Dong Hao said, "The car belongs to the boss, and I'm his driver. The boss came to your town for some business, and you were here, so I borrowed the car to take a look."
In fact, he was a little proud of himself. Although he could not compare to Lan Shifang, Wan Liangyou, and the others, nor was he rich, his income and welfare had already surpassed many people. It was enough for him and his family to live a decent life that many people could not compare to.
"Only the owners of the shoe factories in our town have the opportunity to drive this car. This car is not cheap. I've heard them boast that it would cost at least 700,000 to 800,000 RMB." Zhang Xuan walked around Li He's car and looked around.
"Drive it if you like it." Li He wanted to give him the car key.
"No, it's such a good car. Even if I spend a year's salary, it won't be enough." Zhang Xuan waved his hand and refused.
Li He smiled and said, "It's not as expensive as you say. Even if it's really expensive, it's still a car. Cars are for people to drive, not for people to look at."
"Don't." Zhang Xuan still insisted on not touching the car. He took off the hat on his head and said to Dong Hao, "Since there's a car, I'll lead the way. Let's drive to my house and drink until we're drunk."
Dong Hao said, "My sister-in-law's legs are not good, so don't bother her. Let's just find a place to drink. It's my treat."
He knew Zhang Xuan's situation, so he didn't want to go to his house and cause trouble.
"Are you looking down on me?" Zhang Xuan said, "Your sister-in-law can't cook, so if she asks you to do it, can you refuse?"
"No, I can do it." At this point, Dong Hao had no choice but to follow.
When everyone got on the car, Li He let Zhang Xuan sit in the front seat, and he and Qi Hua sat in the back.
Dong Hao said, "You don't want to ride the bike?"
Zhang Xuan said, "No, it's more comfortable to sit in your car."
Dong Hao said, "Do you have to come to work tomorrow morning?"
"It's okay. It's not far. If it's not urgent, I sometimes walk." Zhang Xuan pointed to the intersection in front and said, "Old Dong, stop there. I'm going to buy some vegetables."
Zhang Xuan got off the car and jogged to the market to buy some vegetables.
Dong Hao didn't stay idle either. He went to the nearby store and bought a bunch of fruits, milk, two boxes of liquor, and five boxes of beer. When Zhang Xuan returned from the grocery shopping, he was still stuffing things into the trunk.
"Don't you think this is meaningless?" Zhang Xuan was a little annoyed.
Dong Hao said, "You provide the dishes, and I provide the wine. There's no need to say anything else. Hurry up and get in the car. I can't hold back my hunger."
"Sigh." Zhang Xuan got on the car helplessly. He knew he couldn't change Dong Hao's mind.
Under Zhang Xuan's directions, Dong Hao drove toward the countryside.
The area was dominated by terraces, with a zonal distribution of terrains, similar to loess ridged hills. Occasionally, there would be a long stretch of flat road, and occasionally, there would be a steep downhill. In fact, it was not easy to drive.
The village where the Zhang family lived was located on a flat platform. The whole village was built with rammed walls made of clay. Only the black or red tiles on the roofs could show the difference between coastal villages and rural areas in the Midwest. For example, the roofs of rural areas in northern Anhui were mostly wheat straw and thatch.
The Zhang family's house was not much different from other houses. In fact, it looked more dilapidated. From the outside, the Zhang family didn't seem to be living a good life.
An old lady was sitting at the door picking up tea leaves. When she saw a guest, she hurriedly went into the house to pour tea.
A girl about 15 or 16 years old was hanging clothes. When she saw a stranger coming in, she shyly lowered her head.
There was also a boy, about 5 or 6 years old, who was still playing in the mud.
Dong Hao took the things he brought from the car and was about to distribute them to the child. The little boy glanced at Zhang Xuan and took it, but he didn't dare to take it.
Zhang Xuan said, "Take it. Thank you, Uncle Dong."
"Thank you, Uncle Dong." The boy's voice was very soft.
"Ah Juan, look who's here." Zhang Xuan entered the house and asked a woman lying on the bed with a smile.
"Old Dong?" The woman lying on the bed had a sallow face. When she saw Dong Hao, she put her hands on the bed and tried to get up.
"Sister-in-law, don't get up. I know your waist is not good." Dong Hao hurried over to her and wanted to press her down to continue resting.
The woman said, "It's nothing. It's been a problem for many years. I'll make something for you and your brother."
Zhang Xuan said to the woman, "Don't move. Old Dong is not an outsider. We'll do it ourselves."
Li He hugged the teapot and squatted outside the door. From time to time, he would look into the house at the three men who were cooking.
Soon, five or six dishes were out. The house was too dark, so they moved a table and a few chairs to the door.
The old lady was in the kitchen with the two children, and the four men were drinking at the door.
While drinking and chatting, Dong Hao talked about the matter of the Zhang family.
"Brother Zhang, I don't remember sister-in-law's illness being so serious in the past?"
Zhang Xuan sighed. "Sigh, it was raining last year. She went to chase ducks and accidentally fell. That worsened it, and she spent half of the year in bed."
Dong Hao asked, "Didn't she go to the hospital?"
"Yes, she needs surgery for her lumbar disc." Zhang Xuan slammed the wine glass on the table. "Sigh, I've let your sister-in-law down. Ever since she got married, she has never thought of a day of happiness."
"Brother Zhang, you don't have to go that far. Your monthly salary is around 400 yuan, right?" Dong Hao was puzzled.
"458 yuan." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Brother, I won't hide it from you. I'm not afraid of embarrassing myself. In our line of work, even the bureau chief is not much more prestigious than me.
I've been working from dawn to dusk, working day and night. I haven't received a single cent of my salary for the past three years. Three years! I've been out handling cases and I've lost money. I can accept that, but I've never received my salary in full … "
"Your township finance office is in such a difficult situation?" Dong Hao was stunned. "Along the way, your township enterprises are doing well."
"Don't worry about it. Don't mention these unhappy things. Let's drink." Zhang Xuan raised the wine glass and drank it in one gulp. He sighed. "My difficulties are only temporary. My salary will be paid sooner or later. It's just a matter of when.
Think about it, I'm much better than others. At least I have a job and have been eating commodity food for several years. That's not bad. What about our other comrades?
Some of them are farming in the countryside. They have big families, and it's much harder than us.
In comparison, I'm content. I only regret that I can't help them. I have no other regrets. "
"Tell me if you have any difficulties. I have my own savings." Dong Hao felt bad.
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