Chapter 61 Three Updates in One (Catching Bugs)

Zhao Jianjun was totally confused, but it was like pie in the sky, and anyone who didn't take it would be a fool. This was a contact from the provincial grain and oil company, so it couldn't be fake!

He hurried back to the workshop and found Kong Zhenzhen, who was checking whether the workers were operating in accordance with the safety regulations. He said, "Xiao Kong, follow up on the order for coconut juice to be supplied to the provincial capital guesthouse. Our factory has been doing well recently and is going to rise!"

Kong Zhenzhen's eyelids twitched, and her eyes lit up unbelievably: "Director, have you got the supply order for the provincial capital guesthouse?"

That look, that tone, almost praised Director Zhao to the sky.

Zhao Jianjun chuckled twice, "I didn't catch it, it fell down by itself, I don't know what happened, but no matter what, since we are here, let's take it! You follow up the location names of each guesthouse and the amount of coconut juice required, as well as the time and method of supply every month in the future. This matter must be done beautifully, especially for government agencies, you can't be careless."

In the past, Factory 2 would never have the chance to appear in front of big leaders on such a grand occasion. Only the canned shrimp paste from Factory 1 had appeared in major guesthouses in the provincial capital. It was said that one time a director of the Provincial Municipal Committee praised the product, which made Director Huang and Secretary Tang very happy. The workers at Factory 1 were also very excited for a month or two and were very motivated.

Thinking of this, Zhao Jianjun quickly went to Factory 1 and reported the good news to Factory Director Huang and Secretary Tang in a very conscientious and timid manner.

"Director, Secretary, our coconut juice will be supplied to the guesthouse in the provincial capital!" Zhao Jianjun rubbed his hands, his face full of pride, his eyebrows seemed to be dancing, and he kept chattering, "This is a historic breakthrough for our factory. In the future, the coconut juice from the second factory may be mixed with the canned shrimp paste from the first factory! Oh my, how impressive it is."

Director Huang was indeed surprised at the rapid development of the coconut juice at the Second Factory. Generally, it is not easy for a new product to gain a foothold in the city, and it will take at least three to five years to get a quota if it wants to sell to the whole province. The Second Factory is simply developing at a "□□" speed. Not long after it started selling to the whole province, it actually got an order from a guesthouse in the provincial capital.

"Zhao Jianjun, your factory has a good opportunity. You must work harder. New equipment has just arrived, so you must actively participate in production construction and serve the people." Factory Director Huang felt a little relieved. No matter what, the Second Factory seemed to have been reborn and was really getting going.

"Director, our factory will definitely work hard! We promise to live up to the trust of the organization." After saying this, Zhao Jianjun turned his round head towards Secretary Tang standing beside him, staring at him with a stern face, as if he would not stop until Secretary Tang praised him.

Secretary Tang resisted the urge to roll his eyes and cursed in his heart at this shameless guy. How could he not be humble and prudent? Look who is like this guy, making a fuss and acting like he wants to be proud of even the smallest achievement.

However, the steps taken by Factory 2 were too big, and he really couldn't find a place to criticize and educate them, so he could only say with a stern face: "Zhao Jianjun, your Factory 2 has made some progress recently, and you have finally made a name for yourself. But remember to be modest and not impatient, and don't be too ambitious. Every step must be taken steadily and steadily."

Zhao Jianjun only listened to the first half of the sentence, and treated the second half as if Secretary Tang was talking nonsense, "forcing" others to praise Erchang. He walked away proudly, with the wind in his step.

It’s a pity that Xiaolin is on vacation, otherwise we would all have a great time celebrating.

——

Lin Xiang didn't know at the moment that the second factory had received another large and decent order. She was on vacation in He Hongyuan's hometown.

After returning to the village, the two of them lived with He Guifang and the eldest brother's family of three. Because it was a newly built bluestone tile house, it was spacious and the house was kept clean. The eldest and second sisters-in-law brought their two children to clean up the house for He Hongyuan and Lin Xiang two or three days ago. The floor was swept so hard that it almost reflected light, the bunk beds and closets were wiped clean until they were sparkling and spotless, and the sheets and quilts were new quilts made with the cloth and cotton coupons pooled from the two families.

This year's new cotton is fluffy and soft. It feels like being in a cloud when I use it as a pillow. It feels like my whole body is soft and fluffy. Lin Xiang slept well all night and thought of her dreams. In winter, the wind is biting outside, and she lies in a soft and comfortable quilt. How can it not be considered a good life?

My second brother and his family live in a house allocated by the sugar factory in the county town. They come back for a day every week to visit He Guifang. Yesterday, the couple took a leave of absence to come back and welcome He Hongyuan and Lin Xiang. Today they have returned to the factory to work.

Lin Xiang lay in bed for a while, but felt too embarrassed to stay in bed any longer, so she got up, put on her sweater and cotton jacket, and opened the door to see He Hongyuan preparing to come in.

"Are you up? Why don't you sleep a little longer?" The man got up early again. Even in the middle of winter, he was still wearing a short-sleeved training shirt. He was emitting heat, and it was obvious that he had just come back from exercise.

"How can I sleep too late? I'm not that thick-skinned." Lin Xiang murmured.

He Hongyuan chuckled: "We don't follow those rules at home. You can sleep as long as you want, but if you are hungry, you can come and eat."

He Guifang and her second sister-in-law also said that Lin Xiang should get more sleep after sitting on the train for several days. When Lin Xiang came back from brushing her teeth and washing her face, a bowl of steaming corn porridge, a pile of shredded radish and a salted duck egg were already on the dining table.

Lin Xiang was the only one who hadn't had breakfast yet. She drank two sips of warm corn porridge, and the chill of the winter morning was instantly dispelled. She turned around and saw He Hongyuan sitting beside her peeling most of the salted duck eggs for her.

"Aren't you cold? Don't catch a cold." Lin Xiang felt cold for He Hongyuan when she saw his exposed arm.

"It's not cold. I just worked out." He Hongyuan picked up his chopsticks and poked into the salted duck egg with the white and tender egg white exposed. He asked his wife, "When I was a child, I loved this the most. I buried the salted duck egg in the porridge and ate it. It's salty and tasty. Do you want it?"

Lin Xiang smiled and nodded: "Yes."

He Hongyuan used chopsticks to cut the salted duck eggs into small pieces and dropped them into the corn porridge. The white and tender egg whites and golden and oily egg yolks floating in the porridge were particularly tempting.

Lin Xiang ate it with a small spoon, and her mouth was full of fragrance.

During the breakfast break, Lin Xiang heard her mother-in-law talking about the Lin family's gossip. When He Guifang left the island and returned to Xifeng City, He Hongyuan asked his comrades to help pick up his mother. The comrade who picked her up was Director Dong of the Youth League Office in Xifeng City. The two talked for a while, and that's when He Guifang heard about Lin Jianxin's fate.

When Lin Jianxin escaped from the labor camp, he accidentally fled to Phnom Penh. He simply went to the island to seek help from Lin Xiang. However, He Hongyuan neatly threw him to the Youth League Office and soon sent him back to the labor camp where he went to work. Because of the adverse effects of his behavior, Lin Jianxin was severely criticized twice, identified as a poor element with problems in his ideological awareness, and then punished with labor camp for half a year. Now no one could help him.

Lin Guangming and Qiu Aiying spent most of their family property hoping to use their connections to get their son out, but no one dared to help a police officer who had low ideological awareness. Their money went down the drain, and their son is still being reformed in a labor camp, leaving him with a stain that will be indelible for the rest of his life.

Lin Xiang sighed after hearing this: "He really deserves it."

This family really got what they deserved.

Eating, drinking and listening to gossip, Lin Xiang's life in the village was easy and comfortable. Winter was the idle season for farmers, and everyone did not go to the fields to work. She loved to follow her mother-in-law and sister-in-law in the house to roast sweet potatoes and corn. The house in the south was chilly without heating. When the stove was lit, everyone sat around it, eating the fragrant, soft and warm roasted sweet potatoes, and felt satisfied.

He Hongyuan was pestered by his nephew to tell stories about his military service, and he peeled sweet potatoes for Lin Xiang. Lin Xiang didn't have a big appetite for snacks, and often ate half a sweet potato and then the roasted corn. The rest was all taken care of by He Hongyuan.

However, there was time now, and He Hongyuan, who had an injured hand, also went to the village to help dig a canal. He was a soldier who came out of here, and he had the potential to become a regiment commander. Everyone in the brigade knew Regiment Commander He Hongyuan, and everyone gave him a thumbs up when they mentioned him.

Especially when military officers still care about their fellow villagers and help dig canals after returning from family leave, they are naturally praised by everyone.

The captain also specifically talked to He Hongyuan for a while, and his words were full of affirmation for him.

The cotton jacket Lin Xiang brought back was still a little thin. She had never expected that the winter in Xifeng City would be so severe. Mother-in-law He Guifang found her own cotton jacket and gave it to her daughter-in-law: "I have only worn this jacket a few times. It is so beautiful. It was made by Hong Yuanfei two years ago. You can wear it first to keep warm."

The bright red and green cotton padded jacket, with seven or eight large flowers blooming on it, would have been considered rustic from the perspective of later generations, but in today's village it is considered quite fashionable.

Lin Xiang: "..."

A very modern and beautiful cotton shirt!

Lin Xiang, who ranked first in keeping warm, wrapped herself in a thick cotton jacket and took a look at herself with a small mirror. Hey, it felt quite different.

She wrapped a scarf around her neck, put on a sheepskin hat, and went out to look for the man who was helping to dig the canal. From a distance, she could see the particularly tall man among the villagers who were busy working on the edge of the field.

He Hongyuan took off his military coat, wearing only a thin sweater, and was swinging a hoe. He rolled up the sleeves of the sweater twice, revealing a strong forearm. His strong and powerful muscles stretched out beautiful and smooth lines with each swing of the hoe.

"Xiao He, your wife is here!" The older sister who came to deliver water to the working men called out, and a dozen members who were digging the canal also turned around and looked over.

"Xiaohe is married too. Guifang must be very happy now."

"She is marrying the girl that your grandfather arranged for her when she was a child? Your grandfather has good taste. Look at how pretty this girl is."

"Go quickly, we have enough people here, and don't hurt your hand again."

He Hongyuan spoke a few words to everyone, then handed the hoe to someone else, strode onto the ridge of the field, and walked up to Lin Xiang, a faint smile in his deep eyes.

Lin Xiang knew that she looked quite fresh, but that was no reason for her to smile so obviously.

"Why, do I look ugly in this outfit? Mom said the cotton-padded jacket I brought wasn't thick enough, so she insisted that I wear hers instead." Lin Xiang pouted and glared at the man.

He Hongyuan smiled and shook his head, his eyes moving down inch by inch, lingering on his daughter-in-law's bright red and green cotton shirt: "It looks good, really nice."

It's over. Lin Xiang always feels that the stinky man is making fun of her.

Seeing Lin Xiang's hesitation, He Hongyuan said seriously, "You look really good. You look good in any clothes."

Lin Xiang: Shame...

You, He Hongyuan with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, actually know how to say sweet words.

He Hongyuan was speaking from his heart. Lin Xiang had fair skin, which looked even whiter and more tender in the bright red and green cotton jacket. Her cheeks were rosy and she looked healthy. How could she look ugly?

However, the pattern of the clothes was not the style she usually wore, which made He Hongyuan look at it several times.

But in order to keep warm, Lin Xiang didn't care about anything else.

At first, she was just wearing the most fashionable cotton jacket in the village. Later, her mother-in-law urged her to take off her pretty leather shoes and put on thick woolen shoes. She became more and more in tune with the local customs, and she gained a lot of weight.

He was wearing a thick cotton jacket in bright red and green with dark blue sleeves on his sleeves, thick black cotton trousers and brown woolen shoes. He didn't look fashionable at all as he had just returned from work.

Lin Xiang followed the local customs and strolled around the village with He Hongyuan. She saw the thatched house where He Hongyuan lived when he was a child, was taken by the man to fish in the river, and climbed up the low hillside to look at the muddy mountain road where the young He Hongyuan had run over and over again.

"I used to love going up the mountain with my mother to collect wild fruits. There were a lot of things on the mountain. If we were lucky, we could catch pheasants and rabbits, and dig up bamboo shoots and wild vegetables. Later, my mother adopted my older brother, and the three of us went up the mountain every day to improve our diet. In those years, the pheasants and rabbits on the mountain were afraid of us." When talking about his youth, He Hongyuan's eyebrows were soft, as if he was recalling some joy in the difficult past.

"Then you are not ghosts." Lin Xiang's smiling eyes curved into crescents, and her voice like a silver bell revealed a hint of envy, "No, it's chickens and rabbits. Are there any pheasants or rabbits now? Catch one for me to eat. If I had seen it when I was a child, I would definitely snatch it from you~"

He Hongyuan was amused by the woman, and the corners of his mouth slightly lifted. His usually stern face seemed to melt like an iceberg: "That's impossible. When I was a kid, I had an even worse temper. If anyone dared to steal my things, I would definitely beat them up."

When saying this, He Hongyuan looked Lin Xiang up and down with a look that said, "You can't help but beat me up," which made Lin Xiang snort at him.

"Wow, I'm a little girl, and you want to beat me too?" Lin Xiangxing's eyes widened.

He Hongyuan recalled that those were not peaceful years and the conditions were even more difficult. During the three-year famine, many people were hungry and some even died from eating Guanyin soil. Tree roots and stones could also be used to fill their stomachs. No one mattered whether they were male or female, young or old. Food was life, and anyone who dared to steal it would be fought to the death.

He lowered his head, raised the corners of his mouth, looked at Lin Xiang's eyes, and said softly: "Okay, if you come to rob me, I won't beat you, and I will give you half of the food."

Lin Xiang picked the stars from the sky and put them into her eyes. Her beautiful almond eyes lit up: "You are quite interesting~"

The two were lucky that day, as He Hongyuan actually caught a wild rabbit. That night they took it home and roasted it over a fire in the yard. The rabbit was crispy, fragrant and tender, and they just sprinkled it with a little salt and some chili powder. The taste was enough to linger on for several days.

After almost a week in Xifeng City, Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan went into the city.

They took a donkey cart to the commune and then a bus. Carrying the specialties they brought back from Phnom Penh, they prepared to visit Aunt Liu, the friend of Lin Xiang's original mother who had helped her escape from the Lin family.

Liu Qiuping never thought that she would see Lin Xiang again. Half a year ago, the poor girl who was bullied by Lin Guangming and Qiu Aiying's family fled Xifeng City and took a train to find her childhood sweetheart. Now she really brought back a tall and handsome man.

"Xiangxiang, is this your childhood sweetheart?" Liu Qiuping looked around at the two of them; they were a perfect match, one beautiful and the other handsome.

Lin Xiang smiled sweetly: "Yes, we are already married."

After that, Lin Xiang handed over the specialties she had prepared: "Aunt Liu, it was thanks to you that I got rid of my biological father and stepmother, otherwise I might have been married to a second-rate guy. These Spanish mackerel sauce, shrimp skin, and dried scallops are all made by me. You can use them in your daily cooking. They taste very fresh."

He Hongyuan was even more polite to the benefactor who had helped his wife, and handed him a bottle of special liquor and a can of maltose that he had bought specially.

"You are so polite." Liu Qiuping warmly entertained the two of them and asked about Lin Xiang's life on the island. It was unexpectedly wonderful. "In fact, when you left, I was quite worried about a little girl going there like this, especially when I heard that the island was so desolate and life was hard, with nothing to eat. I didn't expect it was all nonsense! Now I see that you are in good health and look good. You must be living a good life."

A person's condition will not lie. Liu Qiuping remembered that Lin Xiang used to be thin and petite, with arms that were almost bone-like. That was simply because she had never eaten anything meaty to fill her stomach. Now she is still slim and slender, but has gained some flesh and is no longer as skinny as before.

"It's pretty good on the island. Aunt Liu, you've never seen lobsters this big, and fish this big..." Lin Xiang was reminiscing with others, and heard Liu Qiuping mention her original mother.

"You are doing well now. Huiling can rest assured now."

Speaking of her original mother Feng Huiling, Lin Xiang took out the pocket watch that Lin Guangming had given her last time: "Aunt Liu, I finally got this pocket watch a while ago. There is a photo of my mother in it, when she was young."

Liu Qiuping saw the photo hidden under the dial of the exquisite pocket watch. In the old black-and-white photo, the young friend's face was still there, and a thick tree trunk could be vaguely seen behind him. She couldn't help but sighed: "This photo should have been taken in our factory. Huiling used to live in a small western-style building over there. There was a big ginkgo tree next to the building, but later everyone said it was a capitalist building, so it was demolished. Now it is abandoned at the back door, and even the tree was cut down. Now there is only a short pile left. I haven't seen Huiling for many years. She has always been so beautiful. She was the flower of our factory at that time. It's a pity that she didn't leave earlier."

"Leave early?" Lin Xiang looked at Liu Qiuping suspiciously after hearing these three words, "Where are you going?"

"You were young at that time, so you probably didn't know anything. Our steel mill was privately owned before. Later, the outside world was in turmoil, so Director Yang donated the mill and the small western-style house to the country, and left with Jiachang and his family. I heard that they took a boat to Hong Kong overnight, but I don't know where that place is. Huiling was his cousin, and he also said he wanted to take her away. At first, Huiling agreed hesitantly, but later she couldn't bear to leave Lin Guangming, so she didn't go to Hong Kong with him and chose to marry Lin Guangming. Maybe life would have been easier if she had left at that time, and she wouldn't have died so early..."

My original mother, Feng Huiling, was less than 30 years old when she died.

Lin Xiang didn't know about this. The book didn't mention the details of these supporting characters. It turned out that the original mother almost left Xifeng City for Hong Kong City, but unfortunately she died early. "What disease did my mother die of? Is there no cure?"

Liu Qiuping said with regret, "He has a lung disease and keeps coughing. He coughs so much that he even spits out blood. He has not been cured. Back then, Lin Guangming seemed like a decent person, but he has become worse and worse after marrying Qiu Aiying. When we got married, he said he would treat Huiling and you well, but now he has probably forgotten about you. But seeing you like this now, your mother must be happy."

Lin Xiang nodded, sighing over the past of the older generation. Just as she was about to ask another question, she suddenly heard some noise coming from Aunt Liu's door.

"Well, Lin Xiang, you came back and didn't go to your own parents' home, but brought so many good things to give to outsiders?" Qiu Aiying hurried over. She had just returned from work and entered the family yard when she heard the neighbors say that her daughter had returned with her son-in-law, and brought maltose, white wine and other things, all of which looked like good things.

Daughter-in-law and son-in-law?

Qiu Aiying's first reaction was her own daughter Lin Chuchu, but that was not the case. After Chuchu married Sun Yaozu, the son of the steel mill director, she seldom came home. Especially Sun Yaozu had never visited her and acted as if he looked down on his family. This made Qiu Aiying very angry. She angrily scolded her own daughter for being stupid and marrying a fool and not being able to control him.

After asking the neighbors, I found out that the girl who came back was actually Lin Xiang!

Isn't Lin Xiang on an island thousands of miles away? She even drove me and my husband away last time. She is such an ungrateful person!

Qiu Aiying asked someone to inform Lin Guangming, and she rushed here in a hurry. Anyway, this is Xifeng City, and the military officer Lin Xiang married cannot have such a long reach. Today, she will let so many people in the family compound know how bad Lin Xiang, this ungrateful person, is to her family.

After yelling and swearing at the door of Liu Qiuping's house, many neighbors gathered around. Qiu Aiying became even more angry: "Everyone, please judge. How can a married girl be so heartless? She would rather buy nice things for outsiders than go back to her parents' home. It's a waste of all our hard work to raise her."

Lin Xiang didn't expect Qiu Aiying to be so aggressive towards her. Looking at the way she glanced around, it was too obvious that she was trying to ruin her reputation.

"A stepmother is also a mother?" Lin Xiang chuckled and reviewed the shameful deeds of this family in front of everyone. "Why didn't you think about us being a family when my father and you forced me to give up my job in order to prevent Lin Jianxin from going to the countryside? Later, when you wanted me to marry a scoundrel who peeked into the women's bathhouse, stole the factory's finances, and embezzled the high-temperature subsidies for factory employees, why didn't you think about us being a family?"

The neighbors, who had originally heard Qiu Aiying's complaints and felt that Lin Xiang was heartless for not going back to her parents' home after returning to Xifeng City, finally remembered the bad things that the Lin family had done half a year ago.

Is that loving the girl? That is pushing the girl into the fire pit.

"Lin Xiang! How can you talk to your parents like that?" Lin Guangming suddenly rushed over after receiving the notification. He squeezed into the crowd with a fierce momentum and rushed in front of Lin Xiang with a posture as if he was going to attack.

However, his arrogance was mostly extinguished when he caught a glimpse of the cold and fierce look from He Hongyuan who was standing beside Lin Xiang.

Lin Guangming was a man with good judgment. He knew who not to offend. He knew who should not be offended. He knew who should not be offended, such as He Hongyuan, who was tall and strong, had outstanding abilities, held a high position, and whom he could not defeat.

His expression softened, but he still had a stern face, and he scolded Lin Xiang in front of everyone: "In the past, our family was poor, and it was not easy to raise you. Everything was important to you. But now you don't even recognize your own father. I really regret giving birth to such an unfilial daughter like you!"

When it comes to blood relations, especially when Lin Xiang's father accused his daughter of being unfilial, many people began to persuade him: "There is no overnight hatred between a father and his daughter. Lin Xiang, you still have to think about your mother's family."

"Even though you married far away, you still can't do without your family to support you, otherwise men will bully you..."

He Hongyuan laughed when he heard this, and said to the neighbors of the Lin family: "My dear uncles and aunts, as a soldier, I will not bully my wife. On the contrary, if someone bullies my wife, even if it is her family, I will not agree."

Everyone looked at the young man with his arm in a sling. He looked tough, and even without a military uniform, one could tell that he was an unusual man with a different spirit and energy. Especially when he spoke so lightly, the underlying meaning of his words was very obvious.

It almost clearly stated that Lin Xiang's family favored boys over girls and bullied Lin Xiang because of Lin Jianxin.

Lin Guangming's throat choked, and he acted like an elder and refused to give in: "How have Aiying and I ever done anything wrong to you? You are lying with your eyes open!"

Lin Xiang had seen enough of these two people's performances, and was too lazy to listen anymore, so she directly used her ultimate move: "Really? Dad, isn't it your precious son Lin Jianxin who is in your eyes? You only give him meat to eat, and only make new clothes for him during the New Year. I don't get any share. Everyone can see these things. By the way, now that Lin Jianxin is not here, no wonder you are upset. Are you thinking that he was criticized twice and was identified as a bad element with poor ideological awareness, and he has to undergo labor reform for half a year, so you are in a bad mood and have to take it out on me?"

Upon hearing this, the onlookers were shocked!

What? Lin Guangming's son was criticized? Bad element? Labor reform?

"Didn't Lin Jianxin go to the countryside as an educated youth? How did he become a bad element?"

"Oh my god, what good can be sent to labor reform!"

Lin Guangming was not surprised that Lin Xiang actually knew these things, and he was even more shocked that she would tell them in public. How could these things be told to outsiders!

No matter how hard their lives were, Lin Guangming and Qiu Aiying dared not tell anyone, otherwise everyone would avoid their family and look down on their bad element family.

"You...what are you talking about!" Lin Guangming pointed at Lin Xiang as if he was going to hit her, but He Hongyuan was standing beside him, so he took two steps back and could only curse at her.

"Am I talking nonsense? If you don't believe me, go to the Youth Educated Office and ask if Lin Jianxin stole food and chickens from villagers while he was an educated youth in the countryside, refused to change his ways despite repeated admonitions, and even escaped from the labor camp once." Lin Xiang smiled and said to the neighbors, "I will resolutely draw a line with my family members who have problems with their ideological awareness and will never associate with such people!"

The neighbors nodded one after another: "Lin Xiang is still more ideologically conscious!"

"We must draw a clear line between ourselves and the bad guys!"

"I think Lin Guangming and Qiu Aiying also have ideological problems. Lin Xiang is the only conscious and good comrade in the family!"

When He Hongyuan and Lin Xiang left, Lin Guangming and Qiu Aiying had already been abandoned by everyone. People thought that they had the same ideological problems as Lin Jianxin's parents, and that their generation background was problematic, so everyone wanted to punish them.

Lin Xiang didn't need to say anything, everyone looked down on the Lin family.

"Did you see their faces? They were ashen." Lin Xiang felt better just thinking about it. These two were still hiding the secret about Lin Jianxin. She thought that since they were far away, the people at the steel rolling mill wouldn't know about it. But now that the truth has been revealed and everyone knows about it, there will be no good days for the Lin family in the future. They will no longer be valued at work, and everyone will despise them in life.

He Hongyuan laughed along, "These two are stupid and bad. They have no skills at all, yet they dare to bite people everywhere."

Before leaving, Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan went to the steel rolling mill to take a look at the location where the photo in the original mother's pocket watch was taken. The sturdy tree trunk behind the beautiful young girl is now only a short stump, and the surroundings are desolate and bleak. The once majestic small western-style building has been smashed to pieces and is in ruins.

Things and people have changed and the scene is no longer the same as in the photo.

Lin Guangming and Qiu Aiying, who had originally planned to ruin Lin Xiang's reputation and make her spurned by everyone, went home in disgrace. Even after closing the door, they could still hear the people around them pointing and talking, and everyone looked at them with strange eyes.

Lin Guangming had never been treated like this in his life. Ever since he came to the city and got a formal job, he had been envied wherever he went. Now even ordinary first-level workers dared to look down on him, and kept saying that his family members had problems with their ideological consciousness and were bad elements who should be criticized.

"That bastard Lin Jianxin did such a bad thing!" Lin Guangming swept down two enamel cups on the square table. The hard enamel cups collided with the ground, making a harsh sound. "I can't even hold my head up anymore!"

Qiu Aiying had never seen her husband so angry before. She was about to step forward to persuade him but he glared at her fiercely: "It's just your habit! You didn't teach your son well, so you let this bastard do something so shabby as to sneak out of the labor camp!"

Qiu Aiying had been worried about her son's affairs these days. When she heard her husband blaming her, she immediately became angry: "How can this be my fault? Your son is not yours? It's all my habit. How dare you say such things! If you have the ability, why don't you save your son and let him suffer in the labor camp!"

It was the first time that the two of them had quarreled. Lin Guangming felt a throbbing pain in his temple. He went into the house and slammed the door. He only felt the noise of his lover's angry roar outside the door.

Thinking about the fact that he had been married twice, he actually missed his first wife at this moment. Feng Huiling was gentle and generous, and spoke softly, which was completely different from Qiu Aying who shouted at the top of her lungs. She was just like a shrew!

How could he not have tried hard? In order to save his precious son, he had almost spent all the family savings, but even so, it was still all in vain and the family was almost out of money.

After all his savings were gone, Lin Guangming suddenly thought of his first wife Feng Huiling's capitalist uncle. When they fled to Hong Kong, they wanted to take their cousin with them, but Huiling didn't leave because of her feelings for him. He suspected that Director Yang had left some small yellow croakers for his cousin.

But I haven't seen her in all those years, and even before Huiling passed away, I didn't hear a single word from her.

The family is now broke, and Lin Guangming thinks that it is impossible for Director Yang's family not to give Huiling money. There must be something that Xiao Huangyu hasn't discovered!

Where is it hidden?

++++

After leaving the steel rolling mill, Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan strolled around the city and bought four pairs of thick wool socks in a department store. Perhaps it was an occupational disease, Lin Xiang would take a second look at the soda counters she passed by. Although the weather is cold in winter, everyone still loves this kind of sweet soda, and orange soda accounts for the majority.

"Look, if the coconut juice from our factory is sold here, how about putting it there?" Lin Xiang pointed to the center of the soda counter and said with a smile.

He Hongyuan followed Changxiang's thoughts, but his expression was even more exaggerated: "What's the point of having a middle position? Just let it take up all the space. It would be better if we only sell your coconut juice."

Lin Xiang: "..."

You are really ambitious, you are amazing!

——

Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan returned to the production team. When the second brother and his family came back from the county sugar factory on Sunday, they saw a lot of candies, including orange candies, crispy candies, peanut candies, and cigarette candies...

Sugar factory employees enjoy discounts when purchasing from within the factory. The same amount of sugar is five cents cheaper per pound than outside. They save as much as possible, and there is no need for sugar coupons.

Looking forward to eating sweets and meat, looking forward to wearing new clothes, this was the biggest expectation for the Chinese New Year when I was a child.

In addition to taking candy, the second brother Wei Guangde also brought back a brochure of the National Food and Drinks Fair, which was what Lin Xiang asked for that day.

"I borrowed it from the factory. We can't go to the National Food and Drinks Fair, but I picked up a copy of the brochure to see how lively it is."

"Thank you, second brother. I'm just researching this." Lin Xiang took the Food and Drinks Fair brochure and looked at it carefully. The brochure was actually just two pages folded together. In the middle, it was written in red letters that the 3rd National Food and Drinks Fair would be held, and below it was listed that the venue was the central city of Jianghan.

The brochure was accompanied by photos, and it was obviously a high-end brochure of that era. The black-and-white photos showed on-site restorations of the first two Food and Drinks Fairs. There were quite a few participants in the photos, and the country's well-known large sugar factories and wine factories each had their own booths. In addition, many provincial and municipal leaders visited and tasted the products, all in a harmonious atmosphere.

Lin Xiang pondered for a while, especially when she saw that many provincial and municipal leaders from across the country would be attending, and the Food and Drinks Fair would even be reported in newspapers, she felt that it was feasible. Only by making a name for herself here could she possibly go national.

Today, the coconut juice from the 119 Second Factory has become famous in Haining Province, but it is only limited to Haining Province. The country is so big, and in today's world where transportation is not well developed and information is usually only spread through newspapers, such opportunities are rare and precious.

But coconut juice alone is not enough. As you can see from the photos, there are several kinds of products on each factory booth. In addition, the Food and Drinks Fair has a strict regulation that there must be three to five outstanding products to participate in the fair, so the factory must also mix some new fruit juices.

In addition to coconuts, Phnom Penh also has a lot of other fruits such as lychees, mangoes, guavas, and pineapples... As for which fruits are suitable for mass production of juice, they have to be tested in the factory before they can be decided.

For this matter, Lin Xiang went to the brigade headquarters and spent money to borrow a tremolo phone to call Factory 119. Unexpectedly, just as she was about to talk about the National Food and Drinks Fair, Director Zhao spoke first.

"Xiao Lin, it's a godsend. Our coconut juice has been arranged to be supplied to the guesthouse in the provincial capital!" Director Zhao's voice came through the telephone line from thousands of miles away and was a little distorted. It didn't sound like his usual voice, but the arrogance in his tone was familiar to Lin Xiang.

"Is there such a good thing?" Lin Xiang was surprised and happy.

"Yes, it is said that some leader of the provincial party committee specifically requested it. I wrote a letter to my hometown these few days to ask if any of our ancestors have any distant relatives working in the provincial party committee, but I don't know yet." Otherwise, there would be smoke coming out of the ancestral tomb!

Lin Xiang was amused by Director Zhao, but she didn't dare to joke around as it was too expensive to make phone calls. She had to get down to business quickly: "Director, I think our factory can strive to participate in the National Food and Drinks Fair in the spring of next year to try to make a name for itself."

Zhao Jianjun had indeed heard of the National Food and Drinks Fair, which had only been held in the past two years, but he was puzzled: "Isn't it a place for selling sugar and wine?"

Lin Xiang said, "There's not much difference between soda and beer. If you trace it back to its origin, they're both water, and they're both drinkable."

Zhao Jianjun suddenly realized: "Hey, it really is. Then let's go!"

After reaching a consensus and hanging up the phone, Lin Jianjun went to the Phnom Penh Grain and Oil Company to inquire about the National Food and Drinks Fair and hoped to get a place to participate.

As a result, the Phnom Penh Grain and Oil Company looked at Zhao Jianjun as if he were a fool: "They are selling sugar, beer and liquor, why are you selling soda trying to join in the fun?"

Zhao Jianjun remained calm and replied to Lin Xiang's words: "There is not much difference between soda and beer. If you trace the origin carefully, they are both water and are drinkable. Why can't we go?"

Grain and Oil Company Staff: “…?”

Listen, is this human language?!

In the end, Zhao Jianjun was kicked out. The people from the grain and oil company told him to stop making trouble, focus on producing coconut juice, and stop joining in with the wine sellers.

Zhao Jianjun's campaign was unsuccessful, and he felt that these people did not know how to adapt.

Forget it, after Lin Xiang comes back after the New Year, we will go to the provincial grain and oil company to try. In order to show our faces and make a name for ourselves, we have decided to go to the National Food and Drinks Fair!

......

As the Chinese New Year approaches, all other work is put aside and everyone actively prepares for the New Year, buying meat and killing chickens, purchasing new cloth to make clothes, and bringing home melon seeds, peanuts, candies, and cakes.

Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan took their nephews and nieces to paste Spring Festival couplets on the gate of their home. Once the red couplets were pasted, the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival was there!

He Guifang went to the supply and marketing cooperative in the city rarely to buy beautiful plain cloth, and was determined to make clothes for her son and daughter-in-law. After all, it was a rare opportunity for her son to come home, and it was the first time for her daughter-in-law to come home.

He Guifang, who had excellent tailoring skills, made two velvet shirts for the two of them, which could be worn under their cotton jackets to keep them warm and could be worn when they returned to Phnom Penh.

Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan were unable to stop He Guifang and could only let her work stitch by stitch.

"Mom, please don't ruin your eyesight. We all have enough clothes to wear." He Hongyuan advised his mother, "We are no longer children, sewing and mending just for a new piece of clothing."

He Guifang smiled with wrinkles, and she was very experienced in matchmaking: "No matter how old you are, you will always be little kids when you stay with me."

Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan looked at each other and saw their own smiles in each other's eyes.

It’s nice that some people still treat themselves as children.

On the day before the Chinese New Year, the twenty-ninth day of the lunar year, the weather was sunny for a rare occasion, and the ingredients for the New Year's Eve dinner were being prepared in a hurry. He Guifang killed an old hen and kept it, and also prepared the five pounds of fresh pork that was distributed at the end of the year. The sausage and bacon that had been smoked a few months before the New Year could be served on the table at any time. This year's Chinese New Year was destined to be particularly rich.

Zhou Shenghuai and his family of three are almost here.

After finishing his work in the army, Zhou Shenghuai and his wife and daughter took the green train here. They felt sad that they had not been back to their hometown for many years. This time they came back to pay homage to their parents' graves.

"Hongyuan, go see if your third uncle and his family have arrived. It should be almost time." He Guifang was preparing the meal and stewing pork rib soup in the pot, ready to entertain the whole family.

"It should be here soon. I'll go out and take a look." He Hongyuan was getting ready to go out, and Lin Xiang, who was playing with her nephew and niece, also became interested.

"I'll go with you to pick them up!" Lin Xiang changed back into her beautiful plaid cotton jacket, determined to look good for the New Year, and skipped out, dragging He Hongyuan's military coat with her. "I haven't seen Aunt Feng, Yuezhu and the others for a long time, and I missed them a lot."

He Hongyuan raised his lips and said, "It's a lively New Year celebration like this. It's been a long time since we've celebrated the New Year together as a family."

However, the curve of his lips instantly dropped when he reached the entrance of the village and saw another person next to his uncle's family of three.