Before the year 2000, collecting electricity bills was not an easy task for any electric power company.
Those who paid the bills complained about it, and those who collected the bills were laborious. It became a problem for the electric power company year after year …
Especially when the target of collection changed from collective to individual, the toll collector had to go door to door to read the electricity meter. After reading the meter, he still had to ask for payment. This took up a lot of manpower and transportation costs.
If he met someone with a good temper, he would just have to spend a lot of time talking and sit on the bench. If he met someone with a bad temper, he would get beaten up.
However, compared to stealing electric cables and transformers, stealing electricity was a piece of cake. If it was not for the fact that the poles were made of cement or wood, there was no way to keep them.
The hardworking and restless people of China did not lag behind under the guidance of the concept of "get rich first". If they did well, they would bring their relatives and friends to "get rich together".
"Zhang Zhuyang, are you short of money or what? Are you annoying every day? " Pan Guangcai said impatiently to a man standing in front of him with a canvas tool bag. "This electric power station is not owned by your family. Why are you so diligent every day?"
"Old Pan, you are deliberately making things difficult for me. From Hewan to Li Zhuang and Shangba, more than 1000 households are all contracted by me. I used all the money I earned from selling pigs this year. You are deliberately making things difficult for me. "The man called Zhang Zhuyang said angrily.
"Who is making things difficult for you? You said there is a problem with my electricity meter? I am not happy that you are slandering me. "
"I am not blind." Zhang Zhuyang said indignantly.
"Hey, Old Pan, are you short of money?" Li He listened for a while and could not stand it anymore.
"No, no." Pan Guangcai felt embarrassed.
"Why are you talking about a few yuan?" Li He had never considered saving face for Pan Guangcai. After all, he had helped Pan Guangcai so much. If he resented Pan Guangcai because of this, it would mean that he was blind. He should not have been so nice to Pan Guangcai.
"Annoying." Pan Guangcai finally took out a few notes from his pocket and threw them to Zhang Zhuyang.
Zhang Zhuyang took the money, smiled at Li He, and then went behind the wall of the Li family to read the electricity meter.
As soon as Li He entered the house, he followed Li He in. "Five yuan."
"Have a cigarette." Li He gave him the money and gave him a cigarette.
"Sigh, if everyone was as easy to talk to as you, I wouldn't be so tired." Zhang Zhuyang sighed repeatedly. "This bunch of bastards, holding me back every day."
"We're old classmates. I can make things difficult for anyone but you." Li He was his classmate in junior high school. He smiled and said, "I think my words count in the village. If you encounter something you don't understand, you can tell me."
"Thank you." Zhang Zhuyang chuckled. "It's hard for you to take care of me. But I'm not doing as well as you, kid. Your brother's extravagance is the best in the county."
Li He shook his head. "He's still a kid. Give him some pointers when you have time."
"Don't embarrass me. He's almost giving me pointers." Zhang Zhuyang took out a teacup from his bag. "Let me pour some tea."
"Change the tea leaves?" Li He pinched some tea leaves for him.
"Enough, enough. Good tea."
Zhang Zhuyang wrinkled his nose and sniffed.
"It's okay." Li He filled his cup with water and asked. "You contracted the electricity station? If not, how can you lose money? "
"Yes. There are more than 9000 households in 29 villages in our town. According to the distribution area, the seven to eight electricians in the collection team are divided into thousands of households. Our salaries are linked to the collection of electricity. If we can't collect all the electricity, we have to pay for it ourselves. Last year, I didn't collect all the electricity. My family reared a pig for Chinese New Year, and I sold it for 300 yuan to the station. Do you think it's easy for me?"
"It's not easy." Li He agreed.
"And there are all kinds of people these days. 1000 households means 1000 kilowatts of electricity. If you meet an unreasonable person, not only can't you collect your calls, but you'll also get angry." Zhang Zhuyang was getting angrier as he spoke.
Li He smiled and said, "Just a power outage."
Zhang Zhuyang shook his head. "If only it was that simple. Anyway, this is not easy. If I wanted to do it, I'd be a grandson! "
"Take it slow." Li He comforted him. "Are you free tonight? Do you want to stay here for dinner? "
"Hehe, I won't trouble you." Seeing that Li He did not even have a woman in his house, Zhang Zhuyang did not want to stay here. Although he had the intention to restore his friendship with Li He, after all, one more friend means one more road. Moreover, Li He had a big road.
"Today, I got a rabbit and a pheasant on the street. I'll call a few people over tonight. With them, no one in Li Village will be able to delay your electricity bills in the future, let alone steal electricity." Li He was willing to do anything he could do to help.
In fact, if he had not met Zhang Zhuyang, Li He would have almost forgotten about their past. Although the two of them did not get along very well in school, it could be said that they were very ordinary.
However, he still slowly dug out the things in his memory. It was probably one winter, when they were living in the school's dormitory, the other party gave him a pair of socks. Although it was an old pair of cotton socks, it comforted his feet for the whole winter.
This might be a very small thing to Zhang Zhuyang, or even something that he had long forgotten. However, to Second Brother Li, who had a life full of holes, it was especially important. Because that was the only winter where he did not wear rubber shoes and bare feet.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Hearing that Li He said that he would help him settle the electricity bill in the village, Zhang Zhuyang was reluctant to leave this time.
He was not one of Li Village's people. If Li He could help him settle the relationship, that would be the best.
"That's nonsense." Li He patted him on the shoulder.
Zhang Zhuyang looked at his watch and said, "It's still early. I'll go around the village first and come back later?"
Li He smiled and said, "I'll go with you. Who do you think is difficult to deal with? I'll go with you."
"I won't make it difficult for you. After all, you are from the same village." Zhang Zhuyang was very tempted.
"Let's go. It's pretentious to say too much."
Zhang Zhuyang pushed the bicycle, and Li He followed behind.
To Li He's embarrassment, Zhang Zhuyang's first thorn in the side was Fatty Chen.
At that moment, he was carrying a shovel and preparing to go out. When he saw Li He, he smiled and said, "I was about to find you for a drink tonight."
He turned a blind eye to Zhang Zhuyang, who went straight to the back wall of his house to read the electricity meter.
"You have a problem with him?" Li He pouted in Zhang Zhuyang's direction.
"Hey, he's too old. I don't want to spoil him." Fatty Chen pouted. "If I wasn't afraid that people would say I'm bullying him, I'd beat him up."
"He is my junior high school classmate. Give me some face. If you are really short of money, I'll pay for you." Li He took his cigarette and lit it. Then he waved at Fatty Chen's father. "I'm busy."
"Erhe, come in and sit." Fatty Chen's father nodded and carried the basket to continue his work.
Li He nodded. "Go on with your business."
Fatty Chen said, "Don't embarrass me. It's just a matter of a few dollars."
"That's settled. Go to my grandma's place tonight. Hare pot."
Li He saw that Chen Yongqiang gave the money to Zhang Zhuyang. He didn't say anything more and took Zhang Zhuyang to the second house.
The second house was beyond Li He's expectation. It was Liu Four's house. The electric wire from his yard was now clamped to the main line outside the yard with two clamps. The electricity meter did not move at all.
It was rare for Liu Four to not go out. At this moment, there were a lot of bricks in front of his house. He was mixing mud and mortar to build a chicken coop.
Li He handed him a cigarette and said with a smile, "It's not easy for my classmates."
"Oh, you should have said so earlier." Liu Four was at least better than people like Chen Yongqiang and Pan Guangcai. He knew how to save face. He looked very embarrassed. He took the initiative to move a ladder for Zhang Zhuyang and pointed to the wire on the wall. "You do as you see fit. We don't understand it."
After Zhang Zhuyang removed the wire, he handed over fifty dollars. He didn't let Zhang Zhuyang keep the change. He just rubbed his hands and said, "Look at this mess. If I knew your relationship, I wouldn't have done this."
Zhang Zhuyang just smiled and didn't say anything. He just let Li He speak.
"Don't forget my grandma's place tonight."
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