Ten years later.
Time flies and the days go by quickly.
The days of 1972 seem like just yesterday, but today we have already entered the turbulent 1980s. Every household has also undergone some changes. These changes are neither big nor small.
First of all, it's the policy. The policy changes in recent years are really huge.
In 1976, there was a big change. The red armbands on the streets seemed to disappear overnight. People were no longer afraid of saying the wrong thing, and the class background was not so obvious. In 1977, the college entrance examination was resumed, which gave many children hope. When it was just announced, people in their area set off firecrackers every day. In 1979, there was reform and opening up, and there were more small vendors. closely related to the lives of ordinary people. They could really feel that the outside world was changing with each passing day.
Many children who had gone to work in the countryside have returned. There are more people in their alley than before. Some went to work in the countryside and came back, some got married and had children, some came and some left. People in the alley come and go, but there are more and more people.
The lack of housing and the need to find a job are all very frustrating.
But everyone can feel that life is better now than before. In the past, apart from buying by ticket, buying anything else had to be done secretly. The black market was not an easy place to go, and people were always a little nervous.
But now we are not afraid anymore, there are no longer a few people selling things in the streets, and there are still many brave people setting up stalls. This is all allowed, there are no red armbands to catch them anymore, everyone is aboveboard.
They often hear about people going to Pengcheng or the Soviet Union. In short, there are more people doing business and rich people appearing on the streets. Compared with the cautiousness in the 1970s, doing small business is not a big deal now and it is very common.
After all, it is already 1982.
The external environment has changed a lot, and so has their compound.
The first thing to talk about is the old Zhuang family. In the past few years, the old Zhuang family has not had any more children. Zhuang Zhiyuan and Liang Meifen have not had another child, and Zhuang Zhixi and Mingmei have not had another child. They still have four children.
Oh no, it's four big kids.
It stands to reason that Zhuang Zhixi and Mingmei can have children now if they want to, after all, they are in their early thirties and are still strong and healthy. However, the family planning policy has been implemented, and as a dual-income family, Zhuang Zhixi and Mingmei have no such idea.
Tuantuan and Yuanyuan are eleven years old this year and are in the fourth grade of primary school. Their classmates include Li Zhenzhen, who is a few days older, Bai Qingqing, who is a little younger, and Xiao Qijin. The five children are in the same class.
For example, Ye Siyuan, who is one year younger than them in the next courtyard, is the eldest son of Daqiang and Wang Zizhen. He is one year younger and is in the third grade. But he is also in the Tuantuanyuan team. He also has a younger brother, Ye Sijia, and a younger sister, Ye Sitian. One is in the first grade, and the other is in kindergarten.
Tuantuan and Yuanyuan study at the nearby Machinery Factory Primary School, and their grades are pretty good. Their older brothers and sisters, Hutou and Xiaoyanzi, oh no, are now called Zhuangyang and Zhuangxue. You can't always call older children by their nicknames.
Zhuang Yang is taking the college entrance exam this year. He was barely able to get into high school, which was very dangerous, so his chances of getting into college are not very high. However, Zhuang Zhiyuan and his wife both have high hopes for their eldest son, so they keep an eye on him all day long. Poor Zhuang Yang, he works hard, with the words "college entrance exam" on his head, and he is miserable every day.
However, his sister Zhuang Xue has good grades.
Zhuang Xue is a freshman in high school and her grades are much better than her brother's. As long as she can keep steady, her chances of getting into college are much greater than her brother's.
In the past ten years, the machinery factory and the bus station have both divided up houses. As a dual-income family, if one of Zhuang Zhixi and Mingmei chooses to divide up the house, the other will have no chance.
In the end, Zhuang Zhixi was allocated a house at the machinery factory. Although the machinery factory began to decline in the mid-1990s and eventually went bankrupt, it is still in its heyday and is considered a large state-owned enterprise. The house allocated to Zhuang Zhixi is also a bit bigger. meters.
After considering it, Zhuang Zhixi and his wife did not choose to move out. They still preferred the familiar environment, and Tuantuan and Yuanyuan were still young at that time. end, Zhuang Zhixi still exchanged houses with the old Zhao family in the backyard. Because it was a building exchange for a private house, it was two rooms for three rooms.
The family's daughter got married, and there was enough space for them to live in, so it was not a loss to change to two houses, and everyone was happy.
Because both sons had changed houses, the banker held a family meeting.
After some discussion, the Zhuang family decided that Zhuang Zhiyuan's family of four would move in, with each of the children having a room. Zhuang Laonian and Zhao Guihua moved into the house where Zhuang Zhiyuan currently lived, and the three and a half rooms in his family were now occupied by Zhuang Zhixi's family of four.
Zhuang Zhixi and his wife moved into the old couple's house, and their son and daughter each had a room.
Yuanyuan lived in the room that Zhuang Zhixi and his family had originally lived in, while Tuantuan lived in the room that Hutou and Xiaoyanzi shared.
Although the house was given to Zhuang Zhixi and his wife, Zhuang Laonian and Zhao Guihua also kept their winter belongings there, and no one paid much attention to it. But the document clearly stated that Zhuang Zhixi had three and a half rooms.
Zhuang Laonian and Zhao Guihua have now divided their property among their children.
No matter where they live, they now divide the property according to the number of rooms.
The old couple originally had three and a half rooms, and now they live in one, leaving two rooms for their two sons. One room for each. Even though Zhuang Zhixi now occupies three and a half rooms, he exchanged three of them. Zhuang Zhiyuan originally only had one room, but now he occupies three.
Zhao Guihua divided the two houses between her two sons. Zhuang Zhiyuan occupied one extra room, so she returned 300 yuan to her younger brother.
They moved to a new house in 1975. At that time, the housing price was basically this price. It has increased, but it is not exaggerated. It was just this price.
Zhao Guihua also agreed that the brothers should settle accounts clearly. Even though a room is priced at 300 yuan now, it is a huge loss from the perspective of future generations. But this is the current price.
Of course, even if it was divided like this, it would not be a big deal in the short term. Zhao Guihua felt that from a long-term perspective, Zhuang Zhixi would also suffer a little. In order to make up for Zhuang Zhixi's loss, Zhuang Laonian and his wife gave half of the room to Zhuang Zhixi as a compensation.
Now, Zhuang Zhiyuan's family of four lives in the backyard, with three rooms; Zhuang Zhixi's family of four lives in the front yard, with three and a half rooms; Zhuang Laonian and Zhao Guihua live in a single room, with Zhang San's family on the left and Lan Sihai's family on the right.
The Zhuang family now lives in a very spacious house. To be honest, their compound is better than other compounds because there are fewer children and fewer people of marriageable age, so the house seems quite empty. It is not like many other families where they have many children and the whole family is crowded together.
Take the compound next door, where Daqiang and Wang Zizhen live. Because there are so many people in their yard, you can often hear quarrels.
Although the Zhuang family has officially split up, because Zhuang Zhiyuan and Zhuang Zhixi are both working families, both sides still pay Zhao Guihua for living expenses and meals. Although Hu Tou and Xiao Yanzi are high school students, they do not live on campus and are still day students. This is the last stubbornness of the two children about food.
Although you can eat better at school by paying money, no matter how good the food is, it is not as good as at home. Hu Tou and Xiao Yan Zi know very well that the food at home is better than that of other families.
In the past, when supplies were scarce, their family ate better than others. Now that there are more people selling vegetables and meat, their family naturally pays more attention to food and drink.
Because the family eats well, the children eat at school at noon and go home to eat at grandma's house at night. Zhuang Laonian has retired. Although he is not as old as when Lan Sihai rehired him. But people are different. Zhuang Laonian's riveting work also requires meticulousness. He retired normally at his age.
Even though ten years have passed, he is the only one who has retired in their factory. Chef Li is a few years older than him, but he is still employed by the factory. The main reason is that the job of a cook is not affected by age. On the contrary, people are more trustworthy when they are older, so Chef Li is still working in the factory.
The only one who officially retired was Zhuang Laonian. Of course, Uncle Lan Sihai was not working now, but he was not retired. After all, he had retired ten years ago, which was called re-employment. He was just too old and was not re-employed.
Zhuang Laonian has retired, but when he retired he was already a seventh-level riveter, so his retirement salary was not low.
After so many years, Zhuang Zhiyuan has now been promoted to a junior leader, and even Liang Meifen is now a level 4 fitter. Her promotion is considered very fast. The factory holds a level test every two years, and she signs up every time. As for Zhuang Zhixi and his wife, the same is true. Their positions are different from Liang Meifen's, but they have also risen steadily, and their income is much higher than before.
Although there are two children in the family, these days, families with only two children are considered to have relatively few children, and it is a dual-income family, so the family burden is not very heavy. The Zhuang family is living a smooth life now, but other families are different.
Bai Fendou's family is still a family of three. They still live in the same place. His family has two rooms, one for the couple and one for their daughter Bai Qingqing. Because they only have this one daughter, the couple dotes on her very much.
Bai Fendou is now a level 5 welder, very hardworking and diligent. He Lan also takes on some small jobs outside, and the family's living conditions are very good. Although many people were rehabilitated in those days, they were all intellectuals. For example, He Lan's family was a real small capitalist, so there was no such thing as rehabilitation. But now people don't care about class background, and she is completely different from before, more cheerful and bold.
Although it was like this before, I was still a little nervous. But now I don’t feel that way anymore.
There is no problem of rehabilitation for his family. He Lan's parents died when they went to the countryside, and her brothers and sisters have not been in touch with her for more than ten years. So although the policy is different now, her life has not changed much.
It is the same now as it was before.
However, He Lan's elder brother came back once. Although their family did not say that they were rehabilitated, their old house had been returned to them. He Lan's elder brother came back to Sijiucheng to deal with the house. It was probably because the previous policy was really scary. He Lan's elder brother did not keep the house. This time he came back and sold the house directly.
He came to see He Lan only after he sold the house.
The brother and sister had not seen each other for so many years, and there was really nothing to say. It took many years to see each other again. In the end, he left two thousand yuan for his sister, which was a huge sum of money in this era. He Lan hesitated again and again, and still kept the money for her daughter, and her brother left the city completely. He Lan had an indescribable feeling in her heart. Her parents had made arrangements for several children in his family back then. She could be said to be the most suitable one, otherwise she would not have fallen into the hands of the Fan family. But she was also the least worried in the later period. Although her brothers and sisters seemed to be arranged very well, they might not be as worry-free as she was.
Bai Fendou has a thousand and ten thousand shortcomings, and he is not even a man, but he is very sincere to her.
He Lan doesn't care about that kind of thing. What she cares about is whether someone puts her first. She is very satisfied with her current life. Although some policies have changed, she still lives a normal life.
His daughter Bai Qingqing is a good student. She is smart and sensible, which makes her mother very happy.
Bai Fendou's family of three lived a good life, which was considered to be a good life in the compound. Another family that lived a good life was Zhou Qun's family. Zhou Qun's family also had two rooms, but it was a bit too small for the children to live in when they grew up. Jiang Lu talked to Wang Xiangxiu herself and finally rented a room from Wang Xiangxiu's family.
Aunt Zhou now lives in this rented room, and Xiao Qijin has his own room.
Although they rented a house, they were all in the same courtyard, that is, diagonally opposite each other, which did not affect their lives at all, so Aunt Zhou did not feel dissatisfied. Wang Xiangxiu's house had a total of four rooms, one of which was rented to Aunt Zhou, and the other was rented to Aunt Wang and Chef Li.
This can be seen from their yard. As long as the two working couples don't have too many children, they can live comfortably. But if there are too many children, there will be a lot of trouble. Some people are short of money, and some people don't have enough space. This is the case with Aunt Wang and Chef Li. They have three rooms, an old couple, a young couple and three children. Now Li Junjun and Li Weiwei are both half-grown boys, and they have grown up. Obviously, there is no more room in the house.
This is the case as both boys are not married yet. If they were to get married, housing would definitely be even more tight.
Now the two boys rented a room from Wang Xiangxiu, and the room was left to their sister. In the past, the three siblings lived in bunk beds with a curtain, but recently Li Junjun went to work and had a night shift. Li Weiwei was fine, but Li Zhenzhen was still in school, which affected her greatly. Fortunately, Chef Li and his son-in-law Yang Lixin went out to cook banquets and saved some money, so renting a house did not affect their lives.
Chef Li felt sorry for the rent, but he also knew that he had to spend the money.
Wang Xiangxiu, on the other hand, had a lot of expenses as her children grew up and Tonglai went to school. Her family lived very tightly. She rented out her house and her life became easier. She had four rooms in her house, and rented out two. The remaining two rooms did not affect her life.
She lives in a small room, and her three sons live in a big house. All the miscellaneous things in the house, such as clothes, are kept with her. Since the children are not married yet, it is fine for them to live like this now.
Her family was one of the most difficult ones in the compound. It wasn't obvious when the three children were young, but it became very obvious when they grew up. It was difficult for her to support them alone just by feeding them. The little brats were eating me down, and this was no nonsense.
Not to mention, the child is older now and can eat more.
There were three children in his family. Su Jinlai went to the countryside as soon as he was released from the juvenile detention center. His family had no connections, so Jinlai had to go to the countryside. When he was in the countryside, he was caught cutting pigs' tails. Yes, cutting pigs' tails again. I don't know why he had such a deep hatred for pigs. He did this when he was a child, and he did the same when he went to the countryside. In short, he was caught.
In the end, I had to pay a lot of money to settle the matter.
The educated youth began to return to the city, and Jin Lai could not get into any university. He did not even graduate from elementary school. After he came back quietly, he did not leave, but just wandered around all day like a street urchin. He was hated by everyone and hated by dogs.
Yinlai did have a job. Although he had not received much education and was in poor health, he was hardworking and could do small jobs at a young age. The street office gave him priority in arranging a job for various reasons.
He is now working in a garment factory workshop. It was only after he became a formal employee that Wang Xiangxiu finally felt less stressed. However, Wang Xiangxiu did not spend all of Yinlai's money. She kept it in the bank. The three children each had their own worries, but as a mother, she was most worried about Yinlai. Yinlai was in poor health, so Wang Xiangxiu did not dare to touch his money. This money should be saved for Yinlai to marry a wife.
As for Jin Lai, to be honest, Wang Xiangxiu herself didn't even think about letting him get married. With someone like him, how could he marry a decent person? If he married someone who wasn't decent, his family's burden would only be heavier.
Although Jin Lai is the oldest boy in the school, Wang Xiangxiu doesn't urge him to get married.
As for the younger son, his grades are average, neither good nor bad, but he is still smart. He also knows that if he doesn't study hard, he will have no future. So he is still very hardworking. This child is sweet-mouthed and has many tricks. When he was in junior high school, he took the initiative to go to the homeroom teacher's house to help with work and got free tutoring. He was admitted to high school with average grades. He and Xiaoyanzi are in the same grade, but in different classes.
He studied very hard, and Wang Xiangxiu's hope was mostly on this youngest son. As a widow raising three children, she had a hard life. Now she rented out two rooms, each for four yuan a month. The extra eight yuan a month would relieve a lot of pressure. So Wang Xiangxiu was happy to do so.
She is now a third-level fitter. Although she is not as good as Bai Fendou and Liang Meifen, she is content. In the past, she could not learn and could not get promoted. At that time, she always felt that this was so difficult that no one could learn it.
But now that she has made it all the way to the third-level fitter, she feels that she is very capable.
So she was very grateful to the Zhou family and Chef Li's family for renting a house to them.
Both parties benefited.
Compared to those who have many family members, Mr. Lan Sihai does not have such worries. The old couple lives a relaxed life. They go out for a walk, drink tea, listen to crosstalk and storytelling when they have nothing to do. They live a comfortable life.
No other family in this compound lives as comfortably as this old couple.
After all, the old man has a pension and no burden, so how can he not live an easy life? There are also several families living in the backyard. How can I put it? Their life is definitely not as good as the Zhuang family's, but it is worse than Wang Xiangxiu's life.
For example, the biggest problem for Chef Li and Aunt Wang is that they don’t have enough housing. They have saved some money over the years, but it is difficult to buy a house. It is still difficult to buy and sell houses these days.
Usually I can't find the right one.
Another familiar family, Zhang San'er's family, is in the same situation. The couple is well off, both working, but the house is not big enough to live in. Fortunately, Zhang San's wife's family is well off, so his two children are raised in her mother-in-law's home.
The same is true for the Sui family and others, they all have housing shortages.
Zhao Guihua couldn't help but at this time. No matter what time, the housing price is expensive for ordinary people. Now a house seems to be a few hundred yuan, which doesn't sound expensive, but first of all, there are few people selling houses, and everyone doesn't have enough houses to live in.
For example, their family can have such convenience because Zhuang Zhixi got an extra room when he changed rooms, otherwise it would not be such a good thing.
Ten years have passed in a flash, and the changes are great, yet not great.
In the first month of the year, no matter whether they are big or small, school has not started yet, but those who should go to work have already gone to work. Zhuang Zhixi walked back home from get off work carrying half a pound of spare ribs with a brisk pace. These spare ribs are really good stuff.
He returned to the yard and saw Jin Lai standing there washing up. Zhuang Zhixi looked down at his watch. It was 5:30 in the afternoon. Jin Lai's time was really different. They had already gotten off work, but he had just gotten up to wash up.
I don't know where he went to show off at night.
Jin Lai also saw Zhuang Zhixi at this time. His eyes were glued to Zhuang Zhixi's ribs. He pursed his lips. His mouth had not tasted good recently and he was greedy.
"Uncle Zhuang, are you off work?"
Zhuang Zhixi hummed and said with a smile: "Did you just get up?"
Jin Lai wiped his face and said, "I didn't sleep well last night, so I got up a little late today."
It was not a little late, but Jin Lai was not a family member, so he did not interfere. He smiled and said, "You are living a good life, doing whatever you want."
Jin Lai chuckled and hummed.
Zhuang Zhixi didn't say any more greetings to him. He came straight to his mother's side carrying the spare ribs. This old lady just liked to sleep on the kang, which she found comfortable. After Zhao Guihua and the others moved in, they changed to a kang, with a kang quilt on top.
The children of the old farmer's family gathered around their grandparents, listening to the radio.
As soon as Zhuang Zhixi walked in, everyone called out to him. Even though the children have grown up over the past ten years, Zhuang Zhixi has not changed much. At most, he is a little more stable than before, but his face does not look old and he still looks very refreshed.
He handed the ribs to Zhao Guihua as if offering a treasure, and said, "Mom, let's stew some ribs tonight."
Zhao Guihua: "Where did this come from?"
Zhuang Zhixi raised his eyebrows: "I must have bought it, no one gave it to me. When I was getting off work, I met a man driving a cart to sell meat. There wasn't much left, but these ribs were really good."
Although the ribs don't taste as good as larger pieces of meat, the meat on these ribs is exceptionally delicious.
This meat is unmatched by any other meat, and Zhuang Zhixi is most proud of this one.
"Okay, let's do it tonight."
Zhuang Zhixi: "Where's my dad? Is he going fishing again?"
Zhao Guihua: "No, he followed Uncle Lan to find a place to play chess."
To be honest, Lan Sihai really has a pair of eyes that are good at finding happiness. He knows best where there is fun. Yuanyuan is a greedy little cat. She stretches her little head to look, meets her father's eyes, and smiles sweetly at him.
Zhuang Zhixi: "You guys are having a good life, but I still have to go to work in this cold weather."
Yuanyuan immediately stepped forward and said in a dog-like manner, "Dad, let me massage your shoulders."
Zhuang Zhixi pinched her chubby little face and said, "Okay, try harder. You eat so much all day, don't pinch your shoulders until you have no strength."
Yuanyuan rolled up her sleeves: "Look at me!"
Zhuang Zhixi sat down on the edge of the kang, and Xiao Yuanyuan immediately stood up.
Although Tuantuan and Yuanyuan are twins, their personalities are completely different. Little Tuantuan is always in a hurry and seems carefree, but he is actually very smart. He seems to be a simple kid, but he is actually very smart.
In comparison, my younger sister Yuanyuan looks like a smart kid, but she is actually a bit naive, greedy, and a little flatterer. But she doesn't have much brains.
When the brother and sister are together, the brother always protects Yuanyuan.
Yuanyuan was massaging her father's shoulders earnestly, mumbling complaints to him. She said mysteriously, "Dad, we met Li Shanshan at the Cultural Palace today. She said there was a thief in our yard."
Zhuang Zhixi: "Thief?"
He raised his eyebrows and said, "Li Shanshan lives in the back street, right? You are in the same grade."
Zhuang Zhixi is not like some fathers who know nothing about their children's affairs and act as a hands-off boss. He knows everything about their family's affairs. He knows exactly who their friends are and who their classmates are.
But if the child doesn't say anything, he won't ask any questions.
Yuanyuan nodded immediately: "It's her."
She said crisply: "Guess who she is talking about?"
Zhuang Zhixi cooperated and asked, "Who is it?"
Xiao Yuanyuan immediately got excited and said, "It's Brother Jinlai."
She lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "She said that Brother Jin Lai stole something."
Zhuang Zhixi was not surprised at all. Everyone knew about Jin Lai's situation. Not to mention that he was sent to a juvenile detention center ten years ago, even if he wasn't, it was not easy for him to be out of work now.
It's not that I look down on others, but that Jin Lai can't change his ways.
The problem is, he has been back for more than a year. He sleeps all day at home and goes out for a stroll when he has nothing to do. He only comes into contact with some street urchins who wear flowered shirts and bell-bottom pants. The aunties from the neighborhood committee scold him when they see him. He doesn't find a proper job. In this situation, if you say he is a good person, someone has to believe it.
Zhuang Zhixi: "Then how did Li Shanshan know?"
He asked calmly.
Xiao Yuanyuan: "She said someone in their yard saw Brother Jin Lai stealing iron materials from the factory."
When Zhuang Zhixi heard this, his eyebrows raised and he said, "Stealing iron?"
Xiao Yuanyuan nodded: "Yes."
Zhuang Zhixi glanced at his daughter and said, "Don't tell these words to anyone else."
Yuanyuan's eyes were wide open, and she seemed a little puzzled. Zhuang Zhixi said, "This person has a great reputation for stealing things. If you didn't see it with your own eyes, don't tell others about it. If it's fake, wouldn't it be wrong to accuse someone? If it's true, wouldn't you be making things difficult for the police if you tell others about it? So don't tell others about it outside, understand?"
He was not only looking at Yuanyuan, but also at others.
Tuan Tuan also nodded.
Hu Tou held a high school textbook in his hand and said, "Uncle, of course I know this. We are not children."
Besides, they have seen a lot.
That is to say, my younger brothers and sisters are always surprised by something they don't see. They are always surprised by something they don't see!
Zhuang Zhixi: "How are you doing with your studies?"
Hu Tou's head drooped immediately. He was taking the college entrance exam this summer, and he felt that he was suffering! He said sadly, "I studied hard."
However, it is difficult to say what you can learn.
He sighed again, wishing he was as smart as his sister.
Xiaoyanzi: "Brother, I believe you can do it."
Tiger Head: “…”
He has no confidence in himself.
But the rest of the family had high expectations for him, which was really frustrating. At this time, he was a little envious of Li Junjun and Li Weiwei. At least the Li family was not like theirs, which gave people a lot of pressure and expectations.
Li Junjun also passed the high school entrance exam, but failed to get into college. After graduation, thanks to Zhuang Zhiyuan's connections, he now works in a railway section. Li Weiwei failed to get into college, and after graduating from junior high school, he followed his grandfather and father to learn cooking.
This is a good opportunity. Although I am just an assistant now, it is also good to go out and prepare banquets with Chef Li.
The Li family did not have such high expectations for their children as Zhuang Zhiyuan and Liang Meifen. Their family had a family tradition of cooking and they always had a way out. They thought that if their children were not good at studying, they could learn cooking. So the two brothers of the Li family had a relatively easy life.
Hu Tou is so envious.
Zhuang Zhixi couldn't help laughing when he saw Hu Tou's painful expression, but he couldn't say anything to spoil the show, because his elder brother and sister-in-law had high expectations of him. Xiao Yuanyuan looked at her father's expression, and the little flatterer quickly said, "Dad, I will study hard and I must get into college."
Zhuang Zhixi laughed: "You, stop provoking your elder brother."
Tiger Head: “That’s it.”
Big round eyes blinking innocently.
Zhuang Zhixi: "Why hasn't your mother come back today? She..."
Just as Zhuang Zhixi was muttering about Mingmei, he heard a noisy noise coming from outside. Several children immediately leaned on the window to look out. Zhuang Zhixi went out. As soon as he went out, he saw his grandfather Lan Sihai walking in front, followed by a porter holding a big box.
Zhuang Laonian and Mingmei are both here.
Zhuang Zhixi: "Grandpa, what are you doing?"
He took a closer look and said, "Oh, you bought a TV?"
Lan Sihai smiled and said, "Yes, I bought a TV."
He said: "I'm not saying that as a person, you should be brave enough to accept new things. Look at you young people, you are not as fashionable as me. You can't do this."
Mingmei muttered quietly: "It's not that we don't want to keep up with the fashion, but our money doesn't allow us to do so."
Everyone knows that television is good, but you need money to buy it! Oh, and you need tickets. If you don't have money and tickets, what's the point of following the trend? Lan Sihai: "You're the only one who talks too much."
Mingmei immediately made a gesture to shut up. At this time, Tuantuan and Yuanyuan ran out, and Hutou and the others followed behind, extremely excited.
Tuantuan: "Ahhh, great-grandfather, you bought a TV. Isn't that great?"
Yuanyuan: "Watch TV, watch TV."
Lan Sihai: "Let's go to my great-grandfather's house and watch TV."
This was the first television in their compound, and it caused a sensation. Everyone came out to watch, and several children in the compound also came over. Adults and children alike were all very excited and talked a lot.
Aunt Zhou was standing at the front. Although she was quite old, she was very agile. She said, "Oh, this thing is not cheap, is it?"
"Need I say that? This is a TV."
"This is the first television in our compound. Uncle Lan is still as fashionable as ever."
"Isn't this normal? If Uncle Lan isn't fashionable, then who is the most fashionable? Uncle Lan was the first to wear those bell-bottom pants, and these young people can't compare to him."
"Ha ha ha ha!"
The most unique person in their compound is Uncle Lan Sihai, but everyone doesn't think there is anything wrong with this. At the beginning, they thought Uncle Lan was too focused on enjoying life and was a bit out of tune with everyone. But as time went by, everyone accepted Lan Sihai's style.
Moreover, many people are not consciously learning from Lan Sihai.
Look at this old man, he lives a more stylish and comfortable life than you. Isn't this just following the trend?
"This TV is really a great thing. With this TV, will I not have to spend money to watch movies or TV shows in the future?"
"That's for sure."
"Uncle Lan, how big is your TV?"
Lan Sihai put his hands behind his back, looked a little proud, raised his chin slightly, and said, "This is a twelve-inch Peony brand, five hundred and fifty yuan."
When the price came out, everyone gasped.
This is more than five hundred yuan, it’s scary.
“Isn’t this too expensive?”
“This is much more expensive than a radio.”
"You are the one who said this. Can radio and television be the same?"
"Yes, yes, twelve inches is not small."
“This is a good thing, but it’s too expensive.”
Lan Sihai walked in and took out two cents and gave it to the porter, who happily took it. There are few jobs now, and the educated youth have all returned to the city. Some of them, who are older, have handed over their jobs to their children, so they have to go out and do something to supplement the family income.
For example, at the entrance of the shopping mall, there are quite a lot of people carrying things and riding tricycles.
Lan Sihai would rather do a job that can be paid for than to do it himself! Lan Sihai: "Zhuang Zhixi, install the TV." He really looked like an old man, directing his grandson-in-law to do the work. Zhuang Zhixi was not vague and immediately unpacked the box. He looked at the instructions and felt that it was not difficult. He quickly installed the TV and the antenna.
Although he was not specialized in this, when Lan Sihai was thinking about the radio, he followed and learned, and he understood it all. He was not unfamiliar with these things.
This was the first television in the compound, and everyone gathered around. For a moment, the room was packed tightly, with three layers of people inside and three layers of people outside.
Aunt Wang: "The compound next door bought it earlier than our compound, but theirs is nine inches, which seems small compared to the twelve inches."
"That's for sure."
Some people don’t understand and ask, “Is there a bigger one?”
Lan Sihai: "There are also 14-inch ones. The most expensive one right now is the 14-inch one, but it was out of stock when I went there. Although the 14-inch one is expensive, it is easier to sell. Some people want to get it all in one go."
Everyone said "oh" and nodded.
"Then the 14-inch one is more expensive, right?"
Lan Sihai: “It’s 200 yuan more expensive.”
Everyone gasped again.
Zhuang Zhixi adjusted the antenna, lowered his head and pressed the switch. A figure soon appeared on the TV, and everyone exclaimed again: "Ah, it's happening."
"There is a shadow. Hey, what is this?"
"You don't know?"
A crisp voice came from the TV: "Red panda learns carpentry."
It was evening, and it was cartoon time. Tuan Tuan, Yuan Yuan, and Bai Qing Qing, who had squeezed in, all started to shout, "It's cartoons!"
"This is a red panda learning carpentry."
“Isn’t that great?”
The children were very excited and the adults also watched with great interest.
"This TV is so clear, it's great to watch."
"Who says it's not?"
Zhuang Zhixi looked down and let go of the antenna. The picture on the TV jumped. Yuanyuan: "Dad! Dad!"
Zhuang Zhixi: "I'll debug it again, don't worry."
He tried to choose a channel, and soon he nodded: "I can receive three channels."
"Not a few."
"yes."
Zhuang Zhixi adjusted himself and released his hand. He stood aside and watched the cartoon with the children. The children's eyes were glued to the cartoon. As for dinner, I don't remember it. Everyone gathered together to watch the cartoon and was very happy.
"We have a TV in our compound now, which is great."
The children were all trying to squeeze in, and the middle-aged people always had to give way. Even Zhou Qun couldn't squeeze in. He looked at everyone's excitement and said to Jiang Lu in a flattering way, "Wife, why don't we buy one for our family? Look how much Xiao Qijin likes it."
He had wanted to buy it a long time ago, but Jiang Lu was very hesitant. Now, Uncle Lan took the first place.
Their family is not the first in the compound to buy a TV.
Jiang Lu: "This is too expensive."
In fact, the couple earned a lot and were considered the best off in the compound, so buying a TV was no problem at all. However, Jiang Lu still thought it was a little too expensive, after all, it was not something to be eaten or drunk.
"This thing is not cheap, but our family can actually afford it. Look how interesting it is. It will be lively to watch TV tonight." Zhou Qun tried his best to persuade Jiang Lu, but Jiang Lu couldn't take his eyes off the TV.
Before I saw it, I could convince myself not to buy such an expensive thing, but after seeing it, I couldn't take my eyes off it.
This is really good.
Moreover, such big items will always be needed at home. You have to buy them sooner or later, so it is better to buy them early and enjoy them early.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Let me ask the factory and see if they can get a ticket. Then we can buy one too."
When Zhou Qun heard this, he said happily, "That's good."
The two people spoke in low voices, but Bai Fendou, who was standing nearby, heard it and snorted in jealousy.
Although their family is not burdened with financial difficulties, they really cannot afford to buy this because it is too expensive.
He glanced at Zhou Qun and said, "What a boaster."
Zhou Qun sneered: "You are just jealous."
"Whoever is jealous of you is self-righteous."
"It's you, it's you."
As if he couldn't see it? Bai Fendou was just jealous.
"I'm not jealous of you, I'm jealous of Uncle Lan. Uncle Lan is really the most fashionable. No one in our compound can compare to him."
"Uncle Lan, can we come over to watch TV tonight?"
Someone also asked this question.
Lan Sihai: "You really don't consider yourselves as outsiders."
That being said, he didn't mind and said, "Come on, come on, but don't disturb my rest. You know me. If you disturb my rest and make a mess of my house, I will scold you."
"That's for sure."
"Great-grandfather, we want to come too." Yuanyuan acted coquettishly. The soft little girl was very lovable.
Lan Sihai: "Come on. No matter who doesn't come, our Yuanyuan can come."
Yuanyuan immediately smiled sweetly.
Although the weather is cold, their compound is bustling with activity.
Everyone was discussing the TV enthusiastically. Su Jinlai stood at the back of the crowd, tiptoed to look inside, with a hint of jealousy in his eyes. If Bai Fendou's jealousy was just words, Su Jinlai's jealousy was real.
They all lived in the same compound, but others lived so well, while his family lived a very tight life. How could Jin Lai be happy?
Actually, although his family lived a tight life, it was still much better than when he was sent to the countryside. Life in the countryside was much harder. The place where Jin Lai went to the countryside was also poor, so life was very hard.
When he first came back, he was actually quite happy.
After all, he was always happy when things went from bad to good. But such good days didn't last long, and he felt uncomfortable. His family's life was better than that of the countryside, but not as good as that of other people in the courtyard. This comparison made him feel unhappy.
Moreover, he was the only one among the three children in his family who had ever been to the countryside, which made him even more unhappy.
Although it wasn't because he went to the countryside that his two younger brothers didn't have to go to the countryside, they were simply not old enough, and when they were old enough, the policy would change. But he still felt unhappy. Why was he the one who had the worst life?
Now other people can even buy a TV, but he can’t even afford meat.
Jin Lai leaned against the wall and looked in the direction of Lan Sihai's house, a hint of contemplation flashing in his eyes.
Show off, show off, don't think you enjoy showing off, you will be on the list sooner or later! He looked at Lan Sihai with jealousy, thinking that he should teach their family a lesson. It's just a TV. I don't know how much a TV can be bought for now. If it was bought for 550 yuan, and it only took one day, it wouldn't be too much for him to ask for 500 yuan, right?
Who could buy it? He thought of several people quickly and had an idea in mind.
Even though he has only been back for a year, he still has some bad friends outside. They can do some "small jobs" together, which can make them more financially stable. But in the past, Jin Lai did not attack his neighbors.
This is not about caring about the friendship between neighbors. There is no friendship between them. What he despises most are these neighbors. None of them is a good person. These people only know how to flatter the powerful and look down on the weak. He despises them a thousand or ten thousand times.
But there is an old saying that a rabbit doesn't eat grass near its burrow.
He now lives in a compound, and his neighbors all know him well. If something is lost, they will definitely think of him immediately. After all, he has a criminal record. Even if he doesn't admit it, his life will definitely be difficult. He knows that if he doesn't live here, everything will be fine. But if he lives here, he doesn't want to face such an ugly situation.
So although he still stole things, he didn't do it nearby. Not only in their compound, but also in the surrounding areas.
But today, seeing Lan Sihai's boastful look, his depression started to stir up again. He felt unhappy in every way. Why did this damn old man have such a good life?
A young and promising young man like him has such a hard life, but the old guys here can live a good life. This world is too unfair. He snorted heavily, and felt that he had to teach this old man a lesson, to let him know that this compound is not something that an old guy like him can show off.
Su Jinlai is not yet successful, so others can't show off in front of him.
After thinking this way, Su Jinlai calmed down a lot. He began to observe that Lan Sihai's house should be easy to steal from. There were only two old people. Even if he broke into the house, they might not dare to make it public if they heard it. Aren't they afraid of his revenge? Yes, he had nothing to worry about.
Strike when the time is right.
Su Jinlai stared at the Lan family and smiled subtly.
Everyone was watching the fun. At this time, Tonglai came back from outside. Although school had not started yet, he was taking extra classes outside every day. He was very confident about himself and knew that it would be difficult for him to get into university on his own.
So even though he is only in the first year of high school, Tonglai has been doing this and that with the teacher, getting some tutoring and guidance, and he is not at home all day. Otherwise, it is said that Su Jinlai sleeps all day and no one cares.
Wang Xiangxiu and Yinlai are at work, while Tonglai is taking extra classes outside, so he is the only one at home.
Tong Lai: "What are you doing?"
He immediately came forward. Jin Lai looked at his younger brother like this and curled his lips in disdain. He was showing off, and you were still trying to watch the fun. You are such a spineless person. Isn't this a boost for others? Jin Lai looked down on his two younger brothers. The second brother was honest and stubborn, and the third brother acted like a grandson.
The three brothers used to have a good relationship, but things have changed since he entered the juvenile detention center. Over the years, they have spent very little time together, and their relationship has faded a little bit. And now he thinks his two younger brothers are not good enough.
He thought so, and coincidentally, Yinlai and Tonglai thought so too.
Over the years, the two of them have lived with Wang Xiangxiu and have become much more sensible. Naturally, they look down on their elder brother for being out of tune. Although Jinlai feels that his life is very hard and his family is in a difficult situation, Yinlai and Tonglai feel that their lives are actually not bad.
After all, they still have four rooms, which most people don't have. Just having a room is better than many people. There is really no need to be too self-pitying. Aren't there many people who are not as good as them? And if they work hard, they can live a good life.
The eldest brother was cynical all day long, and Tong Lai looked down on him. He didn't care what the eldest brother thought, and went in to watch the fun: "Hey? Uncle Lan, did you buy a TV?"
Lan Sihai: "Yes, how is it? Not bad, right?"
Tonglai gave a thumbs up and said, "You are the one from the compound."
Lan Sihai laughed out loud.
Even though Tonglai is a cunning and calculating kid, Lan Sihai has a good impression of him. As for this guy, it's okay to be cunning. As long as he doesn't do bad things, there's nothing wrong with him working hard for his own future.
For example, Lan Sihai has grown older in recent years, and Tonglai would come to help when the Lan family has some work to do. Zhuang Zhixi, the grandson-in-law, would naturally come to do this and that, but Zhuang Zhixi has to work, so he doesn't have as much time as Tonglai.
He was very considerate and helped with the work without hesitation. Lan Sihai would also give him some food in return, and the two sides got along well.
Tonglai was watching TV with great interest. He knew that his family could not afford it, so he did not ask how much it cost. Instead, he said, "This TV is big and comfortable to watch."
Lan Sihai: "Come and watch TV if you have nothing to do."
Tonglai: "Thank you, Mr. Lan."
He really doesn't have much time to watch TV. If he has time, he has to study. If you are not particularly smart, you have to be diligent. Diligence can make up for shortcomings. For a family like theirs, if they want to have a good future, studying is the most important way to change their destiny.
But Uncle Lan was enthusiastic, so he naturally responded in kind. He said, "Uncle Lan, next time you buy something, call me and I'll help you carry it. I have so much strength, but it would be wasted if I don't work."
Lan Sihai smiled and said, "Okay."
Tong Lai stayed close to Lan Sihai, which made Jin Lai very unhappy. Damn it, a grown man acted like a filial son and grandson in front of others. Jin Lai rolled his eyes.
Steal him!
We must steal his TV! See how he still shows off.
Jin Lai snorted, turned around and went back to the house. He couldn't bear to watch it anymore. It was so embarrassing!
Everyone was watching with interest, and the excitement lasted until late in the evening. When Jin came for dinner, his nose was not a nose, and his eyes were not eyes.
Wang Xiangxiu was puzzled: "What's wrong with you?"
Jin Lai ate the cabbage and said, "It's okay."
He picked up half a plate in one go, huffing and puffing.
Wang Xiangxiu: "Eat slowly!"
Jin Lai: "I haven't eaten all day today."
Wang Xiangxiu was concerned: "How can you not eat? You..."
Tonglai: "Big brother must have slept for a day."
Well, the people who know you best are your own people.
Jin Lai: "It's none of your business."
He heard the courtyard was still bustling with activity, and he was in a bad mood. He put his hands behind his back and said, "I'll go out for a walk..."
Yin Lai: "What's wrong with this?"
Tonglai whispered: "Pink eye."
Wang Xiangxiu sighed and said, "Be good to yourself and don't get angry with your brother."
Tonglai: "I didn't, I just said the truth casually. My brother is unhappy to see others living well."
Wang Xiangxiu: “…”
It was late at night, the moon was dark and the wind was strong. Su·Red Eye·Jin Lai walked out of the door quietly. He silently groped his way to the door of Lan Sihai's house, took out a piece of wire, and opened the door.
Hey, no big deal.
He didn't open the door, but stepped in. Click! "Ahhhhhhh!!!!" Jin Lai screamed! Damn it, there's a mousetrap at the door!!!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
