Sick

"Ahem, team leader, I'm not too bad off. Even though I can't do much work, I only started this job recently, so I still need to make the most of my time learning from Brother Li and do my part for the work unit as soon as possible!"

He realized the first thing he had said sounded a little too hollow and grandiose, so he quickly stopped and started over, saying something better suited to the situation.

Sure enough, everyone ate it up and regarded him with newfound respect!

Zhou Aimin was clearly moved by his words too.

That was exactly the kind of spirit they needed now!

So he said no more about giving Liang Xin time off to rest and instead told Xiao Li to do everything he could to look after a good comrade like him!

Unless it was necessary, he should try not to let Liang Xin do any work. The main thing was for him to learn from experience.

Xiao Li readily agreed.

Just for the eggs and cigarettes Liang Xin had given him yesterday, he would have looked after him even if the team leader hadn't said a word.

After the meeting, Li Haiyang took Liang Xin to logistics to get a horse cart, and then they set off again.

On the road, Liang Xin lay somewhat weakly inside the railings of the ox cart, looking up at the sky.

Ah, lying down sure is comfortable!

It would be even better if the horse cart weren't so bumpy!

Then he sat up, reached into his pocket, and pulled out three packs of Economy cigarettes.

He had bought them at the supply and marketing cooperative next door that morning.

"Brother Li, and you two, I'm sick today and can't work. I'm sorry to have you help shoulder my share, so you really must take these cigarettes!"

"Otherwise, you're not giving me face!"

The two drivers were the same ones who had gone out with them yesterday.

There was no rule about whom they had to take along on an assignment.

But whether it was Li Haiyang or the others on the team, they generally had a fairly regular set of helpers when they went out.

When they found people they worked reasonably well with, they would usually ask for them again the next time.

When they worked together often and got to know one another, everyone felt more at ease and comfortable.

Li Haiyang worked well with these two, so they often teamed up.

Only when the two of them were off or had something else to do would he find someone else to go with him.

The two had already gotten a little something from Liang Xin yesterday, though it wasn't much and was really only worth a few fen.

A pack of twenty Economy cigarettes cost only eight fen, so six or seven cigarettes apiece came to just a few fen.

But they were ordinary people who rarely got any perks, and supplies were so scarce these days.

Getting even a little something was enough for them to go home and brag to their families.

So when they heard Liang Xin was sick today and might not be much help, neither of them paid it much mind.

Besides, this was originally work for the two of them and Li Haiyang. Liang Xin had been added as an extra pair of hands, though he was really there to learn from experience.

Before he came along, hadn't the three of them done the same work just fine?

"Xiao Liang, there's no need for this. You're too polite!"

Seeing Liang Xin's attitude, Li Haiyang quickly declined.

They were all colleagues, and strictly speaking, this wasn't even Liang Xin's job. It would be a bit much for them to take whole packs of cigarettes from him.

"Brother Li, you should take them. If you don't, how could these two feel comfortable accepting them, right?"

"I'm the one in the wrong to begin with."

"Besides, I know you're all pretty heavy smokers, and they don't give everyone many cigarette coupons anymore, do they?"

"I don't smoke much, and I still have plenty of cigarette coupons left, so please don't stand on ceremony!"

"Come on, take them!"

Liang Xin had already taken the initiative to stuff the cigarettes into their pockets, and they weren't anything particularly expensive.

They couldn't very well take them back out now, could they?

Well, the main thing was that they wanted them.

They really weren't getting many cigarette coupons these days.

And someone had given each of them a whole pack of cigarettes. It would feel great to brag about it when they got home that evening!

Hey, I may not even have a rank at my work unit!

But people still bring me gifts and pay their respects!

Just imagining how it would feel to tell their wives and children about it when they got home had them looking forward to it already!

"Come on, everyone, have one of mine!"

After handing out the three packs, Liang Xin took out another, opened it, and gave each of them a cigarette.

Then he lit one for himself.

He smoked, but he wasn't much of a smoker. He could take it or leave it, though he was always ready to join someone for a smoke.

Before his rebirth, Liang Xin had been a junior department head too.

He might not have needed to exchange such courtesies often, but they were indispensable.

When it came to social exchanges, there was no getting away from the two staples of cigarettes and alcohol.

If someone really touched neither tobacco nor alcohol, then socializing wasn't for them, and they shouldn't even think about building connections. They could just find a job where only technical skills mattered.

They shouldn't bother thinking about moving up, either.

Just cut out all socializing and be done with it!

Liang Xin lit a cigarette for himself and lay back down on the ox cart.

Feeling that something was missing, he secretly pulled out a piece of candy and popped it into his mouth.

People said that betel nut with a cigarette gave you boundless magic power.

Usually, smoking sent a warm current down through you.

Paired with betel nut, it sent a stimulating cold current down instead. That sensation of two heavens of ice and fire was quite different.

It was intense.

If you did it when you were sleepy, it would wake you right up.

But his Agricultural and Sideline Products Mall App didn't have any betel nut.

There weren't even many places selling it here in the north.

He could only make do with candy!