Staying in the city

Upon inquiring at the County Cultural Center, Zhao Dongchuan learned that Du Lili was no longer there.

Zhao Dongchuan didn't dwell on it; since she wasn't there, he'd try another time. Next, he planned to buy some supplies. With his Storage Ring, he wanted to stock up on everyday necessities, thinking they might come in handy someday.

So, following the route from his memory, he rode his bike to the Second Department Store. Inside, he saw several salesclerks busy with many customers queuing up, eager to buy things, jostling to pay, afraid they wouldn't get what they wanted.

At this time, it was still a seller's market; demand exceeded supply. As long as there was stock, it would sell, so salesclerks had good benefits and were in an enviable profession.

In such circumstances, one couldn't expect good customer service. Many state-run restaurants even had signs that read: "Do Not Assault Customers Without Reason," which would be hard to imagine in later generations.

Zhao Dongchuan didn't rush with others. He bought things quite randomly: needles and thread, pots and pans, non-staple foods, toothpaste, toothbrushes... anything he thought he might use and didn't require a coupon, he bought some of. The salesclerk serving him couldn't understand and thought he had a problem.

He naturally didn't care about such looks and didn't explain, just went about his shopping. It took him almost an hour to buy everything he could. The main reason was the long queues.

This cost him 30 yuan, which was equivalent to a farmer's annual income. Of course, workers' wages were higher; some senior technicians earned nearly a hundred yuan a month.

The main reason for this stage was agriculture subsidizing industry, with a price scissors. This was determined by national conditions; to develop industry and achieve industrialization, agriculture had to be sacrificed, which was an unavoidable reality.

After his shopping, Zhao Dongchuan prepared to take a bus to Huangyuan City. Originally, he planned to cycle there, but he didn't know the way and, more importantly, wasn't sure how far it was, fearing he might have to travel at night.

So, he simply took the public bus. He bought a ticket, then slipped the conductor a few candies, and his bicycle was hung and tied to the back of the bus. (At this time, public buses had ladders at the back for large parcels.)

Inside the bus, it was chattering all the way; the noise never stopped. This seemed to be the custom for people taking public buses at that time; everyone was chatting with each other. Zhao Dongchuan had no acquaintances and no desire to chat, so he closed his eyes and rested.

By the time he arrived in Huangyuan City, it was already four or five in the afternoon. Zhao Dongchuan unloaded his bike, carried his bag, and instead of riding, pushed his bike, strolling through the streets of Huangyuan City. This Huangyuan City was clearly much more prosperous and lively than the county town. The streets were full of workers in uniforms, and there were markets, a Department Store, a non-staple food store, a barbershop, and other state-run shops.

Zhao Dongchuan, following the address Jia Bing gave him, planned to find him first to see if he could stay for a night. If not, he would have to go to an inn.

Jia Bing's home was on a small loess hill in Nanguan. Zhao Dongchuan asked for directions along the way according to the address and arrived at Jia Bing's house.

As soon as he entered Jia Bing's courtyard, a large black dog barked and sprang out. When the dog sprang out, he already had a premonition, his whole body tensed, staring at the dog. This dog was most likely to bully the weak and fear the strong, and seeing that Zhao Dongchuan didn't seem easy to bully, it didn't bark, just stared at him.

Zhao Dongchuan ignored the dog and shouted into the courtyard, "Teacher Jia, are you home?"

"Baron!" At this moment, someone shouted from inside the cave, and then walked out of the cave dwelling.

Zhao Dongchuan looked, and it was indeed Jia Bing.

"Baron, go back!" Jia Bing said to the dog. The dog, which had intended to show its fangs and claws upon seeing its owner, reluctantly retreated to its kennel nearby.

Jia Bing walked over and said, "Oh, it's Zhao Dongchuan, you're finally here, please come in quickly."

Saying this, he led Zhao Dongchuan into the cave, shouting as he walked, "Shufen, we have a guest, please make a pot of tea."

Inside the cave was a middle-aged woman, washing clothes in a large basin. Jia Bing said to her, "This is the poet from our county I mentioned to you before, he's reporting to the Cultural Center tomorrow."

"Oh, what a handsome young man! Come, come, quickly sit down, I'll pour you some tea." Saying this, she got up to pour tea for the two of them.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll start the fire and cook right away, you two chat." Jia Bing's wife said, then went into the kitchen.

Before Zhao Dongchuan could speak, she rushed off.

"You must be tired from the journey, have some water first. You'll stay with me tonight. I have a few cave dwellings here, usually unoccupied. After dinner, I'll have Shufen clean one up," Jia Bing said enthusiastically.

"Teacher Jia, I'm really sorry. As soon as I arrived, I've caused you trouble, eating and staying for free. I'm truly ashamed!" Before coming, Zhao Dongchuan was afraid Jia Bing's wife would be quite annoyed by his visit, but unexpectedly, she welcomed him warmly.

Zhao Dongchuan had no idea that Jia Bing's wife was indeed tired of outsiders visiting, because they had already hosted many relatives and fellow villagers who came to Huangyuan to make a living, and they would just eat and stay. Jia Bing, with his scholarly spirit, was too embarrassed to ask them for money, and Jia Bing was usually a big spender. To outsiders, he seemed respectable, but in reality, he was basically broke every month.

"Nonsense, it's rare to meet such an excellent young man like you. A distinguished guest has arrived, bringing glory to our humble abode," Jia Bing said with a smile.

Zhao Dongchuan and Jia Bing chatted for a while, and Jia Bing's wife had already started cooking. Zhao Dongchuan feltExcuse me (not good, embarrassed) just waiting, so he went to the kitchen to help.

Jia Bing's wife tried to stop him, but Zhao Dongchuan insisted on helping. With his apprentice-level cooking skills and solid fundamentals, tasks like washing, picking, and cutting vegetables were no problem for him.

Jia Bing's wife praised Zhao Dongchuan even more, noting that while both were literary types, Jia Bing rarely did housework; she did most of it.

Jia Bing, watching from the side, also felt very ashamed, and his heart was subtly touched.

Soon, the meal was ready: three dishes and one soup, all seasonal fruits and vegetables, and a pot of steamed white flour buns, enough for everyone.

Zhao Dongchuan couldn't help but sigh internally, thinking, 'As expected of a city family, incomparable to the countryside.'

Jia Bing also brought out a bottle of homemade white wine. Although Zhao Dongchuan didn't drink much, he didn't want to dampen his host's enthusiasm, so he had a little with him.

After a round of drinks, Zhao Dongchuan felt no sign of intoxication, but Jia Bing was drunk and began to speak loudly, discussing various current improprieties.

Zhao Dongchuan merely nodded, occasionally interjecting a remark.

While they were eating and drinking, Jia Bing's wife had already tidied up a room, a cave on the east side.

After the three finished eating, Zhao Dongchuan helped carry Jia Bing to bed, then went to the eastern cave dwelling to rest. Not being in his own place, bathing was inconvenient, so Zhao Dongchuan simply washed up and went to sleep.

The next morning, Zhao Dongchuan's internal clock woke him up very early. At this time, Jia Bing's wife was also up, busy preparing breakfast.

Soon after, Jia Bing also got up. After breakfast, Jia Bing led Zhao Dongchuan to report to the Cultural Center.