Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 28 I Choose to Study
"Dongzi, how about I introduce you to a job?"

"Brother Ji is very easy to talk to. Seeing that I helped him, he plans to introduce me to a job as an apprentice in the repair shop."

"As you know, I'm used to being free and can't stand this kind of restrictive work, so I took the job and prepared it for you."

"I wonder what you think?"

Wang Chengpeng spoke calmly, yet his words were earth-shattering.

When did introducing a job become such a trivial matter in Wang Chengpeng's eyes?
Wang Zidong stared wide-eyed at Wang Chengpeng, his face filled with disbelief, and murmured softly:
"You still say there was no exchange of benefits between you, otherwise how could you have gotten such a good deal out of thin air?"

He then realized that this could absolutely not be a transfer of benefits.

Let alone three secondhand radios, even three brand-new radios wouldn't be enough to convince someone to help them find a job.

In this day and age, a job is a secure and extremely valuable asset.

Let alone a few dozen yuan, even several thousand yuan would be a great opportunity for countless people to find a job.

Barely regaining his senses, Wang Zidong waved his hand and refused, saying, "Pengzi, don't joke with me. How could such a good thing happen to me?"

"Besides, if such a good thing really happened, it should be given to my sister-in-law first, not to me, an outsider."

Faced with Wang Zidong's refusal, Wang Chengpeng smiled and said, "You're not an outsider, you're my good brother!"

"Brother Ji introduced me to be an apprentice in the repair department. It's not only physically demanding, but it also makes it easy to get all dirty."

"This kind of work is clearly not suitable for women, otherwise, would you have had such a good opportunity?"

"Just tell me if you want this job or not. If you don't, I'll give it to someone else."

As the saying goes, "Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders," but Wang Zidong is no outsider, so Wang Chengpeng's choice is naturally correct.

It's a pity that his father, Wang Tieshan, is too old and not really suitable to be an apprentice; otherwise, Wang Chengpeng would have given his father priority.

How could Wang Zidong possibly refuse such a windfall?

But just as he was about to agree, he asked a question:
"Pengzi, you only got this book because of your radio repair skills?"

"And you learned your radio repair skills from books?"

For the first time, Wang Zidong actually found those square characters that had made him dizzy to be cute. Not only did his aversion to them decrease, but he also developed a strong interest in learning them.

Intentionally planting flowers but not blooming, unintentionally planting willows and willows make a shade.

Wang Chengpeng never expected that things would take such a turn for the better regarding Wang Zidong's studies, and immediately patted his chest to assure him:
"Of course, I learned it from books."

“We’ve known each other since we were kids, playing in the mud together. When have you ever seen me learn this skill anywhere?”

"What? You want to learn too? I'll teach you!"

"But you should think it through carefully. Learning is not something that can be done overnight. If you choose the path of learning, you will inevitably have to give up this hard-won job."

This wasn't Wang Chengpeng forcing Wang Zidong, but rather he wanted the other party to think it through.

Learning is not something that can be done overnight; you can't just have a three-minute burst of enthusiasm.

If Wang Zidong's decision was just a whim, he might as well become an apprentice and get a permanent position sooner.

Wang Chengpeng's words made Wang Zidong realize the seriousness of the problem, and he began to think about what he should do.

At that time, he did not realize that this decision might change the course of his life.

After a long silence, Wang Zidong finally had his answer and asked in a firm and resolute voice:

"Pengzi, do you really think that studying can change one's destiny?"

“Those educated youths look completely different from what you described.”

In this era of nationwide rural relocation, Wang Chengpeng's words indeed lacked persuasiveness.

But he, who was familiar with the future, knew that the college entrance examination would be reinstated this year, an examination that could change the fate of countless people.

Because the resumption of the college entrance examination was so sudden and the time was so short, many people didn't have enough time.

This is absolutely the best chance for Wang Zidong to turn his life around! Thinking of this, Wang Chengpeng said, "Trust me, you won't go wrong."

Without almost any hesitation, Wang Zidong said decisively, "I believe you."

"I choose to study!"

Being trusting has its downsides, but clearly, this personality trait is only beneficial to Wang Zidong.

Starting school early has its advantages; it enhances learning ability.

However, starting school later in life also has its advantages, namely, it allows one to have a more determined resolve, at least that's the case for Wang Zidong now.

Nodding with satisfaction, Wang Chengpeng said, "Okay, I will do my best to help you with your studies."

“My house and your house are relatively close, so we can study together in the evenings and encourage each other.”

There aren't many vacant houses in Wangjia Village, but there are still a few.

Taking interpersonal relationships into consideration, Wang Chengpeng ultimately chose a place that was furthest from the original Wang family home but closest to Wang Zidong's home.

In retrospect, this choice was undoubtedly the right one, allowing him to make the most correct decision at a crucial moment.

Now that the matter in Hetian Town had been settled and time was of the essence, Wang Chengpeng didn't have time to continue exchanging pleasantries with Wang Zidong. He rode his bicycle straight to Shanghe City.

Going to Shanghe City and Hetian Town are completely different things, at least in terms of the distance.

After nearly two hours of bumpy travel, Wang Chengpeng finally caught a glimpse of the outline of Shanghe City.

In this era of scarcity, cities, though not much better than towns, possessed their own unique refinement.

The scattered houses and crowded people make it seem more lively than Hetian Town.

Since he had come to Shanghe City under the guise of purchasing betrothal gifts, Wang Chengpeng decided to first visit the city's largest state-owned department store.

Otherwise, it would be awkward if Wang Chengpeng had no answer when his family asked.

Bustling with activity and a dazzling array of goods—that was Wang Chengpeng's strongest impression of the state-run department store.

A variety of exquisite electrical appliances are displayed side by side in the display cases, which is quite a sight.

There was no noise at all; it even seemed a bit deserted.

The salesperson showed no enthusiasm whatsoever, and was instead incredibly arrogant.

After all, the current market situation is that others are begging them to buy things, rather than them begging others to buy things, which inevitably leads to this result.

This is also why, once the government started encouraging individual businesses, they couldn't compete with those private enterprises.

Once the restrictions on paperwork are removed, those with money will be the boss!
The "three turns and one sound" (referring to a set of three-wheeled equipment, a watch, a radio, and a watch) are the most commonly used and practical items in the home at this time, attracting a great deal of attention.

Of course, it's only for viewing; there's no way to even try it out.

As the salesperson put it, if so many people wanted to try it all, it would take forever.

Even in this era, the importance of brands has become apparent.

Products from well-made factories are significantly more expensive than those from ordinary factories.

They always manage to sell themselves because of their superior quality, and a single machine can even last for twenty or thirty years without breaking down.

Looking at the prices of one hundred, two hundred, or even several hundred on the tags, Wang Chengpeng suddenly felt that his savings were not enough.

Although this amount of money seems like a lot, it doesn't last long at all.

Although I have many ideas for making money, these ideas remain just that – ideas – because we haven't even implemented the household responsibility system yet.

Not making money is a small matter; getting himself into trouble is a big deal. How could Wang Chengpeng possibly do something that would cause him to lose more than he gains?

After briefly learning about the brands and prices of the "three turns and one sound" (a type of bicycle, sewing machine, radio, and watch), Wang Chengpeng left the state-run department store and rode towards the Hongqu Textile Factory he remembered.

This is where Zhou Xia, the biological father of the ingrate, once worked, and it is Wang Chengpeng's biggest goal on this trip.

(End of this chapter)