Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 1371 Busy

Everyone was discussing it animatedly, and that's how the framework came about. Sometimes getting things done is that simple.

Xiaoqin slapped the table: "Have we forgotten the main topic? Today is to celebrate Xiaohong's one-month birthday."

Xiao Hong said, "No, it's just that it's been a long time since we've all gotten together for a while. It's not an invitation to your baby's one-month celebration. My family doesn't accept gifts. And even if we did, we wouldn't return them."

Xiao Wei said, "Right, we don't need to. Zhao Di and I weren't even here the first one, so talking about those things would be superfluous."

This is Zhao Di's second pregnancy; their first child was a boy, and Zhao Di wants a girl. Anyway, she can afford the fines; that's how capricious people without a work unit are.

At that time, family planning was strictly enforced. If you had a job, you couldn't even pay the fine; you'd lose your job. You'd be forced to have an abortion, and even if you gave birth, the baby would drown. This was no joke.

In some areas, family planning work has become so harsh that it can be described as brutal. Houses are demolished, belongings are confiscated, and people are beaten with broken legs. Even visiting relatives for a trip requires collateral for pre- and post-approval. If there is any disagreement, the house is raided.

Of course, it also depends on who the person is; some people are born to be outside the rules. It's only natural.

……

Having decided on their future direction, everyone started drinking and chatting happily. After dinner, they went to a karaoke bar and sang for several hours.

It's been a long time since we've gotten together. Now that we're all quite well-off, we have fewer and fewer opportunities to indulge ourselves.

As income and status rise, people actually have less and less space to move around and fewer and fewer friends.

Moreover, people tend to become more nostalgic and yearning for the past as they get older, or rather, they need more emotional support. This is because childhood is the purest time of one's life.

……

"Ouch, it's getting a bit cold."

It was almost midnight when everyone came out of the karaoke bar. It felt like snow was falling and the wind was chilling.

In those days, the temperature difference between day and night in late autumn in Northeast China could reach more than ten degrees Celsius. You could wear short sleeves at noon, but you would need a cotton-padded coat at midnight.

"Do you guys remember? One year we got really into trouble, we stole firewood from Lai Zi's house to make a fire, and then we burned down Chang Yuan's haystack."

"Who suggested going to the haystack at Changwan's house because it's warmer?"

"Luckily it was a haystack; if it were, the family wouldn't have been able to survive the winter. I didn't know how deep it was when I was a kid, no wonder I got beaten up every day."

"Actually, most of the time it's not intentional trouble; it's mostly accidental."

"Lack of knowledge, lack of thought, insufficient self-control, inadequate reaction time, and a lack of awareness of crisis—this is the truth behind the beatings I received as a child."

"The main reason is that my family was too poor back then. Everything was precious, and if anything was broken or lost, it was a big deal. Things are much better now."

Everyone reminisced about their childhood and shared their thoughts.

Apart from Chen Hui and Ya Nan, everyone else grew up in the same place and shares common memories.

Gazi is the most resistant to the cold here. He rubbed his arms and they were basically back to normal. He even gave his coat to Zhaodi.

Then a group of friends gave him a pitiful look that almost made them rip him off.

The men all put their coats on their wives, including Xiaowei.

"How about we take a bath? A bath on a day like this will make you feel better and warm you up," Siwei suggested.

Xiao Wei checked the time: "You guys go ahead, Xiao Hong and I have to go back, we need to feed the baby. Zhao Di, you three be careful, just take a shower, it's best not to soak."

Gazi said, "It's not the first time, I know. You two go back. Chen Hui isn't going back, is he?"

Chen Hui said, "I'm with you all. I'm all alone now; my wife and children are in Beijing."

"Then you go and have fun with them. See you later."

Xiaowei and Xiaohong got in the car and went home, while Chen Hui and the others went to take a bath together.

Once in the car, Xiaohong frowned and said, "They're really making a fuss. I thought it was just a meal, but they're making it this late."

"Then why don't you just stay silent and leave if you want? We're not strangers. I see you're having a lot of fun."

"No, I want to play with everyone too, but I have to breastfeed. My breasts are so engorged and painful. My mom said that if we don't breastfeed for a long time, the milk can become engorged and cause a fever."

"From now on, please have everyone come to my place. Don't go out anymore; it'll save you the trouble. What about your colleagues?"

Xiao Hong gently rubbed her chest: "How about tomorrow? It's better to be early than late. The sooner we answer correctly, the less trouble we'll have to worry about."

Xiao Wei nodded: "Okay, then I'll ask Huanggu Restaurant to prepare something tomorrow. How many tables do we need? It seems like it really snowed."

Xiao Hong mentally calculated: "Five or six tables should be enough. Is it snowing? It's still a long way off."

When the two returned to the villa, Aunt Wang scolded them again. Lele had been crying for hours because she was hungry and didn't like the formula.

After munching on the familiar recipe, the little guy finally calmed down and fell asleep in Xiao Hong's arms.

Xiao Hong looked at Lele and said, "Now I understand how Xiao Xiao and Xiao Hui felt before weaning. They were torn between two difficult situations."

……

In the following days, Xiaowei and Chen Hui started attending various year-end tea parties, summary meetings, commendation meetings, and negotiation meetings, spinning around like clockwork.

There's no way around it; the district, city, and province levels, the government party committee, and every department from the investment promotion office, industry and commerce bureau, tax bureau, and planning commission—every department has to summarize and plan.

We need to summarize the past, generalize about the present, and look forward to the future.

Especially companies like sister companies have a significant impact on the local economy and employment, and all parties need to cooperate and understand them.

Not only Xiaowei and Chen Hui, but also branch managers like Manager Zhang were not spared and all entered the sea of ​​meetings.

It wasn't just Liaodong; Jibei and Heilongjiang also kept sending invitations, inviting everyone to come and discuss important matters and receive awards.

This year is still relatively good; next year, we'll have to add Kyoto and Tianjing to the mix.

Just thinking about it is exhausting.

But there's no other way; once you enter this jungle, you have to learn to adapt to its rules.

As the year draws to a close, people's lives come to a standstill. They stop thinking about or doing many things and start preparing for winter and the New Year, putting all their hopes on the years to come.

But for those at the top, this is the busiest time of the year.

The lives and sacrifices behind the glamorous facade of successful people are unimaginable to ordinary people. There are always trade-offs; this is an eternal truth. Therefore, it ultimately depends on one's own aspirations: do you desire comfort and ease, success and recognition, or simply a comfortable life with modest wealth?

Modern people all want to enjoy comfort and success without working or making any effort. You're really overthinking it.

If you were truly placed in the position of a celebrity, a big shot, a high-ranking official, or a powerful figure, you wouldn't even need to think about strategies or management; just a strict work-rest schedule, diet, and clothing would be enough to cripple you.

Fortunately, Xiaowei and Chen Hui are just owners of a private company, and it's a foreign-invested enterprise. So compared to state-owned enterprises or large domestic companies, they have much more room for maneuver and freedom, which allows them to find enjoyment and comfort amidst their busy schedules.

(End of this chapter)