The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 437 Home Appliances
Once the dog days begin,
The hot weather in our old city is really coming!
When it comes to the summer of the old Beijingers, the word "hot" is simply not enough to describe it.

Take going out for example. By the time I walked from the courtyard to the entrance of the alley, I was so hot that sweat was dripping down my neck.

It's even worse when the dog days arrive. It's so stuffy that you can't breathe. You want to move the electric fan wherever you go.
Sometimes Liu Zhiye wondered, you said there was no air conditioning these days, and even electric fans were rarely turned on, so how did people survive those hot summers?

The evening hours in the dog days of summer are very hot and stuffy, making it difficult to fall asleep.

So some people took the kang mat to the yard, rinsed it with cold water or wiped it repeatedly with a wet cloth until it was cool, and then lay on it, calling it sleeping on a "cool mat."

People lying on it don't stick to their bodies and feel very cool.

In order to prevent being disturbed by mosquitoes and flies, people often light a tinderbox next to the kang mat so that they can sleep soundly that night.

Whether it is a siheyuan or a slum, there is always a main entrance. Because it is unobstructed from north to south (or east to west), it is particularly cool when the breeze blows in the summer, so it becomes a good place for people to cool off during the dog days of summer.

During the day, most of the aunts and grandmas from the compound would gather at the gate to do needlework while enjoying the cool breeze, commonly known as "through the hallway".

At night, the gentlemen in the yard would spread a mat in the gateway to sleep, which was also called "through the hallway draft".

If the doorway is deep enough, three or four people can sleep there.

At that time, there were many ancient trees at the entrances of streets and alleys in the capital, most of which were locust trees. Because of their large crowns and large shade, it was very cool under the thick shade, especially when the sun was scorching, so it became a good place for people to cool off in the summer.

Especially during the dog days of summer, there are always people staying under the shade of trees, commonly known as "taking advantage of the shade".

Some neighbors gathered under the shade of the tree to chat, some played chess, and some spread out an oilcloth or a mat and slept under the tree.

The thick shade of the trees and the gentle cool breeze create a cool atmosphere for people in the alley.

During the dog days of summer, many people like to eat cold food to relieve the heat in their hearts.

There is a well in the alley. During the dog days of summer, the most popular drink is "Jingbaliang", which means drinking well water just drawn from the well. It brings bursts of cool air. Drinking a bowl of it will make you feel cool from the bottom of your heart.

In addition, cool sour plum soup, cool mung bean soup, cool green tea, etc. are also must-have drinks for many families.

Most of the food eaten during the dog days is cold, among which noodles are the most popular.

Put the freshly cooked noodles into cold water to soak up all the heat. Some people think that the water is not cool enough after one rinse, so they rinse them a second time. Then pour three-in-one oil or sesame paste on them, and they taste so delicious.

However, people living in Liujiazhuang have a much better life than those living in other places.

After all, this is a mountainous area, and the temperature is lower than in the city. In addition, every household has an electric fan, which is a product produced by the Liujiazhuang Electric Fan Factory and is made of plastic shell.

This is new technology, which changes the previous heavy and inconvenient iron methods.

As we all know, electric fans are one of the most common electrical appliances in our daily lives. Almost every household in later generations has at least one fan.

In this day and age, fans are still considered "high-end goods" in some areas of Xia Country, and are known as the "four major items" together with radios, bicycles, sewing machines, etc.

In fact, the earliest fan was born in the United States in 1830, which has a history of more than years.

Since its birth, electric fans have gone through more than a hundred years and have undergone several innovations, with the technology becoming more and more perfect.

However, its core material is still metal, which makes it appear too heavy and not flexible enough. It is also accompanied by loud noise and is quite cumbersome to maintain.

With the booming development of Liujiazhuang Hardware Factory, its business scope has been expanding, and its tentacles have extended to emerging fields, including the production of bicycles and electric fans. This leap marks a leap in the strength of the enterprise and a wave of industrial upgrading.

Liu Zhiye came from later generations, so he certainly knew the development of electric fans. Compared with traditional electric fans with metal shells, new electric fans with plastic shells showed significant advantages in cost, maintenance, portability, noise control and safety.

The use of plastic materials not only reduces the weight of the fan, but also reduces production costs, making the product more affordable. At the same time, its excellent weather resistance and easy processing properties greatly simplify the maintenance process. The effective noise isolation of the plastic shell brings users a quieter experience. In addition, the insulation performance of the plastic shell further enhances the safety of the product.

Under Liu Zhiye's foresight and careful guidance, the electric fan factory finally overcame difficulties and successfully developed the world's first plastic shell electric fan.

This innovative move not only led the trend of change in the electric fan industry, but also won the company wide acclaim from the market and enthusiastic pursuit from consumers.

The electric fan factory in Liujiazhuang then rose to prominence. Compared with traditional metal electric fans, plastic surgical electric fans had great advantages and soon occupied the domestic electric fan market.

In addition, we also export to friendly countries such as Eastern Europe.

Japan, located across the sea, has now become a powerful country in the field of home appliances. The whole country is committed to the vigorous development of the electronic home appliance industry and has posed a strong challenge to the home appliance giants of Country M.

Japan is extremely sensitive to emerging technologies. Their cooperation with the Liujiazhuang area is becoming increasingly close, and they soon locked on the latest innovations in the field of Liujiazhuang electric fans.

Unfortunately, the Xia Kingdom has not yet promulgated a patent law, otherwise Liu Zhiye’s new technology would never have easily fallen into the hands of Japan.

However, even in this context, Liujiazhuang still demonstrated its shrewd business acumen and made strong bargaining moves with Japanese buyers.

In the end, several Japanese home appliance giants joined forces and purchased this revolutionary new technology at a cost of up to $500 million.

The rapid rise of the "Liujiazhuang Electric Fan Factory" is like a bright wave in the tide of industrial and commercial prosperity in the region, reflecting the vigorous vitality of the region's overall economy.

In the pursuit of industrialization, talent and cultural foundations are indispensable. There is an urgent need to gather elites from all over and an industrial army with a solid cultural foundation.

After years of baptism, the business community in Liujiazhuang area has always been committed to cultivating industrial workers with both cultural literacy and professional skills. However, this effort still seems unable to fully match the rapid expansion pace of enterprises.

Looking ahead, if not addressed in a timely manner, the talent gap may quietly become a bottleneck restricting the region's further development, and its impact may be far-reaching and widespread.

Therefore, many years ago, Liujiazhuang actively participated in the vigorous development of vocational schools, committed to consolidating basic education and accelerating the process of adult training.

However, by 1975, this model of self-sufficiency and training of industrial workers and technical personnel had gradually become inadequate and could not keep up with the rapid pace of industrialization.

Faced with this situation, Liujiazhuang had to make adjustments, and recruiting workers from outside became an inevitable new strategy.

Who is the most cultured these days?
Of course, it is a huge group of educated youth, most of whom are junior high school students, high school students or even college students.

There were almost no educated youth who went to the countryside in Liujiazhuang area, because the students here, no matter whether they graduated from junior high school, technical secondary school, or high school, were arranged to work as soon as they graduated. Liujiazhuang had plenty of positions waiting for these educated young people to join.

Therefore, the social outlook of Liujiazhuang appears to be particularly orderly. There are almost no idle people. Everyone has something to do and is content with his or her job.

As for those companies that need to expand their production scale, they have to look outside and recruit talents to enrich their ranks of industrial workers.

…………

Courtyard No. 95, Nanluogu Lane.

Yan Zhaodi returned home, took out a brand new recruitment poster from her bag, gently handed it to Qin Jingru, and said: "Sister Qin, take a look, several factories in Liujiazhuang have started to recruit people again. The conditions are quite loose. As long as you are over 18 years old and have a junior high school diploma or above, you have a chance to try your luck..."

"You mean, let Xiaodang come back and work in the factory in Liujiazhuang?" Qin Jingru was tempted when she heard it. She thought it was a good idea.

However, she immediately showed difficulty and said to Zhaodi: "Zhaodi, it is naturally a good thing for Xiaodang to go to Liujiazhuang to work. Although the enterprises in Liujiazhuang are local, their welfare benefits are not inferior to our state-owned factories. However, the problem lies in the relationship between our family and the Liu family..."

In the past, the factory in Liujiazhuang, although it was a local enterprise, was not open to anyone who wanted to enter.

The welfare benefits for workers here are indeed more generous than those in some state-owned factories. Not only do they enjoy housing allocation, but their wages are also quite considerable. They can also purchase popular goods on the market at preferential prices, such as "electric fans", "bicycles" and "sewing machines", as well as all kinds of medicines, food and drinks. As for the education of children, everything is taken care of, so there is no need to worry too much.

Moreover, there is another benefit of working here, that is, you have the opportunity to settle down in Liujiazhuang. The quality of life here is far better than that in Beijing. Every household has a building, with water, electricity, biogas and gas stoves. Fans provide cooling in summer and heating in winter.

In addition to the stable income from work, the village will also distribute dividends at the end of the year, so life is worry-free. When it comes to material supply, this place is even more abundant. Even during those difficult three years, the people here never had to worry about hunger.

The living environment is impeccable, surrounded by green mountains, flowing clear water, pleasant weather all year round, warm in winter and cool in summer, making it an ideal place to live.

As for children's education, Liujiazhuang is equally good.

From kindergarten to university, educational resources at all levels are available, and the quality of education is not inferior to that in Beijing, providing a solid guarantee for the growth of children.

The spiritual civilization of the people here is also the best in the country.

At night, Liujiazhuang was brightly lit and neon lights were flashing everywhere.

It is a prosperous place with tall buildings and shops everywhere. There are all kinds of goods on display and people are competing to buy them. The market is bustling with activity.

The streets and alleys are filled with all kinds of food stalls, which are filled with fragrant smells and extremely tempting. The cries of hawkers can be heard one after another, creating a lively and prosperous scene.

Not to mention that people from ordinary families envy the life of the people in Liujiazhuang, even some high-income families can hardly catch up.

"Sister Jingru, I think you can ask Sister Gan Ning for help in this matter. She is now the secretary of Liujiazhuang District. If you give Xiaodang a work target, I think it won't be a big problem." Yan Zhaodi hesitated for a moment. She still felt that she should help Xiaodang. After all, they had the best relationship. So, she gave Qin Jingru an idea.

…………

“It’s cold in the coldest days of winter, and hottest in the hottest days of summer.” During the hottest days of summer in Beijing, the temperature can generally reach 36 or 37 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest time of the year.

Yan Shigu's commentary says: "The Yin Qi is about to rise, but is forced by the setting Sun and cannot rise, so it is hidden, hence the name Fu Ri."

The old capital has a cool and refreshing climate. Although it does not have the "plum rains" of the south of the Yangtze River, it often rains during the dog days of summer. In the past, most of the old houses in the capital were inevitably damp, so it was necessary to dry clothes regularly to prevent them from getting moldy.

The weather is unpredictable in the dog days of summer, and a cloud may bring rain. It is very poetic to listen to the sound of rain in the courtyard through the bamboo curtain.

After a while, the sky cleared up again. A slanting sun illuminated the wall washed by the rain. I looked at the puddles in the low-lying area of ​​the courtyard. A flying red dragonfly skimmed across the water. Suddenly, I looked up and saw a rainbow in the blue sky...

When it rained again at night...

The rain stopped just as the sky was getting light. Liu Zhiye lay on the bed, staring at the post-rain scenery outside the window in a daze.

It was a rare opportunity for him to return home. He was awakened by the sound of rain at daybreak. He simply did not want to sleep and started to enjoy the rain scene.

In addition, he has a special task today, which is to attend a parent-teacher meeting for Liu Shuxian.

This was an unprecedented experience for him. After all, in the past, such occasions were always attended by the child's grandparents.

Liu Zhiye and Gan Ning are busy with work and rarely have the opportunity to directly participate in their children's school life.

But today, he decided to take action himself to make up for the lack of companionship.

Last night, when Liu Zhiye just returned home, Gan Ning said to him, "Xiaoxian is about to graduate. There will be a parents' meeting at school tomorrow. Do you want to go or should I?"

Hearing these words, Liu Zhiye suddenly realized that his eldest daughter Xiaoxian was about to graduate from high school. Time passed so quickly. As a father, he had missed too much in his child's growth process.

"I'll go, it's a good opportunity to talk to the teacher and the school."

After dinner, Liu Zhiye immediately called his correspondent, modified his work schedule for tomorrow, and squeezed out a morning to attend his daughter's parent-teacher meeting.

After breakfast, Liu Zhiye deliberately put on a set of clothes that he rarely wore, and also put on a pair of glasses, disguising himself simply.

As a local celebrity in Liujiazhuang, although Liu Zhiye did not go to Liu Shuxian's school often, he was afraid of being recognized by acquaintances. He just wanted to attend his child's parent-teacher meeting quietly.

After arriving at the school, Liu Zhiye sat in his daughter Liu Shuxian's seat. Next to him sat the father of his daughter's deskmate. The father greeted him politely, "Are you Liu Shuxian's father? In the past, it was Liu Shuxian's grandmother who came. Today is the first time I see you."

Liu Zhiye smiled and nodded, and replied: "Yes, I'm busy with work, so usually her grandmother comes over, and today is my day off."

The classmate's parent smiled and said, "I'm a worker on the production line. I'm sometimes too busy. Are you the same?"

Liu Zhiye nodded vaguely and said, "Yes!"

"What's your name, comrade? Which factory are you from?"

Wang Dafa slapped his forehead and said with a smile: "Look at my memory, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Wang Dafa, from the famous electric fan factory in Liujiazhuang. What about you?" When mentioning the electric fan factory, his tone unconsciously showed a bit of pride.

Hearing this, Liu Zhiye smiled gently. "My name is Liu Zhiye, and I do odd jobs in the street office. I heard that your factory is thriving now, and you can't even handle the three-shift work. Is that true?"

Wang Dafa nodded, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Of course, our factory has developed rapidly in the past few years. Our products are sold to the Russians. Foreigners also like our electric fans."

He changed the subject and asked mysteriously, "Guess how much I earned last month?" His tone was full of anticipation and pride.

Liu Zhiye then agreed with him and asked, "How much?"

Wang Dafa pointed to him with his fingers and said, "This amount is a full 150 yuan!"

Liu Zhiye pretended to be amazed, raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Wow, this is a really large amount, much more than a small clerk like me!"

Wang Dafa's face was filled with pride. "That's right. Our factory is very lucky this year. We won several big overseas deals at the beginning of the year. We are very busy and work overtime every day."

He paused and added, "Besides, as the team leader, I also have an extra allowance. By the way, if you want to buy an electric fan, you can't go wrong with me. I have strong connections!"

Liu Zhiye smiled and said, "Hey, that's great. I'll ask you for help if I need it in the future."

He changed the subject and asked curiously, "Come to think of it, judging from your accent, you don't sound like a native of Jingxi, do you?"

Wang Dafa nodded naively and replied, "Yes, I'm from Qindao. A few years ago, I heard that there were many job opportunities in Liujiazhuang, so I thought of trying my luck here. Unexpectedly, I ended up getting a job in the electric fan factory."

He paused, a look of relief on his face, "Actually, I originally came here for the winery's recruitment, and I felt quite disappointed at the time. But now it seems that the treatment at this electric fan factory is quite good, which is a pleasant surprise."

Liu Zhiye smiled again, "Are you living well here?"

Wang Dafa said with infinite longing: "Okay, how can it be bad? I am now thinking about trying harder to get my family's household registration here as well. That would be even better!"

"I believe you can do it!" Liu Zhiye praised him.

"Thank you for your good words!" Wang Dafa said with a smile.

"Liu Zhiye turned the topic to the other party's children again, and asked with concern: "How is Wang Yan's academic performance? I have always wanted to know the real situation of our migrant worker families. "

Hearing this, Wang Dafa sighed softly and shook his head: "Wang Yan, she really can't compare with your Liu Shuxian. In our hometown, her grades are pretty good and she can be ranked first, but here, she seems to be unable to cope with the study and can barely keep up with the progress. In the final analysis, the children in Liujiazhuang have a solid foundation. We outsiders really have a hard time."

"But it's not bad. Even if she can't get into high school, there are technical secondary schools here for her to attend. I'm satisfied as long as my child can attend a technical secondary school."

The two then chatted about some problems in the children's study and life until the head teacher walked into the classroom and gave a speech.

"Next, let me read out the list of admissions..."

(End of this chapter)