Back to 1979: Sending the Educated Youth’s Wife Back to the City

Chapter 141 Finalizing the Itinerary
After lunch, everyone walked back to the small side yard. Now the telephone is in the small side yard, and neighbors come here when they want to make a phone call. Usually, Lingzi is responsible for answering the phone and collecting the money.

But today was New Year's Day, so it was not good to let the girl stay here to answer the phone. Fang Mingche asked her to go out and have some fun during the holiday.

As for Lingzi, she had previously received a salary of 36 yuan plus a meal allowance of yuan a day, but she never had the opportunity to spend it. As expected, she happily took her brother and sister out shopping.

After getting to know each other, Lingzi also said that her father usually kept money very tight and really wanted to send her abroad. After all, hearing her uncle talk about the monthly income in the United States, it was really envious! A few hundred US dollars a month, if converted into RMB, it would be nearly a thousand. In a year, you can become a millionaire! If you go to the black market to exchange, the difference will be even greater.

However, after going out, I can't rely on my uncle for everything, I have to have some money in my pocket. If I want to send my daughter out to earn US dollars, I have to have some investment first.

Her father also confiscated 12 yuan of the money Lingzi received in December, saying that he was keeping it for her, and the remaining ten yuan was for her pocket money.

The old man said confidently, "Without my phone, do you think you can become the office director without any staff? Young people have no self-discipline, they just spend money. How can it be better than saving it?"

However, although he always claims to be alone, Lingzi's father also admits that she works in a travel agency, which is indeed the best job she can have.

First, the salary is high, which is really high compared to the workers and teachers around here! Of course, it is not comparable to the United States. But you should sing your own song in your own mountain, and you certainly can't compare your income in the capital with that of Americans.

Second, she could study English with Teacher Qiu while working. Lingzi's father didn't know much else, but he knew that hiring an associate professor of English to give one-on-one tutoring to several students was not a small expense. Moreover, she could use and improve her English at work. The key point was that he didn't have the connections to hire such a famous teacher.

Lin Yi looked at this small courtyard with a single door and was really envious. He whispered to Lin Yan, "Sister, is this courtyard in your name?"

There is no need to give different names to the main room and the east wing. Otherwise, they should be under the names of my sister and brother-in-law.

This yard alone is worth 10,000 yuan. The 4,000 yuan you still owe is nothing. They dare to let you owe them because they believe you can pay them back. It seems that the travel agency business is really good.

Lin Yan said: "No, even the two rooms in the east wing are not in my name."

Lin Yi looked at Fang Mingche, who was talking to his cousin in the main room, in shock. How could he take it back? How could he do that?

"It's not under your brother-in-law's name either. Both of us are registered under the school's collective household registration, so it's very troublesome to go through the procedures to buy a house. So, this yard is under Yanyan's name."

Lin Yi almost bit his tongue. He turned around suddenly and looked at Yanyan who came in with Han Mei, holding a small carp lantern. Han Mei was now coaxing Yanyan and doing everything to please the little girl. Yanyan was quite happy to interact with her aunt.

The little girl bought this carp lantern when she saw it at a roadside stall. She paid for it with one dollar from her pocket. And she knew exactly how much change should be given.

At that time, Lin Yi and Han Mei were both stunned. Lin Yi even asked Lin Yan, "How much pocket money do you give her?"

"One dollar a week, and you have to pay for all the expenses. If you don't spend it recklessly, you can get another dollar next week. Your brother-in-law said he wants to raise his daughter in luxury so that she won't be easily swindled away by bad boys in the future."

Lin Yi felt a little jealous. Even if he was rich, this was not the right way to raise a child. At such a young age, he actually had a small courtyard with a single door and a single family just one kilometer away from Tiananmen Square.

This little girl is already a millionaire! Lin Yi's eyes were red for a moment!

Lin Yan said: "She doesn't know anything. She won't understand even if you talk to her."

So, don't be mean to my daughter. Otherwise, be careful that her father will punish you!
Han Mei brought a rattan chair over to Lin Yan and said, "Sister, please sit down. It's a bit tiring to stand like this."

Han Mei now relies on Lin Yan for her egg business, and she also wants to learn English to be a tour guide. So, she started to be tough with her family, saying that ten yuan a month is only ten yuan. She behaved very well in front of the Lin family, especially Lin Yan. Only her brother-in-law Fang Mingche, she felt a little unfathomable, and did not dare to have much contact with him. Of course, Fang Mingche did not pay much attention to her.

However, such a house was registered under Yanyan's name, which was a huge shock to her worldview! Han Mei looked at Yanyan who was very happy. She was treated as a daughter by others, so why was it so different? She couldn't help but glance at Fang Mingche. This powerful brother-in-law, who loved his daughter so much.

No, I know he loves his daughter. For example, how could most people be willing to give Yanyan four yuan of pocket money a month? She is just a little girl. But he didn't directly put the most valuable property in the family under his daughter's name, which is even more shocking. Raising a daughter in wealth? Han Mei sat down next to Lin Yan in a daze.

The two elders went into the small room. They probably had something to talk about after not seeing each other for a long time.

Fang Mingche and Fang Mingfeng stood at the half-moon gate and talked. Well, Fang Mingche did not ask Geng Shan to seal the half-moon gate in the middle. It was still locked with a big lock like Grandpa Gu did before.

The two sides can see each other through the crack of the door, but they can't move around. If it is really sealed, it will be two completely different courtyards. Now it is still under the management of Aunt Yuan, so let's leave it this way for now. Anyway, people from the big courtyard next door have to go around outside to get in.

Lin Yan asked: "Mingche, what are your plans for the afternoon?"

The car is not here, it is out to pick up passengers. Otherwise, we can pull them out and take a ride along the central axis and come back. Those two cars are used to pick up passengers during the day. Only at night can they be used by our family.

Yanyan held up the carp lantern and said, "Can we watch TV? No one is at work today, so it won't affect us."

Fang Mingche smiled at her and said, "Ask your mother."

Lin Yan glared at Yan Yan, who was always thinking about watching TV. However, there were guests today.

She asked: "Brother Mingfeng, Lin Yi, Han Mei, do you watch TV?"

Fang Mingfeng didn't care about TV, he used to watch it at his boss's house. Han Mei was still in a daze.

Lin Yi said: "Open it and take a look."

Yanyan came over immediately and took her uncle's hand, "Let's go, uncle."

Fang Mingche said, "Don't hold the lamp, ask your uncle to hang it up for you."

Yanyan handed it to her uncle. Lin Yi took the carp lantern, jumped up, inserted the wooden handle, and hung it in the wooden lattice under the eaves.

The two uncles and nephews went in to watch TV together. Yanyan turned around and called out, "Aunt, let's go——"

Han Mei, who was a little dazed, hurriedly followed.

Lin Yan said: "Get some food."

Han Mei took the fruit plate and put some nuts and fruits on it. Her niece had never had such a good life since she was a child. She had never enjoyed the treatment of her elder sister-in-law, who was pregnant and her brother-in-law bought her whatever she wanted to eat.

The two adults and one child went to watch TV, leaving only Fang Mingche and Lin Yan in the courtyard. No one was on duty today, so Lin Yan realized that the courtyard was indeed quite large. Their family of four already had far more living space per capita.

Fang Mingfeng also came over and sat next to the stove. He had just finished lunch, so he didn't roast sweet potatoes and potatoes on the wire mesh.

He sat down to discuss the scrap business and the vegetable business with Fang Mingche and Lin Yan.

Lin Yan said: "I haven't paid attention to it for a long time."

There are still 20 days until the final exam, and she is too busy to handle her studies. She can only do some work in the travel agency within her ability.

Fang Mingche said: "Both businesses are relatively simple. As long as the people you hire are capable and not corrupt, it will be fine."

"Isn't there someone in the neighborhood competing with you? How is he doing now?"

Fang Mingche said, "It should be okay, much better than other educated youth who returned to the city. As long as he doesn't get too obsessed and insists on comparing himself with my husband and me, he should be pretty good." He had not paid attention to Zhu Dahai for a long time.

Lin Yan smiled. "He doesn't seem to be much better than Liu Qingfeng and Hu Yong right now. He has to worry a lot more! There are quite a few people who get commissions from his vegetable business, and they are not on the same page with him."

Fang Mingfeng listened to Lin Yan's brief account of Zhu Dahai's personality and shook his head.

"You think too simply! How can you eat alone? Others will definitely feel unbalanced."

This kind of person, who can't achieve anything big, is not to be feared. However, at present, he should still be able to become a small rich through hard work. As Mingche said, as long as you don't worry about comparing yourself with others, you should still be able to live a good life.

Fang Mingche said, "Brother Mingfeng, I can issue a letter of introduction for buying plane tickets and sleeper tickets. You can think about which one you want later."

Fang Mingfeng's eyes lit up, "That would be great. However, after flying to the provincial capital, I have to take a long-distance bus for more than ten hours to get back."

This kind of bus usually leaves very early in the morning, so don't expect to catch it on the same day. You have to stay in the provincial capital for one night and take the bus early the next morning. This takes two days on the road.

It would be better to take a sleeper train. Sleep all the way to the city, and then take a bus for more than three hours to get home. This would take three days, but both journeys would not be too tiring. And the sleeper berths are very comfortable. Spending one more day can save dozens of dollars, which is not bad.

He said, "Then I'll buy a sleeper ticket."

Fang Mingche nodded, "That's what I was thinking too. If my dad and his family don't come to the capital this year, I'll take Yanyan back during the New Year."

Winter vacation lasts more than 20 days, so it is not impossible to spend six days on the road. If Yanyan does not go back, she will almost forget her hometown and the people there. Besides, the Chinese New Year is deeply rooted in the hearts of Chinese people.

In his previous life, the old man may have worked hard all his life, so he didn't live long. Now that he has come back to his life, how many days does he spend at home in a year?

If they take a sleeper, they will be much more relaxed than when they went to Beijing last February. And the sleeper car will not be overloaded, so there won't be people in the corridors, under the seats, and on the luggage racks. They can walk around inside without getting their feet swollen.

As for Yan, she will have to be taken care of by her mother-in-law during the winter vacation. He can only ask his mother-in-law to stay here to take care of her, because there is no room for Yan at the Lin family. The house is too small, there is really nothing he can do! He will definitely reserve a room for Yanyan at home in the future.

Fang Mingfeng nodded. "If the land distribution is settled after the New Year, let Uncle Qi and Aunt Qi come with me to Beijing to take a look. Don't worry, I will take good care of them on the train."

"Why should I worry about following you to the capital?"

This is the best development. After all, Yan is pregnant, and he can't be completely at ease when he leaves for more than half a month. Moreover, it would be best if someone watches over the travel agency and the waste station during the winter vacation.

Otherwise, if something went wrong, would they ask Ah Yan to find a solution? The key point was that he had returned to the village, and it was inconvenient for him to answer the phone.

However, "You have to return to Beijing before Tongtong starts school. It's better to come a few days in advance. Whether the land is divided or not, it should be decided by then. But the next step is spring plowing and spring sowing. Can my dad just let it go?"

Fang Mingfeng said: "Don't you still have your brother?"

"The first time, my dad probably wouldn't be at ease."

It is so inconvenient now. Without a mobile phone, I can't get a call in time. Without a highway, I can get home from the provincial capital in two and a half hours. Then flying back from the capital and then taking a bus only takes half a day.

Nowadays, there are no asphalt roads, let alone highways. Once the asphalt roads are built, it will take eight hours to get home from the provincial capital. There are also high-speed railways, which will be built directly to the county in the future, and you can get there in the evening. This is more convenient, and you don’t have to travel far to take a plane. Only at this time can you realize the huge benefits of infrastructure mania.

Fang Mingfeng said: "Sons like you who have great potential usually don't get to enjoy the company of their children."

I opened my mouth to say that only someone like your brother could take care of me in my old age, but I swallowed my words again.

Fang Mingche said: "After the production quota is assigned to each household, we can also hire people to help with farming. If that's the case, I want to bring my parents to the capital."

Then try to buy another house nearby, within a bowl of soup's distance.

In this way, when the old man's illness occurs, he can be taken to a large hospital for treatment as soon as possible. I just don't know if the two elders are willing to come.

Fang Mingfeng said: "Most likely he doesn't want to come. My old man once said that no matter how much money I make outside, he won't come with me. He's afraid he won't be able to enter the house!"

Fang Mingche raised his eyebrows. No way. In his previous life, Second Uncle had clearly gone to Shenzhen to spend his old age.

As they were talking, Lin's father and mother came out of the small room.

Mother Lin said, "Mingche, since you are at home, your father and I will go for a walk over to Tiananmen Square."

Ah Yan went to school even when she was pregnant, and when she got home she was too lazy to go out. She was taking care of her daughter, so she rarely went out for a walk.

Fang Mingche stood up and said, "Okay. Mom and Dad, please come back for dinner at 5:30."

"it is good!"

That night, the driver and the tour guide had dinner at the same table, while Fang Mingche's table was still occupied by people who had not eaten lunch.

Fang Mingfeng said goodbye after eating, and Fang Mingche asked the driver Xiao Jin to drive him there.

Fang Mingfeng said: "It's okay, it's okay, I'll just take the bus."

"It's convenient to have a car. Gasoline is cheap nowadays anyway."

Really, Fang Mingche feels that compared to his previous life, gasoline is really cheap nowadays!
Nowadays, gasoline is purchased and sold by the Ministry of Commerce. There are only No. 66 and No. 70 gasoline in the country.

You need to use a gasoline ticket to refuel, and the price is about 1 yuan per kilogram of gasoline. One kilogram of gasoline is about the same as 1.2L gasoline in later generations, and yuan per kilometers. It is really cheap.

Well, since most people who own cars nowadays are in the system, there should be some subsidies. Of course, the gasoline ticket must have been obtained with the help of Wang Dexian. Otherwise, where would he get it? Nowadays, there is no such thing as a private car. Therefore, there are still many places where Lao Wang's value can be reflected in the early stage of entrepreneurship. It's not a loss to give away the 40% shares!

However, although Lao Wang got the gas tickets, there are very few gas stations nowadays. (It is said that in 1985, there were only 3600 gas stations in the country.) The three drivers kept a record of the gas stations that can be filled up on the routes to various scenic spots. Every time you fill up, you must know the number of gas stations in your mind and cannot make up your mind to find a gas station at the last minute.

Fang Mingfeng thought about it and realized that gasoline was indeed cheap, so he did not refuse and got in the car directly.

As for the Lin family, they stayed for a while and were sent back by Fang Mingche in another commercial vehicle. Lin's mother also said she wanted to go back to get some things and got in the car with them.

After sitting on it, she couldn't help but say, "This four-wheeled vehicle is still very convenient. It's also windproof and rainproof. It's such a pleasure to sit on it!"

Lin Yi glanced at his mother, isn't this nonsense? This car is used to pick up and drop off foreign guests.

He asked, "Brother-in-law, how much does a car like this cost?"

Fang Mingche answered while steering the wheel: "It costs 9000 yuan to buy and yuan to rent a car. Including the cost of gas, it will probably be close to yuan. Travel agencies use cars quite frequently!"

Lin Yi took a deep breath. It was very difficult for him to earn 9000, let alone in his lifetime. Moreover, he still had to eat and drink.

His annual salary is only 420 yuan now, and he is lucky to have a surplus of 120 yuan. Therefore, he probably won't be able to take out 9000 yuan in his lifetime.

Father Lin looked at his son, then at his son-in-law, and felt that Lin Yi had been spoiled too much. His brother-in-law was actually only two years older than him. The difference was really too big.

Father Lin reached out and touched the seat. Although this car was only rented, it belonged to his son-in-law at night. Ah Yan also said that she would learn to drive after she gave birth to her second child.

Fang Mingche parked the car on the main road. "Lin Yi, take out Mom's things later. Mom and Dad, be careful when you get out of the car. I won't go in. I'll find a place to turn around and wait here later."

It's getting late now, so you'd better grab your things and leave.

Mother Lin said, "Okay, I'll be out soon." She just took some thicker winter clothes.

Han Mei was silent all the way. She had thought that the best life she had ever had was not as good as the one her elder sister-in-law was living now! As for Yan Yan, there was no comparison. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth! Seeing that Lin Yi was still excited, she couldn't help but feel a little boring.

Your sister and brother-in-law are rich, but you are not. Lin Yi can't control his parents now, so it's impossible for him to control his elder sister-in-law through his parents. They can only experience such a good life occasionally. She must go to work in a travel agency and live a life with a high salary!

Lin's mother did come out quite quickly, and Lin Yi helped her carry a big bag.

After she got in the car and sat down, Fang Mingche drove away. When he arrived, he said, "Mom, just go in, leave the bag to me."

"Ok."

In the next few days, Fang Mingche, his teachers, and classmates continued to pay attention to current affairs news.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan posed a serious and real threat to the security of both China and the United States, prompting the two countries to take corresponding steps in bilateral military relations. From January 1980 to 1, 5, at the invitation of China, US Secretary of Defense Brown visited China. This was the first time since 13 that the United States sent a defense secretary to visit China, and it was also the first formal exchange between the military leaders of China and the United States.

Boys, on the other hand, are very interested in this kind of news. Lao Cheng said that they have heated discussions in the dormitory.

Ever since Fang Mingche invited the counselor to his home for a barbecue, the two had become much closer. With the help of Lao Cheng and others, the fact that Fang Mingche did not live in the school was basically kept secret.

Others also knew that he had a three-year-old daughter and a five-month pregnant wife. No one had a problem with him, so they went out of their way to order his water.

Although his grades have improved, they have only improved from the bottom to the middle level. Scholarships, class cadres, etc. have nothing to do with him, and he has no interests in others. Few people would do things that harm others and benefit themselves.

At noon that day, Fang Mingche had lunch and went back to the dormitory to rest. He had classes in the first and second periods in the afternoon.

Fang Mingche said, "So, the three people selected from the classes of 77 and 78 in our department are to be translators?"

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not very well staffed now, so it selected some people from the Spanish departments of several major universities in Beijing to go for internships. In addition to Beijing Normal University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and Beijing Foreign Studies University all selected outstanding talents to go there.

Although it may be just a reserve of personnel, if these people perform well, they will graduate in two years and have a great chance of entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly! Only now did he feel what it meant to enter the center directly. The graduates of these two classes are almost catching up with the imperial examinations and becoming officials immediately.

Others also showed envious expressions on their faces. Unfortunately, the 79th grader, who was only a freshman, was considered to have insufficient vocabulary reserves and was not included in the selection. Of course, this was also related to the fact that there were no amazing people in the 79th grade. If he had shined in the past few months, I guess the higher-ups would still consider him when selecting him.

Well, three of the best seniors from grades 77 and 78 went there. It can be seen that the selection threshold is quite high.

Zheng Xing said: "Not only that. Since the officials from the US Department of Defense have been invited to visit us, they should also invite officials from our Ministry of Defense to return the favor. If we perform well, we may have the opportunity to go to the United States with them!"

When he said this, everyone holding their lunch boxes stopped walking. Going to the United States was extremely attractive at the moment.

In 78, only 52 people were selected for the government-sponsored overseas study program. They are the absolute elite of the nation!
Xu Mengfei said: "If I had known there would be such an opportunity earlier, I would have studied English well in the past few years!"

Who doesn't want to see the colorful world of America? Others also felt the same way.

Fang Mingche was not too excited. He had traveled to the United States in his previous life. And the gap between China and the United States was not that big at that time. But now, it is almost like a natural chasm between them. It is only slightly smaller than the gap when Li Hongzhang went to the United States more than a hundred years ago.

He said: "If you miss this opportunity, you can still try to study abroad at public expense."

Zheng Xing said: "Fang Mingche, you often come into contact with foreign guests. What do they think of China?"

Fang Mingche had actually discussed this issue with tourists in a tour group before.

On Sundays, he and Wang Dexian would drive a military jeep and follow the commercial vehicle to play. They also wanted to practice speaking.

Learning English is not just about learning dumb English. It's good to help out my own travel agency and exercise myself.

"The other party told me that it is ancient and mysterious. Another thing is that it is poor!"

When they heard the third point, everyone fell silent.

Fang Mingche was also silent for a while. "Americans don't know how to tell white lies. He is telling the truth. We have no choice but to admit the gap and try to catch up."

He had experienced the rapid development of the past 40 years. But nowadays, even the most gifted college students find it difficult to remain calm when facing the gap between China and the United States. For a moment, the roommates were silent.

Everyone continued to walk towards the dormitory building. An alumnus who was walking towards them greeted Fang Mingche with a smile, "Student Fang, have you divided up the land in your hometown?"

Fang Mingche looked at the other person and realized that this was his schoolmate Ma from Fengyang County, Anhui Province. He had asked him about the autumn harvest in Xiaogang Village before.

He quickly smiled and said, "It has been discussed for several months, but it has not been implemented yet. Our old man has been worried about it for the past few months."

He talked to his roommates and asked them to go first. Then he sat down in the pavilion next to him with Ma, an alumnus from Fengyang County, and talked about the land distribution.

Student Ma said: "It's no wonder. The Communiqué of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee still emphasized that 'the people's communes must resolutely implement the three-level ownership system with the team as the basis, and keep it stable.' From January to April 1979, the Central Committee issued two documents in a row emphasizing that it was not allowed to contract production to households and it was not allowed to divide the land and work alone. If this thing was done overnight, it would be abnormal."

Fang Mingche said, "So the leaders at the provincial, prefectural and county levels in Anhui have been under tremendous pressure for Xiaogang Village over the past year, right?"

What Xiaogang Village did was completely contrary to the central government’s documents!
Student Ma nodded. "Yes, fortunately Xiaogang Village had a bumper harvest last year. However, I got a piece of news: A few days ago, the First Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Wan Li, went to Xiaogang Village. I heard that he saw that every household had piles of grain and couldn't believe it. After seeing the huge changes brought about by the 'contract responsibility system', he gave it affirmation and support."

Fang Mingche's eyes lit up. Wanli knew! "If you want to eat rice, look for Wanli", this is the reputation of the people.

"So, maybe soon?"

Student Ma said, "I think so. But Sichuan is not slow at all! In January 1978, the Jinyu Commune in Guanghan County, Sichuan, reorganized its management with the support of the county party committee and the approval of the SC provincial party committee. The responsibility system of 'contracting output to groups' was implemented in the 1 production teams in the four brigades of the commune. Sichuan is one of the birthplaces of China's rural reform."

Fang Mingche really didn't know about this. It wasn't as famous as the red handprints of the 18 farmers in Xiaogang Village. And it was the production contract to the group, not the household. He knew that Sanxingdui was later unearthed in Guanghan.

Mr. Ma knows this probably because there is a lot of publicity about this in Anhui nowadays.

Fang Mingche said: "When you are poor, you will think of change!"

"Who says it's not?"

A few days later, Fang Mingche received a call from his father at home, from the post office.

"Mingche, I have received the 100 yuan you sent back on New Year's Day."

上次六月底回去，方明澈把3-6月的40块钱补上了。后来7-12月的也邮寄或者托明峰哥带了回去。元旦肯定要表示一下，就寄了100。

Although he has a lot of debts both personally and with the travel agency, and has to pay high interest every month (Lin Yan, the head of the household and the travel agency cashier, is responsible for paying), he actually makes quite a bit of money.

When Lin Yan bought the main house in the small side courtyard in early December, she said her family had 12 yuan. This money was mainly earned from the scrap yard. In December, the scrap yard earned another 5000 yuan, and the money here became 12 yuan.

As for the travel agency, it has not distributed any dividends so far, and Fang Mingche has not received any extra salary. It's just that when the dividends are distributed, a few points are used as hard work fees for his operation and management. If there is no dividend, it will all be in the account. So, in fact, the travel agency has money in the account. Because the expenses such as renting a car are all spent on the money borrowed before.

After six or seven weeks of operation, the travel agency actually made a net income of nearly 15,000 yuan. However, since he wanted to buy a car, he saved it and didn't touch it. He didn't dare to send too much money back home, which would cause others to say that he had become a big spender. But he was now more financially comfortable, so he could still show his appreciation.

So when he heard his father say that he had received the money, Fang Mingche said directly: "Dad, this 100 is for you to use. Don't put it in a fixed deposit."

Keeping money in the bank doesn't actually help improve your life, it just increases your sense of security.

When Mr. Fang heard him say that, he asked, "The scrap yard is quite profitable?"

"Not bad. In addition to collecting waste, the same group of people are also helping to collect vegetables, and they take them into the city after get off work. So, I have more room here, you can use it with confidence. Don't be too frugal!"

Father Fang must have felt relieved when he heard him say that. Then he couldn't help but ask, "Your business is also supported by the government, right?"

"Well, we employed four people. Apart from an older sister who cooked, the other three were educated youth who returned to the city and retired soldiers. Naturally, the government supported their employment." Uncle Xia was considered a non-staff member.

Nowadays, there are more than 20 scavengers eating together at the scrapyard. With more people, the cost is spread out. And for only a dime or two, the scavengers can eat with their heads held high. There are vegetables, eggs, and a little meat, which is a balanced diet with both meat and vegetables.

These people work together at the scrap yard, so the scraps are naturally sent to them. That's how they get the qualification to work together.

Father Fang said, "That's good. Didn't the Party Secretary say we would divide the land before? Everyone has been waiting with their necks stretched out. At the end of the year, the Provincial Party Committee issued the "Opinions on Further Implementing Rural Economic Policies to Make Production Teams Gradually Prosperous" and it was not until the end of the year that it was made clear."

How can farmers not stretch their necks and wait for the land to be divided? Every time there is collective labor, there are always people who slack off. This trend is getting worse and worse. Farmers like Fang's father, who are honest farmers, actually don't like such behavior. Hearing that Xiaogang Village had a bumper harvest after the household contract responsibility system was implemented, he has been looking forward to being able to divide the land and work on his own.

Fang Mingche asked, "Divided?"

It seems that SC Province is not as backward in reform as I thought when I went back in June. Especially as Ma said, Guanghan was already implementing the production responsibility system in January 6.

"It was split up a few days ago. Isn't there a red-letter document?"

"Then Dad, why don't you and Mom follow Brother Mingfeng to Beijing after the New Year. I have a lot of things to do here, and Yan is pregnant again. I'm really worried about me leaving."

Fang's father really said, "You just got the land, shouldn't you roll up your sleeves and work hard? You are only 50 years old, it's not time for you to retire yet. Mingfeng will go to Beijing after the Spring Festival, so he will miss the spring ploughing and sowing."

Fang Mingche thought to himself: Well, the old comrade is still very motivated!
He said, "I will discuss this matter with my brother. I will give him some money to hire someone. The household contract responsibility system can free up a lot of surplus labor in the countryside. You can come and take a look, and then go back after a while. Ah Yan is pregnant, so I can't just ask my mother-in-law to take care of it, right?"

He really wanted the old man not to work as hard as he did in his previous life. With the household contract responsibility system, he could ask his brother to hire the surplus labor in the village to work together during the busy farming season. Now that he has some extra money, Fang Mingche wants to take the old man to a big hospital for a physical checkup as soon as possible. If he is sick, he can get treatment. If he is not sick, he can know what to pay attention to. Don't let it be the same as in his previous life, where the son wants to take care of his parents but they are no longer there!

After he said this, Fang's father hesitated. It was not easy to ignore his daughter-in-law's pregnancy. The second son was very busy with business and school.

"How about letting your mother go to Beijing with Mingfeng? My daughter-in-law is pregnant, and I, as an old father-in-law, can't help much."

Father Fang is still thinking about his spring plowing and sowing.

"Dad, Brother Mingfeng is going to Beijing after the New Year. What a rare opportunity. Why don't you come by yourself after the busy farming season?"

Father Fang said, "I have been working in the fields all my life and have never been far away."

"You really don't trust my brother? He's already 27 or 28 years old. He has no problem with spring plowing and sowing. Why don't you think about it again?"

There was silence on the other end. "What should we do when we come back? Is it convenient for us to come back?"

Fang Mingche said, "I have an acquaintance in the government's investment promotion office, and I can help you get a letter of introduction to buy a sleeper berth for the round trip. When Brother Mingfeng goes back this time, I will help him get a letter of introduction to buy a sleeper berth ticket. Then you can just get on the bus and sit or sleep all the way to the city before getting off. Once you get to the city, you will definitely have no problem."

"Sleeper berth, no, no. We can just buy hard seats. Well, I can indeed go back when I get to the city."

The price of a sleeper berth is twice that of a hard seat, he had heard Mingfeng talk about it.

Fang Mingche was speechless for a while, "You come first and then we'll talk."

He bought a sleeper ticket and sent him on the train. He got off the train when it was about to leave. I don't believe that the old man can learn it by himself and exchange tickets with people in hard seats to make a profit. He will only stay in his seat honestly and can't play these tricks.

Fang Mingche couldn't help but wonder who he took after when he thought of this. His father and mother didn't have so many ideas. Oh, his mother had quite a lot of ideas, and even planned to pierce holes in his and Ayan's condoms.

"Okay, anything else?"

"Tell my brother to come and answer my call at this time tomorrow."

Father Fang said, "I'll go back and talk to him. Don't waste your phone bill. You don't have to pay any more. You sent more than enough."

Fang Minghua agreed with this. Who at this age wants to be told what to do by their father all the time? It's just spring ploughing, it's not like he hasn't done it before. If the land is under his name, he will definitely be more willing to do it.

It would be best if the old man was willing to save some money. If he could get up early and work late and finish the work by himself, then he would make the money. If it would delay the farming season, then he would hire someone as the second son said.

"Go ahead, go to the capital. That's the capital! Don't miss such a good opportunity. Others want to go but can't. Besides, it's better to go with Mingfeng. Lao Er and I will feel more at ease along the way."

The capital city is indeed very attractive to the older generation. Uncle Kurban even planned to ride a donkey into Beijing to meet Chairman Mao!
Fang's mother also wanted to go. It sounded like her second son was doing better in the capital now. She wanted to go to the capital to see her. She also wanted to see her pregnant daughter-in-law. She really had to show her concern. After all, they hadn't met their relatives in the capital yet.

Yuan Shufen also said: "Dad, Mom, you guys go ahead. I'm still at home. I can help with the farm work, too."

Everyone agreed, and there was no need to ask for leave from the production team leader. Finally, Fang's father decided to go to Beijing with Fang Mingfeng after the New Year.

The news spread quickly through Fang Minghua and Yuan Shufen, prompting Fang Mingfeng's father to ask, "Seventh Brother, are you two really going to the capital?"

In fact, I know it's true without asking. Could this couple be the same as Fang Tong was last time? Were they fooled?

Father Fang nodded, "Mingche and Minghua both asked us to go. So, let's go and take a look. It only takes six days to go back and forth. If Minghua really can't handle it, I can still come back."

"Since you're already there, why don't you stay a little longer? Otherwise, it's not worth spending so much on the trip."

That's true!

After finalizing this matter, Fang Mingche turned his attention to the final exam. He had already visited the homes of the three people who were working illegally in Japan.

There should be some people who can speak Japanese, but the main target should be those who are willing to work for him. However, they may be inferior to those who have read a lot of books like Sister Qiu and Ning Anan in terms of quality.

Fortunately, Mr. Qiu gave him a surprise: Mr. Qiu started to learn Japanese by himself. When he had free time, he would take Mr. He's car to the Japanese department of the university to practice speaking.

Well, Master He is now just like a non-staff member of the travel agency. His car is often requisitioned by the travel agency. When Wang Dexian is not convenient to drive the military jeep out and practice oral English with the group, the two of them will hire Master He's car.

Master He was also happy to accept the travel agency's orders so that he could go home on time for dinner.

Fang Mingche asked Lin Yan, "No, we can just take a year off from school. After we have a baby, at most we can just go back to college as a freshman."

"This semester will be fine. Just hold on for another half a month and you'll be done with the exams."

"Okay, if you have any questions, just let me know."

The next afternoon, guests arrived.

Wei You brought her in. He was already here to learn English with pay, and he also helped Lingzi with some office chores. This was to prevent the neighbors from teasing her for being alone. Moreover, Fang Mingche didn't know when Lingzi would suddenly say she wanted to leave.

Fang Mingche also arranged for Wei You to learn how to drive. It's good to have many skills! If his driving skills are good, he will be allowed to drive the additional car in April and May.

Fang Mingche glanced at the curly-haired woman in front of him and asked, "Chen Zhiqing?"

This is the female educated youth team leader in the village. When he got divorced, he sent Lin Yan to a dormitory and asked her to take care of her.

Chen Zhiqing was a firm believer in returning to the city. He had been there for ten years, but he never dated any local people. He just quietly learned how to do farm work better and better.

She went to the village two years earlier than Ayan. God helped those who worked hard, and she finally got the opportunity to return to the city unconditionally at this time last year.

Fang Mingche still admires such a determined person.

He smiled and said, "Chen Zhiqing, come on, come on, sit inside. Ah Yan will be back from get out of class soon."

(End of this chapter)