Many years ago, an incident aroused widespread concern and is still mentioned by many people today. The content can be simply summarized as: "The deposit of 50,000 yuan turned into 50 yuan, and the old man angrily smashed the glass of the bank." As we learned, this old man with a troubled face and kept saying "I won't pay for the loss" was in 1953. I deposited 50,000 yuan into a bank on April 3. Who would have thought that 62 years later, only 50 yuan of the original 50,000 yuan with principal and interest would be withdrawn.
Then, the old man will also provide the deposit slip to the relevant staff to see. After confirming that the situation is true, he will find the financial institution to understand the situation. The financial institution was very frustrated with its skills. The staff talked about a historical period related to the issuance of RMB in our country in the 20th century. It turned out that on December 1, 1948, the first set of RMB with 12 denominations was sold in my country. The minimum denomination was one yuan, but the maximum denomination reached 50,000 yuan. The "Three Big Things" of Marriage
The three big things of marriage, to put it bluntly, are the three items that both parties must have when they get married. In today's declining society with rapid economic development, people generally set "house", "car" and "money" as the three major items of marriage. Among them, "house" is the top priority. If there is not a better new house, the wedding date of the two people will be pushed back again and again.
In fact, the development trend of each period has different characteristics, and the three major wedding items in different periods are also completely different. For example, in the 1970s, the three most important wedding items were watches, bicycles, and electric sewing machines. The brand of each item is also very important. Watches must be prepared with "Shanghai brand", bicycles must be prepared with "Phoenix brand", and sewing machines must be prepared with "Flying Pigeon brand". If the dowry can combine these three things, the wedding banquet will have the dignity and atmosphere.
In the 1980s, as the wind of reform and opening up spread across China, people's living standards gradually improved. Televisions, automatic washing machines, and refrigerators have become the three most important items in a wedding. If the dowry includes a black-and-white TV set and a single-door refrigerator, the married life of the newbie can also be loving. By the 1990s, the entertainment industry was developing rapidly. Idol stars such as Little Tigers and Hua Tsai were popular all over China. If anyone could play their albums on a record player or speakers, it would make people jealous. As a result, the three major wedding items were transformed into color TVs, speakers and VCRs.
The 2000s of the 21st century was a period where innovation was the main development trend. The three major items of marriage at that time were computers, air conditioners and motorcycles. In addition to preparing money for betrothal gifts, men will also make gold jewelry to give to women. To sum up, the three major wedding items are distinctive marks of each period, reflecting the economic development, cultural and social development trends and transformations of special historical periods. "Phoenix Brand" Bicycle
Bicycles can be regarded as the three major wedding items in the 1970s, which shows its necessity in everyone's heart. Even in the 1980s, the three popular wedding items had already changed. When old people prepare dowries for their daughters, they still include bicycles in them. Phoenix brand bicycles were manufactured by Shanghai Bicycle No. 3 Factory and were a popular means of transportation for ordinary people in the 1970s and 1980s.
The "Phoenix" bicycle trademark logo was successfully certified on New Year's Day in 1959. The well-known brand logo is a colorful and flying phoenix pattern. The word "Phoenix" has rich meanings. "Phoenix" is the king of birds. It represents good luck, satisfaction and elegance, and also has the traditional characteristics of Chinese culture.
In 1964, in order to promote bicycles, the factory carefully selected a group of employees to form a bicycle transportation team, riding Phoenix bicycles of different colors and types around different planning areas, attracting many people to stop. The viewing also left the public with the impression that Phoenix bicycles have a dazzling appearance and excellent performance. As "Phoenix" becomes more and more abstract, Shanghai Wedding Photo Studio even launched a wedding photo studio with the theme of "Phoenix Bicycle", attracting many couples who are getting married to take photos.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Phoenix bicycles exported to Southeast Asia and became popular all over the world. Phoenix bicycles can often be seen on the streets and alleys, and store owners also display them in the most prominent and eye-catching places. In many areas, they are so popular that there is not enough inventory. So there was a time when people had to buy by vote. 180 Yuan in the 1980s
In the 1980s, the market price of a Phoenix bicycle was around 180 Yuan. So how much does 180 Yuan cost today? At that time, the price of an ordinary bicycle was about 100 to 120 yuan, and the Phoenix bicycle was the Rolls-Royce of bicycles. Although it was expensive, it made people fall in love with it.
Judging from the consumption level in the 1980s, the price of bicycles was basically at the highest point of the price level. In 1985, a pound of rice cost 0.12 yuan, 100 pounds of rice was only 12 yuan, and 180 yuan could buy 1,700 pounds of rice. Generally speaking, the net weight of a large bag of rice is 100 kilograms, so 1,700 kilograms is equivalent to 17 bags of rice. A family of three consumes an average of 60 kilograms of rice a month, so 180 yuan can buy a family's rice consumption for nearly two years and four months.
The price of pork in the same year was about 1.5 yuan/catty, and 180 yuan could buy 120 catties of raw pork. However, the price of pork has risen to an average of 20 to 30 yuan per catty. Based on the calculation of 30 yuan per catty, pork has increased 20 times. Using pork prices as the standard, 180 yuan in 1985 is equivalent to 3,600 yuan today. From the perspective of people's wages, the average income of state-owned enterprises and government institutions in 1988 was 45 yuan per month. If employees wanted to buy a Phoenix bicycle, they would have to save for four months even if they did not eat. At present, the average income of state-owned enterprise employees is 4,000 yuan per month. Based on salary and benefits, everyone has to spend 16,000 yuan to buy a Phoenix bicycle.