The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 231 I want to stay in the city, everyone must stay in the city

The moon is round like a cake.

Late at night.

Qian Xi stood on the balcony, watching her brother, husband, and younger brother walk away.

Since Qian Jin was leaving, they definitely had to see him off. After a bit of a dispute, the two men ended up seeing their younger brother off to the front gate.

The eldest brother habitually hunched over, the husband habitually walked with a powerful stride, and the younger brother walked with a light step.

The moonlight shone on the cement road, like a layer of silver frost.

The three figures were quickly blocked by the buildings in front. Qian Xi returned to her bedroom and took out a photo album from the outer layer of her handbag.

In the faded photograph, the stern-faced father is wearing a military uniform, while the mother is holding their youngest son, Qian Jin.

Back then, the eldest brother was a spirited young man, she wore a red scarf, and the third brother, missing a front tooth, was laughing.

My younger brother was being held in my mother's arms; he was so thin he looked like a bean sprout.

Less than a year after this photo was taken, their mother passed away, and the fourth child grew up with the label of "motherless child"...

A tear fell onto the photograph.

The stark contrast between her past joys and sorrows and her present happiness left her with a profound sense of disorientation.

Outside the window, the moon before the Mid-Autumn Festival was round and bright, like a mirror, reflecting the joys and sorrows of their family over the past ten years.

Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and this family will finally be reunited soon.

Mid-Autumn Festival morning, fireworks in the city

By the time Chen Shoujiang and Qian Cheng returned and prepared to go to sleep, it was already the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

They were exhausted from their journey and were sleep-deprived. They had also drunk a lot of beer and liquor that night, so they started snoring as soon as they lay down.

A few hours later, while it was still barely dawn, Qian Xi and Ma Hongxia got up.

They wanted to wake the children up.

When I went to the master bedroom, I saw...

Only four of the five children remained in the bed.

Chen Jianguo was sleeping on the ground.

Qian Xi quickly woke up her eldest son: "Why are you sleeping on the floor?"

Chen Jianguo rubbed his eyes and mumbled, "The bed is too cramped, and my brother keeps farting. It's not as comfortable as the floor."

"Mom, don't worry about me, I can still sleep, I want to sleep more."

Qian Xi felt heartbroken seeing her son close his eyes and fall asleep again.

How could she not be tired?

After traveling by oxcart, car, and train all the way from the forest farm in Northeast China, she was exhausted to the bone.

But she still had to go to her younger brother's house today, and she planned to buy breakfast for her brother, sister-in-law, and their families.

That way they can't arrive late, otherwise what's the point of delivering breakfast? They can just wait to eat.

Ma Hongxia didn't care at all and shouted, "Meat buns are served! Two big meat buns for everyone. Whoever gets up late won't get any meat buns..."

The child, who had been woken up, was excited to hear that there were meat buns to eat and immediately became alert, clamoring for meat buns.

The two older men behind them were also called upon, and the two families, a total of nine people, set off in a grand procession.

In autumn, sea fog easily enters the city at night. At this time, as the sun rises slightly, the city is shrouded in a thin layer of fog.

The sea fog, like a light veil, floated gently between the streets and alleys.

This is the morning light that Qian Ximeng has seen countless times.

She greedily inhaled the damp morning breeze, gazing longingly at everything before her.

The gentle dawn and thin morning mist cast a dreamlike glow over the city.

An autumn breeze swept by, bringing a chill.

The plane trees along the street rustled in the autumn wind, while willow and poplar leaves began to flutter down, carpeting the asphalt road with a mottled pattern.

In the early morning, the streets and alleys are quieter than usual, with fewer cyclists. Instead, they are filled with a different kind of liveliness.

Neighbors and friends gathered in small groups, carrying baskets and bags, walking briskly.

Qian Cheng listened to them with a smile, translating for his wife and brother-in-law: "They're not working today; they're going to the morning market."

"The market has a large supply of groceries and snacks this morning, and they are going to buy groceries to prepare for their Mid-Autumn Festival family dinner tonight."

This goes without saying; once they left the workers' new village and entered the road, they saw long queues in front of grocery stores and food stores.

Especially in front of the food store, the queues snaked and twisted like a long snake.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a big holiday, and everyone, adults and children alike, is happy.

The group walked around the procession, and they could hear people chatting excitedly, all talking about dinner:
"Hey Lao Zhang, how many pounds of mooncakes did you buy?"

"Hey, are you buying a few more pounds? Let's just buy two pounds to try it out. I'm getting some braised pig's head meat today. The kids have been asking for it for days. I'll treat them to a nice meal tonight."

"Why are you queuing at the grocery store on our street if you want to buy pig's head? Go queue up on Taishan Road! Eat their braised meat there. They use really good ingredients, and their braised pig's head is the best—fragrant and oily..."

Qian Xi called to her two mischievous sons, "Come on, come on, what are you two jumping around for?"

The five children all walked slowly and reluctantly.

They were so tired after getting off the train yesterday that they didn't have the energy to properly explore this coastal city.

They finally caught their breath today and began to have their eyes opened:

Skyscrapers, wide streets, and a dazzling array of shops lining the roadside—all of this was incredibly novel to them.

The older children took care of the younger ones; the five children were like five wild rabbits that had just emerged from the old forest, hopping around everywhere.

Even when their parents call them over, they can't run around anymore; their legs may rest, but their mouths can't:

"Wow, Mom, this building is so tall! It's much taller than the commune's revolutionary committee building."

"What's the big deal? Some of the trees in our forest are much taller than these buildings..."

"What do you have there? Our mountains are much taller than the trees in your forest farm, but is that the same thing? Do you have lights in your trees? Look, what's that shop over there? It's so pretty, with its lights shining brightly."

Chen Jianguo turned his head and suddenly shouted happily, "Dad, Mom, look! They're selling fried dough sticks!"

There is a state-run breakfast stall up ahead.

The restaurant was small; the deep fryer for fried dough sticks and the steamer for xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) were outside, and there were quite a few people queuing up.

Haibin City is located in the north, and the local cuisine consists of traditional large steamed buns. Small steamed buns are a southern specialty and are not commonly found in state-run shops in Haibin City these days. As they are rare, they are highly valued by the locals.

The five children saw the delicious food and ran over quickly.

The golden-yellow fried dough sticks tumbled in the iron wok, releasing an enticing aroma.

White steam drifted around the steamer, the pure aroma of wheat mingling with the oily fragrance of steamed meat, making the children gasp for breath.

Qian Cheng took out his wallet from the top pocket of his Zhongshan suit, but Ma Hongxia stopped him: "Use this."

She pulled out a red plastic-covered notebook: "This is the ration book that Lao Si gave me. You need this in the city, right?"

Qian Cheng laughed and said, "This is for collecting grain. You can't use it to buy fried dough sticks or steamed buns. You still need grain coupons."

The man frying the dough sticks was an old man with a gap in his teeth, and his apron was covered in oil stains.

He was efficient and easy to talk to, and people in line always greeted him.

The old man didn't stop working while he was talking. He drained the oil from the fried dough sticks, then quickly wrapped them in newspaper and put a piece of yellow straw paper on the outside.

Five children, clearly from the countryside, crowded forward to inhale the air. Far from looking down on them, he showed them tenderness. He immediately pretended to accidentally drop a fried dough stick on the ground, picked it up, tore it into five pieces, and distributed them to the five children.

"According to official regulations, if it falls on the ground, it can't be sold. You little brats can get it for free."

Chen Jianguo took a piece, scalding it as he passed it between his hands, quickly took a bite, and then looked up with a grin: "Delicious!"

Feeling embarrassed, Qian Cheng said from the back of the line, "Uncle, we'll settle the bill together later."

The old man waved his hand and continued working.

When it was their turn to line up, the old man squinted at them and asked, "Just returned to the city? Where did you go to be sent down to the countryside?"

Qian Cheng said, "I went to the Loess Plateau, and my sister went to the Changbai Mountain Forest Farm."

The old man was filled with respect: "Wow, one is supporting the Great Northwest, and the other is developing the Great Northeast, how remarkable."

Upon hearing this, Qian Cheng felt a surge of warmth in his chest.

He finally felt the warmth of his hometown people.

Twenty-five fried dough sticks and two baskets of steamed buns.

In Haibin City, the fried dough sticks are actually two sticks bundled together, costing four cents.

Soy milk is quite cheap, only two cents a bowl. You can add saccharin for free, but if you want to add white sugar, you have to pay extra, one cent per spoonful.

The four adults had their hands full.

Each of the five children received a fried dough stick.

The golden-brown fried dough sticks glistened in the morning sun, steaming and emitting a fragrant aroma.

They held the fried dough sticks like precious treasures.

Qian Hong took a small bite, the fried dough sticking to her cheek: "Mom, the fried dough sticks in the city are better than those in the commune. They're crispy, soft, and fragrant!"

Qian Cheng sighed, "Otherwise, why would everyone want to go back to the city? Life in the countryside is so difficult. If you want to eat a fried dough stick, you have to go to the commune before dawn to queue up."

"Moreover, the fried dough sticks at our commune's food store are so dry and hard. The oil has been used for who knows how many years; it's so black that you could write big characters with a calligraphy brush dipped in it!"

Chen Jianguo broke the fried dough sticks into small pieces and insisted that Qian Xi and her husband squat down so that each of them could have a bite.

Seeing this, Ma Hongxia said enviously, "Although Jianguo is a naughty kid, he is really filial."

Chen Shoujiang said proudly, "The offspring of the Chen family never grow up to be crooked."

As they passed the Xinhua Bookstore, Ma Hongxia suddenly exclaimed "Ah!"

The shop window displays newly published books, including a reprint of the classic book "Self-Study Series on Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry," which was published after the resumption of the college entrance examination. Next to it is a Xinhua Dictionary with the words "Marching Towards Knowledge" printed in bright red on the cover.

Ma Hongxia touched the book through the glass, then turned to Qian Cheng and said, "Is this the book that Da Yuan has always wanted? I can't read, but I remember him saying that the book was about the size of a palm but a very thick stack."

Qian Cheng said, "It's this book. No rush, I'll bring him a copy later."

Ma Hongxia hesitated: "What if they get snatched up by someone else?"

Qian Xi laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, it's alright. There are plenty of books available in the city now. Dictionaries are reference books, and students who want to buy dictionaries have already bought them. Not many people will compete with us for them."

Ma Hongxia smiled shyly: "Okay, I don't understand, I'll listen to you."

The plane tree leaves on Taishan Road have also begun to fall.

Golden leaves swirled down, landing on the old man selling clams' straw hat, on the shoulders of people queuing in front of the food shop, and in the hair of five children.

Qian Tu picked up a whole leaf and said he would press it in his textbook as a bookmark.

"Look!" Chen Aiguo suddenly pointed to the sky.

A flock of pigeons swooped past, their whistles like a string of silver bells, exceptionally clear in the morning mist. The pigeon breeder stood on the rooftop, waving a bamboo pole; his blue cloth trousers billowed in the wind like a flag.

The five children, holding their fried dough sticks, refused to leave, all watching this scene that they would never see in the countryside.

Qian Cheng and Chen Shoujiang coaxed the children, telling them to hurry up and go to the park later, before they finally got them to leave.

As they reached the corner of Hengshan Road, a sweet fragrance wafted over, and the children stopped to walk.

It's a state-owned food factory delivering freshly baked mooncakes!

These mooncakes were freshly baked; they were soft, oily, and had a wonderfully sweet aroma.

Several teenagers were gathered around, waiting to sell the defective goods cheaply.

This time, the children refused to leave, even the fried dough sticks in their hands no longer tasted good, and they stared longingly at the mooncakes.

However, the mooncake vendor, though also an old man, was not as kind as the old man selling fried dough sticks.

He ignored the children's cravings and proceeded to weigh mooncakes for the customers in line as usual.

Ma Hongxia took out five fruit candies from her pocket and gave them to the five children: "Go to your uncle's and maternal uncle's house for a good meal later."

The candy wrapper glittered in the sunlight.

Qian Hong couldn't bear to eat it, so she hid the candy in her shirt pocket and felt its shape through the fabric.

Chen Jianguo crunched the candy loudly, squinting his eyes with sweetness as he exclaimed, "I declare that I have invented a new way to eat fried dough sticks: fried dough sticks and candy together are both fragrant and sweet!"

"Get the hell out of here!" Chen Shoujiang yelled at him.

When they passed the post office, it was Qian Xi's turn to stop.
A newly arrived copy of "People's Pictorial" was pasted on the window, its cover featuring a brightly lit night view of Chang'an Avenue in the capital.

She touched her pocket, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to buy the magazine.

Qian Cheng silently noted this down, but said, "Hurry up and go, don't be late and make our sister-in-law go buy breakfast."

Five children skipped and hopped ahead.

They counted the fire hydrants along the roadside, guessing whether the next house number would be odd or even.

Occasionally, a bicycle bell would ring, or a bus conductor would ring a bell, and they would quickly hide behind an adult, then run out laughing and joking.

We finally made it onto Taishan Road.

A delicious aroma wafted over again.

The aroma was especially strong this time, leaving the children dumbfounded: "What is this? Why does it smell so good?"

Chen Shoujiang scratched his head: "Right, what is this? We've never seen it where we're from."

"They're frying sesame oil dough sticks," Qian Xi said with a smile.

The golden fried dough twists tumbled in the oil, and the master chef gently lifted them with long chopsticks, arranging them into a beautiful fan shape.

Qian Cheng counted out two cents: "Buy some for the kids to try."

While queuing to buy fried dough twists, the loudspeaker at the intersection announced: "China National Radio, this is now a news and newspaper summary program..."

The announcer's clear and resonant voice echoed through the streets.

The old man selling fried dough twists paused, then turned off the radio next to him.

The voice from the three-way loudspeaker continued, "...The Party Central Committee has decided to further implement the policy on intellectuals..."

The people queuing to buy fried dough twists began to whisper among themselves.

A middle-aged man wearing glasses took off his hat, looked up at the loudspeaker, and muttered, "This is great! The good days for intellectuals have arrived. Knowledge, science, and the country can prosper!"

Qian Cheng didn't understand the deeper meaning behind those words, but he knew that society was indeed different from before.

After turning the last corner, the cadre building where Qian Jin lived came into view.

The five children suddenly quieted down; they knew they had to behave properly in front of Qian Jin and his wife.

But when they got to the building entrance, they became active again because there was a beautiful big motorcycle parked in front of the building!

Chen Jianguo tried to climb up, but Chen Shoujiang kicked him away: "Behave yourself, this building is full of cadres, who knows which leader's car it is. If you damage it, you'll go to jail!"

Ma Hongxia took out a small handkerchief and wiped each child's face.

Qian Xi tucked her loose hair behind her ear, while Chen Shoujiang wiped the dust off his liberation shoes onto his trouser legs and then patted them down.

The morning mist is dissipating.

Sunlight filters through the leaves of the sycamore trees, casting dappled shadows on the concrete road.

A mournful sound came from afar.

Qian Cheng felt refreshed: "Listen, that's the sound of a large ship's horn!"

The two Chen brothers jumped up and down, saying, "I want to see the big ship..."

"After breakfast, I'll take you to see it," Wei Qinghuan's voice rang out from the upstairs window.

Qian Jin opened the door for his older brother and sister, and asked in surprise, "How did you get here?"

"We walked here, it wasn't far anyway," Qian Cheng said with a smile.

Qian Jin said, "No, what I mean is, how did you find the way? How did you come to our door?"

Seeing his younger brother's shocked expression, Qian Cheng laughed heartily: "Fourth brother, your brother has lived in this city for almost twenty years. There are only a few streets in this city, and I know them all by heart."

“I remembered that your home is in the cadre building on Taishan Road. So I walked towards Taishan Road after leaving the workers’ village. It’s easy to find your cadre building once I find Taishan Road.”

Qian Jin was very impressed: "Brother, you've been in the countryside for so long, how come you still remember these roads?"

“We have a map of Haibin City at home. We traded it with the driver who delivered dried fish to the commune. Your brother treasures it and takes it out to look at it almost every night before going to bed,” Ma Hongxia explained with a smile.

Qian Jin said, "Then you remember the streets of Haibin City so clearly, brother?"

Qian Cheng said, "It's crystal clear. I could feel it even with my eyes closed!"

Qian Jin clapped his hands and said, "Once the procedures for your return to the city are completed, I'll send you to learn to drive and take your driving test. You can be a driver then."

After the reform and opening up, he would need a driver sooner or later, and it would be good to have this older brother be his driver.

These days, being a driver is a highly coveted job. Arranging for a family member to be your driver isn't an insult; on the contrary, it's the greatest promotion you can give your family.

Qian Cheng's reaction confirmed this: "Huh? Drive? I... can you take me to get a car?"

“This is easy for him,” Wei Qinghuan said, setting up the table. “Your brother is good friends with a lot of drivers, so finding you a driver will be a breeze.”

Chen Shoujiang scratched the back of his head sheepishly: "Brother, do you think I could also learn to drive?"

Qian Jin smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, don't worry. There are job opportunities in the city. I will find you a good job that you like and that suits you."

"I see you like cameras and taking pictures? Well then, I'll arrange for you to be an apprentice at a photography studio."

Chen Shoujiang stared at him wide-eyed: "No, brother, you have such powerful connections?"

Qian Jin said, "It just happens that we have some connection with the transportation and photography studio industries."

"Come on, let's eat. There's no rush. Don't worry, I'll find you suitable jobs."

As the sun gradually rises higher, sunlight streams into the building, making it warm and comfortable.

Wei Xiongtu and Zhang Aijun made an appearance.

Qian Jin introduced the two parties.

Little Tangyuan hung out with her five older brothers and sisters.

Now that Sixiao has gone to school, she has new older brothers and sisters, so she'll definitely have plenty of playmates...

Wei Qinghuan didn't buy breakfast. She guessed that Qian Jin and his sister would bring breakfast over, which would be a good opportunity for both families to show off.

However, she cooked millet porridge, which, when paired with pickled vegetables and fried dough sticks, made for a hearty breakfast.

Qian Cheng and Qian Xi talked about the changes in Haibin City, expressing their feelings repeatedly.

The children chattered excitedly as they ate the delicious steamed buns, thoroughly enjoying their city life.

"Uncle, the city is great, I want to go to school here," Qian Tu said firmly.

"I want to go to school in the city too, Mom. I'm not going back with you. You go back with Dad," Chen Jianguo said, chewing on a meat bun.

He then said to his younger brother, "Didn't you tell Mom that you weren't going to study in the city? You wanted to stay at the forest farm? Then you should come back with Mom and Dad."

Chen Aiguo was stunned for a moment, then threw down the steamed bun, sat on the ground, and began to wail loudly: "I want to stay in the city to go to school too! I...I love going to school..."

Chen Jianguo seized the opportunity to pick up half a bun and stuff it into his mouth.

Chen Aiguo cried even more bitterly.

No amount of coaxing will help.

Zhang Aijun wiped his mouth one last time, then suddenly leaned close to him, baring his teeth and saying, "Where did this crybaby come from? Come on, I'm taking him to the zoo to feed the tigers!"

Chen Aiguo let out a cry and nestled quietly in his mother's arms.

Qian Jin laughed: "Alright, alright, you can all stay in the city to study."

"When you all grow up, you must all go to university. You can't stay in the city anymore. You must either go to the Northwest or go back to the Northeast. You'll be responsible for building up your hometown!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Qinghuan slapped him and said, "How can you be such an elder? Advising a child to go to the countryside."

Qian Jin said, "Our Qian family descendants must have backbone and a sense of national responsibility. Our future children should not stay in Haibin City; they should all go to the places where our country needs to be built and contribute to the country's development!"

I definitely won't become a farmer then.

Qian Jin intends to train his descendants to become industry leaders across the country.

If a child has the ability, he will definitely have the resources to nurture them.

The Qian Cheng and Qian Xi families laughed it off, not taking his words seriously, but they all echoed his words, "We must build our motherland well."

Then the conversation turned to Qian Jin and Wei Qinghuan, asking them when they planned to have children.

Qian Jin and Wei Qinghuan had already discussed this matter.

The couple's predicament lies in the fact that neither of them has any elders left, and no one can help take care of the child.

Now my brother and sister-in-law have arrived.

People who can look after children have also arrived...

There's no rush.

While eating breakfast, Qian Jin planned out the itinerary for the next few days for both families.

We want to see the sea, we want to go out to sea to fish.

We want to go to the movies, go to the park, and go shopping.

He had his schedule packed full.

However, he was unable to accompany them.

He also has to deal with the opening of the garment factory, and the female workers have now been recruited.

Once the raw materials are finalized, we can open for business!

(End of this chapter)