Zhuang Mingcheng asked a passerby for directions.
The department store on Yongchang Road in the provincial capital is the largest and has the widest variety of goods. It's a three-story department store, and it would take a whole morning to browse through it all.
Upon hearing this, even Lu Fangfang became interested.
The largest department store she went to was in the county, and it sold ordinary things, yet people still had to queue up to buy them, which disappointed her greatly.
After asking the questions, the two walked south together, intending to take the tram.
On the way, Lu Fangfang joked, "Comrade Zhuang Mingcheng, are you going to move the department store to your home this time too?"
Zhuang Mingcheng glanced at her and said helplessly, "Don't joke around, I don't have that much money."
"hey-hey."
Lu Fangfang was overjoyed.
This man was so powerful back then, he even moved the supply and marketing cooperative to his home, but who would have thought he would have his downfall?
She shook her head, took out a handkerchief from her pocket, and began counting her secret stash of money.
She had earned quite a bit from digging for caterpillar fungus these days. If it weren't for the delays caused by Zhuang's mother and the investigation team, she could have earned even more. Thinking about it, she still felt a little regretful.
Zhuang Mingcheng, standing nearby, looked quite surprised.
A few days ago, his fiancée asked him to go to Hotan to buy jade and sent him some money, which made him very worried. He was afraid that his fiancée would go hungry and lose weight.
Well, I never expected his fiancée to be almost a little rich woman now.
"Fangfang, how come you have so much money? Where did you get it?"
"I earned it myself."
Lu Fangfang glanced at him and said, "Don't worry, it's all my hard-earned money, not from speculation. I'm not as daring as Zhu Haiming."
Zhuang Mingcheng chuckled, "I never said it was speculation or profiteering."
He shook his head, took out his newly received salary from his pocket, and started counting it.
During his trip to Xinjiang, he didn't spend any money except on buying stones; he was just waiting for this moment.
How much do you earn a month?
Lu Fangfang looked on with equal curiosity.
She had just over two hundred yuan in total, most of which she earned from digging for caterpillar fungus, and some of it was saved from selling squirrel pelts. It looked like she had a little more than Zhuang Mingcheng.
"My salary is 89 yuan, plus the military service allowance, which is 100 yuan."
"One hundred...one hundred yuan?"
Lu Fangfang was startled and speechless.
In the 1960s, one hundred yuan was something most people wouldn't even dare to dream of.
In this era, the working class was the best, and their wages were the highest.
A new apprentice in the factory earns twenty yuan a month, which is quite a lot. It's enough to support himself and he can even save some money.
Zhuang Mingcheng's monthly salary of one hundred yuan is equivalent to that of an eighth-grade master craftsman in the factory.
You can't spend it all, you simply can't spend it all.
Thinking about it, Lu Fangfang chuckled. After all, he was a battalion commander, so it was only right that he earned a higher income.
Unexpectedly, she found a tall, rich, and handsome guy, well, he's a bit dark-skinned now.
What are you grinning about?
Zhuang Mingcheng rolled his eyes at his fiancée.
He pulled out a few cloth coupons and said, "I still have some cloth coupons. I'll buy some cloth later and make you a new outfit. You can't keep wearing my old military uniform."
Lu Fangfang looked down and thought it was fine.
However, summer is coming soon, so I really need to make some cooler clothes; this military uniform is still a bit too thick.
"If I had known there would be nothing wrong, I would have brought my cloth ration coupons from home."
Lu Fangfang was still a little disappointed, as the fabrics in the provincial capital had better patterns and designs than those in the county town.
The main reason was that she hadn't expected the investigation team's matter to be resolved so easily.
"By the way, Mingcheng, what level is Team Leader Zhang?"
"Major, one rank above me, his salary is one hundred and thirteen yuan a month."
Lu Fangfang tilted her head and sized up Zhuang Mingcheng.
The group leader is a major, and Zhuang Mingcheng is a captain. When he gets promoted one more level, he will be a major, then a lieutenant colonel, a colonel, a senior colonel, and then a major general.
Gao Dajiang in the regiment is a lieutenant colonel. Speaking of which, Team Leader Zhang's rank isn't high either, but he's really arrogant.
"Hmph, that Zhang guy deserved it. He lost his rank and was kicked out of the army. I bet he'll regret it to death. At least he got his revenge."
"Alright, let's not talk about him anymore."
Zhuang Mingcheng shook his head; he didn't have a good impression of Team Leader Zhang either.
The two chatted as they walked south along the road, and soon arrived at Dongfanghong Square again.
Down with landlord capitalism!
Down with feudal superstition!
Down with the demons and monsters!
In the square, under the statue of the Chairman, many people were still marching and chanting slogans.
Not only adults, but also many students wearing red scarves were shouting and holding small red flags.
During the two months Lu Fangfang fled the famine, she dared not enter the city and stayed in the countryside and suburbs. This was the first time she had seen such a scene.
Down with landlord capitalism!
While waiting for the tram, she went into the crowd and called out for a while.
Seeing the trolleybus arrive, she sighed and pulled Zhuang Mingcheng along as they hurried to the station.
"Mingcheng, after we finish shopping, let's go back. Let's come to the provincial capital less often in the future. Let's live our own little life at the foot of Qilian Mountain."
The troupe isn't as bustling as the provincial capital, but it also doesn't have as much trouble, making it perfect for escaping these next few years.
Zhuang Mingcheng scratched his head, somewhat puzzled by his fiancée's words, but he still agreed.
When the tram stopped, Lu Fangfang pulled Zhuang Mingcheng and squeezed into the tram.
The trolleybuses of that era were basically large blue and white vans with two iron rods sticking out from the top and hanging from the power lines; they looked quite high-tech.
This is something that only exists in the provincial capital; it's not available in the cities and counties below.
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