Chapter 333: On the Eve of Reform

Moreover, once the assessment freeze is lifted in two years, Lao Jia might be able to make a push for Level 8 Worker, and the same goes for Liu Haizhong and the others.

Especially Liu Haizhong; ever since he "attained the Dao" while drinking tea here at Zhang Ping'an's place last time, as long as he sees Zhang Ping'an's courtyard gate open and Zhang Ping'an drinking tea under the grape trellis, he will "coincidentally" pass by.

Zhang Ping'an doesn't expose him either; Liu Haizhong isn't a bad person, he's just a bit of a feudal patriarch.

His talent isn't low either; even with limited literacy, he can still fully grasp various blueprints, so he does have some substance.

Furthermore, he really does teach what he knows; he currently has one Level Six Worker apprentice, and there are quite a few at the fourth or fifth level as well.

Zhang Ping'an is also happy to give him a hand; it can be considered a contribution to cultivating blacksmiths for the country.

Yi Zhonghai is a natural talent; perhaps because he no longer has the "meatball" (child), he can focus more on his technique. In short, he is one of the few Level 8 Workers at present.

Among the youngest generation in the Siheyuan, Yan Bugui is the miserable one—at least for the past eight or nine years. When he didn't have work, he would go fishing to subsidize the household expenses.

In fact, the three brothers could fully support the old couple, but Yan Bugui, as a "Beijing master," cares about face and doesn't want to be a freeloader.

If we're talking about who has lived the most comfortably, it would have to be the He family and the Nan family. With an old foodie like Li Huaide around, their culinary skills were constantly put to the test. Over the past ten years, their cooking skills haven't diminished but increased, especially He Daqing, who has put on weight like a balloon; he is now a quintessential greasy middle-aged uncle.

Nan Yi is doing alright; perhaps due to Liang Ladi's pressure, or perhaps because there are too many children in the family—the four from Damao's generation plus the two born later, a family of eight.

Even though the three men (Damao and Ermao) all work in the kitchen, he hasn't gained much weight and remains a thin, spindly figure, which severely contradicts his status as a cook.

Shazhu and Damao haven't changed much; both have their fathers standing over them, so their careers have no immediate prospect of advancement. However, the two families might be about to become in-laws.

Xu Damao's son, eighteen-year-old Xu Guoqing, and Shazhu's eldest daughter, seventeen-year-old He Ying, often bicker, and people in the courtyard often tease them.

"Damao and Zhuzi are enemies, and now their children are too."

"Who's to say they aren't?"

"Back in the day, we even said that if either Zhuzi or Damao were a woman, they would have become a couple."

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listeners took it to heart. The two parties involved might have just been bickering innocently at first, but ever since hearing this, their relationship has undergone a subtle change; they both blush from time to time when looking at each other.

Shazhu and Damao have been in a love-hate relationship all these years—what we now call "frenemies." Zhang Ping'an is also very curious about what will happen once the two families become in-laws.

On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the Northern Little New Year, Zhang Ping'an followed his usual custom of sending gifts. By now, Li Baoguo and Wang Weiguo have both been promoted by half a rank and concurrently serve as District Standing Committee Members; they are now at the Deputy Department Level.

At Guan Daye's house.

"Uncle Zhang..."

"Hehe, here you go."

Guan Xiaoguan is now sixteen. Ever since Zhang Ping'an informed her of the news about his good son Weidong last year, along with photos from these past few years, the same has been true for Weidong's side.

And so, Zhang Ping'an became their messenger. Whenever Zhang Ping'an goes to Xiangjiang, Guan Xiaoguan gives him a stack of photos and a bundle of envelopes.

Upon returning, he has to bring letters to his good son again. The two have thus restored contact, though Guan Daye's expression is a bit dark.

"Hehe, Uncle Guan, let the younger generation solve their own affairs."

"I've seen since you were little that you two didn't have good intentions, and it seems that's indeed the case now."

Guan Daye sighed softly; it's too late to say anything now. His own granddaughter has completely fallen into the Zhang family's trap.

"Uncle Guan, look at you being emotional again. Isn't it good for our two families to become closer through marriage?"

"That's not it, it's just that your boy isn't here after all."

"At most four years; when Xiaoguan is twenty, she'll be back."

"I hope so." Guan Daye is not optimistic; even people who see each other every day can have rifts, let alone those separated by two or three thousand kilometers.

"Whether it works out or not, the younger generation knows better than we do. Just set your mind at ease, old man."

"It's not your daughter, so you can say that. I'll see what you do when your own daughter faces this."

"..." Hey, this old man, I'm trying to advise you out of kindness, why are you cursing me?

Seeing Zhang Ping'an's face darken, Guan Daye smiled with satisfaction. That's more like it; how could I be the only one with a dark face?

Actually, Guan Daye thinks highly of the people in his own hutong, especially that one called Han Chunming—clever and filial. He had wanted to help his family back then, but later, his family became "wealthy" for no apparent reason.

Or rather, they stopped going hungry, otherwise the relationship between the two families might have really grown closer.

Zhang Ping'an doesn't know that he helped his own son by accident. Back then, because Han Chunming's second sister, Han Chunyan, resembled Lou Xiaoe, and because the two families had some kinship, Lou Bancheng had been silently supporting their family.

It wasn't until the Lou Bancheng family fled to Xiangjiang in '64 that this support was canceled, but the Han Chunming family had already recovered by then.

His father didn't die from hunger, and the entire family was changed as a result, although Han Chunming also went to the countryside the year before last.

Returning home, five little rascals pounced on him: Wei'an, Weiguo, and Wanshu, his own children, and Weijia and Weihe, his two nephews.

Zhang Ping'an has relatively more free time, and the children spend a lot of time with him, so naturally, they all like to follow behind him.

"Aiyo, my darlings, slow down."

The mother is chasing from behind. Of the five rascals, the oldest, Wei'an, is only six, and the others are two, three, or four years old, yet they are all very slippery.

"Hahaha, it's fine, the children are wearing a lot, they won't get hurt." It's true; they are all dressed like moving winter melons, so even if they fall, they won't feel any pain.

"They're all a bunch of mischievous monkeys."

In the blink of an eye, another two years have passed. By this time, the number of employees at the two pharmaceutical factories in Xiangjiang has reached over a thousand. Even so, the Skin Cream produced daily barely meets demand; Zhang Ping'an still underestimated women's obsession with facial care.

This pharmaceutical factory alone has caused Zhang Ping'an's assets to more than quintuple, not to mention the income from the garment factory.

Over these two years, the garment factory has completely linked up with the international fashion circle. Almost every item produced has overturned existing conventions, making everyone's eyes light up.

The scale of the garment factory is now even larger than that of the pharmaceutical factory because clothing manufacturing has not yet popularized automated machinery and relies more on manual labor.

Despite this, although the garment factory's profits are not as exorbitant as the pharmaceutical factory's, as a trendsetter leading the fashion world, the profits are not to be underestimated, with an annual income of tens of millions.

With some capital, Zhang Ping'an is finally not so anxious. Regarding next year's Reform and Opening-up, Zhang Ping'an also has a bit more confidence in his heart.

This day, two Chinese people came to the Xiangjiang pharmaceutical factory, claiming to be from San Francisco in the Beautiful Country and to be old friends.

"General Manager Lou, shall we see them or not?"

"Let's see them."

Zhang Ping'an is not in Xiangjiang right now, and Lou Xiaoe is not sure if they are his old acquaintances, so it's better to meet them and confirm.

"Please, both of you."

"You are the Divine Doctor?" Tong Laosi was also somewhat dumbfounded upon seeing Lou Xiaoe; the gap between her and the image from the Black Market back then was a bit large.

Tong Laosi, Jin Ye, and their party had already moved to San Francisco for twelve years; in these past two years, the Medicinal Wine had spread to the Beautiful Country, which also allowed Li Shenyi to confirm that this was indeed the Medicinal Wine from back then, only the medicinal potency had been reduced by a lot.