Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Although Xu Bei wasn't that well-informed, he was well aware of the difficulties and obstacles involved in obtaining a divorce referral letter.

So after calming her mother down, she went back to doing her own thing.

After Dahei and Song Guodong learned that Xu Bei had returned, they both came to the house to get the stools.

However, because the folding tables are too expensive, we haven't made a single sale yet.

I was extremely envious of the 1.5 yuan commission, but I couldn't earn it for the time being, so I could only feel anxious.

As for Old Scar, both of the two he sent over that day were sold.

This morning, Xu Bei visited again and ordered six more folding tables.

With the addition of a hundred wooden stools, another 170 yuan was earned.

It was a business with no initial investment, and all the profits were in hand, so Xu Bei was naturally very happy.

Realizing that his home didn't even have a radio that could make a sound, he decided to go directly to the department store in the city.

Today is the 14th day of the twelfth lunar month, and the Lunar New Year is getting closer.

Countless people from various forestry bureaus and mountain forest farms came to the department store to buy New Year's goods.

Xu Beigang followed the people carrying large and small bags and lifted the cotton curtain, and saw a crowd of people on the first floor, with heat hitting his face.

The air was filled with the scent of face cream, the sweetness of candy, and various other indescribable aromas.

The radio counter was on the third floor, but Xu Bei didn't rush upstairs. Instead, he browsed around the lower floors first.

The festive atmosphere of the 1980s was truly strong, which could be clearly felt from the fervor with which people prepared for the New Year.

Especially at the candy and pastry, tobacco and alcohol, and fabric and knitwear counters, the queues were so long that it was impossible to push or shove them.

Xu Bei was too lazy to join in the fun. Besides, if he wanted to buy, the delivery would come to the city almost every day or two, so there would be plenty of opportunities to sell in the future.

He saw some nice men's and women's cotton-padded leather shoes on display in the shoe and hat section and wanted to buy a pair for himself and his family, so he stopped to look at them.

Perhaps it's because leather shoes are very expensive now, often costing tens of yuan a pair.

Even though every household in the forest area has several people working and earning wages, and they don't lack big money but have plenty of small money, many people are still reluctant to spend most of their monthly salary on a pair of cotton leather shoes.

As a result, there are far fewer people at the counter here.

However, it is not comparable to normal times.

Xu Bei quickly picked out a pair and said to the saleswoman behind the counter who was doing the accounting, "Comrade, could you bring me those black men's cotton leather shoes?"

The sales clerk glanced at him, turned around, took a shoebox from the shelf behind her, took out a shoe, and slammed it onto the glass counter.

"Look carefully, this is genuine Shanghai goods, thirty-seven yuan and fifty cents."

The price of thirty-seven and fifty cents was expensive to others, but Xu Bei didn't care much about it.

He calmly picked up one of the cotton-padded leather shoes and began to examine it closely when a pleasant, melodious voice sounded behind him.

"Brother Xu, what a coincidence."

Xu Bei suddenly turned around and saw Zhou Qingwan standing not far behind him.

The little girl wore a dark coat and a white scarf, which made her face look even whiter and more beautiful.

He was also carrying a cloth bag, which looked bulging and must have contained quite a lot of things.

"Little Zhou, what a coincidence! You're here to buy something too?"

"Yes."

Zhou Qingwan smiled as she approached Xu Bei, her gaze subtly sweeping over him, especially lingering on the leather shoes in his hand. "And you, Brother Xu, did you come alone?"

Xu Bei saw the girl he liked, and his mood was naturally very pleasant. Not only did his eyes radiate undisguised joy, but his smile was also exceptionally genuine. "Yes. Looks like you're alone too?"

Zhou Qingwan smiled shyly, "Yes. I saw you from behind and thought it was Brother Xu, so I came over to say hello."

After that robbery incident and buying things at the store, the two had become somewhat familiar with each other.

Xu Bei wasn't a real naive young man in his early twenties; he had a knack for handling the girls he was attracted to with a good balance of composure and gentleness.

"Xiao Zhou, have you finished buying everything? If you have, could you help me pick out a radio that costs a few dozen yuan? I'm a big man and I'm afraid my mom and sister won't like it, and then I'll have to exchange it, which is too much trouble."

Zhou Qingwan really didn't expect Xu Bei to make such a request.

However, Xu Bei and his mother had both helped him before, and this little favor was insignificant compared to that help.

Therefore, she hesitated for only a moment before nodding in agreement, "Okay. But the ones I choose might not be to the aunties' liking."

"It's okay, it's better for you to give me some advice than for me to be overwhelmed by all the choices."

Xu Bei quickly put down the shoes, apologized to the sales clerk, and then led Zhou Qingwan away from the shoe counter, heading straight for the stairs leading upstairs.

Zhou Qingwan walked beside Xu Bei, who was a little taller than her, and blushed slightly as she thought of her cousin's bold guess.

Xu Bei noticed that the little girl's face was a little red, and her watery eyes were glancing at him furtively. His heart stirred, and he smiled with a slight upturn of his lips.

However, people value subtlety these days, so even if he wanted to pursue a young girl, he couldn't possibly scare her away.

So, even when they got to the radio counter, Xu Bei acted very seriously, as if he really wanted to ask Zhou Qingwan for help in choosing one.

Behind the counter stood a middle-aged female sales clerk wearing arm sleeves, carefully wiping a wooden box with a velvet cloth.

Upon seeing a pair of tall and good-looking young people approaching, he immediately put down what he was holding, sized them up, and secretly wondered about their relationship.

Xu Bei didn't care much about the stares of others; his main attention was on the young girl beside him and the radio displayed in the counter.

He knew that many radios sold in the "Three Turns and One Sound" area cost over a hundred yuan, but he didn't have that much money to buy one now, so he simply asked directly, "Comrade, what radios cost a few dozen yuan?"

In response to Xu Bei's inquiry, the salesperson displayed professionalism, saying, "For a few dozen yuan, we have Haiyan brand dual-tube transistor radios, Baodeng brand semiconductor radios..."

As the other person spoke, they pointed to the radios they were referring to.

Xu Bei then asked the sales clerks to bring them all to the counter so he could examine their appearance and listen to their sounds.

Zhou Qingwan, who came to help, also gave some advice.

Finally, Xu Bei spent thirty yuan to buy a Baodeng brand transistor radio, intending to use it temporarily.

After buying the radio and going downstairs, it was almost noon.

Xu Bei then very naturally invited Zhou Qingwan to dinner to express his gratitude.

Unfortunately, the little girl refused him very firmly.

I had no choice but to settle for two roasted sweet potatoes from an old man selling them at a stall outside the department store.

"It's just a roasted sweet potato. You can't refuse it this time, or you'll be treating me like a friend."

Zhou Qingwan realized that refusing again would be too rigid, so she blushed and said softly, "Thank you, Brother Xu. Then I won't stand on ceremony with you."