Chapter 44: Anti-bandit Pacification Special

The next day.

Shazhu with panda eyes knocked on Yushui's door while yawning, saying breakfast had been bought back, telling Yushui to hurry up and get up to eat, don't delay school.

Having said that.

He casually picked up a fried dough stick.

Getting ready to go to work.

The recycling station is far away.

Shazhu still doesn't have a bicycle.

There's also no direct bus.

Can only rely on walking.

He planned to run there, just a three-kilometer distance.

Just stepped out of the door.

Then saw Xu Dameng jump out from the back courtyard.

Really not a thing.

The fried dough stick in Shazhu's hand was in Xu Dameng's hand in the blink of an eye.

Worried Shazhu would snatch it back.

One fried dough stick, still hot, was gulped down by Xu Dameng in two or three bites, and then he rubbed his dirty hand that had grabbed the fried dough stick on Shazhu's clothing.

"Xu Dameng, are you itching? Want me to give you a loosening?"

"Bro, I've got important stuff today, can't be bothered with you."

Xu Dameng began to show off.

He wore black leather shoes on his feet, black cloth pants on his legs, a gray Zhongshan jacket on top, a forward cap on his head, and a black faux leather bag on his shoulder.

"You're going to visit a grave today!"

"Shazhu, I really don't want to talk to someone like you, do you know what we're up to today?" Xu Dameng said with a smug look, "Say it and you'll be scared stiff—we're heading to Qin Family Village."

Shazhu's heart rose to his throat.

Qin Family Village is none other than Qin Huairu's village.

"Just fart if you've got one."

"Last night I left your place, Jia Dongxu's mother stopped me and told me to…."

Shazhu's mind held just one sentence.

Xu Dameng either intercepted Qin Huairu or was carrying out Jia Dongxu's mother Jia Zhangshi's order to do this.

Jia Zhangshi looked down on Qin Huairu, saying Jia Dongxu, as her son, was handsome and a worker at Yagangchang, with such good conditions he should marry a city girl with a job.

The Jia family are double-income workers.

Saying that gave Jia Zhangshi face as well.

Jia Dongxu had set his sights on Qin Huairu, causing a fuss these days, though outsiders didn't know; Jia Dongxu and Jia Zhangshi had exchanged harsh words: either let him marry Qin Huairu, or Jia Dongxu would pick one from the street's prostitutes.

Either/or.

Jia Zhangshi had no more ideas.

Jia Zhangshi pretended to agree to Jia Dongxu marrying Qin Huairu, turned around and found Xu Dameng, gave him five thousand as his hardship fee; as long as Xu Dameng successfully intercepted Qin Huairu, Jia Zhangshi would later give additional thanks.

In order to intercept Qin Huairu.

Xu Dameng didn't feel like going to work today.

All dressed up.

"Why doesn't she look for me?"

Xu Dameng looked at Shazhu's mature-youthful appearance.

He snorted.

No need to ask!

"Xu Dameng, you don't think I'm nothing without you, do you?"

"The facts are there, boasting doesn't count."

"Yushui." Shazhu said to He Yushui, who had just come out the door, preparing to go to Shazhu's place to get a fried dough stick for school: "Between me and Xu Dameng, who's better?"

"Da Mao Ge!"

"Yushui, you didn't hear my words—between me and Xu Dameng, who has this heroic spirit?"

"Da Mao Ge!"

"Yushui, I'm putting it another way—between me and Xu Dameng, who's uglier?"

"You!"

"Shouldn't it be Xu Dameng?"

"Bro, the teacher doesn't let us lie!"

"Hurry up and eat, then go to school; after work I'll swing by the bookstore to buy you some winter break homework."

Shazhu walked with heavy steps.

Left the Siheyuan.

Then he pondered.

Gotta run.

Running, stopping, stopping, running, he managed to reach the recycling station before work.

Together with Shazhu making seven people, including the gatekeeper Shazhu hadn't seen yesterday, who is a lame person said to have come down from the battlefield, yet the lame person never admitted it.

First day on the job.

It's this scrap recycling work again.

Shazhu thought he could just get straight to work, like people joked, knocking on basins, carrying scales, pushing carts, collecting scrap all over the street.

But he didn't expect the scrap recycling job to differ from the chef job he had done in his previous life.

Others have a political study group.

The atmosphere was somewhat solemn.

"He Yuzhu, you all met him yesterday; Lao Shi took leave yesterday due to something, we didn't know there was a new person at our station. Taking the opportunity of the morning meeting, let's get to know each other: He Yuzhu, of urban civilian background, and Shi Tou, of poor peasant background."

Shazhu greeted Shi Tou.

"This is the latest directive issued from above; we must actively carry out the Three-Antis campaign—against corruption, waste, and bureaucratism. Our work may be small but important; in daily proceedings, we must never be careless, not even over a single chicken feather—we must pick it up and let it play its due role."

Station Chief He changed his tone.

He spoke about the counter-bandit suppression special.

"In the course of the Three-Antis, we should also actively participate in the counter-bandit suppression special assigned by our superiors; the enemy is all around us, we must widen our eyes so that enemies hiding under our noses have nowhere to flee. In this matter, our Red Star Recycling Station should also exert extra effort."

Station Chief He's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

Afterwards, Zhou Xianghong beside them muttered softly.

Only then did Shazhu understand where this sinister vibe of Station Chief He actually came from.

Station Chief He is the person in charge of the Red Star Recycling Station.

Old Ma is the person in charge of the Red Star Recycling Office.

Last night.

Old Ma led people to apprehend a suspect who attempted to sabotage the recycling office; the superiors lavishly praised Old Ma, and it's heard that Old Ma might be promoted.

Harbouring a competitive mindset.

Station Chief He had Shazhu and the others also heighten vigilance, to see if they could catch any dangerous elements nearby; even if they couldn't catch them, spotting their tracks would be good.

The problem is that everyone present comes from a peasant background.

Collecting scrap is doable.

Catch suspects, see who is a dangerous element.

It's pure blind men feeling an elephant!

Who knows who is who?

How can we confirm whether they are or not?

"Station Chief, I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"I just arrived; I don't know if my suggestion is right, but I want to know how we can tell who is a dangerous element. Like everyone else, we know which scrap is usable and where it should be used; I can cook, I know what ingredients make what dish; catching suspects, spotting dangerous elements—I don't know how to do that."

"He Yuzhu's question is good." Station Chief He pointed at Shi Tou and said, "Shi Tou, you tell us how we can apprehend this dangerous element."

"Station Chief, I think we just need to do our own basic work well; professional matters should be left to professionals. Old Ma last night was just a blind cat catching a dead rat—he cornered that person in a room, and since the person had no weapon, Old Ma managed to catch him."

"Shi Tou, I am responding to the superior's call to actively engage in the counter-bandit suppression special launched by the higher-ups; you should bring out the skills you had when you worked as a transport worker."