Chapter 9

Watching the backs of Liu Zhiguang and the others leaving, listening to the faint laughter, Zhou Andong rubbed his chin. During the New Year, since you guys are rushing to put your faces in front of me to be slapped, if I don't slap them, how can I justify it?

"Brother Dong!" Yao Jun walked over from afar.

"I was just about to find you." Zhou Andong hugged Yao Jun's shoulder: "Haven't seen San'er for a long time, you make a call in a while, let's get together tonight."

"No problem!" Yao Jun agreed: "By the way, how is your body? After the performance ended yesterday, I came out to find you but couldn't find you, and you weren't home last night. You didn't come to work at the Broadcasting Station this morning, and I was worried about you."

Zhou Andong said: "I divorced Jiang Yuping, handled the procedures yesterday afternoon, and returned to Tanghezi last night."

Yao Jun wasn't surprised and was even very happy: "Welcome back to the life of a happy bachelor."

"Get lost!" Zhou Andong scolded angrily: "The factory encourages us staff to sell liquor, how many bottles have you sold?"

"Sell a fart!" Yao Jun said: "We are just ordinary staff, and our relatives and friends are all ordinary people. Bulk liquor is 1.2 yuan a *jin*, better ones are 1.8, and it tastes pretty good. There's also Longjiang cup, 0.8 yuan a cup, 3 *liang* a cup, and you can even have a glass cup left after drinking. Who is willing to spend 6 on big sorghum."

Zhou Andong pondered and nodded: "Alright, I'm going to the Broadcasting Station to show my face, you go do your work."

Yao Jun said: "I'm going to buy a box of cigarettes, and by the way, call San'er."

The Broadcasting Station was two ordinary bungalows, behind the fermentation workshop.

Zhou Andong carried the water-filling steamed buns, pondering as he walked. Actually, he was aiming at this batch of liquor, but to sell it, he could only take a side path. He couldn't hurt himself, and he had to dance beautifully. Whether he could gain both fame and fortune depended on this one time.

Zhou Andong pulled the door of the Broadcasting Station, lifted the thick cotton curtain, and a wave of heat rushed toward him. The stove in the middle of the room was burning vigorously, and there were a few sweet potatoes on the stove cover, the fragrance filling the room.

A woman in her forties was sitting by the stove knitting a sweater. The stove fire reflected on her face, reflecting the traces of time, but it looked exceptionally warm.

"Liu Yi!"

Zhou Andong greeted her with a smile, put the buns he was carrying on the table to the side, picked up the roasted sweet potato on the stove cover, and it burned him so much that he bared his teeth, hurriedly tossing the sweet potato up and down with both hands. Until it was a bit cooler, he tore off the skin and took a bite.

"So fragrant!"

Liu Huilan looked up and said angrily: "Still in the mood to eat, you are so heartless. You didn't come this morning, and the station chief's face was as long as a donkey's face. You kid are going to be unlucky."

Zhou Andong didn't care at all, swallowed the sweet potato in a few bites, picked up a bag of half-a-*jin* water-filling steamed buns and put them in Liu Huilan's arms: "Brought them for you, Qin family water-filling steamed buns."

Liu Huilan smiled: "At least you kid still has a bit of conscience, it wasn't in vain that I helped you lie every time."

Zhou Andong chuckled: "Headache or stomachache?"

Liu Huilan said: "I said you had diarrhea."

Zhou Andong's mouth twitched: "What was Zhang Zhanhai's reaction?"

"What else could it be? You've been transferred to the Broadcasting Station for almost a year, fishing for three days and drying nets for two, either headache or buttache. I helped you make up lies, once or twice is fine, but if it takes a long time, do you think he can believe it?"

Liu Huilan picked up the teapot next to the stove, picked up the enamel tea mug with "Serve the People" written on it, and filled it with water: "I tell you, the old factory director will retire in two or three months, and he has completely let go of everything. Now Zhang Deyou is presiding over the work, which also shows that his succession as factory director is a done deal. I don't know who you offended to be transferred here to retire. But I think you should go to Zhang Deyou's place more often, send some gifts, and get yourself transferred back to the Quality Inspection Section or other departments. You can't stay here muddling along, there will never be a way out."

Zhou Andong made a bitter face: "Liu Yi, the one I offended is Zhang Deyou."

Liu Huilan had just drunk the water when she sprayed it all out, landing on the stove, and a burst of water vapor rose in the *hissing* sound: "I said you kid..."

She didn't know what to say next, could only shake her head helplessly, feeling sorry for Zhou Andong. Originally a college student, his future was limitless, but he offended Zhang Deyou. As long as he stayed in the distillery, it was estimated that he would never have a chance to turn over in his life.

Zhou Andong sighed: "I don't even know why I had a whim that day and ran to the warehouse to wander around, and happened to see Zhang Deyou and Wu Meijuan from the canteen hugging, kissing, and biting inside."

"Cough!"

Liu Huilan sprayed the second mouthful of water and almost choked: "Really?"

Zhou Andong said: "Why would I lie to you, you don't give me money."

Liu Huilan completely didn't know what to say, just sighed one after another.

Zhou Andong said: "You don't have to worry, it's actually quite good now. Zhang Deyou and I are minding our own business. If he dares to find trouble with me again, I will make that old thing have nightmares whenever he thinks of my name."

Liu Huilan rolled her eyes: "Look at how capable you are."

At this moment, the door creaked, the thick curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man who was short, had a long face, and was a bit fat walked in. Seeing Zhou Andong, his face sank, and he said sarcastically.

"Yo, did the college student go to the wrong place?"

Zhou Andong was all smiles: "Station Chief, I don't know what I ate, but I started having diarrhea yesterday afternoon. I couldn't find you, so I could only ask Liu Yi to help me ask for leave. I didn't even finish the party before going home. I tossed and turned all night, went to the hospital to get medicine this morning, and just as I got better, I came to work."

"Humph!"

Zhang Zhanhai snorted: "I just heard at the factory headquarters that you made a bet with someone to sell seven tons of liquor before the Lantern Festival? If you can't sell it, you'll learn to bark like a dog and crawl from the second workshop to the main gate?"

"Spread fast enough." Zhou Andong muttered.

Zhang Zhanhai poked Zhou Andong's forehead with his finger: "Are you stupid? Now everyone in the factory knows. If this liquor can't be sold, your reputation will be ruined."

Zhang Zhanhai was originally the deputy section chief of the factory's security and public order section. Sometimes he was very inflexible, to put it bluntly, his principles were too strong, so he offended too many people, so he was sent to the Broadcasting Station. Actually, he wasn't a bad person.

Suddenly Zhou Andong felt a surge of gas in his stomach, then moved down rapidly, followed by a *pfft* sound, which came out from the back door.

"Station Chief, can't do it anymore, my stomach hurts, I'll go to the restroom first, criticize me when I come back."

Watching Zhou Andong run away holding his stomach, Zhang Zhanhai looked puzzled: "Did this kid really have diarrhea?"

Liu Huilan raised her eyelids: "He just ate a sweet potato."