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

Chapter 204 Distributing Benefits
In the end, both Fang Mingche and Wang Dexian were quite drunk. Wang Dexian sat on the sofa to sober up, while Fang Mingche was helped back by Mingcheng.

After Fang Mingcheng helped the person out of the courtyard, Wang Dexian's mother said, "Let me tell you, before those two came back with the child, I was always worried that they wouldn't come back. If that happened, you and the Wang family would definitely be in trouble. Especially in the past three months, the newspapers were full of all sorts of discussions about hiring workers."

Wang Dexian, with his eyes closed, said, “Grandpa personally tested Xiao Fang. He said Xiao Fang was fine and would never run away and not come back. Xiao Fang has great confidence in reform and opening up. The People’s Daily only discussed it for three months, but it didn’t hurt Old Chen, who contracted the fishpond. Xiao Fang’s path to wealth is rooted in China. He’s unwilling to go abroad and become a second-class citizen! Chairman Mao said, ‘If it’s going to rain, it’s going to rain; if a mother wants to remarry, she’ll let it go.’ Nowadays, the number of students sent abroad by the government is increasing year by year, which is also to prepare for the fact that some people will ‘follow whoever feeds them’ and not come back. However, the fact that he went abroad with his whole family and came back on schedule has indeed deepened the organization’s trust in him.”

If they go abroad and don't come back, the couple will be stuck living illegally with their child. What are they after? If they don't come back, their businesses in China certainly won't be able to continuously generate income for them and send money back abroad. They'll have to rely on their few overseas stores.

They're both college graduates, the cream of the crop. And their travel agency business guarantees they'll be among the wealthiest people in all of China. Only someone out of their mind wouldn't come back! Unless someone tries to turn back the clock or try to repeat that decade, they absolutely won't stay away!

Anyway, now that Xiao Fang is back, his grandfather can speak louder to some people. It's clear his mother wasn't the only one with this worry before.

Han Ping and Fang Mingcheng rented a room in the same large courtyard as the Qin family. They hadn't vacated the room yet; Fang Mingche was paying the rent. Mingcheng had come back to pick up some things, so they helped him out.

It was agreed that he and Han Ping would stay with Fang Minghua and his wife when they moved to Beijing. This was to give the elderly and young a sense of security, and to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the lack of able-bodied men in the household to have inappropriate ideas.

Fang Mingcheng helped Mingche back to the small side courtyard. The television was on in the west room of the main house, and many neighbors were still bringing stools to watch. It was quite noisy! The elderly couple and their three children were also watching television inside.

The east wing room where the two brothers were staying was a bit small. So he simply helped the man to the west wing room where Fang Fang was staying and put him on a chair. Then he went to the room where the TV was and called out to Fang Fang.

When Fangfang heard that her uncle had drunk too much, she quickly got up and went to the kitchen to make a bowl of sour soup with vinegar and fed it to him.

This hangover remedy is quite effective. Fangfang had only seen her mother use this method to sober up her father before, but later her aunt explained the chemical principle behind it: the ethanol in alcohol and the organic acids in vinegar meet in the human stomach and intestines and undergo an acetylation reaction, reducing the concentration of ethanol and thus lessening the toxicity of alcohol.

Fang Mingche gradually sobered up after drinking the medicine. Fang Fang then rinsed a towel in hot water and wiped his face. Fang's mother also came over to check on him, but seeing that Fang Fang had handled the situation well, she didn't interfere and went back to watching TV.

Fang Mingche looked at Fang Fang, "You're only two years older than Yan Yan, but you're not even nine years old yet. You act like a little adult!"

"That's how girls in the countryside are. I'm already very fortunate to be able to study in the capital. Uncle, how is Ma Xiaodan doing?"

Fang Fang knew very well that she wasn't as well off as Yan Yan because her father wasn't as capable as her uncle, nor did he value his daughter as much. But now that she was able to come to the capital, it was all thanks to her uncle.

Fang Mingche said, "She's alright. Before I went to America, her mother brought her to the Overseas Chinese Apartment once. Now her hair is jet black and shiny. Her cheeks are chubby and fleshy. Her eyes are bright too!"

Wu Dan's brother and sister-in-law's workplaces weren't doing well. Naturally, they wouldn't dare treat their niece, who brought in twenty yuan a month for child support, badly. As for Wu Dan's parents, they were already quite good to their granddaughter.

Wu Dan's office job pays a little over forty yuan a month. Several good movies have been released in the last two years, and cinemas are doing quite well. The twenty-odd yuan she earns is enough for her. Her husband pays for household expenses; it's a mutually beneficial arrangement. Wu Dan also helps him take care of their two children.

That family wanted Wu Dan to bring Ma Xiaodan along, so they wouldn't have to give her family twenty yuan a month. She refused! She gave them twenty yuan, and it's clear that ten to fifteen yuan went to Ma Xiaodan.

But if she brought them along, not to mention other resources, Ma Xiaodan wouldn't be able to compete with her much older stepbrother and stepsister even for meals. Those two wouldn't tolerate each other.

Anyway, Wu Dan is now willing to go all out. If they don't give in to her, she'll cause trouble at her workplace and at the Women's Federation. She can't have any more children, and she doesn't expect to rely on her own children for the rest of her life. Does she expect those two ungrateful wretches who treat her like a nanny?
Wu Dan is in a much better state of mind now than before! She used to compare her living conditions with A Yan, but now she seems to have let go of those feelings.

When I arrived at the Overseas Chinese Apartments, although I was still full of envy, I stopped comparing myself to others and made myself feel uneasy.

Lin Yan then went along with her, saying, "I rented this. I heard you moved into an apartment building too, but that's your own place."

"They're just employees of the company, they only let us live here. Besides, didn't your family buy such a big courtyard house?"

"Not to mention that, I owe 15 yuan in debt. Even the appliances in this house were all bought with a mortgage loan from that courtyard house. Mingche said to enjoy life first and then pay it off slowly. We've been in contact with a lot of foreigners, and our views have gradually changed as well."

Wu Dan said, "This kind of consumption concept is indeed not something Chinese people would have. However, it's fine if you can earn money and have the concept of spending in advance. But don't learn foreigners' views on marriage. I've heard that foreigners are very casual about that."

Lin Yan thought for a moment, "Your idea might be influenced by movies and TV dramas, or someone might be deliberately distorting foreigners' views on marriage and relationships. But the couples I've seen abroad actually value marriage very much."

Wu Dan said, "Isn't that so-called sexual freedom and openness something that came from abroad? Let me tell you, these days, at so-called private dance parties, the tape recorder plays decadent music, the curtains are drawn, it's utterly disgusting!"

"Uncle, would you like some more?" Fang Fang's voice interrupted Fang Mingche's recollection.

He felt that Wu Dan's description of the situation was quite serious. It's true that some people are using the guise of private dance parties to promote so-called free and open relationships between men and women abroad, trying to persuade some girls to be more open.

He needs to distance himself from this kind of thing. Otherwise, in a couple of years, with the crackdown, hooliganism could implicate many people. Companies like theirs, which deal a lot with foreigners, are especially vulnerable to being framed. He needs to tell Han Mei that their travel agency doesn't organize dances. If they want to dance, they should go directly to the Beijing Hotel. It's a very reputable place, and even competitors can't use that as a pretext.

"Oh, I won't drink it."

Fang Fang then brought out the sour soup and poured some plain water for her uncle to drink.

Fang Mingche said, "You're too good at taking care of people. Don't be so nice to people so easily in the future!" He's really benefiting his future nephew-in-law.

Fang Fang smiled and said, "I wouldn't. My uncle treats me well, so I'm happy to serve him." Her father didn't value her, and she was just fulfilling her duty.

Tonight they're showing "Eighteen Years in the Enemy Camp." This is the first TV series produced in mainland China, a landmark achievement. It was directed by Wang Fulin, who later directed "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

During the commercial break between the two episodes of the TV series, Fang Mingcheng drove Fang Mingche home. He then watched the second episode on his large color TV before going downstairs to take the bus back.

Yan Yan, Lin Yan, and Fang Min are also watching this TV series.

Fang Mingche watched them, engrossed in their discussion of the ending. He didn't want to tell them that the historical figure upon whom this character was based had been buried alive. This man had delivered crucial information to the enemy, facilitating the Red Army's Long March. He could be said to have saved the Central Red Army, but unfortunately, his identity was later exposed.

He went into the room to check on Fang Chang, who was sleeping soundly, and then went back to the master bedroom to wash up.

After a while, Lin Yan also came in.

"China's TV drama production quality is pretty good now. It seems we won't have to watch dubbed films all the time anymore."

Although foreign TV dramas are quite entertaining, it's still a bit of a blow to our self-esteem that we don't have a single drama produced in our own country.

Fang Mingche, who had already changed into his pajamas, nodded. "Mm."

The quality is indeed quite good; CCTV is even preparing to film adaptations of the Four Great Classical Novels. And the resulting productions are all high-quality!
Unfortunately, that was their peak. Later, they were manipulated by capital, forcing audiences to watch their "ugly ducklings." Many people in later generations said, "Luckily, the 'Four Beauties' films were completed in the 1980s and 90s."

Lin Yan also went to wash up and change into her pajamas. She even took out a face mask to apply; it was something she bought in the United States. There are so many people working in the beauty industry in America. And it's quite expensive, especially since she bought it with a knife.

Fang Mingche said, "Surely it's not that bad, you've already started putting on a face mask?"

Lin Yan turned to look at him. "A woman's career starts to decline from the age of 25. I'm exactly 25 this year! Hey, let me tell you. These days, self-employment is encouraged, which is very convenient. I outsourced the work of making clothes for my parents and children to Sister Yuan. I can even outsource the knitting to Sister Xiao."

Aunt Xiao is also one of Grandpa Gu's tenants; she knits very nice sweaters. He pays directly, calculated by weight. She charges a certain amount per kilogram for her workmanship.

These two things saved Lin Yan a lot of trouble. Otherwise, with five people each needing two outfits, she wouldn't have any free time. Now it's convenient and worry-free, and everyone knows that she prepares clothes for her parents-in-law, nephews, and nieces every season.

Of course, the key is having money. The labor fees aren't cheap either. Ordinary wage earners wouldn't dare do this. Even Zhu Wenjuan had to carefully consider and plan ahead.

Fang Mingche said, "That's great. This is what I meant when I said, 'A problem that can be solved with money isn't a problem.'"

Lin Yan nodded, "The problem is whether we have money or not."

She planned to buy a few outfits for her parents as well, so her mother wouldn't complain that she wasn't treating them equally. It wouldn't cost much more anyway. She could easily earn more from any business than that.

Fang Mingche said, "We still need to be cautious; things can change."

Don't assume that everything is fine just because the discussion on the issue of hiring workers has come to an end.

Lin Yan nodded and then asked, "Do you know when face masks first came into existence?"

"How would I know that?"

"Cleopatra was using face masks as early as 30 BC. However, she used clay masks, not these convenient patches. In our country, an empress is also clearly recorded as having used face masks."

Lin Yan was talking enthusiastically when there was a knock on the door. A few seconds later, Yan Yan pushed the door open and came in. "Mom—" When she saw Lin Yan with a face mask on, her eyes widened in surprise.

Lin Yan quickly removed her face mask. "It's me, it's me. Don't shout, you've woken Changchang up, and everyone's in trouble."

Yan Yan finally came to her senses and asked, "What are you doing?"

Lin Yan said, "This is a face mask. It will make your face smooth. But you children don't need to use it."

Yan Yan came in saying that the front of her dance shoes was blocking her feet.

"Oh, then they're too short. You'll need to buy a size up. Let's go buy them tomorrow, and I'll also buy a pair for your sister."

Lin Yan felt that Fang Fang had a gentle personality, but had been suppressed at home for many years. She lacked posture and confidence. So she took it upon herself to let Fang Fang also go to the Children's Palace to learn to dance.

Wu Dan also said she thought Yan Yan had a great figure, looking bright and confident. She was also planning to send Ma Xiaodan there. Although it would indeed increase her burden, she was happy to spend money on her own flesh and blood. It was better than spending it on her stepson or stepdaughter!
With Fang Tong added to the mix, there were now four little girls in the village learning to dance together at the same children's palace—it was quite a lively scene!
There's another thing to do at the end of August: Xiao Gang's college entrance celebration banquet!
He should have done it a long time ago, but he insisted on waiting for his cousin and cousin-in-law to come back. He also said that if he hadn't spent a year working at a travel agency, he wouldn't have gotten a high score in English and would definitely not have passed the undergraduate entrance exam this year.

This Sunday, my aunt and uncle are hosting a banquet at the supply and marketing cooperative's canteen to celebrate their son's college admission. Fang Mingche's family of four, along with Fang Min, will all be attending.

Well, Mr. Fang also gave a gift of money, and the other child treated him politely. You can't just give one gift and have ten people eat there.

So when that day came, the five little ones also squatted in the back of the car.

Fang Mingche has already spoken to Han Mei and asked the travel agency to arrange for a driver to find a car. They mainly want a brand new one. These days, there aren't many good secondhand cars; most are only sold when they're almost scrapped.

His first car was a bargain because the other party urgently needed money. It was also thoroughly inspected by professionals. But such good fortune is rare.

Of course, this type of vehicle is still the best choice. The travel agency uses the vehicles primarily for transporting goods to ports or airports, delivering them to four overseas stores. Goods to Japan are generally shipped by sea, while the other three countries are shipped by air.

This small truck can seat five people in the front and has a cargo compartment in the back. It couldn't be more practical!

After they arrived, the large courtyard where the Xiao family lived was definitely not big enough, so everyone went to the canteen. The uncle booked half of the canteen.

He had worked at the supply and marketing cooperative for most of his life, giving away a considerable amount of money as gifts at various weddings and funerals. This time, his only son was admitted to university, and even a bachelor's degree program. Naturally, a large number of people came to the celebration banquet.

Seeing the family arrive by car, someone from the supply and marketing cooperative couldn't help but remark, "It's only been a little over two years, right? Back then, they were still wholesaling unsold sandals in our warehouse. Now they're driving a car!" An insider revealed, "Driving a car is nothing! Their travel agency is thriving, specializing in catering to foreign tourists and overseas Chinese. They even bought a courtyard house near Tiananmen Square to open a guesthouse, catering to guests referred by the Beijing Hotel and Friendship Hotel after they were fully booked."

Those listening nearby were all dumbfounded. Everyone said the supply and marketing cooperatives were thriving, and they certainly were. But they were still paid a fixed salary, just a little more and more stable than those in poorly performing factories and mines.

I could understand Fang Mingche driving a small truck worth a little over 10,000 yuan before. But what about a large courtyard house covering more than two acres near Tiananmen Square? It costs over 100,000 yuan.

"Are they robbing us?"

My aunt happened to be passing by and laughed, "Don't talk nonsense! In broad daylight, how could they dare? They bought that courtyard house with borrowed money, owing 150,000 yuan. They deal with foreigners, learning their 'advance consumption' trick."

Upon hearing this, everyone realized that he had borrowed money to show off his wealth! No wonder he had bought a courtyard house and a car in just two or three years.

After overhearing a few words, Lin Yan whispered to Fang Mingche, who was eating sunflower seeds next to her, "Did you deliberately create this image of someone who's always in debt?"

"No, that's not it. When you first start a business, who doesn't have debts? There might have been an element of deliberate intent before, but this is just a genuine coincidence. I'm really optimistic about the future appreciation of the courtyard house. And with Dad's actions so far, we've already made a profit, haven't we?"

The colleagues from the travel agency office naturally came as well, since the office is closed on Sundays. As for Han Mei, she was expected to come, both professionally and personally.

At this moment, everyone from the travel agency gathered around when they saw the boss and his wife.

Han Mei asked Fang Mingche, "Brother-in-law, do you think I can make some advance purchases and buy an apartment in the Tuanjiehu neighborhood?"

Fang Mingche said, "As long as you can get a loan from the bank, of course you can. As for asking the travel agency for an advance on your salary, don't even ask. Or, you can all have a fight. But that's your personal matter and has nothing to do with the travel agency."

Currently, there are no mortgage policies, so buying a house requires paying in full upfront. Therefore, "funding groups" have emerged among colleagues, acquaintances, and relatives—essentially pooling money from each other! Several people contribute to one person's account, and then they repay the loan later.

Of course, this carries financial risks. What if the company that took the money runs away? Therefore, it generally only happens between close relatives or colleagues in the same workplace. Nowadays, people often work for the same company for their entire lives. But this travel agency has been established for less than two years.

Upon hearing Fang Mingche's words, Ning An'an and the others exchanged bewildered glances. They had originally gathered around to see if Han Mei could borrow money from the travel agency. They currently had over 100,000 yuan in spare cash in the company account and weren't in a hurry to repay their bank loans.

They'll pay the interest themselves, just like how the boss pooled their money to buy a courtyard house before. Everyone can see that housing prices in the capital are going to rise. The crackdown on migrant workers hasn't been as strict in the last two years, so many people are flocking to the capital to make a living. If you buy it and rent it out, you won't have to worry about finding tenants at all.

Fang Mingche said, "As for the meeting, it depends on whether you have confidence in the travel agency and yourselves. The key is yourselves. I think the travel agency is fine. Don't try to outdo me! The money in the account originally belonged to me and the Wang family. If the Wang family has no objection, I can use it first. But you can't! Besides, I paid back the 30,000 I borrowed to buy the courtyard house in just one month."

Wang Dexian and Yang Mei happened to be free today, so they also brought a gift of money. If he were just a part-time employee at the travel agency, that would be one thing, but isn't he Lin Yan's cousin? And they seem to have a pretty good relationship!

Lin Yan also brought back a lot of face masks and cosmetics for Yang Mei. She originally wanted to bring back a bag, but foreign brand bags were too expensive, with too much brand premium. She didn't even buy one for herself!
Hearing his employees' idea of ​​using the spare cash in the account, Wang Dexian chimed in, "The cash in the account is for emergency funds to mitigate risks. Besides, we also need to consider the next branch or store. Otherwise, Xiao Fang and I would definitely split it up. You all know he has 18 yuan in personal debt."

Gao Xiang and Xie Ping were also present. Gao Xiang laughed and said, "Don't even think about using public funds. Teacher Fang might have a new idea at any time, and I might not be able to manage it all. If you really want to buy a house, you should go and do it yourselves."

Fang Mingche said, "You make it sound like I'm making things up. Let's stabilize the two branch offices in Beijing and Shanghai first. There's no rush to have one in the east or west! As for overseas, those four locations are enough for now. If people in Europe want to buy, it's quite convenient to go to Paris and London. Okay, let's rest today and not talk about business anymore."

Han Mei, Ning An'an, and their group went to discuss the matter of the association. It was Qiu Yin's extravagant purchase of a courtyard house for 30,000 yuan that provoked everyone.

If Fang Mingche bought the house, he did so entirely on debt, and he's also the boss. That doesn't bother anyone. As for Wang Dexian, either he or his wife got housing through their work unit, which also doesn't bother anyone.

But Qiu Yin started from the same point as everyone else! Therefore, not only are more people wanting to buy houses, but even more want to be stationed overseas!

Of course, Fang Mingche's constant promotion of his house-buying strategy was also crucial. He was a staunch bull on real estate! And he put his beliefs into practice, buying a small 100-square-meter courtyard house and then a large 2,000-square-meter courtyard house.

If apartments become available in the Overseas Chinese Apartments, everyone is convinced he'll buy them without hesitation. He spent nearly 100,000 yuan on appliances for both the Overseas Chinese Apartments and the large courtyard house! He'll definitely buy them if apartments become available.

Yes, Fang Mingche and Lin Yan's concept of spending in advance has influenced many others. They anticipate a good income this year and spend the money to buy a house ahead of time.

Ning An'an went straight to Fang Mingche and asked, "Teacher Fang, Qiu Yin will be back next June. Will it be my turn?"

She arrived two months after Qiu Yin and can be considered a veteran of the travel agency.

Fang Mingche said, "I told you we wouldn't talk about official business today. You all better keep a low profile and see how the people from the supply and marketing cooperative are behaving."

The people at the supply and marketing cooperative usually felt superior to those from other organizations. But hearing this group discuss buying houses made them somewhat uneasy. They could only wait for housing to be allocated based on seniority, and for most of them, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But listening to these people from the travel agency talk about buying a house, they sounded so nonchalant. How could I not feel indignant?

Ning An'an pouted and then said nothing. She thought to herself: That's because they can't earn money!

Teacher Qiu also came. He used to be Ning An'an's teacher, so he didn't have many taboos when talking about her.

"Think back to what kind of life you were living three years ago? How would you feel if someone showed off in front of you back then?"

He did some mental calculations; this girl probably already had over ten thousand yuan in savings. No wonder her demeanor was so different from three years ago. If she were to buy an apartment in the Tuanjiehu neighborhood, she could pay for it all at once without even having to call! She probably wanted to buy a small courtyard house near the travel agency, just like Qiu Yin.

Teacher Qiu guessed that the people at the supply and marketing cooperative had suffered terribly today. He whispered to Fang Mingche and Wang Dexian, "The gap between the rich and the poor is widening. Won't this create new social conflicts?"

Fang Mingche said, "The last article in the newspaper discussing the issue of hiring workers clearly stated that more work should lead to more pay."

Wang Dexian nodded, confirming that such a thing was true. These four words stirred up waves in many people's hearts. Previously, the focus had been on the socialist system's "iron rice bowl" system.

The idea of ​​"more work, more pay" has made business people feel much more confident.

Fang Mingche thought to himself: There's also the concept of 'allocation according to resources' later on.

Professor Qiu said, "This is actually a case of theory lagging behind practice. But it's a good thing that theoretical research is underway and being put forward."

Qiu Yin from his family also earns significantly more than the average income. July and August were peak season, and she even earned 2000 yuan a month! Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to easily scrape together the 30,000 yuan needed to buy a house.

Wang Dexian said, "Teacher Qiu, when will your family be registered? Don't forget to let me know."

"Don't worry, I'm still on secondment to the investment promotion office. You can't escape! But, sending a small gift every now and then will be manageable with your bonuses. Others might find it difficult!"

Wang Dexian said, "Who can argue with that! Now that everyone has a bit more money, more people are hosting banquets."

After returning from drinking with Xiao Gang, the travel agency staff started discussing the commission. Thanks to good business, everyone had some money on hand. The commissions were high!
Fang Mingche gave a clear answer to Ning An'an's question on Monday: If you want to go to Europe, then start preparing.

Qiu Yin returned in June, but the newcomer definitely can't wait until June to go. There needs to be a one-month handover period. Also, passports and visas need to be processed beforehand.

Ning An'an said, "Then I'll postpone buying a house for now."

It would be better to wait until I return from abroad in 84 to buy it; it will definitely be more convenient to have it on hand then.

Xie Ping asked, "Would you like to fight with us for a while?"

Ning An'an thought for a moment, "Maybe if I go abroad, I'll buy a small house there. I can rent it out to the person who comes to replace me."

In the end, the fight didn't happen. Even someone like Ning An'an, who had 10,000 yuan in hand, didn't want to contribute to others for nothing.

After Fang Mingche found out, he said, "Alright, from now on, for those who have been with the company for five years, the travel agency will lend you this money. There's a limit, though, it's based on 24 months of income earned in China. You can pay it off in three years with interest, deducted from your monthly salary and bonuses. The interest will be calculated based on bank loan rates; you all know the travel agency will definitely have long-term bank loan debts. We can't just take out a loan and lend it to you interest-free! But if you leave the company midway, you must pay it off in one lump sum. To avoid any complaints about not getting housing benefits! You've been talking about this meeting all the time these past few days, I guess you were just telling me."

After Han Mei asked him about it that day, he came back and thought about it seriously. This benefit was indeed worth giving. It would make employees feel more at home. So he had Lin Yan and Gao Xiang discuss and come up with a loan agreement.

Upon hearing this, everyone cheered. This really reduced the pressure of buying a house considerably.

With everything arranged, school started in the blink of an eye. Fang Mingche entered his junior year and needed to begin preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination. The first thing he needed to do was decide on the university to apply to. He hesitated between applying to his own university and aiming for a more prestigious one. Fortunately, this wasn't something that needed to be decided immediately.

Old Cheng's son did indeed get accepted this year. He's in the same school and department as his father, and will be a freshman. Old Cheng brought him to his dorm room to meet his roommates.

The 17-year-old lad had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a handsome appearance.

Old Cheng's wife and daughter also came to the capital and rented a house outside the university. Old Cheng will no longer live on campus. They don't even check the dorms of third-year students anymore.

Last semester, Lao Cheng came up with some ideas and managed to get his daughter into the High School Affiliated to the Normal University.

He was older, so the teachers liked to ask him to do things and organize the students. Therefore, he had a good relationship with his teachers and advisors. He also paid a high price, but at least he didn't have to split the cost between two places.

For the past two years, Lao Cheng has been working part-time as a tour guide at a travel agency, earning a decent income. His wife, Fang Mingche, arranged for her to work as a cleaner at the travel agency. After all, Lao Cheng isn't a middle-level manager, so he had to take a roundabout approach, unlike Xie Ping who was directly assigned a job.

But as long as Lao Cheng's wife demonstrates the qualifications to work in an office or do fieldwork, she can apply for internal recruitment.

At this moment, Old Cheng's son stood in front of everyone, and Zheng Xing was the first to speak, "Nephew, we've finally waited for you." He was actually only two years older than the other man, but he firmly believed that he was the uncle.

Old Cheng's son is named Cheng Cai, and he really couldn't bring himself to call the young-looking Zheng Xing "Uncle".

Old Cheng said, "In that case, let's address each person individually. For those under 25, you can call them senior brothers. For those over 25, you can call them uncles."

Cheng Cai nodded, then greeted Fang Mingche first, "Uncle Fang—"

He recognized Fang Mingche. For the past 80 years, Uncle Fang had only ever treated his family of four to a meal during the Spring Festival.

Fang Mingche patted him on the shoulder, "Good lad, not bad! You really passed the exam."

Xiao Meng patted Cheng Cai on the shoulder, speaking in a condescending tone, "Young man, some things shouldn't be rushed. With the new Marriage Law in effect, college students can no longer get marriage certificates. Moreover, the legal marriage age for men has been raised to 22."

Fang Mingche said, "There's no rush to get married, but dating is still something we can start thinking about. Love during student days is the purest, without so many considerations of self-interest. Of course, some things really can't be rushed. We have to consider the woman's feelings!"

While abroad, he and Ayan saw disposable condoms. These were much better than the repeatedly washed and reused ones in China. He bought a lot in bulk and sent them back. He even wrote "Do Not Open" on the boxes with a brush.

Don't let the older and younger ones, who don't understand English, break it apart. It would be terrible if Fang Jian and the other two used it to blow up balloons.

(End of this chapter)