There is a main street outside the east gate of Wutong University. There are various shops along both sides of the main street. In addition, there are two small alleys extending from both sides of the main street. There are also many small stalls outside.

The place Qian Qing pointed to was exactly thirty or forty meters into a small alley.

This vacant lot cannot be called a vacant lot in the strict sense. There is a waste recycling station on this piece of land of about 300 to 400 square meters.

Because it is close to Wutong University, the waste recycled here is mostly old books and some miscellaneous student-related items. After four years of university, it is difficult for students who live far away from home to take away all their belongings, so sending them to a waste recycling station is also an option.

Uncle Ding looked at the messy recycling station and was a little uncertain: "This place... is too dirty and messy, and there are only two small houses."

Indeed, a waste recycling station does not require a very large room, so two small houses of about 10 to 20 square meters were built here, and the rest are two large straw huts with some old books and old things piled underneath.

Besides, in this line of work, dirt and mess are inevitable, otherwise why don't those food stalls set up shop here?

Qian Qing was very satisfied with this place. What was the point of not having a house on such a large piece of land? At worst, she could buy the land and find someone to build a house. How much more expensive could it be to build a one-story house?

"Uncle, if it's dirty, just clean it up. If the house is small, just build a few new rooms. I think this place is good. It's close to the main street, although it's a little bit inward. When the time comes, you can take a tricycle, put the food on it, and push it to the street corner to sell. Once it becomes famous, there will be no problem of students coming to eat in the store."

Uncle Ding was tempted by what Qian Qing said, but then he became disappointed again.

"How much does this cost for such a big place?"

Although the two brothers have earned a lot in recent years, they can only take out more than 1,000 yuan at most. This amount of money can be used as capital to rent a house, but buying land or something like that is just something they can only think about.

Qian Qing smiled and said, "I am still here, right? Uncle, I will take this piece of land, build a house on it, and then rent it to you guys, right?"

It's not all because of the two uncles, Qian Qing is also very optimistic about this piece of land.

The location is good and the area is large, so you won't lose money by doing any business there. Even if you don't do business yourself, it's still good to rent it out to others.

The two uncles were shocked by Qian Qing's generosity: "For such a large piece of land, the price they ask for won't be low. Qingqing, do you really want to buy it?"

Qian Qing counted the money she had. After the investment in the pig farm was released, she would still have more than 20,000 yuan. This amount was enough for her to buy another store in Gulou, and the remaining money should also be enough for her to acquire this piece of land...

"Let's just go and ask. As long as the price they ask for isn't too outrageous, it should be possible."

But before asking the price, Qian Qing first asked two passing students. She was pretty, wearing a woolen coat and wavy hair hanging down behind her. Many students looked at her secretly as she walked by, and when she stopped them to ask questions, they all answered her questions without hesitation.

"You mean here? It seems that the former professor of the school lives here."

"It is said that he was sent down to the countryside during those years, and he became crazy a few years after he came back."

"The school gave him a subsidy, but he didn't go to class and just spent the whole day collecting books here."

"Normally he was fine, but one time when I went to sell books I suddenly saw him yelling and saying that the books someone was selling were all blank and had no words written on them..."

…

When Uncle Ding and Uncle Ding heard that the person inside was a professor, the enthusiasm that had just risen in their hearts waned again.

"Great professor..."

It’s definitely hard to say, will they really not be beaten out if they go?

Qian Qing pulled her two uncles aside and said, "Just asking, what if it works?"

The closer you get to the waste station, the dirtier it feels. There is no wall, just a fence, and inside there are a lot of books, broken paving lids, enamel washbasins, and a hot water kettle with a broken corner...

There was a dog tied to the door, and it barked when it saw people coming.

The people in the house came out when they heard the dog barking. They saw three unfamiliar faces, and they were obviously not dressed as students. They immediately became alert: "Who are you?"

The person who came out was not young, a skinny old man, wearing a washed-out Zhongshan suit, with greasy hair tied up in clumps, and a pair of sleeves on his arms.

"If you're here to talk about selling the land, forget it! I don't want to sell it now, and I won't sell it in the future!"

"Everyone is only interested in money! This society has gone crazy! No one cares about knowledge, and all the good books are sold out! What annoys me most is that you guys do business and come to universities, corrupting the atmosphere of the school..."

Qian Qing, Uncle Ding, Uncle Ding: ...

It seems that they are not the first people to take a fancy to this Feng Shui treasure land.

Qian Qing smiled and said, "I know you are an old professor and think our business has a strong smell of copper. But you said that we will not ruin the school's atmosphere. I want to buy your land in order to open a restaurant here."

The old professor waved his hand impatiently: "There is a cafeteria in the school, and students will not starve to death! You come to university to study. How can you study if you indulge in the desire for food every day?"

Qian Qing tried to change his mind: "That's not the case. You can study when you are hungry, but you don't have to live a miserable life to produce results. Look at those researchers abroad. I heard that they all live very well, and they have produced results. My two uncles were eating in the cafeteria just now. They couldn't help crying as soon as they ate. They said they felt ashamed. These proud college students all lived a hard life. That's why we plan to buy land and build a restaurant here. We want to do our best for scholars like you."

Uncle Ding Da and Uncle Ding Er: ...

They were obviously extremely happy just now, thinking that with the cafeteria as a negative example, they would definitely be able to make money in the future, right?

"Besides, you think we are ruining the school atmosphere. I don't think this is right. The country also said last year that economic development is also a sign of national progress. Although I only went to high school, I often listened to the radio and watched TV. Now the times have indeed changed, but they are changing for the better."

"What kind of life did everyone live in the past few years? Food was very tight in the countryside. A family had to work hard from the beginning of the year to the end of the year to earn a few dollars. Even buying a piece of cloth required a ticket. Everyone was covered in patches."

"It's the same in cities, with families crammed into small houses. If seven or eight people can't get a room, they can only sleep in piles. Even to buy meat, you have to get up early and queue up."

"I know you want to say this is fair, but is it really fair? In the countryside, people eat from the same pot, and those who work hard eat and drink the same as those who don't. In the factory, people who work get paid the same as those who don't, based on years of service. If this continues, those who really work will just slack off."

"The development of the country has given rise to businessmen like us. But we are not sitting around waiting for money to fall from the sky. My two uncles work for people and have to get up at two or three o'clock to light the fire and prepare until the late night. I am a clothes seller. After a trip to the south, I have to rest for half a month. I am always nervous outside and dare not relax for a moment. My sister opened a vermicelli factory because the sweet potatoes in the countryside cannot be sold at a high price!"

"After a year of hard work, the sweet potatoes have a good harvest, but they can only be sold for a few cents per pound. Not to mention the trouble of transportation in the middle."

"My sister and I admire people with knowledge. For example, in the village, we hired people who know the technique to teach us how to make vermicelli."

"Times have indeed changed, professor, but what's wrong with allowing more people to live a decent and dignified life, without going hungry or freezing?"

After hearing Qian Qing's words, the old professor's face turned pale and blue.

He was sent down to the countryside in 1974, and it was reported by his own students. When he came back, it was already 1979. In the five years, Y City was completely different from when he left.

Business people appeared in every corner of the streets, the college entrance examination was resumed, and schools enrolled batch after batch of ambitious students.

He originally thought that this was a sign that everything was changing for the better, but within two years he discovered something was wrong.

The number of students in the school is increasing, but the number of students who are serious about studying is decreasing. The newly opened economic majors are becoming more and more popular, but the electromechanical major he is in charge of has not enrolled the highest-achieving students for two consecutive years.

He thinks that these are wrong. It is right to reinstate the college entrance examination, but how can we allow these businessmen to enter the campus? If that is not to corrupt the students, what will it be?

Does the country's development depend on these businessmen who stink of money?

He didn't understand and wrote countless letters to the school, but everyone advised him to just forget it. The tide of the times is not something that an individual can resist, just like when he was demoted for five years just because a student reported him.

He had always thought that it was these businessmen who made the whole society impetuous. The changing times gave rise to a group of speculators, making the original ivory tower full of smoke and miasma. As time went by, he was full of complaints about this and felt that the lines and policies of the past few years were all wrong.

But Qian Qing's words hit him hard from another angle.

In addition to school students, there are tens of thousands of ordinary farmers and workers, among whom there are many smart people. Although they did not go to school, they are able to endure hardships and dare to work, just like the family members mentioned by this girl. The times made him unable to adapt, but it allowed more people to have enough food and warm clothes.

"Professor, I know we came here in a hurry today, but what I just said is indeed what I really think. Just like you collect books here, it's a pity that no one cares about your knowledge."

"So you collected so many books, but did you actually sell them? What's the point of hiding the books at home?"

"I promise you that if I build a house here, I'll leave one for you. Wouldn't it be better for you to open a second-hand bookstore instead of collecting old books here?"