Towards evening on January 21, 1978, our passenger ship arrived at the port of Wuzhou.

This is the boundary between the east and west of the Lingnan region, and the Li River in northern Guizhou flows from north to south, where it joins the Pearl River.

Historically, in 214 BC, in the 33rd year of Qin Shi Huang, after the Qin army failed to capture the Lingnan region, in order to complete the hegemony, the Ling Canal was built in northern Guibei, which communicated the Xiangjiang River and the Pearl River water system, so that the Qin army and northern immigrants began to follow the waterway from here, conquered the Luoyue region to the west, conquered the Yangyue region to the east, and controlled the rich Pearl River Delta region such as Panyu (now Yangcheng, "Panyu" is the meaning of big city in the ancient Yue language).

This wharf has a shipping history of tens of thousands of years, and also carries the tragic epic of Lingnan and the Central Plains blending culture and blood for more than 2,000 years!

After our ship docked at the port, there were many villagers who made a living in the eastern region and got off the ship here to go home for the New Year, and they got off the ship here bustlingly.

Since our passenger ship is here to receive passengers, as well as to rest and replenish personnel, our passenger ship has to stop here for a longer time.

Therefore, Brother Zu Xing and Brother Lan Feng took us off the boat to the pier for a tour and meal.

A group of us followed our two brothers to the dock and found a tourist restaurant for dinner.

After everyone sat down around the same round table, I said, "Brother Zu Xing! Brother Lanfeng! On the ship you are treated, on the shore we are in treat! ”

Zu Xing smiled and said, "Okay! It's time for us to let our overseas compatriots show themselves! However, you are not familiar with the dishes here, so let's order them for you! You're going to pay for it! ”

We ordered 10 dishes, all of which were generously portioned, but none of them cost more than 1 RMB! Plus the drink is exactly 10 yuan.

After I paid the bill, the meal was quickly served and we started talking while eating.

Brother Lan Feng said: "Everyone eat slowly!" We're going to rest here for two hours! After here, there will be fewer boats on the river, and our boats can go faster! It won't delay our time in Yongcheng! After eating, let's take a look at the scenery here! ”

Hong Kong Sheng said: "Brother-in-law! It's so cheap here! This meal at the table in Meibang costs $1,500 at least! At present, the official price of the US dollar and the RMB is calculated at 1:2, and at this exchange rate, the table meal is only 5 US dollars! What's the reasoning?! ”

Xiao Da smiled and said, "Hong Kong students! It's a matter of exchange rates! If calculated according to the market price of USD and RMB 1:50, it is only worth 0.2 US dollars! ”

I smiled and said, "Hong Kong students! This is due to the fact that the two currencies are priced differently! At present, ordinary workers in the mainland receive 15 to 30 yuan per month, and this income can feed a family of five here! Of course, this money cannot be used to consume imported goods and overseas services, otherwise, the problem you just asked will arise! In the dollar-using area, the average worker's salary is worth $8 for an hour's work, and their monthly wage is $1,500, which can also provide for a family of five at a minimum, but they live in a crowded room to maintain food and clothing! If everyone doesn't go abroad, according to the value of feeding a family, the RMB and the US dollar should be 1:100 to 1:50! Because, now, the mainland is a very closed and independent market, and there is no free convertibility mechanism between local currency and foreign currency! Therefore, neither the official or market price of the current exchange rate can reflect the true value of the local currency! This is how the confusion of the exchange rate is created! Do you understand? ”

Hong Kong Sheng smiled and said, "I kind of understand! Foreigners like to deceive people, just give workers a few more pieces of paper! The mainland is more realistic, spends less money, and gets a lot! Right? ”

Everyone laughed!

Lilan smiled and said, "Hong Kong students! In fact, there are some problems that Ah Cai did not say, such as some overseas commodities that are not available in the mainland! If mainlanders have to buy these goods, they can only pay US dollars! This is also one of the main factors affecting the formation of the exchange rate between the local currency and foreign currency! If, we rely too much on imported goods, we will lose the pricing power of the currency! If this happens, it's very troublesome! When the time comes, Brother Zu Xing's salary will not be enough to buy toothpaste! ”

Everyone laughed!

Hong Kong Sheng said: "Sister Lilan! I feel so profound! Will you be an economist in the future? ”

Lilan smiled and said, "Alas! If you understand something, you're good to go! Economics is all about stalls! In the future, we will do things that foreigners can't do! In this way, it will not be long before they will be able to buy our products and services in RMB! Do you understand? ”

Everyone laughed!

After eating, ten of us stood on the edge of the pier, leaning on the railing, looking out over the river.

We see that the wide river surface is reflected in the light on both sides of the river, the scales are dazzling, the whole river is like a starry Tianhe, the ships calling and leaving the port are waking their horns, and the people on the port are bustling and lively!

At this time, our thoughts are wanderers, and we are traveling through the thousands of years of ups and downs in this city!

......

At 8 p.m., we re-boarded the passenger ship, and we stood on the bow deck and followed Hangzhou to a distant destination!

......

At 3 p.m. on January 22, our passenger ship arrived at the newly built exclusive passenger and freight terminal of Yongcheng Southwest Shipping Company.

Me, Xiaoda, Brother Lide, Cai Jinghua, Jing Di, Lilan, Hong Kong Sheng, Yanfang and Kexin took their luggage and belongings and followed Brother Zu Xing and Brother Lan Feng off the boat.

At the exit of the pier. We saw the white-haired mother, Teacher Cen, Mrs. Mao, Uncle Lan and Aunt Lotus, as well as Brother Jingtian, Sister-in-law Meixin, Sister Li'an and Sister Caixia.

After everyone met, they hugged each other and cried and exchanged greetings!

Everyone was busy helping us move our luggage and belongings to a minibus.

Then, Brother Zu Xing and Brother Lan Feng returned to the passenger ship and went to do their business.

The nine of us got on the minibus with our relatives and returned home.

In the car, Mother and Wei's mother sat and chatted with Yanfang, Lilan and Hong Kong Sheng.

Mrs. Mao, Uncle Lan, Aunt Lotus, Sister Li'an and Sister Caixia sat with Kexin and Xiaoda.

Cai Jinghua, Jingtian and Meixin's sister-in-law are together.

Teacher Cen and I, Jing Di and Brother Li De sat together and chatted.

Teacher Cen smiled and said, "Ah Cai! After getting the huge amount of money you gave to your family last time, we invested 150 million yuan to buy land to build this wharf! Although this wharf is a little far away from the city, our shipping company's freight, passenger fleet, maintenance plant, etc. can be concentrated here, and at the same time, we have also built a wharf warehouse area, office area, staff dormitory and canteen on the shore of the wharf. In this way, our operating costs have been reduced, and our operating ability and profits have increased! Therefore, the shipping company's business performance will definitely be able to improve steadily in the future! ”

I said, "Teacher Cen! In the past eight years, you have really worked hard! You have made a great contribution to local development and employment! The only pity is that you elders are getting old! ”

Teacher Cen smiled and said, "Alas! Life is like this, you will grow old when you lie in bed! Ahh Now, Uncle Tiger, Brother Tiedan, Brother Shi, and the five brothers of the Luo family and other relatives in Daling Town have come to work in Yongcheng Shipping Company, and they are all very happy and satisfied to study and work here! We renovated the old office building of the shipping company, and now it has become a business processing and settlement center for the company's waybills, ticketing and corporate finance! We also set up a star-rated hotel in the city, Sister Caixia, Sister Li'an and Sister Caiyan went to Yangcheng to learn hotel management, and now, several of them are responsible for the management of this hotel! Tonight, we will hold a wedding wine and a reception for you in this hotel! ”

I smiled and said, "Teacher Cen! I feel like my family's business should be almost done! In the future, you elders will let Brother Zu Xing and them manage the entire enterprise! You and Uncle Lan and other elders should also go fishing and enjoy the blessings! ”

Teacher Cen smiled and said, "Yes! In the summer of 1946, I returned to my hometown from Shanghai, when I was 25 years old. This year, I'm 57 years old, and indeed, I should indeed give your generation a young shift! In the future, Uncle Lan and I's main task is to fish and play! ”

......

At around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, we took a minibus to the backyard parking lot of Qin's Jiangbin Building in Yongcheng.

It has been expanded, and my mother has bought both sides of the building on the basis of the original building, and opened up the backyards of the three buildings into a large backyard with parking, garage, relaxation terrace and large garden.

The first floor is completely isolated from the main hall in addition to half of the main hall, and these street shops have been rented to others to open shops to do business, so in addition to the main hall, part of the self-use area on the first floor of the house is used for the living room, dining room and kitchen.

I, Yanfang, Lilan, Jingdi, Cai Jinghua, Hong Kong Sheng, Mother, Jingtiange, Meixin, etc., got off the bus with our luggage and belongings, Xiaoda, Kexin, and Brother Lide followed Teacher Cen and Uncle Lan and them, and drove back to Lan's house and Cen's house to live in a minibus.

After we entered the house, we saw our nephew Qin Anbang, now, he is five years old, and my niece Qin Feifei, she is only more than a year old, Wei's mother hugged Feifei with tears, silently looking at us and nodding!

We have never met, my mother's younger brother, my uncle Bai Pingchuan, who is in his forties; Aunt Wei Shuyuan, also in her forties, is a family member of Wei's mother's village; My eldest cousin, Bai Furong, is twenty years old; The second cousin, Bai Fugui, is also eighteen years old.

The Bai family all looked at us in a daze and surprised and smiled and nodded!

After we all went into the house with our luggage, my mother assigned us a room to live in.

My mother prepared a new room for Yanfang and me; Jing Di and Hong Kong students are arranged in a house; Lilan lives in one of her own.

We put away our luggage, washed up, changed into new clothes and went to the living room to drink tea and chat with everyone.

The mother smiled and said, "Alas! This year, our Qin family has a lot of happy events! First of all, Jingtian and Meixin changed jobs and went home, and the work was arranged! Ah Cai and Yanfang are married! Jing Di and Lilan are also studying abroad and going home for the New Year! Hong Kong students have also returned from overseas to recognize their families! The Bai family also came to spend the day with our Qin family, and in a few days, Lifen also took Xiaodong, Kewen and Xue'er home for the New Year! In this way, our family is really going to have a happy year! ”

Everyone laughed!

Uncle Pingchuan said, "Ah Cai! You are the most promising nephew of our Bai family! Everyone knows that you have been very successful overseas! Therefore, your two cousins have been telling me that you should take the two of them overseas, and they will learn the skills of being a person and doing things with you! Since, your two cousins' family composition is not good, they will definitely have no hope of going to university, but what can they do if they are farming in the countryside all day long?! Therefore, for the sake of the future of your two cousins and the Bai family, you can help them! ”

I said, "Uncle! I am also a child of the Bai family! If there is a problem at home, I should help! If Brother Furong and Brother Fugui really want to leave the mainland, after the Spring Festival, the two brothers will go with us! I can handle their work and life overseas! ”

Brother Fu Rong smiled and said, "Ah Cai! Fugui and I have dreamed of going overseas with you! We don't see any hope in the mainland anymore! ”

The mother smiled and said, "All right! Glory and riches! Ah Cai is a man who does what he says! In the next few days, you will start preparing your luggage for overseas! Talk to your parents! When you go overseas, you don't have the opportunity to see your parents! ”

Wei's mother smiled and said, "Ah Cai, Yanfang! Your mother, Teacher Cen and Uncle Lan, etc., tonight, in our own hotel, invite relatives to dinner! For you, as well as Xiaoda and Kexin, etc., make up the banquet! At 7 p.m., we're going to the hotel together! ”

......

At 7 o'clock in the evening, my mother, Wei Ma, Jingtiange, Meixin, Feifei, Anbang, me, Yanfang, Lilan, Jingdi, Gangsheng, Furong and Fugui took a minibus in the backyard of the house to the family hotel for a wedding banquet.

Uncle Hirakawa and Aunt Shuyuan are at home to take care of the house.

Soon we arrived at the hotel yard parking lot.

This hotel is very close to our home, the hotel is on the site of the mother's southwest workstation, after the demolition of the original office building, this land was built on an eight-storey multi-conjoined complex, its construction area is more than 20,000 square meters.

The interior and exterior of the hotel are very magnificently decorated, and the facilities and equipment inside are very complete, including lobby, elevator, large restaurant, housing, shopping mall, etc.

Teacher Cen and Uncle Lan greeted us at the door of the hotel, and after we entered the restaurant together, we saw that Kexin, Xiaoda, Cen and Lan family and other relatives were already at the wedding banquet.

Uncle Big Tiger, Brother Shi, Brother Tiedan, Sister Caiyan, as well as relatives of the Jia family brothers such as Daren, Erren, Sanren, Siren, and Wuren also came to attend the wedding banquet.

There were three tables of banquets in the banquet hall, and the banquet hall was pasted with big red happy characters, pulling a banner with yellow characters on a red background, and the banner read, "Welcome Qin Jingcai and Tao Yanfang, Lan Xiaoda and Wei Kexin, the newlyweds to return to their hometown!" ”。

After the banquet began, firecrackers and fireworks were set off outside, and the elders such as Mother, Wei Ma, Uncle Lan, Aunt Lotus, Teacher Cen and Mrs. Mao sat in a row on the Taishi chair in the main hall.

After the ceremony, everyone sat down for dinner, and I, Yanfang, Xiaoda, Kexin, Hong Kong Sheng, and my mother, Wei's mother, Uncle Lan, Aunt Lotus, Teacher Cen, Mrs. Mao, and other elders were at the same table; Brother Jingtian, Brother Zu Xing, Brother Lanfeng, Cai Jinghua, Uncle Dahu, Brother Tiedan, Brother Shi, Daren, Erren, Sanren, Siren and other Jia brothers are at the same table; Meixin's sister-in-law, Anbang, Fei Fei, Sister Caixia, Cen Letian, Cen Nini, Sister Li'an, Lan Linghui, Lan Niuniu, Sister Caiyan, Lilan, Brother Lide, Brother Furong, Brother Fugui, etc. are at the same table.

After everyone is seated, the waiter pours wine and serves tea to everyone!

Teacher Cen picked up the wine glass and said with a smile: "It's all my own family here!" Don't be polite! Ah Cai and Xiaoda, who left their hometown in May 1971 to wander in the outside world, have been eight years, and today is a bittersweet end! Today, Ah Cai and they have achieved success in their careers, and took Tao Yanfang and Wei Kexin's two daughters-in-law home to visit us and celebrate the New Year with us! Everyone was so happy! Come on! Let's toast the four newlyweds with a glass of bar, we wish them a happy family and an early birth of a precious child! ”

After we had a glass of wine with everyone, we started chatting while eating.

After the four of us newlyweds toasted the elders, the relatives at the other two tables toasted.

At the toast, we know that Brother Tie Dan changed his name to Blue Gold Jade; Brother Stone changed his name to Blue Lazuli; Da Ren changed his name to Jia Daren; Erren changed his name to Jia Dayi; Sanren changed his name to Jadari; Siren changed his name to Jia Dazhi; Wuren changed his name to Jadasin.

They said that this is because their names are so earthy, and they are always laughed at when they are named at work! Therefore, Mr. Cen helped them change their current name.

Uncle Lan smiled and said, "Ah Cai! What do you think of this kid? We are ready to marry your sister Caiyan to Lide! ”

I smiled and said, "Uncle Lan! Brother Li De is honest and steady, smart and capable, and has a person who can be trusted for life! Sister Caiyan can marry him! I think it's very good! ”

Teacher Cen said, "Ah Cai! Jia Dazhi and Jia Daxin have two children, one is nineteen years old and the other is eighteen years old! They work as mechanics in our factory! When they heard that you were coming back, they came to my office all day long and said that they were going to work overseas with you and see the world! A few days ago, their parents came to the provincial capital and told me this, Ah Cai! Can you take them out?! ”

I said, "Teacher Cen! No problem with this! We have also invested in a HAECO and a maintenance shop in Port City! They go where they can work and study! ”

Teacher Cen smiled and said, "Okay! Ahh You are a responsible person! People with great skills must think that they have too many brothers and sisters! Your own people are 10,000 times better than people outside! ”

Subsequently, Brother Li De and Sister Caiyan came over together to toast the elders, our newcomers, Uncle Big Tiger, Brother Jin Yu and Brother Jin Shi!

After Brother Dazhi and Brother Daxin knew that I agreed to take them overseas for development, they also toasted their elders and relatives goodbye!

......

At 10 p.m., the wedding feast ended.

After the wedding banquet, Brother Lide and the Lan family, the Cen family and the Jia family took a minibus home.

Mother, Wei Ma, Jing Tiange, Mei Xin's sister-in-law, Fei Fei, Anbang, me, Yanfang, Lilan, Jing Di, Hong Kong Sheng, Fu Rong and Fugui also went home on another minibus.

When I got home, my mother went back to my room to wash and rest.

......