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

Chapter 194 Parents' Worries
Speaking of this, Mr. Fang was also a little worried. With the household responsibility system and the village's rice processing plant, everyone was only slightly better off than before, but no one could be called rich.

But Mingche, this is genuine wealth. Even if the couple is hundreds of thousands in debt. If their income wasn't high, would they dare to take on so much debt? Would the bank lend to them? Or would the original homeowner allow them to use their shares as collateral and transfer the property with them without receiving half the purchase price?

Now that they've become wealthy, they've become somewhat detached from the masses. The elderly, besides hoping their children and grandchildren will be successful, also hope they can live peacefully and safely. If it were just a one-courtyard house that Mingcheng mentioned when he came back for the New Year, they would have thought it was perfect. But this three-courtyard house with two side courtyards is just too big.

Fang's mother was the most anxious about this. Yesterday, when she saw the large yard her son had bought, which covered more than two acres, her first thought wasn't that she could finally enjoy a comfortable life. Instead, she worried, "Won't something bad happen?"
Mr. Fang said, "Actually, Mingfeng also spent seventy or eighty thousand yuan to buy a house of more than 100 square meters in Guangzhou. But because the area is small, he doesn't feel it as deeply."

When his second cousin mentioned it at home, he definitely downplayed the price of 700 yuan per square meter. Whether it's to avoid envy or to prevent others from asking for money, only a fool would flaunt that his son bought a house worth 70,000 or 80,000 yuan per square meter.

It was only at last night's welcome banquet that Mingfeng and Mingche spoke the truth.

Mr. and Mrs. Fang planned to give the same story to their hometown: they had only bought a courtyard house. But the people back home didn't know that, while the people in the capital did.

Fang Mingche only had classes in the first two periods today, and he rode his bicycle back immediately after class.

He told Lin Yan that cycling to and from school helps reduce belly fat, and this really worked. Lin Yan cycled for three months, covering 20 kilometers round trip every day, commuting for more than an hour and a half. She completely lost the extra weight she gained from having her second child, and became much slimmer!
She drove on Sunday as a reward for herself.

As for Fang Mingche, aside from the ten days last year when he needed to pick up and drop off Fang Tong, he always rode a bike to and from school to save time. He also usually plays basketball with Lao Cheng, Xiao Xu, and Zheng Xing. He has always maintained a very good physique.

He rode his bike in through the side door, quite pleased with himself. His parents had come, and now he was living a comfortable life, with a happy marriage and a son and a daughter. It was arguably the most satisfying life he had ever had since his rebirth.

When he returned, Fang Min, who was helping Changchang practice walking, told him, "Ninth Uncle, I think Seventh Uncle and Seventh Aunt are quite worried."

"what happened?"

"They seem worried that if you become a capitalist, you'll be forced to wear a pointed hat. They say this courtyard house is too nice, so nice that it makes them feel uneasy living there."

Fang Mingche frowned. Thirty months have passed since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, and there are still such worries? However, he had somewhat overlooked the fact that his parents might be frightened by their sudden arrival in this environment yesterday.

"Go and tell the seven employees who have returned from training to visit the facilities on their own first. Let them familiarize themselves with their future work environment."

Today, the seven employees who went to Wang Dexian's club for training returned. He came back early so he could train them on service awareness. Otherwise, he had planned to borrow two books from the library.

But for now, let's go and comfort our parents first.

"Okay," Fang Min nodded in agreement.

Fang Mingche scooped Fang Chang up and held him in his arms. "Let's rest for a bit and then go see Grandpa and Grandma."

He wondered why the two elders weren't with their grandson. They had moved here specifically so the family could spend more time with him.

The father and son found their way to the lotus pond, and the two elders sat in the pavilion looking rather worried.

Fang Mingche put Changchang down, who was fussing about wanting to walk on his own, and let him walk around in the pavilion. Then he said, "Mom and Dad, I'm earning foreign exchange for the country. The country needs foreign exchange most right now, so I'm a hero for doing this!"

He's really not afraid of being penalized this year. What did he do? He earned foreign exchange through exports and created some more jobs.

He remembered what the internet revealed later: the female traitor named Qin Manyun had returned to China this year. She was arrested in 1934 and betrayed so many revolutionary comrades. After liberation, she fled to Taiwan and settled in the United States in her later years, now possessing a net worth of several million dollars.

After the reform and opening up, this person repeatedly applied to the government to return to China. In her letter, she said, "I have a lot of money, and I can return to China to contribute to the country's development!"

'Our Party is unwilling to forgive Qin Manyun's act of betrayal, but believes that it needs to show her the magnanimity to atone for her sins.' This guy even stayed at the Beijing Hotel after he returned! He returned to China multiple times to invest in the 80s.

This could only have happened in the early stages of reform and opening up. This shows just how desperately the country needs foreign exchange. He could either attract visitors to our historical sites or sell intangible cultural heritage products. Neither of these would harm the national interest.

Mr. Fang said, "I know. If you weren't doing this, we'd be even more worried. Look at all the people you've hired!"

Fang Mingche said, "There are only seven employees in this courtyard house. Three are veterans, and the other four are women who were introduced by the neighborhood committee. They are hardworking and come from very poor families."

Upon hearing that the employees came from these two backgrounds, Mr. and Mrs. Fang felt a little relieved.

Fang's mother said, "Aren't demobilized soldiers in the city supposed to be given jobs? You're just a country boy."

Rural children, unless they achieve merit or go to war, are not usually given jobs. As for staying in the army to become officers, rural people have no connections and basically have no hope. However, serving in the military does enhance one's status. After returning to the countryside, they will have more opportunities than ordinary farmers.

If someone in the village had a child who joined the army, it was considered a great honor, second only to getting into university. Going to university is a recent phenomenon. But in the 1960s and 70s, having a child join the army was truly a source of pride.

Besides the allowance, soldiers receive all sorts of ration coupons while serving in the military; they eat and wear government-provided food and clothing. Even after discharge, they are offered formal employment.

Getting promoted to officer and wearing a four-pocket uniform was even more prestigious. They were all village beauties, and only those in the People's Liberation Army could find a partner. Many who were promoted in the army didn't even want to go back to their hometowns to find someone.

Fang Mingche nodded, "Urban soldiers need to be assigned jobs. But with so many people needing jobs in the last two or three years, there's a waiting list. Of the 1700 million educated youth who returned to the city with Ayan, some still haven't been assigned. When assigning veterans, priority is definitely given to those who participated in the self-defense counterattack. Those who didn't see the battlefield are put at the back. Moreover, they are often assigned back to their hometowns. Some people have seen the prosperity of the capital and don't really want to go back. They were all introduced by Brother Wang San."

The resettlement of veterans is actually not too bad now. The real problem started after the massive reduction of one million troops in 1985.

At that time, the only option was to have the troops at all levels engage in business to raise funds for the military! This shows how poor the country was.

For over 50 years, our Party and army endured great hardship. Only during the Japanese invasions and mopping-up operations did the troops participate in production and business. After a little over a year, Commander-in-Chief Zhu De discovered a decline in the troops' combat effectiveness and decisively ordered a halt!
So how could we possibly punish a businessman like him who adapted to the reform and opening-up policy and earned foreign exchange through exports?
Mr. Fang looked at the house and said, "Then you should keep a low profile! Keep your earnings to yourself or deposit them in the bank, and don't make a fuss!"

Fang's mother chimed in, "That's right! You bought this house entirely with borrowed money. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were incredibly wealthy! Borrowing money is so clever!"

The house cost over 100,000 yuan, and the debt was over 100,000 yuan. Isn't this a house bought entirely with borrowed money?
Fang Mingche said, "The value of courtyard houses is being recognized more and more. Overseas Chinese are specifically asking to buy them when they return. The price has also increased a lot compared to when they were first returned to their original owners a year or two ago. If I don't act now, I won't be able to buy one. In my generation, if I come to the capital, I definitely have to buy a courtyard house!"

If he doesn't buy a courtyard house, wouldn't his rebirth have been in vain?
"Is it really necessary to sell it?" Mr. Fang frowned. "We've already bought it. Returning it now would expose our true intentions."

He lowered his voice, "If something happens later, won't the Wang family push you out to take the blame and shoulder the responsibility?"

After much deliberation, Mr. Fang concluded that the Wang family's cooperation with his family was probably for this very reason. They were using Mingche as a front man, so that they could sacrifice him to save the king should anything go wrong.

Fang Mingche said, "Couldn't they have been attracted to my intelligence? Don't worry, Dad, it's really nothing."

Sigh, it just doesn't make sense! The main problem is that over ten thousand yuan is truly beyond their comprehension. Before, when he ran a small tea stall, earning a few thousand yuan a year was something they could understand. Now, jumping three levels to six figures, they really can't comprehend it.

Mr. Fang said, "Can you back out now? Just be a good college student and you can either accept the job assignment and get a stable job after graduation or continue your studies for a master's degree. You have more money than you can spend now."

If his youngest son had only become a "ten-thousand-yuan household," he could accept it. While such households are extremely rare, they still represent nearly 1% of the population nationwide. But suddenly jumping to buying a house costing over ten thousand yuan was something he really couldn't accept. Making big money comes with big risks!
Fang Mingche said, "What, you still don't believe in reform and opening up, don't believe in our chief architect? Didn't you all go ahead with the land redistribution and individual farming?"

He certainly has enough money now. However, even if the reform cause experiences setbacks, it's still a case of 'the future is bright, but the road is tortuous.' The world has changed!
Father Fang said, "The early division of land for individual farming isn't just a matter for our family. The whole village gets a share, with the Party Secretary leading the way. If anyone's going to be arrested or imprisoned, it won't be me. In these kinds of things, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. And you're the nail that sticks out now!"

The law doesn't punish everyone, and it can't be applied to an old farmer like him. Everyone knew what was going on, which is why they dared to do it. Even the Party Secretary knew what was going on! Anyway, if the Party Secretary were arrested, everyone would pool their money to implicate his grandchildren.

Besides, there are still those eighteen farmers from Xiaogang Village taking the lead!

Fang Mingche said, "Yes, now that we've made our mark, we can't just back down, can we? I'm quite famous now. Before New Year's Day last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a banquet for ambassadors from various countries and prominent foreign businessmen in Beijing, and they all called to invite me."

Fang's mother and father exchanged a glance and said, "We did hear Mingcheng talk about this when he came back."

"What nonsense! This is the truth! It was a staff member from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who called me to invite us to the event. Yan Yan even interacted with several of the ambassadors' children and keeps in touch by phone. We even made plans to go to the zoo together for Children's Day. Besides, we're now an affiliated unit of the Ministry of Culture. Come on, I'll show you our business license. It's stamped with the official seal! You might not recognize anything else, but you'll recognize the official seal. The winds have shifted; the Ministry of Culture certainly won't let companies affiliate themselves so easily. Do we, the people below them, know which way the winds are blowing?"

Fang Mingche was at his wit's end; he couldn't get through to them. So he simply stopped explaining and told them to look at the authoritative evidence! It included endorsements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, and even a senior military commander. This kind of high-sounding endorsement clearly worked!

Yesterday was a simple welcome dinner. During the meal, when they heard that the house cost over 100,000 yuan, their expressions started to change. Later, when they toured the yard, they showed a mix of pride—after all, their son had bought such a large yard—and concern. However, he had been drinking with Mingfeng, Mingcheng, and Hanping at the time, and for a moment, he overlooked it.

Fang Mingche didn't go forward, but instead told Fang Min to go to the office in the first courtyard again.

Fang Min agreed and went to the office, then asked Han Mei to give it to her.

Han Mei paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, okay. Xiao Gang, go up and get it." It's hanging on the wall.

By the lotus pond, Fang Mingche continued, “Don’t underestimate Old Master Wang’s ambition! If he really didn’t want to get involved, he wouldn’t interfere at all. Do you know what he does with his share of the profits? He sends most of it to the families of martyrs who are struggling financially. He’s not primarily after the money. This is a sign of political progress and support for reform and opening up. He’s a high-ranking official, and all his benefits are top-notch! If there were any problems to be solved, would I be able to take the blame? He wouldn’t be asking me to take the blame! If this business were just with his children and grandchildren, your worries would be understandable. But since we’re cooperating directly with him, there’s no need to worry about this.”

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Fang said, "Then we said the wrong thing and offended Chief Wang."

Seeing that his plan had worked, Fang Mingche pressed his advantage, saying, "Dad, the reform and opening up is truly an opportunity for ordinary people like us! An even greater opportunity than the resumption of the college entrance examination. You must want to see our Fang family grow stronger with each generation, right? If we don't seize this opportunity, even if my branch of the family stays in the capital to develop, at best we'll just be university professors. Our contribution to the family will be limited! At least then, I won't be able to afford to send Fang Jian and the other two to study in the capital. Teachers in big cities don't earn high salaries! Besides, I still have two years until I graduate. By then, Fang Jian might already be out there in the streets."

To persuade the old man, we must start with the family interests that he values ​​most.

After a long pause, Mr. Fang asked, "Are you really alright?"

He hoped his children and grandchildren wouldn't have to suffer like him, spending their lives toiling in the fields, barely making ends meet. But his youngest son took too big a step.

Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly saw his grandson stumble and take a big step. He stood up and said, "Hey kid, slow down, or you'll hurt your balls!"

Fang Chang didn't understand what he was hearing, and continued to struggle. He only continued walking because he hadn't actually pulled anything.

Fang Mingche was speechless for a moment, suspecting that the old man was alluding to him.

Just then, Fang Min came in carrying a glass frame containing the business license. Fang's father took it and examined it carefully.

Fang's mother said, "Let me take a look."

"You can't even read!"

"I may not be able to read, but I can recognize official seals!"

Mr. Fang showed it to her. Mrs. Fang said, "It really looks just like the village branch's seal, except the characters inside are a little different."

Mr. Fang said with amusement, "There's no idea how many levels are missing."

It clearly states here that it's a company under the Ministry of Culture, and the official seal is affixed. Moreover, last night I overheard Mingfeng and Mingche chatting over drinks, saying that Mingche's business has expanded to Tokyo, London, and Paris.

Mr. Fang repeated, "Is reform and opening up an opportunity for ordinary people?"

"Yes, if it weren't for the reform and opening up, how could a farmer's son like me have the opportunity to deal with this ministry or that ministry?"

Mr. Fang sighed, "Alright, what you're saying is beyond my comprehension. And it certainly seems quite grand and respectable. But remember, don't flaunt your wealth!"

The youngest son's actions were the first time he deviated from his own understanding: he quit his job and went to Beijing to prepare for the exam. That time, it proved he was right and he was wrong. His son saw further than he did!

I even beat him up that time. From now on, I won't give orders randomly if I don't know if it's good or bad. Since he's letting me manage this guesthouse, I'll just do it well.

Fang Mingche thought to himself: Even though I live in this small, secluded courtyard, people still climb over the wall in the middle of the night and dismantle my car wheels. It would be better to just buy a large courtyard and hire retired soldiers to guard the house.

He inquired around and found that these large courtyard houses were actually much safer than smaller, more cramped courtyards or tenements. The thieves knew that the people living in these places were all wealthy and powerful, and offending them would be a recipe for disaster. Therefore, they dared not act rashly!
"Is everything alright? If not, I need to go train the employees." Mr. Fang said, "I'll go with you. Aren't they under my management from now on?"

"it is good!"

Fang's mother said, "Alright, I'll play with Changchang. Xiaomin, you go ahead and do your own thing!"

Fang's father and Fang Mingche went into the third room together. "What kind of training are you giving them? Didn't they already have military training?"

Fang Mingche said, "Cultivate a service-oriented mindset."

"What the hell?"

"It's about having a customer-centric mindset. You definitely can't think of yourself as a waiter in a state-run restaurant or guesthouse. Would a head chef in a state-run restaurant dare to hit a customer with a big ladle? That's absolutely unacceptable."

Mr. Fang nodded, "Yes, all eight officials are very fierce. The waiters, ticket sellers, and sales clerks are all too corrupt!"

"Old Cui, my neighbor in that small courtyard, you always say his restaurant has great service when you eat there. Now that we have other options, who wants to pay money to be treated badly?"

Mr. Fang went to watch for quite a while.

When Fang's mother woke up from her afternoon nap, she was startled to see him grinning at the mirror.

"Old man, are you possessed?" I've never seen him laugh like that in my entire life.

Mr. Fang said, "Keep your voice down. What's with all the fuss? Mingche asked those seven employees to practice smiling today, showing eight teeth. I'll give it a try!"

"What? You need to practice smiling?" After saying that, Fang's mother saw that Fang's father's smile was a bit stiff, and it seemed that smiling really did require practice.

Mr. Fang said, "Do you think your smile is beautiful?"

"Haha, I don't know if my smile looks good or not. But it looks natural!"

Yan Yan was passing by when she heard her grandparents seemingly bickering, and then her grandmother burst into laughter. She scratched her head and went back to tell her father. She had taken the day off at noon to have lunch with her grandparents.

Fang Mingche suppressed a laugh and said, "You're not allowed to eavesdrop on your grandparents!"

I never expected the old man to practice smiling in private. Indeed, as the shopkeeper, he can't always have a stern face.

"I didn't eavesdrop, I was just worried they'd start arguing. If they did, I'd have to try and stop them."

"Just come back and tell me, don't stay there and listen."

"Oh, I know."

In the afternoon, after Lin Yan came home from school, everyone went to the Overseas Chinese Apartment. There were five seats; Fang Mingche drove, Lin Yan held Changchang in the passenger seat, and Yan Yan squeezed in the back with Sister Min and her grandparents. Well, it wasn't crowded; the Fang family doesn't have any fat kids.

Lin Yan also prepared several summer outfits for her parents-in-law in advance. Anyway, they were both slim and their figures hadn't changed over the years.

Just tell them that she went to the Friendship Store to see the trendy styles, then bought the fabric and made them herself, which didn't cost much. They'll be very happy wearing them. On the contrary, if you spend money to buy them nice things, they'll think you're wasting money.

Lin Yan told Fang Mingche what she said. Fang Mingche looked at her and said, "Aren't you the same kind of person?"

At this moment, Fang's mother said to Lin Yan, "Last year, I wore the down jacket you bought for me during the Spring Festival. It was incredibly warm. When I got home, I opened it to see what was inside. After that, I slaughtered chickens, ducks, and geese, and collected all the down feathers. Then I washed them clean and made a down jacket for Fang Jian this winter. It's just that the kind of fabric that's hard to find, so I used ordinary cloth. He also said it was very warm."

The fluffy material was really hard to collect; it took her more than half a year to save enough for one for Fang Jian. She had originally wanted to make one for her eldest son, but she had to give up on that idea. However, her eldest son did farm work, and even in winter he often took off his thick clothes and was covered in sweat.

Lin Yan said, "Yes, there's very little down. Otherwise, why would they sell it for such a high price?" Does that mean Fang Fang is the only one without a down jacket? Let's get her one this winter.

Fang Min, sitting in the back seat, also raised an eyebrow. When winter came, Aunt Jiu said she was worried that Fang Min, coming from Sichuan, would get cold in the capital for the first time. So she bought her a down jacket.

Mr. Fang asked Lin Yan, "The same apartment as before?"

"Yes, we just changed the interior decoration. I put a lot of effort into furnishing and appliances. I figured that no matter who sells a house in the future, we can take advantage of the situation and move in directly."

Lin Yan laid the groundwork first, just in case her mother-in-law complained again about spending too much money. After all, the tens of thousands of yuan she owed were from the furniture and appliances she bought.

We live in a 240-square-meter house now. Even if we can only buy a 150-square-meter house in the future, we can still fit our furniture and appliances more compactly.

Mr. Fang said, "You definitely can't use cheap things in a place like that. Yan Yan will be looked down upon when she goes to school. I heard they even have interviews. Isn't it enough to just find a leader to approve it?"

Lin Yan said, "Yes, that's true for regular schools, even key schools. But schools for overseas Chinese children are bilingual from the start. They're worried that new students will drag the class down."

Fang's mother said, "My dear child, I heard that you go to the Children's Palace every afternoon to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Your parents are trying to cultivate you into a talented woman!"

Yan Yan smiled and said, "Many children in the capital have to learn these things. Everyone in the Overseas Chinese Apartment has to learn them, and some people even hire teachers to come to their homes to teach. Compared to that, the tuition for going to the Children's Palace is much cheaper."

When Fang's mother entered and saw the color TV, fully automatic washing machine, and air conditioner, her eyelids twitched. No wonder she didn't live in the well-restored courtyard house; the furnishings here were much better!
"This is so expensive! Can't we save some money?" She couldn't help but start calculating in her mind how much it would cost to buy the whole set of appliances.

Lin Yan looked at Fang Mingche, who said, "Dad is right. We can't live in a place like the Overseas Chinese Apartments. Otherwise, people will point and whisper about me when I go out."

Fang's mother's anger was directed at him directly, "They have family wealth and ancestral savings. You don't! What's the point of comparing yourself to them?"

This is too luxurious!

"I'm just enjoying it a year or two earlier. Why force myself to suffer when I can't?"

Fang's mother said, "The Wang family probably hasn't even done these things yet!"

Fang Mingche said, "Currently, domestic home appliance manufacturers are working overtime to overcome technical difficulties, just like they did when they were developing the atomic and hydrogen bombs and satellites. All this is so that more Chinese people can enjoy them."

Mr. Fang said, "Then it will definitely be cheaper in the future. You didn't buy this with foreign exchange, did you?"

"Foreign exchange certificates, not foreign exchange. They started circulating on April 1st last year. We earned foreign exchange, and every month we had to hand it over to the Bank of China. To encourage our enthusiasm, the bank exchanged it for foreign exchange certificates equivalent to RMB for us to use, and also gave us some gifts. These are perfect for buying imported goods at Friendship Stores and Overseas Chinese Stores. We don't need them for buying anything else."

For example, if you hand over $1,000, it's equivalent to 1776.8 RMB at the current bank exchange rate. You'll then be issued 1776.8 RMB in foreign exchange certificates to buy things. These are only valid domestically and are highly authoritative.

This exchange rate has increased by 18.6% from last year's 1.5. However, exchanging at this rate is still a loss. Right outside the Bank of China, in a nearby alley, you can exchange for RMB at an even higher rate.

But since you've benefited from the foreign exchange earning enterprises, you'll definitely have to hand over a portion of your monthly foreign exchange earnings. The rest is held in several shops abroad. Nowadays, to encourage foreign exchange earning, handing over two-thirds is sufficient. They won't question where the rest went.

He's very law-abiding, handing over two-thirds of his loan every month without fail. That's how you get the loan benefits! This world is always a system where everyone benefits from each other's favors.

When Fang's mother heard that foreign exchange certificates could only be used to buy imported goods, she couldn't help but say, "I don't believe that if you want to exchange them for RMB, the bank won't let you."

"Yes, we'll exchange it for foreign exchange certificates, but that's a special offer. At Friendship Store and Overseas Chinese Store, you don't need receipts to buy anything. Buy whatever you want!"

"It's just to coax you into spending money!" Fang's mother snorted.

Mr. Fang said, "Forget it, forget it. They're spending their own money. It's not like we gave it to them!"

"I feel bad for them spending that money. This color TV costs more than 4,000 yuan a unit. With that money, they could buy two houses in their hometown county."

Fang Mingche said, "Mom, we need to buy a house! Especially while prices are low now. That's why I bought a courtyard house. Believe it or not, courtyard houses near Tiananmen Square, like mine that occupy several acres, will definitely see their prices skyrocket in the future."

"That's a matter for the future."

"That's right, it's all about the future. We bought houses that are going to skyrocket in value, and we also bought imported appliances that we can enjoy right now. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"

Fang's mother said, "I can't argue with you!"

Fang Min carried Changchang into the room, and Yan Yan followed. Fang's mother looked around and lowered her voice, "There are no outsiders here, aren't you afraid the child will overhear and tell others? Tell me, how much do you earn in a month? How dare you spend like this!"

Fang Mingche knew that the old man had already laid out the accounts with his eldest brother and said that the second wife's money was the second wife's money. He wasn't afraid of anything else; after all, his parents would never betray him to outsiders. He was just worried that they would make him and his eldest brother share the wealth again.

Now that this worry was gone, he held up one index finger and exclaimed, "Ten thousand!"

Mr. and Mrs. Fang gasped. They thought, "They can make ten thousand yuan a month! It's too easy to make money off foreigners."

Mr. Fang said, "Then you must be among the top in the capital, no, in the whole country, right?"

Fang Mingche nodded. "I think so."

In 1981, earning 300,000 to 400,000 yuan a year would have placed you in the top tier. Of course, that was nothing compared to the millionaire "Fool's Melon Seeds" in 1976.

Others would file a complaint directly with the chief designer, but he didn't have that kind of influence.

Mr. Fang sat down on the sofa next to him. “Then we would be even more prominent in Sichuan and in Leshan.”

Fang Mingche nodded. "Mm."

Seeing that the two elders' attention had finally shifted away from how much money she had spent on imported appliances, Lin Yan quickly went to the refrigerator next to her and took out a fruit platter with some fruit.

"Mom and Dad, have some fruit. I forgot to bring it over a couple of days ago."

He then turned on the color TV. The two elderly people were on the sofa, facing the television.

Fang's mother tasted the fruit and said, "This is still quite fresh. It's been a few days, but it still tastes good."

"That's why they say imported refrigerators are so good," Lin Yan said with a smile.

Mr. Fang tried out the sofa a few times; it was very comfortable. It probably wasn't cheap!

But considering they earn 10,000 yuan a month, the courtyard house cost 140,000 to 150,000 yuan, and appliances and furniture cost tens of thousands more, proportionally speaking, it doesn't seem too outrageous!

If you look at it separately, the fact that you spent nearly 200,000 yuan on the house, appliances, and furniture is really frightening.

He said, "This is a big purchase, so it's worth it. But I've heard that these appliances can last for eight or ten years without breaking down. I'll just use them for as many years as possible!"

"Hey, okay."

(End of this chapter)