycle over."

Er Mazi also said from the side: "Secretary Wang, do you have enough manpower? Do you want us to go with you?"

Wang Mingsheng said: "It's okay. You two should rest early. We'll go over there. It's best if we can catch them. If we can't catch them, drive them away and we'll come back. There are too many people and it's useless. Those bastards are so cunning! "

As soon as Wang Mingsheng finished speaking, he turned around, got on his motorcycle, and led No. [-] on the bicycle out of the commune compound.

After Xu Qing and Er Mazi stood in the courtyard for a minute or two, they figured out that they couldn't sleep anyway, so they might as well go and have a look.

Seeing a glimpse of three bicycles in the commune compound, Er Mazi walked over and bent down to take a look. They were all locked, and he grinned:

"Qingzi, let's go, let's catch up on the bike and take a look!"

(End of this chapter)