Chapter 11: Director Li of the Street Office

In reality, most people would make the same choice as Second Aunt.

In this era, people weren’t short on money, but they were short on food.

There were still quite a few elderly folks in the city who had hidden away a lot of wealth, yet many of them were still starving while clinging to their gold and silver. Do you think they were masochists who just didn’t want to eat? No, they simply had no supplies!

Zhou Yimin headed out right away, making his way to the street office.

To install a sewage pipe, he needed approval from the street office. If it weren’t for Master Gu’s reminder, he might have overlooked this.

Just as he reached the entrance, he overheard people talking about how Director Li had been in a bad mood for the past two days. Her newborn grandson was crying from hunger, but her daughter-in-law wasn’t producing milk. She wanted to get some formula or milk, but that was easier said than done.

Hearing this, Zhou Yimin thought of the powdered milk in his store’s inventory.

While he could probably get things done without bringing anything, in this country, relationships and favors mattered—everyone knew that.

In the next moment, two bags of powdered milk appeared in his hands. He placed them in a small cloth bag before stepping into the street office.

“Young man, what brings you here?” The old guard at the entrance asked, following protocol.

Zhou Yimin handed him a Da Qianmen cigarette. “Sir, I’m looking for Director Li. I’m renovating my house and need to lay a sewage pipe. I heard I need to report it to the street office.”

The old guard took the cigarette, nodded, and smiled. “Yes, that’s the rule. Director Li’s office is over there, the first one on the left. Go ahead.”

“Thanks, sir!”

After bidding the old man farewell, Zhou Yimin walked to Director Li’s office and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Come in!”

Zhou Yimin pushed open the door and saw a middle-aged woman with short hair writing something at her desk. She looked up at him.

“And you are…?”

“Director Li, I’m Zhou Yimin from Courtyard No. 66. My house is pretty old, so I’m renovating it and want to install a bathroom, which means laying a sewage pipe. I came to inform you.

Oh, also, I happened to get some powdered milk from a friend…”

Before he could even finish, Director Li’s eyes lit up at the mention of powdered milk. She immediately stood up, opened the cloth bag, and saw two one-jin (500g) bags inside. Her face lit up with joy.

“Yimin from No. 66, right? Renovating is a good thing, and laying a sewage pipe is no problem. Just make sure the construction doesn’t disturb your neighbors, understood?”

She quickly put away the two bags of powdered milk and pulled out two large ten-yuan notes from her desk drawer.

These “big black tens” had only been officially circulated three years ago.

Zhou Yimin quickly waved his hands. “Director Li, this isn’t appropriate.”

Director Li stuffed the money into his hands. “Yimin, just take it! Call me Aunt Li. And next time you get powdered milk, remember to save some for me.”

“Alright, Aunt Li. I won’t take up any more of your time.” Zhou Yimin played along, building rapport.

“Good! Stop by my place sometime.”

“Will do!”

Director Li beamed. The problem with her grandson’s food was finally solved.

She wasn’t the type to ask just anyone to call her “Aunt.” If someone could get powdered milk, they clearly weren’t ordinary. It was a worthwhile connection.

—

Back at the courtyard, Zhou Yimin was about to gather his belongings into one room when people from Zhoujia Village arrived again.

With free labor available, he wasn’t about to be polite.

“You guys help me move everything over there. Daguai, pick a few people and come with me.”

“Alright, Sixteenth Uncle!”

Zhou Yimin led Zhou Daguai and a few others near the steel factory. “Wait here for a bit.”

He then walked off to a hidden spot, made a purchase from the system store, and brought out 6,000 jin (3,000 kg) of sweet potatoes, stacking them in a corner. After a while, he returned and waved them over.

“Come here.”

Zhou Daguai and the others didn’t ask questions. They saw the pile of sweet potatoes and immediately started loading them onto ox carts and handcarts.

Before they left the village, the old village head had told them: Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t.

“Alright, let’s head back to the courtyard. I’ll treat you all to a meal, then you should hurry back.” Zhou Yimin told them.

“Sixteenth Uncle, maybe we should eat back in the village instead… This time, there are more than ten of us. Feeding everyone isn’t easy.”

Right now, food was precious, and everyone ate a lot. If they ate like they did yesterday, how many noodles would that take? Food didn’t just fall from the sky.

“Quit talking nonsense. Since you’ve come to see me, I won’t let you leave hungry. Let’s go!”

Back home, Zhou Yimin made them a meal of white rice, stunning those who had never been to the city before.

Is this how people eat in the city?!

At that moment, they longed for city life.

In the countryside, they ate coarse grains and were often hungry.

“Eat up, eat as much as you can.” Zhou Yimin encouraged them.

There weren’t many side dishes—just a big bowl of cabbage. But to Zhou Daguai and the others, even plain rice was a feast. Normally, they ate cornbread and wild vegetable cakes.

Who cared if there were no side dishes?

They wished they could always eat like this.

“Sixteenth Uncle, I’m full.”

Zhou Yimin nodded and told him, “Then go outside and keep watch while the others come in to eat.”

That guy quickly put down his bowl and ran outside to stand guard. The sweet potatoes were too valuable—losing even one bag would get him scolded by the old village head.

It had been ages since he’d had his fill of rice.

Honestly, he had been tempted to stash a bowl and take it home for his younger siblings. But he knew it wouldn’t look good to eat and take food, so he resisted.

He wasn’t the only one with that thought.

Zhou Daguai and the others felt the same way. Their younger siblings, or their own children, were all skin and bones from hunger.

“If only I could stay in the city…” one young man muttered.

“You? Stay in the city? What skills do you have? You’d starve to death. Stop dreaming and just come back with me after you’ve eaten.” Zhou Daguai shot him down.

Better to shatter their unrealistic fantasies now than let them fester and cause trouble later.

Who didn’t want to become a city worker?

The problem was—what could they do? They had no skills, no education. How could they get a job?

After a hearty meal, Zhou Daguai and his group immediately transported the sweet potatoes back to the village without delay. Their main task was getting the goods home safely.

Back at Zhoujia Village, the old village head and others finally relaxed when they saw the massive pile of sweet potatoes. They couldn’t hide their grins.

“Yimin didn’t say anything else?” the village head asked.

“Nope.”

“Good.”

That night, the village canteen made sweet potato soup, adding a generous amount so that everyone could eat at least half-full.

Yes, only half-full.

If they ate until they were full, they’d go through too many sweet potatoes. Even thousands of jin wouldn’t last long!

Meanwhile, the younger men in the village had other thoughts.

“Wangcai, should we sneak up the mountain?” A group of young men huddled together.

Zhou Dafu hesitated. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea…”

But anyone with eyes could see that he was tempted.

If they could take down a wild boar, they’d have food, money, and maybe even a wife.

“You’re not going? Fine, we’ll go without you.”

“Wait! Who said I’m not going?!” Zhou Dafu quickly changed his tune.

(End of Chapter)