amaotonovel Chapter 1464 1983
Chapter 1464 1983
In Guangzhou in December, a faint hint of the Lunar New Year atmosphere can already be detected in the air. Although it is located in the south and the winter chill is not severe, there are noticeably fewer pedestrians on the streets, and many shops have already put up signs saying "Closed for the Spring Festival".
The Burger King store in Guangzhou was less crowded in the afternoon. The staff, dressed in matching red and yellow uniforms, had a rare moment of leisure, and a few young girls huddled behind the counter, whispering among themselves.
"Hey, what should I buy to take back with me? My mom has been wanting a wool coat. I saw a nice dark green one in the department store, but it's too expensive, over eighty yuan." A little girl with a ponytail rested her chin on her hand, looking conflicted.
The short-haired girl next to him leaned closer and whispered, "Go ahead and buy it. I'm planning to buy my dad a watch, a Shanghai brand. He's been wanting one for ages."
“Wow, Shanghai brand watches aren’t cheap.” Another round-faced girl stuck out her tongue. “I’d better be practical and just buy some fabric and food to take back. I have a lot of younger siblings, so I need to bring back more candy and cookies.”
The girl with the ponytail nodded: "That's true, but I think we can also take some of the fried chicken and hamburgers from our store home so that our families can try them out."
“It’ll be cold by the time we get home, and it won’t taste good.” The short-haired girl shook her head. “It would be better to buy a few more clothes. Look how smart we look in our uniforms. We’ll definitely look good wearing them when we visit relatives at home.”
As the girls were chatting animatedly, a figure wearing sunglasses silently approached the counter and coughed sharply.
"Ahem! Well, it's not even the end of the workday yet, and you're already slacking off. I'll tell the boss about you!"
The sudden sound startled the girls, who nearly screamed. Upon seeing who it was, they immediately glared at each other, hands on their hips, and began to denounce the person without hesitation.
"Thank you, Lao Zhuan! You're so annoying! You scare people to death, don't you know that?!" The girl with the ponytail was so angry that her face turned red.
"That's right! If you dare tell the boss we're slacking off, I'll tell the boss you're harassing us!" the short-haired girl retorted defiantly.
The round-faced girl chimed in, "That's right! Just wait and see how Sister Ya Jing deals with you when she gets back!"
Old Xie calmly removed his sunglasses, revealing a face with dark circles under his eyes. He was wearing a floral shirt with a brown leather jacket over it, his hair slicked back, giving him a nonchalant air. He leaned against the counter, glancing sideways at the young girls.
"Hey, you bunch of little girls dare to threaten me? Let me tell you, I, Xie Laozhuan, am not someone to be easily intimidated!"
"Hmph! Who told you to suddenly pop out and scare people!" the girl with the ponytail snorted.
"Exactly, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. We're the ones who are scared!" the short-haired girl added.
Old Xie chuckled, a mischievous smile playing on his lips:
“I only know the saying ‘If you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear.’ If you can scare people in broad daylight, you must have done a lot of bad things.”
Several young girls had become familiar with Xie Laozhuan and knew that he was a glib-tongued man with a kind heart, so they weren't afraid of him at all. The girl with the ponytail and the girl with the short hair exchanged a glance, then came out from behind the counter on either side, each of them holding Xie Laozhuan in the middle, and reaching out to grab the soft flesh around his waist.
"Ouch! Let go! Let go!" Old Xie winced in pain. "You bunch of little brats, how could you hit me so hard!"
"Who told you to say we did something wrong!" The girl with the ponytail tightened her grip. "Look at your dark circles, you must have been out partying at the disco again last night, right?"
The short-haired girl chimed in, "Be careful, or we might tell Sister Ya Jing and she'll give you a good talking-to!"
"No, no, no! Grandmas, I was wrong, okay?" Old Xie quickly begged for forgiveness: "I was just joking with you because I saw you were bored!"
The two girls then released their grip, triumphantly raising their chins. Old Xie rubbed his back, looking aggrieved, and was about to say something in response when a familiar voice came from behind him:
"Who are you going to punish?"
"Sister Ya Jing!"
"Hi boss!"
The girls immediately stood up straight and greeted each other in unison.
Old Xie turned around and saw Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing standing at the shop entrance. Qin Hao was wearing a dark gray jacket and looked at Old Xie with a mocking expression. Zhao Yajing was wearing a light brown trench coat, her long hair flowing over her shoulders, and she had a smile on her face.
"Old Qin, Ya Jing! Oh, you're finally back!" Old Xie rushed over as if he had seen a savior: "If you hadn't come back, I wouldn't have known which day to buy a ticket for. My family has been calling me every day, urging me to come back for the New Year."
Zhao Yajing looked him up and down and immediately exposed him:
"You're just thinking of going back to show off to your cronies, aren't you?"
Old Xie looked somewhat embarrassed and said awkwardly:
"Look at what you're saying, can't you be a little more tactful? I'm returning home in glory, you know?"
Several young girls nearby couldn't help but secretly smile. Qin Hao also chuckled to himself. This Xie Laozhuan was the kind of person who was naturally unruly and loved freedom; he wasn't afraid of anyone, not even the Emperor himself, but he was terrified of Zhao Yajing. This was probably a case of one thing subduing another.
"Alright, hurry up and get the ledger out." Zhao Yajing rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "I need to settle the accounts so I can give them bonuses. They're all waiting to go home for the New Year."
"Alright!" Old Xie immediately changed to a fawning expression: "Since you're the boss, I'll serve you right away."
He turned to go to his office to get the ledgers. Several young girls winked at Zhao Yajing, who smiled and waved them away.
"Alright, everyone get back to work. Bonuses will be paid out later."
"Thank you, Sister Yajing!"
The little girls scattered excitedly.
In the office, Old Xie placed a thick stack of ledgers on the table. Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing sat down and began to check the accounts.
The accounts for the eight stores in Guangzhou are relatively simple, mainly consisting of daily income and expenses and employee salaries. Qin Hao examines them meticulously, verifying the vouchers for every transaction. Zhao Yajing is primarily responsible for checking inventory and purchase orders.
An hour and a half later, the accounts were tallied. Qin Hao closed the last ledger and nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad, this month's profit increased by five percentage points compared to last month."
Zhao Yajing stretched and said, "Finally finished. Let's go give them their bonuses."
The two walked out of the office, where the store employees had already lined up in an orderly fashion. A long table was set up in front of the counter, and Qin Hao took out stacks of cash wrapped in kraft paper from his briefcase.
"We're starting to hand out bonuses." Qin Hao's voice wasn't loud, but the store instantly fell silent.
He called out names one by one from the list. Every ordinary employee would receive a year-end bonus of three hundred yuan, while the store manager would receive two thousand. When the thick wad of cash was handed to them, everyone's face beamed with excitement.
"Long live the boss!"
"Sister Yajing, I love you to death!"
Several young women couldn't help but cheer, and the other employees thanked them profusely. Three hundred yuan—that was equivalent to a month and a half's salary for them. When the store managers received two thousand yuan, their hands trembled slightly—this was a huge sum of money!
"Alright, stop flattering me." Zhao Yajing waved her hand with a smile: "We're closing up shop and going on holiday tomorrow. My requirements are simple: clean up the shop after get off work today, and come back to work on time next spring. There will also be a start-up bonus. Remember to bring receipts for your travel expenses for reimbursement."
Qin Hao added, "Everyone has worked hard this year, especially the store managers. Ya Jing and I are in Hong Kong, and we're relying on you all to keep things going in Guangzhou. We will continue to expand next year, and we hope you can continue to work hard."
"Don't worry, boss! We'll definitely do our best!" the store managers said in unison.
Qin Hao nodded, about to say a few more words, when suddenly an employee raised his hand:
"Boss, are you hiring again next year? My sister wants to come too."
As soon as he finished speaking, several other employees chimed in:
"My sister wants to come too; she's a high school student!"
"My cousin wants to come too!"
Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing exchanged a glance. Zhao Yajing smiled and said, "We're opening a branch in Shenzhen next year, so we definitely need more staff."
At most, they can open two or three more stores in Guangzhou, since the market is only so big. But they can start setting up in Shenzhen. This is thanks to the suppliers that Shi Xiaona's father introduced to them. Some of these suppliers ship their goods from Shenzhen. With their supply guarantee, opening a branch in Shenzhen is a natural thing. Moreover, Shenzhen is a special economic zone, and its policies are more open than those in Guangzhou.
Qin Hao thought for a moment and then said to his employees:
"Okay, the company will open a branch in Shenzhen next year, but we're not sure how many people we'll need yet. If any of you sisters want to come, bring them over next year, and we'll provide unified training. Once you pass the training, you'll be hired directly; if you don't, we'll reimburse your round-trip travel expenses."
"Great! Long live the boss!"
"That's great! I have two younger sisters at home!"
The young women jumped for joy. While working at Burger King was tiring, requiring them to stand for ten or more hours at a time, it was still much easier than working on assembly lines in garment or electronics factories. Most importantly, the pay was high, and there were career advancement opportunities—store managers all rose through the ranks from ordinary employees, which gave them hope.
After distributing the bonuses, Qin Hao gave some instructions on things to keep in mind during the holiday, and then let the employees leave early. The store quickly quieted down, leaving only Qin Hao, Zhao Yajing, and Xie Laozhuan.
At nine o'clock in the evening, the store officially closed. Old Xie locked the door and gave Qin Hao a wink:
"Drink?"
Before Qin Hao could speak, Zhao Yajing interrupted:
"Walk."
Old Xie rolled his eyes:
"No, I'm drinking with Lao Qin and me, what are you getting involved for?"
Zhao Yajing was immediately displeased upon hearing this:
"What? Are you planning to take Lao Qin to a place like that? Let me tell you, I'm going today, no matter what!"
Old Xie then complained bitterly:
"Hey, Ya Jing, what are you thinking! Do you think I'm that kind of person? Fine, let me tell you the truth, it was Sha Mao who asked me to ask around; he also wants to try his luck in Guangzhou..."
"Sha Mao is coming, why does he have to carry me behind my back?" Zhao Yajing asked, puzzled.
“Isn’t this just because Sha Mao is too proud to admit it?” Old Xie scratched his head. “You asked him to come before, but he refused, and now he can’t go to university… He was too embarrassed to tell you directly, so he asked me to sound him out.”
Zhao Yajing clapped her hands:
"I almost forgot about it! That idiot Mao is such an idiot, I'm going to give him a good beating when we get back!"
Qin Hao was somewhat surprised:
"When did you become so close to Shi Xiaona?"
"This is a woman's business, don't interfere." Zhao Yajing waved her hand dismissively, giving him an "you don't understand" look.
Qin Hao rolled his eyes. This woman's friendship came out of nowhere.
"Alright, let's find a small bar, have a few drinks, and go back to rest," Qin Hao suggested. "We have to catch a flight tomorrow."
Old Xie became anxious:
"No, when did you guys book the plane tickets? I haven't even bought any New Year's goods yet!"
Qin Hao patted him on the shoulder:
"Don't worry, buddy, would I forget your share? They're all brought back from Hong Kong, I guarantee you'll look good."
"Old Qin, you're such a good brother, I, Xie Laozhuan, have truly made a good friend..." Xie Laozhuan was deeply moved, but seeing Zhao Yajing staring at him with displeasure, he quickly added, "Of course, there's also Yajing! Without the two of you, I'd still be at the cotton mill earning that fixed salary of just over twenty yuan a month!"
"That's more like it." Zhao Yajing finally smiled.
The three of them left the shop and walked along the street for about ten minutes until they found a small tavern that was still open. The tavern wasn't big, with a few wooden tables inside, and a few customers were quietly drinking under the dim light.
The owner was a middle-aged man in his fifties. Seeing the guests arrive, he warmly invited them to sit down. Qin Hao ordered a few side dishes and a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor).
"Come on, let's have a drink first." Old Xie poured wine for the three of them, raised his glass, and said, "You've worked hard this year, let's continue to make a fortune next year!"
"cheers!"
The three cups clinked together, making a crisp sound.
After a few drinks, the conversation flowed freely. Old Xie started talking about the interesting things that had happened over the past year, Zhao Yajing recounted her experiences in Hong Kong, and Qin Hao occasionally chimed in, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
"By the way, what are your plans regarding Sha Mao?" Old Xie asked, putting down his wine glass.
Qin Hao glanced at Zhao Yajing, and seeing that she didn't speak, he thought for a moment:
"I'll talk to him about this privately when we get back; I can't explain it to you now."
"Alright, then I won't get involved. Anyway, Lao Qin, you're definitely going to be sentimental, right?"
"Stop flattering."
The three chatted for a while longer, finally settling their bill and leaving around 11 p.m. The streets were even quieter, with only a few shops still lit. They hailed a taxi and returned to their hotel.
……
Jiudaowan Hutong, Beijing.
The first snow of 1983 had just fallen, leaving a thin layer of snow on the ground, like a soft white blanket. The children in the alley were overjoyed, playing and chasing each other in groups of three or five, having snowball fights, building snowmen, and their laughter echoing in the winter air.
Around 3 p.m., two taxis slowly drove to the entrance of the alley, immediately attracting the attention of the neighbors.
"Hey, isn't that Xie family's kid? He's dressed quite well." An old man in a cotton-padded jacket, with his hands in his pockets, squinted at him.
An older woman nearby leaned closer and said, "The Xie family's son is lucky. He went to the countryside with the Qin family's son and then went to Guangzhou with them last year. Looks like he made a fortune too."
"Tsk tsk, look at all these bags and packages, one car can't even hold them all. It seems the Qin family kid has really become a big boss." Another middle-aged man said with envy.
But some people disagree.
"What big boss? Humph, he's just a speculator. He might get arrested any day now. It's much more stable for us workers. We have food and drink, a guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood, and the factory even provides for us in retirement. Isn't that great?"
An elderly worker in blue overalls, a cigarette dangling from his lips, looked on with disdain.
Old Xie unloaded everything from the trunk, bag after bag, his whole body laden with gifts, his face beaming with an irrepressible smile. This time last year, he was so poor he couldn't even afford a bottle of good wine, and his relatives and friends looked down on him. This year, with so many gifts, wouldn't his neighbors look at him with more respect?
"Alright, stop showing off, let's go back, it's freezing." Zhao Yajing rubbed her arms. She was wearing a beige wool coat and a red scarf, which looked nice, but seemed a bit thin in Beijing's cold winter. Having gotten used to Hong Kong's warm and humid weather, she was really finding it hard to adjust to being back in Beijing.
Qin Hao was too lazy to listen to their bickering. He dragged his suitcase with one hand and carried two bulging snakeskin bags on his back with the other, and walked into the alley.
"Hey, wait for me!" Zhao Yajing didn't have time to argue with Old Xie and quickly followed after him.
Old Xie was in a terrible situation; he brought back the most stuff. Even though Qin Hao had brought him a lot of New Year's goods from Hong Kong, he still went out early the next morning to buy even more, almost missing his afternoon flight. Now he had three bags in his left hand, two in his right, and another hanging around his neck, walking unsteadily.
"No, you guys should help me carry some!" Old Xie called out from behind.
Zhao Yajing turned around and made a face at him: "Serves you right! Who told you to buy so many New Year's goods? I can't help you with that."
"Old Qin..."
"I have a lot of stuff in my hands too, I can't carry any more." Qin Hao waved his hand without turning his head: "I'll have Da Mao help you carry it later."
Old Xie was on the verge of tears, but could only grit his teeth and shuffle forward step by step.
……
Arriving at the entrance of Yang Shumo's courtyard house, Qin Hao called out:
"Da Mao! Are you home?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than hurried footsteps echoed through the courtyard. Yang Shumo quickly ran out. He was wearing an old military overcoat, his hair was slightly disheveled, and a delighted smile graced his face.
"Old Qin! Ya Jing! You're back? Where's Old Xie?"
Qin Hao pointed to the entrance of the alley:
"He's still at the alley entrance. This guy brought a lot of New Year's goods. You'd better go and help him, otherwise he might not be able to move them home before the New Year."
"Okay, I'll go first then, we'll meet again later!" Yang Shuma ran off in a flash, his figure disappearing around the corner of the alley.
Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Yang came out of the yard. Mrs. Yang was wearing a faded cotton-padded jacket and an apron, her hands still covered in flour, obviously from kneading dough. Mr. Yang, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, squinted at Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing, and at the bags they were carrying, his eyes lighting up.
Before Yang's mother could speak, Qin Hao preemptively grabbed Zhao Yajing and turned to leave.
"Uncle Yang, Auntie, we're going home now. See you later!"
"Hey, Xiao Qin..." Before Yang's mother could finish speaking, the two had already walked about ten meters away.
Watching Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing's retreating figures, Yang's father said sourly:
"These two kids are too impetuous. They're already at the doorstep, and they don't even know to come in and have a cup of tea."
Yang's mother rolled her eyes at him:
"What do you mean 'frivolous'? I think it's just stinginess! They're afraid we'll take advantage of their stuff."
"Hey, so that's how it is." Yang's father was even more dissatisfied: "This brat has forgotten his roots after making a little money! What's so great about him? He's just made a few stinking bucks..."
Suddenly, Yang's mother had a bright idea and lowered her voice to say:
"Old Yang, do you think Qin is richer or Ya Jing is richer?"
Mr. Yang thought for a moment and said, "Didn't Sha Mao say that they are business partners? It should be about the same."
"So tell me, don't you think our silly Mao and Ya Jing look like a pretty good match?"
Yang's father was speechless.
"You're blind! Even a blind man could see that Ya Jing has feelings for Xiao Qin. Why should our son compete with Xiao Qin?"
"That's not necessarily true," Yang's mother retorted. "Have you forgotten how many times Sha Mao fought for Ya Jing back in elementary school?"
"That's all ancient history, what's the use of bringing it up?" Mr. Yang waved his hand impatiently.
Yang's mother glared:
"Then say something useful! Look at Li Yuxiang, her son is successful, and they have a TV and a washing machine. I've been with you for most of my life, and in this freezing winter I still have to wash clothes by hand. Look at all the chilblains on my hands!"
As she spoke, she stretched out her hands, and sure enough, there were several red, swollen, and cracked spots on the back of her hands.
Mr. Yang sighed, turned around, and walked into the yard.
"Alright, alright, why bring this up during the New Year..."
"Hey! I haven't finished speaking yet!" Yang's mother shouted from behind, "Run! All you know is how to run! If you've got the guts, don't come back!"
Meanwhile, Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing had already arrived at their doorstep.
The Qin family's courtyard was bustling with activity. The house was packed with neighbors watching television—Qin Hao had bought a TV for his family last year, making it the only one of its kind in the entire alley. As soon as they got off work, the neighbors loved to gather there, watching TV and chatting.
Upon seeing Qin Hao return, the neighbors greeted him warmly.
"Little Qin is back!"
"Oh, Ya Jing is back too!"
"You look even more energetic after a year!"
Li Yuxiang was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) talking to her neighbor when she heard the noise and immediately stood up. The moment she saw her son, her eyes reddened, and without saying a word, she rushed forward and hugged Qin Hao tightly.
"Mom, I'm back," Qin Hao said softly, putting down what he was holding.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Li Yuxiang looked at her son through tears, touching his face with her hand: "Why have you lost weight again? Did you not get used to the food over there?"
"It's alright, I just miss your cooking." Qin Hao smiled. "Mom, I want to eat your dumplings."
"Oh! There's meat at home, Mom will make you some right away!" Li Yuxiang wiped away her tears and smiled.
Zhao Yajing said with a smile:
"Auntie, I also want to eat the dumplings you make."
Li Yuxiang looked at Zhao Yajing, her eyes full of affection:
"Okay, I'll make extra today. Let's invite your mom over and eat together!"
Zhao Yajing smiled so much that her eyes curved into crescent moons:
"Thank you, aunt!"
Qin Hao looked at Zhao Yajing's sly smile and sighed. This girl really knows how to seize any opportunity to curry favor with Li Yuxiang.
Seeing this, the neighbors also tactfully got up to say goodbye.
"Well, Xiao Qin just got back. You all enjoy your family reunion. We'll head back now."
"Yes, yes, I'll come visit again another day."
"Xiao Qin, come over to my house sometime!"
After seeing the neighbors off, the house finally quieted down. Li Yuxiang pulled her son to sit down and asked him all sorts of questions: Did you eat well in Guangzhou? Did you sleep well? Was your work tiring? Qin Hao answered them all patiently.
Zhao Yajing wasn't idle either; she took out the gifts she brought back from Hong Kong one by one: a wool scarf for Li Yuxiang, imported skincare products, and some southern specialties. Li Yuxiang looked at these things, feeling both happy and heartbroken.
"Why spend so much money? I have everything I need in Beijing."
"Auntie, this is just a small token of our appreciation," Zhao Yajing said sweetly. "It's only right that we show our respect to you."
These words warmed Li Yuxiang's heart, and her gaze towards Zhao Yajing became even more loving. (End of Chapter)