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

Chapter 206 Someone coming from my hometown
In late October, the village's tenth and twoth children headed north together. As the villagers put it, "Sending so many people is like going to hunt tigers."

Having more people around definitely gave me confidence. With so many people traveling with me, I felt completely at ease. I sent someone ahead to the city to buy tickets. I managed to get two rows of three-seater seats facing each other and two rows of two-seater seats facing each other. The little kids didn't need tickets; their parents carried them!

How did they manage to get such good tickets? Four young men went to the ticket office in the city center that evening. Just five minutes before the tickets were about to go on sale, they kept knocking on the windows.

Scalpers are rampant these days! Hard-seat tickets sell out in less than two minutes after being released, thanks to collusion between ticket sellers and scalpers. If you want to buy a hard-seat ticket yourself, you usually have to pay the scalper an extra 5 yuan per ticket.

As for sleeper berths, it's not so bad, but you have to buy them one by one with a letter of introduction. Only county-level officials, military battalion-level officials or above, overseas Chinese, and foreign tourists can buy them.

Therefore, you should act quickly before the tickets are scalped.

If you keep banging and banging, the ticket seller inside will most likely get fed up. They'll open the window and yell a few words, then leave with a "Wait until—". They'll give you a ticket later, saving you the trouble of banging on them.

This time too, the ticket seller opened the window and was about to yell at someone. But seeing four strong young men standing outside, she held back and asked in a low voice, "How many tickets do you want?"

There's no one else around right now, and if things go wrong, these thugs might break down the door, drag him out, and beat him up. If things get out of hand, his collusion with scalpers will most likely come to light.

The poor have their own wisdom for survival!

That's how we managed to buy these ten tickets, so we can look out for each other. And when we need to use the restroom, we won't have to bring Yan Yan along like Fang Mingche did back then.

However, no matter how good the ticket was, sitting for three days and two nights straight was impossible. The aisles were packed with people, and even the seats were full of people; you couldn't even move around. By the time you got off, everyone looked like pickled vegetables. Your feet were swollen, and even after taking off your shoes, you might not be able to put them back on.

Han Ping and Fang Mingcheng came to pick them up together in their car. Their wives and children were there too. They were there for both business and personal reasons!
Upon seeing the appearance of everyone emerging from the station, Han Ping and Fang Mingcheng couldn't help but exchange a glance.

Apart from Yuan Shufen, who carried a rattan suitcase (which Fang Mingche had brought home and given to his brother and sister-in-law), the others basically came with their luggage in bags used for storing urea.

Several young men, including Fang Minghua, were carrying two urea bags on shoulder poles, the bags filled to the brim.

There were many of them, and none of the other passengers dared to laugh at them. Otherwise, if a fight broke out, the smaller group would be at a disadvantage.

"Over here, over here—" Han Ping waved to Fang Mingcheng.

Everyone's eyes lit up when they saw them, and they quickly walked over. The couple's wives were even more excited, carrying bags of urea and leading their child over.

Fang and Han were also a little excited. Their family had bought a house! Although they still owed Fang Mingche money, they were still working and could earn money.

Faced with the wife's excited eyes and the child's unfamiliar gaze, they could only say, "Let's go back and talk, let's go back and talk."

The two led everyone to the parking lot and had them put their luggage in the back.

There was room for three more people in the front, so Fang Minghua, Yuan Shufen, and two little children sat there. The rest of the passengers sat in the carriage, where there were a few small chairs.

Nobody would mind. Riding a tractor to town in the countryside is quite an exhilarating experience. Most people still walk.

"Mingcheng, is this Mingche's car?"

"Yes, he asked the two of us to pick you up. He's already prepared a bath and a welcome feast for you at home. Let's go—"

The two rear doors were secured, but could be left open to see what was happening outside. The carriage was piled high with luggage, and the outside was packed with people, all eager to see the wonders of the capital. It's fortunate that traffic regulations aren't yet fully developed, so they don't enforce such rules.

"Tiananmen Square! I see Tiananmen Square!"

"They say it's because it's close by. Uncle Qi and Aunt Qi come over for a walk every day." This is what the whole village envies the most.

After passing Tiananmen Square, they arrived in the blink of an eye. Fang Mingche had everyone brought to the small side courtyard. Since the courtyard house was for business, it couldn't be too noisy.

A few days ago, he asked Fang Jian, Fang Fang, and Fang Kang to pack up and move to the Overseas Chinese Apartment for the time being. He also cleared out four rooms in the east and west wings for the guests. Six people should be enough.

Han Ping and Fang Mingcheng's wives and children will definitely be taken care of by themselves. The three rooms have already been bought, with a partition in the middle. It shouldn't be a problem for the two families of six to live there.

Fang Minghua and his wife stayed in the west wing of the main house as originally planned. It had been renovated, and since Han Ping and Fang Mingcheng had lived there for so long, there was nothing to be ashamed of. With so many people living there, it felt quite lively. This time, it actually gave the small side courtyard the feel of a small, crowded tenement.

However, if 10 people live in an 80-square-meter house, that's 8 square meters per person. That's actually higher than the average living space per person in the capital.

Fang Mingfeng originally said that he could also settle a few people there.

Fang Mingche thought for a moment, "I actually have spare rooms at two scrap yards. But since I have a small courtyard so close to Tiananmen Square, I sent them to stay in the countryside. I guess they'll feel guilty, so I'll just put them all here with me. It'll be a bit cramped, I guess!"

Both families were present. After exchanging greetings, Fang Mingche assigned rooms to everyone. Four people (3 rooms plus 1 room) were to be accommodated in the west wing, and two people in the east wing.

Everyone carried the urea bags inside and put them down. New slippers were prepared under the bed, one pair for each person. After changing into them, their swollen feet felt much better. Each person had a brand new, unopened towel on the bed. There were also toothbrushes, laid out in a neat stack. There were always extra people available.

Mr. Fang looked at the uniform urea bags of everyone and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"They all act like Chen Huansheng has come to the city."

Fang Mingche also smiled and said, "There are two big pots of water boiling in the kitchen, and two new water buckets have been prepared for you. Two people can take a shower at the same time in the toilet. If you want to shower, you can fetch water yourself."

Fang Minghua and Yuan Shufen, being practically part of the hosts, let the six people wash first. The kitchen immediately became lively, with people scooping water and adding ladles from the water vat to the pots to make it easier for the others.

"Mingche, you have water pipes running into your house? That's so convenient."

In the countryside, who doesn't carry water by hand? At most, those who are better off have dug their own wells, so they have to walk a little less distance to fetch water.

Fang Mingche looked at everyone with curiosity and said, "Yes, we pooled our money to renovate it with the people from the neighboring courtyard."

"This little one is quite well-behaved. What about Lin Yan and Yan Yan?"

Fang Mingche just asked Changchang to call them "uncle" and "papa," and the little guy did it all, his pronunciation is still quite clear. He's one year and five months old now, and he can say it clearly.

Kang Kang was in the kitchen telling his uncles where things were.

"They've gone to class. I don't have class this afternoon, so I can stay home to greet you. My wife has class this afternoon, but she'll be back soon after school. My wife bought all the things in your house. She said it would be more convenient for you this way. Yan Yan, Tong Tong, and Fang Fang are all having dance class at the Children's Palace right now. Ming Feng just said hello to you and then went out with his car keys to pick up the three of them. As for Fang Jian, Han Ping went to pick someone up; he's watching the tea stall after school. He'll be back in a bit too."

When everyone heard that Lin Yan had bought the items, they all said that it was indeed convenient and that they should thank her properly later.

Fang Minghua was quite satisfied with the room arranged for them; there was even a 14-inch black and white television on top of the dresser. That was a luxury in the countryside.

The village's rice mill is doing well now, but there haven't been any dividends yet. The entire village doesn't own a single television. To watch TV, you have to go to town and buy a 5-cent TV ticket to watch for an entire night.

As for making Fang Jian do chores, he's old enough to do chores. Besides, Jianwa said he gets a dollar a day for working during summer vacation. It's only right that he fills in for him now. You'll see him when he gets back.

Yuan Shufen put down her suitcase and walked to the kitchen door to look at her youngest son who was coming out.

Kang Kang has been here for three or four months, and he's become increasingly chubby and adorable. He grinned, "Mom—"

Yuan Shufen pulled him closer, "Hey—"

Kang Kang mentioned on the phone that he gets to eat meat every day since he came to his uncle's. His aunt also bought him milk powder so the three siblings can drink a cup before bed. His grandparents also have senior milk powder. They can also drink malted milk powder regularly for a change of pace.

Everything he was wearing was new, from the inside out; it must have been bought by his brother's wife. Yuan Shufen was naturally very grateful that they treated her children so well. She felt that her past disagreements with Lin Yan were completely unreasonable. She realized she should treat Yan Yan and Changchang even better in the future.

She pinched her youngest son's cheek and joked, "He's almost ready to be sold!"

"What?"

An uncle standing nearby chuckled and said, "Your mother says you're turning into a big fat pig."

Kang Kang said seriously, "I'm not a big fat pig, I'm just a little pig."

Everyone burst into laughter, and Yan Yan and the others who were getting out of the car also laughed.

As Fang Mingfeng passed by Dashilan, he asked Fang Fang to call Fang Jian and bring him back as well. It was almost time to pack up. Someone from the travel agency came and moved the stall back to the courtyard.

Tongtong, Yanyan, Fangfang, and he came over to call for help. Then the two siblings went to talk to Yuan Shufen and Fang Minghua.

Fang's mother was explaining to the people who were curiously looking at the washing machine, "It's semi-automatic. You can put the things you need to wash outside in that bamboo basket. I'll wash and dry them all together."

Fang Mingche said, "I'll treat you to a meal at a restaurant tonight. Starting tomorrow, someone will deliver meat and vegetables here. You'll take turns cooking and washing dishes. For the first three days, Mingcheng will drive you around the capital. Then we'll talk about finding jobs."

They're all young, they'll definitely cook for themselves. Don't tire his mother out. They're all hardworking, so they probably have big appetites.

As for washing clothes, there are washing machines. It's not too much trouble for us. Or we can teach them how to operate them ourselves.

A few days ago, when he was helping Fang Jian and his siblings move, Grandpa Gu was passing by carrying a birdcage. He casually asked who he was vacating the house for.

Upon hearing this, he asked again, "Didn't you say you didn't want to take on too much?"

“If a fellow villager or clansman goes to work in the south and disappears because I didn’t want to get involved, I’ll definitely feel guilty for the rest of my life.”

At this point, heading south or north is definitely risky. Even in Tangshan, Hebei, which is very close to the capital, knife-wielding gangs are rampant right now. They're really brazen!
But with him and Brother Mingfeng in the capital, they definitely won't let them be fooled. If they go south and disappear, there'll be no way to find them.

Grandpa Gu nodded at the time, "That's true."

These days, if someone in a village does well, the whole village looks to them for help. At the very least, they'll be given direction once they're released. Those who know how to be grateful will be thankful even if they're only provided with food and lodging.

Although Fang Mingche had called the people over, he didn't intend to see it through to the end. But he could still offer them some hospitality within his means.

After touring the small courtyard for a while, someone asked directly, "Mingche, how much does this courtyard cost?"

"8500, because the area is small and the total price is low, so the unit price is higher. Also, it's close to Tiananmen Square, as you've all seen. It's definitely more expensive than outside."

Those who asked the question and those listening in gasped in astonishment. Houses in the capital are so expensive! A small courtyard like this in the countryside would only cost five hundred. The villagers don't even charge for labor; everyone exchanges jobs.

"So where do you live by yourself?"

Fang Mingche said, "I rented a house in the Overseas Chinese Apartments. I gave this small courtyard to my parents and nieces and nephews, and my brother and sister-in-law will also be coming. Otherwise it will be too crowded! You can stay here without worry for now. The three little ones have moved to our place and we send them back to school every day."

This is the cheapest way; otherwise, everyone would stay in guesthouses, which would cost three yuan a day even in a shared room. It would also seem unfriendly, and some people might complain! They might say, "You've come all this way, and you won't even let me into your home!"

We can always get two older women to clean up the house properly later. Once we've settled on our jobs, we'll all rent our own places like Han Ping and Ming Cheng.

Lin Yan returned a while later on her bicycle.

She smiled broadly and said, "Oh dear, I'm late and didn't get to welcome our guests from afar. Please forgive me!"

"It's alright, brother's wife. There's someone at home!"

"Yes, thank you so much for buying us slippers, towels, and toothbrushes. You're so thoughtful!"

"It's mainly because it's troublesome to buy things on short notice," Lin Yan said with a smile as she parked her bicycle.

It doesn't actually cost much, but it's so much more convenient this way. We can put away the slippers and such, and bring them out again when people from our hometown come to visit.

My second uncle and aunt were also here, all smiles. Blood is thicker than water, especially since we're from the same village.

They brought out two playmats for Fang Wu to crawl on under the eaves. There's always a preference for sons over daughters. But now that they don't even have any male grandchildren, it's rare for them to develop a bond with their granddaughter.

Several older boys and girls gathered around. Kang Kang said, "Xiao Wu isn't moving her arms and legs together anymore."

Second Aunt took the lead, "Yes, she can crawl now. Tongtong demonstrated for her a few times."

After Han Ping and Fang Mingcheng settled their wives and children back home, they quickly came out with their entourage. They told everyone that they lived in the courtyard just two houses down in the alley. Some people said they wanted to go in and take a look, so they went in together.

I asked them how much it cost here, and the price per unit was cheaper than Fang Mingche's. After all, it's just buying three rooms in a large courtyard, not a separate courtyard like a small side house. Otherwise, it wouldn't be easy to accommodate so many relatives.

However, everyone's mindset is still stuck in comparing it to houses back home. They still think it's so expensive! But at least they own a house in the capital. And they've only been here a little over a year.

"Can I register my household registration after buying a house?"

Han Ping shook his head, "No, there's no such policy. Lin Yan was able to transfer her household registration after buying it because she was originally a Beijing resident. And because she had a separate house, Yan Yan was able to transfer her household registration as well. As for Chang Chang, she was born a Beijing resident. She also became a Beijing resident after Ming Che was admitted to university."

"Oh, so their whole family has access to government-supplied grain."

What farmers resent most is that having a registered household registration grants them a grain purchase certificate, allowing them to consume commercially available grain.

There were many other families living there, so it wasn't comfortable to stay. After looking around the work, everyone returned to their small courtyard. When someone asked why so many people had come, someone said they were all guests of Teacher Fang's family outside.

At 6:30, Cui's apprentice came over and told Fang Mingche, "Teacher Fang, call everyone to take their seats."

Fang Mingche said, "Alright, everyone, let's have dinner. You haven't eaten well on the train these past few days, have you? It'll be plenty—"

Three round tables were set up, with seven meat dishes, four vegetable dishes, and one soup. Like I said, since we're already doing this, why not make it look nice? Anyway, it's just this welcome dinner; after that, we'll cook for ourselves.

I guess Mingfeng will find an opportunity to invite me over for a meal later.

They probably hadn't eaten well for three days, and their stomachs were already quite empty. They finished every last dish, and even ordered a few more. They even took the leftovers from the two tables of people who were originally in Beijing and ate them. They finished three large steamers full of rice!
Sister-in-law Cui was astonished. Luckily, she had asked Lin Yan how much rice to cook beforehand. Otherwise, there probably wouldn't have been enough rice.

Lin Yan paid the bill. They no longer offer full-service meals here; they settle accounts after each meal. Luckily, the total for the three tables was 150 yuan. Everyone was clearly very satisfied with their meal.

After dinner, we all went for a stroll in Tiananmen Square. Everything was closed by then, so we only saw the Monument to the People's Heroes and Tiananmen Square itself.

After walking back, Fang Mingche's family of four, along with Fang Min and the three siblings, prepared to return to the Overseas Chinese Apartment.

Fang Mingche said, "Tomorrow, Mingcheng will take you around to see the sights, and I'll cover the tickets. My wife, my child, and I all have classes, so we won't be able to spend much time with you."

Mingcheng was originally a driver for a travel agency, so he knew the tourist attractions very well. Let him drive the small truck; the women and children could sit in the front, and the men in the back. We could just bring a few stools up.

"Okay, okay." Everyone was quite satisfied with Fang Mingche's hospitality; the food and accommodations were very comfortable. Lin Yan, in particular, was exceptionally attentive and generous.

Fang Mingche privately told his father, "If you think it's too noisy with too many people, you can take my brother and sister-in-law to live in the courtyard house. There should be empty rooms available at this time of year."

Mr. Fang said, "Forget it, if they say they want to go see it later, it's hard to refuse. Let's just stay here! It's not any more crowded than next door."

Fang Mingche and the others went to the alley to get their cars. There were two tractors parked there, which Liu Qingfeng and Geng Shan had driven back from the two scrap yards.

Didn't Fang Mingche want to buy cars specifically for the travel agency?

But Lin Yan said that the three tractors at the vegetable stall were working well. She consulted Liu Qingfeng and Geng Shan, and they also felt that tractors were sufficient for the scrap yard.

The small truck was originally bought for use by both the scrap yard and the travel agency. Now, it belongs to the travel agency. Every morning, Fang Mingche or Lin Yan drives it to the courtyard house. They drive it again in the afternoon if they need it.

A tractor costs 3000 yuan, and a new small truck costs nearly 20,000 yuan. So now, the two stationmasters use this for commuting. It only takes about ten minutes, much faster than riding a bicycle. Who cares about looks? Practicality is the priority. In winter, with the wind blowing all the way, they just wear more layers and bundle up.

So now, besides his ten commercial vehicles (and one more of each), Fang Mingche has the most tractors.

However, the three trucks from the vegetable stall didn't return. They had to transport the vegetables into the city at around 5 a.m., leaving them in the countryside. Zhu Dahai and his four partners, plus the hired help, took turns delivering the vegetables, one person per week.

Fang Mingche and his group of eight drove back. Lin Yan's bicycle was left in the back, with Fang Jian and Fang Fang holding it for her to prevent it from bumping into anything.

The largest apartment in the Overseas Chinese Apartments is 220 square meters, with four bedrooms, a study, a gym, and a dance studio. Fang Fang shares a room with Yan Yan, while Fang Jian and Fang Kang sleep in the empty guest room.

Many people moved in from both sides. Lin Yan asked Sister Cui to get a lot of tickets on the black market to buy bedding, mattresses, sheets, and quilt covers for the autumn.

As for winter, let's not rush it. If we're not entertaining guests, it's enough for our own family.

If anyone is still staying there and doesn't leave, she won't interfere. It's fine to come here temporarily to find work, but there's no reason for them to stay for so long.

It was still early, so Fang Fang changed into her dance clothes and went into the dance studio to practice on her own, with Yan Yan watching and correcting her movements. Her basic skills were relatively weak, but hard work could make up for it.

People are thin these days, and Kang Kang is actually only the size of a normal child in later generations. But in the eyes of most people, he is already considered very fat.

Fang Fang was very thin and bony. She hadn't started developing yet, and her body was flat from the front and back. Even when she wore a tight-fitting dance costume, you couldn't see an ounce of fat.

Yan Yan changed into a plaid pajama set consisting of a long top and long pants. While watching her sister's movements, she also did some leg stretches beside her.

"Sister, your movement isn't quite right." She came over and demonstrated.

Outside, Kang Kang called out, "Second Sister, the TV series has started."

Fang Fang said, "Go out and watch, I'll practice a little longer."

Although her aunt arranged for her to learn to dance, she has now come to enjoy it. Moreover, she hopes to have a figure as graceful as her dance teacher when she grows up.

Lin Yan had bought a sofa set before, but since there weren't many family members, it wasn't always full. Now that her nephew and niece were staying over, it was finally full when they watched TV.

Fang Min peeled a plate of fruit and told everyone to eat it with forks. Fang Fang didn't come out, so she brought her a smaller portion instead.

She asked, "Fang Fang, does dancing also require starting from a young age?"

Originally, only Yan Yan and Tong Tong went to practice, and she didn't think much of it. But now that she saw Fang Fang practicing dance, she started to have some ideas. Maybe she could practice at her age too. She's only sixteen or seventeen.

Fang Fang nodded. "That's what the teacher said. But it shouldn't be completely impossible for you to practice now. I'll teach you a few basic movements, and you can try them first."

After a while, Fang Min went out looking dejected. Those movements seemed simple for Yan Yan and Fang Fang, but they were quite difficult for her.

Fang Mingche and Fang Jian sat together. He popped a raisin into his mouth. After swallowing it, he said, "Take it slow. It's just that your ligaments haven't loosened up yet. You're not an old man with frail arms and legs. Besides, you're practicing martial arts, which helps to loosen your muscles and improve circulation."

The dance studio is actually used more as a practice room. There are soft mats underneath, so as not to move too much and disturb the people downstairs.

Lin Yan glanced at Kang Kang, who was still reaching for food, and thought about how much he had eaten that evening. She quickly said, "Kang Kang, you ate quite a lot for dinner. Eat less now, or you'll have a stomachache later."

The others are fine, but Kang Kang and Chang Chang need to be kept in close watch.

A few days ago, Kang Kang had a stomachache in the middle of the night, which made Mingche and Fang Jian take him to the clinic. It turned out he ate too much and had indigestion.

Fortunately, Fang Jian is quite reliable now and is acting like a proper older brother. The next afternoon, when the adults weren't home, he took Kang Kang to get his vaccination and then brought him back.

Lin Yan was startled. She'd been living with her in-laws for so long without incident, but after only two days here, this had happened. And her brother and sister-in-law were arriving soon—what if something serious had happened to Kang Kang?
Fortunately, it was just a case of overindulging in snacks. My mother-in-law isn't like her; she keeps so many snacks at home.

At this point, Kang Kang could only say "Oh" and put the food box aside. Out of sight, out of mind! Otherwise, he would always be unable to resist eating it.

The result was placed right in front of Yan Yan, who quickly took it to her father. Don't tempt her; she doesn't have much self-control! She's always the teacher's main focus when weighing herself before dance class.

At nine o'clock, after the two episodes of the TV series had finished, Fang Min made arrangements for the children to wash up.

There are two washrooms and two toilets in the house. One is outside, and the other is in the master bedroom. The four children take turns using the one outside.

After sending them all to bed, Fang Min mopped the floor clean, then washed up and went to sleep herself.

As for Changchang, he went to bed not long after he got back.

They went to sleep after watching the second episode of the TV series, but not in the small courtyard.

Fang Minghua and his wife quickly realized how inconvenient it was to have the television in their room. They wouldn't leave until it was time to say goodbye, even after a three-day train journey. They seemed completely unfazed. Normally, they'd probably stay up this late even longer.

Mr. Fang laughed and said, "Then take it out and put it in the middle room where we eat."

Television is rare these days, that's how it is.

The old eight-immortal table has been moved to the main room. I guess we'll have to unfold all the folding tabletops and make it into a large round table so that everyone can sit down.

Fang Minghua nodded. "I'll bring it out tomorrow morning. Is the antenna okay?"

It would be troublesome if the horizon wasn't that long.

“No problem. I was just annoyed because it was too close. No one lived in the west room before. Later, Han Ping and Mingcheng moved in, and they also wanted to see ‘Goodbye.’ So they won’t complain about it being late. Just keep your voices down when you watch it.”

The two elderly people are only in their early fifties, not yet at the age where they will become hard of hearing.

With so many members of the Fang family around, neither Han Ping nor Mingcheng came out to watch TV tonight. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, why would they need to watch TV?

The neighbors next door didn't come over either. I guess some of them missed a couple of episodes of their drama and are feeling a bit guilty. Bringing the TV out will give more people a place to sit. They should be coming again tomorrow night.

For the next three days, Mingcheng was essentially on official business. He drove Fang Minghua and his wife, the six people who had come to work, his wife and children, and Han Ping's wife and children to visit various tourist attractions in the capital.

Fang Mingche lent them his old camera, and bought a new roll of film with 36 exposures. That's an average of 3 exposures per person!
Fang Mingche and Mingfeng had discussed how to arrange things for these people. If they were to start their own businesses, they would lend them some capital.

If they want to work, we can talk about it later. Mingfeng has already hired four people, and he and his wife are also busy. There are still three openings for the seven hired workers. But these people probably won't want to collect scrap.

But Fang Mingche only accepts candidates who can drive and learn languages ​​quickly. At the very least, they must speak fluent Mandarin. He will definitely select the best candidates.

Driving can be taught; those who learn quickly should take the driving test first. Practice your Mandarin pronunciation by listening to the radio and watching TV.

Even if they stayed in the capital where food and lodging were free, they'd definitely want to earn more money since they'd come out here. Besides, they probably wouldn't be so shameless as to keep eating and staying for free.

Chinese New Year is on January 24th, 1982, which is still three months away. I definitely need to get back to work as soon as possible so I can have a hundred or so yuan to spare for the New Year. The travel expenses to the capital are 30 yuan one way, so it's clear that people aren't just coming for fun.

After a three-day trip, Mingcheng was asked to borrow a spot at a nearby elementary school to teach them to drive. Let's see what they're made of. They'll be selected based on their own abilities, and they can't blame anyone else.

Even if you can't drive, if you're good-looking and have a silver tongue, you can still work as a sales clerk in Dashilan or Xidan. Oh, and by the way, if you want to go to Shanghai, that can be arranged too. But the prerequisite is having the necessary qualifications.

If nothing else works, you'll have to do odd jobs. It's not like you'll have come all this way for nothing, but the income difference will be huge. However, there's one condition: once you're assigned a job, you'll have to find your own place to live.

A few days later, on Sunday, Fang Mingche came over again.

He asked his parents privately, and his mother said, "They're all quite clever. They're observant and helpful, doing everything themselves. They haven't caused us any trouble and have saved us a lot of work. I've seen them all taking their driving lessons very seriously. Your older brother is especially diligent. What are you planning to do with him?"

What she cared about most was naturally the livelihood of her eldest son and daughter-in-law. She wasn't worried, though; since her younger son had invited them, her brother and sister-in-law would definitely make arrangements. Otherwise, she would have to keep supporting her three nephews and nieces.

Fang Mingche said, "I didn't plan to arrange anything for my older brother and sister-in-law. It was Dad who said they should run a small catering business. If necessary, I'll lend them the initial investment."

Even between brothers, it's best not to have one being the boss and the other the employee.

Yuan Shufen walked over from the side and couldn't help but ask, "Second brother, what kind of business do you want us to do?"

She's been thinking these past few days about what jobs her brother-in-law could do that would be suitable for her and her husband.

Fang Mingche said succinctly, "Ask Dad."

Just as Mr. Fang was about to speak, he saw that the others had also come over after hearing the news, so he waited until everyone was in front of him before saying, "I've been looking around for the past few months. At first, I thought it would be good for you two to open a small stall selling noodles and wontons near the train station. Anyway, Shufen, your noodles are pretty good. The capital required shouldn't be too much, it should be about the same as when Mingche set up his big bowl tea stall."

(End of this chapter)