Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 788 Huang Suojia

After discussing it among themselves, they came up with a proposed solution, which was signed by the Party Committee members of the department. Then, Director Liu announced it on behalf of the department.

It was dusk, almost time to get off work, and the fiery sunset bathed the entire city in a golden glow.

Xiao Wei and Xiao Liu hadn't eaten anything since noon and weren't in the mood for it, but they had calmed down. The two of them drove with Director Lu to Director Huang's house on the outskirts of the city, accompanying the department leaders. The other officers in the station didn't know about this yet, and Director Lu hadn't dared to tell them.

When we arrived at Huang's house, we saw a cluster of old bungalows, with houses built haphazardly and densely packed together. The roofs were also a mess, some with cement tiles, some with asbestos tiles, some covered with plastic sheeting, some with tar paper, and some plastered with cement. They stood in the wind, big and small.

At the intersection of Fangshantou Road, there was a garbage dump where stinking ditches from the old houses converged, their destination unknown. Approaching, a foul stench permeated the air. Most residential areas in those days were like this; there was nothing that could be done.

Xiao Liu said, "There's no other way, this is the only spacious place, so we have to walk in."

Liu Ting glanced at Xiao Liu: "You talk as if I'm some kind of high and mighty person. If others can live here, why can't I just pass by? We're all living here, aren't we? Lead the way."

Xiao Liu led the way, while Xiao Wei and Lu accompanied Liu Ting and his group around the garbage heap, stepping over the trash and crossing the stinking ditch to enter the two side rooms. Originally, the old house had a distance of about ten meters between the two side rooms, but now the space that people could walk on was only about one and a half meters, as it was completely covered.

Before the 80s, family planning was just a slogan and was not strictly enforced. Every family had three, four, or even five children, and every household was overcrowded. People had to find their own places to live, and even then, they couldn't guarantee that everyone would have their own space. In those days, there were many families where married people still shared a kang (a heated brick bed) with their parents. At most, they would put up a curtain or make a wooden partition in the middle of the kang.

The most cramped place I've ever seen was a four-room house, with a small kang (heated brick bed) crammed full. The space between each room was barely a meter and a half wide, enough for two people to lie down comfortably. If you had a child, you had to turn to your side to lie down.

The most fun thing back then was taking walks in the summer. After dinner, the whole family would take turns going out for a stroll, so that we could make room in our small house to have a baby. Every household did this. In winter, we had to stay indoors because it was too cold to go out. So, there were a lot of babies born in spring and early summer back then.

Walking along the winding alley, you have to step over piles of yellow earth and coal from time to time. Some people's bicycles are hanging on the walls in mid-air because there is no space for them. Otherwise, if they were placed on the ground, people would not be able to walk.

Director Liu sighed, turned to the political commissar, and said, "It's been years since we've been down here, hasn't it? It seems like the living conditions of ordinary people are worse now than when we were here."

The political commissar shook his head and said, "The economy is much better now. Food and drink are no longer a problem, and meat is no longer eaten on a fixed schedule. Most families even have some spare money. It's just that the housing situation is getting worse. There are more and more people, and the old houses have all grown up. So I think it's good that the welfare housing was canceled. At least we can figure out our own housing problems."

Liu Ting said, "What trick? It still requires spending money to buy a house. Look at these families around here, how many can afford to buy a house? How much does a house cost now? Over a thousand, right? I heard that apartments with elevators cost three or four thousand per square meter. Are we risking our lives for it?"

The political commissar said, "You've gone off on a tangent. That's not how it works. When houses are built, there are bound to be different categories, right? Some are expensive, some are cheap, some are good, some are bad. It's a matter of putting in as much effort as you can afford."

Those with money can stay in nicer places, and those with less money can stay in slightly less nice places. Once these two groups leave, the space freed up can accommodate the lowest-paid group, right? There's no way around it; it's a market economy now, so naturally some people will earn more and some won't. It's fair for everyone.

Liu Ting nodded, bowed his head to move aside a branch hanging from the roof, and said, "From now on, people will be different. Unlike before, when everyone was pretty much the same. I remember when I first became a policeman, our chief lived next door to me. He was dirt poor, and they argued, bickered, and beat their children every day. I don't know when it started, but officials and ordinary people are different now."

The political commissar laughed and said, "It's only been in the last few years. What was the difference between us before? A few yuan more in monthly salary meant a few more meals of meat, but we still had to use meat coupons to buy it. Without coupons, we still couldn't eat it."

Liu Ting nodded: "Yes, that's true, things have changed a lot in the past few years."

Xiao Liu turned around and said, "Director, Political Commissar, we've arrived. This is the place."

Director Liu straightened his clothes and said, "Go ahead and call for help." The political commissar pursed his lips and quietly took a step back. Several leaders from the department also lowered their heads and tried to back away. No one wanted to step forward, but they had no choice but to come.

Xiao Liu went over and patted the wooden door nailed shut: "Uncle Huang, Auntie Huang, open the door."

After patting a few times and calling out three or four times, a voice came from inside the courtyard: "Who is it?"

Xiao Liu shouted, "It's me, your brother Liu, Jianzhong, open the door."

After a moment, the courtyard gate opened from the inside, revealing Huang's younger brother's face. He looked outside, nodded to Xiao Liu, and asked, "Brother, what brings you here now? Where's my brother?"

A little girl's voice came from the courtyard: "Is that my dad back? Uncle, is that my dad?" A girl ran out, paused when she saw a group of people at the door, and reached out to grab her uncle's collar.

Xiao Liu sniffed, looked up at the sky, and clenched his fists tightly.

The little girl tilted her head and looked at him a few times, then whispered, "Uncle Liu." Liu coughed, tears welling up in his eyes, and quickly turned his head away.

Liu Ting stepped forward and asked, "This is Huang Jianya's house, right? Are you Jianya's daughter? What's your name?"

The little girl said timidly, "Hello, Uncle Huang Yuting."

Liu Ting looked at Huang Suo's younger brother: "You're Jianya's younger brother? Can we go inside and talk? Are your parents home?"

Huang Jianzhong nodded, took his niece's hand, and stepped aside, saying, "Come in, everyone's home."

Led by Liu Ting, a group of people entered the courtyard. It was more of a long passageway than a courtyard, with two and a half tiled houses and a storage room on one side. A fence was squeezed in between, and a few chickens were kept inside.

Huang Jianzhong led the way with his niece, opening the door to the main house: "Dad, Mom, someone from my brother's workplace has come."

Lu wiped his face, rushed to Liu Ting's side, and said to the old man who was coming out of the house, "Uncle, this is our director, this is our political commissar. Come, come and see you." He gritted his teeth, but tears could no longer be held back and streamed down his face.

Huang's father was stunned for a moment, then his face turned pale. He understood what was going on and waved his hand, saying, "Come in, come in and sit down."

There wasn't enough room for so many people; there wasn't enough space to sit. Director Liu, the political commissar, and Director Lu went inside, while the others stood in the courtyard. Huang Jianzhong, holding Huang Yuting's hand, turned to Xiao Liu and asked, "Brother Liu, what happened to my brother?"

(End of this chapter)