Chapter 111: The foreign exchange earning business is completely unsuccessful...
Could Qi Kai have had other purposes for what he said? If it was in the first few years, Qi Fang had indeed never thought about it.
At that time, he was immersed in his own emotions and had no interest in anything. The only thing in his mind was his teacher. He didn't know when this world would end.
But no matter how bad the world is, at least there is one good thing: he met Yan Xue in the vast snow.
Later, the wind died down and the snow stopped. Even on the most difficult journey, someone was there to accompany him.
In recent years, his mood has become much calmer, and he has gradually guessed that there may be other reasons for what happened back then.
But can you just not care if you guessed it? Qi Kai could have talked to him properly. He understood the seriousness of the matter and would naturally know what to do.
Qi Kai used that method, which ultimately meant that he only treated him as an ignorant child and not as a family member.
And did Qi Kai really not think that at all at that time? He even went back to cause trouble.
I just didn't expect that even though he never said these things, Yan Xue still understood...
That girl always makes you realize that you can be even luckier when you think you are already very lucky.
Qi Fang's chest suddenly loosened its grip. He strode in and stood beside Yan Xue. "I'm back late."
The knee-length coat was still soaked with the cold outside, but the voice was warm, and he no longer sounded like the stubborn boy who left in Qi Kai's memory.
Qi Kai couldn't help but stand up and called out "Xiao Fang" with a determined look in his eyes and even a hint of hesitation in his tone.
He had gone to the machinery factory to look for someone before, but as soon as he saw it was Qi Fang, he left and only asked someone to give him a note, telling him not to look for him, without even seeing the person clearly.
But that tenderness was obviously not for him, but for the girl sitting at the table. When the girl looked over, her eyes also contained a smile, "It's not too late, we just talked for a few words."
Qi Fang took off his coat and hung it up, leaving only a sweater on over his shirt. He looked at him and said, "I've already made it very clear on the note."
His tone was surprisingly calm, and he looked half a head taller than before, with the outline of a young man.
This younger brother had grown up without their knowledge, had a family, and had children. Qi Kai felt a little complicated.
Qi Fang didn't give him time to get complicated. "If you just wanted to come and see, you've seen it now. I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."
Qi Kai couldn't help but look at Yan Xue because he didn't mention how hard his life was.
Qi Fang was very sensitive to this look, "Don't even think about asking her to persuade me. She treats me as family more than anyone else."
The completely protective attitude made Qi Kai suddenly feel that he had been overthinking it before.
The couple understand and trust each other, so what about the premature child marriage in Guan Yan's family?
He stood here like an outsider. He was silent for a moment and said, "I'm sorry for what happened back then."
Qi Fang was given an apology, an apology that Qi Fang received before his death in the original book.
After all, between them at the time was not only Su Changqing, but also the last sight of his father. Some knots are getting deeper and deeper, and it is already difficult to untie them.
Yan Xue looked at Qi Fang and found that Qi Fang's reaction was very normal. He just said "hmm" lightly and said, "I know."
Instead, it made Qi Kai feel even more uncomfortable, especially after hearing what Yan Xue said and knowing what Qi Fang was worried about.
But he couldn't defend himself. Regardless of whether it was because Qi Fang had been outside the Great Wall for many years and he didn't know him very well, he had indeed subconsciously excluded Qi Fang at the beginning.
After a long while, he lowered his voice and said, "Dad has been worried about you. He was afraid that you would be stubborn and lose your mind. He asked me to come to you as soon as I got back. If you have time, you should go back and see him. I was wrong about this, so I don't blame him."
He glanced at the house opposite where laughter could be heard faintly, and said, "Let Dad see that you've grown up, have a family, and have the next generation. He'll definitely be very happy."
Qi Fang was silent for a moment after hearing this, then he looked at him, "Now that you and Dad are back, is the situation really good?" He asked, stumping him.
The peach blossom eyes that he inherited from his mother looked at him as if they could see through everything. "Some people are still in their positions."
Qi Kai had nothing to say. It was precisely because his situation was not that good that he just came to take a look instead of taking anyone back to Yanjing.
That place was like the center of a whirlpool. He and his father were both unable to stand firm in it. However, Qi Fang was far away and was not easily affected.
And there is one thing that is probably difficult for Qi Fang to solve, and he and his father do not have the ability to help him solve it.
"Although the teacher's incident happened many years ago, it doesn't mean that no one remembers it. I won't go back for now to avoid causing trouble for you."
Sure enough, there was no way to get around this knot. Qi Kai looked at Qi Fang, and Qi Fang looked at him. Their eyes were calm, and there was no intention of giving in.
Compared to that year, Qi Fang was not as excited, but his backbone was still strong and he still refused to be vague.
Letting him live in this muddle and forget about the teacher would probably be no different from breaking his backbone and faith.
Qi Kai finally didn't force it and sighed, "That's fine, what if my father and I are in a bad situation and are demoted again."
After all, we have just entered 1974, and the situation will take more than two years to become clear. We are in a vortex and no one is sure what the future will be like.
Just with this sigh, the fatigue on Qi Kai's body became more obvious, as if it came from his soul, and it was accompanied by an lingering powerlessness.
Yan Xue noticed Qi Fang's eyes fell on her, then quickly dropped. After thinking for a moment, she asked Qi Fang, "Where did you put the photo we took when Yan Yu was three years old?"
The topic was completely unrelated, but Qi Fang still understood. He looked at her and took out the box from the cabinet under the desk.
Not long after, a four-inch black-and-white photo was handed to Qi Kai, "Take it to our dad."
The photo shows a family of three. The man has thin eyebrows and eyes, the woman has smiling eyes, and a chubby little boy is held in the middle by the two of them.
Qi Kai couldn't help but look at Qi Fang, but Qi Fang had already looked away. He then solemnly put the photo into his pocket and said, "Okay, I'll show it to Dad."
After collecting the gifts, the two brothers fell silent again. Some barriers, once they exist, are difficult to bridge, especially when they are separated by experience and time.
Finally, Qi Kai forced a smile and said, "Then I'll leave." He didn't stay to let the silence continue.
Qi Fang didn't keep anyone and just said "hmm". After he finished speaking, he saw Yan Xue stand up to see the guest off. He paused, then followed her out.
This made Qi Kai unable to help but look at Yan Xue again, and said with a complicated tone: "Thank you."
Yan Xue asked Qi Fang to find the photo so that his father could finally see his daughter-in-law, grandson, and son.
Also, when they didn't know, there was such a person by Xiaofang's side, helping Xiaofang to get out of the difficulties.
Although they had not had much contact, he had already seen that this girl was smart and clear-headed, and her heart was with Xiao Fang. No wonder Xiao Fang was willing to get married.
Yan Xue just smiled and said nothing. She was not thinking about Qi Kai, but about the look Qi Fang had just given her.
In the original book, Qi Fang planned painstakingly, but he couldn't even see his father for the last time and became a real lonely man.
The thin figure wrapped in a coat quickly disappeared outside the door. Although he was only in his early thirties, his back had lost its vitality.
In fact, Qi Kai is not much older than Qi Da, but now when they stand together, they seem to be a generation apart.
Yan Xue couldn't help but think of Qi Fang at the beginning. She looked to her side and found that Qi Fang had just withdrawn his gaze and looked at her at this moment.
Compared to five years ago, this man was very different. He just stared at her and suddenly asked, "Can I carry you on my back?"
Yan Xue suddenly recalled the small room in the machinery factory's staff quarters, and her own words: "Can you carry me on your back?"
She smiled and said, "Okay." She walked around behind the man, stood on tiptoe and put her arms on him.
In fact, it was a bit difficult. Qi Fang bent his knees and was able to hold her steadily on his back.
The wind in the yard was cold. The two of them huddled together, their heads gently touching, yet they could feel the warmth of each other's body temperature.
Qi Fang lifted the person up and walked around in the yard, but he didn't say anything.
Yan Xue didn't say anything, but her weight was pressing on his back and his heart, like an anchor in his life.
An indispensable anchor who always knows where his heart is, trusts him and understands him.
As long as she is with him, his heart is at peace, and he can move forward firmly in the darkness, believing that there is dawn ahead instead of an abyss.
For a long time, the couple snuggled up to each other silently until the second old lady opened the door and came out -
"I was wondering where you two were sending someone off. You've been sitting in the yard for quite some time. You're wearing so little, aren't you afraid of being cold?"
The old lady looked disconsolate and was about to go back to get her clothes. "At least put on a coat and a hat." Hearing this, Yan Xue quickly jumped down and said, "We'll go inside right away."
Qi Fang's face was expressionless, and his ears were a little red. He didn't know if it was because the old lady saw it or because he was cold outside.
After they entered, Yan Xue felt her hands were a little cold, so she quickly put them on the heater to warm them up. Qi Fang also poured her a cup of hot water and said, "Take a sip."
"You're already an adult, but you still make me worry. When you catch a cold later, you'll realize how serious it is."
The second old lady came in and saw them, so she took two pieces of clothes and wrapped them up. "Hurry up and get on the kang. Don't infect Yan Yu."
Yan Xue just smiled. Listening to the old lady's nagging, she couldn't help but think of something else and told Qi Fang about it.
"Yan Yu said his father's name is Master Qi?" Qi Fang was silent for a moment. "Then what does he think his mother's name is?"
This is indeed a problem. No one has asked it before, and the couple has never specifically told the child about it. No one knows what the little guy heard.
So the couple warmed themselves on the kang for a while, and when they felt warm enough, they went to the opposite room to find the fat boy.
The little fat boy knew that there were guests at his mother's house, so he stood by the kang and played with his uncle's car for a long time.
There are some that Qi made for his brother-in-law in a small repair factory in Jinchuan in his early years, and some that he made later in the county. After being strung up, they can even run forward for a while.
Yan Jigang cherishes things and has always kept them very well. When his nephew grows up a little, he will give them all to his nephew to play with.
Seeing the two people coming in, the little fat boy wound up the string himself, put down the car, and ran to show his mother.
"Yan Yu can even wind himself up." Yan Xue immediately applauded and praised her son before getting down to business.
The couple squatted beside the kang, looking their son in the eye. "Yan Yu, tell mom and dad, do you know your mom's name?"
The little fellow was very clever. He didn't even call out "Mom". He looked at Yan Xue with his big eyes, then looked outside the door and said, "Xiaoxue."
Apparently, he learned this from the second old lady. As soon as he finished speaking, he added, "Technician Yan."
This is what he learned from the people in the center and the neighbors nearby. Of course, Yan Xue calls Qi Fang "Master Qi", and Qi Fang sometimes replies "Technician Yan".
The name Yan Xue was obviously a bit too much, and he wasn't sure if it was the right one. Qi Fang asked, "Anything else?"
This time, the little guy tilted his head and thought for a while before looking at Yan Xue, "Wife."
Qi Fang's face darkened at that moment. Seeing this, the little guy quickly ran behind Yan Xue and secretly poked his head out to look at him.
Yan Xue was also a little speechless. Qi Fang rarely called her "wife" unless he wanted to coax her. He only did it a few times, and the little one heard it.
Finally, Qi Fang looked at his son quietly for a long while, "Don't play at night from now on. Dad will teach you how to read."
Without giving the little fat boy a chance to protest, he said, "At least you should know your father's name, your mother's name, and your uncle's name."
The fat boy lost his carefree childhood when his father called him "wife". That night, he was taken to class by his father.
Yan Xue felt that if there was a tape recorder, Qi Fang would have to record a clip himself: "What is Daddy's dad's name? Daddy's dad is called Grandpa." and play it for the little fat boy to listen to.
But after a few days, when the little guy could accurately report the name of every family member and no longer called his wife randomly, he really saw his grandfather.
Of course it was in the photo. Qi Jingwei sent a letter to Qi Fang. There was nothing much said in it, only a full-length photo of the old man sitting on a chair.
Something poured out of the envelope. Qi Fang stared at it for a long time before handing it to Yan Xue. "Take a look, Dad."
Although it is black and white, you can still see that the old man is very thin, and the military uniform hanging on his body seems a bit empty, but his eyes still have the sharpness of the past.
Yan Xue took a closer look and said, "Actually, you still look like our dad in some places, like your nose and mouth."
Qi Fang hummed, and after a long while, when Yan Xue was about to put the photo away, she whispered, "He wasn't this short before."
In fact, he is not that old, nor that thin and haggard. After all, in his memory, his father is still the soldier in his forties who holds an important position.
But seven or eight years passed in a hurry, and many things had changed. Even he himself was no longer the young man he had been before.
This incident was like a small stone thrown into the lake. After the ripples, the lake soon returned to calm, and no one even mentioned the existence of the stone again.
Zhuang Qixiang notified everyone and held a formal group interview at the center a few days later.
How formal is that? Anyway, no one can reveal who their father is, who their uncle is, who their great-aunt is. When they come, they all wear a serial number on their body and recognize people by the serial number.
There is no need to think about making friends with anyone individually. Their center has all group activities that day, and they will make sure you are not alone even when going to the toilet.
But apparently some people thought they were powerful enough, and even after being issued a serial number, they still said "My father is Li X", and were the first to be crossed out.
It's obvious that he doesn't want to work properly and his brain is not enough. Anyone with a little bit of intelligence would know that his door is not working well after seeing this posture.
The rest would look more carefully. A few people asked some questions and found some simple tasks for them to do, and finally picked out two people, one man and one woman.
The man didn't talk much, but he was quite efficient at his work. Yan Xue asked about it and found out that he was the eldest of many children in the family.
Official salaries in those days were low, around fifty yuan, far less than what a highly skilled worker could earn. Life was equally difficult with many children. The eldest son in the family was responsible for buying food each month and collecting firewood in the mountains. From the age of twelve or thirteen, he had to work alongside the adults.
The woman was the only girl among the people who came for the interview. She was an only child. Her parents lost their fertility after giving birth to her, so naturally they were reluctant to let such a lone child go up the mountain.
Also, because she is an only child, she probably heard a lot of gossip when she was a child. She has a strong personality and a smart mind, and she has the best academic performance among these people.
Yan Xue and Guo Changan worked with them for a while and felt that they were both good. The next year, when Yan Xue went to guide the cultivation of wood ear mushrooms in Xinzhen, she took both of them with her.
This town also belongs to Baisong County and is adjacent to Wugang Town. Although it is not as considerate and enthusiastic as the people in Wugang Town, its attitude is also very good.
After a busy day, when returning to the guesthouse at night, the newly hired girl would take out her notebook and take notes. No wonder her grades are so good.
While Yan Xue was busy training new people, the logging was completed and the total logging volume of several counties in the city was reported. Changshan County unexpectedly jumped to the first place.
This is a bit surprising. Everyone's pens were equally difficult to use during the exam, and their scores were average, all failing. How come you suddenly improved behind everyone else's back?
And it's not just a slight improvement, it's significantly more than others. Where did this logging volume come from? It can't be a lie, right?
Not to mention the forestry bureaus in other counties, even the people in the municipal forestry bureau were surprised, but they did not expect to lie to the higher-ups, because after all, these timbers would eventually be handed over to the state.
Finally, the people from the Municipal Bureau couldn't help but persuade Secretary Tang: "Our city is like this. If we don't replace the hydraulic system, we won't be able to increase the logging volume. You worked so hard last year that the machine broke. What if it can't be used this year?"
If you just want to be advanced, there is no need to do that. It is like killing the chicken to get the eggs. Once the machine stops, the logging volume will not only be lower, but may even be completely stopped.
The people at the Municipal Bureau thought they were doing this for the good of the bureau and Changshan County, but Secretary Tang looked at them with a look that clearly disagreed, "We didn't fight hard either."
"How come your logging volume is so much higher than last year?" The people in the municipal bureau didn't believe it. The logging volume in other counties was less than last year because of the machinery.
"We mainly modified the machines." Secretary Tang, who was waiting to report to the city, immediately mentioned Qi Fang's system modification. "We modified more than a dozen machines, so efficiency has increased."
"Can this be modified?" The people from the Municipal Bureau obviously still didn't believe it, and even suspected that the Changshan County Forestry Bureau had put something wrong with the machine and wanted to ask the Municipal Bureau for money to repair it.
Sometimes it's really hard for managers to understand technical matters, but Secretary Tang didn't waste any words. "Can it be changed? Why don't we find someone who knows the business and take a look?"
The municipal bureau actually sent someone to take a look, and came back to report that it had indeed been modified, and the modification was quite ingenious. It was used at maximum power for an entire winter and there were no problems.
This makes people a little uneasy. After all, being at the bottom of the logging list every year is not just a matter of shame. The efficiency cannot be improved, and the funds in the bureau are less than those in other cities.
However, the Municipal Bureau could not afford to give money to the lower-level bureaus to make the changes. So they decided to notify several county bureaus and let them decide for themselves.
Then, just as Changshan County sent away the people from the city, people from other counties came. They went straight to the forest farm to see the machines, and then went back to attend a meeting.
Even though many people come, only a few actually decide to make the changes. The main reason is that they don’t have that much money, and making changes to just one or two machines won’t have much effect.
In the end, only people from the Forestry Bureau of Wugang Town, Baisong County came and asked the Changshan County Machinery Factory to help them modify three machines first.
After waiting for almost half a year, the one at the Liuhu Town Forestry Bureau finally had enough units and could be modified together. I didn’t know whether I should be happy or not.
After all, last year's logging season has passed, and their town was unsurprisingly at the bottom, so the logging results were not good.
Moreover, Chengshui Town is rich, and Donggou Town will soon be rich. They may even make changes this year. What role can their machine play?
Amidst the complaints, the secretary of the Liuhu Town Forestry Bureau was full of confidence and was not greatly affected by the news.
The main reason was that he kept his eyes on the mountain and found that the wild vegetables were growing very well this year. They were everywhere on the mountain, and the whole mountain was generating foreign exchange earnings.
He said it wasn't that it couldn't be done, but that it wasn't a good time last year. How could growing wood ear mushrooms be so profitable?
However, there are requirements for exporting wild vegetables. They must be taller than 15 centimeters and not too old before people will accept them. We have to wait a few more days.
The secretary of the Forestry Bureau of Liuhu Town waited patiently for a while, and when the cow hair grass grew to meet the requirements, he immediately organized people to go up the mountain to pull it out.
He went there in person that day and picked the first handful of wild vegetables that would usher in a good situation this year. When he came back, he watched people blanch the picked wild vegetables in water, remove the hairs, and dry them in the sun.
After these are dried, they can be sold to the local products company, and then shipped to Dalian for export by sea.
The secretary of the Forestry Bureau of Liuhu Town had planned to go to the county to modify a few 50-type wood-collecting machines, but he gradually realized that something was wrong. Why were the wild vegetables he collected getting less and less?
Thinking someone was being lazy, he followed them up the mountain again and found that it was not that there were fewer wild vegetables to be picked, but that there were fewer people going up the mountain to pick the vegetables, half as many as before.
A day later, the remaining half also started to make excuses not to come. After asking around, he found out that the county local products company had opened another purchasing point.
People think that the wild vegetables he delivered last year were too little, so they no longer rely entirely on him. They would rather spend more manpower and effort to pick and buy from individual traders.
That is to say, the employees and their families in the bureau can go to the purchasing points and sell the goods themselves without going through him. Then who would work for him and let him take a commission?
Not only in their town, but also in other towns, local product companies have opened purchasing points, and all forestry workers and their families can pick wild vegetables as a side job.
The secretary of the Liuhu Town Forestry Bureau was now furious, even more furious than last year. The morale of the people in the bureau, who had just calmed down a little due to the bumper harvest of wild vegetables this year, was now completely in chaos.
This foreign exchange earning business seemed to be completely unsuccessful. On the other hand, wood ear mushroom cultivation was thriving in Chengshui and Donggou, and even Wugang Town in Baisong County had the money to upgrade its hydraulic system.
What's even worse is that their secretary went back on his word and asked for the deposit back, which completely offended the breeding center. Even if they wanted to grow the fungus, they wouldn't sell it to them.
Isn't this just a scam? What bad luck did their town bureau have to have to encounter such a secretary who is more trouble than help?
"This won't work. As long as he stays in this position, will we continue to be poor? We are the only town left in the county."
Someone said something, and the others looked at each other in confusion.
Since their secretary is here, they can't grow wood ear mushrooms, so they can only find a way to replace the secretary of the bureau.
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