Chapter 724 Northeast Journey 10

Chapter 724 Northeast Journey 10

After purchasing all kinds of scarce materials and completing the mission in the vast and freezing cold land of Northeast China, Liu Ping'an and his companions hurriedly packed their bags, boarded the train carrying the feelings of returning home, and rushed all the way towards Sijiu City.

The train clanged along the rails, and every sound seemed to hit Liu Ping'an's heart. Along the way, his thoughts were like a wild horse running away, and his heart and mind were full of longing for home.

The familiar and warm courtyard and the friendly smiling faces were constantly playing in his mind like a movie. The successful completion of the procurement task made him eager to return home immediately. His companions were also excitedly discussing the arrangements after returning to Sijiucheng. They agreed to go back to the steel mill together the next day to report the procurement situation in detail to the leaders.

As for Liu Ping'an, as soon as the train stopped, he could not wait to be the first to rush out of the train. Like an arrow shot from a bow, he immediately ran towards his home - the courtyard house full of warmth and love located in a corner of Beijing.

When he stood in front of the familiar door, panting, his hands were shaking slightly. He took a deep breath and gently pushed open the door that carried countless memories. With a "creak", the sound seemed like home was welcoming him with open arms, and it was like the years were whispering stories of the past.

What greeted him was an extremely warm and idyllic scene. Grandpa and grandma were sitting on two old but warm rocking chairs. With the slight rocking, the rocking chairs made a rhythmic "creaking" sound, like a melodious lullaby.

They were sleeping soundly, with a faint smile on their faces, and that smile was as warm as the sunshine in spring. They must have dreamed of something happy, perhaps the funny things when Liu Ping'an was a child, or the happy scenes when the whole family was reunited. The oven next to them was burning vigorously, and the red charcoal fire was jumping happily in the oven, reflecting everything around, and dispelling the severe cold of winter. Occasionally, the charcoal fire would make a "crackling" sound, which was crisp and pleasant, like playing a warm and cheerful piece of music, adding a bit of vitality to this quiet courtyard.

The ceiling above the courtyard, like a loyal guard, firmly blocked the snow that was falling from the sky. Snowflakes piled up on the ceiling. Occasionally, a few naughty snowflakes fell from the gaps, but were quickly melted by the heat from the oven. The courtyard was peaceful and warm, as if time had stopped at this moment.

Looking further inside, my father Liu Jianjun and my uncle Liu Jianguo were concentrating on carpentry work.

They gathered around a workbench piled with wood, skillfully moving the tools in their hands over the wood. Planes, saws, and chisels seemed to have life in their hands.

Wood chips fluttered down like snowflakes, and scattered on the ground, forming a thick "snow blanket". The two talked in low voices while working, and occasionally laughed heartily, which echoed in the yard, full of the breath of life. Mother Zhang Guifang and daughter-in-law Qin Jingru sat on a small bench nearby knitting sweaters. Their fingers were as flexible as smart elves, and they quickly shuttled between the wool threads, knitting love for their family with one stitch and one thread. The wool threads in their hands seemed to become warm bonds, tightly connecting the hearts of their family members.

Liu Pingan stood at the door, and for a moment he was reluctant to break the tranquility and beauty. He stood there quietly, with tears of emotion flashing in his eyes, as if he was appreciating a beautiful painting.

Zhang Guifang, the mother, was sharp-eyed. She was knitting a sweater when she looked up at the door and saw Liu Pingan standing there. She put down the knitting needles in her hand with the warmth of her palm, and then stood up quickly and said loudly, "Oh, Pingan is back!"

This sound was crisp and loud, like a signal, and the originally quiet courtyard suddenly became lively. Grandpa and grandma woke up from their sleep, with a little confusion on their faces, but when they saw Liu Ping'an, they immediately showed a bright smile; his father and uncle also stopped their work, stood up, and looked at him with concerned eyes; his daughter-in-law Qin Jingru stood up excitedly, her eyes full of longing and joy. The whole courtyard was surrounded by this strong family affection and became particularly warm.

Qin Jingru was knitting a sweater attentively, the wool thread flexibly shuttled between her slender fingers, and every stitch was full of her attachment to home and her expectations for the future. When she heard her mother's surprised cry, she felt like she was hit by a warm current and immediately put down the unfinished work in her hands. The knitting needle slipped from her hand and fell to the ground with a light "ding" sound, but she had no time to care about it at the moment.

Her face was instantly filled with a happy smile, which was as bright and beautiful as a flower blooming in spring.

Her eyes sparkled with a bright light, full of longing and concern, as if a thousand words were hidden in her eyes. She stood up quickly, her movements light and eager, her feet seemed to be stepping on springs, and walked quickly to Liu Ping'an. She gently took Liu Ping'an's arm, the movement was natural and intimate, as if they had never been apart.

She leaned her head slightly on Liu Ping'an's shoulder, feeling the familiar scent from him, her heart filled with peace of mind and satisfaction.

At this time, grandpa and grandma were sitting in the rocking chair, making a rhythmic "squeak" sound with the slight rocking, immersed in a sweet dream. The loud voice of the mother was like a clear horn, waking them up from their sweet dreams. They slowly opened their eyes, with a hint of confusion in their eyes, as if they were shrouded in a layer of mist.

However, when they saw Liu Ping'an standing in front of them, Grandpa's eyes suddenly lit up. The light was like a bright light suddenly lit up in the darkness, full of surprise and joy.

Grandpa opened his mouth, revealing those teeth that were not quite straight but still warm, and said with a smile: "Oh, my eldest grandson is back. I've been waiting for you to come back. You've been gone for quite a while, and I've been thinking about you. Come here and let me take a good look at you to see if you've been wronged outside."

The voice was thick with a rural accent, full of love and care, as if it could dispel all the coldness in the world.

Grandma also sat up straight, and her hunched back seemed to straighten a little at this moment. She stretched out her calloused but extremely warm hands, took Liu Ping'an's hand, and looked him up and down carefully.

Her eyes were full of heartache, as if she saw Liu Ping'an into her heart. She frowned and said with heartache: "Look at you, you have lost weight. You must have suffered a lot outside. Did you not eat well or sleep well? You are too strong-willed and don't know how to take care of yourself." There was a hint of blame in her voice, but more of it was full of love.

Liu Ping'an walked to his grandparents with a smile. His smile was like the sun in winter, warm and bright. He slowly squatted down, so that his eyes were level with his grandparents. The action was full of respect and love. He held his grandparents' hands with both hands and said softly: "Grandpa and grandma, I'm not tired. I'm fine. Look, I'm standing in front of you full of energy. How are you doing recently? Have you taken your medicine on time? Do you sleep well at night?" The voice was gentle and concerned, like a spring breeze, gently blowing through the hearts of grandparents.

Grandpa patted his shoulder, his palm was broad and warm, with an invisible power. He smiled and said, "It's fine, it's fine, your parents are taking care of you, nothing will happen. You, just work hard outside and don't worry about home. We are at home, just go ahead and make your own way, Grandpa believes you can do something big." The voice was full of encouragement and trust, which made Liu Ping'an's heart surge with warmth.

Grandma nodded beside him, her head swaying slightly, the wrinkles on her face seemed to relax, full of relief. She held Liu Ping'an's hand and said earnestly: "Yes, Ping'an, you should take care of yourself outside and don't tire yourself out. Don't worry about things at home, we will all be fine. When you have a promising future, grandma will enjoy a peaceful life with you." Although the words were simple, they were full of expectations and blessings for Liu Ping'an.

Father Liu Jianjun and uncle Liu Jianguo were concentrating on carpentry, their tools dancing skillfully on the wood, sawdust falling like snowflakes. Hearing the noise, they also stopped their work, put their tools aside, stood up, and walked towards Liu Ping'an.

Liu Jianjun strode to Liu Ping'an, his steps were steady and firm, as if carrying an invisible majesty. He patted Liu Ping'an on the shoulder, and his palm landed heavily on Liu Ping'an's shoulder, with a deep fatherly love. He asked with concern: "Son, did this trip go smoothly? How was the procurement task completed? Did you encounter any difficulties? Tell Dad." The voice was low and deep, full of care and worry for his son.

Liu Pingan stood up, his posture was straight and confident, like a pine tree standing proudly in the wind and rain. He said confidently: "Dad, uncle, it went smoothly and we purchased a lot of good things. Although we encountered some minor troubles along the way, they were all solved smoothly. I will tell you in detail after reporting the situation to the factory tomorrow. Don't worry, I won't let you down." The voice was full of determination and pride, which made his father and uncle smile with satisfaction.

Uncle Liu Jianguo also came forward with a smile. His smile was bright and friendly, like a breeze, making people feel extremely comfortable. He patted Liu Ping'an on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Okay, Ping'an, you have made a lot of progress and can stand on your own. You are really more and more like a member of our Liu family, responsible and courageous. In the future, our Zhang family will rely on young people like you." Those words were full of praise and expectations for Liu Ping'an, which filled Liu Ping'an's heart with motivation.

The family sat together, laughter echoing throughout the courtyard. Liu Ping'an shared with his family the interesting things he encountered when purchasing in the Northeast. He talked about the scene of selecting agricultural products with local villagers in the snow and ice. The fresh vegetables, plump grains, and the warm and simple smiles of the villagers are all fresh in his memory. Grandpa and grandma listened with relish, exclaiming and laughing from time to time. His mother Zhang Guifang asked him with concern whether he was used to the food in the Northeast and whether the house was warm. Qin Jingru has been quietly leaning beside him, with love in her eyes.

Before they knew it, it was getting dark. Mother Zhang Guifang and Qin Jingru got up and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner, and Liu Pingan followed to help. In the kitchen, the mother and son chatted while picking vegetables. Zhang Guifang said, "Pingan, you've been away for so long this time, and Jingru at home misses you so much, and keeps asking when you'll be back." Liu Pingan glanced at Qin Jingru who was cutting vegetables nearby, feeling guilty, and said, "Mom, it's my fault for making Jingru worry. In the future, I will try to travel less and spend more time with her and my family." Qin Jingru blushed and said softly, "Mom, Pingan is also doing this for work, I don't blame him. As long as he's safe, that's all that's good."

The family sat around the dining table, eating steaming hot meals, and a warm atmosphere permeated every corner. Liu Ping'an felt that all the fatigue from the journey had disappeared at this moment.

The next morning, Liu Pingan got up early, said goodbye to his family, and hurried to the steel mill. When he arrived at the mill, he went straight to the leader's office and reported in detail the purchase situation in Northeast China. He not only reported the types, quantity and quality of the purchased agricultural products, but also mentioned some problems found in the procurement process, such as the large transportation loss of some agricultural products and some minor frictions in price negotiations with local suppliers.

The leader listened carefully and nodded his head from time to time to show his approval. After the report, the leader said with satisfaction: "Liu Ping'an, you have done an excellent job this time. Not only did you complete the procurement task excellently, but you also paid attention to so many details, which is rare. The factory will carefully study the issues you raised and formulate corresponding solutions. Next, you will be responsible for following up on the subsequent cooperation with suppliers to ensure a stable supply of agricultural products."

Liu Pingan said firmly: "Leader, don't worry, I will do my job well and live up to the trust of the factory."

After leaving the leader's office, Liu Pingan held a small meeting with colleagues in the purchasing department to convey the leader's requirements and subsequent work arrangements to everyone. Colleagues said they would fully cooperate with Liu Pingan's work to ensure the smooth progress of procurement work.

However, plans cannot keep up with changes. Just when everyone thought everything was going according to plan, something unexpected happened. A supplier from Northeast China, with whom we had a good cooperation, suddenly called and said that due to a rare snowstorm this year, the transportation routes were blocked and they could not deliver the remaining agricultural products to Sijiucheng on time. This news was like a bombshell, causing a stir in the purchasing department.

Liu Pingan frowned. He knew the importance of this batch of agricultural products to the factory's production. If they could not be supplied on time, it would seriously affect the production progress and bring huge losses to the factory. He immediately called his colleagues to discuss countermeasures urgently.

"The situation is urgent now. We must find a solution as soon as possible." Liu Ping'an said with a serious expression, "Everyone, please tell us your ideas first."

My colleague Xiao Wang spoke first: "I think we can contact other suppliers to see if we can urgently transfer goods from them."

My colleague Xiao Li went on to say, “But other suppliers may not have sufficient supply, and the prices may be higher.”

Liu Pingan pondered for a moment and said, "It doesn't matter if the price is a little higher, as long as the quality is guaranteed and the supply is on time. Xiao Wang, you are responsible for contacting other suppliers and understanding their supply and prices in detail. Xiao Li, you and I will go to the transportation department to see if we can coordinate the transportation routes and try to resume transportation as soon as possible."

Everyone took action. Liu Pingan and Xiao Li went to the transportation department and explained the situation to the person in charge. The person in charge of the transportation department said with difficulty: "Chief Liu, this blizzard disaster is too serious. Many roads have been closed. It is very difficult to restore transportation."

Liu Pingan said firmly: "I know it's difficult, but we must find a way to overcome it. Can you arrange some small transport vehicles to take some routes that are less affected and transport some agricultural products here first to alleviate the urgent need?"

The head of the transportation department thought about it and said, "We can try this method, but the transportation cost will increase a lot."

Liu Pingan said without hesitation: "Cost is not a problem. As long as the supply can be guaranteed, all costs are worth it."

With Liu Ping'an's active coordination, the transportation department finally agreed to arrange small transport vehicles for detour transportation. At the same time, Xiao Wang also received good news. He contacted a new supplier, who said that he could provide some agricultural products, but the price was 20% higher than before.

After weighing the pros and cons, Liu Pingan decisively decided to purchase some agricultural products from this new supplier. After a busy and intense period, the first batch of agricultural products was finally delivered to the steel mill within the specified time. Although the process was full of twists and turns, Liu Pingan and his colleagues successfully resolved the crisis.

When Liu Ping'an dragged his tired body back to the courtyard, it was already late at night. He gently pushed open the door and saw that his family was still waiting for him. His mother Zhang Guifang brought a bowl of hot soup and said distressedly: "Ping'an, you must be exhausted, drink some soup to warm yourself up." Qin Jingru walked up and gently massaged his back. His grandparents also looked at him with concern, their eyes full of distress.