Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 474 473 Half of my life is gone

Monday, September 11th, sunny.

After breakfast, Tang Zhitong escorted his two younger sisters to school, while Xiao Wang ran to Chunshu Hutong to drop off the Sichuan kimchi.

As soon as he arrived at the Post and Telecommunications University, Tang Zhitong ran into trouble.

"Teacher Tang, Lu Yan accidentally washed the meal ticket in her pocket yesterday. Look at this..." Luo Zhiping pulled Tang Zhitong out of the classroom and talked to him alone.

"How many kilograms did you wash?" Tang Zhitong knew Lu Yan, the one who flirted with Luo Zhiping. However, when he heard about the meal tickets, he immediately got a headache.

"I had the ones for next month and the past two days in my pocket. When I was changing clothes, I was busy talking to my classmates and forgot about this." Luo Zhiping explained the whole story. Lu Yan should have talked to the life committee member about this matter herself, but because they had been flirting with each other recently, Lu Yan found Luo Zhiping first.

Luo Zhiping felt that he had no choice but to take on the task.

Meal tickets are the responsibility of the living committee, so it is reasonable for Luo Zhiping to discuss this with Tang Zhitong first.

"There can't be nothing left, right? Those washed and crumpled paper scraps will do." Tang Zhitong had a headache, but he couldn't just ignore it, but he didn't completely believe Luo Zhiping's words.

Although we are familiar with each other, we can lend money to each other, but we should be very cautious about meal tickets.

Mr. Lu Shuren taught us: I have never hesitated to assume the worst of others.

People’s hearts are hidden. What if Lu Yan is using the excuse of cleansing herself up to get some money from the college or take advantage of other students’ sympathy?
"There are about ten pounds that can still be recognized, and the rest are incomplete." Luo Zhiping scratched his head and said.

"Then use these ten pounds first, and I'll figure out what to do with it. The teacher is here, let's have class first, and then we'll talk about it after class." Tang Zhitong said to Luo Zhiping while talking as he saw the teacher had entered the classroom.

During class, Tang Zhitong tried to find Lu Yan, but since most of the girls were in the front and he couldn't see her face, he gave up and listened to the class seriously.

It was not until the two classes were over and the students went back to their respective classrooms to study that Tang Zhitong saw Lu Yan and Luo Zhiping leading them over.

"Teacher Tang..." Lu Yan's eyes were red and swollen. She walked to Tang Zhitong and stopped, pinching the corners of her clothes with both hands, like a child who had done something wrong. After lowering her head to greet him, she couldn't help sobbing softly.

"Lu Yan, stop crying. Crying won't solve any problems. Let me see your meal ticket first." Fortunately, Luo Zhiping was present. If it was only Lu Yan, Tang Zhitong would have to ask another classmate to be present to avoid suspicion.

When Lu Yan heard this, although she didn't stop crying, at least she didn't lose her mind. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket, opened it layer by layer, and handed it to Tang Zhitong.

Tang Zhitong took it and examined it carefully. It was indeed soaked in water. The handwriting on the sheets was not so clear, but it was still recognizable. They were all from December.

The following are some incomplete meal tickets that have been picked out. Some have only a corner left; some have only the middle denomination left, with the words "壹" or "贰"; some only have the words "valid for this month" left.

Judging from the font and printing color, these are indeed the meal tickets that were issued just two days ago.

The meal tickets issued by the college are similar in paper material to the food coupons issued to the people of Beijing. Neither is very good. They cannot be compared with the "Mantianfei" tickets, which use paper material comparable to banknotes and can be easily washed with water or even rubbed.

"Are there any more torn paper scraps?" Tang Zhitong flipped through the pages until the end, but didn't see any scraps. But don't underestimate the scraps. The printing paper for the meal tickets is different from ordinary paper. If there are any scraps left, at least it can prove that all the meal tickets are here.

Lu Yan shook her head and tears began to fall again.

Seeing her like this, Tang Zhitong already believed it about 70%.

"After picking these out, they were already rotten beyond recognition, and a lot of crumbs flowed into the sewer with the water." Seeing that Lu Yan didn't say anything, Luo Zhiping took the initiative to explain.

"Student Lu Yan, were there other classmates present when you were washing clothes and picking out meal tickets?" Tang Zhitong nodded at Luo Zhiping and asked again.

"Yes, Sister Changling is here." Lu Yan wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and said with a snort.

"Okay. Let's go back to our classroom first. I'll find Liu Changling to find out what's going on." Tang Zhitong wrapped the handkerchief again and returned it to Lu Yan.

"Teacher Tang, this matter..." Luo Zhiping regarded this matter as more important than his own and asked impatiently.

Luo Zhiping prepared for the worst. He had no other choice but to take out some of his meal tickets and borrow some from his classmates. They both ate less dry food and used carrots to make up the shortfall. They would get through the next month and pay back the rest later.

"I'll find out about the situation first, then go to the logistics department to ask. If that doesn't work, I'll think of other ways." Tang Zhitong understood what Luo Zhiping meant, but he didn't quite agree with borrowing meal tickets. After all, food was too precious, so it could only be kept as a last resort.

When they arrived at the classroom, Tang Zhitong called Liu Changling out. Liu Changling's statement was consistent with Lu Yan's. It was confirmed that the meal ticket was soaked in water.

Tang Zhitong breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it shouldn't be that the person deliberately cheated in order to have an extra bite.

If he could go to such lengths just to get a ticket, then Lu Yan was too scheming.

"Teacher Tang, what should we do next?" Luo Zhiping asked anxiously.

"I'll go to the logistics department to ask first. You guys will be there in five minutes and wait at the door when you get there. Don't worry, Lu Yan, there will definitely be a way." Tang Zhitong thought for a while and made arrangements while comforting Lu Yan. It was because the meal ticket was too important and he was afraid that Lu Yan would be upset.

Tang Zhitong planned to communicate with Wei Zhizhen privately first. If he barged in directly, it would be no different from forcing the emperor to abdicate. If the talks failed, there would be no room for easing the situation unless a higher-level leader spoke up.

Tang Zhitong wanted to minimize the impact as much as possible and handle it quietly without much trouble.

Arriving at the logistics department, Tang Zhitong first found Wei Zhizhen and explained the whole story in a few words, then asked, "Teacher Wei, can you reissue a fixed amount in this case?"

The reason why Tang Zhitong dared to ask this was not because he felt that he had some face, but because Lu Yan had indeed washed away the ticket. If a new meal ticket was issued, the total food supply of the college would not change.

Taking a step back, even if Lu Yan did use a ticket scam, it would not have a big impact on the college, because Tang Zhitong guessed that the Post and Telecommunications College had mobile food!
As the name suggests, mobile rations are food that can be used at one's own disposal and are most often used for emergencies.

This is not Tang Zhitong's guess, but he has seen relevant information before. The country is short of intellectual talents, and although the quota has been reduced again and again, it still gives colleges and universities a certain amount of mobile food, for fear that talents will be lost.

"If others ask for it, it will definitely not be possible. But if Comrade Xiao Tang asks for it, then it must be possible." After hearing this, Wei Zhizhen agreed readily.

"Teacher Wei, please just follow the rules of our college. I don't want to set a negative example for other students." Wei Zhizhen agreed. Tang Zhitong wanted to make it clear that it was true that he would be the one in charge of this matter, but this was not the way it should be done.

"Haha, I know this will definitely work, but the necessary procedures are still required. Please cooperate with us when the process is going on." Tang Zhitong said this, and Wei Zhizhen understood. Tang Zhitong stepped forward to handle this matter because it was the duty of the living committee member, and not because of personal relationships.

Even if Tang Zhitong didn't say it, Wei Zhizhen had no intention of directly reissuing the meal ticket, as this involves the concepts of "typical" and "example".

Positive things will call on everyone to learn, while negative things often do not need to be called on and people will follow suit.

If other students knew that someone among them claimed that their food coupons were lost and the school readily reissued them, would more people deliberately "lose" their meal coupons when they are currently hungry?
Although the mobile food provides a certain degree of flexibility to the college, the school is not a charity!
"My classmate, Comrade Xiao Tang just told me about your situation. It is indeed damaged, right?" When Luo Zhiping and others arrived at the logistics department, Wei Zhizhen asked in a businesslike manner.

"Yes. Here are the remaining meal tickets." Lu Yan, with two red and swollen eyes, took out a handkerchief and opened it layer by layer. Fortunately, she didn't cry this time.

"Well, you have someone to testify, right?" Wei Zhizhen took the handkerchief, glanced at it and asked.

"Yes, I will testify." Liu Changling stood up and said.

"Classmate, do you recognize these words?" After asking the question, Wei Zhizhen took out one of his meal tickets, pointed at the words on it, and asked Lu Yan.

"If lost, it cannot be replaced." Lu Yan squinted her eyes, saw the position of Wei Zhizhen's fingers clearly, and said in a low voice.

"Yes, lost tickets will not be replaced. According to the regulations, the college will not be responsible now that the meal tickets have been issued. If there is a problem, you have to find a way to solve it yourself." Wei Zhizhen first threw away the college's responsibility.

Just when Lu Yan thought there was no hope and was about to cry again, Wei Zhizhen said, "However, out of humanitarianism, our college cannot simply condemn the students who are truly missing."

"According to the regulations of our college, in this case, the counselor's signature is required as a guarantee, and the decision will be made after discussion at the meeting. Since Comrade Xiao Tang has come forward this time, I personally believe in Comrade Xiao Tang's character. Let's do this. Let's simplify the procedures this time, and you sign this letter of guarantee." Wei Zhizhen took out a letter of guarantee from the drawer and handed it to Lu Yan.

Tang Zhitong took a quick look and saw that it was a standard document. It stated that a student in a certain class had a certain weight of meal ticket damaged due to some reason and was applying for a reissue. Below were the signatures of the applicant, witness, and guarantor.

"Thank you, Teacher Wei! Thank you, Teacher Tang!" Lu Yan was a simple-minded person without any complicated thoughts. She had cried more than once since the incident happened yesterday afternoon, and her heart was full of self-pity. Now that there was a glimmer of hope, she immediately bowed to the two of them while crying.

"Don't thank me, just wipe your tears and finish filling out the letter of guarantee." At this point, Tang Zhitong finally believed that Lu Yan really had washed all the meal tickets for next month. If he could consider such a small heartfelt detail as a bow, he would really be at the level of an award-winning actor.

"You guys have to think carefully. We will verify the meal tickets we collect every month. If they are found to be inconsistent with the actual situation, no one who signed will be able to escape." Wei Zhizhen was not done filling out the form while Lu Yan was filling it out. He looked at Liu Changling and Luo Zhiping carefully.

Tang Zhitong was watching from the side and knew that this statement was most likely a bluff, but he still secretly gave a thumbs up.

Right now, the food supply in Sijiu City has not reached the most critical point. With Wei Zhizhen's "threatening" words in mind, even those who really want to get a meal ticket have to think twice.

Despite what Wei Zhizhen said, Liu Changling and Luo Zhiping did not hesitate and signed directly. Tang Zhitong also signed his name in the guarantor column.

Wei Zhizhen has been in this position for a long time. Every month he has to deal with several cases of students losing their meal tickets for various reasons. He can tell from everyone's expressions whether the meal tickets are stolen or not. Now everyone signs straightforwardly, and it doesn't seem like they are forging anything.

After signing the guarantee, Wei Zhizhen checked it and after confirming that it was correct, he handed the damaged meal ticket to Teacher Huang for registration and reissued the meal ticket to Lu Yan.

The reissued meal tickets were the same style as the usual ones, except that each one had a red round stamp with the word "reissued" on it.

Lu Yan came out of the logistics department with many thanks. On the way back to the classroom, she kept thanking Tang Zhitong and almost knelt down.

"Student Lu Yan, this is all within my responsibility. I can't just watch you starve, can I? But there is one thing I need to tell you in advance. I have the responsibility to remind all the students in our class to protect their meal tickets. This is not targeting you. Please understand."

Tang Zhitong didn't want any of his classmates to think that this method would work. Their "smart" side might do stupid things due to momentary confusion, and once it was discovered, their bright future would be ruined.

Tang Zhitong didn't think he was overthinking. Although the ration in the college had been reduced, at least he could eat about 70% to 80% full. But students also have families, and people in other places don't have this treatment.

"I understand, and I have no objection. Let everyone learn from it, and it will be worth my mistake." Lu Yan wiped away her tears and expressed her opinion.

"Okay, you have a positive attitude, but you have to protect your meal tickets in the future." Tang Zhitong gave Lu Yan a thumbs up and praised.

After returning to the classroom, Tang Zhitong walked to the podium and really just reminded him, not mentioning Lu Yan: "Students, please take out a meal ticket and look at the two vertical lines of words on the front of the meal ticket besides the date and weight. What are they?"

"Expired tickets are invalid and lost tickets cannot be replaced! I believe that students will not use their meal tickets after they expire, but please also protect your meal tickets. The quality of the paper used for meal tickets is not good, so do not let them come into contact with water or sweat."

"Students, food is very precious right now. It is no exaggeration to say that meal tickets are everyone's lifeblood. Please treat your meal tickets as your own eyes and take care of them as you would your own eyes."

"I believe that none of the students want to go hungry, so they must not lose it. If they do lose it, they might have to eat carrots for a month."

"It's okay to eat carrots occasionally, but if you eat them as a meal, within ten days, your eyes and skin will turn yellow, just like a minion, and the color won't fade for ten days or half a month."

Nowadays, even the slightest bit of steamed bread crumbs that fell on the ground had to be picked up and eaten. Meal tickets determined whether the stomach would protest, so all the students attached great importance to their meal tickets.

Tang Zhitong knew that many students now carried meal tickets with them, and he also knew that in order to avoid losing a lot of them, the best way would be to set up a "meal ticket" storage agency, but he couldn't tell Wei Zhizhen about this proposal.

If the college implements this, it will not only need to add more staff and coordinate the storage location, but also have to guard against robbery and theft.

Therefore, the most practical approach at present is for everyone to be responsible for their own affairs and manage their own meal tickets.

(End of this chapter)