The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 142 Principal Qian presides over the college application process, Captain Qian starts a new business.

The twelfth lunar month is getting closer and closer.

The area inside and outside the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill was freezing cold.

Bai Dongfeng strolled out and found a tree behind him to urinate.

He finished urinating in a rush.

Instead of going back, he lit a cigarette in the cold wind and leaned against a big poplar tree, lost in thought.

I can't go back.

Whenever he returned to that makeshift dormitory converted from a warehouse, he could hear his mother sobbing: "What a tragedy, the metal bed frame is digging into my bones and it hurts so much..."

But staying outside wasn't comfortable either, not only because of the cold weather but also because of the noise. The spinning workshop was right next door, and at that moment, the work team was working overtime to rush out a batch of combed yarn for export to Southeast Asia. The roar of the machines clearly penetrated the cold night and entered his ears.

very annoying.

He used to quite like the sound, because the machines roaring day and night in the workshop meant the factory was doing well, and if the factory was doing well, he, as a junior logistics manager, could make a profit.

However, now that he lives next to the workshop, the once melodious voice now sounds like a dull knife scraping his eardrums.

He didn't want to live there; the thought of how his colleagues looked at him during the day made him feel ashamed.

There are many rumors about him in the factory now:

Taking care of the sick worker was all for the sake of the house...

They prevented the master's children from returning to the city to see him one last time just to occupy his house...

He embezzled a lot of things and managed to save up four thousand yuan at home...

Etc., etc.

Various rumors inevitably reached his ears, forcing him to admit that these were not rumors, but facts.

Leaning against a tree trunk, I looked up at the starry sky.

There's no fog tonight; the entire sky is a galaxy of stars.

He was reflecting on how he had ended up in this situation.

The house is gone.

The worker's son took back the house in the workers' new village. His father went to Taishan Road to try to get the old house back, but the neighborhood committee told him not to even dream about it, as Taishan Road was already overcrowded.

My wife is going to die.

From that night on, Sun Yulan started finding fault with him in every way.

Firstly, she was resentful that although his family had a large sum of 4,000 yuan in savings, he treated her very poorly and lied to her, saying that all the money in the family was used for lavish meals and drinks and that there was no savings.

Secondly, a man without a house is worse off than a stray dog.

After he found this temporary dormitory, Sun Yulan only glanced at it before packing her things and going back to her parents' home. She said, "What did I, a virgin, want when I married a divorced man like you? Wasn't it just to live in the workers' village and eat and drink well with you, the logistics supervisor? And now I'm living in a doghouse?"

Her parents were provoked by her words and did not stop her but let her leave.

It's probably not easy to bring your wife back from her parents' home now.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he couldn't help but kick the poplar tree.

The remaining snow that had accumulated on the treetops fell down, landing on my head and melting into icy water that trickled down my collar and down my neck.

This scene seems familiar.

When else did I see him?

He remembered that in the winter of 1972, he became an apprentice of Qian Zhongguo, who led him through the snow to the workshop to spin yarn.

When he first entered the workshop, his mentor gave him a piece of advice that he found very meaningful:

"Being a person is like spinning yarn. If one thread is crooked, the whole piece of cloth is ruined. You can have bad thoughts, but you can't carry them out. Once you do, your life will be ruined."

Is my life ruined?

He was feeling melancholy.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head, and I lost consciousness.

When he wakes up, wait, he woke up in pain!
Someone was punching and kicking themselves, beating them until they clutched their heads and screamed, "Help! Spare me! Heroes, spare me!"

A whistle blew, and the person who had hit him quickly left.

Bai Dongfeng groaned as he got up, but before he could even see where he was, an iron pipe was pressed against his lower back: "Don't move or make a sound, or I'll beat you to death!"

"I won't move or make a sound," he said, raising his hand. "Comrade, you can take whatever you want from the factory..."

"Enough nonsense, you surnamed Bai. I'm here to warn you: keep your parents, those two mad dogs, in check. If you go and mess with the Qian family again, then next time, hehe." With a cold laugh, the cold barrel of the gun slid down his spine to his ear.

Bai Dongfeng was no longer afraid upon hearing this.

Although I was in excruciating pain, I became brave and calmed down.

He thought he had run into a notorious thief who specializes in stealing from state-owned factories.

These thieves are incredibly ruthless; they're all desperate criminals who would kill for a roll of textile fabric.

Now that he knows the visitor is related to Qian Jin, he is no longer afraid. He knows that Qian Jin has a good job and social status, and he dares not get involved in taking lives.

He endured the throbbing pain in his neck and the back of his head, turned around to look at the newcomer, and said arrogantly, "Who are you trying to scare with that piece of junk?"

"Anyway, you've already hit me. If you have the guts, then kill me. I have neither a house nor a wife now, so there's no point in living."

"But Qian Jin has a new house, a new wife, and a good job. I wonder what he'll do after I die—who doesn't know about our old and new feud? If I get beaten to death, the government will arrest him first!"

He wanted to appear tough and intimidating to his opponent.

The other person threw his head back and laughed, then took off his hat to show him what he looked like:
"Why is the government arresting him? Let me tell you, I'm not afraid of you seeing what I look like, I'm not afraid of anyone seeing what I look like."

"Because I'll turn myself in after I kill you! What does that have to do with Qian Jin? Huh?!"

"To tell you the truth, I don't know you or any Qian Jin. Someone paid me a thousand yuan and offered to arrange a job for my brother in exchange for me taking care of you."

"So if you know what's good for you, we'll both be fine and live well together. If you don't, I'll shoot you dead, then turn myself in to the organization and try to get leniency!"

Bai Dongfeng panicked immediately.

This is unbelievable!
What exactly is the background of this money?
That's too unconventional!

He quickly said, "Comrade, listen to me. Ostrovsky once said that the most precious thing a person has is life, and life is only given to a person once. A person's life should be spent in this way..."

"No, what I mean is that your life is precious, how can you sell it to someone with money and some damn job..."

Without saying a word, the other party pulled back the bolt with a 'click,' released the safety, and pressed the muzzle against his forehead.

Bai Dongfeng is no tough guy.

His knees trembled, and he suddenly collapsed to his knees.

The other person looked down at him, snorted coldly, raised his hand towards the sky, and pulled the trigger: "Bang!"

With a loud bang and sparks flying, a spent cartridge case was ejected.

The other person pressed the gun against his forehead again.

The bullet's muzzle was extremely hot from the muzzle, and it was so hot against his forehead that it brought tears to his eyes.
"Okay, okay, I won't do it again. I won't mess with him anymore!"

The man picked up the spent cartridge and turned to leave, saying, "Next time I come looking for you, it won't just be a beating, it'll be a bullet!"

Once he was sure the person had left, Bai Dongfeng stood up unsteadily and staggered off to find his way.

Actually, they were on the railway line next to the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill. This place was relatively desolate, with only trains passing by, and overgrown with weeds and shrubs. He hadn't recognized this familiar environment just now because he wasn't paying attention.

Back in his temporary dormitory, he smashed open the iron gate and crawled inside.

Just then, Zhao Dahong's cries of "Ouch, ouch!" rang out: "What a tragedy, what a tragedy! I've always slept on spring mattresses, I haven't slept on this wooden board in years..."

Bai Jiangshan sat on a stool made from a tin bucket, sulking over a bronze medal awarded to Hao Jianxiu's team.
"What kind of world is this? They'll even throw away the medals from Hao Jianxiu's team! Young people have no sense of honor whatsoever!"

Bai Dongfeng remained silent, buried his head in the bed, and didn't move.

Zhao Dahong couldn't hold back any longer and got up to ask him, "What happened to you? Oh dear, weren't you going to pee? Did a car hit you? What happened to you? Why are your pants all wet!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Jiangshan quickly pulled him up: "What happened? What's wrong with you?"

Bai Dongfeng didn't have the strength to get angry. He waved his hand and said weakly, "Mom and Dad, let's forget about the house in the workers' new village."

"Let's find another place to live; let's give up on the idea of ​​a house in the workers' new village."

Zhao Dahong glared: "Why? We are..."

"I still want to live!" Bai Dongfeng said sadly, repeating what had just happened.

"They really dare to use guns?" Zhao Dahong asked incredulously.

Bai Dongfeng said, "A life for a life, they paid a thousand yuan plus a job to get this done."

Zhao Dahong said sadly, "Our family originally had four thousand yuan..."

Bai Dongfeng smiled bitterly: "I'll start saving again, slowly. As long as I'm still a leader in logistics, why should I be afraid of not having money? What I'm worried about now is a house."

"Dad, isn't your machinery factory about to allocate housing? We should give gifts as we see fit, but oh well, we can't fight city hall."

Seeing his son's dejected appearance, Bai Jiangshan was speechless for a moment and could only sigh and sit on the edge of the bed.

Zhao Dahong wanted to vent her anger but had nowhere to do so.

In the end, she could only tear off a patched apron to wipe her tears. The red characters "Labor is the most glorious" on the apron had faded to pinkish-white, and some of the characters were almost invisible.

After intimidating the Bai family, Qian Jin finally began to live a more comfortable life.

Of course, he first had Zhang Aijun silently tie the man up. Zhang Aijun punched and kicked him, then put a silicone hood over his head to intimidate him. Finally, he managed to subdue Bai Dongfeng.

Time passed quickly without any major upheavals.

January 18th arrived silently, and then the 19th began.

The 19th is the first day of the twelfth lunar month.

This day was also the day when students in the province collectively submitted their college applications.

Through reading newspapers and listening to the radio, Qian Jin realized how severely the national order had been disrupted.

Many things that he takes for granted now require him to explore them from scratch.

Take the college entrance examination as an example: each province in the country sets its own questions and examination times.

The same applies to filling out college applications. In some places, you need to apply for colleges and universities before the college entrance examination, and you can apply for vocational schools or technical secondary schools as well.

The coastal city is located in the Central Plains province, which has always adhered to a steady and stable development policy, and this is also true for the college entrance examination.

The local college entrance examination is held later, giving them ample time to learn from the experiences and lessons of other provinces and cities.

The application period for college was also late; the teachers had already finished grading the papers, and the students had already estimated their scores before they started filling out their applications.

The study room became lively again that day. The Haibin City Education Bureau had specially issued information about the schools offering enrollment and their specific majors to the Taishan Road Neighborhood Committee, with several volumes of written materials available for review.

In addition, Wei Xiangmi gave Qian Jinquan some school enrollment notices to post on the outer wall of the study room for the students to read.

These days, it's difficult for students to take the college entrance exam, but choosing a major is even more difficult!
The students knew absolutely nothing about any schools. Apart from a few local universities in the coastal area, they only knew about Tsinghua and Peking University at most.

After talking with Song Zhiyuan, Wei Xiongtu, and Wei Qinghuan, Qian Jin immediately realized that he had become Zhang Xuefeng in 78.

Students filled out their college applications very casually, with several of them discussing applying to Peking University.

Qian Jin could tell from their stubble that they hadn't dug up an ancestral grave that could be used to support a descendant of a Peking University graduate, so he quickly called a halt:

"Don't just randomly choose schools for your application. Your first choice is extremely important; it determines the number of students you can directly enroll in at your pre-selected schools!"

He wasn't very clear about the current college application process either.

Because now students apply for universities through a preliminary selection process, and then the best candidates are selected from among the preliminary applicants, the ratio set by the state is approximately 1:1.5.

This merit-based admission process involves political vetting and physical examinations. The political vetting is very rigorous, examining not only the individual's political performance but also their family background, history, and social connections.

Qian Jin didn't consider this aspect; he left it to Song Zhiyuan and Wei Xiongtu, who were more knowledgeable about it. He then led Wei Qinghuan to teach the students how to choose their majors.

Everyone present was a college graduate from the 1980s, with a bright future ahead of them.

But you also need to choose a good major.

Science and engineering were easy choices; in the 1980s, there was a saying: "Master math, physics, and chemistry, and you'll be able to go anywhere in the world without fear."

The country currently faces a huge shortage of STEM professionals, so you can choose any field without much thought; it's mainly about your interests.

These students can get jobs in research institutes and state-owned industrial enterprises after graduation. While they may not achieve great success, they can certainly live a comfortable life or even move up in social class.

Humanities subjects aren't so easy to choose.

For some liberal arts students, the choice is easy: those with strong writing skills can apply to teacher training colleges.

Currently, university students receive subsidies upon entering university, a situation that teacher training colleges do not have.

Its advantage lies in the fact that Chinese literature majors are versatile, and graduates can become teachers in schools—the income is not high, but there are many holidays, and teachers had a high social status in the 1980s and 1990s.

Another advantage is that Chinese literature graduates can get jobs at newspapers or government agencies as secretaries to leaders. Many normal universities now offer secretarial programs.

In addition, Qian Jin knew that the reform and opening up would begin this year, and that in a few years the country would rapidly promote the four modernizations, which would create a great need for economic management talents.

Therefore, he would arrange for liberal arts students who were good at math, interested in numerical work, or whose families had a history of accounting or finance work to apply for finance-related majors.

Once they graduate from university, most graduates of these majors are assigned to departments such as banks, auditing, and finance. Once they get in, they can enjoy their retirement.

Furthermore, after the reform and opening up, Haibin City will quickly take advantage of its excellent port city status to become a pilot city for opening up to the outside world. Foreign trade and international trade will become the mainstay of domestic cities in the 1990s.

Back then, anyone who dared to go into business could basically drive a Santana within two or three years, as long as they didn't mess things up.

Therefore, Qian Jin also advised students who were interested in making money and foreign languages ​​to apply for majors related to international trade.

Another thing he encouraged students to go to police academies and study law.

Currently, police academy graduates are directly assigned to become police officers without taking an exam, and law students do not become lawyers but instead work in courts and procuratorates.

They are all good companies.

Of course, the prerequisite for applying is based on the score.

This is the hardest part!

Because there are no reference standards for all students, major universities have not had admission scores for ten years.

Qian Jin then guided the students to avoid Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou—nowadays, many students and teachers only know about these three major cities, so they focus on these three cities when registering for school.

This leads to intense competition.

In fact, there are quite a few good universities in the Northeast, Northwest and Southwest that are currently lying dormant.

Since the end of the college entrance examination, students have a general idea of ​​how many points they scored, because there were fewer questions this year, and everyone was able to remember the questions and their answers.

The marking of papers has ended in the last few days, and the standard answers have begun to circulate in rumors, allowing people to estimate their scores.

Those with confidence naturally strive to get into prestigious universities.

Qian Jin, who lacked confidence, told them to apply to universities in small towns. He knew how precious college students were in the 1980s. No matter which school they came from, as long as they had a degree certificate, they were considered state cadres!

Other schools are also busy filling out their application forms, and they are sharing information with each other.

Wei Qinghuan received some news and told Qian Jin, which shocked Qian Jin on the spot:

"There was a middle school in a commune where all the teachers were privately hired, without any vocational school or teacher training college diplomas. They didn't understand the intricacies of college application, and actually told the students to fill in Tsinghua University as their first choice and Peking University as their second choice..."

Once you submit your college application, you cannot change it.

Qian Jin asked Wei Qinghuan and the neighborhood committee to call any schools they could contact, and to make sure that students who lacked confidence avoided universities in big cities.

The government has already set a target number of students to be admitted this year, which will not exceed 300,000.

So try to find a small city or an unknown college, and get into a school to become a college student first.

Qian Jin took the day off again today.

He spent the whole day helping students fill out their college applications. In the afternoon, many former educated youths from the surrounding area came to the study room to consult about their applications.

They weren't specifically there for the money; Qianjin isn't that well-known. They learned about the group of teachers on Taishan Road who specifically helped college entrance exam candidates through newspaper advertisements, and they came specifically for the study rooms.

With the intention of doing a good deed to the end and seeing things through to the end, Qian Jin also helped them with their advice on schools and majors.

But he maintains the same attitude towards all students: he only offers advice, without inducing or coercing them, and tries his best to fairly and objectively share his understanding of the school and major with the applicants.

The volunteer application forms were collected by the authorities.

Next, they will wait for the pre-admission notice.

Meanwhile, Qian Jin received a new application and approval form for the establishment of a small collective enterprise.

This time it's a mobile repair shop run by the people!

Start by repairing bicycles.

At the beginning of the month, he entrusted Wei Xiangmi to help him apply for a new small collective enterprise. After more than ten days, the superior unit finally approved it.

When Qiu Dayong came to the office after get off work, he picked up an enamel mug, tilted his head back, and started chugging away.

Qian Jin asked, "How was work today?"

Qiu Dayong wiped his mouth and said, "Out of eight teams, we're definitely number one."

"Captain Qian, these little cars you invented are amazing! They're so easy to use. One person can do the work of two or three. Why haven't you given us any word from above about mass production yet?"

Qian Jin spread his hands.

He was also puzzled because he had simply provided his unit with an invention that could obviously reform the workforce, but his superiors were not responding.

"Fortunately, the leaders of the Commerce Bureau responded," Qian Jin said, handing the approval document to Qiu Dayong.

Qiu Dayong glanced at it and saw in black and white: Approval for the establishment of the second collective enterprise on Taishan Road, "People's Mobile Repair Shop".

The bright red official seal at the bottom of the signature page was still stained with ink, like a winter plum blossom blooming in the snow.

Pleasant to the eye.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at it again, a smile spreading across his face: "Hey, Captain Qian, our repair shop is finally up and running?"

Qian Jin nodded: "Yes, it's done. By the way, how's the manpower you arranged coming along?"

Qiu Dayong said, "I spend every day wandering around the state-run auto repair shop, learning carefully from the master craftsmen, so there's definitely no problem."

He selected five educated youths who were dexterous but of average build to learn how to repair bicycles.

Qian Jin asked, "Do the master craftsmen pass on their skills? Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Qiu Dayong chuckled to himself, "How can I explain this to you? I can't let you worry about everything."

"The masters certainly won't be happy to pass on their skills for nothing. If we're sweet-talking, offer them sweet tea and water, and even offer them cigarettes, and help them with chores from time to time, they'll have to show off some of their skills, right?"

Qian Jin pondered for a moment and said, "Let's go, it's time to get off work. I'll go straight to the neighborhood committee. Bring me the people you've chosen."

A massive army of bicycles raced through the city.

You can see people pushing bicycles on the road from time to time.

Either the tire is flat, or the valve core has been removed, or in rare cases there is a mechanical problem such as a broken chain. In short, this business can be done right now.

He observed his way back to Taishan Road.

Not long after he stopped his car, Qiu Dayong arrived on his bicycle with five young men, looking very energetic.

Qian Jin was completely dumbfounded: "You went to India for further studies?"

He had seen seven people on a motorcycle before, but he had never seen five people on a bicycle before.

Qiu Dayong sat on the bicycle seat and pedaled. Two other young men sat on the crossbar. The one in front had his legs dangling over the handlebars and his back was leaning against the young man behind him. Two other young men squeezed onto the back seat.

The bicycle seat had been extended, but it was still difficult for two people to squeeze onto it. Their intimate manner made Qian Jin unable to help but make some assumptions.

Qiu Dayong didn't understand what he meant. After getting out of the car, he asked, "Huh? What are you going to India for? I've never been there before."

Qian Jin asked helplessly, "Can this bicycle really seat so many people?"

Qiu Dayong said, "I can only carry a maximum of four people, so the five of them take turns running, with one person always running alongside the car."

Qian Jin asked, "Your car can carry four people? That's impressive!"

This bicycle is doomed.

The five young men looked familiar; they wore patched military green cotton-padded jackets and worn-out cotton shoes.

Upon arrival, Qiu Dayong gave a command, and everyone straightened their backs and saluted.

"Unemployed educated youth, report to Chief Qian!"

Qian Jin lowered his wrist: "No need to be so formal."

"Well, I'll apply to Director Wei of the neighborhood committee to register the five of you under the collective household registration on Taishan Road. Then you can join my labor commando team and I'll arrange a job for you in a small collective enterprise."

“The labor commando team receives a subsidy of 50 cents a day, and the small collective enterprise provides 30 yuan a month, so you are guaranteed a minimum income of 45 yuan a month.”

The young people beamed with joy: "Great!"

"Thank you, Chief Qian."

Qiu Dayong said enviously, "Damn, I don't even make 45 a month!"

Qian Jin said, "Once you take over my position as captain, you'll easily handle anything, not to mention 45, even 54 will be a breeze."

Qiu Dayong quickly waved his hand: "Brother Qian, how could I possibly think about your position?"

Qian Jin said, "Is that what you're saying—in your eyes, am I just someone who stays in the position of brigade leader and doesn't move forward? So hopeless?"

"Let me tell you, my future lies in the stars and the sea!"

Qiu Dayong looked completely bewildered.

Qian Jin smiled helplessly: "I was just joking with you..."

"Hahaha." Qiu Dayong laughed. "What are you looking at? Laugh!"

The five young men laughed along.

This embarrassing scene amused Qian Jin: "Alright, let's be serious."

"I heard from Dayong that the five of you have been learning from the master craftsman recently. How's the learning going?"

A young man named Song Shouren said politely, "I learned from Master Wang on Yanshan Road. I already knew how to patch tires and repair brakes, but after learning from him, I feel like I've learned some things."

"However, Master Wang is rather cautious and unwilling to teach me anything, so I can only study along with him when I'm working as his assistant."

Qian Jin sighed, "You should have told me about this beforehand."

“They can’t find me, but you have to find me.” This was said to Qiu Dayong.

He continued, "What are Master Wang's preferences?"

Song Shouren said, "He likes to have a drink or two, and he has a big, bulbous nose. People call him Wang the Nose."

Qian Jin clapped his hands: "I'll take you to become an apprentice tonight!"

"And you four, do your mentors have any hobbies? Let's tailor our approach by giving them some gifts, and then you can learn while you're running your businesses. Make sure you surpass your mentors!"

The young people perked up at the news.

They certainly wouldn't miss an opportunity to learn a skill.

Yanshan Road is also in the southern part of the city, separated from Taishan Road by only two streets. Qian Jin started with this Master Wang the Nose.

He went home to pack his things, and then took Song Shouren by bicycle to the department store that was still open.

Song Shouren asked, "Chief Qian, what do we want to buy?"

Qian Jin handed him a ticket and a stack of ten-yuan notes: "I want to buy a bicycle."

"Once our repair shop is up and running, you can't just go around doing mobile repairs for people, can you?"

"Your company will provide each of you with a bicycle—remember, this is provided by your company, so you must take good care of it!"

Song Shouren stared at him, speechless.

I've heard some companies offer great benefits, but is it really this good? They even provide new bicycles?!

Qian Jin had quite a few bicycle tickets, which he had obtained through several trips to the black market.

They can take advantage of this opportunity to establish a small collective enterprise to whitewash their image.

He instructed, "This is a benefit the company is giving you; each of the five of you will receive a new car."

"But if outsiders ask, you have to say that you bring your own car to work, because you're not locals from Taishan Road, understand?"

“Our small collective enterprises are in high demand. Local residents will definitely have objections when they see that outsiders can’t get in.”

"So you say you'll provide bicycles for commuting, and then when the company settles its profits, I'll deduct the cost of the bicycles."

Song Shouren was completely bewildered, nodding repeatedly: "I understand, I understand. Chief Qian, you have put a lot of thought into this, and I am truly grateful."

"Just do your job well." Qian Jin patted him on the shoulder.

Song Shouren quickly straightened up and loudly assured, "Commander Qian, don't worry, I will definitely become the most motivated and conscientious person in the unit. Wherever you point, I will go, and wherever I go, I will succeed!"

For young people, owning a brand new bicycle is a source of great pride.

In particular, having spent many years working in the countryside, they were very clear about what bicycles represented in the commune.

Having paid for the bike, Song Shouren pushed out a brand-new Forever bicycle.

A red flower was tied to the front of the car.

Forever Bicycles is all about prestige; it's like a toad slapping a frog—it's all about fancy tricks.

Qian Jin picked the safflower and stuffed it into Song Shouren's satchel.

Song Shouren carefully placed it, afraid that it would be crushed.

Qian Jin patted his seat and said, "Alright, get in the car. This will be your mode of transportation from now on."

Song Shouren reiterated his promise: "I will cherish it as I cherish my eyes."

Qian Jin laughed: "It's not that bad, it's just a tool for working, don't deliberately ruin it."

"Absolutely not." Song Shouren continued to make his promise, raising his hand to swear an oath.

Qian Jin shook his head and got into the car, taking him onto Yanshan Road.

The streetlights cast a dim yellow light on the ground, and the north wind whipped up the accumulated snow, making it look like a layer of cotton yarn was sprinkled under the lights.

The tin door of the state-run repair shop was half-open, and a dim yellow light, like that of a street lamp, peeked out from the crack.

Qian Jin took out a bag of the locally popular large chicken cigarettes, and carried the bag and net bag into the door.

The repair shop was filled with the acrid smell of engine oil and coal stove.

A 60-watt light bulb hangs from the ceiling, illuminating a row of "Advanced Worker" certificates on the wall, the most recent one dated 1975.

This is an award certificate for outstanding workers issued by the neighborhood committee. It's not that they lack ability, but it's like the "celebrity baby" awards that kids get in kindergarten—they're pretty much undeserved.

A short, middle-aged man with a large, bulbous nose was squatting next to the jack, polishing the notch in the chain cutter with a file. Hearing the door open, he didn't even look up: "Sorry, comrade, I'm off work today. You'll have to come early tomorrow."

Qian Jin, no wonder you didn't get the 1976 Advanced Worker award. How could you possibly get that kind of service attitude?
“Master Wang, we won’t buy any parts.” He gently placed the net bag on the half-disassembled Phoenix bicycle frame, where two bottles of specially supplied liquor were conspicuously displayed.

"I'm here on behalf of my comrade to ask you to be his apprentice, so he can learn some skills from you."

Wang finally raised his eyes.

His gaze swept over Song Shouren's patched cotton-padded jacket, finally settling on the wine bottle: "State-run stores don't have that master-apprentice system; if there are job openings, they'll just post a notice."

"Master Wang doesn't want to join your unit. It's just that there are many of us educated youth with many vehicles, and having someone who knows this skill would be convenient for everyone on a daily basis." Qian Jin took out a small green bottle of Erguotou from his satchel, unscrewed the cap, and handed it over.

The pretty, delicate little wine bottle piqued Master Wang's curiosity: "Hey, what kind of wine is this? Interesting."

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Try it, please try it and see how it is."

He gave him a wink, and Song Shouren quickly took out a copy of "People's Pictorial" from his satchel, opened it, and presented a handful of spiced peanuts.

Qian Jin then served loose pickled chicken feet.

Wang's nose and Adam's apple twitched.

When he was an apprentice, he often drank with his master, and the best snack to go with the drinks was spiced peanuts. Now that he saw the familiar combination again, he was immediately tempted.

"Two winters ago, our accountant Zhou's 'Forever' car kept breaking down. It was you who fixed the problem by twisting a clip with a wire." Qian Jin flattered him.

"For the next two nights, his daughter developed a high fever in the middle of the night. Luckily, you fixed the car so that things wouldn't be delayed. He rode that car to take his daughter to the clinic. The doctor praised him for arriving in time. The child had meningitis at the time."

Wang Zi grinned and said, "Really? Hey, we serve the people, and that's what we learned to do."

"But you need a permit from the local street office to take on an apprentice." Wang Nose took a swig of his drink, picked up a chicken foot, and sucked on some broth.

The irresistible spiciness of the pickled peppers opened his eyes to a whole new world.

This food product was not available in Haibin City until the 21st century when it was delivered to people through supermarkets via modern logistics.

He couldn't help but take another sip of wine, exclaiming in surprise, "What kind of chili is this? It tastes amazing!"

Qian Jin explained, "It's a common pickled pepper in Sichuan, but it's from the south. It was a gift from a friend who was sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution."

"Master, you like this? Okay, I'll have Xiao Song send you some pickled peppers later. Our friends from the educated youth days send them over from time to time."

Wang sniffed his red nose and immediately softened his attitude: "I think this Xiao Song is clever and quick-witted. He is indeed a good candidate for learning repair."

The repair shop on Yanshan Road not only repairs cars, but also radios, pens, watches, and other items.

However, his main job is car repair; it's just that Wang has a wide range of interests and knowledge.

Qian Jin sent Song Shouren over as an apprentice not just to learn how to repair cars.

Wang picked up two peanuts and popped them into his mouth. The crunchy aroma made him squint his eyes.

These taste much better than the peanuts sold in grocery stores.

He asked suspiciously, "Where do you get your spiced peanuts? I love them as a snack with alcohol. I've tried them at every grocery store in the city, but I've never had this flavor before."

Qian Jin said, "I work as a team leader in Jiagang, the city's supply and marketing cooperative, so you understand, right?"

"Yes, yes, I understand." Wang Bizi's attitude immediately became enthusiastic. "So, Little Song, your older brother works at the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative?"

"Good job, young man. You've become a brigade leader at such a young age. That's really impressive."

“But repairing a car isn’t about fiddling with pieces of metal.” Wang Nose grabbed a file and made a cut on a piece of flywheel that had been removed.

The sound of metal rubbing together was so sharp it made your teeth ache.

He continued, "You have to understand how much suffering this ironware has endured and how many hammer blows it has taken."

"Repairmen are the same; they have to endure hardship and get hammered too!"

With a heroic posture, Song Shouren said proudly, "Master, don't worry, I'm prepared to endure hardship!"

Wang sniffed his big nose and couldn't resist taking another bite of the pickled chicken feet:
"Okay, come and learn from me tomorrow. Don't think that bicycles are simple to repair; there's a lot more to them than meets the eye."

Qian Jin knew he was trying to elevate his own status, so he nodded to Song Shouren: "Little Song, listen to your master and learn well!"

Song Shouren said, "Commander Qian, please rest assured, I will definitely live up to your expectations."

Wang Bizi is a decent person.

Qian Jin was generous with his gifts; he gave away five jin of spiced peanuts and about one jin of pickled chicken feet, which were considered good things these days.

So he returned the gift to Song Shouren with a copy of "Atlas of Bicycles from All Nations," a 1952 edition, with a red stamp on the title page that read "Means of Production, Strictly Prohibited from Dissemination."

But once opened, it was useless; it only introduced bicycle brands and models from various countries, not things like mechanical structure diagrams.

After looking through them, Song Shouren shook his head: "We don't have these things at all in China. I should look at the catalogs of bicycles like Forever and Phoenix."

Qian Jin thought the antique style was quite nice, so he decided to go back and put it on the online store to see if it could be worth any money.

(End of this chapter)