Chapter 126 (Updated 1261)
Zhou Weifang set up his stall in front of the department store again today. After arriving, he first took care of the task his childhood friend had asked him to do, and then looked for Chen Laosi among a bunch of tricycles waiting for customers.
His gaze swept around halfway and he saw Chen Laosi playing cards with a few other people. He went over and called out, "Si'er."
Chen Laosi wondered who it was, turned around and said, "Oh, Sanfang is here."
He handed the cards to someone else, then came over and offered them a cigarette.
Zhou Weifang nudged him, saying, "No, no, Luo Bu wants you to go to the store to get the order."
You need to present the payment receipt to pick up the bicycles from the factory.
Chen Laosi casually tucked the cigarette behind his ear and said, "Okay, I'll go now."
He was going to ride it anyway, so he shouted a couple of times, "Is anyone leaving Jiaotong University?" before reluctantly setting off with his bike empty.
As soon as he left, a tricycle driver came over and asked, "Comrade, do you have any other jobs?"
Zhou Weifang said no, but placed two watches and price tags on the bicycle and chatted with the driver. Although they were strangers before, they were both waiting for business, so talking was a good way to pass the time.
Perhaps that's why this afternoon went by so quickly.
Zhou Weifang's watches also sold well, and he went back to the store to check if anything was wrong until sunset.
There are three people in his shop, and they can handle most things, while the boss is still busy with his own things.
Zhou Weifang figured he had nothing better to do, so he strolled over to the fruit shop.
His car dealership is next to the hospital, so there's a fairly large fruit shop nearby that always does a great job. The sales staff are also known for their terrible attitude; they stand in front of the counter as if everyone owes them money.
Especially since it was around this time when everyone was about to leave work, all that was left were of poor quality. Zhou Weifang, seeing that they weren't up to par, asked, "Comrade, do you have any other kinds of figs?"
Salesperson: "That's all. Do you think this is an orchard where you can pick and choose as you like?"
What kind of attitude was that? Zhou Weifang argued with the salesperson for a bit, probably because he had a bad temper and was tall and big. Under the manager's guidance, the salesperson reluctantly apologized.
In a state-owned store like this, even receiving an apology is considered a victory.
Zhou Weifang could only think that he would never come to this store again. He figured that if he couldn't buy anything, he would go find the guy who sold bicycles, have a meal, and then go back to his stall.
Mr. Wu, the tricycle driver who chatted with him in the afternoon, was still there. The two had become acquainted and were now chatting warmly.
As they talked, Zhou Weifang brought up the incident at the fruit shop, which was just something to talk about.
Mr. Wu exclaimed excitedly, "There's a tree in my yard that's really sweet, do you want some?"
Zhou Weifang: "Okay, I'll come again tomorrow afternoon. Just bring three to five pounds. I saw that the fruit shop sells it for two cents a pound, so we'll just bring whatever we need."
Since they offered to pay, there was no reason for him to refuse, especially since he was just hoping to earn something. Mr. Wu wasn't worried about them renege on their offer; if all else failed, he could always take the food home.
His home was in the suburbs, and he had to go into the city to deliver vegetables before dawn the next day. After chatting for a few more minutes, he left.
Zhou Weifang kept his stall open until after nine o'clock, counting down the watches he had left to take back to the shop. He took a shower before starting the handover.
Zhang Hongmin showed the boss the ledger, and after watching him count the money, he said, "Brother, I need to take a day off next Tuesday."
Zhou Weifang: "That's not called asking for leave, it's that you should be given a day off. Just tell me which day you want to take leave."
The latter half of the sentence was also spoken to the two apprentices on the other side.
Zhang Hongmin couldn't hide his joy that he wouldn't be penalized if he didn't take leave.
Zhou Weifang told them all to leave work, checked to see if the "Open 24 Hours" sign was still there, then bolted the door from the inside. He slowly climbed up to the attic, and was hit by the sweltering heat. He thought to himself that the power of this late summer heat was quite astonishing. He turned the fan to its maximum and was still able to sleep.
I can't sleep soundly; I have to get up three to five times a night.
To be honest, if he hadn't taken this job, Zhou Weifang wouldn't have known that so many people needed car repairs in the middle of the night.
Especially around dawn when the factories are closing up their night shifts, the atmosphere is just as lively as during the day.
Therefore, Zhou Weifang opened the door early.
After washing up, he went to buy six meat buns. He had only taken one bite when a customer came. He quickly swallowed the buns and started working. He glanced at the fruit shop across the street, where they were stocking up on goods.
In those days, everything that grew in the fields was subject to unified purchase and sales. Each brigade had to decide what to plant based on the plan, and the harvest was sold to grain stations and fruit and vegetable companies, which then distributed it to various sales points in the city.
During the years of greatest supply shortages, food-related shops always held considerable "power," and as a result, many sales staff were more arrogant than in other places, looking down on people with disdain.
Things like what happened yesterday are commonplace for residents of every town.
Zhou Weifang wasn't angry when he thought about it now; he just felt that these days would soon pass. Admittedly, he didn't understand politics or what the general trend of social development was, but as a smart man, he had a basic understanding of how things would develop. He thought: once the whole country started implementing the household contract responsibility system, the acquisition system originally built on the collective environment would soon collapse, and then…
At that time...
Zhou Weifang pondered these three words and suddenly had an idea. When he went out to set up his stall in the afternoon, he would stop by the Industry and Commerce Bureau to ask about it. After paying for the figs at the department store, he would ask Master Wu, "I remember that you Yuliu grows cherries, right?"
Beijing now boasts a rich variety of fruits, including Pinggu peaches and Miyun jujubes, with different varieties available almost year-round. Yuliu, where Mr. Wu lives, is famous for its cherry cultivation.
He assumed Zhou Weifang was someone who loved eating fruit, and said, "Yes, we have some at home, but it's out of season. We'll save some for you next year."
If what Zhou Weifang was thinking about really came to fruition, he might actually have to go and ask them for help next year. He noted down their address and continued, "When your village distributed land, did each family get a share of trees?"
"How could that be?" Master Wu said. "Those trees are worth a lot of money. It took a bunch of agricultural experts and scholars seven or eight years to cultivate such a forest. It will definitely belong to the government. Our village only gets farmland, but almost every family has two cherry trees."
Zhou Weifang: "Does our own produce have to be sold to fruit and vegetable companies?"
Mr. Wu: "No need for that. Fruit isn't on the list of fruits that are subject to unified purchase and sale now. But everyone in our village has it, and we can't possibly eat it all. Some people in the village do buy it and take it to the city to sell, but the price isn't high."
But not every family can afford a tricycle, and it's quite a hassle to go into the city, so this method is more convenient.
After chatting with him for an afternoon, Zhou Weifang had a general idea of what was going on, but he still needed someone to give him some advice on how to turn towards Jiaotong University when he was packing up.
Luo Hong looked at him with surprise and asked, "How did you know Yan Yan was here?"
Zhou Weifang was even more surprised than him: "Isn't she doing her homework at home?"
Well, it was quite a coincidence.
Luo Hong: "He said he was going to the library to find something, and he had just gone in."
Zhou Weifang was delighted: "That's perfect, I just bought her some new figs."
Seeing that his childhood friend looked like he was about to yell at him, he said, "Are you busy? I need to tell you something."
Luo Hong raised his shoulder to wipe the sweat from his forehead, turned the fan around, sat down and took a sip of water: "Spit it out."
Zhou Weifang gave a brief explanation and then asked, "Do you think it can work out?"
Luo Hong kept repeating the words "fruit shop," and said, "Let me explain it to you. First, can you get a business license?"
Zhou Weifang: "Yes."
Where do you want to open the shop?
"The tailor shops on the right side of my shop are all closed."
What do you do about sourcing inventory?
"Which village doesn't have middlemen?"
"You think we can just start looking?"
“It’s the end of August now. The grapes from Mentougou and the pears from Changping will be available soon. My aunt married into a family in Mentougou, and Hongmin’s sister-in-law is from Changping. Let’s get these two things sorted out first.”
...
Seeing that his childhood friend answered each question he asked, Luo Hong said, "No, how long have you been planning this?"
How long? Zhou Weifang: "I just thought of that this morning."
Luo Hong: "Then I think it's a good idea, let's give it a try."
As the two discussed more details, they stopped simultaneously upon hearing footsteps.
Seeing that they hadn't spoken since she came in, Luo Yan asked suspiciously, "What are you up to now?"
Look at that distrustful look in his eyes. Luo Hong said, "Explain yourself. I'm going to get back to work."
Zhou Weifang washed two figs for her and said, "Please sit down, I'll explain slowly."
He hasn't finished his business yet, so there's not much he can say.
Luo Yan finished listening after eating only one and a half pieces, swallowed what was in her mouth, and said: "I think it's pretty good."
She was a novice in business, so her words greatly encouraged Zhou Weifang, who asked, "What's so good about it?"
Luo Yan: "We'll have plenty of fresh fruit to eat from now on."
Zhou Weifang looked at her with a half-smile: "Well, the sweetest one will definitely be saved for you."
"Flirtatious!" Luo Yan glared at him. "Speak properly."
Zhou Weifang thought to himself that he had already been quite polite, so he quickly changed his tune and said, "I might be a bit busy later and won't be able to go to the library."
Although Luo Yan felt that studying was very important, she also knew that everyone's situation was different, so she said, "It's okay, you go ahead and do your work. If you fall behind when school starts, I'll help you catch up."
Then, realizing what she meant, she asked, "So, are you still attending classes this year?"
Zhou Weifang hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly. Luo Yan understood what he meant and knew that his hesitation was obviously related to her. She spread her hands and said, "I can teach you, but I'll have to charge you tuition."
When Zhou Weifang tried to give her money, she dodged, saying, "I was just kidding. You're so serious, it's annoying."
"Why do you hate it?" Zhou Weifang coaxed her, "Then when the store opens, you can pay with fruit."
"That's fine," Luo Yan said enthusiastically. "It's a good season now; we'll be able to eat apricots, dates, and pears soon."
Zhou Weifang wasn't really sure what items were appropriate for the season, so he asked, "What else is there in the city?"
Luo Yan: "Walnuts and chestnuts, but are they considered fruits?"
It's just that it's sold in fruit shops every year.
She wasn't sure, and Zhou Weifang knew even less, saying, "If they let us sell it, then so be it."
That's true, the rules are final.
Luo Yan nodded: "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Indeed, Zhou Weifang said, "When we get the goods, I'll invite you to try them. I can't tell the difference between good and bad."
As long as you eat something that won't land you in the hospital, he considers it good.
Luo Yan felt that no one was more suitable for this task than herself: "I'm the best at picking out delicious food."
At this point, she glanced at her watch: "It's time for dinner."
Zhou Weifang stood up on his own initiative: "What would you like to eat tonight?"
Before Luo Yan could answer, Luo Hong said, "It's very hot, I'll eat cold noodles."
After a simple meal, the three of them went to set up their stall.
Luo Yan called out to him, "Have you forgotten? Today is the Ghost Festival."
Zhou Weifang herself didn't have this taboo, but after being reminded like this, she felt that the people in the store should leave work earlier, and said, "Then you should go home too?"
Luo Yan nodded, picked up her schoolbag, put it on, and asked her brother to carry the fruit.
To be honest, it was quite heavy. Luo Hong muttered, "Is it used to feed pigs?"
"Who are you calling a pig?" Luo Yan turned and glared angrily at her brother.
Luo Hong reached out and "twisted" her head back: "Watch where you're going."
Luo Yan slapped her brother's hand away, straddled the bicycle, and inexplicably fiddled with the horn.
She seemed to be in a good mood today. Zhou Weifang asked, "Have you finished your homework?"
Luo Yan grabbed a handful of air and said smugly, "I can pinch it with my hand."
She had probably been busy with this report all holiday, so she was very focused on it and could finally relax now.
Zhou Weifang: "That's right, you're definitely the best."
Luo Yan is never modest.
She thought she was very capable, proudly holding her head high. Seeing that it was getting darker, she urged, "Hurry up, hurry up, or Mom will scold us."
Luo Honggang locked the door: "Anyway, they won't scold you, they'll only scold me."
That makes perfect sense. Luo Yan stretched out her hand and said, "Then please take your time."
Luo Hong nimbly mounted his bike and took the lead, saying without turning his head, "But if you're any later than me, you'll be the one getting yelled at."
"What kind of person is he?" Luo Yan cursed her brother without using any vulgar language, feeling the wind blowing in her face become eerie. She said, "Let's catch up with him quickly."
This "we" includes Zhou Weifang.
When only the two of them were together, he said, "Yanyan."
Luo Yan turned her head slightly to look at him: "What's wrong?"
Zhou Weifang: "I'll be quite busy from now on. If you need anything, come to the store to find me, or call me. I'll be available right away."
He said he was really busy, and he disappeared for the next few days, but the gifts kept coming.
It's the height of the autumn heat wave, and the weather forecast says that the temperature in Beijing will reach 35 degrees Celsius.
Luo Yan was very relaxed after finishing all her homework. She spent her days at home eating and watching TV with her mother until the day before school started.
For Luo Yan, the start of the school year has a sense of ritual.
She washed and hung up her schoolbag early in the morning, then stretched her limbs in the yard.
When Liu Yinfeng returned from grocery shopping and saw her daughter strolling around, she smiled and said, "Getting ready for work again."
Luo Yan said with great enthusiasm: "Let's greet the new semester with full energy."
Okay, let's welcome them.
Liu Yinfeng: "Come and have breakfast, don't go hungry."
Luo Hong heard this as soon as he got up and said, "She's always eating and drinking. I bet she could go ten days without eating."
Luo Yan sneered: "If I starve you for ten days, you'll be the first one I eat."
He grinned at his white teeth with little intimidation.
Luo Hong pretended to pull out her tooth, and the siblings nearly knocked their mother over while they were struggling with each other.
Liu Yinfeng quickly went inside and saw her husband drinking tea and reading the newspaper. She habitually asked, "What's the news today?"
There really was one. Luo Xinmin read it to her: "Starting September 1st, meat rations will be abolished."
Liu Yinfeng asked in disbelief, "You said you'd cancel what?"
Luo Xinmin repeated it to her, and seeing her expression, he simply held up the newspaper for her to see.
Liu Yinfeng, who was in charge of household chores, always carried her food ration book and grain and oil certificate with her in her hand, and was very familiar with every word related to them.
She leaned closer to look and exclaimed, "It really has been cancelled."
Actually, this is not surprising to anyone, because the pork supply is very stable this year. As long as you go to the meat station frequently, you can buy meat without ration coupons two or three times a month.
But when the word "cancel" is suddenly mentioned, people inevitably feel disoriented, after all, this is how they have lived for the past one or two decades.
Luo Xinmin dangled his empty sleeve, his thousand words condensed into one sentence: "Life has truly gotten better."
The brother and sister, bickering and teasing each other, entered the house and, hearing this, asked, "What's better?"
Luo Xinmin moved the newspaper toward his children, and Luo Hong immediately made a request: "Mom, I want to eat dumplings, the kind without any vegetables."
Liu Yinfeng: "Okay, we'll have meat today. I'll wrap some for you this afternoon and have my sister deliver it."
Luo Yan also made a request: "Mom, can you pack a super large amount?"
A lot? There are only four people in the family, what use is so many? But daughters rarely hide things from their parents, and Liu Yinfeng knew after a moment's thought, saying, "Okay, okay, let's have breakfast."
The brother and sister sat down and kept pushing each other with their elbows, ate their meal restlessly.
After finishing her meal, Luo Yan went to buy paper and pens for the new semester.
She remembered that her bus pass hadn't expired yet, so she went inside to change into a dress, then carried her bag to the alley entrance to wait for the bus.
The bus to the department store didn't come, but the one that would pass by Zhou Weifang's shop arrived first.
Luo Yan seemed to be controlled by some force, and while sitting on the bus, she tried to convince herself: since it's a monthly pass, it's worth taking a couple more trips.
But she also knew that secrets couldn't be hidden forever.
Zhou Weifang probably thought so too. When he saw her, he was overjoyed. In his haste to get to work, he wiped his hands on his trouser leg and then quickly hid them in frustration.
Luo Yan smiled and said, "I just came to tell you that there will be dumplings for dinner tonight. If you're busy, I can bring them to you."
Zhou Weifang: "Not busy at all. Don't come over, I'll go eat there."
Luo Yan was skeptical: "Really?"
Zhou Weifang asked first, "Do you have anything to do later?"
Luo Yan: "I just want to go to the department store to buy things, I'm not in a hurry."
Zhou Weifang washed his hands: "Would you like to go and see what the fruit shop looks like? It's right next door."
Luo Yan ran her hand along the hem of her skirt twice, feigning hesitation for two seconds: "Okay."
The two walked outside together, and Zhou Weifang said to her, "Actually, there wasn't much renovation. We just painted the walls and floors, changed the doors, and put up some shelves."
It was only three shops away from the car dealership; he arrived in the time it took to say those words.
Luo Yan noticed it immediately and said, "Why is your shelf different from the one in the fruit shop?"
In state-run stores, fruit was only allowed to be looked at but not touched, so the counter was right at the entrance, and the shelves were behind you.
You have to tell the salesperson what you want, and they'll give you whatever they're in a good mood.
But Zhou Weifang's shelves were openly displayed, clearly intended for anyone to choose from.
He said, "Would you be happy if I didn't let you choose what you wanted to buy?"
Luo Yan, with her temperament, has suffered a lot of frustrations while shopping. She shook her head vigorously: "I'm extremely unhappy."
She said crisply, "If it were me, I would choose to buy from you."
Zhou Weifang stared at her intently: "You're enough."
Perhaps it was because she was wearing a skirt today, but Luo Yan felt that she looked more delicate.
She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and looked around: "When will it open?"
Zhou Weifang: "The weather has been a bit bad this year, so we still have a week before we can pick the fruit. I'll do some more sorting next Sunday."
He worked day and night, hoping to open for business as soon as possible, but fate didn't help him, and there was nothing he could do.
Luo Yan: "Then I'll take a vacation and come support you then."
Zhou Weifang bowed and said thank you.
Looking at him strangely, Luo Yan reached out and poked him on the shoulder: "Be serious."
Zhou Weifang couldn't help but gasp. He had originally intended to brush it off, but after being glared at, he immediately admitted, "My skin is peeling a bit from the sun."
He never expected himself to be so vulnerable. He had only walked around the mountains a couple of times to check on the fruit and he was in this state. He said, "It just hurts a little when I'm wearing clothes."
Luo Yan blurted out, "Then take it off..."
He held back the last few words and changed it to: "Your clothes don't look breathable at all. They'll be even more uncomfortable when you sweat. Don't you have anything else?"
Zhou Weifang tugged at the hem of his shirt, and suddenly had a brilliant idea: "No, you're going to the department store later, right? I'll go buy a couple of things too."
Luo Yancai didn't believe he was right, and said, "Going out again? Don't you want to get enough sun?"
Even he's crying out in pain; it must be really serious.
If he said anything more, he would get scolded. Zhou Weifang looked apologetic and obediently put his hands behind his back: "I remembered wrong. These are clothes for repairing cars. Look again, there must be others."
Luo Yan gave her a knowing look and asked, "So you're really free today?"
Zhou Weifang immediately nodded: "Extremely free."
He wasn't just saying it for Luo Yancai's sake. Indeed, he had been busy for more than a week, not only preparing most of the matters for opening the fruit shop, but also selling out of electronic watches until only twelve were left. He had been working non-stop until today, and finally he could catch his breath.
Luo Yan is actually not very perceptive when it comes to other people lying, but whenever her brother and Zhou Weifang try to fool someone, she always has a "keen eye" and, after looking them up and down without noticing much, says, "Then you should get some rest."
"Huh?" Zhou Weifang tried to offer himself up: "The department store must be super crowded. I can help you queue up, and I can also..."
Luo Yan interrupted, "No need."
She said helplessly, "Can't you listen to me? Have you been sleeping well these past few days?"
Zhou Weifang touched his face guiltily: "I definitely can."
Then, cautiously, she asked, "Can I still come over for dumplings tonight?"
Luo Yan deliberately looked at him without saying a word, making Zhou Weifang's heart pound with anxiety. He even dared not look at her and said dejectedly, "Yan Yan, I really am very obedient."
He was clearly the most unruly person, not the obedient one at all. Luo Yan's heart softened completely. Remembering how aggrieved he looked last time, she reached out and touched his head: "Alright, go back to sleep."
Zhou Weifang suddenly looked at her, taking advantage of the situation: "Yanyan."
It's strange, Luo Yan felt a little embarrassed whenever he called her, as if the two words sounded particularly different when he said them.
She took a step back, actually feeling that what she had just done was very bold, as if it could be considered a kind of tacit agreement.
But if she accepts the default setting, she always feels like something is missing in the process, and she gets a little unhappy and says, "I'm leaving."
Zhou Weifang, immersed in his own joy, assumed the young girl was just shy and said, "I'll take you to catch the bus."
He was glared at again as soon as he finished speaking. He took it as a reminder to go to sleep, so he could only stand in the store and watch her get into the car. Only after the car had driven away did he reluctantly look away, scratching his head and grinning foolishly.
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Author's note: I really couldn't come up with any place names, so please just treat these as fictional and don't take them personally!
The second update is in urgent production; I'll be back with 10,000 updates today.
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