Chapter 214: Foundation Laying and Wheat Harvest

To be honest, this weather is not the right time to eat Tan’s cuisine.

Air conditioning was available at that time, but it was rarely seen in other places except the Beijing Hotel.

In the summer, the family still relies on ice cubes for cooling. There are several wash basins in the house, with whole blocks of ice in the basins, and the water vapor is curling up, and the air is like a fairy.

"Crash!"

In the back house of No. 11, Yongkang Hutong, a fierce battle was going on in the east and west rooms. In the east room were Wang Deming, Alexei and two followers; in the west room were Zhang Shouchun and Diana and her daughters.

"Ahahaha, I won! Come on, give me the money!" Diana laughed wildly towards the sky, "Humph, none of you are allowed to make any moves, let alone wink and glare. Let's see how you can beat me?"

"I'm a PhD in literature!"

"Shit luck!" Zhang Shouchun muttered, "It's just a bunch of idiots, and you're so happy. I didn't say anything when I got four of a kind last time."

"What's wrong with a PhD in literature? Does anyone know how you graduated? Your novels are not as good as Deming's!"

"Speak slower, you speak too fast and I can't understand you." Diana arranged the cards skillfully while chatting with Zhang Shouchun and the others.

The fastest way to learn a language other than your mother tongue is in the local language environment. Diana now has no major problems with daily conversation except that her tongue is a little bigger.

"She said that you, a PhD in literature, were found and can't even write a novel," Jin Yuqing explained with a smile.

Diana's eyes widened. "No way? You don't think studying literature means writing novels? The purpose of studying literature is to be able to study and criticize those who write novels, to become a literary critic!

"Ah, doesn't that mean just knowing how to read is enough?"

"Oh, that's definitely not possible. You have to be able to speak, to compose, and most importantly, to respond and sing praises. Otherwise, who will approve your money?"

"Approve money?"

"Of course, how can they support themselves without funding from above?" Diana said as a matter of course.

Zhang Shouchun and his friends looked at each other, wondering why it felt so unreliable.

"Who is the banker this time? Play your cards quickly." Diana urged.

Qin Huairu glanced at the three people opposite and carefully played a Dongfeng.

"Bang!" Zhang Shouchun shouted with a smile on his face, "See how I win your money back this time!"

"Hey, Diana, if literature is as useless as you say, why do we have universities dedicated to the humanities?"

"Of course the investment is less, but writing papers is indispensable. How much does a science and engineering university spend in a year? If you want to produce results, you have to do experiments, which requires instruments and materials. Research at a liberal arts university can just be done by looking through piles of old papers."

Seeing that the girls seemed to understand, Diana added, "All liberal arts majors serve the government and those above them, but science and engineering majors don't have to."

"Oh fortune!"

"bump!"

Compared to Diana's excitement, Wang Deming and Alexei could only be described as leisurely.

"Eat, little chicken, listen!" Wang Deming happily took a bite from the previous player and played a birdie. He "slapped" the mahjong tiles and said with a proud smile: "I have a pure set this time, you all pay attention."

Alexei on the opposite side had a blank expression on his face. The mahjong tiles in front of him were divided into piles and kept being matched back and forth.

The attendants on both sides had bitter faces. They opened the drawers of the mahjong table at the same time and looked down. They saw that their newly-paid wages were about to be lost. After looking at each other, they sighed and said, "Mr. De, Alexei, can you two find someone else to play mahjong next time?"

"Don't just think about winning our money, right?" "We are just ordinary working class people. We only get this much salary a month. If we lose it all to you two, we will have nothing to spend!"

Wang Deming looked at the tall attendant who was speaking in surprise and said, "If I can't defeat you guys, how can I defeat the officials you sent to support me?"

"You're kidding. Who will win then, them or us?"

"Then you can also find some people with more money in their pockets."

"Eat! Listen!" Alexei played a card and squinted at his follower. "Have you become stupid after studying history? How can they have money without anyone behind them? Just like me, how can I get shares of the Chinese medicine factory for free?"

"Besides, doesn't Mr. De give you the necessary money for your expenses every month? Isn't this enough for you to live on on average?"

"It's good enough to fill your stomach with delicacies from land and sea. Are they for you to eat?"

Yes, on average I am very rich. The follower could only helplessly lower his head and continue playing cards at the table, picking left and right, looking left and right, and "pop" finally played a card of ten thousand.

"Bullshit!"

Wang Deming and Alexei reached out their hands at the same time, shocking the followers.
"Same as always, spend frugally." Wang Deming gave each of his followers 500 yuan as usual and then he and Alexei happily counted the money.

"Oh, it's better to come at the right time than to come early. We two just happened to make up for it." Cha Kuiyuan and Zhang Shouchong came uninvited, rubbing their hands excitedly, their eyes shining, "Nowadays, we don't dare to play mahjong. Only when we come to your place can we play mahjong with confidence."

"Why did you two find your way here tonight?" Wang Deming asked in confusion, and gave them a thousand rubles each. "Remember to pay me back."

The sound of shuffling cards rang out again, and Cha Kuiyuan said, "Let's go to the new factory area in Chaoyangmen this afternoon. The construction is almost done, and we can officially move in and open for business next week."

"Deming, do you want to invite a few leaders to come and cut the ribbon?"

"Pop!" Wang Deming printed out a whiteboard and said nonchalantly, "That was a mistake. Don't apply the Republic of China's practices to today. Just build a new factory and start production right away."

"Okay, I'll listen to you. But Deming, you are the major shareholder of the pharmaceutical and beverage factories, so you have to come and cut the ribbon."

"You are the only one who can host it. Oh, and with Diana and Alexei, I have to go back to my hometown in a couple of days to help my mother harvest the wheat."

"Ah, there are mutual aid societies in the countryside now, so there's no need for you to go back, right? Besides, wheat is worthless, and our beverage factory produces more than 50 bottles a day. It will be a big deal if we can't sell them!" When Cha Kuiyuan heard that Wang Deming would not go to preside over the opening, he was so shocked that he forgot to draw the cards.

Wang Deming glanced at him and said slowly, "The beverage factory has been built, and you are only considering selling it? It has been arranged long ago." He nodded his chin at Alexei and said, "Alexei has already arranged the transportation and sales in the Soviet Union two months ago. He is just waiting for the goods."

"Well, hey, who played this card just now?"

On one side, colorful flags were flying and gongs and drums were beating as the herbal beverage factory and nutritional dietary supplement factory grandly opened; on the other side, Wang Deming, wearing a round-necked linen shirt, linen pants and cloth shoes, and a straw hat, got off at Changping Railway Station, and rode a donkey cart back home under the scorching sun.

As soon as you leave Changping County, the golden wheat fields on both sides of the road sway in the wind, forming layers of wheat waves.

Traveling with him were many junior high school students carrying luggage rolls, singing loudly along the way, and going to the countryside with high spirits to participate in the wheat harvest.

From time to time, you can see cadres from the city or the countryside riding 28-inch bicycles, also wearing straw hats, and talking loudly and happily about this year's good harvest.

When we got off the donkey cart near Wayao Village, the brigade's radio broadcast the mobilization for wheat harvest, "Comrades, sharpen the sickles in every household!"

"Each mutual aid group must arrange the division of labor. The young and strong comrades must work hard with the spirit of oxen and horses to harvest; the elderly and children will be responsible for boiling mung bean water, delivering water, and picking wheat ears."

"Say it again, comrades."

Wang Deming smiled slightly, "It turns out that I am just an ox or a horse."

(End of this chapter)