1988: Back to the human world for a few years

Chapter 627 Distant Relatives
Most people who are older or have experienced some things tend not to pursue superficial glitz and glamour.

For Yang's parents, if you give them brand-name clothes or high-end gifts, they will only feel sorry for the money, then accept the things with a smile and hide them in the back of the closet, and they may not be willing to wear them until they fade.

So Yang Mo, who knew his parents' personalities well, simply carried a dozen packages of Chinese medicinal herbs wrapped in brown paper and treated them as New Year gifts.

As expected, my mother was very happy to receive these seemingly insignificant gifts, and kept exaggerating that her son had grown up and finally knew not to spend money lavishly.

As for Father Yang, at the instigation of his son, he immediately ran to the village entrance and bought 20 kilograms of high-proof sorghum liquor. Then he opened the paper bags with great interest and threw the herbs into two wine jars on the spot.

Seeing her father-in-law asking questions curiously while nonchalantly scraping and smelling the medicinal herbs with his fingernails, Muliya couldn't help but pursed her lips.

In China, there has always been an iron rule: the more low-key and insignificant something looks, the more likely it is to be a good thing... the kind that many people may not see in their lifetime.

Although considering the two elders' physical tolerance, the recipe for the medicinal wine that Yang Mo asked Dean Huang to prepare this time did not contain any tonic ingredients such as wild Korean ginseng, wild deer antlers, and tiger bones, but they were all first-class quality goods.

The five-headed Sanqi
Ten-year-old wild Paris polyphylla,

Wild Aconitum and Gastrodia elata in Xiaocaoba;

Cordyceps sinensis from Qinghai;
saffron from the Middle East;

Especially those five-head-sized Panax notoginseng and those wild Fritillaria cirrhosa that had been cut into slices, they are treasures that may not be available even if you want to buy them in later generations.

But this is not the rarest thing.

The rarest thing is the bag of asafoetida from Afghanistan that Zhang Wenshun brought specially from Western Xinjiang, which was also cut into slices.

This is a legendary medicinal material that is widely recorded in ancient books and was particularly popular in the Tang Dynasty, but China itself does not produce it. Its mystery even exceeds that of the thousand-year-old snow lotus and ten-thousand-year-old ginseng in novels. In some storybooks, it is almost described as a magic medicine that can grow flesh on bones.

Of course, since it is an ancient story, there is naturally some exaggeration.

In fact, this thing is the solidified juice secreted by a tuberous plant, and its shape looks like a larger garlic.

However, this plant is mainly produced in Afghanistan, and the juice used to solidify into asafoetida is the same as that of the lacquer tree. Only a small amount can be harvested from each plant each time, so the output is indeed extremely scarce.

But no matter what, although the smell of asafoetida, which smells a bit like garlic, is far from as exaggerated as described in the storybook, its effect on enhancing the body's immunity and digestion ability, as well as improving human energy, is very obvious (only limited to the asafoetida produced in Afghanistan, and the asafoetida introduced in some areas of Western Xinjiang in later generations cannot guarantee its effect)
As we all know, one of the most feared problems for people as they age is a series of functional decline symptoms caused by reduced digestive ability. Therefore, from the perspective of health value alone, this bag of asafoetida sent by a fat man really touched Yang Mo's heart.

Of course, going home early for the holiday will allow you to spend more time with your parents, but it will also inevitably lead to some not-so-unexpected troubles.

As soon as they heard that Yang Mo was back, countless people came to visit him with gifts.

Yang Mo is already very experienced in this kind of thing.

When she heard a knock on the door, Miss Mu would often open the courtyard door tacitly, invite the person in, exchange a few words with a smile, and then make up an excuse such as "Yang Mo is washing the feet of the two elders and is not convenient to see guests for the time being", accept the gift, and send the person away.

Of course, this is Yangjia Village, not Dahua Company. It is also the Spring Festival period, so not everyone can be sent away at will.

So soon, Yang Mo's home welcomed a wave of guests who, out of both moral and legal necessity, required the whole family to greet with a smile.

........................

"The world is rolling, the love is deep, there is always a time to meet and part..."

As the volume of a popular song on TV increased slightly, the door curtain was lifted, and Yang Mo, wearing an old military coat, walked out of the living room. He walked slowly to the brazier in the corner of the yard, pulled a stool and sat down, then smiled and bowed to a young man who was probably in his early twenties beside him: "I am Yang Mo, nicknamed Taogu Laoliu, nice to meet the Right Envoy of Light!"

The person in front of him was Yang Mo's distant cousin, whose name happened to be Yang Xiao, so Yang Mo started making a joke directly.

Although Yang Mo's family had no contact with this branch of relatives in his previous life, and even had little contact after moving to the south, they were cousins ​​after all. Not only was Yang Mo not bored enough to put on airs in front of his relatives all day long, he himself was actually not averse to getting along with these innocent brothers and sisters.

Pfft~!

Yang Xiao was feeling overwhelmed by his cousin's nonchalant way of greeting, but another little girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old next to him couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Brother, the Right Envoy of Light is Fan Yao, and Yang Xiao is the Left Envoy, okay?"

"And... Taogu Laoliu?"

“Brother, you are just making a fool of yourself. You are reporting the name of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer to Yang Zuoshi of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. How can he understand? You should at least report a nickname of the Ming Cult, such as the Green-winged Bat King or the Golden-haired Lion King!”

Since we are squeezed into the yard to warm ourselves by the brazier in such a cold weather, it means that there are so many elders and relatives coming here today that there is no room left in the living room.

So, this girl is also one of Yang Mo’s distant cousins, and her name is Yang Xu.

It's strange to say, the men in the Yang family, including Yang Mo, are basically all very introverted, but the women are often very extroverted. In addition, sixteen or seventeen years old is the age when they are free and unrestrained, so even when he met his eldest cousin Yang Mo for the first time, his expression and tone of voice seemed to be very familiar.

Hearing this, Yang Mo shrank back in shock: "Huh? Yang Xu, you actually know Yi Tian and Xiao Ao? You usually hide in bed and read novels!"

As she spoke, she rubbed her chin and looked at her little cousin with a sly smile in her eyes: "But speaking of which, shouldn't you little girls read Qiong Yao and Xi Juan? You actually read martial arts novels... Tell me, which boy did you read it for... Let me guess, your deskmate?"

Although the crime of hooliganism has not been abolished, men and women are no longer so conservative after entering the 1980s, and puppy love is not something that only happens in novels, so jokes about such things are rarely wrong... Sixteen or seventeen years old is the age when love begins to blossom, and which girl doesn't spoil her youth?
As expected, Yang Xu's face immediately turned red when he heard that. He jumped up immediately and pulled the collar of his cousin's coat, shaking it back and forth, like a child who would not give up... It was probably because although they were relatives, they were not very familiar with each other. If they were more familiar with each other, he would probably have used his fists directly.

After playing around for a while, Yang Xu finally let go of his hands, panting. However, he glanced at the living room with a guilty conscience and snorted angrily, "Brother, you are not a good person either. Be careful or I will tell my sister-in-law... Why, did you also like your deskmate when you were in school?"

The word "also" was clearly a confession. Not only Yang Mo, but even Yang Xiao, who was like a taciturn person at the side, couldn't help laughing.

Seeing this, Yang Xu became more and more angry, and he continued to beat the two cousins, until Yang Mo pointed out righteously that it must be a classmate who saw that Yang Xu was well-behaved and pretty, and pestered a little cousin, and the little girl felt a little sympathy as a classmate out of humanitarian sympathy, and then Yang Xu reluctantly let the two cousins ​​go. However, after this fight, the three of them became more familiar with each other. The two cousins ​​only felt that Yang Mo, the eldest cousin, was actually quite funny, not as scary as their parents said, and did not show any leadership at all.

Smiling, Yang Mo picked up two burnt black eggs from the brazier and shared them with the others. He then threw a rather skinny sweet potato into the brazier, and while burying the charcoal ash on it, he tilted his head and looked at the delicate-looking Yang Xiao: "Yang Zuo Shi, I heard that you were admitted to the Ocean University two years ago? What major did you study?"

When Yang Xiao was admitted to university two years ago, Yang Mo was busy competing with Vice President Feng and his colleagues at the drilling company, so he just sent a gift but did not show up.

For the older generation, getting into college is all they need. They don’t understand or care what a major is, so until now, Yang Mo doesn’t even know what major his little cousin is studying.

Hearing Yang Mo's words, Yang Xiao's expression became a little more reserved: "Brother, I am studying marine technology... This major is newly opened, and it is thanks to this that I was able to apply for it. Otherwise, it is still unclear whether I could be admitted to university."

The person that everyone hates the most when they are young always has only one name...someone else's child.

If there is an outstanding child among distant relatives, it will be even more annoying. Since they share the same blood, parents will love to compare them more, and you won't be able to find too many reasons to refute them.

Therefore, as the first college student in the Yang family, Yang Mo became Yang Xu's nightmare during his junior high and high school years.

But the situation is different now. Although Yang Xiao did not have the opportunity to compete for the first place because he was born a few years later, as the second college student in the Yang family, he was admitted to a key university such as Qingdao Ocean University instead of an ordinary normal college like Yang Mo.

Although for our parents' generation, all universities except Peking University and Tsinghua University are no different, in this era when college students are still the chosen ones and everyone is proud of their alma mater, the superiority and inferiority of various universities are strictly classified. It is not uncommon for students from two universities to fight over the comprehensive ranking or professional ranking of their schools.

He was admitted to a key university and assigned to marine technology, a key major listed in the country's Eighth Five-Year Plan. Therefore, he was very proud of himself. Yang Mo, the mountain that had been a huge obstacle in his high school life, no longer felt like an oppressive force. Instead, he began to feel a slight sense of superiority.

No matter what, my school is better than yours, and my major is much better than yours.
Even if I heard that you have become a small leader now, that is because you started working first; when I graduate, I can do it too, and I will be promoted faster than you... I heard that he is just a section-level cadre, is it difficult?

Like all students who have not yet entered society, Yang Xiao had no idea about the job levels in the system. He had no idea how fast it was to be promoted to the department level in three years, and he had no idea how huge Dahua Company and Dezhou Urban Property Fund Company were. In his simple value system, a better school plus a better major should mean a better future and faster promotion speed… From a mathematical point of view, there are only 4 levels between a section officer and a director, so it is not difficult to catch up and surpass them.

Looking at this little cousin with a sharp look in his brows, Yang Mo laughed. As a man who had lived two lives, he naturally wouldn't be so childish as to argue with a young man who hadn't yet entered society, nor would he be so bored as to slap his relative in the face without knowing right or wrong. He just nodded in admiration and said, "Marine technology major... Indeed, it's a good major. It won't be a problem to be assigned to a good unit in the future. Who knows, as your brother, I'll have to rely on you at that time!"

Marine technology is a comprehensive engineering major involving many aspects of marine research, development, utilization and protection. After graduation, students of this major can engage in a wide range of work, ranging from offshore oil exploration and exploitation, shipborne equipment, near-shore and offshore ocean surveys, to the design, manufacture, operation and management of military ship equipment.

Therefore, when Yang Mo said that it would be no problem for this little cousin to be assigned to a good unit in the future, it was definitely not just a polite remark.

However, as a technical major, just like all engineering majors, the stronger the professionalism, the more competitive it is, the harder it is to get promoted, and it is very dependent on the dividends of the times. So if you calculate the time, after Yang Xiao graduates, although it will not be difficult to get into a good company, it may not be so easy to do well.

Before meeting Yang Mo, Yang Xiao thought that this eldest cousin was an overbearing guy who always liked to speak in a pretentious tone. After all, a small leader is also a leader, so it is normal for him to be a little arrogant...Hasn't he seen that the monitor of their class always looks bossy and bossy?
But when they actually met, he found that this cousin was completely different from what he had imagined. Not only was he humorous, but he also didn't put on airs at all. So when he heard words like "I'll depend on you in the future", he actually felt embarrassed. He scratched his head, and uttered a few words like "no, no", and didn't know what to do next.

Seeing this, Yang Mo laughed again: "Fourth Father just kept praising you for being smart and capable in the room. His face was almost red. He also pulled my hand and asked me to help you no matter what;"

"You still have a year and a half to graduate, so it's too early to say this. And you won't have trouble finding a job with your major. But since Fourth Father has spoken, I can't be lazy as the older brother, or my dad will beat me to death... So, do you have any ideas about your future career direction?"

As he spoke, Yang Mo fiddled with the charcoal in the basin. "As your elder brother, I don't have any great abilities, but if you want to enter the oil industry in the future, I can help you find a suitable receiving unit during your internship... Of course, if your major and abilities are indeed suitable, I should be able to ask someone to take your file over when you graduate."

If distant relatives come to visit before New Year's Eve, it is naturally unlikely to be a normal visit between relatives.

Therefore, Yang Xiao's father, Yang Mo's fourth father, came to the door today carrying a bag of peanuts grown by himself, naturally he had something to ask for.

What he asked for was actually reasonable... His father wanted Yang Mo to help him find a better receiving unit for his son.

Don't think it's too early.

As mentioned above, unlike later generations, although the knowledge taught in most majors of today’s universities is not as broad, it is more concentrated and in-depth, and is also based on the teaching concept of “graduation is talent”;
Therefore, these days, college students in many majors have to go through two internships before graduation, and the first internship is in the second semester of the junior year.

In fact, just like a blind date, the first internship is often the most important one. If the internship unit likes you and is willing to accept you, after you go back to make up for your professional courses, your second internship is often still in this unit. Then, after graduation, you will naturally start working in this unit.

But if the first internship experience is not so pleasant, then you will naturally have to change to another unit for the second internship. At that time, it is really hard to say whether you can apply for transfer and stay in this unit.

Although Yang Xiao's school and major would not cause any trouble in finding an accepting unit, each unit is different; even within the same unit, each accepting department is completely different.

Therefore, you might say that Yang Xiao’s father doesn’t understand technology or profession, but he understands society.

Yang Mo rarely stayed at home. Even during the Spring Festival holiday, he had to set aside a few days to visit his father-in-law and mother-in-law in Dongying. If he didn't go there to ask for favors while he was still there, what would he do if his son was unlucky and was assigned to a unit or department with no future?
Hearing Yang Mo's deliberately soft-worded question, Yang Xiao also began to hesitate.

Nowadays, universities also provide career counseling, so he roughly knows that although he will have no problem getting assigned to a unit that matches his major, it is unknown whether he can be assigned to a good unit.

If we talk about reality instead of ideals, then the military-industrial complex is not a good place to be... It is no secret that China is currently cutting spending in this area. Even if the teachers don't say it, students like them know it.

So relatively speaking, the oil system is their most ideal receiving unit, especially CNOOC and Shengli Oilfield, which is also carrying out offshore oilfield projects...even though the Dongying Command has been reducing staff and increasing efficiency in the past two years.

This is also the reason why his father came to Yang Mo.

Although this cousin is said to be in charge of the least valued tertiary industry business, and his personnel file is with Southwest Drilling Company No. 1 rather than the headquarters, he is in the oil system after all, so maybe he can really have a say?

Just when he was hesitating whether to ask this, he heard a voice like an oriole: "Eh? Majoring in marine technology? That's great, you can try to intern at the Offshore Exploration Cooperation and Development Center, the Oil and Gas Exploration Management Center, or the Engineering Technology Management Center... If you don't want to go the technical route, you can intern at the Foreign Cooperation Management Department. Just let Director Huang know when the time comes."

Oil and Gas Exploration Management Center?

Engineering Technology Management Center?
External Cooperation Management Department?
Although Yang Xiao, who has not yet left the ivory tower, does not know what this means, the names of these departments sound very powerful.

When I turned around, I saw my cousin's wife, who was so beautiful that I couldn't look directly at her, walking towards me leisurely.

Facing Yang Mo's slightly frowned face, Miss Mu smiled lightly and returned a slightly reproachful look. Then, she gracefully sat down beside the brazier and tilted her head to look at Yang Xiao, who suddenly became as shy as a quail. "Come, talk to your sister-in-law. What did you learn in college? What are you best at? I'll give you some advice..."

(End of this chapter)