"Hi, are you XX?" The female guest in the shop asked. I looked up at her and at the same time recognized her as my old colleague in Guangzhou Yanling Building. Oh, what a coincidence? In a flash, we talked and laughed in unison and couldn't help hugging. The first thing she thought of was to ask her friends in the same industry to help us take pictures and videos. I also reached out my phone and asked her friend for help. At this time, I was alone, and my partner's colleague just went upstairs for dinner. The shop was quiet. Yinglan and her friends were discussing whether to buy a try-on bracelet in the jewelry cabinet not far from the cashier. I didn't pay special attention to them when they were chatting. I'm a little hungry, and I want to eat the hot snacks before when there are not many guests. In a shop where only two people go to work, if one person goes to eat, the other person will have to wait until the other person has finished eating. I will eat some snacks to satisfy my hunger at this interval.
During the conversation, Yinglan and I exchanged WeChat contacts. Soon, I sent the photos to my good friend Sister Zhen in Yanling. She pulled me into our class of 87 workers as soon as she saw it. So I got in touch with everyone again and saw the photos we just took. The era of developed communication directly benefits everyone. We all enjoy the convenience brought by the development of the times.
After chatting, I learned that Yinglan will retire this year. My daughter is getting married this year. Retired, she joined a tour group between Australia and New Zealand with her good friends in Guangzhou. As a matter of fact, when I went back to China to attend a dinner with my colleagues in Yanling restaurant last year, she took the time to visit us. At that time, she was still at work and was the general manager of the housekeeping department. As you know, I went to New Zealand. Nobody asked me which city I lived in. Because it is an English-speaking country, I didn't introduce it. We haven't contacted each other since we last met. From her mouth, I learned that almost all the people who came here have retired (the female employees of domestic enterprises retired at the age of 51). Time flies, and it has passed for decades. Below is a photo of Yinglan and I meeting in Queenstown.
Yinglan and I met in 1987, nearly 32 years. Because of my meeting with Yinglan, I also got in touch with another gentle Shuzhen. She still remembers that I was in love with a boy from Bayi! What a surprise! I told her that we broke up not long after we met. At that time, I thought it was annoying to fall in love. Also because he said that his sister and brother were married and gave birth to daughters, his mother pinned her hopes on him. He is from Chaoshan, and traditionally he prefers boys to girls. After hearing what he said, I don't want to be with him. The boy surnamed Zhong's father is gone, and it is not easy for his mother to raise three children. My sister later married to Hong Kong. He is also very competitive. After graduating from junior college, he stayed in Guangzhou Quality Inspection Bureau and went to South China University of Technology for further study. Our unit is close to several universities in Shipai. At that time, South China University of Technology held a dance party every weekend. And my good workmate, Sister Zhen, is not only an expert in playing and dancing, but also a person with excellent personal relationship. There are many people from Hainan. Because she loves dancing, she often takes us to play, and I like dancing myself. Young and seed of love men and women naturally fell in love. This tall, thin young man with glasses met in the dance floor. I started to get along because I was curious. After getting to know him a little, I found that he was not my type, so I broke up decisively. Although he has a good job, Guangzhou hukou (urban hukou was once the golden key of that era) is also studious. However, I don't want to go against my heart. Also because of Sister Zhen, I had a second relationship soon. This relationship let me know what love at first sight is! The pain of loving someone but not being together! It's a little slow for me to digest the pain after breaking up. Maybe I'm more serious. I once swore that I would never have any contact with him after breaking up. Time is the best medicine. I finally found my own happiness! After many years, when I relive the past, I understand it with gratitude! In fact, these are just my learning process. Also because of Sister Zhen, we became group friends a few years ago. The oath of that year has already expired:)
Speaking of Shuzhen, I really want to know what she looks like now. We young boys and girls went to Yanling and trained for three months. According to the main two departments, guest rooms and restaurants, several tall ones were in the security department. Shuzhen and I are both in the restaurant department. There is Sister Zhen in the restaurant department, and there is also a good friend Maolan who is also from Zhanjiang Agricultural Reclamation. After I came to NZ, I called Maolan one day in 2119 to learn that she had died of leukemia. What a shock! Feel sorry for her and pity! The picture below shows Sister Zhen on the right and Maolan on the third right. I'm on the left. The background of the second picture below is the signboard of Yanling Building. This square was completely demolished because of the later subway construction. The busy roads ahead, Yantang Lake and weeping willows near the lake less than 51 meters away from the hotel have completely disappeared.
When we arrived in Guangzhou, the hotel was still in the process of finishing up. At that time, we were arranged to live in the dormitory of the Armed Police Hospital. In the first three months, employees were trained to have food and shelter, but they were required to cut their hair short, and their salary was 91 yuan for one month. During the training, we were taught how to walk and pour wine on a plate. The picture below shows the scene when living in the dormitory of the Armed Police Hospital. Chen Shuzhen and I, who wear the same skirt, come from Zhanjiang Reclamation Area, and the others are from Hainan Reclamation Area. My upper berth is Wu Aijun (first from the right in the back row). I heard that she is in Shanghai. We were joking about her name back then. The tallest woman, Yan (first from the left in the back row), works as a female security guard in the security department. She taught me a Hainan dialect' Lu Kudie' (where are you going), which I still remember. Hainan roommates love to speak Hainan dialect when they are together, and I often can't understand what they say. However, everyone gets along very well together. Yinglan (second from the left in the front row) and Ajuan (middle in the back row) gave me the impression that they often love to laugh. Unfortunately, the one in the middle row can't remember his name.
our salary after formal work is more than 111 yuan. After working for one year, I also enjoyed a 24-day family leave and reimbursed my travelling expenses. Shortly after I came back from visiting relatives, my dad asked my neighbor who worked in Guangzhou to inform me that he was willing to help me make up for the college entrance examination. Because when I came home from visiting relatives, my father found out that I wanted to go back to school. Soon after, I resigned and went to Guangdong Agricultural Reclamation Finance College to study, preparing for the college entrance examination. I haven't seen Shuzhen since I left Yanling. There are two Shu Zhen in the restaurant department, one is from Hainan and the other is Zhanjiang. I have seen Shu Zhen in Zhanjiang several times since I returned to China. Only Hainan Shuzhen has not been contacted. Because of the workers' group, Shu Zhen and I received her recent photo soon after we passed WeChat. (The picture below shows Chen Xuejuan on the left and right, also in the restaurant department. Also from Hainan). Look at Shuzhen's photos, as quiet and beautiful as before!
Why do I come from Zhanjiang Agricultural Reclamation and become attached to my sisters from Hainan Agricultural Reclamation? The reason is that we are all children of farm workers and belong to Guangdong Bureau of Reclamation.
in 1987, I graduated from high school. At that time, the freshmen had to pass the mock exam to take the college entrance examination. Moreover, the college entrance examination places are few, and the difference between urban and rural areas in China. We come from a state farm, and we have to get high marks to get a chance to go to college. However, once the college entrance examination is accepted, it means that you get the opportunity to go to college for free, and there is national distribution after graduation, which is equivalent to getting an iron rice bowl.
Because I didn't pass the mock exam (it was later learned that this simulation was the last time, and future freshmen can directly take the college entrance examination). I graduated one month early. But I have considered continuing to cram for the exam next year. At that time, there were vocational high schools and ordinary key mixed high schools on our farm. Those who study poorly or can't get into high school go directly to vocational high schools and stay on the farm after graduation. I belong to the one who was admitted to high school. Company leaders were informed that fresh graduates would attend military training. When my mother received the notice, she told the leader that I was going to cram for next year's college entrance examination. One day two months later, I got a call from the office. I hurried to answer the phone, and I was a little panicked and at a loss! This is the first time I answered the phone. I was informed by the phone to attend the job interview of the boss of Guangzhou Yanling Hotel. Later, I heard that someone named me was Huang Chengyun, the vice president who taught us politics. Since then, he has become the person I have always been grateful to in my heart! There are three girls in our company for an interview, one of whom is my high school classmate. After the three of us went to the marketing department, we learned that there were at least 25 people interviewing in the whole Dongfanghong Farm. When it's my turn to interview, Mr. Pang always asks me questions in English (mainly names and how many people are there at home). I answered them carefully in English. Three people finally passed, and I was one of them. The sudden opportunity swept away my confusion about the future. I have a job, and I am still in Guangzhou, the provincial capital. At that time, I could feel the envious eyes when people looked at me! Before that, I talked back to my mother for some reason. She said to me angrily, "You'd better marry far away in the future". This happened to be heard by my neighbor's Chinese sister. She later learned that I was going to work in Guangzhou soon, and jokingly said to my mother, "Aunt Xiu, you really got me right! "Now your' Big Eye II' is going to work in Guangzhou far away." "Big Eye Two" was my flower name at that time. Who would have thought that many years later, my mother's angry words became a true prophecy!
The headquarters of Guangdong Bureau of Reclamation is located in Shougouling, Shahe District, Guangzhou. There are Zhanjiang Agricultural Reclamation Bureau and Hainan Agricultural Reclamation Bureau respectively. Yanling Mansion is the first hotel invested by Guangdong Bureau of Reclamation. We are fortunate to be the first batch of formal employees of the hotel, or labor contract workers. At that time, we went to Guangzhou with our sealed files. There is a shuttle bus. When the bus arrived in Guangzhou, it took at least more than ten hours, and the time to cross the river alone was more than two hours. It was really hard to take a long-distance bus!
when I got off the bus, my first impression of Guangzhou was not particularly good or even a little disappointed! Perhaps the thin dog ridge was still desolate, and there was a rubber factory and dairy farm in Yantang Farm nearby, and cows could be seen eating grass. This kind of Guangzhou is not very different from the farm where I lived. Moreover, there are a lot of people and the traffic is a little chaotic. The first thing I want to learn is how to cross the street. However, after I established feelings with my sisters who came with me, I liked this city more and more. The biggest advantage of Shougouling is that there is a big botanical garden. This is a good place for us to take photos and fall in love. Shahe Shopping Street and Huanghuagang Night Market are our first choices for buying clothes. Once Maolan and I went shopping at Huanghuagang Night Market and missed the bus, so we had to walk back. Walking on the road, I was particularly scared. Fortunately, there is no danger! I also went to night school in Shahe with my colleagues.
Hainan Island was established as a province in the second year (April 1988) when we went to Guangzhou. I haven't been to Hainan yet. My hometown is only an hour away from Hainan, and it faces each other across the sea. Maybe it's too close, or I often hear Hainan workers talk about many things in their hometown. I even gave up the generous opportunity to get a job in Hainan directly after graduation.
meet an old friend in another country! Reminds me of my memory constantly, and I deeply miss my late good friend Maolan!
When I was a student in Sanyuanli Finance College, I often spent more than two hours on Saturday riding my bike (given by my boyfriend at that time) to visit my good friends Zhenjie and Maolan in Yanling. Even if everyone simply eats a meal or stays for one night, it is a satisfaction! The next day, I hurried back to the college by bike. Sometimes I stay for two nights and come back on Monday, and I am often late for class. After I graduated and went to work in Shenzhen, the three of us often visited each other. Two good friends with a smooth marriage also took their children to Shenzhen to see me. Feelings are not generally good!
On December 6th, 2117, Hua 'an (the hometown of Sister Zhen), Sister Zhen and Maolan heard that I was going to New Zealand, and they specially came to Shenzhen from Guangzhou to see me off. Sincerely thank them for their pure friendship! This is also the last time I saw Maolan.
in October 2111, I went to New Zealand to settle down and returned to China for the first time. I specially contacted Sister Zhen to arrange for Mauran's son to meet me. The most gratifying thing is to see Xiao Rui become a handsome young man and look more and more like Maolan. At the same time, I also met Sister Zhen's beautiful daughter Shiyu in high school. (The first picture below shows me and Sister Zhen, and the second picture shows Xiao Rui, me and Shiyu). Yanling Building has become a four-star hotel, and the business is still very good. Business was not so good because of the lack of popularity in the suburbs. Thanks to Sister Zhen, my husband and I were able to stay in Yanling for one night during the busy period and enjoyed a free buffet.
On my way back to the airport to take the subway, I also met a worker from A Xiang (from Zhanjiang Reclamation Area). When I was in the restaurant with her, she was in charge of alcohol and tobacco cabinets, and I was a waiter on the floor. A Xiang also talked to me in the group the other day, and talked about our meeting in the subway.
Memories of the past often wake me up in the middle these days. So there is this chronicle. In order to comfort our beautiful and pure fantasy years. I also wish all the colleagues I knew in those days a happy family and good health!