Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 497 Blisters on Feet, Walk On Your Own

The old man laughed and said, "Why would I be angry? Don't you know your own wife? If it weren't for your parents, uncles, and aunts being a bit lenient, things would have already escalated. At first, I would have cursed and hit them a few times, but now I'm not going to bother anymore. Anyway, it's just a matter of life and death, let them do whatever they want. What kind of car did you come in? Are there still cars leaving now?" He opened the courtyard gate.

The four people walked out of the yard. Xiao Wei said, "I drove back, and I came with a few friends. Well, sir, we'll be going now."

The old man glanced at the two cars parked by the roadside, smiled, patted Xiaowei on the shoulder, and said, "Good job, you've made something of yourself. Keep up the good work. Drive carefully." Xiaohong and Xiuer waved goodbye to the old man and got into their cars. The old man said, "Xiuer, come here," and beckoned.

Xiuer curiously ran over, and the old man took out five yuan from his pocket and handed it to her, saying, "Here, take this to buy some snacks. Study hard and get into university, understand?" Xiuer happily took it and said, "Yes, I understand. Don't worry, you'll definitely get in."

Xiao Wei got into the car, and the two cars started and drove away along the dirt road by the river. The old man standing by the roadside let out a long sigh, thought for a moment, and then turned around and went back into the yard.

Once inside, the old woman pulled out some melon seeds from somewhere and started cracking them open. Seeing the old man come in, she said, "It's just five hundred yuan, is it really worth giving it away? With such a promising future, why can't you take Xiaofu out? You're all ungrateful. You've forgotten all about coming to our house for meals when you were little."

The old man sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), picked up his pipe, and while filling it with tobacco, said, "Five hundred isn't enough? How much do you earn in a year? Let me see. Why don't any of your relatives give you money? It doesn't need to be five hundred, fifty will do. Has anyone ever missed a meal here?"

The old woman said, "Zhang Wang is your son, but isn't Xiao Fu your son too? If he can take Zhang Wang out, why can't he take Xiao Fu with him? What, will Xiao Fu forget them when he becomes successful in the future?"

The old man lit his pipe, took a puff, and said, "Xiao Wang is reliable and trustworthy; he's capable. What can Xiao Fu do? Taking him out would be embarrassing. You're quite an old man, yet you talk like you're nothing. Taking Xiao Fu out to enjoy life? Is Zhang Fu my father? How can you talk like that? It's only because of Xiao Wei and Xiao Hong; anyone else would be furious with you."

The old woman didn't mind being scolded, saying, "My son will definitely amount to something. Just wait and see. He's good-looking and smart; what can't he do?"

The old man said, "Xiao Wei said that if Xiao Fu can settle down and farm the land in front of and behind his house, as well as Xiao Wang's land, for two years, he'll come back and take Xiao Fu out. Ask Xiao Fu if he's capable."

The old woman scoffed and said, "Fine, don't take him then. Do we really have to rely on him? He acts like he's some big shot, but who knows what he'll be doing for himself. Xiao Fu won't have to suffer like this. Why should he be farming? He'll make a fortune and come back to see if you, old Zhang, will still have the face to spend it."

The old man said, "That agreement you signed a couple of days ago about raising ants was a scam. The police arrested you, so you can forget about your get-rich-quick dreams. Think twice before you spend money in the future. If you dare to give Xiao Fu money behind my back again, I'll break your legs."

If he's capable, he should earn his own money. If not, he should stay home and farm. He doesn't do any proper work outside; all he does is run back home asking for money. My money isn't for him to waste. Remember what I'm saying. Try it again. You and your son are spoiled rotten. If he does it again, you can take him out begging. He won't need to stay home; my money won't even reach you then.”

The old woman threw down the sunflower seeds she was holding, sat up, and said, "What do you mean, Mr. Zhang? Isn't Xiao Fu your son?"

The old man said, "Xiao Wang is still my son. He hasn't asked me for money since he was eighteen. I even forced him to pay for his wedding and other expenses. What about Xiao Fu? Did I give him my life, raise him when he was young, and now I have to take care of him in his old age and see him off when he dies? Am I his father or is he my father?"

How old is he? He's a month older than Xiaowei. Xiaowei never did any housework since he was little. Now that he's made something of himself in the city, he's taken his second son and his wife there. Your precious son is always talking about making big money, where is he?

The old woman twisted her body and said, "How old are they? They just missed their chance!"

The old man glanced at her and said, "What kind of opportunity do you want to seize? Do you expect money to fall from the sky? Xiao Wei was working on construction sites in the county town at the age of sixteen, and he was earning eight or nine hundred a month in '89. Who gave him that opportunity? If you're not cut out for it, don't even think about it. Our family's situation is better than your second son's back then, isn't it? As for me, I'm not relying on anything now. I'm just saving some money for my retirement. You can do whatever you want. You'll get blisters on your own."

The old woman said, "They're just doing manual labor, but we, Xiao Fu, are different. We're going to make big money and sit in offices. Just wait until then, and we'll see where you, Zhang, will put your face."

The old man sighed, stood up, and said, "Fine, then you can lie on the kang and dream all you want. You two live by dreaming. I'm going to stay with Xiao Wang for a while; I won't be back for dinner tonight." He opened the door and left.

……

Here, Xiaowei's two cars circled around to the county town along Guofang Road.

After sending Xiuer to the county high school, I made a brief call to the county bureau to explain the situation to Li Zhongguo, and then drove straight to the city again.

Underground civil defense shopping mall in front of the station.

This was the earliest large-scale market developed in Beixi, entirely leased to private businesses, attracting the first group of wealthy residents in Beixi. It was also the first large space in Beixi to have central air conditioning. Back then, people didn't know what central air conditioning was; they just knew it would blow hot air in winter.

Back then, shopping in underground malls in winter was no enjoyable experience. Outside, it was freezing cold, with temperatures dozens of degrees below zero. Inside, the central air conditioning was blowing hot air, and the mall was so crowded that you could barely move. Soon, you would be covered in sweat, with nowhere to put your clothes on. It was incredibly uncomfortable.

But this place was the hottest shopping mall in Beixi in the 1990s because all the businesses were private, and you could bargain. The things sold here were the latest fashion trends. Brands like Old Man Head, Mont Blanc, Little Lai Lai, Big Lai Lai, Lacoste, and Goldlion—it was here that ordinary people first learned what brands were and what it meant to be stylish.

When Xiao Wei and his group arrived, it was the busiest time of day in the afternoon.

The entire underground shopping mall has a business area of ​​over 15,000 square meters, divided into north and south sections. The northern section connects to the underground passage of the commercial building, with a dividing strip in the middle. The eastern end leads to Shifu Road, which is also the main entrance of the underground mall, while the western end leads directly from underground across the road to the station square. The southern section connects to the underground passage in front of the hotel.

The northern part of the mall is the clothing section, including watches and electronic products, while the southern part is the footwear section.

A group of people escorted Chen Xiao and Geng Hui as they slowly strolled through the mall. It was indeed bustling; every shop was packed with people, a noisy and chaotic scene. There were also shops with fewer people in front, not because their business was bad, but because their items were too expensive, attracting fewer visitors. For example, a pair of Xiaolilai embroidered leather shoes was priced at 3,800 yuan, and most people didn't dare approach them, choosing to walk around them with respect.

(End of this chapter)