Chapter 843: The Joy of October

October

Nanluoguxiang

Yan Yan Jiecheng, Yan Yan Jiefang, Liu Guangtian, and a group of people returned from Tiananmen in high spirits. The whole city was filled with joy. It could be described as gongs and drums sounding, firecrackers ringing, and loud singing. People were enthusiastically celebrating this great victory.

With this great victory, life was also changing rapidly. The emergence and development of individual businesses became a highlight of economic life, providing employment opportunities for many people while also enlivening the market and promoting economic development.

This year, the number of "individual businesses" (without business licenses) in Jingcheng began to grow rapidly. Many policies restricting the development of the individual economy began to be gradually canceled. Individual businesses were mainly distributed in retail, catering, and service industries, with the service industry having the largest number of individual businesses.

Compared with other periods, although the threshold for starting a business in 1976 was low, and many people achieved employment and poverty alleviation through individual operation, social recognition was not high. Individual operation was still regarded as a "capitalist tail" and was questioned and criticized by public opinion, making the vast majority of people hesitate and still regard being a worker or entering the system as the first choice for making a living.

Cao Cao Weiguo, who had returned from the south, was doing carpentry work in the courtyard. In this noisy city, he was carefully carving every inch of time in life. His two sons, Cao Ping'an and Cao Cao Pingyi, were helping on the side. Although they were young, they could help a lot.

Carpentry was Cao Cao Weiguo's hobby for self-cultivation and also his legitimate way to make money. Because of his superb carpentry skills, the furniture Cao Cao Weiguo made had become famous in Jingcheng. Many people praised Cao Cao Weiguo for his "unique craftsmanship" and called him the local Lu Ban, though the "gold content" of this was unknown.

Under his great reputation, the furniture made by "Master Carpenter" Cao Cao Weiguo was never hard to sell. People looking for him to customize furniture could line up from Xizhimen to Dongzhi Sect, and countless others were turned away.

It is said that from department heads and bureau chiefs down to factory directors and section chiefs, all took pride in owning furniture by Master Cao. Many factory directors, in order to buy a piece of furniture personally crafted by Master Cao, did not hesitate to sell their family heirlooms and have their whole family live frugally.

Seeing that people seeking to buy furniture from Cao Cao Weiguo were endless and that Cao Cao Weiguo was making a fortune, the neighbors were envious. Especially the Third Uncle, Yan Yan Fugui, who often pestered Cao Cao Weiguo, hoping that Cao Cao Weiguo would take his youngest son, Yan Jiekun, as an apprentice and pass on this carpentry skill to him.

But Cao Cao Weiguo's skill was too special, and ordinary people could not learn or master it.

First, you have to have superb carpentry skills, and second, you have to be a department-level carpenter.

Yan Jiekun was smart, but his level was not enough. No matter how well he learned, it was useless.

Just as Cao Cao Weiguo was carving carefully, Liu Liu Guangfu walked in carrying a fish: "Brother Cao Weiguo, you're busy. You say, you are such a big leader, and yet you still cook and do carpentry work in your spare time to subsidize your family. It really makes us idlers feel ashamed."

Cao Cao Weiguo said angrily: "Stop with the glib tongue. What are you doing here?"

Liu Liu Guangfu smiled: "Hey, my dad went fishing with the Third Uncle, and they had good luck and caught a few. He asked me to bring one for you to taste."

Cao Cao Weiguo: "You know my fishing skills. Look at my fish tank; the fish inside are almost as fat as pigs. Your dad is also, why be so polite with me? Alright, take the fish back and tell the Second Uncle that I appreciate his intention."

Liu Liu Guangfu scratched his head: "This isn't good, is it? How can I take back what I brought?"

Cao Cao Weiguo: "There's nothing wrong with it. We've been neighbors for decades, no need to be formal."

Liu Liu Guangfu held the fish, feeling embarrassed. After struggling for a long time, he asked: "Brother Cao Weiguo, is there any progress on my job?"

The fish from the Liu family was not sent for nothing. Liu Haizhong asked Liu Liu Guangfu to send the fish, so naturally, he had his purpose.

Ever since Factory Manager Li stepped down and Factory Manager Yang was reinstated, Liu Haizhong was also removed from his position as a group leader and returned to the workshop to continue working as a worker. Because he had offended too many people when he had power, he could only keep his tail between his legs now.

After Liu Liu Guangfu returned from the countryside, he had been unemployed at home. Later, he worked as a temporary worker, but it was "three days of fishing and two days of drying nets." Until now, he was still eating and drinking at home, making Liu Haizhong anxious and angry. He begged people everywhere in the factory and was met with closed doors and ridicule. Having no other choice, and not wanting to watch his own son continue to be a parasite, Liu Haizhong had to listen to the Second Aunt's suggestion and set his sights on Cao Cao Weiguo, hoping that Cao Cao Weiguo would help out for the sake of neighborhood relations.

But who is Cao Cao Weiguo?

He is not Sha Zhu!

You, Liu Haizhong, use people when you need them and discard them when you don't, and you still want me to help? Dream on!

Cao Cao Weiguo said lightly without even raising his head: "Not yet. Tell your dad not to be anxious. There are too many educated youths returning to the city, and the line of people is longer than a train. Although I am a leader of some size, I cannot abuse power for personal gain. I can only follow the policy and line up step by step. If he can't wait, he can look for other connections. Liu Guangfu, you are educated and knowledgeable, a progressive youth who has been to the countryside, you should understand my difficulties, right?"

Liu Liu Guangfu smiled awkwardly: "Understand, understand. Brother Cao Weiguo, you are a big leader, and everything you do needs to consider the influence. I know."

Cao Cao Weiguo said with satisfaction: "Liu Guangfu, you have matured."

The two chatted for a while, and Liu Liu Guangfu returned to the Sihe Academy with the fish, meeting Bang Geng, who was wearing new clothes and looking triumphant.

Seeing Liu Liu Guangfu carrying the fish, a flash of hatred crossed Bang Geng's eyes.

Back then, it was Liu Liu Guangfu who hung a pair of broken shoes around his neck and pushed him through the street to make a fool of himself.

This kind of great humiliation was deeply engraved in Bang Geng's heart.

Running into Liu Liu Guangfu and thinking of their situations, Bang Geng asked with a grin: "Liu Liu Guangfu, have you found a job?"

Liu Liu Guangfu said with a cold face: "Not yet."

Bang Geng said triumphantly: "You haven't found a job yet! Hey, then you have to work harder. I see the situation now, jobs are getting harder and harder to find. Fortunately, I'm lucky. My job is settled, and I'll go to work at the neighborhood office tomorrow."

Liu Liu Guangfu was surprised: "You're going to work at the neighborhood office? Really or fake?"

Bang Geng said triumphantly: "Of course it's true. Can I eat by lying to you? Seriously, Liu Liu Guangfu, you are a few years older than me, why is it so hard to find a job? Is it because your performance is too poor that the neighborhood office and units don't want to use you?"

Liu Liu Guangfu's face flushed red: "Blow it out your ass! You dog bastard, what are you triumphing about? You only found a job because of your mother who wears broken shoes. Who knows how you got this job? If it weren't for your mother sleeping around everywhere, could a dog bastard like you who steals chickens and dogs have a job? Bah! For someone like you, even feces are more useful than you."

Bang Geng's eyes turned red instantly, and he raised his fist and rushed at Liu Liu Guangfu: "Bastard, I'll kill you!"

Liu Liu Guangfu kicked out: "Dog bastard!"

Immediately, the two young men started fighting, alarming the residents of the courtyard. Soon, Jia Jia Zhangshi and the Second Aunt arrived on the battlefield, making the scene even more heated.