Era: Retired from the army at the beginning and returned home - Chapter 69 The person being invited cannot afford to eat

There were four people who came with Luo Cheng. Luo Cheng only needed to take these two chairs that were not easy to place. No ropes were used for other things. They were all stacked on the bed, each with a corner, lifted them up and left directly.

Three cents may not seem like much, but if you have food stamps, you can buy about ten large steamed buns.

It took about twenty minutes to carry the furniture to the yard, but Wang Cheng and the others were able to catch their breath a little. There was running water in the yard, and the street office said it was picked up by the scrap station when it moved in. These people are not very particular. Just drink some tap water and sit for a while, and your breathing will stabilize.

There is actually a small well in the yard, which is Luo Cheng’s favorite place. If it weren’t for the waste to collect tap water and other people would live here, with this well, the street office would not arrange for someone to fill it with tap water unless they spent money themselves. However, there is no wooden barrel for drawing water from the well. If you want to use it in the future, you will have to get one.

Without Luo Cheng’s greeting, several people from Wangcheng sat there for a few minutes and then started to help him shave his head. Luo Cheng looked at the sky. Without a watch, he could only make a rough judgment by looking at the sky. There was no watch in Wangcheng either. Just let them be busy and take a rest when they are tired. With so many people, it only takes a few strokes to shave the white hair. He went to the factory cafeteria to buy steamed buns and pickles for food.

On the way to the factory, Luo Cheng actually started muttering in his heart. Treating guests is not as easy as in later generations, as long as you have money. You have to ask for meal tickets. For meal tickets, you have to take a food book to the food station, exchange for food stamps, and then go to the logistics department to exchange them. Of course, if you don’t have meal stamps, the canteen will accept food stamps, but don’t take food stamps with large denominations. It’s hard to get change in the canteen, and it’s inconvenient when you’re busy.

But even if it was food stamps, Luo Cheng didn’t go to the food station to get them. Meal and food stamps are all paid in advance, and they have to be eaten until the end of the month, so how many meal stamps do you need to get for today’s request? I will have to live a frugal life from now on.

When he came to the security office, Luo Cheng was now familiar with Captain Zhang. He borrowed his bicycle today and planned to invite him as well, as well as Xiao Liu, who took him to the street office yesterday. There are three people on duty in the security department today at noon. We can’t just invite two people, so we invite three people together.

“Captain Zhang, I have something to ask you. This is a bit embarrassing.”

After looking around, there was no one else. Luo Cheng walked to Zhang Feng and said.

“Luo Gong, you’ve already spoken. I’m sorry but I have to ask. Tell me what’s going on.”

Captain Zhang said with a smile, saying he was embarrassed to cover up his good intentions. Looking at Luo Cheng’s expression, he didn’t think Luo Cheng was really embarrassed.

Luo Cheng also smiled and said that six people were in the workshop today to help his house with whitewash and move furniture. We had agreed to treat him to a meal, but the restaurants outside couldn’t afford it. The food in the factory was also like this, so I simply treated him to steamed buns. But I don’t know how many buns to buy for each of them. If I buy less, I’m afraid they won’t have enough to eat.

When asked, Captain Zhang looked at Luo Cheng with a magical look. Life in the army is different from where it is, but he also knows Luo Cheng’s information now. He has only been a soldier for three years. This is out of line with society. That’s it.

“There are six steamed buns per person. They can’t afford more.”

“My treat is too much and they can’t afford it. Captain Zhang, what is this?”

“Just listen to me, and you will understand when the time comes. Don’t buy more, and don’t buy less.”

Captain Zhang kept it secret, smiled and asked Luo Cheng to buy according to this standard. Seeing that he didn’t say anything, Luo Cheng thought there must be something special about it. But I didn’t understand that there were only six people per person, and Luo Cheng planned to invite nine people. One or two each, plus some for yourself. This is almost four kilograms of food.

In the canteen, the dishes are being served at this time, and the workers will come to eat in a while. When Luo Cheng took the lunch box, two dishes were already placed.

“Gong Luo, come and have a meal. The food just came out of the pot. You are the first one.”

There is an additional seventh-level engineer in the factory, so naturally everyone knows about it. The chef who served the dishes recognized Luo Cheng when he saw him, and didn’t ask why he came before it was time. I’m an engineer, so why don’t I come here to eat early when I’m hungry?

“Master, I want forty steamed buns. I don’t have any pickles. Then give me two portions of cabbage.”

They asked for forty at a time, but after the beating, there weren’t many left. There are already so many people in the factory, some eating steamed buns, some eating rice, and some eating steamed buns. But because there were not many workers, they were all prepared, but not much.

If someone else wants so much, the chef who prepares the dishes will definitely not give it to them without a legitimate reason. But Luo Cheng is different. He is a seventh-level engineer. If you don’t have enough steamed buns later, just say that you were beaten away by a seventh-level engineer. Who can jump out and say no?

Not only did the chef not ask Luo Cheng why he wanted so many steamed buns, but when he saw that Luo Cheng had nothing to pack, he took two pieces of steaming cloth from the kitchen and helped him wrap them up. However, the steaming cloth belonged to the kitchen and had to be returned. .

Luo Cheng was actually thinking about how to get the forty steamed buns. Seeing how considerate the cook was, he naturally thanked him profusely.

Taking the steamed buns to the security room, Luo Cheng directly called the people from the security department to come get the steamed buns. Captain Zhang didn’t expect that Luo Cheng’s treat would be their share, and he said it was too polite.

Captain Zhang’s words were not meant to be polite, but because they were doing such a small favor, it was not worth treating them to a meal. Life is not easy for everyone, but many workers are actually eager to help each other. If you borrow a bicycle and show me the way, you can treat me to a meal. How many people will dare to ask for help in the future?

“Xiao Liu, Xiao Li, hurry up and get your tickets.”

Originally, Captain Zhang just gave it up, thinking that Luo Cheng would give Wang Cheng the steamed buns and they would understand what he meant later, but now he didn’t expect that he would be the one to invite guests, so he asked Luo Cheng to understand the difference between treating guests these days. The truth is, if you invite too many people, others can’t afford it.

The weight of steamed buns, whether they are from the canteen or sold outside. The steamed buns that cost you one liang of food stamps weighed more than one liang. Because this weight is the weight of the flour before it is kneaded. You need to add water to the dough and steam it, and it will have some moisture, so the prepared steamed buns will cost you one tael of food stamps, but the weight will not be less than one tael.

The current average food allowance for adults is six taels per person, and for children is four taels. This is why Captain Zhang asked Luo Cheng to buy six alone.

Now, when you invite someone to have a meal, whether you eat it out or at home, the adults have to pay six taels of food stamps to the person hosting the meal. If you ask for less, some people will think you are deducting it, but if you ask for too much, some people who are nervous about food stamps will really be reluctant to part with it.

Just like Luo Cheng, who has no wife and children, and no need for help at home, and given his level, he will definitely be given enough food from the ration. But if you don’t take food stamps for a treat, you will either not eat well in the future, or you will eat sparingly.

A pound of tickets were handed into Luo Cheng’s hands, which were a mix of food stamps and meal stamps. They all work in factories and don’t necessarily carry many food stamps with them.

There were only six steamed buns for this person. Although the person who was invited did not spend any money and was only given food stamps, he was not willing to eat them because he spent a small amount of food stamps. It’s definitely a good deal if you don’t pay for it, but you can only eat two or three at most, and you have to take the rest home.

Captain Zhang told Luo Cheng that if someone else invites him to dinner in the future, he must tell him directly if he does not have food stamps. This is not a matter of face. Don’t go and eat and don’t give people the tickets, then people will have a bad impression of him.

For example, if Luo Cheng invites Captain Zhang to dinner, and Captain Zhang doesn’t have food stamps, he can say in advance, “I don’t have food stamps.” At this time, Luo Cheng can definitely say that he will ask for it next time. If he is willing, then the food stamps will be given out. No matter what, neither side will blame the other side because they understand each other’s difficulty.

Captain Zhang is here to tell Luo Cheng something that is almost “common sense”. Why did he look at him with mysterious eyes just now? It was because he found that he didn’t even understand such basic things. It felt magical.