Siheyuan: There are three little cats at home

Chapter 440 Chen Xiufang, long time no see

"Hey, old classmate, I didn't expect it to be you."

Chen Xiufang, the person in charge on the first floor of the department store, with light makeup on her face, looked at Xu Qing with a smile, and waved her hand to make the female salespeople surrounding Xu Qing and Er Mazi disperse.

The female salespersons were also aware of the situation. They still muttered softly and looked at Xu Qing, but they all returned to their respective counters.

Chen Xiufang ignored it and looked at Xu Qing, her round face showing the joy of reunion and saying:
"Xu Qing, long time no see. What have you been busy with these past few years?"

Xu Qing stopped and stood up, straightened up, handed the motorcycle to Er Mazi to support, and said with a smile:

"Yes, we haven't seen each other since you graduated from college. I heard that you went to work as a reporter in other places after graduation. When did you come back? Why are you working here now?"

Chen Xiufang pursed her lips and smiled, raised her hand and waved it gently in the air, "Oh, don't mention it. I was working as a reporter two months ago. I just came back last month. Didn't the country change its policy last year? My family members have been If I had to come to work here, it would be easy and not as tiring as when I was a reporter. I have no choice but to defeat them."

After Chen Xiufang finished speaking with a smile, she looked at Xu Qing and asked:
"By the way, you haven't said what you've been busy with lately?"

Xu Qing said with a smile on his face: "Just busy, I opened a grain station this year and did some small business."

Chen Xiufang looked surprised and said, "Did you not run the personal grain station in our city in the first half of the year?"

Xu Qing smiled and hummed, indicating that he was right.

Er Mazi was helping Xu Qing hold the motorcycle. He had no impression of Chen Xiufang at all, because he had never seen her before. He only thought that Chen Xiufang was quite good-looking, with big eyes, a raised nose, and a fair face. Still having temperament, he secretly touched Xu Qing with his elbow, turned his head and asked quietly:
"Qingzi, who is she?"

Xu Qing looked back at Er Mazi and introduced with a smile:

"Brother Mazi, this is Chen Xiufang. When Jiefang and Silly Zhu were in college, she was one year older than us."

Hearing this, Er Mazi said oh and hurriedly introduced himself:

"Comrade Chen Xiufang, my name is Diao Deer, and everyone usually calls me Ermazi."

When Xu Qing saw Er Mazi recommending himself, he smiled and said nothing.

But Chen Xiufang nodded symbolically and smiled at Er Mazi, then looked at Xu Qing, her thoughts racing in her heart.

Xu Qing said just now that he had opened a grain station, which sounded like nothing, but Chen Xiufang did not come from a small family. She knew that being able to open a grain station in these days was not something that ordinary people could open if they wanted to.

If nothing else, getting approval is not an easy task.

But she knew better that Xu Qing was quite capable and capable.

Especially during college, she and Xu Qingke had followed national figures and interviewed foreigners together.

She didn't dare to say that she knew Xu Qing thoroughly, but relatively speaking, she understood him very well.

We haven't seen each other for a few years, but today I saw Chen Xiufang's delicate eyes, which were looking back and forth on Xu Qing. Finally, her eyes fell on the motorcycle next to Xu Qing and Er Mazi, and she said with a smile:

"It seems that your grain station business is doing very well. It just opened this year. You can afford a motorcycle in less than a year. It's really good!"

Xu Qing responded with a smile: "It's okay. My grain station is small and only sells grain. The business is so-so. I rely entirely on the neighbors and regular customers around me to take care of it. I don't even employ many people. My wife and my sister also help. I used to work at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, and I saw that the several branches of the mill were doing well by supplying food."

Chen Xiufang pursed her lips and shook her head slightly, "If you can afford a motorcycle, it's not something you can live with. Just make up lies to trick my sister and me."

Xu Qing was helpless, "Sister Xiufang, I really didn't lie to you. Department stores also sell food. How much can you earn?"

Chen Xiufang stopped talking immediately.

There is really not much profit from food. It all depends on small profits but quick turnover. Only by selling to many people can we make some money.

But what she didn't know was that Xu Qing's ability to open a grain station mainly relied on his ability to be divided into two.

In addition, in the second half of the year, he took Er Mazi to the countryside to collect grain and process and sell it himself.

All in all, you can still make a lot of money.

Chen Xiufang still had a smile on her face, "Okay, you guys in business, what are you talking about? You all have business secrets. Sister, I won't ask. Why don't you leave in a hurry and come to my office to sit for a while? We, sister and brother, haven’t seen each other for several years. I miss you so much, sister.”

Er Mazi was happy when he heard this, but he really wanted to go to Chen Xiufang's office to have a look.

Who makes Chen Xiufang look beautiful?

But Xu Qing declined politely: "Sister Xiufang, forget it for today. Brother Mazi and I have to go back to my grain station early to do business. You are also working now, which will have a bad influence on you."

Chen Xiufang smiled and said: "Then I will get off work in the afternoon and go to your grain station to find you."

Xu Qing did not refuse this time, nodded and said: "Okay."

After chatting for a while, Xu Qinghe pushed Er Mazi, who had just bought a brand-new motorcycle, out of the department store under the watch of Chen Xiufang.

As soon as they came out, a chill instantly hit the two of them.

Er Mazi shivered even more coldly, sneezed suddenly, stood up, took out a handkerchief, wiped his nose, turned to look at Chen Xiufang who was standing at the door of the department store, and then turned back to Xu Qing and said:

"Hey, Qingzi, Chen Xiufang is still looking at our two brothers. Do you think she has any thoughts about me?"

Xu Qing did not look back, took out the peony cigarette from his trouser pocket, and joked with Er Mazi:
"Brother Mazi, isn't it? You are so powerful now, no woman would look at you twice without taking a second look."

Er Mazi smiled sheepishly at first, but quickly came to his senses, then handed Xu Qing the cigarette and said with an unhappy face:
"Qingzi, don't tease me about my brother!"

Xu Qing laughed and said: "Brother Mazi, what good things do you think you want? Let me put it this way, Chen Xiufang would not even look at a cadre who is lower than a section chief. Her family is not an ordinary family and has very high standards. .”

Er Mazi took out a match and lit Xu Qing's cigarette, then quickly lit the cigarette he held in the corner of his mouth, pushed the motorcycle, and said to Xu Qing:

"Qingzi, according to what you just said, does Chen Xiufang have thoughts about you?"

After Er Mazi finished speaking, he deliberately winked at Xu Qing twice.

Xu Qing couldn't laugh or cry, "Brother Mazi, stop talking nonsense. We just know each other. We only have the friendship of classmates and nothing else."

Er Mazi curled his lips and took a puff of cigarette, "Qingzi, there is nothing we can't say about our brothers. What are you doing hiding it? Even if Chen Xiufang gets along with you, brother, I won't be your wife." Don’t worry about talking nonsense to Xiaoya!”

Xu Qing was helpless and too lazy to explain.

Although when he was in college, he and Chen Xiufang were often rumored to have an indescribable relationship.

But those were all rumors.

Chen Xiufang has quite an iconic appearance, with a pretty face and a smooth body. She has become more and more feminine after not seeing her for three or four years.

But Xu Qing really had no interest in her.

My daughter-in-law was once the beauty and pillar of the cultural troupe.

In terms of appearance and figure, Chen Xiufang is still modest.

Xu Qing is not like Xu Damao, eating from the pot, looking at the food in the bowl, and thinking about what is in the basin.

Whenever he sees a beautiful woman, he becomes obsessed with it.

Er Mazi didn't say a serious word. Xu Qing was too lazy to say anything to him. He rubbed his reddish hands from the cold, took the motorcycle, and said directly:

"Brother Mazi, stop talking about those useless things. Come on, let's go play the cards now and come back later."

Hearing this, Er Mazi stopped talking about Chen Xiufang.

He knew what kind of person Xu Qing was.

I have been friends for many years, how could I not know whether Xu Qing is the kind of person who likes to do random things.

Just now I just deliberately teased Xu Qing.

If you really want to say that Xu Qing and Chen Xiufang have anything to do with each other, Er Mazi wouldn't believe it even to death.

Xu Qing pushed his motorcycle and chatted with Er Mazi as they walked along the street toward the Vehicle Management Office.

Along the way, every pedestrian on the street, regardless of gender, old or young, looked at Xu Qing and Er Mazi.

After all, in an era when motorcycles were rarer than cars, Xu Qing pushed the Jialing CJ50 he just bought, trying not to become the center of attention.

Some young people riding bicycles held the brakes and stopped in groups on the roadside. They stared greedily at the motorcycle pushed by Xu Qing, jealous and envious.

It seems that even the cold has been forgotten.

Er Mazi held a cigarette in his mouth, put his hands in his cotton trouser pockets, touched Xu Qing with his arms, raised his head slightly, pursed his lips, and whispered:
"Qingzi, walk slowly. There are some girls in front of the telephone pole over there, looking at our brothers."

Xu Qing turned around and saw three girls in their late teens, each wearing braids and scarves, standing under the telephone pole, staring at him intently.

Xu Qing shook his head and smiled, then looked back at Er Mazi and said:

"Brother Mazi, why don't you walk slowly behind me, brother, I'll go to the vehicle management office to get my license plate first. It's such a cold day, if you don't mind the cold, I don't want to suffer with you."

Er Mazi said anxiously: "Qingzi, please don't bother me. After finishing the card and filling up the gas, I want to be the first to ride. Don't think about ditching me."

Er Mazi had no intention of paying attention to the three girls standing under the telephone pole. He quickly followed Xu Qing towards the Vehicle Management Office with big steps.

It was only around ten o'clock in the morning, and the weather was still cold. The cold wind was blowing, and people were so cold that they had to shrink down.

Fortunately, Xu Qing and Er Mazi were both in the prime of life, in their early thirties, and wore thick clothes, so they didn't think it was anything.

Only my ankles are a bit frozen.

While talking and laughing, the two of them walked for a long time under the gaze of passers-by before arriving at the vehicle management office. They filled out the application form according to the procedure. After review, they got the license plate and received a gasoline coupon.

Then I went to the gas station and filled up the gas. Now all the procedures for the motorcycle were completed and it was ready to ride.Er Mazi was eager to give it a try. As soon as the gas station staff finished filling up the gas, he got ready to get on the motorcycle and said with an air of dignity:

"Qingzi, get in the car, my brother will take you for a walk first."

Xu Qing waved his hand directly and said: "Brother Mazi, I'll ride my car for a lap first and then talk about it. What about you, later."

Er Mazi reluctantly turned over and got out of the car, feeling a little glum.

Xu Qing had just bought it, so he made sure to ride it first. Er Mazi was not an unreasonable person. He stood at the gas station and watched Xu Qing disappear in a flash.

After running for a few steps, I felt my face hurt from the stinging wind. I immediately returned to the gas station, put my hands in my pockets, and waited quietly for Xu Qing to come back.

Xu Qing didn't go very far this time, just wandering around the gas station.

For Xu Qing, who has the memory of later generations, it feels uncomfortable to ride a motorcycle these days.

The horsepower is not very high, and the design is not as user-friendly as later generations of motorcycles.

But it's pretty good. This is a domestically produced motorcycle independently developed and manufactured in China. The entire industry has just started, so the requirements don't need to be too high.

Generally speaking, it is much faster and more attractive than a bicycle.

As we went back and forth, every pedestrian on the road stopped and watched.

Er Mazi also rode a circle. When he returned to the gas station, his face was red from the cold and his breathing was short, but he smiled from ear to ear. After a while, he said:
"Qingzi, this is really fun. It's comfortable to ride on. The seat is more comfortable than a bicycle and it can run faster."

Xu Qing pulled him off the motorcycle and said, "Brother Mazi, it's only [-]. If it's not as good as a bicycle, why would you buy it?"

Xu Qing stepped onto the motorcycle and called Er Mazi:
"Get in the car, let's go back to my compound first."

Er Mazi sat behind Xu Qing. Amidst the rumble of the motorcycle, the two of them disappeared like a sharp arrow from the string.

Xu Qing and Er Mazi were riding a motorcycle in the winter. Although the speed was not very fast, their hair was blown up by the wind, and their cheeks turned red in a short time.

But it's cool.

It didn't take even 15 minutes to get all the way back to the compound.

Normally, if Xu Qing rode his bicycle back to the compound from the gas station just now, he would pedal hard without stopping, which would take at least 30 minutes.

However, riding a motorcycle saves almost half the time.

On the way down, Xu Qing and Er Mazi's hands and feet were freezing.

But no one cared. At the main entrance of the compound, Xu Qing pushed the motorcycle into the front yard.

In the front yard, the third aunt and Mrs. Jia Zhang were standing under the eaves doing housework. When they saw Xu Qing coming back pushing a motorcycle, she was stunned and couldn't recover for a long time.

"Xiao Qing, whose motorcycle does this belong to?"

Before Xu Qing could say anything, Er Mazi, who had just lit up a cigarette and took a puff, curled his lips and said, "Auntie, what's wrong with your eyes? Whoever pushes it belongs to whoever is pushing it!"

When Er Mazi said this, the third aunt immediately looked at Xu Qing with a look of disbelief.

"Xiaoqing, did you buy this?"

Xu Qing nodded and said yes.

The third aunt's heart skipped a beat and she quickly said:
"Xiao Qing, this thing is not cheap, it costs hundreds. No wonder your third uncle always tells me that you are the most promising kid in our compound. This motorcycle has been published in the National Day newspaper this year. Before the New Year, you I got it, it’s incredible!”

Mrs. Jia Zhang put her hands in the pockets of her cotton-padded jacket. She said nothing, but her eyes were full of surprise.

Her family still doesn’t even have a bicycle, so Xu Qing’s bicycles were replaced by motorcycles.

Jia Zhang felt unspeakable jealousy in her heart.

When the aunt came to the front yard from the middle courtyard, she saw the motorcycle next to Xu Qing at a glance. She was surprised and asked quickly:

"Xiaoqing, is it yours?"

Xu Qing patted the motorcycle, smiled and nodded.

The eldest mother immediately exclaimed, "Okay, you are so brave, you can even ride this motorcycle."

Xu Qing smiled and said: "Hey, aunt, it's nothing. My uncle wants to buy it, and you can have it in the afternoon."

Hearing this, the aunt hurriedly interrupted Xu Qing, "Xiao Qing, what are you talking about? Our family can't afford it. Your uncle is almost retired and doesn't need this thing. How can he compare to you young people?" Compare."

Xu Qing smiled and lit the economic cigarette Er Mazi gave him with a lighter, without saying anything.

What he just said was the truth.

In the compound, the first uncle and the first wife are not the same as the third uncle Yan Bugui and the second uncle Liu Haizhong.

They have no children, so they don't have to worry about raising children, and they don't have to spend much money they have saved over the years.

I didn’t buy a TV set at home, I didn’t have a bicycle, and I didn’t even have a radio.

Life is easier than that of the stingy third uncle.

The couple would only make one outfit all year round. They would sew and mend the old ones, and they would not throw them away when they turned white after washing.

If they couldn't wear them, they would cut them with scissors and use them to make shoe soles.

The only household appliance I have is a flashlight that has been used for nearly 20 years. The glass lens in the front is cracked and I am never willing to replace it.

If the grandpa’s family couldn’t afford a motorcycle, no one in the courtyard would believe it.

The third uncle, Yan Bugui, did the math for Yi Zhonghai in private and said that Yi Zhonghai had at least 8000 to [-] yuan.

The third uncle was absolutely right in saying this.

Yi Zhonghai is an eighth-level fitter, and his monthly salary is 90 yuan.

After a year, if you save a few hundred, there will be no problem.

How could Yi Zhonghai not be able to afford a motorcycle after all these years?

Even if there are ten cars, there may not be any problem.

But Xu Qing knew what the uncle and the aunt were planning, and the people in the compound also understood.

In this regard, Xu Qing did not break up with the aunt.After smoking a cigarette and chatting with three aunts in the front yard for a while, he pushed his motorcycle and took Er Mazi back to his home in the backyard.

But as soon as Xu Qing pushed his motorcycle back to the backyard, he looked up and saw a yawning Xu Damao, huddled in his military coat and smoking against the door.

Xu Damao played mahjong all night with three women last night. After Qin Jingru went to work in the morning, he came back and took a nap.

He was supposed to go to work today.

But who is Xu Damao? He knows that there is no hope for him to have an official career in the factory, so he is too lazy to go to work at the Red Star Cinema.

On weekdays, he lets Banggeng show him movies while he goes about his own business.

Anyway, the factory couldn't fire him, so Xu Damao just broke the pot.

He doesn't care when he is fired from the factory.

After all, after the reform, his troubled business has improved slightly.

You can earn more than you can by showing movies in theaters.

He had long since lost sight of the small salary paid by the factory every month.

When Xu Damao saw Xu Qing coming back pushing a brand new motorcycle, he opened his eyes suddenly, put the cigarette in his hand in the corner of his mouth, wrapped his hands in a military coat, walked to Xu Qing with a brisk walk, looked down at the motorcycle, and He took a puff of cigarette and said:
"Qingzi, when did you buy it?"

Xu Qing stood in the middle of the backyard and said, "I just bought it today."

After hearing Xu Qing's words, Xu Damao stared down at the motorcycle with greed in his eyes. He bent down to look left and right, then stretched out his hand to touch the handle of the motorcycle and said with envy:

"Qingzi, it's okay. If you open a grain station and your business becomes big, you'll even ride a motorcycle."

Xu Qing smiled and didn't answer.

Er Mazi said: "Da Mao, if Qingzi is the boss, how can he ride a bicycle like me every day? No matter what, he is still one step ahead of me, isn't he?"

Xu Damao heard Er Mazi joking and trying to tease Xu Qing, but did not continue.

He knew Xu Qing better than Er Mazi did.

People are also smarter than Ermazi.

Knowing that running against Xu Qing would do him no good, he was too lazy to take up the challenge.

Xu Damao put the cigarette in the corner of his mouth back into his right hand, took two puffs, put it down on the ground, and said:
"Qingzi, how about letting your buddy ride out for a walk?"

Xu Qing nodded.

Seeing that Xu Damao agreed, he immediately pushed Xu Qing's motorcycle with a happy face and happily went out of the compound.

I want to try it out quickly, what it’s like to ride a motorcycle.

(End of this chapter)