Yanjing, nightfall.
In the alleys and courtyards, like the lights of day, suddenly extinguished, every house is dimly lit.
"There's a power outage, there's a power outage!"
The sound of children shouting could be heard outside the house. Lu Fei was sitting at the table, shaking a cattail leaf fan in his hand. In the past few days since returning to Beijing, there was no news from Li Zekai and MIH. Like the surroundings, they fell into silence.
In the yard, a dark figure passed by. Lu Yun held a flashlight in one hand and a candle in the other:
"Boy, are you short of candles?"
"Brother, I have it here."
Lu Fei reached for the second drawer with familiarity, found a flashlight in it, then turned off the light and fan switch and walked out of the room.
Lu Yun shook his head, "You said there was no notice in the newspaper. You were just watching TV when the power suddenly went off."
These days, power is tight, and industrial factories use a lot of electricity. There are always planned power outages and frequent power outages. Old Yanjing people have long been accustomed to this.
Even if there is electricity, there is no guarantee against power outages, especially in summer. Although air conditioners are not yet popular, every household has refrigerators, televisions, electric fans and other electrical appliances. For these, the fuses always blow.
After all, the 5A meter is too fragile, and the fuse is only as thick as a steel pin, so I can only replace it with one as thick as a chopstick.
"Hey, let me ask Hailu, does she have any shortage?" Xiao Hongmei said.
"Sister-in-law, I forgot. Sister Hailu called and said she was working overtime and had to be back at 9 o'clock." Lu Fei saw her moving out the folding table and immediately helped her.
After a while, the three of them were enjoying the coolness under the jujube tree, munching on melon seeds and peanuts. In addition to drinking high foam, there were also samples of Qilixiang milk tea on display.
Lu Yundao: "Lavender is the taro flavor, orange is the original flavor, what do you think it tastes like?"
Lu Fei picked the taro one and smacked his lips after taking a sip. The taste was fragrant and the coconut fruit was smooth and silky in the mouth.
"Okay, let's put it into production according to this recipe."
Lu Yun chuckled. He still had to train workers and do advertising and marketing before he could fire the first shot.
"Second brother, when will we go public?"
"Brother, don't worry, let's increase Jay Chou's reputation first. We have already found TV stations and radio stations to warm up."
Lu Fei peeled the peanuts and threw them into his mouth.
Feigou.com is promoting "jay" and spending money on TV programs such as MTV Tianlai Village, as well as radio stations in first-tier cities, which indirectly helps Qilixiang save some advertising costs.
"A Fei, is she the girl who gave you the clothes?"
Xiao Hongmei pointed at Gao Yuanyuan on the package. Lu Yun immediately put the business behind him and strictly controlled the situation.
Lu Fei did not hide it and admitted it openly.
"This girl is so handsome! Where is she? What's her name?"
Xiao Hongmei's eyes lit up, and the questions were like bullets sprayed from a machine gun. She couldn't help but sigh: "When will I bring her home and let my sister-in-law have a look?"
Lu Fei smiled bitterly again and again, tired of dealing with his elder brother and sister-in-law, and finally couldn't bear the bombardment, so he hurriedly changed the topic to buying a car.
"car?"
When Lu Yun heard this, he was instantly excited.
A man only has such a hobby, not to mention that he has been a truck driver for more than ten years and has become attached to cars. He dreams of owning his own private car.
"Yes, buy a car. Let's buy a car for our family. I ride my bicycle to the 798 Factory every day. Having a car is convenient and it also gives me face when doing business. Moreover, I can also drive to pick up my second son when he returns to the station!"
"How much does it cost to buy a car?" Xiao Hongmei spit out the melon seeds.
"100,000!"
Lu Yun obviously came prepared. There are several models and prices on the market that are rare.
In 2001, the state encouraged cars to enter households and gradually liberalized the prices of domestically produced cars, allowing them to set their own prices based on supply and demand.
For example, Shanghai General Motors recently launched China's first 100,000 yuan concept brand car called "Sail", followed closely by the Xiali 2000 and Changan Antelope, which are also four-wheeled cars in the same price range.
"100,000 is too expensive!"
Xiao Hongmei frowned. The average daily gross income of the Internet cafe was one to two thousand yuan, and the 250,000 yuan invested was recovered in eight or nine months.
The family already has more than 300,000 yuan in savings, but I still hesitate to take out one-third of it at once.
"A Fei, what do you think?"
"Brother, these cars you mentioned are not very good. Why not just buy an Audi Benz."
Lu Fei touched his chin. The price of domestically produced cars has plummeted very seriously. For example, Sail, a car with a price of 100,000 yuan has dropped by 20,000 yuan in one year, which is worse than the stock market.
"Audi A6 costs 320,000!"
Lu Yun's heart ached when he thought about it, "Forget it, let's just drive a Jinbei Hiace instead. It only costs 80,000 to 90,000 yuan, and second-hand ones are even cheaper. How about that?"
Xiao Hongmei said happily: "Okay, it can carry goods and people, and it's cheap."
When Lu Fei saw the couple reaching a tacit understanding, he was confused. What the hell? How could the class suddenly change from an Audi or BMW to a van?
He licked his lips and said, "Sister-in-law, since we have bought a car, why don't we buy a house?"
"You want to buy a house?" Xiao Hongmei was surprised.
"Yes, I want to buy a house!" Lu Yun voted in support with both hands.
Xiao Hongmei was puzzled, "A Fei, didn't you object to your eldest brother buying a house before?"
"Sister-in-law, one moment is another. At that time, we were just starting out. Now we have more work at hand."
Lu Fei touched his chin. Instead of keeping the 200,000 yuan, it would be better to invest it.
From 2001 to 2003, housing prices in Yanjing were stable. The housing prices in the third and fourth ring roads were about 5,000 to 6,000 per square meter, while those in the 2nd and 3rd ring roads were between 7,000 and 8,000 per square meter.
When buying a house, a 10% down payment of 100,000 was enough.
For the rest, the gross profit from the Internet cafe is enough to slowly repay the loan, unlike 20 years later, even if I have a monthly salary of 10,000 and worked for several years, I will not be able to afford a toilet in the suburbs.
After analyzing it, Xiao Hongmei couldn't help but move.
"If you want to buy one, buy two. One will be used as a wedding room for the second son. Just buy the opposite door. It will be convenient for us to visit each other in the future."
Lu Yun made the decision, and Xiao Hongmei agreed: "Okay, then buy two sets!"
Damn it? Wise!
Lu Fei gave a thumbs up, and then the three of them discussed the location, apartment type, and size for a while. The more they chatted, the more excited they became. Unknowingly, they chatted until 8:30.
He took a flashlight, ran out of the house, and went straight to the entrance of the alley, which was pitch black and inky, to pick up Qin Hailu.
However, it’s too much to worry about.
The street lights were still on, and the children in the yard went to play under the street lights. Several tables were set up in the corners, where the men played cards and the women chatted.
Lu Fei lit a cigarette and looked quietly at the men, women, old and young, laughing and chatting. Although they were so close, they felt farther and farther away, and the smoke gradually dispersed.
Just then, the phone vibrated.
I thought it was Gao Yuanyuan, but I didn't expect it was Zeng Li, reminding myself that she still owed a meal.
Well, the creditors have forgotten, but the debtors are active.
………
"call."
Zeng Li stared at the text message on her phone, confirmed that she had received a positive reply, and breathed a sigh of relief.
This meal has been weighing on her mind for a month or two.
There was a rustling sound on the bed next to him, and Xue Xiaolu turned over, "Aren't you asleep yet?"
"Oh, Director Xue, has it affected your rest?" Zeng Li was excited.
"It doesn't affect it."
Xue Xiaolu used the dim light of the desk lamp to look at the beauty in front of him. She was much more haggard than before joining the group, her eyes were slightly darkened, and she was getting thinner day by day.
"It's you, you should pay attention to rest. Are you feeling pressured by acting with Teacher Feng?"
"No, no, it's okay."
Zeng Li forced a smile, then turned off the lights. In the dark environment, her eyes widened and her nerves became tense.
Her mind was filled with Feng Yuanzheng's vivid domestic violence scenes. It was like a nightmare. She couldn't get rid of it. Every time she dreamed, she always dreamed of being beaten.
"Don't divorce me, okay?"
The devil whispered in her ears, and Feng Yuanzheng's ferocious face suddenly appeared. Zeng Li's whole body stiffened, and she suddenly woke up with her eyes clattering.
"ah!"
