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

Chapter 185 Feeling Up and Down
Fang Mingche was very satisfied with Master Lei's restoration plan. He immediately paid the deposit. Construction will begin after the New Year, but some materials can be ordered now so that work can start immediately.

Master Lei asked in surprise, "You actually trust my Lei family so much?"

They've only been taking orders again for a few months now. So he was a little surprised when customers finally found them after going through many twists and turns.

"A brand with a history of hundreds of years, are you really willing to ruin it?"

Fang Mingche initially only knew that the Yuanmingyuan was built by the Lei family of the Imperial Workshops. He had seen a documentary about Emperor Yongzheng and the Yuanmingyuan, which mentioned it. However, after asking around with Uncle Gu, he learned that the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Yuanmingyuan, the Summer Palace, and the Chengde Mountain Resort were all built by the Lei family. They were the top imperial contractors of the Ming and Qing dynasties!
What is there to worry about? With the reform and opening up, their descendants are coming out of retirement to take on business and certainly can't bring shame to their ancestors.

To be honest, if the feudal dynasty hadn't ended and those kinds of palace gardens weren't being rebuilt, they wouldn't have settled for such a small job. The person doing this restoration work was simply a result of their family's decline.

What could be more gratifying than having one's ancestors' glory recognized and one's own business reputation trusted? Master Lei smiled and said, "Don't worry, Teacher Fang, we'll definitely get this job done for you."

"Good work!"

Fang Mingche called the three little girls, who were still excitedly looking at the model, to get into the car. The three girls were a little reluctant to leave.

"It's so close, you can come anytime you want."

Fang Mingche was well aware of Lingzi's estrangement outside of work hours. However, this was indeed the best course of action. With Qin Hua present, there was nothing strange or suggestive about Lingzi and Yan Yan being together.

He certainly didn't mean to hide it from Ayan; he just let it slip when he was talking about it and was too lazy to make up for it later.

Fang Mingche drove straight to the military region and stopped at the gate, announcing Wang Dexian's name. It's a military region; without a special pass and a guide, a car simply cannot enter.

The guards at the gate called Wang Dexian to confirm, and he was quickly allowed to pass.

The car was driven directly to the Wang family's Suzhou-style villa and parked.

After the car stopped, Fang Mingche got out and ran inside to use the restroom. Everyone needs to use the restroom sometimes!

The aunt recognized him and smiled as she lifted the thick curtain at the outside. This was a young man whom the old leader valued highly, so her attitude was naturally very good.

Today, Grandpa Wang was at the military base. He was taking a stroll in the backyard when he saw several young girls getting out of a car. Seeing that Fang Mingche's daughter was ignored, Wang Dexian went over and picked Yan Yan up.

Qin Hua got out first; Lingzi was still in the car. Yan Yan was quite honest; he was a little worried about letting Qin Hua carry him.

Yan Yan, who had visited before, greeted the old man warmly, saying, "Greetings, Grandpa Wang!"

Her father told her about the achievements of Grandpa Wang and his generation in a language she could understand, and she respected them very much.

Grandpa Wang nodded with a smile, "Oh, it's Yan Yan. Please come inside and sit down. Aunt Cui, get them some snacks and fruit. Where's your father?"

"I went to the bathroom."

Wang Dexian said, "Grandpa, they've come to learn martial arts. We're about to go over there, so let me introduce you. This is my younger sister, Qin Hua."

Qin Hua also hurriedly greeted him, "Hello, Grandpa Wang—" She was easygoing and not at all flustered.

Old Master Wang glanced at her; he could still see some resemblance to his former second daughter-in-law on her face. "Young lady, hello!"

"This is Zhou Ling, the office manager of our travel agency. She's also my neighbor; she used to follow me around a lot when we were kids. Lingzi, you can just call her Grandpa Wang."

"Hello, Grandpa Wang—" Lingzi was a little nervous, as it was the first time she had met such a high-ranking leader.

Grandpa Wang nodded, "Xiao Zhou does a good job."

He actually managed to match Lingzi to the person in the picture. She's the one whose family has overseas connections and they have a telephone line installed.

At first, they hired a girl from a family with a phone at home to do odd jobs. It turned out the young woman was quite capable, and now she manages several subordinates. She'll also be working at the US office.

When Lingzi heard that Grandpa Wang knew her, she quickly said, "I learned everything from Teacher Fang. I didn't know anything at first."

"It's good that young people are willing to learn."

Wang Dexian led the three girls directly on foot. A walk would serve as a warm-up!

When Fang Mingche came out, only Old Master Wang was sitting at the coffee table, setting up his chariots, knights, and cannons on the chessboard. Seeing him, he waved and said, "Come on, play a game with me."

"Okay." Fang Mingche went over and sat down.

While setting up the chess pieces, Grandpa Wang said, "Xiao Zhou's sister is undocumented over there. Won't that affect her visa application?"

Fang Mingche said, "Immediate family members have the biggest impact, followed by siblings. It all depends on the visa officer's reaction. However, we are a unit under the Ministry of Culture, so it should be fine."

"Do you have a second plan?"

"some."

After he said that, Old Master Wang stopped asking questions. He didn't concern himself with the specifics of operation and management.

The country is poor now, so everyone wants to flee abroad. I've heard that the situation of people fleeing from Shenzhen to Hong Kong is still quite serious.

Speaking of this, Fang Mingche said, "If we flee to Hong Kong, things will be fine once Shenzhen develops. The chief architect is already drawing up plans; it's just a matter of time."

When that time comes, local farmers can simply build apartment buildings with elevators and collect rent, so they won't be willing to leave. However, currently, only Shekou Port and Luohu, which borders Hong Kong, are developing relatively well in Shenzhen. Real major development won't happen until after the chief architect's southern tour in 1984. Three more years!
Currently, land cannot be bought and sold, not only agricultural land but also commercial land. China's first land auction took place in Shenzhen, but that didn't happen until 1987. It was a special case, organized by the municipal government. The Constitution was subsequently amended specifically to address this.

Otherwise, you could take advantage of the cheap prices now to buy a plot of land in Shenzhen and build a building, whether it's an office building or a residential building, it would be a golden goose that lays golden eggs.

Grandpa Wang looked at Fang Mingche and said, "You seem to have quite a bit of confidence in reform and opening up!"

This kid was definitely more confident than me, and he jumped into business much earlier. While the rest of the country was still observing, he quit his regular job and plunged headfirst into it.

"The country has reached a point where it has no choice but to reform and open up. Moreover, we are currently in a honeymoon period with the United States, which is beneficial to economic development. I have read some biographies about the chief architect, and there are also some legends about him in my hometown. He must have been a very resolute person. Once he said he would reform and open up, he would not give up halfway."

Grandpa Wang said, "That's right, you're also from Sichuan. But you're quite tall, with a rather northern appearance for a southerner!"

Nowadays, very few people in Sichuan are over 180cm tall. The average height in Sichuan is several centimeters shorter than the national average.

"Grandpa Wang, to be honest, both the Chairman and the Premier were southerners with northern features. General Zhu was also from Sichuan, and he was a tall man."

Grandpa Wang stopped worrying about height. "You said we're currently in a honeymoon period with the United States. How long do you think this honeymoon period will last?"

"This depends on the international situation. We're still in a bipolar world, with the US and the Soviet Union vying for supremacy. But I think the Chairman's prediction is correct: the Soviet Union will launch its satellites and its flag will fall. We won't need to defend against the Soviet Union anymore, and the honeymoon period between China and the US will likely end. On the other hand, it depends on how the US perceives us. They're really good to us now, selling or leasing us weapons and equipment, and sending specialists to teach us step-by-step. But peaceful evolution is absolutely impossible for them! We only want the sugar coating, not the bullets. Once they realize this, they'll abandon their illusions of peaceful evolution."

Grandpa Wang was silent for a moment, then said, "Dezhi said you have a great sense of politics. Indeed!"

Fang Mingche cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "I'm not suited for politics; the path of a Confucian businessman suits me better."

In the political arena, you can't get by without resources. The Wang family's political resources are more than enough for their descendants. Besides, he didn't intend to be so closely tied to the Wang family.

Mr. Wang is not young anymore. After the 84 military parade, the rejuvenation of cadres will be put on the agenda. That's why he is eager to expand his travel agency.

"Then why won't we be peacefully evolved? Aren't there many people saying that the moon is rounder in foreign countries than in China, and they are eager to go to America to live a better life? For example, Xiao Zhou's family."

Fang Mingche glanced at Old Master Wang, who seemed to be in high spirits and wanted to test him, and stopped fiddling with the chess pieces. Was he trying to gauge Fang Mingche's political stance?

After all, Fang Mingche's success today is partly due to the Wang family's support. Therefore, if his stance is questionable, the blame will definitely fall on the Wang family. As Chairman Mao said, the more knowledge one has when the direction is wrong, the more reactionary one becomes. It's unexpected that Old Master Wang values ​​him so much, going so far as to personally test him.

Thinking of this, he said, "Grandpa Wang, that's why I was able to speak so eloquently just now. The people of our country don't need to come from military or political families, nor do they need to be university graduates. Even the tricycle drivers on the street and the farmers carrying hoes in the fields can talk about the political situation with great insight. They know there's no such thing as a free lunch, and they know that Chairman Mao said, 'Perhaps one day we will establish diplomatic relations with the United States and enter a honeymoon period. But no matter what, we must never blindly trust the United States!'"

Indeed, several elderly people around him share this clear understanding. His father, Grandpa Gu, Teacher Qiu, and Grandma Yuan had discussed this issue extensively and in depth when his father was in the capital.

He paused, then continued, "After the founding of the People's Republic of China, our ideological and political education classes, as well as our news and broadcasts, were all aimed at enlightening the people. What we learned from elementary school was called the art of slaying dragons in ancient times. Even abroad, only the elite could learn it. Chairman Mao rejected the methods of keeping the people ignorant in order to enrich and arm our minds in an era of material scarcity. How could the Chinese people, whose minds had been armed in this way, possibly believe that they could live a good life by joining forces with the United States? Our political awareness determined that China could not be peacefully transformed."

He felt that people from the Soviet Union in the 80s to the Syrians in 2024 had all been misled by the promise of freedom and democracy.

The political awareness of ordinary Chinese people is definitely among the top 20% in the world. No matter what major event happens, ordinary people can talk about it in a very logical and eloquent way, and they can see through the phenomena to the essence.

Grandpa Wang asked in surprise, "Are all college students these days at your level?"

Hearing these words, he felt much more at ease. It's true that some elite individuals nowadays want to go abroad for further studies; those who study abroad on government scholarships or are sent overseas don't want to return.

It would be easy for Fang Mingche to run away; he's already been to Tokyo. If he really does run away and doesn't come back, the Wang family will definitely have to give an explanation. Even the careers of the Wang family's sons in the military and politics might be affected. Judging from the current situation, he'll certainly amass considerable wealth in a few years.

Right now, he can add 100,000 to the Wang family's wealth every year! 100,000! What does that mean? Especially since this money hasn't been distributed yet and is still generating more money. If he were to abscond with the money in the future, it would be a huge loss.

But after that conversation, he knew this kid definitely wasn't going to run away. He firmly believed that the next few decades would be a period of rapid national development. From the perspective of realizing his own value, he wouldn't run away either!

Fang Mingche thought about it seriously for a moment, "Then there shouldn't be. After all, I'm a student at one of the top ten universities."

The key is that he lived several decades longer in his previous life and knew about future developments. But the truly brilliant one was Chairman Mao. He said, "The United States didn't intend to compete militarily with the Soviet Union; its fundamental aim was to cripple the Soviet economy. This tactic is called 'luring the tiger away from the mountain'! Brezhnev fell for the Americans' trick and will pay the price one day."

When the Soviet Union collapsed, Chairman Mao had already been dead for fifteen years. But everything he said came true! That's true political acumen!
Having tested Fang Mingche's firm stance, Old Master Wang said nothing more and focused solely on playing chess with him.

"Hmm, you're pretty good at chess, kid. Don't lose on purpose, this old man doesn't need you to let him win!"

Wang Defang came down from her room upstairs. As the granddaughter, she naturally came to spend Sundays with her grandchildren. Seeing Aunt Cui bring out two cups of tea on a tray, she took them from her and said, "I'll go, you go about your business."

Aunt Cui glanced at the chessboard and asked Wang Defang, "What dishes does Xiao Fang like to eat?"

The old leader seems to be in high spirits; he'll probably invite Xiao Fang to stay for a casual meal.

Wang Defang and Fang Mingche had eaten together a few times before, so they named a few dishes.

"There are also three little girls."

Wang Defang said, "Young girls usually like to eat things that are sweet and sour."

"Okay, then I'll make another sweet and sour fish."

Wang Defang came over to serve tea, and Fang Mingche quickly freed both hands to take it, saying, "Thank you."

"Brother Fang, you're too kind. Thanks to you, I've earned quite a bit of pocket money before."

Fang Mingche said, "That was a special case. Grandpa Wang did it so that I could raise enough money to buy a courtyard house."

He casually mentioned that he had gone to see the descendants of the Yangshi Lei family that day.

Old Master Wang didn't know much about this. He was somewhat surprised to hear that the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and the Mountain Resort in Chengde were all built by this family.

"That really shows that everyone has their own expertise. But, is it really necessary to make it so nice for your own home?"

You're already over 100,000 yuan in debt, and you still have to be so particular?
"It will definitely be downgraded by several levels. In ancient times, there were strict standards. It certainly won't exceed the regulations! Besides, I plan to build a guesthouse in the last two courtyards, which will be convenient for tourists to stay. It's close to Tiananmen Square, which is a must-see place."

Old Master Wang glanced at Fang Mingche and said, "You two have the same idea."

Like Fang Mingche, Wang Dexian was also considering starting other businesses. He had previously received over two thousand in dividends, while his grandfather had received nearly seven thousand. He was thinking of using this money as capital and had already informed his grandfather.

However, spending tens of thousands of yuan to buy a courtyard house to run a bed and breakfast like Fang Mingche did is simply too expensive. He chose something with minimal costs. He plans to set up a place to learn martial arts and then recruit some of the hard-to-place veterans as instructors.

That way, all he needed to do was rent a place to start. It would also provide jobs for several veterans. So, taking Qin Hua and the other two to learn martial arts was purely for practice. It was the three of them who gave him this idea.

Grandpa Wang thought it was a good idea, making the best use of everyone's talents. And indeed, it didn't require much capital.

At that moment, Wang Dexian was watching as one of his favorite future instructors trained three young girls. This soldier was about to retire and also wanted to stay in the capital.

Now we can get a business license. I heard that if we pay a certain amount of taxes, we can transfer our employees' household registration to a collective account in the capital. That's just what they say for now, but it's very possible. At least it's hope!
Wang Dexian has already had preliminary talks with these soldiers who are about to be discharged and has reached an agreement. He's currently using a corner of the training room, which he's arranged with logistics.

He said he could find a way to help resettle the veterans, and the logistics minister immediately gave him the keys.

"Xiao Wu, feel free to relax and don't hold back. There are no men and women in the army. If we are open and honest, we don't need to worry about offending our female comrades."

Xiao Wu nodded, then looked at the three girls and said, "You don't actually need to rush to practice boxing."

Qin Hua asked, "So what should we practice first? Horse stance?" As she spoke, she struck a pose she had seen in martial arts movies.

Xiao Wu shook his head. "Our military's martial arts skills draw inspiration from traditional martial arts. But you don't need to start with stances. I mean, you need to practice strength first. Without strength, it's just fancy footwork. It won't work when it really matters. Hmm, let's test your strength first."

He had three little girls carry sandbags, which had markings.

"Don't push yourself. Especially you, Fang Shuyan!"

As a result, Lingzi and Qin Hua's strength was below the average for their age. Yan Yan, however, was stronger than her peers. Xiao Wu, in order to become their instructor and to secure future employment, had done some research on the relevant data.

He said, "Currently, only Fang Shuyan has met the standard; the two of you still need to practice more."

Zhou Ling said, "Yan Yan, is that all the strength you get from boxing every day?"

Yan Yan thought for a moment and said, "I haven't done anything else. Master, I've been practicing boxing with my dad for two years, is that because of this?"

Xiao Wu said, "No need to call me Master, just call me Instructor. Hmm, that must be the reason. After all, you don't live in the countryside and do farm work."

Yan Yan nodded and said, "Yes, doing chores also makes you stronger. My sister is very strong."

Wang Dexian glanced at the situation and thought Xiao Wu seemed reliable, so he went back first. Xiao Fang was still at the Wang family's house, and he had to go and entertain him. Otherwise, he would have to ask the old man or Defang to handle it.

He arranged to take Fang Mingche to the shooting range today. He said it's just a matter of how much a single bullet costs; he'll pay the full price. He has insider pricing!

Since Xiao Fang is so skilled with guns, he must enjoy shooting. Besides, what Chinese man doesn't like shooting?
When he got back, he found that the old man who had only had slight contact with Xiao Fang before was now chatting happily with him.

This kid knows how to charm the old man. There are three branches of the family, so many siblings. Not just anyone can come on Sundays, and even if they do, they might not be able to get the old man to smile much.

Fang Mingche was playing chess while asking Old Master Wang about some rumors and anecdotes he had heard.

"Grandpa Wang, does General Peng really like to take back moves when playing chess?"

Old Master Wang just smiled and didn't say anything. This was clearly out of consideration for the elders.

Taking back moves certainly doesn't quite fit with General Peng's persona, but that's just how he was when playing chess. Therefore, his subordinates didn't really like playing with him. But sometimes, when he got into the mood, he'd grab someone and start playing. The only exception was when playing with General Zhu, where he couldn't take back moves and would get scolded.

"Who told you all this?"

Fang Mingche smiled but remained silent. He must have seen it in a TV series from later generations. In the movie "Crossing the Yalu River," General Peng and General Deng Hua were playing chess, and he wanted to take back his move.

I was truly shocked when I first saw it. Such a great hero, it turns out, also has such a down-to-earth side.

The game lasted quite a while, and in the end, Fang Mingche lost a move, but did so without making a sound. Grandpa Wang's victory was also inevitable, and he didn't suspect anything.

"Alright, that's all for today. Xiao Fang, bring the three girls over for lunch later. I'm going out to chat with my old comrades for a bit. You guys keep talking." After sitting for so long, the doctor said it was time to get up and walk around.

He took a teacup and went out, leaving Wang Dexian and Fang Mingche at home.

As for Wang Defang, she also went over to watch Yan Yan and the others practice their boxing. The old man would definitely insist on inviting them to stay for dinner, so it was her responsibility to serve the female guest.

Wang Dexian glanced at the wall clock. "Well, it's not too early or too late. I was just saying I'd take you to the shooting range, let's go this afternoon. Bring the three of them along too, they might like it too."

The Wang family received nearly ten thousand in dividends, so they should definitely treat Xiao Fang, this meritorious contributor, well.

Fang Mingche was indeed quite interested. "Okay." He knew the Wang family's intentions and readily accepted their offer.

The two men strolled around the courtyard, and Wang Dexian mentioned that he wanted to open a place where people could learn martial arts.

Fang Mingche said, "It's best not to have more than seven employees."

Is there any particular custom or rule?

"I read it in 'Capital'." The term "seven up, eight down" won't be coined by expert Lin Zili for another few months. But he also noticed that this wasn't surprising.

After the socialist transformation of industry and commerce was implemented in 1956, "hired laborers" almost disappeared in China, and "hired laborers are exploitation" became a social consensus. It is only January 1981 now, and Chinese society has just emerged from that decade, but people's thinking has not yet completely shaken off that era.

In the past two years, even when addressing the most intractable issue of employment for educated youth, the State Council specifically mentioned the restriction of "not allowing the hiring of laborers." This is because hiring laborers touches upon core issues of Marxism. The hiring of laborers is associated with sensitive terms such as capitalists and exploitation.

Therefore, the "seven up, eight down" principle was indeed implemented dogmatically for a period of time.

The so-called "seven up, eight down" is a conclusion derived from a calculation example in Marx's "Capital": "Eight or fewer people is called hiring helpers, eight or more people is called hiring laborers. Eight or fewer people is not considered exploitation."

Hearing that he had read it in such an authoritative book, Wang Dexian nodded.

However, "Wow, Marx actually explained it in such detail!"

Fang Mingche said, "Actually, Marx may not have meant it that way; he just drew a general outline. But I think some people might interpret it that way. Better safe than sorry!"

Wang Dexian said, "Then I will definitely follow your advice. By the way, your scrap yard seems to have only seven full-time employees, right?"

Fang Mingche had brought the scrap yard along when the travel agency organized events before, so they had naturally had some contact with it.

"Yes, and all four station managers and four deputy station managers of the scrap yard have shares. We are a collectively owned enterprise. It's just that I own a larger share. That's how it was registered. If they quit, I'll have to pay to buy back my shares."

It's been a year and a half since it started, and those four people have been very capable; their dividends have been converted into shares. Now it truly lives up to its name. Moreover, this gives Liu Qingfeng and the others an even stronger sense of ownership.

Wang Dexian said, "Better safe than sorry, we really have to be careful." It's good to be cautious, otherwise I wouldn't need to remind you anymore.

At noon, they set up a round table for everyone to eat together. Grandpa Wang said, "Don't be shy, everyone. I specially asked Aunt Cui to cook a few extra dishes to treat you. Don't leave the table until you've finished eating!"

Everyone laughed, "Yes!"

After lunch, Wang Dexian and Wang Defang took the four of them to go shooting.

Yan Yan was extremely excited, "The real thing, can I touch it too?"

Fang Mingche said, "Okay, you can try aiming with the real thing today." We'll leave the safety off for now.

Guns have weight. Fang Mingche chose a long one that weighed 7.5 kilograms. The three girls could only use handguns.

Wang Dexian and Wang Defang were instructing them on how to aim. "The theory is simple: just align the three points in a straight line. However, there are many factors to consider when firing. It's already good that you hit the target today. Yes, guns have recoil. Since it's your first time shooting, your shoulders will definitely hurt tomorrow. I'll tell you how to reduce that pain."

Yan Yan's target was the shortest and closest. She held a pistol in both hands and aimed it there, looking quite serious. Her little face was flushed with excitement.

In the end, Fang Mingche fired ten bullets, all of which hit the target. He scored over seventy rings in total, and his score kept improving. At this point, he hadn't yet developed nearsightedness from playing on his phone.

Wang Dexian said, "You're improving quite quickly. Want to try ten more?"

Fang Mingche shook his head, "Forget it, it's better to take it step by step."

If he can't even lift his arms tomorrow, it wouldn't be good if Fang Chang started nagging him to carry him again.

As for Qin Hua and Zhou Ling, Wang Dexian only allowed them to fire five shots.

"I'll fire five shots at most, my arm will really hurt. As for you, Yan Yan, I'll fire three shots at most."

Yan Yan said to Fang Mingche, who was guiding her aim, "Dad, I'll pull the trigger myself. Don't hold my hand."

"Row!"

When they got back in the afternoon, Yan Yan excitedly told Lin Yan, "Mom, I shot a gun today, a real gun!"

Lin Yan already knew that she and her father would be entertained by the Wang family today, so she wasn't surprised.

"Oh, so how many rings did you score?"

Yan Yan held up two threes, "Thirty-three rings."

Three shots, thirty-three rings—that's a sarcastic way of saying she missed the target. That's what the person reporting the score told her from the beginning, which made her quite excited. She actually scored that many rings on her first try?
Dad burst out laughing, "A perfect score is ten; eleven means you missed the target. Check your target—is it intact?"

Lin Yan initially fooled her, "How many bullets did you fire? You hit the target on your first try! Not bad, not bad. Your dad probably didn't let you fire too many, your hands will hurt tomorrow. Xiao Min, get some hot water and help Yan Yan apply a hot compress to her arm."

"Three," Yan Yan said sheepishly.

Lin Yan hugged Fang Chang and burst out laughing. She wasn't as ignorant as Yan Yan; there were militia organizations in the countryside.

It was during the 1960s and 70s that the entire population was mobilized for military service. She also served as a militia member and participated in military training during the Down to the Countryside Movement. Back then, they hunted sparrows and eliminated the "Four Pests"!

She even practiced with moving targets. Male militiamen would ride on their old bicycles, and she would follow behind, holding a gun, shooting at sparrows flying in the sky.

Now that we have no worries about food and clothing, looking back, we realize that those years also had their interesting aspects.

While receiving the hot compress treatment from Sister Min, Yan Yan listened to her mother talking.

"Mom, your time was so much fun!"

Lin Yan smiled, "Yes, it's very interesting."

As the mother and daughter were talking, they suddenly heard a commotion in the neighboring courtyard. They both turned to look at the half-moon gate in unison. Fang Chang also turned his head. Or perhaps he wasn't following their lead; he was simply dressed and a beat slower.

"Xiaomin, go and see what's going on."

Xiaomin agreed, told Yan Yan to hold the towel herself, and then quickly went out.

Fang Mingche and Gao Xiang were smoking at the door. Hearing the commotion, they both walked a few steps towards the courtyard to see what had happened. They were neighbors, so they were bound to lend a hand.

Grandpa Gu strode out and, seeing Fang Mingche, said, "Little Fang, is it convenient for you to make a trip? Wenjuan is about to give birth—"

In the dead of winter, a vehicle that can shield you from the wind is definitely the best. A tricycle is fine for normal use, but in this weather, I'm afraid it might make you catch a cold. He originally wanted to come out and see if Xiao He was still in the alley. But Xiao He is most likely still out doing business at this time.

Fang Mingche nodded quickly, "Convenient, convenient, I'll go get it right away. Don't worry, I don't mind."

He and Grandpa Gu had supported each other in some ways. Grandpa Gu had at least sheltered him, a vagrant, for half a year.

Besides, Zhu Wenjuan was his classmate. Even if there were bloodshed on the bus later, the driver might be superstitious. They could just have the Gu family tear off a piece of red cloth and hang it up.

He doesn't mind, and Ayan doesn't make a fuss.

Grandpa Gu laughed, "I know you have no taboos, so I'll trouble you to make the trip."

Lin Yan, having heard what Xiao Min had said, had already carried Fang Chang out. She said, "The seat is a bit high! Find a footstool for him, and be careful when helping him up."

As Gu Zhiguang helped Zhu Wenjuan carefully walk out, the other neighbors in the courtyard also came out. The family closest to the door, upon hearing Lin Yan's words, went back into their house, found a large stool, and placed it under Fang Mingche's car door.

Gu Zhiguang helped Zhu Wenjuan, who had just started her contractions, upstairs. The contractions had just begun. Contractions come in waves, and Zhu Wenjuan had only been in pain for a short while before the pain subsided. So getting into the car was no problem.

Xie Ping followed behind and handed over the maternity bag that Zhu Wenjuan had prepared earlier.

Lin Yan reassured her, "It's okay! Just listen to the doctor and nurses when you get there. Look at me, I had two children and nothing happened to me."

Zhu Wenjuan nodded. "Mm."

Fang Mingche said, "Hold on tight? We're off."

Koji said, "Hold on tight!"

Aunt Yuan went along; the Gu family didn't have any female elders. Having her go along meant she could offer some guidance if needed.

Wang Dexian's mother and Grandma Qiu also came out from the alley.

Gao Xiang asked, "Will this baby be born in the Year of the Monkey or the Year of the Rooster?"

Grandma Qiu said, "It must be the Year of the Monkey. The Year of the Rooster starts on the first day of the Lunar New Year." There are still more than half a month until the New Year.

Fang Mingche took the person to the hospital and came back; as a grown man, he couldn't really help much. Anyway, Lin Yan had already guided him through preparing everything that needed to be done. Gu Zhiguang had even bought and brought the chocolates from the Friendship Store.

Good news came back that evening: Zhu Wenjuan gave birth to a healthy baby boy weighing 6.2 pounds, and both mother and child were safe. Aunt Yuan told her this as she rode back in Mr. He's taxi.

Fang Mingche returned from dropping someone off and told Grandpa Gu. Then he spent the rest of the time with him, even inviting Grandpa Gu to have dinner at Boss Cui's place. He had no appetite for cooking dinner at that moment.
Then Grandpa Gu came back with us and stayed in the west room to watch TV. He rarely watched TV before, except for the time he came for Chairman Liu's memorial service.

Now that he had confirmation, Grandpa Gu stood up with a smile, "Alright, I'm going back. Haha, old woman, we have a grandson now—"

Fang Mingche got up and saw him off, watching him walk into the courtyard before turning around and walking inside himself.

The next day, he drove Lin Yan and the other residents of the courtyard to visit her. The birth of a child was a joyous occasion, especially for a family like the Gus'.

Once the courtyard house is tidied up, Master Lei will take the construction team to demolish and rebuild the main house (west wing) of the small side courtyard. The reconstruction will be done exactly as it was, trying to match the other buildings as closely as possible.

The layout of the small courtyard hasn't changed much. However, we should still have a professional take a look and make any necessary adjustments.

This is a good arrangement, making it convenient for the old man and his family to stay during the summer vacation.

After Fang Mingche finished his exams, his father called. It had already been arranged that the two elders would bring their three grandchildren to Beijing during the summer vacation. His older brother would provide for them to the best of his ability, and he would make up the difference if needed.

Fang Jian has already received a scholarship. He should still have room for improvement after transferring to the capital.

As for this winter break, Fang Mingche really didn't have time to go back. The round trip would take six days, which simply wasn't enough time. After finishing the exams and resting for two or three days to take care of what needed to be done, he was about to set off for Shanghai by plane!

There are direct flights between the capital and Shanghai, with a flight time of two hours.

Yes, Yan Yan will definitely be coming along. She said she wouldn't stay home and cause trouble for her mother, so that her mother could focus on taking care of her younger brother.

Lin Yan, who was checking the luggage of the father and daughter, said, "If you want to go out and have fun, just say so. Don't make it sound so nice."

Wanting to go out and play is human nature. If it weren't for her eight-month-old son holding her back, she would have gone too.

Yan Yan smiled so hard her eyes looked like bean pods. "Yes, I want to go out and play. Daddy said he'd take me to the Bund, saying there are lots of big stone buildings there, they're so beautiful. And he'll take me to Paradise too!"

Lin Yan said, "It's Suzhou and Hangzhou!"

"Yes, yes, Suzhou and Hangzhou."

Fang Mingche was looking at a map. He and his daughter would fly there and rent a suitable office and accommodation in Shanghai. Then they would take the opportunity to travel along the tourist routes of the five provinces in East China. Most foreign tourists would choose to fly there.

However, the Grand Canal route taken by Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong during their southern tours could also be included in the list. This is suitable for older tourists who are not in a rush. In addition, some people who are knowledgeable about ancient Chinese culture and have the time and money might also like to travel this route.

Lin Yan checked the suitcase and told Yan Yan to keep an eye on her younger brother who was trying to crawl on the bed, and to make sure he didn't fall off.

She came over and looked at the map with Fang Mingche, saying, "There are more tourist attractions in East China than in the capital."

"There's so much more! Jiangnan is famous for its beautiful scenery. We'll go explore during the winter break and try to make it possible for tourists to visit Yangzhou in the third month of spring."

Winter is not the best time to visit the Jiangnan region. However, it's possible to visit during the peak season.

Yan Yan diligently stayed by the bedside. There was a stove in the room, and her little brother wasn't wearing a thick coat, so he could move around freely. He was eight months old, which was indeed the age to start crawling.

"Dad, Mom, he's moving his hands and feet in unison!"

Yan Yan watched for a long time, feeling that something was wrong with her younger brother's clumsy and slow movements. Now she finally understood.

Seeing that she was about to reach out to adjust her younger brother's position, Fang Mingche quickly said, "Don't move. Let him crawl slowly on his own. At first, he'll be moving his arms and legs together. We can correct him later when he's more skilled. Otherwise, he'll regress to the point where he can't crawl at all."

"Is that so? Then when we come back, will he be able to crawl?" Yan Yan withdrew her hand.

The father and daughter planned to return the day before the Lunar New Year, as they were going to have a twelve-day vacation.

Lin Yan said, "It should be about right. But there's no rush, we can take it slow."

She said, "I tried riding a bicycle along the central axis today, and I was out of breath after riding less than three kilometers. I've deteriorated a lot since before I had children."

The snow along the central axis was swept the cleanest, and the scenery along the way was beautiful.

Fang Mingche asked, "Do you want to drive to school?"

"Won't this be too flamboyant? People might say I have a bourgeois lifestyle?"

She still urges everyone to be an "Iron Lady." She says that as a breastfeeding mother, she won't receive any special treatment or leniency.

"Yes! The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. But actually, we're not too afraid of that." Fang Mingche looked Lin Yan up and down. "The main thing is that cycling can help slim your waist and abdomen, especially since it's a 20-kilometer round trip every day."

Lin Yan immediately said, "Then I'll ride my bike."

After giving birth, she definitely took supplements to ensure her baby didn't go hungry. Even though her baby was eight months old, she still had some extra weight on her body.

Cycling can help slim your waist and abdomen. Conversely, driving will likely lead to weight gain around the waist and abdomen. To prevent further weight gain and regain her slim figure, she cycles to and from school. What a great opportunity for exercise!
(End of this chapter)