The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 11 Paying Salaries and Exchanging Tickets

Zhou Zhiqiang quickly adapted to this era.

Busy and monotonous, he repeats almost the same work every day, like a bearing in a factory.

What sets him apart from the others is his high efficiency in gathering deduction assistants; he has already gathered almost all of them and has begun to deduce the results.

With the assistant system helping with the deductions, Zhou Zhiqiang continued his work.

It keeps spinning every day; it just can't stop.

On the first Sunday of the month, Zhou Zhiqiang would have a day off. He would spend half the day at home reading, and then go out for lunch with Guo Yuting.

After dinner, I would accompany her for a walk outside in the afternoon. That's how a couple's relationship is cultivated.

Although Guo Yuting has some minor flaws, Zhou Zhiqiang doesn't see them as problems and believes they are within his tolerance.

Moreover, he had a very good grasp of the situation, and Guo Yuting herself didn't even realize that she was completely under Zhou Zhiqiang's control.

If there were absolutely no flaws, Zhou Zhiqiang would turn around and run away. A saint is only suitable for worship, not for marrying and living with.

"Zhiqiang, shall we go to the finance department together?"

As Zhou Zhiqiang was comparing and correcting the drawings, Ping Yanchang in the office suddenly patted him on the shoulder and said something.

Zhou Zhiqiang asked, "What are you going to the finance department for?"

"Have you been working yourself to death these past few days? Today is payday."

Ping Yanchang explained, "We'll be getting paid together with the logistics team at 10 o'clock. Hurry up, or there will be a long line."

Zhou Zhiqiang then patted his forehead and said, "I remember now. I've been so busy these past few days that I forgot about it. Let's go together."

After saying that, Zhou Zhiqiang got up and walked towards the finance department with Ping Yanchang and other colleagues.

When he arrived, there were already quite a few people in line, so he figured it would be noon by the time it was his turn.

However, there was no other way. At this time, payroll was still done by paper and the finance department had to make sure everything was accounted for, so it was naturally much slower.

After waiting for a while, the people in front of him finished receiving their wages, and it was Zhou Zhiqiang's turn to go forward.

"Zhou Zhiqiang, your salary is 48.5 yuan. You worked two days of overtime last month, so you received a 1.6 yuan subsidy. That's a total of 50.1 yuan. If there are no problems, please sign here."

"Okay, thank you for your help, comrade."

When the accountant in the finance department heard what Zhou Zhiqiang said, she smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's what we should do."

After distributing wages all morning, everyone else either asked why their pay was deducted or asked other questions. Only Zhou Zhiqiang said "Thank you for your hard work," which made the accountant feel quite pleased.

After receiving the money and putting it away, Zhou Zhiqiang went back to get his lunchbox to prepare for lunch.

I went home after get off work in the afternoon.

Not long after Zhou Zhiqiang arrived home, Guo Yuting also rode back on her bicycle. Once home, she took out an envelope and waved it in front of Zhou Zhiqiang, then smiled and whispered...
"Zhiqiang, look! We got paid today."

“We’ve received our money too. Let’s go deposit it as we agreed before.”

Zhou Zhiqiang said with a smile, "After I get back, I'll go to Pigeon Market again to buy some meat coupons and grain coupons."

The pigeon market is now a semi-public secret. The rationing system has only been in place for a short time, and there are bound to be people who haven't gotten used to the monthly quotas.

Some families have a habit of saving money, which allows them to save a lot each month. This has led to the gradual expansion of the pigeon market, which started as a place to sell birds.

Zhou Zhiqiang and Guo Yuting rode their bicycles and, while there were still people at the bank, quickly opened two savings accounts and deposited all the money in their house into them.

The 100 yuan left by Guo Linhua was also deposited, and now both of their savings accounts have more than 200 yuan.

After leaving the bank, Zhou Zhiqiang said to Guo Yuting, "Yuting, you go back first. I'm going to Pigeon Market to exchange for some meat coupons and grain coupons."

Although the famine wouldn't come for another two or three years, Zhou Zhiqiang could save a little bit each month. While grain was still cheap, he could exchange and save up three or four jin each month, so that he wouldn't have to scramble to exchange for grain during the famine.

Besides, Zhou Zhiqiang also wanted to eat more refined grains, as coarse grains did indeed irritate his throat.

Guo Yuting asked with some curiosity, "Shall I go with you?"

"Forget it."

Zhou Zhiqiang shook his head and said, "That place is a mixed bag, with all sorts of people. You're so pretty, it's hard to say what might happen if you get targeted."

"Go home and wait for me. Didn't I teach you how to steam cornbread yesterday? You can try making it."

"Okay. Then come back soon."

After thinking for a moment, Guo Yuting agreed. She was currently very close to Zhou Zhiqiang and was listening to him more and more.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely go back soon."

After Zhou Zhiqiang finished speaking, he parted ways with Guo Yuting and rode his bicycle towards Pigeon City.

The original owner had visited several times before, and when he received his first month's salary, he bought many gifts for the village chief and the teachers at the township middle school.

If it weren't for these two people, the original owner of this body would be toiling in the fields for food right now.

Thinking of this, Zhou Zhiqiang suddenly remembered that after each paycheck, the original owner of this body would go home. When he sorted through the original owner's savings last time, he even found two liquor coupons.

The original owner of this body doesn't drink alcohol, almost never touching a drop, but every time she goes back to the village, she brings some cigarettes and alcohol for the village chief and the teachers at the township middle school, as they all enjoy these things.

After reviewing the memories, Zhou Zhiqiang felt that there was nothing wrong with what the original owner did. He thought that he might have done the same thing. If it weren't for the two of them speaking up for him and helping him, the original owner would not have been able to change his fate.

"I need to go home and clarify things regarding the money."

Zhou Zhiqiang made up his mind that he could no longer give his family fifteen yuan a month.

How much can you buy with fifteen yuan? Just enough to buy fifty or sixty jin of grain that doesn't require ration coupons.

If he continues to give 15 yuan, he can provide his family with 600-700 jin of grain every year.

If his family treated him well, Zhou Zhiqiang would have gritted his teeth and given it to him. He was confident that he could raise his salary level and become an engineer in the future.

However, the original owner's family was unwilling to even support her schooling, giving her only ten catties of grain each month, or sometimes only eight or nine catties, truly treating her as a burden.

Now that he's better, he wants to collect money? That's absolutely impossible.

Zhou Zhiqiang wouldn't do that; he's not the type to back down. It's either five yuan or nothing.

If he likes to make trouble, then let him make trouble. Even if he has no job and has to carry heavy loads, he will not compromise with these people.

Not long after, before it got dark, Zhou Zhiqiang returned from Pigeon City.

Zhou Zhiqiang bought two jin of meat coupons, five jin of fine grain coupons, and ten jin of coarse grain coupons, spending a total of seven yuan and fifty cents.

Ticket prices are relatively stable now, with little increase. But if we wait until three years from now, we probably won't be able to buy them even if we want to, and we'll have to exchange them for grain coupons.

When Guo Yuting got home, she heard the sound of a bicycle, peeked out, and saw Zhou Zhiqiang. She quickly came out of the kitchen.

Guo Yuting approached Zhou Zhiqiang, smiled and said, "You're back. Come and see the steamed cornbread I made."

"Okay, if you steam it well, I'll take you to Donglaishun this Sunday."

"Really?"

Guo Yuting quickly said, "Then I'll steam it for you tomorrow. I won't look at it today."

Zhou Zhiqiang laughed and said, "Then tomorrow. If you steam it well tomorrow, I'll still take you to Donglaishun on Sunday."

(End of this chapter)