Return To 1990

Semi-automatic sealing machine

Jiang Xiaoyan’s heart is in chaos as she looks at Lu Feng. The past two days were like a dream, she has smiled more in these past two days than in her entire married life. 

How about doing it with him?

The two of them have been married for four years; it was enough time to make people laugh, if they heard the couple never slept together.

“I dozed-off,” Jiang Xiaoyan slowly lifted the quilt, getting ready to climb into Lu Feng’s bed.

“You should go to bed early, you have to get up early for work tomorrow.”, said Lu Feng said turning his back towards his wife and nodding off.

Jiang Xiaoyan’s movement froze in mid-air, and she laid down on her bed again. Her heart was troubled; wondering,

 Am I not as beautiful as I was back then? Or has he seen flowers of                       

outside world that much in the past four years and that I can’t even be compared to them?

The next morning, Wang received a notification. The grain bureau was transformed, Wang still manages the grain station but has been promoted; it made him ecstatic, and he attributed everything to Lu Feng.

Lu Feng woke up at nine o’clock in the morning. A bowl of porridge and a steamed bun was waiting for him on the table. He sat at the table and started eating, sighing and muttering in intervals, “Semi-automatic encapsulation line and glass bottle manufacturing plant, where can I get it?”

With such a predicament in front of him, even a sophisticated liar like him can do nothing but be helpless. Lu Feng does not have the capital to obtain even the crucial resources for packaging. All he has is a wedding suit and a torn bag, the rest depends on his acting.

There was a knock on the door, and Lu Feng asked breathlessly, “Who is it?”

“Brother Feng are you awake? It’s me Jianguo, please open the door.”

Soon Lu Feng opened the door to find out that outside the door was not only Zhou Jianguo, but also Sun Longbin, Biaozi and Big Head, at seven in the morning squatting at the door.

Lu Feng opened the door and Zhou Jianguo’s face bloomed into a smile, he bowed to his waist like a eunuch, “Good morning brother Feng, we are here to apologize; yesterday my brothers drank too much, please forgive them.”

“Yes, brother Feng, please don’t take it to heart. You will always be my best friend, just like a brother.” Sun Longbin also rushed to speak.

Everybody talked like different people; it was like they had all changed overnight. They opened and shut their mouths with extra admiration, making Lu Feng wonder, “What is wrong with you guys?”

Big head straightforwardly said “Brother Feng, when I told them about us going to the grain bureau yesterday, they dragged me here.”

Lu Feng froze for a moment, frantically thinking about the relationship between the two happenings for a full seven to eight seconds, he figured it out. Laughing, he replied, “Brother Zhou, you believe Big Head’s words ah? No matter what you do, don’t listen to his nonsense.”

If Lu Feng had open-handedly admitted it, Zhou Jianguo would have had to really think about the truth, but now he is in a strong denial and reluctant to taking advantage of it.

“Whether true or false, you are my brother. Yesterday the brothers did not do right, we have come here to make amends.”

Big Head on the side said, “Brother Feng, your wife had a fight with us this morning and told us to stay away from you.”

Lu Feng sighed, sat on a bench nearby and said, “My wife does have a problem with you, that is the reason I’ve quarreled several times with you concerning coming to my house. The less you contact me here, the better.”

“You are my brother and I, Zhou Jianguo want peace among us. I got quietly scolded this morning and did not retaliate. Feng, you are my brother and I have made up my mind that no matter what the problems maybe, I will help you every time you need me.” Zhou Jianguo patted his chest sharply.

Lu Feng knew Zhou Jianguo is from a ten-thousand-dollar household and is considered rich; therefore, he must have a lot of relations and connections. Lu Feng pondered for a while and said, “There has indeed been a matter recently. I eat, drink and play every day, but my old man is not happy, so I have to prove myself to him; achieve something. I am ready to set-up a cannery, but I am still lacking a semi-automatic sealing assembly machine.” 

Zhou Jianguo and Sun Longbin glanced at each other, thinking frantically. A few seconds later, Zhou Jianguo suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “I know where you can get an old one!”

Lu Feng got really excited and hurriedly calmed himself, barely managing to maintain his image; he is now the son of a big shot. He nodded and replied, “I’ll change my clothes and let us go and check it out.”

Lu Feng changed clothes, got ready and came out the door. As he went out, he ran into Li Da Fang. They glanced at each other and passed without saying a word. Li Da Fang glared at Lu Feng’s back of and grunted coldly, “Still mixing up with these idle ruffians, wait for it and I will make sure you suffer.”

Today Big Head did not bring his rickshaw and everyone was riding motorcycles, further implying that everyone was trying to impress Lu Feng. Soon, they arrived at a large courtyard in the suburbs. Zhou Jianguo entered the courtyard and shouted, “Uncle Liu are you there?”

From a house, a man in his forties walked out and walked up to Zhou Jianguo, taking a glance at the group, and exchanged pleasantries.

Sun Longbin gently glanced at Lu Feng, this morning all had let only Zhou Jianguo to perform, and Lu Feng did not even say a word. He quietly leaned to one side and asked, “Brother Feng, do you need the fruits for opening the cannery ah?”

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you that day?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll inform my dad when I get back. He can keep the fruits in the village for you, and as long as you need them, the fruits of the whole village will be all yours.” Sun Longbin assured curtly.

Lu Feng nodded and did not say further.

Zhou Jianguo came over with Liu and introduced him, “This is my brother Lu Feng, he is interested in that semi-automatic sealing machine of yours.”

Liu politely said, “Come on, let’s see the machine; It’s been there for years.”

The crowd went to a large room with numerous miscellaneous items and a four-meter-long semi-automatic sealing machine full of dust and spider webs. From what they could see, it still looked in very good condition.

Liu then summarized the working of the machine, “This packaging machine fills and seals. It can fill more than 200 bottles an hour, speed is not a problem.”

Everyone then cleaned the machine with rags and started it; there were no problems at all. Uncle Liu then clapped his hands and said, “How about it? Honestly, if you want it, five thousand dollars. Leaving it here is not of much use to me.”

Five thousand!?

Half worth of your whole household!, were the thoughts of Lu Feng

Lu Feng nodded without moving his head, took out a pack of Badaling cigarettes from his pocket and with a wave shared it with the crowd. He lit one and proposed, “How about this, you pull the machine over for me. I will use it, and when I have money in hand, I will give you six thousand. To me, a thousand or two is no problem.”

Liu was shocked and thought, A thousand or two thousand is small money?

Uncle Liu was amused by the words that even ten thousand dollars households like theirs would not dare to say so. Thinking,

 He came to play the game of empty glove? Simply amusing 

he said, “Impossible, this is an imported machine. If you want to buy a new one, you have to use foreign exchange, you understand?”

Zhou Jianguo saw Lu Feng frown and hastily pulled his uncle aside. He whispered, “Uncle Liu, according to what I said earlier, just lend it to him. A couple of thousand dollar for some people is really not a problem.”

“Are you kidding me? He is rich yet he came here to play poor?”

“He is now met with difficulties. I told you the machine will be in my suburban house, You can go see it anytime. The most important thing is, have you not noticed the difference in his temperament from common folk?” 

Uncle Liu dropped his head and examined Lu Feng. The suit ironed and the figure dignified and handsome. The aura around the body revealed that he was not an ordinary person at a glance.

“What do you mean? He has someone up there?” asked Liu.

“It’s not that he has someone up there, it’s that the person is his father.  Even the grain bureau had to give him respect, understand?” Zhou Jianguo said and winked.

Uncle Liu immediately understood, he patted Zhou Jianguo’s shoulder firmly with his hand and whispered “These kind of people have climbed up a lot, your boy has a great future!”