Li Guangzong smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Brother Ye. We are very tight on mealtimes, so we've developed this habit."
Ye Zhiqiu replied with a smile: "Hahaha, do you think I'm polite when I eat? I've just been demobilized for two months. You just haven't seen me eat, otherwise you wouldn't say that."
"Hey, so you're one of us! You're dressed so elegantly. If you weren't so tanned, I'd have suspected you were a clerical worker."
"I'm in southern Xinjiang, and I'm probably in the same boat as you. I bask in the sun every day."
"Brother, will you be able to adapt after you are demobilized? I am a little nervous now. I don't know if I can adapt to the assigned work."
"Well, just learn slowly. It's no big deal. The difference between work and the army is that you need to think more about whether it's good or not, and whether it's suitable for you. Don't scare yourself."
After chatting for a long time, we found that people who came from the same army could naturally talk to each other, the only difference was the things they talked about were a little different!
Li Guangzong talked about the fish he caught, and Ye Zhiqiu talked about the wolves and sheep he hunted. When the conversation became excited, Ye Zhiqiu went to get two bottles of Erguotou. It looked like he took them out from a suitcase, but in fact, they were placed in space.
The two of them each had a bottle of Erguotou and drank it slowly with peanuts. They chatted and talked for hours. Li Guangzong was not a big drinker, and after finishing a bottle of Erguotou, he felt sleepy. So the two of them ended their conversation and lay down on their beds to sleep.
The train arrived in Wuchang at eight o'clock on the third morning. Because of the need to give way, the journey took a full seventy-four hours. After getting off the train, Li Guangzong and someone came to meet him. They happened to help Ye Zhiqiu move his suitcases. After waiting for three hours, they boarded the ferry.
Li Guangzong said he would take Ye Zhiqiu to the train station. He had too much luggage and needed someone to take him there. Ye Zhiqiu felt helpless. He had been traveling with people all the way. He couldn't carry four suitcases and then have only one or two after getting off the train, right?
The two of them left each other their contact information and agreed that no matter who went to whom next time, they would definitely meet again for a drink.
In fact, making friends in this era is so simple and pure. After a meeting and a chat, you may become pen pals for many years.
Ye Zhiqiu waved goodbye to Li Guangzong and his family. After the train started, he breathed a sigh of relief. This was the last leg of the journey and they would be home soon!
The train stopped only a few times along the way, and after a full thirty-three hours, it finally arrived at Fengtai Station. However, the train had to wait for marshaling to enter Beijing, and this wait lasted a full four hours before it finally joined the marshaling for Beijing.
So when Ye Zhiqiu got off the bus at Qianmen Station, it was already nine o'clock in the morning on March 14th!
After a cigarette, he found someone without a suitcase and helped him take it outside. Ye Zhiqiu waved and thanked him. People at this time were quite enthusiastic and would usually help in such a situation.
Ye Zhiqiu waited for a while and finally got an empty cargo tricycle. After some negotiation, they agreed on a price of 60 cents. He moved the suitcase onto the tricycle and sat on the small stool.
The wind is a bit strong today, at least level 4 or 5, but the north wind in Beijing has been quite strong during this period of February, often with strong winds of level 6 or 7.
"Comrade, are you back from a business trip or moving? Wow, there are so many suitcases! This is the first time I've seen so many."
"Well, I'm back home from a business trip! I went out of town and had to bring back some local specialties. Master, what's new recently? I've been away for over 20 days."
"There's nothing new, but the supply from the New Year has now been restored. It's just that the supplies have become difficult to move again."
"That's really troublesome, but it won't have much impact on you, Master. After all, you earn quite a lot from riding a tricycle."
"Hey, man, you're overthinking it. I rent this car. I have to pay $1.50 every day, whether I get a job or not. If I'm unlucky, I'll even lose money after working a whole day. But there's no other way. If I work, I might make some money. If I don't, there are plenty of people who will do it. I dare not return the car to the rental company at all."
It is indeed difficult to live without a job, but with a job at least your monthly income is stable. There are still many families like this.
So Ye Zhiqiu knew that what he said was true. If he said he would not rent the car one day, the car might be snatched away by someone else.
So even if it rains, the car has to be rented all the time, otherwise so many unemployed people will snatch the job in a minute.
It took almost forty minutes to reach Sanlitun, a distance of eight kilometers. Seeing the place getting closer and closer, Ye Zhiqiu became excited.
He pointed at the alley and said, "Master, turn into the first alley on the left. Go a little further in and you'll be there."
"Okay, I'll turn in right away."
The car quickly stopped outside the yard under Ye Zhiqiu's guidance. The snow had melted now, but it was very cold because of the wind. Ye Zhiqiu's face was blown red, but it was not noticeable because it was too dark.
The tricycle driver helped unload the suitcase, took the one dollar from Ye Zhiqiu, and gave him 40 cents in change. Ye Zhiqiu also gave him a cigarette, thanked him, and watched him leave.
He pushed the gate, but it was locked. He knocked on the door, but heard Chen Yuqing's voice from inside.
"Who's knocking at the door?"
"Mom, I'm back!"
"Oh, is that Zhiqiu?"
"It's me."
After Chen Yuqing opened the door, she said happily, "The wind is so strong today that it keeps blowing the door open, so I just locked it. Oh, why did you bring so many suitcases?"
Ye Zhiqiu explained with a smile, "These are all gifts from my second and third uncles. Please help get them in first. By the way, Xiaomei and the others should be in school by now, right?"
"They've all gone to school. I just got a new job and won't be reporting to Textile Factory No. 1 until two days later. I made fish soup last night. Wubing just heated it up and sent it to the hospital to your squad leader. He should be back soon, so I'm the only one home."
The two of them put their things back into the east wing, which was already filled with Feng Xiaomei's things. It seemed that she had moved here.
Ye Zhiqiu quickly asked, "Xiaomei is in school now. Who will take care of her when she goes to and from school?"
Chen Yuqing explained with a smile, "She's not studying at school. Her master uncle respects her ideas and has arranged for her to work at the textile machinery factory. Now she's studying with an uncle in the factory, so she can ride her bike back in about 25 minutes."
Ye Zhiqiu grinned. Chen Yuqing knew that he must not have eaten, so she went to prepare lunch.
Ye Zhiqiu opened three of the suitcases, put his box of clothes and shoes into the space, and began to put some of the things he bought out of the boxes.
Anyway, after the box was opened, the things were spread out and some extra things were put out without being noticeable. Soon there were a lot of things in the room. Ye Zhiqiu put some things prepared for gifts aside and some for family members aside.
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