Reborn in the red age

After half an hour of Li Fuqiang's self-boasting, the lively party finally came to an end.

As per past practice, the family sat together to watch this year's Spring Festival Gala.

Since Li's father spent a lot of money to install floor heating at home, this year they don't have to gather around the stove for warmth like before. The family sits casually on the sofa in their sweaters.

The 1995 Spring Festival Gala was still very interesting, with many good programs.

Whether it is Zhao Lirong's sketch "Such Packaging" or Uncle Benshan's sketch "Uncle Niu's Promotion", they are both rare masterpieces.

Especially the work "Uncle Niu's Promotion", a classic of critical realism, which has rich "educational" significance.

Unfortunately, with the changing times, future Spring Festival Galas will tend to create a more joyful, peaceful and positive atmosphere.

The censorship of works that sharply criticize reality has gradually become stricter, and such works will become increasingly rare on the Spring Festival Gala stage in the future.

After twelve o'clock, the sound of firecrackers outside began to crackle, and the fireworks in the sky bloomed brilliantly, and the colorful lights illuminated the entire night sky.

This year is 1995. Ordinary people are no longer proud of having a stable job. More and more people are going into business, and ordinary people have accumulated some savings.

During the Chinese New Year, it is natural to show off one's strength in front of the neighbors and implicitly tell everyone that one is now rich.

With this mentality in mind, fireworks bloomed one after another in the sky of the county, and the colorful lights almost illuminated the entire night sky.

Li Fuqiang, who loves to show off, naturally would not miss this opportunity.

As soon as the cannon sounded, Li Fuqiang walked out of the house and opened the utility room in the yard, revealing fireworks and firecrackers that filled half of the room.

I plan to show the small bosses in the county that I am the richest family in the county.

Li Qingfeng, who was called out to set off firecrackers, was secretly shocked when he saw half of the room was filled with firecrackers.

The old man is quite brave and is not afraid of accidents at all.

If this thing explodes, won't the whole family have to take a homemade plane?
Li Fuqiang coughed lightly: "Ahem, these are the fireworks I prepared for tonight. I will set them off all night long."

"Okay, okay, I want to set off firecrackers"

Fifteen, who followed out with sleepy eyes, instantly lost his sleepiness when he saw so many firecrackers. He jumped up and down to catch the ten thousand red firecrackers that Boss Li took out.

Seeing this, Qingfeng Li quickly grabbed Fifteen who was rushing in and said, "Why are you setting off firecrackers? Set off firecrackers. Such a big firecracker, the box is taller than you when it is erected. Just stand aside and watch."

"No, I'm going to set off the firecrackers." Fifteen's face was stubborn, with a gleam of defiance in his big eyes.

"Hey, you want to get beaten, right? Go hide behind me quickly."

"If I don't go, I'll set off fireworks"

"."

"Haha, this kid has quite a temper." Li Fuqiang couldn't help laughing at Shiwu's stubborn look. He walked over and pulled Shiwu to persuade him, "Shiwu, listen to your dad. These firecrackers are not a joke. When you grow up, grandpa will let you set them off, okay?"

Fifteen pouted, looking reluctant: "I want to release it today. If I can't release it today, I won't be as excited as today when I can release it in the future."

Li Fuqiang was slightly stunned. He didn't expect Fifteen to say such a thing.

He looked at Li Qingfeng who had a sullen face, and then looked at Fifteen who was standing firm and refusing to back down. For a moment he didn't know what to say.

Fifteen's words just now did move Li Qingfeng. His expression remained unchanged as he secretly lowered his head to look at Fifteen, which had grown to the size of his chest.

In order to give himself a chance to fire, Fifteen did not retreat as he did before, but bravely looked Li Qingfeng in the eye.

After a long while, Qingfeng Li withdrew his gaze. The child had grown up and knew how to fight for himself.

Qingfeng Li put away his sullen face, his expression showing no emotion, and said calmly: "I can't let you set off the big firecrackers, so I'll give you a small firecracker with 100 blasts, you can tear it apart one by one and set it off."

"Okay, give it to me." Fifteen showed a bright smile on his face and immediately reached out to ask Li Qingfeng for a small whip.

"Go back to the house and ask your grandma to light some incense for you. I'll give it to you when you come out."

“I’ll go now”

When Fifteen ran out of the house with the lit incense sticks, Li Qingfeng gave the small whip he found in the utility room to Hu Jiabao, who then watched Fifteen play in the yard.

Li Qingfeng walked out of the house and lit up the fireworks and firecrackers that Boss Li had arranged one by one.

In an instant, gorgeous fireworks rushed into the sky, blooming with dazzling brilliance, and the sound of firecrackers was deafening.

The sky in front of Li's house became the most brilliant sky in the county tonight.

After the Spring Festival Gala ended that night, Li Lao Da and his family did not return to their own home, but stayed at home.

Early the next morning before dawn, the whole family, led by Li Fuqiang, began today's New Year's greetings.

Wherever Qingfeng Li and his family went, they were the focus of their relatives.

At dawn every day, Qingfeng Li had already gone to four drinking tables and drank two taels of wine at each family, which was almost a pound of wine.

Fortunately, there is room for cheating, otherwise, Li Qingfeng would have to be supported and carried home before he could finish his New Year greetings this year.

During the New Year holiday at home, a group of cousins ​​who made a fortune by selling pirated CDs insisted on inviting Li Qingfeng to their home for dinner to thank him for supporting his brothers.

Faced with the enthusiastic invitation from his relatives in his hometown, Li Qingfeng couldn't refuse.

Therefore, until the end of the Spring Festival, the phone at home started ringing non-stop from noon on. Every day I was either drinking at a relative's house or on the way to a relative's house to drink. I completely became a drunkard.

At the end of the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, after returning from the last relative's house, Li Qingfeng rubbed his cheeks, which were sore from laughing in the past few days, and attended the family meeting called by Li Fuqiang together with Li Lao Da, who had just returned from the city.

Sitting down at the tea table, Li Qingfeng looked at Boss Li and said with a smile, "Why did you come back from the city today? Didn't you go to the company early in the morning on the second day of the Chinese New Year to show your face, saying that leaders should set an example by taking the latest holiday and starting work the earliest?"

Facing Li Qingfeng's teasing, Boss Li took a sip of tea calmly, and then spoke in an official tone: "Yes, I have the latest holiday and the earliest start of work, but it does not mean that I cannot handle some family affairs at the appropriate time." "This time I came back, on the one hand, it was my father who called a family meeting. As a member of the family, I should respond. On the other hand, the arrangement of work also needs to be adjusted according to the actual situation. Although I need to set an example in my position, I cannot completely ignore the important matters of the family."

"As a public official, I must serve the people and perform my duties with all my heart, but I must also..."

"Stop, stop, stop talking!" Qingfeng Li interrupted Boss Li who was reading the minutes of the meeting and complained, "This is our family, the three of us, father and son. You are not giving a report in the government, who are you speaking in official language for?"

"I don't need you to talk nonsense, but you have to agree to one condition."

"What conditions?"

"As long as you don't ridicule me, I will speak normally"

"."

Li Qingfeng smacked his lips. Boss Li had gained a lot of experience in the unit over the years and was really good at controlling people.

With this ability, before retirement, I should be able to get a job.
He waved his hands helplessly, "Okay, I won't ridicule you anymore, just speak normally."

Boss Li coughed lightly, put down his teacup, and smiled: "Dad must have something important to say when he called a family meeting this time. Let's listen to what he has to say first."

Father Li, who was pretending to make tea like in the movies, put down the thermos in his hand and waved his hands to indicate that he was fine when he heard what his eldest boss said.

I was just thinking that Li Qingfeng would be going back to the capital soon, and I didn't know when he would come back next time.

The three of them didn't talk much during this New Year's holiday, so they thought of asking Li Qingsong to come back and chat with him before Li Qingfeng left.

Seeing that Li Fuqiang was fine, Li Qingsong immediately took over the conversation: "Dad, since you are fine, I have to talk about my own business."

"Sure, tell me, your brother is here. The third brother knows a lot of big leaders. If you have any difficulties in your advancement, the third brother can help you." Li Fuqiang waved his hand and agreed on behalf of Li Qingfeng.

Hearing this, Qingfeng Li frowned slightly, not because he didn't want to help Boss Li.

The main reason is that the leaders I know are too high-level, Boss Li is too low-ranking, and the place is too small.

If it's the headquarters in the provincial capital, it's easy to deal with. You can find Old Yu in Qindao and he can get it done. But if it's lower down, you won't know anyone.

A prefecture-level city with a weak economy has little presence in the province and needs to rely on two levels of relationships, and the personal connections are too long.

If we want to do it, we have to wait until Boss Li is successfully converted to a regular employee and needs to be transferred to the provincial department.

Fortunately, knowing the interests involved, Big Boss Li did not embarrass Li Qingfeng. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, Dad, you don't know what's going on here. I can't use the Third Brother's connections now."

As he said that, Boss Li turned to look at Li Qingfeng and said, "Don't worry, Third Brother, I don't need you to owe me a favor for what I want to do."

"What's the matter? Tell me," Qingfeng Li breathed a sigh of relief and spoke.

Boss Li sighed and talked about his own difficulties: "This is what happened. You also know that when I first started working, I was a little dull. I woke up too late and didn't seize the opportunity to develop myself. I wasted my time."

"I was promoted to section-level cadre in my thirties, but I stayed there for many years. It was only a few years ago that I started to realize my mistake."

"Stop, stop, stop. Get straight to the point. It's not like I don't know your story. There's no need to start from the beginning when Pangu created the world." Li Qingfeng interrupted Boss Li's long and boring speech and asked him to get straight to the point.

Boss Li was choked by Li Qingfeng's words, and simplified his words before continuing, "This is what happened. Aren't we asking for younger cadres now? I'm already 43 years old, and I'm only a deputy director. Even if I'm promoted to director by the end of this year, given my situation, I won't be able to move up in the short term."

"Just wait a few years in the position of director. When you are promoted to deputy director, you will be fifty. There will be no chance for you to move up in this lifetime. When the time comes, you can retire and enjoy your retirement."

"How do you want me to help you? There are also years of requirements for promotion. After you are successfully converted to a regular employee and the years are up, I can help you get transferred to the province," Li Qingfeng said.

Boss Li waved his hand and said, "Forget about the province. I know my situation. I can only play in the city. There are many talented people in the province, and I can't play with them. It's enough for me to get a real job in the city."

Li Qingfeng nodded. The boss really knew when to advance and when to retreat. He was not a brilliant man. He was fine in the city, but he might not be able to handle it in the province.

"Then how can I help you?"

"Well, isn't that Feichi Automobile Factory your factory? Our city wants to replace a batch of cars and retire those old GAZs in the unit, but we don't have enough funds."

"The superiors know about our relationship. After reading the news about your factory's new car in the newspaper a few years ago, they promised me that if I could solve the problem of the city leaders' official cars, they would let me take on the position of deputy leader while I was still a director."

After listening to Boss Li's story, Qingfeng Li nodded in understanding. The problem of a few cars was a trivial matter.

Originally, the new cars produced by the Mercedes-Benz Automobile Factory are used as official vehicles. It is reasonable to donate a few cars to the hometown in the name of donation.

However, what puzzled Li Qingfeng was that, with the current idea of ​​focusing on economic development, why didn't the city suggest that he come to his hometown to invest and build a factory?

When Qingfeng Li asked this question, without waiting for Boss Li to answer, Li Fuqiang spoke first to clear up the confusion for Qingfeng Li.

"It's because the boss doesn't want to embarrass you. When we were in our county, the boss's leader mentioned it many times, implying that as long as this matter was done, the boss's rank problem would be solved. It's just that the boss was worried about making you embarrassed, so he didn't let go. Otherwise, the boss's promotion would have been solved long ago."

After hearing what Li Fuqiang said, Li Qingfeng's heart moved slightly, and there was a little more appreciation in his eyes when he looked at Boss Li.

"Brother, I didn't expect you to care about me so much."

Boss Li waved his hand and said, "This is what I should do. I know your situation. Since you have never mentioned investing in your hometown, it means that your hometown is not worth investing in. I don't want to cause you too much trouble because of my affairs."

"Okay, let's not talk about anything else. The car issue is easy to deal with. I can donate as many as you want." Having said this, Li Qingfeng paused and continued, "But this car is destined to be a government car. It is produced to replace the Audi 100. It is at the same level as the Audi 100. After the new year, the government will place orders with the car factory one after another. I dare to donate this car, but I am afraid that people of insufficient level will not dare to sit in it."

"Official car? Are you sure?"

"Of course I am sure. I have already discussed it with the higher-ups. As long as the vehicles produced are not much worse than Audi, they will replace the existing Audi purchases and become the new generation of official cars."

"Hiss~ This is difficult."

Boss Li frowned. The cars allocated to leaders have certain levels. If compared with Audi 100, there are really not many people in the market who can afford this car.

Seeing Boss Li frowning, Li Qingfeng thought for a moment and said, "How about I donate enough for the main leaders first? At the end of the year, the car factory will launch a model that is comparable to Santana. Then I will make up the vehicles for the city. What do you think?"

"It's the only way" (End of this chapter)