Electrician Wu looked down on Welder Zhao's stingy behavior from the bottom of his heart. His retirement salary was quite high, he had health insurance, and he had his own house. He didn't have a single cent in loans, and his son and daughter-in-law also had their own jobs. Although he was not considered a rich family, at least he didn't have to worry about food and clothing. Why was he so stingy?
Look at the other retirees. They were living a free and easy life. They bought a camera and a telephoto lens that cost tens of thousands of dollars without even blinking, and then they invited their friends to go sightseeing. Some of the richer ones even bought SUVs. They carried their lenses on their backs as they crossed the desert and galloped across the grasslands. They had the money and the time, and they lived more freely than young people. Retirement was no different from the beginning of a new life.
Looking at Welder Zhao again, he was … He didn't know why he was saving money. He didn't bring it with him when he was alive, and he didn't bring it with him when he was dead …
Electrician Wu was full of bitterness. He pulled Zhang Zian and told him everything about Welder Zhao.
It turned out that Welder Zhao's friends had recently started to play sea fishing, and they invited Welder Zhao to join them. Welder Zhao didn't know how to fish, and he wasn't interested in sea fishing. But on second thought, sea fishing might be able to catch some rare fish, so he wouldn't have to go to Zhang Zian's aquarium all day to look at those strange fish that he couldn't afford.
He heard that the fish in Zhang Zian's shop were all purchased from the nearby fishermen. The fishermen would catch strange fish with their nets and sell them to Zhang Zian. Since the fishermen could catch fish with their nets, then the fishermen would most likely be able to catch fish as well. Wouldn't that mean that he didn't have to spend a single cent?
Welder Zhao made up his mind, but on the surface, he tried to avoid it. He knew that he would have to raise money to buy some sea fishing equipment in the beginning. If he planned to go sea fishing for a long time, he might have to raise money to buy a boat or rent a boat. So, he repeatedly said that he didn't have time at the moment. He planned to wait until they had enough money to buy what they needed to buy, then he would agree to join. They were all colleagues that had known each other for many years, so they wouldn't ask him to pay for it, right?
As a matter of fact, the workmates' fishing team had been established for a while. They had bought all the things they needed to buy and had held a few fishing activities after much difficulty. At that time, Welder Zhao had shamelessly hinted and said that he should go ahead and buy a suitable fishing rod for himself. So, Welder Zhao happily went to the fishing gear store to buy a fishing rod.
So far, Electrician Wu had nothing to do. Electrician Wu usually took care of the fish tank and took care of his grandson. His life was leisurely and fulfilling. He had heard that the retired workers had formed a fishing team, but he had no intention of joining in.
However, when Welder Zhao went to the fishing gear store to ask, he couldn't help but be speechless. The fishing rod designated by the fishing team was not cheap. It was just a rod, but it cost more than a thousand dollars. If it weren't for his workmates' repeated reminders, he might have really carved one out of wood and bamboo himself. The fishing rod that cost more than a thousand dollars was just a little lighter. Why was it so expensive?
No matter what he said, the owner of the fishing gear store refused to budge. He refused to lower the price. In the end, Welder Zhao had no choice but to pester him. He couldn't stand Welder Zhao coming to the store every day for half a day, which affected the business. The owner finally relented and said that the price of one fishing rod could not be lowered. If Welder Zhao wanted to buy two, he would calculate the wholesale price.
Welder Zhao immediately thought of Electrician Wu, so he went to Electrician Wu's house and urged him to go fishing together. In case they caught any strange fish, the two of them could take turns sharing it.
Electrician Wu pointed at Welder Zhao's nose and scolded him. He asked why he didn't think of me when there were good things, but when it came to spending money, he thought of me? No way.
Welder Zhao, of course, was even more stubborn in front of his old friend. He immediately said that if Electrician Wu didn't agree, he would go to Electrician Wu's house every day.
Electrician Wu was afraid of him, because when the guy was scrounging for food, he would fight with his grandson for good food.
At that time, Electrician Wu's family also tried to persuade him to go with Welder Zhao. It wasn't like they couldn't afford the thousand dollars.
From everyone's point of view, fishing was a very good activity for middle-aged and elderly people. It could cultivate their mind, cultivate their character, and strengthen their interpersonal relationships so that they wouldn't become more isolated as they got older. As for other things, they were secondary. At least it was better than eating, drinking, and gambling. It also wouldn't affect others like square dancing.
Electrician Wu had no choice but to agree first. He then contacted his workmate's fishing team and asked if they needed more people. After getting a positive answer, he went to the fishing gear store with Welder Zhao the next day. The two of them bought a fishing rod at a discounted price.
They had fishing rods, but neither of them knew how to fish. They could only wait patiently for the next activity held by their workmate's fishing team.
Yesterday, they received news that the fishing team planned to hold an activity that afternoon and informed the two of them to participate.
After lunch, the two of them rode their bikes and rushed to the meeting point by the sea. Because they had plenty of time, they saw Zhang Zian when they passed by the pet shop, so they stopped to say hello.
Zhang Zian understood and admired Welder Zhao's shamelessness. He even wanted to take advantage of his longtime workmate's wool.
Electrician Wu sighed from the side and shook his head. He said that he was not careful in making friends. Even he was embarrassed. He originally said that since they had prepared the equipment and didn't ask for money, it wouldn't be good for them to go empty-handed for the first time. They should at least buy two boxes of drinks, but Welder Zhao refused, saying that it wasn't convenient to bring them while riding a bike.
Welder Zhao stuttered and tried to find an excuse for himself, saying that Electrician Wu was slandering him.
Although the two of them kept arguing, anyone with a discerning eye could immediately see the deep friendship between them. Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to continue to hang out together while complaining.
In order to change the topic, Welder Zhao asked loudly again, "Brother Zhang, you haven't answered yet. You were staring at your shop in a daze just now. Were you looking at its face?"
"Oh, it's typhoon season again. Just in case, I plan to reinforce the doors and windows of these two shops and re-waterproof the roof. Otherwise, if there's a rainstorm or hail, it'll be troublesome if there's a leak," Zhang Zian explained. "I was in a daze just now because I was thinking about how to do it."
Electrician Wu nodded repeatedly and agreed. "Yes, we have to prepare. Even if the typhoon doesn't pass through our city, even if it just grazes the edge, it'll still rain heavily. The wind can even blow down trees. I've seen it with my own eyes. At that time, the sewers can't discharge so much water, and it'll all be blocked by garbage. The whole street will become a swamp, and you'll have to row a boat to go out. All cars and motorcycles will all be turned off …"
Welder Zhao interrupted him, patted his chest, and took on the responsibility. "Oh! So it's such a small matter … Brother Zhang, you don't have to worry. I'll take care of it! Make the windows into blinds that can be opened and closed. No matter if it's hail or stones blown by the wind, they won't be able to break the glass inside. Put a few more layers of waterproof material on the roof to ensure that it won't leak! "
"Uh, how can I do that …" Zhang Zian wanted to decline.
Electrician Wu helped. "Xiao Zhang, you don't have to be so polite. He's the best at this. He's the one who does all the decorations for our old buddies. He has a way to get cheap decoration materials, and his skills aren't bad either. You can leave this to him. You don't have to pay a single cent."
"If I don't pay, then I'll be losing money …"
Welder Zhao was just about to raise an objection when Electrician Wu yelled at him. "Losing, losing, losing! Can't you be a little more ambitious? If it weren't for his kindness, you would have long been sleeping in a small square box and enjoying the incense in the world! You still have the face to ask for money? "
"I was just saying …" Welder Zhao was embarrassed and stopped talking.
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