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

Chapter 234 Extra 3
To put it bluntly, Fang Mingfeng and Xu Sheng weren't familiar with each other at all. The only reason they could do business together was because they were each other's suppliers and suppliers, and they both trusted Fang Mingche. Fang Mingche was rich, reliable, and familiar with them all.

After thinking for a moment, they said, "If Teacher Mingche can sell our own products at your counters and stalls in the capital and Shanghai, then we can discuss the distribution ratio."

Fang Mingche's stalls and counters in Dashilan and Xidan in Beijing, and his stall at the City God Temple in Shanghai, all had legitimate business licenses and sold specialty handicrafts. However, if he could also put goods imported from Guangzhou on the shelves, that would naturally be an excellent sales outlet as well.

As for the specialty stores in Guangzhou, forget about them; they can't compete with the local wholesale prices there.

And then there's Hong Kong and overseas, which would be even more difficult! I don't dare to think about it right now.

Fang Mingche nodded, "Okay, let's all get rich together!"

Not participating in operations and taking 20% ​​of the profits is already pretty good. If it really grows big in the future, it might become the prototype of a logistics company and a supermarket. He's not putting all his eggs in one basket.

Xu Sheng was quite busy. After discussing the matter and dividing up their respective tasks, he left. He even settled the bill before leaving.

Mingfeng went back to check on the video arcade's business. Since he was back, he definitely wanted to audit the accounts.

Fang Mingche then went to the county town to find the mother and son. Fortunately, the county town only had a few main streets, so it was easy for him to meet them at the crossroads.

Lin Yan held Changchang in her arms to prevent the little guy from running around with his short legs and getting hit by cars or pedestrians. Changchang, on the other hand, was happily eating a small sweet potato, which his mother had placed on a handkerchief to keep it from getting too hot.

Seeing Fang Mingche standing at the crossroads like a conspicuous bag, Lin Yan came over with a smile, "He even asked me to buy him a small spoon. I was afraid he would poke his throat while walking, so I told him to eat like this. At first, he wasn't very willing."

You can just hold the sweet potato and eat it without a spoon. At worst, you'll brake suddenly or get hit and bury your face in the sweet potato. But if you use a small spoon and it pokes into your throat, that's a different story.

Fang Mingche took Changchang into his arms. "You look so wistful. Do you feel like things have changed?"

Lin Yan said, "A little bit. What I used to look forward to most was being able to ride my bicycle to the county town on Sundays and have lunch at the state-run restaurant. Back then, Yan Yan would always be all smiles whenever she came with me. Now I think this county town is really backward, and it lacks everything."

The last sentence was spoken in a very low voice.

Fang Mingche chuckled, "Can it be the same? We used to live in village schools. Even if you came from the capital, you were used to living in the countryside. But now, we've been to the capital, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and even New York and Tokyo. The county town hasn't changed at all; it's just that the point of reference is different."

Lin Yan said, "Let's go. Before coming back, I specially exchanged all kinds of receipts that are valid nationwide. Let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative and department store in the county town to buy more food and fabric to give back as gifts."

It's inconvenient to carry all that food, supplies, bottles, and jars on the road. So she went out of her way to exchange the receipts; she definitely couldn't come back empty-handed.

Fang Mingche said, "If you're too lazy to carry them, just distribute the candy you brought back. As for the rest, just give them the tickets and money. They can buy whatever they need themselves! Let my mom distribute them; she likes doing that."

Lin Yan thought for a moment, "That works too!"

The couple took their son directly back in a minibus, but got off on the farm road and walked back.

Fang Mingche, holding his son, responded to the villagers' greetings while asking Lin Yan, "Have you found any of those old feelings again?"

Lin Yan smiled, "A little bit, I guess."

In the years when we were dating and in the first few years after we got married, we must have spent a lot of time strolling around the county town and along the farm roads.

When they got back, there were already many people sitting in the main room chatting with Fang's parents. They had also brought some children, saying they were there to play with Fang Chang.

Fang's mother had already taken out the White Rabbit milk candies and other treats she had brought back, and even opened a bottle of malted milk powder to mix for the guests. She's not stingy at all these days!

Seeing the two adults and one child return, he said, "Look, you're back. You went to the county town early this morning with Mingfeng to discuss business with someone."

Fang Mingche and Lin Yan greeted people one by one, and then taught Changchang how to greet people.

Fang Mingche said to his father, "Dad, we're going to have a banquet at the ancestral hall later. Could you please tell my second uncle that I'll give 50 yuan to each member of the Fang family who is over 60 years old, and 30 yuan to each person under 14. It doesn't matter if they're male or female. I didn't bring anything for my uncles and aunts because it was such a hassle to come all this way. Also, for the five-guarantee households in the village, the old ones will get 40 yuan and the young ones will get 20 yuan."

For the older ones, a thousand or so yuan will suffice; for the younger ones, it'll be about the same. We can't give too much! This much is presentable these days.

As for the village library and student aid, let's use the profits from the village rice processing plant. He'll keep another two thousand if that's not enough. Didn't we already tell the Party Secretary to expand the scope of student aid?

Everyone present laughed and said, "Mingche, we've really had to put up with you!"

Mr. Fang agreed, "Okay, I'll tell your second great-uncle."

Lin Yan also thought this was a good and convenient solution. They wired the money back, and it should arrive in the next day or two. When they went to withdraw the money, they wouldn't need to ask the bank staff for change; they could just ask for all ten-yuan notes!
On April 5th, Qingming Festival, the Fang family gathered to pay respects to their ancestors. First, everyone paid respects at the graves of their oldest ancestors, then they dispersed, with each branch regrouping. Finally, they visited the graves of the most recent one or two generations of ancestors.

We had a continuous feast for lunch, and the eldest daughter and youngest wife of the Fang family all went to help. The cost was calculated based on the number of people who returned, and it was split evenly.

After they finished eating, a dozen or so young men from the village followed Brother Mingfeng to the city to take the train south to Guangzhou.

Fang Mingche was invited back to his alma mater, the junior high school, in the afternoon to give a speech to his younger schoolmates. The theme was simple: the college entrance exam is the fairest thing in life, and you must give it your all! Passing it can change your destiny. This was true throughout the 1980s.

Lin Yan held Changchang in her arms as they listened from below the stage, exclaiming, "Look, isn't Daddy amazing!"

Changchang nodded vigorously, and so did her sister, mother, and everyone else around her. And so many people listened to their father and clapped!
Finally, Fang Mingche also left 1000 yuan as a scholarship for his junior classmates with good grades. He promised to send 1000 yuan back every year thereafter.

When he came off the stage and saw Changchang giving him a thumbs up, he felt extremely happy.

Changchang pointed to the photo on the wall and called out to him, "Daddy, it's Daddy—"

Fang Ming looked at it and it really was a photo of him when he was thirteen or fourteen. He wondered where the school had found it!
Lin Yan smiled and looked at her, "You were so thin back then?"

He was already seventeen or eighteen when she came to the countryside. He was much fatter than he is now!
"I'm not fat now. I guess it's because when I was a teenager, I ate my father out of house and home and digested too quickly."

When they got home, Fang's mother whispered, "You'd better leave quickly. Otherwise, who knows where you'll find someone you can't refuse next time."

It all costs money! And it's not just for one year, it's year after year. All in all, I have to send tens of thousands of yuan back home every year!
Mr. Fang laughed and said, "Didn't you think you were quite glamorous, returning home in glory with your son and daughter-in-law? And being all warm and friendly with so many people?"

"If everything comes down to money, then there's no way we can be affectionate," Fang's mother said, her voice still not loud. She certainly couldn't let anyone passing by hear her.

Fang Mingche said, "Then let's ask someone to buy the tickets. By plane or by train?"

Fang's mother said, "Since there were no problems with the sleeper berths before, let's take a sleeper berth when we go back. That way, you two won't have to take turns carrying each other on the way."

They went to the city center early the next morning, but stayed a few more days. Since they were back, they wanted to take Changchang to see the Leshan Giant Buddha and climb Mount Emei. Then they took the train directly from Emei Station back to the capital in a sleeper berth.

This half-month trip back to his hometown came to an end in mid-April. Fang Mingche took many photos of his parents, wife, and children, capturing the mountains and rivers of his hometown.

On the train, Lin Yan made baby formula for Fang Chang while saying, "To be honest, I didn't really appreciate the scenery when I was here a few years ago. But now that I'm back, it's really beautiful."

Fang Min, who was comforting Fang Chang, said, "Ninth Aunt, I still don't really feel anything."

"That's because you're still young, and your heart still yearns for the outside world, so you can't understand it," said Mr. Fang, holding his thermos teacup.

Fang Min has made her decision. When Changchang starts kindergarten in September (it's called a kindergarten here at the Overseas Chinese Apartment complex, and it's not just a matter of hiring a few people to look after the children; there are formal teachers who teach them this and that), she will work at a travel agency while she studies. She hopes to go abroad to sell handicrafts someday!

They bought a total of five hard sleeper tickets. Basically, the whole family occupied all the beds, making it very comfortable and relaxing.

Fang Mingche suggested going to the dining car for lunch, but after going once, the two elders refused to go again. A simple dish of shredded green peppers and potatoes cost 5 yuan! They'd rather just eat boxed lunches; it's basically just a difference between a large pot of rice and a stir-fry.

If you don't want to eat food that's been sitting out for a while, you can just buy it the first time the flight attendant brings it to you. Each meal box contains both meat and vegetables.

Fang Mingche let them have their way; he couldn't bear to pay and then be criticized. As for him and Lin Yan, it was only a three-day affair; there was nothing he couldn't tolerate. Before, on the top of Mount Emei, the food was undercooked, but they still ate it. It's unbelievable that in 1983, there weren't pressure cookers specifically for steaming rice up there.

Mingfeng's team is currently based in Guangzhou, but it will likely expand to both Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the future. Next year, the chief architect of China's southern tour will take place. The "Shenzhen speed" will soon begin to show its power!
Watching Changchang drink milk while holding the 'ear' of her sippy cup, Lin Yan said, "I'm so eager to go home, I miss Yan Yan."

Changchang moved her sippy cup away a little and added, "I miss my sister!"

Fang Mingche laughed and said, "Don't you always tattle on your sister?"

"I miss her too."

As for Yan Yan living with her uncle and aunt, Lin Yan and Fang Mingche have no worries now.

Given her sister-in-law Yuan Shufen's personality, if she received any favors, she would definitely take good care of Yan Yan. She already felt she had no way to repay them. As for her elder brother/brother-in-law, he certainly wouldn't treat Yan Yan badly for no reason.

Fang Jian, Fang Fang, and Kang Kang all have a good relationship with Yan Yan and can get along well with her.

Therefore, Yan Yan's food, clothing, housing and transportation have definitely been well taken care of during these two weeks.

However, I still miss it after not seeing it for half a month.

Actually, when they were in the countryside, Ma Xiaodan's father had come to see Lin Yan. He asked how Ma Xiaodan was doing in the capital.

“Xiao Dan is doing well. She lives with her maternal grandparents, and Wu Dan brings money back every month to support her.”

"That's good, that's good."

Ma Xiaodan's father also asked Lin Yan to give Wu Dan 60 yuan. He said that now that the household responsibility system has been implemented, life is better than before. This was his savings from the past two years.

Upon returning to the capital, Lin Yan delivered the money to Wu Dan.

Wu Dan took it, and after a long while let out a sigh of relief. "It's admirable that he still remembers he has a daughter even after having a son. It's not all that bad. But if Xiao Dan stays in the countryside, life will definitely be difficult."

Lin Yan said, "Distance makes things better, right? Alright, I'm not going to talk to you anymore. I have to go pick up Yan Yan from school; Ming Che is still waiting for me in the car."

After she returned, she and Mingche drove out of the courtyard house to pick up Yan Yan. They only detoured to Wu Dan's place because it was on their way.

Yan Yan came out of school with her backpack. Seeing her parents waiting to pick her up, she ran over happily, calling out, "Dad, Mom—"

Fang Mingche patted her head. "Let's go home."

"Which home are you going back to?"

"Let's go back to the courtyard house first, have a reunion dinner with grandpa and grandma, uncle and aunt, brother and sister, and Kang Kang, and then go back to the Overseas Chinese Apartment. Your sister Min has already gone back to pack."

As for Changchang, he was having a great time playing with iron hoops with Kang Kang in the courtyard. They didn't call him when they went out.

Yan Yan asked, "Has Changchang lost weight?"

"No, she developed a liking for sweet potatoes after going back home. She's been deflated all the time!" Fang Mingche was always careful with his words in front of his daughter.

But after Changchang went back home, he became much more down-to-earth. Now, if you offer him a spoon, he won't take it. He says it's more delicious to just eat it directly.

When they got home, they saw Changchang standing alone by the side door, leaning against the doorframe, looking in their direction on tiptoe. The main door was for guests to enter and exit; the family used the side door for daily living.

As soon as he saw Yan Yan get out of the car, he ran over, calling out, "Sister—"

Yan Yan hugged him tightly, "Sister's here, sister's here!"

Fang Mingche and Lin Yan came over, each taking one of their hands, "Come on, let's go inside!"

Fang Mingche glanced at his children. He would ensure they received the best education and take them to see the world. They would have more choices in what they wanted to do in the future, instead of having to compete head-on with countless others for limited opportunities!

In 1983, at the beginning of the reform and opening up, it was the best of times! Moreover, he had already laid a preliminary foundation.

However, the efforts of elders alone are not enough. If the children don't care about squandering their ancestors' wealth, they can quickly squander it all.

Yan Yan is self-motivated and doesn't need much encouragement. As for Chang Chang, people say you can tell what a person will be like at three years old. But Fang Mingche doesn't think it's very clear yet.

"Changchang, what do you want to do in the future?"

Changchang looked up and said clearly and distinctly, "Graduate student, from Peking University."

He's been hearing from people around him lately that this is the most amazing thing ever!
Fang Mingche chuckled. Back then, when he and Ayan were admitted to university, Yan Yan's ambition was also to become a university student.

"Okay, Dad and Mom will take care of you and your sister as you grow up. You two should also work hard!"

The siblings nodded in unison: "Okay!"

(End of this chapter)