The Great Era of Siheyuan

After finishing his meal and comforting Xu Huizhen, Li Wenqiang slowly walked from the backyard to the door of the tavern and was about to leave.

Suddenly, Uncle Niu from the corner in front shouted at him with a small bag in his hand.

"Brother Wen Qiang, Brother Wen Qiang, wait a minute, I have something I want to discuss with you!"

Uncle Niu ran towards him excitedly.

Seeing his flattering look, Li Wenqiang didn't think of him as the troublemaker in the morning. He had expected these people to cause trouble, and he had talked to Xu Huizhen about it, but he didn't expect someone to take the risk and directly enter the house to rob.

"What is it?"

Li Wenqiang knew that he must have come to him about the vegetable supply, but if he didn't say anything, he certainly wouldn't tell him.

"Haha, I came to see you just for that matter! You haven't been here for a few days, and all the food at home is gone. I brought the money, do you think we can arrange it today?"

As Uncle Niu said this, he stuffed the small cloth bag in his arms into his hands.

Li Wenqiang felt the heavy weight in his hand and calculated in his mind that there were probably about ten large yellow croakers.

"This isn't the place to talk, let's go talk over there, get in the car!"

Li Wenqiang started the car and drove him directly to a remote alley nearby, then turned around and said.

"Master Niu, this is really difficult for me! As you can see, I have stopped supplying food to the tavern. Now you want me to continue supplying food to you. Aren't you making things difficult for me? Please take these things back! I can't help you with this for now!"

Li Wenqiang said this and returned the things to him.

How could Niu Ye accept it? As the representative of the Bannermen in this area, he came here today to solve the problem of vegetable supply. As an old and experienced man, he knew that Li Wenqiang was playing hard to get, so he just pushed the things into Li Wenqiang's hands again.

"Brother Wen Qiang, please help me! There are dozens of households with nearly a thousand people here, and we don't have enough food. We rely on your vegetables. Please help me. If you have any requests, just tell me. I will do my best to do what I can, okay?"

Uncle Niu tried his best to lower his status and spoke in a flattering manner.

"It's not that I won't help you, it's just that it's hard to do! You can see what the food situation is like now. If you want so much, it will be difficult to handle!"

Li Wenqiang smiled and said, his meaning was very clear, just because it was difficult to do did not mean it could not be done, it just depended on his intention.

"Brother Wen Qiang, don't keep me in suspense. Just tell me what you want. We have worked together so many times. You know I am a straightforward person. Don't beat around the bush."

Hearing that he was still playing guessing games, Niu Ye simply said it directly.

"Okay, then I'll be frank. I bought this vegetable from a commune in the countryside. But it's not available every day. He stopped giving it to me recently. I heard that he likes old medical books and prescriptions, as well as some practical books on the study of things and knowledge. If you can get some and send them to him, I think you won't have any problem with these things."

After Li Wenqiang finished speaking, he looked at Niu Ye quietly, observing his reaction. This guy had given him a bottle of wine yeast before, saying that it was taken from the palace. He believed that Niu Ye might have other surprises. No one knew how many good things the Eight Banners children had taken back then. It was only a dozen years since liberation, and he believed that they must have good things in their hands.

As for why he didn't want antique calligraphy and paintings, it was simply because they were of no use to him. Good things are never cheap, and no one is a fool. The only way he could do that would be to go door to door in the countryside and look for bargains.

The most useful cultural relics are the experience and knowledge left by our ancestors. Antique cultural relics and pictures are all bullshit and are of no help to ordinary people.

Niu Ye frowned and fell into deep thought. After a while, he raised his head and said with a hint of embarrassment in his eyes.

"Brother Wen Qiang, your request is not simple. Those old medical books and prescriptions, as well as books on studying things and gaining knowledge, are hard to find nowadays."

Li Wenqiang nodded and said.

"That's right, but Master Niu, I also know that this is not an easy task, but I have no choice. As long as you can find it, I will take care of it. If you can find something really useful, maybe I can give you something else."

Li Wenqiang said with a smile.

"Okay, let's make it a deal. Wait for me, I'll go back and look for it, and I'll come find you in a bit."

Uncle Niu gritted his teeth and said.

Li Wenqiang smiled.

"Okay, I'll wait for you here. Take care, Mr. Niu."

Li Wenqiang said that he was not in a hurry to leave. He turned around, rode his motorcycle to the tavern, and said to Zhao Yali.

"Give me a beer and a plate of peanuts."

Then he sat down on the stool and waited.

The people in the tavern were very familiar with him and knew that he had an unclear relationship with Xu Huizhen, so they naturally would not refuse him when he asked for something without paying.

"I'll do it, Zhao Yali, you go and do your thing first!"

Before Zhao Yali could make a move, Fan Jinyou, who had been standing aside waiting, came over with a smile.

After a while he came over with a beer.

"Come on, the beer peanuts are ready!"

After Fan Jinyou brought the things, he didn't leave. He sat opposite him and looked at him.

Now that the tavern stops selling food, only the small restaurant has some business. It's past mealtime and there are not many people in the restaurant.

Li Wenqiang took the wine glass and ignored him. He directly took two peanuts and put them into his mouth and started chewing them. Then he took a sip of beer happily.

After a while, Fan Jinyou could no longer sit still, and said in a low voice with some anger on his face.

"Li Wenqiang, you are really too cruel, aren't you? You promised to give me more than 100 kilograms of vegetables every day, but you cut off the vegetables after just a few days. Do you know that I am almost being scolded to death by my leaders? They ask me for things every day. Can you continue to give me the things?"

"You wish. I haven't even given you anything here at the tavern. How can I give it back to you? You must be asleep!"

Li Wenqiang rolled his eyes at him. This guy had a nice idea.

"Then you should at least give me an explanation now, right? I have more than a dozen street office leaders and their families over there, so please help me!"

Fan Jinyou pleaded, saying that he really had no other choice. The vegetable supply had been cut off for two days, and the leaders' families seemed to have agreed on it beforehand. They came to him "inadvertently" to ask about the problem every day, and he really couldn't take it anymore.

"Explanation? What explanation should I give you? That's really funny. I don't owe you anything."

Li Wenqiang looked at him playfully as he spoke. Before he delivered food to the steel mill, he delivered food to the tavern and was threatened by him to join in. Although this was good for him, the disadvantages outweighed the advantages and it was time to stop.