Chapter 51: Danger
Joking and laughing, the two of them went into the supply cooperative. Zhao Wenjun stayed outside to watch the cart as usual. Because they already had too many things, Zhao Wenwu also remained outside, so only Zhao Wendong himself went inside.
Liangzi, having just entered, immediately led Zhao Wendong straight to the director’s office.
"Director, Director, this is my buddy. He wants to buy some stuff."
The supply cooperative director, Cui Dafa, looked at Liangzi, a little exasperated.
"If it weren’t for your dad’s sake, I’d give you a good smack. What’s all the shouting? If your buddy wants to buy something, just take him to buy it. Do you need me for something that costs less than ten yuan?"
"He wants to buy fifty yuan worth!"
"How much?"
Cui Dafa shot to his feet, looking in disbelief at the shabbily dressed Zhao Wendong. ’Does this dirt-poor kid really have fifty yuan, and he wants to spend it all at once? If so, I’ll hit my sales quota for the month ahead of schedule!’
A short while later, all the salespeople in the supply cooperative were bustling about. All sorts of seasonings, daily necessities, and other goods were moved out of the storeroom, counted, and then packed together.
Zhao Wendong looked at a jar of vanishing cream, feeling pleased. ’The last bit I brought for Chen Yanmei and Song Xiaoyu, they were too reluctant to use it. This time I’m getting them a whole jar. Let’s see if they’ll use it now.’
While waiting for the items to be packed, his eyes scanned the room and caught a few small, framed mirrors. ’An idea struck him. I was originally going to give Lin Zhiyin a bar of soap as a gift, but I seem to remember the mirror she uses is just a broken shard. I should just buy her a small mirror as well.’
"Liangzi, this mirror here, I’ll take one. No, wait, make it two of the big ones, and one of these small ones."
"Sure. We’ll ring it all up together later."
After nearly an hour of bustling activity, Zhao Wendong’s fifty yuan was finally all spent, exchanged for a huge pile of goods. He prioritized non-staple foods, and the rest were all daily necessities: salt, soy sauce, brown and white sugar, as well as needles and thread, soap, new towels, and so on. As long as the supply cooperative had it and his family could use it, Zhao Wendong took it.
When the saleswoman at the door saw Liangzi helping carry the goods and the director personally and cordially seeing Zhao Wendong out, she felt a sharp pang of jealousy. They were currently earning six work points a day, and the supply cooperative’s performance wasn’t great this year. They were lucky if they got more than two yuan a month in wages.
"Are the village people all this rich now? He must have bought fifty or sixty yuan worth of stuff, right?"
"I know, right? Good heavens, we could work for two years without eating or drinking and still not spend as much as he just did in one go."
"That young man looks pretty clean-cut, too. I wonder if he’s married."
"You don’t recognize him? Let me tell you, he’s a loafer. He used to just wander the streets of the Commune all the time."
"Huh? For real?"
A group of saleswomen quickly gathered together and started gossiping about Zhao Wendong.
Outside, Zhao Wendong finished loading all the goods onto the cart. He emptied one of the supply cooperative’s baskets, took out two heads of pickled cabbage, placed them inside, and handed it to Cui Dafa.
"Director Cui, I really appreciate all your help today. We pickled this cabbage ourselves at home. Please take it back for your family to try."
Cui Dafa had processed quite a few ration coupons this time. Although Liangzi’s presence meant everything was sold at the lowest price, he still made a decent profit. Now, seeing how thoughtful Zhao Wendong was, his smile became so wide his eyes nearly disappeared, and he clapped Zhao Wendong’s shoulder repeatedly.
"Wendong, you’re a good kid. I never expected Liangzi to have a great buddy like you. Come by anytime! If you ever need anything from me, don’t hesitate to tell Uncle Cui!"
"You got it. You get back to it, Uncle Cui!"
After Cui Dafa left, Zhao Wendong packed another two heads of pickled cabbage, a few heads of napa cabbage, and half a bag of cornmeal, and handed them to Liangzi.
"I’ll go visit your aunt and uncle next time I’m free; I can’t make it this time. Take these things back with you. It’s just a small token from me."
"No, I can’t!"
Liangzi refused outright. These things were far too valuable. In a disaster year like this, this much food could save a person’s life!
"If you keep arguing, I’m going to get angry. Are we brothers or not? There are too many people on the road; it’s not good to be seen. Just shut up and take it!"
Seeing Zhao Wendong’s face darken, Liangzi finally accepted the heavy bundle of food. In truth, his family’s situation hadn’t been good recently. The lunch he’d had today was the first time he’d eaten his fill in months. The rice bin at home was nearly empty, and these things from Zhao Wendong were a desperately needed relief.
His family was just the three of them. His older brother and sister were both married and living separately, and not in the Commune either. Relatively speaking, their need for grain was smaller, but they also had fewer people to rely on for help. With what he held in his hands now, if they were careful, the three of them would have enough food to last until the New Year without any problem.
"What, you gonna start crying on me? Get lost, we’ve got to get back on the road!"
Zhao Wendong laughed and shooed Liangzi away. The three brothers, leading the big brown horse, started on their way back.
In a bag next to the big brown horse was the dried fodder Third Master had prepared for it. When it got hungry, it would take a bite. It was as relaxed as if it were out for a leisurely stroll.
They were hauling too much for the return trip, so there was no room to sit on the sleigh. The three brothers had to walk. Fortunately, they weren’t carrying any weight themselves, so their pace wasn’t slow. They soon left the Commune and reached the three-way fork in the road to Dragon King Pond.
Zhao Wenjun led the horse in front, while the other two brothers followed behind the sleigh, keeping an eye on it to make sure nothing fell out. Zhao Wenjun was so pleased he was practically bubbling with joy. All his previous prejudice against Zhao Wendong had vanished.
"Third Brother, that stewed pickled cabbage and vermicelli you made was delicious. Let’s have it again when we get home! We should make a pot for Mom, Dad, and the little ones too!"
Zhao Wenjun licked his lips as he spoke. Zhao Wendong smiled and nodded, but just as he was about to reply, the situation changed in an instant.
A figure suddenly shot out from the snow beside the road and snatched the big brown horse’s reins. A startled Zhao Wenjun was about to grab them back when the cold muzzle of a gun was pressed against his forehead.
Little Bastard held the horse with one hand while pointing a pistol at Zhao Wenjun’s head with the other. It was a ’chicken leg’ Mauser, the same kind Zhao Wendong had tucked away.
"Don’t fucking move! Move and I’ll blow your brains out!"
Zhao Wenjun’s body went stiff. Zhao Wenwu, who was behind him, let out a great roar and was about to charge forward, but Zhao Wendong grabbed him and held him back.
Zhao Wendong’s eyes narrowed. He stared at the suddenly appeared Little Bastard, his tone ice-cold.
"Little Bastard, you son of a bitch. You think you can rob your own grandpa?"
A strange, unnatural smile was forced onto Little Bastard’s face, which was stiff and purple from the cold.
"She’s been dead for years. Why don’t you go down there and find her? Fuck her all you want, she won’t mind one more!"
His tone was a mixture of casual indifference and a kind of hysterical madness.
Zhao Wendong’s heart tightened. ’His state... it was so similar to how I was in my past life, back when I didn’t want to live on alone. This Little Bastard is really playing for keeps!’
’No, I have to be calm right now. The family I have in this life—every one of them is my pressure point, my very lifeblood. I was reborn to give them a good life. I can’t lose a single one!’
With this thought, Zhao Wendong knew he couldn’t be rash. ’Little Bastard would never guess that I have a ’chicken leg’ Mauser too. I have to stall him with words first and look for an opening.’ With that, he shouted to his eldest and second brother.
"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, if he wants the stuff, give it to him!"
"No way!"
"No!"
Zhao Wenjun and Zhao Wenwu’s eyes turned red simultaneously as they gritted their teeth and refused.
"Both of you, shut the fuck up and listen to me!"
"Trust me! If the stuff is gone, I can help you earn it all back! Listen to me! Give it to him!"
The two of them looked into Zhao Wendong’s bloodshot eyes. The authority Zhao Wendong had built up over the past few days took effect. Zhao Wenwu slowly unclenched his fists, and Zhao Wenjun also let go of the reins, slowly backing away.
"Ai Zhongguo, you can take the food, but this horse belongs to the production brigade. You can’t touch it. Otherwise, let’s see which is tougher—your gun, or my head!"
Little Bastard froze, and the way he looked at Zhao Wendong changed slightly.