The next day, Jiang Yun really took a leave and went to the Zhuangyuan Temple with Jiang Yonghua.
As they stood at the bridgehead filming, some people gathered around curiously, and one even boldly asked Jiang Yonghua, "Are you reporters?"
In the mid-1970s, cameras were not yet available in ordinary people's homes. The father and daughter, each holding a camera, looked at the scenery and then at the viewfinder. Their standard movements showed their professionalism, and their occupations can be imagined.
Jiang Yonghua, in particular, is even more convincing in his elegant scholarly air, set off by his well-worn military uniform.
Jiang Yun didn't mind others watching, he was just curious: "Don't you have to go to work?"
Why are there always idle people?
Lingcheng is a big city after all, with many jobs. Even if some jobs pay very low wages, you still have to go to work.
It is still the planned economy era now. There are no individual businesses to do, and it can be said that it is the slack season in rural areas. How do people who do not work in the city make a living?
Does it mean that like their family before, the whole family depends on the salary of the one who works at home?
Perhaps the tone of her questioning was too strong, and as a result, eight out of ten people stepped back, one hesitated to speak, and only one answered her: "I'm on the night shift, so I'm taking a day off today."
Jiang Yonghua worked in Ping County and had more contact with the lives of the lower classes. He knew how difficult life was and how hard it was to get a job. He explained to Jiang Yun, "There are not many jobs."
It was extremely rare to find someone like his daughter who dared to ask for help for what he wanted and could successfully get his work quota. So far, he had only seen Jiang Jun do it.
What Jiang Jun wanted to say was, "You don't have to wait for state-owned enterprises to hire. It's better to have a class than to be idle."
Thinking about those young people who went to the countryside to work and still had to eat dirt in remote areas, Jiang Jun felt uncomfortable.
Those people have almost accepted their fate!
Jiang Yonghua shook his head gently: "We can't control these things, just take care of yourself."
He knew at a glance that the onlookers really thought they were reporters and regarded their casual questions as interviews. Therefore, most of the onlookers were afraid. They were all scared by the movement and wished that everything around them had nothing to do with them.
Jiang Jun felt uncomfortable: "Dad, you weren't like this before."
Jiang Yonghua looked at the river flowing quietly under the bridge, and the past flashed before his eyes: "Actually, I have always been like this. I don't want to care about anything, but things happen. I want to intervene, but I am powerless. Sometimes I can't even protect myself."
Jiang Yun was silent.
She always wanted to gain her father's spiritual support, but in the end she always found that she was her father's spiritual pillar.
There is still no one to discuss work matters with!
Jiang Yonghua put on a smile, turned around and asked the person next to him in his half-familiar Lingcheng dialect, "Where is Taifu Lane?"
The signboard of Zhuangyuan Temple has been removed, but it can only be recognized because of the small bridge over Xiaohuai River. How come Taifu Lane by the river has disappeared?
A passerby pointed to the alley next to him and said with a smile: "This is it!"
Jiang Yonghua looked at it and shook his head: "It has changed, it has completely changed!"
This ordinary home was too ordinary, even more shabby than he remembered.
It's obviously true, but I just don't want to believe it.
Jiang Yun smelled the fragrance: "Dad, it's noon, let's go eat something."
There is a state-owned Wangjianglou Restaurant next to the bridge. It is very famous for its soup dumplings, and the steamer basket is placed right at the door.
Jiang Yonghua waved his hand: "I brought some dry food, don't waste that money."
Jiang Jun said nothing. He took the lead and walked into the restaurant, found a seat, and ordered directly: "Two large soup dumplings, two silver thread flower rolls, a bowl of boiled dried bean curd strips, and a bowl of fish soup."
The waiter at the counter sat still: "Come over and buy your ticket first."
Jiang Yonghua came in later and quickly took out his money, bought a ticket, took the sign and handed it to the chef at the window. He brought the soup dumplings and flower rolls to the table first and said, "Xiaojun, this looks good. Let me try it. Once I learn how to make it, I'll make it for you when I get home."
Whenever Jiang Yun got angry, Jiang Yonghua would immediately compromise without any expression or words.
"It tastes good! The broth is well-seasoned!" Jiang Yonghua praised. "I had it twice when I was a kid. It was the one with crab roe. It was so delicious! I was the only one who got to eat the one with crab roe on my birthday. My two younger brothers could only have the soup dumplings."
Jiang Jun raised his eyelids: "I have two uncles?"
Jiang Yonghua nodded gently: "He is my uncle's cousin."
The father of these three cousins was their biological brother. The eldest and third cousins died early due to illness, so Jiang Yonghua and Jiang Yongxia were taken in by their uncle and aunt and were raised as their own sons.
Jiang Jun asked softly, "You haven't contacted them for so many years. Do you think they're dead, or are you pretending they're dead?"
Jiang Yonghua looked at the increasingly thin steam around the steamer and sighed softly, "I pretended to be dead, dead in Tongcheng."
Jiang Jun looked up in surprise, staring at his father who suddenly became a little unfamiliar without blinking.
Jiang Yonghua smiled bitterly: "At that time, I felt that my life was just like this. I lived one day at a time. When I really died, I died."
I feel disheartened and live like a walking corpse, without any hope for the future.
"Ah~!" Jiang Yonghua sighed deeply:
"Xiaojun, some people are not trying hard or fighting for what they want. They just don't know how to work hard, let alone how to fight for what they want. So they can only stay complacent and live a miserable life.
It’s not that my dad is taking advantage of his age, this is how I’ve gotten through all these years.
When things got to that point, it really was like that, helpless and full of despair.
You are not at your father's level yet, you are still young, maybe one day you will understand."
Jiang Yun's eyes were moist.
She has experienced all of this and she understands it all!
In her original time and space, before she got rid of depression, she really felt that life was without hope and she could not see another sky.
Jiang Yonghua softened his heart: "Xiaojun, look at what Daddy is telling you. Come on, this soup dumpling should be eaten while it's hot. Be careful. Don't just look at it until it stops steaming. The soup inside is still hot. Let me show you how to make it."
Jiang Yonghua used chopsticks to gently tear a hole in the skin of the soup dumpling, lowered his head like a child to sip the soup, and his nose rubbed against the edge of the steamer, looking a little funny.
Jiang Jun pulled the corner of his mouth, knowing that Jiang Yonghua was deliberately trying to make him happy, and took out a handkerchief and handed it to him: "Dad, there is oil."
Jiang Yonghua looked up. "The proper way to eat soup dumplings is to gently lift them up with chopsticks, place them in your bowl, and slowly drink the soup. But I've discovered that being like a child isn't necessarily a bad thing. I don't care what others think. As long as I'm full and happy, I think the world is beautiful. Even though I don't look good while eating and my face is covered in grease, I'm not hurting anyone, am I?"
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