Rebirth 1994: Starting from laid-off workers

Chapter 18 Things Are Difficult



Zhang Jiaqiang said as he searched for the T-shirt and casual pants he bought yesterday and put them on. He also picked up two boxes of cosmetics, took his wife's little hand and walked out the door.

"It's okay at home. Why don't you watch TV to relieve your boredom? Didn't I adjust it yesterday?"

The well-dressed young couple walked in the dormitory compound, causing many neighbors to point at them from a distance.

The shy Ye Xiumei noticed the strangeness and lowered her head in shame.

"Are you stupid? You forgot that today is Tuesday?"

Only then did Zhang Jiaqiang remember that in this era, the TV station was closed during the day on Tuesdays and did not have any programs.

Cable TV has just begun to be introduced into households this year, and my area has not yet had its turn!

Thinking of cable TV, Zhang Jiaqiang suddenly became excited, hurriedly let go of his wife's hand, turned around and ran home.

"Honey, please wait for me..."

In Ye Xiumei's stunned eyes, Zhang Jiaqiang ran home, took two more soft bags of Tashan, two bottles of Wuliang wine, and then ran back downstairs.

"What are you doing with these? My cousin doesn't smoke or drink!"

"Hey, I happened to stop by to see a relative this afternoon!"

Zhang Jiaqiang has a distant cousin who is a small leader at a newly established cable station.

In the previous life, this cousin once mentioned that Zhang Jiaqiang should be contracted for the cable TV home project.

It happened to be his downturn at that time, and there was no one to help, so the matter was dropped.

At this moment, I happen to have a group of laid-off workers in my hands. Selling lighters does not require so many people. Instead of wasting manpower, it is better to let idle people work on the project of adding cable TV to households.

So he made an impromptu decision and decided to visit his uncle after finishing the mold business!

Luonan is an inland city that has developed relatively slowly. As the capital of Shandong Province, Luonan already had taxis in the early 1990s.

At first, it was a group of Lada, Volga, and Polonaise who retreated from the Screw Country. By around [-], all kinds of yellow noodles were running on the streets.

The uniform is yellow, and he sneaks in every crack in the traffic in order to make a living, so he got the nickname "Locust".

It was not until the end of the 90s that the army of cars was gradually replaced by the red Xiali and the white Jetta, and then disappeared from the stage of history.

The entrance to the dormitory is not a busy area, and there are few vehicles on the road. The young couple stood in the shade of a tree for a long time before they saw a locust coming staggering from the street.

After getting in the car, Zhang Jiaqiang thought that this business was getting busier and busier. It would be really inconvenient not to have a car when delivering and receiving goods in the future.

It's not expensive to get a second-hand passenger van, but you just don't have a driver.

Although Zhang Jiaqiang could drive in his previous life, he did not have a driver's license after his rebirth.

There are almost no private driving schools in this era, and it takes at least half a year to get a driver's license, and there are even professional driving schools that last two to three years.

Of course, professional and rigorous training has made drivers in this era more skilled, and they can even handle some minor faults by themselves.

Drivers in today's society are either former military drivers or graduates from vocational schools, so this profession is very valuable.

There is a suitable candidate right now, but the time is not yet ripe.

"Hey, where are you two going?" the driver, a lean man, asked in a sharp voice.

Zhang Jiaqiang finally came to his senses. He still didn’t know how long he would be busy and why he had to go back and forth several times. It would be too troublesome to wait for the bus, so he said.

"Master, how much does it cost to rent your car for half a day?"

A big deal has come, and the driver said happily, "Our car costs 30 yuan per kilometer. If you don't leave the city and just run around for half a day, how about [-] yuan?"

Nowadays, taxis start at three yuan, and renting a taxi for half a day costs thirty yuan, which is not expensive. Zhang Jiaqiang ignored Ye Xiumei's secret tugging at his sleeves and agreed directly.

The streets with few vehicles seemed a bit deserted, but one advantage was that there were no traffic jams.

There was no air conditioning in the yellow-faced car, and it was even more stuffy when sitting in the back row. I had to open the window to let some air in to make me feel better.

With the hot air blowing in through the window, Zhang Jiaqiang and his wife chatted casually, their eyes drifting to the street scene of the 90s outside the car window.

At a glance, both sides of the street are lined with two- and three-story shops, and even those above ten floors are very rare.

Pedestrians on the street mostly wear black or blue clothes, and the overall look is local.

This is not a provincial capital. It is not even as good as the county capital in 30 or [-] years.

The rolling Wanfo Mountain in the distance is set against a large blank sky, like an unfinished ink painting.

Zhang Jiaqiang couldn't help but sigh, this is the 90s.

Poverty and backwardness, but also full of opportunities and hope!

Why don't I add a touch of color to this blank picture?

He himself didn't know that as he gradually integrated into this era, his personal vision and structure had quietly changed a lot.

The taxi stopped in front of an old gray and white earthquake-proof building!

This is the dormitory of Cousin Ye Xiumei. She has the habit of taking a lunch break, and she will be at home during this time.

Zhang Jiaqiang glanced at the sign hanging at the door. It turned out to be a dormitory of a military research institute. No wonder it had such high-end equipment as a laser engraving machine.

"You wait for me in the car!"

Ye Xiumei picked up two boxes of cosmetics and ran into the dormitory door like a cheerful butterfly.

Zhang Jiaqiang shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly. It seemed that she still hadn't completely accepted him, otherwise she would have gone up to see her relatives together.

Immediately, he felt relieved. Only a few days since his rebirth, she had already gone from being disgusted and resisting to sharing the same bed with her. If she could take a step further, as long as the window paper was pierced, everything would fall into place.

That famous saying goes well, to enter a man's heart is to go through the esophagus, to enter a woman's heart is to go...

Thinking of this, Zhang Jiaqiang showed a smile.

The driver handed over a cigarette and said with a smile, "Brother, do you want to smoke? What are you thinking about? You are smiling so arrogantly!"

"Thank you for not smoking!" Zhang Jiaqiang raised his hand to block the offered cigarette and said with a smile, "I'm thinking about buying a car. How are the prices of second-hand cars recently? Brother, you are an expert, so you must know the market!"

"Ha, I don't know what else to ask. You're asking about cars. I'm very knowledgeable. We have two big used car markets in the east and west in Luonan..."

The two were chatting, and Ye Xiumei walked out of the cave.

Zhang Jiaqiang felt unhappy when he saw her face. It seemed that the matter was in doubt, so he had to let the mold shop process it, which would take a lot of time.

He hurriedly opened the car door and consoled him in a friendly manner, "It's okay, it won't work here. We have other ways. We don't have to hang him from a tree. Let's get in the car and find a cold drink shop to cool down for a while!"

Ye Xiumei stood by the door without getting in the car, and said in a low tone, "My cousin asked you to get in..."

Isn't it just to meet a relative? Why make the atmosphere so solemn?

In the previous life, Ye Xiumei passed away too early. Apart from her parents and brother, Zhang Jiaqiang had hardly met any other relatives. He was a little confused. Could it be that this cousin was very difficult to deal with?


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