Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 816-815 A Perfect Match
Tang Zhitong felt that Maslow's hierarchy of needs did not quite fit his current situation. Hong Kong and Macau had not yet returned to China, the nation had not yet achieved its great rejuvenation, and Taiwan had not yet been recovered. How could he slack off?

However, before that, I have an important task to complete—to work together with my classmate Xiao Wang to create a future generation that can contribute to the construction of our motherland.

As for the specific number of the next generation, we must fully respect Xiao Wang's opinion.

However, that's not something we need to consider today; Xiao Wang isn't fully recovered yet.

After having dinner at the Women's Federation dormitory and returning home, Xiao Wang shared the good news of the publication of "March" with her family.

Zhang Guifang didn't have any opinion on this, believing that her son and daughter-in-law both had regular jobs, and writing a song wouldn't affect their work; in fact, they could earn some royalties, so she could accept it.

"Brother, brother! Can you and sister-in-law write another song that I can sing? I want to be a singer and become a people's artist in the future!" Fengzhi was very enthusiastic about this and raised her hand to make a grand wish.

"You're thinking quite far ahead. For now, focus on your studies. Becoming a People's Artist isn't easy; you have to wait for the opportunity and go through layers of selection." Tang Zhitong rubbed his little sister's head, giving her a small goal to start with.

Having ideals is a good thing, and Tang Zhitong did not discourage Fengzhi, but as a half-parent, he was not very happy for his sister to enter this industry.

"You're always thinking nonsense, go do your homework!" Zhang Guifang didn't tolerate her daughter's nonsense and glared angrily at Fengzhi.

Tang Zhitong could tell that her mother didn't want Fengzhi to enter this industry, and she chuckled to herself.

This is not Zhang Guifang's fault. She grew up in the old society and many of her ideas were still stuck in the pre-liberation era.

Today's people's artists, whether they sing, perform operas, or act, were all collectively called "actors" before liberation. The term "actor" comes from the proverb "prostitutes are heartless, actors are ungrateful."

In the evil old society, actors were considered a lowly and despised profession, ranking seventh among the nine classes of people, with thieves ranking eighth and prostitutes ranking ninth.

The term "prostitute's husband" does not refer to the husband of a prostitute or a teapot, but specifically to male actors in a theatrical troupe who are trained from childhood for their patrons.

There are no volunteers in this line of work; they are all sold into opera troupes because their families are destitute. It is common for them to be beaten and scolded in the opera troupes. They not only have to learn to sing, but also how to serve others.

Although the number of brothels and prostitutes decreased after the New Culture Movement, some old-fashioned people were unwilling to give up this practice until liberation, when they were finally freed and properly resettled.

Returning to the topic of actors, despite how much the wealthy people of the time fawned over this "boss" and that "master," many people didn't really take them seriously; they were just entertainment.

Anyone who performs in opera, no matter how big a star or how famous, is considered a generation lower than others. Even a three-year-old child must be addressed as "uncle," and they are not entitled to be buried in the ancestral grave after death.

We don’t know if their ancestors felt ashamed, but their clansmen felt that doing this job would bring shame to their ancestors. Some even did not allow the use of their original surnames, such as Master Chang Xiangyu, whose original surname was Zhang, but was forced to change it.

Opera practitioners were also completely liberated in 49, and their social status improved significantly.

Actually, they don't like acting in those roles, but they have to because of external pressure.

Compared to the above, Tang Zhitong feels that the singing profession has been singled out for a relatively short period of time, probably appearing around the same time as dancers and socialites during the Republic of China era.

Whether it's singing or dancing, these professions don't have a very high social status.

The person who calls himself half an imperial tutor has a biological mother who is very adept at social maneuvering.

The adoption process was full of twists and turns, almost as dramatic as a short, satisfying novel.

This matter attracted a lot of attention back then, and it caused quite a stir. It's not surprising that Zhang Guifang heard about it. Now that her daughter says she wants to do this kind of work, it would be strange if she wasn't angry.

"Fengzhi said she wants to be a singer, and I think Mom is quite angry. Why?" After dinner, back in the room, Xiao Wang asked.

"Maybe they think it's a bit of a waste of time. The older generation's ideas are different from ours." Tang Zhitong scratched his head. Not to mention now, even decades later, some people will still think this profession is a waste of time. How many scornful looks did Brother Coat suffer when he sang in the village for so many years?
"What's wrong with that? Being a singer is great. Not only can you bring songs to the people, but you can also enjoy the beautiful scenery of our motherland during performances."

If Fengzhi is truly determined to study, she needs to plan ahead, lest she be caught off guard when the school comes to select students.

Xiao Wang, being an artist by training, not only had no prejudice against this field, but also encouraged Fengzhi to try this path.

"Fengzhi is still young, let's discuss this later. Please begin today's lesson, Teacher Wang." Tang Zhitong knew that what Xiao Wang said was true. Right now, if you want to enter the entertainment industry, you don't need to play any tricks like college entrance exam migration or targeted training. As long as you can be selected when various colleges go to high schools for selection, your college entrance exam score is not that important.

If Brother Coat had been a member of the commune at that time, Zhang Erhe probably wouldn't have stood a chance.

However, Zhang Guifang was clearly opposed, and Tang Zhitong, knowing how bad the entertainment industry would become, was somewhat reluctant to let his sister choose this path. But since Xiao Wang was so enthusiastic, he couldn't just say no directly, so he could only appease both sides for the time being, hoping that once everyone forgot about it, the matter would be over.

The teaching process goes without saying; it starts with recognizing musical notes and practicing pronunciation.

The process went relatively smoothly, but Ms. Wang was frowning because she discovered that her husband's sense of pitch wasn't very good, and she began to think about how to help him improve in this area.

Friday, May 13th, clear blue skies.

When Tang Zhitong arrived at the escort office, he was stopped by the gatekeeper, who gave him a letter and newspapers that had accumulated over the past few days.

After opening the office door, Tang Zhitong first filled a thermos with water, poured himself a glass to cool, and then opened the letter to read it.

The letter was written by Wu Aijun. In it, he talked about some things related to the case a while ago. The content of the letter was all information that Tang Zhitong already knew from other sources. In fact, the letter contained less detail than what Tang Zhitong already knew.

On the surface, Wu Aijun seemed to be concerned about Tang Zhitong, but in Tang Zhitong's view, Wu Aijun's purpose in writing this letter was to inquire about Ma Wei, because he mentioned this female comrade Ma Wei many times in the letter.

"A woman three years older than her husband is like a golden brick; hey, you little rascal, you want to marry a golden brick?" Tang Zhitong didn't expect that it was Wu Aijun who came to take Ma Wei's statement. When he visited Ma Wei a couple of days ago, she didn't mention it.

Wu Aijun has a crush on Ma Wei, but what does Ma Wei mean? Tang Zhitong can't figure it out, nor can he rashly ask her for confirmation.

After much thought, Tang Zhitong decided that this matter couldn't be rushed. He would go back and discuss it with his classmate, Xiao Wang, but before that, he needed to appease Wu Aijun. Tang Zhitong then wrote a reply to Wu Aijun:
Comrade Aijun, it is as if we are meeting in person upon reading this letter.

I was unable to see your letter in time due to attending a conference these past few days. Upon reading it today, I was deeply moved by your kind concern expressed in every word. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.

The people's police serve the people. Your visit to take a statement is in line with the principle of serving the people and is a model for us to learn from. On behalf of all two colleagues in the finance department, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you.

Regarding your question about Comrade Ma Wei's recovery, it should be going well. I visited her a few days ago and she was not infected; she has improved.

I will remember this proletarian sentiment and will convey my brother's care to Comrade Ma Wei as soon as she recovers and returns to work.

Regarding your question about Comrade Ma Wei's friendships, I am truly unaware. I will inform you after I have made some inquiries.

Best regards, wishing you success in your work.

Tang Zhitong wrote the letter, which was written in a mix of classical and vernacular Chinese, while laughing as he wrote it.

Wu Aijun, that old rascal, inquired about Ma Wei's social situation under the pretense of preventing Qin from having accomplices. He said that Qin was arrested on the surface because he injured Ma Wei, so he needed to investigate the social relationships of both parties in order to make corresponding arrangements.

Tang Zhitong guessed that Wu Aijun had lost his mind when he wrote this letter. Qin had hurt Ma Wei, shouldn't Qin's social connections be investigated? What's the use of investigating the victim?

However, Tang Zhitong had also been through this age and was no stranger to the vague feelings between men and women, so she didn't point it out.

After writing the letter, Tang Zhitong affixed a stamp and placed it directly in the sorting department, letting Wu Aijun suffer for a while after receiving it. The longer one endures the torment of matters of the heart, the deeper the impression will be, and the more one will cherish it later.

When I was discussing cooperative medical care with Director Ye yesterday, he suggested that we strike while the iron is hot and not wait until the end of the year to submit the proposal.

The current food supply situation is very serious. If the summer harvest is not ideal, the entire national machinery will probably focus on how to fill people's stomachs. At that time, the priority of cooperative medical care will definitely be put on the back burner. So it is better to sort it out now, submit it to the higher authorities, start a pilot program, set up a model, and make it easier to promote it on a large scale when conditions permit.

Tang Zhitong thought Director Ye's words made sense, but he was procrastinating and planned to organize it later.

Having not properly read the newspaper for some time, Tang Zhitong casually opened the newspaper he had gotten from the gatekeeper this morning and began to browse through it.

Struggles continue to erupt abroad, and even everyday life is no exception. While some are resisting the United States domestically, the country is setting aside past grievances. Many cities have expressed their support for and opposition to the Japan-US military alliance treaty through demonstrations, which have been extensively reported in the media.

In addition, the newspapers reported on the meeting between the leaders and the Cuban delegation, indicating that a large influx of Cuban sugar into the country was drawing ever closer.

Some other bits and pieces of news caught Tang Zhitong's attention: ministries and local governments began to vigorously promote phonetic literacy and held Mandarin reading competitions in an effort to eliminate illiteracy as soon as possible.

When Tang Zhitong saw the newspaper article that used certain trivial matters as a starting point to offer advice and seek like-minded pen pals, he smiled. It seemed that Hao Ren had ultimately taken his advice.

This is a good thing, as it not only gives restless young people someone to confide in about their emotions and thoughts, but also boosts the sales of stamps and envelopes.

Stamps are printed under the supervision of the postal system, but in some places, sales still rely on individual small shops for distribution.

Then there are the envelopes. Although they cost only one cent each and seem insignificant, the vast majority of them were made by women and children from impoverished families, one by one.

Each link in the chain generates income, though not much, but it still plays a role in stabilizing society.

Right now, everyone's income is about the same. As long as people with no income have something to eat, who would want to rebel?

After reading the newspaper, Tang Zhitong, like an emperor who had just finished reviewing memorials, picked up his teacup and drank the cold water with satisfaction. He then poured himself another cup before taking out the data he had collected during his trip to the grassroots level, intending to write a proposal.

After getting off work and returning to his room, Tang Zhitong told his classmate Xiao Wang about Wu Aijun writing him a letter.

"He directly asked you to be his matchmaker?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Wang frowned involuntarily. Even with someone as close as Liu Yue, she had never acted as a go-between. Even when friends consulted her, she only gave superficial answers and did not want to get involved.

"No, that's not it, but that's the gist of it." Tang Zhitong simply took out the letter and handed it to Xiao Wang.

After quickly reading the letter, Xiao Wang asked, "What are you thinking? Should we act as matchmakers for them?"

“I replied to him, but didn’t give a definite answer. That’s why I came back to ask you, to see what you think.” Tang Zhitong scratched his head. Young people aren’t enthusiastic about matchmaking. If this had happened before he came here, Tang Zhitong, being a bit older, might have actually agreed to it outright.

"Gou Sheng is a decent person, but he didn't go to school much, and his grades weren't very good back then. Ma Wei is older than him and is a college student. I'm afraid the two of them aren't a good match, right?" Xiao Wang didn't directly disagree, but instead stated the differences between the two.

“That’s true, but the two are well-matched. If they can really get together, their future will probably be much easier.” Tang Zhitong rubbed his chin. Perhaps due to hormones, he had reached the point where he had to shave every day. If he didn’t shave for a day, Xiao Wang would complain that it was prickly.

“This is a new society, why are you still talking about marriage between equals? That’s so old-fashioned.” Xiao Wang rolled her eyes at her husband. If that’s the case, she and her husband would never have been able to get together.

"Hehe, I was just saying." Tang Zhitong sensed Xiao Wang's dissatisfaction, gently pulled her into his arms, and patted her back.

The term "matching social status" originally did not refer to the compatibility of a man and woman's families or economic status, but rather to two objects on the gate of a courtyard house: "matching social status" and "matching social status."

The "door knocker" is also called the "drum stone". Different levels of residences have strict regulations on the materials, patterns and quantities that can be used. The higher the status of the residence, the more magnificent the door knocker. The stone lions in front of the city gate tower agree with this.

"Hou Dui" is also called "Men Zan" or "Men Mei". The phrase "Guang Yao Men Mei" refers to this thing.

Door couplets always appear in pairs, and they are mostly engraved with auspicious beasts, rare birds, flowers, and characters. The more door couplets there are and the more complex the patterns are, the higher the social status of the host family.

Both the social status of a family and the family's social standing are closely related.

"This is a new society now. Does it really mean that we don't care about social status when it comes to marriage?" Tang Zhitong didn't think so. There were quite a few old comrades who became in-laws. He was just lucky to have Xiao Wang as his classmate.

(End of this chapter)