The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 135 1977 is over

When Qian Jin returned to Taishan Road, he ran into Wang Dong, who was coming home from get off work. Qian Jin propped himself up with his foot and said, "Why don't you come to my place to celebrate the New Year tonight?"

Wang Dong asked in confusion, "What New Year's Eve? But I can come to your place anytime."

Qian Jin explained: "Going from 1977 to 1978 is called crossing the new year, which is very meaningful."

Wang Dong scoffed, "I've already crossed 32 years, what's the point?"

This is meaningful to Qian Jin.

He's almost two years old in this world.

After saying goodbye to Wang Dong and returning to the dormitory building, before he could even park his car, someone rushed up to him and said, "Chief Qian, you'd better treat Teacher Wei well, or we won't allow it."

An old man came out to take the cabbage and said to him earnestly, "You must have done a good deed in your past life to marry Teacher Wei. You can't be like those lousy men who beat their wives after drinking."

One child even said, "We are family with Teacher Wei and Auntie Wei."

Qian Jin was puzzled.

What the hell?

He returned home with a sheepish grin, wondering what all this was all about, when he pushed open the cotton curtain and smelled a fragrance.

He fixed his eyes.

The aluminum kettle on the honeycomb briquette stove is spewing out steam like a white dragon.

Wei Qinghuan was busy with her work, her sleeves rolled up, revealing red marks on her wrists from fish fins. On the cutting board lay a three-pound flounder, its bluish-gray skin gleaming with a moist sheen in the twilight.

"The Liu family production team sent it through someone. This afternoon, Brother Cui from the 5th Transportation Team came by and said he went to the Hongxing Production Team to unload goods. After Captain Liu Wangcai found out, he asked him to send you some seafood to eat," she explained.

The knife tip pried open the fish's gills, revealing purplish-red gills that seemed to still be breathing: "Captain Liu also asked for a message, saying thank you for helping them set up the tofu shop, and that the team's life is much better now."

As she spoke, she removed the translucent fish bones and tossed them into the bubbling soup pot.

Mixed with fresh kelp knots and ginger slices, the fishy smell instantly transforms into a mellow white flavor.

The little glutinous rice ball stood on tiptoe to look.

Wei Qinghuan flicked her forehead: "Stay away from boiling water and hot soup, you have to be careful not to get burned!"

Little Tangyuan ran to her side again, stood on a stool, and looked at her curiously.

Watching my aunt cut off the shrimp's antennae and remove the shrimp veins, then waiting for her to make delicious braised shrimp.

The palm-sized prawns were curled up in the enamel basin, their brains solidifying into agate-like particles in the icy water.

"I'll cook you some shrimp brain porridge tomorrow morning to help you recover," Wei Qinghuan said with a gentle smile to Qian Jin.

Qian Jin could no longer contain himself and had no more questions. He hugged the female teacher and kissed her on the forehead.

My wife is the best in the world.

Wei Qinghuan stabbed him with a shrimp spear: "Don't do this while you're watching the child."

But she clearly enjoyed Qian Jin's affection for her, so she busied herself humming "Red Coral".

The Liu family sent a lot of seafood.

Tomorrow, January 1, 1978, is Sunday. Qian Jin is off work, so he decides to go to the Liu family's house.

For the past week, he has been indulging in pleasure and has neglected all his work, whether it be his community work or his rural assignments, except for his routine trips to Jiagang.

There was no way around it; Wei Qinghuan's body was simply too alluring.

Wei Qinghuan is also a very skilled cook.

After finishing processing the prawns, she busied herself preparing a feast. Qian Jin said, "It just so happens that I invited Zhu Tao, Zhao Gang, Wang Dong, and Xu Weidong to celebrate the New Year together tonight. We'll eat seafood."

Wei Qinghuan, full of energy, said, "Then I'd better do my best."

This was the first meal she, as Mrs. Qian, prepared for her husband's friend.

Qian Jin felt sorry for her: "You're in a special period, don't do anything too strenuous and don't touch cold water, let me do it."

Wei Qinghuan laughed and said, "I understand, we're using hot water. We can't use hot water at home."

Qian Jin went to fetch water every four hours, and the hot water he used was free. Old Zhou from the boiler room was very attentive to him.

Cold oil was poured into a hot wok, and then minced garlic and dried chili peppers were added and quickly fried to release their pungent aroma. The aroma spread and quickly awakened the hungry stomachs of everyone in the hallway.

The prawn had already been deveined, and its bluish-gray shell magically opened up and turned red, revealing the jade-colored texture of its back.

Zhang Aijun chuckled: "Teacher Wei's cooking skills are really amazing. Goodness, this flavor is good enough for a state banquet."

His nostrils flared, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down with the sizzling sound of braised prawns.

Wei Qinghuan was busy working when the power suddenly went out in the apartment building.

She was used to this and quickly lit the candles. The firelight glowed red, making her features look like those in a traditional Chinese New Year painting.

When the 15-watt light bulb came back on, everything was already set up on the dining table:

Golden fried flounder is covered with salt and pepper, bright red prawns are draped in a caramelized armor, and spicy stir-fried clams open in a large enamel basin, revealing pale yellow meat.

Little Tangyuan happily swung her short legs in front of the stove, holding a bowl of white rice. Then, as the steam rose, she pointed at the fish head in the pot and exclaimed, "The soup is blooming!"

On the surface of the milky white broth, the soft fish brain, heated to perfection, unfolds into the shape of a snow lotus.

Wei Qinghuan came over to seal the stove to reduce the fire, then turned around and continued working.

Freshly caught mackerel meat is minced into a paste, mixed with chopped scallions and chives, and then kneaded until it becomes elastic.

She pinched fish balls into the boiling fish head soup. The round fish balls sank and then floated after entering the water. She sprinkled on the seaweed powder given by the fisherman, and the delicious aroma filled the room.

Liu Wangcai brought over dried yellow croaker fish that the fishermen had sun-dried themselves.

This dried fish is marinated thoroughly with soy sauce, minced garlic, and sugar, and is called sweet dried fish. It's best eaten pan-fried.

There's also a seafood family feast.

Wei Xiongtu bought a clay pot a few days ago, and now it comes in handy.

The casserole dish is layered with sea cucumber, abalone, prawns and fish maw, and drizzled with a golden sauce made from crab roe and duck egg yolks.

This is tonight's main dish.

"Try it and see how it tastes." Wei Qinghuan scooped up a spoonful of seafood broth.

Qian Jin nodded repeatedly: "So fresh, I love you."

“Be serious, we have a child.” Wei Qinghuan patted his arm, then smiled.

She then simmered a spoonful of fish roe and tofu soup in an iron pot.

The white, jade-like braised tofu is the Liu family's own masterpiece. The orange-red fish roe is plump and sprinkled on the tofu, floating in the hot soup. This dish is like a school of red fish swimming among white coral reefs.

Xu Weidong carried a string of cured pork ribs into the room: "Wow, it smells so good! Did I come to the wrong place? Did I walk into a state-run restaurant?"

Wei Qinghuan laughed: "Stop flattering me. I'm just a housewife, how can I compare to a chef?"

Xu Weidong exaggeratedly said, "Brother's wife is too modest. Comrade Leader once said that excessive modesty is also a kind of pride. You must not be proud."

Firecrackers exploded in the street outside, and the children cheered enthusiastically.

Wang Dong, Mi Gang, Qiu Dayong, the newly appointed team leader Zhang Jianguo, the newly appointed fifth team leader Shi Zhentao, and others arrived one after another.

Zhang Jianguo said, "There's no need to wait for Zhu Tao and Zhao Gang. They won't be back before eight o'clock. Noon and evening are the busiest times for our mobile canteen. They must be serving the people right now."

Qian Jin lifted the lid of the pot to check the temperature of the fish roe and tofu soup.

It was almost done, so he sprinkled pepper into the soup.

Wang Dong exclaimed, "See that? Chief Qian's demeanor is quite something now. He sprinkles pepper with the authority of approving notes for his subordinates. Isn't that right, Da Yong?"

Qiu Dayong said with a smile, "Brother Qian always has style no matter what he does."

"Stop talking nonsense. If you have nothing better to do, go shovel the snow that's piled up outside," Qian Jin said.

He discussed with Wei Qinghuan: "I have a TV ticket. We need to save up some money to buy a TV. Otherwise, when our friends come over, they'll just chat nonsense and have nothing to do."

Wei Qinghuan said, "You make the decisions on important matters, but the TV is too expensive. I'm afraid it will cost four hundred yuan, right?"

Qian Jin said nonchalantly, "The mobile canteen gave me my year-end bonus, which is just enough to buy a TV."

Seeing the two getting along so well, the others gathered together and cheered loudly:
"Oh, husband and wife in perfect harmony."

"That's great, damn it, that's really great."

"You make the decisions on important matters"—when will my wife ever say something like that?

Qian Jin said, "You don't know anything. Yes, I make the decisions on big matters in my family, and my wife makes the decisions on small matters."

"But whether something is a big deal or a small deal is for my wife to decide."

Everyone laughed.

The dishes were served when there was a knock on the door.

Xu Weidong opened the door and said in surprise, "Oh, Lao Zhou, what brings you here?"

Old Zhou from Taishan Road.

This Mr. Zhou is a photographer at a state-run photo studio.

Master Zhou came in carrying a piece of fatty meat and said casually, "Hehe, there was some good meat at the market when I came here, Captain Qian, I brought you a piece to try."

He said it so casually, as if the long queue stretching half a street in front of the cement meat counter at the market didn't exist.

Qian Jin pushed the meat back and said firmly, "Master Zhou, don't do this. Just say what you need to say. I—hey, I forgot something important!"

He originally wanted Master Zhou to take some proper wedding photos for him and Wei Qinghuan.

The Silver Beach Park Guesthouse was a great place for taking photos, but he was so engrossed in his pleasures that he forgot about it and could only hope that he would have another chance to stay at the guesthouse in the future.

Upon hearing his words, Master Zhou's face lit up with ecstasy: "Chief Qian, you remember now? You promised to allow my son Xiaoshan to join the labor shock brigade!"

Qian Jin had completely forgotten about this.

However, arranging for a street youth to join the labor shock brigade is a minor matter. He said, "Yes, I promised. Hasn't my brother joined the team yet?"

The following question was posed to the commando team leaders. The leaders looked at each other, their faces showing a strange shock.

The air suddenly solidified.

Upon hearing this, Wang Dong spoke up, slamming his belt on the table and asking, "Master Zhou, are you talking about Xiaoshan? Zhoushan Lake?"

Master Zhou nodded timidly.

Wang Dong asked, "Zhou Shanhu's labor reform is over? He's been released? That's impossible! I remember he was sentenced to fourteen or fifteen years in '69!"

Master Zhou said cautiously, "Yes, he behaved well, and the prison leaders shortened his sentence. He just went home last month."

Qian Jin's heart skipped a beat.

Labor reform...

Released from prison...

He looked at Wei Qinghuan helplessly, and Wei Qinghuan shrugged at him.

Without a word, they both understood each other's meaning:
"What did I tell you? Something's definitely fishy when things are going wrong. There must be something fishy about Master Zhou's eagerness to ask you for help back then."

"You were absolutely right. I shouldn't have agreed so hastily."

But Qian Jin had already promised Master Zhou, so now he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say:
"So that's how it happened, that Master Zhou..."

Master Zhou suddenly knelt down on the broken melon seed shells, his woolen hat rolled to the bottom of the dresser, revealing half of his gray hair: "Chief Qian, Xiao Shan is now desperate, and so am I."

"No company will take him in, there's no way any company will take him in. Please, I have no other choice..."

Wei Qinghuan hurriedly helped him up: "Master Zhou, let's talk this out. There's no need to humiliate yourself like this."

Master Zhou refused to get up. He shed tears and said, "He still can't get into the labor shock brigade after a week. A few days ago, Xiaoshan went to the neighborhood committee to try to get a job, but he was sent home."

"I had no choice, Chief Qian. You've been away from home for a week, and I couldn't find you. I heard you were back tonight, so I rushed over. Please don't blame me for making you feel so awkward, I had no other option..."

Qian Jin pulled him up and said, "I was indeed not home this week, but it wasn't to avoid seeing you."

"Tell me about Comrade Zhou Shanhu's situation, and have him come to the neighborhood committee to see me tomorrow so I can have a chat with him."

Master Zhou hurriedly said, "Xiao Shan is different now. The farm guards said that he not only did not violate any rules during his eight years there, but also made meritorious contributions. He even saved a guard who had fallen into the water. So the prison leaders allowed him to go home seven years early."

As he spoke, he carefully pulled out a "Resettlement Order for Released Prisoners" from his pocket, which was stamped with seven red seals.

At the bottom of the resettlement order, there is a line of text underlined in red: "Comrade Zhou Shanhu is permitted to participate in social work."

“I’ll have him come see me tomorrow. I’ll talk to him and see if he can try out for the commando unit,” Qian Jin sighed.

Pity the parents of the world.

These days, the consequences of committing crimes are severe.

However, he believes that if the state has already punished the criminal behavior and believes that the criminal can be released from prison early and participate in social labor, then it means that the rehabilitation has been successful.

People should be given a way to survive.

Master Zhou wiped away his tears and said, "Xiaoshan is outside. I brought him here."

The door hinges creaked.

Zhou Shanhu stood at the door, his dark blue work clothes faded from washing, his right hand curled up in his sleeve like a wounded bird hiding.

This was a young man with a buzz cut. Qian Jin felt that he might not be older than himself, but eight years of re-education through labor had aged him considerably, and the young man had more white hair than his father.

Qian Jin greeted him and extended his hand, saying, "Comrade Zhou Shanhu?"

Zhou Shanhu quickly extended both hands to shake his hand.

The index finger of his right hand was chopped off.

Qian Jin's gaze swept over.

Master Zhou immediately said, "He knows he made a mistake in the past. This time when he came back, he cut off his index finger in front of me. He is determined to sever ties with his past criminals."

Qian Jin nodded silently, then finally asked, "What are your special skills?"

Zhou Shanhu stood at attention and said in a loud voice, "Reporting to the leader, my specialties are lock picking, climbing, and even bomb defusing."

Wang Dong was shocked: "Defusing bombs? You can do that too?"

Zhou Shanhu said, "Reporting to the leader, during the farm's renovation, I was spotted by the border mine-clearing team because of my skillful hands. I received mine-clearing training and successfully cleared 54 landmines of various types during my work!"

Qian Jin said, "Are you confident that you can say goodbye to your past self? Are you confident that you will never commit a crime again in the future?"

Zhou Shanhu stood at attention again and said loudly, "Reporting to the leader, I am confident that I can say goodbye to my past self, and I am even more confident that I will never commit a crime in the future!"

"I believe I have changed for the better, and I believe I can become a good citizen who plays an active role in socialist construction!"

Qian Jin said, "Then I'll give you this opportunity. Go report for duty tomorrow."

He looked at the team leaders.

Several team leaders either lowered their heads or scratched their heads.

Qian Jin said, "You should work with Captain Mi Gang and do a good job."

Zhou Shanhu immediately said loudly, "Reporting to the leader, I will definitely work hard and live up to your expectations!"

This scene brought tears to Master Zhou's eyes.

He took a metal box out of the inner pocket of his cotton-padded coat.

Beneath the "Bomb Disposal Expert" certificate issued by the labor reform farm lies a yellowed commendation certificate for meritorious service by an inmate.

Qian Jin felt that such a person had value and should not be condemned outright.

The reason is simple.

He has committed a criminal offense, but the government has already punished him according to the law. Now that the government believes he can return to work, he should follow the government's guidance.

Upon receiving Qian Jin's promise, Lao Zhou was so excited that he kept wiping away tears and snot.

Since you're here, let's have dinner together.

Qian Jin pressed the father and son down in front of the table, and Wei Qinghuan brought them bowls and chopsticks. Upon seeing this, Zhou Shanhu immediately wanted to stand up and thank them.

Wei Qinghuan pressed his shoulder and said softly, "This is home, not the place we used to go or the workplace. We are guests, so please don't stand on ceremony."

Zhou Shanhu, who had been keeping a straight face, immediately lowered his head.

He strained to open his eyes wide and puffed out his cheeks, trying to hold back his tears.

Wang Dong patted Xu Weidong on the shoulder and mocked him in a low voice: "I heard you used to pursue Teacher Wei?"

"You fucking have the nerve. I'll take a piss and use it as a mirror for you to see if you're good enough for her."

Xu Weidong was furious but had nothing to say.

Qian Jin called out to everyone, "Alright, enough of this nonsense, let's eat together and raise a glass."

"1977 is coming to an end, comrades. We must say goodbye to our past selves and welcome a brand new version of ourselves."

"1977 was a very special year for me, and I will always cherish it!"

The others raised their glasses and burst into laughter.
"Who says otherwise? We used to be a homeless vagrant that everyone on the street laughed at, but this year we're different. We have status and jobs again!"

"Commander Qian, I will always cherish this year, the year you led us brothers to change our destiny!"

"Teacher Wei, I wish you a long and happy marriage, and that you grow old together at the age of 120!"

The atmosphere that night was incredibly lively.

Several people drank too much, with Master Zhou being the most drunk. He held his son's hand and said drunkenly, "Your father only knows how to take pictures. He's useless and didn't raise you well."

"From now on, I'm entrusting you to Chief Qian and Teacher Wei. You must learn from them and start anew..."

Wei Qinghuan interrupted him: "We should learn from each other. Our Chief Qian has many shortcomings, and clumsiness is one of them. In the future, Chief Qian should also learn from Comrade Xiao Zhou."

After seeing everyone off, Qian Jin escorted Wei Qinghuan back to her bed.

Men should drink less alcohol.

This stuff can enhance male virility.

He wanted to break his vow again.

Wei Qinghuan was exasperated: "Can't you control yourself? Take a good look at whether we even have the right conditions right now."

"Leaving aside the environment, just look at my body, can I handle it?"

Qian Jin stroked her cheek and said, "And her mouth."

Wei Qinghuan was completely baffled as to what those words meant.

She didn't need Qian Jin to take her back to 205. Instead, she shoved Qian Jin into bed and covered him with a blanket: "Go to sleep quickly, don't act crazy when you're drunk. I hate people who act crazy when they're drunk."

Qian Jin really needs to get some sleep.

He has to get up early tomorrow to go to the black market.

When Wei Qinghuan returned to her boudoir, 204, Tangyuan was already curled up like a shrimp on her bed.

The midnight bells rang.

1978 has arrived.

Wei Qinghuan tucked the blanket around the child, and the chubby little girl rolled over and mumbled, "Auntie, don't go. Tangyuan loves Auntie the most."

This scene melted the female teacher's heart.

The child continued, "Fried meatballs."

The female teacher gently pinched her chubby cheeks.

She went to draw the curtains and found that it was snowing lightly outside again.

She knew she would cherish this special year for the rest of her life.

(End of this chapter)