The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 246 Year-End Bonus, Big Year-End Benefits
January 27th is the 1th day of the twelfth lunar month, which is Lunar New Year's Eve.

Government agencies, factories, and other government departments have closed for the holidays.

The first group of 50 visiting scholars from mainland China arrived in Washington, D.C., and then the chief architect of the United States embarked on his visit to the United States that same day.

Wei Qinghuan saw the news on TV and teased Qian Jin, saying, "Next time you go on a foreign visit with the leaders, take me with you so I can see if the moon is really rounder abroad."

Qian Jin shook his head.

There will be no such opportunity.

The leader will only visit the United States once.

However, taking Wei Qinghuan abroad in the future will be a piece of cake.

People nowadays don't dare to even think about going abroad.

What ordinary people are thinking about right now is how to celebrate the New Year.

Qian Jin is all ready.

As agreed, let's celebrate the Chinese New Year this year!
On New Year's Eve, he got up early and had a great morning workout with Wei Qinghuan before going out to have breakfast, feeling quite satisfied.

Since Qian Cheng's family returned to the city, Wei Qinghuan has handed over the housework to them.

Ma Hongxia practically became the family's nanny.

Qian Jin and Wei Qinghuan tried to stop her several times, but this stubborn woman from Northwest China insisted on coming to the duplex every morning to deliver breakfast and do housework.

This was the only way she could express her gratitude to Qian Jin and his wife.

In addition, the weather is cold and the duplex apartment is nice, so sometimes the three children stay here, sharing a big bed with Tangyuan. Ma Hongxia comes over in the morning to take care of her three children.

After having breakfast, Qian Jin went out.

Today we're distributing bonuses and New Year's gifts to the commando team members. Now that the team is bigger and there are more people, the preparations are quite complicated.

As soon as he stepped outside, he noticed that the weather was bad. The sky had turned gloomy early on, and the sky above looked like a piece of frozen, grayish iron, pressing heavily on the roof of the old town.

In the morning, he went to the Niangniang Palace Temple Fair again.

This time it's a large-scale procurement for the labor commando team.

So he took his team to the temple fair, while Wei Qinghuan accompanied Qian Cheng and his wife to reminisce about the past.

In the afternoon, light snow began to fall sporadically, but there was little wind, just a dry and cold feeling.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would drift by, swirling up the snowflakes on the ground and bits of soot leaking from someone's window cracks, carrying the scent of smoke and fire, to welcome the Lunar New Year of 1979.

Qian Jin patted his cotton coat as he walked down the street.

Everyone says that it's not cold when it snows, but it's cold when the snow melts. It's snowing today, and it's actually quite cold.

Actually, it wasn't snowing today. It was probably too cold. What fell were fine snow particles, carried by the wind, rushing and hitting his face and neck, making him feel painful.

As the snowflakes fell to the ground, they quickly merged with the thin ice that had already frozen black and shiny, and the muddy puddles, without spreading out a neat layer of white. Instead, they accumulated wet, cold, sticky piles of dirty snow at the base of walls and along the edges of roads.

The streets were unusually lively, a kind of liveliness that the cold couldn't suppress, with everyone making a fuss.

Qian Jin walked along the narrow roadside. Next to him was a public water room in a building. Under the tap, several boys wearing bulky cotton-padded coats and gray woolen hats were bending over and vigorously shaking their buckets.

He peeked out.

The water in the bucket was mostly covered with a thin layer of ice, and inside there was either half a pig liver or a frozen, hard, fishy-smelling thing.

It's cold, so I can't smell any fishy smell.

The young men recognized Qian Jin and greeted him by calling him "Chief Qian".

Qian Jin waved and smiled.

Snowflakes landed on his hand, and he quickly stuffed them back into his coat pocket.

A boy, about half a year old, burst into laughter: "Cold, aren't you, Chief Qian? It's really cold today. Here's something warm for you."

He pulled a glucose IV drip bottle from his pocket; it was filled with hot water.

Qian Jin shook his head: "No need, you can keep warm yourself."

Someone even called out to him, "Chief Qian, want to take this back and refine it into oil?"

He pulled a roll of old newspaper from his pocket, inside which was a large, frozen, greasy piece of fat.

Qian Jin knew this was just a polite gesture, so he smiled and said, "Alright, then I'll take it."

The teenager thought he was serious and ran away in a flash.

This caused everyone in the washroom to burst into laughter.

Several children were dressed in brand-new cotton-padded clothes, or wearing smocks made from old military uniforms of adults, and each of them was dragging a half-broken firecracker fuse in their hand.

Their little hands, shivering from the cold like carrots, lit matches and incense, preparing to set off firecrackers.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, and the match head popped out with a "sizzle," leaving a spark before going out. A child stamped his foot in frustration, cursed, and then puffed out his cheeks to blow hard on his frozen, red hands.

Qian Jin went up, took out a windproof lighter, and lit the incense. The children were thrilled: "Uncle Qian Jin is awesome!"

Then the passersby were in trouble.

These teenagers are the most mischievous and naughty, each with a stick of incense and half a string of red firecrackers.

Upon seeing someone approaching, they would light a firecracker with one hand and throw it into a nearby pile of dirty snow or even a ditch of sewage.

"boom!"

A muffled, short bang rang out, and mud, water, and ice shards flew everywhere.

The pedestrians were swearing and cursing.

The children burst into laughter.

Qian Jin was initially laughing, but later he suffered the consequences.

As he passed by the intersection, he saw several children also lingering at the alley entrance, preparing to set off firecrackers.

The children covered their ears and grinned at him mischievously, which startled Qian Jin, who quickly looked to the left and right.

I got scammed!
No firecrackers!
Today is a good day; adults won't argue with children, and they don't have the time or energy to deal with them.

Almost every gate and window was bustling with activity.

The old alleyways with their red-tiled, sloping roofs and long, deep doorways are especially full of festive atmosphere.

The paste on the newly written Spring Festival couplets hadn't dried completely and was trembling slightly in the cold wind.

The red paper was a dark vermilion red with rich ink, and it was mostly inscribed with phrases such as "The east wind is blowing strong, the revolutionary situation is infinitely good, the rising sun brings a bright future and a long spring" or "Grasp the key points and govern the country, the situation is gratifying, unity and victory bring a bright future."

The edges of the paper weren't cut very neatly, and Qian Jin recognized it at a glance. These were couplets that he had bought red paper and had someone write them himself, not ready-made couplets bought at the annual market.

A bright red diamond-shaped "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character or "出门见喜" (Chumen Jianxi, meaning good luck upon leaving the house) is pasted diagonally on the lintel, revealing a sincere expectation for the new year.

The windowpane was covered with a thick fog, through which one could vaguely see the figures moving inside and the white steam rising from the stove.

Every building and every household started preparing their New Year's Eve dinner early in the morning.

Every chimney was billowing out black smoke, accompanied by an even stronger aroma of cooked food:
Someone's big iron pot is simmering fish, the aroma of fried kelp rolls fills the air, the savory and salty scent of braised pork skin wafts through the air, and there's a subtle hint of the sour and spicy flavor of stir-fried cabbage with vinegar...

These aromas stubbornly broke through the cold wind's blockade, stirring up the cravings in passersby who had been craving food for a year.

The freshly applied whitewash stood out starkly against the old wooden door frame, making the red paper and black characters of the couplet and the character for "good fortune" appear even more vivid.

Several teenagers carefully slid along the ice-covered road, waving newly made paper windmills dyed red and blue, which spun around in the wind.

The state-run grocery store on the street corner was having its last day of business this year, and a long queue had formed outside.

Qian Jin walked through the long queue and said, "Excuse me, excuse me."

They are all residents of Taishan Road, and everyone knows them.

Many people stamped their feet to ward off the cold while calling out to him, "Has Chief Qian already bought everything?"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "I bought some things at the temple fair. Why are you all queuing here? Didn't you go to the temple fair?"

Someone said, "We have sweet potato noodles here, the real deal. They're so fragrant and sweet when stewed with cabbage."

"Commander Qian, where did you buy your vermicelli for the mobile canteen? It's good stuff, could you get some for us?"

Qian Jin said, "Next year, next year, everyone trust me, next year I will definitely lead the commando team to open a specialty store for vegetables, fruits or other non-staple foods."

"You'll see when the time comes. Not to mention vermicelli and tofu, I'll even supply you with tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers during the Chinese New Year."

Everyone cheered, "Then we'll take it seriously!"

If Qian Jin had said this in the past, or if someone else had said it now, everyone would have just laughed it off.

Do you eat tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers during Chinese New Year?

Isn't this nonsense?

But they have to take what Qian Jin says seriously.

Because Chief Qian is very capable!
Qian Jin wasn't talking nonsense; he had already discussed it with the Xiping Production Brigade.

Next year, the Xipeng Production Brigade will save money for another six months, and then in the fall, he will provide the technology and materials, while the production brigade will provide the labor. They will build vegetable greenhouses in the mountains!
After greeting everyone, Qian Jin put his hands in his pockets and continued on his way to the study room.

A Jiefang truck with a canvas canopy roared past, kicking up mud and snow and spewing thick black smoke. Inside the truck bed, you could vaguely see several workers wearing old cotton-padded coats and hunching their necks, guarding a few baskets of winter-stored Chinese cabbages.

The truck drove away, leaving behind a piercing noise that was gradually swallowed up by the howling cold wind.

The bare branches of the plane trees lining the street, against the backdrop of the gray sky, appeared even more withered and desolate, howling in the wind as if telling the story of the harshness and solemnity of winter.

The study room has also changed.

The exterior walls have been painted several times with whitewash, and half of it is a study room while the other half has been converted into workrooms for several commando teams.

The exterior walls of the workshop were painted with large characters in red paint that read "Self-reliance" and "More work, more pay," while the study room displayed the inscription written by Wei Qinghuan.

Autumn goes and winter comes, we study by the light of fireflies and the glow of snow.

Spring returns and summer solstice arrives; the moon shines bright on the laurel tree.

In addition, the horizontal scroll was highlighted and enlarged:
Love the Party and love the country!

The study room was in good condition. To keep out the cold, many people would plug the gaps in their doors and windows with rags and old newspapers, but the north-facing window of the study room was covered with transparent plastic sheeting.

Money entered the house.

The room was packed with people, more than two hundred people crammed together.

Their clothes are much more fashionable.

Each person wore a men's trench coat and a women's trench coat, paired with flared trousers, looking dashing and stylish.

The stove inside was burning brightly, and smoke kept billowing out of the chimney. With so many people around and so much heat, it wasn't too cold.

Chief Accountant Xu Yonghong nodded hurriedly when she saw him come in: "Chief Qian is here?"

Qian Jin waved to everyone: "You've all arrived quite early."

Wang Dong sat on a stack of cardboard boxes: "Who wouldn't be eager to get money and welfare benefits out early?" This remark drew a burst of laughter.

With so many people, the air in the room inevitably becomes stuffy.

These days, not only leaders, workers, and civil servants, but ordinary people also like to smoke.

Most of the team members were heavy smokers; they were frugal and smoked cheap cigarettes like Harvest and Economy.

The acrid smell of burning low-quality tobacco is truly pungent.

Qian Jin quickly told them to open the windows to let in fresh air.

He figured that if he ever had a problem in his life, it would definitely be a respiratory issue, because secondhand smoke was a serious problem.

After ventilating the room and then closing the window, the smell inside changed.

The aroma of face cream, the smell of roasted melon seeds and peanuts, and the slight gamey smell of frozen pork...

They were all heavily mixed together.

Qian Jin and Xu Yonghong discussed the accounting issues in hushed tones. Xu Yonghong reported and explained, and Qian Jin nodded repeatedly.

Then all eyes turned anxiously to the two of them, awaiting a momentous ceremony.

A ceremony to distribute money and welfare!

The pale sunlight from outside the window squeezed through the dusty glass, illuminating faces filled with anticipation, and even a little nervousness.

With the money, receipts, and bills accounted for, Qian Jin began to speak:
"No more nonsense, we're all on the same side, you all know me, no bureaucratic stuff, let's get straight to the point and give out the money first."

"Female comrades are given priority—it has nothing to do with gender, but mainly because female comrades are the busiest in the fourth quarter. Also, because you have only been in the task force for a short time, your annual bonus this year will be less."

"You understand, right?"

Team captains Wang Lijuan and Yu Lijuan nodded in agreement on behalf of the team members.

"Wang Lijuan!" Qian Jin began calling out names.

Upon hearing her name called, Wang Lijuan sprang to the front of the line as if springy, her two thick, black braids flying wildly.
"To!"

Qian Jin looked up and pointed to a name and number in the ledger:

"Wang Lijuan has had perfect attendance since joining the garment factory, and in November and December she also used her off-duty time to cooperate with the male team to do street labor work."

"You have set a very good example. Keep it up next year and strive to make even greater progress."

"The total bonus payable, including the basic bonus and the excess bonus, is one hundred and twenty-seven yuan and thirty-two cents!"

"Whoosh—" A low gasp and suppressed exclamation suddenly rose from the crowded line behind!

One hundred and twenty-seven yuan and thirty-two cents!

This amount is equivalent to almost half a year's salary for a third-level worker in a state-owned factory!
Xu Yonghong deftly pointed out the banknotes: a stack of brand-new five-yuan and five-yuan notes, mixed with loose change and fen coins.

The crisp, clean sound of new banknotes rubbing together was as clear as cracking ice.

He skillfully and solemnly pushed the stack of money to Qian Jin, who quickly counted it again and handed it to Wang Lijuan after confirming there were no problems.

Wang Lijuan happily took a wad of cash back and counted it carefully again.

Zhu Tao, who was next to her, nudged her in the back with his elbow: "No need to order, it can't be wrong."

Wang Lijuan, known for her fiery temper, kicked him without turning her head, saying, "Can't I just have some fun?"

Zhu Tao grinned and said, "Are you a donkey? Why are you kicking like that?"

Others laughed at him when they saw him make a fool of himself.

Qian Jin slammed his hand on the lectern: "Hey, Captain Wang, where are you going? This isn't over yet!"

Wang Lijuan, who was counting the money, was taken aback: "Huh?"

"That was the production bonus, and also the honorary award!" Qian Jin continued reading, "Outstanding assault team member of the year! One hundred yuan!"

Another stack of ten-yuan bills!

"Clatter, clatter—" This time, the uncontrollable murmurs grew louder, with the younger team members craning their necks, their eyes glued to the stack of large bills that made their hearts race.

Wang Lijuan pointed to herself in surprise and asked, "I... I only worked for one quarter..."

“Your work attitude and workload are right in front of your colleagues, and no one is dissatisfied. Come up and accept the award.” Qian Jin waved his hand. “Your honor was evaluated by Director Wei and me, and it was a very fair evaluation.”

Wang Lijuan was overjoyed and skipped up to him.

Qian Jin gave her money and a big red certificate of merit.

This certificate is beautiful; it's from the mall and is of much better quality than the certificate he received at the year-end summary and commendation meeting of the Industry and Commerce-Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Wang Lijuan looked at the certificate over and over again, touched it with her hand, and then looked up with sparkling eyes:
"This certificate is so beautiful, it's wonderful!"

Qian Jin said, "Take it back and look at it slowly."

She's leaving again.

Qian Jin hurriedly said, "No, I didn't mean for you to go back now—hey, hurry up and give her the ration coupons and welfare items!"

Xu Yonghong handed a stack of tickets to Wang Lijuan.

Grain coupons, meat coupons, and cloth coupons—their small collective enterprise truly has no shortage of coupons now.

In addition, there was a small piece of cardboard printed with "Taishan Road Labor Commando Team Holiday Welfare Payment Voucher," stamped with a small official seal in blue ink:
Ten pounds of frozen pork, redeemable with receipt
Two cans of malted milk powder and two tin cans of seafood biscuits can be collected from the non-staple food counter of the street supply and marketing cooperative with a receipt.

Three pairs of nylon stockings and one pair of women's leather shoes.

Two bottles of face cream, two bottles of shampoo, two bars of milk-scented facial soap...

One pound of Double Happiness brand fruit hard candy, one pound of White Rabbit milk candy, one pound of foreign milk candy...

With each small piece of paper read aloud, the astonishment and commotion in the crowd grew.

Wang Lijuan hurriedly accepted the precious receipts, which symbolized real supplies, and frantically stuffed them into her old green canvas bag, almost spilling them out several times.

A tremendous, overwhelming joy completely enveloped him.

Sun Hongqi, who was at the back of the line, nudged Gong Guang in front of him, his voice trembling with excitement: "Old Gong, look! Those cardboard boxes are leather shoes! Doesn't our men's team have a pair of leather shoes too?"

He guessed correctly.

This year's highlight among welfare items is these cotton-padded leather shoes.

All of these are futuristic goods that Qian Jin bought in the mall. They have retro styles and are unremarkable, but they are filled with thick cotton fleece.

These cotton-lined leather shoes are in high demand right now.

They are also excellent shoes to pair with trench coats and flared pants.

Qian Jin called out the next name, and the line slowly moved forward.

Every time someone is called out by name, every time the salary or bonus amount is read out, every time the list of welfare items is announced, it's like throwing a pebble into a calm pond, stirring up ripples of envy, amazement, and pride that spread through the crowd.

And as more and more stones were thrown in, the ripples on the water became more and more turbulent.

The men's team receives even more prize money, starting at 200 yuan, which drew undisguised gasps of astonishment.

The team leader's fee starts at 300 yuan.

Zhu Tao took the stack of money, which was much thicker than that of the ordinary team members, and stuffed it into his inner pocket with feigned composure, but he couldn't help but grin upwards.

Seeing that, Mi Gang deliberately shouted, "Captain Zhu, it's a treat! You can't get away with not getting a 'Da Qianmen' cigarette!"

The others followed suit and shoved Zhu Tao into treating them to a meal.

Zhu Tao shifted the blame: "Team Mi's bonus will also be substantial; whatever he invites, I'll invite too!"

Mi Gang gritted his teeth: "Damn it, then I'll just buy you a carton of economy cigarettes."

The team members all cursed him for being shameless.

Finally, the last ticket was issued.

The box on the podium was empty.

The room fell into a strange silence, filled with immense satisfaction and happiness.

The team members rubbed the crisp, heavy banknotes in their hands and clutched the colorful welfare coupons—

Don't be fooled by these small pieces of paper; they contain everyday items such as pork, snacks, and brand-new nylon stockings.

In addition, the smell in the house started to get stronger again.

Many male team members, after receiving the leather shoes, readily took off their cotton shoes and put on the leather shoes.

More than a hundred grown men!

There are at least dozens of stinky feet inside!
Qian Jin had no choice but to open the window again: "What are you doing? We're going to eat here later!"

Nobody cares.

After putting on the leather shoes that Qian Jin had bought according to their shoe sizes, the young men immediately stood together and compared them.

With broad smiles on their faces, they stomped their feet and swung their legs, feeling that they were dressed in trench coats, bell-bottoms, and leather shoes, not much different from Officer Du Qiu in the movie.

The thick stack of banknotes, the abundant welfare items, and these warm and beautiful leather shoes acted like an invisible warm current, dispelling the chill from the team members' bodies and soothing the fatigue caused by a year of intense labor.

One of the girls started singing the old Scottish song "Auld Lang Syne," and suddenly the pent-up emotions of the more than two hundred people found a louder outlet, and they all joined in singing:
"I'd rather have old friends, than forget them, than keep them hidden in my heart; I'd rather have old friends, than forget them, than cherish the memories of the past. We once soared together in high spirits, picking chrysanthemums in the land of white clouds..."

Qian Jin listened to the song, smiled, and clapped along.

This song is probably the most popular foreign song this year.

This is a genuine old song, it was created long ago, and the Chinese people came into contact with this song through the movie "Waterloo Bridge" produced by MGM in 1940.

When "Waterloo Bridge" was first released, the film was introduced to Huangpu Beach in the Republican era and became a sensation. A few months later, both Yue Opera and Shanghai Opera versions of "Waterloo Bridge" were staged.

Students especially loved the movie, and many recited the movie's dialogue to practice their spoken English, which gradually led to the creation of this translated version of the ancient poem.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, this song was initially sung in universities. Later, as society became chaotic, foreign films like "Waterloo Bridge" were naturally banned, and this song was also prohibited from being sung.

But this year, "Waterloo Bridge" was shown on a small scale in some places, and then the theme song "Auld Lang Syne" once again burst forth with powerful vitality in a specific environment and a special era.

First, college students come from all over the country and make new friends and friendships at university, so this song is very fitting.

The second, and more important, is:

The educated youth began to return to the cities on a large scale!

They come from all over the country, and now they are reluctant to part ways. No song can better express their feelings and emotions than this song.

The entire audience of former educated youth sang this song.

They weren't satisfied with just singing it once; they wanted to sing it a second time.

Seeing this, Qian Jin waved to Xu Weidong: "Brother Dong, what are you shouting for? Show us your weapons!"

(End of this chapter)