Rebirth: My 80s

Chapter 203
sunset.

In the small courtyard of the Lin family, a large round table was set up, which was filled with small seafood that the common people loved. Although it was not expensive, it was rich in variety and still made people want to eat.

Lin Hai didn't ask Li Jiankun for money during this meal.

He has made dozens of dollars in profit these days, and he can prepare a dinner without a problem, so he can take over the business for his cousin.

The blind old woman sat down under the eaves, held her eldest nephew's hand, and exchanged greetings with him for a long time, making Lin Xinjia burst into tears.

He is also a sweetheart.

The rice was cooked by the young man named Achang. Apart from being slower, he was not much inferior to the lame cook last time. He also stayed during the meal.

Achang's eyes were always on Lin Xinjia, his eyes sparkling. This person was a real person. He had too many questions to ask, but he also understood that now was not the time and it was very hard to endure.

"Li Sheng, let me toast you." Lin Xinjia stood up and said.

Lin Hai also bought a jar of rice wine tonight, which has a very low alcohol content and is just right to go with seafood.

Li Jiankun clinked the bowl with him, smiling, but still not talking about anything serious. After a narrow escape, he should be allowed to reminisce with his family first.

Lin Xinjia paid tribute to Xiao Wang and others one by one.

After drinking, he was considered half a friend. Xiao Wang said cheerfully: "Xinjia, tell us what it's like over there in Hong Kong City."

When talking about this topic, many people here were shocked, Achang reacted the most. As soon as he put down his chopsticks, he wanted to prick up his ears.

"Very developed!"

When talking about the prosperity of the port city, Lin Xinjia opened his mouth and didn't know where to start.

The skyscrapers, huge cruise ships, luxury cars everywhere, and bright neon lights he mentioned brought great shock to Xiao Wang and others, and extremely magnificent imagination.

They all looked fascinated.

After Xiao Wang clicked his tongue a few times, he asked again: "I heard from Ah Hai that you earn thirty or forty Hong Kong dollars a day there. You should be living a pretty comfortable life, right?"

His unintentional question made the smile on Lin Xinjia's face suddenly freeze.

He didn't know how to answer.

If it were another situation and another person, Lin Xinjia would still dare to brag.When his father died that year, he completely lost his parents and wandered to the other side like a bereaved dog. Now that he has returned to his hometown, how can he be looked down upon?
But he had always paid attention to Li Jiankun's expression. This man didn't care about the affairs of Hong Kong City.

Ah Hai told him that this person's family background was definitely extraordinary. He had seen the world and seemed to understand everything.

As a result, he did not dare to talk nonsense.

Think about it, why did he come back this time?

To put it bluntly, a boss got to know him through his cousin, became interested in him, and wanted to work with him. He came back to apply for the job.

We haven’t talked about anything yet. Do we want to leave a dishonest and unreliable impression on others?
After making a decision in his mind, Lin Xinjia gritted his teeth and said, "To be honest, to be honest with you, I'm actually not doing well in Hong Kong City."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present except Li Jiankun and Lin Yun showed surprised expressions, including the blind old woman. When she asked her eldest nephew in the afternoon, she said everything was fine over there.

There is no need to mention Li Jiankun.

As for Lin Yun, just as Lin Xinjia knew him, he also knew his cousin who was only 28 days younger than him very well.It can be seen that he has been pretending, but he is just taking care of his face and not exposing it.

"Brother Xinjia, how come you don't do well?"

Lin Hai's head was full of questions. Look at his appearance, the large bags of imported food and several cartons of cigarettes he brought back. He didn't look like he was doing well.

"Yes, you are obviously doing very well!" The person who reacted more than Lin Hai was Achang. Lin Xinjia's words almost shook his belief.

Lin Xinjia looked at their faces one by one and sighed: "But I'm really not doing well. You guys don't know the prices in Hong Kong City. A casual meal at a street food stall costs dozens of Hong Kong dollars." A taxi costs six yuan per kilometer. The average price of a house per square foot is more than [-] Hong Kong dollars.

“This is just the living standard of ordinary citizens. What do you think I earn 34 Hong Kong dollars a day, enough for?

"I don't want you to laugh if I tell you this. What I usually eat the most are box lunches and noodles, because they are cheap, only costing eight yuan. I live in the basement of a house, shared by more than a dozen people, and each person only has space for a single bed. But it costs one-third of my monthly salary.

"The garment factory where I work doesn't treat us as human beings at all. The standard working hours are twelve hours, and you only get overtime pay if you work overtime after that. I have to work an average of sixteen hours a day."

Lin Xinjia had tears in his eyes when he said this.

"We are people living at the bottom of society there, worse than street sweepers. At least they are government employees and have social benefits. They will accept us there because the factories are short of coolies and the locals are not interested in doing it. .

“They call us dead laozi, and we work day and night, making it seem like they are still giving us a bite to eat.

"It's really not a human life!"

Lin Xinjia wiped his eyes, looked at everyone present, and suddenly burst into laughter again.

"Actually, I have regretted it for a long time. I miss my old life at home very much. I was poor but lived comfortably. I own the house and have land in front and behind it. As long as I work hard, I will not go hungry. From time to time, I still have food. You can go to the sea and touch some seafood for free."

He raised his hand and pointed to the table full of small seafood, licked the corners of his lips and said:
"You won't believe me if I tell you. I've been there for three years and haven't eaten even once. It's not that I can't afford one or two meals, but I just don't dare to buy them. I'm afraid I'll eat them and get them in my mouth. How can I save money in the future? ? I’m so greedy even in my dreams.”

He picked up a bitter conch and slurped it with delight, as if it was the sweetest taste in the world.

"There is no hope, and no way out. I have worked hard there for three years, and the little money I have saved cannot keep up with the soaring prices. I can't even throw away a big, shitty thing. I can’t even afford a toilet for peeing.

"Even if I work for another ten years, will I be able to have a home there?

"Of course, there are a few people who have traveled there in the past few years and are doing well, but they are not following the right path. The locals call them big circle boys. It is hard to say whether they will die tragically on the streets one day."

"In short, it's not as good as many people imagine there. It's true that it's developed and prosperous, but those enjoyments belong to foreigners and capitalists and have nothing to do with poor people at the bottom like us."

Lin Xinjia stopped at the right time and realized that he was a bit verbose.He also spoke out of emotion. These words have been pressing in his heart for a long time. He actually thought about finding an opportunity to talk to the people in his hometown to let them see the reality there clearly and stop risking their lives for such a future. .

Not worth it.

However, the old family always thought that they were doing well, and they also wanted to be looked down upon. Vanity strangled him, and so did everyone else.

So much so that it creates some kind of illusion.

Now that these words were spoken, he suddenly felt light all over.

He no longer tried to endure it. After taking a swig of the sweet rice wine, he rolled up his sleeves and ate the seafood in large gulps. He was so satisfied.

"You eat too."

Except for Li Jiankun who accompanied him, no one moved.

Just like Luna, she was already crying.Xiao Wang and others had complex expressions, ranging from shock and disbelief to sadness and pity.

The young man named Achang was mentally disturbed. He would laugh and cry. His originally indestructible faith was shattered to pieces.

Wang Shanhe touched Li Jiankun, with a bitter look on his face, and whispered: "Jiankun, I was wrong."

Li Jiankun waved his hand, picked up the wine bowl and said, "Come on! Let's not talk about the bad things. I will get drunk today if I have wine."

Lin Xinjia was the first to agree and said with a smile: "Do it!"

The two Lin brothers followed closely behind with red eyes. Even the blind old woman raised her bowl and everyone said in unison:
"Dry!"

(End of this chapter)