Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 305 Men's Difficulties

in the afternoon.

In the ground floor shops of No. 20 Beichen Road, Asian Games Village, the buzzing of electric drills and the muffled sound of hammers striking the ground mingled together, and dust-laden air swirled in the more than 500-square-meter space.

The walls have been painted with two coats of off-white paint, and there are still a few wet streaks near the ceiling, like a light gray border around the new wall.

Several workers were kneeling as they laid floor tiles. The off-white tiles stretched outwards in rows, with each tile grout lined with cotton thread. Their cement-covered gloves left tiny marks on the tiles.

Several rolls of yellow electrical wires were piled up in the corner, and next to them were two white sinks, with the original plastic film still attached to the rims, swaying gently in the wind.

Sun Tao stood near the door, glancing at the workers every now and then. Although he didn't know much about home renovation, he felt that if he kept an eye on them, the workers would be more attentive.

In the morning, he was busy at the "365 Vegetable Store" until after noon. He ate a few bites of food and rushed over here without even taking a break.

Chen Yongfa from the decoration company would oversee things here in the morning, go to the construction site in Xidan in the afternoon, and come back to check on the progress in the evening. The two were about the same age and got along quite well. Sun Tao felt that Chen Yongfa was reliable, unlike some contractors who would try to cheat and shirk their responsibilities.

The dust in the shops on the ground floor was getting heavier and heavier. Sun Tao felt a tightness in his throat, so he walked towards the door.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance, I saw a man standing not far away. He was wearing a gray Zhongshan suit with the collar buttoned up tightly and black-rimmed glasses. His eyes behind the lenses were staring at the shops on the ground floor.

The Asian Games Village has been under construction rapidly in the past two years, with construction sites everywhere. Outside workers and business people come and go. Sun Tao didn't pay much attention at first. He took out his cigarette case, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.

After he finished his cigarette, crumpled the butt, and threw it into the metal bucket in the corner, the man was still standing there, his hands behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the shops on the ground floor.

Sun Tao was puzzled, wondering to himself, "What does this guy do?" But seeing that the man was slightly overweight with a slightly protruding belly and was dressed neatly, he didn't seem like a thief—what kind of thief would stand here so openly?

Sun Tao walked over, a smile plastered on his face, and asked, "Comrade, is there anything I can help you with?"

The man pointed to the shops on the ground floor, his voice slightly hoarse: "Are you guys building a supermarket?"

"Yes, you know about supermarkets?" Sun Tao paused for a moment, then asked in return.

These days, "supermarket" is still a novel term. He only learned about the concept of a supermarket after hearing Li Zhe say that he wanted to open one. When he mentioned supermarkets to ordinary people, most of them looked blank.

The man pushed up his glasses, his tone tinged with pride: "I know, I work at the supply and marketing cooperative. I've been recognized as an advanced worker for three consecutive years. When the higher-ups organized a study trip to Hong Kong, I visited ParknShop, Wellcome, and China Resources Supermarket."

These words surprised Sun Tao. He stepped forward, his eyes full of curiosity: "Hey, that's impressive, bro!"

As he spoke, he took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out and handed it to him, saying, "Brother, have one."

The man took the cigarette, pulled a lighter from his pocket, lit it with a "click," took a puff, and squinted his eyes: "Hey, good cigarette, haven't had one in a while."

Sun Tao smiled and couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what's Hong Kong Island like? Is it like what people say, all skyscrapers and you don't need coupons to buy color TVs and refrigerators?"

“That’s right,” the man exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes filled with reminiscence, “The skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island are even more impressive than the Great Wall Hotel. When the lights are on at night, it’s like daytime.”

"Over there, you don't need coupons to buy things. As long as you have money, you can buy anything. The shelves are full of goods from Europe, America, and island nations. It's much more abundant than our supply and marketing cooperatives here. That's what you call prosperous."

Sun Tao was itching to join in, so he leaned forward and asked, "Brother, my name is Sun Tao. What's your name?"

"My name is Qin Dawei," the man replied, a cigarette between his fingers, ash falling down in a flurry.

"Brother Qin," Sun Tao continued, "how much do people on Hong Kong Island earn in a month?"

Qin Dawei flicked his cigarette ash and said, "The income gap over there is huge, it mainly depends on ability and industry. An ordinary worker in a factory can earn several thousand yuan a month, while a white-collar worker in an office building can earn tens of thousands of yuan a month."

"Hiss—" Sun Tao gasped, forgetting to even smoke his cigarette. An ordinary worker in Beijing earns just over a hundred yuan a month, while a month's income in Hong Kong is equivalent to one or two years' wages for someone in Beijing—the difference left him speechless.

Suppressing his shock, Sun Tao steered the conversation back to supermarkets: "Brother Qin, are there many supermarkets in Hong Kong?"

“There are plenty,” Qin Dawei said. “There are seventy or eighty ParknShop and Wellcome supermarkets each, plus other smaller brands. In total, there are at least five or six hundred. You can see one every few steps.”

"Are the things in that supermarket particularly expensive?" Sun Tao pressed, worried that if the things were too expensive, people in Beijing wouldn't be able to afford them, and Li Zhe's supermarket wouldn't be able to stay open.

Qin Dawei shook his head: "It depends on the category. The rice, noodles, and vegetables we eat every day are much more expensive than here. But imported biscuits, chocolates, cosmetics, and appliances are about the same price as here, or even cheaper in some cases."

Sun Tao nodded, then asked, "Do you pick out your own items in supermarkets on Hong Kong Island?"

“That’s right,” Qin Dawei said. “There are shopping baskets and carts at the entrance. You can take whatever you want and pay at the cashier. But the people there either speak English or Cantonese. The first time I went, I had a hard time communicating with the sales clerks and could only rely on gestures.”

Sun Tao couldn't help but laugh, then asked a question that had been bothering him: "Brother Qin, if customers choose their own items, how does the supermarket prevent theft? What if someone secretly puts something in their pocket and takes it away? Wouldn't that mean we'd lose money?"

“That’s a good question,” Qin Dawei nodded and said seriously, “Supermarkets on Hong Kong Island have a few methods. One is to install detectors at the entrance and attach magnetic strips to the products. Items that haven’t been paid for will be detected by the detector.”

Secondly, they hired security guards in uniform to patrol the supermarket and keep an eye on suspicious people.

Thirdly, cameras are installed between the shelves, but cameras are expensive and are generally only installed in large supermarkets.

"When opening a supermarket in Beijing, we can start by installing security cameras and hiring two security guards. The cost isn't too high, and it can effectively prevent theft."

Sun Tao nodded repeatedly, his doubts largely cleared up, and couldn't help but say, "Brother Qin, I've really benefited a lot from talking with you. You must hold a high position at the supply and marketing cooperative, right? You didn't come to work today?"

Qin Dawei's smile faded slightly, and he gave a dry laugh: "I used to be the director of a supply and marketing cooperative, managing a cooperative of more than 800 square meters."

The supply and marketing cooperative is undergoing reforms. The deputy director and some friends took over the store and became the bosses. Although they didn't fire me, I wasn't motivated to work there, so I took a leave of absence without pay and am currently looking for a job.

I saw the job posting outside your shop, so I came over to take a look.

Sun Tao was taken aback, not expecting Qin Dawei to be looking for work. He asked in surprise, "Brother Qin, the supply and marketing cooperative is such a good job, a secure job, why did you quit? Why are you looking for work on your own?"

Qin Dawei sighed, his tone filled with helplessness: "It's tough running a supply and marketing cooperative now. Business is getting worse and worse, and reforms are the only option. All the good positions are already taken, it's a one-person-one-position system. I don't want to take the bad positions either, so I might as well go out and try my luck on my own."

He paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Brother Sun, is your supermarket short-staffed? Do you think I'd be a good fit?"

"We're short-staffed, definitely short-staffed," Sun Tao quickly said. "But what position are you looking for?"

Qin Dawei replied, "I've worked at the supply and marketing cooperative for over ten years, and I've been a director for five or six years. My management experience is definitely not a problem. I'd like to apply for the supermarket manager position; I guarantee there won't be any mishaps."

Sun Tao thought about it for a moment. The supermarket manager position was important. Li Zhe had told him before that the position needed to be filled by a reliable and experienced person, and he couldn't make the decision on his own. So he said, "Brother Qin, if you were applying for a sales clerk or cashier position, I could make the decision, but the manager position is too important. I need to discuss it with our boss."

Please leave me your contact information and your details. I'll give them to the boss later, and if it's suitable, I'll contact you again.

Qin Dawei quickly opened his briefcase, took out a stack of documents, including a copy of his work ID, award certificates, and a resume, and handed them to Sun Tao: "Brother Sun, thank you for your help. These are my documents, and they contain the public phone number near my home."

“Hey, it’s fate that we met, don’t be shy,” Sun Tao took the documents and stuffed them into his jacket pocket. “My boss’s surname is Li. I’ll talk to him about your matter when he comes over tomorrow.”

Qin Dawei then asked, "Brother Sun, are you planning to open this supermarket like the self-service supermarkets in Hong Kong?"

“Yes,” Sun Tao said, “The Asian Games will be held next year, and many foreign friends will come. Opening a self-service supermarket will make it convenient for them to buy things.”

"What kind of things does the supermarket sell?" Qin Dawei asked, pondering how he would plan if he became a manager.

“There are five main categories: grains and oils, chilled and fresh produce, fruits and vegetables, daily necessities, and snacks. These are all everyday items for ordinary people,” Sun Tao replied. “The fruits and vegetables are all grown by ourselves and sell quite well at the vegetable shops near the Diplomatic Residence. We will also transport them to supermarkets to sell.”

"Thank you very much, Brother Sun," Qin Dawei said with a smile, now that he felt reassured. "Then I won't bother you any longer. I'll wait for your news."

"Okay, take care, Brother Qin." Sun Tao escorted Qin Dawei to the roadside and watched him turn and leave.

Qin Dawei didn't go straight home, but instead wandered around the Asian Games Village.

When he first came here, there were construction sites everywhere. Now, many high-rise buildings have been built, the roads are wide and smooth, and sycamore trees have been planted along the roads, their green leaves swaying in the wind.

The Asian Games Village, not far away, is already taking shape, with several white high-rise buildings standing there, looking quite impressive.

He also saw many people in suits and carrying briefcases hurrying by, and some foreigners browsing in the shops along the roadside. The changes in this area surprised him and also made him more expectant—in such a bustling place, the supermarket must be doing good business.

Qin Dawei wandered around outside for two hours, until it was almost dark, before riding his old-fashioned bicycle home.

He lived in a large courtyard house in Xisi Hutong. The west wing had three rooms, which were quite spacious for his family of four. As soon as he entered the hutong, he heard someone call out to him, "Dawei, off work?"

Qin Dawei looked up and saw Grandpa Wang, who lived next door, sitting on a small stool by the door drinking tea. He smiled and nodded, "Hey, Grandpa Wang, just got off work."

Grandpa Wang asked, "Why are you so late today? You're usually very punctual."

"I was busy with some things at work, so I was delayed," Qin Dawei mumbled as he pushed his bicycle forward.

The alley was bustling with activity. Every household had their doors open. Some families were cooking on stoves outside their doors, and the aroma of food wafted over with the smoke from their cooking. Children were chasing and playing in the alley, their laughter carrying far. There were also elderly women sitting at their doorways knitting sweaters, chatting with their neighbors as they knitted, creating a warm and lively atmosphere.

When Qin Dawei returned home, his wife Feng Xiaoyan was busy in the kitchen. The aroma of stewed beef wafted from the pot, making his stomach rumble.

He sniffed and joked, "Wow, the sun has risen in the west! You actually bought beef?" He loved beef the most, and he used to bring it home from the supply and marketing cooperative for Feng Xiaoyan to stew. This was the first time his wife had bought beef on her own initiative.

Feng Xiaoyan poked her head out of the kitchen, still holding a spatula in her hand: "Hey, how could I bear to buy this? It was my second brother-in-law who brought it over this afternoon."

Qin Dawei's smile faded slightly. He parked his bicycle at the door and asked, "What brings you here, brother-in-law?"

Feng Xiaoyan wiped her hands, walked over, and pulled Qin Dawei's arm into the house: "What else could it be? He wants to ask you for a favor. He wants to buy a few bottles of Moutai from your supply and marketing cooperative, saying he wants to give them as gifts to his superiors."

Qin Dawei's heart skipped a beat; he hadn't told Feng Xiaoyan about his leave without pay.

It's not that he doesn't want to talk about it, it's that he doesn't dare to—Feng Xiaoyan has a quick temper, and if she knew he had lost his secure job, she would definitely make a scene, and life at home would be even more unsettled.

For the past two weeks, he has been going out and coming home on time every day, pretending to be going to work. Fortunately, Feng Xiaoyan is not observant and did not notice anything amiss.

"Buying Moutai?" Qin Dawei asked, frowning. "Does he have Moutai coupons?"

Feng Xiaoyan glared at him: "Why would I need to come to you if I have the tickets? He said you're the director of the supply and marketing cooperative, so you must have a way."

Qin Dawei breathed a sigh of relief, but deliberately put on a troubled expression: "As you know, Moutai liquor is produced in small quantities and is in short supply everywhere. Even if you have a ticket, you have to wait in line and you may not be able to buy it."

He doesn't even have a ticket, where am I supposed to get one for him? I really can't help him with this."

"You should have said so earlier," Feng Xiaoyan complained. "If I had known you couldn't do it, I wouldn't have accepted his beef. It's so embarrassing to take someone's things and then not be able to help them."

“You didn’t ask me,” Qin Dawei said. “Besides, I’m just a director, not omnipotent. How can I do everything?”

Feng Xiaoyan put her hands on her hips and her tone became sharp: "Are you saying you're blaming me? I was just thinking of helping my second brother-in-law out so we could ask him for help if we ever need anything in the future."

"And you're completely useless, not even a little bit helpful. What's the point of being the director of the supply and marketing cooperative?"

Qin Dawei was already annoyed, and after hearing what Feng Xiaoyan said, he had even less of a desire to argue with her. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, stop arguing. I'll buy some things for my second brother-in-law another day and tell him that it's really impossible to buy Moutai, so he shouldn't count on it."

Feng Xiaoyan wanted to say something more, but seeing Qin Dawei's bad expression, she didn't say anything more and turned back to the kitchen to continue cooking.

Qin Dawei walked into the inner room, sat down in a chair, and looked at the "Advanced Worker" certificate hanging on the wall, feeling a mix of emotions.

He used to be the director of the supply and marketing cooperative. Neighbors would ask him for help with anything, and he was respected wherever he went. But now, he's unemployed and can't even afford to buy a bottle of Moutai for a relative. He has to keep it a secret from his wife, afraid that she'll cause a huge uproar if she finds out the truth.

The aroma of beef wafting from the kitchen, which had initially made him incredibly hungry, now seemed utterly tasteless to him.

He took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff. In the swirling smoke, he thought of the supermarket he had talked about with Sun Tao that afternoon, and a glimmer of hope rekindled in his heart—if he could get a job as a supermarket manager, maybe things would get better.

But then he started to worry: Would people want him? Would the supermarket be able to open?

If he can't get the job, where will he go to find work?

A barrage of questions left him breathless.

It's tough being a man, but it's even tougher for an unemployed man.

Qin Dawei gazed at the darkening sky outside the window and let out a long sigh.

(End of this chapter)