1979: Literary Master, Starting from the Return of Educated Youth

Chapter 75 Overseas Remittance Vouchers! (Subscribe!)
On the surface, he remained calm, counted the money carefully, and then made a request to Ye Tianrong: "By the way, Mr. Ye, do you have any overseas remittance vouchers? I want to exchange 5000 yuan with you."

"Yes, yes, feel free to change it."

In the suite, Ye Tianrong stood up, opened the drawer, took out a stack of light green tickets and handed them to Xu Yuexin.

Xu Yuexin paid him 5000 yuan in cash, put the remittance vouchers into his schoolbag, and took a taxi back home.

The moment he entered the house, Xu Yuexin could no longer control his emotions!
"I'm home?"

At this time, Chen Qiaoqiao was sitting at the table eating. When she saw Xu Yuexin come in, she stood up and prepared to serve him a bowl of rice.

"Qiaoqiao, look what this is!"

Xu Yuexin quickly walked to the table and, in front of his wife, opened the zipper of his schoolbag with a "click"!

Chen Qiaoqiao was stunned by the scene inside the schoolbag.

All I saw was piles of big unity inside, so many that I couldn't count them all.

So much money, she had never seen so much...

Under the huge impact, Chen Qiaoqiao felt dizzy.

"Where did... so much money come from?"

Chen Qiaoqiao's heart was pounding and she asked, covering her chest.

"'The Garland Under the Mountain' will be published in Hong Kong. This is the royalties."

Xu Yuexin shook his schoolbag twice, put his arm around his wife's shoulders and said, "The total is 26,666 yuan."

More than 26,000...

Chen Qiaoqiao was frightened again.

She and the people around her have never measured money in tens of thousands.

Is it so profitable to publish a book in Hong Kong?
"Don't tell anyone."

Surprised, Chen Qiaoqiao whispered, "I'm afraid it's not safe."

"Don't worry, only you and I know about it, and maybe we'll tell our parents later."

Xu Yuexin kissed Chen Qiaoqiao on the forehead and said, "Isn't tomorrow Friday? Let's go buy some things."

"Ok!"

Chen Qiaoqiao nodded obediently and leaned gently on Xu Yuexin's shoulder. She was surrounded by great happiness.

26666 yuan...

Her parents earn a combined income of over a hundred yuan a month, which is more than their ten years’ salary combined!
The joy of suddenly becoming rich made Chen Qiaoqiao at a loss for words to express her happiness.

Hmm! My husband is so awesome!

Awesome in every aspect!
The next day, Xu Yuexin carried his backpack and went to Xidan with Chen Qiaoqiao early in the morning and had mutton soup for breakfast.

After dinner, Xu Yuexin rode his bike and took her straight to East Chang'an Avenue, and finally stopped in front of the Friendship Store near the embassy district.

"Go in and have a look."

After getting off the car, Xu Yuexin said to Chen Qiaoqiao.

"Ah? We can't buy the things here?"

Chen Qiaoqiao asked doubtfully.

Friendship Stores are stores that cater specifically to foreigners, overseas Chinese, and leaders of a certain level. Ordinary people cannot shop there without foreign exchange or overseas remittance coupons.

“Why can’t I buy it?”

Xu Yuexin smiled slightly and took Chen Qiaoqiao, who was still in a daze, and walked into the store.

As soon as she entered the Friendship Store, Chen Qiaoqiao was shocked by the dazzling array of merchandise inside.

Swiss TIMI watches, imported radio recorders, color TVs...

There were also many electrical appliances whose names she had never heard of and whose functions she didn't know.

Each item was expensive and required purchase with foreign exchange, remittance coupons, or special supply certificates.

Compared to ordinary state-owned stores, this place is simply another world!
Chen Qiaoqiao was dazzled by the merchandise in the store, and Xu Yuexin was also very satisfied with the items sold here.

In terms of product types and grades, this is roughly equivalent to the domestic level in the late 90s, and can better meet his needs than the common goods from abroad.

After several comparisons and selections, Xu Yuexin believes that his own entertainment needs should be met first.

"Hello comrade, buy a 21-inch color TV."

Xu Yuexin stopped in front of a counter and said to the female salesperson.

The female sales clerks here are carefully selected. They all wear light makeup and are dressed up exquisitely down to every strand of hair. Their looks are much better than those of the sales clerks of luxury goods in later generations.

The way they address and their attitude towards customers are also very different from those of female sales clerks in ordinary stores.

"Hello, sir. Do you want to pay in foreign currency or remittance vouchers?"

The saleswoman asked with a smile on her face and in a gentle and friendly manner.

"Use overseas remittance coupons,"

Xu Yuexin took off his shoulder bag, unbuttoned it and said.

Chen Qiaoqiao's attention was attracted by the things in the bag.

She saw that in addition to several stacks of Great Unity banknotes, there were also stacks of green tickets that she had never seen before.

Is this the legendary overseas remittance voucher?
"Okay, the total is 2000 yuan. Do you need help delivering it to your home?"

"Well, send it to Keyuan Community for me."

"Okay, we'll arrange for a technician to transport it for you right away. The warranty period is three years, and you can get repairs when needed with the invoice."

During the conversation, the female salesperson took the remittance vouchers from Xu Yuexin, counted them skillfully, and issued him an invoice.

Chen Qiaoqiao was stunned watching from the side.

A full 2000 yuan, enough for an ordinary person’s living expenses for more than ten years!

My husband took it out so easily, and it was a rare overseas remittance voucher.

At this moment, Xu Yuexin looked extremely cool and handsome in Chen Qiaoqiao's eyes.

Soon, two movers helped them move the TV outside and put it into a yellow van.

This type of van was very common in Beijing in the late 80s, and was known as the yellow-faced van, but it is not common nowadays.

After delivering it to the destination, the master helped them move it upstairs, connected the wires and completed the debugging.

There was no cable TV network back then, and televisions received analog signals through overhead antennas, so you could just plug it in and watch.

"I wish you a pleasant experience and welcome to visit us next time."

Before leaving, the master said politely.

Until this moment, Chen Qiaoqiao still felt like she was in a dream.

Is this the shopping experience at Friendship Store? The attitude is totally different from other stores!
For the first time, she realized that money can not only be used to purchase goods, but can also be exchanged for a completely different consumption experience.

“What a beautiful TV.”

After the masters left, Chen Qiaoqiao looked at the brand new 21-inch imported color TV on the cabinet and exclaimed.

"Come, watch the show for a while."

Xu Yuexin sat down on the chair, picked up the remote control and turned on the switch.

A colorful picture instantly appeared on the screen.

"I think the significance of buying this monkey is..."

"Let me talk to you about its importance."

Ma Sanli and his supporting actor are performing "Buying a Monkey" vividly on the stage.

It was the first time in her life that Chen Qiaoqiao saw a colorful picture on the screen, and she was staring at it intently.

Xu Yuexin also watched with great interest, feeling that with this colorful dot, his quality of life had improved by several levels.

The two sat in front of the TV for the entire afternoon until their parents came home in the evening.

"TV? Did you buy it?"

As soon as Xu Qiang entered the door, he asked in surprise.

“It’s still colorful.”

Wu Yan was equally surprised as she approached the TV, stroked the outer shell and asked, "How many inches is this big? It must have cost a lot of money, right?"

"It's 21 inches. It's not expensive, only about two thousand yuan."

Xu Yuexin said lightly, not forgetting to remind his mother, "And mom, please move aside, you are blocking the picture."

"Two thousand is not a lot."

Wu Yan was surprised and said, "The child's tone is getting louder and louder."

"You must be making a lot of money writing novels."

Xu Qiang stared at the screen with curiosity and said with a smile.

"I did earn some money," Xu Yuexin said, "so I thought about buying a TV to improve our family's entertainment life."

"It's still too expensive."

While being attracted by the colorful pictures, Wu Yan shook her head and said, "Next time before you spend money, discuss it with Qiaoqiao. She will definitely not support you spending lavishly."

"oh oh……"

Chen Qiaoqiao was watching intently and had no idea what her mother-in-law was talking about. She just casually nodded when she heard her name mentioned.

Xu Yuexin patted the chair beside him and said, "Mom, please stop talking. Aren't you watching without blinking an eye now?"

"Besides, money is a bastard. If you lose it, you can earn it again. It's really not worth it to feel bad."

"You little brat, you've learned to talk back to your mother."

Wu Yan said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

To be honest, she also felt from the bottom of her heart that this color TV was different and much more comfortable to watch than black and white.

My son has grown up, and both I and my husband have benefited from following him.

Wu Yan sighed as she sat down next to Xu Yuexin.

That night, the Xu family had a simple meal because everyone was completely captivated by the color TV and no one wanted to take the trouble to cook.

……

The next morning, Xu Yuexin got up yawning and found his pillow empty.

And outside in the living room, the sound of the TV was coming.

Xu Yuexin put on his clothes and went out to take a look. Well, the whole family, including his sister Xu Yanran, were sitting together, staring at the TV with great concentration. No one even paid attention to him.

Is this the power of color television in the late 70s?
Xu Yuexin was planning to leave quietly when Wu Yan noticed the movement.

"Are you up? I'll make breakfast."

Wu Yan glanced at Xu Yuexin and said, still staring at the TV screen as she stood up.

"Mom, be careful. Don't trip over the bench."

Xu Yuexin deliberately reminded loudly.

Wu Yan came to her senses and looked forward, only to find that there was no bench there.

"Good boy, you dare to make fun of your mother."

Wu Yan was also amused by herself and couldn't help laughing and said, "Go wash your face and brush your teeth."

"Please prepare breakfast slowly. I'll go downstairs."

Xu Yuexin instructed and turned to go into the bathroom.

After washing up, Xu Yuexin went downstairs to look for any letters for him.

He had previously written letters to magazines including Yanhe, Shanghai Literature and Art, Contemporary, October and Yalu River, expressing his intention for publishing cooperation.

I don’t know whether their letters have been sent.

When Xu Yuexin opened the mailbox, he saw that it was still empty.

Maybe in these few days.

Xu Yuexin estimated.

Every morning thereafter, he went downstairs to check the mailbox, and finally received letters from Contemporary and October.

Both of them are newspapers and periodicals in Beijing, and Contemporary was the most enthusiastic, with the editor-in-chief replying to his letter personally.

It makes sense. Contemporary magazine was only founded in June, so it must be hoping to obtain high-quality content resources at this time.

Xu Yuexin collected the letter and went to the telegraph office to send messages to the two families, inviting them to meet at Keyuan Community in a while.

"Yanhe", "Shanghai Literature and Art" and "Yalu River" should have also replied to me, but they are far away and the letters are still on the way.

If we can close deals with all of these companies, it will be a considerable income.

With the money he had received from Ye Tianrong before, he could consider paying attention to the housing market and looking for a suitable target.

Xu Yuexin thought to himself as he left the telegraph room.

After contacting "Contemporary" and "October", Xu Yuexin rode his bike to the art troupe. He still remembered that he and Chen Yixiu had agreed to meet today.

When he rushed to the art troupe, he saw Chen Yixiu standing at the door waiting for him.

Today, Chen Yixiu is wearing a pure white sweater. Two peaks stand out under the thin clothes. She is wearing a light blue matte long skirt, which matches her high heels and makes her temperament particularly outstanding.

Seeing him coming, Chen Yixue waved: "You're here really early."

"You weren't earlier."

Xu Yuexin stopped on the bicycle lane.

"I just got here a while ago. Let's go find a place to sit down and talk."

Chen Yixiu smiled and walked forward beside Xu Yuexin.

"Let's go here."

When they reached the gate of the North China Machinery General Factory, Chen Yixue stopped and pointed inside and said to Xu Yuexin, "The conditions of their workers' club are very good."

"Can I go in?"

Xu Yuexin stopped and said.

"Yes, our art troupe has a cooperative relationship with the factory."

Chen Yixiu walked forward and the security officer at the door let her in.

Xu Yuexin pushed his bicycle and followed Chen Yixiu. After locking the bicycle in the parking shed, he walked with her into the depths of the factory.

A brand new red brick factory building, a giant chimney spewing out white smoke, and the rumbling sound of machines coming from the workshop...

Occasionally, employees passing by need to speak loudly in order to hear each other.

Everything is so noisy and full of vitality.

It was not until the two of them walked into the club that the surroundings became quiet, as if they had stepped into another world.

The exterior of the Workers' Club is in Soviet architectural style, and it seems likely that it was built with Russian aid.

The interior of the club is covered with red carpet, and signs indicate that there are a series of leisure and entertainment venues here, including a billiard room, cinema, reading room and drink room.

This is the difference between a large state-owned factory and a small one these days. The former has much better supporting benefits. It is said that in some factories with particularly good conditions, what is put into the tap is not tap water, but real soda.

Xu Yuexin and his sister-in-law walked to the beverage room on the second floor and found that it was well decorated. There was a large wooden counter in front of them, and cabinets were placed against the wall outside the counter, which were filled with a wide variety of beverages.

Chen Yixue spent 60 cents at the counter to order a bottle of milk, and then asked Xu Yuexin for his opinion: "Do you want to drink anything else?"

"Have a beer."

Xu Yuexin said after thinking about it.

The club is self-service. After paying, the two went to the cabinet by the wall to get milk and beer, and found a table to sit down.

Xu Yuexin helped his sister-in-law unscrew the milk cap and returned the bottle to her.

"I communicated with the factory the day before yesterday."

Chen Yixue inserted the straw into the bottle and said to Xu Yuexin calmly, "Just like you said, I will keep my position but not receive any salary. From now on, I will start my own business."

“Congratulations, you’ve taken the first step.”

Xu Yuexin bit off the cap of the beer bottle, slammed the foamy bottle onto the table and said, "Do you want to play for a while, or start working hard right away?"

"Just work hard. If I have nothing to do, I'll get anxious."

Chen Yixue asked without hesitation, "What style do you think should be my first song after I come out?"

"Military songs. Today is the 30th anniversary of the founding of the country. It must be a big year for mainstream songs."

Xu Yuexin analyzed it for her, then stood up, took a cup and poured himself some.

"I agree with what you said."

"How about we work together? You write and I sing, and we split the profits 50-50."

Chen Yixiu invited sincerely.

"Well, let's split it 40% and 60% respectively. After all, I have a main business of writing books."

Xu Yuexin took a big gulp of beer and said modestly, "Money is the courage of a hero. You just got out, so you will have the confidence to earn more."

"Thank you for being so thoughtful of me."

"The first song will be split 40% to 60% and the rest will be split 50% to 50%."

Chen Yixiu said gratefully, picking up the beer bottle and refilling it for him.

"We'll talk about it later."

Xu Yuexin held a beer glass in his hand and said, "I have an idea now. I'll write it down for you to see."

"If that's ok, let's sing this one."

(End of this chapter)