Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Chapter 149 Fate is truly wondrous.

In the 1980s, shipping via train station was much cheaper than mailing through the post office.

In the end, Xu Bei spent less than two yuan to successfully send away the wooden stool and folding table.

When he returned to the shop, Zhao Fengying breathed a sigh of relief after learning that the matter had been resolved.

"It's good that it's been sent. Whether it works out or not is not up to us."

Anyway, it would be even better if we could make it work. Not only would your son earn a commission, but little Chen wouldn't have to work so hard to do it himself. And your boss would earn even more money—”

"Yes, we've done what we were supposed to do, so let's just let things take their course."

Xu Bei, the real boss, was also worried that if things didn't work out in the end, his mother would be disappointed again, so he calmly gave her a heads-up.

"However, our boss also said that even if we add equipment to make more wooden products after the Lunar New Year, our capacity is limited. Just supplying us and the other boss who deals in wooden products is already very busy. So, he's only taking a half-hearted approach to this matter, whether it works out or not."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fengying said understandingly, "That's true. The guy you know in the city who deals in wooden products buys a lot of them every now and then. Besides, Dahei and Guodong also push some out from time to time."

The mother and son were exhausted from the long journey, and they didn't have much free time after getting off the bus; they did quite a lot of things.

Therefore, urged by the Xu sisters, they did not stay in the store any longer and went home together to catch up on sleep.

Xu Bei felt that he was still young after all. He took a nap in the afternoon and slept well in the evening.

The heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) in this bungalow was especially refreshing; he felt much better when he woke up in the morning and regained his energy.

However, Zhao Fengying is different. Even though she has slept a lot, her back and waist are sore and she will probably need to rest for a couple of days.

In addition, she also had a slight runny nose and sneezing, probably due to the large temperature difference between the two places and her weakened immunity from not sleeping well on the road, which led to her being infected by someone with a cold among the passengers.

Therefore, Xu Bei and Xu Juan insisted that their mother stay at home and rest, and that they would go to the shop instead.

Anyway, it's the off-season now, and there aren't many people coming to buy goods, so we can manage to keep up.

Although Zhao Fengying really wanted to refuse, she was genuinely exhausted and kept sneezing and having a runny nose, which made her eyes water.

The doctor also advised that the heart problem wasn't serious, but that the child should be careful not to overexert themselves or overwork. In the end, the child had no choice but to follow their wishes.

Shortly after Xu Bei carried his younger sister to the shop, Xu Li and Zhu Wenliang also arrived.

The woodworking factory wasn't busy right after the Chinese New Year.

Today happens to be the day when the company's machines are under maintenance, so Zhu Wenliang is off duty.

Seeing that everything at home and in the shop was running smoothly, and that her brother-in-law, a big man, was helping out in the shop by tending the stove and doing other chores, she was relieved.

Therefore, Xu Bei dressed himself again and planned to take the forest railway train to the city.

Besides checking if Fan Baoli had returned from his hometown in the south after the Spring Festival, I also wanted to visit Wei Xuelin to talk about the business we discussed at the state-run restaurant the other day, about finding a suitable shop to start a business.

Although it was already the tenth day of the first lunar month, which is late February in the Gregorian calendar, the weather was still a bit chilly in the morning.

The spring breeze was particularly biting, though not as sharp as the coldest days of winter, which felt like a knife slicing your face.

Xu Bei strode into the waiting room of the Forestry Bureau's train station and immediately smelled the coal-burning odor from the stoves.

Because the stove was burning brightly, and it was very cold outside, the windowpanes were covered with thick frost flowers due to the temperature difference.

The waiting room, which wasn't very big, was filled with people sitting on several rows of blue-painted benches, and there were also many people standing or squatting waiting to board the train. The various chattering voices mixed together, making it a bit noisy.

Xu Bei was all alone, with no one he knew to chat with, so he simply crossed his arms and went to wait near the window covered in frost flowers.

He would glance at his watch every now and then, calculating how much time was left before departure.

The heavy cotton curtain of the waiting room was once again lifted from the outside.

Because Xu Bei was close to the door, he subconsciously glanced in that direction.

As a result, when he discovered that the person who came in was Zhou Qingwan, whom he hadn't seen for more than a week since they watched a movie together on the first day of the Lunar New Year, he immediately lowered his arm and greeted her with a smile in his eyes.

"Little Zhou, are you going to the city too?"

Zhou Qingwan was carrying a schoolbag on her back and holding a bulging handbag in her hand.

I had just entered the waiting room from the outside and hadn't even seen what was inside when I was completely drawn to Xu Bei and his voice.

"Yes, Brother Xu, our repeat class starts today. What a coincidence, we've run into each other again."

Not only Zhou Qingwan felt moved, but Xu Bei also felt that fate was truly wonderful.

We never bumped into each other so frequently before we knew each other.

"Yeah, I was just getting bored while waiting, thinking how nice it would be to chat with someone I know. Then I looked up and you came in. Here, give me your bag, I'll carry it for you."

"No need, Brother Xu."

Even though Zhou Qingwan refused, the bag was quickly snatched away by Xu Bei.

"Don't be so polite with me. Come on, let's go stand in a less crowded place over there for a while, then we can get on the bus soon."

Zhou Qingwan had already come to understand Xu Bei's domineering yet considerate nature, so she obediently stopped arguing and instead followed him to the side.

During this time, she even pulled off her gloves and patted her cheeks, which were reddened by the wind or by shyness, not knowing whether it was from the wind or from blushing.

Xu Bei walked ahead carrying his bag, but that didn't mean he wasn't constantly watching the girl he longed for.

In fact, as soon as Xu Bei saw the other person appear, he looked them up and down.

Although it had only been a little over a week since I last saw her, I felt that the girl's chin was a bit sharper, which made me a little puzzled.

After all, most people gain a few pounds during the Chinese New Year.

Even during the material scarcity of the 1980s, she rarely lost weight.

Once the two of them stood by the window, Xu Bei asked the question that had been on his mind.

"Little Zhou, why did you lose weight over the New Year?"

Zhou Qingwan subconsciously touched her face. "Brother Xu, really? I don't think I've lost weight."

"You probably can't tell for yourself, but I've noticed a significant difference since I haven't seen you for several days. Your chin has become more pointed."

Xu Bei knew that Zhou Qingwan's background was somewhat difficult and that she was currently living under someone else's roof, so he felt even more sorry for and loved her.

"Little Zhou, aren't we friends? If you encounter any problems or need help, please don't be shy to ask. Besides, you even helped my sister catch up on her lessons for a few days—"

Xu Bei was interrupted by Zhou Qingwan waving her hand before she could finish speaking.

"Brother Xu, please stop bringing up the fact that I tutored your sister. I've said it many times already. It would be good for her to take the opportunity to review herself as well."

Also, nothing really happened to me. Maybe I lost a little weight because I didn't get enough rest.

Xu Bei became even more curious after hearing this. "May I ask why you're not getting enough rest? Is it because of your family? Or was it because of the New Year holiday?"

Zhou Qingwan quickly shook her head, "No, that's not it."

She knew that Xu Bei asked this because he cared about her, and her heart was filled with ripples of emotion.

He looked around, somewhat embarrassed, and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Actually, I've been staying up late lately writing some articles."