The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 147 The repair shop had a great opening, and the braised meat shop followed suit.

Dusk, like ink seeping into a sponge, slowly permeated the seaside city in the twelfth lunar month.

The state-owned coal shop on Taishan Road is closing down. Some old ladies and children are carrying tin baskets to sweep up coal ash. They will mix the honeycomb coal ash with yellow soil to make a fire.

Someone had left salted fish drying on their windowsill and forgot to bring it in. The sea breeze was making it slap against the wall, and a cat was licking its lips and waiting below.

The old-fashioned cast iron lampposts lit up one after another, their lampshades covered with icicles, casting warm yellow shadows on the road surface of Taishan Road.

The chalk markings for hopscotch on the snow were a bit blurry, but the little girls were still having a great time.

A woman wrapped in a headscarf rushed over, grabbed a little girl, and started slapping the snow off her trouser legs while cursing:

"They didn't even realize they had to go home when the stove collapsed; they wouldn't come home until the stove was reheated!"

A wooden window on the second floor of a tenement building facing the street was opened, and a basin of dirty water was poured onto the road and quickly froze.

On their way home from get off work, the workers were shouting insults: "Don't you have any sense of public morality?! Don't you have any manners?!"

Gradually, fewer bicycles were seen on the roads during rush hour, and a few lights began to appear in the tenement buildings, small villas, and family compound.

Qian Jin and the others looked up from the door of the study room. The eaves were covered with icicles, like inverted crystal cones.

Qiu Dayong looked around at the intersection. The Zhang family's stewed potatoes and the Li family's stir-fried cabbage were on display. The windows of the houses on both sides were open, and the aroma of food wafted into his nose.

He suddenly became happy and waved, shouting, "Weiguo, Weiguo, we've been waiting for you! You're so late!"

The man in the military cotton-padded jacket pedaled his bicycle with all his might, the tools in his satchel, the iron basin and aluminum kettle on the handlebars clanging and clattering.

The two went to the study room together, and Zhao Weiguo took off his work gloves and put his hands on the stove.

His fingers were stuck with stubborn black grease that couldn't be washed off, and a smug smile spread across his face.
"I was getting ready to head back when I ran into a big job. A guy in the east of the city broke the crossbar of his old bicycle, and he almost got into serious trouble."

"It was a big job, only slightly less demanding than repairing an old car," Song Shouren said with even more pride.

Qiu Dayong called out to him, "Where's the money? Where's the money? Hurry up and give it to Chief Qian."

Qian Jin sat on the bench with his legs crossed: "What do you mean by 'bring it out to me'? This is the turnover of our small collective enterprise."

Qiu Dayong chuckled: "That's right, hand over your revenue."

Zhao Weiguo joked cheerfully, "Brother Dayong, you've become a highway robber now."

He took out the small bills and coins tied with rubber bands, and Qian Jin began to count them by the light.

The banknotes ranged in value from one cent to one dollar, and all of them had a metallic, chain oily smell.

Zhao Weiguo asked the people who had returned, "How much was your sales revenue today?"

Song Shouren put his feet up on the desk next to him, leaned back in his chair and said, "Not much, about forty yuan."

"Wow!" Zhao Weiguo exclaimed in surprise.

This revenue must come from doing big jobs. If it were just tire repair, they would need to repair two hundred tires, which would take four of them a day.

Qian Jin quickly counted the money and started recording it: "Twenty-one yuan and fifty cents, not bad, Weiguo, today's income is not bad."

Zhao Weiguo grinned and pulled out a few blue-bordered banknotes, handing them to him: "Here's some too."

Qian Jin was quite surprised: "Food coupons? You can use these to pay?"

Zhao Weiguo explained, “I went to the shops to ask if they needed any services. The delivery tricycle of the grocery store on Putuoshan Road had a problem. After I fixed it, they were very grateful and gave me these ten jin of grocery vouchers as a special reward.”

Others chimed in, "Is that so? The grocery store on Putuoshan Road is really something else."

"Wei Guo has really struck it rich today."

"I'm the one with the fewest? Then I'll have to work harder tomorrow."

Qu Dongfang got anxious: "Hey, you guys need to step up your efforts, no problem. Anyway, I won't be here guarding the old place tomorrow, I have to go out and work too."

Zhao Weiguo asked, "With so many residents on Taishan Road, no one has come to you for car repairs?"

Qu Dongfang was frustrated:
"An old lady came in and asked me to fix her radio. It turned out that only the battery spring was rusty. I polished it and it was fine. Do you think I can charge her for this?"

"The old lady felt bad about it, so she went home and got me some apples. We'll have some apples to eat later."

Song Shouren mocked him: "We're all making money, and you're making money off apples? Old Qu, you've really made something of yourself."

Qu Dongfang said angrily, "Look at the little money you've made, and you're so conceited."

“I’ve heard about it. Their mobile canteens make three or four hundred yuan a day. They’re not like you guys, sitting on an airplane blowing horns—you really know how to be high-profile.”

The others immediately lost their temper.

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Alright, don't get impatient. Old Qu will still earn merit today, even if he's stationed at the camp. This medal belongs to both of them and you..."

"Chief Qian, you still have to pay half of it," the group said noisily.

Qian Jin said, "Anyway, we've done a great job. You guys made quite a bit of money today."

This was beyond his expectations. He thought that with four people and four cars, he could make at most two or three yuan in an afternoon.

After all, it only costs two cents to repair a tire, so repairing ten tires in an afternoon is not a small amount.

The mobile repair shop surprised him; the income of the four people was often ten times what he had expected.

Song Shouren told the truth: "It's mainly because the glue you got, Chief Qian, is really good. Just apply a little bit and the rubber is fixed in five seconds, and it's solid!"

The other three all expressed their admiration.

Qiu Dayong warned them, "These are all secret products that Chief Qian tinkered with from elsewhere. Be careful when using them, and don't fucking show off. If someone finds out, our business will be ruined!"

The five repairmen nodded hastily.

Qian Jin was about to take them home for dinner when a clanging sound suddenly came from outside the door.

Old worker Uncle Fang came over pushing his old-fashioned bicycle, the spokes of the rear wheel twisted into a pretzel: "Captain Qian, can you fix bicycles here? Can you take a look?"

Qian Jin frowned: "Second Uncle, you've already eaten, why are you only arriving now?"

Uncle Fang said helplessly, "Do you think I can get back quickly carrying this thing?"

"Indeed, Uncle, you're in good shape to be able to carry it back," Qiu Dayong joked.

Qian Jin looked at the five repairmen, who all patted their chests and said, "It's not a big problem, it'll just take a little time. Come on, take it apart and replace the spokes."

The honeycomb briquettes were burning brightly when Song Shouren picked up a pair of pliers to remove the flywheel. The rusted screws had turned brown with rust after soaking in the kerosene.

Then Zhao Weiguo held up a flashlight, humming a tune as he turned the spokes downwards; the rust flying around in the beam looked like tiny insects.

While the work was being done, a dark figure rushed in from outside the door.

A street mailman carrying a green, faded electric bicycle came by and said, "Are you off work yet? If not, please fix it for me no matter what."

Qian Jin helped him carry it into the car.

The bike chain got tangled; it needs to be cut and replaced with a new one.

Qu Dongfang quickly said, "I'll do it, I'm good at this."

He was puzzled: "No one came in the afternoon, but there are quite a few people in the evening."

The mailman said, "I didn't know this afternoon, but I heard from someone when I got home tonight that there was a repair shop on our street."

"This is much more convenient. I was thinking of taking the day off tomorrow to go to the state-run repair shop on Yimengshan Road to get my car repaired, but now the people won't let me rest. I still have to deliver the People's Daily tomorrow."

Everyone laughed.

Song Shouren asked, "Master, what's the reputation of the auto repair shops on Yimeng Mountain Road?"

The postman said, "Forget it, it's close to Taishan Road, so I go there often."

Song Shouren recounted the first case he encountered today on the Yimeng Mountain road where a car tire had been punctured by a nail:

“I swept around there and found more than a dozen thumbtacks. I think someone deliberately put them there.”

Everyone immediately guessed the truth and began to curse the repair shop on Yimengshan Road.

In this way, the study room became a symphony orchestra.

The wrench striking the frame is like a timpani, the air pump hissing is like a chord, the flywheel spinning produces a metallic vibrato, and every now and then someone presses the bicycle bell for a jingling sound.

Qian Jin said, "Eat here tonight, I'll treat you to an opening banquet. Tell me, what do you want to eat?"

Everyone was in high spirits, but a little embarrassed.

Qiu Dayong kicked Song Shouren: "You're always so cocky, but now you've learned to be polite?"

"Chief Qian is the big brother. If he asks what you want to eat, don't be shy, just tell me."

Zhao Weiguo huffed and puffed, "Chief Qian, could you get me some pig's head meat?"

"To be honest, after I received my food coupons today, I saw that they had pork head meat in their store, and it looked so tempting."

Others echoed:
"Pig's head meat is the best. It won't spoil in winter and won't upset your stomach."

"The last time I ate pig's head was during the Chinese New Year last year. I really miss it after a year of not having it."

"I don't know if the grocery store is closed yet. It would be great if they still had pig's head meat."

Qian Jin packed up his money and left, saying, "It's decided then, we'll eat this."

It was already mealtime, and the aroma of food filled every household.

The aroma of stir-fried scallions wafted from the grocery store. Qian Jin pushed open the door and went in to ask, only to find that they were out of pig's head meat.

After he went out, he encountered a security task force beginning their patrol. A group of three young men walked along the street, banging on a copper basin; the scraping sound of an iron spoon scraping against the bottom of the basin was very jarring.
"Attention everyone—fire prevention, theft prevention—lock your doors and windows!"

Qian Jin figured he'd have to buy a gong to replace the copper basin; the sound was off.

He rode his bicycle to the grocery store on Linyi Road.

As we passed by, colorful lights illuminated the shop windows of a department store, and the three-colored cellophane reflected the sewing machines and Forever bicycles, attracting several girls to stop and look.

This reminded Qian Jin that department stores also sell cooked food in the fall and winter, so he went in and asked.

Pig's head meat is a hot commodity; it's basically sold out by the time workers get off work, and now it's impossible to buy any.

Qian Jin decided not to waste time going to Yimeng Mountain Road and instead went home to the mall to buy a few kilograms.

He told Wei Qinghuan about the dinner party, and Wei Qinghuan was anxious: "You're only telling me now? There's still pork at home that you brought back from the Liu family in Hongxing, but it's too late to stew it now."

Qian Jin said, "Instead of stewing pork, make some minced meat noodles, your specialty."

Wei Qinghuan frowned: "Your elite troops are eating noodles on their first visit to your home? Comrade Qian Jin, that's not how it is."

Qian Jin said, "I'll go buy the others right now, the ones that are ready-made."

Wei Qinghuan habitually rolled up her sleeves, her silver bracelet and watch gleaming beautifully under the light: "Go."

He put 205 yuan in the money, locked the door, bought a pig's head, and also bought some braised eggs to keep for breakfast.

He has now sold the sandalwood box he obtained earlier, and the total amount of likes he collected in the past few days has exceeded two million!
I've never received so much money before!

The truly valuable item should be the five-hole pottery flute from the Zhou Dynasty; that thing could be a prized possession of the Haibin City Museum.

These are treasures that will no longer be allowed to appear on the market, let alone be taken out of the country.

Qian Jin had no intention of selling it, nor did he have the high moral character to donate it; he planned to keep it as a family heirloom.

He checked and found that King Huan of Zhou was the second ruler of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and this pottery flute is probably about 2,500 to 2,600 years old.

Sometimes it feels incredible when he plays the ocarina.

The sound is from more than 2,500 years ago.

It is quite remarkable that he may have heard the same voice as a monarch from more than 2,500 years ago.

With his savings in hand, he had no intention of staying; he bought gold bars and built a huge gold chest!
He went next door, where flames were leaping from the coal stove, and Wei Qinghuan was kneading dough with her sleeves rolled up.

The dough balls danced in her hands, her flour-covered wrists resembling a ball of cloud: "Are you in a hurry to eat? This dough needs to rest for fifteen minutes."

Qian Jin said, "No rush, I haven't gone to buy anything yet."

He strolled out the door and went to the study room.

When he got there, he saw several aluminum lunch boxes on the stove, containing broken cornbread.

Qian Jin asked in confusion, "Are you starving?"

Qiu Dayong spoke frankly: "These five guys are all garbage cans, they can hold a ton of trash..."

"You guys!" Qian Jin was speechless, then waved his hand, "I'm treating you to dinner, so eat up! Tonight we're having noodles with minced meat sauce and pig's head!"

With a moment to spare, Zhao Weiguo wiped his hands with the greasy, twisted work cloth on his shirt. He then took down the steaming aluminum lunchbox and used chopsticks to stir the cornbread into a paste.
"Hehe, Chief Qian, just you wait, I'm going to have to eat two big bowls of noodles with minced meat sauce later."

He swallowed twice and finished the corn porridge.

Qian Jin was speechless.

Qiu Dayong started to make conversation: "Brother Qian, some comrades just suggested that we move the shop to the entrance of the movie theater, saying that business is better there."

Song Shouren turned around, holding a string of bicycle chains in his hand: "This place is a classroom, and we'll have to return it to the students sooner or later. I think it would be a good idea to set up a canvas tent in front of the movie theater."

Qian Jin pondered for a moment: "This matter is not urgent. You can use it here for now, and we'll talk about it later."

More people came pushing bicycles, and a girl in blue overalls came in and asked anxiously, "Master, can you take a look? I'm in a hurry to get to the No. 2 State-owned Cotton Mill for my night shift."

Qian Jin explained, "The workers need to go home."

The young woman sighed, "Captain Qian, please help me out. All the other repair shops are closed now. I came here after asking around."

Before Qian Jin could speak, Qu Dongfang had already come over with a spoke wrench.

He knelt down to check the tires: "What did you hit? We need to fix the rim. These two spokes are unusable and need to be replaced. They cost 25 cents each."

The girl replied happily, "Okay."

Qu Dongfang squatted down and started working: "Chief Qian, why don't you go eat? It seems my battle has just begun!"

Qian Jin is only now truly feeling the current demand for repairmen in society.

No wonder people say the 1980s were an era of easy money; as long as you had the courage and skills, wealth would flow in.

Mobile tire repair services are a necessity in the 21st century, and mobile bicycle repair services are also a necessity in this era.

If so many businesses come to us passively waiting, then naturally even more will come if we take the initiative.

Qu Dongfang turned his head and saw a small bandage on the girl's wrist. He tried the handlebars and asked, "What happened to your wrist?"

"I'm a scooter operator, and the shuttle made the mistake," the girl said with a helpless smile.

Qu Dongfang said, "Then I'll remove your handlebars and put some engine oil on them, so it will be easier for you to twist the handlebars."

"But you have to try it. Don't use the same force to twist the handlebars as before, or you might fall."

The girl thanked him repeatedly, and her gaze toward Qu Dongfang was gentler than her gaze toward the others.

Qian Jin kicked Qu Dongfang with his foot: "Brother Dongfang, let's go eat first, you can do your own thing."

Qu Dongfang waved his hand: "Go ahead, I can manage on my own."

Qian Jin sighed: "Then you've had a tough time. You didn't eat much at noon and you'll have to eat late tonight."

Then he whispered, "Help the girl check her bicycle and see if there's anything wrong with it."

Qu Dongfang didn't understand what he meant, but he still carried out the order: "Lady, your brake pads are almost worn out. It'll cost three cents to replace them..."

Qian Jin coughed and said, "Aren't you good at replacing the old with the new?"

Qu Dongfang blinked and said, "Well, I'll replace it with old leather. It'll be usable after being polished. I can use the money saved to buy something else."

The girl was overjoyed: "Thank you, brother."

Qian Jin led the others away, saying, "We'll go first. You must come over when you're done with your work."

A sink and hot water have been prepared at home, and soap is placed next to it.

Wei Qinghuan was very well prepared.

Song Shouren and his three companions were embarrassed as it was their first time there, and they felt even more awkward after seeing the dazzling Wei Qinghuan.

They kept their heads down, staring intently at the winter-stored cabbages. The cabbage stalks were frozen so solid that they could almost reflect their bright red faces.

Qiu Dayong called out to them, "Wash your hands, wash your hands! What are you all standing there for?"

Wei Qinghuan brought the noodles to the table and said with a smile, "The five-spice sauce is ready. I'll make a spicy one too."

"Dayong, can you brothers handle spicy food?"

Qiu Dayong said, "I can't live without spicy food!"

Wei Qinghuan went back to work and started stir-frying.

A spoonful of snow-white lard is scooped up and melts into the bottom of the pot with a sizzle.

The moment the scallions were sautéed, Zhao Weiguo subconsciously sniffed: "It smells good. This is made with lard. It smells really good."

On the cutting board were piles of diced potatoes and carrots, as well as dried daylily buds that Wei Qinghuan had somehow gotten his hands on.

Wei Qinghuan skillfully prepared the meat sauce, which simmered in the iron pot.

Qian Jin took the pot off the table; the dark brown pig's head meat trembled slightly, and it smelled wonderful after being steamed.

The pig's ears weren't steamed; the gelatinous substance wrapped around the cartilage at the tip. Upon seeing this, Wei Qinghuan said, "If you can handle spicy food, I'll mix it up."

The back of the cleaver was used to smash garlic, and the minced garlic mixed with chili powder was poured over hot oil, making several people swallow hard with a sizzling sound.

Hand-pulled noodles are served in an aluminum basin, one bowl per person, topped with a bright orange sauce. Black fungus, carrot chunks, and potato chunks float in the oil, and chopped green onions are sprinkled on top, making it a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

The pig's head meat was cut quite thick, while the pig's ears were drizzled with hot oil, garlic, and chili sauce. Song Shouren secretly dipped his finger in the sauce, and Qiu Dayong tapped his hand with chopsticks.

Zhao Weiguo asked, "Can't we wait for Lao Qu?"

Qian Jin said, "Let's eat first, one bowl of noodles each to fill our stomachs, then have some wine, and continue eating when Lao Qu arrives later."

"Don't worry, there's plenty of noodles." Everyone had a large blue-rimmed bowl, and they slurped the noodles loudly.

The spiciness surged down their throats, and beads of sweat began to appear on their foreheads. They slapped the table in delight and exclaimed, "So refreshing!"

The bulk liquor swirls in everyone's hands, one teacup per person.

Wei Qinghuan took off her apron and sat down to help Tangyuan eat noodles.

Qian Jin told the others about his discovery in the study room, but they hadn't paid attention to the details. Now that they heard about it, they were very interested and started gossiping.

Qu Dongfang was tall and strong, with a very masculine air. Although he wasn't as handsome as Qian Jin, he was still the most handsome guy among Qiu Dayong's group.

Therefore, Qian Jin felt that there was a real possibility that he and that girl could take their relationship to the next level.

Of course, due to the prevailing social atmosphere, it's impossible to go any further tonight.

As soon as Qu Dongfang arrived, they immediately asked him questions.

As it turned out, Qian Jin was right. Qu Dongfang said, "Her name is Deng Huihui. She lives on Taishan Road just like Chief Qian. It's a coincidence that our maternal grandmothers were from the same commune."

Everyone started laughing maliciously.

Qiu Dayong asked Qian Jin in surprise, "Chief Qian, how did you figure out that she has feelings for Lao Qu?"

Qian Jin was even more surprised.

I'm a straight man of steel, are you guys straight men of titanium alloy?
Wei Qinghuan answered for him, sneering, "That's just how the XX family's children are."

Qian Jin wondered what he was showing off for. Well, now the fighting might have to stop tonight.

With wine, meat, and noodles, the group patted their bellies as they prepared to leave, finding them round and full.

The sea breeze blows through Taishan Road.

A brand-new bicycle was parked in the moonlight.

Six people were chasing each other, hiccuping, and turning to look at each other. This is what a happy life looks like.

Qian Jin sent Zhang Aijun to wash the dishes and then hugged his wife from behind, hoping for happiness as well.

Wei Qinghuan sighed, "Let me rest for a bit. You, Li Bai, can you grind an iron pestle into a needle?"

Qian Jin grinned and said, "Let me tell you something serious, my wife. I've noticed that everyone really likes to eat pig's head meat these days."

"This way, the mobile canteen can expand its business by selling pig's head meat, and it will definitely make money."

Wei Qinghuan lay on the bed while he massaged her shoulders, which were sore from rolling noodles, and said, "Of course, pig's head meat is so fatty and fragrant, who wouldn't want to eat it?"

"But braising pig's head is a hassle. Where do you get the pig's head? What do you do with the braising spices?"

Qian Jin pressed hard on her pert buttocks: "It's all easy. Pighead, go to the slaughterhouse. Brine, go to my Brother Guan."

Brother Guan might not be good at braising pig's head, and he couldn't help him buy the braising ingredients.

The mall is available!

His competitors weren't the braised meat stalls of 28 years ago, but the grocery stores of 78.

This is very easy.

Wei Qinghuan said lazily, "Then you can figure out the source of the pig heads first. To tell you the truth, it's very difficult."

Qian Jin knew this would be difficult.

But things can be accomplished by human effort.

He spent two days inquiring at his workplace and found out information about the managers of several slaughterhouses in Haibin City.

The Long March Slaughterhouse was a good target for him.

This slaughterhouse is located in the northern part of the city, which is a suburban area. If he can establish connections there, it will be more convenient for him to pick up pig heads every day.

Meanwhile, Hao Wenfeng, the director of the Changzheng Slaughterhouse, was getting married, and he had already sent invitations to leaders in the supply and marketing cooperative with whom he had good relations.

Most importantly, Hao Wenfeng lived in the workers' new village of the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill, and the two lived in the same community!
It turned out that Hao Wenfeng's wife worked in the finance department of the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill. So when the workers' new village was allocated houses, his family, like Qian Zhongguo's, was among the first batch of families to receive houses.

Qian Jin lived in Building 2, while Hao Wenfeng was assigned to Building 25, which was one of the best buildings.

There is an artificial lake in the center of the Workers' New Village residential area. Building No. 25 is located on the north side of the lake and is considered a lake-view property.

Qian Jin counted down to room 301 in the dark, unit 5. The clean door frame had a faded "Family of Honor" certificate pasted on it.

As he reached the door, he heard the song "Ode to the Red Plum Blossom" playing inside. He gently knocked on the door.

The music stopped quickly, and someone opened the door a crack and asked, "Who is it?"

Qian Jin introduced himself, including his position at the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative and his apartment building number in the community.

"Oh, you're Captain Qian Jin?" Hao Wenfeng, wearing a coat, came over to open the door.

This house has the same layout as Qian Jin's house, a three-bedroom apartment, a luxury apartment type these days.

Qian Jin entered through a whitewashed wall with a light green wainscoting. Framed photos hung on the wall, containing certificates of merit such as "Advanced Worker" and "March 8th Red Banner Pacesetter".

The cement floor was polished to a shine, and the brass pendant of a Sanwu brand clock on the dresser swayed rhythmically.

He estimated that Director Hao's family must be quite large, because there was some furniture in the living room that should have been placed in the bedroom, such as a double-door wardrobe that took up half a wall.

Upon entering, Qian Jinxian politely bowed slightly and said, "Director Hao, I'm sorry to bother you so late."

Hao Wenfeng smiled and invited him to sit down: "No need to bother you. I didn't know we were neighbors."

Although the slaughterhouse is not under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative, its product distribution work is related to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Therefore, Hao Wenfeng was familiar with many leaders in his unit and had also heard of Qian Jin's name: "The young comrade who was promoted to captain the fastest in the warehousing and transportation department, you are a promising young man and the hope of the country."

Qian Jin was very polite.

In the center of the living room stood a square table with mottled paint, and the legs of four long benches were wrapped with bicycle inner tubes to prevent wear.

The table was covered with a crocheted lace tablecloth, and an upside-down glass cup with the words "Labor is Glorious" printed on it sat on an enamel tea tray. The Double Happiness brand thermos gleamed under the light, and most eye-catching of all was a 9-inch black and white television set by the window.

Clearly, Director Hao's family situation is relatively good.

After Qian Jin sat down, he noticed several invitation cards with red backgrounds and gold lettering, so he took the opportunity to place the gifts he had brought on the table.

Hao Wenfeng noticed his gaze and explained:
“My second son is getting married in a couple of days. I heard that Captain Qian is still single? A fine young man like you is still single, this won’t do…”

Qian Jin understood that he wanted to bring up the topic of introducing potential partners, so he hurriedly explained, "Director Hao, I'm already married, but we just got our marriage certificate and haven't had a wedding yet."

"I heard that your second brother is getting married, so I came here specifically to ask for your advice."

Hao Wenfeng called his second son over: "Xiao Lei, come and meet Qian Jin, the outstanding young leader of our city's supply and marketing cooperative."

Qian Jin shook hands with Hao Lei.

Hao Lei went even further, saying, "Seeing is believing. Captain Qian is exceptionally talented and even more refined and handsome than rumored."

It turns out that Hao Lei works at the neighborhood committee and he had heard about Qian Jin's operations on Taishan Road.

After all, being able to send the director of the neighborhood committee to the far northwest to combat sandstorms as the leader of a labor commando team is a unique achievement in the entire coastal city.

Qian Jin made a joke and casually pulled a red silk package from his bag:

"It would be embarrassing to come to someone's house empty-handed to ask for advice on a job, but luckily a good friend of mine gave me a gift set after learning that I had just gotten married."

"Director Hao and Second Brother, please don't mind. I'm just offering this to my Second Sister-in-law."

In this era of scarcity, it's common to exchange gifts, and no one cares when Qian Jin speaks frankly about it.

In particular, he gave away some nice things:

The red silk slipped down to reveal a brocade box, inside which a set of pure silver jewelry gleamed softly under the light.

It has bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and rings; it's a complete set in the same style.

The bracelet features intertwined lotus vines engraved on two lotus flowers, with a tiny red coral inlaid in the center. The most exquisite detail is the spring hidden beneath the lotus petals, which trembles gently at the slightest touch.

The necklace also features lotus flowers.

He explained, "The lotus symbolizes good fortune and health. It is elegant, pure, and outstanding. It can symbolize the gentle and graceful nature of women, as well as the purity of love and lasting beauty."

Unlike the lotus flower on the bracelet, the lotus flower on this necklace pendant is larger, blooming in layers, lifelike and vibrant, and even sprayed with perfume, giving it a floral scent.

This set of silver jewelry has been finely polished, and it is smooth and delicate under the light, shimmering with a magnificent aura.

Hao Wenfeng's youngest daughter was immediately captivated upon seeing it, and ran over to shake her brother's arm, saying:

"Second brother, second brother, don't give it to your wife, give it to me instead, I don't have any jewelry."

In this era, people value cleanliness and neatness for revolutionary work, preferring military uniforms to elaborate makeup.

But what young lady doesn't love makeup?

Hao Lei dotes on his younger sister but cares more about his wife, so he quickly hugs the brocade box and shakes his head.

Hao Wenfeng knew that Qian Jin hadn't come to inquire about weddings, but seeing this set of silver jewelry made his Adam's apple bob slightly, and his face showed emotion.

This kid has grand ambitions!
His wife came out curiously to take a look and said, "Wow, the craftsmanship is extraordinary. When I was a girl, I saw the master craftsmen at Lao Feng Xiang make such beautiful jewelry."

"This is too valuable. You can't do this to your neighbor when he comes over. Take it back, you must take it back."

Qian Jin firmly refused: "How can you take back a gift given to a newlywed couple? Wouldn't that be taking away their good fortune?"

The woman smiled upon hearing this and no longer refused.

Hao Wenfeng poured him some tea and gestured for the children to go play around on the side. The two gradually got to the main topic of conversation.

Qian Jin mentioned the small collective enterprise he had established, and Hao Wenfeng nodded: "People's Mobile Canteen, I've eaten your spicy hot pot, it's really satisfying, I even broke out in a sweat eating it on a cold day."

This is not surprising.

The business model and operators of the mobile canteens were unprecedented in Haibin City at that time, and the public was very curious about them. The news had already spread throughout the city.

Qian Jin was polite again, and then said, "Actually, mala tang and fresh soup are both simple things. It's just a matter of learning the recipe from other places."

"The chefs at our workplace are really skilled at making braised pig's head, braised pig's offal, and braised pig's feet."

"Your company needs pig offal." Hao Wenfeng nodded.

Qian Jin nodded.

It started snowing outside the window; another snowfall has arrived.

Hao Wenfeng breathed a sigh of relief.

His concern was that Qian Jin wanted to get involved in the pork business, but the pork shipment volume was strictly controlled, and as the farm manager, he didn't have much power to influence things.

But as the farm manager, he couldn't possibly be without authority; he controlled the pig offal.

He thought for a moment and asked, "How much pig's head meat and offal do you need?"

Qian Jin said, "Please advise me on this. Our approach is quite lenient."

Hao Wenfeng hesitated and said, "Four pig heads and four sets of offal every day is already the limit we can give you."

"Moreover, this requires special approval. Your street office has to submit an 'Application Form for New Enterprise to Receive Support and Development from Old Unit' to me, and I need the leader to sign it."

Qian Jin accepted the gift without haggling.

After finishing the business, it's time to drink tea.

The two chatted about some of the work of the supply and marketing cooperative. Hao Lei came over to pour tea and water, and then they talked about the work of the neighborhood committee.

We had a pretty good chat.

Qian Jin left with a belly full of tea, pointing to the red silk left on the table as he was leaving:
"My second brother is having a revolutionary wedding. This is a donation from my colleagues at work. Please accept it and make sure I can convey their good wishes to him."

Hao Wenfeng hurriedly went to find the red envelope to hand to him, but he had already quickly gone downstairs.

Inside the red envelope were two 10,000-yuan bills, with a few light green foreign exchange certificates tucked between them.

Director Hao's pupils suddenly contracted.

Hao Lei took out the voucher and looked at it under the light. He immediately saw the printed words: "This voucher can be used to purchase imported goods at the Friendship Store."

He clicked his tongue and said, "Dad, they really went all out."

Manager Hao sighed, "Five pig heads and five sets of offal, that's my limit."

"No wonder Qian Jin rose so quickly; he's really shrewd. If it were you, would you be willing to give gifts like that?"

Hao Lei shook his head: "I'll stay in the neighborhood committee my whole life. I don't want a promotion or to work in another unit, so I don't give gifts to anyone."

Hao Wenfeng shook his head.

My son!

Qian Jin hummed a song as he came downstairs. A voice at the top of the stairs asked, "In such a good mood, did you get it done?"

This startled him: "Why did you come out in such cold weather?"

Wei Qinghuan opened her umbrella: "I saw that the snow was falling heavily just now, and I was worried that you would catch a cold if you went back in the wind and snow."

“The colds have been really bad lately. Several teachers at our school have caught them. You had such a bad cold last time, I’m worried you might get sick again this time.”

Touched, Qian Jin put his arm around her shoulder and said, "I'm not that weak."

The response to that was a cold laugh.

After understanding the meaning behind that cold laugh, Qian Jin felt a little uneasy.

My body seems to be really being drained lately.

The two went outside, and heavy snowflakes began to fall.

There were no streetlights in the neighborhood, and it was pitch black. Wei Qinghuan turned on her flashlight and Qian Jin opened his umbrella, their footsteps crunching on the snow.

Suddenly the umbrella was moved aside.

Wei Qinghuan exclaimed in surprise, and Qian Jin looked up and smiled: "I thought of a line of poetry, you can ponder it carefully."

"Today we are bathed in snow together, which means we will grow old together in this life."

Wei Qinghuan laughed out loud after hearing this: "The first line is level-level-oblique-oblique-level-level-oblique, which is a variation of the standard level-starting seven-character regulated verse."

"However, the second line is clearly out of rhythm, especially the third character '也' and the fourth character '算' which are two consecutive oblique tones, forming a continuous oblique-oblique pattern, which does not conform to the traditional rule of alternating level and oblique tones in antithetical couplets."

Qian Jin immediately cursed.

Fortunately, Wei Qinghuan followed with a drawn-out "But!"

"By contrasting the imagery of sharing snow and growing old together, the rules of tone and rhyme become irrelevant; emotional expression always trumps formal constraints."

She looked up and pinched Qian Jin's chin: "I like this line of poetry."

Qian Jin immediately replied tenderly, "And I like you."

Wei Qinghuan went home with a grin.

They never mentioned going back to the tenement building on Taishan Road.

After entering the room, she brushed the snow off Qian Jin and turned to leave.

Qian Jin asked her, "Where are you going?"

Wei Qinghuan replied softly, "Go ahead and wash it."

Qian Jin took out a velvet box from the inside pocket of his work jacket, opened it, and the crystal pendant made a tinkling sound as it touched the lid.

Wei Qinghuan turned around subconsciously.

Qian Jin handed her the box: "I asked Chen Jingdi's brother to make another set of silver jewelry as a gift for Director Hao's second son. When they found out we just got married, they asked me to give this to you."

This is a rose gold chain with a pink crystal necklace. It's not expensive, but it's luxurious and beautiful.

Its pendant is a blooming peach blossom with realistic petal colors and exquisitely carved stamens that are lifelike. The petals are magnetically attached, so there are always two peach blossoms that complement each other.

Recipe, Shining.

Wei Qinghuan asked in surprise, "It's so beautiful! How much does it cost? Where can I buy it?"

Qian Jin smiled and said, "This is a type of crystal, not a gemstone. Director Hao said it's not expensive."

"But it's really difficult to buy it; he asked a relative who is an overseas Chinese to bring it back."

"Then our silver jewelry probably won't even compare to their return gift," Wei Qinghuan said weakly.

Qian Jin said, "You think I only gave him silver jewelry? I gave him a twenty-yuan red envelope and a set of overseas remittance certificates that I had scraped together, in the name of the People's Mobile Canteen!"

Wei Qinghuan clicked her tongue in amazement.

Qian Jin said, "I didn't lie to you, I really did send these things."

"But don't tell anyone. You can wear this chain and no one will see it. You can wear it as you like, but don't mention it to anyone. Otherwise, people will suspect that we are not related and wonder why Director Hao would give such an important gift."

"Here, let me put it on for you."

Wei Qinghuan nodded happily, took off her coat, revealing her smooth shoulders.

Qian Jin took off his silver chain and put on this crystal chain.

The gold chain fell, sending a cool ripple across her skin.

Wei Qinghuan tilted her head, letting the crystal pendant dangle into her collar. The chilling touch made her tremble in Qian Jin's arms.

Qian Jin's hand was still on the back of her neck, then gently slid down her shoulder.

Snowflakes were falling softly outside the window.

The cold winter is biting.

The indoors is bathed in the beautiful spring sunshine.

(End of this chapter)