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

Chapter 193 Father-Son Concept
"I'm an adult now, I'll bear the consequences myself." "Okay, that's enough with my father-in-law's words." Fang Mingche smiled and said, "Mom and Dad, please come in and sit down. Let me see why my cousin's family hasn't arrived yet."

Mingfeng and his family of five took an unlicensed taxi themselves and said they didn't need a pick-up. There's now a driver in their village who provides unlicensed taxi services. He's the one who picks them up and drops them off whenever they travel. It just goes to show, if money can solve the problem, it's not a problem.

The Lin family members, along with Lin Yan and Yan Yan, went inside first. They sat down and chatted with Mr. and Mrs. Fang. Lin Yi maintained a certain demeanor in front of his elders, adjusting his mood and expression, and greeted them politely.

Fang Mingfeng and the others arrived shortly after. Fang Mingche stepped forward to help open the car door, and Fang Tong greeted him, "Ninth Uncle." His cousin-in-law handed him Fang Wu, who was in her arms.

Fang Mingche took it, "Xiao Wu has become even more beautiful. Come on, let's go inside and let your brother Changchang admire her. Aunt Yang, please come in!"

My cousin's mother nodded. "Okay. No need to make a fuss about me. I've never been polite to you."

Changchang really adores children younger than him. He likes to arrange his sister's dolls in a row to keep him company.

Fang Mingfeng looked around the courtyard house; this was his first time back since it was all set up.

"I never expected it to turn out like this!"

Buying such a large apartment for a few hundred thousand yuan seems like a great deal. Well, compared to his apartment in Guangzhou. However, he still thinks that southern coastal cities will develop faster. Speaking of Beijing, the capital, it's a historical and cultural city. And Guangzhou is also a historical and cultural city.

Fang Mingche said, "You need to have a good foundation, otherwise it wouldn't work."

Fang Mingfeng nodded. Being so close to the Forbidden City, attending court couldn't be more convenient. How could the property not be good? It was probably the residence of some high-ranking official in the past.

Changchang was overjoyed to see Fang Wu. He practically ran over, still struggling to control his limbs. He pounced on her, grabbed his dad's leg, and tried to pull his little sister to the ground, shouting happily.

Fang Tong laughed, "You know this is different from the dolls you play with, right?"

He nodded happily.

My cousin's mother laughed and said, "Oh, you can walk now?"

Fang's mother followed behind, laughing, "You're still not quite steady on your feet. Little Yang, are you getting used to life in the capital?"

"I'm used to it. Mingfeng's place is in the suburbs, not much different from our village."

Fang Mingche said to Fang Chang, "Alright, stop pulling, you can't reach it anyway. Go to your pigsty and play with your sister. Come on, lead the way—"

Upon hearing the word "pigsty," Fang's mother raised her hand to slap Fang Mingche's arm, saying, "What nonsense are you spouting now? Don't say another word."

Earlier, she noticed that the room was surrounded by unopened mineral water bottles and asked in confusion, "What are these?"

Fang Mingche said, "Changchang's pigsty."

The travel agency had ordered a lot of bottled water to distribute to the tourists. They found a room in the first courtyard to use as a storage room, and the bottles were all piled up there. Fang Mingche had someone bring over unopened bottles and arranged them around Fang Chang. They also put soft cushions inside so he could play with his toys.

Sometimes he stays put, which makes things much easier. But most of the time, the little guy loves to run outside. Now he's even gotten to the point where he can climb out of there by himself.

Bottled mineral water has been around in China for 51 years. In 1930, Germans founded the Laoshan Mineral Water Factory in Shandong Province. It's the same Laoshan Mountain mentioned by the Taoist priests. Back then, it was called "health water," leveraging the health and wellness benefits of Laoshan.

Later, as times changed and ownership changed hands several times, this mineral water factory persisted. It's still there today! This brand of mineral water has a fairly good international reputation. That's why travel agencies consistently order this Laoshan bottled mineral water.

Fang Chang was quite well-behaved today. The adults were eating at the next table, and he was told to watch his sister and not to touch her. He patted his chest!

Fang Mingche said of him, "He seems very reliable, and he even knows how to pat his chest and make guarantees."

Lin Yan said, "It would be strange if he didn't touch it. He would definitely be unable to resist touching it after looking at it for a while."

Yan Yan used to love touching and patting her little brother, and tickling his feet. She said he was the cutest when he reacted. Chang Chang would cry and complain, but then he would turn around and touch Gu Wenle. He would often point to the neighbor's courtyard and ask to go visit them.

My cousin's wife laughed, "It's alright, it won't break. We'll just sit here and watch them order."

Fang Wu is five months pregnant and can now sit up steadily. Lin Yan helped her sit back in the chair, which made it easier for her.

Fang Chang sat next to his younger sister, his face beaming with a smile. Sure enough, he kept wanting to touch his sister's hands, feet, and little face.

Lin Yan said, "Gently, gently—"

At first it was fine, but soon he wanted to pull his sister's little pigtails. Fang Min stopped him and pretended to pat his little bottom twice.

Ignore it, it doesn't hurt anyway. Keep going after your sister!

As a result, Yan Yan went over and gave him a high-pitched "hmm," and he immediately withdrew his paws and tucked his hands in front of him. When Sister Min hit him, it was just for show; it didn't hurt much when Mom and Dad hit him in the wild, but when Sister Min hit him, it was usually for real.

Fang Tong glanced at Yan Yan, "You're quite authoritative, aren't you?"

Yan Yan said, "I haven't hit him much."

Well, you've already done it. Considering Yan Yan often hits the punching bag, she must be quite strong.

Mr. Fang thought about it and realized that Kang Kang wasn't afraid of Fang Fang at all. Fang Fang didn't dare to scold him, much less hit him. So Kang Kang often acted tough with Fang Fang; even little kids like him bullied the weak and feared the strong. But Kang Kang was very well-behaved in front of his cousin, Yan Yan.

Fang Mingcheng and Han Ping, who had been invited in for the welcome dinner, also found it amusing. Fang Mingcheng said, "When I was little, I wasn't afraid of my sister at all."

Han Ping nodded in agreement; he wasn't afraid either.

Mr. Fang glanced at them thoughtfully. It seemed that even rural girls didn't have this kind of authority over their brothers. Kang Kang wasn't afraid of Fang Fang. However, he was very obedient and well-behaved in front of Yan Yan.

After the welcoming banquet ended, he told Fang Mingche what he had heard.

Fang Mingche said, "Yan Yan often calls Kang Kang to the courtyard in the morning to watch her hit the sandbag. Kids are all bullies who pick on the weak and fear the strong."

He paused for a moment, then said, "In the city, it's rare to find people who favor sons over daughters. In some families, even those with both sons and daughters value their daughters more. Especially now that the one-child policy is in effect, it's better to only have one child. Girls will be valued more and more."

Father Fang shook his head and said, "Impossible! As long as the child still takes the father's surname, there can't be true gender equality. I believe you that city people value sons more than daughters. City people are wealthy and don't need to deduct resources from their daughters for their sons, so of course they can raise both well. But I absolutely don't believe they really value daughters more than sons! Daughters can be pampered, but when it comes to family property, the lion's share will still go to the sons. In ancient times, even if it wasn't a matter of gender, and all the children were sons, and all of them were legitimate sons, the eldest legitimate son would still get 70%. In this way, as long as the eldest legitimate son's line is capable, the inheritance won't become increasingly diluted. The eldest legitimate son's line bears the heavy responsibility of ancestral sacrifices."

Our ancestors followed these rules for two thousand years; they must have thoroughly analyzed the pros and cons. There's a reason behind it!

Lin Yan had already driven her parents, Lin Yi, and Han Mei home. Han Mei's bicycle was parked in the back of the car.

After she drove away and everyone went inside, Lin's father said, "Lin Yi, it's time for you to think about what your sister said and what I said."

Having said that, he didn't say anything more and went straight into the house. Lin's mother looked at her son, hesitated for a moment, and then followed him inside.

Han Mei pulled Lin Yi back into the house, "What did your sister and dad say?"

Somewhat annoyed, Lin Yi said, "It's nothing."

Everyone around him lives like this, so why can't he?

No, and not everyone around him is like that. His sister, brother-in-law, and people related to them, including Han Mei, are not.

Lin Yi looked at Han Mei and asked, "Do you really look down on me?"

Han Mei said, "I haven't been criticizing you lately. Why are you saying this?"

Before she started working and was selling eggs, she pinned her hopes on Lin Yi. She even encouraged him to take the entrance exam for the workers' college. But after studying for a few days, he was called away by his coworkers to play cards.

Later, she joined a travel agency, earning twenty or thirty yuan a month, hoping Lin Yi would be ambitious. But he just drifted along, and she stopped bothering to talk to him.

After she became a full-time employee, she opened a shop in Tokyo. In addition to her base salary of 36, she received a commission. Her income immediately jumped to 70 or 80. As business improved, it reached around 100.

From this point on, she stopped relying on Lin Yi. She earned her own money and spent it as she pleased; that was enough! Besides, her older brother was also selling fruit peeled at the side gate of the Summer Palace, so she no longer needed to make money off her.

Last month, she was promoted to office manager. Her monthly income skyrocketed to around three hundred. She no longer even considered Lin Yi's income a threat. She could earn that much in just three days!

However, he was the boss's brother-in-law. It was because of this connection that I learned the travel agency was hiring.

It's just a normal occurrence. My brother-in-law says he treats everyone equally, but he still gives her preferential treatment in some ways. So be it! She can't just get a divorce, can she? If she divorces the boss's brother, even if she's not fired, she'll definitely face some backlash. They might even give her a low-paying, no-commission job.

Lin Yi said, "My sister said that as your income increases and your knowledge broadens, you will look down on me."

Han Mei laughed, "Is your older sister telling you to work hard? But if you were this obedient, you wouldn't be yourself."

Lin's parents were also speaking quietly next door. There was no way around it; the walls weren't very soundproof. Lin Yi and Han Mei had to deliberately suppress their noise when they did things at night.

Having seen her sister-in-law's courtyard house, which covered more than two acres, Han Mei was now truly envious. It was a pity that her family could never have a separate courtyard. Not even a small, secluded courtyard was possible.

All she could think of was to work hard to save money and try to buy a small apartment in the Tuanjiehu community.

However, the groom's family has always been responsible for preparing the wedding house. Why should she buy it herself? Would she be paying Lin Yi for it? Besides, Tuanjiehu Community is too far away. Even if she bought it, she could only stay there one day on Saturdays and indulge herself a little.

Ideally, we could stay in this large courtyard and buy one or two rooms from our neighbors. That would be cheaper. However, everyone works at the factory, so it's impossible to sell our dormitory rooms. The property rights still belong to the factory.

How about we rent one? Let's look around the area around the office.

Sigh, it's really a bit annoying! If Lin Yi were more capable, not to mention like my brother-in-law, all this pressure wouldn't be on me.

Han Mei fell silent, but the conversation next door continued. Lin's mother said, "Why did you say that today?"

"You're saying Lin Yi is an adult and should bear the consequences himself? He's 23 years old and has been married for a year and a half. Even if I don't say he should bear the consequences himself, are you planning to make Ayan and Mingche bear them?"

Lin's mother said, "Han Mei is the one who provides their meals."

Lin's father scoffed, "Mingche told Ayan to come back and say that because he didn't want her involved in this anymore. Be sensible! Besides, why should she bear the responsibility? I heard Lin Yi threatened to skip dinner tonight to get his sister to pay? How old is he?"

Lin's mother cursed Lin Yan inwardly for being too talkative, telling her father everything.

Lin's father said, "Your brother is so pathetic because you and your sister still want to take care of everything for him. He's over forty years old and still can't wean himself. I don't want to see Lin Yi become like that."

Lin's mother said, "But the wages for working in the factory won't go up anytime soon."

Lin's father snorted, "Waiting for seniority-based pay increases won't get you anywhere; it's only 50 cents a year. This year, 30% of those who got their diplomas from the workers' university were directly promoted to manager. The rest are also highly valued; it's only a matter of time. Isn't this a path to promotion and a raise? There's also the option of taking skill level exams to become a technician, with each level offering a difference of more than ten yuan. Isn't that another path? High school graduates are still highly valued these days. If you don't hurry now, regular universities will be assigning graduates to be technicians soon."

Lin's mother said, "The factory manager only has around two hundred yuan, and his hair is gray. I think the travel agency is really messing up the market by doing this."

Where has such a large income gap been in the past thirty years? There was poverty, but everyone tightened their belts to make ends meet. Now, the economic income of the working class is nowhere near the top. On the contrary, those who speculate and profiteer are making a fortune.

Mr. Lin chuckled, “Exporting goods and leading tours for foreigners are great ways to generate foreign exchange. Mingche and Ayan have both attended banquets hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mingche earns money and is willing to share more with his subordinates, so what’s wrong with that? Look at Lin Yi and Han Mei’s work attitudes, they are two extremes.”

One person slacks off at work and plays cards after get off work. The other voluntarily works overtime and studies English and Japanese at home. They're also reading borrowed books on economics and management.

He asked Han Mei and learned that the book was in the travel agency's small reading room. Mingche adds books every now and then, and the reading room is getting bigger and bigger.

Han Mei was in charge of the books, and feeling that they would be helpful to her, she went through the formalities to bring them back to read. He also asked Han Mei what motivated her to work so hard.

“Dad, I really didn’t like reading before. The percentage of students who got into university was too low, and my grades were always at the bottom. But now that I’m reading these books, they’re helping my work. And after reading them, when my brother-in-law gives us lectures in the small conference room, I can gradually understand them. My brother-in-law also praised me. He said that he promoted me to office director last month, not only because those more senior than me were either stationed abroad or had left, but also because he valued my attitude towards learning.”

Han Mei now idolizes Fang Mingche and is overjoyed when praised. She is currently trying her best to ignore Lin Yi.

She often runs into Uncle Wei's family when she goes out; this area is basically the factory's dormitory area. I wonder what Wei You's reaction would be if he knew she could earn around 300 yuan? Wei You is someone who was better than her, but he went to a vocational school halfway through his studies.

In the next room, Lin's mother still felt that her son-in-law was paying Han Mei too much. A young person's normal salary is only thirty or forty. To insist on three or five hundred is just creating discord. Not to mention Lin Yi couldn't compare. She and her husband had worked together for so many years, and even the old man, a level five technician, couldn't match her. In her opinion, seeing Han Mei's current success at the travel agency, Wei You probably didn't regret quitting after being admitted to vocational school last year.

After all, when he was there, overseas handicraft shops were just starting out and hadn't yet taken off. He probably never expected Han Mei's income to jump so quickly. Back then, he earned fifty or sixty yuan a month. That was more than a stable job, but not this exaggerated. If he hadn't left, Han Mei's position as office manager would definitely be his today.

When Lin Yan returned to the courtyard house, Fang Mingche was showing his parents around.

The travel agency staff had all left for the day, and the Lin family and Mingfeng's family had also gone. It was just the few of them at home, so they could relax a bit. They took a walk in their own yard. Listen to that—they could even take a walk in their own yard! This stroll was so pleasant!

Then we took a sleeper train, but because it was a sleeper, we were actually in pretty good spirits. So the whole family strolled leisurely through the three courtyards.

Yan Yan followed along, while Fang Chang sat in his stroller, pushed by Sister Min, as they strolled around the house. He was only a little clingy to his mother at night when he needed to sleep; otherwise, he was fine.

The large lotus pond houses 500 small goldfish, all still quite young. Yet, the scene of fish playing among the lotus leaves is already quite picturesque.

Fang's mother peeked into the pond and said, "With such a big pond, why don't you raise some crucian carp and carp to eat? It would save you the trouble of buying them."

Mr. Fang said, “You don’t understand, don’t talk nonsense. What wealthy family raises crucian carp and carp in their lotus pond? These are called koi, they bring good luck. Feng shui, wealthy families value feng shui a lot. This guesthouse is pursuing an antique style, foreigners like this kind of style. If you want them to spend money, you have to do it this way.”

Fang Mingche said, "Dad, my guesthouse isn't just for foreign tourists. We also accept domestic tourists."

"You run your own travel agency, why don't you bring your customers to your own guesthouse?"

“They all have a lot of faith in state-owned hotels like the Beijing Hotel and the Friendship Hotel.”

Mr. Fang said, "That's because you're not famous enough yet. Once you've built up your reputation, then you can bring them here."

Fang Mingche chuckled, "Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Dad. You're only 51, the perfect age to take risks."

The meaning of those words was clear from the literal translation, and Mr. Fang nodded. He certainly wasn't there to act like a patriarch; he wanted to have something to do.

Fang's mother whispered, "You think you know everything! You were the one who said that the flowers Lin Yan planted in the flower bed in the small side courtyard were neither edible nor suitable for clothing."

“That small side courtyard is different from this one.”

Fang Mingche said, "You can live there from now on. You can grow vegetables or whatever you want. You can even clear a small plot of land. But don't use farmyard manure. At most, let Kang Kang go there to pee. Mom, you can raise chickens and ducks too, just keep them clean."

He'd already had the flowers, soil and all, dug up and potted by someone. They're now on the windowsill of the overseas Chinese apartment building. If she enjoys tending to them, let her continue.

It's better to live separately like this, as each person's needs can be met. This will reduce a lot of conflicts.

Fang's mother nodded and said, "Okay!"

Pigs are out of the question, but raising chickens and ducks would be fine too. However, if you can't use organic fertilizer when growing vegetables, how can they grow well?
Fang Mingche said, "If they don't look good, just buy them. Ayan and some young men from the neighboring courtyard have started a fresh produce stall, and they sell a lot every day. If you ask me, you really don't need to grow your own vegetables."

The three tractors must be producing a large quantity, and they'll be selling it for less than Qi Shun's. Of course, it'll only be a penny or two cheaper per pound. If it's too cheap, nobody will go to the market, and that would completely alienate the market.

With this increased volume, Zhu Dahai, Hu Yong, and the other two all received more than when they worked alone before. They are now more motivated.

The extra business must have been taken from Qi Shun. But he doesn't have the money to fight a price war with them, and I heard he's been looking pale these past few days. He's considering asking the neighborhood committee to mediate again.

But after speaking with Aunt Yuan and the neighborhood office, they said it was a boomerang-like rumor spread by Qi Shun last year.

Qi Shun wanted to invite the people from the neighborhood committee to a state-run restaurant for dinner, but he couldn't find anyone. They didn't want to get involved in his personal grudges and support him.

Mr. Fang asked in surprise, "Wasn't that business no longer viable?"

He was quite disappointed when he heard about it at home. With transportation, this money was really easy to make. It was supposed to be buying and selling, but it was too much trouble for farmers to carry their produce ten kilometers to town. And city dwellers, due to insufficient supplies, didn't have a wide variety of vegetables. So, someone could act as an intermediary, making it a win-win-win situation for all three parties.

Nowadays, vegetable markets still designate specific farms to grow certain vegetables and then buy them for sale. In reality, this is increasingly failing to meet the needs of city dwellers.

"They've changed their tactics and started again. Now they've bought three tractors specifically for transporting vegetables, collecting them from several villages in the suburbs. They then transport them to the city to sell. You can sell them at your own stalls, or wholesale them to vegetable vendors who come to buy. Whatever vegetables you need, just pick them up fresh every day and keep track of the orders. Hmm, lately they've been transporting them to this small, secluded courtyard; there's enough space there. And there's room for wholesalers to stand. Under these circumstances, it doesn't seem like it's a good idea for you to grow vegetables yourself. It's like you don't trust the vegetables you sell." Fang Mingche stroked his chin as he said this.

Mr. Fang remembered the rumors that he was using a scrap metal tricycle to transport vegetables, which had made that business impossible for him. So he said to Mrs. Fang seriously, "Then you shouldn't grow vegetables anymore. Otherwise, people won't buy Ayan's vegetables. I have to go to work, and you'll be home alone, so you'll have to do less work. Just take care of your three grandchildren and your chickens and ducks."

Fang's mother thought for a moment, "Alright. But I can plant some grass that chickens and ducks like to eat. This kind doesn't need much fertilizer."

Fang Mingche nodded, "Okay."

As they passed the first screening room, Fang Mingche asked, "Do you want to watch a movie? These days, I always make film copies of the latest and most famous movies after they've finished showing."

Fang's mother laughed, "Just at home, you can watch whatever you want? That's so convenient. You don't know, on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, we had to invite the commune's projectionist to our feast. The Party Secretary even had to help us find connections. When he came, we had to say nice things to him and light his cigarette. The projectionist was in high demand!"

Fang Mingche said, "That's mainly because you asked them to work overtime during the first month of the lunar year. Of course, you have to be extra polite."

Actually, projectionists are quite popular, but it's definitely easier to be one of them on a regular basis.

Mr. Fang said, "Since it's our own, we can look at it later. We can look at it whenever we want, so it's not a big deal. You can teach me how to put it away later."

As for now, let's go back to our room and watch TV. The 14-inch black and white TV is in their room right now.

"it is good!"

When Lin Yan returned, the four of them, along with Fang Min, didn't go back to the Overseas Chinese Apartment. They stayed here with the elderly couple for the next few days. They'll drive them to the Overseas Chinese Apartment again tomorrow afternoon.

Changchang had been out for a while and was now yawning. Lin Yan carried him back to the room and coaxed him to sleep. They were staying in the guest room; they didn't have assigned rooms.

Yan Yan and Fang Min share a standard room. Chang Chang sleeps in his stroller, which is placed in the room with him. Lin Yan and Fang Mingche share a double room. These two rooms are reserved whenever they are not fully booked.

Lin Yan took Fang Chang to bed, and the others went to the old couple's room to watch TV.

Mr. Fang asked Fang Mingche, "You just took this TV with you?"

"Yeah. Otherwise, a whole bunch of people would come to check every day at the appointed time. Sometimes if I have something to do, I have to ask them to leave the door open so I can open it myself. It's a bit annoying!"

At first, the residents of the tenement were grateful for coming to watch TV. But as time went on, it became a habit, as if it were their due. It was like they owed them something!

Paying a little for electricity is a small matter, but it's still a bit annoying that my own yard is so noisy all the time.

When the old folks move back to their little courtyard, they'll definitely move the TV back with them. We'll buy a large color TV separately for the living room. We'll go to the Friendship Store in a few days; the order is already placed.

Moving the black-and-white TV away for several months was also a way of asserting sovereignty. Come to think of it, Wang Dexian's mother's initial apparent unwelcoming attitude towards visitors was actually a one-time, permanent solution.

Sometimes, it's not about being generous or stingy. It's about causing inconvenience to others!

After watching the evening news, Fang Mingche stood up and said, "Mom and Dad, you should rest early. We'll go back to our room too. There are two taps; the red one is for hot water, and the other is for cold water."

During the renovation, he specifically installed a domestic hot water boiler. This was to conveniently supply hot water to guests, which they could use right in their rooms. This way, they wouldn't have to carry thermos flasks to fetch water like in guesthouses.

As for meals, guests can order if they have any requests. For example, if they want a late-night snack but are too lazy to go out to find something, they can order fried rice or a rice bowl. They can eat at the restaurant or have it delivered to their room.

Yan Yan got up and followed her father, saying, "Grandpa and Grandma, get some rest."

Fang Min had already started attending night school. Fang Mingche, taking care of Wang Dexian's new business, not only enrolled Yan Yan in martial arts lessons, but also got Lin Yan and Fang Min to join. Now, the three women in the house are lined up, hitting the sandbag.

Besides, night school doesn't end late, around 8 or 9 pm. She can easily ride her bicycle home by herself.

In the middle of the night, Changchang got hungry and whimpered softly.

Fang Min immediately got up, turned on the bedside lamp, and started preparing milk. After feeding Changchang and changing her diaper, she went back to sleep.

Throughout the entire process, Yan Yan, who sleeps very well, didn't wake up at all and slept soundly while hugging her blanket.

The next day, the rest of the family went to school, leaving Fang Min, Changchang, and the two elders behind after breakfast.

The two elders were also used to getting up early. Fang's mother said, "When I came to the big city, the thing I was least used to was that there were no roosters crowing in the morning."

Fang Min ladled soy milk for her, saying, "Seventh Aunt, it's best not to. The rooster crows more than once, and it's easy to disturb people who have just come home from their night shifts to catch up on sleep in the morning. People in the city work in three shifts, and there are people working the night shift every day. Each household uses their own alarm clock, so it won't disturb others."

"I see. Okay, I'll do as the locals do."

Not long after breakfast, Changchang pointed outside the door and started babbling.

Fang Min then put him into the stroller. "Seventh Uncle, Seventh Aunt, Changchang goes to Tiananmen Square every day. Would you like to come along?"

Mr. Fang laughed, "Let's go together, it'll be a good opportunity to check out Mingche's shop." He then looked down at his grandson and said, "You little rascal, you go to Tiananmen Square every day? You know how to enjoy life!"

Fang Min locked the side door and led them towards the square.

Fang's mother said, "Is it okay to just lock it like this?"

"Yes, Uncle Jiu said the most valuable thing is this frame, the thief can't take it away. Actually, the trained employees will be on duty in the next two days. The three retired security guards we hired will also be moving in. In addition to their daily work, they will also be responsible for guarding the house. And, at 8:30, the first person to arrive for work will be here."

There are seven employees in total. Apart from three security guards who are veterans, only four people actually need military training. The three security guards are not only responsible for patrolling, but also for other tasks. One of them is a veteran from the cooking squad.

They walked slowly to Tiananmen Square. Fang's mother glanced at her watch. "Hmm, it took about ten minutes."

They walked to the stall selling intangible cultural heritage products, where Han Ping's tea stall was already set up. Upon seeing them, Han Ping quickly called out, "Uncle Fang Qi, Aunt Fang Qi," and poured them three bowls of tea.

The people watching the stall nearby also realized that these were the owner's parents, and quickly greeted them with smiles.

Mr. Fang took a bowl of tea and asked the young girl running the stall, "How's business?"

"It's great. We have a very wide variety of products, and we source from all over the country."

Anyway, business is much better than the stalls at the cooperative next door. Even the tea stalls are doing better. Their service is so much better! If it weren't for the large flow of tourists in the square, preventing repeat customers, business would definitely be even better.

Fang Min took out a bottle, filled it with warm water, and fed it to Changchang. He had just eaten breakfast, which was complementary food. He drank milk around six o'clock when he woke up.

Fang's mother whispered to Fang's father, "I didn't think it was an exaggeration that they ran a small tea stall before. Now that the second son is earning so much, will things go wrong?"

(End of this chapter)