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

Chapter 145: New Year Overtime
Lin Yan and Fang Mingche took Yan Yan in. They sandwiched Yan Yan in the middle, and the three of them sat on one side. At this kind of banquet, children are not counted as guests. But there can't be more than two people at a table. Otherwise, it would be encroaching on other people's food.

Regardless of what the educated youth at the table thought, they all greeted Fang Mingche and Lin Yan enthusiastically. In fact, many of them hadn't seen each other for at least half a year.

Wu Dan held a wedding banquet on May Day. But she was not as popular as Chen Shu-na, so she didn't invite so many people! The one I saw that time was someone I hadn't seen for more than half a year, and the others were almost 13 months apart.

The educated youth asked about the situation of their acquaintances in the village, and Fang Mingche answered them one by one based on what he saw and heard when he returned home in June and July, as well as what his parents mentioned in their letters and phone calls.

However, he did not mention the division of the land. Brother Mingfeng called and said that the official document clearly stated that "production teams with conditions can also allocate some scattered, remote or thin land and contract it to households for operation according to the annual output." As a result, the bold people in the village or those who "have wanted to work alone for a long time" actually divided all the land directly.

Brother Mingfeng said at the time: "You're taking such big steps, aren't you afraid of pulling your balls!"

Fang Mingche said, "That's really bold. The branch secretary and production team leader are really bold. I guess the people below can't wait any longer."

"I heard that it had something to do with you. You told them about the bumper harvest in Xiaogang Village, and that one year's work would be enough to feed five years. As the only native-born college student in the village, your words were very inspiring to everyone. They might have been a little carried away at the time, so they just did it! Anyway, there were people from Xiaogang Village who had done it before them. They did it despite the ban, but now at least the official document clearly states that the land should be contracted to each household for management. No matter if it is scattered, remote, or thin, it is still land!"

The news about Xiaogang Village has not been widely publicized, probably because they are afraid that it will be out of control. Everyone wants to take responsibility for the whole village. But Fang Mingche got the first-hand information from classmate Ma. He told his father on the phone, and Fang's father must have told people close to him. Then the news spread throughout the village!
Fang Mingche said, "In fact, they just can't wait any longer and want to divide the land and work on their own. Brother Mingfeng, I didn't expect you to be so worried. You are a smuggler of color TVs, tape recorders, and audio-visual products. You shouldn't be a coward!"

He said that he didn't finish all the land so quickly in his previous life. It turned out that it was because of his butterfly flapping its wings. It would be strange if the villagers, who were almost going crazy with poverty, could resist the idea of household contract responsibility system, which would allow them to work for one year and eat for five years. Especially since the official documents have been issued, this is a qualitative change. If they take one more step, it will only be a quantitative change.

Fang Mingfeng said: "I just didn't expect the older generation to be so obsessed!"

“The farmers have been poor for too long!”

So at this moment Fang Mingche and the other educated youth were talking about the things they had done together in the past.

He laughed and said, "That time, Yan came back and said that the youth education center still wanted to share the cost. I remember that after school, we took our food and drinks to join in. When we got there, we saw that you had already erected four bricks on the open ground, leaving a gap in the middle and lit a fire. Then you put a large basin on top, ready to cook hot pot."

After the educated youths stayed in Sichuan for a few years, they naturally followed the local customs and liked to eat hot pot. The main reason is that this method is the simplest. Just prepare the pot base and cook everything in it.

When he said this, Wu Faming, a young man who had just returned to the city, said, "Now that you mention it, I remember it. That face plate is bright red, and it was newly bought by Yu Dong. It can be used to cook many dishes!"

Yu Dong covered his face with his hands. "I used boiling water to rinse it for a long time, and I could still feel the oil and gas of the hot pot base. Later I just used it!"

Everyone got excited when they talked about this. After all, that was everyone's youth! Now, although there is a gap between the rich and the poor, life is still bearable.

Fang Mingche said, "I'm telling you, which one of you stole the chickens from my fifth uncle's house? That month, my fifth aunt put her hands on her hips and cursed me. She had a lot of words in her mouth. She really couldn't stop! They raised the chickens so fat."

Wu Dan waved his hands and said, "It wasn't done by people from our capital." There must have been more than just their group of educated youth in the village at that time.

Wu Faming laughed and said, "I can testify that it was not the people from the capital who did it. It was another group of educated youth in the village! However, after I found out, I ran over when they were secretly making roast chicken and took a chicken wing."

Yu Dong and others nearby beat him up, "You are eating alone! You didn't even come back to tell me."

"People have sealed my mouth with chicken wings."

Fang Mingche was also very happy chatting today. It was true that everyone had gone through the most difficult and difficult times together, but also the most youthful days. When they dispersed after lunch, he left the travel agency's phone number with everyone.

"This is the phone number of a family in our alley who has overseas connections. It is usually used as a pay phone and charged. You can call this to find my husband and me directly."

Since Chen Shuona didn't mention their travel agency, Fang Mingche didn't mention it either. He just said that they did open a scrap yard, but the weather was bad now and they were just barely holding on.

At the scrap station, because Liu Qingfeng went out in the wind and snow to look for a place to open a second scrap station, he was able to sign a long-term contract with the village very smoothly.

Secretary Qu would definitely ask Huo Chen, Sister Wei, and Uncle Xia, but those two knew nothing.

Huo Chen knew and told the truth that he was going to open a second store. But if Liu Qingfeng could find a place, he could find a second place. The village had no indispensable advantages.

Secretary Qu discussed with the village party committee and agreed to sign a long-term contract. However, they required that the annual rent increase be between the inflation rate and 10%, whichever is greater.

Fang Mingche agreed. He had to give some benefits to the village in exchange for things to go smoothly. His purpose was just to avoid being ripped off.

Because of this incident, Liu Qingfeng's income in the first half of February increased rapidly, and his year-end bonus also jumped.

When he and Geng Shan came back from getting their year-end bonuses, they saw Zhu Dahai and couldn't help but put their arms around his shoulder and said, "Boss Zhu, congratulations on your prosperity and business."

This guy tried several times to poach customers from their vegetable business. He's so mean!
Zhu Dahai, who hadn't had any income for more than a month in the dead of winter, was so angry that his teeth were itching. But the New Year was coming soon, so he couldn't get angry at the two people who said auspicious words.

On New Year's Eve, Fang Mingche was indeed at work, filling in as the tour guide. He had already led this five-day tour group for two days. That meant that in addition to New Year's Eve, he also had to lead the group on the first and second days of the first lunar month. He only had one day off on the third day! As for the group next week, Lao Cheng, who worked part-time, would lead it.

He couldn't let Old Cheng go to work on New Year's Eve and the first and second days of the New Year. Old Cheng's fierce wife and children came to the capital to see him and stayed in the school guesthouse. He had to let them reunite for a few days.

Ning Anan's home was far away, so she had gone back two days in advance. She took a plane to their provincial capital, but it was said that she had to reverse many times and even take a bullock cart to get home on New Year's Eve.

She hadn't been home for several years, so when she heard that she could get a letter of introduction to buy a plane ticket, she had a strong desire to go home.

Fang Mingche is partnered with Xiao Shen. There must be a skilled driver and tour guide. Wang Dexian is partnered with Sister Qiu, and is responsible for driving. He came today on holiday, and replaced Xiao Hu to sleep in the sleeper berth he took last night, and will be home this evening.

Mother Lin couldn't help but say, "Everyone is willing to spend money, taking a plane or a sleeper berth."

Lin Yan said, "Chinese New Year only comes once a year. Besides, weren't the salaries paid a few days in advance? There are also year-end bonuses."

She didn't say how much she got. Moreover, Ning Anan found her privately and advanced her one month's income.

Lin Yan thought about it again and again and gave it to her. As long as she could come back, an advance of one month's salary was nothing. The travel agency was in particular need of English tour guides.

Moreover, Ning Anan herself must want to come back. She has just started to live a good life with a high salary. Her family should not be so short-sighted as to force her to marry in the mountains. People who learn English can only live well in big cities like the capital, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

Lin's mother estimated that the tour guide, driver's salary, bonus and year-end bonus added together probably amounted to two or three hundred yuan. Otherwise, how could she afford to take a plane?

Lin Yan had previously told her mother that an English tour guide could earn 150 yuan a month. In fact, she wanted to tell Han Mei through her.

Whether this sister-in-law wants it or not, she is already my sister-in-law. Of course, we can only let her live a good life as much as possible, and we have to control her. The effect seems to be good in the past two months. Han Mei has performed very well in order to be an English tour guide. Even the foolish filial piety that was a weakness before is gradually improving.

Mother Lin said, "My son-in-law has a pity on him. He has to work outside on a day like this, filling in for his tour guide. It's still snowing!"

In fact, Fang Mingche was fine at the moment. He and the foreign tourists were each holding an umbrella, looking at the solemn Forbidden City in the snow.

Today is New Year's Eve, so naturally there are very, very few people here. And it's snowing, so the Forbidden City has really turned back into the Forbidden City.

He said in English: "It is very suitable to watch and visit the Forbidden City in the snow. The atmosphere is just right! We Chinese have an ancient poem: If you don't see the magnificence of the Imperial Palace, how can you know the dignity of the emperor? I believe you will have the same feeling when you see the White House, Louvre, and Buckingham Palace in your own country."

Some of the translated words were translated by Mr. Qiu in advance, and some, such as this poem, were improvised by him on the spot. He really felt that the Forbidden City in the snow with few tourists really showed the magnificent side of the imperial palace.

At noon, he took the tourists to Yushan Restaurant. Some of these old restaurants are very arrogant and think they have no shortage of customers. But some are also very progressive and took the initiative to negotiate commissions with them. Then he will definitely take them to places where there are commissions. The tastes are similar, and neither will lose points! Under the same conditions, of course, it is better for the travel agency to make more money.

As a tour guide, he can also get a 3% commission. It is not difficult to spend yuan on food for foreign tourists.

At 5pm, he sent all the tourists back to the Friendship Hotel. Several tourists said his service was very good and gave him tips. Some tourists also said they knew it was their Chinese New Year and gave him extra tips.

After getting on the bus, he gave 40% of the tips to Xiao Shen. The tour guides in their travel agency have a higher status than the drivers because of their language skills.

Xiao Shen couldn't help but say, "Teacher Fang, you got a lot more tips than Ning An'an."

"It's Chinese New Year today, and some foreigners even knew about it. After someone said this, others also expressed their opinions."

Xiao Shen nodded, "Oh, so that's it."

Sister Qiu looked at Fang Mingche. She didn't get so many tips today. It seems that Xiao Fang is quite capable!
Xiao Shen didn't go home for the New Year, so he naturally went back with Fang Mingche to celebrate the New Year and have a family reunion dinner. Sister Qiu met up with her father at the Friendship Store and took a ride home to celebrate the New Year with her father and grandmother. As for Xiao Jin, it was his turn to drive a one-day tour during the New Year, so he could go home first to celebrate the New Year and come back a few days later.

Wang Dexian sent the tourists back and drove his business car directly to the old man's courtyard to have a reunion dinner. Fortunately, everyone was within the Second Ring Road and not far away.

Fang Mingche still ordered the New Year's Eve dinner directly from Boss Cui, otherwise A Yan would be too worried.

Well, it was Cui's apprentices who came over with tools, ingredients, stuffing, etc. Otherwise, even if Cui's family was close, the food would be half cold if it was delivered in a food tray.

Han Mei had come here early to help her mother-in-law and elder sister-in-law. When she heard about this arrangement, she couldn't help but feel relieved. It would be great if she could eat the ready-made food without having to do anything.

Han Mei looked at Lin Yi, who took out five yuan from his pocket and said, "Mom, this is your New Year's money. I've already given it to Dad."

This made Lin's mother stunned for a long time. Lin Yi actually gave him New Year's money?
Lin Yan said, "Mom, are you stunned by your joy? Hurry up and put it away!"

Lin's mother said, "Great!" This was even more surprising than getting the 20 yuan from her daughter and son-in-law.

Han Mei smiled and said, "Yanyan, hurry up and wish your uncle and aunt a happy new year!"

Yanyan immediately cupped her hands and said with a smile: "Happy New Year, uncle and aunt! I wish you good health, happiness every day, and more money next year!"

Han Mei smiled and said, "Okay, I'll take your good words and make more money next year!"

As she spoke, she handed Yanyan four brand new one-dollar bills, which she had specially exchanged at the bank. One dollar less than the old man, this was reasonable. This was the only financial strength she and Lin Yi had.

Lin Yi's 20 yuan, 5 yuan each for the four elderly people. She earned 14 yuan in two weeks, 10 yuan was given to her parents, and the remaining 4 yuan was exchanged for new money for Yan Yan as New Year's money. At this point, the two people's pockets were cleaner than their faces. The only thing left was the 20 yuan that Lin Yi deposited in the bank.

Fortunately, the baby was still in the eldest sister-in-law's belly and hadn't come out yet. And his two brothers were still unmarried and had no children.

Life was tight enough. Lin Yi now understood that being an adult meant going to work and getting married. He had to pay for the New Year!
Han Mei went back to her parents' home two days ago, and her mother asked her to give New Year's money to her two younger brothers as well. She pushed back, saying that it was not customary for them to give New Year's money to their peers. It would not be too late for her, as an aunt, to express her gratitude when her brothers had children.

Seeing that their brother|son and sister-in-law|daughter-in-law did a pretty good job, Lin Yan and her mother both smiled with satisfaction.

Lin Yan said: "Yanyan, give the money to mom and let her keep it for you."

Wang Dexian came to the travel agency early this morning to drive the car, and gave Yanyan 30 yuan as a New Year's gift. It is said that 20 yuan of it was asked by his father to bring it with him. With such a large amount of money, Lin Yan must have kept it for her daughter.

In addition, grandma and grandpa gave 5 yuan, which was also kept! But now mom wanted to take away 4 yuan, Yanyan was not very happy.

"It's a dollar. I won't lose it if I carry it with me."

Lin Yan said: "This is new money. It would be a shame to use it. Don't you think so?"

Yanyan thought about it and handed it to her mother. It would definitely end up in her mother's hands anyway. Fortunately, she still had one dollar left for the week. She would go buy some candy later!

Fang Mingche passed by the post office on his way back. But it must be closed at this time, so he should come back in a few days. It's not crowded to buy stamps now!
Today, February 1980, 2, the Gengshen Monkey Stamp, which was later called the Dinghaishenzhen of the stamp market, was officially issued. In later generations, the market price of a golden monkey stamp was as high as 15. But today, its price is 12800 cents. The return on investment is as high as 8 times!
When Fang Mingche's car drove into the alley, Lin Yan heard the voice and said, "Lin Yi, tell Master Ma that the food can be put into the pot."

Except for the soups and steamed dishes, other stir-fried dishes have not yet been put into the pot.

Master Ma was the little Ma from the kebab days, and now he has basically graduated and is cooking independently. He skillfully fried a few dishes, took the red envelope from Lin Yan, and said goodbye with a smile.

Fang Mingche had already brushed off the cold outside and came in. As soon as he came in, Yanyan, who was wearing a bright red space suit, ran over and was picked up by him.

At this moment, the father and daughter came over, and Fang Mingche smiled and said, "Master Ma, Happy New Year! I made you have to work on New Year's Eve."

Master Ma also smiled and said, "Teacher Fang, Happy New Year! Nothing much, I just live nearby, it's good to come here to earn a red envelope. Besides, you just got back from get off work, right? Fine, you and your family can eat, I'll go back to have the New Year's Eve dinner too."

He doesn't have to do anything when he gets home, because everything is ready at home. They also wait for him to get home before putting the dishes into the pot. The cook is in the kitchen every day, but actually doesn't want to cook when he gets home.

"Okay, I won't keep you any longer then."

Fang Mingche carried his daughter and escorted them out of the courtyard, then closed the door. No one else would come!

He actually invited Lao Cheng to come with his family to celebrate the New Year together. After dinner, it was not a big deal to drive them back to the school's guesthouse.

But Lao Cheng said that his family of four would be happy no matter how they lived. He took the three of them to go shopping and eat in the capital these days.

The mother and her three children had to pay quite a bit for their trip, but they had never been to the capital before. They decided to have some fun during the winter break.

When Lao Cheng came back to lead tours at the travel agency, he also charged five yuan a day. This helped him make up for some of his expenses. This guy was usually frugal, but he was quite willing to spend money on his family.

Everyone inside had already sat down. Lin Yan asked Xiao Shen to sit on Fang Mingche's left hand side. On his right hand side was Yan Yan, and then Lin Yan, so there were still eight people in total.

Everyone, whether drinking alcohol or drinks, clinked their glasses and said "Happy New Year!" together.

Father Lin asked, "Mingche, you have to go to work tomorrow and the day after tomorrow?"

You can't just look at other people making more money. There's no rest on New Year's Eve, the first day, and the second day of the New Year.

Fang Mingche nodded, "Yes. Tourists have to pay for one day's accommodation and food for one day's stay. We can't let them wait for us to finish the New Year before continuing the tour. If we give them a bad tour experience, they may not come back after they go back. But if the experience is good, they can recommend us to their relatives and friends. We are in the service industry. Others rest on holidays, but we don't."

Nowadays, no one knows if there is a place that prints business cards, so he asked a college student majoring in fine arts to order some palm-sized cardboards with the introduction and contact information of the travel agency on them.

If possible, Fang Mingche wants to set up an office abroad within this year. This will facilitate publicity and directly finalize tourists. Now, running to the Capital Airport every week to pick up tourists arriving from Paris is still a makeshift team. He remembered that in November 1980, China-UK flights were opened. There is a direct flight route between our capital and London. In this case, the office will be directly set up in London. Because it is more convenient to master English. French is a bit over the standard for the time being.

The person he wanted to send to London was Miss Qiu, who could bring along administrative staff. Miss Qiu spoke fluent English, and Miss Qiu had some old friends in London.

However, this is only possible if the travel agency has a particularly good year. When I go to London, I need to rent an office and a place to live. Regular office buildings in London may not allow people to stay overnight. I have to rent both! This requires a lot of money.

In addition, if the two sides communicate through international telephone calls, the cost is also quite high. Try to communicate through telegrams as much as possible. But you also need a telephone. In the early stage, use the telephone in the public telephone booth on the street. There should be many public telephone booths on the streets of London. Unlike China, public telephones did not become popular until the 90s.

Father Lin said, "That's true. I heard that staying in places like the Friendship Hotel and the Capital Hotel for one night is very expensive. Food must be expensive too!"

The first day's expenses there must be no less than his monthly salary!
Mother Lin said, "Foreigners have money, so it's not expensive for them. But even if it's not expensive, they would definitely not be happy about spending money for nothing. Besides, it's also a waste of time."

Fang Mingche said, "That's what my parents said. In the service industry, we need to make our guests feel at home. Otherwise, why would they hire us?"

Lin Yi frowned and said, "That's equivalent to being a waiter yourself, right?"

He always thought his brother-in-law lived a very impressive life. He made a lot of money and had so many people under him. Moreover, everyone was still saying that "employment is exploitation". His brother-in-law took advantage of the loophole and made the street office, the police station and even the people around him downplay this point.

But I had to work overtime during the Chinese New Year, which immediately shattered my halo.

Fang Mingche nodded, "Yes. Moreover, the older generation of revolutionaries usually call themselves servants of the people."

Fang Mingche didn't care about the halo. Compared with the halo of being high and mighty, he preferred the image of working overtime on New Year's Eve. Otherwise, he would be excluded by the people nearby.

Although it was already 1980, he still couldn't give people the impression of a "capitalist". He always asked people to call him "Teacher Fang" instead of "Boss Fang" for this reason. He also had to work overtime, which showed that he was not out of touch with the people.

Now, what he fears is being isolated, becoming the opposite of ordinary people, and being hated by the rich! He is quite satisfied with his current image of being in debt and working overtime.

He said such a great truth as "serving the people", so Lin Yi naturally had nothing else to say. Could it be said that the waiter was still working for him, and was inferior to others? The old revolutionaries said that they were the people's public servants and the people's servants.

"Brother-in-law, you really deserve to be a teacher!" You have a lot of ways to teach people a lesson!

Father Lin said, "This is to teach you to be careful with your words. Don't look down on the working people. Whatever you do is a different division of labor in the revolution."

"understood."

Fang Mingche said: "Today is New Year's Day, let's not talk about this. Let's eat it while it's hot--"

When Wang Dexian drove his business car to the old man's courtyard, he was the only one left after all three generations of the Wang family arrived. He had been particularly valued by the old man for more than two months, so naturally there were people who disliked him.

His uncle said directly: "Oh, Xiao Si'er is back from serving foreign tourists. You are so dedicated to your work even on New Year's Eve!"

Wang Dexian said: "Since we have received their money, we must do a good job. The tourism industry has grown, and it can continuously earn foreign exchange for the country. Of course, we must do a good job from the beginning, otherwise how can we build a good reputation? They don't have the concept of New Year's Eve, and they have their own schedule. We can't force them to follow local customs."

Seeing the old man coming out, he continued, "Uncle San, did you mean to say that I was serving the foreign masters? These are two different things. The nature is completely different! Now with reform and opening up, we are opening our doors as an equal country and welcoming guests from all over the world. I am just making it convenient for the guests and paying attention to the etiquette of hospitality. When you say that, where do you put our country and our people?"

Uncle San quickly said, "Don't talk nonsense, I have already changed my words."

This question can be taken too far! This kid, even the whole family talks to him in a tone that is not appropriate.

Old Master Wang stood behind him and said, "Third brother, you must be careful when speaking. Once words like 'foreign master' are spread out, people will think that this is my attitude and the attitude of the Wang family."

He looked at his other children and grandchildren, "You too, should be careful even when you speak in private. Last year, four special economic zones were established: Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen, and Shantou. Some people were wondering if they were special economic zones, but were they special politically? If they were special politically, wouldn't that be similar to a concession? Such words should not come from people like us. There is no political vigilance at all! I strongly agree with what Xiao Si'er is doing now. The country is most in need of money, especially foreign exchange. The tourism industry can earn foreign exchange for the country, which is great!"

All the children and grandchildren nodded, this matter is indeed a big deal or a small one. Uncle San was embarrassed and couldn't even raise his head. If you take it seriously, his words are indeed a topic of conversation. The Wang family naturally has political enemies!

"Dad, I see."

Wang Dexian's father, the second son, had just heard his brothers bullying his eldest son and was about to say something when he saw his eldest son giving him a look, signaling him to handle the matter himself. Well, he handled it well, enough to make his third uncle drink a pot.

Humph, the emperor loves the eldest son, and the people love the youngest son. Usually, the old man values the eldest son the most and loves the third son the most. I, the second son, have always been neglected.

Now the eldest son is engaged in the foreign tourism industry and is highly valued by the old man, and he has received more attention than before. It seems that the eldest son has been very helpful in improving his status in the family.

Needless to say, the Wang family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was very lively and sumptuous.

Even Fang Mingche's family was willing to spend money to prepare a lot of delicious dishes, and everyone was very satisfied with the meal. After eating, Lin's mother and Han Mei stood up to help clean up, and Xiao Shen also stood up to help.

Han Mei said, "Brother Shen, sit down, sit down. You've already worked a day." She glanced at Lin Yi who was not aware of it. You sat down steadily. Eating is ready-made, and now it is as stable as a rock.

Lin Yi had no choice but to stand up and help clean up.

Lin Yan supported herself and went to the kitchen, where she saw Han Mei wearing an apron and preparing to wash the dishes. Lin Yi helped to clear the cups and plates, and went to watch TV with Yan Yan. Fang Mingche asked Xiao Shen to come over as well, as he certainly couldn't let Xiao Shen, the only outsider, feel uncomfortable.

Only Lin's father and mother were left in the small room. The old couple had been together for a long time and didn't feel anything, but now that they were apart for a while, they missed each other a lot.

Lin Yan said: "Oh, Meizi, this is hard work for you. I'll ask your brother-in-law to come."

"Hey, no, no, no, my brother-in-law went out to work early in the morning. There are not many bowls!"

"Then boil some hot water for washing, don't let your hands get frozen. We usually use boiled hot water to wash things. Thank you for your hard work!" Lin Yan's belly was pressed against her, and she couldn't wash even if she wanted to.

"It's okay." Han Mei said with a smile. She still had many things to ask of her sister-in-law now and in the future. Without money, she had to work harder.

In the small room, Lin's mother said, "Han Mei really has Lin Yi under her thumb."

Her son didn't really listen to his parents, but was completely controlled by his daughter-in-law. She naturally felt bad.

Father Lin said, "It's good. I think Lin Yi is much more docile under her supervision. Otherwise, how could he think of giving us money for the New Year? He is not deaf or dumb, and he is not an in-law. Just turn a blind eye to everything. It's not a matter of principle! Besides, Han Mei is still washing the dishes, and Lin Yi has already gone to watch TV."

Because I didn't have any expectations of Lin Yi at the beginning, I was quite surprised to receive the New Year money from him.

Mother Lin thought that it was indeed Han Mei who was working, and Lin Yi had gone to watch TV with Yanyan, so she didn't say anything.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year, Fang Mingche went to work early in the morning as usual.

Lin Yan slept until she woke up naturally, and took Lin's mother and Yan Yan back to her parents' home in Master He's car. I really can't take it easy today, I have to go back. It was agreed that she would go back in the morning and Han Mei would go back to Han's house in the afternoon.

Now that the family is well off, Lin Yan is treated as a real guest when she goes back, whether she is pregnant or not. Yan Yan is also treated well. Therefore, Fang Mingche is not worried at all that they will suffer any grievances, and goes to work peacefully.

After get off work in the afternoon, he would drive his business car over there, have dinner, and pick up the mother and daughter.

Lin's mother went back in the morning so that she could help prepare gifts for Han Mei to take back to her parents' home. After Han Mei's money was robbed once, she knew what was good and what was bad. And she was also lured by the bait of making a lot of money as an English tour guide. So she behaved well during this period.

Lin's mother prepared a nice gift for her to take back to her parents' home and asked her to take it back.

Lin Yi will ride the bike, and Han Mei will sit behind him with the gifts. This way, all the neighbors can see. Even if the Han family says that the Lin family is stingy, it will not stand.

In the afternoon, Fang Mingche and Wang Dexian met at the entrance of Friendship Hotel.

Fang Mingche said, "Old Song seems to have something to ask you. He came to ask you how long you would be employed before the New Year."

Wang Dexian thought for a moment, "Hasn't he already resigned from that position as a junior leader?"

"I guess the leader asked him to ask you for advice. Now they have no choice but to come to you!"

Wang Dexian said: "I think he is very strict with himself, and he will be good at managing people in the future. But he seems to have no requirements for his subordinates. This kind of person is really not suitable to be a leader."

Okay, he admitted. In addition to Xiao Xu, he also misjudged Lao Song. Who knew that he was a person who was strict with himself and lenient with others? This kind of person is good as a friend, but really not suitable to be a leader.

Sure enough, two business cars stopped in the alley, and Song Quan came out when he heard the sound.

"Xiao Fang, Comrade Wang, Happy New Year!"

The two also smiled and responded: "Happy New Year!"

Wang Dexian said, "Come in if you have anything to say. It's cold outside."

He led the person directly to the driver's office. Now Xiao Shen was the only one among the three drivers, so it was more convenient to talk there.

Xiao Shen got off the car a step later, and seeing this, he didn't go over, but ran directly to the kitchen in the east wing to warm himself by the fire.

Fang Mingche said, "Old Wang, I changed that office into a room. You guys can talk in the room with the TV."

He asked Xiao Shen to do the moving and lifting. There weren't many pieces of furniture, so they could just swap them out. So now the three drivers were working in the room with the TV. Of course, the TV was still not turned on during working hours. The three tour guides, Teacher Qiu, and Lingzi were in the living room. The other room was turned into a living room.

Wang Dexian raised his eyebrows, "Why change it when it's fine?"

Of course he knew the origin of the room where the TV was placed. But why vacate the other room? However, he realized it after he finished speaking, "Is someone coming from your hometown?"

Fang Mingche said: "My parents will be here on the eighth day of the New Year."

There was no need to say more. Wang Dexian could fully understand why he arranged for the two elders to stay in this room. He was afraid that the two elders would be taboo! However, the three drivers did not mind at all.

Wang Dexian asked, "Are you really not going to tear down that house and rebuild it?"

"Wait until the second half of the year when the account is more relaxed and the dividends are distributed. Then I will ask Yangshi Lei's descendants to help me tidy up the small courtyard. I don't believe that we haven't found a suitable office by the second half of the year."

Putting the office here is definitely a stopgap measure. Hurry up and do it in the second half of the year! The further you go, the more troublesome it will be to renovate this kind of old house. You need to go to many places to get stamps, and people will also come to the site to check. Make sure your changes will not change the structure of the house itself before you make the changes. For example, if you want to install a toilet indoors.

Wang Dexian said, "Then we should have found it. But this order is too small. Even if the Lei family accepts the order, they can only send an apprentice and a worker."

"So, it would be best if we could find a courtyard house and completely renovate it to use as an office. My place would be a bonus!"

Tsk, now that I can find a well-preserved courtyard house with clear property rights, Fang Mingche really wants to buy it. After this year, the value of the courtyard house will gradually be known to the world, and the price will start to rise!
The real old courtyard houses are non-renewable resources, and cannot be compared with the later imitations of antiques.

Wang Dexian nodded, turned around, took Song Quan to the TV room, and asked him to sit down.

"Old Song, I know why you're here. However, it's impossible for a travel agency to take tourists to any place they want. Let me tell you bluntly, the points you give us are really not enough. Boss Cui has given us 20%, and he is still our creditor. But if tourists say they don't want to eat home-cooked food, we won't persuade them too much."

He would not say something like "raise the price by 50% first, and then give a 30% commission". It would be a waste of effort! He is happy with the price increase, but he would think a 30% commission is too high. He and Xiao Fang had made this very clear in front of Lao Song that day. But Lao Song was also smart, and he did not go back to talk about the money.

There are so many people, it's hard to please everyone! You should be a good leader, you should serve; if there is anything wrong, it's all your fault. For example, the income is lower now than in Tiananmen Square, because it's far away from the square. The passenger flow must be greatly affected!

But those people were dissatisfied, and complained to Lao Song behind his back and in front of him that he couldn't come up with ideas as smartly as Xiao Fang. They didn't even think about whether Xiao Fang's ideas were so easy to use.

Isn't there a story? An engineer drew a line on a machine, revealed how to repair it, and took $10,000. Some people say that they charge $10,000 just for drawing a line.

The engineer responded plausibly: "It only costs $1 to draw a line, but it costs $9999 to know where to draw it."

As for the cooperative, Xiao Fang is right. If we keep going, the traffic to Tiananmen Square will definitely increase. The traffic to Dashilan will also increase. But the people in the cooperative made a lot of money in the square before, and they got carried away. They can only make more, not less!

Song Quan said: "It's not just about cooperating with the travel agency. The leader also wants me to ask you, how can the cooperative generate income?"

Wang Dexian said: "If you can't effectively increase revenue in the near future, then think of ways to cut costs. This is my suggestion! Old Song, don't meddle in other people's business. That's all I have to say. You should be able to get your message across if you take it back."

Song Quan nodded, "Thank you!"

He paused and said, "Are you talking about other craftsmen who want to share the Dashilar storefront with us? But if we just share the storefront with them, it would be too passive."

They have seized this advantage and have stalls in Dazhalan. Why would they be willing to give up half of them?
Wang Dexian smiled but said nothing. Many brother units felt that the cooperative did not live up to its role as a facade.

It is impossible to give them half or one-third. It has to be a first come, first served basis! However, you can let them send things for consignment, and then the cooperative will collect commissions. This is much better than collecting rent.

If there is no way to increase the number of foreign tourists coming to buy things for the time being, it is actually not bad to collect consignment fees from peers. Moreover, diversifying the products sold can also attract more business. If he were here, he would definitely do this.

Song Quan said: "Well, I will just say what you said before. If you can't increase revenue in the short term, then find a way to cut costs. Let them figure it out on their own."

This way, it won't be his business whether it's good or bad in the future, and he can just concentrate on being a craftsman.

Wang Dexian nodded, "Okay."

Old Song is indeed smart and quick to understand. But character really determines destiny. He is not suitable to be a leader. If he concentrates on being a craftsman, he may be able to produce more products. He can also earn back the income from the job he quit.

But those craftsmen still can't change their mindset. They want the horse to run, but they also want the horse not to eat grass! They are really not as fast as small businesses like Boss Cui in turning around.

(End of this chapter)