Chapter 122
This summer is destined to be uneasy.
First, at the beginning of the month, a policy was announced to cancel welfare housing distribution, which means that real estate will be completely market-oriented from now on.
Although the cotton textile factory has closed down, Wang Mengmei still feels nervous.
If they had not decided on a house early on, would their family still have to live in that cramped one-bedroom apartment now that the housing allocation has been cancelled?
Even when the factory went bankrupt, Wang Mengmei was still very fortunate.
"If the bank goes bankrupt this year, I'm afraid we won't be able to pay out much compensation."
There are simply too many factories that have closed down. Since the beginning of the year, factories in Taocheng have been closing down one after another. Jian Feng has traveled to the three northeastern provinces several times and found that there are even more factories that have closed down.
The three northeastern provinces are at the forefront of urbanization, so they are of course the most affected when factories close down.
I thought this incident was bad enough, but just a few days after the news came out, people were talking about floods again.
Jian Feng no longer went out to deliver goods, and spent the whole day sitting at home, frowning and reading the news.
At this moment, Jian Li said she wanted to go to the capital.
The whole family disagreed.
Jian Feng felt that the weather was weird this year, with so much rain that it seemed like it would never stop. Being outside was not as safe as being at home.
Wang Mengmei was worried about Jian Li going alone.
Jian Li: "It's no big deal, just come with my dad and me."
Anyway, there are fewer students during the summer vacation, so Ni Hao can also make about 50% of the other things in the store.
“I haven’t seen the Forbidden City yet!”
Actually, I have seen it. In my previous life, Jian Li worked as a social animal in the capital. During the holidays, her classmates and friends would come to visit her. She would go to the Forbidden City seven or eight times a year. She would go to the Eheyuan Garden more than ten times, and even the Great Wall at least three times.
but……
She had never seen the capital at that time.
Wang Mengmei was also moved.
Jian Feng looked at the calendar and said, "I can spare five days."
Jian Li said excitedly: "That's enough!"
Wang Mengmei: "I need to buy some clothes and borrow a camera..."
This time she goes out, she plans to take some good photos.
At least take a photo in front of Tiananmen Square.
It was a rare occasion for the family to travel together, and Wang Mengmei was busy packing.
Jian Feng also went to Kong Guorong to ask for leave.
It takes eight hours on a green train to get from Taocheng to the capital.
Wang Mengmei took out the small red leather suitcase that came with her dowry, but Jian Li thought it was too small.
"Ask my dad to buy another one. The leather on this one is getting old."
Buy a suitcase.
Wang Mengmei hesitated: "Is it really that old?"
This box was the most valuable item in her dowry. The dowry that Zhao Chunlan saved up to buy for her was extremely shabby, and Wang Menglan couldn't stand it, so she bought this box with her own money. Even so, on the wedding day, Zhao Chunlan deliberately hid the box under the bed, thinking that Wang Mengmei would not be able to take it away.
This was the first time that Jian Li heard about this.
This incident also reminded her of her previous life.
When she was in college, Wang Mengmei gave her a red box to carry her things. The box was heavy and had no wheels. Jian Li carried the box for more than a thousand kilometers, but before she entered the school gate, the box broke.
The box was broken open, with clothes and other items scattered all over the floor.
At that time, Jian Li was not yet the strong woman who was adept at working in the workplace. She was just a sensitive and fragile little girl.
After finally reaching the dormitory, she received a call from Wang Mengmei, who attributed all the troubles along the way to the red box, and told her in an intense tone how much trouble the box had caused her.
Contrary to her usual practice, Wang Mengmei did not argue with her. She just muttered to herself, "I shouldn't do that. I was reluctant to use that box and kept it at home. It should be in good condition."
Jian Li was so angry that she put the red box in the dormitory for storage. When graduation season came and everything was in chaos, she didn't know who picked it up.
Thinking of this, Jian Li held her mother's hand.
"Mom, let's get this box fixed. Look at this place, the screws are loose."
Wang Mengmei took a look and found that the screws were indeed loose, and even the hinges on it were a little loose.
"After we repair it, we'll buy a new one and keep this one at home."
Jian Feng happened to hear the word "buy" and answered from the balcony: "Buy! Buy two!"
This is his motto now: whatever his wife has, his daughter should also have it, and whatever his daughter has, his wife should also buy it.
Jian Li: "I'm really afraid that one day I'll bring someone back and my dad will ask me to date two of them!"
Wang Mengmei: "...You two are both crazy."
*****
After packing her things, Wang Mengmei still felt that everything was unreal until she caught the bus.
It was not until the three of us sat face to face on the train that joy gradually took over.
Seeing her mother touching here and there, Jian Li asked, "Mom, have you ever been on a train before?"
Wang Mengmei: "How come I haven't ridden it before? Listen carefully, your mother went to Guangzhou when the railway was first opened!"
Jian Li suddenly realized how little she knew about her parents.
Why didn't she hear her mother talk about going to the South in her previous life?
Wang Mengmei said proudly: "At that time, the household contract responsibility system had just been implemented, and I went to work in the factory with a few other girls from the village."
Zhao Chunlan had just married her eldest daughter at that time. Her second daughter had been learning cooking in the village after school. Later, when she heard that there was more money to be made in the south, Zhao Chunlan simply quit her daughter's job and urged her to go south to work.
Wang Mengmei was so ignorant at that time that she followed a distant cousin there in a daze.
After she arrived there, she was arranged to work in a small private factory. Wang Mengmei worked honestly for a month, but after getting her salary, she found out that she had been cheated. The monthly salary was supposed to be 200 yuan, but in the end she was only given 50 yuan.
She was so angry that some of the other girls who went with her refused to join her, while others chose to stay in the south.
Jian Li exclaimed: "If you had taken root in the south at that time, you might have become rich by now."
Wang Mengmei rolled her eyes: "Is it that easy to get rich?"
In the 1980s, it was impossible to enter the factory without an introduction. They couldn't find a job outside that small private factory.
There were some people who came forward to introduce themselves, but when asked, they were either cleaning in a hotel or serving dishes in a private restaurant.
It sounds good, giving seven or eight hundred a month.
Does Wang Mengmei dare to go?
What kind of gold-rimmed plate costs seven or eight hundred yuan?
I'm afraid I'm the dish on the plate.
She didn't go, but some of her companions were tempted.
They parted at the train station and took completely different paths.
"And what happened next?"
Wang Mengmei thought about it, and later, one of the sisters really made it in the South.
Wearing gold earrings and gold bracelets, she brought a little girl home for the Chinese New Year. People in the village said she was a mistress.
The other party also found me, who had just gotten married, and persuaded me to go to the south as well.
"I know you all look down on me, but Xiaomei, I swear to God I won't cheat you. If you go to the south, I will find you a job that is absolutely decent."
The little sister complained to Wang Mengmei, saying that although she had no worries about food and clothing now, she just couldn't touch that man's money.
So I wanted to find someone from my own family to go. If she could fit in, that would be great, but if she couldn't, she would guarantee to find another job.
Wang Mengmei was tempted, but ultimately she didn't agree.
Jian Li turned around and asked Jian Feng, "Dad, have you ever been on a train?"
Jian Feng nodded: "Before you were born, I went to a factory in the south to study."
The cotton textile factory was booming at that time and he almost got promoted.
But the one who was born was Jian Li, who is such a troublesome person. If all the burdens of the family were placed on Wang Mengmei, I'm afraid she wouldn't be able to handle it.
Jian Li was a little unhappy: "I don't want to be so annoying."
She felt a little uncomfortable, as if it was because of her that her parents had embarked on such a difficult road.
Wang Mengmei was both amused and confused: "I never told your dad that I blame you."
In fact, in the process of raising Jianli, they also enjoyed the entire experience of being parents.
"When you were little, you were so well behaved. You would smile whenever someone teased you on the street, and the security guard would give you candy when he saw you..."
Such a big baby brought them so much joy.
Jian Feng also nodded: "If you go to my team once, a lot of people will line up to hug you."
Jian Li was very cute when she was a child. She would lie at the door of the factory and call out "Dad". A bunch of old men would look at Jian Feng with jealousy.
Jian Li held her cheek and felt better.
Jian Feng looked out the window: "Life is much better now."
The three of them can all go to the capital to watch the flag-raising ceremony!
The green train stopped and started frequently. Wang Mengmei took out a few cucumbers, tomatoes and boiled eggs from her bag.
The weather was too hot and she didn't want to prepare any other food. If it went bad in the end, it would be a big loss.
Jian Li crunched down a cucumber and asked Wang Mengmei if she had bought instant noodles.
Wang Mengmei: "Why buy instant noodles? Eat food from the dining car."
Of course she knows it's expensive, but now that her family's income has increased, she doesn't want to go out and live a frugal life.
Jian Li: "...then just buy two."
She won't eat the disgusting train lunch!
Wang Mengmei bought two boxes, but after taking two bites she didn't want to eat anymore and stuffed both boxes to Jian Feng.
The train swayed to one of the stations and someone was shouting and selling barbecued chicken on the platform.
Jian Li: "Give me a roast chicken!"
The roasted chicken is crispy, soft and juicy, the chicken skin is very fragrant, the meat inside is tender and not dry, and it is particularly tasty.
Wang Mengmei took one bite and praised, "It tastes better than what I cook."
People still need to go out and walk around, so that they can gain more knowledge.
Eight hours passed as the family enjoyed themselves eating and drinking.
When we arrived in the capital, it was already past five in the afternoon.
Everyone got off the bus in a group. Jian Feng protected his wife and daughter and said, "Don't worry. This is the final stop. We can leave later."
There were too many people carrying large and small bags, and everyone was crowded in front of the small car door. Jian Feng looked around vigilantly, afraid of encountering a thief.
By the time the three of them walked out of the train station, an hour had passed.
Jian Feng had bought a map in advance and was looking for a place on the map.
Jian Li stopped a taxi and said, "Go to Dongdan."
The family took a bus to Dongdan and found a place to stay nearby.
Early the next morning, Jian Li witnessed her parents' "special forces tour".
Jian Feng held the map and said, "Let's go to the Forbidden City in the morning, Yiheyuan in the afternoon, and Shichahai in the evening. Tomorrow morning we'll go to the Great Wall, afternoon to Yuanmingyuan, and evening to eat roast duck. The day after tomorrow we'll watch the flag-raising ceremony and the Memorial Hall, afternoon to Huaqing University and Peking University..."
Wang Mengmei: "Wrong, wrong, there is also a zoo and Tiantan!"
Jian Li: ...
She lay down on the bed and said, "You guys go ahead. I plan to die of exhaustion first."
Having fun for three days was like dreaming back to the time in my last life when I hosted three waves of classmates during the National Day holiday.
Wang Mengmei: "Then what are you going to do?"
With so many attractions to visit, don’t you have to hurry if you want to visit them all?
Jian Li turned over and sat up: "I don't care, I want to go eat first."
So an hour later, the family sat in a breakfast shop with three bowls in front of them.
Wang Mengmei stared at the gray-green thing and frowned, "Is this thing... drinkable?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
