Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 1316 This is progress, isn't it?

Xiaoxue was immediately filled with fighting spirit and went downstairs happily.

Chen Hui said, "This girl has a bit of Li Wen's spirit; she might actually be capable. Sister, if you really succeed in starting a company, you'd better keep Xiaoxue and give her some shares or something."

Qin Xuemei said, "You're all just bullying me, ganging up on me. I originally opened the shop to have something to do for fun, but now I'm idle again. I don't have the ambition to achieve anything, and I don't know how."

Xiao Wei said, "I'm not saying you can't play. Leave the work to Xiao Xue and the others. You should just do what you're supposed to do, look at the reports, sort out the finances, and when you're not busy, just read a book and lie down for a while."

Qin Xuemei shook her head: "I don't want to be that tired. I opened this shop to keep myself occupied and have a place to stay so I don't get bored. Fine, whatever you decide, you can handle it."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, okay, I'll take care of it. I won't bother you."

The group chatted for a while, ate some cookies and pastries, and drank two cups of coffee before it got late.

Chen Xiao, being an active person, suggested going out for some exercise and taking a walk by the lake. So, a group of people came out of the Plum Garden and went for a stroll by the lake.

As evening approached, the streets and alleys in this area became more crowded. Bars, pubs, and music venues were about to open, and the small restaurants along the street were bustling with customers.

Xiao Wei told Ma San's wife to go home directly after get off work, and he and Chen Hui held Chen Xiaohui and Wang Yan in their arms as the group strolled slowly down the alley.

The alley, which was usually deserted during the day, was now packed with people, though not quite shoulder-to-shoulder, but not far off. It was full of young men and women, walking in groups, searching for places to unleash their youthful energy.

The sun was still far from setting, but the light was already noticeably insufficient. The sunlight, with its golden hue, cast long shadows of people and buildings. The shadowy corners and dark walls were already quite dark, and some shops had already lit up their neon lights.

The shop doors, which were closed during the day, were now wide open, and intermittent music or piano sounds could be heard coming from inside.

Waiters in vests bustled about inside and outside the shop, male and female singers carrying instruments hurried by, the shop owner stood at the entrance, cigarette dangling from his lips, and the various men and women who came to have fun all carried a hint of unruliness and arrogance. This was a vibrant little world.

In the 90s, it was popular to put a speaker at the entrance of a store and play music, regardless of the industry.

In the early 90s, a large number of singers emerged in China, and they were on par with Hong Kong and Taiwan. It was a golden age for Chinese music. From one end of the street to the other, from "Forget Love Potion" to "Heartfelt Love," we heard "Great China" and "Chinese Folk Songs Travel the World."

Houhai is considered a "holy land" for music in China, with a strong popularity for decadent rock and folk music. Various bars hold performances from time to time to attract customers, and the singers who perform regularly are not restricted in this regard. They can sing whatever they want, as long as they have some skill.

A large number of people come here to find or vent their desires for a living, survival, and ideals.

This place is also a kind of social arena, where a large number of musicians mingle, and naturally there are highs and lows, successes and failures, thus creating social strata.

Newcomers and young people wander around seeking opportunities, barely making ends meet. Those who are unsuccessful live a life of decadence, unwilling to face reality.

Those who make it big monopolize resources and make a fortune. They maintain a world-weary and peaceful appearance every day, suppressing newcomers and luring girls into bed, all while calling it love and life.

This is how Chinese people have always been. No matter where or what industry they are in, a small group of people control the discourse. They are always shouting that this is dead and that is pitiful, crying out that something needs to be saved and that something is hopeless, as if everything is due to the indifference of others rather than their inaction.

But once someone touches what they hold in their hands, they change their tune completely, resorting to all sorts of methods to attack and frame others. What is dead, what is pitiful, what can be saved, what is hope—none of it matters to them anymore.

It's the same in every industry: either heroes emerge, or they die; and then a small group of people break free from layers of exploitation, distortion, and torment, and climb up the ladder.

People without resources have no platform to speak out and no fertile ground to grow.

……

It was rush hour, and the streets and alleys were filled with bicycles, their bells ringing incessantly. A few cars slowly moved forward amidst the tide of bicycles, like proud princesses, welcoming envious glances from all directions.

Zhongshan-style fountain pens are no longer mainstream; all sorts of suits, hoodies, jeans, and jackets have become fashionable. Women's skirts have the most variations and the most vibrant colors, standing out even in the crowded bicycle traffic.

In this day and age, perming is still the domain of middle-aged and elderly women. Young people prefer long, straight, black hair, either loose or tied in a high ponytail.

Many young men are getting perms, sporting various styles, using gel or hairspray, and always carrying a small comb. Guo Degang, for example, has a thick head of hair styled into a wide side part.

"There are so many people. Dad, hold me tight! If I fall, I'll be a piece of cake." Turning onto Di'anmenwai Street, Chen Xiaohui was a little surprised to see the surging crowd and reached out to hug Chen Hui's neck.

Chen Hui turned to look at Chen Xiao and asked, "Where did this kid learn to talk like that from?"

Chen Xiao looked helplessly at Chen Hui, his lips moving silently as he uttered, "Your mother."

Chen Hui looked at Chen Xiaohui: "She's finally found someone she can hang out with. I feel like my mom's mental age is about that age."

Chen Xiao pinched Chen Hui: "What are you saying? How can you talk about your own mother like that?"

Chen Xiaohui turned to look at Chen Xiao, then at Chen Hui: "What are you two saying about me being a jinx?"

Chen Xiaohui frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Go ahead and tell me, I won't tell Grandma." Chen Xiao rolled her eyes.

Xiao Wei carried Wang Yan, Qin Xuemei supported Xiao Hong, and Wang Jiwei, Zang Yuanwei, and the other six walked in front of and behind the group, surrounding them and blocking the crowd from getting too close.

"Things have really changed in just a few years. It feels like everything is moving faster now, the whole pace of life is faster," Chen Huichong remarked to Xiaowei.

Xiao Wei nodded: "That's true. People have hope now. They can earn money through hard work, unlike before when they had to wait for everything."

Chen Hui nodded: "Yes, everyone has money now, no more worries about food and clothing, and can confidently earn money to live the life they want. That's progress, isn't it?"

Xiao Hong said, "That's for sure. Actually, the simplest way to tell if the economy is booming and if people have more money is to look at the entertainment industry. If more people are working in the entertainment industry and it's thriving, then the economy is definitely developing and people are getting richer. It's a purely consumer-driven industry."

Chen Xiao asked, "What is a purely consumer-oriented industry?"

Xiao Hong said, "When you buy clothes, you spend money but wear the clothes; when you buy books, you spend money and get a book in return—that's an exchange. In the entertainment industry, you spend money and that's it—you get nothing. You just listen to a song or laugh a few times. That's pure consumption; you don't actually get anything back."

Chen Xiao said, "Isn't tourism the same? You go around in circles and end up with no money and nothing to show for it."

Xiao Hong said with a smile, "Tourism itself is a form of entertainment, and entertainment is about spending money to have fun."

(End of this chapter)