Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 518 517 Calculation
Wei Zhizhen thought too much and didn't know whether to laugh or cry after hearing this. He said, "In principle, each person can only buy one pair. If you want more, you have to wait until all classes have finished counting. Then I'll see if there are any left."

"No, no, thank you Teacher Wei. I just ask so that I can tell my classmates when I get back. We don't want any special treatment, just one pair per person, so as not to cause trouble for Teacher Wei and the college." Tang Zhitong smiled. The reason he asked this was that he did want to see if he could buy more. After all, all kinds of goods would be in even greater shortages next year, but he certainly couldn't admit it on his face.

Since Wei Zhizhen said so, Tang Zhitong gave up the idea of ​​buying more. If there are any difficulties, they will be next year. Let's just live well this year and leave next year's difficulties to next year.

After the class, Tang Zhitong called the students of Class 593 of the Cable Department back to his classroom. After everyone was gathered, he announced: "Students, the cotton shoes prepared by the college for us have arrived. I checked them for everyone. The quality is very good."

The students in Class 593 of the Cable Department burst into cheers, not at all unhappy that Tang Zhitong had seen it for them.

"The college will bear the bulk of the cost of the cotton shoes, and each of us only needs to pay a small part. Each student is limited to buying one pair. Since larger shoes use more materials, the larger the shoe size, the higher the price will be. But! Students, don't choose a smaller size just to save a few cents. Buy larger cotton shoes instead of smaller ones, and try not to buy the exact right size. Just put an insole in and wear a pair of cotton socks to support them." Tang Zhitong advised earnestly while standing on the podium.

"Don't try to save a few cents and not buy anything in the winter. As a native of Beijing, I can tell you responsibly that Beijing's winters are very cold! If you are in temporary difficulty and don't have enough money, you can tell me and I will help you pay for it."

"Now I will write the part of the fee that I will bear on the blackboard. Students, please choose your own shoe size and come to me in the afternoon to pay and register. It's snowing again today, so let's try to wear new cotton shoes in the afternoon!" After Tang Zhitong finished speaking, he picked up the chalk and started writing on the blackboard.

There were only a few shoe sizes, and it took less than a minute to copy them all. After that, Tang Zhitong added, "Let's go eat after you've chosen. Come over early this afternoon to pay."

Although Tang Zhitong said he could lend money to his classmates, he did not ask for it just for a few cents.

In the afternoon, Tang Zhitong took the roster and filled in the shoe sizes one by one. Tang Zhitong also asked for a pair for himself, of course not for himself, but for Zhang Guifang.

Zhang Guifang was frugal and thrifty. She seldom bought anything for herself, whether it was cotton-padded clothes or cotton shoes, she always put herself last.

The children have new shoes almost every year. For example, this year, not only my own children, but also Ye Zhijuan, Jingying and Jingmin got some.

Zhang Guifang herself either mends her old shoes or sews new soles to match the old uppers. She just makes do with whatever she has and is reluctant to buy shoes with rubber soles.

In the winter in the old city, it always snows and then melts. Although the thousand-layer soles are comfortable to wear, they are not waterproof and will get soaked after a walk.

After counting the number of shoe sizes and the money, Tang Zhitong led a few boys to the logistics department to go through the procedures for collecting the shoes.

Without saying a word, Wei Zhizhen confirmed that the money was correct, then took the students from Class 593 of the Cable Department to the warehouse to get shoes. The shoes were not heavy, so each person carried five or six pairs. They returned to the classroom and distributed them again.

"Try the size. If it's too small, we can go back and exchange it. As long as it's not too big, I still suggest you not exchange it." Tang Zhitong reminded after handing out the shoes.

A pair of shoes should be worn for about three to four years. If you buy a larger size, you won’t have to change the shoes when you become swollen due to hunger. At least you will be able to wear them.

The college student was clear and took it to heart after Tang Zhitong reminded him at noon.

Many children from rural areas have never bought shoes since they were young and have always worn cloth shoes made by their mothers.

For example, Gu Mancang wore straw sandals since he was a child. It was not until he entered university and received a subsidy that he bought his first pair of shoes in his life.

Therefore, shoe sizes are somewhat unfamiliar to these students, but the students are very helpful to each other. Some help their classmates to learn about shoe sizes, while others are more direct and find their own shoes for their classmates to try on.

We are all young people with similar heights, so after trying two or three pairs, we can always find a suitable size.

Although Tang Zhitong suggested that they could change shoes, everyone chose not to.

Tang Zhitong thought that wearing insoles and socks would take up space, but many students thought that the food at school was better than at home, and as the saying goes, at the age of 23, you will grow taller, and your feet will grow with you, so you need to leave some extra space...

After distributing the shoes, Tang Zhitong packed up his personal belongings and ran away again. Today he was escorting coal!

When Tang Zhitong arrived at the escort office, he did not see any queues. There were only a few men loading and weighing coal. Next to them were loaded sacks or bamboo baskets. The bamboo baskets were easy to identify, and some marks were made on the sacks to prevent them from being taken by mistake.

Gao Lide from the cafeteria and Qin Luming from the logistics department were on the list.

"Master Gao, have a cigarette." Tang Zhitong rode his bicycle over, stopped, took out cigarettes and distributed them to his colleagues, leaving none behind.

"Well, it's to serve the comrades and save everyone's time." Gao Lide said cheerfully. Actually, he didn't have to come today, but because of the incremental method recently, he was very uncomfortable being stuck in the middle. Although most employees could understand, there were always a few who made mistakes and spoke in sarcastic remarks while getting their meals.

"Thank you for your hard work." Tang Zhitong was polite to everyone.

"Chief Tang, let me help you take down the sack." Qin Luming lit cigarettes for the others before speaking.

"Thank you, I can do it myself." The thing was not heavy, so Tang Zhitong untied the rope himself and handed the sack to Qin Luming.

After being here for such a long time, Tang Zhitong has already met all the colleagues in the escort department and knows a little about their family background. Qin Luming is capable of handling things, probably because of his personality, or possibly because of the instructions from his family elders.

Qin Luming's father was a retained member of the old society. He used to be a big porter in the escort department. He took the initiative to retire two years ago due to health reasons and gave his position to his son.

It was thanks to Qin Luming's ability to handle things that he was able to be transferred from the transporting position to the logistics unit, which is now the Logistics Department.

The group chatted for a while, then after smoking a cigarette, Tang Zhitong said goodbye and planned to return to the Finance Department.

Just after he took a few steps, Qin Luming caught up and called Tang Zhitong to stop him, hesitating and stammering, which was unusual for him.

"What's the matter? We are all colleagues, why shouldn't you be embarrassed to speak up?" Tang Zhitong encouraged with a smile.

"Chief Tang, I want to ask you something. Ma Wei in your department...is she dating someone?" Encouraged by Tang Zhitong, Qin Luming blushed, mustered up his courage, and asked in a low voice.

"I've never asked about this. As a married gay man, it's not appropriate for me to ask this, don't you think?" Tang Zhitong understood as soon as he heard this. Qin Luming had a unilateral affection for Ma Wei, and he immediately replied with difficulty.

"You make sense, thank you, Chief Tang." Although Qin Luming was still a little embarrassed, he did not lose his mind. After getting Tang Zhitong's reply, he nodded politely and went back to continue loading coal.

Tang Zhitong smiled, ignored it, and returned to the Finance Department.

Perhaps it was Ma Wei's usual bourgeois dress that gave Qin Luming a wrong impression, and he probably thought that she came from a capitalist family, so he took advantage of his slightly better background and had some ideas about her.

It is natural for a young man to admire Ai, but judging from Ma Wei's behavior and the location of her home, Tang Zhitong did not want to provoke her, did not want to investigate, and even less wanted to act as a matchmaker.

Everyone has his own opportunity, so leave it to fate!
Qin Luming was loading coal while thinking about what Tang Zhitong said. On the surface, there was nothing wrong, everything was normal, but if you think about it more deeply, is there really a leader who doesn't know the situation of his subordinates? Especially when there are not many subordinates.

Is this a polite refusal? A reminder?
"Lu Ming, what are you thinking about? Put it outside the bag." The colleague who was holding the bag reminded him.

"Oh, oh, sorry, I was a little distracted." Qin Luming responded with an apologetic smile, temporarily putting everything behind him and concentrating on loading coal. Loading coal was not his exclusive job, but everyone took turns to do it, and it was just his turn this time.

After get off work, Tang Zhitong still did not bring corn home today. Instead, he tied the coal to the back seat and planned to take it home.

It is said that Lu Dexian skipped work today. He went out a little early in the afternoon and rode his bicycle to Dongdan Park.

In the past, he and Liu Chengzhi would go to and from get off work together. Liu Chengzhi didn’t have a bicycle, so either he took Liu Chengzhi or Liu Chengzhi took him, and the two of them took turns.

Lu Dexian didn't treat Liu Chengzhi well in class today, and he doesn't plan to get too close to him in the future. They should just be ordinary colleagues. As for how Liu Chengzhi gets to and from get off work, doesn't he have legs?

There were fine snowflakes floating in the sky and there were very few people in Dongdan Park. Apart from a few young couples who came for dates despite the cold weather, there were only a few idle street urchins.

Seeing Lu Dexian standing at the park gate pushing his bicycle and looking around, a street kid took the initiative to walk up to him and asked in a low voice: "Dude, do you want food coupons?"

Lu Dexian was a little nervous. Seeing that there was no one around, he asked, "What's the price?"

"Fine grains are one dollar and fifty cents, and coarse grains are one dollar."

"You want a lot? Can you give me a cheaper price?" Lu Dexian started bargaining.

"Hey, man, I'm not lying to you. No matter how much you want, the price is the same in all cities now." The street urchin shook his head and refused to give in.

Lu Dexian hesitated and struggled for a while, then gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, give me 20 kilograms of coarse grain tickets."

"Okay, come with me inside." Street Liuzi nodded, motioned Lu Dexian to follow, and walked into the park first.

In this kind of weather, there was no bicycle storage outside, so Lu Dexian could only push his bicycle inside. Fortunately, he didn't walk far before he stopped in a deserted corner and gestured to another companion.

In less than half a minute, the companion gave the street kid a stack of food coupons.

The street kid took the food coupons and counted them under Lu Dexian's eyes. He was exactly right, then he stretched out his hand to ask Lu Dexian for money: "Sir, the coupons are just right, where's the money?"

Lu Dexian saw everything that just happened. He quickly took out two ten-yuan bills and handed them over. After the street kid touched the money, he didn't let go. Instead, he asked, "Where's the ticket?"

"Hey, you're quite cautious." The street urchin smiled and handed over the ticket.

The two paid with one hand and delivered the goods with the other.

In fact, their usual trading partners are mostly regular customers. They just gesture and exchange money and goods without saying much. They can complete the transaction after just a face-to-face encounter and the time it takes to light a cigarette.

The street scoundrel rubbed the money in his hand and realized it was real money, so he ran away before Lu Dexian finished counting it.

Lu Dexian watched the street liar go away and quickly counted the food coupons. He was thinking of calling for help if the number was wrong. Unexpectedly, the street liar was trustworthy and did not lie. The number was just right.

Lu Dexian packed up the food coupons and rode away on his bike.

After arriving home, Lu Dexian did not immediately return the food coupons, but stayed in the house to keep warm by the stove.

Lu Dexian had a clear plan. He acted as a guarantor and finally paid off the food coupons for others. Although it seemed a bit cowardly and disadvantageous, it was also a good opportunity to establish a reputation and show that he is a real man. He would keep his word if it counted!

This kind of opportunity is hard to come by, and it's so painful, so Lu Dexian doesn't want to do it quietly, but to do it with great fanfare, so that the neighbors will know what kind of man he is!
At the time when he was about to get off work, Lu Dexian stood outside the water station in the snow waiting for his creditors, which showed his sincerity.

There is no way. The creditor said yesterday that he would ask for it “the day after tomorrow morning”. If I really have to wait until tomorrow for the creditor to come to my door, not only will I be at a disadvantage, but I will also be in a passive position.

As wave after wave of creditors returned home, under the watch of Old Zhu, Lu Dexian paid back the food coupons one by one without missing a single thing. At the end, he did not forget to thank them for their favor and trust in him, and never mentioned the Liu family.

Although many neighbors lent the Liu family food coupons for Lu Dexian's sake, they did not carry the IOUs with them. After receiving the food coupons, they would often say that they would go home and get the IOUs immediately.

Whenever this happened, Lu Dexian would say to others with a smile: Don't worry, just send it over anytime, you can burn it, we are all old neighbors, I trust you, and besides, Brother Zhu is here to witness it, and everyone will recognize Brother Zhu's face.

In a word, he not only won the favor of the creditors, but also secretly raised Lao Zhu's status in the area, and everyone was happy.

Although Lu Dexian said this, the neighbors still consciously went home to get the IOU.

When Tang Zhitong walked to the entrance of the alley, this was the harmonious scene he saw.

"Anzi, come here, come here, your uncle Lu is settling the accounts." Old Zhu squinted his only remaining eye, and after seeing Tang Zhitong, he extended a warm hand.

"Oh, that's great." Tang Zhitong heard it this time. The road was slippery, so he slowly braked and stopped.

"Anzi, thank you for taking the lead in cooperating with my work a while ago. I am a little impulsive in my work on weekdays, and I apologize to you. Please forgive me." Lu Dexian handed over the food coupons and apologized to Tang Zhitong with a serious face. His attitude was very good. Section Chief, even if he is a deputy, is higher than the workshop director in his own factory. What's more, how old is the young man in front of him?
"Oh, Uncle Lu, you're slapping me in the face by saying that. There are times when teeth touch tongue. We are all neighbors, and it's normal to have some bumps in the road. I don't take it to heart." Tang Zhitong was surprised that Lu Dexian could speak to him like that. At least on the surface he didn't sound sarcastic and seemed quite sincere.

Tang Zhitong took the food coupons and without waiting for Lu Dexian to reply, he patted his pocket and said to himself: "Look at my memory. I forgot to bring the IOU. I will go back and get it for you."

After saying that, he pushed his bicycle and went straight home.

To put it bluntly, there was no direct conflict between the Tang family and Lao Lu, but due to preconceived notions, Tang Zhitong was not very willing to deal with him.

When Tang Zhitong came back with the IOU, there were two or three more neighbors watching the fun at the water station.

"Eanzi, I heard that the price of fine grain coupons outside is 1.5 yuan per catty, and the price of coarse grain coupons is 1 yuan per catty. Look, I have more than 30 catties of fine grain coupons. How about we exchange them? I won't ask you for more. You can just give me 30 cents for the difference per catty. How about that?" After Tang Zhitong returned the IOU to Lu Dexian, a neighbor came up and said.

(End of this chapter)