"Huh... I'm back, let's go! I'll take you to the bathhouse on Niujie Street. You don't have to spend money."
"Okay! I'll stop by your place just in time."
Ma Erbao handed over 1 yuan and 5 cents, and Zhou Wenzhong looked at him with satisfaction. 5 cents was from the bath ticket seller, and 1 yuan was Zhang Xiufang's 50% share of the money.
"Brother Zhong, I have benefited from you today. Normally, I work very hard all day long to earn 5 cents. The scorekeeper Zhang just gave me 2 yuan, and I kept 1 yuan to sell baths.
I don’t want any money for the ticket or the invoice. I must thank you today.”
"You're welcome."
"Brother Zhong, don't be too little. I'll give it all to you next time something like this happens again. I can't do anything about it this time. Yesterday, people from the street office came to our yard to do mobilization work. After the Chinese New Year, my brother should be out
I have to prepare some money for him to take with me when he goes to his hometown. Alas..."
"It's probably time for our courtyard to come. There are too few people in their subdistrict office and they can't handle it at all. It's just under the new year. There are tens of thousands of households in one subdistrict. That's not right. Logically speaking, you should go!"
"Well, it's true that I should go. But anyway, I still have a job. If I go to the countryside, this job will definitely be gone. It will definitely be more difficult at home, and there is no other way. Besides, I
My younger brother is also old enough. He also graduated from junior high school. It complies with the policy."
"Oh, that's okay."
"Actually, the people in the sub-district office are pretty good. I came to inform everyone yesterday that they would go to the countryside after the Chinese New Year. This gives me some time. During this period, the Eight Immortals are crossing the sea and showing off their magical powers. If you can enter the factory, hurry up. If you can't, then hurry up.
In the case of a factory, from another perspective, it means reducing the number of staff and relieving the pressure on the subdistrict office."
"You have to make arrangements to go to Ningxia, right?"
Ma Erbao had a wry smile on his face and replied: "That's right. Either go to Ningxia or Qinghai."
"Are all the outer suburbs full?"
"It's almost impossible to get a place in Shanxi! Those who are qualified will go to build the corps, and they will be paid monthly. If you are lucky and make meritorious service, or if you are favored by the leader, you will become an active-duty officer. In fact, who cares?
I don’t understand. Is it easy to join the Construction Corps?
These days, everyone is trying to get into the army, and then choose to build the corps. But every road is blocked. The recruitment office selects a lot of people every year, but the annual quotas of the street office are so few.
To put it bluntly, even if no one from the recruitment office comes, I don’t even know who can become a soldier! It’s boring to say this.”
The more Ma Erbao talked, the more energetic he became. He poured his dissatisfaction into his legs and kicked a piece of rubbish away. His mood eased a little. Zhou Wenzhong also imitated his posture and kicked a stone away. The two looked at each other.
With a smile, everything goes without saying anything.
"Why don't you buy some things and go to the street office to walk around? Try to get your brother a return quota for the city? The young people who return to the city are responsible for allocating work."
"Haha~ That's easy to say. One return indicator costs 200 yuan. It's even more expensive this year!"
"I asked, has your brother already taken root in the countryside?"
"I can't be my brother's boss, nor can I be his family. Just do whatever you want. Everyone has his or her own blessings."
"Huh... the quota for returning to the city, the quota for staying in the city, the quota for military service, and the list of people going to the countryside. These are all in the hands of the street office."
"Brother Zhong, what you said is not entirely correct."
"oh?"
"Even if you can get the return indicator, you still need to have it stamped by them after you send it. They can just block it and not let you go."
"Where's the educated youth spot?"
"The Educated Youth Light Society helps the commune bully people."
"When your brother was in the countryside, he couldn't be called an educated youth, right?"
"Well, they were called the rural reclamation team at that time."
"This is quite old, it was called before 1955."
"Roughly the same."
Zhou Wenzhong had already heard that Ma Erbao's family had more than 200 yuan in savings.
"There is a family in our street. The man is about the same age as my brother. When he jumped in the queue and went to the countryside, he made the girl's belly bigger.
His family gave him an indicator to return to the city, and his brigade also stamped it and released him. As a result, the boy lost contact with the girl in the country after he came back. Guess what happened next? "
"I'll go to his workplace to make trouble later."
"Absolutely. More than 80 people came from her village. I don't know how they got here. They held their children and blocked the door of their work unit. Finally, the union of his work unit came forward to talk about the matter.
This woman and her child have stayed in the city and have applied for a marriage certificate. But she still has a rural household registration. It would be great if the street office could help her and find a job for her."
"Hey... I think you just don't understand anything. There are too many things going on. If the street office dares to open this hole today, tomorrow there will be more than 800 people holding their children and blocking the street office in the same way.
The door cannot be opened!"
Zhou Wenzhong was tired from walking, so he took out a steamed bun from the space, broke off half of it and threw it to Ma Erbao.
"Brother Zhong, why do I feel like you don't care about anything?"
"Yeah?"
"I think you are a person who doesn't care about money or food. You don't care where you go to the countryside. You are happy every day. Is it because the separation of the family has hit you too hard?"
"Hey, if you have work, do it, if you have food, eat it, if you have money, spend it. After a day or two hours, you will be pulled down and buried in a wild pit. Isn't that what life is like? Don't be too hard on yourself.
When the pressure is high, it is easy for people to dive into dead ends. The development of things is not based on people's will. So, watching the flowers bloom and fall in front of the court and the clouds rolling and relaxing, and achieving the blooming of the lotus in your heart is the highest state.
You, please learn!"
Ma Erbao didn't say much, maybe he heard it, or maybe he didn't. For nearly 10 kilometers, the two of them just walked like this. As the distance got closer, Ma Erbao gradually became enthusiastic.
.
"Anse Liangmu came to Kumu."
A woman in her 50s responded with a smile: "I'm here with a blinding eye."
Ma Erbao pointed at Zhou Wenzhong and introduced him loudly to the old woman: "This is a friend from my work unit."
"Se Liangmu,"
"Colorful eyes."
The old woman nodded.
Zhou Wenzhong came closer, stretched out his hands and shook hands with the old woman.
"This old lady is my sixth aunt."
"Ah, ah! How are you, auntie? I see that you have a strong body and your family is pretty good, right?"
"Very good, very good."
"Is life okay?"
"It's okay, it's okay."
"How is the implementation of various policies in our street this year? How is the harvest at home? If you have any difficulties, just ask! I am here to explain to you... So what, you rest first, if you have time later
, I’ll come see you again.”
Ma Erbao stretched out his hand and dragged Zhou Wenzhong away. There was really nothing to talk about today. He called his sixth aunt, grandma, and Zhou Wenzhong opened his mouth and called her aunt, which was so bad!
"Why are you dragging me along? You are really hopeless."
"Brother Zhong, are you having a good time chatting?"
"Of course, an old person in a family is like a treasure. I just like chatting with the elderly."
"Haha~ Brother Zhong, you are quite good at it."
"Hey, no matter what you say, we were also born in the 34th year of the Republic of China (1945). Aren't the five-color flags of the Republic of China: Han, Mongolian, Manchu, Hui, and Tibetan! I have to be more or less good at traveling around the world.
Why don’t you have too many skills to overwhelm your body?”
Just as Ma Erbao was about to speak, he started to behave like a junior again, greeting others enthusiastically.
"This is my third grandfather."
"This one is from my great-grandfather's generation."
"This is my uncle."
"Who is this……"
"This one needs no introduction!"
Zhou Wenzhong lowered his head and glanced at the 4-year-old kid who had a runny nose and was eating Cuban candy.
"I finally figured it out. Why is your Ma Erbao's seniority so low? Forget it, let's go."
"I can't help it! I was born like this. What can I do?"
"Whose family does that girl belong to?"
Ma Erbao looked in the direction of Zhou Wenzhong's finger. He saw a 17 or 8-year-old well-dressed foreign beauty girl, a little over 1.6 meters tall, wearing a gauze scarf. She had big eyes and long eyebrows.
"She's already married."
"Nonsense!"
"When you are really married, you are wearing a hijab! Your neck and ears are a shame, and you cannot let outsiders see you."
"Alas...I came too late!"
"Let's go, let's watch for a while, or my husband will come out and beat you up. I can't help you."
"Fine."
Ma Erbao enthusiastically introduced various locations to Zhou Wenzhong.
Over there is Mutton Alley.
At the end of this direction is Niujie Primary School.
Over there is the Daha Temple where guests are entertained on the 26th day of the lunar calendar.
Ma Lianliang was from their family, and he was talking with great energy. If Zhou Wenzhong hadn't pulled him along, he would have sang a few lines, both high and low.
Ma Sanli is also from their family.
There is an acrobat at Niujie Caishikou who is really awesome.
Here is the largest mule and horse shop in the old society, which has affected the price range of horses in the capital more than once.
Zhou Wenzhong added in his heart: Ma Ji is also from your family.
There are traditional snacks here, and there is a certain inherited culture here...
"You have told me so much, and I want to ask you about someone."
"Say, I know most of the people here, and almost all of them are related to each other. In the entire Niu Street, there are six families with the surname Ma and three families with the surname Bai."
"Where does Shen live?"
Ma Erbao asked with a somewhat unnatural look on his face: "The one who practices wrestling?"
"Um."
"That's the big gangster leader. The house we just passed by belongs to them. Why do you ask?"
After finishing speaking, Ma Erbao pointed in the direction again.
Zhou Wenzhong remembered the location in his mind and did not answer his question.
"Okay. I've been walking for more than an hour. Is it time to take a shower?"
"Well, we'll be there soon."
"Is the person riding the tricycle self-employed?"
"Ah, yes."
"Comrade! Come here! This way, this way!"
A middle-aged man riding a tricycle came over 30 meters away.
"How can I help? Just ask."
"Help me go to the department store to pick up two pieces of clothes. How do I count this round trip?"
The middle-aged man looked at Ma Erbao first, and then replied: "Is it heavy?"
"It's not heavy, just a few clothes, a few pairs of shoes, and a coat."
"4...3 cents, maybe."
Zhou Wenzhong took out 3 cents from his pocket and handed it over.
"Go to the candy counter of the department store and find a man named Zhou Deming. Ask him to give you a cotton coat, a pair of cotton trousers, two sweaters, three pairs of size 41 five-eye cotton shoes, and four pairs of pants. Then
You can bring the things back to me and send them to the bathhouse. I'll give you an extra 10 cents. Thank you for your hard work."
"Hey! These things are not heavy. If you say 3 cents, you will get 3 cents. I can't worry about what you want."
"Okay, if you're tired, leave early and come back early."
"Okay! Thank you for taking care of me."
"My name is Zhou Wenzhong. Just mention my name to him. By the way, tell him that there should be no wrinkles on your clothes."
"No problem! Let's go!"
Zhou Wenzhong took out his cigarettes and just took out one and was about to hand it over. The middle-aged man had already left on a tricycle. He turned around and shouted from a distance: "Wait until I come back and smoke again!"
"You know him?"
"It's not really an acquaintance. I've met a few times. I often work here and am an outsider."
"oh."
"Stop being so cool, it's freezing. Hurry up and take a dip in the pool."
Zhou Wenzhong nodded and walked into the [Public Bathhouse] with Ma Erbao.