Siheyuan: Struggle Begins in the 1950s

When you arrive at the steel rolling mill, report to the purchasing department first.

I went to Section Chief Wang to get a letter of introduction and a price list for purchasing materials.

I also registered the destination of this purchase with the Purchasing Department, which was Laoyugou Village, Liucun Town, Changping District.

That is Wang Jianjun’s hometown.

Coincidentally, Qin Huairu is also from Changping District.

However, the two are not from the same county and are quite far away from each other.

From a geographical point of view, Liucun Town is located at the junction of the Yanshan Mountains and the Taihang Mountains, with two mountain ranges behind it, and its natural resources are relatively abundant.

Wang Jianjun said that it was reasonable to come here to purchase supplies, the only inconvenience was that the location was a bit remote.

Especially Wang Jianjun’s hometown, Laoyugou Village, is even more remote. This village was known as Little Tibet in later generations, but now it is just a poor and remote mountain village.

Wang Jianjun just rode a bicycle, and it took more than a day for the round trip and the purchase.

But that was no problem for him at all.

At that time, just find a deserted place nearby and put the teleportation coordinates, which can save a lot of time.

It took him two days to register his application at the steel mill.

It would be so cool to work half a day and slack off for a day and a half.

After registering my information, I went to the logistics department to pick up a bicycle and a pistol for self-defense, and then went to the cafeteria to pack my food.

Finally, I put on a sun-proof hat and rode my bike towards Changping District.

On the way, I stopped by the supply and marketing cooperative and bought some gifts.

The journey is about fifty or sixty miles.

Because the road conditions are bad, it takes almost five hours to ride a bicycle all the way.

So Wang Jianjun admires Xu Damao very much.

Every time I went to the countryside to show movies, I had to carry such heavy projection equipment in the wind and rain.

In later times, he would have been named a model worker long ago.

The job of a projectionist is really no easier than working in a workshop.

I searched the few memories in my mind and asked my fellow villagers for information.

Wang Jianjun stopped and walked along the way, and finally arrived at Laoyugou Village at around 2:00 p.m.

As soon as he arrived at the village entrance, he was stopped by two patrolling militiamen.

Wang Jianjun was not surprised. There were many enemy spies and bandits in those days, and every village had armed militia responsible for patrolling.

He hasn't been back for many years. Most people in the village only recognize his father, and not many of his peers recognize him.

He took out the letter of introduction and handed it over, and introduced himself.

After seeing the letter of introduction and hearing Wang Jianjun say that they were from the same village, the two militia members let down their guard and started chatting with Wang Jianjun.

After chatting, they found out that Wang Jianjun was actually their elder, and according to seniority, they had to call him uncle.

Looking at the two young men who were about the same age as him, Wang Jianjun did not ask them to change their words.

After taking out a pack of cheap cigarettes and giving them to the two men, he went straight into the village.

According to his memory, Wang Jianjun came to his uncle's house.

Wang Jianjun's uncle Wang Decai's house is built at the foot of the mountain, which is a relatively remote location.

After knocking on the shabby door, a middle-aged woman in her thirties opened the door. She was Wang Jianjun's aunt, Wang Yueying.

Wang Jianjun smiled and greeted:

"Aunt, I'm back."

Seeing that it was Wang Jianjun, the woman shouted into the house with some surprise:

"Lao Cai, come here quickly, Jianjun is back!"

As he said this, he quickly moved aside and pulled Wang Jianjun into the house.

As soon as Wang Jianjun entered the house, a middle-aged man came out from the inner room holding a cigarette.

Seeing Wang Jianjun, he walked up to him eagerly, took Wang Jianjun's hand, and looked him up and down.

"Jianjun, you're back. I can hardly recognize you after not seeing you for a few years. But it's good to be back. It's good to be back.

I said the army is a place to train people, and your cousin told me last year that he wanted to learn from you and join the army in the future."

Wang Yueying was happy in her heart, but she still complained:

"Well, do you think being a soldier is that easy? It's obvious that Jianjun has suffered a lot outside."

Wang Decai did not respond, but pulled Wang Jianjun into the house and sat down. He then shouted to Wang Yueying who was standing beside him:

"Go pick two pear melons to quench Jianjun's thirst. I don't know how far I have walked in this hot weather."

"Uncle and aunt, please take a seat first. You don't have to worry about anything."

Wang Yueying was a quick and nimble person. She took the scissors from the table and walked towards the backyard.

"Please sit down. I saw two ripe pear melons this morning. You came at the right time, otherwise your brother and sister would have ruined them."

Seeing this, Wang Jianjun did not stop him. He opened the cloth bag in his hand and took out the gifts he bought from it.

Two bottles of Lotus White, two packs of Daqianmen, a box of vanishing cream and two packs of fruit candies.

"Uncle, these cigarettes and alcohol are for you. The vanishing cream is for aunt, and the candies are for Jianshe and Wenjuan."

Jianshe and Wenjuan are Wang Decai’s two children.

There are a boy and a girl. Jianshe has just started junior high school, and Wenjuan is still in elementary school.

"Why waste money on these things? Your father is gone, so why are you learning to spend money lavishly?"

When Wang Decai saw the gift, he was not happy but frowned.

These things don't look cheap at first glance. Now that Wang Jianjun lives alone, he is afraid that Wang Jianjun will get used to spending lavishly and won't know how to live in the future.

After all, everyone has to live frugally these days.

Wang Jianjun knew his uncle's temper, so he patiently explained:

"Uncle, I only come back once in a few years. How can you say it's a waste if I bring some things to see you? My parents are gone now and you are my only relatives."

When Wang Decai heard his nephew say this, he no longer refused.

Sometimes being too polite can be counterproductive.

Just at this time Wang Yueying brought in two pear melons from outside the yard.

Wang Decai smiled at his wife and said:

"Jianjun bought us some presents, and there's one for you, too."

Wang Yueying also complained:

"You haven't even gotten married yet, what are you buying for us?"

Then he invited Wang Jianjun to eat melon.

Wang Jianjun didn't hesitate and picked up a peeled pear melon and took a bite.

Ripe pear melons are juicy, sweet and crispy.

Although the fruits and vegetables grown with farmyard manure are not big in size, they are very sweet.

"Uncle, are there many people in the village planting pear melons this year?"

Wang Jianjun remembered the purchase price of the fruits on the shopping list and thought that he could buy some fruits to boost his sales.

"There are a few, but they all grow some for their own consumption. If you like, come back in a few days. Right now, there are only a few green melons."

After hearing what Wang Decai said, Wang Jianjun gave up.

There is no point in purchasing if the quantity is not large.

Then he dug out the seeds from the pear melon in his hand and quietly planted them in the space.

It is a good choice to eat it yourself or use it as a shopping material.

The three of them sat and chatted for a while, and Wang Jianjun also talked to his uncle and aunt about his current situation.

When the couple heard that their nephew's house was occupied while he was in the army, they were outraged.

Wang Yueying even cursed Jia Zhang for being shameless and said that she would have slapped her a few times if she were there.

Wang Decai also frowned and said:

"I went to your yard when your father passed away. At that time, I felt that the uncles in your yard were not good people. Your family is not without people, but they all look like they want to eat up the whole family."