Chapter 88 Chapter 88 The First Military Order from Beijing Suburban Farm...
The next morning, the car that came to pick up Old Ning was waiting outside Sajin Hutong. After Ning Bangyan finished his breakfast, he put in some snacks such as tobacco given by Lin Xinghuo, dried meat biscuits made by Wu Nian, etc., and left his two grandsons with Old Man Fang. He waved his hand and went back to work in a leisurely manner.
The middle school that the Ning De and Ning Heng brothers were going to attend had not yet started. In the past two years, they had gotten used to their grandfather's work status of leaving at a moment's notice. The two boys asked when he would be back, and then he went out to "explore" with the three fox cubs on his back.
"Old Man Ning won't be leaving Beijing for the next few months, but he has so many meetings to attend...he won't have time to come over." Fang Tongjian said, "The old man has already completed the enrollment procedures for the two boys. Just ask Wu Nian to send them off on the first day of school."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xinghuo knew the meeting General Ning was about to attend was no small matter. It was likely confidentiality requirements, and he'd likely be confined for a while. This had happened to Master Rong before, who hadn't been seen for two months. She nodded and said, "Okay! If I don't have classes that day, I'll go see them off." Ning De and Ning Heng were quite familiar with Tuman, but not with Wu Nian. Ning De had even awkwardly called her "little aunt" at the dinner table yesterday, so she had to fulfill her aunt's responsibilities.
Fang Tongjian glanced at the faint blue marks under her eyes, frowned and chased her away: "Isn't the class meeting in the afternoon? Go and get some sleep!" The old man glanced at Wu Nian who was fiddling with the ancient ink sticks made of deer glue and cow glue, and suspected that something had happened between the young couple. Fang Tongjian noticed something was wrong when they returned to Xiyuan last night.
"What time is the class election? With meetings and book distribution, it won't last until dark." The old man, single all his life, had it tough, and he had to use his limited experience to create some alone time for the young couple. "Wunian, after you drop Xinghuo off at school this afternoon, don't come back yet. Wait for her there. When Xinghuo is done, you can come home together."
Lin Xinghuo was puzzled. She planned to ride her bicycle to school by herself today. Didn't she need Wu Nian to send her there?
The young man who was working responded quickly. The two men, one old and one young, quickly decided on the way Lin Xinghuo would go to school. After a while, Wu Nian went out and pushed a black 28-inch men's bicycle, which was parked side by side with Lin Xinghuo's beloved Qihui bicycle under the West Garden Gate.
Fang Tongjian saw this and thought that this guy has some connections. There are too many anti-urban youths now, and it is more difficult to get a bicycle than in previous years. When did he quietly spread his connections so widely? He just said it this morning, and he got it done in just a short while?
Today is Sunday. If Rong Bocen has nothing to do, he will come to Dongyuan to stay for a day. Fang Tongjian first talked about Old Man Ning with his senior brother, and then turned the conversation to Wu Nian.
Rong Bocen laughed, "You just realized it? Wu Nian's hands are so clever, and his brain is also very useful. Young people like him are rare everywhere... This kid has only been with me for two months, and the old director Shi who is in charge of personnel has asked me for people. The comprehensive reform group, the electrical team, the mobile team... Even the canteen chef is willing to hire this kid. You know, there are several teams here that are doing very well. Old Director Shi even said that he would take care of Wu Nian's regularization. If this kid has a diploma, I can't help but agree."
It's becoming increasingly difficult for young people to enter the workplace these days. Ever since the resumption of the college entrance exam, job openings have become even tighter, leaving gaps waiting for the likes of the first batch of graduates to share in the spark. Furthermore, while Rong Bocen has a broad mind, he also wants a younger generation to carry on his philosophy and legacy. One of the positions Director Shi mentioned was one Rong Bocen's former position. Rong Bocen's rise to his current position can be attributed largely to the years of training and learning he put in there. When Director Shi proposed that department, Rong Bocen genuinely considered trying to get Wu Nian in.
But his interest was useless. The brat didn't even have a high school diploma. If he was really hired, he would only work in the cafeteria. But after Wu Nian learned the skills of the cafeteria chef, he lost interest in the kitchen. This irritated the chef, Qing, who loved to eat and was waiting for Wu Nian to show off his skills while he was learning the skills, and he was not happy with Rong Bocen.
Not only the master chef, but also many old colleagues who were friends with him would come to his office to chat, implying that he had wasted such a good child! Rong Bocen pinched his eyebrows, blaming him too. He had told people at the beginning that Wu Nian was his nephew from his hometown, but later he couldn't change it even if he wanted to.
But what was surprising was Wu Nian's own response. Perhaps the boy also heard people muttering, "Mr. Rong is still the mainstay of education reform, but his own nephew has never attended school for a day...", Wu Nian had wasted his life telling people the story of his "discerning talent with a keen eye", and then the news came out that he would take the college entrance examination this year. The attacks and tests between factions, which had just begun to gain momentum because of Wu Nian, were turned into a good thing that "Rong Bocen had a keen eye for talent, was down-to-earth and pragmatic, and pursued the concept of 'education for all'", and Wu Nian became a typical representative of his ideas.
Factions... Nowadays, intellectuals have risen to prominence, and everyone from top to bottom has attached importance to education. The Qingshui government office, which had been deserted for ten years, has suddenly become popular, so... Rong Bocen sighed in his heart. He is not young anymore. Once this wave of reforms is on the right track, it is time for him to step down and give his position to young people with newer ideas and stronger fighting spirit.
"Wunian is even more gifted at socializing than Xinghuo," Rong Bocen said with a smile. He'd only had that kid around for a short time, and he already knew more people than he, who'd spent most of his life in the same unit. He didn't even know the various sub-departments within some departments, but Wunian knew them all. And few who'd dealt with him disliked him. Perhaps it was his good looks that gave him an edge; Wunian was sociable and well-connected.
Fang Tongjian, the protective son, refused to admit it: "Xinghuo is honest! When it comes to being kind to others, who can compare to my child?"
That's true. As long as Xinghuo considered them one of her own, she would always think about them, especially the elders, and always be the first to do things. But there was one thing: she was always cold to those who didn't like her. She would also entertain them when things happened, such as the old man Ma and Tang Quanli who had been looking after them. In order to make their old age more comfortable, she gave them a lot of food and supplies, and spoke and acted politely, but she never interacted with them seriously, and after that, they had no relationship.
You have to understand that both of these people have connections. True, they were minor figures, likely securing a lucrative "current management" position during the movement, and before they were liquidated afterward, they transitioned peacefully to other positions. The networks of connections these two individuals have behind them are considerable. Others, if they're on good terms, would maintain these relationships for future use. But Xinghuo doesn't have that kind of heart. She refuses to engage in long-term, superficial flattery. She prefers to cut the Gordian knot and maintain simple, deep relationships.
In this regard, she has inherited the true teachings from her master.
As a result, the meaningful look from Elder Rong immediately made Elder Fang tremble with fear. Rong Bocen ignored his junior brother's temper and said, "Fortunately, Xinghuo has her own abilities, otherwise I wouldn't be able to rest assured."
Fang Tongjian had no words to refute these words. He could act so willfully because his last name was Fang, and the Fang family's great reputation had made him a renowned talent from a young age. With the support of his family's legacy in his youth, he easily rose to prominence. With the support of his parents, siblings, and friends, he established himself, becoming one of the few people at the top of a certain circle. His shortcomings in social skills became a hallmark of his talent and pride... But didn't Fang Tongjian suffer any loss? His ten years of exile were the bitter consequences of this weakness.
Fang Tongjian's temperament remains unchanged. Besides his own stubbornness, he relies heavily on the protection of his senior brothers and the filial piety of his younger disciples... But if these shortcomings were placed on his beloved disciple, the old man would be terrified. If the girl were an ordinary person, Fang Tongjian would definitely not indulge her like he does now. He would force her to change. Otherwise, once the elders who could protect her were gone, the girl would surely fall and suffer. This is not a problem that can be solved by leaving her with a mountain of gold and silver.
But now, Fang Tongjian refilled his senior brother's white jade pipe with new tobacco with a stern face. His beloved disciple had the capital to be "extraordinary"!
Meanwhile, Ning Bangyan, struggling with a series of intense meetings, carefully pulled out a porcelain vase from his bosom. He opened the lid and sniffed, then began to fumble in his pockets. He remembered he couldn't bring the stack of fine-grained paper he'd gotten from Old Fang with him. Old Ning sighed regretfully. It was said that Wu Nian had made that paper himself from pruned bamboo. It was thin, tough, and delicate, and when lit, it produced virtually no ash. The scent of the paper perfectly matched the tobacco. It would be a shame to give Old Fang all that paper to write and draw on!
While thinking, Ning Bangyan took out his notebook, tore a page from the back, folded it into four parts, rubbed it twice and spread it out, quickly pinched out a small handful of tobacco, rolled it up and stuffed it into his mouth, for fear that anyone would notice his precious tobacco.
But nine out of ten people in this room are heavy smokers. They don't even need to leave the room to smoke during meetings, so what kind of smoke could possibly escape their noses? As Lao Ning was rolling cigarettes, several of the old men were whispering to each other, saying that Lao Ning was reminiscing about the good old days, leaving behind good filter cigarettes and rolling up rustic country cigarettes.
When Ning Bangyan exhaled some smoke comfortably, the noses of the two old men closest to him twitched. One of them said, "Old Ning, what kind of tobacco do you smoke that smells like that?" The other one, who had a long-standing friendship with Ning Bangyan, reached into his arms and took it.
"This old Ning is always good at hiding good things! He's so stingy."
"Oh, what kind of tobacco is this tobacco made of? The color is so nice, golden yellow! I've never tasted this way before." This was a man who knew a little about the subject.
"I'll have to try it to see if it's good!" He quickly took the piece of paper that Ning Bangyan had torn, rubbed it twice, and rolled it with tobacco.
Ning Bangyan's eyes bulged as he was being suppressed by so many people: "Ding Datou, hold back a bit!"
Ding Datou lit a cigarette with the one he had just finished smoking, frowned and took a puff, smacked his lips, tasted it, frowned even tighter, and took another deep puff, "Hmm..."
"Too strong?" asked the others holding Ning Bangyan down. "It smells good, doesn't it?"
"What's going on?"
"Hmm..." Ding Datou frowned, shook his head and nodded. The others saw how fast he rolled up the paper, and those who reacted quickly started cursing: "Fuck you, Ding Datou!" Lao Ning's tobacco is good stuff!
Ding Datou couldn't hold it any longer, so he used his free hand with a cigarette in his mouth to squeeze into the crowd of people trying to grab Ning Bangyan's tobacco and snatched two more.
"Hey! This is good stuff! It's really good!" Ding Datou crossed his legs. "My lungs feel like they just had a bath. They're clear and comfortable!"
Ning Bangyan clutched his empty little celadon jar, the size of a duck egg, his heart aching. What a bunch of bandits! Especially that shameless Ding Datou, like a dog-skin plaster. It used to be that old guy who'd been the most aggressive in snatching his allocations, and now... Old Ning was regretting it. He should have avoided them. Ever since he'd smoked this 'cut tobacco' last night, Ning Bangyan couldn't stand any other cigarettes. The feeling of clearing his lungs and refreshing his mind was simply too comforting for old smokers like them, whose lungs were nearly black.
No, can’t smoke anything else?
Ning Bangyan felt a chill run down his spine. This stubborn old man, who had never known what fear was, had admitted his weakness so quickly for the first time. "Hey, don't look at me! It's gone!"
But everyone's eyes were still fixed on him. Old Ning immediately patted his chest, coughed twice, and said weakly, "This isn't tobacco, it's medicine! A younger generation in my family made me some lung-clearing medicine. It's made to look like this to help me quit smoking... I'm a heavy smoker. During the checkup at the General Hospital, they said my lungs... There's no other way. I have to quit smoking, so I'll use this as a substitute."
Ding Datou couldn't bear to finish it. He twisted the ends of the rolled cigarette tightly, clamped it to his ears, and said in a muffled voice, "The General Hospital also advised me to quit smoking."
"Get lost!" Ning Bangyan patted him. Ding Datou was almost ten years younger than him and looked honest, but this old guy was the most difficult to deal with. Ning Bangyan didn't want to get into trouble with Lin Xinghuo and Wu Nian, the two younger ones.
Ding Datou waved his hands. He was not only doing this for himself. Currently, he was leading a special operations brigade with a very high level of confidentiality. There were few people but all of them were elite. These backbones who had been carefully selected were highly intelligent and absolutely powerful... The pressure of special operations training and actual combat was so high that ordinary people could not imagine it. However, in order to ensure discipline and combat, smoking was now prohibited in the special operations brigade. However, most of these people were addicted to smoking, and there were also soldiers who performed particularly well in all aspects but failed because of "failure to quit smoking within the specified time", which made Ding Datou feel very sorry.
Nowadays, there are constant frictions on the southern border, and this new special operations brigade will be of great use. Insufficient personnel and long reaction time are what Ding Datou is most worried about.
If Ning Bangyan said this was just tobacco with a special flavor, Ding Datou would not have taken it seriously, but Old Man Ning said it was a medicine for clearing the lungs?
Ding Datou held Old Ning's fist, pulled him to the window and muttered. Ning Bangyan's expression changed from resistance to serious consideration: "Then I have to ask... I'm not sure... It's hard to say..."
"Are they really eggplant leaves?" Ding Datou's eyes widened after finally getting a definite answer out of Old Ning's mouth.
Ning Bangyan stomped his foot hard. "What are you yelling about! That girl is a capable person, especially good at tending to herbs... She got these eggplants specifically to make the medicine, I don't know how many herbs she added... Let me be clear, that's a secret recipe, there's no way I'm going to hand it over to the public!"
"Why hand it over to the government? As long as she can supply us, I promise you don't have to worry about anything else. I will take care of it." If these are to be included in their brigade's supply list, they must go through many procedures... Of course, they must be inspected and tested by the General Hospital and other departments, otherwise Ding Datou will not be at ease.
Dante touched his chest and found that there was still some cool and clear feeling in his lungs. The dull pain from the old wound on his lung that had been pierced by a bullet was gone. He was sure that Lao Ning had found the treasure!
Ning Bangyan agreed reluctantly because, last night, when he and Fang Tongjian were venting their frustrations, the old man had boasted to him about how capable and filial his apprentice was, and how he'd grown so many wonderful crops on the outskirts of Beijing—he was practically blowing every grain of wheat skyward! Old Ning swallowed his saliva. The pancakes that accompanied the mutton hotpot were delicious… He also knew that Old Man Fang was trying to convey a message to him: it seemed that Xinghuo was still planning to develop her career in farming and breeding, so Old Fang would start looking for sales channels.
Nowadays, the unified purchase and sale system is not as strict as before. Besides, the land that Xinghuo has obtained is of the same nature as rural residential land. It is a private place obtained in exchange, and she can indeed make her own decisions. Lao Fang is worried that it will be difficult for her to handle the private affairs of the public... But in the current situation, the movement is over and various resources are still tight. The same is true for the army. Whoever has supplies can have a louder voice. He is looking forward to the output of Xinghuo's garden. It is simply a pillow for his sleep!
But Ning Bangyan hadn't expected this first business to come so quickly, and it was from that special brigade that had been keeping it so tightly guarded... The old man held the small porcelain bottle, and suddenly felt as if the good stuff in his bowl was about to fly away...
"Well, call your junior tonight and have him prepare. We need this stuff, so we have to increase production." Ding Datou patted his chest and promised, "Don't worry, I'll ask the boss to let you make outbound calls later!"
Nothing's done yet, and you're asking the maid to prepare? Ning Bangyan waved his hand unhappily, telling Ding Datou to go play: "Put the documents that fell on the paper in front of him first."
"Lao Ning, why can't you be so stubborn?" Ding Datou patted his shoulder. "This tobacco, no! Shredded eggplant is very useful. Even if I can't use it, we don't have many other things here, but we have a lot of smokers... I tell you, there's only so much to grab!"
"Get lost!" Ning Bangyan elbowed Ding Datou. "My child doesn't have a big appetite! Let me be clear, this stuff is really a medicine for quitting smoking and clearing the lungs. It's the quality that matters, not the quantity. If there's too much...you'd better clear the way for us quickly, so that we don't have enough medicine to share and you're done with it!"
Ding Datou shamelessly called "Brother" and "Brother Ning" and insisted that Ning Bangyan cover it first to ensure that some of the medicinal threads would be left for them.
Seeing that the meeting was about to continue, Ning Bangyan walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Ding Datou was like a conjoined twin and refused to let go. Seeing that the old leader who presided over the meeting glared at him, Ning Bangyan nodded at him.
That evening, Old Ning called the public phone in Sajin Hutong. Ten minutes later, he called back, and sure enough, it was Lin Xinghuo who answered. In front of Ding Datou, Ning Bangyan said to Lin Xinghuo on the other end, "...I've given some of the remaining medicinal shreds to them for testing...I've asked him to help us sort it out so we can get them out. Good boy, wait for good news from uncle." Even if this stuff was just something Xinghuo had made to replace tobacco, it needed to be carefully tested as medicine. The more cautious we are now, the less trouble we'll have later.
"You should give it a name. It's used to make many kinds of medicine. You can't let those uncouth people call it eggplant leaves. They're cheapening good things!"
Lin Xinghuo thought for a moment, "How about calling it 'Unsalty Mountain Pine Eggplant'?" We already have Unsalty Mountain Pine Wine, so adding pine eggplant wouldn't be a big deal.
"Pine Cigarette?" Ning Bangyan muttered to himself, thinking it was pretty good. Foreigners had that "cigar," but it was incredibly expensive. Their better-quality product could be called "pine cigarette." However, if someone wanted to import their pine cigarettes from now on, they would have to pay a higher price than for cigars. It was absolutely impossible...
Lin Xinghuo didn't know that the old man's thoughts had already turned to the goal of exiting. She hung up the phone and said to Wu Nian who accompanied her out: "Fortunately, the old branch secretary gave the wine this name..." Otherwise, it might really be called Eggplant Leaf Smoke.
Wu Nian picked up the all-black bicycle leaning against the wall and asked, "Shall I take you home?"
Lin Xinghuo wanted to say something but stopped herself. In the end, she couldn't resist those beautiful black eyes and sat in the back seat of the car a little awkwardly.
Wu Nian supported himself on one foot, staring ahead, his ears slightly red as he urged, "Hold on tight!"
Lin Xinghuo's heart was set on fire, and she grabbed the tall young man's clothes. Wu Nian looked down at her clenched fist, reached out and grasped it, pried it open, and placed it on his waist...
"Let's go!" Before Lin Xinghuo could react, the black bicycle rushed forward like an arrow.
The West Garden gate flashed behind Lin Xinghuo, and the two people and the car disappeared into the depths of the dark night.
…
"Let's go home?" Lin Xinghuo was carried by Wu Nian from the alley to the school, and then "flew" around the school once or twice... Lin Xinghuo finally couldn't help but stretched out his arm to grab the ear of a certain crazy monkey.
Wu Nian rode very fast, but Lin Xinghuo on the bike didn't feel any bumps. If Lin Xinghuo released his spiritual sense to look under the wheels, he would find a clue: some self-taught guy had actually wrapped the wheels with a thin layer of small clouds with a hint of purple electric light!
"Go home!" Wu Nian shouted happily, accidentally startling a pair of wild mandarin ducks. Before the sound faded away, the flashlight shone over but there was no trace of the person.
The young man happily brought a big bicycle in the morning, but was unable to take Xinghuo to the bicycle in the afternoon. He had to give each person a bicycle to send them off. He squinted his eyes and grinned happily, his smile was as big as a flower. He really liked Xinghuo saying "go home"!
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Xinghuo's career in the capital has begun to take off. A blacksmith must be strong himself. Xinghuo and Wunian must have their own power and their own way, otherwise how can they cut off the source of the enemy's "yellow energy".
Master Fang and Uncle Rong were porcelain, so there was no reason to use porcelain to touch Lin Qiyun's earthenware jar. However, business partners and the exchange of interests were different. The Xinghuo family had too many good things, and they also needed new partners and backers...
Continue to accumulate merit.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
