1980: I have a spiritual spring

Chapter 49 A generous move

In later generations, Cenhe Town was known as a famous town for knitting.

The knitting industry in Cenhe Town originated in the late 50s. Influenced by Shashi, a "century-old commercial port" and a famous light textile industrial city, the town established 26 collective enterprises in the 70s, including the Cenhe Town Underwear Factory and the Cenhe Town Knitting Factory. Based on this, the town vigorously developed the knitted clothing and apparel industry.

Qiao Erhe wanted to buy new clothes, so he went straight to the store that belonged to the knitting factory.

Cenhe Town Knitting Factory, formerly known as Jiangling County Wool Sweater Factory, mainly produced pure wool sweaters and acrylic fleece sweaters during that era.

After Qiao Erhe found out the price of the wool sweater, he couldn't help but be secretly amazed. Even at factory direct price, a pure wool sweater cost as much as 28 yuan. It was conceivable that in other regions where wool sweaters were not produced, the price of this pure wool sweater would definitely be two or three times higher.

Such a high price is really not something that ordinary people can afford.

Unlike later generations, with the rise of platforms like Pinduoduo, clothing prices were so low that people in this era could hardly imagine. A piece of clothing that looked quite nice could be bought for just a few dollars with free shipping, which was simply unbelievable.

A cup of milk tea can buy a piece of clothing. Such a low price is something Qiao Erhe would never have believed if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

Originally, Qiao Erhe planned to buy one for his other siblings as well, but the price was too expensive. With their family's current financial situation, they really couldn't afford to be so extravagant.

Therefore, Qiao Erhe only bought two items, one for himself and one for his older brother.

After all, my older brother is engaged, and he needs to deliver gifts to the woman's family around the Spring Festival this year. It wouldn't be right if he didn't have decent clothes to wear then.

After buying two wool sweaters, Qiao Erhe went to the Cenhe Leather Shoe Factory's store to buy two pairs of leather shoes.

The Cenhe Leather Shoe Factory was originally a phosphate fertilizer plant, established in 1976. It was renamed Cenhe Chemical Plant in 1979. This year, it started making leather shoes and officially went into production in August. The factory name was also officially changed to Cenhe Leather Shoe Factory.

These leather shoes weren't cheap either, even more expensive than a wool sweater. Qiao Erhe had limited funds at the moment, so he couldn't afford to buy the most expensive ones. He could only buy two pairs of ordinary leather shoes, which cost him a total of 60 yuan.

Then, I went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought two leather jackets.

The leather jackets were also very expensive. In addition to the required cloth coupons, each leather jacket cost as much as 52 yuan. The two leather jackets cost 104 yuan, plus 56 yuan for two wool sweaters and 60 yuan for two pairs of leather shoes. The whole trip cost a total of 220 yuan, which almost emptied my pockets.

Of course, the prices are a bit high, but whether it's a pure wool sweater, leather shoes, or leather jacket, the quality is top-notch.

After buying clothes and shoes, Qiao Erhe went to Cenhe Hairdressing Cooperative.

The Cenhe Hairdressing Cooperative, also a collective enterprise, was originally called the Hairdressing Service Group. It was established in October 1954 and had 26 employees. It was not until June 1956 that it was renamed to its current name.

Qiao Erhe has the mentality of an elderly person, so he naturally wouldn't get a fancy haircut. Instead, he asked the barber to give him a haircut that made him look more energetic.

After everything was settled, Qiao Erhe returned home satisfied.

When he returned home, the whole family was in an uproar. Whether it was a wool sweater, a leather jacket, or leather shoes, in the eyes of rural people in that era, those were all synonymous with high-end, things that only city dwellers were qualified to wear.

While the siblings were marveling at these things, Qiao Erhe handed over the portion that belonged to his eldest brother and said, "Big brother, this is for you. Try it on and see if it fits."

Qiao Dajiang took the clothes and shoes with a shocked expression, his eyes wide as he asked, "This...this was bought for me?"

Qiao Erhe laughed and said, "Brother, you're engaged now. You'll need to deliver gifts to your sister-in-law's family during the Spring Festival. Wear this outfit then."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Dajiang smiled and said happily, "Okay, then I'll try it on and see if it fits." Qiao Sihai touched the wool sweater in his hand and asked expectantly, "Second brother, this wool sweater is so beautiful, can you buy me one too?"

Qiao Erhe laughed and said, "Of course, no problem. But I don't have much money on hand right now. I'll buy it for you later, and then everyone in the family will get one."

Qiao Sihai asked, "Second Brother, how much does this wool sweater cost?"

Qiao Erhe said, "28 yuan a piece."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Sihai gasped. He knew that wool sweaters were definitely not cheap, but he didn't expect them to be this expensive.

Qiao Sanduo, holding the leather jacket, asked, "Second Brother, how much does this leather jacket cost?"

Qiao Erhe said, "52 yuan a piece."

Qiao Sanduo exclaimed in surprise, "That's so expensive!"

"What about the leather shoes?"

"Twenty dollars."

Qiao Sihai quickly did the math in his head and exclaimed in astonishment, "Second Brother, just these two leather jackets, two wool sweaters, and two pairs of leather shoes cost 220 yuan?"

Qiao Erhe nodded and said, "You're right."

Qiao Sanduo took a deep breath and said, "It's too expensive. This is not something that people from the countryside can afford."

As they were talking, Qiao Dajiang had already changed his clothes and shoes and came out with a big smile on his face.

The saying "you get what you pay for" is really true. Before, Qiao Dajiang wore old clothes, and people could tell at a glance that he was a countryman. But now that he has changed into new clothes, it looks like a cityman has walked into the countryside.

Of course, this change only applies to clothing; the overall demeanor remains the same.

Even so, Qiao Sihai was quite envious of Qiao Dajiang's new look. However, despite his envy, he wouldn't be so tactless as to ask his second brother to buy him the same clothes and shoes.

Qiao Erhe looked at his elder brother's clothes and nodded, saying, "Not bad. Get a haircut and bring some gifts. You'll definitely be the center of attention when you get to your sister-in-law's house."

Qiao Dajiang looked at himself in the mirror and became more and more satisfied. He was already imagining the scene of giving gifts to his future in-laws during the Spring Festival.

Next, Qiao Dajiang asked about the price of the clothes and shoes. He was shocked to learn that the two pieces of clothing and a pair of shoes cost 110 yuan.

Although he was somewhat prepared, the price still exceeded his expectations. Spending 110 yuan on clothes and shoes was something only his second son in the family could afford. If it were him, he definitely wouldn't have been willing to buy them.

After all, this is almost three months' wages for an ordinary worker, and it really hurts to spend this money.

Qiao Dajiang already liked the clothes and shoes very much, and now that he knew the price, he treasured them even more. He immediately went back to his room to change the clothes and shoes, and then kept them safe to wear when he went to his fiancée's house to give them as gifts during the Spring Festival.

(End of this chapter)