"See, that solves it."
Yan Bugui blinked his small eyes, feeling that he could have bought the item for nine yuan and fifty cents, and regretted asking for ten yuan directly.
However, you can't back out now, or you'll lose what you've got.
Wang Dabao still had a look on his face as if he had suffered a great loss. "I only sold it to you cheaply because we'll be neighbors in the future. If I need anything in the future, you'll have to help me out."
"This isn't cheap," the third aunt muttered under her breath.
"Alright, go get the money for Da Bao."
Yan Bugui winked at the Third Aunt and then turned to Wang Dabao with a smile, "Dabao, you young people are particular about what you use. If there's anything you don't want to use in the future, just bring it to your Third Uncle. Don't worry, I won't take it for free."
The three women reluctantly came out with a handful of loose change.
Wang Dabao counted them in front of him; there were exactly ten. "Alright, you two can take your time packing up. I'll be going now."
Watching Wang Dabao's departing figure, Yan Bugui muttered to the third aunt, "That kid's scheming is almost as good as mine."
"Come on."
The third aunt curled her lip and said, "In my opinion, this kid is even more cunning than you. He keeps bringing up Old Wang, which is quite intimidating."
......
Earning ten yuan from Yan Bugui made Wang Dabao feel much lighter and the air felt fresher.
These days there's no exhaust fumes on the streets, the air is really clean.
Holding documents, property deeds, and land deeds, Wang Dabao needed to hurry to complete a series of procedures, including household registration. He asked around on the way and finally located the street office.
The surrounding scenery brought him a lot of novelty: the walls with blue bricks and black tiles, the wooden gatehouse, the old locust trees by the roadside, and the big-character posters on the walls—everything seemed to be telling the story of the unique simplicity of this era.
The utility poles are entangled with a dense network of wires, and two parallel tram tracks lie beneath your feet, all testifying to the city's rapid and prosperous development.
Soon they arrived at the subdistrict office, where Wang Dabao was greeted by a young clerk.
When the clerk saw the documents Wang Dabao handed over, he trembled instantly and looked up in astonishment.
My goodness, a whole family of martyrs! I myself am a retired soldier who served on the battlefield and received one second-class merit and two third-class merits. This is defying the heavens!
"Comrade, please sit here for a while, I'll go and call our director over."
After saying that, the clerk hurriedly ran out of the small office with the documents.
Before long, two hurried footsteps reached Wang Dabao's ears.
"Hello, Comrade Wang Dabao, I am Wang Hongxia, the director of the subdistrict office."
A woman around forty years old strode into the small office. Upon seeing Wang Dabao, she enthusiastically introduced herself, saying, "Given your status as a martyr's family member and a member of the People's Liberation Army, the neighborhood committee has decided to make special arrangements for your case."
Wang Dabao stood up and shook hands with Director Wang. "Director Wang, you're too kind. I'm currently awaiting demobilization, so I'll just go through the procedures for ordinary people."
"That won't do."
Director Wang frowned: "You are a war hero, you should still receive the treatment you deserve."
Wang Dabao nodded, "Then I'll have to trouble Director Wang."
These days are different from before. Most ordinary people don't care much for soldiers, and sometimes they even curse them behind their backs as "stinking soldiers."
But government departments are different; they know and have more experience with things than ordinary people, and they have a great fondness for comrades who have been on the battlefield.
Just like Director Wang in front of her, when Wang Dabao's information and certificates were placed in front of her, she almost jumped up from her chair. She knew very well what it meant to have a family full of martyrs, not to mention that he himself was a war hero. This was outrageous.
If we don't take this seriously, wouldn't that discourage the People's Liberation Army?
Everything was done in just half an hour, an efficiency that left Wang Dabao, who came from his previous life, speechless.
When Director Wang saw Wang Dabao off from the subdistrict office, he was still a little incredulous. He hadn't come here just to get something done. Transferring the house to his name, his household registration, his grain ration book—in his previous life, that would have taken several days.
And now, it only took half an hour to get everything done.
Looking at the brand-new property deed, Wang Dabao felt a little unreal.
But upon closer reflection, it becomes clear: there aren't as many administrative departments as in the past, and you don't have to go through the procedures yourself. The neighborhood office handles everything, so it's much faster.
Finding a secluded corner, Wang Dabao directly transferred all sorts of documents, such as house deeds, to the cabin on the small island before leisurely walking towards the supply and marketing cooperative at the old road entrance.
Pulling open the old wooden door of the supply and marketing cooperative, I was surprised to find that it was quite spacious inside.
Two female sales clerks were chatting, while two customers were peering at the items in the display case.
The sales clerks at that time were different from the sales clerks in shopping malls in later generations. They were employees of public institutions and had the proper status of civil servants.
Wang Dabao looked around, but unfortunately, he didn't see the shocking slogan posted on the wall: "No one may beat or scold customers without cause!"
As he walked, he arrived at the bicycle parking area. Curious, Wang Dabao reached out and fiddled with the bicycle bell. "Ring ring..."
"Wow, that's pretty loud."
The crisp, piercing ringtone startled Wang Dabao.
"Hey comrade, don't touch it if you're not buying, otherwise you'll have trouble explaining if you break it." A salesperson hurriedly came out from behind the counter.
Wang Dabao smiled and nodded, saying sorry.
But in his heart, he was thinking that this conversation didn't seem to fit his identity as a time traveler. The salesperson should have said, "Don't touch it, can you afford it?" Then he should have slapped on a bicycle ticket, and then thrown out dozens of black ten bills to slap the other party in the face.
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