"Xiaofeng, wrong."
When Zhang Hong saw Su Feng, he couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder with joy. He had heard some things about him in the past few days and believed that his future achievements would definitely be lower.
As an elder who has watched this child grow up, Zhang Hong felt extremely gratified.
For his brother and for his friend's family, the Qiao family finally had a successor, and he was at ease.
"Uncle Zhang, thank you."
Su Feng knew all this, and Uncle Zhang had also asked someone to take care of him, for which he was extremely grateful.
"No need to thank me, we're family, no need to stand on ceremony."
Zhang Hong really liked this kid more and more the more he looked at him. He had completely seen through the naivety of the young man and now he was mature and steady. He was the type of junior that Zhang Hong admired.
"Xiaofeng, Uncle Zhang likes a successor like you. He doesn't even give your brother Zhang such a nice look."
Seeing the look of satisfaction on her husband's face, Fang Xinyu couldn't help but laugh and start teasing him.
"Sister-in-law, I heard that Ze Lu's family was transferred to Beijing?!"
Qiao sat down next to her sister-in-law and looked at her smiling face. Remembering that she had mentioned something on the phone before, she quickly asked her about it.
"Yes, they were just transferred back two months ago. Meiling and her children just settled down a few days ago. Now that their whole family is back, I feel much more at ease."
Fang Xinyu's smile widened as she mentioned her son's family. Now, her son's family also lives in Beijing, and they see each other often.
"What kind of work has Meiling arranged for them?! Are the children studying or working now?!"
The two families have a very good relationship, and Qiao is very concerned about her, knowing that there's nothing she can do to help.
"Meiling's job is quite difficult. I'm given a few options: one is to work as a street office worker, another is to work as a textile factory worker, another is to work at a Tianqiao store, and another is to work at a Xinhua bookstore."
This is a benefit for the families of the troops. Only when the spouse meets certain rank requirements can the family members accompany the troops. If the troops are in the city, they will be assigned to work.
“Sister-in-law, I think you shouldn’t consider the textile factory or the shop job, but the other two are fine. If Meiling finds it troublesome, the neighborhood office is a good choice. If you prefer a quieter life, Xinhua Bookstore is a good option.”
If Qiao knew that in about ten years, all the factories would be unable to continue operating, those who retired before then would be fine, but everyone would be laid off. Moreover, the most important thing was that the pensions for those retiring from the factory were too high.
However, even decades later, the Xinhua Bookstore, run by the subdistrict office, will still exist, especially since the subdistrict office itself is still very popular.
"Xiaoru, do you think the Xinhua Bookstore near the neighborhood office is better?! Or is the Textile Factory Store better?!"
Hearing her words, Zhang Hong turned around and asked her seriously.
Fang Xinyu also had a serious expression on her face. Actually, she most wanted her daughter-in-law to go to the textile factory, but now that she heard Qiao Qiru say that the textile factory was the best choice, she was a little anxious.
"Brother Zhang, sister-in-law, you probably know that during the reform and opening up, we attracted a lot of foreign investment, and these investments are mostly in factories. We see many factories under construction in the south—garment factories, electronics factories, chemical plants, plastic factories, fabric factories. Their businesses are similar to ours, but their facilities are stronger, their equipment is better, their materials are the latest imported products, and their designs are the most cutting-edge. Do you think our factories can compete with them?!"
Qiao Ruke knew all too well the situation ten years later. There were many laid-off workers who were in dire straits, and they were doing much better than those small vendors.
"Sister-in-law, this is a dress that Xiaoru specially brought for you. We bought it in the south during our summer vacation. Take a look at this dress and give me your opinion."
Su Huaiyuan went to find the things he had brought, including the clothes that he had specially given to Fang Xinyu.
Fang Xinyu and Zhang Hong took the clothes and immediately felt that the style was the same as the ones in the store, and the quality and feel were also very good.
"We only need a few dozen dollars to buy this dress, which is cheaper than buying it in a department store, and the style is better and there are more colors."
The dress Qiao gave Fang Xinyu was black, but it looked very classy and the style was more fashionable.
Fang Xinyu liked it very much at first sight, and encouraged by Zhou Wanwan and Qiao Ru, she eagerly went to try it out.
"nice."
Before anyone else could say anything, Zhang Hong saw his wife wearing a traditional Korean dress and immediately blurted out "눕깊".
It wasn't that he was deliberately praising his wife, but rather that Fang Xinyu, wearing this dress, did indeed have a better temperament and the same demeanor.
"Sister-in-law, this dress suits you so well."
"Auntie, you look so beautiful, you have such a great presence, you look like a very cultured person."
Qiao Qiru and Zhou Wanwan couldn't help but nod in agreement. Both of them had tried on this dress, and it really suited their figures and made them look elegant. They each took one; Qiao Qiru's was black, and Zhou Wanwan's was off-white.
"Beautiful, Grandma is beautiful."
"Grandma looks especially good dressed like this."
Little Bao nodded seriously. They also have an aesthetic sense; after seeing a lot, they know what looks good.
Fang Xinyu's face immediately turned red, feeling a little too embarrassed.
"These are garments from a foreign-invested garment factory?! That's quite different from our domestic garment factories. If that's the case, it will definitely be impacted."
Zhang Hong had never been to the South, but he had heard that things were less troublesome there, and that attracting investment would definitely impact domestic factories.
“Uncle Zhang, the south is completely different now. The economy there has improved significantly since the reform and opening up. There are so many more people setting up stalls, and the clothes are much nicer than here. The styles are different, and they've been building factories there all the time. The wages there are much higher than ours.”
Su Feng also talked about his experiences in the south, telling me everything he knew and heard.
"Why did you go to the store too?!"
Fang Xinyu had already ruled out the textile factory in her mind, but she felt that being a sales clerk was also a good job, as it used to be the most sought-after and secure job.
"Because the government now allows street vending, there will be individual businesses and more and more vendors. With so many vendors selling things, the prices are cheaper and the service is better than in stores. But you don't have to queue, you have to fight for things, you have to use tickets. Where would you rather buy from?!"
Qiao pointed out the facts, because if it were her, she would also go to the more convenient place to buy things, since it's all about spending money anyway, right?!
"Xiaoru is right. There are a lot of privately owned restaurants in Beijing now. The food is not as good as the state-run restaurants, but the service is good, the environment is good, and the food is expensive."
Zhang Hong had been to private restaurants a few times and knew a bit about them; the same principle applied to the state-run restaurants and department stores.
Fang Xinyu thought about it and compared the two options. She felt that if she were in that situation, she wouldn't care about department stores or supply and marketing cooperatives. As long as it was convenient, the service was good, and the price was the same, she would definitely choose the better one.
"Xiaoru, Huaiyuan, thank you for telling me about this situation. Of course, we will go to the textile factory or the store where our daughter-in-law works."
"Sister-in-law, actually Meiling is retiring within the next ten years. This is also a good thing, after all, she still has to support the country."
"No matter how much the country supports it, how long can it last? The country also needs to develop. I heard that many factories are not making much profit now, and there are very few that are losing money."
"If you put it that way, this factory is indeed a top choice."
...
The two families chatted from the time they finished eating until about 8:30 p.m., when the Su family left to go home.
Half an hour later, the family returned home one after another, quickly washed up and rested, because they had class and school the next day.
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