The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 229 Reunion Dinner, Everyone Returns to the City

The sun is setting outside the window.

The aroma of food wafted up from downstairs or somewhere else.

Several children stood at the window looking out; the smaller ones stood on tiptoe, while the even smaller ones climbed directly onto their older brother's back.

Look at the army of bicycles on the road, count the cars passing by:

"There are so many bicycles, more than the sheep in our commune's flock..."

"Look, a jeep is passing by. Our forestry station director drives a car like that. I've touched it before!"

"The sixth bus has passed by, that's great. I'll have to tell my friend when I get back that I saw quite a few buses on this trip to the city..."

Qian Jin took a picture of them from behind.

Qian Xi was shocked when she saw it: "Xiao Si, what are you doing? Don't waste film! Film is so expensive!"

Qian Jin said nonchalantly, "Hey, these are all film rolls given to us by friends. Besides, we won't waste them. We can show these photos to them when they have kids. They'll be so happy..."

Chen Shoujiang looked at it curiously: "Young man, is this a camera? Can I take a look?"

Qian Jin handed it directly to him: "Second brother-in-law, you take photos for them. It's very simple. If you look at the scene in the lens from here and think it looks good, then press this shutter."

"But remember, your hand must be steady!"

Even someone as forthright as Chen Shoujiang.

They were stunned.

This old man and young man are so straightforward!

Qian Xi quickly tried to snatch the camera: "You're going to give him this precious thing? He's our prospective son-in-law, all clumsy and indecent!"

Qian Jin smiled and went into the kitchen: "Alright, Second Sister, let your brother-in-law play with it. Don't try to take it from me; you're more likely to fall if you do."

Upon hearing this, Qian Xi dared not make a move.

Chen Shoujiang said to her in a low voice, "You even told me that your little brother has a strange temper and isn't close to you guys. Aren't you just talking nonsense?"

"It's a good thing we came to Haibin City this time, otherwise I would have thought he was like that guy from my village, Erguangliu."

In the kitchen, the flames on the stove danced merrily.

There was a basin of water on the stove, and the surface of the water reflected Wei Qinghuan's busy figure.

The pork ribs are almost done stewing.

There aren't many seasonings in it, just scallions and ginger; no star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, or anything like that.

Seeing him come in, Wei Qinghuan said, "I stewed a lot of pork ribs today, how about taking out half to braise? The kids will definitely love braised pork ribs."

Qian Jin nodded and sniffed.

The pork ribs in the pot were emitting an enticing aroma that filled the entire kitchen.

We have a refrigerator at home now.

It contains salted ham, a specialty of the seaside.

These thick sausages are square-shaped and made entirely of meat. Qian Jin bought them as a perk for his team members, and he kept some for himself as well.

Wei Qinghuan picked up a piece of ham, the cleaver was sharp, but she cut it into thick slices.

Each piece is as thick as an eyeglass lens, making them very satisfying to eat.

The sliced ​​ham is neatly arranged on a plate, piled up thickly, and looks very appetizing.

On the kitchen counter, a plump roast chicken was placed in the middle.

Wei Qinghuan skillfully tore apart the roast chicken, separating the meat from the bone with light and efficient movements.

In no time, the roast chicken was torn into evenly sized pieces and neatly piled aside.

Qian Jin closed the kitchen door and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist from behind.

Wei Qinghuan thought he was about to do something reckless, so she quickly slapped his hand away: "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"

"I thank you." Qian Jin's feelings were complicated.

Wei Qinghuan turned her head, and the profile of her face was as exquisite as a traditional Chinese painting.

Her jet-black hair was casually tied up with a red ribbon, revealing her fair nape and exuding a charming, mature woman's allure.

"Why are you telling me this? Aren't you treating Comrade Wei Xiongtu very well? I'm your wife, it's only natural for me to do these things."

"But you've still had a hard time," Qian Jin whispered in her ear.

“My brother and sister have had a tough time in the countryside all these years. If it weren’t for you taking care of them, I would have completely forgotten about them.”

He didn't really have any feelings for his older brother and sister before.

After spending time together, he realized that blood is thicker than water and could feel the deep affection his older brother and sister had for him. Therefore, he was quite happy to welcome their arrival.

Most importantly, Wei Qinghuan's feelings are very important.

The female teacher had no idea he was a time traveler. Under these circumstances, she brought her older brother and sister to the coastal city purely for the sake of the family's relationship.

Wei Qinghuan patted her husband's hand: "Why are you talking like a family? By the way, have you thought about finding a way to bring your brother and sister's families back?"

“This is what I’m thinking. Anyway, we have a house. You have a lot of work and things to do right now. I’ve written a lot of letters to my brother and sister. I can feel their feelings for you from their words and I can tell that they are good people.”

"So I was thinking, maybe I could bring them back to help you."

Qian Jin pondered, "Oh, you had this idea when you called them back this time?"

Wei Qinghuan nodded: "I want to see my older brother and sister with my own eyes and understand their character."

"If they are of good character, then letting them join the labor shock brigade should be able to help you relieve a lot of pressure."

Qian Jin said, "Then I'll think about it."

The water on the stove began to bubble, and Wei Qinghuan broke free from his embrace and started working again.

The top shelf of the refrigerator contained seafood that the team members who went to the countryside today had just brought back from the Liujia production team in Hongxing.

Crabs and prawns, all lively and jumping around.

The clams and whelks were all plump and juicy.

It's all good stuff.

Liu Wangcai was considerate in his work. The crabs were tied tightly with straw ropes, and their bluish-gray shells gleamed with a moist sheen under the light.

Now is the perfect time to eat crabs.

Wei Qinghuan picked up a brush and carefully scrubbed every crevices. Instantly, the unique salty smell of the sea filled the kitchen.

"Ouch!"

A crab suddenly broke free of the straw rope and fell quickly to the ground.

Qian Xi, who was outside, rushed in upon hearing the noise: "What's wrong?"

The crab, now freed from its restraints, immediately raised its large pincers at her.

Without hesitation, Qian Xi squatted down and deftly pinched the crab shell from behind to re-tie it: "What's the rush? In such a hurry to put it in the pot?"

Upon seeing this, Qian Jin exclaimed, "Well done, Second Sister! Your crab-catching skills haven't suffered!"

Qian Xi said, "Before we went to the countryside, I would take you to go beachcombing every time the tide went out. This skill was honed over many years."

"But it's still a step backward, after all, it's been a few years since we've encountered crabs."

After tying up the crabs, Wei Qinghuan began steaming the seafood.

A large iron pot is lined with scallion segments and ginger slices, then layered with swimming crabs, prawns, clams, and conch, and surrounded by a ring of tender green kelp.

The water in the pot had already boiled, and soon steam overflowed from the edge of the lid, transforming the salty and fishy smell in the kitchen into the unique fresh aroma of high-quality seafood.

Qian Jin prepares sea bass.

This is a big fish; it tastes best when steamed and then drizzled with oil.

He made a few cuts on the fish, added scallions, ginger, garlic, and cooking wine to remove the fishy smell, and then added steamed fish soy sauce before cooking it.

Wei Qinghuan took out a few more eggs, gently cracked them, and let the egg liquid flow into a bowl. She then quickly stirred them with chopsticks.

Then she put a little oil in the pan, and once the oil was hot, she poured the egg mixture into the pan and spread it into a golden-yellow egg crepe.

Qian Xi rolled up her sleeves to help, praising the kitchen: "There are so many stoves here, it's so convenient to cook."

This house is prepared for the leaders.

The leader's family has a housekeeper who cooks, and considering that the leader often has family banquets, the kitchen is equipped with multiple stoves.

Wei Qinghuan prepared some fresh vegetables, which didn't cost any money. The labor commando team would go to Xiping Production Brigade to pick up vegetables every two days, and Qian Jinjia would receive a portion of them.

This batch has nothing to do with the labor shock brigade; the vegetables were picked from Zhou Tiezhen's private plot, and he specially paid for them.

Qian Xi washed the vegetables and asked, "How do you make them?"

Wei Qinghuan said, "Second Sister, you don't need to bother. Just wash it and put it there..."

“We’re all on the same side, so let’s not stand on ceremony. I’d like to lend a hand,” Qian Xi said honestly.

Wei Qinghuan said, "Then you can cut it into sections and blanch it. I'll have your younger brother make a cold dish with it later; he's really good at it."

Qian Jin smiled.

The ready-made seasoning is in the refrigerator; just pour it in.

The three of them worked together and a table full of dishes was ready.

The main thing is that, apart from stewing pork ribs which takes a long time, the other dishes are very easy to make, and there are also several ready-made dishes.

Salted ham, red sausage, luncheon meat, and canned fruit—these are dishes that only well-off families can afford these days.

The Qian couple, who had been waiting for a long time, came up to serve the dishes.

The broth for stewing pork ribs is rich and flavorful, and the pork ribs themselves are tender and juicy.

The ham and sausage slices are reddish in color and glisten with oil under the light.

Wei Qinghuan lifted the pot lid, and white steam billowed up, revealing the seafood inside.

The crabs turned bright red, the prawns curled into crescent shapes, and the clams opened their mouths, revealing tender white flesh inside.

All kinds of seafood were steamed to perfection, preserving their original flavor.

This made Qian Cheng exclaim, "Incredible, incredible! Teacher Wei is the number one daughter-in-law in the Qian family!"

"My sister-in-law is number one, I have to come after her," Wei Qinghuan joked casually.

The aroma of food drew the children over from the balcony: "Wow, so much delicious food!"

Chen Aiguo was the first to shout, and then the other children joined in the cheering.

When Qian Xi’s second son, Chen Jianguo, saw the roast chicken, he instinctively reached for it.

Upon seeing this, Chen Shoujiang slapped him: "You're so impatient. What's wrong? Can't you get a meal at our forest farm?"

Chen Jianguo muttered aggrievedly, "I haven't been able to eat roast chicken yet. I haven't had any roast chicken this year."

Qian Cheng's eldest son, Qian Tu, whispered, "I've never eaten roast chicken before!"

Qian Jin immediately found the chicken leg.

But then I had another worry.

Five children!
Wei Qinghuan grabbed a handful of candies and handed them out: "Eat one candy first to chew on your teeth. Once you've finished your candies, we can eat our meal."

The five children looked at the adults, and for a moment none of them dared to reach out.

Qian Jin chuckled: "Here you go, what's wrong? Haven't you had any candy today?"

Qian Tu whispered, "We got to eat some. My aunt gave them to us, but my mom said we can only have one piece of candy a day and we're not allowed to have any more."

Wei Qinghuan pushed the plate towards the children: "Normally one piece of candy a day, but today is an exception, you can have two pieces."

The children each looked at their own parents.

Only after the adults nodded did they cheer and rush to grab the candy.

Qian Jin grabbed a handful of chopsticks and placed them on the table, while Wei Qinghuan poured another layer of boiling oil over the sea bass.
"We can eat now!"

The plump sea bass lay on a long plate, covered with emerald green scallions and tender yellow ginger slices, its skin glistening with an amber light after being drizzled with soy sauce.

She deliberately positioned the fish's eyes towards Qian Cheng—this is a local custom, where the fish's head should face the guest.

Ma Hongxia stared wide-eyed at the table full of fish and meat.

She wrung her hands nervously and asked, "How much money and how many tickets will this cost?"

"Sister-in-law, please sit down." Wei Qinghuan pulled her along. "Don't worry, your brother didn't embezzle anything. Most of these things are free." She explained where the seafood came from. When Qian Cheng learned that Qian Jin, even after becoming a cadre, still remembered to support agriculture, a bright smile appeared on his dark face.

Both of their families are now farmers.

Qian Jin's willingness to support agriculture demonstrates his attitude towards farmers.

The five children's eyes were already wide open.

Upon hearing that it was time to eat, the youngest child reached out to grab a chicken leg, but Qian Cheng stopped him, saying, "No manners!"

"Let the children eat first." Wei Qinghuan put a piece of pork rib in each child's bowl. "Come on, try your aunt's and uncle's cooking."

What followed filled Wei Qinghuan with both heartache and relief.

The children were initially reserved, but they completely relaxed after tasting the first bite of meat.

Each child received one piece of clear-broth pork rib and one piece of braised pork rib. Then, the five children quickly got to work, leaving each of them with only two bones in front of them.

Qian Jin poured beer.

Qian Cheng asked, "I remember that Teacher Wei's brother and niece lived here? Why don't I see them?"

Wei Qinghuan explained, "I called my older brother before I left work. He's taking his child out to eat tonight."

Qian Xi said embarrassedly, "Teacher Wei, look at you, how could you do this? Aren't we kicking people out?"

Wei Qinghuan laughed and said, "What is it? My niece has been clamoring to eat out these days, and your arrival has finally given her the chance."

"Besides, meeting up is easy enough! We'll have our family reunion dinner together tomorrow night!"

"Good!" Chen Shoujiang suddenly shouted.

Qian Xi glared at her husband with disdain.

The children, however, ignored this and continued to eat meat without paying any attention.

"Eat slowly, don't choke." Wei Qinghuan kept putting food on the children's plates.

Qian Jin opened a beer and filled the adults' glasses.

The golden liquid foamed in the glass. Qian Cheng picked it up, took a small sip, and was very satisfied.

"This is real beer! The stuff sold at our rural supply and marketing cooperative tastes like horse piss, it's rotten and undrinkable!"

“I can’t bear to drink it either,” Ma Hongxia retorted, contradicting him.

The men burst into laughter, and the women began to eat.

Ma Hongxia picked up a slice of ham and put it in her mouth to savor it slowly: "No wonder my husband always says that the salted ham from Haibin City is the best. This taste is different; it has a really good flavor."

Qian Xi's eyes welled up with tears after taking a bite of the fish: "Sea bass, I've forgotten what it tastes like."

“I remember back in 1963,” Qian Cheng put down his chopsticks, his eyes gleaming with reminiscence, “our family only had one pound of fish coupons a month.”

"Back then, how did you buy sea bass? You would cut it into small pieces and weigh it. Each piece would weigh half a jin (250 grams), and a family would only have two pieces a month."

"It was August, I think? The fourth brother went beachcombing with the neighbors one day, and hey, he got lucky and actually found a sea bass."

"The neighbor tried to scare him by saying he'd take the fish away, but he grabbed it and ran back in a flash. Haha, he was so clever! His parents were overjoyed..."

Qian Xi asked Qian Jin, "Do you remember this? Thanks to you that time, the whole family was able to have a fish soup."

How could Qian Jin possibly remember?

He said casually, "Back then I hated my neighbor so much. But when I got older, I understood that in those days everyone was starving. The fact that he didn't steal my fish was already a sign of his kindness."

This is what he deduced.

His deduction was correct.

Qian Xi said nostalgically, "Yes, there were no bad people in Uncle Si's family. When you were little, he even let you ride a big horse."

Chen Shoujiang said, "Back then, life was tough all over the country, but our forest farm was a little better off. We were near the old forests of Changbai Mountain, so at least we could make a living."

Ma Hongxia shook her head: "It's not possible where we are. Sigh, back then, our village..."

She continued to shake her head without saying a word, her gaze sweeping over the table full of fish and meat before finally sighing, "It feels like a dream."

The dinner table suddenly became quiet.

The five children were still fighting over the last roast chicken, while the adults were all lost in their own memories.

Wei Qinghuan hurriedly divided the crabs: "Don't just eat the meat, try this fresh seafood. Seafood should be eaten hot. When it's cold, it loses its freshness and only has a fishy smell."

She disassembled the crab.

Qian Cheng peeled crab meat for his wife.

Ma Hongxia said shyly, "At my age, this is the first time I've ever eaten crab."

Her eldest son, chewing on meat, mumbled, "Mmm, Mom, crabs aren't good, they prick your mouth. Roast chicken is so delicious, really delicious! Mmm, Auntie's ribs are delicious too, so fragrant!"

Qian Cheng put down his wine glass and said apologetically, "Look at you two, you've prepared such a lavish feast, we really don't know what to say."

"Then let's not talk about it. Come on, brother, let's have a drink." Qian Jin raised his glass to toast, then drank it all in one gulp.

“Eat more,” he said to the children. “Don’t worry about the adults. Eat as much as you can, but don’t overeat. There will be plenty of good food in the days to come.”

"Fourth Uncle, will we be able to eat such delicious food again tomorrow?" the little girl Qian Hong asked happily.

Qian Jin pointed at Wei Qinghuan with his chopsticks: "The head chef is here."

Wei Qinghuan said with a smile, "As long as you behave well, your aunt will cook for you often in the future."

The five children immediately declared, "We will definitely behave well..."

The two families laughed heartily.

It's truly a blessing to have a family gathering together for a joyful reunion dinner.

Qian Xi sighed, "It's a pity that the third brother can't come, otherwise our family would really be reunited."

Qian Cheng swallowed the ham and said, "He had no choice; his father-in-law had a sudden illness and couldn't walk."

"But there will be other opportunities in the future. We will come to the seaside again in the future. To be honest, Fourth Brother shouldn't be unwelcoming to us, right?"

Qian Jin said, "You said you'd come back to the seaside again, but your sister-in-law told me to find a way to get you transferred back as soon as possible."

"Sister-in-law, brother-in-law, what are you two thinking? Do you want to come back to the city to work?"

The table fell silent again.

The four adults looked at Qian Jin in shock.

Qian Cheng rubbed his hands unconsciously, his expression somewhat incredulous.

Qian Jin looked at him, feeling a pang of emotion.

This older brother was six years older than him, but he looked twenty years older.

His skin was dark, his face was full of wrinkles, his hair was gray, and his back was already a little hunched!
Qian Cheng looked at him and asked hesitantly, "Can...can it be done? I'm afraid it won't be that easy, will it?"

Chen Shoujiang muttered, "It's definitely not easy. The leaders of our forest farm hold meetings with the educated youth and their families every day, preventing them from returning to the city. Every now and then, the educated youth would fight with the leaders because of this."

Qian Jin laughed and said, "It's all up to people. Anyway, there's a policy now that educated youth can return to the city. As long as you're willing to come back, I can always find a way to get you transferred back."

“Our transfer back won’t take up any of the country’s resources. You’ve got your houses, and I can find you jobs myself.”

"You could even say that you can create more benefits for the country after you return to the city."

Qian Cheng listened with great excitement.

He suddenly stood up, the beer in his glass spilling onto his sleeve: "Fourth brother, let me toast you!"

He tilted his head back and gulped down the wine, his Adam's apple bobbing violently. "Actually, actually, your sister and I had our own ulterior motives for coming here this time..."

“We didn’t expect to be able to come back, we didn’t have that kind of hope, we just wanted to transfer the child’s household registration back,” Qian Xifei replied quickly, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers.

“What we’re thinking is that, as you can see, the country has resumed the college entrance examination, and we will definitely have to pay more attention to education in the future. Whether it’s our forest farm or the production team of the eldest brother and the third brother, the teaching staff there is relatively poor.”

“Our lives have been wasted, and we can’t let our children be wasted, so we want to transfer our children’s household registration to the city so they can attend school.”

Qian Jin said, "That's great, what's so difficult about this?"

Ma Hongxia also said, "Your older brother told me about this. We want to transfer the child's household registration to the old house that Dad left behind. Don't worry, we won't take any of your houses in the future; it's just for the child..."

"Sister-in-law!" Qian Jin interrupted her, his brows furrowed tightly. "Aren't you contradicting me by saying that?"

"My older brother is talking about that house in the workers' new village of the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill, right? That was originally left to the four of us by our father."

“I’m currently living in an apartment provided by my work unit. You can use that old house as you like. It has three rooms. In the future, each of you will have your own room, which will be a bit cramped. But having your own place will definitely make it more comfortable.”

Upon hearing this, Qian Xi couldn't help but cover her face, her shoulders shaking violently.

Chen Shoujiang patted his wife's back and teased, "What are you doing? Aren't you usually all talk and no action?"

As he said this, his eyes reddened slightly. He paused on the table with his glass and said, "Youngest brother, no, fourth brother, you're a real man, awesome."

"No problem, brother-in-law, down this glass. Brother-in-law is all bragging, he won't say anything serious, but you understand my feelings. All the emotions are in this glass of wine. From now on, I won't say anything more, I'll just say you're awesome!"

As he spoke, he tilted his head back and chugged the beer down.

Ma Hongxia was so happy she almost cried.

Qian Jin joked, "Brother-in-law, are you sure you can handle this? It's just a beer, but you've got me all fired up. Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd brewed a strong beer."

Chen Shoujiang laughed heartily: "I didn't bring you any good stuff this time. I didn't bring you a 'Knockout Donkey' (a type of donkey). When I get back and finish the paperwork, I'll exchange all my savings for cash and bring you a 10 or 20-pound 'Knockout Donkey'."

"Just you wait and see, I'll give you a good beating!"

Qian Cheng asked, "Second brother, are you going back to the city?"

Qian Xi wiped her eyes and said, "If there's any hope of getting the paperwork to return to the city, I definitely have to go back."

"The forest farm... the forest farm is a good place, but how can it compare to the coastal city?"

Chen Shoujiang added for his wife, "Especially since there's a house too!"

He slammed his hand on the table and repeated the sentence to the others: "They own their own houses in the city!"

“A young man from the educated youth settlement in the forest farm next door,” Qian Xi added to her husband’s voiceover, “was suddenly reported in June this year for having bourgeois ideas.”

“The young man will definitely deny it, but it’s no use, because there’s a handwritten letter from him as proof.”

"He was stunned when he saw the handwritten letter—it was a letter from his own family! His own brother had reported him. Why? Just to prevent him from returning to the city to get a share of the family house!"

The atmosphere at the dinner table began to become heavy.

Qian Cheng took out a cigarette and offered it to Qian Jin and his brother-in-law, then squinted and sighed, "There are plenty of cases like this."

Children are very sensitive; they sensed the unusual atmosphere at the dinner table and quickly became timid and obedient.

Especially Qian Hong, the little girl, quickly put down the crab leg she had half-eaten.

Wei Qinghuan got up and went to the kitchen, bringing out a plate of golden-brown fried peanuts:
"Come on, kids, try this. I fried it in lard and sprinkled some white sugar on it. It's sweet and fragrant."

The five children each grabbed a handful, munching away with their eyes half-closed and nodding vigorously.

"My aunt is so kind."

"I love my aunt the most. After you find me, I want to marry you!"

The somber atmosphere was thus dispelled.

Chen Shoujiang slapped his eldest son on the head: "If you don't know any better, just eat your food properly and don't talk nonsense. Your aunt is your uncle's wife, his wife for life. They're going to grow old together."

Chen Jianguo said in a simple and honest way, "Then I will protect my aunt from now on, and when I earn money, I will spend it on my aunt!"

Wei Qinghuan said, "Okay, then your aunt will find you a good wife in the future."

"You also need to know how to make these candied peanuts," Chen Jianguo earnestly instructed. "If you don't know how, then forget it."

The adults all laughed.

Qian Cheng slowly said, "Fourth brother, no matter what happens in the future, your words tonight make me, as the eldest brother, happy. I'd be happy even if I died tomorrow..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ma Hongxia quickly slapped her husband.

Qian Cheng said to his wife, "I'm not talking nonsense. I'm so happy."

“Hongxia, you know what happened to the educated youth in our area when they went back to the city to return or visit their families. Take housing for example. Because they were worried that their educated youth brothers and sisters who had been sent to the countryside would come back to the city and take away their parents’ houses, many of their own brothers and sisters wouldn’t let them return to the city.”

He pointed to Qian Xi and continued, "Similar things happened in our educated youth team as well."

"In the past two years, the policy has been relaxed, allowing educated youth to return to the city, but some of their brothers and sisters do not want them to come back."

“I have a friend who’s from Fengcheng. His younger brother wants to live in the house all to himself, so he’s doing everything he can to stop him from going back. This year, my friend went back to celebrate his father’s birthday, and what did his brother do?”

"He was nominally filial, then he took his parents out to a restaurant for their birthday. That night he locked the door, and my friend rushed back home, only to find the door locked!"

“He didn’t know where his parents and brother’s family had gone, so he could only wait outside anxiously. When he later found out the truth, he was heartbroken.”

(End of this chapter)