Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 1319 House and Children

After school in the afternoon, Xiaowei, Chen Hui, and Qin Xuemei asked their advisor for leave, explaining that they wouldn't be participating in this week's practical activities. Then the three of them went home.

Although the practical activities arranged were not very meaningful to participate in, Xiaowei still felt that what he learned was useful.

Listening to the teacher explain the theories and combining them with my own experience felt like a revelation. Many things I did were still somewhat vague; I didn't truly understand the underlying principles. But by combining these experiences, everything became clear. It was a bit like an epiphany.

It's important to understand that acting on gut feeling and acting with a clear understanding of the underlying principles and a clear goal are two completely different things.

However, there were still some regrets. Xiaowei was originally full of enthusiasm and hope for the practical activity, but it all ended in disappointment.

In stark contrast to the enthusiasm of their state-owned enterprise classmates, the three of them asked for leave and left the school. Those classmates were enthusiastically discussing the practical study tour arrangements with their class advisor, and many even extended invitations for classmates and teachers to visit the companies they led.

Actually, the school already had this arrangement. At the end of the year, they would select two or three of the more active students in the class to visit their companies. The main purpose of this was to unite the students.

The true purpose of this class is to encourage everyone to interact more, creating a small circle around a few classmates so that they can continue to communicate even after graduation, sharing information and complementing each other's interests. This also benefits the school.

They are all adults, with a certain status and position, and they all know what opportunities are and what opportunities they should seize.

The main purpose of various business school executive training programs is the same: to provide a platform for people to get to know each other, exchange ideas, expand their networks, and form circles, so that all participants, including the platform itself, benefit.

Later, some people who hadn't even reached a certain level, or even been entrepreneurs, would borrow money to attend all sorts of such classes, with the goal of getting involved and building connections.

As long as emotional intelligence and IQ are both online, you can generally achieve a good result.

More women do this: if their careers aren't progressing, developing a romantic relationship is fine too; if a relationship doesn't work out and they can't get married, becoming a mistress is also a good option. Ultimately, they're both winning. Men don't have so many options.

……

In the north, north of the Yellow River, people used to live like this: one family shared one kang (heated brick bed), with rows of beds from one end to the other. When the children grew up, a curtain would be drawn across the middle of the kang. If the kang was located on the north or south side, a huge canopy would be hung to cover the entire kang.

Later, when conditions improved, some families would build a wall above the kang (a heated brick bed) or make a wooden partition door to close at night. But this was still inconvenient and didn't provide sound insulation, making life feel oppressive.

In other words, information was not readily available in that era, and people had very few channels to receive information from the outside world, so children started their education late. Even so, the impact was unavoidable.

At this point, many adults will tease children by asking: "How do your dad and mom sleep?" It sounds like a joke, but thinking about it, it reflects helplessness and bitterness.

Later, as construction progressed and more and more buildings appeared in the city, fewer and fewer people slept on kang beds, but families still squeezed together.

In the early 90s, housing was so scarce that it was unimaginable. People who haven't experienced it can never understand that feeling, let alone the obsession and pursuit of housing that people in that era had.

That was unforgettable.

The shantytowns that filled the country reached their peak in the 90s. From north to south, people used their ingenuity to build houses on every available space. In Beijing, Shanghai, and Fengtian, houses of two or three square meters were everywhere. Some were so small that people could only lie down inside and couldn't even stand up.

It was common for several generations of a family to be crammed into a space of just over ten square meters. Keep in mind that back then, every family had many children.

The rapid economic growth and rising incomes further fueled this desire for housing. Prices at that time were still quite reasonable.

Before the mid-90s, you couldn't buy a house even with money. Later, with the end of welfare housing and the beginning of the commercial housing era, as many houses were built, they were sold out immediately, saturating the market and ultimately driving up housing prices.

There are no limits to human nature, especially when it involves various levels of interests.

Those who benefit from the status quo don't consider the common people; they only think about how to expand and increase their own interests. For example, the root cause of housing prices is land.

……

Chen Xiaohui lived with Chen Hui and Chen Xiao, while Wang Yan lived with Wang Jiwei and Qin Xuemei.

After dinner, Old Chen went to his study to look at documents, while Aunt Chen played with the children. Her workload wasn't as heavy as Old Chen's, and she had high confidentiality requirements, so she rarely brought documents home, nor did she discuss work at home.

Xiao Wei, Chen Hui, and the others would sit in the pavilion, drinking tea or coffee, smoking, and chatting. Now that Wang Jiwei had become his brother-in-law, he had also joined in.

While everyone was discussing Xiao Hong's due date, Xiao Wei suddenly brought up the issue.

"I feel that it's not that we don't have the means, but Chen Xiaohui and Yan'er should still sleep alone. It's not a small room."

Chen Hui turned to look at Xiao Wei: "Why? Isn't it normal for him to sleep with his parents?"

Xiao Wei said, "Kids these days are different from us when we were kids. They watch TV and listen to the radio, they know so much more than we did. Over time, can you guarantee they won't see anything? Besides, wouldn't you feel awkward having your child lying next to you?"

Chen Xiao spat and turned his face away, causing Qin Xuemei's face to flush red, and she lowered her head.

Xiao Hong said, "I feel the same way, but I've just been too embarrassed to say it."

Chen Hui said, "How many families nowadays have the means to let their children sleep alone? Don't they all sleep like this?"

Xiaohong said, "But it's still separate beds, okay? Besides, conditions are much better now, why do you have to compare yourself to those who don't have the means? Just learn from the masses and stay connected. If you have the means, why would you squeeze in with your child?"

Qin Xuemei smoothed her hair, glanced at Xiao Wei, and said, "Isn't your daughter too young? She can't even get up at night on her own."

Wang Jiwei said, "Let's wait another two years. She'll be at least six or seven years old then. She'll sleep on her own then. She's a bit too young now. Kids this age sleep very soundly. Once they're asleep, they won't wake up even if it's thunder, unless they need to pee or have had enough sleep."

Qin Xuemei pinched Wang Jiwei in embarrassment and anger.

Xiao Wei shook his head: "Anyway, I don't think it's a good idea. Habits are formed gradually, and to be honest, children are more adaptable than adults."

Chen Xiao glanced at her son, who was arguing with Aunt Chen: "It's mainly because you can't bear to part with him, isn't it? Anyway, I just can't bear to part with him, I'm worried about him."

Xiao Wei said, "This process is necessary. You can't let your reluctance affect your children. I suggest you let Xiao Hui and Yan'er live separately, which will also help them develop independence from a young age."

"The older they get, the more separate we should be, or you'll just have to wait and see. Especially my sister, you two will probably have another baby in the next year or two, what will you do then? Wouldn't bringing up sleeping separately then be hurtful to Yan'er?"

Xiaohong thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, if we keep living together happily, what if we move her out to live on her own once her younger brother or sister is born? Won't she feel like you don't like her anymore? That you don't want her anymore? Who knows?"

Chen Hui and Chen Xiao both nodded, feeling that this was a possibility.

Wang Jiwei turned to look at the child, and Qin Xuemei also turned to look. Xiaowei said, "I know my sister will definitely treat Yan'er well, but I'm afraid the child will overthink it. Yan'er is very sensitive."

(End of this chapter)