Before Zhou Jiao could sigh for a few minutes, the shrill phone ring rang out. Not long after she stood up and left the room, she heard Aunt Chen downstairs calling for her to answer the phone.
Speaking of entering a new era, besides the fact that her children are gradually growing up, what else makes Zhou Jiao feel emotional?
That is, her father Zhou Xiaozheng was promoted to the Standing Committee.
Even though her father often joked that he was a mute in meetings...
——But it couldn’t stop more and more acquaintances from coming to play with her.
Look, she received several phone calls during a nice weekend, and some of them were social engagements that she couldn't refuse. Fortunately, Zhang Guoqing was there to take her place.
"The chief is looking for you."
Zhou Jiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickened her pace. She was tired of strangers chatting about meaningless topics on the phone. If it weren't for the safety of her family...
I'd rather quit now!
"Dad, it's me."
"Well, I'm going out for a while. Please tell your mom to stay home with you guys and stay out of the house until I come back."
Zhou Jiao frowned, "Is Secretary Chen coming to pick up the luggage?"
"We're in a hurry. There's a change of clothes in the car."
Hearing this, Zhou Jiao squeezed the phone tightly with her right hand and took a deep breath. "Okay, Dad, take care of yourself outside. I'll wait for you to come back."
"Well, Dad will bring you some lotus seed powder in a few days."
The person on the other end of the phone had hung up. Zhou Jiao listened to the "beep" sound and slumped weakly in the chair.
In just a few words, the father and daughter had already discussed the nature and destination of this business trip.
Lotus seed powder? That's not just a Jiangnan specialty. Zhou Jiao brought back a lot of it during her last trip to Jiangcheng. Zhou Xiaozheng even jokingly suggested that Jiangcheng should be renamed Lotus Seed City.
After putting down the microphone, Zhou Jiao rubbed her face vigorously, exhaled, clenched her fists and walked out of the study.
Aunt Chen heard the noise and came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands dry on her apron. "Jiaojiao, would the chief want to come back for dinner tonight?"
Zhou Jiao smiled and shook her head, "Going to the grassroots again."
"I knew you wouldn't come back after I called. Is there anything you'd like to eat tonight?"
Zhou Jiao didn't have the mind to think about what dishes to order. She just casually said a dish name, said a few perfunctory words and picked up the newspaper.
Is it dangerous for her father to go out?
She wasn't worried about her father's safety, as there were so many people guarding him, not to mention that he himself had good skills.
I’m so afraid that the city will become restless again.
No wonder it is said that there are no true like-minded allies in this world. If they can form an alliance, isn’t it for their own interests?
On a business trip? It was better to leave, stay far away, so that her father wouldn't be dragged into the vortex.
Zhou Jiao felt relieved when she thought about it this way. She only needed to stay at home and guard the door, quietly waiting for her father to return safely. As for the ups and downs of other people, what did it have to do with her family?
If those people had followed the example of Grandpa Yi and the others, how could they have suffered defeat and destruction?
This year, 1971, not long after entering a new era, is about to be turbulent again.
"...I'd better go to the service station and see if they have any pig skin. Wuyi said last night that he wanted some pig skin jelly. Would you like some with bones?"
Zhou Jiao woke up after hearing this and shook her head. "I'm too tired. You'd better not let the kids do what they want. It's the weekend, and everywhere is crowded. It's very crowded."
"It's okay. With you at home, I can go out for a walk this afternoon and see if there's any new goods arriving at the service station these days. Luckily, it's in the compound, in the city..."
Zhou Jiao understood the unspoken meaning in Aunt Chen's words.
It was the weekend and there was no traffic in the city, but the department stores were crowded with people, and the loudspeakers were playing revolutionary songs on a continuous loop.
In the past, there were announcements about newly arrived *** products, *** clearance items on the first floor, *** products with single-person purchase limits, *** products available without tickets...
Nowadays, everything is dominated by sex, and naturally, unrealistic sounds give way to the main melody. As a result, you can often see long lines outside the city before dawn and before the shops open.
Sometimes the shops had nothing to sell, and people who were “unaware of the truth” would queue outside. When the shops opened, they realized there was nothing to sell, and people would scatter.
The reason for the huge crowds on weekends is not only because of the shortage of supplies due to certain reasons, but also because of the intensified crackdown on speculators in the black market.
Now everything is strictly checked, not only the management of grain and oil is strict, but class struggle is also indispensable.
Of course, you can't just shop too much, or someone will come up and ask you about your background and where you work.
Zhou Jiao understood this matter clearly, so she usually didn't go to the department store unless it was absolutely necessary. Some of the tickets in the big bag in her hand that were about to expire had already been exchanged with others, so there was no rush.
"Luckily, the prices haven't gone up." Aunt Chen pulled out her grocery supply book and coupons, smiling gleefully, "Is there anything else you want to buy at home? I'll bring it back on the way."
Zhou Jiao smiled and shook her head. "If there are too many people lining up, you can come back first. I'll go to the city to take a look in a few days. You can just make do with it for now."
There was another thing she didn't say. It was that if she bought too much and kept it, it would be useless, and she couldn't put it in her space, as it would easily deteriorate over time.
What is good about this era?
That is, there was no inflation. Except for the later addition of coupons, the prices of daily necessities remained stable for ten years.
For example, in the morning, buying a fried dough stick only cost three cents plus half a tael of food coupons, a sesame bun cost four cents plus one tael of food coupons, and a piece of tofu cost two cents plus a tofu coupon.
At the grain administration office, early rice costs 1.34 cents per pound, while late rice is more expensive. Of course, the supply still fluctuates.
Aunt Chen waved her hand and smiled, "Okay, I get it. It won't tire you out if you wait in line, and you can also listen to what people are saying. Our Six-One-Five-One is lovely to listen to."
Zhou Jiao burst out laughing when she heard this. Even Aunt Chen has been led astray by these kids!
"I'm leaving now. Don't read the newspaper if you have nothing to do. Go upstairs and have some rest."
"Okay, be careful. Some of the old sisters want to chat with you, so just play for a while. I'll prepare dinner."
Aunt Chen waved her hand, slung her basket over her shoulder, and hurried out. Prepare something for her? Forget it. This girl has ruined all the oil in the house again.
"Are you going to the service center? Let's go together."
Just after branching off from a gate, a thin middle-aged woman also carrying a basket waved towards me.
Aunt Chen's eyes flashed with impatience, then she looked at the other person approaching and said with a smile: "Oh, what a coincidence, what do you want to buy, sister?"
The man glanced behind him, slumped his shoulders, and complained weakly in a low voice, "It's because the young masters and young ladies want meat, vegetables, and soda. Look, it's not early in the morning, where can we get any meat now?"
Aunt Chen was having trouble accepting this. As a nanny, you should be serving the chief's family. Otherwise, why would they invite you over every month?
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