Chapter 36
The next morning, Tong Shu led Tong Songming to the eighth floor where the wooden boat had been thrown out. The soldiers who were moving it carefully pushed the boat into the building and cleaned up the icicles on it. Several thermos cups were also neatly placed in the cabin.
Tong Songming took a measuring tape and measured the data along the bottom of the ship. Seeing that she couldn't help much, Tong Shu ran to Building 3 to check on the two machines.
Zhang Ming and Lao Zhuangtou worked quickly; the two machines were already installed, and the two men were using small brushes to apply machine oil to the parts.
"Xiao Tong, you're here?" Zhang Ming greeted Tong Shu. "The machines are all installed, but Uncle Zhuang said they still need to be powered on and tested."
"Thank you for your hard work. Once Director Zhu gets the generator approved, I'll have my dad come and arrange it." Tong Shu took out cash and handed it to the two of them: "Here, this is your salary."
Old Zhuang thanked him, carefully folded the money, and put it in his pocket. Zhang Ming smiled broadly and said, "I've saved up quite a bit of money these past two days. Your family also provides three meals a day, and I've saved all the supplies the community gives out. Rui Rui has been speaking to me much more gently lately. Is your convenience store open now? I'll go buy something to try and win her over."
In the past few days, many people have started to go out and adapt to the environment. The first thing they do when they have money in their pockets is go to Tong Shu’s family’s small shop to buy supplies. They are afraid that if the environment changes again, they will no longer accept cash. So the small shop has resumed normal business, and the family members take turns managing it.
"My second aunt is here. Anyway, we don't have any work to do right now, so let's go pick out some things to take home." After saying that, Tong Shu led the two out the door, carefully locked the door, and then led them towards the office.
Inside the convenience store, Shuya sat in front of the iron gate, collecting money and handing things to people through the small window. A small stove sat at her feet, the embers inside flickering.
"Here, take this charcoal. Remember to ventilate when you're burning it at home." Shuya took the money and scooped half a bucket of charcoal into the visitor's bucket.
"Okay, thanks." The man, bundled up tightly, ordered a few more cans of fruit, put the lids on, and went downstairs.
Tong Shu and Zhang Ming entered the convenience store directly through the connecting corridor, which was considered the back entrance of the store. During business hours, the Tong family members would always exit through that door.
"Take a look at what you need, and once you've chosen, just come to me to pay the bill."
Zhang Ming nodded and walked impatiently to the instant noodle shelf. He had been craving it for a long time and was determined to grab a few more bags this time.
"Hey! Young boss! How come they can come inside and pick things out?" The people queuing outside the iron gate craned their necks and asked loudly when they saw Zhang Ming and Lao Zhuangtou selecting goods in front of the shelves.
Tong Shu explained with a smile, "These are the workers we hired. They come here with their wages and use the employee entrance."
"What? Your family is hiring at this time of year? What kind of work?" Everyone was curious and crowded around to ask.
"Do some handicrafts," Tong Shu replied vaguely.
"Are you still hiring?" Some people started to think. Tong Shu's family had a small shop. If they could work for them, their living standards would be much higher.
"I've entrusted the recruitment to Director Zhu. Those of you who want to come can go and register with him," Tong Shu said. "We have enough male workers for now, but we'll need a few nimble female workers later. If you have any suitable relatives in your family, you can ask them."
Zhang Ming listened intently to Tong Shu's words. He figured she was probably going to keep him and the old man from leaving. Zhang Ming was even happier and happily took some snacks from the shelf that he usually couldn't bear to part with.
Old Zhuangtou shook his head. He dared not take the snacks. Young people are prone to impulsive spending. In this day and age, it's better to buy practical things. Old Zhuangtou dragged a bag of flour and a bag of sorghum from the bottom shelf, shoveled a basket of charcoal, and pulled a lighter from a small box.
Zhang Ming leaned over to look at the supplies Old Zhuang had picked out: "Uncle Zhuang is so thoughtful. I'll take some charcoal and stuff back with me too."
Outside the iron gate, the crowd was already buzzing with discussion. Those with suitable female relatives were hurriedly buying supplies and rushing home; with so many people in the neighborhood, they couldn't let someone else get there first. Those who felt they had little hope lingered outside the gate, huddled together, inquiring about the treatment offered by the Tong family.
Tong Shu ignored her and was inside doing accounts for Zhang Ming and the old man. Shu Ya didn't know anything about this matter either. She had only heard Tong Shu and Tong Songming mention it briefly at the dinner table, so no matter who asked her, she would reply "I don't know" or "I don't know".
Tong Shu led the two people who had selected the supplies away from the convenience store. Zhang Ming's house was right next door. After saying goodbye to Tong Shu and Old Zhuangtou, he cheerfully strode into the house. Old Zhuangtou also said goodbye to Tong Shu at the entrance of the building, and slowly but steadily went downstairs with his basket on his back.
In the living room, Grandma Tong was shredding bamboo shoots into thin strips, and several stainless steel bowls on the table were already filled.
"Grandma, I'm back!" Tong Shu took off her heavy boots, put on warm cotton slippers, and ran to her grandmother's side. "Where are my hands peeling bamboo shoots?"
Grandma Tong lifted her chin, continuing her shaving motion: "Your grandpa is soaking it."
Tong Shu went to the kitchen and sure enough, she saw several glass jars filled with bamboo shoots with their skins still on. Grandpa Tong was preparing the pickling sauce for the bamboo shoots.
Seeing that she couldn't get involved, Tong Shu turned and went into the small island. Qin Jiaqiang and Qin Xiaoxiao were busy harvesting wheat and grinding it into flour, one standing by the mill and the other working enthusiastically. Shu Hua, Shu Li, and Wang Jianye were having a new batch of cotton-padded coats made at the tailor shop. Seeing Tong Shu come over, Wang Jianye, holding a rolling pin, asked with a weary voice, "Shu Shu, when will we be able to use the machine? I've been rolling out seeds for ages and only made three coats..."
Tong Shu quickly comforted him, "It'll be ready soon! It'll be usable as soon as we plug it in. Uncle, just hang in there for a few more days!" Without waiting for Wang Jianye to ask any more questions, she dashed off.
Tong Songming was working near the mine. After collecting the data in the morning, he returned to the island and began working on the parts needed to modify the wooden boat.
"Dad, what are you planning to do? Are you going to put some wheels on the bottom?"
Tong Songming shook his head, conjuring a long steel bar in his hand: "Do you know what a sled is?"
Tong Shu looked at the steel bar and suddenly realized, "Oh! A sleigh! The one Santa Claus rides in. There seems to be something similar in the north. We don't have reindeer, so should we find a dog to pull it?"
Tong Songming glanced at his daughter with a complicated expression and said, "No need for a dog." He picked up a ski pole from the side and tossed it to Tong Shu: "When there are more people on the boat, we can use this to paddle."
Tong Shu stuck out her tongue sheepishly. She had never been to the North before and couldn't recall it for a moment: "Dad, you're amazing! You know everything!"
"Go, go." Tong Songming didn't show it on his face, but he was very pleased with the compliment. "We don't need you here, go help out somewhere else."
"Okay! I'll go help my mom wash the vegetables. She said she'll make sauerkraut fish for lunch!"
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Three pots of piping hot pickled fish were cooked, each with a different flavor.
Several grown men, all capable of handling spicy food, ate heartily around the hot pot with their drinks. The two elderly men and the Shu Hua sisters ate tomato soup, with pickled cabbage and tomatoes grown on their own. One sip of the soup warmed their lips and stomach, leaving them feeling very comfortable.
Tong Shu and Qin Xiaoxiao huddled together to share a small fish. The two sisters had a golden broth base, which was white and glistening with yellow oil floating on the surface. Tong Shu mixed the broth with her rice and slurped up more than half a bowl. The freshness of the fish and broth filled her mouth, with a hint of spiciness that whetted her appetite.
Qin Xiaoxiao wasn't satisfied yet, so she bought a bag of braised beef to eat. After finishing it, she collapsed on the sofa and sighed, "I can't take it anymore, if I keep eating like this I'll gain 20 pounds."
“What do you mean by being fat?” Shuya said, holding her bowl and drinking soup. “You have to eat more and gain weight in winter. Other people want to eat but can’t.”
"Yeah, you need to gain some weight. You're so light, a gust of wind could blow you away..."
...
"I'm done eating!" Qin Xiaoxiao interrupted the elders' nagging and took the empty bowl to the kitchen.
Tong Shu ladled the remaining soup from the pot into a thermos and carried it to find Zhang Ming and Old Zhuangtou.
"Oh dear, why is there still food today?" Zhang Ming welcomed Tong Shu in, scratching his head sheepishly, "I haven't done much work today, so I can't just eat your food for free."
"It's nothing, it's not a proper meal, just some soup or broth. I'll add a dish for you," Tong Shu said.
"Hehe, thank you so much, I'll accept it then." Zhang Ming happily took the thermos from Tong Shu. It's no wonder he was so shameless; Tong Shu's cooking was so delicious that he wanted to let his girlfriend try it.
"By the way, once these two machines are assembled, there are no other machines that need to be assembled for the time being."
Hearing what Tong Shu said, Zhang Ming's heart tightened, but then Tong Shu continued, "Later we will need to find a few female workers who know how to use sewing machines to make quilts and cotton-padded jackets, but we still need someone to do the vacuuming and packing work. Do you still want to continue doing it at my house?"
Zhang Ming breathed a sigh of relief and nodded firmly: "Just call me anytime you want to start work."
"Okay." Tong Shu smiled at him. "Let's go eat. The food won't taste good if it gets cold. I'll go and say hello to Uncle Zhuang."
After seeing Tong Shu off, Zhang Ming opened the thermos. Just as Tong Shu had said, it was just a pot of soup. However, the ingredients in this soup were more plentiful than what they usually used for proper cooking. When he stirred it with chopsticks, he could see crisp bean sprouts, potatoes, and sauerkraut. He took out his family's large cooking pot, poured the soup in, and invited Wu Rui and Chen Fenfang, mother and daughter, to eat together.
Old Zhuangtou had also heard Tong Shu's words that morning. When Tong Shu came over to confirm with him in person, although he was already prepared, he was still very grateful. He stammered and refused to accept the hot soup that Tong Shu brought: "I am already very satisfied to have a job. I can't take advantage of your family again."
"Uncle Zhuang, it's our family's good fortune to find someone as honest and hardworking as you in this environment. Don't be so formal with me. It's just a bowl of soup, nothing special."
Old Zhuangtou was not good with words to begin with, and he really couldn't refuse, so he had to accept the thermos with a red face: "I'm so sorry, I'll take the thermos back to you later."
"Don't bother with this trip, it's so cold outside. Just bring it to me when work resumes in a few days."
The old man stopped talking and nodded repeatedly in agreement.
When she returned, Tong Shu went to see Zhu Cheng again. Zhu Cheng was sitting in his office eating noodles. When he saw her coming, he warmly invited her to sit down.
"Director Zhu, what are you eating that smells so good?"
Zhu Cheng handed her the bowl: "Dried plum vegetable and wheat flour. I heard that the dried plum vegetable was something I traded with you?"
Tong Shu thought for a moment, and realized that Section Chief Li must have distributed the bag of dried plums she had given away on the boat as wages to the staff, so she nodded.
"Adding your dried plum vegetables makes it more satisfying than plain noodles." Zhu Cheng chuckled and slurped up another mouthful of noodles. "By the way, the generator application has been approved. It will be delivered directly to Building 3 this afternoon. If your dad can install it, I won't need to find anyone else."
Tong Shu nodded, indicating that her family would handle the rest themselves.
"And also, several people came to me today saying they wanted to work at your place. When do you start work here? I'll help you finalize the arrangements."
Tong Shu told Zhu Cheng about what happened at the convenience store this morning: "Let's start after the generator is installed. Our family doesn't know the people living in the community very well, so we can only ask you to help us screen them. Zhang Ming and Master Zhuang were quite good before, and we trust your judgment."
Zhu Cheng felt very comforted upon hearing this, and patted his chest to reassure Tong Shu that he would definitely find her a few honest and hardworking men.
After receiving the news, Tong Shu stopped bothering him and went home after saying goodbye.
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