060 Opportunity
This year, everyone reduced visits between relatives and even went out less.
After returning home, Liu, the matchmaker, fell seriously ill and spent the New Year in the Workers' Hospital.
The wind outside was sometimes strong, sometimes calm, making it hard to tell. Guan Yuehe couldn't decide whether or not to destroy the books and notes in the house.
Unexpectedly, just after I returned to work at the factory after the New Year, Wuxing Automobile Factory came to Zhuoyue Garment Factory to borrow people.
Guan Yuehe, holding freshly prepared documents in the personnel department, confirmed with Section Chief Xiao: "The car factory is lending me a translation job at the Canton Fair? Really? Me? The Canton Fair?"
No wonder she was shocked.
The Canton Fair was something new to her, something she had only heard about on the radio, and it was in Guangzhou, which is located in the far south.
The only time she ever left Beijing was to Shanghai with Wang Zheng. She never imagined she would have the chance to go to Guangzhou.
"Yes! Comrade Xiao Guan, you must perform well and learn as much as possible. In the future, if our Zhuoyue Garments' sportswear and shoes can be displayed at the Canton Fair, you will be an experienced team leader!"
Comrade Xiao Guan couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth from turning up again and again.
As always, Section Chief Xiao would encourage the workers.
But what can we do? Comrade Xiao Guan is particularly susceptible to this approach.
"Please rest assured, leader, I guarantee to complete the task!" After shouting the slogan, Guan Yuehe immediately dragged a stool over from the side and studied the document stamped by the Municipal Bureau of Industry and the attachment stamped by the Five Star Automobile Factory word by word.
That's right, the document for temporarily transferring translators was issued by the Municipal Bureau of Industry to Zhuoyue Garment Factory. However, it was only after Wuxing Automobile Factory submitted its application to the city government first, and the city government approved it, that they coordinated the transfer of personnel.
When He Shuangshuang returned from outside and saw her there, she patted her arm meaningfully after learning what had happened, saying, "You don't have to worry anymore."
Guan Yuehe herself and her family and relatives were either workers or farmers. The only relative who held a leadership position was her brother-in-law, Gu Mannian, who had just been promoted to deputy head of the purchasing department. It can be said that her personal and family background was perfectly clean.
She was recommended by the Municipal Revolutionary Committee to study English, so there shouldn't be any problems.
Now it's even better; she's been assigned to work as a translator at the Canton Fair, and it's perfectly reasonable that she has relevant English books at home.
"Yes." Guan Yuehe also suppressed her last bit of worry.
Soon, colleagues in the planning department, as well as colleagues in several neighboring departments, learned that Comrade Guan Yuehe had been seconded to the Wuxing Automobile Factory as a translator and would be attending the Canton Fair this spring.
Section Chief Lin was both happy for her and worried, saying, "You're not going to Guangzhou until mid-March, and you'll start training in February. You'll be away from the factory for at least two months. I need to think about who will take over your work..."
None of those assigned to the planning department were ever idle. The others also had plenty of work to do. Guan Yuehe herself had already taken on a significant amount of work; if she were to distribute it all to others, the burden would be too heavy.
This matter is for the leaders to worry about; Guan Yuehe only needs to wait until the work is handed over properly before reporting to the car factory.
After listening to her story about the temporary transfer, Jiang Guiying only cared about one question: "After you come back from the Canton Fair, will you go back to the garment factory?"
She was a long-time worker at the car factory and naturally had feelings for it. But feelings can't be a substitute for housing; if she were transferred back to the car factory, her house might be taken back.
"Yes, it's true!" Guan Yuehe had also confirmed with Section Chief Xiao.
Being able to attend the Canton Fair was a rare and joyous occasion. Mr. Lin, who had attended the Canton Fair once before, told her about the types of goods available, the general procedures, and how the southern climate was very hot and humid, advising her not to dress too warmly...
Aunt Fang added, "Yi Ku was from the military region in Guangdong Province. He said that every year during the Spring Festival, a shirt and a sweater were enough to get through the winter. If you go in March, you might not even need to wear a sweater."
After waiting for Grandpa Lin and Grandma Fang to finish speaking, Lin Sitian was finally able to interject and ask, "Is the business trip allowance also quite high?"
"Ouch! Dad, why did you hit me?" Lin Sitian scratched her head and secretly winked at Guan Yuehe: Look at my dad, this old-fashioned man, asking about subsidies isn't anything shameful!
Guan Yuehe winked at her: Let's talk about it later.
In fact, Guan Yuehe didn't know how the subsidy for attending the Canton Fair would be calculated. The appendix from the car factory only stated: "During this period, all travel subsidies for Comrade Guan Yuehe will be calculated in accordance with the regulations of this unit..."
She continued to receive her monthly salary from the garment factory, and she wasn't really that concerned about the amount of subsidies. She was already very happy to be able to go out and broaden her horizons!
That evening, she took out the books and notes hidden at the bottom of the box again, reviewed professional terms related to automobile manufacturing, and learned to read English along with the radio...
As soon as she finished handing over her work, on the first day of March, Guan Yuehe went to report to the Wuxing Automobile Factory without even having time to collect her salary.
She went to the familiar translation team office again, and Zhang Xinbi and Guo Xusheng were still there to guide her, making her feel like she was still in her "work-study" internship during her university summer vacation.
Zhang Xinbi listed her work tasks for this period of time. In fact, it was all about arranging study sessions for her.
Before heading to Guangzhou to attend the Canton Fair, Guan Yuehe not only needed to improve her spoken English, but also attend the training sessions organized by the automobile factory for Canton Fair attendees. Attendees needed to familiarize themselves with the products the factory was showcasing at the fair, and they also needed to understand the greetings and etiquette of different countries, especially the translators, to avoid making a fool of themselves in front of foreigners.
For Guan Yuehe, all of this was like venturing into completely unfamiliar territory. Like a sponge, she was trying her best to absorb it and enrich herself.
When you get busy at work, the little things around you become insignificant.
When she got home from get off work, she saw her neighbors blocking the gate of a courtyard and making a commotion. She glanced at them, but unlike usual, she didn't feel the need to go over and ask what was going on. Instead, she walked home.
Holding the prepared scripts by Zhang Xinbi, which outlined the questions foreigners might ask at the Canton Fair and the answers to those questions, Guan Yuehe began reading the scripts aloud in front of the mirror.
Being able to speak well is not enough; you also need to pay attention to having a friendly expression.
Looking at my own big face, I have to look at it several times before I can stop laughing.
He was so engrossed in his practice that he didn't even notice when the door to his house was pushed open.
"Look, your brother-in-law brought your wages back." Jiang Guiying placed the envelope containing the money notes on her desk. She glanced at the desk, which was covered with crooked, worm-like symbols that made her dizzy.
Guan Yuehe hummed in agreement twice, counted the money and tickets, and felt her frustration from studying was soothed, making her feel that she could continue studying.
Just as I was about to continue burying my head in my work, I was told to stand up straight.
“Your older brother got a bolt of polyester fabric, enough to make you two outfits. You’re representing our car factory this time, so you need to look your best and not let anyone look down on you.” Jiang Guiying had just pulled the rope to measure you when she suddenly raised her hand and gestured, “Have you grown taller again?”
Guan Yuehe was about to say that she didn't need new clothes, but upon hearing this, she immediately stood up straight, head held high, and said, "Please measure me more accurately. I was only 1.685 meters tall before graduation. Maybe I've grown to 1.7 meters now, which would make me the second tallest in our dormitory!"
After measuring with a rope, they went to Aunt Zhao's house to borrow a ruler to measure again. Chang Zhengyi helped to report the number, saying, "It's almost there, just one more centimeter would be enough."
Guan Yuehe was skeptical. She looked at Chang Zhengyi and muttered to herself, "I think I'm taller than Chang Zhengyi. He's 1.7 meters tall. How could I be shorter?"
Jiang Guiying didn't pay attention to her thoughts, tied a few knots on the rope, and decided to make the clothes according to this measurement.
"I almost forgot." Guan Yuehe slapped her forehead, pulled Jiang Guiying aside, and said, "Each staff member attending the meeting will be given two sets of work clothes to change into. Even if we make new clothes, I might not be able to wear them, so let's save the fabric."
I heard they make suits, complete with shirts and ties. Guan Yuehe hadn't seen the actual products, but she figured the quality of the work clothes must be pretty good.
"They're still issuing work uniforms?" Jiang Guiying thought. Since the organization had made arrangements, she certainly couldn't make exceptions for her, so her little daughter wore different clothes.
"Then I'll make one set for you and one set for your older sister. Didn't you say you could spend a couple of days in the area after the exhibition? You can wear your new clothes when you go out then."
That makes sense.
Besides, who doesn't want to wear new clothes?!
Guan Yuehe glanced outside the door and asked softly, "My sister-in-law and I used the cloth that my brother brought back. Does my sister-in-law have any objections?"
“Your sister-in-law gave it to me, saying it would be perfect for making two outfits for you. This fabric looks nice, but it's not breathable, so she kept the cotton fabric for herself.”
"Oh, that's fine then." Since it was given to her by her sister-in-law herself, she would accept it.
She thought her mother was going to make the clothes herself, but she didn't expect that she had asked Qin Zilan's mother for help.
Xu Cheng brought the finished clothes back, and deliberately said that she didn't like his handiwork.
Guan Yuehe nodded, "Compared to your mother-in-law's master, your skill level is completely lacking. Go back to practicing more on the sewing machine!"
Joking aside, Guan Yuehe asked Qin Zilan if she was feeling better lately.
Qin Zilan discovered she was pregnant during the Chinese New Year holiday. She vomited everything she ate and lost weight. Xu Cheng was frantic with worry, but couldn't help her at all.
"Much better. My aunt sent some dried plums from Sichuan Province, and now I can eat normally." Xu Chengcai's tone was full of satisfaction when talking about his wife and unborn baby. He showed off to her, "I went to the Workers' Hospital for a check-up yesterday, and the doctor said the baby is very healthy."
A sturdy doll? Guan Yuehe could only think of Yuanbao from Sister Hongqi's family; that one was truly too sturdy.
Seeing Xu Chengcai showing off endlessly, Guan Yuehe waved her hand and urged him to leave quickly.
"Oh! I have to hurry back. I still need to go to the meat station. Zilan said she wants to eat ribs."
Guan Yuehe silently rolled her eyes.
Although I couldn't help but feel annoyed by his boasting, I was also very happy for him when I saw him walking briskly home.
The one who seemed the least reliable of the four was actually the first to get married and start a family, and is about to have a baby. It's unbelievable.
Guan Yuehe sighed for a moment, then was called into the house by Jiang Guiying, "Try it quickly, while you're still at home, and quickly change anything that doesn't suit you."
"It's only March, there's still a whole month before we set off."
But she still went and changed into it, looking at it from all angles, and she was very satisfied.
This fabric isn't as breathable as cotton, but it's very straight and crisp, making it a hot commodity. Once it's on the shelf, it'll probably be sold out in less than half a day.
Just a few days after the new uniforms were made, the Five Star Automobile Factory also distributed the completed work clothes, along with a pair of leather shoes for each person.
When Guan Yuehe thought the factory always spent so much money at the Canton Fair, Zhang Xinbi told her, "This year, our factory's new cars use new technologies, and we went to the fair with export targets in mind."
Therefore, we have participated in the Canton Fair in previous years, but not every year it has been this grand.
Guan Yuehe looked down at the new clothes and new leather shoes in her arms, thinking to herself that she had caught up with a good time again.
As soon as she got home, Guan Yuehe changed into her new clothes, which fit perfectly without any alterations!
"Hey! Yuehe, you look so smart!" Aunt Zhao glanced at Guan Yuehe and spotted her walking back and forth in the living room in her new clothes and shoes.
She went inside and looked her around curiously twice. Wearing a suit and leather shoes, the room seemed brighter. Aunt Zhao said enviously, "She looks just like the scholars I used to see when I was a child."
When Aunt Zhao was a child, that was more than forty years ago. At that time, most of the scholars were young masters and ladies from wealthy families, and very few came from working-class or peasant backgrounds.
Thinking of her feelings during the day, Guan Yuehe smiled and said, "I've caught a lucky break."
We were fortunate to live in a great era where ordinary workers from ordinary working-class families could be recommended to university and entrusted with important responsibilities.
Guan Yuehe hadn't even had time to change her clothes when the neighbors in the courtyard came over to look at her suit.
"Yuehe looks especially radiant in this outfit! She looks like... oh, what's that word again? Oh right, like an expert!"
Guan Yuehe waved her hand dismissively, saying that the distance between herself and the experts was farther than the distance between Beijing and Guangzhou.
“It looks great! When my son Chaonan has his wedding banquet, Yuehe, you can lend her your suit too.”
These days, borrowing someone else's new clothes to wear on your wedding day is a perfectly common thing. But Guan Yuehe didn't agree immediately.
Once Auntie Er goes home and calms down, she probably won't bring up the matter of borrowing clothes again. After all, who wears a suit to their wedding these days?
Everyone remembered the incident of Liu the matchmaker being arrested during the Spring Festival. At this critical juncture, everyone was only thinking about getting through the crisis safely.
Guan Yuehe made a small splash in the alley, but then she was busy attending training sessions at the car factory.
On her way to work that day, she was called to the workshop and watched a five-star car being produced from start to finish.
During this process, the workshop production manager explained to her what each step entailed, in which areas the technology had been innovated, and also talked about the advantages of the newly produced Five Star cars...
Guan Yuehe listened and took notes, and after spending a week in the workshop, she finally gained a clear understanding of the car manufacturing process.
I had just left the workshop that day and was rushing home after get off work when I didn't even notice someone calling from behind me.
"Comrade Guan Yuehe." Zhao Youtong caught up with her, catching his breath after a while.
Under Guan Yuehe's questioning gaze, Zhao Youtong pulled out several drawings and some foreign car information from his notebook. "These are my drawings, which include introductions to each manufacturing process. They might be helpful for your translation. These are materials on some well-known foreign cars. I've compiled them, so it will be easier for you to compare them."
"Take it. I'm also part of Five Star Automobile Factory. As long as it's good for the factory, I would give these materials to anyone else as well."
For the first time, Guan Yuehe looked at Zhao Youtong seriously, not as a man who had feelings for her, but because she felt that they were now like-minded friends.
"This manuscript was very helpful to me, thank you Comrade Zhao Youtong! I will definitely treat you to a meal when I come back after I finish my mission at the Canton Fair!"
Zhao Youtong smiled and said, "It's good that it's helpful. I look forward to your return with good results!"
He didn't respond to the topic of dinner, and Guan Yuehe didn't bring it up again. It was too early to say thank you now; she would definitely treat him to a meal when they got back.
We already have a good understanding of the production, advantages, and disadvantages of Five Star Motors, and we also have supplementary information on foreign cars provided by Zhao Youtong, but this is still not enough.
She also had to write out the introduction of the newly produced Five Star cars in English. After finishing it, she went to Zhang Xinbi and Guo Xusheng for help to revise it. After getting the final draft, she felt much more relaxed when she went to memorize the questions that Zhang Xinbi had listed.
When I was learning English, I never imagined that I would be able to work as a translator for Five Star Motors at the Canton Fair.
When I have a spare moment to think about it, I find it interesting.
Just then, I received a letter from Chunmei.
The letter stated that she had been transferred from the teaching department of one military region to the armed forces department of another, and might have to temporarily leave her work related to her English major.
From the unwritten words in the letter, Guan Yuehe sensed Chunmei's regret: it was a pity that after studying her major for three years, she couldn't continue working in a field related to it.
After reading for a while, Guan Yuehe took out a letter from the drawer, and after much deliberation, wrote back to Chunmei to inform her of her recent situation.
"When I was learning about automobile manufacturing and reviewing English knowledge with my notes every day, I never thought I would need to use them, and that this day would come so soon."
Factory Director Zheng Xingmin, who has given me a lot of guidance in my work, once said that I should always arm myself with knowledge and be prepared, because opportunities may come soon.
I hope Comrade Chunmei will not be discouraged and will continue to study; perhaps an opportunity is already on its way.
I hope we can encourage each other.
Guan Yuehe, who has recently grown to 1.7 meters tall, has become the second tallest student in the dormitory.
April 6, 1974.
I read the reply carefully from beginning to end again. There were no typos, and it was written exceptionally well.
Guan Yuehe folded the reply letter with satisfaction and put it into the envelope. She then took out a stamp from the small tin box and carefully affixed it. Finally, she wrote the recipient's address and name on the envelope.
"Guan Yuehe, I've called you so many times!" Guan Yuehua's big face suddenly appeared from the windowsill, startling Guan Yuehe.
"Quickly, open the door!"
"They're here!" Guan Yuehua couldn't wait to squeeze in as soon as Guan Yuehe opened the door a crack, carrying a heavy net bag wrapped in brown paper, and reminded her to close the door quickly.
"Sis, you don't need to go to the training?"
Guan Yuehua sighed in annoyance and said that the school was in a mess, and the teachers didn't have time to go to school, so they gave them a few days off.
As for when we will go back to class, that is another uncertain matter.
What is this?
“These were sent by your brother-in-law’s relatives from his hometown. We still have a lot at home, but we can’t finish them all, so we brought these to you.”
Her sister delivered it, which means her brother-in-law recently went to the countryside to buy supplies and isn't home.
There are too many people in Courtyard No. 3, and they're all gossipy, so it's safer to send them here first.
Guan Yuehe opened the bag and saw that it contained either pork ribs or pig's trotters.
Although it was nice to have meat to eat, Guan Yuehe couldn't help but remind him, "Sister, didn't your husband remind his relatives back home? Is it reliable to ship so much meat to the city all the time?"
"As I said, this is the last trip this year. We'll see how things go outside later."
Guan Yuehua didn't waste any more words and told her to hurry up and choose first.
That evening, both Guan Yuehe's and Lin Sitian's families ate braised pork ribs.
Yuanbao, who had a dog's nose, clung to her mother's hand and shook it vigorously, crying, "Meat, Mom, meat..."
"Eat, eat, eat! I'll have your dad buy you ribs tomorrow." Zhou Hongqi pinched her chubby arm and said with satisfaction, "Eat more so you can grow tall and strong and become a welder with Mom in the future."
Jin Junwei, standing next to him, sighed inwardly. He hoped that the boy would grow taller and stronger, but he just hoped that he wouldn't just gain weight.
Thinking this, she placed a chopstick of greens into Yuanbao's wooden bowl. "Good girl, eat more."
Yuanbao, who isn't picky about food, praised "Dad, hello!" and then buried his face in his bowl, eating large mouthfuls of vegetables.
Others smelled the aroma of meat too, but didn't think much of it, assuming that Jiang Guiying had specially bought the meat since Guan Yuehua had finally returned to her parents' home.
Guan Yuehua not only brought back meat, but also a camera for Guan Yuehe.
Guan Yuehe looked at the camera on the table and almost blurted out, "Sister, where did you find a camera ticket? Brother-in-law is really something, he can even get a camera ticket."
"What are you thinking?!" Guan Yuehua said, "I borrowed the camera from a friend."
While the supply of watches and bicycles has increased, cameras remain a rarity. To buy one, not only is it difficult to exchange for a camera ticket, but the money alone would require saving at least a year or two's salary. Unlike the "three turns and one sound" (a traditional Chinese accessory), cameras are not practical, and the subsequent purchase of film is also a significant expense. Therefore, very few ordinary people buy cameras.
Guan Yuehe saw a hand-drawn instruction manual next to the camera and kept praising her sister's friend for being so thoughtful. Just by looking at the operation diagram, she felt that she could become a photographer right now.
"You'll have to buy the film yourself. Department stores sell it; you don't need a coupon." He added, "You can scratch the camera, but you can't break it. Otherwise, you'll have to pay for a new one!"
Guan Yuehe nodded repeatedly. Although she had to be very careful when using it, she really wanted to bring a camera to the Canton Fair!
If it weren't for her older sister, she wouldn't have even remembered that she could borrow a camera from someone.
But then again, none of her friends have a camera.
Guan Yuehe couldn't hide her smile. To thank her beautiful and kind-hearted elder sister, she immediately patted her chest and said, "I'll bring you a gift when I come back!"
Guan Yuehua chuckled softly, "Just don't bring me any soap from the Beijing Daily Chemical Factory from Guangzhou."
"Absolutely not!" Guan Yuehe is a college graduate; there's no way she couldn't understand the country of origin on a soap wrapper.
So, Guan Yuehe added a camera to her luggage when she went to Guangzhou.
Taking advantage of her Sunday off, Guan Yuehe went to the department store alone and spent a lot of money to buy three rolls of film.
On the day the film arrived, Guan Yuehe arranged for Guan Aiguo to ride a bicycle to call her older sister and brother-in-law. Once everyone was there, they would take a family photo.
"Next time you go back to your hometown, invite your uncle and aunt to take another picture."
Guan Yuehua was so angry that she twisted Guan Aiguo's ear, "Why didn't you tell us you were coming back to take pictures? You didn't even say you were coming back to take pictures!"
Otherwise, she would definitely have changed into another outfit.
Guan Aiguo hummed softly. He also wanted to change into nicer clothes, but he was still an apprentice. After paying his family's living expenses each month, he didn't have much money left, and he didn't have any cloth coupons to collect...
After everyone had lined up in their positions, Guan Yuehe, who was holding the camera, was dumbfounded: I have to be in the shot too, but this camera can't take pictures by itself.
Finally, one person stepped forward from the crowd.
The usually low-key Xie Zhenhua said, "I'll take the photos for you."
Everyone was surprised that Teacher Xie knew how to use a camera, and so skillfully at it. After taking the photos, Guan Yuehe even went to him to ask for advice on whether he had any secrets to taking good pictures.
Knowing that film was expensive, the neighbors only came over to watch the fun, and I was too embarrassed to suggest taking some pictures for them too.
The main problem is that the eldest daughter of the Guan family has a fiery temper; if anyone dares to mention it, they'll likely be bombarded with insults as soon as they open their mouths.
But after Guan Yuehe and the others dispersed, they took a picture of Lin Sitian's house, saying that it was to be sent to Lin Yiku.
With everything ready and the departure date for the Canton Fair drawing ever closer, Guan Yuehe checked her luggage one last time to make sure nothing was left behind.
We're just waiting to set off.
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