Chapter 174： Grassroots working people

Chapter 174 Working people at the grassroots level

"Okay, okay! Thank you, Comrade Fang, I thank you on behalf of the party and the people!" The woman bowed repeatedly to her bald head.

The bald man said "tsk" and continued to wave his hands, "But goodbye...boy, just wait here with her. I'll go upstairs to get it and I'll be back in a moment."

Si Ningning nodded, and after the bald head turned around, she heard the bald head muttering in a low voice: "I don't know what's wrong with it. I can't keep it alive if I just leave it alone, and I have to carry it with me. It's not a drag on people." no…"

This should be said about the woman next to me.

Si Ningning didn’t understand what happened, so she couldn’t make any judgments, but she was a little more curious about the woman beside her.

She tilted her head and looked up and down, and coincidentally the other party was also looking at her.

In the spirit of politeness and quality, Si Ningning thought that a nod and a smile would be considered a greeting, but at this moment, a breeze passed quickly in the alley, lifting the messy hair in front of the woman's face, revealing her mottled scarred face and face. The left eyeball is gray and white.

The scene was so horrifying that Si Ningning couldn't help but tremble and took several steps back.

The woman also realized that her face was frightening, so she quickly pushed down her hair that was blown up by the wind, brought the two sides together and clenched them tightly with her hands, for fear of leaking any more flesh.

The scar should have been caused by burns, and the eyes were too scary, so he would be frightened without being prepared, but after realizing it, Si Ningning felt a little sorry.

Si Ningning wanted to say something, but Baldhead ran over panting while carrying the bones.

“It’s yours.” The bald man threw half of a stick bone as big as the mouth of a bowl to the woman.

"Boy, this is yours." Different from the one given to the woman, the one given to Si Ningning by the bald man was packed in a woven bag.

It’s so bulging, so young and old.

“I can’t have it anymore…”

Si Ningning wanted to say that he didn't want that much and could give it to the woman evenly. But the woman didn't know whether it was because she was scared just now or for some other reason. After getting the bones, she turned around and ran away.

Si Ningning had no choice but to change her words, "Thank you, uncle, I'll take it."

The bald head nodded and said bluntly: "Boy, just call me Fatty Fang. I work in the slaughterhouse. If you have good things in the future, you can come to me. I can buy them by then, or exchange them for meat or meat stamps. It doesn't matter. , I have spotted you, you are an honest person, and I will never cheat you!"

As he spoke, Fatty Fang patted Si Ningning on the back with a generous hand.

Si Ningning is quite a generous person, and he could feel it, so he responded: "Okay, comrade, Fangfang, if there is a good one next time, I will come to you first!"

“That’s right, haha!”

Leaving the family building of the slaughterhouse, Si Ningning found a remote corner and entered the room. He took a shower and removed makeup in one go. After applying a little moisturizing cream, Si Ningning counted the money he earned today.

The price at the textile factory was thirty-seven yuan and sixty cents. After going to the family building of the slaughterhouse, all the cloth and more than 20 bags of milk powder were sold. On the contrary, the brown sugar was sold for very little.

It’s understandable when you think about it. After all, they are sold in supply and marketing cooperatives, and they don’t require tickets, but they are a bit more expensive.

The family building of the slaughterhouse earned 32 yuan. Most of the income came from cloth, and a small amount came from selling milk powder.

Each portion of milk powder is only a small packet, about 9 grams, which is barely enough to be brewed three times. If you want to save money and want to taste the milk powder, you can of course brew it a few more times.

 Such a pack of milk powder Si Ningning sells for 2 cents. Usually, when buying milk powder, you need foreign exchange coupons or milk powder tickets, and the price is not low.

Si Ningning’s two cents sale is actually not too much, but if you compare it with other things, it doesn’t seem worth it at first glance. It’s also because the slaughterhouses are all fat and poor, otherwise there may not be many people buying it.

Si Ningning planned to see if she could find a bigger bag in the future. If that didn't work, she wouldn't sell the milk powder and would keep it for herself...

If you can't finish it, leave it to the next generation. Anyway, it won't go bad if there is room.

Straighten the money bill and tap it out gently. Putting the relatively well-preserved bill in the idiom dictionary as before, Si Ningning went back to the bathroom and braided her hair again.

She didn’t want to take a shower and wash her hair every time after selling, but she had no choice. Her hair was weighed down by the wig, and it couldn’t be restored to its original shape without washing and blow-drying again.

If you really go to see Horang with a hairstyle with flying bangs and a flat top of your head, you may be mistaken for being hit by a car or robbed on the road.

Si Ningning had almost packed everything. She put on her backpack and water bottle, and stuffed the small roll of linen she got from Yang Yun into the bag and carried it on her back. She was ready to answer if Huo Lang asked her what she bought.

Stepping out of the space, Si Ningning glanced at the time on his pocket watch. It was 1:02 in the afternoon. There was nothing else to do, so Si Ningning wandered back to the state-owned hotel.

It was half past one when we arrived at the hotel. Si Ningning looked downstairs and upstairs but didn't see Huo Lang. She expected that Huo Lang would grab some, so she didn't think much about it and spent 50 cents and 20 taels of food stamps to order a bowl of snow. Shredded pork and vegetables noodles are eaten upstairs.

Having just put down the tray and before sitting down, a familiar voice came from the direction of the stairs: "Si Ning... an educated youth."

Si Ningning turned around and saw Huo Lang walking over with two bottles of orange soda in glass bottles.

Si Ningning simply stood up straight again, "I thought you had to wait for a while...Have you eaten? I'll go downstairs and order one for you."

"I've eaten there." Huo Lang raised his chin and motioned for Si Ningning to sit down.

After that, I sat in front of Si Ningning. In front of Si Ningning, I raised my **** and thumb and flicked the bottle mouth. There was a "pop" sound and the soda bottle cap was flicked away.

“…” Si Ningning was stunned for a moment and then said calmly: “Your hands are really strong.”

“Put your head over here and I’ll give you a big bump.” Huo Lang laughed hoarsely, making a rare joke.

However, this joke was not funny, and it even got a big eye roll from Si Ningning.

He opened another bottle of soda in the same manner, and Huo Lang pushed one of the bottles to Si Ningning with a dumb smile.

I don’t know why, but he likes to tease Si Ningning. Looking at Si Ningning’s eyes, he felt amused.

Si Ningning glanced at the soda without moving. After taking a sip of noodles, she swallowed her food and raised her eyes and asked Huo Lang, "How much do you know about Academician Liang?"

We are going to meet someone soon, and Si Ningning wants to know more about him in advance.

"Not much. What I know is what I heard from others." Huo Lang said truthfully, and then told Si Ningning everything he knew.

After listening to this, Si Ningning felt a little worried.

Academician Liang came out of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and has been studying zoology. It is said that he was sent to the northwest before. After being investigated, he was transferred to Province H to serve the people on the spot and help deal with livestock problems.

To put it bluntly, I am here to be a veterinarian.

 Academician Liang has always been very sensitive because of some things he had done in the northwest, but he is also conscientious in his daily work and does not neglect at all.

For example, in Zhougang brigade, which was in the same commune as Jiling brigade, the cattle plowing the fields were sick and could not be cured no matter how hard they were treated. The commune members were ready to take off the lid and take care of the cow's funeral.

Academician Liang just walked from the county to Zhougang Brigade and helped people heal the cow. For such a conscientious and hard-working person, after knowing that the members of the commune were troubled by rats, even if they didn't have cats, they could still prepare a pair of rat poison. No, it was impossible to ignore them, but they just didn't care!

Because there is another thing in this.

According to the version he heard, Holang said that someone came here to borrow the cat during the autumn harvest, and it was agreed that the cat would be returned after the grain was distributed after the new year. What was the result?

At the end of the year, the cat was not returned, but a pair of cat skins was returned.

It was said that the cat ate something unclean and was poisoned to death. Later it was reported that it was beaten and eaten by someone...

Since then, Academician Liang has not been active in treating livestock in nearby communes and brigades, let alone borrowing cats.

Si Ningning didn’t know what others thought about this matter, but she felt quite uncomfortable after hearing it.

If the cat was really poisoned to death, just find a place to bury it and it would be over. When the time comes, give someone an apology. To be honest, no one can predict the situation and there is really no way to do it. There is a high probability that it can be forgiven. .

Will a cat that can be drugged to death be skinned?

Everyone knows what the real answer is.

It’s no wonder that Academician Liang’s attitude has become cunning.

"well…"

Suddenly hearing Si Ningning sigh, Huo Lang laughed softly, "What? Do you find it difficult?"

He changed his hand and pushed the soda closer to Si Ningning's hand. "The supply and marketing cooperative put it in an ice mattress to chill it. Let's have a drink."

"…Um."

Si Ningning hesitated for a moment, then picked up the bottle and took a sip.

There is a refrigerator in the space. Of course Si Ningning is not greedy for the ice soda in front of her, but she is purely curious about the soda in this era.

Took a sip and found that it tasted too sweet, and I don’t know whether it was saccharin or coloring, but the taste was strong. Very strange.

A bottle of soda like this sells for 10 cents at a supply and marketing cooperative. If you return the bottle after drinking it, you can get a nickel back. However, in the general environment, there may be many teenagers and girls who long for and want to drink a bottle of this kind of soda. Soda, but in fact, people don’t buy it.

Because I feel luxurious.

And this bottle of soda, which represents "luxury" in the eyes of many people, does not taste good in Si Ningning's eyes at this moment.

"taste not good?"

The words "It tastes very bad" rolled around on the tip of Si Ningning's tongue, and she finally swallowed it.

Si Ningning shook his head, "No."

It’s a shameful waste, but just this once, she will definitely not buy it when she encounters it in the future!

Si Ningning wrinkled his nose and took another sip, then pushed the soda aside and continued to eat noodles while talking to Huo Lang: "This matter is indeed a bit tricky, and we will rush back in the afternoon..."

“If the previous incident about the cat is true, it would be almost impossible to gain Academician Liang’s trust in such a short period of time, let alone borrow a cat.”

Huo Lang opened his thin lips, and Si Ningning seemed to know what he wanted to say, shook his head and said first, "Let me try it, what if it doesn't work? If it doesn't work, we will buy a mousetrap."

Of course, mouse traps are also useful, but looking back on Zhao Hongbing’s expression before, it was obvious that he still hoped to take the cat back.

Some problems can also be seen in many details. For example, a mouse trap is a dead object after all, and its function and flexibility are far inferior to the mouse’s natural enemy, the cat.

The more he thought about it, the more Si Ningning felt that there was not enough time, so he ate a few bites of noodles quickly, closed his eyes, raised his neck, and drank a bottle of soda in one gulp, and finally pushed the empty bottle to Huo Lang. , took a breath and stood up, "Let's go!"

The little face was straightened up, and he looked confident but also seemed to be looking forward to death.

Huo Lang shook his head helplessly, picked up the empty bottle and followed Si Ningning downstairs.

Shan Mantang's car had been waiting outside the door for a long time. The two got in the car and experienced another ten minutes of shaky driving, finally stopping at the entrance of a dilapidated alley.

“If you have anything to do, please go and do your work first and come back to pick us up later.”

“I understand, Comrade Huo Lang! Let me wish you good luck first. That Academician Liang is not easy to deal with.”

Shan Mantang bared his big white teeth and said with a smile. After speaking, he glanced at the door of the rear seat again.

Huo Lang stood by the door and helped Si Ningning open the car door, but Si Ningning almost slipped under Huo Lang's arm.

Shan Mantang was busy turning the steering wheel to turn around. When he thought of something, he turned around and said: "Um, Comrade Huo Lang, Si Zhiqing, I heard that Academician Liang doesn't look like Zhou Zheng. Anyway, if you two want to go... pay attention. Order it!”

Speaking, he stepped on the accelerator and ran away.

Si Ningning and Huo Lang were left standing looking at each other.

Si Ningning asked: "What do you mean?"

“Literally.” Horan replied.

It is hard to see anyone who looks upright...

Si Ningning thought for a moment and said, "Then why don't you go? You lead me somewhere, and then you wait for me at the intersection or somewhere..."

"Why don't you go?" Huo Lang asked with a smile.

“Academician Liang doesn’t like Zhou Zheng’s men, and he’s not against girls. If I don’t go, who will?”

Huo Lang laughed at Si Ningning's naivety and did not explain. He took a long step forward and said, "Hurry up, time is running out."

Si Ningning squeezed her crescent eyebrows, kept mumbling, stepped forward, and followed obediently.

The alleys are complicated, and the shabby condition inside is even more exaggerated than when they first came in. The residents inside are not as decent as the ones I saw before. Not only are their clothes obviously patched, but they are also stained so darkly that they are almost cake-caked.

Looking at the dark and thin faces that turned around and looked at them, Si Ningning inexplicably reminded him of the rebellious slums abroad. This made Si Ningning a little uncomfortable, and her little hands subconsciously grabbed the hem of Huo Lang's waist.

Huo Lang glanced back and saw Si Ningning's fear. He comforted him: "Most of the people living in this alley are brick factory workers or their families. They are just curious and have no ill intentions."

Si Ningning nodded. When she heard the reason, she felt relieved a lot. She even felt that the faces of the grassroots working people in front of her became kinder.

The brick factory has special work and a heavy workload. It lags behind the other two factories in the county in terms of sanitation.

(End of this chapter)