pjbooks Chapter 21: Leather Shoes
Chapter 21: Leather Shoes
When Tang Zhenghong got home, he found that there was a new little member in the family. The little bird was wagging its tail very happily, followed by several chicks that were curiously looking at the strange visitor and chirping.
Tang Hongxin jumped off the bicycle, ignoring the little yellow dog's whimpering resistance, and grabbed it by the neck.
"Second brother, this is the one that eldest brother caught from a friend's house. I named it Wangcai."
Wangcai hugged Tang Hongxin's arm tightly with its paws, as if afraid that its little master would suddenly drop it. It also licked Tang Zhenghong's hand with its little tongue to please him, making Tang Hongxin giggle.
The chicks probably mistook Wangcai for their mother, and they were very anxious, chirping around Tang Hongxin anxiously. Some even spread their wings and tried to fly up to rescue their "mother".
Tang Zhenghong rescued Wangcai, but the little guy didn't appreciate it and even tried to teach this stranger a lesson with his newly grown teeth in a cute but fierce way.
Hmm, he seems like someone who could be a security captain; he's known how to guard the gate since he was a child.
When placed on the ground, the little guy didn't hold a grudge at all and circled around the red heart.
"I didn't bring you any candy this time. This bag has hazelnuts and peanuts, take it and have some."
My dad used the sunny spot in the yard to grow vegetable seedlings. Most of them have already been transplanted, but there's still a small patch left. A little further on, there's a chicken coop and a dog kennel made of stone slabs and wood.
Wangcai ran around the yard like a madman, and when he got tired, he would lie down in front of his doghouse to sunbathe, while the chicks jumped onto his back and took a nap.
The kettle at home had all been taken to the fields. Tang Zhenghong scooped a ladleful of water from the well and found it sweet and refreshing.
When Tang Zhenghong saw the chicks at home, he suddenly thought of the fat hen that Xu Damao had brought back during the film screening, and then he thought of the Red Star Commune. Could it be that he would bring his own chicks back home later as a cheap treat?
Then I realized the timing didn't match up, and I felt relieved.
Xu Damao, who was almost wronged by Tang Zhenghong, is now at the peak of his life.
Tang Zhenghong put on the shoes he brought back and even went to the sales agency to buy shoe polish and a shoe brush, polishing them until they looked like mirrors.
Once at the factory, he was so afraid that others wouldn't notice he was wearing leather shoes that he struck all sorts of poses.
How could we forget about something like this, Shazhu?
Xu Damao made a special trip to the cafeteria when it was time to get lunch, but unfortunately Sha Zhu was sleepy at noon and skipped getting his food.
Sha Zhu was there when I came to the cafeteria for the third time in the afternoon.
"Hey Shazhu, have you been absent from work? I've come here several times and haven't seen you."
Sha Zhu was annoyed. Ever since Nan Yi came to the steel rolling mill, he hadn't had a good time. He had been caught slacking off at noon and was scolded by the director for half a day.
I never expected that even Xu Damao would try to take advantage of me now.
"You little bastard, are you looking for trouble? If you want to get beaten up, just say so. I'm just venting my anger here, I'll give you a free massage."
Xu Damao was startled. This silly Zhu sometimes acted recklessly, regardless of whether he was in the factory or not. Not only did he get beaten up for nothing, but he also lost face.
"Hey, you idiot, was I right? What's with this? Getting all worked up? I wasn't arguing with you. Look at this!"
Sha Zhu's eyes narrowed, only then noticing that Xu Damao was actually wearing leather shoes. Although envious, he couldn't resist a sarcastic remark: "It's just leather shoes, like you've never seen anything like them before. If you ask me, you shouldn't waste these shoes. Even in leather shoes, you don't have that kind of style. What's that word again? Hmm... I can't remember right now. Liu Lan, what was that idiom the director used to insult people last time?"
Liu Lan couldn't help but chuckle. This idiom was used by the director to scold Sha Zhu, saying that he, a cook, was acting like a leader, carrying an enamel mug and putting on airs. She didn't like Sha Zhu, but she disliked Xu Damao even more.
"A monkey wearing a crown. Xu Damao, this isn't my saying, it's Sha Zhu who insisted on asking."
"Xu Damao, did you hear that? Even Liu Lan thinks you're just a monkey in a crown."
Xu Damao's face grew even angrier. Why could he never gain the upper hand against Sha Zhu?
"Silly Zhu, you're just being jealous. These are leather shoes. Can you even afford them?"
"You little bastard, it's just a pair of leather shoes. I'll buy them tomorrow. Just you wait and see."
Seeing that Sha Zhu was furious, Xu Damao left like a victorious general.
After Xu Damao left, Shazhu felt an unbearable anger rising within him.
"I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson. Liu Lan, who served Xu Damao his lunch at noon?"
"Master Nan, those two are really good friends, they're very close."
Sha Zhu's eyes darted around as he stood up: "Where did Nan Yi go? I'll go find him and chat for a while, and buy him some drinks."
"The director called me into his office. Even you, silly Zhu, have to treat people sometimes. Am I included?"
"Go away, you're not even helping me treat Xu Damao, why are you meddling in this?"
Liu Lan's family situation hasn't reached the point where they won't have enough to eat yet, so she curled her lip and rolled her eyes at Sha Zhu's "ungrateful" behavior.
Nan Yi was a little confused by Sha Zhu's sudden enthusiasm.
"Don't look at me like that, okay? We eat from the same pot, and we're both cooks. Even though competitors are often rivals, we're from the same neighborhood, so like the old man said, we have to stick together. I'll cook a couple of dishes when we get back today, and you can give me your feedback, okay?"
After Nan Yi moved into courtyard number 95, he had a pretty good grasp of the temperaments of the people in the courtyard. When Sha Zhu said that, he felt even more uncertain.
"Zhu Zi, I've heard about your cooking skills, but I'm not qualified to comment. Tell me, what exactly happened? We live in the same courtyard; there's no need to make a scene like this, is there?"
Sha Zhu was secretly pleased. "You're smart enough to know that my skills are no worse than yours."
"Hey, here's the thing. You know I don't get along with Xu Damao, right? That bastard came to cause trouble again just now, and I have to teach him a lesson. I always ask you to get my food, so how about I do it for a few days next time?"
Nan Yi wouldn't get involved in such trivial matters; instead, he kindly advised Sha Zhu.
"Zhu Zi, you can't make a mistake like this. If it gets out of hand, even the director won't be able to protect you. A little roughhousing is fine, but aren't you afraid of losing your job if you do something like this?"
"I was just thinking of giving him a little lesson by shaking the spoon, and I'll take care of the director, so it won't get to you."
At this point, Sha Zhu, his face dark with anger, said, "That guy somehow got hold of a pair of leather shoes today and came here to show them off, even mocking me for not being worthy of wearing leather shoes. I won't be happy until I teach him a lesson. So, are you going to help me out or not? We all work in the cafeteria, we have to stand together against outsiders."
Nan Yi couldn't quite understand Sha Zhu and Xu Damao's thought processes: "Just for this little thing?"
"What do you mean by 'this is nothing'? This is a matter of face. We men of Beijing never let anyone throw our faces on the ground."
"Zhu Zi, don't be anxious. I saw Xu Damao wearing leather shoes at noon. I asked him about them, and he said Zheng Hong brought them back from out of town for him. Why should we argue with him about this? Saving money to get a wife is better than anything else, isn't it?"
Sha Zhu stroked his chin, suddenly realizing, "I was wondering where that guy got such nice leather shoes. Turns out the kid from the front yard got them for him. Hey, did you ask how much they cost?"
"You want to buy it?"
"It's not like we can't afford them. When I get back, I'll ask Zheng Hong to bring me a pair. With leather shoes, and a little more savings to buy a bicycle, how could I possibly lack a partner?"
Nan Yi was both amused and exasperated. The two were on completely different wavelengths, so he didn't bother trying to persuade them to be good people.