Chapter 426: Frustrated Yan Bugui
On New Year's Eve,

All restaurants in Peking were closed.
Therefore, the common people from the surrounding cities and the suburbs of Peking who came to the city to make a living also returned to their homes.

Early in the morning, He Yuzhu finished his breakfast and prepared to go out.
"Dad, Xiao'e,
I'm going to go to the station to take up my shift first, and I guess I won't be back until later in the afternoon. You guys go to the group party at the steel mill first, and I'll come by myself later, so don't wait for me."

"Okay, if you want to be on duty, go ahead and do it.
After we finished lunch at home, we went to the steel mill. Qingshan and his friends told us that the mill would start a garden party in the afternoon.

It was a good opportunity to take Jianguo, He Ying and others there to play.

By the way, I heard from your Aunt Bai that Secretary Ma and Director Wang of the steel mill will be transferred after the New Year, and the new leader sent by the higher-ups will come to the factory during the New Year.
She asked me to help prepare a banquet, and I agreed.
If the militia has nothing to do, you can come to the cafeteria early to help out.
I always feel a little embarrassed that our whole family follows us to the factory to eat and drink for free, but any help we can give is helpful.”

When I heard He Daqing say that the steel mill would have a new leader,
He Yuzhu knew that most of the people coming were Director Yang and Deputy Director Li Huaide.

Because Secretary Ma, Director Wang and other members of the current steel mill team were deeply influenced by the Russians, and the top leaders put forward new requirements in the past few years.

Therefore, Director Yang, Li Huaide and other talents trained by Daxia will emerge at this time.

As for what He Daqing said, "I'm sorry."
He Yuzhu actually didn't take it to heart at all.

"What's the big deal, Dad? Aunt Bai and Qingshan are both employees of the steel mill. Our family is also the family of the factory employees.

Since the leaders above have decided to celebrate the New Year together, how can we be considered to be eating and drinking for free?
The meal tickets have been issued, so you can relax.

Eat and drink when you should.

As for the matter of preparing a feast you mentioned, I will not get involved.
A while ago, a new order was issued, prohibiting the holding of dances, receptions, and other events under any name.
If I help prepare the banquet, the leaders of the steel mill may not dare to eat it. I don't want to scare them.

I'd better pretend I don't know."

He Yuzhu had said so much, and He Daqing did not say anything more. After all, he did not know what the specifications of the banquet prepared by the steel mill were.
It would be fine if I ate the same as the workers.

But if the standard is exceeded and He Yuzhu is asked to help in the kitchen, the leaders in the factory will probably be worried.

"Okay, then you should come over later!"

Although it was Chinese New Year, the yard was still as deserted as usual. Even Yan Bugui no longer wrote couplets and blessing characters for the neighbors as he did in previous years.

After all, we only have 2 taels of melon seeds and half a pound of shelled peanuts per year.
There wasn't enough food for the people in his family, so who would be stupid enough to give the little food at home to Yan Bugui to ask him to help write couplets?

So when He Yuzhu walked to the front yard, he saw Yan Bugui, still wearing patched clothes as usual during the New Year, leaning at the door of his house with a melancholy look on his face.

Seeing his unwilling expression, He Yuzhu smiled and said auspicious words.
"Happy New Year Uncle Yan!

What are you doing? It's New Year's Day, and it looks like someone borrowed your rice and returned your chaff."

Seeing He Yuzhu coming out of the Chuihua Gate, Yan Bugui sighed.
"Oh! This world is really difficult.
I asked the neighbors a few days ago whether they would write couplets this year, but they said they couldn't even get enough food to eat, so why write couplets?
He also scolded me and told me not to try to buy their peanuts and sunflower seeds.

Zhuzi, can you tell me what this is all about?
Originally our lives were getting better and better, but how come in the blink of an eye we are back to the days before liberation? Now we ordinary people can hardly afford even peanuts and sunflower seeds. "

After saying this, Yan Bugui shook the patched clothes on his body.

"Look, now I can't even wear new clothes during the Chinese New Year." Looking at Yan Bugui's series of actions, He Yuzhu shook his head helplessly and laughed and complained.
"Uncle Yan, what you said is a bit heartless.
This is a little more obvious in our city than in the past.
But you can ask Xu Damao,

Ask him what the situation is like in the countryside.
People in every village and community say that although life is hard now, it is better than the best years before liberation.

If a disaster as severe as last year's had occurred in previous years, many people would have starved to death.

It's not possible that your family had a good life before liberation, but now life is a little difficult, so you say that you have returned to the time before liberation overnight!

If you say so, then all those rich people before liberation would have died.

As for these patched clothes you wear,
Who can be blamed for that?

Who made your Yan Jiecheng pull so many poops when he got married two years ago?

Didn't your family pay me back 20 feet of cloth coupons last year? What's so strange about wearing patched clothes during the New Year this year? "

Yan Bugui told He Yuzhu all this just to complain and win sympathy, to see if he could write some couplets or blessing characters, to get some benefits.

Unexpectedly, he would scold me instead.

Then he waved his hand impatiently.
"De, de, de,

I am too lazy to talk to you about this during the New Year, you should just go and do your own things.

Let's clean up.

After lunch, we have to go to Jiecheng’s food factory to celebrate the New Year.”

This is the difference between Yan Bugui and He Daqing.

He Daqing felt that it was a bit unkind for his family of 10 to celebrate the New Year at the steel rolling mill, but Yan Jiecheng was the only one in the Yan family who worked at the food factory, so their family of eight could celebrate the New Year at the food factory without any psychological burden.

However, He Yuzhu had long been accustomed to his character, so he ignored him and went straight back to the east wing, pushing his bicycle out the door.

Since most militiamen have their own work units, and the units are also engaged in collective team activities,

So when He Yuzhu arrived at the base,
Apart from a few comrades on duty, there was no one else there. The entire base seemed deserted and nothing happened.

After staying at the station until 4 p.m. and handing over work to Han Chengxiang who came to replace him, He Yuzhu rode his bicycle to the steel rolling mill outside Dongzhimen to celebrate the New Year.

The steel mill was bustling with activity at this time.
Numerous children, under the care of their parents, played various games in every corner of the steel mill, such as hooping, touching the elephant's trunk, hopscotch, fishing for small goldfish, etc.
The adults looked at the children and chatted about family matters.

Comrades from the security department made rounds everywhere;
The comrades from the Propaganda Department were busy setting up the screen and movie projector, preparing to show the movie after dinner.

Although everyone was busy with different things, they all swallowed their saliva.

Because the aroma of food continued to waft from the more than 20 canteens in the steel mill, making everyone very hungry.

(End of this chapter)