69novels Chapter 3 County Town
Chapter 3 County Town
The car was getting hotter and hotter, filled with the smells of sweat, stench, and cigarettes, as well as the smell of chicken and duck from the bags. Although the mountain breeze kept blowing in through the windows, it was only slightly better than nothing. There were too many people; apart from being able to move your head, the rest of your body was crammed together with others.
The mountain road winds its way along the river, with hillsides, forests, and cliffs on the other side.
The vehicle panted and coughed like an old man, struggling and scrambling as it climbed hills. The machine roared loudly, but it lacked power.
He didn't know how much time had passed when Xiao Wei, who was leaning against the car door, was startled awake by the sound of the brakes. He was thrown to one side by the force of the brakes, but was pushed back by the people in front of him.
"Hey, those at the door, squeeze in! Open the door!" the driver shouted, turning his head towards the car door.
Xiao Wei also shouted, "Go ahead, we won't fall!"
The driver patted the worn-out steering wheel and shouted, "If you don't push up, how the door will open? You're holding it in place. Get up!"
The people in the car burst into laughter.
Xiao Wei blushed deeply and, without saying a word, pushed the person in front of him to squeeze into the car, making some space at the door.
A heavy sigh came from the car door, it shook, and then slowly folded and opened.
Xiao Wei didn't turn around; he jumped out of the car with his back to the outside.
The ticket seller jumped off the bus, stretched her neck, and shouted into the bus, "Don't rush, slow down! Those outside, get off first, those inside, wait! Don't push. I'll keep an eye on your things; unload them once you're all off the bus. Hey, kid, why are you pushing? Can't you see there's an old man in front of you? I'm talking to you! If you push again, I'll beat you up, you hear me? Wait patiently. Old man, hold on tight, don't fall! At your age, why aren't you staying home? Slow down, slow down! There's a step stool here, step carefully! Hey, slow down. Hold on to me. Is someone picking you up? Where are you going? Can you find them?"
The ticket seller, still grumbling, squeezed through the crowd and helped the old man down. She didn't let go until the old man was steady, then asked if anyone was waiting for the bus. Turning to the back of the bus, she said, "Hey, get off. Why are you climbing? Everyone else is getting off, are you in such a hurry?"
Uncle Si called from inside the car, "Xiao Wei, don't go yet, help me unload these things." Xiao Wei, standing under the car, answered.
The bus was small with a large belly and narrow doors, and it was crammed full, already considered severely overloaded. However, this was normal in those days, and no one cared. It took a good ten minutes before the bus finally emptied, and those who were seated stood up and walked off the bus. The ticket seller peeked through the window before going to the back of the bus and calling for people to unload the goods. Passengers went up to get the goods themselves, while those waiting on the ground didn't need to say a word; they simply reached out to help, making the unloading much faster. Soon, the roof was empty, and Uncle Si didn't even need to get on the bus; his things were handed down to him.
There are no buses in the county town, but the long-distance bus station has "divine oxen," which are human-powered tricycles that are pedaled and people sit on the back.
Uncle Si gathered his things and stood there thinking for a long time before finally hailing a Divine Bull truck. After haggling for a while, he gave Xiao Wei a five-cent discount and happily called Xiao Wei to help him load the things onto the truck. He climbed on himself, waved to Xiao Wei, and called out, "Then I'm off, Xiao Wei. When are you going back? Are you leaving tomorrow? If you're leaving, let's arrange a time to go together."
Xiao Wei wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "No, Fourth Uncle, I'll be staying for a few days. Are you going back tomorrow?"
Fourth Uncle waved his hand and said, "I have chores to do at home. I'll leave my things and go. I'll be back tomorrow. Goodbye then. Be careful on your own." The sacred ox squeaked and wobbled away.
This is the county's long-distance bus station. It's just a row of bungalows and an earthen embankment, without even a courtyard wall. There are a few stalls selling popsicles and sodas, as well as other food, by the embankment. There's a cement road outside the embankment, and if you walk a few dozen meters along the cement road, you'll see buildings, all two or three stories high, all belonging to government units.
The county town is small; you can walk around it by one horizontal and two vertical cement roads that are a few kilometers long. Then the cement roads turn into dirt roads, and all you see are vegetable fields and farmhouses.
The most central place in the county town is not the county government compound, but the county agricultural machinery bureau, which is also the largest compound in the county town. Various agricultural machinery such as tractors and threshers are placed inside. The compound smells strongly of engine oil mixed with diesel, and the ground is covered with patches of oil stains, making it a mess.
In the mid-80s, the Agricultural Machinery Bureau was actually a subordinate second-level bureau of the Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Bureau. The highest level was the Agricultural Machinery Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. At the provincial level, it was the Agricultural Machinery Bureau of the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. At the municipal level, the Agricultural Machinery Bureau was a major bureau on par with the Municipal Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Bureau. At the county level, the status of the Agricultural Machinery Bureau was significantly higher than that of the County Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Bureau. Even the administrative rank of the bureau chief was the same, and they were directly managed by the Municipal Agricultural Machinery Bureau.
The Xiaoshi County Agricultural Machinery Bureau is a four-story cement building with a cement rain shelter. The square brick pillars are cracked, exposing the red bricks inside.
Across from the Agricultural Machinery Bureau is the County Public Security Bureau, a two-and-a-half-story cement building at the other end of the road. Turn right at the intersection between the two bureaus and walk to the end to reach the County Government compound. However, the compound is not as large as the Agricultural Machinery Bureau's side, and the building is taller. On the fourth floor, there is an additional area, which is the government's large conference room, with the national flag flying on it. It is the highest point in the entire county.
Xiao Wei looked around and asked questions as he walked along the road to the gate of the Agricultural Machinery Bureau. He stood by the large iron gate and peered into the courtyard.
"What are you looking at? What are you doing?" An old man with gray hair walked out of the open wooden door of the guardhouse. He was wearing a blue vest, military pants with the legs rolled up above his knees, and sneakers. He pointed at Xiao Wei with a fan in his hand.
Xiao Wei was startled and took a step back. He turned to look at the old man, scratched his head for a while, and said, "Um, sir, is this the Agricultural Machinery Bureau?"
The old man put away his fan and asked, "Where are you from? Who are you looking for?"
Xiao Wei licked his lips and said, "I'm looking for my uncle. I also know my brother-in-law, Yan, whose name is Xiao Feng. They both work here."
The old man frowned slightly, but his voice softened as he asked, "What's your uncle's name? What's Xiao Feng's full name? Which house is he from?"
Xiao Wei felt like ants were crawling all over him. He writhed for a while and said, "My uncle's surname is Wang, from Honeybee. His name is Xiao Feng, I don't know his real name. He's my fourth uncle's son-in-law. He really works here. Do you think I'm kidding you?"
The old man came out with a fan and asked, "What are you looking for?"
Xiao Wei stammered, "My uncle sent someone to tell me to come, but I don't know what to do. I'm wondering what they could possibly need me for. I can't do anything, and I don't even know a few words."
The old man looked Xiao Wei up and down, smiled, and asked, "Not in school?"
Xiao Wei was a little embarrassed and said, "I studied for a few days, but I couldn't learn it, so I dropped out of seventh grade. There's a lot of work to do at home, so I stay home and farm."
The old man nodded and said, "Studying is still useful." He turned his head and looked to the north, then called out loudly, "Little Li, Little Li, come here."