Siheyuan: Happy life of veteran drivers

When Wang Hongtao walked out of the silk shop, his feet felt light.

Chen Xueru is not like other women. She is straightforward and receptive. She does whatever she thinks of, unlike some women who like to pretend to be reserved.

……

Around two o'clock in the afternoon, Wang Hongtao appeared at the Red Star Factory on time.

"Xiao Wang, get ready to get off the car and go out with me at three o'clock. Take my wife with you."

"Okay, Director Li." Wang Hongtao responded and turned around to leave.

"Why don't you ask where we are going or what we are going to do?" Li Huaide asked casually.

"I'm a little curious, but that's your arrangement, leader. I'm just following the instructions."

Wang Hongtao still has this sense of propriety.

If the leader is willing to talk, he will listen. If the leader is not willing to talk, he will not ask any more questions.

Li Huaide nodded with satisfaction, and then explained: "Today is my father-in-law's birthday. Your sister-in-law and I are going. You can just drop us off later and come pick us up tomorrow morning."

"Okay, Director Li, I'll get the car ready right away."

Actually, there is nothing much to prepare. Just open the car door to let the smell go, fetch water and wash the car to make it look clean and tidy. That’s about it.

When everything was almost done, Director Li came down from upstairs with a beautifully wrapped gift box in his hand. It was obvious that it was a gift for his father-in-law.

Li Huaide felt even more satisfied when he saw the clean car.

Li Huaide didn't expect to gain face by the car, but he couldn't lose face by it.

Li Huaide's official position and car are considered unattainable in the eyes of ordinary people, but they are the lowest level when it comes to Old She's mansion. If he hadn't married a woman from the She family, he wouldn't even be able to enter the gate of the She family.

"Let's go now. I'll show you the way and you drive. Remember the route so you don't forget it tomorrow morning.

After picking up She Lijuan, Li Huaide tactfully gave up the back seat and got on the passenger seat himself.

In addition to "strict family education", it was also because Li Huaide wanted to help find the way.

The jeep twisted and turned and finally drove into a military compound.

The gate is as high as two stories, with a huge five-pointed star carved on it and a red flag flying on top.

Next to the gate is a three or four meter high and extremely thick wall with barbed wire and broken glass on it. Under the wall, armed soldiers are patrolling in turns.

After the jeep drove to the gate, She Lijuan greeted the soldiers at the gate. The soldiers checked the documents of several people one by one, and gave Wang Hongtao a simple body search before letting him go.

After sending the two people there, She Lijuan told Wang Hongtao to just wait at the gate tomorrow, and they would come out by themselves then.

Wang Hongtao nodded in agreement.

Li Huaide stood obediently behind She Lijuan.

Outside, Li Huaide is Deputy Factory Director Li and a leader; but once inside the military compound, he is just Little Li, a junior who has to bow his head to everyone he meets.

.......

When he returned to the yard, Wang Hongtao found that Xu Damao had already returned and was washing his bicycle in the middle yard.

Every time Xu Damao came back from the countryside, the first thing he did was to wash his bicycle, otherwise the mud on it would become harder and harder, and eventually he would become unable to ride it.

"Brother Damao is back? Look at all the mud. You must have been working hard these days!"

Wang Hongtao walked closer to Xu Damao's bike and lent a hand to help him hold it firmly so that Xu Damao could have his hands free to clean the bike.

"Yes, Lao Wang. It's not so bad. These past few days I've been visiting one village a day, and I'm really exhausted. I'm planning to come back and rest for two days, and then go out again when I'm done."

Wang Hongtao sighed: "People say projectionists have good benefits and easy jobs, but I don't think that's always the case!"

Xu Damao feels the same way: "They only see the good in us, but not our hard work."

"Let's not talk about anything else but my movie projector."

"The mainframe, bracket, power supply, etc. together weigh at least 200 to 300 kilograms, and the film of a movie weighs several dozen kilograms. How can an average person carry it?"

It's probably like this, it's really not easy:

"It's OK if the road is good, we can use bicycles, donkey carts or ox carts of fellow villagers. If we encounter mountain roads or field paths, my apprentice and I will have to carry them all on our shoulders! If you don't believe me, look at my shoulders!"

Xu Damao became more and more excited as he spoke, and he even wanted to lift up his clothes on the spot so that Wang Hongtao could take a good look at his shoulders.

"Believe it, believe it! Didn't the projectionist I met in the countryside come here this way? To be honest, Brother Damao, I'm beginning to understand why you gave up being a projectionist and wanted to work in an office instead."

Projectionists have high salaries, good benefits, and extra income, but it's really hard work. The difference is huge compared to those working in offices.

What Xu Damao said was the projectionist's true situation at the time. Otherwise, why would the village party secretary and the commune secretary, who had so much supplies and nowhere to use them, have to stuff them into your pocket as a projectionist?

Don’t you understand that it’s difficult for you, the projectionist, to come down once, so you want to come more often?

So he has a reason for everything he does!

"Look at my legs. I accidentally slipped while carrying the projector. I kept my legs straight and propped them up, for fear that the projector would get bumped."

As he spoke, Xu Damao lifted up his trouser legs to let Wang Hongtao see the bruises on his legs.

Wang Hongtao turned around and saw that it was indeed the boss...

"Huo! Brother Damao, your injury is quite serious."

"What about this wine tonight???"

"Drink! If I'm done drinking, I'll sleep all day tomorrow and continue to go to the countryside the day after tomorrow!"

"I don't believe that my leadership, after all these years, would not notice. This time, I, Xu Damao, will risk it all!"

Xu Damao said fiercely.

"Good! Brother Damao is open-minded and bold!"

"Let's wash the bikes first, and then go shopping and cook together!"

"Ok!"

……

The factory had just closed and it was already afternoon. Naturally, there were no good vegetables to buy at the market at this time. The two of them worked hard for a long time before they bought some fish and shrimp. This was because people at that time disliked the waste of oil in fish and shrimp and were unwilling to buy them.

"Brother Damao, go back and do your work first. I'll go and prepare two dishes."

After that, Wang Hongtao went to the aunt's house and asked for a plate of peanuts and some potatoes, and also took the pickled radish that Yu Shui had given him.

These two are perfect for pairing with wine.

……

After the food and drinks were prepared, Xu Damao started by talking about his experiences showing movies in the countryside and the small things happening in the fields.

The projectionist doesn't need to make up this kind of story. He can just randomly combine the latest news heard from various villages and communes to create a new story.

Wang Hongtao and Lou Xiaoe listened with great interest.

Then Xu Damao talked about his gains this time:

"Brother, I am doing exactly what you said this time. I didn't accept any gifts or ask for any benefits! And I'm playing two shows at each location!"

"I'm also on good terms with those responsible. They patted their chests and assured me that there will be absolutely no problem with the thank-you letter!"

Xu Damao spoke very clearly and Wang Hongtao was also surprised at Xu Damao's perseverance. It seemed that this kid was serious this time and would not give up until he achieved his goal. He wondered if he could get what he wanted this time.

After thinking about it, Wang Hongtao picked up the wine glass and said, "This is a toast to you, Brother Damao."

"I wish you all the best and hope you can achieve your dream and become the director of the Propaganda Department as soon as possible!"

"Dry!"

Xu Damao felt very relieved after hearing Wang Hongtao's words. After finishing the glass of wine, he sighed: "In our hospital, only you, Old Wang, can be regarded as my true friend!"

"No, better than my brother!"