This turned out to be exactly as Zhou Jiao had expected. The next day when she got to work, under the other party's eager gaze, she told them about her difficulties and hinted that those units had a relatively harmonious relationship with their department.
Afterward, she stayed out of it. He was right about one thing the other day; it was all their parents' fault for not doing anything. But if we find the cause but can't solve it, then that's fate!
Zhou Jiao had no interest in how outsiders struggled with fate, but soon something interesting happened to her...
As the saying goes, "Less Heat and Greater Heat bring heat from above." The period around the "Great Heat" solar term, which falls on July 23rd, is the hottest time of the year in Beijing and also the season with the most mosquitoes. This is especially true after a series of heavy rains, when the weather becomes hot and humid, making mosquitoes even more rampant.
At this time, her godfather Zhao Chuangguang came to Beijing on a business trip. He was busy gathering with his brothers, busy holding meetings, and busy returning...
Similarly, he was also busy taking the three Ping An brothers back to his hometown.
So, after discussing the trip for a long time without success, she finally followed Zhang Guoqing's itinerary and embarked on a journey north during the period when her sons left home and her parents were on a business trip.
This time the couple did not plan to go straight to their hometown. They had money and free time, and they happened to have a small car that had been idle for a long time. They were happily planning to stroll around along the way, and at the same time, they happened to return to meet up with their sons who had a great time in their hometown.
The train had only been running for a few hours when they arrived at a city stop. Was it unfamiliar? They had never been to this place before, but wasn't this their destination?
Before setting off, Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao made three rules - first, they would not engage in "robbery" this time, as it would be time-consuming and unsafe in an unfamiliar place; second, they would mind their own business and focus on collecting trash; and third, he would have the final say on all actions.
Zhou Jiao smiled and nodded repeatedly. This was also what she was worried about, but the target was different. Of course, for the sake of her benefits next time, she would be very obedient and not refute it.
The two of them walked around and heard a lot of rumors. It was said that due to the armed conflicts in the previous two years, factories had stopped working and transportation was interrupted, and the supply of many daily industrial products was in serious shortage, especially cigarettes, alcohol, matches, soap, etc. were almost cut off.
Last year, the Revolutionary Committee was established, and the supply of various foods changed greatly. Tobacco and alcohol were resumed, but they had to be purchased with tickets or certificates, and the quantity was small. Each household was supplied with 10 packs of cigarettes (10 packs of mixed grades) and one pound of taro wine per month, and one pound of sorghum wine during the New Year.
Now, the countryside is being cut off, and towns are not allowed to open up wasteland for farming or raise chickens and ducks. People can only buy daily necessities with various coupons.
Therefore, the phenomenon of "long queues, crowds, and fights" on the streets has become commonplace in the eyes of local people, and they look down on this young couple from other places.
In the words of an old lady, you are lucky to be soldiers. You are just wandering around and asking questions randomly. Otherwise, you would have to go to the Revolutionary Committee to have a thorough investigation.
Looking at the situation, it’s not easy to survive in a big city!
Seeing this, the couple did not stay in the local area for long. They had to queue for half a day even to buy things, so they could only go to the small county town below with regret.
But the question is, do you think it's easy to get away in a small county? Once a stranger shows up, there will be enthusiastic people to inquire and follow him. If it weren't for his military officer certificate and letter of introduction, Zhou Xiaozheng would probably have to come and pick him up in person.
This time, compared with the neighboring big cities, the shopping queues were less, and I was finally able to buy some local specialties. During the process, military uniforms were also quite popular.
The couple had a lot of fun walking and stopping like this. They even went to the countryside and took a look at the educated youth and prisoners in the cowshed.
Zhang Guoqing's excuses are all nonsense. It is also very regrettable that for safety reasons, they need outsiders around them at all times, and their desire to show love is completely impossible.
Along the way, they saw that there were civil defenses everywhere and the situation had become so serious that the couple did not want to spoil their fun and set out on their journey again. Especially Zhang Guoqing, his purpose was to let his little girl stroll back to her hometown happily, not to be treated as an idiot!
For their second stop, they chose Liu Sanyuan’s hometown. Besides being close to their hometown, there was also a large grassland nearby, and the bigger advantage was that there were local households there.
It is indeed much more convenient to have acquaintances.
Over the years, Liu Sanyuan had corresponded with Zhou Xiaozheng and Zhang Guoqing, his father-in-law and son-in-law. In 1965, he went to Beijing for a meeting on behalf of his unit and met with them for a drink.
This foodie was not stingy at all when it came to the couple's arrival and was willing to spend money. He was so happy to see them that he even skipped work and immediately took them to a restaurant for a meal.
This guy was as hospitable as ever, and he even promised them delicious food every day for the next few days. It was precisely this kind of personality that made Zhou Xiaozheng happy to interact with him.
Only after Zhang Guoqing repeatedly assured him that he would not be polite to him did he give up the invitation to stay at his house.
How should I put it? For Zhou Jiao, the stranger's excessive hospitality was something she wasn't used to, and she felt an urge to leave.
After visiting Liu Sanyuan's parents and wife the next day, she was the first to say goodbye. She finally understood what it meant to be unable to refuse a kind invitation.
When leaving the city, Zhang Guoqing exclaimed in admiration at the hospitality of Liu Sanyuan's family, which also made her think. This time, the couple decided to go to the northernmost Corps to visit their brothers and sisters without hesitation.
There are friends in this world who you have met only once, and there are also friends who you have been crazy and noisy with when you were young. Regardless of which one you are, this relationship is hard-earned.
Maybe one day, at a certain moment, they will disappear from the crowd. While they are young, while they still have opportunities, while their hearts are free, they want to leave more memories.
The train sped by, heading north! North! North forever! Countless trees and utility poles slid past the window, and unfamiliar station names filled my face...
The train stopped at a small station near the border. The first thing to greet them was a swarm of mosquitoes. They were large, black, and their bites were like needles, piercing even khaki clothing.
The couple arrived during wheat harvest season. In the vast wheat fields, two groups of people were busy: the combine operators (later I learned that this was the Russian transliteration for harvesting machinery).
The other type is ordinary farm workers and educated youth, who work with masters who can drive semi-automatic combines to open up the harvesting channels.
When they arrived, the little friends in the fields had no time to reunite, gather together and hug each other. In order to harvest in good weather, they hurriedly started their farm work.
It is said that they have to start work at 3:30 in the morning these days and they don’t see the end of work at night. They have to work for 15 or 16 hours under the scorching sun. Zhou Jiao suddenly regretted coming here.
How would she tell her family what she had seen and heard when she returned? How many mothers in the world were there who stayed home like Jin Lijuan?
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