Chapter 433: Bang Geng's Blind Date

Beijing in June 1983 was hot as a steamer.

Cicadas screamed relentlessly in the trees, one after another, irritating everyone.

The bright sunlight poured down, softening the asphalt road so that it became sticky underfoot.

The locust trees in the Alley drooped their leaves, casting fragmented patches of light on the ground.

In Wanxiang Garden Community, however, things were different.

The newly planted French plane trees had already taken root; their leaves were broad and the shade dense.

The lawn was planted by people from the Agricultural Science Institute, watered thoroughly, a lush green that looked cool.

Jia Zhangshi fanned herself with a Palm Leaf Fan, sitting in the shade beneath Building No. 3.

Around her sat several elderly women, all former Siheyuan neighbors who had moved into apartments but still couldn't break the habit of gathering to chat.

"If you ask me, the apartment building is better."

Jia Zhangshi's voice rang loudly, "Look at these windows—so big, so bright! Not like our old shabby bungalow where we still had to turn on lights during the day!"

She waved the Palm Leaf Fan at a leisurely pace, each wrinkle on her face radiating satisfaction.

"Indeed, indeed, you are blessed," Grandma Li chimed in from beside her, "Your daughter‑in‑law is capable, and your grandson has prospects."

Those words struck a sore spot for Jia Zhangshi.

She smiled, eyes narrowed to a slit, "Ah, that Bang Geng kid really gives you no peace of mind. He skips proper classes and always stirs up some business. Guess what? Last month he earned this amount!"

She held up three fingers and waved them.

"Three hundred?" someone guessed.

"Three hundred?" Jia Zhangshi scoffed, "Add a zero!"

"Three thousand?" several elderly women gasped.

"Exactly!" Jia Zhangshi sat up straighter, "Just that little shop—three stores! And they say they'll open a fourth by year‑end. Look, he just spent a thousand yuan on something… a BP Pager! Hanging on his waist, showing off a lot!"

She said "showing off" with her mouth, but the smile on her face couldn't be hidden.

Just then, Bang Geng rode back on his motorcycle.

A brand‑new Suzuki 100, its red body gleaming dazzlingly under the sun.

The motorcycle went 'tut‑tut' as it stopped at the building entrance.

Bang Geng swung off the bike, the black BP Pager clipped to his waist standing out conspicuously.

Today he wore a floral shirt, Trumpet Pants, polished leather shoes, his hair slicked with pomade and meticulously combed.

"Grandma, I'm back,"

"Where did you wander off to this time?" Jia Zhangshi pretended to scowl.

"Just meeting a friend, discussing some business," Bang Geng patted the motorcycle seat, "This bike's nice, right? Just bought it for three‑thousand‑eight hundred."

The elderly women stared with widened eyes.

Three‑thousand‑eight hundred is enough to buy a small apartment.

"Spendthrift!" Jia Zhangshi snapped, then turned to the older sisters, "See? He burns through the money as soon as he earns it!"

But the tone and the look were clearly bragging.

Bang Geng is twenty‑nine this year.

He spent ten years in Dongbei and has been back for three years.

Peers his age are already making soy sauce, yet he remains a confirmed bachelor.

It's not that no one introduced him, but a few years ago he had no job, no house; after a few blind dates, the girls would turn away as soon as they heard he had just returned from Dongbei.

Now it's different.

He has a house—a three‑room unit in Wanxiang Garden, seventy‑eight square meters, spacious and bright.

He has a vehicle—a motorcycle; not four wheels, but still flashy enough.

He has money—three little shops, earning three thousand a month; in 1983, that firmly makes him a "ten‑thousand‑yuan household".

Most importantly, he has a BP Pager.

These devices are scarce in Beijing City now, a status symbol.

So when matchmaker Wang Po came knocking again, she was full of confidence.

"Sister Jia, this girl is different!" Wang Po slapped her thigh, "A full‑time worker at the Textile Factory, twenty‑one, proper looks, parents are teachers, a scholarly family!"

Jia Zhangshi's eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Could I lie to you?" Wang Po lowered her voice, "It's just… the girl's family has high standards; they want to see her in person and judge her demeanor."

"Meet! We'll meet tomorrow!" Jia Zhangshi decided decisively.

The blind‑date venue was set at Zhongshan Park.

Bang Geng deliberately changed his outfit—a white shirt, black trousers, shoes polished so bright they could reflect a silhouette.

The BP Pager was attached to his belt, covered by a jacket left unbuttoned to reveal a corner.

Jia Zhangshi also went along, saying she was "keeping watch," but really she wanted to see the future granddaughter‑in‑law with her own eyes.

Wang Po arrived with the girl.

The girl was named Zhou Xiaomei, truly proper‑looking, with an oval face, big eyes, two braids, wearing a Floral Dress, demure and quiet.

"This is Bang Geng, and this is Zhou Xiaomei," Wang Po introduced.

Bang Geng quickly stood up, "You... hello."

"Hello," Zhou Xiaomei said softly, head lowered.

The two sat on the long bench, with a space of two people between them.

Wang Po and Jia Zhangshi tactfully moved aside, standing under a nearby tree, pretending to admire the scenery while their ears were perked up high.

"I heard from Aunt Wang that you are in business?" Zhou Xiaomei spoke first.

"Right, opened three small shops." Bang Geng straightened his back, "Mainly sell cigarettes, alcohol, candy, tea, and also snacks."

"Business… good?"

"Not bad." Bang Geng tried to sound casual, "In a month I can earn two or three thousand."

Zhou Xiaomei lifted her head and gave him a look.

"Then you… usually busy?"

"Busy, pretty busy." Bang Geng said, "Need to restock, need to manage accounts, also have to watch the shop. But now it's better, now I have this—"

He lifted his jacket, revealing the BP Pager at his waist.

"What is this?" Zhou Xiaomei asked curiously.

"BP Pager, a beeper." Bang Geng took it off, handed it to her, "When someone calls me, it beeps and shows the number. Made in Shenzhen, a thousand bucks."

Zhou Xiaomei took it, carefully feeling it.

At that moment, the BP Pager suddenly went "beep beep beep."

A string of numbers appeared on the screen.

"Look, business is coming." Bang Geng said proudly, "I have to go return a call. There's a Public Phone Booth over there, wait for me a moment."

He briskly walked toward the telephone booth, his silhouette upright.

Zhou Xiaomei watched his back, then looked at the BP Pager in her hand, her mouth corners slightly lifted.

Jia Zhangshi, under the tree, nudged Wang Po: "Got a play?"

"Got a play!" Wang Po laughed like a flower, "The girl's look is different!"

The Liu brothers' blind date didn't go that smoothly.

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu were also nearing thirty, and the two brothers were both in business—roasting sunflower seeds, peanuts, and chestnuts.

They rented a small stall at the cinema entrance, and the brothers took turns watching it.

Business was good; they could sell forty to fifty yuan a day, and over a month each could earn five to six hundred.

Much better than working in a factory.

But during the blind date, the problem arose.

The matchmaker brought the girl to the stall for a meeting; when the girl saw they were stall owners, her expression turned sour.

"Stall owners? Isn't that just an Individual Household?" a girl said directly, "No security, unstable."

Liu Guangtian sweated all over his head in anxiety: "We can earn several tens a day now, isn't that better than a regular job?"

"Can it be the same?" the girl pursed her lips, "A regular job is an iron rice bowl; when you're old you have a pension. You guys, today you have business, tomorrow it might be gone."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Liu Guangfu's side was even worse.

The girl asked him: "What are your plans for the future? Keep running a stall forever?"

Liu Guangfu answered honestly: "Save some money, want to open a roasted snack shop."

"Open a shop?" the girl looked him up and down, "Do you have that ability?"

Angered, Liu Guangfu almost threw the frying spoon.

The brothers, after closing the stall at night, went home, squatted downstairs smoking, with worried faces.

"Brother, should we… really find a decent job?" Liu Guangfu asked in a low voice.

"What are you looking for?" Liu Guangtian exhaled smoke, "Factory efficiency is also poor now, a month only that few tens of dead salary. What we earn now is several times theirs!"

"But the girl doesn't like it."

"That's because they have no vision!" Liu Guangtian threw the cigarette butt on the ground, crushed it with his foot, "When we really open a shop and make big money, see what they'll say!"

He said that, but deep down he was still uncertain.

Yan Jiefang's business, however, was booming.

He didn't run a stall; he rented a small storefront, selling clothes.

Trumpet Pants, Jeans, Floral Shirt, and that new style Four-corner Underwear—previously all were briefs, this four‑corner kind just came from the south, young people like it.

Socks also sold, nylon ones, with flowers, five mao a pair.

The shop wasn't big, only about ten square meters, but the location was good, next to a school.

When students finish school and young people go shopping, they all come in to look.

Yan Jiefang had a sweet mouth, good at business.

"Big sister, if you wear these Trumpet Pants, they'll definitely make your legs look longer!"

"Big brother, this shirt's color is so right, matches your temperament!"

When business is good, they can sell fifty to sixty yuan a day.

A month later, fifteen to sixteen hundred yuan in revenue.

More than his father Yan Bu Gui earned sweeping the streets all his life.

Yan Bu Gui now retired, spends each day at home tending flowers and plants, occasionally comes to his son's shop to look.

Watching the flow of people in the shop, watching his son's quick handling of money, he felt a thousand emotions.

"Dad, you say about my business, can it last long?" Yan Jiefang sometimes asks.

"Can." Yan Bu Gui pushed his glasses, "The state now encourages Individual Economy, the newspapers all say it. As long as you don't steal or rob, and honestly do business, you can last long."

He says that, but he himself still has no certainty.

After all, policies change on a whim.

Mid‑June, Bang Geng's marriage was set.

Zhou Xiaomei's family agreed.

The bride price was set at eight hundred eight—choosing a lucky number "fa fa".

Also need a "three turns, one ring"—bicycle, watch, sewing machine, radio.

But Bang Geng now has money, so these are no problem.

He bought a Phoenix Bicycle, a Shanghai Watch, a Bee Sewing Machine, and a Red Light Radio.

He also bought Zhou Xiaomei a Gold Ring and Gold Earrings.

The wedding is set for October, on National Day.

Jia Zhangshi was so delighted he couldn't stop smiling, and told everyone, "Our Bang Geng is getting married! The girl is a full‑time worker at the Textile Factory, and both of her parents are teachers!"

Their manner was such that they almost wanted to broadcast it to the whole world with a big loudspeaker.

The Liu brothers, after hearing it, became even more depressed.

"Bang Geng can get married, so where are we lacking?" Liu Guangtian said, dissatisfied.

"Just missing a BP Pager," Liu Guangfu said gloomily.

"Right! BP Pager!" Liu Guangtian slapped his thigh. "We'll buy one too! It's only a thousand yuan, we can save up in two months!"

The two brothers decided to buy a BP Pager next month.

With a BP Pager, they could stand a bit taller during blind dates.

In Yan Jiefang's shop, a special customer arrived.

She was a young woman in her early twenties, with short hair, wearing a white shirt and blue pants, looking like a student.

She walked around the shop and finally settled on a pair of Jeans.

"How much is this one?"

"Eighteen," Yan Jiefang said.

"Can I try it on?"

"Sure, there's a fitting room at the back."

The girl took the pants and went to try them on.

When she came out, Yan Jiefang's eyes lit up.

The Jeans fit well, making her legs look long and straight.

"Pretty good," the girl said, checking the mirror, "but… it's a bit pricey."

"In that case," Yan Jiefang said, "if you're sincere, I'll give you a two‑yuan discount, sixteen."

The girl hesitated a moment: "I'll look around a bit more."

She wandered in the shop for a while longer and picked up a pair of socks.

"How much are these socks?"

"Fifty cents."

"I'll take two pairs."

The girl paid, and as she left gave Yan Jiefang a glance: "How long has your shop been open…?"

"More than half a year."

"Is business good?"

"It's okay," Yan Jiefang smiled, "just enough to make a living."

The girl nodded and left.

The next day, she came again.

This time she bought a Floral Shirt.

The third day, she returned again.

She bought a pair of Trumpet Pants.

After a few visits, the two became familiar.

The girl's name was Zhao Xiaoyun, a student at the nearby teachers' college, in her senior year and about to graduate.

"Why does a college senior keep coming to my little shop?" Yan Jiefang asked.

"I think your business is quite interesting," Zhao Xiaoyun said, "it's better than our classmates; they only know how to study and have no real‑world experience."

Yan Jiefang felt something stir inside.

In late June, the weather grew hotter.

Bang Geng's BP Pager became a common sight in the neighborhood.

As soon as it rang, business was sure to follow.

Sometimes it was a supplier demanding payment, sometimes a client placing an order, sometimes a friend inviting him to a meal.

Each time the BP Pager sounded, Bang Geng deliberately shouted loudly, "Business again! How annoying!"

Then he hurried off to return the call.

That manner, that tone—truly the picture of a "successful person."

The Liu brothers' BP Pager was also bought back.

The two had bought identical black BP Pagers, attached to their belts.

But after waiting several days, the BP Pager hadn't rang even once.

"Brother, is ours… broken?" Liu Guangfu asked.

"Broken? What do you mean it's broken?" Liu Guangtian glared at him, "It's just that nobody calls us!"

The two stared at each other.

They then realized that having a BP Pager was useless without anyone calling.

But the people they knew either had no telephone or didn't know the BP Pager number.

Finally, Liu Guangtian came up with a plan—have Lao Wang, who sells ice pops at the stall next door, call him.

"Lao Wang, write down my number; at twelve noon, give me a call."

"Why call you?"

"Don't worry about it, just call."

At twelve noon, the BP Pager rang on time.

Liu Guangtian, as if a weight had been lifted, lifted the BP Pager and swung it around in front of the stall.

"Look, I'm busy too!"

Unfortunately, no one paid much attention.

Yan Jiefang and Zhao Xiaoyun's relationship progressed at lightning speed.

After graduating, Zhao Xiaoyun was assigned to the district education bureau, working in an office.

But she still often came to Yan Jiefang's shop, sometimes helping run the store, sometimes going with him to restock.

Yan Bu Gui had met Zhao Xiaoyun once and was very pleased.

"The girl is fine, cultured, and down‑to‑earth."

"Dad, she's a university student, a state official," Yan Jiefang said, feeling a bit insecure, "Would she consider me?"

"Why wouldn't she like you?" Yan Bu Gui said, "You now earn in a month more than her annual salary. Besides, what's wrong with being a university student? They still need to eat and clothe themselves."

Even so, Yan Jiefang still felt uncertain.

Until one day, Zhao Xiaoyun said, "Jiefang, I want to work with you."

"Work with me? What for?"

"Open a shop," Zhao Xiaoyun said, her eyes sparkling. "Your shop is too small; let's open a bigger one, sell more styles of clothing. I see leather jackets and dresses are popular in the south now; we could stock some and try them out."

Yan Jiefang was stunned.

"You… you're not becoming an official anymore?"

"What's good about being an official?" Zhao Xiaoyun pursed her lips, "A fifty‑six yuan monthly salary still requires you to sit at a desk. Better to run a business—free, and you can earn more."

She paused, looking at Yan Jiefang.

"Of course, if you're willing to take me along."

Yan Jiefang felt a warmth in his heart.

"Willing! Of course I'm willing!"

The last day of June, evening.

Li Ping'an returned from Shenzhen and passed by Wanxiang Garden Community.

He saw Bang Geng riding a motorcycle, carrying Zhou Xiaomei, circling around the community.

He saw the Liu brothers guarding a snack stall, the BP Pager hanging on their waist, eagerly waiting for it to ring.

He saw Yan Jiefang and Zhao Xiaoyun in the small shop, one sorting goods, the other handling accounts, chatting and laughing.

The sunset stretched their shadows long.

Li Ping'an stood at a distance, watching for a long time.

These children who once grew up in Siheyuan, these former sent‑down youths, these young people who were once lost and struggling.

Now, they have their own homes, their own businesses, their own lives.

Although they still worry about marriage, fret over business, and fear the future.

But at least they now have the right to choose.

They have a direction for their efforts.

They have a hopeful outlook.

That is enough.

Li Ping'an turned and walked toward his car.

The driver opened the car door.

"Mr. Li, heading home?"

"Homeward."

The car set off.

In the rearview mirror, the community's lights flickered on one by one.

Like stars, scattering over this warm land.

And life kept going.

There is laughter, tears, bitterness, and sweetness.

There is firewood, rice, oil, and salt, and also romance and poetry.

This is the true human world.

This is the boiling era.

The car drove into the night.

Ahead, countless lights.