Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

Geng Zhiye said he didn't buy it but he was actually teasing his son.

In the end, Geng Zhiye took his son and nieces to buy many different small fireworks.

Erbao didn't go because it was too cold. Geng Leilei and Geng Sensen thought that fireworks were for children to play with. They were grown up and not as childish as Geng Huihui, so they didn't go either. But Geng Zhiye bought some for the three of them.

In the afternoon, the adults were making dumplings, and Dabao acted like a little boss and asked his brothers and sisters to go out and play with him.

When it got dark, Dabao took out the fireworks and the kids in the alley ran out to watch. Dabao was very generous and gave them a few so that everyone could play together.

A dozen children, both big and small, set off fireworks together, lighting up the entire alley. The crackling sound was very lively, and the old men and women who were eating in the house couldn't help but go out.

Dabao was the one who enjoyed the party. The more people there were, the happier he was. He jumped up and down and asked his eldest cousin, "Is it fun?"

Geng Leilei thought it was just that. But seeing that his little cousin was very happy, he smiled and said, "It's quite fun."

Dabao immediately said, "There's more in the room, I'll go get it!"

However, he returned empty-handed.

Geng Leilei couldn't help but ask: "What's wrong?"

"My dad said that the fireworks left in the house are dangerous and children can't set them off. Brother Leilei, tell my dad you want to set them off and he will definitely give them to you." Dabao felt that his idea was a good one as he spoke more and more. He snatched the small fireworks from his cousin's hand and pushed him with his elbow: "Go, go, I'll wait for you here."

It's useless for Geng Leilei to go.

Geng Zhiye came out with a bunch of monkeys and asked Dabao, "Where do I put it?"

Dabao was surprised and happy: "Dad, let it go?"

Geng Zhiye nodded: "Let's eat dumplings after that."

Dabao pulled his sister to his side and said, "Don't be in front of Dad." Then he told the other children to step back, saying that the flying monkey was very powerful and could easily jump onto people if they were not careful.

The flying monkey flew up to the sky and exploded with a bang. The old man and woman who had just walked out of the house were startled and asked, "What's the noise?"

Dabao laughed happily: "My dad set off the rocket!"

The elderly had never seen one before so they came over to see what it looked like. Geng Zhiye explained: "It's just firecrackers."

"Then how can it fly?"

Geng Zhiye: "It was made using the principle of rockets."

The old men and women asked Geng Zhiye to set off a few more so they could see something new. When all the neighbors in the alley had seen enough, and Geng Zhiye had finished setting off his rockets, they said, "Geng Dabao, are you satisfied?"

Dabao nodded: "Satisfied! Sister, let's go home and eat dumplings!"

Erbao held his brother's hand and skipped back to the house.

Geng Leilei looked at his happy cousins ​​and thought, how nice it is to be my uncle's child!

Geng Leilei didn't think so before, because Geng Zhiye was an officer guarding the island, and Dabao and Erbao had to go to the island to live with him, otherwise they would continue to live without their father. In Geng Leilei's impression, the island was desolate, comparable to deep mountains and old forests, so he asked his parents more than once whether his little cousin could bear it. He also sympathized with his cousins ​​who were reincarnated as their uncle's children more than once.

His cousins ​​were as happy on the island as they were today. Geng Leilei believed that they could live with their uncle on the island for the rest of their lives.

Geng Huihui came out with a broom and planned to clean the outside of the door. She found that her cousin looked like he was out of his mind: "Geng Leilei?"

Geng Leilei came back to his senses: "Call me brother!"

Geng Huihui rolled her eyes at him and said, "Make way!" Then she told the children to go home and not wait outside the door, as Geng Dabao had finished setting off his fireworks.

The children knew that Geng Dabao had finished setting off fireworks, but they just felt so excited that they didn't want to leave. But when they saw Geng Huihui's big broom, they had to leave.

Geng Huihui dumped the fireworks paper into the trash can, and when she got home, Geng Zhiqin, Chu Fenghe, and Yang Mengxia were serving dumplings. Yang Mengxia glanced at Geng Huihui and asked, "How many do you want to eat?"

Geng Huihui: "Ten! More to serve after you finish eating."

Yu Wentao asked everyone not to eat yet, and she asked those who were no longer there to try it first.

Dabao stared at the bowl of dumplings his grandmother was carrying for a while and said, "Grandma, Grandpa isn't here."

Yu Wentao was so scared that she almost threw the dumplings away. Seeing this, Ye Fan was speechless but wanted to laugh: "Dabao, it's like when you are full, and your neighbor Aunt Li sees you and says, Dabao, try our dumplings. You say, no thanks. But humans and ghosts are different and cannot communicate, so you feel that your grandfather didn't come. Maybe he is behind you."

Yu Wentao couldn't help but look at her and said, "You'd better not say anything!"

Dabao was about to ask if it was because we moved and Grandpa couldn't find him. Hearing this, Dabao believed it and said, "So that's the case. Then let's eat dumplings."

Yu Wentao breathed a sigh of relief: "Do you want to eat from this bowl, or should I serve you more?"

"All is fine." Dabao went to the kitchen to get a set of bowls and chopsticks, and then when he got to the main room, he asked his mother to give him ten.

Ye Fan: "Can you finish it?"

"Grandma's dumplings are delicious." Dabao put one in his mouth. "Is it made with cabbage and pork?"

Yu Wentao nodded: "Want to eat fennel filling?"

Dabao is not used to eating fennel: "I want to eat fish dumplings. Mom, do we have a few big fish at home?"

Ye Fan had a dumpling in his mouth and made a gesture with three fingers.

"Can I make fish dumplings?" Dabao asked.

Ye Fan swallowed the dumpling in his mouth and said, "We can only eat one. One fish meat is not enough for everyone to eat. The remaining two are for your aunt and second aunt to visit relatives."

Yang Mengxia immediately said that they were not close relatives and just took something.

Ye Fan: "It's better to be polite than to be polite. Besides, I haven't been there for a few years."

Geng Huihui couldn't help but say, "We go there often, so we can take whatever we want. My grandparents are very reasonable and don't care how much they take."

Ye Fan was almost choked by her words, but Geng Zhihui and Chu Fenghe didn't hear it. The couple nodded in agreement and agreed to take whatever they wanted.

Geng Huihui often complained about her aunt at home, and Geng Benben would rather drink noodle soup with her grandmother at home than go to her grandmother's house to eat bread and luncheon meat. So Yu Wentao was confused when she heard this. Was Huihui possessed by her grandfather?

Yu Wentao looked for Ye Fan with a confused look on her face. I didn’t hear it wrongly.

Ye Fan: "Let's eat dumplings first. It won't be too late to talk about this on the second day of the Chinese New Year."

Yu Wentao decided to call back Geng Huihui's soul after dinner.

However, Geng Huihui was afraid that her mother would come back and scold her, so she brushed her teeth and washed her face as soon as she put down the dishes, then went to the back with the thermos, saying that it was too cold and she couldn't stand it and was going to catch a cold.

Yu Wentao could only remind Geng Zhiqin to be careful and prevent Huihui from having hysteria at night.

Chu Fenghe laughed: "How old is she and she's still hysterical."

Yu Wentao didn't dare to talk about ghosts during the day, and even less at night, so she said, "It's normal to have hysterics when you're not even 18 yet."

Ye Fan was worried that the two would get angry if the conversation went off track, so he interrupted them on purpose: "There are still a few left in the pot, who wants some?"

Geng Zhihui burped.

Chu Fenghe and Yang Mengxia shook their heads. Ye Fan looked at his two older nephews. Geng Leilei and Geng Sensen each had a bowl of rice and were full, shaking their heads feebly - enough!
Ye Fan gave it to Geng Zhiye. Geng Zhiye asked, "Don't you even ask me if I want it?"

Dabao: "No need to ask, Dad has a big appetite."

"Your dad is not a pig!" Geng Zhiye glared at his son, "Go wash your face and brush your teeth!"

Dabao asked: "Aren't you going to stay up all night?"

Geng Zhiye frowned, "Why do you want to celebrate the New Year? A few years ago, people didn't set off firecrackers during the New Year and nothing happened. How come you are more conservative than your mother at such a young age?"

Dabao: "Just talk about me, why are you talking about my mom?"

Ye Fan nodded: "That's right! Because I asked you to eat dumplings? Captain Geng, you don't know how to appreciate kindness!"

Geng Zhiye laughed angrily: "Who are you calling a dog?"

Dabao asked: "Did Mom say 'dog'?"

Geng Zhiye turned to his son with a stern look: "Are you done yet?"

Dabao immediately went to the kitchen to brush his teeth and wash his face.

The next morning, Dabao heard the noise and got up. He dressed neatly and went out, and sure enough, he saw Yu Wentao busying around in the yard.

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and Yu Wentao has to pay New Year's greetings to her elders. She is too embarrassed to go out and chat with the neighbors, but she really can't sleep, and there is not much work to do at home, so she just looks here and touches there.

In the past, Geng's father slept little, and Yu Wentao couldn't sleep so she chatted with him. Now she was the only one in the room, and it would be better to get up and move around than to lie in bed.

Dabao didn't know the truth and asked, "Isn't grandma sleepy?"

"What about you?" Yu Wentao asked.

Dabao wanted to say that he went to bed early and got up early, but when he got to the point of saying it, he thought that his grandmother might be the same as him, "Grandma, please sit down. I will kowtow to you."

"No, no, grandma knows that Dabao is the most filial." The family didn't leave any red paper this year, and Yu Wentao couldn't prepare a red envelope, so she just gave Dabao ten yuan.

Dabao was surprised: "Grandma gave me so much by herself?"

Yu Wentao: "How much did your grandma give you?"

Dabao: "Grandma, five dollars, grandpa, five dollars, and uncle and aunt together, ten dollars. Grandma, give me five dollars!"

Yu Wentao does not have a large pension, so she felt bad about receiving only 60 yuan as a New Year's gift. But when she thought about the time she went back to her parents' home two days ago, her sister-in-law and brother's wife all praised Ye Fan to her. Because of renting a car and selling pork, the family earned an extra 20 yuan, and they did not have to buy meat for the New Year - the offal and pork fat left over from slaughtering the pigs were enough.

Ye Fan asked her to bring a large Spanish mackerel and two pounds of pork leg meat back to her parents' home. When relatives and neighbors found out, they all praised her for being blessed. When Yu Wentao became a stepmother, her relatives and neighbors often reminded her that it was not easy to be a stepmother and that she would have a hard time in the future.

At that time, Yu Wentao thought to herself, "Do you think I am willing? Your family is so poor that you can't even afford to eat. Let alone stepmother, you guys are also vying to be stepmother."

Now that the things that relatives and neighbors were worried about had not happened, and Ye Fan had given her enough face, Yu Wentao couldn't help but smile when she thought of this, and said to Dabao: "Grandpa is just not at home, it's not like you don't have a grandfather. This is given by my grandfather and I, take it."

Dabao took it and said, "Thank you, grandma."

Yu Wentao was very pleased and asked, "Are you cold?"

Dabao just got up and was not cold, so he shook his head: "Grandma, are you going to the toilet?"

"I'll go get a flashlight." Yu Wentao went back to the house.

Dabao also went back to the house and put the money in the piggy bank, "Brother Benben, grandma has given out New Year's money."

"I'm indispensable again." Geng Benben pulled the quilt over his head and continued to sleep.

Dabao said with disdain, "Lazy guy!" Then he took the paper and went to the public toilet with his grandmother.

After returning home and washing up, it was dawn when Dabao knocked on his sister's door and said, "Erbao, get up and learn English."

Erbao let his brother come in first, and when Dabao came in, she said, "Mom said we don't have to study during the New Year!"

Dabao: "Grandma gave out New Year's money."

"How much?" The money-loving little boy immediately got out of bed and put on his shoes, and this time he didn't ask his brother to serve him.

Dabao held out a finger, and Erbao whispered, "Ten yuan?" He walked out in his slippers, "Grandma, I wish you a happy new year!"

Yu Wentao said "No need" again and handed the money to Erbao, "Grandma went to the bank to get this. Is it new?"

Erbao nodded and spat out compliments as if they were free.

Ye Fan sighed and came out from the inner room: "How come you and your brother are more talkative than your father and I?"

"Happy New Year, Mom!" Dabao ran in and said.

Ye Fan said to Geng Zhiye who came out later, "Pay the money."

Geng Zhiye took out twenty yuan, and Dabao and Erbao each took one and went back to the house to put them away.

Geng Benben opened his eyes when he heard the noise and saw Dabao stuffing money into the piggy bank again: "Auntie is giving out New Year's money too?"

"My parents gave it to me. My dad still has some in his pocket. Hurry up and get up."

Geng Benben got up, took out the 20 yuan New Year's money and stuffed it under his pillow, and told Dabao: "Don't tell my mom."

Chu Fenghe was worried that the two children would spend money recklessly, so he helped them collect the New Year's money no matter how much it was. Geng Benben was not interested in the New Year's money because he knew that he could not keep it.

Dabao: “I didn’t see anything.”

Geng Benben put his arm around his shoulders: "From now on, you will be my real brother!"

Dabao pushed his hand away in disdain, and when he heard Yang Mengxia's voice, he immediately went out: "Auntie, Happy New Year."

Before coming, Yang Mengxia asked Geng Zhihua how much money to give to his nephews and nieces as New Year gifts. Geng Zhihua said that he didn't go back often, so ten yuan would be enough. So Yang Mengxia took out the New Year gifts that she had prepared long ago.

Upon seeing this, Geng Zhiye distributed the New Year's money he had prepared for his nephews and nieces.

Geng Leilei was too embarrassed to accept it, so Geng Zhiye pushed it into his pocket and said, "College students are not polite, why should you be polite?"

Geng Huihui ran to her grandmother's room with a smile and hid in her grandmother's cabinet. The things she bought from the thrift store with Ye Fan were also in the cabinet. At first, Geng Huihui was afraid that her mother would see her and nag her for spending money recklessly. Later, her aunt bought a house, and she was afraid that her mother was being too kind and said that the antique shelf in her grandmother's room was full and there was no place to put her things, so she might as well give some to her aunt. So Geng Huihui never dared to take out her things.

There was a blue and white porcelain vase among the old things. All the money Geng Huihui earned from writing couplets was in it, and she also stuffed her New Year's money in it. Geng Huihui saw that there were several ten-yuan bills in the porcelain vase, and she felt very satisfied. She put the porcelain vase back and left happily.

After the relatives and friends who came to pay New Year's greetings to Yu Wentao left, Ye Fan took out a deck of playing cards and asked, "Play cards?"

Geng Benben and Geng Huihui each took a seat. Chu Fenghe wanted to be angry but also wanted to laugh: "Can you two beat your aunt?"

"Don't use your brain to count cards." Ye Fan glanced at Geng Zhiye, "If you can't help it, just get out of the way and switch to Dabao."

Geng Zhiye stood up and asked his son to sit down: "Dabao, Daddy will help you?"

Dabao: “I won’t cry if I lose!” The implication is, do I need your help if I’m just playing casually?

Geng Zhiye sat behind Ye Fan: "I'll help you!"

Ye Fan laughed: "Go play with Erbao."

Erbao shook his head and refused: "I want to play checkers with my aunt."

When Geng Zhiqin accompanied Ye Fan to buy playing cards, he saw a set of checkers - the supply and marketing department didn't dare to sell it before, but they were reluctant to throw it away, so they kept it in the warehouse - after the reform and opening up, the warehouse manager took out all the things they didn't dare to sell before, but checkers were expensive and few people knew how to play, so they never sold it.

The staff of the supply and marketing cooperative saw that Geng Zhiqin was interested and sold it to him at a low price.

Geng Zhihui couldn't help but want to laugh: "Third brother, you should just eat melon seeds with us here."

Geng Zhiye pretended not to hear and watched Ye Fan play cards behind her.

After the game was over, the door of the Geng family was pushed open. Geng Zhiye and Ye Fan looked up at the same time. Several young people and children came in. Ye Fan was surprised and asked in a low voice: "Come to wish Aunt Yu a happy new year?"

When I lived in the old house, I knew all the neighbors. Every Spring Festival, the children of the neighbors would come to my house to pay New Year's greetings. When I just moved here last year, I didn't know anyone well, and Geng Zhiye didn't expect anyone to come to his house.

Geng Zhiye whispered, "Have fun, I'll go over and take a look." He stood up and walked out the door and said "Happy New Year." The adults and children were a little embarrassed at first, but when they saw that Geng Zhiye seemed to welcome them, they smiled and walked in and said "Happy New Year."

Geng Zhiye invited them in and explained, "It's cold outside and we're too lazy to go out, so we just found a deck of cards and played cards." There were melon seeds, peanuts and candies in the fruit plate, and Geng Zhiye grabbed a few handfuls for the children.

Yu Wentao didn't expect that neighbors would come to pay New Year's greetings, so she was very happy. She took a chair for the adults to sit down and pointed to a small stool for the children to sit down.

These kids had become acquainted with Dabao last night after setting off fireworks together, so they ran behind Dabao to watch him play cards. Dabao said, "I want to play cards, so I can't go out and play with you guys."

Geng Zhiye laughed: "Did they call you out?"

Dabao rolled his eyes and said, "Did I talk to you?" Then he said, "Mom, keep an eye on my dad, he's everywhere!"

Ye Fan: "Ignore him!"

Dabao ignored his father, so Geng Zhiye chatted with the people who came to pay New Year's greetings. After sitting for a while, they stood up and said goodbye.

The children who came with them didn’t want to leave, so Ye Fan said to the children’s elders, “Let them play here.”

After the adults left, Ye Fan chatted with Geng Leilei and said that he also wanted to play cards, so he asked Dabao to let his cousin play for a while.

Geng Leilei was studying antiques in front of the antique display cabinet. He was stunned when he heard this. Which Geng Leilei was this?

Dabao stood up: "Brother Leilei, come here."

Geng Leilei subconsciously put the bamboo carving in his hand back. He only came to his senses when he got the poker cards. Who said he wanted to play cards?

Ye Fan said that. Dabao was bored after being replaced, so he ran outside to play with a group of children. Geng Leilei asked after realizing it, "Auntie doesn't want Dabao to play poker?"

Geng Huihui thought to herself that he still wanted to be my brother, what a tact, "Those kids wanted to play with Dabao, but Dabao didn't want to go out, so Auntie told him that you had to play."

Ye Fan nodded: "Dabao is not addicted to playing cards. If I tell him you want to play, he will definitely get up." Facts have proved that no one knows a child better than his mother.

Geng Zhiye: "You can also ask Dabao to give it to me."

Ye Fan: "If you want to play, even if Dabao is tired of playing, I will never give it to you!"

Geng Zhiye was so angry that he cursed: "You naughty kid!"

Erbao asked: "Dad, do you want to know why my brother gave his brother to Leilei and didn't let you play?"

Geng Zhiye asked with a half-smile: "Do you want to know when daddy beats the child?"

"Why are you hitting me? I didn't do anything wrong!" Erbao said loudly.

Geng Zhiye: "Beating children during the Chinese New Year is just a way to do nothing."

Erbao was so angry that he shouted "Mom".

Ye Fan: "If you ignore him, everything will be fine."

Erbao couldn't believe it: "Dad is so old, and you still ask me to give way to him?"

Ye Fan was helpless: "Is this what I meant?"

"Aren't you!?" Erbao asked back.

Ye Fan: "If you say so, then so be it."

Erbao choked.

Ye Fan asked again: "Do you need mom to apologize?"

Erbao suddenly felt very powerless, like a punch on cotton, "You are as bad as your father!" He put on his shoes and went out, "I'll go now, okay?"

Geng Leilei was very worried: "Aunt——"

"It's okay!" Ye Fan interrupted, "She teased your uncle first, but she didn't say anything about me. She was just angry with herself."

Geng Zhiye: "Geng Erbao wants to save face. He is so angry because he is speechless and embarrassed by your aunt. Just go out and play for a while."

Yu Wentao couldn't help but say, "You could say less."

Geng Zhiye: "Children should not be spoiled!"

Yu Wentao was suddenly speechless.

Geng Zhiqin was happy and asked her mother: "Do you want to go out for some fresh air?"

Yu Wentao was so angry that she went out, but she didn't forget to take Dabao and Erbao's scarves and hats.

Geng Zhihui was helpless and wanted to laugh when he saw this: "Old Third, it's New Year's Day, what are you doing?"

"What did I say?" Geng Zhiye asked.

Geng Zhihui was speechless because the person who made the man angry was his sister.

Chu Fenghe smiled and asked: "Why don't you say anything?"

Geng Zhihui also wanted to go out for some fresh air, but was afraid of being asked what job he did in the factory, so he asked Geng Zhiqin to play checkers.

The brother and sister played three games. Geng Zhiqin lost all three games and suddenly felt bored: "Second sister-in-law, do you want to play?"

Chu Fenghe asked Geng Zhihui to move aside so that she and her sister-in-law could play two games. Geng Zhihui then sat down on the chair opposite and chatted with his sister-in-law, mainly about how his elder brother was doing over there.

Yang Mengxia said that the revolution had just ended and then the reform and opening up began. There were so many things to do that Geng Zhihua often forgot to eat.

Ye Fan heard Yang Mengxia sighing and saying that Geng Zhihua was busy until midnight, and sometimes slept for only four or five hours for several days in a row. She couldn't help but say, "Sister-in-law, did Big Brother ever say that if you want to get rich, you have to build roads first?"

Across the antique shelf, Yang Mengxia replied: "It's hard to walk on the road."

Ye Fan: "That's similar to what I encountered on the island. I couldn't get my things out of the island before, and my brother's land is not flat, so it's because the mountains can't get things out. My suggestion is to build a road first, and then set up a rural cooperative to sell the things."

Yang Mengxia pulled a chair over and sat down: "Isn't a rural cooperative a supply and marketing cooperative?"

Ye Fan did not answer but asked, "Did you know that I used to work in a food factory?"

Yang Mengxia nodded, "The third brother mentioned it in the letter."

Geng Zhiye said, "I mentioned it a few times, but I didn't expect my sister-in-law would still remember it."

Geng Zhihua had said this several times, and Yang Mengxia could never forget it, "Are food factories different from cooperatives?"

"It's different." Ye Fan handed the card to Geng Zhiye and continued to talk aside, "When I wanted to set up a cooperative, I couldn't get around the commune secretary. I might have to be led by the commune, but the higher the official, the more powerful he is. If the entire commune leadership team was suppressing me, I couldn't sell seafood today and mountain delicacies tomorrow, so I suggested to the commune to set up a food factory. I used this method because I was at the bottom. If the leaders above agreed, I wouldn't have to be so roundabout."

Yang Mengxia: "Then tell me about the cooperative."

Ye Fan: "The cooperative is the government's agreement to set up a supply and marketing cooperative in the village, but it is different from the supply and marketing cooperative, which buys and sells goods, while they sell all the goods in the village in a unified way."

Geng Leilei couldn't help but frown: "No need to go through so much trouble? Once the road is repaired, we can just sell it ourselves."

Yang Mengxia couldn't help but laugh at his son's naivety. "Now only a few coastal cities can trade freely! Ordinary people who come to the city to sell mountain products will be chased out of the city at best, or jailed at worst, and may even be charged stall fees."

Ye Fan nodded: "There are villains in every unit, and it is impossible for the leaders to keep an eye on them one by one. It doesn't take many such incidents, just two or three, and the people will not dare to go into the city. The higher-ups support the establishment of cooperatives, and the village chief took all the things of the people out, saving time and travel expenses, and no one dares to bully them."

Yang Mengxia asked: "It's still individuals selling to each other? It's just legalized by putting on the cloak of a cooperative?"

Ye Fan: "That's right. Haven't they implemented the household contract responsibility system over there yet?"

Yang Mengxia nodded: "From what your eldest brother said, we should implement it before the spring plowing this year." He sighed, "Some people will definitely disagree."

"After getting used to the days of getting food even if they don't work hard, he will definitely not want to be responsible for his own profits and losses. At this time, if we propose to hand over the harvested food and fruits to the supply and marketing cooperatives for unified sales and there is money to be made, no one should object." Ye Fan said.

Yang Mengxia couldn't help but ask: "Who are you selling it to?"

Ye Fan: "Brother, it's in the canteen of our company. You can also buy it from the rural cooperative for the New Year's benefits."

Geng Zhihui couldn't help but ask: "Aren't the products of state-owned units unsalable?"

Ye Fan said: "The state-owned units don't produce fruits and vegetables, so they don't conflict with the cooperatives. If the candies and snacks they produce are very good, people will buy them at ten yuan a pound. If they are just sloppy and can't sell, they deserve it."

Geng Zhiye said: "Farmers are not the only ones who should be responsible for their own profits and losses. All large enterprises should also bear their own losses. For the higher-ups, this is like crossing the river by feeling the stones. We don't know if it will work, so we will first try it out in a few special zones. If it works, we will promote it nationwide. By then, we may have to lay off many people."

Geng Zhihui couldn't help but ask: "What should we do then?"

Geng Zhiye: "The state has supported them for half a lifetime and can no longer afford to support them. You have to find a way out yourself. Besides, it's not like they will lay off employees right away. Isn't this a reminder through the establishment of the special economic zones that the increase of private enterprises in the future will inevitably affect state-owned enterprises?"

Geng Zhihui opened his mouth: "——Not everyone can realize this!"

Chu Fenghe: "In fact, we should clearly tell all workers in the country that we will have to lay off employees if performance is not good in the future."

Geng Zhiye was tired. His brother and sister-in-law had really stayed in the ivory tower for too long. Geng Zhiye sighed, "Sister-in-law, Fanfan said that when people have money in the future, several people will compete for a house, and the housing price will definitely go up, but you don't care. Do you think the state will believe it if the state-owned enterprise employees say it? Maybe they think that there are so many workers in the country, and the state dare not leave them alone."

Ye Fan: "If it really comes to that, for the sake of long-term development, we have to do something as dangerous as cutting open the belly."

Geng Zhiye said: "The employees of state-owned enterprises are not only lazy at work. If you go to the black market, you will know how rampant they are."

Chu Fenghe couldn't help but say: "But they are also a minority."

Geng Zhiye: "Ordinary workers also have the obligation to supervise and report. They dare not offend those people, and turn a blind eye to the phenomenon of reselling factory goods. If the factory's performance is not good in the future, will it be unfair for them to be laid off?"

Geng Zhihui frowned: "Not everyone has your courage. You dare to help others when you see injustice, but others have the right to turn a blind eye."

"What else is there to say?" Geng Zhiye said, "Sell those two houses to my sister-in-law."

Geng Zhihui finished his speech: "What's the connection? Don't make a fuss! Are they the same thing?"

Ye Fan hurriedly said, "What are you two arguing about? Brother, if a factory has a serious problem of reselling, even the security guard at the door will realize that the factory cannot be managed. At this time, many people will think about retreating."

Chu Fenghe: "It's not something that can be solved just by thinking about it. Take our family for example, we have a whole family of old people and children. Do you dare to leave home?"

Ye Fan nodded: "If I were an ordinary worker and was suddenly laid off one day, I would dare to go to the south to make a living. If I don't dare to go alone, I can find a few companions who have also been laid off."

Chu Fenghe: "You have been on the island for a few years. You dare to go to the coastal cities, but others don't dare."

"Then there is no solution." Ye Fan said.

Geng Zhihui asked: "Isn't this the only way out?"

Ye Fan sighed, "You can also complain to your relatives about your poverty, or ask the street for help." He glanced at Chu Fenghe, "If you still can't bring yourself to do this, you will die!"

Geng Huihui suspected that her aunt was talking about her grandmother's family. Unfortunately, her grandmother's family had stable jobs and they were not laid off even after 50 years of reform and opening up.

Ye Fan: "Then again, if you are not afraid of death, why would you be afraid of going out to explore the world? No matter how difficult the future is, it won't be as difficult as going to Guandong in the early days."

When the phrase “Crossing Guandong” came out, Chu Fenghe was speechless.

Even if the whole family of old people and children cannot leave Ye Fan and Geng Zhiye, if it really comes to that, they can take the old people and children to the special economic zone to beg for food for a while. Many people who went to Guandong survived in this way.

Yang Mengxia tried to smooth things over: "You're talking about your eldest brother's side. How can you bring up state-owned enterprises? Your eldest brother doesn't have many companies either."

Ye Fan: "Is there an airport?"

Yang Mengxia shook his head: "There is a train."

Ye Fan: "Train is also fine. In a few years, we can transport wine, oil and cigarettes here. I remember there is tea oil over there?"

"Yes. I heard it existed thousands of years ago. But it doesn't have much smell."

Ye Fan said, "It's definitely not as delicious as lard. I'm not asking you to bring the stuff here right now. We can set up a cooperative and sell it in the city first. When the market in the city is saturated, we can find a way to ship it out. I guess by then the rich people in the capital will have had enough of pork and want to change their taste."

Geng Zhihui was very unhappy because of what he had just said, and said unhappily, "That's easy to say."

Ye Fan paused for a moment, "Second brother, I don't want to argue with you. It's hard for an individual to come forward, but it's easy for the city or province to take the lead! For example, if my eldest brother wants to cooperate with a state-owned unit in the capital, and the state-owned unit ignores him, won't he take advantage of the meeting to complain? Don't say that my eldest brother doesn't dare to complain."

"You have said everything, what should I say?" Geng Zhihui stood up and left angrily.

Geng Huihui suppressed her laughter and said, "Aunt, won't it be just the four of us and uncle left in the room later?"

Geng Sensen lay on the Luohan bed and said, "And I, I won't go out."

Chu Fenghe said: "I'll go out and see him."

Geng Huihui saw her mother walking away and said, "My mother is angry too."

Geng Zhiye said, "They have stayed in Taohuayuan for too long and can't stand the cruelty of reality." He paused, "But there are many people like them who can't accept reality." Looking up and seeing Yu Wentao coming in, he couldn't help but say, "They are not as good as your grandma. If everyone in our family was laid off, they would think it's better to die than to live. Your grandma must think that the worst that can happen is to go back to her old job and sing Fengyang Flower Drum."

Yu Wentao came in just in time to hear the last three words: "Want to listen to Fengyang Flower Drum?"

Geng Huihui shook her head: "No! Grandma, where are Dabao and Erbao?"

"Erbao is skipping rope, and Dabao is fighting cocks." Yu Wentao came in to pour a glass of water, "What else can we talk about, Huagu?"

Geng Huihui: "Grandma, what should we do if our family suddenly has no money, no job, and no land?"

Yu Wentao thought, what nonsense is there on New Year's Day? It's not bad. It may not happen. Yu Wentao didn't mind it very much. She drank a sip of water and said, "Didn't your uncle say that Fengyang Huagu and Zhu Yuanzhang are all good? What are we afraid of?"

Geng Huihui was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "My uncle is indeed worthy of being raised by you."

"What's going on?" Yu Wentao was confused. Seeing that Ye Fan was not playing cards, she put down her water cup and said, "Fanfan, come out. I have something to tell you."

Geng Zhiye: "What's the important matter? Just say it here."

Because Geng Zhiye is not Geng Zhihua, Yu Wentao rolled her eyes unceremoniously and pulled a small stool to sit next to Ye Fan: "Do you know Old Zhang who lives east of our house?"

Ye Fan: "Uncle Zhang, our neighbor to the east? I know him. He's been to our house. Did he come to look for you?"

Yu Wentao was so shocked that her body leaned back, her daughter-in-law had turned into a spirit!

"Do you know what I want to talk to you about?"

Ye Fan: "Is his family's life difficult because he was the only one working before? His eldest son is about my age, and he may have gone to the countryside a few years ago and came back just before he retired, so the eldest son took over his job, the youngest son is in the same class as Benben, and the second son is a homeless person. Is he going to sell pork to me?"

Yu Wentao opened her mouth and said, "Tell me, have you asked around?"

Geng Huihui shook her head: "Auntie hasn't asked about it, I can prove it."

Yu Wentao: "How do you know that the second child doesn't have a job?"

"Who will arrange a house for him? If there is a powerful relative, wouldn't he arrange a house for his eldest son? Would the whole family have to squeeze together?" Ye Fan asked.

Yu Wentao was convinced: "But you guessed wrong, it's not the second child but the eldest child who has no job. Oh, he was here just now."

Geng Zhiye thought about the people who came to pay New Year's greetings: "The one who is not tall, very thin but has flesh on his face, and smiles when he talks?"

Yu Wentao couldn't help asking, "Did he say his last name was Zhang?"

Geng Zhiye said, "He said it. Even if he didn't say it, I could have guessed it was him. He didn't let the eldest take over the business with the second oldest. It's either because the eldest is incompetent or because he has a good temper. He always puts his younger brothers and sisters first in everything!"

(End of this chapter)