novelonline Chapter 932: Back to the old business
Chapter 932: Back to the old business
Chapter 932: Back to the old business
In a state-owned restaurant on the street, two waiters were eating sunflower seeds and chatting idly, paying no attention to Qin Hao and Wang Xin who had just walked in and sat down.
Wang Xin is no longer surprised by this. It is just like this these days. Stores, restaurants, and cinemas are all state-owned and everyone gets paid the same salary. Who would be willing to work? They are all just wasting their time.
"Aunt, give me two bottles of Fengcheng Laojiao, a plate of peanuts, and some smashed cucumbers."
Qin Hao stared at Wang Xin: "Is this the end?"
"Ah, what else?"
"At least you have to have some meat dishes, right? How can you drink alcohol when you are so vegetarian?"
Wang Xin said unhappily, "It's good enough to have this, and it's a meat dish. Do you have a meat ticket?"
"Look at how stingy you are. Okay, I'll pay for the meat ticket, and Auntie, please give me another roast chicken." Qin Hao domineeringly slapped the meat ticket on the table.
Wang Xin was surprised when he saw Qin Hao offering two kilograms of meat coupons at once: "Old Qin, are you going to live your life like this? You have finally saved up some meat coupons, but instead of saving them for the New Year, you are just going to waste them like this?"
"Never mind, just eat first and think of a solution after you're done." Qin Hao waved his hand. He almost vomited after eating the train lunch boxes these past two days. There was no meat at all.
When the food and wine were served, Wang Xin was very hungry, but he was too embarrassed to pick up the roast chicken. He avoided the roast chicken several times and picked up the peanuts and cucumbers next to it.
"Look at you, if you want to eat, just eat. I can't stop you."
"Hehe, then I won't be polite."
Wang Xin pulled off a roasted chicken leg and started to devour it.
"Fragrant, really fragrant."
Qin Hao laughed and scolded: "I didn't take advantage of you this time, did I? You treated me to a drink, and I treated you to a roast chicken."
"Hehe." Wang Xin raised the wine glass, clinked it with Qin Hao's, and took a big sip.
"It's said that Old Qin is more open-minded."
"Stop flattering me. Next time you treat me to a drink, it should be at least this standard. Don't think you can just give me peanuts or cucumbers to get rid of me."
"I can't afford it. What kind of family dares to eat like this when they don't celebrate the New Year or other festivals?"
After the two of them teased each other for a while, Wang Xin finally remembered the business.
"By the way, Lao Qin, tell me how you found the bag thief."
Qin Hao asked: "Do you really want to know?"
"Of course not, otherwise I would spend so much money to treat you to a drink."
Seeing Wang Xin’s face full of curiosity, Qin Hao nodded.
"Okay, let me tell you. Actually, there were only two possible scenarios. Either Wang Guofu discovered it too late and the bag thief had already gotten off the train at the next stop and ran away, or he didn't have time to get off the train, right?"
Wang Xin nodded repeatedly: "That's why I took Wang Guofu down the train to look for him in advance. But, how did you know that the bag thief was still in that carriage?"
"Wang Guofu made such a big noise at that time, and you took Wang Guofu out of the car first. Thieves are guilty and would definitely not dare to get out of the car early. You thought of this when you went to Yao Yuling to make the announcement, so you wanted to alert the enemy and scare the guy out, right?"
"Yes."
"That was a good idea. So when I saw you and Wang Guofu get off the train, I didn't follow you. Instead, I watched the two nearby carriages in the train corridor to see if there were any suspicious people. I happened to see that kid hiding something under his clothes, so I called out tentatively. He ran away when he heard me, so I would have pinned him down there."
“That’s it?” Wang Xin suddenly felt that the roast chicken in his hand was no longer fragrant.
"What else? How complicated do you think it is?" Qin Hao asked back.
"So I worked so hard, and in the end you took advantage of me."
"How can you say you're taking advantage? This is called cooperation, so you also deserve some credit."
"That's true."
"Okay, don't think too much. This is our first time on duty and we have made a contribution. Shouldn't we have a drink?"
"Drink if you want. You're talking as if I'm afraid of you. I'm not as good as you in grappling and fighting, but how can I drink more than you?"
The result was obvious. In the end, Wang Xin was carried home by Qin Hao.
"Is Director Wang at home?"
When Wang Yongge saw that his son was completely drunk, he quickly stepped forward to help: "Hey, how much did you drink to get like this?"
Wang Yongge is the deputy section chief of Ningyang Station. Although he may not seem to be a high-ranking official, he actually has considerable power. In the 70s, when road transport capacity was seriously insufficient, trains were still the most reliable means of long-distance transport. However, train capacity was also tight, and the section chief was in charge of allocating capacity. Although Wang Yongge was only a deputy section chief, many people came to him for help.
"It wasn't much, just two bottles of liquor. He drank most of it. I couldn't even grab it back, and that's what happened."
After Qin Hao put Wang Xin on the bed, he said to Wang Yongge.
"Xiao Qin, what's wrong with Wang Xin? Did you encounter any unpleasant things during your duty this time? The child has grown up and he doesn't tell me anything. You'd better not hide it from your uncle." Wang Yongge said with a worried look on his face.
"No, Uncle Wang, don't worry. It's not a big deal. Wang Xin encountered a fugitive on the train and wanted to catch him, but he failed. He was a little depressed, so he drank a few more glasses."
"Is that so? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Wang Xin's arm was twisted. It's not a big deal. I gave him a massage."
Wang Yongge unbuttoned his son's wrist and took a look. He heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that it was only slightly red and swollen.
"Xiao Qin, Wang Xin is a reckless guy who only cares about the head and not the butt. You are more stable, so please help me keep an eye on him. Please."
"Uncle Wang, look at what you said. We were classmates in the police academy, roommates in the same dormitory, and now we are assigned to work together. What a fate. Don't worry, I will definitely keep an eye on him and won't let anything happen to him."
"I feel relieved when you say that." Wang Yongge looked at his son who was sleeping like a dead pig, his eyes full of fatherly love.
Qin Hao saw this and couldn't help but sigh. Although Wang Yongge was indeed unkind in accidentally pushing the thief off the train and causing Ma Kui to be wrongfully imprisoned for ten years, he loved Wang Xin deeply. If his wife had not passed away early and was afraid that Wang Xin would become an orphan, perhaps the result would have been different.
"By the way, Xiao Qin, you are alone in Ningyang and you don't know anyone there. It's not a good idea to stay in someone else's house. I've applied for a room for you in our compound, but it doesn't have much furniture. Don't mind."
"Uncle Wang, look at what you said. Housing is so tight right now. I'm very grateful that you thought of me. As for the furniture, I can just make a few pieces myself to make do."
Wang Yongge was a little surprised: "Xiao Qin, you still have this skill?"
"Well, my grandpa used to be a carpenter. I followed him around and played with him since I was a kid, and I learned it by watching." Qin Hao made up a lie. Anyway, he was the only one in the original owner's family now, so unless he went to his hometown to ask, no one would know what his grandpa used to do.
Wang Yongge thought that Qin Hao only knew how to make tables, chairs, and benches, so he didn't take it seriously. He gave him a key and sent him out the door.
"Xiao Qin, that room is right there. Go take a look first. If you need anything, come to our house and use it first. Please don't be polite to your uncle."
"Don't worry, Uncle Wang. I won't be polite to you."
Along the way, the families of the employees in the compound also greeted Qin Hao one after another, and were extremely enthusiastic. The profession of police is still very popular these days. Apart from anything else, as long as there are policemen living in a compound, ordinary petty thieves will basically take a detour.
After greeting these enthusiastic aunts and sisters-in-law, Qin Hao came to the door of a small house. After all, he was alone, and it would not be appropriate for him to live in a private house. This small house was not large, but it was definitely more than enough for one person.
But just as Wang Yongge said, there was not even a bench in the room except for a wooden bed.
At least he didn't have to live under someone else's roof, so Qin Hao closed the door and went to Aunt Wu's house where he was staying to move his luggage over.
"Oh, Xiao Qin, look at this room, there's nothing in it except a bed, how can someone live there? Why don't you come back to my place and stay for a while?" Aunt Wu and her family are all kind-hearted people. They insisted on sending Qin Hao here, and as soon as they saw the environment here, they persuaded Qin Hao to go back.
Qin Hao was touched: "Aunt Wu's place is quite nice. I can make some furniture for myself later. Besides, this house allocation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I miss this opportunity, I don't know when it will be my turn. Don't you agree?"
This is true. Houses are always in short supply. There are so many people with families waiting for housing. If this single room was not unsuitable for a family, Qin Hao probably would not have gotten one.
"Okay then, Xiao Qin, if you need anything, be sure to tell us. We don't treat you as an outsider, and you shouldn't treat us as outsiders either."
"That's impossible. I've always been your aunt and you are my family."
After finally seeing off the enthusiastic Aunt Wu and her family, Qin Hao could finally get a good night's sleep. He made the bed and fell asleep.
As a result, a wave of guests came early the next morning: in addition to Niu Dali and Cai Xiaonian, there was also the train driver Cai Danian. As soon as you hear his name, you know that he is Cai Xiaonian's biological father. In addition, there were Wu Changgui and his wife. Wu Changgui was the deputy train driver, which was still a very popular job in this era. However, due to the special nature of his job, the family was left to his wife. This is also the reason why there are not many dual-income families on the train. They are both working outside and there is no one to take care of the family.
"Xiao Qin, your room is too simple. There's not even a bench. How can you live here?"
"That's right, Chief Wang is really a jerk. He should at least get some furniture. If you don't know, you'd think there was a thief in the house and everything was stolen."
Everyone was talking at once, and Qin Hao finally had a chance to interrupt.
"My dear uncles and aunts, housing is so tight right now, it would be great to have a separate room to live in. As for furniture, I'll go buy some wood and make a few pieces later, it won't be a problem."
"Xiao Qin, you can also make furniture?" Old Wu's wife's eyes lit up.
"Ah, I learned a little from my grandfather when I was a kid. I'm not going to sell it anyway, so it should be fine for me to use it myself."
"Of course we can't sell it. That would be speculation."
It was March of 1978, and reform and opening up had not yet begun. Moreover, the pace of opening up in the Northeast was much slower than that of southern cities. At that time, speculation was still a serious crime, and once caught, the offender would be sentenced to prison.
Seeing that the old ladies were getting more and more arguing, Cai Danian finally made the final decision.
"Xiao Nian, Dali, Xiao Qin needs wood to make furniture, so go to the forest farm and find Lao Hu and ask him to help you get some scrap wood. Just tell him what I said. If he doesn't help me, I'll go to their house tonight and won't leave."
"And Changgui, you need tools to make furniture. Go ask around and get some saws, hammers, nails, etc."
It is said that an old man in the family is like a treasure. Seeing that this arrangement was flawless, Qin Hao couldn't help but secretly give a thumbs up.
Soon, Qin Hao went to the forest farm with Cai Xiaonian and Niu Dali.
Old Hu was also very considerate and took Qin Hao directly to a pile of wood and let him pick any he wanted.
My goodness, the red pine wood that two people could hug together became waste wood in his mouth. Qin Hao naturally didn't mean to be polite. He took four or five pieces, lifted them up with Niu Dali and Cai Xiaonian and left.
When Qin Hao and his two companions returned to the railway family compound, they attracted the attention of the neighbors.
"Oh, this is new. I haven't burned firewood since I started burning honeycomb coal. Where did you get this?"
"Such a big log, did you get it from the forest? Are you planning to build a house?"
Faced with the barrage of questions from everyone, before Qin Hao had time to answer, Wu Changgui's wife told him about his plan to make furniture.
Everyone became even more curious when they heard this. After all, carpentry is a craft these days, and if you do a good job, you can earn more than a senior technician.
"Xiao Qin, are you really good at hitting furniture?"
"Hey, Xiao Qin, you also have this skill?"
Just at this time, Wu Changgui and Cai Danian also came back, but apart from a saw, a plane and a hammer, there was nothing else. There were only a pitiful ten or so nails. This was in a heavy industrial city like Ningyang. In inland cities, you had to have industrial coupons to buy a box of nails.
"Xiao Qin, take a look and see if these are enough. If not, we can find another way."
"Thank you for your hard work, Master Cai and Master Wu. These are enough for me."
After saying that, Qin Hao started to saw wood. Making furniture might require drawing blueprints, measuring dimensions and so on for others, but for Qin Hao, he could basically determine the shape just by taking a look at it.
Perhaps there are too few entertainment programs these days, and when Qin Hao was working as a carpenter, a bunch of people gathered around watching him.
Of course, most of them wanted to make fun of Qin Hao. After all, it was a bit unreliable for a young man who had never studied carpentry to make furniture by himself.
In fact, even Cai Danian and others were skeptical about whether Qin Hao could make decent furniture. In their opinion, as long as the furniture Qin Hao made could stand up, it would be considered a success. As for whether the four legs were stable, if not, they could just use books to pad them. As long as it could be used, it would be fine.
However, as the first chest of drawers Qin Hao made gradually took shape, the looks of the onlookers changed from simply "watching the fun" to surprise and disbelief.