1980: I have a spiritual spring

Chapter 46 Lunch with a Beauty

"Comrade Su, what do you do for a living?"

Inside the restaurant, while waiting for the food to be served, Qiao Erhe was the first to ask.

Su Jinxiu said, "I work at a hospital."

Qiao Erhe asked, "Are you a doctor or a nurse?"

Su Jinxiu shook her head and smiled, "No, I work in the personnel department of the hospital."

Qiao Erhe gave a thumbs up and praised, "This is really a good job. Although doctors can save lives and heal the wounded, which is a noble profession, both being a doctor and a nurse is very hard work. Compared with that, an administrative position like yours, Comrade Su, is the most sought-after."

Su Jinxiu looked somewhat surprised: "It seems Comrade Qiao knows quite a lot about hospital work!"

Qiao Erhe smiled and said, "I know a little bit. May I ask which hospital you work at?"

Su Jinxiu glanced at him, and instead of answering, asked, "Comrade Qiao, why are you asking so many questions?"

Qiao Erhe said, "Of course we need to find out. People eat grains and other foods, and birth, aging, sickness and death are inevitable. If my relatives and friends get sick in the future, having a friend like you who works in a hospital will save them a lot of trouble when we bring them to see a doctor. Don't you think so?"

"You have a point."

Su Jinxiu said frankly, "I work at the First People's Hospital."

Qiao Erhe said jokingly, "I've got it. If I ever need your help at the hospital, you absolutely mustn't refuse."

"I'll definitely help if I can, but I hope you never have to ask me for help."

At this point, Su Jinxiu changed the subject, saying, "Comrade Qiao, as far as I know, many rural people don't dare to raise more than three chickens these days, for fear of being labeled as capitalists. How dare you raise 2000 laying hens?"

Qiao Erhe said with a smile, "Comrade Su, the country has already started reform and opening up. Moreover, when Deng Xiaoping inspected Guangzhou, he publicly stated that no matter how many chickens and ducks we farmers raise, we all belong to socialism."

Now that the restrictions have been lifted, we rural folks who want to escape poverty and become wealthy must be bold and take action. That's why my family started raising egg-laying chickens, and so far the harvest has been quite good. The daily income from selling eggs alone is equivalent to a month's salary for an average worker.

Su Jinxiu nodded repeatedly and exclaimed, "Wow, that's amazing! A day's income is equivalent to a month's salary for an ordinary worker. I never imagined that raising laying hens could be so profitable."

Qiao Erhe sighed, "The only drawback is that self-employed individuals like us are probably looked down upon by many people in society."

Su Jinxiu comforted her, saying, "You make so much money raising laying hens, you don't need to care about what others think. Making money honestly is nothing to be ashamed of."

With a smile on his face, Qiao Erhe said, "Of course I don't care about other people's opinions. The low social status of self-employed individuals is only temporary. In the future, our country's policies will focus on economic development, which means that people engaged in economic activities will have a higher and higher social status."

I believe that one day, many people who are in politics will choose to go into business.

At that time, self-employed individuals will no longer be a group looked down upon, but rather a social group that countless people will flock to.

Su Jinxiu's eyes widened as she asked, "You're so optimistic about the development of individual businesses?"

Qiao Erhe said, "As long as the basic national policy of prioritizing economic development remains unchanged, the status of merchants will continue to rise, which is foreseeable."

Su Jinxiu's gaze towards Qiao Erhe changed. This was the first time she had ever seen a rural person so knowledgeable about national policies. She couldn't help but ask, "Comrade Qiao, if I may be so bold as to ask, what is your educational background?"

Qiao Erhe laughed and said, "I only finished junior high school, I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Comrade Su." Su Jinxiu sighed and said, "Compared to you, I feel like I wasted my high school years."

Just then, the waiter started serving the food, and the two temporarily stopped talking.

Since this was the first time Qiao Erhe had treated Su Jinxiu to a meal, he ordered a full four dishes and a soup: Dragon and Phoenix Stew, Stir-fried Pork with Pepper, Steamed Pork with Rice Flour, Braised Eggplant, and Pork Lung Soup.

Su Jinxiu's family was very well-off, but in this era of scarcity, such a feast was only available during festivals or when relatives and friends came to visit. It was impossible to eat such a luxurious meal on ordinary days.

The two then ate and chatted.

Then, Su Jinxiu once again experienced Qiao Erhe's extensive knowledge. No matter what topic she brought up, he could have a lively and engaging conversation with her.

The feeling of being able to engage in conversation no matter what you talk about and having a deep chat with someone is incredibly addictive. At this moment, Su Jinxiu was aroused by Qiao Erhe's enthusiasm for conversation, and the two chatted and laughed, completely forgetting about time.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Jinxiu suddenly came to her senses, raised her hand to look at the time on her watch, and exclaimed in alarm, "Oh no, it's already two o'clock!"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Erhe slapped his forehead and said, "Sorry, I got so engrossed in our conversation that I forgot you have to go to work this afternoon."

Su Jinxiu stood up and said, "It's not your fault. I need to call my mom right away to let her know I'm safe. I didn't go home for lunch, and she's probably worried sick about me. I have to go back to work at the hospital after I make the call."

Qiao Erhe also stood up and said, "Okay, you go ahead. I'll deliver those two trays of eggs to the hospital next time I come to Shashi to sell eggs."

Su Jinxiu nodded and said, "That's settled then. Thank you for spending money today. I'll treat you to dinner next time you come."

Qiao Erhe waved his hand and said, "It's settled then. I'll go pay the bill first. You should go now!"

"See you!"

"goodbye!"

……

The Qiao brothers' stall.

Qiao Sihai sat on the empty bamboo basket, rubbing his stomach and saying miserably, "Big brother, do you think second brother has forgotten about us? I'm starving to death. When is he finally going to pack some food for us?"

There's a saying that a half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home. Fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys are in the prime of their physical development, and their appetites are truly astonishing. Even if they just sit there doing nothing, their stomachs will be growling with hunger before noon.

What's more, today I carried a load of eggs from home to the commune, and after arriving in Shashi, I carried them to where I am now.

In addition, it's noon now, but past 2 p.m., so the food we ate in the morning has long been digested.

When he was busy selling eggs, it wasn't so unbearable, but now that all the eggs except for the two trays he was holding for that pretty girl have been sold, Qiao Sihai, who is now free, feels an unbearable hunger.

Qiao Dajiang's stomach was also growling with hunger, and he said irritably, "Who knows about him!"

Qiao Sihai couldn't take it anymore and said, "Brother, why don't I wait here while you go look around and buy some food to tide you over!"

Qiao Dajiang also had this plan, but just as he was about to get up, he saw his second brother walking back quickly, so he changed his mind and said, "No need, he's back."

(End of this chapter)