Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 569 Chapter 568 Foreign Food Entering Beijing
Since ancient times, some men and women in the literary and artistic circles have been relatively open in their private lives, under the pretext of finding inspiration.

Although the atmosphere has changed after liberation, there are still a few rotten garlics in the music conservatory.

Although Xiao Wang could be considered to have been in the literary and artistic circle, he left early after all, and his true nature was obvious. Tang Zhitong was still quite relieved. He was just a little worried about those prodigals. He hoped that no blind fool would come up to them and say nonsense, otherwise they might break some bones.

After leaving the Science and Technology Commission, Tang Zhitong walked east along Fuxing Road, passed the alley where Gu Yong's house was and entered the inner city.

After entering the city, walk a short distance and turn south into Nanbanjie Hutong, pass Luoquan Hutong and turn west into Baojia Street.

The reason why it is called Baojia Street has nothing to do with abalone. It is said that this place was the property of the Bao family in the Ming Dynasty, hence the name.

At the end of Baojia Street is the Conservatory of Music. Not far to the east of the Conservatory of Music is Wanggongchang, where the "Apocalypse Explosion" took place.

The place where the Conservatory of Music is located was formerly the residence of Prince Chun. Emperor Guangxu once lived here. After liberation, it became the site of the Russian Language Institute.

The Russian Language Institute, which later became Beijing Foreign Studies University, built a new campus in Weigongcun a few years ago and gave up this land to become the site of the Conservatory of Music.

After entering the college, Tang Zhitong asked along the way and found the teacher's dormitory.

At present, there is no regulation that prohibits in-service teachers from teaching outside. As long as the teacher is willing and the students are willing, paid tutoring is still recognized.

There are special performance rooms in the music conservatory for teaching purposes, but they are open to students in the school.

The school has regulations that teachers also have to maintain their dignity and cannot abuse their power for personal gain. If outsiders want to come in and study, they can only go to the teacher's home.

Fortunately, the teachers here come from relatively good families and have commonly used musical instruments at home, which provides convenient conditions for a second career.

Tang Zhitong looked at his watch and saw that it was almost time, so he did not go in, but waited downstairs smoking a cigarette.

The soundproofing in the tube building is not very good, and the sounds of several musical instruments and children singing can be heard from upstairs.

To be precise, it was not the sound of a performance. The movement of the violin was like a sawing sound, and the sound of the throat was not much better. Tang Zhitong felt uncomfortable listening to it.

Some people may ask, does singing need to be taught? This does need to be taught. At least breathing is a technical job. There are very few people who can sing without systematic training.

Yongxi is this kind of girl chosen by God, one in a million.

According to the time, "On the Golden Mountain in Beijing" was about to be released. Chang Liuzhu was the first singer. At the National Art Festival in 1964, the regulations required amateur singers to participate, so Yong Xi went on stage to sing, and he became famous as soon as he sang.

Many people may find this name unfamiliar, but I believe another name is definitely familiar to you, that is Han Hong. Yong Xi is Han Hong's mother.

A little further away, Tang Zhitong was sitting on the edge of the flower bed, smoking and looking at the students coming and going.

The Conservatory of Music is similar to the Post and Telecommunications College in that it also has many students who do not go home during the holidays. But it is also different from the Post and Telecommunications College in that most students at the Conservatory of Music will practice their voices and instruments during the holidays.

Tang Zhitong walked all the way from the gate and could hear the noises in the teaching building. Some people were singing "Oh~Oh~Ah~Ah~" and some were playing the piano.

The level of college students is higher, and the noise they make is at least more pleasant than that in the tube-shaped buildings.

After waiting for a long time, Tang Zhitong saw a handsome face, a little childish, with a side-parted hair, looking quite energetic.

Art comes from life, but is higher than life.

A line from a certain film and television drama, "My father is Zhang Erhe", has spread across the country, allowing people to see the power of relying on one's father.

Nowadays, as long as you hang out in major universities, you will have the opportunity to chat up many big shots and celebrities, such as Tsinghua University and the School of Geology.

But unlike at Tsinghua University, Tang Zhitong shifted his attention and had no intention of getting to know him. This guy has poor personal ethics.

It has been more than ten years since the reform and opening up. As a teacher, he still marries his own student. How high can his moral bottom line be?
After about twenty minutes, the noise from upstairs became less and less, and more and more people came downstairs, many of them were teenagers.

Tang Zhitong looked at it and was amused. It seemed that Ye Zhijuan was not the only one who wanted to take advantage of the holidays to let her children be exposed to art.

But if you think about it, it’s understandable. We are all parents, and who doesn’t want their children to receive a good education?
About ten minutes later, Fengzhen and Jingying walked out of the unit door accompanied by Xiao Wang.

"Why are you here? Have you finished the work of the Science and Technology Commission?" Student Xiao Wang was very happy after seeing Tang Zhitong.

"Oh, don't mention it. I was interrogated for a long time." Tang Zhitong stood up, stamped his feet, walked forward to help Xiao Wang carry the shoulder bag, and let the two younger sisters carry their own bags.

"What's going on?" Xiao Wang asked with concern.

"Tie your scarf and let's talk when we get back. This isn't the right place to talk." Tang Zhitong helped Xiao Wang tidy up his scarf. It was the coldest time of the year in the city.

Four people and four bicycles can be considered a luxurious lineup, but it is still not as good as those students who come to learn music in cars.

Back in Chunshu Hutong, Tang Zhitong was cooking, and the two sisters went to the bedroom to chat. Ye Zhijuan and Wang Jingmin were not there, probably at the Women's Federation.

Student Xiao Wang leaned against the kitchen door and listened to her husband talking about what happened in the Science and Technology Commission that morning.

"Let's come back and ask mom later. I think it might just be her routine job." Student Wang thought for a moment and said.

"Well, maybe I've had too many smooth sailing days, so I was a little extreme when I suddenly encountered this situation." Tang Zhitong thought of this possibility while sitting in the music conservatory smoking and reviewing. He was used to the comfort in his daily life and lost the ability to "bend and stretch".

At noon, Ye Zhijuan brought Wang Jingmin back. Her two daughters had gone to learn piano the day before, so she was a little worried and came back to check on them at noon.

"It's okay, it's probably because Eucalyptus' invention is a little too advanced.

It's a very simple truth. How can something that doesn't exist abroad be related to foreign forces? They can see this truth.

Even if they don’t notify me if something happens, they will still ask me about the situation. The Science and Technology Commission has a lot of authority and external functions, and this is their routine questioning.

Just two days ago, the top leadership approved the Science and Technology Commission's "Report on the Science and Technology Development Plan", requiring the Science and Technology Commission to build a strong scientific and technological team that is both red and professional.

Maybe they will take over the case in the future." After listening to Xiao Wang's retelling, Ye Zhijuan gave her own opinion.

With Ye Zhijuan's affirmation, the matter was over. As for being accepted by the Science and Technology Commission, Tang Zhitong was not happy. Invention and innovation can be fun, but if it becomes a job, it will inevitably bring responsibilities, which is too distressing.

Perhaps due to the presence of her brother and sister-in-law, Fengzhen's performance today was much better than the last time she came. Although she was still quiet, she was less restrained.

After lunch, the couple went out to work. Since Wang Jingmin had just fallen into the water a few days ago, Ye Zhijuan was a little worried, fearing that her son would go out and do something naughty again. Before leaving, she told Jingying: "Watch your brother carefully, don't let him go out, and watch him do his holiday homework."

"Okay, Mom, I'll lock the door and he can't get out." Jingying glanced at her brother. Sometimes she really didn't want to care about him, but who made her the older sister?
Wang Jingmin looked like he had lost all hope in life. He hadn't gone out to play with his friends for several days. I guess they have already elected a new "commander", right?
In the afternoon, the three siblings did their homework at home.

When Fengzhen and Jingying come across questions they don't know how to answer, they will discuss them with each other. Jingmin occasionally also has questions he doesn't know how to answer, but he doesn't ask his sisters as usual. Instead, he chooses to ask the quiet sister Fengzhen in front of him.

Who doesn’t like a gentle and kind sister?

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the neighbor, Auntie Ma, came to the Tang family and said, "Auntie, I just saw the vegetable store delivering vegetables. There are already people lining up. Are you free now? Let's go buy some?"

"When we have time, when we have time, we'll go right away." Zhang Guifang stopped working when she heard this, washed her hands in a hurry, took the food certificate and money, found the basket and was about to go out. When she reached the door, she told Fengzhi, "Fengzhi, chop the cabbage roots I cut for the chickens, do your homework at home, and don't go out."

Then, without even waiting for Fengzhi's consent, he hurried out with Aunt Ma to queue up.

It is impossible not to queue. A few days ago, a small batch of vegetables arrived at the vegetable store, but many people did not buy them and have been regretting not hearing the news first.

We heard a few days ago that foreign food would be brought to Beijing, and this time the neighbors were working very hard to get it, fearing that they would not be able to buy it after missing out.

By the time Aunt Ma and Zhang Guifang arrived at the vegetable store, a long queue had already formed.

The shop assistants were too busy to carry the vegetables into the house and started selling them on the spot, with one salesperson guarding a vegetable cart.

There is a special person on duty at the front of the line to prevent residents from crowding and to leave a space empty for a resident to pass.

The guard maintained order while shouting to the residents behind:

“Everybody line up, don’t worry!
The city has put in a lot of effort and transported a lot of vegetables from other places. Everyone will definitely be able to buy them, and everyone will definitely have a good New Year!

This is just the first batch, and the quantity is small. It’s so cold, so don’t wait in line, there will definitely be more tomorrow morning!

The later you buy it, the better. If you buy it later, it can be kept for one more day, just right for eating during the Spring Festival..."

It doesn't matter if you shout it, the more you shout, the fewer people will leave.

Ordinary people are good at grasping the key points. When they hear “there will be more tomorrow” instead of “the quantity is not large”, they immediately start buzzing with discussions.

So, just like a bank run, the line showed signs of being crowded forward and the atmosphere was a bit scary.

The grocery store said the same thing a few days ago, and then it was out of stock for several days.

The residents are determined and are prepared to queue up in long lines to buy the property, after all, only those who buy it will own it.

The person in charge of the vegetable store saw this situation and decisively pushed aside the people who were maintaining order, pulled over a stool, stood on it, took off his scarf, held up a trumpet made of a paper tube, and shouted to the queued crowd:
"Neighbors, please stop pushing! I'm the manager of the grocery store. You all recognize my face, right?
I am standing here today, and I swear to stay with you all until my death!

If the vegetables are sold out, we will send people to buy more immediately. We will work overtime today to ensure that everyone can buy vegetables!"

After shouting back and forth three times, the crowded team finally showed signs of stabilizing.

"Everyone, please move to the side and clear the road. If the road is not clear, we won't be able to transport the vegetables. Besides, those who come and go are all our family. It's convenient for ourselves as well as for others." The manager of the vegetable store stood higher and saw that the street was blocked a little further away, so he started shouting to disperse the crowd.

This time the effect was a little worse. I had finally squeezed to the front, how could I possibly shrink back?

Seeing that the crowd had not changed much, the manager of the vegetable store did not bother to wipe his sweat, and did not dare to jump off the stool. He just stood there, waved to Xiao Zhang, a slightly smarter clerk next to him, bent down and whispered: "Two things, first go to the police station to call people to maintain order, and then go to the vegetable company to find Lao Zhao to explain the situation. Just tell him that I said to adjust the vegetables! Push your bike over first, and after I finish talking, you ride from here to the end of the queue so that everyone can see you, understand?"

The clerk nodded solemnly and accepted the important task entrusted by the manager.

The store manager straightened up after he finished speaking, and waved his hand to let the people in the queue in front of him who might have heard him go through. The crowd behind him was so crowded that the wind couldn't hear what he had just said: "Come on, come on, 1, 2, 3...6, the first six people in the queue go over and choose their food first."

"Xiaopeng, pull the wires out of the store, put a light bulb in each stall, and turn on the lights when it gets a little darker." After letting the people in front pass, the store manager immediately gave the order loudly, as if he was going to fight until dawn.

After seeing Xiao Zhang pushing his bicycle over, the manager of the vegetable store gave him a look and asked him to stand on the side of the queue. Then he raised his loudspeaker and spoke loudly to ensure that the people behind him could hear him: "Xiao Zhang, listen up, ride your bike to the vegetable company to get the vegetables right away. You have to get the vegetables here no matter what. You can get whatever you want. We don't care about the type. Do you understand?"

"Understood! We will complete the task resolutely!" Xiao Zhang was smart and responded by shouting.

"Come on, neighbors, stand aside and make a way for our signalmen! We'll go to the vegetable company to get vegetables, and we'll make sure everyone can buy vegetables today!" the store manager shouted at the top of his voice.

This time, the crowd moved and made way.

When the store manager saw the changes, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his face with his hands.

This place is not far from Jianguomenwai Street. If an accident happens today because people are rushing to buy vegetables, my job as a manager will be over.

"Neighbors, this time the purchase is limited to ten kilograms. Be sure to think carefully about how to combine them, so as not to buy too much and then have your husbands at home complain about it being too monotonous." The store manager reminded considerately while standing on a stool.

"What dishes are available now?" the neighbors queuing behind asked from a distance.

"We have lotus roots, green radishes, carrots, potatoes, and onions now, which are all common vegetables. Tomorrow we will deliver premium vegetables, including cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, cauliflower, etc. Neighbors who want to eat something rare during the New Year can go home first and buy them tomorrow." The store manager was worried and tried to get the residents to go back. As for whether the premium vegetables would be available tomorrow, only God knows.

"Then we can buy less today and buy more tomorrow." The people were still worried. Their stomachs had been empty for the whole winter and they wanted to eat something rare, but they were unwilling to give up the opportunity to buy today.

"Okay, I'm just thinking about everyone. I'm afraid that everyone will catch a cold. Catching a cold is no joke. Those of you with children in the back, go back and put them down first, and the neighbors in front and behind, please help and save some seats." The store manager was very considerate. Since everyone didn't want to leave, he just sent the children back first.

After hearing what the store manager said, several families really began to whisper to each other, communicate well, and took their children home.

The store manager took the opportunity to bend down and told the clerk who was maintaining order, "Go and tell the salesperson to be nicer and move slower. With just this little bit of food, we have to hold out until the rest of the food is delivered."

The store manager knew very well that the purchase limit of 10 kilograms was posted in advance, and the quantity could not be changed at the last minute today. In order to appease the residents, the only thing they could do was to ask the salesperson to reduce efficiency and wait for the vegetables to be delivered later. If they were interrupted, the order would not be maintained.

(End of this chapter)