The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 273 A harmonious family needs a chicken-raising expert

1980 1 Month 18 Day.

Winter, the fourth nine-day period.

It's December again, and today is Friday, which is also the first day of the twelfth lunar month.

For children, the twelfth lunar month is the start of the new year.

As dusk fell, firecrackers occasionally exploded in the corners of Taishan Road, the smell of gunpowder mixed with the biting sea breeze, adding a touch of lively human life.

It started snowing early this morning, a light snowfall, but because it was continuous, a layer of snow accumulated on the road.

Qian Lie rushed back to the city from Hongxingchang, riding so fast that he slipped and fell twice on the way.

Fortunately, he was riding slowly and wearing a lot of clothes, and there was snow on the ground to cushion his fall, so he didn't get hurt or injured, but he looked pretty bad.

Finally back on Taishan Road, the snowflakes in the air were small, but they were swirled up by the knife-like northwest wind and hit people quite badly.

There were few people outside the dark tenement building, and when pedestrians appeared on the road, they were always in a hurry.

Just as he was about to arrive home, Qian Lie was filled with joy and anticipation for the arrival of his wife, children, and siblings. However, at the uphill section of the highway, he saw that the No. 5 trolleybus was unable to climb the hill, and a group of passengers were pushing it.

He then put down his bicycle and silently went to push it.

The tram was sluggish and finally made it up the hill. The passengers cheered, and Qian Lie smiled as he pushed the tram to the front of the cadre building.

While on the way home, he had a strong urge to go home that he could keep going, but now that he was actually at his doorstep, that urge dissipated, and he realized he was completely exhausted.

He dragged his heavy steps up to the fourth floor, a thin layer of snow on the shoulders of his old military green cotton-padded coat, his cheeks and ears numb and red from the cold.

When he arrived at his doorstep and saw the familiar security door, he was so exhausted that he didn't even have the strength to open it, so he just knocked on the door.

A voice called out, "Coming!" It was Qian Tulai, the leader of the children, who opened the door: "Who is it? Oh, it's Third Uncle!"

Qian Lie wearily patted his nephew's head.

A wave of warmth, a mixture of coal smoke, the lukewarm taste of food, and the comfort of home, wafted over him, making him take a deep breath.

The room was dimly lit, the stove fire was glowing red, shadows were moving, and family members were talking in hushed tones.

This scene moved even him, who usually doesn't like to show his emotions.

This is home!
Before he could even shake off the chill from his shoulders, three small figures, like startled sparrows, rushed over from the stove with the speed of the wind!

"dad!"

"Dad! You're back!"

"Dad! Dad! We thought you...we thought you..."

The third brother, Qian Gui, cried out as he rushed up and tightly hugged his right leg, his tears and snot staining the warm water on his trousers.

Seven-year-old Qian Jiazi, who was growing faster, pounced on him like a little leopard, hugging his waist tightly, burying his head in his cotton-padded coat covered in snowflakes and cold air, and sobbed.

The second son, Qian, ran up to him, looked up at him, and burst into tears, crying and shouting, "Don't arrest my dad! Arrest the bad guys! My dad is a good man!"

The children's sudden outburst left Qian Lie completely bewildered.

He stood frozen in place, his legs held tightly, his waist constricted, and his feet dragged along, unable to move.

The people around the fireplace inside the house were stunned.

Qian Cheng, who was poking at the ashes with fire tongs, stopped, looked up, and exclaimed in surprise, "Third brother, you're finally back!"

"What's going on here?" Qian Lie asked, both amused and exasperated. "Didn't I already send you a message through someone?"

“I have an urgent matter to attend to as soon as I get to the field, so I have to stay here for the next few days and can’t come back for the time being…”

"Guigui, Huihui, let go of your hands! Look how tightly you're strangling your father!" Zhao Xiaohong rushed forward, trying to pull her youngest son, Qian Gui, away.

But Qian Gui clung tightly to her father's leg like a little weight, crying her heart out: "No! Bad people have taken Daddy away... Daddy won't come back... Waaah..."

The warmth inside the house and the children's warm little bodies finally pulled Qian Lie out of his frozen state.

Listening to the children's words and seeing how tightly they protected him, a surge of emotion, both bittersweet and warm, rushed to his throat.

He crouched down and laboriously pulled the children into his arms one by one, his rough hands stroking their frostbitten little faces, and a smile gradually appeared on his own face.

Qian Xi came out of the kitchen.

As she wiped her hands with her apron, she explained, "I've already told your little one about you..."

"Then why did they say I was arrested?" Qian Lie asked, puzzled.

Chen Shoujiang, standing nearby, chuckled dryly, "It's all because of that little brat Jianguo. He tricked your old man into thinking you'd been arrested—damn it, that little bastard really deserves a beating."

Qian Xi calmly said, "Don't worry, Third Brother, we've already beaten them up."

Tangyuan gestured and giggled, "They hit really hard, so much so that Huang Chui was scared and hid under the bed."

Qian Lie also laughed.

He knew his second sister's temper and could picture the chaotic scene when Chen Jianguo was beaten.

Holding his three children, he spoke softly again.

However, due to days of exhaustion and the sudden surge of emotions, his voice was terribly hoarse: "Silly children, who said Dad was arrested? Dad went to work at the chicken farm, and he'll have to work from now on."

"Are you going to earn work points?" Qian asked.

Qian Lie said, "It's different now that I'm going to earn a salary. Anyway, Dad will earn more money, and I can buy you meat and ham for you to eat in the future."

The three children then beamed with joy.

But the second son, Qian Jia, still asked worriedly, "Dad, you really weren't arrested?"

“No, look, Dad’s back safe and sound.” Qian Lie scratched his head.

He held the children in his arms, letting them feel his real heartbeat and body temperature. When they looked up and saw that his face was normal except for his exhaustion, their immense fear slowly receded like a tide.

The sobs gradually subsided, but their little hands still clung tightly to their father's clothes, as if afraid he would disappear again.

Qian Cheng offered his seat to Qian Lie, and since Qian Jin wasn't home, he had to act like the eldest son of the Qian family.
"Xiaoxi, Dajiang, you two need to keep a closer eye on Jianguo. Why is he so naughty?"

Chen Jianguo hurriedly said, "They've already hit me, Uncle, don't say anything more, they'll hit me again."

Qian Xi was furious and went to find a rolling pin to beat him up.

Zhao Xiaohong pulled her back and said to Qian Cheng with a smile, "This isn't entirely Jianguo's fault."

"That Wang kid from the front street, that rascal from Uncle Guoliang's family, was handcuffed by the security guards again yesterday for some reason. The kids in the nearby buildings all saw the police cars coming with flashing lights and sirens blaring to arrest him."

“The Hui people, Xiaojia, and Xiaogui were frightened, and then Jianguo joked with them, and they took it seriously.”

Qian Xi was still not satisfied and angrily said, "It's still his fault for talking nonsense..."

"Oh dear, Jianguo is so lively." Zhao Xiaohong couldn't let her aunt get angry, so she quickly pushed her back into the kitchen.

"Actually, Jianguo also tried to scare the other kids, including Tangyuan, but Tangyuan wasn't scared at all..."

Tangyuan laughed and said, "I let the yellow hammer bite him, and he was so scared that he immediately begged me for mercy."

The little girl who used to only ask for money and treats has grown up a lot and now knows how to bully her dog.

Qian Cheng suddenly realized, and he slapped his thigh, saying, "Hey, that Wang kid is a repeat offender. He must have been up to no good again to get arrested!"

"I don't come to Taishan Road much because I work every day, but I still know how famous he is. How can this kid be compared to Lao San? Lao San is a technician at a state-owned chicken farm..."

He paused halfway through his sentence, looking at Qian Lie with some uncertainty: "Third brother, does your job count as a cadre position?"

Qian Lie smiled noncommittally, sat down to warm himself by the fire, and said, "What kind of cadre, technician, or veterinarian are we?"

He was a thoughtful person, and after speaking, fearing that his words might upset his younger brother Qian Jin, he added:
"But this job suits me very well. I'm a little embarrassed to say it, but I made some contributions as soon as I started..."

Upon hearing this, Qian Cheng and Qian Xi, the siblings, became interested: "What happened? Tell us quickly."

Wei Qinghuan brought over a plate of roasted pumpkin seeds: "Qian Tu, go pour some water. Come on, let's eat and talk."

Qian Lie had just sat down and was about to speak when the door was pushed open.

Qian Jin returned with his head covered in snow.

Yellow Hammer suddenly flew towards him.

Qian Jin hugged it and gave it a passionate kiss. Wei Qinghuan went up to help him take off his coat: "Third Brother is back."

"Hey, Third Brother's back?" Qian Jin peeked in and casually asked, "How's the place? Tired? Easy work?"

Chen Shoujiang also gathered around the stove and said, "Yeah, third brother, tell us what's going on."

As he spoke, he handed over a cup of hot tea.

Qian Lie took a sip of tea.

A warm current flowed from my throat all the way to my stomach, and the fatigue of the past few days seemed to dissipate a lot under the caring gaze of my family.

He rubbed his frozen cheeks and said, "Tired, really tired."

“Our Hongxing Farm is now focusing on raising a batch of foreign chicken chicks. Those foreign chicken chicks are precious, and they are afraid of freezing, heating and getting dirty. It is even more difficult than taking care of calves that have just come to work in the countryside back then.”

"All I do all day is stare at the thermometer, sweep up chicken droppings, and mix feed. It's a technical job as well as a physically demanding one."

Wei Qinghuan asked, "Third Brother, didn't you just say you'd performed meritorious service? Let's talk about that first."

“Exactly.” Qian Xi gave her third brother a push.

Qian Lie straightened his back unconsciously and raised his voice: "It's like this, the foreign chickens we raise are called White Rock chickens. When I went there, the first batch of White Rock chickens got sick!"

"The farm manager and the old veterinarian are at their wits' end; they can't watch as the entire shed of chickens is about to die!"

Qian Lie took a deep breath, as if the pungent smell from the chicken coop had seeped in again: "I mentioned a folk remedy I learned from a medical book to the farm manager and the old veterinarian, Master Zhao."

"We didn't use much medicine. We just boiled purslane and plantain from the ditch with dried ginger into a decoction and burned mugwort for fumigation. We used such a simple method to treat it."

"That Master Zhao snorted loudly, looking down on my old methods, and almost kicked me out. It was only because our farm manager, Comrade Wei Desheng, was desperate and decided to try my method as a last resort..."

The more he spoke, the faster he spoke, and the brighter his eyes became.

Qian Lie unconsciously began gesturing with his hands: "The first night, the chickens were still listless, but in the middle of the night, hey, things improved..."

He vividly recounted the situation, but omitted the praise he received from Wei Desheng and his colleagues afterward.

He couldn't bring himself to boast.

But the family could imagine the glory Qian Lie would be there.

Qian Jin laughed and said, "No wonder they locked you up inside as soon as you went. It turns out you did something good inside, and they didn't want to let you come back."

"Good!" Qian Cheng shouted suddenly, making the fire in the furnace flicker.

He slapped his thigh, stood up excitedly, and said in a loud voice, "You've made something of yourself, Third Brother! You've brought honor to the Qian family!"

"Good! Great!"

Chen Shoujiang nodded repeatedly, his face full of satisfaction: "Third brother's ten years of hardship have not been in vain, his skills are real."

A barely perceptible smile flickered in Zhao Xiaohong's eyes as she looked at her husband with a face full of tenderness.

As the eldest brother, Qian Cheng was even happier than himself to see his younger brother achieve merit: "I've been working for almost a year and have accomplished nothing. Oh, third brother, you really have the skills. You're awesome."

Qian Lie quickly said, "Brother, please don't say that..."

He was tongue-tied and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Qian Jin laughed and said, "That's right, brother, how come you've accomplished nothing? You're serving the people. As long as you serve the people well, that's making a contribution."

"Besides, a skilled warrior doesn't achieve great feats," Wei Xiongtu interjected from the side.

Qian Cheng was very happy.

He said, "The fourth brother found a job for the third brother, and then the third brother made a contribution. Hehe, our Qian family has double happiness. We must have a good meal today to celebrate!"

Then, with a flourish, he shouted towards the kitchen, "Hongxia, the dumpling filling is too plain. Change it to steamed buns, with meat filling. We're having a party today, and I, as the eldest brother, will celebrate with my younger brother."

The children were overjoyed at the prospect of meat buns, jumping up and waving their hands, shouting, "Buns! Meat buns!"

"Long live meat buns!"

Wei Qinghuan's eyebrows shot up: "What are you jumping around for? The uncles and aunties downstairs will come up and beat you up!"

A group of children ran upstairs and continued jumping around...

Chen Jianguo was cunning; he was the one who jumped around the most happily with Tangyuan in his arms.

Qian Cheng made a special trip to remind them: "Use that good piece of pork belly that I brought back from the South Market last time, put it all in!"

Ma Hongxia glared at him: "What do you know? What time is it and you still want to eat steamed buns? Don't you need to make dough for steamed buns?"

Qian Cheng chuckled: "How about we make baked buns?"

Ma Hongxia rolled her eyes: "Go away."

She consulted Wei Qinghuan: "Teacher Wei, you're an expert at making steamed buns and dumplings, but I don't have time to proof the dough, what should I do?"

Wei Qinghuan pondered for a moment and then said, "Then prepare some hot water, use a steamer to proof the dough, and shape the buns."

"However, we probably won't be able to eat until seven or eight o'clock."

Ma Hongxia said, "Okay, then let them wait."

After the change of plans, the kitchen immediately became lively.

Ma Hongxia and Zhao Xiaohong went to chop the piece of fatty and lean pork belly, which was glistening with oil. Qian Xi and Wei Qinghuan skillfully kneaded the dough and rolled out the wrappers.

While waiting for the steamed buns to be steamed, Qian Lie pulled the three children to his side and asked them about the interesting things that had happened in the past few days.

Qian Cheng, Chen Shoujiang, Qian Jin, and several other men sat around the stove, talking about the newly opened free market in the city.

The laughter of children and the chatter of adults mingled together, dispelling the silence of the snowy night.

Qian Jin pays close attention to the development of policies concerning individual businesses.

Qian Cheng said, "The policy should allow it."

"I heard from my superiors that privately owned restaurants have appeared in the capital, and many individual businesses have started to operate in some southern places. In Dong'ou, they have even started issuing business licenses for individual businesses."

Qian Jin nodded: "Can we get a license in our city?"

Qian Cheng shook his head: "Not yet. Individual businesses can operate, but there hasn't been any specific government support yet."

Qian Jin said, "It should be coming soon. You should pay attention to this matter. After you get the business license, you can apply for one using my sister-in-law's and Teacher Wei's identities respectively."

Qian Cheng hesitated: "You're still planning to become a self-employed person? Fourth brother, you already have a position and a promising future, you can't afford to mess around like this."

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Brother, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't cause trouble, I'll just make a ruckus."

"The true meaning of life is to make a ruckus; otherwise, wouldn't it be a stagnant pool?"

Chen Shoujiang clapped his hands while cracking sunflower seeds: "Fourth brother, you're great!"

Qian Cheng kept shaking his head.

The honeycomb briquette stove burned even brighter, and the room became warmer.

The kitchen is the warmest place.

The large steamer was placed on the stove, and the bread rolls were placed on the steamer rack.

The gas flames roared, and the water quickly boiled. A cloud of white steam, carrying the rich aroma of meat and the fresh scent of noodles, billowed out, dispelling the last trace of chill in the room and warming everyone's faces and hearts.

Zhao Xiaohong asked everyone else to leave, and stayed in the kitchen to watch the cooking.

After a while, she happily called out, "Comrades, lunch is served!"

The kitchen door curtain was lifted, and a large plume of hot white steam surged out like a dam being opened, carrying the aroma of wheat dough and the rich fragrance of juicy meat filling, which poured straight into the main room.

As the steam dissipated, plump, round buns were revealed inside the steamer.

All four women were skilled in the kitchen, and although the buns were all different styles, they were all wrapped very well.

The pale white skin was steamed until it became slightly translucent, with the meat juices faintly visible through it. Some of the buns even popped open, revealing the glistening meat filling inside.

Ma Hongxia washed her hands and hurriedly put several tattered buns into a bowl one by one. Immediately, the tempting soup slowly overflowed along the cracked edges and finally solidified on the cool rim of the bowl.

The children cheered with joy; they were starving and were crying for food.

Ma Hongxia then gave them the tattered buns.

Adults work hard and deserve to eat well.

The child wasn't picky; he just wanted meat buns, and that was enough.

Each person had a bowl with a big steamed bun inside. They were overjoyed and sat down in a row to eat.

Chen Jianguo was the most impatient; he took a bite of the steamed bun as soon as he got it.

As a result, the scalding hot and rich juice burst open in his mouth, making him scream.

Qian Tu is still a big kid at heart; he's cunning.

He went to open the window, tore open the steamed bun, and put it in the cold wind to dry.

Instantly, the rich and pure aroma of meat, the spiciness of scallions and ginger, and the wheat fragrance of the dough were all carried in by the cold wind.

Qian Jin also grabbed a big steamed bun and opened the window to let it air out.

Fortunately, the duplex has many windows, so each person has their own window; otherwise, there wouldn't be enough windows for everyone.

When the steamed bun wasn't so hot anymore, Qian Jin blew on it twice and took a big bite, his mouth instantly glistening with oil.

He exclaimed repeatedly, "Good meat, good filling, delicious!"

"Third brother, eat more. This is delicious. You guys probably can't get this at the chicken farm," Qian Cheng said, pointing at Qian Lie.

Qian Lie took a bite, and the familiar and luxurious aroma of the meat rolled over his tongue, the heat warming him to his heart. It was indeed more satisfying than any meal at the chicken farm.

Light snow was still falling outside.

The cold wind howled, and the chill was biting.

This kind of weather is the perfect match for fragrant, piping hot meat buns!
As everyone listened to the mournful sound of the wind and ate their meat buns, they all had the same feeling.

Feeling comfortable and at ease.

The pot of buns was quickly emptied.

The room was filled with a warm aroma and a relaxed feeling after a good meal.

Several children were playing and kicking homemade beanbags in the corner.

The adults sat by the stove, chatting while touching their slightly protruding bellies.

At this moment, Qian Jin got up, went upstairs, and took out a file folder from his study.

"Third Brother," Qian Jin opened the file bag, took out two brand-new thick books and a neatly bound roll of mimeographed materials, and handed them to Qian Lie, who was standing next to him with a ruddy complexion and still had some excitement in his eyes.

Qian Lie subconsciously rubbed his hands on his clothes before solemnly accepting the gift.

He knew this must be another reference book.

Since he returned to Haibin City, Qian Jin has given him some books on poultry, livestock, traditional Chinese medicine, and Western medicine to read.

To be honest, others may not know, but he does. He has to thank Qian Jin for enabling him to make a contribution as soon as he went to Hongxingchang.

The book that recorded the diseases and treatments of White Locker chicks was given to him by Qian Jin.

Sure enough, at first glance, he saw the words "Modern Scientific Chicken Raising Practical Handbook" printed on the cover of the thick book.

The neat and serious handwriting brought him joy.

The next book is "Poultry Nutrition and Feed Formulation".

The thick stack of mimeographed documents at the bottom was yellowed and worn, seemingly from a long time ago. On the cover were a few strong, handwritten characters in fountain pen:

Basic Formula and Metabolic Optimization of Compound Feed for High-Yield Broilers (Confidential: Internal)

This immediately filled him with awe!
He looked at Qian Jin in surprise.

Qian Jin waved his hand: "You just study, don't ask questions, and don't show these materials to outsiders."

Qian Lie nodded solemnly.

He carefully opened the manual and the stack of "classified" documents, which were filled with dense text.

The paper contained various chemical symbols he didn't recognize, some of which included growth curves and numerous feed formulation descriptions.

Each recipe is written in detail, with ingredients such as corn, soybean meal, fish meal, bone meal, dicalcium phosphate, amino acids, multivitamins, and trace minerals listed with extremely precise numbers.

Those technical terms—metabolic energy, feed conversion ratio, uniformity, nutritional standards, disease control…

These unfamiliar things dazzled him, yet his heart inexplicably raced.

It’s all good stuff!
He's not an expert now, but he's certainly a connoisseur. The cold, precise, and meticulous power of modern science revealed in these pages is incredibly impactful to him!
"Are these all internal documents?" Qian Lie's voice carried a hint of awe.

Qian Jin vaguely replied, "Not all of them. Some of the information comes from abroad. They have been practicing scientific farming for a long time, and there is a lot of experience that we can learn from and draw on."

"Especially the feed formula below, it's all translated from foreign sources, you can't find it anywhere else."

"Third Brother, you should study this carefully. There's a lot more to chicken farming than meets the eye."

Qian Lie nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, Fourth Brother, I will definitely think it over carefully and won't let your efforts go to waste!"

The light from the fire danced on his face, which was etched with determination and a thirst for knowledge.

He immediately turned to the pages and began to study the unfamiliar and complex charts.

The warmth from the meat bun seemed to have seeped into his bones, filling him with strength.

The heavy workload and unknown challenges before him acted like a powerful injection of fuel into his veins.

Qian Jin watched his third brother intently flipping through the book, then thoughtfully picked up his enamel mug and took a sip of the lukewarm tea.

He stood up and gently patted Wei Xiongtu on the shoulder beside him.

Wei Xiongtu turned his head. He was wearing a new pair of plastic-framed glasses, and his gaze behind the lenses carried the gentleness and calmness characteristic of intellectuals.

In the past two years, he has been reading a lot. He doesn't have time during the day because he is at work, so he can only read at night. As a result, he has become nearsighted.

“Teacher Wei,” Qian Jin gestured outside, “should we talk outside?”

Wei Xiongtu was somewhat puzzled, but he immediately stood up and followed Qian Jin into the cramped and cold stairwell.

There are no motion-activated lights in the hallway; the lighting is an old-fashioned light bulb that needs to be pulled to turn on.

The dim, flickering light cast long shadows of the two people.

Qian Jin took out a few more books from the file bag.

"Key Points for Prevention and Control of Common Poultry Diseases and Strategies Combining Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine", "Scientific Farming (Poultry)", "New Chicken Farming Technologies", "Scientific Formulation and Application of Chicken Feed", "Handbook for Chicken Disease Prevention and Control"...

Wei Xiongtu took it by the light of the lamp. He opened the first page and saw that it was written in neat small regular script in vertical columns: "Avian plague comes on suddenly, either due to pathogens entering the blood and causing stagnation of qi and blood, or due to damp heat obstructing the middle jiao and disrupting the ascending and descending functions..."

His eyes lit up, and he habitually pushed up his glasses, his fingers gliding over the archaic medical terminology and anatomical terms, a look of great interest on his face.

“Teacher Wei, everyone in our supply and marketing cooperative knows that you are well-versed in both Chinese and Western knowledge and have a strong writing style.” Qian Jin leaned closer and said, “My third brother has no problem with practical exploration, but his foundation is shallow, and he is slow to understand the intricacies in the books.”

“You are meticulous. Help him read these books first, understand them thoroughly, and then explain them to him.”

"The TCM diagnosis, Western medicine theory, and the set of epidemic prevention and control operation guidelines in this book are all good things. Take some time to sort them out, write them down in plain language, and write them down in the way that is easiest for him to understand. You can also draw a diagram or make up a mnemonic for the key parts."

"In addition, you should also record the difficulties and data changes he encountered during his chicken farming practice, think about the underlying reasons, and write them down in your notes."

Wei Xiongtu's favorite thing is teaching.

Upon hearing that he could teach Qian Lie, he readily agreed: "Your third brother is a diamond in the rough. Teaching him is the right thing to do. We can't let him just bury himself in his work."

“These books are all good stuff. I think they will definitely be the knife to cut through the hard shell of his ‘chicken farmer’ persona!”

Qian Jin patted him on the shoulder: "Actually, it's not just him—raising chickens is a big deal, and there will be many people who want to learn from you. There's no rush, you'll understand in time."

Wei Xiongtu didn't understand what he meant by "you'll understand later," but he trusted Qian Jin.

So he said confidently, "Don't worry, I'll get things done."

“Your third brother’s job was hard-won. I’ll take charge of helping him get into the swing of things and master the skills.”

The cold wind of the snowy night howled through the stairwell, carrying with it a mournful echo.

Qian Jin hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell him the truth: "It's not just my third brother, but also some ambitious young people from the countryside."

"That's right, I'm planning to encourage the Liu family production team in Hongxing to start raising chickens and set up a farm."

"At the People's Mobile Canteen, I'm going to start a roast chicken project, and later I'll add roast duck, so chicken and duck farming will be an important direction in the future."

Wei Xiongtu immediately gripped the books in his hand tightly.

He asked, "Was it all my responsibility to teach them?"

Qian Jin nodded: "Yes, they will be technicians. I will carry out scientific and standardized breeding."

"You're a teacher!"

Wei Xiongtu laughed: "Then leave it to me."

He subconsciously flipped through the pages of the book in his hand with his fingers; the thin pages contained a power hotter than the coals in a furnace.

After the two entered the room, Wei Xiongtu went back to his room to prepare for studying.

Qian Jin said, "I'll tidy up your room later and turn it into a study, adding some bookshelves and stuff."

Wei Xiongtu laughed: "That would be great."

Qian Lie looked up, and the two of them happened to meet. Seeing the book in each other's hands, they both laughed.

Qian Cheng and Chen Shoujiang sat nearby, smoking their hand-rolled pipes.

Qian Jin joked about the two: "One is a state cadre and the other is a soon-to-be driver, and they even smoke pipes?"

Chen Shoujiang held up his cigarette to indicate: "The dry tobacco is also good. I used to smoke cheap tobacco that cost eight mao or one yuan per kilogram, but now it's all good tobacco that costs five or eight yuan."

Qian Jin asked with great interest, "Where did you buy the tobacco?"

Chen Shoujiang said, "My driver took me to buy it; we bought it on the black market."

Qian Jin was even more interested: "There's a black market too?"

He wasn't short of money and was busy with work, so he hadn't been to the black market in a long time.

They started talking about the black market.

A thick fog filled the air, carrying both smoke and steam from the kettle boiling water on the coal stove, imbuing their conversation with a warm and comforting atmosphere.

(End of this chapter)