Chapter Eighty-Eight: Zhang San's Night Journey (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

When Han Li saw the white flour Hao Hongmin had brought over, he immediately thought of the golden elm mushrooms he had picked, and of the dumplings he had never been able to forget.

“What do you want to do with the flour?”

“Steam buns, make griddle cakes, whatever. Why, do you have some idea?”

“I picked a lot of golden elm mushrooms the other day. They say dumplings made with them are especially fragrant. I still have a piece of meat in my room too. Why don’t we have dumplings tonight?”

“Fine... have it your way.”

Han Li smiled, then suddenly felt that something about Hao Hongmin’s drawn-out “fine” sounded a little odd.

By then she had already gone inside. Han Li scratched his head and decided not to think about it for the moment.

Once everyone heard that Han Li wanted dumplings, they all sprang into action: some boiled water, some sharpened knives, some kneaded dough, and some prepared pickles.

That night, the educated youth compound was quiet as well, and everyone was busy cooking in silence.

The two stoves where they had originally cooked had been destroyed yesterday, and for the time being no one had yet put up the money to have them repaired.

So they could only cook in the yard, where small fires now dotted the compound here and there.

Three stones held up an earthen pot, with firewood burning beneath it, just like a standard setup.

Seen from a distance, anyone who did not know better might have thought an entire field unit had arrived.

But because the educated youth compound had smashed its pot last time, the matter of pooling money to buy a new one had stirred up a fair amount of argument.

In the end, everyone formed small groups to buy pots and cook together, while Zhang San remained a lone wolf.

Qi Zhaodi had ten yuan on her, but she did not even have a single padded coat, and was already worrying about how to get through the winter.

While digging thorn bushes that day, she had broken down in tears and told everyone about it.

But in these times, not to mention cotton coupons, even cloth coupons were hard to come by. All anyone could do was say they would help her think of a way.

As for meals, He Mi took that over. After all, Qi Zhaodi had a little grain of her own, and even if He Mi made up the difference, it would not be too much.

Besides, the girl was especially capable. Every day after work she was still out scavenging for food, and by now she had already saved up quite a lot.

At this rate, it was hard to say she would not end up being the one who benefited in the end.

He Mi was also planning to let Qi Zhaodi move in with her after the autumn harvest, so that there would be someone by her side for company.

After work today, Qi Zhaodi officially moved her grain out, and from now on she would eat at He Mi’s place.

After eating the dumplings, Han Li contentedly rubbed his belly and leaned lazily against the cabinet by the kang.

These dumplings, filled with meat and golden elm mushrooms, really were delicious. In the future, he could consider having them more often.

It was just that making dumplings was far too troublesome, so he could only think about it in his head.

The girls quickly cleared the table and washed the pots, bowls, and utensils.

As she wiped her hands, Yang Xiuying said, “We’ve just finished eating. Let’s play some cards to help digest it.”

Han Li quietly rolled his eyes after hearing that. Playing cards like that would not help digestion at all.

Another kind of play might have had that effect, but it was a little out of place.

At that moment, in the educated youth compound, Zhang San quietly slung a bulging bag over his shoulder and slipped out.

His destination was very clear: he headed straight for the brigade leader’s house, all the while avoiding the villagers chatting outside along the way.

Now and then, he would reach into the bag and touch the cans inside, a trace of reluctance showing on his face.

They were peach preserves in syrup. At his age, he had hardly ever had more than a few bites of such a thing.

Now these two full big jars were actually going to be given to someone else. It hurt, it was painful, and his mouth could not stop watering on its own.

“Is the brigade leader home?”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Zhang San from the educated youth compound.”

Zhang San wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth and went in with a broad smile.

“Brigade Leader, Auntie.”

“Comrade Zhang, what brings you here so late?”

“It’s nothing much. I went to the county seat today to buy a pot, and I saw peach preserves at the supply and marketing cooperative, so I brought you two jars to try.”

As Zhang San spoke, he was putting the cans onto the kang, but unexpectedly, Brigade Leader Liang pressed his hand down at once.

“If you have something to say, say it straight. No need for all this.”

“There really is nothing much. It’s just that my body can’t handle the workload of the First Team. Do you think you could let me move to the Third Team?”

Brigade Leader Liang’s expression changed immediately. He slammed his hand hard on the kang table and said sharply, “Comrade Zhang, there’s something wrong with your political awareness. You must obey the needs of the state and accept the people’s arrangements. How could you possibly pick and choose? Last time I let your matter go because you had made a report, and now you’re pulling this again. Are you trying to go to the educated youth office for reeducation?”

“Brigade Leader, I’m not...”

“Because you’re still young and don’t understand better, I’ll pretend I never saw this time. If there’s a next time, it won’t be so simple.”

As soon as Zhang San stepped out of the brigade leader’s house, he heard the door slam shut behind him with a crash.

When the brigade leader returned to the room, his wife was still complaining.

“You spendthrift man, two jars of peach preserves just vanished like that. How much trouble would it have been to help him change teams for work?”

“You don’t know anything, old girl. If he had said he wanted to go to the Second Team, I would have agreed. But the Third Team is out of the question.”

“Why?”

“Who’s in the Third Team? If Zhang San, that fellow who likes tattling, went in there, wouldn’t he throw everything into chaos? And besides, would you dare accept anything from someone like him? Aren’t you afraid that the moment you take his stuff, he’ll turn around and report you?”

“That can’t be, can it? Does Zhang San not want to eat the food of Upper River Village anymore?”

Brigade Leader Liang tapped out his pipe, refilled it with tobacco, and said, “When these half-grown boys get hot-headed, there’s nothing they wouldn’t dare do. That kid is a downright troublemaker. If, after the autumn harvest, everyone goes up into the mountains looking for food and he makes a move from behind, that would be disastrous. Tomorrow we’ll talk it over, and we absolutely cannot let one rotten piece of meat spoil the whole pot of soup.”

While Brigade Leader Liang muttered to himself at home, Zhang San was hurrying back to the educated youth compound with a face full of anger.

He had never expected Brigade Leader Liang to be so cold-blooded. But after the anger passed, a thought struck him, and he suddenly became delighted.

Had the brigade leader just said he had let the matter go because Zhang San had made a report? Could it be that he hoped Zhang San would pay more attention to the educated youth compound and report more improper conduct?

Zhang San made up the whole process in his mind, and even his posture as he walked had straightened considerably.

Just as he was about to reach the educated youth compound, he suddenly saw the female educated youth Wei Chunlan hurrying in through the gate.

Strange. What had she been doing outside at this hour?

Lately, there had been a lot of talk about the worker-peasant-soldier university slots. Could she also have gone out to give gifts?

If that was the case, then he had better keep an eye on it. Maybe the brigade leader was just waiting for news like that.

By then, if Upper River Village really turned into a place ruled by one man’s word, then as a meritorious contributor, he ought to be able to wring out at least a team leader’s post for himself, right?

So that was why the brigade leader refused to take his gifts. That was what he had been thinking all along.

At this thought, Zhang San’s eyes lit up at once, and when he looked at Wei Chunlan and the educated youth compound, his gaze turned hot with eagerness.