Chapter 620 Gift Giving
Zhou Yimin stood at the door of the office holding an enamel pot, listening to the sound of lunch boxes colliding in the corridor, and was shocked to realize that it was almost noon.
The song "Labor is the Most Glorious" playing on the factory radio gradually faded, replaced by the aroma of chopped green onions wafting from the cafeteria. But looking at the ticking clock on the wall, he always felt that there would be temporary tasks assigned today - at this time of year in previous years, Director Hu would always grab a few section chiefs to check the material list until the sun set.
But it seems that there is no mission this year. If I had known this, I would not have come.
Zhou Yimin paced back and forth in front of his desk with his fists clenched, the soles of his military boots making a rustling sound as they scraped against the concrete floor.
A corner of the crispy meat on the windowsill was blown up by the draft, and he suddenly remembered that it would be the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month in three days, and according to the rules, he should go to his girlfriend's house to give her a New Year's gift.
His fingertips unconsciously stroked the scratches on the corner of the table, where there were still small holes made by the compass when he was drawing blueprints for the research lab last year.
"I'm just sitting around doing nothing anyway," he muttered to himself, placing the enamel pot heavily on the table, causing ripples in the blue ink in the ink bottle.
He picked up the dusty broom from the corner and started with the spider webs on the ceiling. The stale flocs fell on the back of his neck, making him frown with itch.
When I swept under the radiator, I actually swept out half a moldy steamed bun - I don't know which careless person put it there.
The rag was soaked in icy tap water, freezing his knuckles.
However, he wiped it very carefully, even the dust on the top of the filing cabinet was not spared. When the rag passed over the photo frame, the photo with his girlfriend inside was wiped clean and shiny. The girl with a red hairband made his lips curl up unconsciously.
The coal slag stains on the floor were very stubborn. He squatted on the ground and picked them off bit by bit with his fingernails. He didn't even notice the numbness in his knees.
By the time he straightened up, the sun had already set. The brief winter sunlight shone through the polished glass, casting neat grids of light and shadow on the windowsill.
The originally gray office has been completely renovated. The metal filing cabinets are shining with metallic luster, and even the cactus in the corner has shaken off the dust, showing green vitality.
Zhou Yimin leaned against the door frame, looking at the fruits of his labor, his Adam's apple rolling up and down as he swallowed a mouthful of dry liquid, and nodded with satisfaction - this was what an office that had won an advanced individual award should look like.
After thinking about it, I decided that there was nothing to do next, so I thought about leaving.
But before leaving, I have to go find Zhou Dazhong.
Zhou Yimin stuffed the last stack of documents into the metal cabinet. The cabinet door closed with a slight "click" sound, which startled the gray moth perched on the cactus on the windowsill.
He reached out and tugged at the slightly crooked factory emblem. The money in his military coat pocket softened by his body temperature, reminding him that he had something important to do.
After closing the office door, he quickly walked to Zhou Dazhong's office.
When I pushed open the door of Zhou Dazhong's office, the warm yellow light with a faint smell of alcohol hit me in the face.
Zhou Dazhong was standing on tiptoe to stick the word "Fu" on the wall, with the paste brush still dripping with white sticky liquid. When he saw Zhou Yimin coming in, he turned around in a hurry, but missed his step on the bench and fell onto the chair with a thump.
"Uncle Sixteen, why are you here?" He was busy straightening his crooked collar, and there was still a red mark on the back of his neck from the pillow.
Zhou Yimin leaned against the door frame, his eyes sweeping over the unfinished cup of herbal tea on the table - there were still Zhou Dazhong's teeth marks on the rim of the cup.
"Dazhong, if other leaders are looking for me, please come to the Siheyuan to find me." He deliberately emphasized the word "others", and the sound was like a frozen block of iron, hitting the ground heavily.
Zhou Dazhong was about to ask, but was interrupted by Zhou Yimin. He could only swallow his doubts and nodded heavily, his Adam's apple rolling up and down as he responded, "Okay, Uncle Sixteen!"
The motorcycle in the carport was covered with a thin layer of snow. Zhou Yimin reached out to brush away the ice crystals on the handlebars, and the coolness of the metal spread along his fingertips.
The roar of the starting engines tore through the silence of the steel mill. Since everyone was busy cleaning, no production was taking place and the machines that usually made a loud noise were not running.
There was a thin layer of ice on the bluestone road in the courtyard. Zhou Yimin slowed down the car, and the tires made a slight "crunching" sound as they rolled over the ice.
The third aunt was washing vegetables by the well. When she saw him coming back, she came to greet him without even taking off her apron: "Yimin, come over to eat dumplings tonight!"
Li Youde from next door poked his head out of the door holding a broom, the tip of the broom still stained with coal dust: "Yimin, have you prepared all the New Year's goods?"
Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded, and the bell on the handlebar swayed gently with his movement.
When I pushed open the mottled wooden door of my house, the old locust tree in the yard rustled in the cold wind, and a few dead leaves fell on my shoulders, like a letter sent by time.
I took out the key and opened the door. The cold air in the room, wrapped in a stale smell, hit me in the face.
When Zhou Yimin opened the door of his house, the north wind was blowing snow foam against the window frame.
He dragged the wooden box in the corner to the center of the room. The moment he lifted the cotton cloth, the frozen hard pork chunks turned light red. The ten pounds of meat were carefully divided into three rolls with oil paper, and each roll was tied with neat lines with hemp rope.
He squatted down and searched, and the hem of his military coat swept across the coal slag on the ground, revealing beef and mutton wrapped in red cloth underneath - they were bought at the store a few days ago, but the extra beef and mutton were put into the store space.
Ten pounds of white flour were packed in a cloth bag with "Model Worker" printed on it. There was a red rope tied to the mouth of the bag. It was a prize given by the factory last year.
When Zhou Yimin put the flour bag into the big bamboo basket, it hit the tin box next to it, and a pound of White Rabbit milk candy rolled out, with the candy wrappers flashing in the twilight.
He suddenly remembered that Zhang Yan said last time that she failed to get any strawberries at the supply and marketing cooperative, so he quickly turned around to look through the storage cabinet. The strawberries in the glass jar were still covered with ice, and the bright red flesh was faintly visible through the ice.
"I was going to keep two kilograms for myself." Zhou Yimin weighed the glass jar and rubbed the icicles on the jar mouth with his fingertips. "Since there are extra, let her eat as much as she wants."
He found an empty cloth bag and poured the two pounds of strawberries he had originally planned into it. He then scooped out three pounds from another ceramic jar. The ice chips fell on the cloth bag, making a crisp sound.
The apples and remaining strawberries next to it weighed a total of four pounds. He stuffed them all in, and the cloth bag instantly bulged into a small round hill.
Zhou Yimin stared at the pile of supplies and smacked his lips - ten kilograms of pork was enough for Zhang Yan's family to make two jars of bacon, the beef and mutton could make three meals of dumplings, and White Rabbit milk candy was an even rarer commodity, the shelves of the supply and marketing cooperative had been empty for half a month.
He suddenly remembered that Zhang Yan's mother always said that she wanted to eat white flour buns, and he couldn't help but add more spoonfuls of flour into the flour bag until the cloth bag hurt his fingers.
In order to conceal his tracks, he found a burlap bag used to hold waste materials and put the two bags of New Year's goods inside them tightly.
When he picked it up, the hemp rope dug deeply into his palm, and the heavy weight reminded him of the feeling of pulling steel.
As soon as I reached the gate, I ran into Dapeng carrying cabbages back home. His eyes flickered over the bulging bag and he scratched the back of his head with his rough fingers: "Yimin, where are you going with all these things?"
"I'm going to my girlfriend's house to give her a New Year's gift." Zhou Yimin pulled at the brim of his hat that was blown askew by the wind. The strawberry ice in the cloth bag was slowly melting into water, leaving dark marks on the fabric.
Dapeng said "Oh", but his eyes lit up, and he put down the cabbage and came to help: "I'll help you carry it!"
The two of them worked together to lift the cloth bag onto the rear rack of the motorcycle. Dapeng touched the cold metal sheet and exclaimed in amazement: "Your girlfriend's family is really blessed. My family is lucky to be able to smell the smell of meat during the New Year."
Zhou Yimin smiled and patted his arm. When he started the motorcycle, the New Year's goods on the rear rack swayed slightly with the vibration of the engine.
Dapeng waved his hand and turned around in the wind and snow. The squeaking sound of his cotton shoes stepping on the snow gradually faded away. He looked at the other person's back disappearing around the corner, and turned back.
The headlights of the motorcycle pierced the twilight, casting flickering spots of light on the icy road. Zhou Yimin hunched his neck, and the cold wind poured in through the collar of his military coat, freezing his ears.
The two large bags of New Year's goods on the back seat squeaked with the bumps, the hemp ropes were deeply embedded in the iron brackets, and the water stains from the melted strawberries flowed down the cloth bags, leaving winding marks on the blue paint of the motorcycle.
When turning the last corner, Zhang Yan's blue brick house came into sight.
The icicles on the courtyard wall glowed coldly in the moonlight. Warm yellow light leaked from the cracks in the wooden windows, mixed with the faint aroma of cooking.
Zhou Yimin turned off the engine and got out of the car. His feet made a crunching sound as they stepped on the snow. The New Year's goods on the back rack were heavy, and the hemp rope rubbed his palms red.
He walked to the door carrying two large bags, and the white air he exhaled instantly condensed into ice crystals.
The knuckles knocked against the wooden door, making a dull "dong dong" sound. Amid the creaking sound of the door hinge, Zhang Lu, wearing an apron, poked her head out and saw the bulging cloth bag in Zhou Yimin's arms. Her eyes suddenly widened - the bulging block outline under the cloth was clearly the meat that could only be seen during the Chinese New Year.
"Brother Yimin, you are so polite. Just come, why bring any gifts?" Zhang Lu complained and reached out to pick up the bag, with unwashed cabbage leaves still stuck in the cracks of her fingernails.
But the moment she grasped the hemp rope, her expression suddenly changed - the cloth bag didn't move at all. She gritted her teeth and used all her strength to barely lift the bag half an inch off the ground. The muscles in her arms were trembling.
At this time, hurried footsteps were heard from the inner room.
Zhang Yan ran out wearing a floral apron, with flour on the ends of her hair. When she saw Zhou Yimin, her eyes curved into crescents: "Brother Yimin, why are you here?"
She was so busy greeting people that she didn't notice Zhang Lu, whose face was blushing, standing beside her.
"Sister, why are you saying so much? Come over and help me!" Zhang Lu shouted unhappily, with sweat oozing from her red, frozen nose.
Zhang Yan finally reacted and stepped forward to help. The two sisters held the bag on the left and right, their shoes slipping on the icy threshold, and finally moved the New Year's goods into the main room.
The moment the cloth bag fell on the eight-immortals table, the flame of the kerosene lamp was shaken, and the sweet fragrance of White Rabbit milk candy mixed with the mutton smell of beef and mutton instantly filled the whole room.
Zhang Lu sniffed the cold air with her nose, her eyes shining like two stars, her fingers twisting the apron strings unconsciously: "Brother Yimin, what delicious food did you bring this time?"
She could clearly smell a sweet milky aroma in the air, very much like the White Rabbit milk candies locked in the counter of the supply and marketing cooperative.
Zhou Yimin had just taken off his snow-covered hat and smiled when he heard this: "It's nothing special. Ten kilograms of pork, two kilograms of beef and mutton, and some flour and fruit."
He paused for a moment, looked at Zhang Lu's eyes that suddenly widened, and added, "Oh, by the way, I brought a pound of White Rabbit milk candy."
"Jin?" Zhang Lu's voice suddenly rose, causing the dust on the roof beams to fall down.
She looked at Zhou Yimin, then at the bulging cloth bag on the table, and suddenly felt that the cabbage leaves in her hand were not fragrant anymore - during the Chinese New Year last year, she had finally begged two candies from her cousin, and she held them in her mouth and was reluctant to chew them.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help swallowing.
Zhang Yan's face slowly darkened, the floral patterns on her apron glowed softly under the light, and her tone was filled with embarrassment that could not be concealed: "Brother Yimin, the bacon you gave me a while ago is still hanging on the beam, why did you bring so much again? Take some back quickly."
Her fingertips unconsciously picked at the buttons on her apron, and her fingertips turned white.
"Yo——" Zhang Lu suddenly drew out her voice, with a mischievous smile on her lips, "Sister, you've already started saving money for your husband's family before you even get married?"
She deliberately moved closer to Zhang Yan, her nose almost touching her red earlobe, "If someone didn't know, I would think you two had already received the certificate."
Zhang Yan's face suddenly turned red, spreading from her ears to her neck, as if a basin of hot rouge had been poured on her.
Her fingers were clenched on her apron so tightly that they turned white. She wanted to refute but was blocked from saying anything. She could only glare at Zhang Lu fiercely. The wind she created when she turned around almost knocked over the oil lamp on the table.
Zhang Lu looked at her sister's embarrassed expression, covered her mouth and chuckled twice, then turned around and rushed to the sack.
The rough linen made a rustling sound as she flipped it. She didn't care that her fingers were numb from the frozen meat, and she kept muttering, "Where's the candy? Where is the White Rabbit candy hidden?"
The apples rolled out and fell to the ground with a "dong dong" sound, and she was busy rummaging around in the flour bag.
At this moment, the door curtain of the inner room was lifted up with a "rustle".
Aunt Zhang came out carrying a chipped coarse porcelain bowl and was about to call the children to eat when she saw Zhang Lu with half of his body sticking into a sack.
Her brows were instantly twisted into knots, her eyes were like ice, and she reached out to pick up the feather duster behind the door.
Just as Zhou Yimin was about to open his mouth to dissuade her, Aunt Zhang swung her arm down.
With a crisp "pa" sound, the feather duster hit Zhang Lu on the back, startling her so much that she jumped up with a scream, still holding a strawberry in her hand that she had not had time to put down.
She turned her head and saw her mother's livid face. Her arrogance disappeared in an instant, and she cried out in a sobbing voice, "Mom! I was wrong! I won't dare to do it again!"
"What's wrong?"
Aunt Zhang's voice was like the cold wind of December blowing across the ice. She pointed at the apples scattered on the ground with a feather duster and said, "You are rummaging through things in front of guests. You have no manners at all!"
She became angrier and angrier as she spoke, and raised the duster to hit him again. Zhang Lu was so scared that she held her head and turned around. The end of her braid brushed against Zhou Yimin's trouser leg, bringing with it a faint scent of soapberry.
Zhang Yan finally came to her senses from her embarrassment and hurriedly stepped forward to pull her: "Mom, Lulu is just curious..."
Before she could finish her words, Aunt Zhang glared back at her: "It's all your fault!"
Seeing this, Zhou Yimin quickly tried to smooth things over: "Don't be angry, Auntie. The children are young, and the things I brought were originally for them two sisters."
Zhang Lu took the opportunity to hide behind Zhou Yimin, sticking half of her head out to look at her mother, her eyes red like a wronged rabbit.
Aunt Zhang looked at the New Year's goods scattered on the ground, then looked at Zhou Yimin's honest smile. She didn't drop the feather duster in her hand after all. She just snorted heavily: "Hurry up and pick up the things!"
In order to avoid being beaten again, Zhang Lu immediately picked up the things that fell on the ground, fearing that if she was a little slow, she would be beaten by her mother again.
(End of this chapter)
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