In 1959, what's wrong with me pedaling a tricycle?

Wang Xingguo said irritably, "Spit it out. I knew you were up to no good."

Li Zhengang didn't mind. After so many years of friendship, how could he not understand Wang Xingguo?

He's a sarcastic but loyal person. If you need anything, he'll help if he can, and if he can't, he'll try to find a solution.

Li Zhengang said with a grin, "Well, I've taken a fancy to a girl, haven't I? I'd like to ask you to help me get some nice things to make her happy, like the stuff you used to use to please Xiuping. I can't find a way to buy it."

Wang Xingguo rolled his eyes at him: "Do you think those chocolates are like cabbages, something you can just buy whenever you want?"

Li Zhengang offered her a cigarette, smiling obsequiously, "That depends on who it is. If I were to buy it, I definitely wouldn't be able to, but it's different for you, Xingguo. It's a piece of cake, a piece of cake!"

Wang Xingguo looked helpless; this guy had him cornered and there was nothing he could do about it.

He could only reply, "That stuff is expensive, a box costs over ten dollars, and those cookies, a tin of them costs ten dollars. Are you willing to spend that much money?"

Li Zhengang was dumbfounded and said, "Oh, it's that expensive?"

Wang Xingguo nodded and explained, "Otherwise, what do you think? If these imported goods were cheap, wouldn't you be able to buy them?"

Li Zhengang scratched his head, looking dejected, and said, "I haven't been paid yet, I'm broke..."

Wang Xingguo quickly replied, "Then don't worry about it, and don't look at me. Where would I get the money to pay for you?"

Li Zhengang put his arm around Wang Xingguo's shoulder and said with a mischievous grin, "Xingguo, are we still buddies?"

Wang Xingguo quickly pulled his hand away from Li Zhengang's and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "No, absolutely not!"

"No way! We're best buddies for life, you can't back out now!"

…………

Li Zhengang left for work satisfied, and Wang Xingguo finally gave in and agreed to buy the things for him that night.

Wang Xingning covered his mouth and chuckled, "Hehe, Second Brother, you and Zhengang are really interesting. If Zhengang were a girl, she'd probably marry you."

Wang Xingguo said with a look of disgust, "That bastard, when we were kids, he tricked me into getting beaten up by his dad along with him. Now that he's grown up and wants to date, he tricks me into helping him catch fish to please his future brother-in-law. And now that he's on a date with a girl, he wants me to spend a fortune on things to please her! I might as well just go after the girl myself and skip him, this middleman!"

Wang Xingning laughed heartily. She didn't take Wang Xingguo's words seriously, after all, she knew her second brother wasn't that kind of person.

Speaking of chocolates, cookies, and the like, you can't find those at Master Niu's place; these things are bought from a fixed black market.

These established black markets generally have backers and their own supply channels. Imported snacks like these are really hard to find in Beijing.

Only the people behind these black markets can get their hands on goods to sell on the black market, and he wasn't sure if he could buy any of these things on this trip tonight.

But no matter what, he should still help Li Zhengang if he can. Just like when his parents passed away, Li Zhengang's family treated him even better, even inviting him to their meals. He should remember this kindness.

I set off on my tricycle to Xiehe Hospital. In one bucket were ten crucian carp weighing about three ounces each and two black carp weighing about one pound and seven or eight ounces each.

He told the family members it was nine o'clock, but it's only eight-thirty now, and he didn't expect people to come looking for him.

"Oh, little fish deliveryman, you're here so early."

"Sir, are you a patient's family member at the hospital?"

"Yes, yes, you haven't seen me before. I heard about you from others, so I came early to wait for you to bring the fish."

Wang Xingguo suddenly realized and said, "Oh, I see. How many would you like, sir? I've prepared ten crucian carp and two large black carp for you today."

The old man immediately took a liking to the big black carp. His family member had just undergone surgery, and the black carp soup would be helpful for the wound to heal.

However, the old man didn't have many coupons, and he wasn't ignorant of the market, so he took a pound of oil coupons and five feet of cloth coupons and exchanged them for a big black fish.

Oil coupons were now 1.5 yuan per jin (500g), and cloth coupons were about 0.5 yuan per chi (1.5kg). Selling them for 4 yuan wouldn't be considered a loss, but it wasn't a huge profit either.

Wang Xingguo didn't mind. After all, everything is difficult at the beginning. Once things stabilize here, everyone will know that they need him to adjust their fish supply. He only brings out a limited number of fish each day, so if they want more, they'll have to pay more and compete with others.

The old man happily left with the blackfish, and less than ten minutes later, someone came running out with some things.

Before long, Wang Xingguo's hands were stuffed full of things, including cigarettes, alcohol, and even biscuits and canned goods. The crucian carp was completely devoured.

Wang Xingguo didn't even have a chance to speak. These people probably learned from the old man that there were only ten crucian carp, so they all rushed out to stuff things into their mouths and grab the fish.

Even so, four or five people still hadn't managed to get any crucian carp. They surrounded Wang Xingguo, asking him to help them buy fish. One person even slipped a pack of Peony brand cigarettes into his pocket, asking him to save four crucian carp for them the next day, saying they wouldn't treat him unfairly.

Wang Xingguo was also very happy. He simply took out his small ledger from his pocket and began to record how many fish the elderly men and women wanted, so that he could get them fish according to that quantity the next day.

When the people who came later learned that the fish was sold out, they all asked to make reservations. Wang Xingguo spent the whole morning making reservations for the fish.

It wasn't just crucian carp; some people wanted other kinds of fish, saying their children wanted fried grass carp pieces. Grass carp are hard to find these days, and Wang Xingguo noted that down as well.

His main principle is to serve the people; he will bring whatever fish customers need.

In the afternoon, Wang Xingguo went to the entrance of the General Hospital of Liberation, and Jiang Yue'e came out around 3 p.m.

She looked at each of the tricycles and finally found Wang Xingguo, who was smoking and stealing glances at the beautiful women swaying their hips on the street.

How did I know this guy was peeking?

Even though Jiang Yue'e had come to his side, he was still looking sideways and didn't notice her arrival at all.

Jiang Yue'e rolled her eyes at Wang Xingguo and shouted, "Comrade Wang!"

Wang Xingguo jumped in fright, dropping his cigarette. Clutching his chest, he saw it was Jiang Yue'e and said, half-laughing, half-crying, "Nurse Jiang, you can scare someone to death..."

Jiang Yue'e said with a look of disdain, "Serves you right for being scared to death. What are you staring at for, you shameless bastard?"

Wang Xingguo knew he had been caught peeking, but he wasn't embarrassed. It wasn't his wife; if she found out, so be it.

Jiang Yue'e asked for help to get five black carp and eight crucian carp, the kind that weigh more than three ounces each.

As for what to exchange it for, she'll bring people out tomorrow, and they can discuss it themselves.

Wang Xingguo quickly assured him, "No problem, I'll take care of it. Nurse Jiang, bring your people out at three o'clock tomorrow, and I'll deliver the fish here on time."

Jiang Yue'e nodded and said, "Okay, it's settled then. I have to go back now, I'm very busy every day."

Wang Xingguo waved goodbye to Jiang Yue'e, then rode his tricycle home.