"Guodong, your parents went to your aunt's house. When you come back, take the keys. Your mom wants you to cook for yourself!" As they passed the baked pancake shop in the North Alley, an aunt from Shaanxi saw Zhang Guodong through the plastic curtain, greeted him warmly, and handed him a set of keys. "Won't you come in and sit for a bit?"
Zhang Guodong forced a smile and shook his head, saying, "No, Auntie, I have something to do—"
This pancake shop is located in an urban village in Xi'an, the provincial capital, and its business is quite good. It is said that they can sell six or seven bags of flour a day. For this purpose, they even bought a van, which cost more than 50,000 yuan.
It was already late November, and it was a leap year. The weather in Xi'an was unusually cold this year. The hot breath exhaled from my mouth was incredibly thick and instantly turned into fog. The weather forecast said that a large area in the north might experience widespread snowfall in the next week.
Now that we're in the 21st century, technology is still very advanced; it's almost always accurate to predict where there will be rain or snow.
Zhang Guodong turned around, passed by people wearing thick clothes, and walked back.
His brow was furrowed. He had no choice but to go out to look for work again today, but unfortunately, the internet cafe owner had a face even longer than a donkey's, and he judged people by their appearance and gender. Despite his requirement of a monthly salary of seven or eight hundred, no one wanted him.
He was a college graduate, and although his degree was a bit lacking and he had no work experience, he was still a knowledgeable person. Unfortunately, the internet cafe's hiring requirements were surprisingly high: "Sorry, we're not hiring!"
Zhang Guodong was eliminated.
Isn't this blatant lying? Why post a job advertisement if you're not hiring? It's obvious they don't think you're good enough for them.
Standing at 1.7 meters tall, not particularly tall, and with an average appearance, Zhang Guodong was nearing 25 and still single and unemployed. His parents, worried about him, had even followed him from their rural hometown to the provincial capital. Thinking of his parents, whose hair was turning gray, Zhang Guodong felt a pang of sadness. He had initially considered starting his own business, but lacking both money and connections, he had been stuck for three years. Three years is enough time to wear down many ambitious young people, and Zhang Guodong was pretty much one of them—a complete failure.
"Guodong's back!" the landlady greeted him. Zhang Guodong was actually quite popular.
"Hey!" Zhang Guodong nodded to the landlord and went up to the third floor.
This is a tenement building in an urban village. The conditions are rudimentary. All the buildings are three or four stories high, and the layout is unreasonable and chaotic. The corridors are very narrow, and most of the available space is used by tenants to store their belongings.
Moreover, since Zhang Guodong lived upstairs, he had to go down to the second floor to get water, and there was nowhere to take a bath. He could only go to one of the village's public bathhouses to take a bath.
The conditions were extremely poor.
Of course, the rent is correspondingly cheaper. The monthly rent is 100 yuan, the electricity fee is 1 yuan per unit, and the sanitation and water fees are 5 yuan per person. The monthly expenses in these areas are at least 150 yuan, which are the basic expenses.
But in the sweltering summer, we have to sleep on the roof. And in the dead of winter, the room of about 20 square meters is both cramped and very cold, so we have to burn honeycomb briquettes, which is another considerable expense.
Even a hero can be brought down by a penny. Zhang Guodong was worried about money. The Chinese New Year was only two months away, and he wondered where he was going to get the money. Although his parents usually didn't say anything to him, when faced with this difficulty, they had to swallow their pride and ask relatives to find them work, which made him feel even worse.
Upon opening the door, Zhang Guodong didn't want to move at all, so he simply collapsed onto the dilapidated bed, his mind blank.
"Money, you're a bastard!" Zhang Guodong stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally saying firmly. "No, I still have to look for a job this afternoon!"
Although he anticipated the difficulty of finding a job, reality was even crueler than he imagined. After lying in bed for a while, Zhang Guodong got up and started cooking for himself.
The honeycomb briquette cylinder was still burning, with half the opening sealed, so there was no need to change the coal. There were also several packets of Fumanduo instant noodles on the wooden box, which his mother, Ye Cuihua, had prepared because she was worried that Zhang Guodong wouldn't know how to cook. There were also eggs next to it. Seeing all this, Zhang Guodong's determination to find a job seemed even stronger.
Three people live in a single room of just over 20 square meters. Zhang Guodong no longer wants to be depressed. This situation must be changed, and he needs to find something serious and sustainable to do.
To save time, Zhang Guodong turned on the gas stove outside, poured in boiling water, and cooked a bag of noodles and an egg.
In today's fast-paced city life, everything is about speed. Take eggs, for example: thick-shelled, dark yellow eggs are from chickens fed with feed. They're not fragrant and there's a huge difference in quality compared to the white-shelled eggs from naturally raised hens in the countryside.
A factory-farmed egg retails for 40 cents, while a white-shelled egg costs 60 cents—half the price! And that's the usual price. Now that it's November, with the weather getting colder, the prices of all kinds of vegetables and meats have gone up.
The base price increase is double, and the highest price could reach three to five times. With fewer vegetables available in the south and even fewer greenhouse-grown vegetables in the north due to the cold weather, successfully transporting southern vegetables to the north will definitely be very profitable!
If it really snows in the north and the roads are blocked, the prices of vegetables and meat will be so high that people will be green with envy.
Advocating for green food and pursuing a high quality of life, there are quite a few wealthy urban residents these days.
The water boiled quickly, and Zhang Guodong hurriedly put the instant noodles in, added all three seasoning packets, and sprinkled in the beaten egg.
Feeling quite hungry, Zhang Guodong swallowed hard and began to eat heartily.
To be honest, he hadn't touched the fifty yuan in his pocket all day. The reason was simple: he didn't have enough money in his pocket! He couldn't bear to part with it.
Five or six families from Sichuan lived on the third floor, speaking in their native dialect, of which Zhang Guodong could barely understand about one-fifth. He was cooking instant noodles when it started to get noisy downstairs; the upstairs neighbors were returning home. They worked on a nearby construction site but ate at home, a sight Zhang Guodong often saw—several families gathering together for hot pot or something similar.
Soon, more than a dozen people, both men and women, came up into the hallway. They were chatting and laughing, wearing work clothes and yellow safety helmets. They were covered in dust, but it did not dampen their enthusiasm for chatting.
Zhang Guodong rarely interacts with his neighbors, not because he's arrogant, but because he's introverted and doesn't have much money, so he can't stand up straight. To put it bluntly, he's obsessed with saving face and suffers for it.
My parents have a good relationship with these neighbors. They often greet each other and help each other out when needed.
Before long, the group set up a canteen in one of the homes. There were four fish, a chicken, and some sausages and smoked meat. Compared to Zhang Guodong's instant noodles, the Sichuan people were very particular about food. As soon as they started cooking, the corridor on the third floor was filled with a spicy aroma.
After quickly finishing his instant noodles, Zhang Guodong felt a little better. He put down the bowl, planning to wash it when he got back. After resting for a while, he went downstairs.
If the fatigue in his legs could earn him a job, Zhang Guodong would be quite willing.
The urban villages are thriving, with all sorts of shops lining almost every alleyway: hair salons, noodle shops, Sichuan restaurants, discount stores, and so on. At the entrance of each alley, some landlords have also come up with a plan, renting out the alleyway to small vendors who have started selling vegetables. They display various vegetables on wooden boards, including garlic sprouts, potatoes, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, mung bean sprouts, tofu and bean products, and other common vegetables—everything you could want.
However, this price is almost double what it was in the summer. Even the cheapest one is over 100 yuan!
The city's price bureau and other departments regulate the prices of rice, flour, oil, eggs, and meat, but the prices of most vegetables are difficult to control. It's obvious that when the weather gets cold in the north, vegetable production basically relies on supplies from the south, which causes prices to skyrocket. For example, ordinary leafy greens have risen to two yuan per jin (500g), potatoes have also increased in price to one yuan and two jin, and green peppers and garlic sprouts can sell for three or four yuan per jin. Prices in the city are probably even higher!
Zhang Guodong looked at this business with some envy.
But he couldn't handle this business; he didn't have the money. This vegetable business required at least five or six thousand yuan to even start, otherwise he'd likely lose money hauling vegetables on his tricycle, and even if he made a profit, it wouldn't be much. After all, the variety of vegetables was too limited, and sourcing was difficult. Many people buy vegetables based on the variety first; if the selection wasn't complete, they'd leave quickly without lingering.
Once you get to the main street, there are even more businesses. Everyone is dressed warmly, wearing hats, and walking quickly, not wanting to linger. It's so cold! You have to walk to avoid freezing. Temperatures around zero degrees Celsius are not so pleasant.
"Come and take a look! Xinjiang woolen jacket factory is having a huge clearance sale!"
A carpet was piled high with brand-new down jackets, and a pre-recorded speaker was surrounded by a crowd; clearly, many people were interested in bargains.
On the other side, steaming hot instant spicy skewers were displayed on the street, and most of the people eating them were young people, especially girls.
There were all sorts of stalls selling cold dishes, cooked food, stinky tofu, and more, making it a very lively place.
Zhang Guodong almost stopped lingering, but looked around aimlessly. There were actually jobs in the village, but it was hard to say whether he could find one.
After seeing several job postings from various businesses, Zhang Guodong went to inquire at each one, but the shop owners coldly shook their heads upon seeing his appearance. Initially, Zhang Guodong was still energetic despite the rejections, but being rejected repeatedly before even entering the shop made him somewhat numb and disheartened.
"Bang!" Lost in thought, Zhang Guodong stepped into a small vendor's stall and kicked several oddly shaped stones away.
"Damn it, kid, how do you walk? Can't you see where you're going?" The vendor was furious.
It's almost the end of the year, and the business of selling rare stones is not easy. I've only been open for a short time today and haven't made a single sale, but someone has already stepped in. How can I let this opportunity pass?
Zhang Guodong immediately snapped out of his daze and realized he had been daydreaming. But the vendor wouldn't let it go. Seeing that Zhang Guodong seemed to have acquiesced, he immediately demanded, "You broke my treasure! Pay up!"
This shout immediately attracted the attention of passersby.
Annoyed and not wanting to argue, Zhang Guodong simply said, "Four items in total, twenty yuan!"
"That won't do, this is a treasure of mine—" The shrewd vendor, seeing that Zhang Guodong was so easy to talk to, immediately tried to ask for an exorbitant price.
"Either we do business amicably, or you get out of here!" Zhang Guodong interrupted the vendor impatiently. He'd lived here for three years; it would be a miracle if he were fooled by a small vendor. And they were getting too big for their britches?
"You!" The small vendor actually cursed at Zhang Guodong when he saw how arrogant he was.
Zhang Guodong glared at him, and the small vendor swallowed his words, feeling uneasy and unsure of Zhang Guodong's strength. Moreover, it was obvious that he was thinner and smaller than Zhang Guodong, which gave him a natural lack of imposing presence.
Another saying goes that those with connections here already have shops, while those without connections set up stalls here to avoid paying business registration fees.
Zhang Guodong was in a bad mood and didn't want to argue with anyone.
"You got a good deal!" the vendor said sullenly, but his hands and feet were quick. He immediately picked up the four strange stone ornaments that had been kicked out of bounds. They were four necklaces with red threads through them, but the pendants were stone pieces with some patterns on them. Zhang Guodong put them in his pocket, took the thirty yuan change, and left immediately.
"What bad luck!" Zhang Guodong sighed in frustration.
The interruption seemed to alleviate his disappointment somewhat. Once he calmed down, Zhang Guodong cursed himself for being out of his mind, having spent twenty yuan on four useless stones! But since he had already paid, he couldn't expect to get his money back.
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