Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 455 I'm Not Hungry

When Tang Zhitong arrived at the escort department, the situation was just as he expected.

The carrots have been distributed. In the corner of the Finance Department, there is half a sack of carrots, which probably weighs about 40 to 50 kilograms.

"Chief Tang, there are some extra carrots. We haven't distributed all of them yet, so I left them here." Ma Wei was happily chewing carrots and reading a book. When she saw Tang Zhitong come in, she immediately put down the carrots and book in her hands, chewed the ones in her mouth and swallowed them, and said.

"Haha, the students are quite enthusiastic and gave a little more for fear of loss. Is your portion packed?" Tang Zhitong saw the bag under Ma Wei's feet and asked knowingly.

"Well, everything has been packed. Director Fang gave some to the driver, and I also took several handfuls of radish tops. The rest were carried back to the cafeteria by Master Gao." Ma Wei reported the situation in the afternoon to Tang Zhitong.

"Okay, you go ahead and do your work, I'll go find Director Fang." Tang Zhitong nodded with a smile, put down his bag, and went to Fang Yuan's office.

"This is the loss caused by Section Chief Wei from the college's logistics department." Facing Fang Yuan, Tang Zhitong was very honest and directly mentioned Wei Zhizhen. This was also to improve his impression of him in front of Fang Yuan so that it would be easier to talk to him when he needed the car.

"Well, it's okay, everyone is very happy. You can deal with the rest." Fang Yuan smiled, as if he knew what Tang Zhitong wanted to say.

"Okay, then I'll send it over to Master Gao later and add a dish for everyone." Even though it was a loss, Tang Zhitong felt that he was not worthy of taking it home. Others had to pay for the national food coupons to get one, but he didn't pay anything, so why should he get one too?
When Tang Zhitong returned to the Finance Department's office, he took out two carrots from the sack and placed them on Ma Wei's desk: "Thank you for your hard work today. I'll give you some money as a reward."

"Oh! Thank you, Chief." For a moment, Ma Wei was a little surprised, but facing Tang Zhitong's kindness, she still accepted it.

"Thank you for your hard work and service to everyone." Tang Zhitong smiled. He didn't know Ma Wei's personal abilities, so it would always be a good idea to praise her a little more.

After saying that, Tang Zhitong went to the cafeteria carrying carrots.

Ma Wei looked at Tang Zhitong thoughtfully through the glass on the door...

When he got off work, Tang Zhitong took a few newspapers from the table and pulled out two pieces of pork fat from the space under the door. Each piece weighed about one pound. He wrapped them in newspapers and stuffed them into his bag.

After thinking about it, I stuffed a few more peppers into the bag. The kimchi jar should be almost full. I will pickle kimchi for Xiao Wang today.

We have been following a rationed diet at home for more than ten days. During this period, we only had one meal of vegetarian dumplings. Although we also had some tofu and dregs of tofu, they were not enough to fill us up.

Fengzhen didn't say a word and ate whatever was given to her. Although Fengzhi occasionally complained of being hungry, she was generally sensible and didn't cry or make a fuss.

They all performed well, so Tang Zhitong planned to give some money to his family. The main reason was that he was greedy, and it was hard to endure life without some food in his stomach.

Two pieces of lard, one for home and one for Chunshu Hutong.

"Did you go to your leader again?" Zhang Guifang asked when she saw her son taking out lard and fresh chilies from the bag.

"Mom, mom, let's eat some more dumplings? The ones with lard!" Fengzhi got home from school early and was chewing on carrots. She saw her brother taking out lard from his bag, and before Tang Zhitong could answer, she came over following the smell.

Fengzhi is not big, but she knows that lard must be refined first, saved and eaten slowly, and the remaining oil residue can be used to make dumplings.

"Well, after going there, I felt that my family hasn't had meat for a while, so I wanted to reward our stomachs." Tang Zhitong put a piece of lard on the table, and tied the other piece with a twine and hung it in the bathroom, where the temperature was low.

Even though Tang Zhitong was promoted to deputy section chief, he still had no face in the grocery store. It was good enough for him to be able to buy meat with the meat coupons. As for lard, he didn't even have to think about it. Even if the store came with some fat meat, it would all be divided up quietly.

As supply becomes scarce, any store selling food, even a small waiter or salesperson, feels confident.

"Brother, let's eat dumplings?" Seeing that her mother ignored her, Fengzhi turned to ask Tang Zhitong for help.

"Okay, let's eat dumplings." Tang Zhitong glanced at his mother and saw that she had no intention of objecting, so he agreed.

"Oh, eat." Zhang Guifang sighed and agreed.

When Xiao Wang and Feng Zhen came back, Tang Zhitong was refining the oil residue and Zhang Guifang was busy kneading the dough.

Fengzhi was consciously peeling garlic for Tang Zhitong, because she heard her brother say: Garlic with dumplings, life will be wonderful.

Although Fengzhi didn't understand what a brilliant life had to do with garlic, it didn't stop her from wanting to make her brother happy.

"What? Oil residue? I didn't smell it at all outside." When Xiao Wang pushed the door open, a unique fragrance of oil hit him in the face. He took a deep sniff and said in surprise.

"Maybe it's because the door is closed in winter. Wash the handles and the tassels. We'll have dumplings tonight." Tang Zhitong laughed, but didn't dare to say that he had used a cheat to draw air into the space.

"Okay!" With delicious food in front of him, Xiao Wang was very happy.

After Tang Zhitong refined the oil, he gave each person a mouthful of the residue and used the rest to make stuffing.

After preparing the filling, Tang Zhitong stopped worrying about anything else and took out the kimchi jar to prepare making kimchi.

It is not difficult to make Sichuan pickles. All you have to do is wash them, dry them, boil water and let them cool.

With the cheating device in hand, Tang Zhitong used it "slightly" with his back to his family while they were busy making dumplings.

Then he took some of the previously stored "brine" and put it into the jar.

The last step is to place the small bowl upside down on the jar, then pour a little boiled water into it to achieve a sealing effect, clap your hands, and you're done.

After fermenting for a few days, you can open the jar and eat it.

Tang Zhitong felt uncomfortable watching his family wolfing down the dumplings with pork residue.

Although there were a lot of goods in the space, he didn't dare to eat as much as he wanted.

Given the couple's status, neither family is suitable for lavish eating and drinking. If it weren't for this constraint, they might be more comfortable.

This is how many things are. If you want to enjoy certain benefits, you also have to accept the corresponding constraints.

After dinner, Tang Zhitong returned to his room, found some letter paper, and spread it out to write letters to the older brothers who had participated in the postal code promotion training with him.

Shao Jianlin was better. He didn't mention asking Tang Zhitong for help, but not mentioning it didn't mean he didn't mean it.

Not to mention Jiang Xinwen and Hao Limei, they made this clear in their last letter.

The purpose of Tang Zhitong's letter this time was to tell them the specific assessment date and to also inform them that there would be adjustments to his job position.

Don't meddle in matters that are not your responsibility. This doesn't need to be explained clearly, everyone understands it.

"After you left our unit today, several colleagues came to me to ask about it, saying that they wanted to exchange it for some carrots." Classmate Xiao Wang said as he mended Tang Zhitong's socks after seeing him finish writing.

"Please pay attention when I go to the college on Monday. These are the ones our class wants to change. I'm sure other classes may have more. I'll go to your unit after school and tell you the result." If Xiao Wang hadn't spoken up, Tang Zhitong would not have been willing to be distracted by these things. It was already very difficult for him to take care of his own class.

"Okay. If it's difficult, then forget it. I'll just refuse them." Xiao Wang said sympathetically.

"Your colleagues have already spoken. We'll see each other every day. However, I don't know the people from other classes. I can just say a few words to them. They definitely won't let me take them over to exchange them like I did today." Tang Zhitong filled out the envelope, put a stamp on it, and sealed it. He planned to mail it tomorrow. It wasn't urgent, so he could just take his time on the way.

"Well, they're not very close colleagues, let them run on their own."

"Okay." Tang Zhitong stretched, threw himself on the bed, yawned, and asked, "Let's go to sleep?" Before going to sleep, Tang Zhitong was still thinking in his mind, he hadn't taken a shower for a while, should he take a shower?
November 11, Sunday, sunny.

After breakfast, the couple packed up and headed towards Chunshu Hutong.

In addition to carrot tops and lard, there was also a box of pickled vegetables made by Tang Zhitong. Tang Zhitong also brought his fishing rod, intending to go for a cast to relax.

Fengzhi saw her brother holding a fishing rod and leaned over the door to cheer him up: "Brother, brother, catch more fish. It's okay if they are small. We can have a snack tonight. I'm counting on you!"

"I understand. I'll try my best." Tang Zhitong waved helplessly to his sister.

I originally came here to relax, but now I have turned it into a mission.

When Tang Zhitong and Xiao Wang arrived at the Women's Federation dormitory, Wang Jingmin was playing snowball fights with his friends in the yard, making a mess of the snow pile they were cleaning up.

"Brother-in-law!" When Wang Jingmin saw Tang Zhitong, he no longer cared about playing and trotted towards him.

A snowball was originally heading towards Wang Jingmin, but it deviated a little and hit Tang Zhitong. Fortunately, the snowball was not solid and the force was not strong, so it left a white spot on his body and then shattered into pieces and fell to the ground.

"Where are you going to hit me? Look at what you have made on the ground, clean it up!" Wang Jingwen raised her eyebrows. She would not tolerate these kids in the yard and would scold them whenever she caught them.

A bunch of fearless little boys suddenly became as obedient as quails. But they knew that this Sister Wang was a tigress and she would be beaten up if she was caught!

"And you, look how dirty you are. You don't have to wash yourself, right? Look what you've done to the yard. You don't respect Grandpa Gao's work results at all. Clean up the yard before going home." Wang Jingwen grabbed his brother, bent down and slapped him on the butt, and ordered.

"Yes! Comrade Chief!" Wang Jingmin saw that his brother-in-law's bag was bulging and knew there was something good inside. He also knew that he could not resist his elder sister, so he wisely chose to obey. He stood at attention and saluted in a non-standard way, then turned around to find a broom.

"Let's go upstairs." Student Xiao Wang sent his brother away, locked his bicycle, and said to Tang Zhitong with a different expression.

"Hehe, I didn't know you had this side." Tang Zhitong joked.

"They are a bunch of naughty kids. If we don't scare them, they will dare to get ahead of us." Student Xiao Wang patted Tang Zhitong lightly, urging him to go upstairs quickly.

After opening the door, Xiao Wang looked around and saw that only Wang Jingying was at home. He asked, "Where's our mom?"

"I'm going to a meeting. Hello, brother-in-law." Wang Jingying was reading a book at her desk. When she saw her sister and brother-in-law, she put a bookmark in the book and closed it.

"All you do is attend meetings all day long. Do you want to take care of your health? How have you and Jingmin eaten these two days?" Classmate Xiao Wang found some slippers, handed a pair to Tang Zhitong, and complained to himself.

Tang Zhitong was helpless and couldn't get a word in, so he could only nod to his sister-in-law as a greeting.

"Sometimes we go to the cafeteria at our mother's workplace and sometimes we heat up leftovers to eat." Wang Jingying was equally helpless. Her mother was busy with work and had no time to take care of her siblings, but she didn't dare to complain like her sister.

"Why don't you go fishing in the afternoon?" Xiao Wang planned to eat dumplings today, but he was not very familiar with the steps of kneading the dough and rolling the skin, so he had to turn to Tang Zhitong for help.

"Okay. You wash the tassels and I'll go to refine the oil." Tang Zhitong changed his shoes and went into the kitchen quickly.

Because Tang Zhitong sent Wang Jingying to school in the morning, he saw her every day and could not notice any changes in her.

But during this period of time, Tang Zhitong only came here on Sundays to dip some garlic and leave. It can be seen that his brother-in-law has become thinner.

Alas, Tang Zhitong sighed, and took out another pound of lard from the space. He didn't dare to take more, for fear that Ye Zhijuan would find out.

After refining the oil residue, Tang Zhitong pulled some tassels from the space. Since there was no one to cook for his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, he made more dumplings this time so that they could have two more meals. Anyway, it was cold now, so there was no need to worry about them going bad if they were put on the balcony.

As for the flour, Tang Zhitong took some from here and mixed it with some of the stock in the space.

While Wang Jingmin was kneading the dough, he finished cleaning and rushed into the house. He didn't bother to greet his two sisters and went straight into the kitchen to find Tang Zhitong: "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, what delicious food are you going to make today?"

"You can make dumplings too later, okay?" Tang Zhitong asked while kneading the dough.

"Yes, yes, no problem! I will absolutely obey my brother-in-law's arrangements!" Wang Jingmin patted his dry chest and guaranteed.

"Go change your shoes. Look at what you've done to the floor. Aren't you afraid that your sister will beat you? Change your clothes, wash your hands, and get ready to make dumplings." Tang Zhitong glanced at the cement floor and saw a string of muddy footprints.

"Okay!" Wang Jingmin was obviously not afraid of being beaten, and he went out nonchalantly. After a while, screams were heard.

"Can you eat it all? Why wrap so much?" Four people worked together for nearly two hours. Not only did they fill up two lids, but they also filled up the table and the tea tray.

"If you can't finish it in one meal, just eat two meals. You're so stupid." Wang Jingmin complained about his sister while pinching the crooked dumplings.

"You're itchy, aren't you?" Wang Jingwen didn't tolerate her brother at all and reached out to pull his ear.

"Calm down, calm down, sister. You have noodles in your hands, don't waste it." Wang Jingmin shrank back and reminded.

"Hehe, then I'll beat you after I wrap it up!" Wang Jingwen said, retracting his hand.

"You guys wrap them first, I'll cook two pots." Tang Zhitong watched the fight between the siblings with a smile on his face. After rolling out the dumpling wrappers, he got up to boil the dumplings.

As the saying goes, greedy people have long legs.

Two pots of dumplings came out of the pot. The three siblings finished making the dumplings and just cleared the table. Before they had time to taste a bite, the friend who had just played with Wang Jingmin downstairs came to the door and said, "Sister, has Jingmin finished his meal?"

"I haven't eaten yet. I'll come to see you guys after I finish eating." Perhaps because he was afraid that his sister would take him away, Wang Jingmin ran over happily to open the door for his friends.

Wang Jingwen looked down at her watch. It was not yet eleven forty. Was he here to have a meal at this time?

Then I looked up at the little guys who were sticking their heads out at the door, staring at the steaming dumplings on the table and swallowing their saliva.

Wang Jingwen sighed. They were all from the same compound, so she was not unfamiliar with their parents. Her younger brothers and sisters had eaten their food before, so she said, "Come in."

"I'm not hungry."

"I'm not hungry either."

……

As if to prove themselves that they were not there for the meal, the little ones waved their hands, shook their heads, and answered the question with irrelevant answers.

"It's quite cold outside, come in and wait." The child was not very thoughtful, and his thoughts were written on his face. Wang Jingwen saw it clearly.

Although the little ones said they were not hungry, their steps were quite honest. When they reached the steps, they rubbed the mud off their feet on the stairs at the door, and then walked in reluctantly.

Wang Jingwen walked into the kitchen, said something to Tang Zhitong, took out a few more pairs of chopsticks, and instructed the younger brothers: "Look at you, you are all dirty. Line up and go to the bathroom to wash your hands. You are not allowed to eat until you wash them clean!"

The little ones were so well-behaved that before they even had time to sit down, they stood up and went to wash their hands according to their height.

(End of this chapter)