Back to the 60s: The Struggle Career of a Charmed Wife

Feng Qingxue shrank back into the covers, "Xiaoyun is quite busy, she might not receive our letter, and even if she does, that would be a matter for next year, probably by then, she'd have returned home. Anyway, let me talk to you about something important."

"What's the matter? Go ahead, I'm listening," Lu Jiang was always obedient to his wife.

Feng Qingxue talked about her experiences in Shanghai, including selling gold to buy antiques, "Now your words carry some weight. Is there a way to stop the outflow of cultural relics? It's one thing if antiques go abroad, but meaningful cultural relics should stay in the country. If we really wait for a few years until the policy ends exports of cultural relics in '86, who knows how many tens of thousands will have gone overseas in ten years' time."

Lu Jiang pondered for a moment, "It's challenging at the moment. Who has the energy to manage these things? But I'll do my best, maybe gather some necessary evidence to demonstrate the importance of these relics, and it might make a difference."

Feng Qingxue expressed her understanding, "Alright, Adrian is in the capital, he mentioned the foreign market to me. Xiaoyun also sent me a letter, mentioning the market for cultural relics and antiques in Hong Kong. Some old porcelain in our country, worth nothing or just a few hundred bucks, can fetch tens of thousands in auctions abroad, such a huge gap!"

"The information you provided is very important. Even if the state is trying to earn foreign exchange, it will consider this." Lu Jiang already had an idea in his mind, "I'll invite some old comrades for a drink and meal tomorrow, discuss it together, and then jointly submit a proposal to the state."

In the hearts of these old comrades, the national interest is above all else.

It has been nearly thirty years since the founding of the nation, and the slow pace of development makes them very anxious. Progress has been stagnant for too long, whether in knowledge or technology, striving for foreign exchange is also for technological development. Since they're selling anyway, why not choose to sell at a higher price, instead of allowing cultural relic shops and Friendship Stores and other state-owned stores to sell cheaply to foreigners?

Yes, the prices sold to foreigners seem high to ordinary people, like Feng Qingxue buying a bowl for three hundred bucks, or a vase for eight hundred bucks, who wouldn't think it's exorbitant? But compared to foreign markets, it's just a drop in the bucket.

Feng Qingxue gave him a peck on the cheek, "Ajiang, you're amazing!"

She truly admires Lu Jiang's heart for the nation and the people. In such matters, his first thought is not how much he can profit, but rather how to minimize the nation's losses.

Lu Jiang turned over, pressing her beneath him, "You can praise me in other ways!"

Feng Qingxue, her mouth covered by him, mumbled a couple of times, pushing at his shoulders but unable to budge him, annoyed enough to not remind him about telling the kids that they should get up at five to exercise, anyway, it wouldn't be her responsibility if they didn't get up.

Really not her responsibility? The snowflakes outside seemed doubtful.

As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the couple didn't settle down until the middle of the night.

At five the next morning, Lu Jiang promptly got up, went upstairs to knock on the doors, and called the kids to get up.

They agreed to exercise, and there's no going back on their word.

"So early, so cold, it's really a killer." Lu Erxiong lay in bed not wanting to get up, whining, "Dad, how can you be up so early? At home, we get up at six for a run with big brother in the winter."

Five o'clock, five o'clock is the time for summer.

Rising with the sun and resting at sunset!

Amid Lu Erxiong's grumbling, Dundun got out of bed and switched on the light, while Zhuangzhuang silently got dressed, putting on shoes with seamless motions, worried that if they were late, they would be punished. In the army, this is strictly enforced; who wouldn't know this being constantly in that environment?

Ye Yan got out of bed and saw Lu Erxiong searching for his socks, unable to resist saying, "Aren't they under your pillow?"

This was a habit unique to Lu Erxiong, stuffing smelly socks under his pillow, a tendency that persisted despite repeated instructions otherwise.

Lu Jiang had already knocked on his daughter's bedroom door to wake her up, then returned to lean against the door frame of their room, raising his hand to check his watch, rapping the door frame, "It's already five oh five. In the army, a soldier like you would be immediately eliminated!"

Lu Erxiong angrily pulled on his socks, not noticing they were on the wrong way, at least the shoes were on correctly.

Aside from him, the Lu family's children had a strong sense of self-discipline and obedience. By five ten, as Feng Qingxue reluctantly got up, she saw her husband leading a string of children downstairs, with Lu Erxiong incessantly yawning among them.