CH 237

But the team leader wondered if this new Director who looked serious and old-fashioned could understand it?

Han Qingsong returned to the office of the Public Security Bureau of the Revolutionary Committee with the meat. He looked at the sky and thought about taking it home later after work, so there was no worry.

When Sun Zhuowen saw that he was carrying something, he immediately smelled the strong smell of raw meat. He smiled, “Oh, Director Han, you purposely brought meat to treat us? There was no need to do so.”

Han Qingsong didn’t look at him and said lightly, “You misunderstood— this is for me to take home and improve my family lifestyle.”

Han Qingsong went out to find Minister Zhao.

Sun Zhuowen gritted his teeth angrily and said to Huang Weizhong, “Whatever. Even if he begs me to eat it, I wouldn’t bother to have a taste either.”

Huang Weizhong advised him not to be angry, “Director Han just arrived here. Besides, he just changed his career and came from the troops, so he doesn’t understand our customs.”

Here, new officials would usually invite their subordinates for a meal when they take their new place in the office. Of course, the subordinates would also return the official with ‘small gifts’ as a token of friendship. With that, everyone would be happy.

Who would have thought that this Han Qingsong didn’t follow the customs of the place and was always exuding that stupid and dense facade of his.

Han Qingsong went to Minister Zhao and asked if the food stamps had arrived.

Minister Zhao smiled and said, “Yes, they’re here in the Commune,” Then he asked, “Will Director Han eat in the cafeteria or go home?”

Han Qingsong, “I usually eat at home in the morning and evening. If it gets too late in the afternoon, I’ll be in the cafeteria,” If he really was busy though, he was probably going to finish his work before entertaining the idea of a meal.

Besides those who have larger families and large compounds that have their three meals a day in the cafeteria, others would basically only have lunch in the Commune. Most of the workers would also opt to return home to eat for all three meals.

That way, they could claim the grain, oii and other foods home, subsidising the family’s lacking rations.

Minister Zhao saw that his way of speaking was very serious and serene, which was very different from the usual laughter-filled cadres from the countryside.

He said, “I know that Director Han has no food stamps at the moment, so I will send them out two days in advance. If you want to go home for lunch, you can make an order in the cafeteria before going to the Grains Management Office to claim them.”

He could obtain however much he wanted as long as he communicated properly to the group leader.

Han Qingsong took all his food stamps for the month and for the next as well. The rest would wait for another two days before claiming.

He first went to the cafeteria to make an order before going to the Grains Management Office behind the Commune to get 30 catties of rations in advance. Half of them were fine grains while the other half was replaced with more sorghum flour and corn flour in proportion to its thickness.

General office workers have 30 catties of food stamps a month— 60% of them were fine grains and 40% consisted of coarse grains.

Things were a bit messy here though.

The native-born Commune personnel would have steamed buns, wowotou, etc. that were included in their catties. This was a rule passed down during the difficult period of war and it had not been changed so far. Other cadres were upset about it as there wasn’t enough food to go round, but without the ability to change anything, they had to figure alternative ways to secure food.