Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 487 486 Coat
Tang Zhitong guessed that the reason why Tang Wenbang sent an urgent telegram was because of the escort train.

The letter I wrote will not arrive in Andong until this Thursday. Maybe it was because it snowed there and the postman went to the forest farm two days late, while the train to Sijiu City returned on Friday.

As fate would have it, Tang Wenbang missed the delivery deadline for the reply letter. If he continued to write, he would have to wait until next week to receive the reply.

It might be that the letter he wrote caused his uncle to misunderstand and think that there was a shortage of food here. In order to know the situation on the river earlier, he chose to send a telegram.

As for why they didn't make a phone call, one reason was that the phone was leaking information, and the other was that the distance was too long and the transfer was troublesome. Sometimes it might take half a day to get through, and it was not necessarily faster than a telegram.

All of this was Tang Zhitong's guess, and he didn't say it out loud.

After dinner, the couple returned to the west wing, and Tang Zhitong found the seal pad he had bought.

There is a white-headed old man on it. Classmate Xiao Wang said that this is called "white-headed wealth", which means that one will be rich until the age of white hair, and it has a very auspicious meaning.

Tang Zhitong read it carefully, then found a piece of paper and copied it to come up with a draft.

The valuable experience I learned from the wood carving master is that if you want to make a comb, it is best to draw a draft first, then stick it on the wood, and then carve it out bit by bit, so that it is less likely to make mistakes.

"Why are you drawing this?" Xiao Wang saw her husband concentrating on crocheting a sweater, walked over to him and asked.

"Oh, I thought of a little invention and wanted to try it out to see if it works." Although Tang Zhitong didn't want to lie to Xiao Wang again, he still lied in order to keep the gift surprising.

"Oh, do you need my help? I can draw a little better." Xiao Wang did not doubt him. She has always been supportive of her husband.

"Emm...that's fine. Just don't be too tall." Since it was an excuse, there was no reason to refuse. Tang Zhitong drew a square on the piece of paper, circled the location, then stood up and gave the seat to Xiao Wang.

Student Xiao Wang put down the wool and the unfinished sweater, sat down, and began to outline it stroke by stroke.

"Your level is pretty good." This time it was Tang Zhitong's turn to stand next to Xiao Wang. Not only was Xiao Wang's calligraphy better than his, but his painting skills were also quite good.

"I learned that in school before." Student Wang was concentrating on painting without looking up.

"That's great." Tang Zhitong exclaimed from the bottom of his heart.

With this level of teaching, quality education may not be popularized in another 60 years...

After Xiao Wang finished painting, the two of them washed up and prepared for bed.

After entering this era, Tang Zhitong pays special attention to brushing his teeth.

As the saying goes, toothache is not a disease, but it can be fatal when it hurts.

Anyone with bad teeth knows how it feels, it's unforgettable! I definitely don't want to experience it a second time!
Although it is possible to fill teeth and have dentures now, Tang Zhitong does not want to experience the technology.

"Are you going to Anton?" After getting into bed, Xiao Wang snuggled into her husband's arms, held his hand, and asked.

"Did you figure it out?" Tang Zhitong was speechless. The urgent telegram was still discovered by Xiao Wang.

"When will you go?"

"I'll check the arrangements at school and work as soon as possible. It would be best if we could leave next Wednesday." Tang Zhitong calculated the date. This matter could be dealt with sooner rather than later. The sooner he went, the more reason he would have for his family to eat better.

"It doesn't matter whether you can buy food or not. What matters is that you come back safely." Classmate Xiao Wang leaned into Tang Zhitong's arms again and hugged him tightly.

"Don't worry, I promise you." Tang Zhitong freed his hand and patted Xiao Wang on the back. This care was so powerful and he could feel it clearly.

Monday, April 12th.

Some people go to school, some go to work, everything is normal.

During the break, Tang Zhitong went to see Teacher Zhou and asked for leave.

"What's the matter this time?" Teacher Zhou took off his glasses and pinched his nose bridge. The glasses were too heavy and had left a mark on his nose bridge.

"Emm... My family dug a cellar, but it's not convenient to use, so I want to fill it up." He definitely couldn't say that he was going to the east to get food, so Tang Zhitong gritted his teeth and made up an excuse.

"Huh? Can you be more careful about the reason for your leave?" Teacher Zhou frowned and didn't believe it at all.

"Snacks? What snacks? Where can I buy them?" Before Tang Zhitong could reply, a teacher who walked into the classroom interrupted.

Teacher Zhou was speechless. The college distributed some cabbages a while ago, but other than that, like the residents of Beijing, they only had a limited amount.

Teachers are considered mental workers, and their weight is comparable to that of staff members in government agencies and organizations. The average weight used to be 31 kilograms per person, but they lost a kilogram some time ago, and now they weigh around kilograms.

Teachers must be aware that this job is not easy. With this quota, it is not an exaggeration to say that one has to go to class on an empty stomach.

"I'm making it up... No, I'm thinking." Tang Zhitong racked his brains, why could he take more than ten days off?
"Oh, forget it, go ahead, and be careful. The end of the semester is coming soon, don't miss the exam." Teacher Zhou gave Tang Zhitong leave without waiting for him to make up a reason. He was still very confident in Tang Zhitong.

"Okay, thank you Teacher Zhou!" Teacher Zhou was very reasonable, and Tang Zhitong was very grateful. How about giving Teacher Zhou some food when he came back?
On the other hand, Xiao Wang left early in the afternoon.

"It's cold, put on more clothes." Although Xiao Wang didn't point it out, she knew the meaning of these four words. It's cold in Northeast China!
Her husband was about to go to Northeast China to exchange food for the whole family. As a backup, Xiao Wang naturally wanted to prepare a set of clothes for her husband. She had heard how cold Northeast China was and that ears could be frozen off in winter.

Student Xiao Wang first came to the department store, to the floor that sold leather goods.

After seeing the price of the leather jacket, Xiao Wang silently clenched the money in his pocket and sighed in his heart: I didn’t know I was so poor.

The cheapest otter fur coat for men is 1500 yuan, while the most expensive is over 3000 yuan.

The cheapest fur coat is made of rabbit fur, and the lowest price is 150 yuan. Those with better workmanship and materials cost 500 yuan.

The two of them saved some money a while ago, but after buying a sewing machine and a bicycle, they have almost spent it all.

Although I just got paid this month, it's not much. Besides, if I go to the Northeast, I have to bring some money with me, right? How can I buy food without money?

After hesitating for a while, Xiao Wang finally bought only a dog-skin tube, the lowest-grade one, which cost 21 yuan each.

The leather tube, also called the leather strap, is a very primitive leggings, which is tied around the calves in the snow and ice to keep warm.

Decades later, this kind of thing can only be seen in some film and television dramas, such as "Crossing the Guandong".

Student Xiao Wang left the department store and came to the parking lot. He tied the leather jacket to the back seat, bit his lip, hesitated for a while, and decided to go look for his biological mother.

After paying the taxi fare, Xiao Wang headed straight to Shijia Hutong.

The department store is not far from Shijia Hutong, and Xiao Wang arrived there in less than ten minutes.

"What's wrong? Did something happen? Are you wronged?" It was during work time when Ye Zhijuan saw her daughter seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Mom, my uncle called yesterday afternoon and Anzi plans to go there the day after tomorrow." Although there was no one else in the office, Xiao Wang was very cautious and did not tell anyone his destination. Instead, he pointed northeast. "Are you short of money? I still have some. You can spend it." Ye Zhijuan did not think about anything else for a moment.

"It's not about money. It's cold over there, and he doesn't have many thick clothes. I wanted to buy him some, but they were too expensive. Even if I borrowed yours, I'm afraid I wouldn't have much money left after buying him clothes." Student Wang lowered his head and said in a low voice.

"Oh, I understand. You are planning to steal your father's coat, right?" Ye Zhijuan turned around and asked.

"I just thought that I'm about the same size, so I'll borrow it for a few days and return it when I get back from there." Student Wang was unusually shy.

"Oh, what's the big deal? Just wear it. It's just sitting there anyway." Ye Zhijuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's because they are too expensive." Xiao Wang said halfway, military coats are not only expensive, but also not sold to the public, they are all distributed.

A few years ago, when Grandma Wang came to Beijing, she wanted to take it with her, but Ye Zhijuan rarely refused.

On the surface, she loves her husband. The winter in Sichuan is not that cold. But it is different in Beijing. The lowest temperature can be minus 20 degrees Celsius. Military coats have leather and cotton inside, so it is a waste to wear them there.

Xiao Wang later found out that his mother was also worried that after his grandmother brought the child home, the child would put on the fur coat and act like a powerful figure and do something bad.

"Child, are you embarrassed about the high price? You were very happy to get that cashmere coat before the New Year." Ye Zhijuan held her daughter's hand and teased.

"Didn't you ask me to take it? Besides, cashmere is not as expensive as a military coat." Thinking of the past, Xiao Wang felt a little embarrassed. At that time, he was in love and he was the only one in his heart.

"No matter how expensive it is, it's still an item. We should make the best use of it. Your father will definitely be happy to see it. You go pick them up first, I'll go home and find them later." Ye Zhijuan looked at her watch. It was almost time to get off work.

After her daughter left, Ye Zhijuan got off work on time and found her military coat from the closet when she got home.

My husband had two military coats during his lifetime, one was issued in 50 and the other was issued in 55.

Both pieces are made of woolen material, but the materials and styles are slightly different.

The old model is a bit worn and there are traces of self-sewing on it.

Ye Zhijuan touched the place where she had sewed, and recalled the past.

Sometimes, this piece of clothing is not just a piece of clothing, it is also a thought.

After thinking for a while, Ye Zhijuan put the old one away.

No matter how precious the clothes are, they are still objects. There is no reason to ignore living people for the sake of preservation or commemoration.

Moreover, when the weather was still warm, the son-in-law used all the rabbit skins in the house to make mattresses and gave three to himself.

If these three mattresses were used to make a leather coat, they should be enough for one leather coat, right?

Many things are done with heart, and Ye Zhijuan is not a cold-hearted person.

The new one had epaulettes. Ye Zhijuan took them off and stuffed a hundred yuan into the coat pocket.

Finally found the hat that matched it.

After everything was packed up and seeing that it was almost time, Ye Zhijuan went out and went downstairs.

"Mom, isn't this too expensive?" Xiao Wang was surprised when he saw the coat. His father had only worn this coat many times and only wore it once on important occasions. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is brand new.

"Clothes are meant to be worn by people. Take them away. Be careful not to drop anything." Ye Zhijuan patted the folded clothes and instructed.

"So did I really take it?" Xiao Wang quickly untied the rope on the back seat, took the clothes from his mother's hand, and tied them on, as if he was afraid that she would regret it.

Today, Tang Zhitong got home before Xiao Wang again.

When Tang Zhitong saw the pile of thick clothes in Xiao Wang's arms, he was quite moved: "How much does this cost? I'm only going to be there for a few days, it's not worth it to buy such a set. I'm thinking of going to the clothing store tomorrow."

"I only bought a leather jacket. The clothes belong to my father. I'll give them to you to wear for two days." Xiao Wang stuffed the clothes into her husband's arms and said with a smile.

"Does our mother know?" Tang Zhitong was a little worried, fearing that Xiao Wang's cotton-padded jacket would leak air, so he asked.

"I know. It was our mother who found it. I know my limits. I wouldn't dare take such a big item without permission." Xiao Wang walked in front and opened the door of the side room for her husband.

"Okay, I will definitely bring it back intact." After Tang Zhitong entered the room, he spread the clothes on the bed and looked at them carefully.

The lining is satin and the buttons are brass.

Double-breasted with small lapels.

Above the inside pocket of the coat, there is a white box, the kind that can be covered up, with the number 103 printed on it.

This is the famous officer! Some people also call it the Type 55 military coat.

There was no such thing as clothing sizes for the first batch of officers, as all clothes were tailor-made.

In a few years, when Wang Jingmin's peers grow up, there will be a popular phrase to describe people's dress: "She dresses pretty wildly."

"丫" is an insult, but when it is put together, the insulting meaning becomes much weaker and it is filled with strong envy.

“Whether he is crazy or not can be seen from the beige color.” The reason why he is crazy is because he is wearing beige.

The beige color refers to this officer's woolen coat.

Tang Zhitong didn't expect to wear such a high-end coat. He originally planned to go to the clothing store and buy an old Type 50 military coat.

The Type 50 military coat was produced in large quantities. It was first issued in 50 and was produced until 57. Generally speaking, one could be applied for every three years, and there would always be some second-hand goods circulating in the market.

Ordinary soldiers will only need a single-breasted shirt. The surface is made of twill cotton, with cotton and sheepskin inside. It has good warmth retention properties. This is the type of shirt that was worn during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.

Student Xiao Wang took off all his clothes and put them away. Seeing Tang Zhitong still looking at the clothes, he urged him, "Stop looking at them and try them on."

"Okay." Tang Zhitong accepted the advice readily.

"Clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse. You look so smart!" Classmate Xiao Wang helped Tang Zhitong straighten out his collar and the indentations, and praised happily.

"Thank you!" Tang Zhitong grabbed Xiao Wang's face and kissed him.

"Disgusting, your saliva stinks. Feel your pocket and see if you have money. Our mom put it in there." Student Wang wiped his mouth, put it under his nose and smelled it, feeling drunk.

"Our mother is so thoughtful." Tang Zhitong touched it and found that there were indeed ten of them, exactly one hundred.

(End of this chapter)