Volume 1, Chapter 35: Truly a Good Comrade

"When I asked about it, it turned out to be five hundred jin of meat and dozens of bottles of liquor, totaling several hundred yuan! Setting aside whether I could afford to pay for it, I knew absolutely nothing about this wedding banquet."

Su Jianshe spread his hands. The crowd was filled with confusion. A wedding banquet that neither the husband nor the wife knew about? A banquet not organized by the family, but spontaneously thrown by the neighbors? Such a bizarre story!

Those present were all shrewd individuals. Xu Damao remained silent, clearly knowing he was in the wrong.

"Leaders..."

"When I saw the records in the ledger, I was stunned. I couldn't fathom how much one would have to eat to consume over five hundred jin of meat!"

At this moment, not only was Su Jianshe bewildered, but even Lou Bancheng and the others found it inconceivable. Although Lou Bancheng was wealthy, he lived frugally, except for his generosity toward his wife and daughter. He had never heard of a wedding banquet that could consume over five hundred jin of pork.

The other leaders were equally shocked, looking at Xu Damao with disbelief. At the same time, they gained a new perspective on the residents of the courtyard where Su Jianshe lived. They claimed to be hosting a wedding banquet for Su Jianshe, yet didn't inform him. When he returned, instead of offering blessings, they blocked his door demanding payment. Even more outrageous was that a single meal had consumed over five hundred jin of pork, and they had the audacity to block Su Jianshe and demand he clear the bill for the liquor bought from the supply and marketing cooperative.

Was this even human behavior? Who could be so shameless? Su Jianshe’s grievances were such that even if he stood up and cursed them as animals, it would not be an exaggeration.

By comparison, everyone’s gaze turned toward Xu Damao. They looked at him with anger and disdain, not only because of his despicable actions but because he had tried to harm someone of such high character as Su Jianshe.

"Director Su, since that’s the case, why didn't you call the police?"

"I was busy getting my marriage certificate that day and didn't want to escalate the situation."

Xu Damao, sitting nearby, felt restless. He had gone to great lengths to slander Su Jianshe just to gain favor with the leaders; Su Jianshe’s words rendered all his schemes futile.

"Su Jianshe, our account isn't settled yet! If you keep spreading rumors, I... I won't let you get away with it!"

"Xu Damao, don't forget you once harbored evil intentions toward my sister! I remember it clearly! If not for the occasion, I fear your third leg wouldn't be safe today!"

"You!"

Xu Damao was shocked, and ignoring everything else, he lunged at Su Jianshe, intending to subdue him. Seeing that the cafeteria director, Su Jianshe, was safe and sound, Factory Director Yang was in a good mood and would not stand by while Xu Damao acted out.

"Xu Damao, how dare you! We will discuss your conduct when we return to the factory!"

But Xu Damao seemed not to hear, swinging a punch at Su Jianshe. Yet the expected scene of Su Jianshe falling never happened; instead, Xu Damao’s arm was firmly clamped by Su Jianshe.

"Comrade Su Jianshe has performed admirably—neither humble nor arrogant, calm and composed—he is truly a role model!"

After Lou Bancheng spoke, the other leaders agreed. "Indeed, Su Jianshe is a man of high moral character; he is truly a good comrade!"

None of those present were ordinary people; they saw at a glance that Xu Damao’s slander stemmed from personal spite, while Su Jianshe had not uttered a single word of accusation against him—a display of temperament that was rare indeed.

As for Xu Damao, among those present, only Lou Bancheng had not yet heard of his poor reputation. However, Lou Bancheng had his own thoughts; while he remained calm on the surface, he sighed inwardly.

"At first, I thought Xu Damao was clever and articulate, and since he worked in the arts, I thought he wouldn't mistreat Xiao'e. Now it seems this man is likely not a loyal person; his past behavior was merely a mask. This is not a good match; it seems I must find another suitor for Xiao'e. It’s a pity. If only Su Jianshe were unmarried. He has upright character, superb skills, and has earned his position as the cafeteria director at the rolling mill through sheer ability alone, not to mention his handsome appearance. My daughter wouldn't suffer if she married him. What a shame!"

Thinking that Su Jianshe could not be his son-in-law, Lou Bancheng felt a pang of regret, but he immediately invited him: "Director Su, after such a busy day, you should taste your own cooking! Come, join us for the meal!"

The others followed suit with invitations, and after a moment’s thought, Su Jianshe joined them. Dishes were served one after another.

"Director Su, why don't you introduce them to us?" Factory Director Yang said with a smile.

"Certainly. The first is a Sichuan classic—Mapo Tofu. The second..."

Su Jianshe spoke eloquently. As a master of culinary arts, his dishes were delicious, and his theoretical knowledge was flawless. Having come from a later age, he was completely at ease in this setting, his composed demeanor winning secret praise from the leaders. As he described each dish, the leaders listened with great interest, afraid to miss a single word, their mouths watering in anticipation.

Everyone left the banquet satisfied, except for Xu Damao. He stood to the side, his face flushed, nervously operating the movie projector, terrified of offending the leaders and losing his job as a projectionist. His resentment toward Su Jianshe deepened, and he cursed inwardly: "Su Jianshe, just you wait. If you ever fall into my hands, I’ll make you pay!"

Su Jianshe had not only ruined Xu Damao’s connections but had also severely damaged his image in the eyes of the leaders. If Xu Damao had known that the woman who was supposed to be his wife had missed out on him because of this, he might have fought Su Jianshe to the death, regardless of his own strength.

After returning home, Su Jianshe considered that if there were an opportunity, he would definitely buy a small villa; the living experience would be far better than a courtyard house. As for the courtyard, he would hold onto it for appreciation. "No need to rush this; turbulent times are coming. I'll wait until they pass to make plans."

Time flew by, and several days passed. The courtyard was unusually quiet, as if everyone had reached a tacit agreement to stop causing trouble. This surprised Su Jianshe, and even the Deaf Old Lady seemed to have vanished, staying indoors all day. If not for the daily care of the older woman next door, the others might have thought the Old Lady had passed away. But Su Jianshe did not let his guard down; he knew they would not give up so easily and were likely waiting for him to let his guard down to strike a heavy blow.

However, these few days had not been without gains. Su Jianshe’s storage space was becoming increasingly full from daily check-ins, with precious ingredients like bear paws, premium steaks, and foie gras piling up. Because seasonings were scarce and cooking conditions were poor, he temporarily left them in the storage space, waiting for the right opportunity.

Additionally, he had checked in a high-tech product called a "Space Transfer Device." After testing, Su Jianshe realized that by setting two points, this device could instantly transport items to the other point. As for its use... no need to go outside to take out the trash? Although it was cutting-edge technology, Su Jianshe still hadn't figured out its practical application, so it remained in the warehouse.

The third day’s check-in yielded a box of condoms. Su Jianshe didn't count them, assuming there were at least hundreds, which suited him perfectly since he had no plans for children in the near future. The rest were daily essentials like toilet paper; while not many in quantity, the variety was vast, and Su Jianshe didn't check them in detail. Among the many miscellaneous items, it was a pity that there was no protective talisman for his sister.

Early morning. "Hiss... this weather is so cold; days without heating are truly hard to bear! If only there were heating in the room on such cold days, and I could take a hot shower, how wonderful that would be!" Su Jianshe climbed out of bed and sighed.

Chu Yan, beside him, asked curiously: "Brother Jianshe, what is heating? I've never heard of it." In fact, in the Sijiucheng of this era, some families already had heating, but ordinary people couldn't afford it, so few knew about it.

"Heating is a warming facility. I saw it when I went to help cook at a leader's house last time. After hot water flows through it, it circulates in the room, making it as warm as spring." Chu Yan nodded thoughtfully.

The house had long been equipped with a coal stove and ventilation pipes per Su Jianshe's instructions. Compared to previous years, Chu Yan felt this winter was unusually warm. But she remained curious about the heating. "Hot water? Doesn't it get cold after circulating once? How can it keep the room warm?"

After breakfast, Su Jianshe affectionately patted his wife's head. "Xiao Yan, the weather is getting colder. See what we still need at home and buy it if you can, so that when the cold wave hits, you won't be able to buy anything." Su Jianshe remembered that around the 1960s, Sijiucheng had experienced a major freezing disaster.

"Okay, I'll check what we need carefully and go shopping today!"

"Brother Jianshe, hurry up, or Factory Director Yang will come looking for you again; you're almost late for the rolling mill!" Chu Yan carefully adjusted Su Jianshe's clothes, appearing gentle and virtuous.

The temperature had plummeted recently, and the wind outside was biting. Su Jianshe didn't like getting up early, so he was considered late compared to other workers. But as he was in charge of the kitchen and had superb skills, no one dared to complain, fearing they would upset him and affect the taste of the food.

Just then, a system notification rang in Su Jianshe's ears. "Ding! Check in?"

"Check in!" Su Jianshe thought, while tightly holding Chu Yan’s hand, afraid she would touch the strange object that had suddenly appeared in his pocket.

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining: one Bathroom Renovation Card!"

At the same time, information about the bathroom renovation card flooded into Su Jianshe's mind. "After selecting a location, the system will automatically renovate it into a modern bathroom! It also comes with a full set of facilities! Including a modern shower, faucet, sink, bathtub, and all toiletries!"

A surprise! Checking in had yielded such a treasure! Even more surprising was that this bathroom would be as warm as spring year-round and had twenty-four-hour hot water! He couldn't wait!

"Xiao Yan, you go to work first; there will be a surprise waiting for you when you get back. You'll definitely like it!"

Hearing this, Chu Yan was stunned and asked curiously and sweetly: "Brother Jianshe, what kind of surprise?"

"Can't say, can't say! Go to work; I'll leave when I'm done!"

"Okay!" Although curious, Chu Yan didn't ask further, thinking she would know after work. She felt secretly happy.

Watching Chu Yan’s receding figure, Su Jianshe stepped into the room that his mother and Chu Yan used to share. "System, renovate this place into a bathroom!"

As Su Jianshe finished speaking, rays of light instantly filled the spacious room. Then, various modern bathing facilities appeared one by one before his eyes. However, these were not new to Su Jianshe and didn't stir much excitement. But during the renovation process, a new problem arose. "How do I deal with the wastewater? If it drains from the house, it will definitely attract the attention of those people in the courtyard!" After all, with twenty-four-hour hot water, nighttime drainage would certainly be noticeable.

Just then, Su Jianshe remembered the converter in his storage space. The corners of his mouth turned up. "Sha Zhu, you're lucky this time. My life is comfortable now, and even my waste is more nutritious than what you have at home. I'll add some 'fertilizer' to your house!" Since the Deaf Old Lady was already enjoying the convenience of bathing, how could Su Jianshe let Sha Zhu off?

Immediately, through the space transfer device, he set up a huge space beneath Sha Zhu’s house. However, considering the high permeability of the soil in Sijiucheng, Sha Zhu would likely have to endure the odor every day from now on.

Inside the room, the old decorations faded away, and the spacious room was transformed into a modern bathroom. Shower, sink, vanity, and the toilet and bathtub that particularly excited Su Jianshe were all there.

"Very good! No more need to go outside to use the toilet; it's both convenient and safe!" Su Jianshe thought that in the past, if he had a stomachache at night, he might have had to deal with it miserably in a stormy night, and he couldn't help but shiver. Furthermore, from a modern perspective, it was inconvenient for his sister to go out, so home was the safest place.

"Off to work! I'll enjoy it with Xiao Yan when I get back!" Looking at the shower and bathtub, Su Jianshe revealed a meaningful smile.

Before leaving, Su Jianshe carefully adjusted the bathroom's system permissions. He didn't want the private bathroom to become the center of attention, nor did he want uninvited guests to break in and expose his privacy. After setting the permissions for himself and Xiao Yan, he nodded with satisfaction.

"Now I'm relieved. Apart from me and Xiao Yan, no one can step into this bathroom! Even if someone pushes the door open, they will only see the original appearance of the room."

Everything settled, Su Jianshe left home contentedly and headed straight for the rolling mill. Thinking of the secret bathroom in his home, he felt warm even in the biting wind.

On the way, he ran into Yan Bugui, who was riding his bike to work. Su Jianshe greeted him in a friendly manner. Yan Bugui looked at Su Jianshe’s retreating back with suspicion and muttered to himself: "Strange, is there some happy event in Su Jianshe’s house?" Then, a hint of joy appeared on his face. "Could our relationship have thawed? If I go to his house to borrow things, he surely wouldn't refuse; maybe I could even borrow some money!"