1994: Starting with unpaid leave

The next morning, at the open-air farmers' market.

The crowd was bustling and noisy.

The hot breath from his mouth turned into wisps of white smoke in the winter air, drifting upwards.

"Two dollars, two dollars already! You took the whole bunch for two dollars!"

"Milk, milk, freshly squeezed milk! Drink it while it's hot!"

"Preparing for the Lunar New Year? Slaughtering a pig on the spot! Look here for fresh meat!"

The shouts of vendors and the haggling of customers created a lively atmosphere far more vibrant than the later online shopping festivals where people would link their phones to their families.

Standing in front of the fish stall, Dong Jianguo pointed to the frozen carp and asked, "How much is this fish?"

"Six yuan a piece, just pulled out of the river this morning after breaking a hole in it. If it weren't so cold, they'd be jumping around like crazy!"

Dong Jianguo nodded:

"Can you give me a discount if I buy more?"

How much do you want?

"Hachijo."

"Just give me forty yuan!"

"light and spacious!"

Dong Jianguo nodded, readily took out his money, and then threw the frozen carp into the vegetable basket.

There should always be some festive atmosphere during the Chinese New Year.

Stock up on New Year's goods; it's always good to buy more.

After buying enough fish, Dong Jianguo also bought four boxes of frozen shrimp and four boxes of squid.

Once back in the bread cart, these items were placed together with the various meats that had been purchased earlier.

To ensure fairness, all four portions are identical.

Each serving contains 10 jin of pork ribs, 10 jin of pork tenderloin, 10 jin of beef, two chickens, one duck, two carp, one box of frozen shrimp, and one box of squid.

Two copies were given to both sets of parents, one to the second uncle's family, and one was prepared for our own family.

However, it's just me and Xiuyun at home, and this amount of stuff is really too much.

Then I'll have to take care of my wife after childbirth, which will probably be troublesome.

Dong Jianguo plans to take some time to deliver some to Sister Hongmei's home.

After all, Yueyue keeps calling him "godfather," so it would be a bit much to just give her a red envelope for the New Year.

Although winters in the north are bitterly cold, there are also advantages:

There's no need to worry about preparing too much food in winter.

If it's a single-story house, you can just throw it in the yard, and you're guaranteed to be fine all winter.

For apartment buildings, it's a bit more complicated, but you can just stuff it into the railing outside the window and it becomes a natural giant refrigerator.

In older buildings like those in Paotaitun, where heating is less efficient, you can simply throw your belongings onto the north-facing balcony and store them for the entire winter.

With a tight schedule and heavy workload, I had to visit the two elderly people after buying things in the morning, and then take Xiuyun to the hospital in the afternoon.

Dong Jianguo drove home and rummaged through his belongings on the upstairs balcony and in the refrigerator.

After he finished all his work, Xiuyun finally got out of bed.

"Why did you buy so much stuff...?"

"We need to buy more New Year's goods. The market won't reopen until after the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. It's better to have food at home than to panic!"

"Oh dear... I'm afraid there's too much stuff, and the fridge won't be able to hold it all. Why don't you send some over to Sister Hongmei? It's the New Year, don't let Yueyue go hungry."

Dong Jianguo nodded with a smile and gave his wife a thumbs up.

You have to find a wife like this.

Only when everyone thinks in the same direction and works together can a household be managed well.

Otherwise, if two people sharing a bed can't even think alike, this family is bound to fall apart sooner or later.

After letting Xiuyun rest at home, Dong Jianguo drove the remaining goods straight to his father-in-law's house.

As soon as Zhou Yuejin, the father-in-law, opened the door and saw his third son-in-law carrying large and small bags, he immediately started shouting:

"Oh dear, Jianguo's here! Why did you bring so much stuff?"

He deliberately raised his voice and shouted, hoping that his neighbors would come out and take a look.

Sure enough, after that shout, several neighbors came out to see what was going on.

"Wow, Jian Guo's back! Being a boss really changes things, look at all these bags and packages!"

"Jianguo, you must have made a lot of money last year! This guy, I listen to your storytelling every day, the guys at your factory are practically sick of it!"

"What good stuff have you brought out?! Old Zhou, if there's anything good to eat during the New Year, remember to share some with us!"

Zhou Yuejin, whose vanity was greatly satisfied, nodded, straightening his hunched back considerably.

"Don't worry, everyone who sees it will get a share. I'll bring it out for everyone to try when it's ready!"

Upon hearing this, the neighbors immediately beamed with joy.

Dong Jianguo smiled and offered cigarettes to his neighbors.

After chatting with the neighbors for a while, and waiting for his father-in-law to look pleased with himself, Dong Jianguo finally brought the rest of the New Year's goods into the house.

"Dad, Mom, the situation is a bit special this year, so Xiuyun and I won't be coming."

"Huh? Why aren't you coming over?! You've been spending the New Year at your mom's?!"

Dong Jianguo waved his hand:

"No, isn't Xiuyun about to give birth?! I'm worried that setting off firecrackers during the New Year might upset the baby. Since conditions are better now, let Xiuyun spend the New Year in the hospital. If she really gives birth, it'll be easier to handle things there..."

"Oh, really? Is having a baby that precious?! Your mother gave birth to Xiuyun's second sister at home..."

My mother-in-law, Cao Wenli, nudged my husband:

"What were my conditions back then? What are kids' conditions like now?! How can you compare?! Back then, some people even conceived babies while using the toilet, why don't you compare yourself to them!"

"Oh dear, I was wrong..."

Dong Jianguo smiled at the two elders, then took out a large red envelope from his pocket.

Upon seeing him pull out a red envelope, Zhou Yuejin's father-in-law's eyes lit up, but he uttered a completely different sound:

"Ouch... hiss... ouch... nothing else... no... hiss..."

This voice system is a unique encrypted voice system specific to Northeast China, with a core meaning similar to:

"I don't want it, I really don't want it, but if you insist, I'll reluctantly accept it so as not to hurt your feelings..."

This is a simplified folk version of the Confucian concept of "three refusals and three concessions".

Children who grow up in Northeast China have basically grown up watching others grow up.

Dong Jianguo was no exception.

He smiled and explained:

"Mom and Dad, Xiuyun and I used to have limited means, and we didn't have much to offer you as a filial gift. Now that we're better off, we thought we'd give you something."

"Besides, Mom and Dad, you're both getting older every year, so you need to have some money on hand for emergencies... Don't be too frugal with your food and drinks, I'm counting on you two to stay healthy and help me and Xiuyun take care of the kids in the future!"

"Sigh, this kid's really changed since he started doing business. He's much more eloquent than before! Well then, we'll accept the money!"

Zhou Yuejin took the money into the inner room, put it away, and then came out with a smile.

"Mom and Dad, there's something else I'm not sure if I should say..."

"We're all family, so feel free to say whatever you want..."

"Um... my second sister went to my house to borrow money yesterday, but Xiuyun and I didn't lend her any..."

Seeing the unfriendly looks in his father-in-law and mother-in-law's eyes, Dong Jianguo waved his hand:

"Dad, Mom, it's not that we're stingy, it's just that stocks are almost like gambling. It's almost a gamble where you lose nine out of ten times. No matter how much wealth we have, we can't afford to invest it all away..."

"I had a colleague from a textile factory, similar to my second brother-in-law, who was laid off and then started investing in stocks, and later jumped off a building..."

My parents-in-law were clearly startled. They exchanged a glance and couldn't help but ask:

"Huh?! It can't be that bad, can it?! That thing is that dangerous?!"

Dong Jianguo nodded solemnly:

"Absolutely! It's terrifying!"

"I'm thinking that my second sister and brother-in-law might ask you for money again during the Chinese New Year... It's best not to lend them this 10,000 yuan, otherwise it might end up harming them..."

The elderly couple exchanged a glance, as if having made a decision, and nodded solemnly:

"Don't worry, we'll just say we don't have any money!"