National Tide 1980.

The teacher that Ning Weimin hired for Sun Wufu and his friends was called Nakanishi Ryosuke. He was said to be a teacher at a language school, but he was actually not very old.

He was only twenty-three years old and had just graduated from college a year ago. He was several years younger than Sun Wufu, who was almost thirty years old.

But he is quite interested in Chinese culture. He majored in Chinese at Waseda University and has traveled twice at his own expense, both times during college.

He likes to speak Chinese, loves the four great Chinese classics, and can converse in broken Chinese, but even among his classmates at Waseda University, such opportunities are rare.

Ning Weimin and he first met at the promotion conference of the TV series "Dream of Red Mansions".

Ryosuke Nakanishi has a great interest and curiosity in Chinese culture, and he knows more about "Dream of the Red Chamber" than other Japanese.

Therefore, Ning Weimin was deeply impressed at the exchange meeting. At that time, Ning Weimin gave him some extra handicrafts as a small gift, which made him like it very much.

Unexpectedly, because of the TV series "Dream of Red Mansions", Ryosuke Nakanishi became a regular customer of Huiwentang Bookstore.

Not only did he buy the Japanese version of the novel and comic book of "Dream of the Red Chamber" and a complete set of "Dream of the Red Chamber" videotapes at Huiwentang, but he also asked the bookstore if it could buy some Chinese books from mainland China on his behalf.

Therefore, both the store manager Rinko Kagawa and Ning Weimin gradually became familiar with this young man.

What Ning Weimin is even more concerned about is that due to the underdeveloped economy of the Republic, the employment prospects for people studying Chinese in Japan at this time are very limited. In Japan, Chinese is still a niche and minor language.

Apart from doing research in a research institute, you can be a translator or a teacher.

So even in this era when graduates from prestigious Japanese universities are being scrambled for by major companies, Ryosuke Nakanishi, who graduated from Waseda University, has never found a job that matches his major after graduation.

He was unwilling to give up the major he had studied for four years, so he is currently working as a substitute teacher in a language school.

At the same time, he also worked part-time at Huiwentang Bookstore every night, which barely provided him with a living.

As a result, when considering how to help Sun Wufu and others become familiar with the situation in Japan, Ning Weimin immediately thought of this Japanese boy. He felt that he was quite suitable for this job, so he took the initiative to talk about this matter with Nakanishi Ryosuke.

As expected, Ryosuke Nakanishi was very satisfied with his monthly salary of 500,000 yen.

I especially feel that the working hours are only six or seven hours a day, which is entirely up to me, with no rigid rules, so it is relatively free.

Moreover, while teaching Japanese, I could also practice my spoken Chinese, which was very cost-effective, so I agreed immediately.

Therefore, with Japanese teacher Ryosuke Nakanishi as their guide, Sun Wufu and his friends no longer had to feel panic-stricken and at a loss in a completely unfamiliar environment like headless flies.

As for specific teaching, of course we have to start with the Gospel chart.

However, even with such simple introductory content, it was still difficult for these rough guys to learn.

It is not because of anything else, but because of the low level of education and the lack of learning experience.

These people are all farmers from rural Hebei. They grew up in poor families with poor learning conditions, and they were considered lucky if they could finish elementary school.

To put it bluntly, they don’t even recognize many Chinese characters, so it’s really difficult for them to learn Japanese.

Especially when people reach this age, their learning comprehension greatly decreases, their brains are not as sharp, and their results are even lower.

What’s more, these grown men are still a little restrained. They really want to learn, but when it’s time to speak, they are too embarrassed to open their mouths.

If someone says something wrong, there will be a burst of laughter.

Therefore, even though Ryosuke Nakanishi tried his best to teach during the two-hour class every morning, the learning atmosphere was really a problem and the learning progress was extremely slow.

According to Ryosuke Nakanishi's estimation, the introductory course, which was supposed to be completed in a week or two, might take two months.

This inevitably made him a little anxious, and his self-confidence was quite damaged.

I was especially worried that after Ning Weimin found out, he would think that I was not teaching with all my heart.

Fortunately, not all Chinese people are so stupid.

Among these people, Sun Wufu is an exception. His learning progress is much faster than others.

In fact, this is not surprising. Perhaps it is because he has been traveling around the world for a long time and has dealt with people from all over the world. Sun Wufu can speak a few words in dialects from all over the country. This is the basic ability to learn a language.

Moreover, after meeting Ning Weimin, Sun Wufu seriously studied the knowledge of antiques, learned a lot of characters, and gained rich learning experience.

When he was selling second-hand goods at the Temple of Heaven, he dealt with many Japanese tourists and even learned to quote prices in Japanese.

Starting to study Japanese at this time is just in line with the saying "slow and steady wins the race".

In addition to him, there is another promising student, the village chief's son Sun Liuwu.

This kid has the highest education among these people. He graduated from junior high school and can be considered to have received formal education. He is already a scholar-like figure in the village.

In addition, he is smart and good at talking. He likes to imitate the way Japanese people speak in movies and joke with everyone.

It would be helpful to start learning Japanese seriously at this time.

At least he is not shy and dares to speak up, which makes him much better than most people. It is natural that he would lose if he just got started.

In short, thanks to these two students who behaved relatively normally, Nakanishi Ryosuke felt somewhat comforted and did not completely lose confidence in continuing teaching.

And to be honest, Ryosuke Nakanishi was also deeply moved by the unique hospitality and sincerity of the Chinese people.

Many of these people were older than Nakanishi Ryosuke, but at Sun Wufu's request, they really treated him like a teacher, offering him cigarettes and tea and calling him "teacher" all the time.

They even provided lunch at noon, no matter whether one cooked at home or ate out, and never asked Nakanishi Ryosuke to pay the bill. Even when he asked for it himself, these people still wouldn't let him.

In Sun Wufu's words, "We Chinese people respect teachers and respect morality. There is absolutely no possibility of asking teachers to spend money. If you insist on taking money, it means you look down on us."

Needless to say, for Japanese people who have very clear boundaries in interpersonal relationships, Ryosuke Nakanishi never thought that paying his own bill would be seen as "looking down on others", which made him quite troubled.

Especially since he had to eat and drink for free every meal, he felt embarrassed and pressured.

But to be honest, no matter how uncomfortable he was, Nakanishi Ryosuke could feel the kindness and generosity.

So after eating the free lunch on the fifth day, he bought a box of coffee for everyone.

When I saw these Chinese people all showing happy expressions, it was as if they were tasting coffee for the first time.

While he was mentally relaxed, he also seemed to feel the special human touch of the Chinese people's way of interacting with each other, where you treat me and I treat you.

Of course, the best way to bridge the spiritual gap between the two sides and bring them closer emotionally is through language communication.

After class every morning, including lunch time, everyone sits together and speaks freely.

Usually during this kind of relaxation, everyone's status is completely equalized. Regardless of whether they are teachers or classmates, everyone communicates on an equal footing, and both sides chat about more daily and interesting topics.

As expected, Zhongxi Liangjie's spoken Chinese level improved rapidly.

Moreover, many of his questions about China that had always puzzled him were also answered.

For example, the residents' committees of the republic are not secret agencies like the KGB.

The main duty of those "bound-foot detective teams" is not to track and monitor foreigners with suspicious words and deeds.

Instead, it is an organization similar to the Japanese neighborhood self-government association, which is mainly responsible for various maintenance and safety publicity in its own residential area. For example, although China grinds corn into powder and makes "wotou" as food for the poor.

However, Empress Dowager Cixi's eating of this food called "wotou" had nothing to do with simplicity.

It is true that the Empress Dowager Cixi lived a luxurious life. The steamed bread she ate was made from special chestnut flour. She was not like the Empress Dowager Shoken of Japan, who practiced frugal behavior and was virtuous.

As mentioned above, it must be said that this kind of communication is undoubtedly very valuable for Japanese like Ryosuke Nakanishi, both from the perspective of cultural exchange and understanding a real republic.

Of course, in turn, Nakanishi Ryosuke also provided considerable emotional value and practical help to Sun Wufu and others.

Not to mention that his questions were enough to make people like Sun Wufu laugh to death, just to make it easier for them to adapt to the environment, the various Japanese rules that Nakanishi Ryosuke introduced to them were also of great help to them.

What about not eating and drinking in public areas, not making loud noises in public places, not graffiti in public toilets, and having to shower before taking a bath in a bathhouse?

To Sun Wufu and the others, it all sounded unbelievable.

If Ryosuke Nakanishi hadn't told them, they really wouldn't have known that they needed to pay attention to so many trivial details in life in Japan, and if they were not careful they would be looked down upon when they went out.

In addition, while going out with Ryosuke Nakanishi to familiarize themselves with the environment, they not only learned about the prices in Japan, but also learned the differences between department stores, supermarkets, specialty stores, discount stores, and convenience stores.

They were also surprised to see that many Japanese people did not use cash, but instead paid with something magical called credit cards.

Soon, even they themselves bought transportation magnetic cards and learned how to use them.

Needless to say, this experience has given them a stronger appreciation for the development of Japanese society.

That feeling is probably similar to what the Japanese will feel thirty years later when they see Chinese people paying by scanning codes on their mobile phones without having to get change.

But after all, what made them feel the most incredible and shocking was Japan's waste recycling industry.

In fact, Sun Wufu and his team were surprised to find that the Japanese were very strict about garbage sorting from the first day they arrived in Japan;

It is so strict that garbage must be cleaned up thoroughly and sorted before being thrown away.

It is so strict that even foreigners, no matter where they live, will first receive a "garbage recycling instruction".

However, the Japanese are unwilling to engage in "low-end work" such as waste recycling themselves, which leads to extremely high costs for garbage disposal.

People living in Japan not only have to throw away garbage according to the date and time, but if they miss it, they will have to wait until next time.

Even items that exceed 30cm on any side are considered “bulky garbage” and require an application from the district.

Then you have to buy a label and stick it on before throwing it away. Don't discard it at will.

Otherwise, you may be fined for violating the laws related to garbage disposal.

Special applications are required for large parts installed on vehicles.

To put it bluntly, Japanese people have to spend extra money to throw away their garbage, and people are used to it.

Moreover, words are not enough, seeing is believing.

On the third day after arriving in Tokyo, they witnessed with their own eyes that someone had thrown away a set of dining table and chairs and a chest of drawers by labeling them.

The furniture was just a little old, but there was nothing wrong with it. It was much newer than the ones they bought for Ning Weimin from the trust store in Beijing.

It is conceivable how much mental shock this incident brought to Sun Wufu and others.

Compared to the situation in the country where you have to pay others for collecting waste paper, if this is not paradise, then what is?

So they lost control a little and wanted to move the furniture back immediately.

But just as they were about to take action to pick up the bargain, Ryosuke Nakanishi stopped them.

It turns out that in Japan, it is illegal to pick up waste with large garbage disposal stickers on it.

This means that it is collected by the local government at the expense of the original owner.

Therefore, ownership actually belongs to the municipality.

If you pick it up and take it home casually, you will be involved in crimes such as stealing relics. If the police find out, a fine is a small matter.

As foreigners, they would most likely be deported.

Oh my god, picking up trash is actually illegal and you will be deported. How scary is that?

Needless to say, Sun Wufu and the others calmed down immediately and dared not pick up any furniture, no matter how good it was.

However, having said that, after returning that day, Sun Wufu quickly understood why Ning Weimin brought them to Japan.

In addition to being able to contribute to the country and explore new avenues, this place is simply a paradise for those of them who make a living by dealing in waste.

It seems that the streets are full of "treasures" that others don't want, and you have to pay to find someone to take them away.

Sun Wufu immediately realized what a huge business opportunity this was.

After going back home at night and discussing with his men, he immediately thought, if he could help Japan remove their garbage from their homes for free, would that be welcomed?

The next day, I specifically asked Ryosuke Nakanishi about this issue.

What the Japanese teacher said was clear enough. As long as there is no sticker on the bulky garbage, it can be taken away legally.

So, based on what he saw and learned after coming to Tokyo, Sun Wufu quickly figured out the specific operation method.

He excitedly called Ning Weimin and asked Ning Weimin to help him make a free garbage recycling leaflet.

He said that the Japanese are afraid of being disturbed by outsiders, but it seems that every household has a mailbox.

He wanted to test the waters by delivering flyers and trying to take on large-scale garbage recycling work in Katsushika City.

Needless to say, Ning Weimin would definitely support this. Just two days later, two thousand flyers customized for Sun Wufu were delivered.

After a few days of distribution, the effects quickly became apparent.

Within a few days, people started calling them, and the first house they went to, they brought back an old color TV and a large bookcase.

As a result, they used the color TV themselves, and after a simple repair on the bookcase, they sent it to the flea market to try their luck. As a result, they sold it for 5,000 yen the next day.

The next day, they were invited to an old lady's house and used a cart to move an old washing machine and a coffee table for her. They even received 1,000 yen to have tea.

That was a huge success, and we were lucrative enough.

That’s right, in Japan, the waste recycling industry doesn’t actually require a high level of Japanese language skills.

Especially in the 1980s, there was money to be made for free everywhere in Tokyo, Japan. As long as you were willing to work hard, you would be able to make a lot of money.

So these guys couldn't hold back any longer. Even though the company's formalities had not been completed and the address of the scrap recycling warehouse had not been selected, they couldn't hold back any longer.

They felt that if they didn't go out for a day, they would be wasting money and it would be unfair to Ning Weimin for bringing them here. (End of this chapter)