Chapter 38: Upcoming Exam

Spring rains give birth to many lives.

The newly planted seedlings in the fields stretched out their fragile bodies, and after being irrigated by the spring rain, they were eager to welcome the sunshine.

The trees on the roadside were lush and green, and a large number of wild vegetables had sprouted on the hillside. Common wild vegetables such as wild onions and purslane were everywhere, making Wen Jiajia itch to pick them.

The most delightful sight were the spots of red hidden on the green hillside.

These were wild strawberries, a favorite wild fruit of rural children. Even the peaches on the mountain were not as popular.

Her hometown produced a lot of them; she didn’t expect to find them here too.

But there weren’t many, so it wasn’t worth climbing the hill. Wen Jiajia gave up after taking one look.

The bus finally arrived. Before Wen Jiajia could determine whether the tree on the hillside was a mulberry tree, Wei Dai pulled her onto the bus.

“Is this the time for mulberries?” she asked quietly.

Not many people were going to the city today, so the couple had seats and sat together.

Wei Dai nodded, a little surprised. “It is at this time. Didn’t you know?”

“Of course I don’t know!” Wen Jiajia spoke confidently. She felt it was normal for her not to know. The original owner had lived in a county town since childhood, and there were no mulberries there.

Wei Dai didn’t doubt it and just said, “Mulberries aren’t actually sweet. They’re almost so sour that your teeth will fall out.” When he was a child, he had eaten almost all wild fruits, but mulberries were the ones he disliked the most.

They looked sweet but were very sour.

Wen Jiajia leaned against him and tilted her head to look out the window. “I didn’t say I was going to eat them. I just heard that mulberries can be used to make wine.”

Wei Dai was helpless.

How should he put it? He had long discovered that most people would not eat wild fruits that were not tasty. But his wife was different. She wanted to process them to see if they could be eaten.

How could mulberries, which you could buy five kilograms of for one cent, be worth pairing with a bottle of wine?

“We don’t have any wine tickets at home. Don’t you want to soak the two bottles of wine in bayberries^[1]also known as waxberries or Chinese bayberries, are small, round fruits native to East Asia. They come from the tree Myrica rubra, which is commonly found in China, Japan, and other parts of East … Continue reading?” Wei Dai secretly held her hand tightly. “It will be bayberry season soon. The bayberries here are better than those in our hometown.”

Otherwise, why do they say that just looking at bayberries can quench one’s thirst? When it comes to bayberries, Wen Jiajia could only feel her saliva being secreted continuously.

“Then I’d rather eat bayberries,” Wen Jiajia said. “I like eating bayberries more.”

Wei Dai smiled and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty to eat soon. Several villages near our army grow bayberries. They’re very sweet and have a lot of flesh with small cores, almost to the point of being sickly sweet.”

Wen Jiajia covered his mouth. “Stop talking. My saliva is about to flow.”

The couple didn’t dare to argue outside. After saying this, they just quietly looked at the scenery outside the window.

The local scenery was beautiful. Early spring had its charm, and now late spring offers a different view. You could never tire of it.

They were used to this route, and it didn’t take long to get into the city. Perhaps because there weren’t many people today, the road didn’t feel as uncomfortable.

The city was the same as usual; even the posters on the streets hadn’t changed.

After getting off the bus, they went straight to the department store, and the first thing they did was buy the bicycles.

At that time, there were several brands of bicycles to choose from.

The most famous were the Phoenix bicycles, followed by Forever and Fei Ge.

Wei Dai asked her, “What brand do you want?”

Wen Jiajia looked at all the bicycles and pointed at one at the back. “Compared to the others, this one seems to be smaller.”

The salesperson said, “Comrade, that’s a women’s bicycle, and it’s most suitable for us women. There’s only one Phoenix brand women’s bicycle in the store right now, and no other brands.”

Wei Dai tilted his head and asked, “How about buying this one? You ride a lot, so you must find it comfortable. The others are too heavy for you. It’s fine if you only ride for half an hour, but you’ll get tired if you ride for more than half an hour.”

Wen Jiajia hesitated. “But this one is small and can’t carry much.”

The transport capacity of the other 28-inch bikes is enough to be used as a small cart. It can carry three or four children easily.

Wei Dai said to her, “You’re confused. Don’t we have anything that needs to be transported in our daily life? It’s only used for commuting, so transportation capacity isn’t a big issue.”

That said, there was a problem.

A Phoenix 28-inch bicycle now costs 180 yuan, while a women’s bicycle costs 160 yuan.

The price difference was small, but the materials used were very different. Nowadays, bicycles are not used for just a few years but for at least ten years or more.

In other words, we must consider the long term, not just the present.

However, Wen Jiajia slapped her head and said to the salesperson, “Comrade, then we want this one.”

Ten years have passed, and it’s been several years since the reform and opening up. I’m probably not here anymore, so why should I care about bicycles?

As she said this, she handed over the money.

The salesperson took it, gave it to a colleague to enter into the account, and then went inside to get the bicycle. He pushed the bicycle out and carefully checked it in front of the couple before handing it to Wen Jiajia.

At the same time, her colleague prepared the invoice.

“Keep this. You’ll need it for license registration,” said the salesperson.

Wen Jiajia was a little surprised when she heard this. It was the first time she learned that bicycles also had to be registered these days.

But after thinking about it and recalling the original owner’s memory, she realized it was necessary.

Not only do you need a license plate, but you also need a driver’s license.

Where do you get the license plate? Wei Dai said, “You have to go to the police station. In addition to getting the license plate, you also need to get a stamp.”

This is to prevent the bicycle from being lost.

Bicycles are now considered luxury goods. The value of the money and notes could even build two houses in the countryside, so stamping is necessary to prevent theft. Even if it is stolen, it can be recovered based on the stamp.

However, the couple did not go immediately because they had to buy other things.

Wen Jiajia walked around the first and second floors and picked out two pieces of fine cotton cloth, preparing to make summer pajamas.

Wei Dai sometimes couldn’t understand his wife’s habits. Is there really anyone who makes clothes for sleeping?

But he didn’t say anything because he knew that if he dared to comment further, he would end up without the pajamas.

Wen Jiajia planned to make two sets for him.

There was no other way; this guy really sweats a lot.

People who sweat easily waste clothes. Even pajamas have to be washed every day. The more they are washed, the thinner the clothes become. One set is not enough for a whole summer.

Then Wen Chun and Wen Xuan each got a set, and she also got one for herself, but she also wanted to add a nightgown.

When the weather got really hot, she would wear a nightgown. Anyway, she only wore it at home, so it didn’t matter if no one else saw it.

They also bought some food. Seeing loquats^[2]also known as Japanese plum or Chinese plum, is a fruit that comes from the tree Eriobotrya japonica. The fruit is small, round to pear-shaped, and has a yellow to orange skin when ripe. and plums, Wen Jiajia bought two kilograms of each.

Leaving the department store, Wen Jiajia sat on the back of her bicycle and said, “Chun’er is obsessed with the radio, but it’s a pity the chicken hasn’t laid eggs yet.”

Wei Dai was confused. “What does a radio have to do with a chicken? Do I have to wait for the chicken to lay eggs before I can buy it?”

Wen Jiajia said, “Eggs can be sold for money. She may be from a small family, but she has great ambitions. She decided to save eggs to buy a radio. Didn’t you notice she’s the one feeding the chickens at home?”

Wen Chun was a very persistent child. She said she could feed the chickens by herself, and she really did.

When she had free time, she would look for insects to feed the chickens.

Wen Jiajia said that small fish and shrimp were good for chickens, so she ran to the shallow river to catch small fish.

Just for going to the river, she was almost scolded by Wen Jiajia.

Fortunately, the deep water section was cordoned off by the logistics department, and the only area open was the shallow water, where the water wasn’t even as deep as Wen Chun’s calf. When the weather got hot, many children went there to play, and the logistics department was still nearby, so Wen Jiajia didn’t worry too much.

Wei Dai laughed. “It will take a long time to save up for that.”

Of course, but the child is ambitious, and we can’t stop her.

As they were talking, the two arrived at the police station.

It costs a few yuan to stamp the license plate on a bicycle, and once you pay the money, the stamping is done quickly.

From then on, the family had a bicycle.

Wen Jiajia eagerly chased Wei Dai to the back of the bike and said, “You sit on the back seat, and I’ll ride.”

Wei Dai followed her and sat on the back seat, his long legs looking a bit stiff.

Wen Jiajia used all her strength to ride the bike. After crossing a street, she stopped, turned around, and said indifferently, “Forget it. You should ride it.”

Wei Dai: “…”

He wanted to laugh but didn’t dare.

“Ride on. I don’t know the road,” Wen Jiajia urged him.

Wei Dai: “Okay, please stand up and switch seats.”

Wen Jiajia: “…” Who is he talking to with that sarcastic tone?

The couple switched positions, and when the bike started again, the speed was much faster.

Nearly 15 minutes later, they arrived at the pharmaceutical factory.

Wei Dai had made a new friend at the pharmaceutical factory through various connections recently.

The law of six was particularly well-applied in his case.

He first got to know a friend in the city’s Public Security Bureau through his comrades-in-arms. Because this friend’s brother-in-law worked in the Health Bureau, which had close relations with the pharmaceutical factory, it could be considered a superior department.

Wei Dai had two meals with the family and became good friends with them.

Through them, he got to know the director of the pharmaceutical factory. Although he wasn’t in charge of personnel, he definitely knew when recruitment would be held.

Sure enough, he was well-informed.

They entered the pharmaceutical factory through the guard.

The pharmaceutical factory was very large. Wen Jiajia learned that it was the largest pharmaceutical factory in the province.

It could be said that the entire province, from the provincial capital hospital to the county hospitals below, used medicines produced by this factory.

Even several neighboring provinces and cities were supplied by them.

Otherwise, why do they say that business in state-owned enterprises is easy? At this time, the market belonged to them. Not only could they take as much as they wanted, but some even overindulged.

The director’s surname was Song Jiacheng. He looked to be in his forties but was very familiar with Wei Dai.

He smiled and said, “Brother, I was thinking of inviting you to dinner. I found the badger you mentioned last time some time ago. Oh, I wanted to invite you then, but I thought you were in the army and probably couldn’t come. Next time, I’ll arrange it again, and we can invite Director Chen and his brother-in-law to have a meal together.”

Wei Dai stepped forward and said, “Okay, I’ll definitely come when I’m free. But you know me, Brother Song. If I say I’m not free, then I’m not free.”

“This is my wife, Wen Jia,” he introduced, and then added, “I was passing by and thought I hadn’t seen you for a while, so I came to visit.”

Song Jiacheng hurriedly greeted Wen Jiajia. He understood that they weren’t just passing by.

The next moment, Wei Dai said, “Brother Song, I wanted to ask you something. Our factory’s recruitment exam is in May this year, right?”

Song Jiacheng poured tea for the two of them. “Yes, May 25th. The date was just set. What’s the matter?”

“My wife is going to take the exam too,” Wei Dai said with a smile. “She’s a high school graduate and came here to work with me. She just graduated and wants to take the exam with this class of students. I’m just not sure if the pharmaceutical factory will allow it.”

Will you allow it? Of course, he would.

When Song Jiacheng first heard this, he wondered if Wei Dai wanted him to recruit his wife.

Well, he could recruit her. As a director, it was very easy for him to do so.

But their friendship wasn’t that deep.

However, after hearing the latter part, he realized that Wei Dai meant his wife was also preparing to take the exam.

What did this mean? It meant that she had to enter on her own merit.