Grandmother when she was young
Time flies so fast, and in the blink of an eye I've been working in a weaving mill for more than twenty years. In the 1980s, the weaving mill failed to keep up with the development of technology, and the efficiency of the factory began to decline, not as prosperous as in the 70s. By the 1990s, weaving mills, like many county-run enterprises, were becoming more and more economically difficult, and salaries could not be paid normally. I heard that the county and the factory have held many meetings to study and try to change this situation, but they have never found a better way. During this time, the staff and workers in the factory struggled to stick to the expectation, after several turnovers, still did not change, from a large collective to a private contract, one or two generations of Xuyi weaving factory eventually became history, decades of the formation of weaving has also become my eternal memory.
Old photos of workers in Xuyi County Weaving Factory
Reform and opening up have gradually improved our lives. Like the workers, my living conditions are gradually improving. I bought a permanent bicycle and a butterfly sewing machine. Around 1985, relying on my husband's resettlement fee and years of savings, the trustee bought a 1600 yuan 21-inch Hitachi color TV with a ticket. Imported color TVs were a rare thing at that time, becoming the most valuable belongings of many people, and relatives and friends were envious of them. Later, the phone was installed at home, and it was more convenient to contact. I can talk to old workers and relatives on the phone and talk about home. They have brought each other closer together, and they often express their concerns and greetings to each other.
In 1982, my husband transferred from the army to a local job, and the family finally lived together, and the whole family was very happy. Director Dai of the County Justice Bureau took special care of my family, and he gave me the house that the unit had given him, and his own family still lived in the old house, and I was grateful to him from the bottom of my heart. Since then, my family has moved away from the weaving factory dormitory and moved into a new house on Xishan Road, with 3 large bungalows of more than 80 square meters, bright and spacious, and the family is very happy.
In 1985, due to physical reasons, I decided to retire early. On the day I went through the retirement procedures, the sisters in the factory came to me one after another to ask me this and that, and for a while there was no end to the words. Some took my hand, spoke with excitement, and almost fell from tears. Some young colleagues said a word to me, and their eyes showed that they were reluctant to give up. At that time, I thought that I would say goodbye to the weaving factory that had been with me for twenty-seven years from now on, and I had an indescribable taste in my heart. I really don't want to leave the weaving factory where I have worked for decades, and I don't want to leave the good colleagues who have been with me day and night for many years. Fortunately, every month I went to the factory to collect my salary, and I could see some old colleagues. I felt very kind to seeing them, and I was relieved to talk to them about the past and talk to them, as if I had returned to my days in the factory.
Retirement was a new starting point for me, and it was difficult to fully adapt for a while, but I tried to do more for my family. I went from circling the machine to circling the family, devoting all my time and energy to family life, and the main task was to take better care of my husband and children. Every day, I bought vegetables and cooked, took care of housework, inside and out, busy, and was jokingly called "cooking class leader" by my granddaughter. Although a little tired, the heart is full and happy. Sometimes there are family activities on the festival, so I help to organize them together, and the relatives are very kind to me, so that I feel the warmth from the big family.
In 1997, my husband retired from the Justice Bureau. His retirement life is much richer than mine, in addition to picking up and dropping off his granddaughter from school, he is busy with his own cultural and sports activities. As soon as he retired, he went to Xuyi County University for the Aged, learning to sing, pull erhu, play gourd silk, practice brush writing, and transcribed musical scores as high as a stack of books. He loves sports and fitness, learned tai chi, practiced swords, and wrote his own moves neatly in a notebook. Every day before dawn, I get up, do fitness exercises in the living room, pat and beat, and then carry swords, carry knives and other equipment to go out with my old partners to play tai chi collectively, practice tai chi swords, and dance fan dances. He also often participates in the Sunset Red Elderly Choir performances, sometimes participates in the chorus, sometimes participates in performances, although not starring, still enjoys it.
In 2003, the whole family moved to Huaiyin (now Huai'an) with the son-in-law's work transfer, and I also said goodbye to Xuyi, who had lived for many years. When I first came to the city, I was still a little uncomfortable. Fortunately, there were several old co-workers who also lived in the city, and an apprentice also lived nearby, and we could occasionally see each other, feeling very kind, talking about the time when we struggled together in the weaving factory. What's more coincidental is that there are two old workers who live in the same neighborhood as me, and there are more opportunities to see each other, and sometimes they can talk at home for half a day, as if they are back in the past. In 2008, when I was 70 years old, several co-workers living in the city specially celebrated my birthday with me, which made me very moved.
In the first five or six years in Huai'an, I mainly spent time on my granddaughter, buying vegetables and cooking, doing good logistics, and sometimes sending her to school. In 2010, my granddaughter went to college abroad, and my husband and I suddenly had more free time. My husband took me around the city to see this city that has lived for nearly ten years, both familiar and unfamiliar, Bowl Pond Mountain, Peach Blossom Island, Chuxiu Garden, Willow Bay, Li Canal, Guhuai River... The old couple took a relaxing tour of the city. Later, I became familiar with a few old men and women who like to play mahjong next to home, they took me to Beijing New Village to play mahjong together, for a long time, I gradually learned Huai'an mahjong, when there is nothing to play in the afternoon, the day is also happy and fulfilling.
In 2021, my daughter bought a smartphone for me. At first I didn't want to, thinking that in my eighties I could learn smartphones. My granddaughter volunteered to teach me how to answer and make calls, to send voices and make WeChat video calls with WeChat. At the beginning, I always failed to send out the voice successfully, either without holding it down, or my hand was loose again when I spoke, and I was very anxious. My granddaughter was very patient, guiding me step by step, and practicing with me hand in hand. After the successful sending, I was very happy and sent voice in the group at home without a problem. After learning to video call, I often met with old friends in the weaving factory in the video, and we were very excited when we saw each other, and I felt that the technology is really advanced now. In one video, an old friend told me that the workers at the Xuyi Weaving Factory were getting ready for a party in September and pulled me into the group. At first, I didn't know what a group was, but then my granddaughter pointed to the avatars and said who this was, who was this, and I suddenly realized that everyone was using a smartphone. So every day I would pay attention to the news in the group and look forward to the arrival of the weaving factory party with everyone.
Finally, it was time for the weaving mill staff to gather. I deliberately rushed from Huai'an to Xuyi the day before the party. As soon as I got out of the car, I felt the strong party atmosphere. Banners were hung at the Jinguyuan Hotel in Xuyi County to welcome workers from all over the world. They spanned nearly half a century, gathering in towns where they struggled together when they were young. Chen Zhonglan, an old friend who was present, held me, Zhan Zhengguo, Zhao Jianlan, Tang Yiping, Li Xianzheng, and Wang Youmei came one after another, and everyone gathered around lively, happily chatting about the past in the factory, feeling the perseverance of the weaving factory people to endure hardships and hard work, and the spirit of workers and cadres uniting as one and fighting for the factory. Early the next morning, the workers who attended the party arrived one after another, and we felt extremely cordial after a long absence, shaking hands and hugging, and making love. We took hands that could not be let go, and said endless words. At lunch, everyone ate and drank, singing and dancing, which was very lively. In the end, they took a group photo to reminisce, and they were reluctant to say goodbye. I would like to thank Wang Yiguo for organizing this carefully planned gathering, and thank other organizers and old friends for bringing me a precious reunion and leaving a beautiful and happy memory!
Weaving mill workers' gathering
After the party came home, I told my granddaughter about the two days, and she listened to it and wanted to know more of my life story. Under her patient inquiry, I tried to recall the past and tell her about my life experiences from childhood to adulthood.
I went from an ordinary rural girl to an ordinary weaver, without earth-shattering experiences, but with many hard work experiences. I was born in the era of war, grew up in New China, struggled in the entrepreneurial period, and now ushered in a new era. I witnessed how the old society was full of holes to the new China with convenient life and scientific and technological progress.
Each generation has its own story, and my story is written by sweat, strength, and struggle. I often warn my granddaughter this way: You are a lucky generation, you can have dreams, go to big cities and even abroad. When you eat, you call for takeaway and someone will deliver it, and you like something to buy online and deliver it to your home in two days. You have hitched a ride on the country's economic development, and China has been an economic power since birth, and we must cherish the hard-won good life. Thanks to my granddaughter, she was able to squeeze out time to interview me and follow my life story. My life is ordinary, a life of happiness and beauty created by my own labor. This "secret" also applies to you, and you must also rely on your own hands to contribute to your family, to society, and to your country. Thank you, and may you all achieve your wishes, happiness and peace.