Chapter 318

When Zhou Yimin heard this, he said, “Alright, Sister-in-law Huang is here.”

He went back inside his house to tidy up a bit, then followed Zhou Dazhong to his home.

Since their houses were right next to each other, it took no more than two minutes to walk there.

As soon as Zhou Yimin stepped inside, he saw Huang Shi bringing the freshly prepared food to the table.

The house wasn’t very big, so the stove was placed by the door.

There was no other choice. Every family’s space was limited, and they had to make the most of every inch. Otherwise, in a house of only twenty or thirty square meters, having five or six people living there—some even more—was a tight squeeze.

With more and more people in the city, living spaces were becoming more scarce.

“Sister-in-law, why didn’t you ask Dazhong to pick you up?” Zhou Yimin suddenly asked.

Huang Shi smiled, “Brother Sixteen, you’re here? Come, sit. Dazhong had to work, and Zhoujiazhuang isn’t far, so it’s good exercise for him.”

“Let’s eat first, or the food will get cold.”

It was getting colder, and even though the food had just been cooked, it seemed to cool down quickly.

“Yimin, it’s just simple food, don’t mind it!” Huang Shi said.

She knew about the food at Zhou Yimin’s house, but this was the best meal her family could offer.

Zhou Yimin quickly responded, “How could I mind?”

In these circumstances, having such food to entertain guests was already rare. If anyone still complained, they wouldn’t have a reason.

Zhou Daguo couldn’t hold back anymore and quickly grabbed a piece of salted meat to eat. It was mostly fatty meat, with little lean meat.

This was the kind of meat that ordinary people liked to eat—the fattier, the better. Eating like this made the stomach feel oily and full.

Without that oiliness in the stomach, you would need to eat a lot to feel full.

Though the food at the village wasn’t bad, eating meat was still a rare treat. Now, seeing the meat, Zhou Daguo’s eyes practically lit up. If it wasn’t for Huang Shi holding him back, he would have finished all the meat by now.

Zhou Yimin specifically picked out leaner pieces of meat to eat, as he couldn’t handle too much fat. A single bite would release oil, and that feeling was hard to bear.

This meal was quite enjoyable, but the people in the courtyard, especially the neighbors living on Zhou Dazhong’s left and right, were suffering. The smell of the meat wafted through, and their stomachs couldn’t stop growling.

However, since Zhou Dazhong hadn’t invited them, they didn’t dare disturb him. And knowing that Zhou Yimin was invited made them even less likely to interfere, for fear of upsetting him.

Of course, there were those who tried to make light of the situation. Lu Zimin said, “Son, wife, hurry up and eat. You can eat more if you smell the food while it’s still hot.”

Nowadays, each family either used meat tickets to exchange for more coarse grains or saved them up for the New Year to enjoy a better meal.

To entertain just one person like this was costly—almost the whole year’s worth of meat tickets had been used to prepare this meal.

After eating and drinking enough, Zhou Daguo quietly said to Zhou Dazhong, “Brother, can you ask Brother Sixteen to lend me a roast duck ticket? I really want to eat roast duck!”

“Mom’s here, I can’t ask. You’ll have to ask him yourself,” Zhou Dazhong replied.

He was sure that if he asked, Huang Shi would scold him fiercely. He didn’t want to be lectured just for wanting a meal.

At that moment, Huang Shi was clearing the table, taking the dishes to wash. Since she had been here before, she knew where the faucet was.

“Mom, there’s hot water here,” Zhou Dazhong quickly said.

Although it wasn’t as cold as winter, washing with cold water would be uncomfortable.

“Hot water? Isn’t that a waste? Doesn’t boiling water require coal?” Huang Shi glared at him.

If they were in the village and used firewood, it wouldn’t matter. It was just a matter of chopping more wood. But in the city, everything required money and tickets.

After Huang Shi left, Zhou Daguo whispered, “Brother Sixteen, do you have a roast duck ticket?”

He was really desperate for roast duck. Even if he got scolded later, it would be worth it. After all, he had been scolded many times in the village and had gotten used to it.

Seeing Zhou Daguo squirming, Zhou Yimin thought something serious had come up. He didn’t even think about it before replying.

“I have a roast duck ticket, but I didn’t bring it with me. Dazhong, you can come with me to get it later!”

Zhou Yimin had plenty of tickets, some from the black market, others as rewards for inventions. He was never short on them.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Daguo jumped up excitedly. He could finally get to eat the roast duck he had been dreaming of.

Zhou Yimin led Zhou Dazhong to his house. When they were leaving, Huang Shi saw them and asked, “Brother Sixteen, are you leaving already? Dazhong, where are you going?”

Hearing Huang Shi’s words, Zhou Dazhong broke out in a cold sweat. If Zhou Yimin said they were going to get a roast duck ticket, he feared Huang Shi would drag him back to the house and scold him. At the very least, a good scolding was inevitable.

He was already grown up, and if the whole steel factory found out that he was being scolded in front of so many people, it would be quite embarrassing.

Life wasn’t as colorful as it was later on. Right now, life was pretty dull, and the only spice in it was gossip. Good news didn’t spread, but bad news traveled fast.

Zhou Yimin laughed and said, “My coal is running low, but I’m too busy, so I was thinking of asking Dazhong to help me buy some. I’m just going to my place to get some coal tickets.”

In the city, buying coal required coal tickets. These tickets were a proof of purchase for coal, a necessity for the residents of urban areas.

Coal tickets were typically issued by the relevant departments or units, and the number issued varied depending on individual and family needs.

When purchasing coal, you had to show the ticket at a designated coal yard or supplier.

These vouchers reflected the strict management of material distribution under the planned economy system at the time, ensuring the reasonable allocation and use of essential goods like coal.

“Exactly, we’re going to get coal tickets,” Zhou Dazhong quickly added.

Although Huang Shi was suspicious, she didn’t inquire further when she saw it was Zhou Yimin asking for help. She just reminded him, “Dazhong, whatever Brother Sixteen asks you to do, make sure it’s done well!”

“Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll handle it. You can trust me!” Zhou Dazhong quickly responded, afraid Huang Shi might notice something suspicious.

In a short while, they arrived at Zhou Yimin’s home.

Zhou Yimin handed over the coal tickets and the roast duck tickets.

“Brother Sixteen, are we really buying coal?” Zhou Dazhong asked, holding the coal tickets.

Zhou Yimin replied, “What else? Do you think I’m joking?”

Free labor couldn’t be passed up.

(End of Chapter)