123 Serious Xiao Guan
After leaving the car factory's auditorium, the four of them rode their bicycles to Cuihua Hutong.
Xu Cheng and Qin Zilan, who had just gone dancing together, looked very affectionate. Lin Sitian said, "Now you know how fun this activity is, right?"
When she asked them to sign up, they were quite hesitant, saying they were both married with children and embarrassed to attend the dance party. Everyone else was there to find partners and make friends; they didn't need to!
If Lin Sitian hadn't mentioned that she and Yuehe had also signed up, they probably wouldn't have felt comfortable doing so.
Qin Zilan said, "The main thing is that we don't have to take the child out. We go to get off work and come home every day to take care of the child. It's rare that my mother has time to help take care of the child. You two should take advantage of the fact that you don't have children yet to go on more dates with your partners. Once you have children, they'll be like a piece of chewing gum that you can't get rid of."
"That makes sense!"
Guan Yuehe had never given birth, but she and her neighbors had quite a few children. Even if she hadn't eaten pork, she had seen pigs run, so she naturally knew how difficult it was to raise children.
"By the way, Niu Niu will be starting elementary school soon, right? Which school will she go to?"
Zhuoyue Garment Factory doesn't have its own school for factory workers' children, so the children will have to go to other schools in the future.
“I’ll send her to school next September.” Xu Chengcai was also worried about this. “There is a primary school near the street office where the family compound is located, and it’s close to the compound, but the school is so-so. I was thinking, why don’t we send her to the primary school for children of employees of the automobile factory? That way, she can continue her education in the future.”
The school affiliated with the Five Star Automobile Factory is quite good. After completing junior high school, students can take the entrance exam for the factory's technical school. Even if they don't get into the technical school or other vocational schools, the factory's senior high school is still quite good; several students have gone on to university for four consecutive years.
Lin Sitian gave him a thumbs up, "Not bad, Xu Cheng, you're even starting to research your child's school admissions now!"
Xu Cheng said proudly, "Of course! I've looked into all the schools in this whole area from Ginkgo Alley to the Five Star Automobile Factory. If you're going to have your kids go to school, come to me for guidance!"
"Haha, great! We'll be relying on you, our college application expert, for guidance from now on!"
Even so, Xu Chengcai couldn't help but sigh, "Tell me, back in the day, we didn't have to choose our schools. Everyone went to the factory's affiliated schools. Finishing junior high was considered good, and finishing high school was even more impressive."
"It's the 1980s now! Comrade Xu Cheng, you need to look to the future!"
Every generation says that the next generation has been fortunate enough to enjoy good times, and that every era is the best of times.
They rode their bicycles and chatted all the way, from children's schooling to the fact that the price of bungalows outside seemed to have gone up a bit again, and new things were emerging one after another. It's truly amazing how much has changed in this new era!
"I saw you from a long way off."
They stopped their car outside the alley, and Chen Lizhong strode over to meet them.
"Where's Ding Xuewen? And, are all these people just here to line up for food?"
This long queue has no end in sight. Will they even get to eat today?
"We're just here to line up for food." Chen Lizhong beckoned them over. "Luckily we arrived early. Ding Xuewen is already in line, so it should be our turn soon."
Just then, they locked their bicycles and went over; Ding Xuewen was next.
The people behind were a little dissatisfied when they saw that they had squeezed to the front, but when they saw that others had come to line up earlier, they had no choice but to hope that the people inside would finish eating quickly and make room for them.
Guan Yuehe and her group only managed to sit at a small square table. It was a bit cramped for six people, but considering the customers still queuing outside, they felt it was good enough to have a table at all.
"Let's order a couple more dishes. We don't know when we'll be able to come back next time, and it's not easy to wait in line," Guan Yuehe suggested, her eyes fixed on the menu. She had never seen these dish names in state-run restaurants before, and looking at them made her stomach rumble with hunger.
The food is a bit pricey, but you don't need to pay for it here!
Six people ordered five dishes and a soup; we might not even eat this well during the Chinese New Year.
But then again, today is National Day, so it's only right to eat well.
While waiting for the food to be served, Xu Cheng asked Chen Lizhong if he had been assigned a job after graduating this year.
Chen Lizhong glanced at Lin Sitian subconsciously, "It's settled. I like technical work, so I asked my teacher for a recommendation and went to work at a TV factory."
Haha!
Lin Sitian and Guan Yuehe immediately became interested and asked in unison, "Does the television factory in Beijing have a color TV production line?"
"I heard they're preparing to import it."
"Then keep up the good work and produce color TVs as soon as possible!" Lin Sitian pointed to Guan Yuehe, "Yuehe and my brother are saving money to buy a color TV."
Guan Yuehe thought about the family's savings and decided that she could lower her expectations a bit. She decided to put aside the color TV for the time being and buy the washing machine first.
Chen Lizhong replied with a smile, "Okay, we'll try our best to get everyone able to buy color TVs produced by the Beijing Television Factory as soon as possible."
"By the way, don't just talk about me, Ding Xuewen also has good news." Chen Lizhong looked at him, "You should tell him your good news yourself."
Everyone else looked at Ding Xuewen.
"..." Under the bright stares of his friends, Ding Xuewen almost blushed. "I've also got a job offer. I'll be working at a TV station after graduation."
"You two are really good brothers, one manufactures television sets and the other works at a television station, both of you are related to television. But, don't you still have more than a year before graduation? How come you've already been assigned a job so early?"
Chen Lizhong applied for early graduation, and he will receive his graduation certificate at the end of this semester. It is normal for him to have a job secured now.
Ding Xuewen explained, "I also applied for early graduation, and the teacher agreed. I successfully completed my credits, so there was no need for me to stay at school any longer."
Especially for those who are not young, graduating early has its advantages. They can find teachers or recommend themselves to companies and get jobs in their desired locations.
If there are too many graduates, and the school assigns them jobs, then they won't have the choice to pick and choose.
Like him, he only went to his teacher to ask if he could write a letter of recommendation because he wanted to work at a TV station. After getting the letter, he went to the station to recommend himself and only received the news of his acceptance before National Day.
Guan Yuehe admired them so much for taking immediate action once they had a goal. She picked up her teacup and leaned over to clink it with theirs, saying, "Congratulations on finding jobs you both love!"
"Oh dear, don't forget us!" Lin Sitian also invited Xu Cheng and Qin Zilan to clink glasses, saying happily, "I really love my job too!"
Xu Cheng raised his chin and pointed to Qin Zilan next to him, "Me too!"
"The food is served, the food is served. Please make room for us." As soon as the waiter brought the dishes over, the group immediately cleared away their cups and removed all the bowls and chopsticks from the table to make room for the food.
The food wasn't served quickly, but it was just right. They ate one dish at a time, and when the next dish came, the empty plates could be cleared away. The small square table was just enough for the six of them.
This meal was different from usual.
After meals, they would sit and chat to find out how everyone was doing.
But there were still many people queuing outside.
Guan Yuehe scooped out the last of the rice, poured in the remaining soup, stirred it, ate it in big mouthfuls, took out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her mouth, and with a wave of her hand, the table was cleared.
When Guan Yuehe went to pay, she also paid for an extra dish. When she left the restaurant, she had a takeout box in her hand, which was a roast duck for Lin Yiku.
Not only her, but Xu Cheng also packed an extra portion, "I promised Niu Niu I'd bring this for her before I left. If I don't get it when I get back, I won't be able to go out alone next time."
Lin Sitian didn't think about packing food for her parents. The old couple often went out to eat well on their own, and last time they even ate at Lao Mo's.
The line outside waiting to come in for a meal was still incredibly long, and everyone coming out of the restaurant looked completely satisfied. It would be strange if the restaurant wasn't doing well.
As they walked out, they were stopped by people in line who asked them what dishes they had ordered, how they tasted, and which dish they would recommend most.
Lin Sitian returned the messages one by one, making the people in line drool with envy.
"Uncle Ming should open a restaurant in Ginkgo Alley, that would make queuing much easier."
Xu Cheng shook his head, "It's difficult. So far, only this one company has obtained the operating license; I haven't heard of anyone else getting one. And,"
Xu Cheng pointed to the restaurants in the alley behind him, "Those are people's own houses. They don't need to apply for a separate place to open a restaurant. Ginkgo Alley doesn't have that requirement."
Indeed, there are very few people with property rights in Ginkgo Hutong, and even if they do, they only have two or three rooms, not a whole courtyard.
These days, it's not easy to get a decent meal out.
Unable to find a place to sit and chat, the group took a walk pushing their bicycles.
Ding Xuewen and Chen Lizhong were both very curious about Guan Yuehe's work at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and asked her many questions.
"Actually, there's nothing special about it. I've only mastered half of the business so far. With more foreign investment and Sino-foreign joint ventures in the future, I'll inevitably have to follow up on projects, and there will be no shortage of problems."
The existing joint venture projects in Beijing were all established before she arrived, and she hadn't been involved in them from beginning to end. Now she's taking over the work halfway through.
Xu Cheng and Qin Zilan whispered to each other, "I really can't imagine what Yuehe would be like as a leader in the office."
Qin Zilan smiled; she couldn't imagine it at all.
Comrade Guan, who was always cheerful, suddenly became Director Guan... This title sounds very serious.
"I'm listening." Guan Yuehe turned to look at the two of them, and snorted in dissatisfaction, "Don't I look like a leader?"
After saying that, he put on a stern face and asked, "Does this look like it?"
The others tried to suppress their laughter, but Lin Sitian laughed and said, "Just like my brother! My brother always has this expression."
Guan Yuehe couldn't stay "serious" any longer and started laughing, jokingly saying, "That's why people say you can't sleep in the same bed with two different people."
The others couldn't hold back their laughter and burst out laughing.
—
When Guan Yuehe returned to Ginkgo Hutong, she recommended Yuebin Restaurant in Cuihua Hutong to her neighbors, saying that every dish was top-notch and that everyone should try it when they had time.
The neighbors surrounded her and Lin Sitian with curiosity, asking them all sorts of questions. Aunt Quan, on the other hand, quietly came over and asked how the restaurant owner rented the property. When she heard that it was the restaurant owner's own house, Aunt Quan gave up and didn't ask any more questions about the restaurant.
But the stalls set up at the entrance of the alley suddenly became more diverse.
Someone actually set up a braised food stall, only setting it up to sell in the evening when people start cooking and workers get off work.
As soon as this braised food stall was launched, it quickly won the hearts of the neighbors in Ginkgo Hutong, who all clamored for it to make some braised meat instead of just vegetarian dishes.
The woman who ran the stall smiled and said she would try her best, but T still made braised vegetarian dishes every day.
Nowadays, you either need meat coupons to buy meat or you have to buy it secretly from the black market or the countryside. How could she possibly have the connections to make braised meat?
The braised dishes were delicious, but Guan Yuehe was more concerned about when the application to build a toilet would be approved.
"I had a measurement done last time, but there's been no follow-up since then, and I'm really worried!"
I can't wait to get things settled this month and then start building the toilets as soon as possible.
Lin Yi tried to persuade her to wait patiently, confidently saying, "It will pass sooner or later."
His words failed to comfort her, and Guan Yuehe felt that this matter was not so easy to approve.
"I don't want to think about it anymore, I'll just focus on watching TV."
A week after the National Day holiday, Gao Zhiyuan finally returned to work.
Guan Yuehe joked, "I'm really afraid you'll secretly go to another company."
"No way!"
With his wife and children settled and his home front stabilized, Gao Zhiyuan was finally free of worries and could fully dedicate himself to his work.
"By the way, I'm going to the Foreign Languages University tomorrow morning. If anyone comes looking for me, tell them to come in the afternoon."
"Okay." Gao Zhiyuan replied, then asked, "Are there any school events you need to participate in?"
Guan Yuehe smiled and said, "Whether we have new colleagues at the end of the year depends on whether we can recruit suitable people."
The next morning, Guan Yuehe arrived at her workplace, went directly to the conference room, held a meeting, and then went to the Foreign Languages University with her other colleagues.
Guan Yuehe and some of her colleagues went to the Spanish Department to interview students, while some other colleagues went to other departments to interview students.
After the interview, she submitted her evaluation form. The final decision on who to hire and how many to hire will depend on the overall evaluation.
I didn't expect to run into an acquaintance from my previous internship at Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press during this trip.
"Yuehe! We thought you would go to Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press after graduation. I even thought we could be colleagues. It turns out you went to the Foreign Trade Department!" Chu Hong greeted her after she finished her work.
She had heard that the Ministry of Foreign Trade was recruiting in advance, so she came to watch the excitement. She never expected that Guan Yuehe was also from the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
Guan Yuehe thought to herself that it was a coincidence. If Chu Hong had also participated in the interview, she might have had to explain the situation in advance to avoid any suspicion.
Knowing that she graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages at Peking University, her company did not allow her to participate in the recruitment interviews at Peking University.
"You've decided to go to Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press?" Guan Yuehe asked.
"Yes, I prefer the job there."
Guan Yuehe smiled and said, "That's perfect. Now that I have someone working at the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, I won't have to worry about not being able to get into the canteen."
"Sure, come find me anytime."
Chu Hong stared at her for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh, "I'm not used to you being so serious."
Guan Yuehe laughed, "If you have the chance another day, please tell my other friends that I am very serious when I'm working."
After chatting for a few minutes, Chu Hong had to find her friend, and Guan Yuehe also had to wait for other colleagues. They made plans to have dinner another day before saying goodbye.
When Guan Yuehe encountered He Shuangshuang coming out of the interview office of the Department of Oriental Languages, she didn't go over to greet her, but only quietly raised her eyebrows at her.
But on the way back, she also heard other colleagues talking about He Shuangshuang.
"His academic performance was among the top three, and the professors in his department also recommended him. He had previously worked in public relations at a state-owned factory..."
Guan Yuehe looked out the car window and chuckled to herself, thinking that she might be going to have an old friend to work with.
Back at Kyoto University, her classmates were getting impatient and came to her asking for news. But she had no news to reply to.
Half a month has passed since the interview, and the list of successful candidates has not yet been released. I don't know if there are still some procedures that need to be completed.
However, there is a foreign investment conference at the end of December, which has invited many overseas Chinese and foreign businessmen to participate. The Ministry of Foreign Trade is recruiting students with fluent spoken English from several universities to do the reception work.
Many of her classmates and juniors signed up, and the selected students will then come to the Ministry of Foreign Trade for training.
Even before the Ministry of Foreign Trade's recruitment list came out, there was the approval for some courtyards and residents in Yinxing Hutong to apply for the construction of independent toilets.
Upon learning that they could build a toilet at their home, Guan Yuehe clapped her hands, "That's great!"
However, not everyone is happy when their application to build a toilet is approved.
Some people who were silent before are now vehemently opposing it.
"A public toilet built in a hutong (alleyway) would smell awful! Nobody else builds toilets, except for a very few courtyards, and a very few individuals who make exceptions. In short, I disagree!"
What do "a very few courtyards" and "a very few individuals" mean?
Three courtyards agreed to build public toilets, while more than a dozen families wanted to build their own independent toilets.
The residents of Courtyard No. 2 felt that the phrase "a very few courtyards" was a veiled reference to their own courtyard, while Zhou Hongqi and Guan Yuehe both felt that the phrase "a very few individuals" referred to themselves.
Aunt Zhao led the way, along with the neighbors from Courtyard No. 2, Guan Yuehe, and Zhou Hongqi, who came out angrily to confront the people who were blatantly lying.
"I think you're just jealous that we're building toilets! Do you think everyone is as rude as you, not flushing after using the toilet and deliberately standing on the edge to poop? I'd curse you with the wish that you'd be childless and have no descendants!"
Guan Yuehe almost laughed out loud at Aunt Zhao's scolding.
There are always unhygienic people at the public toilet, urinating and defecating indiscriminately. The cleaner responsible for cleaning the toilet has to spend half an hour cursing in the public toilet every morning and evening. I don't know who it was, but they wrote a bright red slogan inside and outside the toilet: "Those who urinate and defecate indiscriminately will be childless."
"Zhao Dahua, you shrew! You just broke it off... Ahhh, Zhao Dahua, I'll fight you to the death!"
Aunt Zhao was grabbed by the hair and screamed, and Aunt Bai rushed over to help her old friend. Guan Yuehe shouted, "Stop fighting!" while trying to take sides.
Zhou Hongqi didn't care about any of that. She openly and directly took action, "Who are these few individuals? Tell me!"
This was a battle between the two non-official residents of Courtyard No. 2. As a resident of Courtyard No. 2, Song Gong'an couldn't help either side. After receiving a warning look from Cai Ying, he quietly slipped out when no one was paying attention, wanting to avoid seeing it.
"Officer Song! We need Officer Song!"
The police officer Song who was being talked about had long since disappeared.
In this chaotic battle, whether in words or fists, "a very few courtyards" and "a very few individuals" achieved an overwhelming victory.
If it weren't for the street office staff and a few elderly men in charge coming to mediate, the argument would have continued.
Director Ma stood in the middle of the alley with his hands on his hips, his face fierce, and said sternly, "The construction of toilets in some courtyards and households has been approved by a unanimous vote of several departments. Opposition is useless!"
"Also, if any of your other courtyards want to apply for the construction of public toilets in the future, you'll have to pay for all the costs yourself. It won't be so easy to get an application this time. So! I suggest that all the courtyards hold another meeting to discuss whether or not to join in building public toilets this time."
"Alright, everyone disperse!"
Director Ma was so angry that he had a headache. Of all the alleys in Changhu Subdistrict, this one had the most problems.
Guan Yuehe acted as if nothing had happened and slipped into courtyard number three to discuss matters with the elders.
Since she and Lin Yiku weren't home during the day, the elders had to help keep an eye on the housework.
"Okay, I'll buy the cement together later." Guan Canghai confirmed with her again, "Really, do you want to put the bathroom and toilet in one room?"
“Yes! From now on, after showering, the water can be used directly to flush the toilet, so there's no waste. Combining them together will save space and make the room look more spacious.” Guan Yuehe emphasized, forbidding anyone from making any changes to hers.
Guan Canghai said irritably, "Who dares to change your rules? You're a stubborn mule. You can arrange things however you want."
Guan Yuehe stared at him suspiciously, then said with certainty, "Are you upset? Who upset you? You should shave his head bald."
"..." Guan Canghai didn't want to talk about it, so he got up and said he was going to find Grandpa Ming to play chess.
After he left, Jiang Guiying pouted and said, "Don't worry about him. He'll be retiring this year, so he's probably just unhappy."
Guan Yuehe finally responded with an "oh".
"I've worked at the barbershop for thirty years, and now I'm about to retire. I'm reluctant to leave the factory, and I'm feeling down."
Jiang Guiying sighed. She felt just as uneasy when she handed over the work to Yuehua.
Before, I was juggling work and family responsibilities. It was tiring, but having a job and receiving a monthly salary made all the difference. Suddenly losing my job and having to rest is truly meaningless.
Guan Aiguo, who was inside the house, came out and said, "It's so good to be retired. You don't have to go to work anymore. You can even receive a pension."
Seeing that Jiang Guiying's slap was about to land, Guan Aiguo quickly dodged it and came up with another idea: "If Dad can't bear to give up his job, let him set up a barber stall at the entrance of the alley so he can continue to work."
"I think you're asking for a beating!" Jiang Guiying slapped him twice on the back and warned, "You better behave yourself. Don't even think about opening a small hair salon like others. Those people don't have a job, so they're looking for work to support their families. You're a permanent employee now..."
"I understand," Guan Aiguo muttered to himself. "That guy runs his own hair salon and earns me a month's salary in a day."
Guan Yuehe rolled her eyes. She only saw how much others earned, but didn't realize how many ideas they had.
—
Once the approval for building the toilets was issued, construction began in Ginkgo Hutong in just two days.
The storage room and bathroom in Guan Yuehe's house have been emptied out, and they are just waiting to lay pipes and then lay cement on the floors of the toilet and bathroom.
Her house is closest to the entrance of the alley, and the staff said that the paving would be brought to her house soon.
"We really should have built the toilet sooner." Guan Yuehe's expression was complicated. "Chang Zhengyi says our alley is haunted; he must be out of his mind!"
He's such a grown man, yet he's always indulging in feudal superstitions. Last night, when she went to the bathroom, she actually saw him burning talismans at the alley entrance!
She was so frightened that she almost threw a rock at him.
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