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

When Wang Xingguo mentioned selling eels to the steel rolling mill, Li Laishun and Li Wenbin were somewhat surprised.

Li Laishun explained, "Xingguo, all the purchasing agents from the factory have been sent out. They're probably going to be able to buy a lot of eels, and the price is set very low, only two cents a pound. I'm afraid your eels won't sell well."

Wang Xingguo quickly asked, "Uncle Li, has the factory said which communes they'll send purchasing agents to collect eels?"

Li Laishun replied, "I'm really not sure about that, but after we gave the factory suggestions on how to process and cook eels, the factory leaders consulted aquatic experts to ensure that the eels are not only edible but also good for your health. So the factory takes this matter very seriously. We have a total of seven purchasing agents in our factory, and five of them were sent to purchase eels, which is enough to prove how much importance they attach to this matter."

Wang Xingguo hurriedly asked, "Uncle Li, have you told the factory that dead eels shouldn't be eaten?"

Li Wenbin, the eldest brother, explained with a smile, "Of course I told them, Xingguo, don't worry. The experts told the factory that the old rumor that eels are poisonous is actually because we Beijingers don't understand that eels can't die naturally, because naturally dying eels might contain bacteria or viruses. Basically, eels are fine if they're killed alive and then frozen, while naturally dying eels are poisonous. So, when we buy eels, we can only buy live ones, because only by sending them back to the factory alive can we ensure they're non-toxic."

After thinking for a moment, Wang Xingguo continued, "So, has the matter of the work targets been finalized?"

Speaking of this, Li Laishun said happily, "It's all settled. We'll get two job openings tomorrow. We'll give one to Wenlong, and you can handle the other one. How does that sound?"

Wang Xingguo nodded and said, "No problem. I won't keep that job quota. I'll sell it for money. I've already bought the house. I'll go to the subdistrict office tomorrow to complete the transfer procedures. I'll sell this job quota and use the money to buy furniture and hold a banquet."

Everyone smiled, knowing that the banquet Wang Xingguo mentioned was the wedding banquet for Li Xiuping.

After discussing it, Li Laishun said he would talk to the head of the second purchasing department about this matter tomorrow, but the factory definitely couldn't be the one to make the exchange.

Regardless, the steel rolling mill is a key unit, and even during difficult times, the lunch provided at noon has never been interrupted.

However, due to the nationwide shortage of supplies, there was a severe shortage of meat, oil, and refined grains, resulting in a significant decline in the quality of meals. The food was barely enough to satisfy basic hunger, let alone provide nutrition and health.

So they definitely want the eels, but they absolutely cannot trade them in the name of the steel mill!

Li Laishun said earnestly, "The logistics work of key units is strictly monitored, so it's impossible to trade large quantities of these supplies with private individuals. However, it's different with subordinate units. As long as the agreement is reached, the subordinate units can be used for the transaction, and then transport the supplies back to the steel mill under the guise of support. This way, the risk of being investigated can be avoided."

Wang Xingguo asked curiously, "Uncle Li, does our steel rolling mill have many subordinate units?"

"Hey, that's for sure. There are at least five or six small factories that are part of the supporting facilities. Although these factories are steel rolling mills, they are not key units, so they are not subject to particularly strict inspections."

Wang Xingguo smiled and nodded, "Then this matter is basically settled. As long as the factory needs eels, I will provide them. However, I still want some of the coarse grains and other grains. Uncle Li, you don't know, I only recently discovered that our Wang family migrated to the city from Gaobeidian. It's just that my great-grandfather's generation declined, so they never told us about it. Now I can say that I've returned to my ancestral roots. There isn't enough food in many places in the countryside, so I have to find a way to get some food for them."

Upon hearing Wang Xingguo's words, Li Laishun couldn't help but ask, "Xingguo, what exactly happened?"

Wang Xingguo didn't hide anything and told Li Laishun about the Wang family's situation in Gaobeidian Production Brigade.

After hearing this, Li Laishun said happily, "Then you really need to pay attention to this matter. After all, it's a production brigade with several thousand people. It will be much more convenient for us to get chickens, ducks, fish and eggs in the future."

Wang Xingguo nodded earnestly and said, "That's what I think too. I'll help them get more grain, and I'll take care of everything that's not part of the production brigade's plan. This will benefit them and help me make money in the future. I also want to make money so that when housing isn't so scarce, I can rebuild the three collapsed houses and leave a legacy for my and Xiuping's future children."

Li Xiuping, who was helping her mother cook in the kitchen outside, blushed when she heard Wang Xingguo's words, but felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

After having dinner, Wang Xingguo left to go home.

The house was quite lively as Wang Xingning and Wang Xingmin pulled a somewhat embarrassed Wang Xingbang aside and kept asking him questions.

"Big brother, please tell me!"

"Exactly, exactly, what did my future sister-in-law say?"

Unable to resist his younger siblings' pestering, Wang Xingbang finally said, "Alright, stop fooling around. Anyway, everything's going smoothly..."

Wang Xingning put his hands on his hips and said, "Big brother, you can't have this attitude. Look at second brother, he managed to win over my sister-in-law with just his words. You should learn from him."

Wang Xingbang touched his nose. Actually, he had tested Feng Xiaolan today and found that she was just shy but not resistant, so he was indeed more confident.

The problem was the house, which was giving him a headache. He knew his second brother was getting married soon, and if he got married now, the fourth brother would have to share a bed with his second brother, which would make it inconvenient for his second brother to get married.

So he was struggling with this issue. As the eldest son, he couldn't just think about his own happiness without considering his younger brother's feelings.

Wang Xingguo returned home, parked his tricycle, and went into the living room with a water bottle. Seeing the three quiet people, he asked in surprise, "Brothers, what's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything? What happened?"

Wang Xingbang forced a smile and said, "Nothing's wrong. Second brother, why did you go to the Li family's for dinner again?"

Wang Xingguo chuckled, took out the house and land deeds, placed them in front of Wang Xingbang, and gestured for him to take a look.

Wang Xingbang picked it up and looked at it with a puzzled expression. After reading it, he was still a little confused and it took him several seconds to realize what it meant.

He asked incredulously, "Second brother, did you buy this house? The land deed and house deed both say it's a detached house?"

Wang Xingguo smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right, I've already bought our new home. I just need to go to the neighborhood office tomorrow to get the certificate and complete the transfer."

This was shocking news because they never imagined they would actually have a new home, especially a detached house; it was incredible to them.