Courtyard House: Railway Police at the Start

Chapter 6: Trending Topics

Early in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

The courtyard house has become lively, with people getting up to empty the chamber pot, lighting the stove to boil water and cook, and scolding children for wetting the bed at night.

Tang Zhenghong doesn't have the habit of using a urinal. After all, he's young and his body is functioning well, so he can take care of things in the space. However, he still routinely goes to the dry toilet outside the hospital every morning to "check in".

When we were spreading the word about guarding against enemy agents, we reminded people to pay special attention to several types of people: first, those who like to eat and drink and are addicted to material enjoyment; second, those who have unknown materials and income; third, those whose lifestyles are different from ordinary people; and those who often go out and do not return home on time, and whose whereabouts are mysterious, etc.

Tang Zhenghong planned to reveal his work during his shift in the hospital, so as not to be reported as an enemy spy, which would be too unfair.

The older women in Beijing have a real knack for this. One of them spotted a spy in the toilet who had been eating meat for several days in a row. They knew there was a limit to how much meat he could eat every day. It was no wonder the spy was caught.

So let's quietly improve our lives in the space. Other things are not on the agenda for the time being. These days, you need a hunting license to hunt, and you also need the consent of the local commune. Besides, there's nothing to hunt in the surrounding mountains. They're barren.

There weren't many opportunities to repair toilets or anything like that. These were all fertilizers for farming, which needed to be collected and transported away. In the next few years, special ration coupons for these kinds of things would be issued.

After holding his breath and finishing his business, he came out and saw Yan Bugui standing not far away, cursing and swearing.

Nan Yi also got up very early. He lived in the main hall and was considered a resident of the front yard. He was the only one who exercised in the yard in the morning, since he was the cook and there was no shortage of food.

"Who knows whose kid did it at night? Why didn't you use a flashlight when you went to the bathroom?"

Yan Bugui looked annoyed, rubbing the stuff off his feet with the dry grass by the roadside: "That's a waste of batteries, every little bit helps. Don't let me find out which brat did it."

The pit in the dry toilet got bigger and bigger. Some children had short legs and couldn't stand on either side of the Yellow River, so they had to find a place to relieve themselves, which led to this situation.

"Good morning, both of you. We really need to talk to the neighborhood committee about cleaning up this toilet. If a child isn't supervised, they could easily fall in; it's a safety issue. Teacher Yan, your daughter Jie Di is still very young; you can't have her with you all the time, can you?"

Nan Yi and Yan Bugui really hadn't expected this.

Yan Bugui was too angry to notice, but after hearing this, he realized it was true.

"Hiss, Zheng Hong's words are so true. I'll talk to Uncle Yi and the others about this later. Even just getting some approval for our materials would be great."

Nan Yi sized up Tang Zhenghong for a while. This man had been leaving early and returning late since he came back to the courtyard. This was the first time the two had met and greeted each other. Upon first meeting Tang Zhenghong, Nan Yi felt very good about his words and actions.

"You must be Comrade Zheng Hong? My name is Nan Yi, and I also live in the front yard. Please let me know if you need anything in the future."

"You're older than me, just call me Zhenghong. I heard you also work at the steel rolling mill? Which canteen?"

"I'm in charge of the small kitchen in the third canteen."

What about Sha Zhu?

Although Tang Zhenghong was curious, he didn't ask any further questions.

Yan Bugui clicked his tongue. Nan Yi was so polite to Tang Zhenghong, but treated him like a thief. He had known Nan Yi for a longer time than Tang Zhenghong.

He has only himself to blame. He was the one who drank with Nan Yi last time and got a bottle of watered-down liquor. Nan Yi then labeled him as someone not to be trusted.

Since Sister Qin started washing clothes in the yard early in the morning, Sha Zhu has stopped sleeping in and has started getting up early every morning.

Seeing the three chatting not far from the toilet, he swaggered over and said with a sly grin, "Hey, you three smell fresh, don't you? Hmm, this smell is quite pure, like top-quality fertilizer."

"I've heard that chefs have very sensitive tongues and noses. Sha Zhu, why don't you tell us what everyone ate last night?"

Sha Zhu first glared at Tang Zheng Hong and Nan Yi, who were watching the show.

Then, without thinking, he sniffed the air. As you can tell, Sha Zhu has a keen sense of smell; the flashlight shone right on Yan Bugui's shoes.

"So it was Uncle San who stepped on it. I was wondering why the smell was wafting right in front of me. No wonder he's so stingy; he even tries to take advantage of this little thing. What, are you planning to use it as fertilizer for your plants?"

"That won't do. Didn't you hear that these are all to be collected and given to the farmers? Uncle, you're a teacher, you can't make this mistake."

Yan Bugui's face changed color as he was mocked by Sha Zhu. He considered himself a cultured man, so he couldn't swear. He couldn't argue with Sha Zhu either, so he could only say sullenly, "Go away, stop trying to act like an old man. I'm too lazy to argue with you. I'm going back."

"Hey, you're getting angry already? Zheng Hong, one's gone, now it's your turn. Want to come in with me and smell it? To keep it fresh."

Tang Zhenghong didn't mince words: "Shazhu, I can't do or learn your ability to be self-sufficient."

Nan Yi found it amusing: "Haha...Alright, enough with the banter so early in the morning. Zhu Zi, be careful when you go in. If any kids get out, don't get involved like some old man."

Sha Zhu isn't stupid at all. Nan Yi is now a favorite of Director Li, so he has to give him face: "Don't worry, we're not like Third Uncle, who tries to take advantage of everything."

Yan Bugui, who hadn't gone far, was so angry his liver hurt. "Silly Zhu, I'll find a chance to deal with you later."

After breakfast, Tang Zhenghong packed up a bunch of things, old clothes, old door curtains, etc., planning to take them back to his hometown. The clothes that were too to be repaired could be used by his mother to make shoe soles.

I also went to the grocery store to use up my monthly ration.

Although Hongxingzhuang is now a cooperative, it doesn't have any cash crops. My father can't save much money all year round; he mostly saves a few coins from the chicken bank.

Walking back is out of the question; I'll try to find a used bicycle later.

Just then, I ran into Xu Damao at the gate. He and Shazhu were the only ones who hadn't gone to the factory yet; everyone else had left early. That just goes to show how good their jobs are.

However, Xu Damao was delayed today because he was cleaning the yard.

"Hey, Zheng Hong, you've got a lot of stuff in there. Where are you going? Want a ride?"

Xu Damao's bicycles belonged to the factory, but he was the one who used them.

"Thanks, Brother Da Mao, I'm going back to Hongxing Village."

"Hey, I totally forgot! You live in Hongxingzhuang? I go there all the time. It's pretty far. Are you really planning to walk there?"

Xu Damao must know this place well; he often has filming assignments here. Strictly speaking, Hongxingzhuang belongs to the Nanhaizi area of ​​Hebei Province, which is the commune that later gave Xu Damao two old hens.

Of course, the people's commune had not yet been established, and the five advanced farm cooperatives, including Hongxing and Jinxing, were known as the "Five Red Flags" of the local area.

Currently, it exists as a farm, mutual aid group, and cooperative. After development, it will be merged into the Red Star People's Commune next year, which is also the "China-North Korea Friendship People's Commune". The father of the strongest post-80s generation on earth also visited during the same period.

"Aunt Ma from the next courtyard works at the grocery store. I plan to go over there and borrow her bicycle. I've borrowed it a few times before, and each time I paid her ten cents."

Xu Damao pointed at Tang Zhenghong angrily: "Are you looking down on me or what? Why waste this money! Well, it's just a coincidence that I don't have any missions today, so ride it away. But be careful on the road, don't let the bike get stolen. It belongs to the government, and it'll be hard to explain later."

"Brother Da Mao, I appreciate your kindness, but this won't do. You don't want the boss to blame you later."

Xu Damao tilted his head back smugly and said, "You underestimate me, huh? I'm the only projectionist in our propaganda department. The leaders have to pamper and fawn over me, otherwise who would show movies for them? It's okay, ride away. If they ask, I'll just say my tire was flat and I didn't have time to fix it."

"Okay, I won't be coy anymore. I'm treating Brother Da Mao to drinks tonight, you absolutely have to come."

Xu Damao was so pleased with Tang Zhenghong's good manners that his eyebrows twitched with delight: "Look at what you're saying, we're brothers in the same courtyard, you're being too formal."

"You absolutely must do me the honor; there's something I might need your help with."

"Oh?"

Tang Zhenghong handed him a cigarette and lit it for him: "In the compound, Brother Da Mao is the most popular and has the most friends. I'm thinking of buying a bicycle, as long as it's in decent condition, and I was wondering if you could help me find out something."

Bicycles are not uncommon in Beijing. Although they are considered a large item, there are quite a few people riding them on the road.

Xu Damao took a drag of his cigarette and patted Tang Zhenghong on the shoulder: "I heard from the Intermediate Court this morning that you sold Grandpa Tang's tricycle? If you're going to buy one, buy a new one. An old one is too undignified. If you're short of money, I can lend you some."

"I don't lack money, but I'm often away from home for work, and I only use a bicycle when I have free time to go back to my hometown. It would be too wasteful to buy a new one."

"That's true. But wait, what kind of work do you do that requires you to travel a lot? Would you mind telling me?"

Xu Damao nodded at first, then suddenly became curious.

"Sigh, I've been transferred to the railway police department. The captain said I've learned enough about the job in the past two months, and I'll be doing regular shifts and accompanying trains from now on."

"Wow, you're something else, you've kept it a secret for a while now. You'll be a railway policeman someday. Everyone in the compound has been speculating about it lately. If they find out, they'll be green with envy."

Tang Zhenghong chuckled: "Hey, you know what kind of people are in our unit. It's only because you asked, Brother Da Mao. Besides, I'm still a police officer in the Ministry of Railways system, even though I'm now under the Tenth Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. I can't get involved in local security incidents."

Xu Damao became even more enthusiastic towards Tang Zhenghong. He never expected that a casual act of kindness would lead to such a pleasant surprise. Tang Zhenghong, who travels all over the country, could bring back a lot of good things. Now he had the key to his future advancement.

"Okay, it's getting late, you should head out early. We can talk more when you get back tonight. I'll take care of the bicycle."

"Okay, I'll cook some dishes tonight, and we'll have a good drink together, brother."

After Tang Zhenghong left, Xu Damao felt it was time to give the few old ladies in the courtyard who looked down on him a little surprise, so he turned back into the courtyard.

It just so happens that there are many people doing laundry and chatting at the Intermediate People's Court at this time, and the topic just happens to be the younger generation.

All that could be heard was Jia Zhangshi praising how sensible her son was, and the second aunt praising what official position Guangqi would become in the future. Only the first aunt wished that no one could see her, and kept her head down like a quail.

"Hey, Da Mao, you're still not at work? You did a great job cleaning today. I'll talk to your second uncle tonight and give you a compliment."

Xu Damao's eyes darted around, "You always praise your eldest son, huh? Forgot something? What, are you praising your Guangqi again? If we're talking about the most promising young people in this compound, it's not just your Guangqi, it's Tang Zhenghong. If it weren't for Grandpa Tang's accident, he would definitely be a college student. The school teachers came several times to persuade him to stay in school, everyone saw that."

"Hmph, what's the use of being a good student before? Can you even compare to our Guangqi now?"

"How can you not compare? Your Guangqi is still in school, while Zhenghong is already earning his own salary. He's a police officer now."

This caused even the older women, the third older women, and Jia Zhangshi, who were watching the show, to become unsettled.

The three women asked in surprise, "Da Mao, are you sure you're not mistaken? Him? A kid raised by a janitor."

"Auntie, didn't you know you lived in the front yard? I thought everyone knew about it."

Xu Damao feigned surprise, then pointed to the front yard and said, "You underestimate him, don't you? He earned this through his own abilities, and Old Master Tang is a martyr. The plaque on the door frame has already been installed. Watch your words."

"It seems to be true. Hey, how much do you think Zheng Hong earns a month as a policeman? How long will it take him to make enough to live on?"

Xu Damao didn't know why he felt honored.

"Thirty or forty yuan is no problem, but more importantly, he's a railway policeman. There's a lot more to it than that. If he has children in the future, they'll go to schools affiliated with his unit, and if they get sick, they'll have access to hospitals under his unit. Like Zheng Hong said, he also has to work shifts, and he'll often go to other places. Just the things he brings back will be enough for someone else's monthly salary. So, Auntie, your Guangqi really can't compare to Zheng Hong."

After dealing with Auntie Er, Xu Damao felt a surge of satisfaction and went to work humming a tune.

It left a trending topic on social media, its merits and fame remaining hidden.