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

Chapter 209 A good start

The children all stayed there, so Fang Mingche and the others stood and watched for most of the day. Mingfa's business was really doing quite well.

This was a novel and interesting thing, and everyone wanted to try their luck. The others from the village, including Fang Minghua and Yuan Shufen, stared wide-eyed. They watched as their own people started it, and more and more people gathered around. Every now and then, someone would sneak away small items that wouldn't actually recoup their investment, or take the consolation prize Mingfa had given them.

Occasionally, someone would receive a moderate reward, which would be met with great joy. As for the one in the farthest distance, there were quite a few circles around it, but no one had managed to fit it.

Yuan Shufen whispered to Fang Minghua, "Is this really okay? This way, we should be able to earn three to five yuan a night (not counting the two yuan and fifty cents that Lin Yan paid)."

Fang Minghua was also completely dumbfounded. The past few days, observing how others did business had already somewhat shattered his understanding of money. They could make money like this? And much more than they did, toiling in the fields from dawn till dusk.

As more and more people gathered, Fang Mingche carried his son and walked forward, saying, "Let's go see some other things. There are fun things and delicious food everywhere."

My little rascal is almost a year and a half old, so chubby and plump! He's got some weight to it!
Fang Mingche and Lin Yan both told Fang Min that she must never let Changchang out of her sight, and that if she had to leave, someone should be there to watch over her. With the one-child policy in place, professional human traffickers were emerging. People like Fang Chang were their prime targets.

Fortunately, there were many interesting places in Dashilan, and there was even a monkey show being performed nearby. That finally distracted the little rascal, and he stopped insisting on watching the ring toss game.

Fang Minghua asked his father, "Dad, can you really make a lot of money like this?"

Mr. Fang's eyes twitched. You call earning three or five yuan a night making big money? But considering he just came from the countryside, it's no wonder he thinks that way.

"You all went to the Xidan night market, right? You saw the ring toss game there, but none of you thought to try it yourselves. The most important thing is to have ideas! Once you have an idea, act on it immediately, don't wait or rely on others."

The group exchanged bewildered glances. Some were thinking about opening their own noodle shops, while others were considering driving—and others were thinking about getting a job at a travel agency because they were learning languages ​​quickly. Who was still thinking about simply copying someone else's methods?

Seeing that Mingfa could make money, he started to get a little tempted.

Fang Mingche said, "This is mainly about having something new and interesting. Actually, you don't need much capital. Mingfa mainly benefits from the foot traffic in Dashilan. So business is even better than Xidan Night Market. It's the same principle as when I set up a big bowl tea stall in Tiananmen Square."

Fang Minghua asked, "So he can keep making money like this forever?"

This is almost like getting something for nothing! It seems a bit unfair that they work so hard every day to run a noodle shop.

Actually, when we first talked about opening a breakfast shop and selling noodles, we hesitated at first about whether to make steamed buns and mantou or sell noodles and wontons. Fang Minghua even thought there was nothing to hesitate about, why not just sell both?

Fangfang remembered that her uncle and aunt had mentioned that if they were selling steamed buns and mantou, they would have to get up at four in the morning to knead the dough. But if they were selling noodles and wontons, they could open around six o'clock.

She spent several months in the capital, where her aunt and uncle treated her very well. She gradually became bolder. However, she still knew that some things she said wouldn't carry much weight. So, she privately approached Fang Jian and told him what she wanted to say.

The eldest son holds a special significance in a family. These words carry even more weight when spoken by the eldest brother. If it requires getting up at four in the morning to do chores, that's definitely Mom's job. Dad wouldn't get up that early, so he doesn't care.

After persuading Fang Jian, Fang Fang privately relayed what her uncle and aunt had said to her mother.

Yuan Shufen thought about it for a moment and decided to stick with making noodles and wontons. Getting up at four in the morning day after day was too much for even her hardworking nature. The key was that there were other options!
Fang Mingche naturally understood his elder brother's thoughts, so he said, "It'll be better if he only has one shop at first. As there are more competitors later, business will gradually slow down. But he can still make some money, after all, the capital isn't too much. However, I think it's better for him to use this to establish a foothold before expanding into other businesses. As for you opening a noodle shop, if the taste remains good and the service is also good, you'll have more repeat customers. With a good reputation, other customers will come."

He never imagined he'd be so jealous of others making money so easily. Honestly! He's best suited to a time when everyone was tightening their belts and suffering poverty together. That way, he wouldn't have any complaints.

Fang Mingche actually quite admired Mingfa's decisiveness—to make money from this initial wave first. He hadn't been to the night market in a while, and it was becoming increasingly successful. The individual economy was also flourishing.

He had previously given ideas to Ayan's cousin Zhu Qiming and Han Mei's older brother Han Xiao on how to make money. Watching bicycles for others or peeling and selling fruit outside tourist attractions were easy ways to earn money. This would prevent them from constantly bothering him and trying to take advantage of his relatives or in-laws.

Sure enough, now that the two of them can earn their own money, they no longer have the desire to freeload. They treat him with great respect wherever they meet, and are also very polite to Ayan, Yanyan, and Changchang.

However, he didn't offer this advice to his relatives from his hometown. This was because Zhu Qiming and Han Xiao were both long-time residents of the capital, with many relatives and friends. Given their prime business location near their homes, they were unlikely to attract trouble from thugs or hooligans.

But it's a different story for outsiders; they can easily attract such people. However, Mingfa's choice of this particular stall was a stroke of genius. That way, no one else can come and drive him away.

In addition, both Zhu Qiming and Han Xiao had the advantage of location. Zhu's house was near the Capital Library, which provided space for bicycles that couldn't fit in the library's shed. Han's house was near the side gate of the Summer Palace, making it convenient for them to set up a fruit stand and sell fruit there.

As for my brother and sister-in-law, renting a storefront would definitely be better for them. No one can drive them away from there.

Winter is almost here, and Han Xiao's business will definitely be affected. There's nothing that can be done about it. Even Ayan's vegetable stall will be affected. Unless they set up greenhouses or grow vegetables on a large scale near the hot springs. They're discussing this now, trying to see if there's any profit to be made.

As for Zhu Qiming, in this weather, guarding the bicycle, he can only dress warmly or bring a stove from home to warm himself by the fire.

Mingfa is definitely not an option now, especially in the dead of winter. However, he can come up with other ideas during the day. With more experience in the business world, he'll be able to figure out his own solutions.

After walking around for a while, Changchang's head tilted to her father's shoulder, and she fell asleep. She fell asleep instantly.

Fang Mingche and his group of eight drove back to the Overseas Chinese Apartment first. The others walked back to the small courtyard with Fang's father and mother.

The remaining five people need to get their driver's licenses before they can work for the travel agency; otherwise, they'll only be able to do odd jobs. Besides, there's not actually a shortage of drivers in the capital; three of them will be transferred to Shanghai.

Everyone definitely wants to stay in the capital, firstly because there are many acquaintances there, and secondly because they don't want to move again.

Fang Mingche had his father inform them that accommodation would be provided in Shanghai. The old villa they rented, now that the business was expanding, had to convert the floor that was used as a dormitory into an office.

However, there was empty space in the garden. Wasn't the vice president who went there a veteran? He used his connections to get some old mobile prefabricated houses to put in the garden for the employees to live in.

Mobile prefabricated houses actually existed abroad during World War II, used as military barracks. Now, they are also common in China.

Although the room isn't very well-ventilated and you can't regulate the temperature in winter or summer, these are all manageable compared to the expenses of renting a place yourself. It's only because there's no relevant department regulating this that it's possible to do this.

The people initially sent from the capital to Shanghai were considered on business trips, hence the provision of accommodation. Since they are now willing to live in mobile prefabricated houses, they will naturally be allowed to continue living there until the government bans it.

The five people naturally understood the implication: staying in the capital wouldn't include accommodation. In other words, they would have to move out of the small courtyard and find their own place to settle down.

Their stay in the small courtyard for the past two weeks couldn't be more convenient. First, they saved on rent, and everyone in the courtyard was an acquaintance. They even had a washing machine to use for laundry; second, although they cooked their own meals, someone delivered vegetables and meat to their door. The bill hadn't been settled yet; it was usually deducted from Lin Yan's share of the profits.

But since Fang Mingche has said that, it's clear that he won't let them stay any longer once he has income.

Upon receiving the news, Fang Mingfa immediately sought help from Han Ping and Fang Mingcheng to find him a private room nearby. He wanted to move out. He had used Mingche's stall without charging him a single penny. Other stalls, in order to operate long-term, at least needed to give gifts to the original owners.

He naturally wanted to set an example. Of course, he wouldn't say that rooms would be available immediately, but he made his stance clear.

There was an opportunity to take a driving test in early November, and the remaining five people took it very seriously. Only with a driver's license could they have job opportunities!
Mr. Fang said, “You are all young people. As long as you work hard, you will definitely pass. I am an old man over fifty years old and I passed the exam on my first try.”

If they failed the test, it would be really embarrassing. So, these five people were diligently practicing and memorizing traffic regulations every day.

Seeing this, Yuan Shufen couldn't help but ask Fang Minghua, "Aren't you going to take the exam?"

"What am I supposed to drive? Besides, a noodle shop doesn't need a car. No rush, let's open the noodle shop first."

The second son dared not compete anymore, but Mingfa was actually making three to five yuan a day doing ring toss. He only worked three hours a day! He was also eager to make money, so he was very attentive to the noodle shop. While Yuan Shufen practiced making the meat sauce, he was busy with the shop's renovation.

Yuan Shufang practiced in the small courtyard and the Overseas Chinese Apartment, where so many people were eating, so the energy expenditure must have been high. After eating there, Fang's father felt that she had made considerable progress, so he had her practice in the courtyard house. There were dozens of people from the travel agency eating there, so the energy expenditure was also high.

Yuan Shufen said, "Dad, will Mingche provide food and lodging like this for every other person who comes to the capital looking for work?"

Mr. Fang said, "This is the first time. I'll get used to it after this. If they can't find work within twenty days, I'll send them back. Once they do find work, they should find a place to live and move out as soon as possible."

As a fellow townsman and clansman, Mingche had already done more than enough. He calculated that entertaining so many people for a month, including the initial welcome banquet, would cost two or three hundred yuan. And they all had such enormous appetites!
Mingche also told him that if there were any other detached houses nearby, he should buy them too. Once they were settled in, they could send any fellow villagers who came to stay with them to live there. They could move out on their own once they had an income.

He said he was optimistic about the price increases of houses in the capital. That way, he wouldn't have to keep them and their eldest son's family moving around so much. Or he could buy a nicer, more proper courtyard house so they and their eldest son's family could move there, and he could use the small side courtyard specifically for entertaining guests. They could then squeeze in like this when they come.

Therefore, Mr. Fang specifically took the opportunity to ask, "Don't you still owe so much debt? And your vegetable business, didn't you say you invested a lot in the price war, and now you want Qi Shun to compensate you for the losses?"

If it were a proper courtyard house, the price in this area would be 30,000!

Fang Mingche laughed and said, "I was just saying that. Actually, we didn't lose money in the vegetable business. We did lower the price by three to five cents per pound, but because we had a large quantity, we reduced our costs. The price was carefully calculated by Gao Xiang and Lin Yan. We can still make two cents per pound, but Qi Shun loses two cents per pound because he has a smaller quantity."

With their three tractors, they can sell 6,000 jin (3,000 kg) a day when fully loaded. Even with the price reduction, they still make a profit of over 100 yuan a day.

Qi Shun's tricycles lose twenty yuan a day just from selling vegetables. Then there are wages, stall fees, and taxes levied per stall. So, he can't afford it.

You can't just send someone over and expect them to agree. Negotiations don't go that way. That's why you have to say it publicly: set rather demanding conditions, and then gradually work things out.

Now, they've raised the price by one cent to show their sincerity in the negotiations. This way, they can earn an extra 60 yuan a day. There are no small businesses, only small business owners! As long as you can sell in volume, it's a big business.

A one-cent increase on both the wholesale and retail prices might be tolerable for wholesalers and shoppers after a few complaints. However, it didn't help Qi Shun much. His workers were already going unpaid. They couldn't find other work and had no choice but to accept the delayed wages.

Mr. Fang said, "So, you're just talking the talk about getting them to withdraw from the competition and become your secondary distributors?"

"It depends on the situation. It depends on how well Zhu Dahai and Hu Yong talk to the people."

Fang's father said, "Hu Yong and the others are alright, but Zhu Dahai is a bit ruthless."

This kid said something like, "Then it's all for nothing," making him genuinely believe the vegetable business was losing money. Turns out, it was just a matter of earning a little less. In the early stages, to build brand awareness, some discounts were necessary.

"That's how business is. If you're not ruthless, your position won't be secure. Qi Shun didn't leave any room for Ayan either."

He upset his pregnant wife, and that was what Fang Mingche resented most.

Mr. Fang said, "Then you should still settle your debts. More than 300,000 yuan, I really can't sleep when I think about it."

He's been managing the guesthouse for a few months now, and the income from accommodation and small merchandise is decent. But considering his youngest son's debts are in the hundreds of thousands, that income really isn't much.

"Dad, my assets and liabilities are balanced, so don't worry. I only have debts from buying a house, furniture, appliances, and a commercial vehicle. Those are all tangible assets. Relax! Besides, my businesses are generating a steady stream of income."

The travel agency isn't planning on expanding for the time being. Last month, they bought two more vehicles, one in the capital and one in Shanghai. That brings them to five minivans on each side. When fully loaded, each location can accommodate 45 tourists at a time.

Next month, five prospective drivers from my hometown will start working, and we plan to each buy another vehicle. We're currently trying to recruit tour guides. Travel agencies are known for their good benefits these days, making recruitment easier.

Some descendants of Manchu loyalists also applied for jobs. Most of their ancestors and fathers had studied abroad and learned English and Japanese at home.

He asked Brother Wang to investigate these kinds of people. As long as their ancestors weren't traitors, he'd take them in. Descendants of collaborators were strictly forbidden! That was an area his competitors could attack. Besides, from a personal perspective, he couldn't bear to see the descendants of these people living better lives than ordinary people.

Even if Qin Tian, ​​a descendant of a veteran of the War of Resistance Against Japan, wasn't a member of our Party, he should still be taken care of. But the descendants of traitors are another matter.

As for overseas, they already have stores in Europe, Japan, and the United States. They don't plan to open any more for the time being. Therefore, the travel agency's money for the past few months has been tied up in short-term investments. An average monthly profit of over 50,000 yuan gives Fang Mingche plenty of confidence. The debts aren't short-term; they'll be repaid when they're due.

Mr. Fang said, "Didn't I hear that your vegetable business is engaging in a price war by losing money to settle personal scores?"

Fang Mingche laughed, "Actually, the original intention of selling at a lower price was no longer to deal with Qi Shun. It was just to let people know that we have high-quality vegetables and meat at reasonable prices. Now many vegetable vendors come here to buy their goods, and quite a few private individuals ride their bikes from afar to buy them."

"Then why is your storefront so small?" Mr. Fang asked doubtfully. "It has to be deceptive, otherwise how could the market accommodate us?"

Besides the storefront, the three tractors essentially functioned as three mobile stalls. Large-volume vegetable vendors would either have their orders delivered there or park them in convenient locations for them.

Mr. Fang said, "It's true that no merchant is without guile."

"Dad, don't scold yourself. You're involved in buying and selling for profit too!"

When Mr. Fang thought back to the small department store he ran, he said, "I did it to make things convenient for foreign tourists and overseas Chinese. And incidentally, I wanted to earn some foreign exchange for the country."

He couldn't help but laugh after he finished speaking, "Tsk, I was worried about you getting into trouble all the time. Turns out I was already in the thick of it all along."

"What bureau or not? It's just what you said yourself: generating foreign exchange for the country and making things convenient for residents. Would I cheat you?"

On November 8th, five fellow villagers went to take their driving tests. Fang Mingcheng was essentially on his last shift, driving them to the test center. For the past two weeks, he had been responsible for taking them around and teaching them to drive. Mingche said he would pay him his salary and bonus based on last month's earnings. But he actually preferred working at the travel agency.

Now that we have these five people, we probably won't need to call him up again if a similar situation arises next time.

He felt there was a high probability that all five of them would pass the exam. Although they hadn't had to spend any money on food, lodging, or entertainment for the past two weeks, they were still uneasy because their livelihoods weren't settled. Therefore, they were all preparing for the exam very diligently.

Normally, a two-week course is considered a crash course. But that's in driving schools, where one instructor teaches many students. This is different; one car, five people taking turns learning and practicing. The theory is introduced by the instructor, but the actual practice is up to the individual.

But after being so provoked by Uncle Qi, none of them were ashamed to take the test a second time. Besides, Mingfa had already earned several tens of yuan. Yesterday, a room became available in his and Han Ping's courtyard, and he immediately paid the rent and deposit and moved in.

These two things that happened to Mingfa were quite a shock to them.

Sure enough, they passed both the theory and practical exams that day. It was immediately decided that the two with the highest scores would stay in Beijing, and the other three would go to Shanghai. These three would set off in a couple of days after Minghua's noodle shop opened, still taking the train in hard seats. And yes, still carrying urea bags as luggage on a shoulder pole.

Fang's mother whispered to her youngest son, "The villagers won't get used to it and start coming all the time, will they?"

Once they arrive, they'll be provided with food and lodging, and even have a car to take them around. They'll even help them get a job after they get their driver's license. If word gets back to the village, wouldn't everyone want to come?

Fang Mingche said, "They can only buy train tickets with a letter of introduction from the Party Secretary. The Party Secretary communicated with me beforehand about the number of people coming. I don't need anyone here, and the Party Secretary wouldn't issue a letter of introduction casually."

Even now, traveling long distances still relies entirely on letters of introduction. National ID cards, even for residents of the capital, weren't issued until 1982. It took ten years to issue the first generation of ID cards to over a billion people nationwide.

Therefore, they can no longer simply come to seek refuge whenever they want.

Mother Fang nodded, "That's good! The Party Secretary is reliable; he won't let people in randomly. This time, it was Mingche who called to bring the people; he has a place to house them. We'll wait for phone calls from now on."

November 11th, Wednesday. This opening day was chosen by Fang Minghua from the almanac consulted by Grandpa Gu; it was an auspicious day for opening a business.

Fang Mingche was rather indifferent to Singles' Day and Double Eleven. By the time these days came out, he was already quite old. Since Grandpa Gu said it was a good day, then it was a good day.

It was Wednesday, and Yan Yan and the three older children went to school. He and Lin Yan happened to have no classes during the first two periods in the morning, so they took Chang Chang to help with the opening of the business.

Changchang really likes noodles; he can slurp them up by himself.

Aunt Yuan Shufen smiled and cooked a small bowl of food for the little guy, adding only three grains of salt as a token gesture. He can't eat salt yet.

The six fellow villagers who came with him, as well as Fang Mingcheng and Han Ping's wives and children, must have also come. Then, the families in the tenement who were on good terms with Fang Mingche also came.

Grandpa Gu's family, Gao Xiang's family, Zhu Dahai, Hu Yong, and their four relatives were there. Grandma Yuan and her daughter-in-law also came. Sister-in-law Yuan had earned a lot of money making clothes for the Fang family's elderly and young children over the past few months, and Sister Xiao, who knitted sweaters for them, was also there.

Even the families who usually bring their own stools to watch TV came. They had no other way to repay Fang Mingche, but his older brother and sister-in-law, who run a noodle shop, could come and patronize their business.

One ounce of noodles costs three mao, two ounces costs four mao. I can afford to do this once in a while.

After Lin Yan finished eating, she took care of Changchang's meal. After Fang Mingche finished eating, he stood at the door and greeted the guests, "Please come in, please come in—"

Mrs. Fang was smiling as she collected the money behind the counter. Mr. Fang, who had been there when the firecrackers were going off, had eaten his noodles and, seeing that business was good, went to work at the courtyard house with peace of mind.

Fang Minghua was busy serving noodles and wiping tables, keeping himself very occupied. He'd also be responsible for collecting money later, so he kept his change in his apron pocket. It was a busy day for the opening. His mother came to help out, but she wouldn't be here every day.

Yuan Shufen was in charge of making the noodles; she had prepared the meat sauce yesterday. She also made forty bowls of wontons.

There are a lot of people here now; all six tables inside are full, and four more are set up outside. Each pot is used to make four to six bowls of noodles.

Qin Zhao and Wang Dexian's mother also arrived. "Brother Fang, may your business prosper!"

Fang Minghua smiled and thanked her, "Thank you, thank you. Please come in and sit down. What would you like to eat?"

Fang Mingche glanced around and saw there were no empty tables. So he went over and pulled out the seat he had been sitting in, letting them share a table with Lin Yan and her son.

"Uncle Qin, Aunt Qin, please sit here."

Wang Dexian's mother said, "Qin Hua went to early morning self-study. She's in her graduating class, so she has too many classes. She said she'll come and try it this afternoon."

"Okay."

After the first group of guests left, Fang Mingche saw that Old Zhou and his wife, as well as Grandma Qiu, Teacher Qiu, and others had arrived, and hurriedly went out to greet them. Fang Minghua, on the other hand, quickly tidied up.

Seeing that there weren't enough bowls, Fang's mother stuffed some change into his hands and said, "Make your own change, and I'll wash the bowls for you quickly."

Fang Minghua said, "I should have had Fang Fang take the morning off."

My brother's wife is here, but my little nephew hasn't eaten yet. We can't expect her to leave her son behind to help. As for Fang Min, she rode her bicycle to take Yan Yan and Kang Kang to school—to two different places.

Mingfa was also helping out as a waiter. As for the other five, two went to work with Fang's father, while the other three headed straight for the train station to Shanghai.

Han Ping and Mingcheng's wife also went to work as cleaners at the travel agency.

Fang's mother tied on another apron and went to the tap to wash the dishes.

Fang Mingche walked over and said, "Mom, turn on the tap and wash with running water. Don't be stingy with the water. Washing once is enough; you don't need to rinse it with clean water again."

With so many bowls, if you wash them in a basin of water, they'll get dirty in no time. This is different when there are fewer people in the family and fewer bowls.

So many people live in that small courtyard; his parents don't need to do these chores. That's what he told the people staying there: "Just leave the tap running and wash with running water. Just turn it on a low setting."

Fang's mother was still a little reluctant, but Fang Mingche lowered his voice and said, "Listen to me, the guests are watching! In business, why should we save a little dishwater?"

"Oh fine."

Fang's mother turned the tap on to one-third and picked up the loofah to start washing.

The breakfast business is only available during mealtimes and quickly comes to an end. The first wave of customers are those going to school or work, followed by those staying at home; then everyone leaves.

Fang Mingche said to Fang Minghua, who had sat down to rest, "Get up! It's not time to rest yet. Hurry up and clean everything up. A dirty place affects the impression of people passing by. Those are your potential customers! You're doing business here. Do you think you're at home?"

Fang Minghua was a bit dizzy from walking around this morning and was indeed tired and wanted to rest. He only got up to clean after hearing his brother mention "potential clients".

Seeing that Changchang had finished eating, Fang Mingche said, "Alright, we're leaving now. We still have classes in the third and fourth periods. You guys take your time. Today is our opening day, and many neighbors have come to support us. It should be slow for a while. But as long as the taste and service are good, the popularity will gradually pick up. If you're too busy, big brother, just hire another person. We can put a bed in the shop at night. If you're calling someone from your hometown, you can arrange for someone to stay here tonight."

Fang Minghua shook his head and said, "I'd rather invite them here. People invited from my hometown will definitely be compared to the treatment you receive back home. There are actually quite a few unemployed people in this capital."

Fang Mingche and Lin Yan took Changchang away. Changchang said goodbye to her grandmother, uncle, and aunt.

Yuan Shufen started making wontons again; she'd sold almost all forty bowls. People who got up late would probably come in later to eat.

All three nodded or raised their hands in response. They all knew in their hearts that the business was doing so well thanks to Fang Mingche. In fact, the shop's continued smooth operation depended on his protection.

After handing his youngest son over to Fang Min, Fang Mingche realized that time was running out, so he drove Lin Yan to her class.

Lin Yan whispered, "I think I've gotten rid of all the fat around my waist and abdomen. When can I drive to school?"

Fang Mingche knew perfectly well whether she had any excess fat around her waist or abdomen.

Women, from childhood to old age, never want to have any extra weight on their bodies. Well, a normal, slightly plump figure isn't considered extra weight. Qin Hua also immediately reduced her intake of cola after hearing that drinking it would cause weight gain.

He laughed and said, "After the higher-ups clearly say that some people can get rich first."

Just wait, it'll be another two or three years! Driving normally is fine, but driving to and from school every day is definitely a bit excessive these days. As far as he knows, there's a businesswoman in the capital whose mother gained weight because her family's financial situation improved. People are even drawing pictures of Liu Wencai's wife on their walls to mock her.

The Liu family were major landlords in Chengdu, Sichuan before liberation, spending lavishly and even running opium dens. They were hailed as typical examples of corrupt landlords. However, the Liu family also had a positive side. Liu Xiang, the former chairman of Sichuan Province, was Liu Wencai's nephew. He was also a renowned anti-Japanese general, leading 350 million Sichuan troops out of Sichuan to fight against the Japanese.

But it's widely known that Liu Wencai's wife only eats the tendon from the sole of the duck's foot. It's said that dozens of ducks are killed every day just to get that plate of tendon.

Fang Mingche himself grew up hearing such propaganda. But he guessed those dozens of ducks must have been used for something else. The landlady wouldn't be that extravagant. But that didn't stop her from being portrayed as lavish and decadent.

So, when someone drew such a picture on the wall, the old woman of that family really lost face and was said to be living like a landlord's wife.

Therefore, he would only dare to let Ayan drive to and from school once the chief architect explicitly stated, "Let some people get rich first, and let those who get rich first help those who are still poor." Otherwise, if someone else does the same thing to her, it will be impossible to erase that image for many years.

Lin Yan said, "I'm already a sophomore, and I'll graduate in my junior year. In a few more years, when will I still be in school?"

"Aren't you going to graduate school?"

Lin Yan glanced at Fang Mingche in surprise, "Isn't a junior college degree enough?" This is considered a highly educated person.

"You'll graduate the year after next, and you'll definitely be assigned to teach high school. That's so tiring! My suggestion is that you go and manage a lab or something, gain two years of work experience, and then take the postgraduate entrance exam. Try to stay and teach at a university!"

Undergraduates can take the postgraduate entrance exam immediately, while associate degree holders need to work for two years before they can.

Lin Yan said, "Doesn't my previous work experience as an educated youth count?"

Fang Mingche thought for a moment, "Oh right, I'm not quite sure about that. Why don't you go ask the teacher?"

If possible, that would save two years. Wouldn't that be much better?

(End of this chapter)