Chapter 88
Zhen Zhen remembered that the educated youth was called Qian Ziyi. He later passed the university entrance exam and returned to the city. It has been several years now.
"Qian Ziyi will soon graduate from college, right?"
Song Xiaoyu shook her head. "I don't know the details, but they often wrote to each other, talking about their ideals and the future. I felt that they had a chance, but my sister didn't think so. She was married and had children, while Qian Ziyi was still a college student. My sister had low self-esteem and was afraid that Qian Ziyi would be criticized by others."
"What does Qian Ziyi say?" Meng Li asked.
"Qian Ziyi seemed to have expressed this idea, but my sister didn't dare to take a step forward, thinking that the gap between the two of them was too big and it wouldn't work out."
Zhen Zhen didn't think it was a big deal. Times had changed. For a married woman with children, finding an unmarried man was really not a big deal.
In fact, some things in this era are more open-minded than those in later generations. Many women do not get a marriage certificate when they get married. If they cannot live well with one man, they will live with another man. They do not even need to go through the divorce procedures and can just walk away.
Zhen Zhen: "After marriage, her in-laws may not support her career, so she should focus on her career."
Song Xiaoyu nodded, "My mother said the same thing."
Meng Li felt it was a pity. Jiang Dongping's colleague had good character and conditions. "It was the first time in my life that I was a matchmaker, but it didn't work out."
Zhen Zhen laughed and said, "How old are you and you're already rushing to be a matchmaker?"
Meng Li chuckled, "I have nothing to do now, right? How about I introduce one to you?"
"Me? Oh my god, I don't know how comfortable my life is these days. How could I be so depressed that I would find a man to cause trouble for myself?"
Zhen Zhen doesn't want to find a man, at least not in this life.
Sometimes life can become much easier if you just change your perspective.
Jiao Huilan and Tao Aihong came back pushing their bicycles. The children jumped off the bicycles and chattered about the phone call.
The Zhenxin Food Factory's telephone number has been installed, and the next step is to print the telephone number on the packaging.
"Grandma, the telephone is amazing. My dad even called my uncle." Meng Nan said happily.
Zhen Zhen smiled: "What did your uncle say?"
"My uncle is going to Hong Kong to open a gold and jewelry store. My dad said Hong Kong is too far away and asked him to take good care of himself."
Hong Kong started early and the market was booming. If jade and pearls from the mainland could be transported to Hong Kong and paired with gold jewellery, the business would surely be good.
"Your uncle is right. It will take several more years before the mainland gold market opens up."
"My uncle is really amazing, grandma, let's go to Hong Kong for a trip in the future!"
"OK."
"I asked my uncle to send me a postcard, but I don't know how long it will take to arrive." Meng Nan muttered.
With Zhen Zhen's help, the business in Batou Village is in full swing. Women are very mobile and dare to work hard for money. They work during the day and learn new sewing techniques at night.
It’s been less than half a year, and with the support of Focus Clothing, they have already earned back the money they earned from the machines.
Zhen Zhen stocked up a lot of goods for the trade fair. The machines in Batou Village are about to start smoking. After paying off the loans for the machines, what's left is profit. As summer is approaching, Secretary Wang and Li Decheng discuss distributing dividends to everyone.
Secretary Wang carefully calculated the accounts and found that everyone could get 500 yuan!
In the past, the whole family could not earn more than 100 or 200 yuan from farm work for a year. Now, they have earned 500 yuan in less than half a year. Which woman would not be happy?
If you make a lot of money, you can hold your head high at home and not do the housework you don't want to do. If men dare to talk back, you can give them a cold shoulder!
Unknowingly, the status of women in Batou Village became higher than that of men.
Zhang Cuihua and Gou Zi's mother came specially on behalf of the village, bringing a cart of things, saying they wanted to thank Zhen Zhen.
"I know you don't need anything, so I brought you some cured meats, sausages, pickles, etc., all homemade."
Zhen Zhen smiled and said, "I'm sorry for the expense. Please thank the villagers for me."
"It's too late for them to thank you. You introduced all the jobs. If it weren't for your help, how could we all get so many jobs?" Gou Ziniang said, hanging the bacon and sausages at the door, "You have so many employees, they will be eaten in a few days."
Zhang Cuihua's youngest son also helped to move the rice and flour into the house.
Zhen Zhen does eat quickly here. She never demands too much from her employees when it comes to food. There is no need to, and she doesn't lack that little money.
Although supplies are scarce these days, Zhen Zhen has space, so she always stores some seasonal and cheap fruits and vegetables and eats them when the season is out.
Last fall she stored several hundred kilograms of oranges, persimmons, and apples, and recently she has stored a lot of mulberries and cherries. When watermelons become cheaper in the summer, she will store more. The watermelons she is eating now are the ones she stored last year. It is still very delicious to take them out occasionally to satisfy her hunger.
Zhang Cuihua secretly teased Zhen Zhen, "Help Gou Zi's mother and I pick out two nice clothes for us to wear when we go to Beijing."
Zhen Zhen smiled, took them both to the warehouse, took out the newly made new models, and said, "Choose!"
The two were dazzled by the selection. Gou Zi Niang and Zhang Cuihua didn't know how to choose, so Zhen Zhen asked them to try them on. After more than half an hour, they finally each picked out two sets of summer clothes to wear in Beijing.
"Have you prepared the letter of introduction?" asked Gou Zi's mother.
"It's open."
"We both have the food stamps and miscellaneous tickets. You don't need to take any."
Zhen Zhen has no shortage of tickets. "It's okay. If you don't have enough, ask Meng Hua for them. Who asked him to be in Beijing?"
Tao Aihong watched them sneak into the warehouse. When they came out, Zhang Cuihua and Gou Zi's mother were both smiling and mumbling, which showed that something fishy was going on.
Tao Aihong told Meng Eryong about this.
Meng Eryong was stunned. "You are the one who is hiding something! Your whole family is hiding something! My mother has a good relationship with Aunt Cuihua and Gouzi's mother. Does this have anything to do with you?"
Meng Eryong is busy with decoration work in the factory every day. He is exhausted and has to listen to Tao Aihong's mumbling when he gets home.
He doesn't like to get hung up on trivial matters.
Tao Aihong slapped him on the back and said, "You don't understand what I mean. Their trip to Beijing this time is definitely not just to sell clothes."
"How much more complicated can it be?"
"Maybe he'll go traveling secretly without telling us!"
Meng Eryong laughed when he heard this. He took off his shoes and hummed:
"My mother earns her own money and spends it herself. Even if she really goes out to travel, it is none of your business! Don't forget whose food you eat and whose money you spend, who pays for the children's education, and who takes care of the children! Also, don't forget whose name this Zhenxin Food Factory is in!"
Tao Aihong became angrier the more she listened. What a bad guy! He has such bad intentions!
"Shouldn't mother take us with her when she goes on a trip?"
"I don't have time to go. Just tell me I should take you."
Tao Aihong curled her lips. Although she had been to Vancouver and Guangzhou several times with Jiao Huilan, Jiao Huilan was a thrifty person and was reluctant to spend even a penny more.
Every time she bought goods, she would buy a ticket to come back. She didn’t even have a photo of herself in the big city.
Tao Aihong also wanted to go out and travel so that she could show off to others when she came back.
Meng Eryong was too lazy to pay attention to her. After a trip to the island country, his mind became broader. In addition, his mother often encouraged and recognized him, so he also wanted to make a career like his eldest brother and third brother.
It's impossible that when people mention the sons of the Meng family, they only know the eldest son and the youngest son and ignore the second son, right?
Meng Eryong fell asleep immediately, too lazy to argue with her.
Tao Aihong was very angry, so she called Sanwa and asked him to find out what happened.
Sanwa ignored her, "Mom, why do you stare at my grandma every day?"
"Since when have I been staring at your breasts every day!"
"You still refuse to admit it. You know exactly which meal my grandma ate an extra piece of pork ribs at."
Sanwa carried his schoolbag and a bench and went to the yard to do his homework.
The man and son were confused by their mother-in-law and did not understand her at all. Tao Aihong was very angry. Fortunately, Meng Laidi came back quietly, so Tao Aihong took Meng Laidi and whispered to him.
Meng Laidi is also a troublemaker. When she hears Tao Aihong talking about her parents' shortcomings, she becomes angry. She gives Tao Aihong advice and asks her to split up the family.
"Split up the family?" Tao Aihong widened her eyes.
She is the cricket grandmother behind the scenes, but she has never thought about dividing the family property! Maybe she thought about it before when she was in Batou Village, but now everyone knows that the grandmother is a cash cow. If she wants to divide the family property, wouldn’t she be pushing the family property away?
Tao Aihong looked at Meng Laidi as if she was a fool, and Meng Laidi said anxiously:
"You are stupid! If you want to split up the family business, just take the food factory with you!"
Tao Aihong was stunned. My goodness, Meng Laidi was really bold. Even she didn't dare to have such a wild idea as to divide the food factory! Meng Laidi actually dared to have such a dream.
Tao Aihong suddenly felt that there was something wrong with this man's brain.
The weather was hot, and Meng Nan woke up in the middle of the night. From a distance, she saw her father taking her talcum powder out. Meng Nan was stunned, always feeling that her parents were doing something sneaky every day.
Could it be that he really ate snacks secretly?
Hasn’t he finished eating the snacks his dad brought back from the island country last time?
The more Meng Nan thought about it, the more likely it seemed. She followed him out stealthily, and quietly peeked out from under the toilet window. From a distance, she saw her father standing in the dim light, struggling to wash something.
"What are you doing?"
When Meng Daguo turned around, he saw a black shadow with loose hair lying at the toilet window. He was so scared that he almost cried for his mother. When he looked more closely, he found that this "female ghost" looked a little familiar.
"Da Ya?"
Meng Daguo quickly put the things in his hands behind his buttocks.
Meng Nan walked over suspiciously, "Dad, what are you doing sneaking around every night? Are you eating behind our backs?"
Meng Daguo's face turned red with embarrassment. He was not stealing anything, he was just washing condoms!
He and Jiao Huilan had sex frequently, but he didn't want to have a fourth child and was afraid that vasectomy would be unsafe, so he had to use condoms.
Wash it thoroughly after each use, let it dry, and apply talcum powder on it, so you can continue using it next time.
Washing condoms is embarrassing enough. He always waited until everyone was asleep before sneaking into the restroom to wash them. Who would have thought that he would be caught by his maid?
"What nonsense are you talking about? Whenever Dad has something delicious, he always asks you to come first."
Meng Nan grabbed his arm and wanted to see it. Meng Daguo was so embarrassed that he had to beg for mercy:
"One dollar! Dad will give you one dollar tomorrow!"
Meng Nan was like a little fox who had succeeded. "Two dollars! Dad, not a penny less."
“Two is too much!”
"Then I'll call Erya and Siya over here? Let them see what our dad does secretly in the kitchen every night!"
Meng Daguo had a terrible headache and had no idea what to do with this girl. He could only spend money to deal with the disaster. He promised to give her 2 yuan and let her go back to sleep.
After finally washing the condoms clean, Meng Daguo took the dried condoms back home when Jiao Huilan was reading by lamplight.
When he told this, Jiao Huilan was so embarrassed that she said, "You are grown up now. We should be more careful next time."
"You little girl, you only know how to extort money! I don't know who you resemble in this personality!" Meng Daguo said, and thinking back to the scene just now, he couldn't help laughing, "You're right, our daughters are grown up, and it's not convenient for us to live together. Our family is making money now, so if it really doesn't work, we can build a house and let the children live in one room each."
"Isn't there enough land?"
"We can add a floor to our bungalow, so we can just add one floor. It will save money and space."
Jiao Huilan did not disagree, but the decision on this matter still had to be made by her mother-in-law.
The next day, Meng Daguo told Zhen Zhen about this. Zhen Zhen didn't object, but was puzzled as to why he suddenly wanted to build a house.
Meng Daguo's face turned red when his mother asked him the question. He hesitated for a long time but couldn't give a reason.
Zhen Zhen called Meng Nan over, and after Meng Nan's vivid description, Zhen Zhen roughly guessed what was going on.
Zhen Zhen smiled and pinched Meng Nan's little face, "Your father and your mother also need to live a married life, and they also need private space."
"What is married life?"
Zhen Zhen explained it tactfully, and Meng Nan's eyes widened, "Mom and Dad want to give birth to Liu Ya?"
"You can't have sex without having children? You're old now, it's time for you to sleep in separate rooms. It would be a good idea to build a building so that everyone can live in a more spacious room."
When the family wanted to build a house, Tao Aihong raised her hands and feet in approval, "It should have been built a long time ago. So many people are crowded into these few bungalows. It's so crowded."
To buy the bricks needed to build the house, you have to find someone to approve them, and you also have to go to the street office to give a heads-up. As for manpower, Meng Dajian and Meng Dazhu can just find a few people in the village.
There is no need for Zhen Zhen to keep an eye on the housework. There are employees in the store, and Zhen Zhen's mind is focused on promoting Zhenxin instant noodles.
Zhenxin instant noodles are selling well, but the market share is still very low. To promote instant noodles, offices must be set up in major cities.
Zhen Zhen thought, if the product is really popular in Beijing, why not start promoting it from Beijing?
This time she went to Beijing, she wanted to set up an office in Beijing and hire a few salesmen to promote instant noodles.
The weather was getting hotter, so Zhen Zhen put on a hat and sunglasses, took his ID, and got on the train with a pale face, watched by the children.
Meng Daguo looked worried: "Mom, be careful and don't get tired!"
Meng Eryong seemed to be sending his daughter off on a long journey, "Mom, spend the money as it should be spent, don't mistreat yourself. Call home if you have anything to say."
Zhen Zhen sighed, waved his hand with deep hatred, and did not take away a single cloud.
When the train was two miles away, she, Zhang Cuihua and Gou Zi's mother could not help looking at each other and laughing.
"Oh my god, I've never been so outrageous in my life!" Zhang Cuihua laughed so hard that tears came out.
Gouzi's mother also laughed happily, "This is the first time I've taken a train since I was a child. I didn't know the wind on the train felt like this."
Outside the window, there was lush greenery and distant mountains all around. Zhen Zhen looked at the scenery for a while, then felt too hot, so he put on sunglasses and a straw hat and prepared to take a nap.
She put sunglasses on Zhang Cuihua and Gou Zi's mother. They fiddled with each other for a long time and ate two eggs before reluctantly going to sleep.
In the afternoon, all three of them woke up. The car was noisy and smelled of sweat.
Zhang Cuihua went to fetch some water to make instant noodles. The passengers on the bus saw instant noodles in a bucket for the first time and looked at them curiously. A group of people smelled the aroma of the braised beef and drooled.
Some people even went to ask the train conductor if they sold bowl-shaped instant noodles on the train.
The conductor had never heard of what bowl noodles were, so the passenger pulled the conductor over to see.
The train attendant was also quite surprised. He had been working on trains for nearly ten years and had never seen this kind of instant noodles.
"Hey, ladies, are you eating instant noodles? This is the first time I've seen this kind of instant noodles."
Zhen Zhen took out a printed business card and handed it over with both hands. "I am an employee of Zhenxin Food Factory. This is instant noodles that our factory has just produced. It is especially suitable for entertaining guests at meetings and foreign guests, and is even more suitable for eating on the train."
The conductor quickly put the business card into his business card holder.
"Oh, you said too much. If we sell this on our train, it will definitely sell well!"
"If you need it, we can deliver the goods to Xinyao Railway Station and you can just pick them up on the train."
"Hey! I'll report this to the leader and see if it works. If it works, the leader will call you."
Zhen Zhen took out a box and gave it to him. "Try it first. If you think it's good, please say a few good words for us."
These days, food on trains is not outsourced. Once the railway company feels it is a good idea, Zhenxin instant noodles will be available on trains across the country. This will be a great publicity opportunity.
The conductor nodded quickly and said, "Thank you. Bucket instant noodles are very convenient for passengers. I will do my best to promote this."
The instant noodles eaten by the three people caused a sensation on the entire train, and train attendants came over to watch from time to time.
Zhen Zhen was more than happy to accept this. Judging from their reactions, there is a market for bucket instant noodles. Although many people think they are expensive, as the times progress, bucket noodles will occupy a larger market share.
The three of them chatted and laughed, and the journey went by faster than usual.
Zhen Zhen originally wanted to go to the Beijing Railway Station and find a car to go directly to Manager Qiu, but when she got out of the station, she saw Tan Wenyin coming to pick her up.
"Wen Yin, why are you here? Didn't I ask Meng Hua not to disturb you?"
Tan Wenyin smiled and said, "Mom, we haven't seen each other for more than half a year. During the Chinese New Year, I told Meng Hua that I would go back, but Meng Hua had to go on a business trip to Hong Kong and didn't have time to go home. It's a rare occasion for you to come, how could I not come to pick you up? Besides, my dad can drive, so it's quite convenient to let him drive over."
Tan Zheng stood sideways at the car door smoking. He was wearing a white shirt and black trousers. The straight seams of his trousers made his legs look strong and slender.
After all, they had been drinking, so Zhen Zhen greeted him and said, "Talk about the chief."
Tan Zheng opened the car door for her and smiled, "Are you trying to embarrass me?"
Zhang Cuihua and Gou Zi's mother were both confused. They both thought that Tan Zheng was too handsome and looked a perfect match for Zhen Guizhi when standing next to him.
"Who is this?" Zhang Cuihua asked.
"Meng Changzheng's comrade-in-arms, and also my son Meng Hua's father-in-law, is Comrade Tan Zheng."
"Oh my! This is Comrade Tan!" Zhang Cuihua said with emotion while shaking hands, "Comrade Tan Zheng is so handsome, even more handsome than Meng Changzheng when he was young! No wonder his daughter is so pretty. Not to mention, Meng Hua and Wen Yin are a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman."
Tan Zheng greeted Zhang Cuihua and Gou Zi's mother with a smile, not overly enthusiastic but not in a way that made them feel ignored either.
Tan Wenyin is not used to such jokes. She has been married to Meng Hua for more than half a year, but Meng Hua is often away on business trips, and the two do not spend much time together. Tan Wenyin has not seen Meng Hua for a month.
Tan Wenyin laughed and said:
"Auntie, you're right. My dad looked even more handsome in military uniform when he was young!"
Tan Zheng smiled and said, "So, Dad is not handsome anymore when he gets old, right?"
"You become more stable and mature as you get older!" Tan Wenyin flattered Tan Zheng and made him laugh.
Zhen Zhen also laughed, "Wen Yin, you don't know how to drive yet?"
Tan Wenyin nodded. There were not many girls who could drive these days, so she felt there was no need to learn. It was enough for Meng Hua and her father to know how to drive.
"My family only has a jeep, which is too big. My dad taught me once, but I couldn't drive it well, so I didn't learn."
Zhen Zhen disagrees. Who says girls can’t learn to drive?
No woman wants to learn this, so the car at home becomes the man’s car.
"If you are not busy at work, you can learn how to drive. Wenyin, you are a woman of the new era, don't be bound by secular frameworks. You are so beautiful, you will definitely look very cool if you put on makeup and drive a car!"
Zhang Cuihua and Gou Zi's mother also thought it was feasible. Although they were from the countryside, they were not feudal at all.
"The last time Guizhi brought home that picture, the woman was driving a red car, and the car wasn't even topped out yet!"
"Wenyin should also learn how to drive to bring honor to us women." Gouzi's mother said with a smile.
Tan Wenyin didn't want to learn how to drive at first, but after hearing what the three of them said, she actually became interested.
Zhen Zhen simply added fuel to the fire, "If Meng Hua makes money, someone has to spend it for him. If you learn to drive, he can buy you a car."
Tan Wenyin smiled sheepishly, "The car is too expensive, I can't bear to part with it!"
"What's there to be reluctant about? You're reluctant to spend a man's money, Wenyin, you can't do that!"
Tan Wenyin smiled at the joke. Her mother-in-law was not only open-minded, but also tolerant to her daughter-in-law. Tan Wenyin especially liked being with her mother-in-law.
Tan Zheng felt relieved listening to them talking and laughing. He drove to the entrance of a Quanjude restaurant, and as soon as they sat down, the waiter brought the menu.
Tan Zheng put the menu in front of Zhen Zhen and said, "Please order."
Zhen Zhen didn't hesitate. A roast duck costs 8 to 10 yuan. Zhen Zhen ordered a roast duck and some mu shu pork, and then returned the menu to Tan Zheng.
Tan Zheng ordered some fried squid and deep-fried pork tenderloin, and two ounces of rice, each costing three cents.
The roast duck just out of the oven is sizzling with oil, and the internal organs can be made into other dishes, such as the duck meat is made into braised three whites. There are quite a lot of plates, filling up the entire table.
It was the first time for Gou Zi Niang and Zhang Cuihua to eat roast duck and they didn’t know how to eat it, so Zhen Zhen rolled a roll for them.
"It turns out that the roast duck skin is crispy!" Both of them looked very satisfied after eating.
Zhen Zhen brought some homemade sausages and bacon to Tan Zheng. Tan Zheng came from the countryside and really liked eating these things.
The sausage and bacon that the Meng family brought last time tasted very good. After Tan Zheng finished eating it, he thought about it for a long time, but in the end he didn't have the courage to ask them to send some more.
Tan Wenyin laughed and said:
"Mom, the bacon you made is really delicious and clean. My dad is a germaphobe and he won't eat bacon made by other people because he thinks it's unhygienic. But the bacon you made is very clean."
Zhen Zhen smiled and said, "I don't like eating food from outside either. The people who make the food are always ruffling their hair and picking their noses, and they don't wash their hands after going to the toilet. It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it."
On this point of negotiation, I am exactly the same as her.
Tan Wenyin had never expected that her mother-in-law was also a half-cleanse. She felt that her mother-in-law and her father were a good match, but she was embarrassed to say it too clearly, so she changed the subject and asked Zhen Zhen what his plans were for the next few days.
"Go to Manager Qiu and see if he can find some models to wear the clothes for the show."
"Looking for a model? What kind?"
Tan Wenyin teaches at a university, and she knows a lot of dancers who are pretty, know how to dress, and have good figures.
With her introduction, Zhen Zhen was more than happy to get it.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Mom, why are you being so polite to me?"
Tan Wenyin was very happy that she could help. Meng Hua was a filial son. By helping her mother-in-law, she could leave a good impression on her husband.
Zhen Zhen has visited all the attractions in Beijing, and Tan Zheng suggested sending a driver to pick them up and take them around, so that Zhen Zhen will have plenty of time to handle work.
Zhen Zhen thought this arrangement was good. The two of them would play first while she took care of her work, and then the three of them would gather together and go to the grassland.
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