Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 221 Didn't they pay?

After eating their fill, they felt much better and weren't as hungry as before. The three of them put down their chopsticks, poured themselves a glass of water, and took a short break before getting up to go check on the yard.

An Laowu and his friends were still drinking when they saw the three brothers stand up to leave, so they quickly got up and came over to greet them.

Xiao Wei said, "We're full, let's go take a look at the yard. Fifth Brother, are things alright here this year? The house over there is all settled and being renovated. It'll probably cost around 400,000 to 500,000 yuan. It's a two-story building, over 1,500 square meters, and we're going to use your family's century-old Anji brand. Don't mess things up here."

An Laowu's eyes widened in surprise, and he asked urgently, "Really?"

Xiao Wei said, "Do you think I'm kidding you? Really. This is something my Uncle Chen does; could a small shop like this do it?"

An Laowu asked, "Where is the place?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's at the intersection of Sanhao Street, right on the main road, with a parking lot behind it. It's full of big businesses, and it's close to the Provincial Party Committee. Think about it."

Chen Hui said, "You mentioned that plaque last time, that heirloom plaque. Be sure to protect it well and bring it with you."

An Laowu said, "I'll hand over this shop to Bozi tomorrow, and then I'll focus all my efforts on things here. Don't worry, I definitely won't let anything down. I'll send the sign over to you in a couple of days."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, there's no rush anyway. It'll probably open around April or May, so you'll need to get there and make the arrangements beforehand. You guys enjoy your drinks, the three of us are off." The three got out and into the car, starting the engine. Chen Hui said, "You didn't pay, did you?"

The three of them stared at each other, completely forgetting.

Forget about it, forget about it. The car sped away, emitting white steam.

At the restaurant, An Laowu returned to the table with a flushed face, picked up a glass of wine, filled it to the brim, and said, "Brothers, come on, let's celebrate for me, I've finally brought honor to my ancestors." Everyone responded and drank together.

An Laowu was a little agitated. He wiped his face and sat down. Blind Qu asked, "What's wrong? What did you say?"

Old Man An poured himself another glass and said, "On Sanhao Street in Fengtian, next to the Provincial Party Committee, there's a 1,500-square-meter restaurant that opened in April. Do you know what it's called? Anji Old Restaurant. Anji for a hundred years, that's the name of my old An family. Cheers." He downed another glass.

That night, An Laowu, unusually, got quite drunk and cried like a child.

First, he drank himself into a stupor without a care in the world, his excitement written all over his face. Then he exclaimed that the An family had finally caught up with a good time and could make a name for themselves through their own abilities, instead of just living to survive.

He knelt in the bone shop for more than half an hour, chatting with his uncle for half an hour. Perhaps, if people have spirits, his uncle would be very pleased. The blind man and the others stayed with An Laowu, letting him do whatever he wanted, and were all happy for him.

The next day, Bozi was promoted directly from odd-job worker to boss, chef, accountant, and odd-job worker.

Xiao Wei, Xia Maosheng, and Chen Hui were unaware of this. The three of them went out, drove, and went to the yard.

The snowstorm in Longcheng was much stronger than in Fengtian, and it was a very obvious kind of strong wind. You could see the wind swirling up in front of the headlights, brushing against the ground and sweeping back and forth along the road.

In this era, the Northeast at night appears desolate and quiet. There is nothing on the streets except for snow. There are no cars or pedestrians, only streetlights standing in the snow and ice, emitting a hazy light. The surroundings are desolate.

The car drove through the darkness and cold to the gate of the courtyard. Xiao Wei got out and opened the gate. The courtyard was empty, with only the old tree with its bare branches standing against the wall. The corner where the garage and the old building met had been turned into a large coal pile. The boiler room was lit up, and the humming of the water pump could be faintly heard.

The car drove directly to the five-cornered flower bed. The three people got out and walked towards the boiler room. Before they even reached the door, the iron door of the boiler room opened, and Hao Xiaodong came out with a shovel in his hand.

"Brother Hao, you're here." Xiao Wei greeted Hao Xiaodong.

Hao Xiaodong probably didn't expect anyone to be in the yard. The sound of the water pump and blower inside was so loud that he couldn't hear anything outside. He was startled by Xiao Wei's greeting and took a half step back. He also raised the shovel head. Only then could he see Xiao Wei and the other two clearly by the light from inside the house.

"Ah, boss." Hao Xiaodong put down his shovel. "Why are you here so late? Come inside, it's warm inside. You just arrived?"

Xiao Wei said, "Yeah, I just came from Fengtian. I couldn't stay still, so I came over to check on things. How's it going? Is it burning thoroughly?"

Hao Xiaodong said, "You guys go inside first, I'll push the coal cart." He pointed to the coal pile, picked up a shovel, and walked over. Under the light, you could see a cart placed over the coal pile.

Xia Maosheng said, "Let's take the luggage down first. It should be warm inside by now." The three of them turned around and went back to the car to take down the several quilts they had brought from Fengtian. They went into a random room, turned on the light, and put the quilts on the wooden bed.

The room was indeed warm now, and the large wooden bed, warmed by the heater, exuded the fresh scent of pine. Chen Hui sniffed and said, "This smells nice. Do you think we could get some of this wood from Fengtian and make a few beds? The ones at home are all plywood."

In those days, most urban residents still slept on kangs (heated brick beds). The few apartments that did have beds were either iron-framed beds or, if they were more particular, they would hire a carpenter to make a bed frame. However, this was just a matter of making a bed frame, with the entire bed frame made of plywood. This was considered a trend. In the early 90s, furniture and home decoration were just emerging, and there was a shortage of materials and a small market.

Xia Maosheng said, "We'll measure it after you move in, and then we'll make a few beds here and move them back."

Xiao Wei said, "Nonsense, it's not like Uncle Chen can't find wood or people to make beds, why would he run hundreds of kilometers to get a few beds?"

Chen Hui said, "My dad doesn't care much about these things. As long as it's useful, that's fine. Sometimes my mom grumbles about other people's beds or furniture, but my dad doesn't like listening to her. He always says, 'As long as it's useful, why bother with all that effort?'"

Xia Maosheng said, "I see your dad's office sofa and desk are so cool, why don't you get something similar at home? You can pay for it yourself."

Chen Hui said, "You think my mom and I haven't talked to each other about it? It's no use. My husband thinks it's unnecessary. He says it's not good to bother the government with such a small matter. Besides, my mom has never been to my dad's workplace since I can remember. She doesn't even know what my dad is like."

Xiao Wei turned to look at Chen Hui: "Even though it's so close, your mom has never been there?"

Chen Hui nodded and said, "I've never been there. My dad gets annoyed that family members go to his workplace, saying it's not good for others to see, so I guess he's gotten used to it. Besides, my mom works too."

Xiao Wei said, "It's true. I've never met your aunt before. Where does she work?"

Chen Hui said, "The People's Bank of China, a low-level cadre, neither here nor there, is just fine."

I have something to do today, so I'll only be updating twice.

(End of this chapter)