1980: I have a spiritual spring

Chapter 73 A sudden enlightenment
New Year's Eve.

According to the custom in Cenhe area, elders give children "lucky money".

In previous years, the New Year's money was given out by Huang Hongmei, the mother. The amount was small, usually just a few cents as a token.

This year's Lunar New Year's Eve was no exception. As the time approached, Huang Hongmei took out the New Year's money she had prepared and smiled as she distributed it to her seven children one by one.

After receiving the New Year's money from his mother, Qiao Qitan was taken aback and exclaimed, "My God, ten yuan?"

Qiao Liuduo accepted the unprecedented amount of New Year's money, her eyes filled with disbelief. In the early 1980s, let alone in Qiaojiawan, even in the entire Hongshan Brigade, no one had ever heard of an elder being so extravagant as to give out ten yuan in New Year's money.

You know, these days you can get a full meal in the commune for just a few cents, and a very good meal for a dime. Ten dollars would be a huge sum for children.

Faced with his younger siblings' exclamations, Qiao Erhe smiled and said, "Fifth, sixth, and seventh siblings, it was my idea to give you so much lucky money. You all did well on your final exams, so consider this lucky money a reward for you."

Qiao Wuhu suddenly realized, "So it was Second Brother's idea. Second Brother, you said before that if we get into the top ten in the final exam, we'll be rewarded with sweet glutinous rice wine, and one bowl for each place we move up. Does that still stand?"

Qiao Erhe laughed and said, "Of course it counts. You are the eighth in the class in the final exam, so you can drink three bowls of sweet glutinous rice wine. Liuduo is the ninth in the class, so she can drink two bowls. Lao Qi is just the tenth in the class, so she can drink one bowl."

Qiao Wuhu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. When will the glutinous rice wine be delivered?"

Qiao Erhe said, "You can cash out whenever you want."

Qiao Wuhu chuckled and said, "Second Brother, could we have a bowl of that while we're staying up tonight to celebrate the New Year?"

Qiao Liuduo said, "Second Brother, I want to drink too."

Qiao Qitan only had enough for one bowl, and he couldn't help but feel conflicted, since this was an extra reward from his second brother, and once he drank it, it would be gone.

Qiao Erhe readily agreed, "Sure, this is a reward for you. You can drink it whenever you want."

Qiao Sihai, with a craving for a drink, said, "Second Brother, I want to drink too, can I have one?"

Qiao Erhe nodded and smiled, "Everyone gets a share."

Upon hearing this, the siblings couldn't help but feel excited. Others could get addicted to ordinary wine, let alone this glutinous rice wine with its superb taste and effects. Anyone who tasted it would never forget it.

After distributing the New Year's money, Qiao Erhe and the others continued to sit around the bonfire, while the three younger ones, Lao Wu, Lao Liu, and Lao Qi, carried lanterns and joined the neighborhood children in shouting and yelling in front of and behind the houses. This is called "chasing away the hairy dogs" in the Cenhe area, a remnant of the ancient custom of exorcising evil spirits.

In recent years, due to well-known reasons, it was interrupted for a period of time, but now this ancient tradition is slowly reviving.

While the children were playing, Qiao Sihai, who was sitting in front of the fire warming himself, said, "Second brother, the second batch of laying hens at home has grown up now. I estimate that they will start laying eggs before the Lantern Festival. Then the third batch will start laying eggs, and when the last batch starts laying eggs, we will have five or six thousand eggs a day. Should we carry them to Shashi to sell every day?"

Qiao Erhe had already thought about this problem and said, "Once the egg production at home increases, I will rent a storefront in Shashi to sell my goods. Then I will deliver goods to the store every now and then, so I won't have to go to Shashi to pick up eggs every day."

Qiao Sihai's eyes widened as he asked, "Second Brother, you're going to rent a shop in Shashi?"

Qiao Erhe countered, "Is there a problem with that?"

Qiao Sihai shook his head and said, "There's no problem, but we don't have to pay anything to set up a stall to sell eggs in Shashi. Renting a storefront would definitely cost a lot of money every month, right? And how are we going to deliver goods to the storefront?"

Qiao Erhe said, “Setting up a street stall does not require paying rent, but it is fine when egg production is low. However, when our egg production increases, and we carry five or six thousand eggs to Shashi to sell every day, there will always be times when we can’t sell them all. Are we supposed to carry the eggs back to Shashi?”
Moreover, if we carry eggs to sell every day, my brother and I won't have to do anything else all day long.

However, if you rent a storefront in Shashi to run a retail store, only one or two people are needed to sell the goods, and the others can be freed up to do other things.

As for how to deliver goods to the stores, initially we won't have the money, so we'll hire a truck. Once we start earning money, we'll buy our own trucks and deliver goods to our stores.

The prospect described by the second brother made Qiao Dajiang's heart flutter, and he couldn't help but ask, "Second brother, is it legal for us to run a store in Shashi?"

Qiao Erhe laughed and said, "Brother, of course this is legal. The individual business license I got from the industry and commerce department before is not just for setting up a street stall. It is most suitable for opening a shop."

Qiao Dajiang said, "In that case, let's do it this way."

Qiao Sanduo blinked and asked, "Second brother, if our family opens a store, wouldn't the people selling goods there become sales clerks like those at the supply and marketing cooperative?"

Qiao Erhe smiled and said, "That's right. Whoever goes to the store to sell goods will be a salesperson."

Seeing his excited third sister, Qiao Dajiang chuckled and said, "Sanduo, what are you thinking? Although we are both sales clerks, the sales clerks of the supply and marketing cooperative are definitely much better than us small individual sales clerks."

Qiao Sanduo said excitedly, "Of course I know, but a salesperson is a salesperson. Even the worst salesperson is still better than the average person."

In the 1970s and 80s, the titles of ticket seller, driver, mail carrier, childcare worker, barber, waiter/waitress, salesperson, and cook were extremely prestigious in society, and countless people were eager to become one of them.

This is a dream job, especially for people in rural areas.

No wonder Qiao Sanduo was so excited when she heard this. If her family really opened a store in Shashi, she would have a chance to become a saleswoman.

Qiao Erhe couldn't help but laugh and said, "Sanduo, the sales clerk position is only popular for the next few years. The status of sales clerks will decline year by year. I estimate that in another ten years or so, the sales clerk profession will be at the bottom of all professions."

"Second brother, this can't be, right?"

Qiao Sanduo said with a shocked expression, "A sales clerk is one of the eight key positions, how could they possibly be considered a low-level position among all professions?"

Qiao Erhe explained with a smile: "The country is currently undergoing economic reforms, and individual businesses are beginning to rise. Once these individual businesses grow larger, they will naturally transform into private enterprises. If these private enterprises want to win customers' favor among state-owned and collective enterprises, they must not only focus on the quality of their products, but also compete on price and service."

For example, the eggs we sell cost five cents each, and the eggs sold at the supply and marketing cooperative also cost five cents each, and neither of us needed coupons. The quality of the eggs from both sides was also about the same.

However, when you go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy eggs, the salesperson ignores you and may even scold you if they get impatient. But if you come to our store to buy eggs, our salesperson will greet you with a smile.

If it were you, where would you choose to buy eggs?

"Of course, you'll choose to buy eggs from our store!"

Qiao Sanduo blurted out, then asked with a puzzled look, "But what does this have to do with sales clerks becoming a low-level profession?"

"It's very simple."

Qiao Erhe explained again: "In the future, whether it is a state-owned enterprise, a collective enterprise, or a private enterprise, if you want to do well in business, you have to do a good job in customer service. In other words, you have to please customers. Over time, the status of salespersons will naturally become lower and lower."

These words enlightened everyone.

Qiao Sihai said with admiration, "Second Brother, you know so much."

Qiao Dajiang had to admit that his second son was indeed insightful. Although what he said might not necessarily happen, it did sound reasonable.

Qiao Sanduo said disappointedly, "So being a sales clerk won't be a glamorous job for many more years. Second brother, what profession will be in demand in the future?"

Qiao Erhe laughed and said, "You can start your own business and be your own boss in the future; that's the most sought-after job."

Qiao Sanduo rubbed her hands together, looking guilty, and said, "Second Brother, I'm just a country person who hasn't read many books and only knows how to farm and do housework. How could I possibly have the ability to start a business and become a boss!"

Qiao Erhe said with a smile, "Don't worry, as long as you are willing to follow my orders, my siblings and I will either become officials or bosses in the future."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Sihai's eyes lit up, and he immediately declared, "Second Brother, I will definitely listen to you. If you tell me to go east, I will never go west."

Qiao Sanduo nodded repeatedly and said, "Second Brother, I'll listen to you too."

After spending these past few months together, Qiao Dajiang realized that his abilities as the eldest brother were far inferior to those of his second brother. He said, "Second brother, we've all seen your abilities. Now that you're the leader we've chosen, I'll naturally listen to you."

Huang Hongmei sat quietly by the fire. Although she was lazy and selfish, she had a virtue that other parents didn't have: she didn't fight for power in the family.

She's actually a very simple person. As long as she has enough to eat and drink and no shortage of money, she doesn't care what her children do.

Based on this alone, she is much better than many old ladies who like to cause trouble.

Seeing that his siblings all followed his lead, Qiao Erhe was overjoyed and made up his mind that he would lead his siblings to become rich and become billionaires in the future.

After his rebirth, he made two plans. If his brothers and sisters were willing to follow his lead, he would lead them to wealth and prosperity, making them all billionaires. But if they weren't, then there was no need to say more; he would find a way to divide the family business as soon as possible, and they would each go their own way.

Now that his brothers and sisters have chosen to listen to him, he will naturally not let them down.

……

Wearing new clothes, a new hat, and new shoes on New Year's Eve is a tradition in most parts of my country.

However, the timing of wearing new clothes, hats, and shoes varies from place to place.

Take Bobai in Guangxi as an example. Since the New Year's Eve dinner is at noon, everyone in Bobai dresses up in new clothes before the dinner.

In the Cenhe area, on New Year's Eve at midnight (generally from 11 PM to 1 AM the next day, or midnight), the whole family puts on new clothes, hats, and shoes, washes their faces, and the head of the family first lights candles and incense, kneels before the shrine, and worships the sacred ancestors.

When Mr. Qiao was still alive, he was the one who took the lead in doing these tasks. After Mr. Qiao passed away, his eldest son, Qiao Dajiang, took the lead.

This year, Qiao Erhe became the head of the Qiao family, so naturally he took the lead in doing these things.

After doing all this, the five Qiao brothers took torches (made of sesame stalks) outside to burn paper money and set off firecrackers to worship heaven and earth. Then they went to the village's land temple to pay respects to the land god.

These activities are conducted in complete silence; no talking is allowed. This is called "going out."

After doing all this, Qiao Erhe and his brother returned home, and the family began to exchange New Year's greetings.

In Cenhe area, New Year's greetings are conducted according to seniority, with the younger generation kneeling and bowing to the elders, and peers bowing to each other. It's a pity that such a fine tradition has been neglected by later generations.

After paying their respects to the ancestors, the family sat around the table and drank "yuanbao tea," made with red dates and sugar.

Next comes staying up all night to welcome the New Year.

The origin of staying up all night on New Year's Eve is probably well known to all Chinese people, so there is no need to explain it further. In those days, many regions would uphold the tradition of staying up all night on New Year's Eve. However, in later generations, very few people were able to continue to observe this tradition.

In previous years, the whole family would sit around the fire, chatting and trying to stay up all night to welcome the New Year, which was an extremely painful thing for the young people.

After all, the young people of this era are not the champions of staying up all night that were honed in later generations.

In this era, due to a lack of entertainment, everyone is used to going to bed at eight or nine o'clock at night, and very few people are still awake past ten o'clock.

In later generations, it's no exaggeration to say that not only energetic young people, but even kindergarten children, if their parents don't supervise them properly, staying up until 11 or 12 at night is just basic for them, and many can even stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning.

The example of someone putting their child to sleep while actually falling asleep is all too common in later generations.

This year is different. Qiao Erhe's physical condition goes without saying. He drinks spiritual spring water every day, and his current physical strength is absolutely number one in the world. No one can compare with him.

Although Qiao Erhe didn't give his mother Huang Hongmei and his siblings the spirit spring water directly, they drank plenty of the sweet glutinous rice wine he brewed with diluted spirit spring water. This sweet glutinous rice wine had long since cured all the major and minor ailments in their bodies.

At the same time, it also improved their physical fitness.

Take Qiao Dajiang for example. When he used to work and carry things, he could only carry things weighing a little over 200 jin at most.

It's not that Qiao Dajiang can only carry this much weight, but rather that he can only walk far when carrying this weight. If it exceeds this weight, he would probably have to rest every few dozen meters, and his work efficiency would be less than if he only carried a little over 200 jin!

After drinking so much sweet glutinous rice wine, Qiao Dajiang's physical fitness improved significantly. Now he can carry 300 jin (150 catties) of things from his home to the commune, making him one of the strongest men in the entire Hongshan Brigade.

The physical fitness of others was also enhanced.

With improved physical fitness, their energy levels were naturally much higher than before. As a result, after midnight, no one in the family felt sleepy. In fact, the thought of having sweet glutinous rice wine soon made them all energetic.

Qiao Sanduo said, "Second Brother, everyone is hungry now. How about we skip the glutinous rice wine and have egg wine instead?"

Qiao Liuduo's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she quickly chimed in, "Third Sister is right, I also feel a bit hungry. Second Brother, I don't want the glutinous rice wine anymore, give me a bowl of egg sweet wine instead!"

Qiao Qitan also exclaimed, "Second Brother, I want to eat egg sweet wine too!"

Qiao Erhe laughed and said, "Okay, then Sanduo, you go and boil eggs and make sweet wine. Just open a jar of wine lees and put them in. Whoever wants as many eggs as they want can just call out the number."

Qiao Liuduo said with a smile, "Third sister, I want to eat four eggs."

Not to be outdone, Qiao Qitan said, "Third sister, I want to eat four eggs too."

Qiao Wuhu also counted out, "Third sister, I'll eat three eggs."

The others also counted their eggs, mostly starting with three. Anyway, they didn't have much else at home, but they had plenty of eggs, so they could eat as many as they wanted.

Soon, Qiao Sanduo had cooked the egg and sweet wine. Then, the whole family each filled a large bowl and sat by the fire, eating with great relish.

After a few sips of sweet egg wine, Huang Hongmei, feeling a warm sensation in her stomach, couldn't help but sigh, "If I had had this sweet egg wine when I gave birth to you siblings, my body wouldn't be so weak now."

Qiao Dajiang said, "You should be content. When the old man was alive, he never mistreated you. Besides, you've been drinking plenty of sweet glutinous rice wine, and your health is getting better and better, isn't it?"

As Huang Hongmei ate the delicious egg sweet wine, she smiled and said, "Indeed, my health has improved a lot recently after drinking this glutinous rice sweet wine. Second brother, this egg sweet wine is not only delicious but also good for your health. I like it very much. You should brew more later."

Although Qiao Erhe harbored some resentment towards his mother, believing that her laziness had caused his father to work himself to the bone and die young, he realized that it was all his father's own fault for spoiling her.

To put it bluntly, it's a case of one party willing to give and the other willing to receive.

If the old man had been a little more assertive, Fatty Ba wouldn't have ended up like this.

After all, Qiao Erhe had heard Qiao Erdie and Qiao Sandie say that when Fatty Old Ba first married into the family, she wasn't the lazy, good-for-nothing she is now.

Having been reborn, Qiao Erhe had already figured out how to deal with this irresponsible mother. As long as she provided her with a life free from want and gave her the respect she deserved on the surface, she wouldn't have to worry about anything else.

Therefore, upon hearing his mother's request, Qiao Erhe swallowed the egg in his mouth and said, "Once the new house is built, I will naturally brew more glutinous rice wine. In the future, as long as it is family, it will not be a problem for them to drink a bowl of glutinous rice wine or eat a bowl of egg wine every few days."

Qiao Sihai, thoroughly enjoying his egg and sweet rice wine, interjected, "Second Brother, once you rent a shop in Shashi and open a store, can't you also sell this sweet rice wine there? This sweet rice wine is so delicious and has such good health benefits; if you really sold it, customers would definitely go crazy buying it, right?"

Qiao Erhe laughed and said, "Your idea is very good, but I definitely won't be selling glutinous rice wine in the short term. Once the store in Shashi is open, I will only sell agricultural products. We'll talk about other things when the market is fully open."

Qiao Sihai asked, seemingly understanding but not quite, "Second Brother, are you worried that selling glutinous rice wine now might cause trouble?"

Qiao Erhe said, "That's roughly the idea. The glutinous rice wine I brew is unmatched by any other glutinous rice wine in terms of both taste and health benefits. If I were to sell it, it might attract unwanted attention, which would be troublesome."

Therefore, this sweet glutinous rice wine absolutely cannot be sold before the market is fully open.

Qiao Sihai nodded and said, "I understand. If that's the case, should we tell our relatives and ask them to keep this glutinous rice wine a secret?"

Qiao Erhe laughed and said, "There's no need to keep it a secret. Only those who have actually tasted it will know how good its taste and health benefits are. If someone hasn't actually tasted this glutinous rice wine, no matter how eloquently others describe it, they may not believe it."

Although trust between people was much stronger in the early 1980s than in later generations, the credibility of such rumors, which spread from one person to ten or from ten to a hundred, was not high to begin with. Even if the taste and effects of glutinous rice wine were to become known, probably no one would believe it.

Even if some people do believe it, it doesn't matter.

After all, putting aside the taste of this sweet glutinous rice wine, its health benefits are indeed quite good, and drinking it for a long time is very good for the body. But so what?
Its effects are not beyond common sense. In this era, a jar of tiger bone wine is not necessarily less effective than this glutinous rice wine.

There are also medicinal wines made by soaking century-old wild ginseng, which have incredibly powerful effects.

Since it's not unique and doesn't exceed common sense, what does Qiao Erhe have to be afraid of?

As for the medicinal wine he plans to make using tiger bones, tiger penises, and countless rare medicinal herbs, its effects are indeed amazing, exceeding the imagination of ordinary people. However, he will definitely control the amount of this medicinal wine, allowing only a small amount to leak out.

Furthermore, the ingredients needed to make this medicinal wine are extremely rare. Even if those in high positions of power covet this medicinal wine, they would most likely only choose to cooperate with him, rather than forcefully demanding that he share the secret recipe for making the medicinal wine.

Even in the worst-case scenario, Qiao Erhe has a way to deal with it.

(End of this chapter)