Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 1224 You'll take me with you, right?

Xia Maosheng said, "I think it's fine. It's just a matter of leaving a little earlier or arriving a little later. I definitely can't be busy on Mondays and Fridays. We'll figure it out when we get busy."

Uncle Wang said, "You're fine. I have a meeting on Monday, both at the bureau and the department, it's non-negotiable. You guys should have some fun. I'll just go and stay for a day when I have time, to get familiar with the place."

Xiao Hong said, "Dad, you can go there on Friday afternoon and come back on Sunday night. There are plenty of flights at night, it's only a two-hour trip."

Uncle Wang said, "You guys stay there for a month, and I have to fly back and forth eight times? You're not tired, but I am. The airfare alone could buy me so many meals at restaurants. You really don't value money!"

Aunt Wang said, "That's right, seven or eight thousand yuan. Your dad's monthly salary is 1,500 yuan, so that's almost half a year's salary gone."

Xiao Wei asked, "My uncle earns 1,500 a month, right?"

Xiao Hong said, "The rank is there, you know. My dad's at least a department-level cadre, and if he goes down to the lower ranks, he'll be a mayor. Do you think this is a joke?"

Xiao Wei asked, "And what about you?"

Xiao Hong said, "I'm just a low-level section chief, earning a little over five hundred, and even with everything included, it'll be a little over six hundred. Are you going to accept that?"

Xiao Wei looked at Xia Maosheng, who said, "I'm a deputy section chief, over eight hundred."

Xiao Wei asked, "How much does a state-employed worker earn in a month now?"

Uncle Wang said, "It depends on where it is and the position. Benxi Steel and Angang Steel pay more, while ordinary enterprises and institutions pay less. Front-line positions can earn five, six, seven, or eight hundred yuan, while second- or third-line positions can normally earn around three hundred yuan. The difference is huge, and there's no way to compare them."

Xiao Wei asked, "What about on average?"

Xia Maosheng said, "The average wage in our province is around 400, while in Beijing it is around 700. Shanghai has the highest wage in the country, close to 1,000."

Xiao Wei said, "I met a few people working in private companies in Kyoto, and their salaries were all over 1,000 yuan. I was wondering why they were so high."

Uncle Wang said, "The salaries in private companies are indeed higher, sometimes half as much, which is normal. They don't have other benefits, while public companies have more hidden perks. In Fengtian, the average salary in private companies is around 800 yuan, which is more than double the average salary."

Beibei frowned and said, "Oh dear, why are you all so talkative? Talk, talk, talk! Aren't we going to eat? It's getting cold."

Uncle Wang said, "I'm not going to say anything more, our little princess is angry. Let's eat."

Actually, I was eating the whole time, and I didn't even need to put down my chopsticks to talk.

Xiao Wei and Xia Maosheng finished eating first, then sat on the sofa to digest their food. They made tea for everyone to drink later.

Xia Maosheng asked, "Is there anything specific happening in Kyoto?"

Xiao Wei said, "No, it's just for everyone to go and have some fun. What are you going to do?"

Xia Maosheng said, "If it's not important, I won't ask for leave. I'll stay for two days and then come back. I'm trying my best to improve here, so I need to show my abilities."

Xiao Wei asked, "Ready for a promotion? Oh right, you've served long enough. But wait, you've been a section chief for a long time, haven't you? You haven't been a department head for long, have you?"

Xia Maosheng said, "I'm right in the middle, I can go or not, I can still get a general deputy director position. If I become a deputy director, I'll work for two years, then I'll be on the cutoff line, and then you can go to the department. I'll work here for two years first, then I'll take charge in the second year, and then I'll take over in the third year. Five years."

Xiao Wei raised an eyebrow: "Five years, and you'll be able to work in the main hall?"

Xia Maosheng winked and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, there won't be any problems. Hehehe, I'll find a way to go down there for two terms, and then I can come back and work in the provincial capital. That would be a success."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "I don't understand things here, you'll have to figure it out yourself. I think you should communicate more with Uncle Chen. Xiao Hui and I are always ready, we'll do whatever you need."

Xia Maosheng said, "Actually, I'm not that fast. If Xiao Hong's side is managed properly, she can be faster than me. She started from a higher point. She came in from the General Office. If a female provincial governor were to serve as her secretary for one term, it would be equivalent to my ten years."

Xiao Wei said, "Dream on! How many female provincial governors have there been in the entire country? Are you dreaming?"

Xia Maosheng said, "What are you dreaming about? There's a female deputy director among the high-ranking officials in our province now. She was the deputy governor a few years ago."

Xiao Wei shook his head. This was unreliable. Anyway, Xiao Hong wasn't that old; she could just wait it out. Reaching the Provincial People's Congress was basically like retiring there; the future was highly uncertain, and it wasn't worth the risk.

Seeing that Xiaowei had finished eating, Beibei got a little anxious and shoveled all the rice out of her bowl before trying to run away. Xiaowei's mother grabbed her, saying, "No, your dad isn't leaving. Eat some more, drink some soup, be a good girl. Aren't you a good girl? Grandma Wang specially fried some yellow croaker today, it smells so good!"

Beibei glanced at Xiaowei's mother, hesitating a bit. Xiaowei's mother said, "Xiaowei, come and feed the baby. I can't even eat properly."

Xiao Wei came over and put Bei Bei on his lap. Now that he felt at ease, Bei Bei ate two fish, half a bowl of rice, and half a small bowl of soup. He then said, "Grandma, I'm really full. I can't eat anymore."

Xiaowei's mother said, "Fine, get lost."

Beibei laughed and wrapped her arms around Xiaowei's neck: "Dad, Grandma told us to get lost."

Xiao Wei picked her up and shook her, saying, "Get lost!" The two of them giggled and snuggled up on the sofa.

Aunt Wang said, "Don't underestimate Beibei just because she's little. She's got a lot on her mind. She's even lost weight since Xiaowei isn't home. What was I saying? She's insecure. Do you think she's too young to remember things? She remembers them perfectly. This child will be quite something in the future."

Xiaowei's mother said, "Once we've accepted him, he's our own. We'll see how things go and nurture him as needed. This little guy has had such a hard life before. Poor kids mature early, and the more sensible he is at such a young age, the more it breaks our hearts. It's all because of the pressure. If it were a normal family and normal life, what else could he think about besides playing?"

Beibei whispered in Xiaowei's ear, "Daddy, you and Mommy will take me tomorrow, right?"

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, we'll take you with us. The three of us will go to the county to see Mom and Grandma first, then go to the city to attend an aunt's wedding. After we've eaten our fill, we'll go to the children's amusement park. We'll come back after you've had your fill of fun there."

Beibei nodded and asked, "And then what? What happened after you came back?"

Xiao Wei said, "Now that Beibei is back, she has a glorious mission: to take good care of Mom. Mom is pregnant with a little brother or sister, and look how big her belly is. She can't do anything comfortably, so she needs you to be with her, right?"

Beibei turned to look at Xiaohong and nodded: "Yes, I'll stay with Mom and help her carry things."

Xiao Wei said, "You don't need to bring anything, just keep her company and talk to her."

Beibei asked, "Then, Daddy, where are you going?"

Xiaowei said, "Dad has to go to school, and you have to go to school every day too, right? Dad has to go for two more months, and then he'll come back to pick up Beibei, and we'll go to Kyoto to see Tiananmen Square together, okay?"

(End of this chapter)