Chapter 49

Li Qiang again found Li Huaide and had him write a note. From logistics he obtained some tarpaulin, plus burlap sacks, cloth sacks for white flour; after all, the things in the space could be turned directly into white flour by his will, and the pig could be slaughtered and cut into meat, but the space had nothing to contain these things, ah!

After receiving the supplies, Li Qiang went to the warehouse again, placing the materials needed by Yagangchang and the Public Security Bureau in separate rooms before returning to Yagangchang.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Li Huaide personally brought two trucks and Security Section personnel to the warehouse; most trucks of that era were either captured from the battlefield or imported from the Soviet Union, with limited load capacity. Although FAW produced its first Dongfeng truck in 1956, output was limited and priority went to equipping troops, so enterprises like Yagangchang could only use trucks retired from the military.

When Li Huaide opened the warehouse door and saw the neatly stacked grain, his mind finally settled.

"Quick, load the trucks first; we can talk about anything else at the factory," Li Huaide directly ordered people to load the trucks.

"Qiangzi, you've got some serious connections," Li Huaide said, looking at the pork on the truck and laughing. This meat was very fresh, obviously just slaughtered, and Li Huaide even thought it was Li Qiang's comrade who had specially slaughtered it for him.

"Brother Li, you also know that friendships forged in the military are earned with one's life," Li Qiang said solemnly.

"Yeah, they say the best relationships are those formed by sharing a dormitory and shouldering arms together, but I'd say sharing arms makes the bond strongest, after all we've been through life and death together," Li Huaide also couldn't help but sigh.

"Yes, that's what I think too."

Returning to Yagangchang, Li Huaide personally arranged for the goods to be weighed and stored.

"Qiangzi, white flour totals six thousand jin at eight mao each, making 4800 yuan; corn flour totals ten thousand jin at four mao each, making 4000 yuan; meat totals 5500 jin, total is _ yuan; this note, tomorrow you go directly to the Finance Section to collect the money." Li Huaide wrote out the note and handed it to Li Qiang.

"Okay, thanks Brother Li" Li Qiang said, taking the note with a smile. In the 1980s, a ten-thousand-yuan household was considered very well-off; now a single deal earned Li Qiang _ yuan, which in an era where average wages were twenty to thirty yuan was a huge sum.

After putting away the note, Li Qiang bade farewell to Li Huaide and returned to the warehouse; shortly after he arrived, Li Dashan brought several Public Security officers in a truck.

"Brother-in-law, the stuff is inside; you load the truck yourselves," Li Qiang said, opening the warehouse door.

"Alright, since there's no scale here, I'll go back, weigh it, and then calculate your payment," Li Dashan said with a smile.

"Okay, I could never doubt you."

"One for one, I've already reported to our bureau chief; you know our Public Security Bureau's budget isn't abundant, so I'll calculate white flour at six mao per jin and meat at one yuan per jin; don't complain it's too little" Li Dashan said a bit embarrassed, adding that this price really isn't high nowadays.

"It's fine; I wasn't counting on making money from this." The two chatted while, before long, the materials were all loaded onto the truck.

"Qiangzi, I feel these supplies are more than what you and I discussed," Li Dashan said, looking at the goods in the truck.

"There's about two thousand jin of white flour, I brought an extra two thousand jin of corn flour, and roughly one thousand jin of meat," Li Qiang said with a smile.

"Alright, I'll head back now; tonight I'll personally bring the money to your home," Li Dashan said, not expecting the supplies to have increased by half.

"Okay, then we can have a good drink tonight."

"Okay, tonight I'll bring your sister and child along." Li Dashan had two children, a son and a daughter; his son Li Aiming is 14 this year, his daughter Li Aihong is 12. Both children are in school, and they get along very well with Zhou Rong, whom they have known since childhood thanks to Zhou Rong raising them.

"Good."

After Li Dashan left, Li Qiang again stored some corn flour and meat in the warehouse, then returned to Yagangchang to find Chen Shanhe.

"Section Chief, why are you back again?" Chen Shanhe hadn't left yet; seeing Li Qiang return, he stepped forward and asked.

"Take your brothers and follow me," Li Qiang said without adding anything else.

"Yes," Chen Shanhe thought Li Qiang had another mission, so he gathered a team.

"No need to bring weapons," Li Qiang said, looking at the guns in the team members' hands.

Li Qiang led them to the warehouse; the team members looked at him curiously, unsure why he had brought them there.

"Don't look at me like that; I know it's not easy for any of you with families to support, so I've prepared something for each of you—take it and hurry home."

Upon hearing Li Qiang's words, the team members understood his meaning; none said anything, they lined up and entered the warehouse, each coming out carrying a cloth bag. Li Qiang had prepared fifty jin of corn flour and five jin of pork for each person.

"Section Chief..."

"Enough, stop the talk—go rest now. I have a way to get grain; if anyone's family runs into trouble later, they can come to me, but remember to keep it secret," Li Qiang interrupted Chen Shanhe's words.

"Yes, you all heard clearly; if anyone leaks even a hint of tonight's affair, I'll skin him alive," Chen Shanhe said menacingly.

"Understood," the team members growled low; they of course knew the importance of this grain—it could save lives, and without connections you might not be able to buy it even if you had money. A team plus Chen Shanhe makes ten people; altogether their supplies are no small amount. Li Qiang said he'd give it and he did; they wouldn't be moved would be false.

The next afternoon Li Qiang returned early to the Siheyuan, as his brother-in-law's family would be coming over for dinner that evening, so he certainly needed to come back early to prepare.

"Little Rong, Qiangzi, we're here," Li Dashan shouted, knocking on the gate.

"The aunts have arrived," Li Tao exclaimed, running out first.

"Little Tao," Zhou Fang scooped Li Tao up in one embrace.

"Auntie, I've missed you so much; you never come see me," Li Tao's little mouth could really talk.

"Really? Auntie has missed you too," Zhou Fang said with a smile.

"Sister, brother-in-law, come in quickly," Zhou Rong also stepped out.

"Little Aunt," Li Aiming and Li Aihong called out.

"Come in quickly; your uncle-in-law is busy preparing something delicious for you," Zhou Rong said with a smile, ushering Li Dashan's family inside.

"You, a Section Chief, personally cooking? I feel quite honored," Li Dashan said, entering the kitchen and teasing Li Qiang as he stir-fried vegetables.

"Section Chief isn't as senior as you, Chief," Li Qiang retorted, unwilling to be outdone.

"Tonight your uncle-in-law's spread is truly abundant," Li Aihong said as she walked in.

"In these special times we won't fuss over how many dishes; we'll focus on being economical," Li Qiang said with a smile.

"Then what do you mean by 'how many dishes counts as many'?" Li Dashan asked.

Li Qiang prepared four dishes: stewed chicken with mushrooms, braised spare ribs, braised pork, and shredded potatoes; the main point was generous portions, all served in large sea bowls.

"Qiangzi, now I know the advantage of living in your own small courtyard—no matter what you eat at home, once the gate is shut nobody outside can even smell it," Li Dashan said enviously.

"Don't you think I'm stupid? Living not in the tube building but in a siheyuan, I'm just after some peace and quiet," Li Qiang said smugly.

"Time to eat"—when Li Qiang placed the last dish on the table and began calling Li Dashan's family to start the meal.

"Uncle-in-law, do you eat like this every day?" Li Aihong asked, astonished, looking at the dishes on the table.

"Not every day, but often; Little Tao is growing and needs his nutrition to keep up," Li Qiang said with a smile.

"Auntie, let's discuss something," Li Aihong said, clinging to Zhou Fang's arm.

"What scheme do you have this time?" Zhou Rong said, knowing her niece very well.

"Auntie, you see many people these days can't get enough to eat, while your family still gets meat often; why don't you move in with us?" Li Aihong said coquettishly.

"Mom, let my sister come live with us; I want to play with my sister, and big brother you should come live too"—before Zhou Rong could answer, Li Tao spoke up.

"I have no objection, ask your aunt if she agrees," Zhou Rong said with a smile.

"Qiangzi, you eat so much, aren't you afraid others will have objections?" Zhou Fang asked worriedly.

"What's there to fear? As my brother-in-law says, once the gate is closed, how would others know what we eat at home? I have connections to get grain; you don't need to worry for me."

"Don't worry about him, you forgot why we came today?" Li Dashan said with a smile.

"Alright, let's eat," Zhou Rong called everyone to sit down.