My 1978 Hotel

"Finally we're here."

"Boss Li, we're going back to our room now. We're still quite sleepy this morning. Don't call us when it's time to eat." Wu Tong pulled Qin Yue and Hua Ziyao back to their room to rest. The three of them had eaten big meat buns early in the morning, and this guy wasn't planning to eat lunch.

"Then you should rest first."

Li Feng called Hua Ziyao and Li Muchen to help them unpack and arrange the furniture. "Alright, what should we eat for lunch?"

"whatever."

"How about we eat at a state-run restaurant?"

Hua Ziyan had heard of state-run restaurants many times, but he had never actually seen one. Now that he had the chance, he encouraged Li Muchen and Li Feng, "We've been busy all day and are quite tired, so let's not cook. Let's go to a state-run restaurant and have something simple to eat."

"also."

Li Feng patted his pocket. "A reader sent me some food coupons a couple of days ago, I'll exchange them later." He needed to exchange the national food coupons for local food coupons first, otherwise using them directly would be too wasteful.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go."

"Close the door properly first, or we'll end up with everything in our yard gone."

Li Feng said with a smile.

"No way, this is a county town!"

"It's hard to say even in the county seat; better to be safe than sorry."

Li Feng knew that public security would deteriorate in the following years, and it wasn't until the early 21st century that it gradually improved and became one of the safest countries in the future, if not the safest.

"Alright then, how about I tell my sister to lock the door?"

"This one will do too."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing that they were going to a state-run restaurant, Wu Tong, Qin Yue, and Hua Ziyao, who had not originally planned to have lunch, all came along.

"Luckily, I didn't bring that chubby Tian Hao."

"Who told you not to get up?"

Wu Tong thought about how Gao Jiu and his brothers would be busy with the furniture factory at noon and would definitely be eating communal meals. Tian Hao would probably only be able to eat diet meals with Liu Wei and the others, which consisted mostly of dried sweet potatoes. He couldn't help but laugh.

"What happy thing came to mind?"

Li Feng was curious as to why Wu Tong was so happy. After Wu Tong explained the reason, Li Feng laughed along. "That's actually quite possible, hahaha. But eating dried sweet potatoes occasionally is good too. They're whole grains, so they're healthy."

"Haha."

The group arrived at the state-run restaurant, which was quite crowded. Li Feng led Hua Ziyan to order food, pay, and exchange food coupons.

"That's so interesting."

"Right, then you wait here. When your number is called, remember to bring the dishes."

"Do not worry."

Hua Ziyan actually waited obediently, Li Feng thought to himself, this kid is honest. After lunch, Li Feng told the others to go back first, and he went to a small alley to buy some fish and shrimp from a fisherman.

"So many fish and shrimp!"

"Let's make a stew of mixed fish for dinner."

Li Feng laughed and said, "Who's going to clean this up?"

"Let's do it."

Wu Tong and Qin Yue glanced at Hua Ziyao and her brother. "Wait a moment, you two can help us out."

"Ah."

"Hey buddy, after you drop Mr. Li off at the county government compound, stop by the department store and see if you can buy some beer," Wu Tong said to Qin Yue. "If not, other kinds of alcohol will do too."

"no problem."

Li Feng met with several leaders at the county government compound and the cultural center to discuss the seminar scheduled for tomorrow morning. "When will you be coming, teachers?"

"Several teachers from the province are taking the train this morning and will probably arrive tonight."

"They'll be there from the regional office soon."

"Secretary Chen has instructed that the county guesthouse be arranged and that the county party committee vehicles be used for transportation. Teacher Li, don't worry, the reception of the county revolutionary committee and the cultural station will not be neglected."

"Then thank you for your hard work."

Li Feng wasn't one to take on responsibilities; with the county in charge, he was happy to be a hands-off manager.

"you are too polite."

"Then I'll leave this to everyone. I'll go back and prepare for tomorrow's seminar."

"Teacher Li, let Xiao Zhang drive you home."

"Need not."

"You're too kind, Xiao Zhang. Take Teacher Li home, make sure she gets home safely."

"Yes, I promise to complete the mission."

Xiao Zhang was wearing a slightly worn military uniform, and his speech and actions still carried some military characteristics.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Comrade Zhang."

"Teacher Li, this is what I should do."

"A canvas Jeep," Li Feng muttered to himself. "This vehicle isn't very comfortable, but oh well, it's better than a donkey cart." He continued, "Brother, you should be home by now."

Not knowing when he would be back, Li Feng told Li Muchen to go to the department store first and come pick him up in the evening. Unexpectedly, things were settled in no time, and Li Feng declined the invitation to dinner.

Riding in a car—or at least a sedan—back in the alley, Li Feng was momentarily stunned by the commotion outside his own house as soon as he parked.

"What's happening here?"

He walked quickly towards his front door, and Xiao Zhang hurriedly followed. "Teacher Li."

"what happened?"

“Zhang Susu’s sister-in-law came to our door and has been making a scene for quite a while.”

"Who?"

Sister-in-law Zhang Susu, you threw her out of the pig farm last time, haven't you learned your lesson yet? Good grief, you've come looking for trouble. "Is this woman out of her mind?"

"Cousin, you're finally back."

The woman who was throwing a tantrum saw Li Feng and rushed straight towards him.

"Don't come near me, get to the point."

Zhang Susu's sister-in-law looked at Li Feng. "I've come here to tell you, you better make my Susu go home and move out right now, or I'll report you to the government."

"Sue me? Ha! Sue me for what? For not helping you mistreat your sister-in-law? Or for not finding Zhang Susu a job?"

"Hmph, don't think I don't know anything. That little slut Zhang Susu must have done something shameful to get such a good job." *Slap*

Li Feng slapped Zhang Jiangshi across the face, stunning her. She then let out a howl and sat down on the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing.

"I can't live anymore, God! They're all bullying us poor folks..."

Damn it, Li Feng was furious. How could he have such a sister-in-law? She didn't care about her sister-in-law at all, and all she talked about was being a slut and having shady dealings. Not to mention Li Feng, Wu Tong and Qin Yue were also very angry.

"Get out of here, or don't blame me for being impolite."

Li Feng couldn't be bothered to look at this kind of person.

"Teacher Li, why don't we contact the police?"

Xiao Zhang walked over. "Take him back and give him a talking-to."

"no need."

Li Feng glanced at Zhang Susu's sister-in-law. What could he say about this woman? Ignorant, stupid, shameless. Taking her to the police station for a lesson was a waste of resources. "Get out of here. Next time, you'll be going to the police station for a proper lesson."

Zhang Susu's sister-in-law was a little frightened; this military commander looked very fierce.

"You wait, you wait."

Zhang Susu's sister-in-law scrambled to her feet and ran, but paused at the alley entrance. A sedan—could it be dropping this person off? Zhang Susu's sister-in-law's face paled, then she realized something and couldn't help but laugh. Go find her sister-in-law! This is currying favor with a high-ranking official!

Li Feng figured he was Zhang Susu's sister-in-law, so he'd try to curry favor with her. If he didn't arrange a good job for her, Li Feng wouldn't know Zhang Susu's thought process. Otherwise, he would have definitely sent Xiao Zhang to the police station for a good talking-to.

Li Feng watched Zhang's wife run away, utterly speechless. "Alright, Comrade Zhang, you can go back now. Drive carefully."

"Yes."

Xiao Zhang immediately saluted and turned to leave. A moment later, the car drove away, and Zhang's wife, who had been hiding nearby, was now certain. "She really did ride in a sedan! That good-for-nothing has found a powerful backer! No wonder she won't come home. My husband and I have supported her for so many years, and now that she's gotten a benefit, she wants to stay far away. What an ingrate! Dream on! I'm going back to find Da Bing right now..."

Li Feng returned to the courtyard, unaware of the strange actions his sister-in-law Zhang Susu was taking.

"What happened? How did we find this place?" Li Feng asked curiously. This place definitely wasn't told to him by Zhang Susu, so how did his sister-in-law know about it?

"This is my fault."

Li Muchen said a little embarrassedly, "I bought some wine and groceries from the department store and ran into her. I didn't pay attention at first, but she followed me until we got to the alley."

"What a coincidence, buddy, it's not your fault."

Li Feng could only say he was unlucky to run into this woman. "Okay, be careful from now on. If you see her, stay away and ignore her. If you give this kind of person any face, she'll take advantage of you."

"Susu is really pitiful, how could she have such a sister-in-law?"

Wu Tong shook his head. "You have no idea how awful those words were, it was like Su Su was..."

“That Mr. Li, I wasn’t talking about you.”

"Okay, I understand." Li Feng was speechless. "Ignore this woman."

"Okay, by the way, why are you back so soon?"

"That's right, the county has arranged everything for the hospitality," Li Feng said with a smile. "I didn't have much to do over there, so I simply made an excuse to come back first."

"I understand the county's arrangements."

Wu Tong laughed and said, "The county is trying to steal the credit."

"Not really. I deserve the most credit, and no one can take it away from me. As for the county wanting to look good and get more benefits, let them be. I'm not losing anything." Li Feng knew perfectly well that this was a win-win situation for him. He wouldn't lose out either, since the county would benefit.

"Mr. Li, you're pretending to be confused, aren't you?"

"Brilliant! Why don't you try your luck in the system? You might even become a leader in the Ministry of Culture." Wu Tong wasn't joking; in a few years, there might be a writer who becomes the Minister of Culture.

"Come on, I don't have that ability."

Li Feng thought to himself, "I can't even figure out how to run a guesthouse, let alone become an official. Although many people say that becoming an official is the easiest thing, if you actually let them do it, they'll be slinking away in a few days."

"I'd rather be a plagiarist."

Li Feng asked with a smile, "Are the fish and shrimp all ready yet?"

"Okay, I'm just waiting for you to come back."

"Okay, I'll cook a fish hot pot and make some cornbread later."

Li Feng washed his hands and rolled up his sleeves. "Brother, start a fire."

"coming."

A simple hot pot of mixed fish with cornbread was incredibly delicious. Add a little wine, and this was just as good as any banquet. As for the county guesthouse, Li Feng didn't care. Let the county leaders entertain them if they wanted.

He was just looking forward to tomorrow's seminar. As for the teachers from the provincial capital, Li Feng didn't know much about them; he'd never heard of them and figured they weren't any big-name writers. Of course, this was partly due to his basic lack of cultural knowledge; he simply didn't know much about them.

I've only heard of Shen Congwen, Mao Dun, and Ba Jie, who are quite famous. I also know a bit about Mo Yan and others, but I don't know much else. Besides, he doesn't really want to meet these writers in advance, otherwise what's the point of discussing literature or literary movements?

He doesn't know anything. He maintained a cool and aloof image, originally intending to sell furniture and be more enthusiastic. But now that the furniture is selling well, he doesn't need to put in so much effort.

"It's a pity there's no Moutai or Wuliangye; this wine is still a bit lacking."

"A little over one yuan is definitely not as good as a Moutai that costs seven or eight yuan."

Li Feng said with a smile, "Later, I'll find someone to get me some more Moutai. These days, you need connections to even get a little liquor."

"Isn't it said online that people in this era are the most innocent and pure?" Hua Ziyao asked softly.

"Nowadays, getting things done through back channels and connections is something to be proud of. Compared to later generations, at least people still try to hide it."

"As for your claim of being pure and innocent, it's true. Ultimately, it's just that you have a low level of education, limited experience, and are a bit naive."

"Of course, people in this era still have some standards when it comes to interpersonal relationships. If a poor relative is in trouble and you don't help them, your reputation will be ruined. On the one hand, it's a kind of moral blackmail, and on the other hand, it's about human relationships, etiquette, and the relationships between relatives and friends are much stronger than in later generations."

"There are reasons why some people like this era. Compared to the indifference of later generations and the emphasis on human relationships in the present, where distant relatives and close neighbors help each other, people who have not experienced the hardships of this era only see the good things."

"Actually, if you let people of this era see what life will be like in the future, I'm afraid more people would choose the future and prefer it."

“Yes, what we can’t have is always the best. When we’re hungry, we just wish we could have enough to eat. But when we’re full, we think about how cold human relationships have become and how much better it would be if they were stronger,” Wu Tong said with a smile. “To be honest, we’ve actually gotten a good deal.”

"Then I must thank Mr. Li."

"No, I can't drink anymore. I still need to prepare tonight. I have a seminar tomorrow, and I have to give a speech. I can't embarrass myself." Li Feng waved his hand. He had drunk quite a bit. These girls were really good drinkers too.

"That's enough, I'm done drinking. Let's clean up later."

Since Li Feng had cooked, he didn't plan to clean up, so he left it to Hua Ziyan and her brother, who could use it as a learning opportunity.

After tidying up, it was already past eight o'clock. Wu Tong and the others had almost finished playing cards. Li Feng went back to his room to start writing his speech for tomorrow. After finishing the speech, Li Feng wrote his name on the prepared sample book and humbly wrote "Respectfully yours."

"There are also small gifts."

Towels, toiletries, etc., Li Feng glanced at them and thought they were alright; at least in this day and age, these things would be considered good quality. "No wonder some people are unwilling to hold seminars; I even prepared sample copies and gifts myself."

If you go to the capital, you'll probably have to prepare a feast, which will cost a lot of money. No wonder Lu Yao later had to borrow money from his brother to accept the Mao Dun Literature Prize. It's no small prize, and he even had to borrow money.

It must be said that socializing among literary figures is quite expensive, but thankfully, he doesn't have to pay for these things himself. Now that the county is helping with the hospitality, Li Feng is saving time and money. As long as he avoids interacting with other writers in the future, he won't need to spend too much. (End of Chapter)