"Nian Di, take your sisters and eat more vegetables. Don't be afraid there won't be enough; there's plenty today." Shen Rong said with a bit of pity, looking at Shen Pan Di's sisters. She was well aware of their family's situation. Any delicacies at home were always prioritized for their mother, and it was only because their younger brother was still too young to eat much that the sisters didn't have even less. That's why Shen Rong warmly urged Shen Nian Di and the others to eat. Shen Pan Di saw it all and kept it in her heart. Her godfather, godmother, Teacher Chen, Sister Xue Er, and Rong Rong's family treated her so well. Here, she felt a warmth and familial affection even greater than at her own home.
"Thank you, Rong Rong Jie," Nian Di, already very sensible, said to Shen Rong as she led her ravenous sisters in thanks.
"No need to thank me; it's a happy occasion today." Shen Rong placed a piece of meat on her plate. The more sensible they were, the more her heart ached.
Basically, every household in the village had come for the banquet today. Shen Futang's banquet was grand, with six hot dishes and six cold dishes. He had hired Old Gua Tou from the village to be the chef, and few could fault it. Although it was already 1979, the reform and opening-up had not yet become as vigorous as in the 1980s, and people's lives hadn't changed drastically from before. In rural areas, meat was rarely eaten except during festivals. Shen Futang's banquet had fish and meat at every table. If he could have bought more chickens, he would have prepared one for every table. This banquet was considered extremely respectable throughout the commune.
"Chen Yang, when are you three planning to go to school?" Director Liu of the commune personally accompanied Director Meng from the Education Bureau at their table. He was very pleased that Chen Yang and the others had been accepted into university; this would be the best example he could use to motivate students in the commune to study hard. It was not easy for rural children. The only way for them to leap over the dragon gate and enter the city, thus avoiding a lifetime of being farmers, was to be accepted into university.
"Director Meng, Director Liu, the three of us are all around the same time. Pan Di is on September 15th, Rong Rong on the 16th. The start date in Shanghai is even later, and I'm on September 23rd." Because the college entrance examination was later, many universities also started later than in the past. Of course, many universities now have freshmen reporting in early to mid-September. This is because many returning students report in early September, and the school needs to organize welcoming activities and arrange military training for new students with the army, which requires a certain amount of preparation time. Of course, at this time, military training for university students had not yet become common in all universities in China; not every university required military training. It wasn't until 1985 that the Ministry of Education, the General Staff, and other departments jointly issued the "Notice on Pilot Issues of Military Training in Colleges and Universities and Senior High Schools," which marked the beginning of the implementation of military training pilots in universities. In the early 90s, some institutions in Beijing and Shanghai even implemented military training for up to a year, extending the university academic system to five years for students admitted in 1990 and earlier. The military training at that time was not like the current military training for college students, which only involved learning to shout slogans on the playground, standing at attention, shifting weight, assuming a standing posture, and marching in formation. Students could change into sports shoes if their military boots were uncomfortable, and if it was hot, instructors would help them find shade and buy water and watermelon. This was training done according to real military standards. Five-kilometer marches, crawling through mud and barbed wire, obstacle courses with weapons, individual combat, and even live-fire shooting... Only students who truly experienced university military training during that period could feel it; they had handled real weapons. However, Chen Yang would definitely not be able to enjoy this; in his memory, there was no military training during his first year of admission.
"We wish the three university students success in their studies and contributions to the country's construction in the future." "When you are out in the world, make more friends. If you encounter any difficulties, you can seek help from your hometown." Director Meng, whether he couldn't drink well or was drunk by the two "wine jars," Director Liu and his father-in-law, spoke with a bit of a slur.
"Thank you, Director Meng. We will definitely study hard in the future and contribute to the country's construction." Shouting slogans was still a habit at this time. Not only did people like to say them, but leaders also liked to hear them. Other words might be spoken incorrectly and make people uncomfortable, but shouting slogans was never wrong.
The banquet concluded with more than a dozen men being carried home by their families. Food and drink were plentiful, and the feast was enough for the father-in-law to boast about for several years in the village.
After the admission letters arrived, time seemed to fly by very quickly. Little Chen Peng also gradually grew, becoming more and more adorable each day. Chen Peng was the name Chen Yang gave to his youngest son, hoping he would soar like the phoenix after the reform and opening-up, with a future as boundless as the roc's journey. The little fellow would sometimes blink his eyes at Chen Yang, but most of the time, he just ate and slept, being too young to have the abundant energy of older children. Strangely, infants in ordinary families are often the most fussy, with adults having to get up at night to soothe them. However, little Chen Peng was very well-behaved and rarely fussed at night. Shen Xue estimated the time, and feeding him twice at night was enough. She didn't lack much sleep, and her mental and physical state visibly recovered after her month of confinement. This was also a source of great comfort for Chen Yang, as he had worried about Shen Xue suffering. Although he would get up to help Shen Xue every time she woke up to feed the baby, it still affected her sleep. But seeing her rosy complexion, Chen Yang was clearly very happy. After her confinement, with proper recuperation, Shen Xue should recover quickly. This was the benefit of a natural birth. If she had undergone a cesarean section with such a large incision, recovery would not have been easy. Moreover, in the hot summer with no air conditioning, sweat was inevitable. If the wound became infected, it would be very troublesome.
While taking care of Shen Xue during her confinement, Chen Yang was not idle. He would also visit the Jiuzao Fish Factory when he had time. Next to the Jiuzao Fish Factory, he built a workshop for his father-in-law specifically for brewing wine, as the lees were essential for making Jiuzao Fish. However, without the original cellar of the Chen family for liquor, the wine brewed solely in large wine vats lacked a certain depth. But Chen Yang didn't mind. It was supplied to the supply and marketing cooperatives as loose wine. The price allowed him to earn some profit without losing money, and it also provided ample lees for the Jiuzao Fish Factory.
Thanks to the support of Director Liu Zhendong from the Municipal Industry and Commerce Bureau, the first batch of Jiuzao Fish cans produced by Chen Yang's factory in the past few months had already been stocked in some supply and marketing cooperatives around Qinghe City. In this era, supply and marketing cooperatives were still the main sales channels, and canned food was a scarce commodity. Chen Yang's canned fish had almost no competitors and was quickly sold out. The sales were very good! This Jiuzao Fish can, with its unique flavor that could make one eat a large bowl of rice with just a little, was immediately loved by many workers. Originally, Liu Zhendong thought he was repaying Chen Yang for building the factory. He didn't expect the sales of Jiuzao Fish to be so good that he immediately decided to recommend this product to the provincial level. He would also strive to secure a large order from supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores across the city. This time, he intended to make Qinghe City's first factory truly famous!