Siheyuan: I just want to live

After lunch, Chen Feng searched around the scrap yard for something. Finally, he found two sacks and took them with him. Anyway, it was time to get off work, so he just had to get back to the scrap yard before work in the afternoon.

Afterwards, Chen Feng went to the vegetable market and bought two bags of Chinese cabbage. He found a deserted place and brought them into the space, dumped the cabbage into the rabbit nest, and put the sacks on the back seat.

Then, he went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought the gong cloth he wanted to buy yesterday. He also picked up a teacup and an extremely sharp ox-ear knife. After completing the shopping, Chen Feng hurried back to the scrap station to avoid delaying his afternoon work.

As soon as he returned to the scrap yard, Chen Feng immediately filled the teacup with water, then took out a novel with its cover and table of contents already fallen off from his arms, sat at the table and began to read it with relish.

As time went by, people who were leaving get off work and going to work returned to the scrapyard one after another. When they passed the gate, they saw Chen Feng concentrating on reading, so they all chose not to disturb him, but walked into the scrapyard silently and went about their own business.

Chen Feng sat at the table in the message room, reading a book comfortably. He would occasionally take a sip from the teacup, even though there was no tea leaves in it. But Chen Feng still blew into the teacup in a very formal manner.

Time passed quickly, and around three o'clock in the afternoon, Li Guotao stopped the car in front of the scrap station and knocked on the glass of the message room, pulling Chen Feng out of the plot of the novel.

Chen Feng looked up and saw Guo Tao standing beside the bicycle, holding the bicycle with one hand and motioning him to get out with the other hand. There was a briefcase hanging from the front handlebar, and a package of things was tied to the back seat, packed in a sack, so it was hard to see what was inside.

He hurriedly walked out of the message room, came to Li Guotao, smiled and said respectfully, "Stationmaster, you are back! What do you want to talk to me about? If you have anything, please tell me!"

I was driving a car on my first day at work and was caught by my boss. I got into some trouble.

Li Guotao did not pursue him, but took out from his briefcase the work permit and some materials that he had obtained at the headquarters today.

"Here are the materials you gave me this morning, and your work permit. Keep them."

"In the sack on the back seat of the car are the labor protection supplies and work clothes I gave you."

"There is a cotton coat and a set of cotton jacket and trousers. I also gave you two sets of summer clothes this year, and two sets of spring and autumn clothes. Although there are only a few days left this year, don't miss it."

"Next year you can get a set of spring and autumn clothes and a set of summer clothes. Overcoats and cotton-padded clothes can only be given once every one or three years."

Stationmaster Li kept moving his hands as he spoke, untied the sack and handed it to him.

Chen Feng took the sack and thought to himself that the benefits of this country's work units are really good! They have enough clothes for a year.

He actually took advantage of his position. Originally, these materials were specially distributed by the scrap company to the disabled veterans on duty so that they would not have to worry about traveling through time. Because Chen Feng inherited his grandfather's position, he got the advantage.

Those who ride tricycles to collect waste from door to door only have two work clothes every year, a short-sleeved shirt in summer and a jacket in autumn and winter.

Then I heard Li Guotao say, "Put your coat on first, and then wear your work clothes to work tomorrow. I've given you everything, and the item receipt is in the sack. Go back to your room and check it slowly. If there's anything wrong, come to me! I'm going back to the office first."

As he said this, he pushed the cart towards the office. Chen Feng shouted from behind, "I know, Webmaster! Thank you for your hard work, Webmaster!"

Seeing that Li Guotao ignored him, Chen Feng also carried the sack back to the message room. When he got to the room, Chen Feng took out the things one by one.

In addition to the clothes, the sack also contained five pairs of cotton gloves, two gauze masks, a notebook, two pencils, and a list of items to be collected.

Chen Feng couldn't understand why a gatekeeper like him was given gloves, masks, paper and pens when he wasn't working or attending meetings?

If I couldn't figure it out, I stopped thinking about it. I put the paper and pen in the drawer, hung my coat on the wall, put on my jacket, and put the rest of my clothes back into the sack and put it on the floor at the corner of the table.

After finishing everything, Chen Feng continued to sit at the table and read leisurely. The scrap collectors who returned with a full load passed by the gate and looked towards the communication room, and many of them showed envy.

They also want to spend their days drinking tea and reading books, but reality does not allow them to do so. Their family's hope is three meals a day. If the performance is not good one day, the family will have to eat less, and the burden of life is overwhelming them.

Chen Feng didn't care about other people's opinions, just spent his days drinking tea and reading. Soon it was half past five, time to get off work, he started to pack up, tied the sack of clothes on the back seat of the car, put on the cotton coat that had just been issued today, and carried the school bag with the lunch box.

At 5:40, seeing that all the employees of the scrap yard had left and the security guards had finished their shift, he added coal briquettes, sealed the stove, and locked the door of the message room. He pushed the cart out of the gate and turned back to lock the gate.

I didn't care about the two security guards inside. Anyway, they had the key and could open the door themselves if they wanted to go out. I got on my bike and left the scrap yard, heading towards Qianxiaojia Hutong.

Halfway through the journey, he turned into a dead end, and when he came out, the sack on the back seat of the bicycle had become two. Chen Feng skinned the bear in the space, put the bear skin and wolf skin in a sack and tied it to the back seat.

Continuing forward, they arrived at the destination in a short while. Chen Feng parked the car, walked forward and knocked on the door of No. 35 Qianxiaojia Hutong.

After a while, a woman in her 50s opened the gate. Her eyes were full of doubts, like a deep pool, and she looked straight at Chen Feng. This was a courtyard with only her husband, his brothers and their families, and an elderly father-in-law living inside. She asked hesitantly, "Who are you? What's the matter with you knocking on the door?"

"My name is Chen Feng. I'm here to see Mr. Zhao, as introduced by Section Chief Hou of the Jingzha Steel Plant. Is Mr. Zhao home?"

Chen Feng answered her question and asked if Old Man Zhao was at home.

"My father-in-law is at home, come in with me!" She said as she made way for the door, and Chen Feng pushed the cart in.

The woman closed the gate, led Chen Feng to the main room, asked him to wait there, and went into the inner room to invite someone.

After a while, she came out with an old man, who should be the old man Zhao that Section Chief Hou mentioned. When the old man saw him, he asked, "Are you Chen Feng, who was introduced by Section Chief Hou of the steel mill? What do you want to see me for?"

"Yes! I am Chen Feng! I have a few hides here, and I would like you to help nitre them. Is that possible?"

"What kind of leather is that? Take it out and let me see it!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng poured out the wolf skins and bear skins from the sack.

Old man Zhao bent down and picked up the furs, looked at them one by one, and then said with a look of disdain, "These wolf skins have been beaten into sieves. Is it necessary to nitrate them? And your skinning skills are too rough. There are even pieces of meat on the skins!"

Chen Feng was listening to him and rubbed his nose awkwardly. He asked shyly, "Can these wolf skins still be used?"

Old man Zhao squinted his eyes and glanced at him, then slowly said, "If you don't pursue beauty, you can cut the leather and make it into a coat or a mattress or something."

Chen Feng felt relieved when he heard this, and asked immediately, "That's great! Do you know anyone who specializes in making wolfskin mattresses?"

Old man Zhao pointed to the side and said to Chen Feng with a smile: "My eldest daughter-in-law is an expert in this field!"

Chen Feng was overjoyed and said quickly, "That's a coincidence! When you have tanned these skins, you can make them into wolfskin mattresses for me! How many days will it take to get the finished product? And how much will it cost in total?"

Old man Zhao thought for a moment and replied, "Well... come and pick it up in a week! I'll give you 15 yuan for the wolf skin, 30 yuan for the bear skin, plus 15 yuan for the mattress processing fee, so give me 120 yuan in total."

Chen Feng took out money from his pocket, counted out 120 yuan, and handed it to Old Man Zhao. He then asked Zhao's eldest daughter-in-law, "How big a mattress can these five wolf skins make?"

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhao family looked at the wolf skin, thought for a while and said, "After cutting and trimming, the largest one can make is 1.8 meters wide and 2.2 meters long."

"Okay! Let's make it this big! I'll be back first! Come back in a week!"

After hearing the answer, Chen Feng said he was leaving, and Zhao's eldest daughter-in-law got up and sent him out of the yard. Chen Feng left the yard and rode his bicycle towards the courtyard.

After returning to the courtyard, Chen Feng pushed the cart towards home. When passing by the front yard, the sharp-eyed Yan Fugui noticed the sack on the back seat of the car.

He quickly asked, "Chen Feng! Where did you go today? Why did you come back just now?"

"I reported to work today and worked a day. After get off work, I rode my bike outside for a stroll and just came back now."

"What? You start working today! And you finished the formalities so quickly?" Yan Fugui was very surprised. He didn't expect Chen Feng to finish the formalities and take over so quickly.

"Well, I went to Director Wang to get a letter of introduction on Friday. The first two days were my day off, so I just reported in today."

"I just received my coat today, and my work clothes."

Chen Feng said this as he pulled his coat and then patted the sack on the back seat of the car.

Yan Fugui pointed at the sack in disbelief and asked, "You said the sack was full of clothes!"

Chen Feng said frankly, "Yes! There is a set of cotton clothes for winter, two sets of summer clothes, two sets of spring and autumn clothes, and a cotton coat."

Yan Fugui still didn't quite believe it. "Are the treatments at your scrap yard so good now?"

"I don't know about the others! Anyway, I received so many things!"

"Okay! I won't talk to you anymore. I have to go back to cook. I haven't had dinner yet!" After saying that, Chen Feng pushed the cart and left.

Only Yan Fugui was left standing there in a daze.

There were not many people in the courtyard. It was freezing cold and everyone was staying at home with their doors closed. No one wanted to go out and suffer the cold.

Chen Feng walked through the middle courtyard without stopping. After returning home, he locked the door to prevent someone from barging in without knocking while he was eating! That would be very annoying!

After sorting out the things he brought back and picking up the flour bag, Chen Feng flashed into the space.