Chapter 003: The Difficulties of the Qin Family

As they were about to leave, there were quite a few unfinished dishes left on the dining table. Zhao Dongsheng called the waiter to pack the leftovers, asking Wang Yuanyuan and Qin Yuning to take them back for their families to eat: there was no refrigerator in the dormitory of him and Wang Jianjun, and leaving them out overnight in this hot weather would surely spoil them.

Although Zhao Dongsheng is merely a technician, he graduated from Yan University, which makes him a legitimate section-level staff member in the Technical Department of the Huangzhou Machinery Factory, holding the title of junior engineer. His monthly salary is nearly 300 yuan, while Wang Jianjun, who has been working for six years longer than him, earns less than 100 yuan, which is only one-third of Zhao's salary

The elderly man is Qin Yuning's grandfather, Qin Yi. The young man carrying Qin Yi is Qin Yuning's elder brother, Qin Qiang. Among the several middle-aged individuals following behind, the one with an anxious expression is Qin Yuning's father, Qin Dashan, and her mother, Liu Cui'e. The others are neighbors from the courtyard who have come to help.

I have a friend who is in business, and I went to seek his assistance Qin Qiang smiled slightly at Liu Cui'e, wanting to withdraw his hand from hers

Qin Yuning looked at Zhao Dongsheng with some confusion, wondering why he seemed to be enjoying something as extravagant as a delicacy from the mountains or the sea, when it was just an ice cream.

As the 1990s arrived, the adverse effects of state-owned enterprises' inability to adapt to the market economy became concentrated and erupted, resulting in a large number of enterprises either going bankrupt or being merged, ultimately being eliminated by the market

Due to the high population and limited housing, each household has constructed a dwelling in the vacant space in front of their door. Additionally, the haphazardly piled various items contribute to the yard appearing crowded and chaotic

Zhao Dongsheng leaned against the wall, his right hand rhythmically tapping on his thigh with his five fingers. From Qin Yi's situation, he felt that the outlook was not very optimistic

Grandfather! Upon seeing the elderly man, Qin and Tu Shuyu's eyes instantly filled with tears, and they hurriedly ran forward to support the old man with concern

At this moment, Zhao Dongsheng could not have imagined that this batch of machines, which had been highly anticipated by people, would later cause a "major earthquake" at the Huangzhou Machinery Factory, leading to a "bloody clash" between Bai Keming and Wu Kui, unexpectedly elevating Zhang Haishan to power and placing him in control of the factory's authority, thereby intertwining his fate with that of Zhang Haishan.

It turns out that Qin Qiang and Feng Fei earned over ten thousand yuan in a year, but half a month ago, they were deceived in a city in the south, losing all their capital and even running out of money for meals. Thus, they had no choice but to return home, preparing to regroup and venture out again.

In the siheyuan, there are five households residing, the houses are low and old, appearing to have been around for some years

"Here, please enjoy some ice cream." Just as Zhao Dongsheng was happily wandering in the park, reminiscing about the times he spent with his parents visiting the park during his childhood, Qin Yuning and Wang Yuanyuan brought ice cream and handed it to him and Wang Jianjun

Zhao Dongsheng and Qin Qiang, along with others, lifted Qin Yi onto the tractor's carriage, then climbed onto the tractor and reached out to pull Song Yuning up as well, following the tractor to the hospital. Given the severity of the situation faced by the Qin family, how could he simply walk away from it all

"What?" Qin Yuning was immediately taken aback, leaned her bicycle against the wall, and hurried into the courtyard.

"Yunying, your grandfather has fainted," Zhao Dongsheng's words had barely left his mouth when a young man rushed out from the courtyard and exclaimed loudly upon seeing Qin Yunying

In the alley where Qin Yuning's home is located, many people are enjoying the coolness. Upon entering the alley, Qin Yuning greeted acquaintances with a smile.

"Mother, are you really going to let me watch Grandpa leave us?" Qin Qiang, seeing that Liu Cui'e had seen through his intentions, let out a bitter smile, gazing at Liu Cui'e with a somber expression, his eyes filled with determination

Wang Jianjun took the ice cream and bit off one-third of it in one go, chewing it heartily. Zhao Dongsheng, on the other hand, placed the ice cream in his mouth, savoring it with great delight, reminiscing about the taste of ice cream from his childhood, his face reflecting pure contentment

Liu Cui'e fell silent upon hearing this, her eyes revealing a complex expression

With the deepening of the reform and opening-up, the domestic market is transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy. As a result, state-owned enterprises fell into difficulties during the mid to late 1980s in their transformation. The products produced lacked competitiveness and could not be sold, while outstanding debts could not be recovered for various reasons, leading to a continuous decline of the enterprises

Dad, I have taken care of the car and the money. You and Mom should pack up some things and prepare to take Grandpa to Dongping. Qin Qiang understood the difficulties at home, gritted his teeth, and turned to leave

Qin Dashan and Liu Cuie both work at the district's winery. The winery does have two trucks, but they are just like tractors; these two trucks need to transport goods tomorrow and simply do not have the time to take Qin Yi to Dongping. Otherwise, it would delay the production tasks of the factory. It seems he has no choice but to rent a car from outside.

Zhao Dongsheng did not expect that something would happen at Qin Yuning's home, and then he followed inside

Zhao Dongsheng stood by, observing the scene with a cold gaze. From the conversation between the two, he was certain that the people Liu Cuie had mentioned were definitely not of good character

Zhao Dongsheng ordered a variety of dishes, and the four of them engaged in lively conversation at the dining table, enjoying their meal immensely

"Where are you going?" Qin Qiang and the librarian had not walked far when they were stopped by Liu Cui'e, who grabbed their arm

"Perhaps next time, it's getting late, I should head back now." Zhao Dongsheng felt that it was too abrupt to visit Qin Yuning's home since it was their first meeting, so he smiled and found an excuse to politely decline.

"Since you are here, come in and have a drink of water." Qin Yuning said with a smile to Zhao Dongsheng as she got off her bicycle in front of a siheyuan.

Qin Yuning's home is located on the south side of the courtyard. As Zhao Dongsheng and Qin Yuning arrived at the door, a robust young man hurriedly emerged from the house carrying an elderly man in his sixties, followed by several middle-aged men and women.

After waiting for a while at the entrance of the courtyard, a tractor drove over. The young man whom Zhao Dongsheng had encountered earlier at the gate of the courtyard was sitting beside the driver of the tractor. He was a resident of the courtyard and a childhood friend of Qin Qiang, Feng Fei.

It was not easy for you to sever ties with those people, so you must not seek them out again. Liu Cui'e understood Qin Qiang's thoughts clearly and held onto him tightly, refusing to let go.

Due to the urgency of his condition, Qin Yi was sent to the best First People's Hospital in Huangzhou, where the on-duty doctors immediately began emergency treatment. The Qin family anxiously waited for news outside the emergency room

This is a major surgery, so prepare 3,000 yuan first!" The doctor's subsequent words made Qin Dashan's expression even more grim. His and Liu Cuie'er's combined monthly salary was only about 100 yuan, and after daily expenses, they could hardly save any money. Even if he sold everything he owned, he could not come up with such a large sum.

Qin Yi suddenly fainted not long ago, startling Qin Dashan and Liu Cuie. With the help of the neighbors, they hurriedly rushed Qin Yi to the hospital

After graduating from junior high school, Qin Qiang got involved with the delinquents on the streets, engaging in fights and brawls. Two years ago, he was sent to labor re-education for a year due to injuring someone. After his release, he started a business with Feng Fei, traveling far and wide, dabbling in whatever was profitable.

The reason Wu Kui was able to purchase this production line in West Germany is undoubtedly due to the strong support of Gu Liancheng. The Huangzhou Machinery Factory is a star enterprise in Huangzhou, and Gu Liancheng hopes that the Huangzhou Machinery Factory can regain its former glory during his tenure and become the leading enterprise in Hedong Province, which would be a significant achievement for him

"Brother, Grandpa doesn't want you to go, please don't go." Qin Yuning stepped forward to persuade Qin Qiang, and before she could finish her words, tears began to stream down her cheeks

Zhao Dongsheng had a wonderful time playing in the park and took many photos. In the evening, he hosted a dinner at a restaurant for Wang Jianjun, Wang Yuanyuan, and Qin Yuning.

The assembly line from West Germany requires more than 20 million, while the Huangzhou Machinery Factory only has over 3 million on its books. Although there are over 18 million in receivables that have not been collected, they also owe over 16 million in foreign debts to others, which is referred to as "triangular debt," making it impossible for them to come up with that much money

The Provincial Central Hospital is a leading tertiary hospital in Hedong Province, boasting strong medical capabilities and advanced medical facilities. It has conducted in-depth research in the fields of cardiology and neurology, and is highly regarded in the central and southern regions of Northwest China, having treated numerous patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions

The patient is experiencing severe heart problems, and for the time being, we can only provide conservative treatment. In order to achieve a cure, he must be transferred to the provincial central hospital. Please expedite his transfer to the provincial capital." The doctor removed his mask and said to Qin Dashan with a serious expression

The tractor was borrowed by Feng Fei from a nearby flour mill, which is an establishment located on the street m.hetushu.com. The driver stays at the mill overnight, and since everyone is neighbors, the driver naturally agreed to help with this task

Zhao Dongsheng spoke with wit, making Qin Yuning laugh continuously along the way, creating a very relaxed atmosphere

The people in the alley were scrutinizing Zhao Dongsheng, whispering to one another, and secretly speculating about his relationship with Qin Yuning

Like other state-owned enterprises, Huangzhou Machinery Factory has now lost its former glory. Under the impact of the market economy, it has been declining year by year, with increasingly poor performance. After Wu Kui arrived at Huangzhou Machinery Factory, he aimed to make significant improvements, and thus considered introducing an advanced production line from abroad to enhance the factory's competitiveness in the market

After a little over ten minutes, the door to the emergency room opened, and Qin Dashan and others quickly stepped forward to surround the doctor who came out, inquiring about Qin Yi's condition

Provincial capital?" Qin Dashan's face immediately revealed a look of astonishment. Dongping City, the provincial capital, is over 800 miles away from Huangzhou. Such a long distance certainly cannot be covered by a tractor; otherwise, it would take an eternity to arrive. Moreover, the flour mill needs to transport goods tomorrow, and it is simply impossible for the tractor to go to Dongping. Where is he supposed to find a vehicle at this late hour?

The low-rise buildings on both sides of the street, the monotonous attire of the pedestrians, and the incessant flow of bicycles made Zhao Dongsheng feel as if he had returned to his childhood. He was filled with countless emotions, wondering how his parents were doing. He truly wished to set aside everything and go home to take a look.

Qin Yuning and Wang Yuanyuan live in two different neighborhoods, while Zhao Dongsheng parted ways with Wang Jianjun and Wang Yuanyuan at an intersection, and then took Qin Yuning home

As it is Sunday, the park is bustling with crowds, with many families coming together, creating a lively scene