Chapter 10
The next morning, the rain that had been falling for a long time finally stopped, and the sunlight quietly shone on the long street.
When the sky cleared up after the rain, I felt a little happy for some reason. Children on the street were skipping and talking and laughing in the sunlight.
Because the weather is good, many people come out to buy breakfast.
Chen Lanjun and Zhao Hong were so busy that they didn't feel better until the school bell rang.
The crowd dispersed, and the woman in gray-blue clothes standing by the street jumped out from the background of the old house and blue sky. She stood there as if she had been watching for a long time.
Zhao Hong whispered to Chen Lanjun to go and see: "Hey, what does that person do? He's been standing there for a long time."
Chen Lanjun raised her face and smiled: "It's the east wind."
She wiped her hands, looked back at Zhao Hong, and said, "Touch your hair. It's messy."
"Oh." Zhao Hong did as he was told, and then, under the guidance of Chen Lanjun, walked towards the woman in gray-blue clothes.
The man's temperament was a bit like that of a school teacher, somewhat bookish. His clothes, which were neither new nor old, were very crisp, and he had a small leader badge on his chest.
Chen Lanjun greeted her with a smile: "Reporter Xu, you really came."
In the past week, Chen Lanjun has been trying for a long time to contact a reporter who is willing to report on the educated youth stalls.
The reporter in front of me works for a large newspaper and has some experience. How did two people who were originally unrelated get in touch?
Chen Lanjun first went to persuade Lao Guo and other street office cadres, hoping to reach a consensus with them.
Needless to say, Lao Guo readily agreed to help, but his connections were limited and he didn't know many reporters. Chen Lanjun had no choice but to take Lao Guo with her to find the street director. The reason was sufficient. Helping unemployed educated youth to settle down and find a way out for them was a good thing and a great political achievement. If such a good thing was reported in the newspaper, wouldn't the superiors look up to this street?
She also borrowed a reading card of an educated youth and went to the city library to look it up. She really found the People's Daily that published the news about the educated youth in Beijing selling big bowls of tea with the help of street cadres. So this People's Daily was also used as notarization to prove that the country's attitude towards this matter was greatly affirmative, and as a street with extremely high political awareness, it should follow suit.
In short, after a lot of persuasion, the street director was also tempted. After some questioning, he learned that his sister's brother-in-law's aunt was reporter Xu.
This relative relationship was too distant, and it made people feel uneasy. Chen Lanjun went to the library again, flipped through the local daily newspaper, and read five or six signed articles published by reporter Xu, observing the person through his writing.
Unlike a few reporters who rely on correspondents and dare to write reports based on hearsay, reporter Xu's reports are very realistic. It can be seen that she had to go to the scene to verify the facts in person and write the articles herself.
Such people can be counted on, but they are also difficult to deal with.
Fearing that reporter Xu would refuse, in addition to visiting with the street officials, Chen Lanjun specially wrote a five-page letter. The theme of the letter was "Remembering my self-reliant and hard-working educated youth brother", and how the educated youth stall helped other educated youth. At the end, she casually mentioned that if this model could be widely known through newspapers and other means, it would also point out a new employment path for other unemployed educated youth and alleviate employment pressure... In addition to the flattering content, Chen Lanjun also paid special attention to the writing style. Referring to reporter Xu's previous works, she tried to stick to her wording and sentence structure to create a sense of intimacy.
After being busy praying to gods for so many days, we finally invited reporter Xu, a great Buddha, to come.
Reporter Xu closed the interview notebook in his hand and said, "I just looked around and interviewed a few customers. At least 30% to 40% of what you wrote is true. It's not bad."
Chen Lanjun's eyes curved, "Right, just like I promised, the stall of the educated youths is definitely worth reporting."
Reporter Xu did not comment, glanced at Zhao Hong, and smiled: "This must be your educated youth brother who is self-reliant and hardworking?"
Zhao Hong blushed at this remark: "Well, this is a bit too much."
"Don't be nervous, I'll just ask you a few questions."
Zhao Hong answered the first two questions with a stutter. After a while, when asked about setting up stalls and helping other unemployed educated youth, his voice returned to normal.
Chen Lanjun watched from the side and nodded secretly, thinking that Zhao Hong was still capable of taking on the responsibility.
After interviewing Zhao Hong, Chen Lanjun accompanied reporter Xu to visit the stalls of other unemployed educated youth. Street officials such as Lao Guo, who had heard the news, also came over and talked about their work in a rush.
Reporter Xu's interview notes became more and more full. Because she had to remember so much and the time was tight, the sides of her palms became a little blue and black from the ink. But reporter Xu didn't care at all and kept recording attentively until several pages were filled. She closed the notebook and said, "Thank you for the materials you provided. I think I can write a good report."
Two days later, the report came out.
Chen Lanjun and Zhao Hong learned about it not through newspapers, but through customers around them.
Today's newspapers are among the best in terms of their ability to disseminate information, especially newspapers with extremely large circulations such as the city's daily newspaper. The report written by reporter Xu was very interesting, occupying a lot of space, and it also hit the nail on the head with the current hot topic of concern for unemployed young people, which immediately attracted a huge amount of attention.
Some people even rode their bicycles for more than an hour just to buy a bowl of rice noodle rolls at the educated youth stall.
The ingredients that Chen Lanjun and Zhao Hong had prepared were sold out in less than two hours. Fortunately, Shen Mudan took an emergency leave to come to support them and brought some more ingredients from home. They sold whatever they had and even emptied the sugar jar to make egg sweet water. This was enough to cope with the customer flow that increased several times at once.
I was so busy that I didn't even have time to drink water.
It was really tiring, but also really refreshing. After closing the business, I went home and counted the bill, and it was 36.7 yuan!
This time, one day's salary is really equivalent to someone else's monthly salary.
I made a lot of money, but the materials were basically gone.
Fortunately, Chen Lanjun had the foresight to convince the comrades in the Street Office and the Grain and Oil Bureau. This time, there was a rumor in the reports that the senior leaders were very satisfied, so everyone helped out and coordinated with all parties, which ensured the subsequent supply.
On the second and third days after the report came out, the turnover even reached a terrifying 40 yuan! According to Shen Mudan, this speed is no different from money raining from the sky.
It's not just the stalls run by Chen Lanjun and Zhao Hong. The sales of the stalls run by other unemployed educated youth have at least doubled.
On a breezy night, Pang Xiaopeng and other unemployed educated youth who had received help knocked on Zhao Hong's door.
Pang Xiaopeng shook the rice wine in his hand and smiled brightly: "Sister Lan, shall we go to the riverside to drink?"
"go!"
Chen Lanjun agreed readily.
At night, by the river, with a breeze and a faint moon, the sparkling water is as dazzling as broken silver. A group of young people are drinking.
Pang Xiaopeng raised a can of rice wine and said, "Let's toast to Sister Lan!"
"Jing Lan!"
Even Zhao Hong confusedly followed suit and called out "Sister Jinglan".
Chen Lanjun was amused: "Okay, okay, thank you all very much."
As they spoke, everyone drank it all in one gulp.
Pang Xiaopeng came up to Chen Lanjun and asked, "Sister Lan, do you really want to go back and prepare for the college entrance examination again?"
"Yes, I will go back." Chen Lanjun said, "This time, I have enough money for tuition and living expenses for repeating three times."
Everyone chuckled. Pang Xiaopeng, with a smile on his face, said, "Pooh, pooh, pooh, children should not be restrained in their words."
"Yes, Sister Lan will definitely pass the exam and get first place!"
"That's right. By this time next year, we will have upgraded our muskets to big guns, from rice wine to Zhuangyuanhong!"
"Okay, then I'll borrow your good words."
The wind by the river, carrying the laughter of young people, drifted far away.
The next morning, even though she was too sleepy to open her eyes, Chen Lanjun still struggled to wake up.
She opened the door, went to the public bathroom at the end of the corridor, and took some tap water to wash her face.
The tap water in the early morning is clear and cool. After taking two handfuls of water, I feel completely awake.
She walked back to the room, but saw Zhao Hong already moving things downstairs.
She called out to him, "Brother Hong, please wait a moment. I'll be there soon."
Before Zhao Hong could answer, Shen Mudan's voice rang out in the room: "Alan, let him go, and don't go to the stall today. Isn't it that you are leaving? I asked for a day off and accompanied you to go shopping."
It was hard to refuse such a kind invitation, and since Chen Lanjun really wanted to buy some things for her family, she agreed.
Shen Mudan was very enthusiastic, she even dug out a royal blue bragi dress from the closet: “Try it, this is what I bought when I was young, and it’s well preserved!”
It is indeed well preserved. The bragi must have been ironed with an iron. The pleats on the hem are sharp and the color is good, which makes the skin look whiter.
As soon as Chen Lanjun put on the skirt, Shen Mudan exclaimed: “It looks really good, Alan, this blue is very suitable for you.”
After they finished dressing up, they went downstairs. Chen Mudan rode her "28-bar" bicycle and took Chen Lanjun all the way to the city center.
The weather is good and the sky is as blue as if it had been washed by water.
The houses in sight gradually became denser. The closer we got to the city center, the more telephone poles there were along the road. The winding ones, together with the straight concrete roads, showed the appearance of a modern city.
The bicycle stopped in front of a three-story building. Chen Lanjun looked up and saw that it was not a store, but a recruitment sign with the words "Huibinlou" written on it. Several windows facing the street were open, revealing the bustling diners inside.
"Aunt, this is..."
Shen Mudan bent down and locked the bicycle carefully, then came over and took Chen Lanjun's arm, saying, "I'll treat you to morning tea, and you are not allowed to refuse."
This teahouse is an old brand with a long history. It is a two-story building with a large space connected to the arcade in front. It is spacious and bright. It used to do good business. You had to wait for a table at mealtime. Even after it was converted into a state-owned enterprise, the business is still booming.
The waiter in white sleeves held a large tea tray full of various dim sum and flexibly shuttled between tables and people. People were drinking tea, chatting, eating dim sum... The buzz of diners' conversations was occasionally mixed with the sound of dishes colliding, and the fragrance of various dim sum lingered in the nose. It was indeed a good place.
Shen Mudan took the lead, nimbly moving through the mess of tables and chairs, and took Chen Lanjun to the counter for ordering.
There was also a line in front of the counter, and while waiting, Shen Mudan asked, “Look, what do you want to eat? It’s all written on the sign.”
There is a large blackboard behind the counter, which neatly lists the dim sum available in the teahouse: shrimp dumplings, steamed siu mai, lotus seed paste cakes, taro spare ribs...all of which are classic dim sum.
But what caught Chen Lanjun's attention was a small blackboard hanging nearby, on which were written the words "Weekly Delicacy: Water Chestnut Cake".
Chen Lanjun asked: "Aunt, what does 'Sunday Beauty' mean?"
Chen Mudan squinted her eyes and looked at it: "I haven't heard of it. There was no such sign last time. But I haven't been here for a long time."
An old customer at the front of the line said, "You young people don't know this. There was this 'weekly special' before liberation, but it was discontinued later. Now that the new policy has come, they have put it up again. That is, the special snack served this week can be discounted by 10 cents."
"So that's how it is."
In fact, it is a promotional method that restaurants often use later, offering a specific discounted dim sum every week, or introducing new dim sum to increase diners' repurchase rate.
Chen Lanjun was a little surprised that such a promotional strategy had been used so early. She still underestimated the people of Suicheng's ability to perceive and act on the wind direction. Come to think of it, they are all smart people. Since they know that the water in the spring river is warm, they must go in and swim first.
Still can't underestimate others, Chen Lanjun thought.
She looked at the sign and said, "Auntie, I'll just order a water chestnut cake."
"Order one more, and we'll have 'one bowl, two pieces'."
So Chen Lanjun ordered another steamed pork and mushroom dish, but Chen Mudan was still not satisfied. When it was her turn to order, she said a lot of things in a row: "Do you have Tieguanyin? I'll give you a bowl, water chestnut cake, steamed pork, chicken feet, and shrimp dumplings..."
She was about to order all the snacks and desserts. When Chen Lanjun tried to dissuade her, she pressed her bulging wallet and said, "No, just let me, your aunt, do my part. I've brought enough money and meal tickets!"
It was only after the waiter who was taking orders persuaded them that they stopped: "As an aunt, it is unquestionable that she should be kind to her niece. But, colleagues, we should order according to our appetite and refuse to waste. Look, the boss over there is from Hong Kong, and he doesn't order that much either."
Following the waiter's gaze, Chen Lanjun looked over.
Amidst the noisy and noisy diners, a young man sat lazily under the south window. It was Shao Qinghe. His shirt was light pink, which made him stand out from the crowd of white and blue clothes. His sleeves were slightly rolled up, revealing a strong forearm. The muscle lines were very beautiful, not too strong, nor too thin. His temperament was completely different from that of the diners, and many people were watching him quietly.
This guy is really someone who attracts attention wherever he goes. Chen Lanjun laughed dumbly and turned her gaze towards him.
The person accompanying me was dressed in the standard cadre style of the day, wearing black-framed round glasses and carrying a black briefcase. He was saying something with a frown on his face, looking a little uneasy.
Just then, a table of diners nearby finished their meal and stood up. Chen Lanjun saw the opportunity, took two or three steps forward, and took a seat.
"Aunt, there's a vacant seat here."
"Okay, take a seat first, I'll wait for snacks."
Mudan Shen agreed and moved to the back of the line for snacks.
Chen Lanjun was sitting alone, feeling bored, so she listened attentively to the conversation between Shao Qinghe and the cadre.
Information is very important in this era. If you can hear some inside information, it is like picking up a silver bowl, which is enough to eat for a long time. In addition, she is actually a little curious. She doesn't know why Shao Qinghe came to the mainland at this time?
The one who spoke was the cadre-looking man:
"Boss Shao, I really tried my best, but... you have to know that we have our own set of rules here. Although I go to urge them every day, there are some departments and some people that he really cannot command. The construction of our Xiyuan Hotel is being strangled. When people don't cooperate, it's not that they refuse directly, but they just say 'I'm sorry, we have to go through the process'. But once you go through the process, it's endless. And you have to go through the process. Many things can only be obtained with approvals and quotas..."
Chen Lanjun listened and understood, it seems that it is still the restriction brought by the planned economy. It's just that their stall is just a drizzle, while the Xiyuan Hotel is a heavy rain.
After the relevant department cadres rattled off a bunch of reasons, Shao Qinghe remained silent. He picked up a shrimp dumpling and chewed it slowly. After he finished eating, he said, "So, what suggestions do you have?"
The other party said stubbornly: "Actually, you don't have to be so anxious. Take your time. It will always be solved."
Shao Qinghe tapped the table with his slender fingertips, again and again.
"Take your time. Don't you find this funny?"
"The Garden Hotel has already started construction. If we are slow, we will miss out on the opportunity."
The other party had nothing to say. After holding it in for a long time, he stammered and said, "Mr. Shao, try this chicken feet. It's a specialty here."
She felt a little bit gloating. This spoiled young Mr. Shao must have heard for the first time that a project couldn't be advanced because of a lack of supplies.
Tsk, I let you act so arrogantly in front of me, but you still hit a wall.
“The snacks are here.” Shen Mudan put down the wooden tray in her hand and asked curiously, “Hey, Alan, what are you laughing at?”
Chen Lanjun's eyes curved, "Well, I thought of something happy. This snack looks really good."
It is indeed good. Although today's teahouses do not have as wide a variety of snacks as in the future, each snack is a classic. There are no seasonings or the like nowadays. It all depends on the skills of the dim sum chefs. The locals are picky and will not tolerate any falsehood. Therefore, the dim sum produced by such old teahouses is unique in flavor.
Chen Lanjun first tried the "weekly delicacy" water chestnut cake, an amber-colored cake in a rectangular shape, with a lot of soybean-sized white dots inside, which are fresh water chestnut meat. A bite is chewy and sweet, more glutinous than glutinous rice cake, but more refreshing. It is just right to eat in this season when the summer heat has not yet subsided.
"Just eat as much as you want. If it's not enough, I'll order more." Shen Mudan looked at her lovingly, "Thank you so much for these days."
"What's the point of thanking me?" Chen Lanjun said, "To be honest, I should thank my aunt. If it weren't for your support, I wouldn't be able to earn enough money for my tuition and living expenses."
Shen Mudan smiled and shook her head: “Two different things, if it weren’t for you, Ahong wouldn’t be so energetic now. I haven’t seen him so high-spirited in a few years.”
At this point, Shen Mudan sighed softly: "A job is really worrying. Auntie knows in her heart that you are really kind-hearted. You even gave the limelight in the newspaper to that fool."
Chen Lanjun said: "We are a family, and my aunt is also a smart person. Without Brother Hong's reputation as an educated youth, this stall would not be able to succeed and it would not be in the newspaper."
Having said that, the attitude of Shen Mudan and her son did make her feel comfortable. Now that it has come to this, Chen Lanjun plans to make a simple handover of the matter.
She put down the chopsticks in her hand, shook Shen Mudan's hand, and said sincerely:
"My original intention was to earn some money to pay for my tuition and living expenses. Now, thanks to my aunt and brother Hong, I have made some money. I am very happy. I can't help with the educated youth stall in the future, so the profits will naturally be yours."
Shen Mudan shook her head like a rattle.
"No, how can I keep it all to myself? Even if you're not here, I'll keep an eye on Hong and ask him to wire half of the money over."
"It doesn't make sense for Auntie to say that. I haven't done anything. Ah Hong works in the wind and sun every day. How can he be the same as me?" Chen Lanjun said, "At most, you can give me 10% as dividends."
Shen Mudan wanted to say something, but Chen Lanjun shook her hand, stretched out her tone, and said coquettishly: “Aunt, I still want to be with you for a long time, and you have to make me feel at ease.”
Brothers should settle accounts clearly. Even if Shen Mudan and Zhao Hong promised a lot of dividends, they will definitely have complaints as time goes by. It is not worth it for a few hundred yuan.
Chen Mudan was also a smart person. She understood the meaning of the words after hearing them. After a little thought, she understood. The two of them reached an agreement and started chatting about the fun of setting up stalls while drinking tea and eating snacks.
After talking for a while, Chen Lanjun caught a glimpse of Shao Qinghe at the next table getting up and walking out.
She lowered her eyes, thought for two seconds, and said to Chen Mudan, "I think I saw an acquaintance over there, let's go say hello."
After walking through the bustling crowd and coming out of the teahouse, in front of the arcade door, he saw a car parked on a cement road. A man opened the back door of the car, and Shao Qinghe bent down, about to get in.
When I was about to close the door, I suddenly heard someone shouting, "Mr. Shao!"
The soft and bright female voice reminded him of the grand piano playing "Canon" on a sunny afternoon.
Shao Qinghe looked up indifferently. A very beautiful girl walked out from the corridor of the arcade and stepped into the sunlight. Above her head was the light blue sky as clear as the ocean.
The girl came over and said, "Excuse me, I just heard you talking. Is the construction material stuck?"
"Eavesdropping on other people's conversations is not something a decent person should do." Shao Qinghe said in a low voice.
Chen Lanjun smiled and said, "It just so happens that I am not a decent person."
She brushed the hair that fell by her ear and said, "I have a suggestion. Report an opening date to the senior leaders, and then publish it in the newspapers to make this date widely known. Then, use this opening date to force people to do things. For the sake of face, they will give the green light."
Shao Qinghe said nothing and thought for a moment.
I have to say that in the mainland, where face is more important than relationships, the girl's suggestions are worth referring to. She must be a girl from an intellectual family or a cadre family, right? Otherwise, how could she develop such a knowledgeable personality?
He was always impatient to deal with stupid people. Fortunately, this reckless girl was not completely stupid. He asked, "We are not related, why are you giving advice?"
"I owed you one in my last life."
Although it was the truth, it sounded unreliable. Chen Lanjun added: "Just kidding, I am actually doing one good deed a day, and you just happened to have this luck."
Shao Qinghe's handsome face was slightly puzzled, and he asked again: "May I ask your name?"
"My name is Lei Feng."
Chen Lanjun laughed, then suddenly moved and ran back to the teahouse.
After eating snacks, drinking tea and talking, Chen Lanjun and Shen Mudan went shopping in a state-owned store.
She chose gifts for her family members, buying a pair of leather shoes for her father, a Dacron shirt for her mother, and a fountain pen for her younger sister.
Paying the bill is a very modern way. The clerk at the counter collects the receipt and money, carefully clamps them with an iron clip, raises his arm and clamps them on a wire above, and with a "whoosh" the clip flies from the counter at one end to the accounting office at the other end.
On the day of departure, these friends bought standing tickets one by one and sent Chen Lanjun to the platform.
Everyone gave her a gift, from malted milk to clothing fabrics, which was very thoughtful.
But what surprised Chen Lanjun the most was the notebook given to her by an educated youth.
When I opened it, I saw it was filled with college entrance examination review questions.
The educated youth said, "This is the college entrance examination review material that my relative sent me from another province. It is really good. I haven't borrowed it from anyone else. I copied it just for you."
He was one of the unemployed educated youth who later learned to set up stalls. He did not actually receive much guidance from Chen Lanjun, but he was always grateful in his heart, so he was willing to give her this review material.
Chen Lanjun was stunned for a moment, then accepted it very solemnly.
When the train started moving, Zhao Hong, Pang Xiaopeng and other educated youth waved their hands vigorously:
"Have a nice trip!"
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