Chapter 313 A resolute decision to fulfill a long-held, secret wish.
A trip to Shenzhen for an inspection?
Looking at the "invitation" in her hand, Qin Xiangxiang couldn't deny that she was tempted. Shenzhen was a special economic zone! It was connected to Hong Kong Island, and it also had the Chung Ying Street, which had been revitalized!
In Chung Ying Street, you can buy imported goods directly! Qin Xiangxiang is no longer interested in things like color TVs; she's now more interested in imported "cosmetics."
What woman doesn't love beauty and looking pretty?
If you're looking to buy imported cosmetics and skincare products, Chung Ying Street also offers a variety of gold and pearl jewelry! A cheongsam is best paired with pearls—pearl earrings, pearl necklaces, especially necklaces of different sizes. Layering pearl necklaces with a cheongsam, along with drawn eyebrows and lipstick, makes her a stunningly beautiful woman of Shanghai's glamorous past.
Besides cosmetics, there's also delicious food. The land transport routes between Shenzhen and Hong Kong Island are filled with various trucks transporting goods back and forth every day. In Shenzhen, you can eat Australian lobsters that are transported directly from Hong Kong Island that day, and you can also drink Hong Kong's famous milk tea.
There are also buffets, music cafes, coffee shops, and dance halls where you can watch young people dance ballroom dances... and even more importantly, video arcades!
Although Feiyan Textile Factory also has a video hall, it doesn't show as many movies as Shenzhen. They have the advantage of being close to the source; what appears in Hong Kong in the morning can appear in Shenzhen in the afternoon. Countless people come and go every day.
Shenzhen is a vibrant and promising place! A goldmine in the eyes of many.
As a bit of a drama queen, Qin Xiangxiang really wanted to go to the special economic zone to catch up with the trends and see more new things. At this time, compared with special economic zones like Shenzhen, Shanghai was already a bit behind. The most fashionable entertainment was at most going to stroll along the Bund.
In addition, the situation in special economic zones is more "flexible," meaning that any situation is allowed to be tried, and all bold ideas can be carried out in the special zones, which allow for "trial and error."
Qin Xiangxiang wasn't interested in panning for gold; she just wanted to see what it was like and keep up with the times. People in Shanghai love to follow trends and are unwilling to fall behind. They want to try anything new, even something as trivial as poop.
Furthermore—
Qin Xiangxiang also has a secret, long-cherished wish.
She wanted Li Jianzhi to look like a "country bumpkin" in front of her!
Hmph, wait until she uses imported cosmetics to create a trendy, modern look, and see if this guy can still stay calm.
"Go to Shenzhen? Now?" Wang Youyou blurted out, "The Canton Fair is only a month away, Factory Director, you have to be there to oversee it!"
"We don't know anyone there. I've heard that just getting there takes three days and three nights of travel!"
Traveling from Shanghai to Shenzhen is roughly equivalent to traversing the north and south of China.
In 1982, there were no direct trains or flights from Shanghai to Shenzhen. The only option was to travel by land, first taking a train to Guangzhou, which took about a day, or 24 hours. From Guangzhou, one would then take a train or a bus to Shenzhen, which would take 30 hours. Including transfers and waiting time, it would take three days and three nights, which is an exaggeration, but it was also normal.
Besides land routes, another option is sea passenger ships. Departing from the Shiliupu Wharf in Shanghai, they travel south along the southeast coast, eventually reaching Guangzhou. The sea voyage takes approximately 60-70 hours, or two to three days and two nights.
The passenger ship from Shanghai to Guangzhou is similar to the Changzheng passenger ship. It is a thousand-ton-class passenger ship with five types of cabins: first class is a two-person cabin, second class is a four-person cabin, third class is a bunk bed for eight to twelve people, and fourth class is a large dormitory for dozens of people...
As a division-level cadre, Qin Xiangxiang could afford a second-class ticket. Although shipping took longer, it was definitely more comfortable than land transport.
"Factory manager, I've inquired. Even if you take the fastest passenger ship, the Long March, to Guangzhou, it will take two days and three nights. Then you have to travel from Guangzhou to Shenzhen. The round trip will take almost a week."
"We also have to cross the strait, the wind and waves are big, and we get seasick... I heard that after we get there, we have to apply for a 'border permit' first, which is a real hassle."
Upon learning that Qin Xiangxiang was planning to personally visit Pengcheng for an inspection, the people in the factory were somewhat "worried." They talked about the hardships of the journey, not knowing whether they were trying to persuade Qin Xiangxiang or themselves.
Shenzhen! A special economic zone! Who wouldn't want to go and see it?
But the journey was so long, and it was in a special border area, with highway robbers and bandits on the road... making people tremble with fear.
"Have the people in the factory go directly to the Shiliupu Wharf and buy a whole set of third-class tickets. Eight to twelve people from our factory will go together to investigate and see the special economic zones in the south."
A third-class cabin can accommodate about twelve people. The factory staff booked a third-class cabin, and Qin Xiangxiang also planned to bring a military spouse as a representative.
"Is the factory manager really going to Shenzhen?"
"Her resolute decision to venture into the deep waters of market economy reform is truly admirable!"
Qin Xiangxiang: "..."
It's just a trip to the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, not some dangerous adventure, yet they "resolutely" went.
Speechless.
Back home, Qin Xiangxiang announced her "feat" of going to Shenzhen Special Economic Zone for an inspection during a family reunion over the weekend.
"Wow! Mom, you're going to the Special Economic Zone!"
"Go south, you can go to Hong Kong Island."
"Mom, do you want to try buying stocks?" Li Qingfeng, the only teenage boy in the family, was eager to try his hand at capital stocks. "I heard from people at school that some people have made a fortune trading foreign exchange in Shenzhen."
"Mom, your trip to Shenzhen really put you at the forefront of reform!"
Qin Xiangxiang snorted softly, thinking to herself: Your mother is going to buy cosmetics!
Li Jianzhi whispered a word of advice: "Be careful when you go to the special economic zone. Be cautious and don't be too hasty. There are many traps in the various land agreements, foreign exchange controls, and joint venture clauses there. Don't fall into their traps."
"The more exaggerated the claims, the more careful you should be. Only liars use sweet talk."
Qin Xiangxiang: "You're making it sound like I'm about to brave a dragon's den or a tiger's lair."
Li Qingfeng: "Mom, that's the Dragon's Pool and Tiger's Den!"
Li Jianzhi: "Better safe than sorry."
"What you're saying is making me a little uneasy..." However, Qin Xiangxiang decided to remain calm and wait for the right opportunity. She planned to set a rule: "delay" everything, at least to avoid being deceived.
"Li Jianzhi, I want to call you every day."
"Okay, call the base if you need anything and discuss it with me. I'll give you some advice. However, other people's ideas can only be used as a reference most of the time. You still have to make your own decision."
Li Jianzhi pressed down on the back of her hand: "Don't worry too much. It's normal to make mistakes when you're young. Go and try it out, go and see the new world."
Qin Xiangxiang rested her chin on her hand: "You guys really think I'm too ambitious."
Could it be that this inexplicably lazy factory manager has run into trouble after going to Shenzhen?
If the car crashes, she'll just lie down and go home, becoming withdrawn and a couch potato.
Actually, this is for the best. The aura of "Director Qin" is too strong, and she should be brought down from her pedestal to reduce the attention others are paying to her.
Now, even the smallest thing she does attracts attention, which makes her very uncomfortable.
Ultimately, Qin Xiangxiang is just an ordinary person. Her biggest life goal is still to live a life of leisure and waiting to die. Or rather, to eat and drink well and wait to die. Although she has some ambition now, it is nothing more than to lead everyone in the factory to "eat and drink well and wait to die together."
After finishing dinner, Qin Xiangxiang washed up, changed into her pajamas, and sat in front of the mirror to comb her hair, feeling a little vain. She felt that her appearance hadn't changed much compared to ten years ago; she had a full and beautiful oval face, and her skin looked so tender and juicy when she smiled.
If we're talking about subtle changes, it's true that the skin on my face looks a little thinner.
“Li Jianzhi, I’m going to Chung Ying Street to buy imported cosmetics. I’m going to get my hair permed and put on some pretty makeup. When you see me, you’ll probably think I’m some country bumpkin and mistake me for some kind of vixen.”
Thinking of this scene, Qin Xiangxiang was overjoyed. She didn't care about the dangers or the dangers; she was just happy!
Her deadbeat husband always acted "calm and collected," as if he had seen everything new. He was clearly an ignorant guy, but he pretended to be "I've seen it all" and "it's nothing special."
Li Jianzhi's lips twitched: "..."
“Wife, I think you should change your mind,” Li Jianzhi pondered for a moment, “no demon or monster can scare me.”
It's worth noting that Li Jianzhi was born in 1988. When he was young, he experienced the era of internet "Shamate" and "non-mainstream" culture. Things like "Funeral Love Family" and "Martian language" were all things that were already outdated back then.
He had seen all sorts of oddballs when he was young.
His wife thought that in the 1980s, the most one could do was wear an outrageous "smoky eye" makeup. And sure enough, in the 1980s and 1990s, smoky eye makeup was indeed the most fashionable.
Girls in this era are different from girls in the future. When young girls wear makeup, they pursue a "no-makeup look," wanting to look clean and fresh, ideally without people noticing that they are wearing makeup, but in reality, they are. That is the ultimate goal.
Of course, there are also some exaggerated ones, like those with big eyes and wearing colored contact lenses. Those who take travel photos all have super big eye bags made up, making them look like the eyes of 3D dolls.
Makeup was different in the 1980s. Now, people are more focused on "looking made up" and letting others know that they are wearing makeup and that they are fashionable people, not country bumpkins.
Smoky makeup, tank tops, hot pants, rock music... People who dress boldly are really bold. Around the turn of the millennium, tank tops were everywhere, and crop tops that exposed the navel were popular for a long time. Some people even went so far as to "beautify" their navels to make them look better.
Qin Xiangxiang shouted, "I don't believe it!"
"Fine, fine, you give it a try." Li Jianzhi was helpless. At the same time, he was also looking forward to seeing a different kind of wife, even if she had an afro or panda eyes, he could accept it.
“Let’s try everything, let’s try anything new.” Li Jianzhi sat down beside her, took her hand, and gently kissed the back of her hand. “I hope that even when you’re in your eighties, my wife, you’ll still have the heart of a young girl.”
Qin Xiangxiang felt a little awkward: "...How pretentious."
There was nothing he could do, Li Jianzhi thought to himself, "Who told me to be a naval officer for two lifetimes? I'm just so ignorant."
Having not witnessed much of the everyday love and life of ordinary people, but rather the life of someone adrift at sea, I glimpse the emotional lives of men and women through romantic books, novels, and films.
Many experienced comrades advised that you should spend more money on your wife, buy her designer bags when you go on business trips, and pamper her like a princess... and say sweet words to her as much as possible.
In the past, communication was poor, and people often lost contact at sea. They were similar to the crew members, a group that was prone to running away with their wives and girlfriends.
Later, officers allowed soldiers to carry their cell phones at all times, and soldiers could access their phones during meals and breaks to contact their families and girlfriends.
Even with a mobile phone, in many situations, it can only be used as an online chat pet.
"If you don't become more charming, your girlfriend might run away."
Li Jianzhi used to "disdain" these kinds of advice, especially the so-called "sweet words," but after serving in the army for so many years, he had indeed heard many stories of military romances and his comrades chatting with their girlfriends on their phones, being as clingy as could be.
Now I have someone I love.
It's so sticky, I never find it greasy.
Even though more than a decade has passed, he is still willing to be with her and try to experience more new things, even if these things are not unfamiliar to him, they become new because of her presence.
I envision my wife and I growing up together in our eighties, taking our grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and perhaps even great-grandchildren to Disneyland.
I bet she'll turn into a trendy, picky old lady who'll complain that everything in the amusement park is pre-made and super, super awful.
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