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

Chapter 218 Everything Goes Well

Xiao Ma went to great lengths to find out about this. Before she could even go to the Beijing People's Art Theatre to find an acquaintance who worked there as a janitor, she found out from the descendants of the Eight Banners in the alley.

These kinds of clothes are already readily available for sale. Their ancestors were in the business of making these. Now they run a tailor shop, making dragon robes, phoenix robes, and robes for officials and noblewomen. You can tell at a glance that their craftsmanship is superb! People who come to have clothes made there, hearing that the tailor's ancestors used to make clothes for the palace and also took orders for officials' residences, prefer to place their orders there.

Xiao Ma couldn't help but say, "Then they're the regular army, and I'm just a guerrilla."

After thinking about it for a while, she told her father-in-law everything.

Aunt Yuan told her, "You can't hide it from them, and they're not far away. Besides, can your skills compare to those who have been making these things for generations? And didn't Uncle Fang give you five yuan for running the errand?"

Xiao Ma then brought the money over and explained the situation. He also said he wanted to return the money to Fang's father.

"Uncle Fang, I just went to inquire about it. Here's the money back."

Father Fang certainly couldn't accept it. "If you hadn't inquired, how would I have known about this? I didn't even know there were genuine descendants of the Eight Banners in the alley. Just keep it, otherwise I'll feel bad."

Xiao Ma declined several times, but Mr. Fang insisted that she keep it.

"Just put more effort into making clothes for us later." Lin Yan still made clothes for the two elders from Xiao Ma according to the season.

As for the three younger children, that's the eldest brother and sister-in-law's business. They earn quite a bit of income too.

I was planning to pay back the 600 yuan tuition fee I advanced last September, which I'll be paying off in three months. I've already paid back 400 yuan.

After Xiao Ma left, Fang's mother, who had been holding back for a while, couldn't help but say, "He only makes five yuan for one trip? She only earns a few cents for making a single garment."

Mr. Fang said, “If they don’t ask, when will we know there’s something available for sale? Besides, even if they don’t tell us, we’ll still waste a lot of time. But I originally gave it as a deposit. It wouldn’t look good to ask them to return it or give less now. Business people can’t be too stingy! Anyway, it’ll all be factored into the cost later.”

He quickly went to the address Xiao Ma had given him and bought all eight of the paintings that were hanging on the wall. It cost him over two hundred yuan! They were all made of good fabric, and the craftsmanship was excellent. He also asked about washing methods.

They hung the signs on the wall, clearly stating that they were for rent. Quite a few customers actually rented them to take photos at the Forbidden City. Both Chinese and foreign customers were included.

Rent it once, and it's only one yuan if you return it within two hours! Overtime is 50 cents per hour. You also need to pay a deposit, and it has to be returned without any fraying or dirt. Sometimes, those dragon and phoenix robes can be rented out two or three times a day.

He said to the mother-in-law, "See? It's five yuan. You can rent it a few more times and you'll have enough."

Fang's mother clicked her tongue and said, "This money is really easy to make!"

Mr. Fang said, "It's also because we have the advantage of location. I reckon that other places will follow suit soon. There are plenty of old-timers in the capital. There are probably a few families that know how to do this. And there might even be people collecting them now."

The calendar turned quickly, and soon it was time to register for the new semester. Old Cheng asked Fang Mingche, "Have you decided whether to apply to our own university or another for graduate school?"

Fang Mingche nodded. "And you?"

"I'll definitely go straight to work and try my best to stay in Beijing. Do you really think I'll become a retired student? Being classmates with my son for two years would be amazing. What, not planning to apply to our own university? Then you'll definitely have to aim higher. Let me guess, Tsinghua or Peking University?"

Fang Mingche looked around to make sure no one was watching. "I want to apply to Peking University's School of Economics and Management. Don't tell anyone yet, I might not get in."

After entering his junior year, he hesitated about this for a long time. Finally, he decided to take a step back and try to reach the higher goal. If he had the chance to be recommended for graduate school, he would have let it go, but he wasn't even eligible now. So, he decided to give it another shot!

He could handle the consequences of failing the exam. And after analyzing the situation, there was still hope.

After all, he now has enough money to secure the best teaching resources for himself. Since they're all in the capital, he can start thinking about auditing classes there.

To save time, Fang Mingche planned to buy another car. This time, a sedan, a Shanghai-plated sedan. The kind that costs 25,000 yuan!
He'll hire a driver to pick him up and drop him off. His and Ayan's classes are mostly staggered, so he can generally manage both. If that doesn't work, they can adjust; the other person can take an unlicensed taxi. This way, he can save an hour each way traveling each day.

However, Ah Yan said that if the two of them had a conflict, he should use it first.

Ayan asked her counselor. Her work experience as a sent-down youth cannot be counted towards the two years of work experience required for a junior college graduate to take the postgraduate entrance examination. This is because the requirement is two years after graduating from junior college.

She really needs to spend two years gaining work experience at a high school before taking the postgraduate entrance exam.

She wasn't particularly fixated on taking the postgraduate entrance exam, but after listening to Fang Mingche's analysis of the leisurely and austere life of university professors, and the overwhelming workload of high school teachers, she started to consider it. Having more free time would definitely be great! University professors aren't even required to be in the office regularly; they work an eight-hour day.

Fang Mingche was already paving the way for her job placement after graduation. But according to acquaintances, it was unlikely he'd be able to get her a quiet, undemanding position like managing a lab. Young college graduates were highly sought after by employers these days. And once they got one, they certainly wouldn't let her retire.

So, Ayan will probably still have to teach high school Chinese. She'll finish teaching one class in the first two years of high school.

Gao Xiang is also planning to pursue a master's degree. He intends to study accounting and finance, as he doesn't want to continue teaching!

From now on, I'll be a full-time accountant. Fang Mingche initially promised to become the CFO of the entire Fang Group. Now, he only manages the finances of the travel agency. It feels good; it frees up his time to prepare for graduate school.

He also wanted to use this as a stepping stone to get into a better school than Capital Normal University. His target was the University of International Business and Economics.

Old Cheng nodded, "Okay, theory should be combined with practice. We graduated in July 1984, and now some schools are already gradually starting to teach English. So I think I should have no problem staying in Beijing to teach. As for my son, I also hope he can continue to pursue a master's degree. It would be best if he could get into a better school. The success rate of the postgraduate entrance exam should be higher than that of the college entrance exam."

That way, the family of four can continue to stay in Beijing. His wife now works odd jobs at Xiao Fang's travel agency, and their daughter is attending an expensive school. They're a little short on money, so he has to work part-time as an English-speaking tour guide at the travel agency on weekends.

Things should get better once I have a formal job. I'll continue doing part-time work; after all, teachers have weekends and summer/winter vacations. And a high school teacher's salary is significantly higher than a university graduate's stipend.

Fang Mingche said, "Didn't they start the college entrance exam pre-test system this year? They eliminated half of the people directly, and they didn't even let people into the actual exam hall. I heard that the college entrance exam pass rate has doubled."

Old Cheng said, "The pass rate for postgraduate entrance exams is still higher. More than 80% of college graduates choose to go directly into employment."

Arguing about this was pointless, so Fang Mingche didn't say anything more. He managed to get his hands on the undergraduate course schedule for the Economics and Management Department at Peking University. He took it home and compared it with his own schedule to see which classes he could audit.

Lin Yan took out her passbook, calculating how to withdraw money to minimize the loss of interest. However, if she had to withdraw 25,000 out of the 30,000, the interest on her fixed deposit would still be significantly reduced.

But if they need the car for three locations (Beijing Normal University, Capital Normal University, and Peking University), they really can't continue sharing it with the travel agency. Okay, buy it!
However, she couldn't help but say, "You told me there weren't any big plans. Isn't buying a car a big plan? One car is enough to buy a small yard."

She had been saving money so she could quickly buy an apartment in the Overseas Chinese Apartments when they became available. Now they're only giving her 5000 left, hoping no apartments will become available for the time being.

Fortunately, their monthly income is around 15,000 yuan. In a few more months, they'll have enough to buy an apartment in the Overseas Chinese Apartments. They only have 30,000 yuan now because they paid the remaining 68,000 yuan before New Year's Day.

Fang Mingche thought to himself: Now that you mention it, I feel that spending money to buy a car is particularly not worthwhile. You could buy a small yard for 25,000 yuan and leave it there to appreciate to over 10 million yuan in the future! But no matter how well you take care of the car, it will be scrapped after ten or eight years.

However, time is money. Squeezing in extra classes to save commuting time is unavoidable. And there are no car rental services available now. Hiring an unlicensed car, including the driver, would probably cost 1200 a month. Maybe it's better to buy one; we have so many capable drivers at home. We could drive it for eight or ten years.

That day, Lin's mother came to visit her grandson and happened to arrive just as the new car was being driven back.

Fang Mingche parked his car downstairs, finally feeling more at ease with the surrounding vehicles. Most of his neighbors drove sedans, some even imported. His family, however, only had a rather old, secondhand pickup truck.

Okay, he can't spend all his money on things that will skyrocket in price in the future. Some money still has to be spent.

He honked the horn a few more times outside his window. Changchang heard it from upstairs and exclaimed happily, "The new car is back!"

He will be two years old in three months, and his speech has become much clearer.

Moreover, Yan Yan attends English and Japanese classes with Teacher Qiu and watches English and Japanese cartoons, and he follows along. Therefore, his three languages ​​are developing almost simultaneously, like two wings on a single machine, although he speaks them all haltingly.

He was so engrossed in the apple slices his grandmother was feeding him that he ran outside and squatted down on the edge of the openwork balcony to look out. “It’s Daddy, it’s the new car!”

Lin's mother followed her out, asking, "Did you buy another car?"

Lin Yi had previously mentioned wanting to work part-time as a driver for a travel agency on weekends, but A-Yan immediately rejected the offer, saying they didn't need anyone.

Then the family flew to Guangzhou for a mild winter and hasn't visited the wife's parents' home since. Han Mei drove all the gifts back. She came today not only to see Changchang but also to ask about this matter. Unexpectedly, she found out her son-in-law had bought another car.

Fang Min knew that Uncle Jiu meant for them to come downstairs, so she helped Changchang put on her thick clothes. "Grandma, Uncle Jiu is bringing back a new car today. Shall we go for a drive together?"

Lin's mother nodded and went downstairs with them.

Fang Mingche only then realized that his mother-in-law had arrived, and he quickly got out of the car and opened the door for her, "Mom's here?"

"Yes, I came to see Changchang. Is this all new?"

"Yes, it's not easy to buy a used one. Last time I got a bargain. Normally, I would drive it until it's almost scrapped before I'm willing to sell it. This time I have a little more money, so I just bought a new one."

Lin's mother frowned, "Didn't you also buy a house in Shanghai? Now you're strapped for cash again?"

Fang Mingche said, "A lot of lice don't itch, and a lot of debts don't worry! Anyway, there's no debt due anytime soon. Mom, sit down. Let's take a drive around the central axis and come back."

Hearing him nonchalantly say, "If you have too many lice, you won't itch; if you have too much debt, you won't worry," Lin's mother was speechless for a moment.

Fang Chang was looking out the back window, very happy. He muttered, "Going for a drive, going for a drive." Fang Min's arm was wrapped around his small body, loosely supporting him.

After they returned from running a lap along the central axis, Lin Yan and Yan Yan also got home. Lin Yan had already taken the vegetables out of the refrigerator and started preparing and chopping them. Yan Yan was helping out.

Everyone was gone; she assumed they'd gone for a drive. She hadn't expected her mother to be in the car too. So she took off her apron and handed it to Fang Min, then sat down on the sofa to talk to her mother.

Yan Yan also came out to help look after Changchang, while Sister Min was making dinner. She greeted her grandmother and asked Changchang, "Do you want to go into the pigsty?"

Changchang looked at the toy space in the living room enclosed by bottled water and shook his head. He was very excited and used his limited vocabulary to tell his sister about his trip for a drive.

Yan Yan said, "I've already been there."

Just a few days after arriving in the capital, her father took her and her mother on a bicycle ride along the central axis. However, they borrowed her grandfather's bicycle, and the three of them covered their heads and faces with scarves, only their eyes showing.

Lin Yan must have invited her mother to have dinner with her.

Lin's mother said, "I was waiting for you to ask me to stay. My son-in-law asked me to stay a long time ago. He even said he would take me home in his new car after we finished eating."

She was happy just imagining the envious looks from her neighbors. But she knew some people would be sarcastic, saying that no matter how capable the son-in-law was, he was still just a son-in-law. Besides, his parents had also come from their hometown to spend the winter in Guangzhou, and he brought his own parents with him, didn't he?

She told Lin Yan all this, and Lin Yan said, "Why are you telling me this? Are you telling Lin Yi? I'm afraid I'll talk myself hoarse and he'll still be unmoved."

"No, he's still somewhat moved. Otherwise, why would he want to do a part-time job on the weekend?"

Lin Yan thought to herself: I knew it was for this reason. She said, "But the travel agency certainly doesn't lack part-time drivers on weekends."

"Don't other people need to take turns resting? Adding him in will give others a chance to rest."

"You earn more by working more, so who would be willing to give up their working hours? Besides, it's a rotating schedule anyway."

Despite Lin's mother's repeated attempts to persuade her, Lin Yan remained unmoved. This dampened the joy that Lin's mother felt when Lin Yan drove her home in her new car that evening.

"Mom, I won't go in. Please be careful when you go in." Their courtyard has many illegally constructed buildings. You have to be careful going in at night.

Lin's mother entered the house and shrugged at Lin Yi, who was looking at her, "Still not giving in."

Han Mei said, "You won't budge an inch even when you open your mouth."

Lin Yi said unhappily, "Do we have to mobilize the whole family and beg her again and again?"

Lin's father said, "So you want to find a job, but you don't want to ask for help? Humph, if you don't step forward yourself, you'll have your wife and your mother do it. Your sister is probably unhappy about that."

Lin Yan drove directly to the courtyard house, then walked to Dashilan. Mingche, his children, and his parents-in-law were all there. She had stopped the car there earlier, and then driven her mother back.

So many people went to Dashilan tonight to see Fang Minghua and Yuan Shufen set up their stall. Didn't they go to Guangzhou? It reminds me of when Fang Mingche and Fang Mingfeng drove a big truck here and then brought back goods to make a profit.

The two of them then bought some goods to make money. They originally wanted to keep things simple and bring digital watches, but Fang Mingche rejected that idea. "You're all bringing smuggled digital watches? Aren't you afraid of causing trouble? You even want to use the maximum weight limit for the whole family's luggage."

However, he quite agreed with his older brother and sister-in-law's idea. There were no extra expenses, so every penny earned was a bonus! He estimated it would be much more profitable than running a noodle shop. After all, no one gets rich without unexpected windfalls!

Finally, I bought a lot of popular items from the capital and packed them into eleven suitcases. That's how I got through security. The items weren't very big, so I set up a table at Fang Mingfa's stall and started selling them.

Fang Minghui followed suit, bringing back a number of small items within the weight limit of her family's luggage. She probably also found a place to set up a stall.

As for Fang Mingche and Fang Mingfeng, a few hundred yuan in profit was no longer a concern for them. They were here for the New Year holiday, so they should just enjoy themselves. Besides, they had already achieved their goal of investigating the market in Guangzhou.

Fang Fang and Kang Kang were tending the stall in Dashilan. The little girl was naturally better at this. As for Fang Kang, that kid had a really sweet tongue. With his rosy lips and white teeth, he stood there greeting, "Aunties, madams, come and take a look! Cheap and good quality, all Guangzhou goods!"

People who are called by him often come over to take a look because they think he's cute. Then they choose one or two things that they can use.

Fang Jian was collecting money and giving change. He had honed his skills at the large tea stall.

Fang Mingche held Changchang and watched from the side, with Yan Yan standing beside him. Fang Mingche whispered, "There are advantages to having more girls here."

My brother and sister-in-law were only responsible for bringing the things over in a tricycle; they didn't have to worry about anything else.

Yan Yan said, "Dad, when I'm older, I'll go help out at the travel agency too. Chang Chang can go too."

"Okay, I'll wait."

The two elders were all smiles; the better their eldest son and his wife's lives were, the happier they were. Besides, the eldest son had said he'd treat everyone to a meal once everything was sold.

We have to treat them, otherwise the second brother will have to pay for their round-trip airfare, and you'll have to sell the stuff they bring back yourself. Even if the second brother and Ayan aren't stingy, it's not right for one side to give and the other to reap the benefits.

Lin Yan came over because she saw that her brother and sister-in-law's business was doing quite well. They invested over 300 yuan in goods, and judging by their sales performance, they could probably sell them for 600 or 700 yuan. Goods are in high demand in Guangzhou these days.

However, it's probably impossible to make that kind of money on your own. Even if a travel agency issues them a letter of introduction, ensuring a safe journey there and back to transport goods, the baggage weight of just one person wouldn't earn that much. Besides, airfare is so expensive!
My brother and sister-in-law said that after selling everything, besides treating everyone to a meal, they should also pay back the 300 yuan tuition fee they owe. They also said they'd pay 20 yuan a month for the rent on the small, secluded courtyard. Okay, it's good that they're aware of this!

The elderly couple doesn't need to pay rent for their place; it's just for their family of five.

Fang Mingche also felt that the gap between the brothers had widened in this lifetime, and the old man was becoming more and more clear-headed.

He chuckled and asked, "What should we ask them to treat us to?"

Lin Yan also smiled and said, "I want to eat Tianfuhao's braised pork knuckle." This time, there's really no need to be polite.

"Alright! Let's eat while the two elders can still eat this." Fang Mingche said directly to Fang Minghua next to him.

The latter nodded, "Okay!"

This business is incredibly profitable! And shipping it back by plane is so much safer than by train or car. Crucially, he doesn't have to pay for shipping. It's pure profit! It would be impolite not to invite this customer.

Mingfa was still selling his fried rice, sweet potatoes, and taro. He was naturally envious, but what could he do? He didn't have a capable brother who was also willing to support him.
Mingche-ge is already getting a great deal by letting him use the stall for free at night. Besides, Mingche-ge's advice to get a diploma is reasonable.

Next up is opening a shop in Hong Kong. Fang Mingche plans to open one in Guangzhou first, since there are many foreigners there. Goods for Hong Kong can then be shipped directly from Guangzhou. Moreover, the procedures for opening a shop in Hong Kong are more complicated and time-consuming than in Guangzhou.

He asked Fang Minghui if she wanted to open a shop in Guangzhou. Her advantage was that she had already started learning Cantonese from her brother. She already knew she would be transferred to a Cantonese-speaking area.

Fang Minghui hesitated for a moment and said, "Brother Mingche, I want to go to Hong Kong."

Hong Kong and Guangzhou are geographically close, but their per capita income differs by tens of times. Hong Kong's current per capita income is 3000 (in RMB)! Although Guangzhou ranks among the top in mainland China, it's estimated to be just over 100.

This time, her family couldn't go to Hong Kong, but she saw all the things her cousin and his wife's family bought. Hong Kong goods are much better than those from Guangdong!
Fang Mingche said, "People who go to the Hong Kong store are selected from the Guangzhou store. Moreover, many people in Hong Kong actually look down on mainlanders. They call mainland girls 'Northern girls'."

Even now, Carina Lau and Nina Li are still facing discrimination!

Fang Minghui asked, "What about their people in Japan and Europe?"

"Pretty much, second-class citizens. Even you wouldn't look down on people who are much, much poorer than you, right? We're out there to make money, so we have to be strong-willed and neither arrogant nor servile."

Fang Minghui nodded, "I will. Brother Mingche, I'll go to the Guangzhou store and do my job well first."

"Well, why don't you give it a try? Working in an office at a travel agency isn't really your thing. See if opening a shop is something you're good at."

The work of a travel agency, including planning and logistics, requires meticulous attention to detail. However, Minghui is somewhat carefree. She grew up in a village with a group of boys and is practically half-male. But she shares with Mingfeng a knack for social niceties, which might actually make her well-suited to opening a shop.

When she got home and told Fang Mingfeng, he nodded and said, "Perfect, you can keep an eye on the renovations for me while you're at it."

He bought a three-bedroom apartment, but couldn't reserve a room for his sister. He and his wife shared one room, his parents shared another, and the two girls had to live together.

Housing in Guangzhou is expensive, 700 yuan per square meter. A single room starts at least at 10,000 yuan! It's simply unaffordable. Fortunately, Mingche provides accommodation for employees from other places.

Fang Minghui couldn't help but say, "Apartments with elevators in Guangzhou are too expensive. It's really hard for locals to afford them."

"If you perform well, you can be transferred to Hong Kong. Why worry about buying a house then? In Hong Kong, Macau, and overseas regions, you all pay wages based on the local average, right? The average annual income in Hong Kong is over $5000, which is about 9000 RMB even at the central bank's exchange rate. You don't necessarily have to buy in Guangzhou. That money could buy two small apartments in Chengdu, or even a courtyard house in the capital. What's there to be afraid of?"

Fang Minghui nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I will definitely work hard. Brother Mingche said I might be suitable to open a shop."

Fang Mingfeng chuckled, "They just didn't want to say directly that you weren't doing well at the travel agency. This time, at least you can prove yourself."

(End of this chapter)