Chapter 119

Doctor Liang said, "Li Zhiguo, I've never asked you what you do for a living. Would you mind telling me?"

"well……"

Li Zhiguo is confused. Why bring up this matter?

"Doctor Liang, if you have anything to say, just tell me. We are so familiar with each other. Next time my wife gives birth, I will have to look for you."

"Li Zhiguo, then I will say it clearly.

My niece just wanted to find a job in the city. She is a girl with low education, so it is not suitable for her to work for a merchant.

I was thinking about letting her work in a factory. With my ability, the most I could do was to send her to a small factory in the suburbs.

Look, do you have any connections in the steel mill? If you can get her into the steel mill, I can help you find a job in a hospital with a corresponding major if there is a chance in the future."

Dr. Liang thought about changing his quota, but there are requirements for both doctors and nurses in the hospital, and not everyone can do the job. The job is not as scarce as that of workers in a steel mill, but it is almost equal.

Li Zhiguo was dumbfounded. Does he look like such a capable person? He has always used money to pave the way.

Besides, no one in the Qin family went to a medical school or studied medicine, so it would be a bit of a loss to exchange the quota. But since that person is Liang Ladi, it can be considered.

"Dr. Liang, to be honest, my job situation is a bit complicated.

I am not working now, but I am on standby at the steel mill and the Ministry of Agriculture. I usually live on allowances and bonuses. "

When these words were spoken, Dr. Liang was confused, feeling that he couldn't understand them.
Li Zhiguo continued, "Does Liang Ladi have any special talents? I'll try to get the steel mill to recruit a special quota for her."

"What special recruitment quota?"

Doctor Liang felt like he didn’t understand again.

“Ahem… it’s a restriction on the position, but there’s no limit on the number of applicants. However, that condition is aimed at those who have been specially recruited in advance.

For example, the hospital now wants to recruit a female doctor who is in her forties, has more than 20 years of obstetrics experience, wears glasses, has short hair, and must be surnamed Liang. Who do you think they can recruit?
That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but that’s basically what it is.”

When Li Zhiguo said this, Dr. Liang was numb, as if he had just encountered this for the first time. He looked at it in disbelief. How could a human being come up with this?

After calming down, Dr. Liang said, "Ladi can do some welding work. My second uncle, her grandfather, used to work odd jobs at a place similar to an agricultural machinery station.

Ladi has been playing there since she was a child, and she also learned from there, so she has some basic knowledge of welding."

After hearing this, Li Zhiguo thought to himself, no wonder Liang Ladi was a level 5 welder at a young age in the original drama, it turned out that she could learn welder from her family?

“Okay, the welder is pretty good.

How about this, give me a week, and I will notify you once the recruitment application is ready."

He should be able to finish it tomorrow, but he doesn't have time. Unless it's urgent, try to postpone it.

"Is that settled?"

Doctor Liang still hasn't figured out what Li Zhiguo does in the factory.

"It's almost the same. I'm quite familiar with Director Yang of the steel mill. I can just talk to him when the time comes.

Doctor Liang, I won't keep you any longer. I have to go out for a walk as well."

Li Zhiguo immediately said goodbye as he still had to take a walk. He would pick up Xiao Jingru in the afternoon and have dinner in the hospital.

It will just be a bit hard these two days, and everything will be fine once my wife returns home.

Actually, she could be discharged from the hospital today, but since this is my wife's first child, she should stay for two more days for observation.

After calculating that there was enough time, he rushed to Qianmen Street. His first wife had given birth to a child, and he had to tell his second wife about it.

See if Chen Xueru wants to come to the hospital. A harmonious family is the foundation of everything.

"Li Zhiguo!"

Chen Xueru was sitting in the store. When she saw the man come in, she immediately laughed, "Why are you here today, in the afternoon?"

"We only have time now. Let's go inside and talk."

Li Zhiguo went to the office and hugged her in his arms. Then he said, "Qin Huairu gave birth to a big fat boy yesterday evening. I named him Li Guanxiang. What do you think?"

"Guan Xiang? You're good at thinking of names. Is your sister still in the hospital?"

Chen Xueru became interested and wondered whether she should go and take a look.

Although she entered the family later, she is older and is the elder sister, so she should have the bearing of an elder sister.

What's more, her sister still doesn't know about her and Li Zhiguo.

"I'm in the hospital. Stay a few more days for observation. I have to go back soon. I also have to pick up Xiao Jingru from school."

He just said a few words casually. Unless you live alone in a private house, you can't avoid socializing.

"Then I'll go see my sister tomorrow."

Chen Xueru has made up her mind to act like a lady.

"Sure, I'll ask Lao Cai to pick you up and hire his car tomorrow."

Li Zhiguo was not averse to his two wives meeting each other, as they had known each other before. Besides, Chen Xueru was not so careless in her words now, so he felt relieved.

He didn't stay here for long. He went to pick up Xiao Jingru and took her to the hospital. Shortly after dinner, he hugged his son and daughter-in-law and went back to the hospital.

"Li Zhiguo, I heard that you named your son Li Guanxiang. What a good name."

Yan Bugui came forward and greeted him. This was the name. The more he analyzed it, the more meaningful it seemed to him.

"What a coincidence! Isn't it the one born on the 3rd?"

It is impossible for Li Zhiguo to talk about the meaning of paying people wages, because that would make him a capitalist.

"It's a good coincidence!"

Yan Bugui was cheerful, but suddenly he became sad again, "Li Zhiguo, you said before that I can't do my part-time job anymore, right?"

"I can't do it anymore. You'll know when you read the news later."

Before National Day, Li Zhiguo was settling accounts in the street and talked with Director Li twice more.

It has been made clear that flour coupons are just a preliminary step, and control of rice, coarse grains, and even dried sweet potatoes will soon follow.

If something is in short supply, there will be purchase restrictions immediately. This is not only in Beijing, but also in several other cities.

"Oh, this affects my purchase of a bicycle."

Yan Bugui shook his head and sighed. He had been planning to buy a car after working for a while, but who knew that his part-time job would be gone in a flash, and he didn't make much money this month.

"Think of a solution!"

Li Zhiguo smiled and said that as long as one had the courage, one could still make money with the food coupons. Even a deaf old lady could exchange more than 12 yuan for more than 60 kilograms of food coupons.

But he couldn't teach Yan Bugui, so he just laughed it off, thinking that others could figure it out on their own.

He was anxious to go back and rest, so after arriving at the Central Courtyard, he went to Lao He's house, called Lao Cai out and gave him some instructions, then went to the backyard.

"Hey, Damao, I'm busy. Did you know that I have a son?"

As soon as he arrived at the backyard, Li Zhiguo gave brother Damao a critical blow. He now had a son and someone would take care of him in his old age.

"heard about it."

Xu Damao didn't want to respond to this, but he couldn't run away. He really had to wash the dishes. He went to the movies today and came back late. He packed some food for his wife, but he still had to wash the dishes.

"Da Mao, come on! None of the five brothers in our courtyard can be without a son."

Li Zhiguo said so, but it might be difficult when he thought about the other three brothers.

Damao got married early in his life, but he has not had any news about his wife for such a long time. It is very likely that he is born to be a childless person.

Sha Zhu can have children, but the key is that he may not be able to find a wife.

Besides, Mr. Cai was not destined to have a son, only a daughter.

If you think about it this way, wouldn't the courtyard be dominated by his sons Xiaoguanxiang and Banggeng?

"Li Zhiguo, I like what you said.

I'm still young, and by the time I'm your age, I'll definitely have a son."

Xu Damao's smile was very forced. He had been a little suspicious these past two days. He suspected that his wife Tang Chunyan had health problems, and he also suspected that he himself had some problem.

"Okay, wash it well!

Oh, by the way, your sister Qin will be back in a couple of days, don’t forget to give her a gift.”

Li Zhiguo thought about this matter and decided that he could skip the full moon banquet, but he could still have the ceremony.

"Send it, I will definitely send it."

Xu Damao knew he couldn't escape, so he simply accepted it. When he had a son, Li Zhiguo would have to return the gift.

Soon, Li Zhiguo returned home, washed up, and then hugged Xiao Jingru to sleep.

"Jingru, here are two cents. Get up by yourself tomorrow morning and have breakfast outside. Don't be late.

If that doesn't work, just buy breakfast and go to school with Second Aunt and the others, got it?"

Li Zhiguo yawned. After a whole day of picking up and dropping off passengers, he didn't want to go anymore.

"I know, brother-in-law!"

Xiao Jingru pulled the quilt for her brother-in-law, feeling distressed.

The next morning, Xiao Jingru went out and spent six cents to buy a rice cake, and then went to school with the other children in the yard.

In the morning, Jia Dongxu came back from the hospital and was about to do some laundry when he suddenly remembered something and hurried to the backyard.

"Li Zhiguo, it's time to get up. It's already mid-morning."

"Dongxu, wait a moment, I'll get up soon."

He looked at his watch. Wow, it was past ten o'clock. He finally slept in. He asked his mother-in-law to buy breakfast for his wife today, so there was no rush. Jia Dongxu waited outside the door for a long time before he saw Li Zhiguo come out with a washbasin.

"Why are you asking me to wait? I have to go back and do the laundry."

"There is something. I have three chickens at home. I am not at home during the day. You should come back often and help me take care of the chickens."

Li Zhiguo decided to test the endurance of the Dongxu brothers.

"Look after the chickens!"

Jia Dongxu was numb and craved chicken, but he didn't dare to touch Li Zhiguo's chicken.

"I won't let you work in vain. I'll give you one egg after it's laid every day. You can only take care of it for a few days. When my mother-in-law comes back, you can relax."

Li Zhiguo added more gambles to see what kind of test an egg can put it through and how the Dongxu brothers will divide it?
Who knew that Jia Dongxu immediately said: "No, I like raising chickens. Let your mother-in-law take a rest. I will help you raise chickens before I go to work."

"That's what you said. Okay, the chickens are in the cages. You can take care of them."

Li Zhiguo said as he went to wash up. If he was any later he would miss breakfast, and would skip a meal at night and would be hungry.

When he arrived at the hospital and just walked to the door of the room, he heard the voice of his concubine Chen Xueru. She came early enough because he was late.

"Li Zhiguo, come in quickly, we are just talking about you."

When Chen Xueru saw the man appear at the door, she quickly waved to him.

"What did you say about me?"

Li Zhiguo walked into the ward, thinking that family harmony came first.

"You are so lucky to have a son."

Chen Xueru had a smile on her face, this was a real compliment.

"That is!"

Li Zhiguo saw that his mother-in-law was also in the room and his wife was leaning on the bed, and everything seemed fine.

Chen Xueru stayed here for more than an hour before leaving. Li Zhiguo sent her to the outside of the hospital, where she saw Cai Quanwu was already waiting.

"Old Cai, send Boss Chen back safely."

"Got it!"

Cai Quanwu felt that Boss Chen and Brother Li had a really good relationship, as she came over to give gifts even though she was pregnant.

Li Zhiguo helped his concubine into the car and said, "I'll come to see you in two days."

"Okay!"

Chen Xueru touched her belly and was sure that she could give birth to a son.

After watching the tricycle go away, Li Zhiguo returned to the ward.

"Zhiguo, Sister Xueru just sent me a lot of gifts. How can I return the favor?"

Qin Huairu was a little embarrassed. Although she knew that Chen Xueru was rich, it was not like this.

Mother Qin also said: "Two rolls of fine cloth, several sets of clothes for little Guan Xiang... and a big red envelope."

Qin Huairu followed up by saying, "I looked at the red envelope, and there was sixty-six yuan in it."

"You should keep the red envelope. She calls you sister, so you should give her that.

I will return the favor when she gives birth."

Li Zhiguo didn't think it was a big deal. They were all family. Just pour it from one hand and it still remains in the pot.

"Hey!"

Qin Huairu nodded and said, "I didn't even know Sister Xueru was married. When she came today, I saw that she was pregnant. She said that she would give birth in about two months."

"She has been talking to him for a long time. I don't know the details."

Li Zhiguo didn't dwell on it. He just hugged his sleeping son, and Sha Zhu brought him lunch.

In the afternoon, he helped his wife walk around and recovered quickly.

In a blink of an eye, they were discharged from the hospital two days later and the whole family returned to the hospital. The Jia family had returned the day before. It must have been inconvenient to stay in the hospital.

After arriving home, Qin Huairu began to recuperate after giving birth, which usually lasted about thirty days.

That morning, Li Zhiguo was sleeping soundly, hugging his son carefully, when he was suddenly awakened by the sound of the radio.

"Dear listeners, today the State Council issued the "Order on the Planned Purchase and Planned Supply of Grain".

Starting from November 1 this year, our city will implement the supply of flour with flour coupons..."

Li Zhiguo thought, what was coming has finally come. Today is October 19th, and three days ago, the "Resolution on the Unified Purchase and Sale of Grain" was issued.

"Governing the country, what are flour tickets?"

Qin Huairu had woken up a long time ago and had been listening to the radio.

"It is a voucher for buying flour, in sets of three, divided into four catties, eight catties and ten catties.

There is a purchase limit on flour, but luckily we have enough at home, and we still have more than 200 kilograms."

He hasn’t finished the flour he bought last time, and the price has increased.

In addition, he stored food in the small courtyard left by his grandfather and the three-story large courtyard, so he would never go hungry in his life.

Since the year before last, household registration has been carried out in the city. His family now has three people. Xiao Guanxiang has already registered and can receive flour coupons.

In addition, rural people who have jobs can also receive flour coupons.

But for people like his mother-in-law and Xiao Jingru, it's more of a pitfall.

My mother-in-law has no job, and little Jingru will not be allocated food just because she goes to school in the city.

Otherwise, it would not be the case that in the same school, some people can eat fine grains while others can only eat black bread and sweet potatoes.

Unless you make the best of it and get into university.

“Will there be a shortage of food at home in the future?”

Qin Huairu was a little worried. Her son was still very young and couldn't let him go hungry.

"What are you thinking? Don't I have it all? There's no one to help others, but we can still have food for ourselves."

Li Zhiguo patted his wife's face. What a lack of taste.

"Hey!"

Qin Huairu was so happy that she almost forgot that her husband was a neighborhood cadre.

"You brought your son with you, and I got up here."

As Li Zhiguo spoke, he gently put down Xiao Guanxiang from his arms.

"Well, I'll find some clothes for you."

Qin Huairu also got up. She was just in confinement after giving birth and couldn't stop doing any work.

"I have to go to the street, so I won't eat at home today."

Today happened to be Monday, and he was going to work part-time at the street office. He had an additional task, which was to review the flour ration, which was damn complicated.

According to the type of work, position, age, etc., it is divided into dozens of standards, and there are more in the future, up to more than a hundred levels.

His attendance rate is high this month, so he has to be paid extra wages.

"Well, slow down on the road."

Qin Huairu gave instructions and only returned to the inner room after seeing the men pushing their bicycles out. Confinement after childbirth is not much different from being in prison.

Li Zhiguo was stopped while pushing his bicycle before he could walk out of the central courtyard.

"Li Zhiguo, something big has happened. Someone from the street office just came to inform us that we will start reviewing household registration tomorrow. From the first of next month, we will need to use certain flour coupons to buy flour."

"Did you hear some rumors before that caused you to buy so much food?"

"Fortunately, I listened to you. I still have dozens of kilograms of flour stored at home. I haven't eaten the ones I saved yet."

"Li Zhiguo, do you think we can still eat white flour in the future? We won't go back to the days before the founding of the People's Republic of China, where we could only eat it once or twice a month and only dared to eat dumplings during festivals."

The aunties in the courtyard have gradually regarded Li Zhiguo as the weather vane of the courtyard. Although the bad boy still likes to cheat people, he often tells the truth.

Jia Zhang couldn't help but say, "We are out of white flour at home. We gave all of it to Bihua for her confinement. What should we do now?"

Li Zhiguo said, "Don't worry about this matter. Listen to the street. This is actually a good thing. In the future, everyone will be able to buy almost the same amount of white flour. This is fair!"

It is indeed fair, because even cadres cannot afford too many flour coupons, and the food coupon system is to protect the people.

"Let's wait until the three uncles come back tonight before we talk. The street will talk to them. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."

No matter how much he says now, it will be useless. After the household registration of each street is reviewed again, the ration of flour for each household will naturally be determined.

Even though people usually don’t buy much white flour in order to save money, it will be a big problem if it is unavailable.

After leaving the hospital, he went to eat fried dough sticks, as he loved them. However, his wife couldn't eat them during her confinement period, so she didn't bring any back.

As for my mother-in-law, she had already had breakfast and couldn't take care of her now.

"Boss, give me two fried dough sticks and a bowl of soy milk."

"Hey, Brother Li, today is a bad day. We can't sell fried dough sticks. There is a purchase limit on white flour. You've heard about it, right?"

This store belongs to the street office and they are better informed than the average person.

"Forget about all that crap, just fry me two dough sticks."

(End of this chapter)