Chapter 111

The first song, "In the Fields of Hope", seems okay, and there is not much emotional fluctuation.

But the following song, "Listen to Mom Tell About the Past," is completely different.

Especially when I read the lyrics: "At that time, my mother had no land, and her entire life depended on her own hands. She sweated in the landlord's fiery fields, but she ate wild vegetables and bran..."

For a moment, Director Fang felt so upset that he thought of his mother who had suffered so much and couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Well, Li Zhiguo, you wrote this song so well."

Director Fang tried to remain calm and wiped his face, but he couldn't stop crying.

Li Zhiguo was not surprised. The song sounded okay when sung, but if you read the lyrics carefully, it was a tear-jerker!

"Li Zhiguo, how did you come up with these lyrics? Didn't you grow up in Beijing?"

Director Fang took a while to calm down and felt surprised.

"This is written from my daughter-in-law's inner perspective. My daughter-in-law's family has been poor farmers for generations and they didn't even have land before."

Director Fang nodded, "No wonder, your lyrics are so well written, now the workers and peasants are in charge.

In particular, the peasants were no longer oppressed by the landlords and were truly living a good life.

This song is very suitable for our Ministry of Agriculture to present to the fourth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.”

Li Zhiguo continued, "I created this work specifically for the Ministry of Agriculture. As a member of the workers and peasants, I feel extremely honored."

"Well, that's well said."

Director Fang originally just wanted to offer a reward to recruit this person, but now he suddenly realizes that this guy is truly a talent.

Not only was he able to design a pedal-operated thresher, but he was also so good at writing songs. No wonder Lao Bi almost fell out with him.

"Tuk-tuk!"

"Director, please look for us."

The people from the Propaganda Department arrived. They were two middle-aged ladies. Although their figures were out of shape, they had a high level of musical literacy.

"You've come just in time. You can take a look at the two songs written by Li Zhiguo, especially this one, which will be the trump card of our Ministry of Agriculture."

Director Fang has now wiped away his tears and his emotions have stabilized.

Soon, the two aunts were also shocked after looking at the playlist.

The younger one said, "Director, this solo song 'On the Field of Hope' is so well written."

The older one said, "Director, I think this chorus is well written. Mom wore ragged clothes and went through so many difficult years before she finally looked forward to today's good life."

He paused and continued, “There is also this sentence: We sat beside the tall grain pile and listened to mother telling us about the past.

What is a grain pile? It means a good harvest. If there is a grain pile at home, there will be food in the warehouse, and we will have food to eat."

“Solo is better!”

Younger people prefer to sing praises of beauty.

“The chorus is better!”

Older people feel more deeply about the sufferings of the past, especially since this song is about mothers.

Seeing the two people arguing, Director Fang said quickly: "Both songs are good, they are both songs of our Ministry of Agriculture.

It just so happens that Li Zhiguo is here. If you have any questions, please ask immediately. Once you understand them, we can prepare to rehearse the program."

"Good director."

The two aunts nodded and started chatting with Li Zhiguo.

Director Fang was initially worried that Li Zhiguo was too young to handle the situation, but after watching for a while he realized something was wrong. Others were able to handle the two middle-aged women with ease.

After a while, an old lady massaged Li Zhiguo's shoulders, and another one stood beside him holding a teacup, serving him well.

"Talent!"

Director Fang shook his head to avoid suspicion and gently closed the office door when he left.

Li Zhiguo boasted for a while, but he did not forget the time. He left under the reluctant gazes of the two aunts.

I looked at the time and went to the silk shop. Although the name of the shop had been changed, I was already used to it.

"Govern the country!"

Chen Xueru guessed that he would come today and kept looking towards the door.

"Hey!"

Li Zhiguo parked his bicycle in front of the store. There was no need to be too cautious since the other person was pregnant.

"There's a small kitchen at noon, so I knew you would come."

Chen Xueru brought the man into the inner hall and prepared coffee as usual.

Li Zhiguo took the cup and took a sip. It still had the same taste and refreshed him as he had to work in the afternoon.

But the young wife had no makeup on, wore pearl earrings, and was dressed in a plain silk summer dress, which made her natural beauty even more apparent. Even with a big belly, she was still the center of attention.

"What, are you stunned?"

Chen Xueru stretched out her hand and waved it in front of her eyes.

"I was stunned. How come my little wife is so beautiful?"

Li Zhiguo hugged the person and leaned against him, enjoying the tranquility before dinner.

After a while, Chen Xueru talked about her recent experiences here, and it felt good to chat.

"Zhiguo, you still remember the Qianmen Tavern!"

"Remember, what happened?"

How could he not know that in the play "Zhengyangmen", the tavern is the main battlefield, and the courtyard at the back is also well-maintained.

"Old Man He's son is getting married and the wedding banquet will be held next month. He asked someone to ask if I have time to go."

Chen Xueru doesn’t have time to go because she’s pregnant, so just tell this as a funny story.

"Old Man He has a son, so why is he the only one working in the tavern?"

Li Zhiguo asked casually, thinking that the He family also had a lot of troubles, and Xu Huizhen was good at making money, but she was too stubborn.

If Chen Xueru's character is strong, then Xu Huizhen is the heroine.

He is not attracted to Xu Huizhen, and if he really finds this future widow, his life will not be easy.

My concubine Chen Xueru is still better. She is willing to spend money on her. She is not as smart and is more beautiful.

"I heard that Old Man He's son was adopted, and I've never seen him in person."

Chen Xueru was gossiping when she suddenly saw Chuntao come in, and she started to prepare dinner.

After dinner, Li Zhiguo went to the small office to rest for a while, and then he saw Chen Xueru coming in with an envelope.

"Zhiguo, this is for my sister. Please buy something for her. She will be giving birth soon."

Although Chen Xueru is the younger one, she is older than Qin Huairu and feels that she is the older sister.

"Look at you. I've already told you that I don't need money. This won't happen again."

Li Zhiguo folded the envelope in half, but found it was too thick and difficult to stuff into his trouser pocket, so he had to put it on the table and take it away later.

"I know you're not short of money. Isn't this for my sister?"

Chen Xueru sat down next to him, with light in her eyes, thinking about it.

Later, Li Zhiguo left with the envelope. The money in the envelope was enough to cover the tavern's turnover for half a year, so he really didn't miss the tavern.

The wine costs 7 cents per ounce and is sold for 0.1 cent, which is a 30% profit. After deducting the labor cost, it is no wonder that old man He adds water to the wine.

If you are in the catering business and don’t have a 50% profit margin, you can’t even talk about making money.

He arrived at the Qianmen Street Office and collected the rent and last month's salary. In the whole day, he actually ran to four places to collect money. It was a very busy day on the third day of the gate ringing.

"Director, this month's accounts have been calculated, and there is no mistake."

If it were before, he would have wanted to be laid off, but now that public-private partnership is getting closer and closer, he really can't lose his identity as a street cadre.

The key is that the director protects people. Even if you make a mistake, he will just scold you at most. This is a good place.

"Okay, it looks like I can do things down there."

The director was very happy. Work was going smoothly and he had a lot less work to do.

Li Zhiguo did not mention the possibility of fraud at the lower levels. He wanted to keep things stable first. When he is in a bad mood one day, he will conduct surprise inspections on the lower-level companies. No one will have an easy time.

"Li Zhiguo, all the public-private partnerships of grain stations that I told you about before have been finalized after a pilot test.

Before National Day, all private grain stations in the city were forced to complete the public-private partnership transformation.

Flour coupons will be issued in October and used to purchase grain in November. Initially, only fine grains will be controlled. You should also be prepared. Next month will be busy."

"Understood. I'll come here more often next month."

Li Zhiguo was quite helpless because his daughter-in-law's due date was around National Day, which also coincided with the issuance of food coupons.

Should I just name my son Li Bai when the time comes?

Forget it. The name Li Bai is too big and his small family can't afford it.

In a blink of an eye, it was the end of August. On the 30th, Sunday, Li Zhiguo was awakened early in the morning.

"Brother-in-law, I'm going to register at school tomorrow."

Little Jingru stood in front of the bed, carrying a canvas bag on her back, which was the school bag her sister had sewn for her.

"Okay, I'll take you to buy some school supplies today."

Li Zhiguo had mentioned this matter before, but forgot about it halfway through. No matter what he said today, it cannot be delayed any longer.

Qin Huairu walked into the room and said, "Zhiguo, don't spoil her too much. She knows how to pick the best ones at such a young age. She seems to be dissatisfied with the schoolbag I made for her."

"It doesn't look good." Li Zhiguo told the truth. It's so tacky. It's just made by modifying old clothes.

"Sister, look, my brother-in-law said it's not pretty anymore."

When little Jingru saw someone in the yard carrying a nice schoolbag, she became obsessed with it. But her brother-in-law was the only one in the family who loved her enough to buy her one.

"Your brother-in-law is still my man. How can I spoil you in everything?"

Qin Huairu reached out and touched her sister's forehead. Fortunately, she was young, otherwise she would have been jealous.

Li Zhiguo shook his head and said, "It happens to be Sunday, let's go out for a walk and have a meal outside at noon.

Tell Mom not to make lunch anymore, and ask Guangming to go pick her up later so that we can have a good meal together."

"Eating out again!"

Qin Huairu knew she couldn't persuade him, so she said, "Then there's no need to call Mom and Guangming. Too many people will cost money, and Mom has a big appetite."

"Come on, this doesn't cost much, just invite everyone. A family dinner is more fun when there are more people."

Li Zhiguo didn't want to treat his mother-in-law badly. She worked hard every day, and he couldn't be like Dongxu's brothers who went out to eat alone and left his mother behind.

"Ok!"

Qin Huairu didn't say much. She held her waist with one hand. Her belly was getting bigger and bigger, and she was not as agile as before.

Xiao Jingru wanted a new schoolbag, so she had to please her brother-in-law, who helped her put on her socks and then trotted to get her toiletries.

When Qin's mother heard the noise, she came out with a kettle from the stove and gave her water to wash her face.

Li Zhiguo was a little uncomfortable at first, but it became natural over time.

"Mom, I'm going to take Huairu and Jingru out to buy some things later, and we can't go alone.

Don't cook lunch. When the time comes, I'll notify Guangming to pick you up and we'll eat outside."

"Hey! You guys just go shopping, mom will just eat something at home."

Qin's mother has been in the city for more than two months. After getting along with her son-in-law for a long time, she also knows his temperament. He is generous and caring.

On the other hand, my daughter is stingy and miserly, just like her grandmother. She knows how to live, but it's a pity for her family.

"That won't do. You must be tired from cooking every day. Let's just say it this way. Let Guangming come over at the appointed time."

Li Zhiguo settled the matter directly.

"Hey! Listen to your son-in-law."

Mother Qin packed up the washbasin with a smile on her face and went back to the house, only to see that her daughter was not very happy.

She just heard it outside the window. Her daughter actually told her not to go out to the restaurant. This is not being spoiled. Her son-in-law is still the best.

"Huai Ru, don't just stand there, peel the eggs for your man. Don't be so careless when you're pregnant."

Qin Huairu was stunned. "Mom, isn't there Jingru here? She's the one who peels it every day. I want to do it, but she's not happy."

"Jingru is your sister, and you are the daughter-in-law. You just enjoy yourself day by day. You can't figure it out."

Mother Qin muttered something and hurried to the kitchen to get breakfast. It was just right now and there was no need to worry about it getting cold.

"Mom, what's wrong? Did you take the wrong medicine? Who are you angry with so early in the morning?"

Qin Huairu was confused. This was not her attitude at the beginning.

Soon, it was time for breakfast. Qin's mother handed a bowl of white flour to her son-in-law, but ignored her daughter.

"Brother-in-law, eat eggs."

Xiao Jingru handed the peeled eggs to her brother-in-law, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.

"Well! The egg yolk is for you. Eat it to grow taller."

Li Zhiguo felt that he had eaten too much recently, so he wanted to reduce his nutrition and only ate egg whites.

"Thank you, brother-in-law!"

Little Jingru loves to eat egg yolks. She is so happy that her eyebrows are curved and her big eyes are blinking, just like she walked out of a New Year picture.

Qin Huairu sat next to him, digging the rice porridge in the bowl with chopsticks, always feeling that she was redundant.

"Huai Ru, why are you daydreaming? Eat the eggs. They are fresh."

The chickens he had asked Xu Damao to raise were really well taken care of, and he could find two or three eggs every day.

Qin Huairu peeled the eggs herself and gave half of them to her mother, but no one took it.

"You can do it yourself. Mom can't eat so well."

Mother Qin said in a low voice, and she was quite dissatisfied with her daughter.

Qin Huairu was stunned for a moment, and her heart suddenly felt upset. Wasn’t she good enough to her mother?
When I came to her place, I ate fine grains every day and often had meat, and I could save five dollars a month just for household expenses.

Just last month, she altered a piece of clothing and gave it to her mother.

Li Zhiguo didn't notice that Xiao Jingru was pulling him and whispering in his ear, asking for a prettier schoolbag.

"Brother-in-law, don't tell me, I said it."

Little Jingru was afraid that her sister would nag her and say she was a waste of money.

"Okay, I won't tell you."

After a while, after breakfast, Li Zhiguo leaned back in his chair and listened to the radio. After a short rest and refreshed himself, he set off.

In the kitchen, Qin Huairu followed over to help clean up.

Finally, I couldn't help asking, "Mom, have I done anything wrong to you? Why are you giving me the cold shoulder so early in the morning?"

"Mom didn't!"

Qin's mother didn't want to say anything, and she had no way to say anything. Could she tell her daughter that she happened to hear it outside the window?

Qin Huairu felt aggrieved. She turned around and wiped her tears. When she returned to the main room, she pretended to smile again.

"Let's go. It's cool in the morning."

Li Zhiguo stood up and said, "Although it is almost September, the weather this year is still a bit hot, but it will turn cooler in a few days."

"Ok!"

The three of them went out and walked to the central courtyard.

"Good morning, Li Zhiguo!"

Jia Dongxu has learned to say hello proactively, but he still pretends Qin Huairu doesn't exist. He still can't get over that hurdle in his heart. It was obvious that Qin Huairu went on a blind date with him first.

"Good morning, Dongxu! You are so busy, have you found any progress on your position?"

Li Zhiguo asked his wife to take Xiao Jingru to the front yard and wait while he chatted with them.

"No! There are no suitable positions on the street. I have to wait until my wife finishes her maternity leave and then I will go back to take over."

After doing housework at home for a few months, Jia Dongxu had lost his enthusiasm and wanted to go back to the factory to drill screw holes and work as a fitter.

“It’s good to go back to the workshop.

If you really go back, I will talk to them on your behalf and have your years of service extended. You can just consider it as a few months of vacation, and it won't affect your pension in the future."

Li Zhiguo really intends to help. Brother Dongxu is a little decadent. This is not the state that young people should be in.

"Li Zhiguo, are you really willing to help me? Not to cheat me?"

Jia Dongxu couldn't believe it. Could it be that he really treated him as a brother, and he had misunderstood it all along?

Then why did he intercept Qin Huairu in the first place? It became an eternal pain in his heart.

"Why would I pit you? We are brothers.

Come on, I still have to take Qin Huairu shopping. When you get back to the workshop, come back to me about what we just talked about."

Li Zhiguo was afraid that the Dongxu brothers would not be able to go back, because Jia Zhang had been thinking about that position for a long time. Just yesterday, she was still talking about becoming a glorious worker and supporting the Jia family.

"Hey! Li Zhiguo, let me see you off."

Jia Dongxu rubbed his hands, helped push the bicycle, and walked him out of the compound.

Seeing Li Zhiguo driving Qin Huairu and Xiao Jingru away, he turned around and went back to the yard with a happy face.

Yan Bugui was watching from the side, not able to come back to his senses. Is Jia Dongxu mentally ill? That person was your former rival in love. How can you still have the shame to try to please him?

"Uncle, what's with that look in your eyes?"

Jia Dongxu was unhappy. Why? Did he think he only knew how to wash clothes and cook? When he returned to the workshop, he was a glorious worker again.

"Nothing. Dongxu, did Li Zhiguo say something to you just now?"

Yan Bugui wanted to find out how the bad boy had tricked people. He was very curious.

"I didn't say anything!"

Jia Dongxu replied and left. Li Zhiguo was willing to help him make up for his years of service, but this was against the regulations, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better.

Especially these three uncles, they cannot be revealed.

"Hey, I think Jia Dongxu is stupid."

Yan Bugui shook his head. This shows that he just doesn't learn his lesson. Li Zhiguo has been quite well behaved in the past two months, but that doesn't mean he has changed his character.

Jia Dongxu returned home in a flash, opened the door curtain and said, "Mom, you are right, Li Zhiguo is a good man, he is my brother."

"Hey, Dongxu, what's wrong with you so early in the morning?"

Jia Zhang was stunned. Could it be that Li Zhiguo had done something again?

However, Li Zhiguo took the two sisters to Dazhalan, which is a commercial street and the prices are cheaper than in the department store.

After the reform and opening up, tens of thousands of vests were sold in Dashilan every day. Anyone who dared to do business could make money, but of course it was also easy to lose money.

"Zhiguo, please buy a schoolbag for Jingru."

(End of this chapter)