Chapter 3
"...Anyway, he didn't say anything else."
The younger sister explained the whole story to Chen Lanjun and gave her the carved radish seal and envelope.
Chen Lanjun took it and opened the envelope.
The glass cover of the kerosene lamp was blackened by the flames, and a dim orange light shone through it, gently falling on the envelope.
There was ten yuan and a stack of food coupons in the envelope.
Chen Lanjun picked up a food coupon and looked at it carefully. It was a small piece of paper with "National Food Coupon" written in the upper left corner. The same was true for the next one and the next one.
The younger sister came over and said in surprise: "Wow, it's the national food coupons, it looks like this."
Local food coupons are generally used locally, but the ones Chen Zhisheng gave were national food coupons.
Chen Lanjun stroked the national food coupon and reacted instantly.
This must have been something her parents took the trouble to buy, probably... they wanted to prepare it for her to use when she goes to college in another city.
But she disappointed them.
Chen Lanjun lowered her eyes and put away the things one by one.
Never mind, she would make them proud afterwards.
It was just dawn when I slipped out of the house.
Chen Lanjun walked in the dark on the ridge of the field for a while. Gradually, the moonlight faded and another kind of morning light was blurred in the mist.
It was early in the morning and the dew had not yet dried. Her trouser legs were wet, but her steps were brisk.
At sunrise, she stopped and looked toward the eastern sky.
In the bright rays of light, the old house of the Chen family could no longer be seen.
The thatch rustled in the wind.
There are no means of transportation in the countryside, so people have to rely on their feet to get around. Chen Lanjun is used to walking this road. Since she started elementary school, she has had to walk along the fields, passing by two ponds, and walk a long way to school.
After walking for about two or three hours, we finally arrived in Qing'an County.
This small county town was quite lively because it was close to the railway. There was a long street with many houses and sheds on both sides, all of which were short and small. Under the messy electric wires, many people in blue clothes were walking around.
After walking such a long way, Chen Lanjun's throat was so dry that it was about to burn. Passing by a state-owned restaurant, she wanted to ask for a glass of water.
When the waiter at the state-owned restaurant heard this, he gave her a cold look, turned around and talked to his colleagues, ignoring her.
Chen Lanjun raised her voice: "Comrade, can you give me a glass of water?"
Her voice was so loud that two customers looked at her sideways. The waiter had no choice but to turn around and lecture her with a stern face: "No, I say to you, comrade. If everyone follows you and takes advantage of the public, won't everything be in chaos?"
The waiters in state-owned restaurants these days all have iron rice bowls, and the profits and losses have nothing to do with them. Naturally, many of them are too ambitious, not to mention any sense of service.
Chen Lanjun hadn't had such a shopping experience for a long time. Seeing this, she frowned and asked, "Then I'm going to buy breakfast. Is there anything I can drink?"
"No, the menu is on the wall. Can't you see it?"
Instead, a female customer told Chen Lanjun in a friendly voice, "We have meat buns, 1.8 yuan per pound plus □□ tickets."
Chen Lanjun realized that to buy food now it was not enough to just have money, you also needed food coupons.
She hesitated for a moment and said to the female customer, "Thank you."
Having said that, he walked out.
I could vaguely hear a sneer from behind.
"What kind of peasant is this to come into a state-owned restaurant? He has made our floor dirty."
Chen Lanjun was about to push the door when she stopped and turned to look at the man who had made the sarcastic remark.
She said slowly and clearly, "It's quite pitiful. With your attitude, you'll be laid off soon."
With this attitude, it is unlikely that they will not capsize in the next wave of marketization.
She was very thirsty, so she quickened her pace towards the train station, thinking that it would be great if there were small shops selling bottled water on the street like in the future. As she walked, she suddenly remembered something.
At that time in Yanjing, it seemed that there were already people selling tea on the streets?
At that time, she read a news report that said that in the late 1970s, some educated youth in Yanjing set up a tea stall in a densely populated area on the street, specializing in selling large bowls of tea at five cents a bowl. Although the price was low, there were many people buying it, and it was said that the sales were booming.
Because it would help solve the employment problem of unemployed educated youth, the relevant departments turned a blind eye, and tea stalls of all sizes sprang up like mushrooms inside and outside Yanjing.
Educated youth...There are also educated youth in Suicheng!
Thinking of this, Chen Lanjun's eyes lit up.
The reason why she wanted to go to Suicheng was, firstly, because she had quite reliable relatives there; secondly, because Suicheng had always been very supportive of the new policy. As early as March 1979, Suicheng opened up to self-employed business, and issued licenses to individuals willing to make a living according to regulations. At least during this period, if you do small business and sell something, you don't have to worry about being arrested by the "Daban", that is, the "Office for Combating Speculation and Profiteering".
Now she has one more reason to occupy the moral high ground.
The numerous solutions that popped up in my mind suddenly grew into a bayberry forest, which had the effect of "quenching thirst by looking at the bayberry trees".
Qing'an County Railway Station is small. Apart from two sections of railway tracks, there are only three or four rooms in total. There are not many staff members and the decoration is very rough. Fortunately, although it is small, it has all the necessary facilities and hot water is provided.
Chen Lanjun drank a full glass of water before she recovered. Thinking of her high school classmate Liu Anan who was working here, she even asked the staff: "Excuse me, is Comrade Liu Anan here? She is also from your unit."
"Liu Anan? It seems like she's out for a meeting."
That's not a coincidence.
She looked at the clock in the room. It had been a long time since she sneaked out. Zheng Mei must have noticed that she was missing and might have been chasing her on the road.
Forget it, I'll go find Liu Anan when I come back.
She went straight to the ticket window, took out her letter of introduction, and bought a ticket to Suicheng.
When getting on the train, Chen Lanjun was a little worried and was on high alert, fearing that something bad would happen on the train, such as being stolen or robbed. In the first two years when she went out to work, thieves on the train were as numerous as cockroaches and could not be eradicated.
Fortunately, we are still in the recovery stage and no one, including the thief, has reacted yet, so the trip was safe and sound.
The green train sways slowly and leisurely.
It was already afternoon when we arrived in Suicheng.
Chen Lanjun had a strong memory and the ability to recognize roads. Based on her memory, she found the street where Aunt Dan lived.
It was time for school and work to end, and the younger children were already being led home by their parents. People who were getting off work also hurried home, anxious to cook.
Adults and children were all walking in a hurry, but there was still a group of people doing nothing, squatting in groups of three or four at the street corner.
A little child was curious and wanted to say hello to the older brothers and sisters, but before he could move, he was immediately grabbed by the adults.
"Don't go."
A tall, thin, long-haired young man squatting in front laughed and whistled: "Why, I'm rat poison, you'll die if you get close."
"That's not the case, Hong." The adult said, "But you are an adult now, you should do something serious. You have been back for so long."
"You retired early and let me take over your job. Now I have something to do. Thank you very much."
"I don't know what this is about!"
The young man responded with another long whistle, with a twist in the tone.
Chen Lanjun laughed and called to the young man, "Brother Hong, long time no see. You are still as charming as ever."
Cousin Zhao Hong turned his head and was slightly startled. The next second, the corners of his mouth turned up and he said lazily, "Of course."
The companion next to him nudged him with his elbow: "Who is it? You are so beautiful."
"Don't think about it," Zhao Hong immediately pointed at him fiercely, "This is my cousin."
As he spoke, Zhao Hong stood up and walked towards Chen Lanjun, reaching for the luggage bag naturally.
"Did you bring any tribute? Hand it all over."
"No."
"Wow, you little ungrateful bastard, I'm giving you all the money I've saved in Qing'an."
Zhao Hong was assigned to Qing'an as an educated youth a few years ago. His mother, Aunt Dan Shen Mudan, searched through the family tree and finally found a relative in Qing'an - Chen Lanjun's family.
The two families then reestablished contact and gradually became closer.
Zhao Hong is about the same age as the eldest daughter of the Chen family. Chen Zhisheng and Zheng Mei treat him well and think of him well.
Two years ago, the educated youth returned to the city one after another. Before Zhao Hong left, he gave Chen Lanjun a lot of local food coupons and books. He was a grateful person.
Chen Lanjun smiled and replied: "Of course I remember. When I get rich, I will pay you back double."
Zhao Hong glanced at her and frowned.
Arriving at Aunt Dan's door, Zhao Hong looked around and saw that there was no one around. He suddenly lowered his voice and asked her, "Alan, tell me the truth."
"Are you...going to flee to Hong Kong?"
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