The literary era since 1979

Chapter 21 What kind of bicycle do you want?

For the first time, the four members of the Fang family celebrated the New Year together.

It was also the first time that the Fang family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was so sumptuous.

Peanuts, melon seeds, candies that are only available during the Chinese New Year, dumplings stuffed with pork and cabbage, fried hairtail, crispy boxes, and fried eggs made from eggs given to Fangyan by folks from northern Shaanxi.

On the table, there was even some zero-copy liquor at 8 cents a pound.

"You two have grown up too."

"Today is New Year's Day, come drink with mom."

Yang Xia first filled the cup under Fang Yuanchao's portrait, and then poured wine for Fang Yan and Fang Hong.

"Mom, sister, little sister, happy new year, cheers."

Fangyan raised the rice bowl.

"cheers!!"

Everyone followed suit and clinked their glasses.

Fang Yan took a sip of malted milk and asked, "Brother, why do you want to put this fried egg on top of the fried hairtail?"

"This is your brother's long-cherished wish."

Fang Yan said: "When I was sent to work in the production team, life was very tight. After the New Year celebrations and when visiting relatives, every household in the production team would serve this kind of dish. The salted fish might not be hairtail, but it definitely had fish. However, we could only eat eggs, absolutely not fish."

"Why?" Fang Yan asked in surprise.

"Because this fish is borrowed, there may be only this one fish in the whole brigade. It is borrowed from whoever has guests. Then it is wrapped with eggs. When the eggs are eaten, the fish must be sent to the next family immediately." Fang Yan said, "Sometimes I feel greedy when I see the fish, but how can I return it after I eat it?"

The three people, including Fang Yan, looked at each other.

"Are you surprised?"

Fang Yan touched Fang Yan's head and the corners of his mouth curled up.

"Now you don't have to be greedy, eat fish and you will have plenty every year!"

Yang Xia felt so distressed that she kept putting fish into his bowl.

The four of them happily finished their family reunion dinner. The cups and plates were in a mess, and they were busy. It was almost time to stay up all night.

Outside the house, there were bursts of crackling sounds.

After many years, I finally heard the sound of firecrackers again.

During those golden days, people paid attention to changing customs and habits to celebrate the Spring Festival.

It is not allowed to set off firecrackers, dragon and lion dances, and there are even "Ten Don'ts", including not welcoming the God of Wealth, not sending off the Kitchen God, not offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, not posting door gods, not burning incense, not burning paper, not kowtowing, not going to temples, and not writing Spring Festival couplets. The main purpose is to break down feudal superstitions.

"boom!"

"Clap clap clap!"

At this time, Fang Hong accompanied Fang Yan to set off firecrackers in the alley.

Fangyan stayed in the house, slightly tipsy, and sat around the fire with Yang Xia, chatting about family matters to pass the time. The radio was playing the piano accompaniment of the line "The light shines forever forward" from "The Red Lantern".

After all, although CCTV resumed broadcasting the Spring Festival Gala in 78, there was no TV at home and it was impossible to watch it.

"Mom, I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."

Fangyan yawned and stood up.

"Yanzi, wait a minute, come into the house with mom first."

Yang Xia turned off the radio.

Seeing her serious expression, Fang Yan couldn't help feeling puzzled, so he followed her to her room. He saw her lock the door and mysteriously take out a ticket and a bundle of money from her pocket.

"Take these."

"Mom, what is this... a Phoenix brand bicycle ticket!"

"Keep your voice down."

"Mom, where did you get this ticket?"

Fangyan suddenly lost all sleepiness.

These days, a bicycle ticket is absolutely precious.

In the 70s, to buy a bicycle, each unit would receive a coupon and then organize employees to draw lots. Whoever drew the lottery could buy it.

There was no need to draw lots in the 80s, but you couldn’t just buy anything casually. You needed industrial coupons to buy it.

At least a dozen industrial coupons are needed to exchange for one bicycle ticket.

Unfortunately, only salaried employees have these industrial coupons, and each person only gets a few each year, let alone ordinary people. However, a bicycle is indispensable for getting married.

Just like in the previous life, you need to have a car, a house and savings.

Nowadays, what you need is 36 legs and three turns and one sound, which means a sewing machine, a watch, a radio and a bicycle.

To the extent that any family that wanted to get married had to borrow or buy industrial vouchers through connections, and some even paid a lot of money for a "promissory note" to pick up the goods, but it was still difficult to get a voucher. "Your sister was named a model worker and advanced worker, and this is a reward from the factory at the end of the year." Yang Xia smiled and said, "It just so happens that you have earned a lot of royalties. If you add a few more dollars, you can pick up the car."

"My sister's?"

Fang Yan suddenly realized, "No, I can't have that!"

"This is what your sister and I discussed. Just treat it as a gift for your joining the job." Yang Xia said. "You will go to work at Yanjing Literature and Art after the New Year. You can't walk to West Chang'an Avenue."

"No, I'll just get a monthly bus pass."

Fangyan waved his hand.

"Why spend this money! A monthly bus pass costs three or four yuan, which is thirty or forty yuan a year. If I don't spend this money, I can save it for four or five years and buy another Phoenix!"

Yang Xia rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Although Fangyan was very envious of the Phoenix brand bicycle, which was equivalent to the Rolls-Royce of bicycles, he still shook his head and declined.

"It's so convenient for you to have a bicycle, kid."

Yang Xia said, "If we take the bus, what if we miss it?"

Fang Yan disagreed, "Mom, you don't know my unit. Let's put it this way, there are usually no people in the editorial department. Even if I'm late for an hour or so, I'm still the first one to arrive."

"He is an old comrade and a permanent employee."

Yang Xia complained: "What about you! You are a contract worker. If you don't perform well, be careful that others will not make you a regular employee."

Fangyan said, "Mom, don't worry. As for the ticket, give it back to my sister. She doesn't have a bicycle either."

"This ticket was given to you by your sister. She meant that the place where you work is full of intellectuals, and the people you meet are also intellectuals. If you have a Phoenix as a facade, you can be a respectable person."

Yang Xia pretended to stuff the money and bills into his hands.

Fangyan didn't respond, "My sister doesn't have a car, but my brother does. This car was bought with my sister's ticket. How can it be called 'respectable'?"

"Don't worry, no one outside knows that the ticket belongs to your sister."

A trace of guilt flashed across Yang Xia's eyes.

"How could no one know? Didn't the leader who gave the ticket know? Could my co-workers like Su Ya not know? Even if they didn't know, I can't pretend I don't know."

Fang Yan pushed her hand back, "Mom, just like I can't let my sister date Lu Dacheng's grandson, I can't take away the ticket that my sister got with great difficulty. Let her buy the car first."

"Why are you so stubborn? This is your sister's intention..."

Yang Xia frowned.

"Mom, my sister is actually trying to make it up to me."

"Compensation?"

"Yes, the bicycle ticket was for her, and the time we talked about dating was also for her. My sister has always felt that she owed me. She took my job and took it away from me. I was suffering for her when I went to the countryside all these years."

Fang Yan couldn't help but sigh that in her previous life, it was only when Fang Hong got divorced that she opened her heart to her younger brother.

"How could she think that!"

Yang Xia was stunned.

"That's right. So even though I really want this bicycle ticket, I can't accept it no matter what."

Fangyan raised a relieved smile.

"But……"

Yang Xia became hesitant.

"Mom, how about this? I'll keep my royalties myself, and as for the bicycle, I'll find a way to get one myself."

Fangyan took the money and counted it. It was 180 yuan in total. He took out 18 yuan and handed it back. "It's settled!"

"Stop, stop."

Yang Xia came to her senses, "Kid! You don't have a ticket or a coupon, how can you buy a bicycle?"

"I have my own way."

After Fangyan left, he washed his face and feet and lay down on the bed.

I was planning to buy a TV, but now my plans have changed.

Buying a bicycle is not a bad idea.

But there were no tickets or vouchers, and it seemed there were no foreign exchange vouchers at the moment, so where on earth could I get a bicycle?
As he was thinking, Fangyan fell asleep unknowingly.

Just like that, the Spring Festival of 1980 passed...

(PS: Foreign exchange certificates were first issued in China on April 1980, 4)

　The unified answer is: literature is the main thing, and film and television are just occasional diversions. In addition, please collect, read, and invest in it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)