Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Chapter 141 Opening the Door

When Xu Bei returned to the store, he felt a wave of heat hit his face as soon as he entered, and the temperature had risen.

The stove was buzzing loudly, and the kettle sitting on the stove lid was making a slight rattling sound.

Zhao Fengying asked, "Son, have you put the person on the bus?"

After Xu Bei responded, he saw his mother and sister sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), studying the box of pastries on the folding table, but neither of them could bear to take a bite.

Unable to resist, she chuckled as she untied her scarf, asking, "Mom, Xiaojuan, why aren't you two eating these pastries? Did you eat too much at the restaurant and can't eat anymore?"

Zhao Fengying glanced at Xu Bei and said, "Even if you're already stuffed, you can still eat a piece of pastry. The main thing is that this came all the way from the capital, and it's a specialty that we can't buy here, so we have to look at it for a while longer."

Xu Juan smiled in agreement, "Yes, brother, no wonder everyone says the capital is great. Look at these pastries they make, they're so different from the ones from our Forestry Bureau, so beautiful and exquisite. My sister isn't here, otherwise she wouldn't want to eat them if she saw them."

Xu Bei walked over and looked down at the pastries displayed in the box, discovering that there were ox-tongue pastries, jujube blossom pastries, sachima, and so on.

My sister said it was beautiful and delicate, shaped like a blooming flower with a red dot in the middle, and it's already crumbling a bit now.

"It is indeed very good, but after Brother Wei and the others bought it and brought it back, it will have been several days. It won't last long before it grows mold and spoils."

You should still eat it, don't be stingy. I'll go to the capital later and buy you lots to bring back so you can eat your fill.

Now that the New Year is almost over, Xu Bei feels that after settling things at home and having no worries, he should start preparing for a long trip.

And the capital city is definitely one of the must-visit places.

Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan only knew that Xu Bei had gone as far as the provincial capital to purchase goods, so they had no idea about his next plan and thought he was just talking.

"Okay, we'll be waiting."

"Yeah, bro, I'm really looking forward to it too."

Xu Bei knew that his mother and sister were not serious, so he did not continue the topic. Instead, he urged them to try it quickly.

Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan were still thinking about Xu Li, who was pregnant. The mother and daughter only shared one piece of jujube blossom pastry and then stopped eating.

Xu Bei smiled and shook his head, not offering any further advice.

Around 2:30, Xu Li and Zhu Wenliang also came to the store.

Upon seeing that the house was not only neatly tidied and warmly lit, but also contained local specialties brought from the capital, the couple were naturally extremely curious.

Xu Bei and Zhao Fengying then recounted the whole story, including Wei Xuelin's promise to help during lunch and drinks.

Xu Li was filled with mixed feelings of fear and dread, sometimes wanting to teach her impulsive and reckless younger brother Xu Bei a lesson, and other times feeling fortunate that her brother had stepped in to help, which led to this positive relationship.

Otherwise, not only would they lose money on their own purchases, but they also wouldn't get to know others or build a network of people who could help them.

Xu Bei found it amusing to watch his sister's constantly changing expressions. "Sis, are you going to hit me and praise me at the same time?"

Xu Li couldn't help but laugh and scold, "You little rascal, you actually know that!"

Then, with a serious expression, she said righteously, "However, as I said, next time you encounter something like this, don't act rashly. What if that thief has accomplices who stab you in the back? Money can be earned back, but if someone dies, we, Mom, and my sister will be devastated!"

Xu Bei knew his family was genuinely worried about him, and while feeling a warm glow inside, he half-jokingly assured them, "Don't worry, I'm just inexperienced this time. I'll become a seasoned pro when I travel more often, and I definitely won't do anything foolish again."

"I hope you can keep your word." Xu Li was actually a little skeptical of her brother's promise, but for the time being, that was all she could do. She then asked him the same question that Zhao Fengying had asked her privately before.

"Brother, if they actually help us find a place to open a shop in the city, how should we express our gratitude?"

"You don't need to worry about that. I'll take care of it when the time comes."

Xu Bei changed the subject with a smile, "Sister, brother-in-law, you don't know, Mom and Xiao Juan want to keep this box of pastries for a while so they can check on them whenever they have time. Now that you're here, let's hurry up and finish them off before they spoil."

Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan both vehemently denied the allegations.

"We don't have that."

"Yeah, bro, you're exaggerating on purpose—"

Xu Bei patted his sister's head and teased, "She's still my college prospect; she really knows how to use four-character idioms."

Xu Juan blushed at the joke, but couldn't help laughing afterward.

Zhao Fengying, Xu Li, and Zhu Wenliang also laughed, and everyone sat together and soon began to enjoy the pastries that had come from afar.

The next morning, the winter sun shone on the snow-covered landscape below with little warmth.

Although it was already the sixth day of the first lunar month, the temperature in the morning was still quite cold, especially with the swirling cold wind blowing, which added to the chill that could freeze you to the bone.

But this did not diminish the festive atmosphere at the entrance of Xubei Clothing Department Store.

Not only were there red firecrackers arranged in a circle on the snow, but long strings of bright red firecrackers were also hanging below the signboard.

The bright red firecrackers looked particularly eye-catching and beautiful against the backdrop of white snow.

Zhu Wenliang's workplace officially reopened today, so only Xu Bei and Zhao Fengying, mother and daughter, were at the store entrance at that moment.

"Sis, you're pregnant, you should come inside first, otherwise the noise will be too loud and I'm afraid it will startle my little nephew."

Xu Bei wasn't the only one who felt this way; Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan felt the same way.

"Yeah, these firecrackers are really scary when they're set off."

"And the smell is pungent. Sis, you'd better go inside quickly, or go to the tailor shop for a while."

Xu Li didn't want to go to someone else's house so early in the morning, so she said, "Then I'll go into the store first."

After Xu Li went inside for a while, the hands on Xu Bei's watch reached 8:08.

He deliberately chose this time, hoping for a pleasant-sounding homonym.

Xu Bei shouted that the auspicious time had arrived, then took a lit cigarette, quickly bent down, and brought it close to the fuse of the firecracker.

Sparks flew from the fuse as he nimbly straightened up, quickly stepped aside, and covered his ears tightly with both hands.

Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan, who were standing nearby, did the same thing and ran a little further away.

With a series of loud crackling sounds, deafening firecrackers exploded instantly, and red paper scraps flew everywhere like exploding snowflakes.

Not only Sister Liu from the tailor shop, but also the owners and apprentices of two other shops came out to watch the excitement. Some passersby were also attracted by the sound of firecrackers and came in.

So the shop, which reopened after the firecrackers were set off, welcomed customers. Xu Bei and his group were naturally very happy. Regardless of whether they would make any money in the end, at least they had more customers.