"Children under seven years old ride for free, and all others pay ten cents. Adults please take good care of their children. If you are prone to motion sickness, please bring your own plastic bags and don't vomit in the car." Seeing that the car could no longer accommodate anyone, the conductor immediately closed the door and shouted at the passengers inside.
After saying that, she slammed the car door hard, signaling the driver that he could drive.
The car started slowly, and the conductor began to move around in the crowded carriage, holding the ticket holder in one hand and holding the seat with the other hand to maintain balance, collecting fares one by one.
The destination of this bus is the city center. It will not stop along the way and the journey takes about fifty minutes.
As the vehicle slowly started, the body of the vehicle began to shake. Because there were no cement roads in that era, the roads were bumpy. If it rained and the vehicle fell into a mud pit, it would be impossible to drive out. Passengers would have to get off the vehicle to push the vehicle or add some stones to it.
If you are unlucky and the tire is punctured during the journey, the driver has to replace it, which wastes a lot of time.
As the car started moving, it bumped from time to time, and the people inside swayed slightly, as if they were performing a silent group dance.
The car was driving on the bumpy road, and the scenery outside the window quickly passed by. Farmland, villages, small towns, familiar scenes flashed before my eyes and quickly disappeared behind me.
Zhang Qiurui's mood also fluctuated with the ever-changing scenery.
Finally, the car slowly drove into the bustling area of the city. The bustling crowds, many of whom were riding bicycles, all made Mingqi feel both novel and excited.
After getting off the bus, she followed her aunt closely, fearing that she would get lost in this unfamiliar environment.
"Mom and Dad, you must be tired! Why don't we find a place to rest first? It's getting late. We can have lunch first and then go to the department store to buy things." After getting off the car, Zhang Wenmin saw that his parents and father-in-law and mother-in-law all looked tired, so he hurriedly said.
The bumpy ride and the strange smell inside the car were not so bad for young people like Zhang Qiurui, but for the older people, it was really a lot of suffering.
Especially Zhang Ercheng and Zhou Guihua, they usually live in the brigade and rarely have the opportunity to travel far. They have never taken a car before. They were very carsick along the way and their faces turned pale.
"There's a state-owned restaurant just in front. Let's go there for dinner and then go shopping in the department store." Yu's mother pointed to the state-owned restaurant not far from them.
"Okay!" Zhang Wenmin seemed to have prepared to have lunch at the state-owned restaurant. He had already prepared various tickets. He agreed immediately and walked to the front first.
Zhang Ercheng and Zhou Guihua seemed to have discussed it beforehand. Without saying much, they followed Zhang Wenmin tacitly and stepped into the state-owned restaurant full of the atmosphere of the times.
Inside the restaurant, wooden tables and chairs were neatly arranged. Several tables were already full of people. The air was filled with the aroma of food, making people swallow their saliva involuntarily.
"The prices are written on the blackboard, along with the prices and required tickets. Please take a look." The waiters in state-owned restaurants of this era were not as enthusiastic as waiters in later generations. They all looked businesslike and spoke in a slightly cold tone, but such an attitude was perfectly normal in that era.
Because in this era, being able to work in a state-owned restaurant means you are capable and are the envy of others.
The waiter pointed to a blackboard hanging on the wall, on which were neatly written with chalk the day's dishes, prices, and the type and quantity of tickets required.
"Uncle, aunt, please drink some water first. I'll go order food for my third brother." After settling Yu's father and mother and pouring them tea, Zhang Qiurui turned around and walked towards her second brother.
"Let's have stir-fried pork, pickled cabbage, scrambled eggs with leeks, vegetable soup, pickled green beans, four of them with 200g of rice, and four of them with 100g of rice." Zhang Wenmin touched the tickets in his pocket, calculated that the tickets in his pocket were enough to pay for the meal, and then he listed several dishes in one breath.
"Let's have some sweet and sour pork ribs, braised fish, a plate of peanuts, smashed cucumbers, and two taels of white wine. As for the rice, two taels per person." After Zhang Qiurui heard the dishes her third brother recommended, she realized that five dishes were not enough for the eight of them, so she quickly added two more side dishes.
"Qiu Rui, we don't have enough meat and meal tickets." Zhang Wenmin felt a little embarrassed when he heard the names of the dishes Zhang Qiu Rui reported. The meat and meal tickets in his pocket combined were not enough to pay for these dishes.
In addition, he was also thrifty with money. A stir-fried vegetable cost 25 cents, and he could buy four or five kilograms of vegetables in the commune with 25 cents.
A plate of sweet and sour spareribs costs not only two taels of meat tickets, but also one dollar and fifty cents.
Braised fish doesn't require a ticket, but it does cost one dollar.
This meal, including the ticket, cost at least ten yuan, which made Zhang Wenmin feel very distressed.
"I have some here, take it. When you go to the department store to buy things later, don't be reluctant to spend it." At this time, Zhang Qiurui took out half of her various tickets from her pocket and gave them to her third brother.
"Did your mother give it to you?" When Zhang Wenmin saw the ticket Qiu Rui handed over, he thought it was his mother who asked Qiu Rui to bring it to him.
"Hmm!" Zhang Qiurui snorted lightly, neither saying yes nor no. Some things are hard to explain, so he simply didn't say anything.
"Okay, let's order these dishes. Please serve them quickly." After paying the money and the ticket, Zhang Wenmin carefully put the change and the remaining ticket into his pocket, thinking that he would have to be more careful when going to the department store later. After all, this meal had exceeded his original budget.
The waiter hurried away with the menu, and soon the kitchen was filled with the sounds of pots and pans colliding and dishes being cooked, and the air was filled with the tempting aroma of food.
The waiting time is always long, but fortunately the food is served quickly.
The waiter came over with steaming dishes and placed them on the table one by one.
"Why did you order wine?" Yu Yang glared at Zhang Wenmin when she saw the waiter bringing the wine.
"Third sister-in-law, I ordered it. I thought today was a good day, and my uncle, my father and my third brother would drink some wine, so we decided to celebrate." Zhang Qiurui took over and explained with a smile.
"That's true. Today is a good day, father-in-law, let's have a drink." Zhang Ercheng liked wine, but it was expensive and he couldn't afford it in the past. Today, he was naturally very happy to see that there was wine to drink.
"Okay! Have a drink." Yu's father nodded.
"You guys drink, and my mother-in-law, Yangyang and I will eat." Zhou Guihua invited Yu's mother and others to eat.
Although meals in state-owned restaurants in this era were not cheap, the ingredients were substantial and the bowls were always filled to the brim.
The stir-fried meat is bright red in color and fragrant; the sour cabbage is sweet and sour, crisp and refreshing; the scrambled eggs with leeks are tender and tasty, and rich in nutrients; the vegetable soup is light and refreshing, warming the stomach and soothing; the sour beans are sour and spicy, appetizing, and go great with rice.
The sweet and sour spare ribs are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet with a hint of sour; the braised fish is extremely delicious, with delicate meat; the smashed cucumber is crisp and refreshing, and it relieves greasiness and stimulates the appetite; the peanuts are crispy and delicious, and are a great dish to go with wine.
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