When Ruirui heard that her mother was going to the movies, she wanted to go with her.
The main reason is that the two children are too young. It takes an adult more than half an hour to walk from the family quarters to the county. They must be slower. What’s more important is that they don’t have enough endurance, so they may need to be carried or hugged halfway. It is not easy for Lin Wei to take care of two children by herself, but she feels embarrassed to ask others for help.
After all, they were out having fun, and they couldn't relax if they brought their children with them.
After considering it, Lin Wei decided not to take them, but she also promised that if Zong Shao was free next weekend, the whole family would go to the movies together.
Although theoretically Zong Shao had one day off a week and a few more days of rest after returning from sea, if something happened in the camp, he would return to the camp to deal with the emergency even during his rest.
So in front of the children, Lin Wei didn't dare to say too much.
But the two children didn’t think too much about it. They were just happy to know that they could go to the movies next week.
In fact, they don't like watching movies that much. There are not many cartoons these days. The basic theme of the movie is okay for adults, but it is a bit boring for them, mainly because they can't understand it.
They wanted to go to the movies, mainly to join in the fun.
Before joining the army, the cotton mill had shown an open-air movie. It can be said that the entire compound was out that night, and some people even made snacks and sold them at the screening venue.
Although doing business is strictly prohibited these days and you may be arrested for speculation if you are not careful, the authorities do not take a one-size-fits-all approach. No one will arrest you unless you buy low and sell high and frequently engage in business activities.
Moreover, the management has been slightly relaxed in recent years, and markets have been reopened in some places, allowing farmers to sell their extra rice and flour grains in exchange for some food and daily necessities, thus slightly improving their lives.
Therefore, no one would care if they sold snacks occasionally.
There were food, drinks, and many friends of the same age. The two brothers had a great time that night and still remember it to this day, so they were happy to go to the movies.
However, Lin Wei felt that the two brothers would most likely be disappointed when they actually went to the cinema.
Most people who go to the cinema to watch movies are adults. They will not make a lot of noise like children, and if someone makes noise during the movie, someone will speak up to stop them.
Audiences who have spent money will naturally have higher requirements for the viewing environment.
So when the two brothers arrived at the cinema, not only were there no other children of their own age as they had imagined, but they were also not allowed to run around in the screening room. Snacks are edible, although they are not sold in the cinema, but they can bring food in.
But no matter what, for the children, going to the cinema is definitely not as fun as watching a movie in the family compound.
But Lin Wei didn't plan to give the two brothers a heads-up. After all, there are some things that no matter how much their mother talks about them, it is not as good as them experiencing them personally.
Because I didn't know, when I sent my mother out, I was still looking forward to the trip to the cinema next week. I specifically said to Lin Wei: "Mom, go watch it with the aunts first, and then watch it with us after you're done."
Obviously, there was a hidden meaning behind these words. They were meant to remind the mother not to forget her son at home just because she watched a movie with her aunts.
Lin Wei is her son's biological mother, so how could she not see her son's little tricks? She suppressed her laughter and said, "Don't worry, Mom will definitely take you and your brother to the movies."
After making a promise to her son, Lin Wei put on her hat and took her bag and set off.
It is called a bag, but in fact it is just a cloth bag for carrying things. It is carried on one shoulder. The style is nothing special, except that the two straps are sewn very tightly. It can hold things weighing more than ten kilograms. Lin Wei often used it to carry fruits before.
Originally, Lin Wei didn't want to carry a backpack when going out, thinking it was too big. But her skirt had pockets and a wallet that could be hung on her wrist, so it was more convenient to carry it.
But before leaving, Lin Wei changed her mind, mainly because she thought that if she came across something delicious while shopping at the supply and marketing cooperative, she could buy it and put it in bags.
After going out, Lin Wei first went to Zhou's house to call Deng Xiangyun and Chen Bamei.
They both had packed up, and when they saw Lin Wei coming, they came out of the house and walked outside along the road in front of the door.
When they reached the entrance of the family quarters, Lin Wei saw Liu Dan and the other two from a distance and walked over to ask, "How long have you been waiting here?"
"She came earlier, so we were two minutes earlier than you." Liu Dan pointed at Zhao Li and said.
Zhao Li smiled and said, "The main reason I came here early is because I have something to do at the supply and marketing cooperative." After coming out of the supply and marketing cooperative, she was too lazy to go home, so she waited at the entrance of the family area. She didn't wait long, maybe ten minutes.
After the greetings, several people walked out of the family area.
There is a straight road outside, with red brick and tile houses on both sides. The supply and marketing cooperative and the seafood supply station are here. After passing the red brick houses, the scenery on both sides became desolate, with weeds on the roadside and dense forests beyond the weeds.
After walking for about seven or eight minutes, a crossroads appeared in front of everyone. To the left was the Fishery Brigade, and this was the road to go to the sea. To the right was the military camp, and the military hospital was also on this side.
They continued to go straight.
It is about four or five miles from the family quarters to the county, which is not far. It would be boring to walk alone, but when there are many people talking and laughing, time passes quickly.
The county town was still the same as when Lin Wei came back last time. There were many people on the streets, but it was not very lively.
But the situation in the cinema is much better. There are rare new movies released and there are long queues at the ticket windows. Lin Wei and the others went to line up, while Zhao Li went to the front to take a look and came back to say, "The next show starts at 11 o'clock and will be shown after 1 o'clock. Do you want to watch it?"
"Are there no other sessions?" Lin Wei asked.
Zhao Li recalled what was written on the notice board and said, "There are four shows scheduled today. The first one starts at 9 o'clock and ends at 10:40. The movie is already halfway through, and we can't see anything if we go in now. The third show starts at 1:30 in the afternoon and ends at around 3 o'clock. The last show starts at 3:30 and ends at around 5 o'clock."
Liu Dan said as soon as he heard it: "The last show is definitely not possible. It will be too late after watching it and we have to go back."
"If I watch the next show, will the state-owned restaurant still provide food after one o'clock?" Yang Yi asked.
There is only one state-owned restaurant in the county seat of Ya County, which starts serving limited dishes at noon and 6 p.m. every day. Although the county town is not big, it is still a city after all, and many people are willing to spend money to eat out. It's okay on weekdays, but on Sundays, the dishes are basically sold out before one o'clock.
Lin Wei said, "How about we go to the 1:30 show, and after we buy the tickets, we can go to the supply and marketing cooperative and the hardware supply department to buy everything. If we have time after that, we can go shopping, have dinner at 12 o'clock, and then watch a movie. How do you think?"
It was a rare opportunity to go out and have fun, so Zhao Li didn't want to go back hungry, so she quickly agreed, "I think it's okay."
With the two of them taking the lead, everyone else agreed to Lin Wei's suggestion and bought movie tickets for 1:30 p.m.
Because the line was a bit long, it took me about twenty minutes to buy the tickets. By the time a few people came out of the cinema, it was already half past ten. Zhao Li calculated the time and said with a smile: "Just now we were discussing where to go after shopping. Now it seems that we have been thinking too much. We don't need to go around after shopping. Let's just go to the state-owned restaurant and queue up."
The process of buying materials was relatively smooth. The supply and marketing cooperative had all kinds of fabrics, so we just had to choose.
They only wanted to make hats, so they didn't need much fabric. They had to trouble the salesperson to cut the fabric into small pieces. The salesperson was a little impatient, and kept muttering while cutting the fabric: "Buy less, but there's more trouble!"
After Zhao Li followed the army to the island, she was arranged to work in the base supply and marketing cooperative as a salesperson. She liked this job very much and always remembered that she was there to serve the people. After starting work, she greeted every customer with a smile.
Therefore, from the moment Zhao Li entered the supply and marketing cooperative and walked to the fabric counter, she looked unhappy when she saw the other party sitting on the stool and acting indifferent when he saw the customer.
When Zhao Li heard the salesperson mutter this, she couldn't help but ask loudly, "Who are you saying is the most troublesome?"
The salesperson also had a bad temper. He was not afraid of being overheard by the customer. He just pulled a face and said, "Whoever talks is the troublemaker!"
Zhao Li was so angry that she slammed the counter: "What's your attitude?"
As a result, he became even more arrogant, pointed his finger at Zhao Li and asked: "What are you taking pictures of? What are you taking pictures of? This is glass, can't you see? If I break this piece of glass and sell it, you can't afford to pay for it! Also, don't be so arrogant to me, this is my attitude, it's up to you to buy it or not, if you don't buy it, I'll be quiet!"
Zhao Li took her hand back, but she was still angry and asked loudly, "You treat customers like this, do you believe me and I will complain to you?"
The salesperson glanced at Zhao Li with disdain and said, "Go ahead and file a complaint. Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
These days, jobs are all stable jobs, and unless you make serious mistakes, you generally won't be fired. For the supply and marketing cooperative, offending customers is obviously not a big mistake. After all, there is only one supply and marketing cooperative in the county. If you don’t come, there will be others. They are not afraid of affecting their business.
Besides, even if business is bad and the supply and marketing cooperative makes losses every year, there is a guarantee from above and the employees' salaries will still be paid, which makes it a little easier.
complaint? She's really not afraid.
Zhao Li said she wanted to file a complaint, which was just a way to scare the other party. But she failed to scare the other party, and she became even angrier. She nodded and said, "Okay, you are not afraid of complaints, you..."
But before she could finish her words, Lin Wei held her wrist. She stopped talking and turned to look over.
Lin Wei stepped forward to the counter and asked, "Comrade, can you read?"
Although Lin Wei's tone was calm, the salesperson saw that she was with Zhao Li, so he didn't answer. He just rolled his eyes and asked, "What does it have to do with you if I can't read?"
Lin Wei was not angry, her tone was still calm: "I think they should know each other. I heard that there are academic requirements to join the supply and marketing cooperative."
The saleswoman's words touched her heart. She straightened her chest and raised her head and said proudly, "No, I joined the supply and marketing cooperative after I graduated from junior high school and passed the recruitment exam."
There are not many people with junior high school education these days, especially women, who are rare. It’s not that women can’t study, but the general environment favors boys over girls. If there is an opportunity to go to school, most families will give priority to boys. Chen Bamei's family is a typical example. Her seven daughters are illiterate, but her son wants to go to school, so she is willing to sell her daughters to support him.
It's normal for a salesperson to be proud of his or her academic qualifications.
But Lin Wei didn't want to talk about her academic qualifications, so she didn't compliment her. She just pointed to the opposite wall and asked, "What's written on it? Do you recognize it?"
The salesperson looked in the direction Lin Wei pointed and said, "Serve the people! You don't even know such a simple word?"
"Yes, to serve the people," Lin Wei nodded, looked the salesperson straight in the eye and asked, "Do you think you have done that?"
Lin Wei's tone was not harsh, it could even be considered gentle, but the salesperson was speechless and his face turned pale and blue.
Zhao Li didn't understand why Lin Wei stopped her before, but she suddenly understood after hearing this. She clapped her hands and said, "Some people talk about serving the people every day, but when they are in front of the people, they are not willing to give them a good face, let alone serve them. It's a pity that she has studied for so many years, but all she learned has gone to waste."
The salesperson was feeling a little guilty at first, but when Zhao Li said this, his anger rose rapidly. He could no longer care about anything else and was about to curse back.
But before she could finish her words, the woman who softly asked her whether she had done her job in serving the people spoke up: "Come on, stop talking." Then she turned to her and said, "I'm sorry, my friend has a bad temper. Could you please continue to help us cut the fabric? We have other things to do and are in a hurry."
The other party was so friendly that the salesperson had to swallow the curse that was about to come out of his mouth and said in a dry tone: "Wait a moment."
This time he didn't grumble anymore. He quickly divided the cloth, wrapped it up and handed it to several people.
Although the matter was resolved satisfactorily and they bought the fabric, Zhao Li was still unhappy when she left. She said, "This is still a supply and marketing cooperative in the city, and the salesperson's service attitude is not even half as good as mine."
Lin Wei smiled and joked: "That's right, Comrade Zhao Li is a model employee of the base supply and marketing cooperative."
Liu Dan also joked: "That's right, I am now thankful that our base supply and marketing cooperative has a model employee like Comrade Zhao Li. Otherwise, if everyone had the same attitude as that person just now, I wouldn't know whether I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy things or to be bullied."
Zhao Li was flattered and her mood finally brightened.
…
Although there were some issues when buying the fabric, everything went smoothly afterwards. The hardware supply department had just received a new batch of iron wire, the thinnest of which was just enough to make hats.
The problem is that the wire is sold in bundles, not retail. Although a bundle is not much, only five meters, they only make hats, so there is no need to buy so much.
When several people were discussing, Deng Xiangyun said, "Just buy one bundle. You can use as much as you need. Give me the rest. I'll keep it for later use."
"Why do you need so much wire?" Liu Dan asked, fearing that Deng Xiangyun would waste the money taking care of them.
"It can be used to make hats and toys." Deng Xiangyun took out the money and tickets and handed them to the salesperson in the supply department, and then said to the others, "I'll buy it and we'll calculate it in detail when I get back."
After buying all the ingredients and seeing that time was almost up, they went to the state-owned restaurant to queue up.
They were lucky enough to come across a state-owned restaurant that served coconut chicken. They had chicken supplied every month, but the portions were not large, so the whole family had to pool their supply and add some mushrooms and potatoes, and they could only afford two meals.
But the island is rich in fishery resources and has an abundant supply of seafood. They can also go fishing occasionally for a snack, so they don't hold back on meat. After a brief discussion, they order a portion of coconut chicken.
Coconut chicken is actually chicken soup made with coconut. The coconut milk is fragrant, the soup is clear, it is delicious and the portion is large. So after ordering the coconut chicken, they only ordered a plate of braised tofu and a bowl of noodles each.
People in the north eat noodles, while people in the south eat rice noodles. There are many ways to eat rice noodles on Yazhou Island, and state-owned restaurants offer many varieties, including pickled rice noodles, soup rice noodles, and even sour rice noodles.
Because there was coconut chicken, several people ordered pickled vermicelli. Liu Dan, Zhao Li and Yang Yi ordered sour vermicelli, while Lin Wei, Deng Xiangyun and Chen Bamei ordered pickled vermicelli. However, Zhao Li gave two mouthfuls of sour noodles to Lin Wei, which tasted good, sour, spicy, salty and fragrant, and very appetizing.
Liu Dan is from Sichuan Province and loves spicy food. Lin Wei noticed that she added a lot of hot sauce made from lantern peppers when eating noodles, so she also tasted a spoonful.
After finishing the meal, Lin Wei quickly served herself a bowl of chicken soup, but it was too hot to drink, so she put it down without swallowing a single bite. Fortunately, Deng Xiangyun was quick to pour her a cup of cold tea and she recovered.
Seeing Lin Wei in such a mess, Zhao Li laughed unceremoniously and asked, "Aren't people from Hu Province all good at eating spicy food? I wonder why you can't?"
Lin Wei wanted to retort that people in your Liao Province all wear big gold chains, why haven’t I seen you wearing one?
But when the words were on her lips, she remembered, oh, right, it was the 1970s, and people in Liaoning Province could not afford a big gold chain. At most, everyone wore mink.
The author has something to say:
Second update
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
