Chapter 11 The South
After cursing, Song Yuanchao felt annoyed and took a puff of the cigarette. However, he found that the cigarette had gone out without him noticing.
Throwing the cigarette butt into the ashtray, Song Yuanchao asked Li Daqi what the factory had to say about his work arrangement. Li Daqi told him helplessly that the factory had not responded until now, and his father had been trying to find a solution these days. No matter what, the job had to be found first, even if it was just a temporary job. He couldn't just stay at home doing nothing.
"Actually, I'm telling you, I really don't want to go to work in the factory." Li Daqi finished another cigarette and was about to touch the third one. Song Yuanchao sighed and took out the good cigarettes he brought with him today from his pocket and handed them to him: "Smoke less. Even if you can't help it, try to smoke better. Your cigarettes are too bad. Smoking too much is not good for your health."
"It's okay, I'm in good health." Li Daqi took the cigarette with a smile, and his eyes lit up immediately after taking a look: "This cigarette is good, hehe, it's a bargain for me."
Li Daqi unpacked the cigarette, picked it up and lit it, then blew out a cloud of smoke. "I've been wandering around these days, and there are so many educated youth coming back. Not to mention other places, there are dozens of them in our area alone. The number of them who have found jobs can be counted on one hand, and most of them are children who replaced their elderly parents who retired early."
"My parents are not too old, and you know my dad, he has been working in the factory all his life as a technician. If he loses his job, he will die. The textile factory is full of female workers and it is not suitable for me, so I don't want to take the path of replacing them. Besides, my sister plans to go to college next year. If she replaces my dad and works in the factory, our family income will be greatly reduced. When my dad and I discussed this path, I directly rejected it."
Song Yuanchao nodded to show his understanding. Although replacement was a way out, it was also the most helpless way out.
After the educated youth returned to their hometowns, many families had no choice but to send their children to work in factories in order to find jobs.
Although this path can solve the employment problem for children, as parents, many people are still far from retirement age, just like Li Daqi's father, who is less than 50 years old. For technical talents like him, this age is the golden period of life.
In addition, when replacing parents to work in the factory, the salary and benefits are all calculated based on the salary of new workers, which will cause a lot of losses.
You have to know that for those elderly people who have worked in the factory for their entire lives, their wages, bonuses, subsidies, etc. are generally relatively high, while the wages their children receive after replacing them are the lowest level. Even if the early retirement pension is added, the total is less than what the elderly received when they were working.
"As a man, it is better to rely on yourself than on heaven or earth." Li Daqi's eyes sparkled, and he patted his chest with a resolute look and said to Song Yuanchao: "I have survived eight years in Liaodong. Can I not survive after returning? This is impossible!"
"I've thought about it a long time ago. At worst, I can just do odd jobs and chores first. Also, when I went to the countryside, there was an educated youth from Guangzhou who had a very close relationship with me. He wrote to me a few days ago saying that after the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the atmosphere there has eased a lot. A lot of people have been doing small businesses these days, and the government has acquiesced to this. Although it's hard work, you can make money. He asked me if I couldn't stay in Shanghai, I could go to Guangzhou to find him and work with him. After all, I wouldn't starve to death."
Only then did Song Yuanchao understand why he had not been able to contact Li Daqi in his previous life. One reason was that Li Daqi's family had moved, and the other was probably this reason.
Many years later in his previous life, Song Yuanchao found out that Li Daqi had left Shanghai and went to the south as early as 1979. The reason why he went to the south was probably related to the educated youth friend he mentioned in Guangzhou.
After arriving in the south, Li Daqi stayed there for a long time, and may have returned to Shanghai later, but at that time Song Yuanchao's family had also moved away due to demolition, and the two never contacted each other again.
The Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee was held on December 18, 1978, and only two months have passed.
This Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee officially opened the prelude to China's reform and opening up, and Song Yuanchao was naturally very clear about this.
But due to various reasons, reform and opening up first started in the south and was gradually implemented throughout the country in the following years. Therefore, what Li Daqi said about the situation in Guangzhou should be accurate.
Going to Guangzhou is indeed a way out. Although this road is difficult and hard at the beginning, there are many people who succeed.
Song Yuanchao knew that Li Daqi was one of these successful people.
In later generations, Li Daqi indeed created a world for himself in the south with his bare hands. Although he was not a wealthy man, he was a businessman with considerable assets in the local area. This shows that Li Daqi did not take the wrong path.
"I've heard about this, too. The central government determined the national policy of reform and opening up at the end of last year. Yangcheng and Pengcheng are pilot cities. It is said that the latter will also establish a special economic zone, but this matter is still under discussion ." Song Yuanchao could not remember the exact time when the special economic zone was established, but he was sure it would be next year, that is, 1980.
"Yes, this is almost the same as what my old friend wrote in the letter. I didn't expect you to hear about it too?" Li Daqi said excitedly. This excitement made a smell of scum come out of his mouth. After all, he stayed in Liaodong for eight years and could speak the local dialect fluently.
"How about we go to aid Korea? Or we can go to the south together. You have been smarter than me since you were little. I feel relieved when you are with me. The two of us brothers can go to Guangzhou together and create a new world for ourselves!"
Li Daqi slapped his thigh and became more and more excited as he spoke, and wanted to pull Song Yuanchao to join in.
To be honest, Song Yuanchao was really tempted, but he quickly dismissed the idea because yesterday he had already considered the future path and had begun to put it into practice.
"We will definitely go to the south, but not now." Song Yuanchao thought for a while and said to Li Daqi.
Seeing that Li Daqi was a little confused , Song Yuanchao smiled and said, "I have some ideas and plans of my own, but the details are not yet mature. I will tell you in detail in a few days. But I have something to ask you. Since the country has begun reform and opening up, it is absolutely impossible to open up only the south. As the largest city in the country, will Shanghai be an exception?"
"This..." Li Daqi was stunned for a moment, then nodded after thinking for a while: "That's right, there's no reason to exclude us from Huhai."
"Yes!" Song Yuanchao said, "Think about it, whether it is urban infrastructure, population, light and heavy industries, or economy, Shanghai is the strongest. This is Shanghai's advantage. The country will not ignore it, nor will it exclude Shanghai."
"Daqi, if you believe me, don't go south for now. Wait a minute, at least until the household registration problem is resolved. When the time is right, we can go together. I promise that by then it will definitely be better than if you go now."
After listening to this, Li Daqi agreed without hesitation. According to his words, if he didn't trust Song Yuanchao, who else could he trust? Besides, it didn't make any difference to him whether it was earlier or later. Since Song Yuanchao said so, Li Daqi would just wait.
It was already four o'clock in the afternoon when they came out of Li Daqi's house. Li Daqi originally wanted to invite Song Yuanchao to have dinner, but Song Yuanchao refused.
Li Daqi's family conditions are not good now. Four people live in this small house. Li Daqi has no job and his sister Li Xiaoyun is still in school. Song Yuanchao doesn't want to make things difficult for Li Daqi.
Besides, as lifelong friends, skipping a dinner didn't matter. After making an appointment with Li Daqi to meet alone at Song Yuanchao's house another day, Song Yuanchao got up and said goodbye.
The next day, before dawn at five in the morning, Song Yuanchao got up early and went to the train station. He took the letter of introduction and bought a train ticket to Gusu that day. The train from Shanghai to Gusu now takes more than three hours. He arrived in Gusu at about ten o'clock. Song Yuanchao found a tricycle outside the train station, and after negotiating the price, the tricycle took him to the cemetery in the suburbs.
