112 Earning Foreign Exchange
Jiang Guiying received confirmation, but ultimately did not send the telegram.
The old almanac hanging on the wall has already been torn down to mid-January. Thinking that this semester is almost over, and undergraduates have a lot of final exams, graduate students probably have the same. I shouldn't let other things interfere with my studies.
"Grandma, I want a bowl." Gu Yu took out a bag of pastries from her small satchel and asked her grandma for a small wooden bowl so she could eat them in it.
"Hey, here's your bowl. You went to the supply and marketing cooperative with your dad so early this morning?"
"It was given to me by my uncle."
"Did your uncle go to our house yesterday?"
"With my brother." After getting the bowl, Gu Yu refused to say anything more. She put a few pieces of pastry into the bowl and then shared them with her grandmother and the neighbor's grandmother, Fang.
Just then, Jiang Guiying was also going next door to tell her old friend the good news.
Having received confirmation from Gu Mannian, there was no longer any reason to doubt the veracity of the news. While laughing, Jiang Guiying clicked her tongue and slapped her thigh, "They must have gotten the news on Sunday when they went to Peking University! Such good news, and they didn't even bother to let their families know!"
"I guess it was just decided, and they're afraid of something going wrong, so they haven't dared to tell anyone," Aunt Fang guessed. "Look, as soon as people outside heard that Yuehe was assigned to a ministerial-level unit, they all came knocking on her door. It's right to be careful at this time."
What if someone jealous tries to sabotage the operation? This kind of thing happens all the time in car factories.
"That makes sense. It would be fine to just tell your family quietly."
Upon hearing this, Lin Sitian, who had just returned from her night shift, quickly ate her breakfast and tiptoed back to her room, making sure the door lock made the softest sound possible.
She's also part of the group that kept quiet; she should probably stay out of the public eye.
They were relatively well-off in Ginkgo Alley; once the gate was closed, no one could really force their way in.
Guan Canghai is different; there are especially many people coming to the barbershop today, and even Grandpa Chen has to help him with his haircut.
Many of the people who came for haircuts were really talkative. They congratulated the two barbers, Lao Guan and Xiao Guan, and then started talking about how someone in their family or relatives had attended a worker-peasant-soldier university or was currently studying at a university, and that they might become Yuehe's colleagues in the future...
Grandpa Chen cut hair expressionlessly, finishing a head in just a few minutes, then said, "Next."
Guan Aiguo finally had a moment of peace in the afternoon, so he squatted on the doorstep of the barbershop and sighed. If the barbershop was this crowded every day, he would be exhausted.
When Gu Mannian got home from work that day, he was asked to stay for dinner and then be "interrogated" by his elders. They wanted to know how Yuehe had been chosen.
Gu Mannian spread his hands, "I really don't know how she was chosen. You can ask her when Yuehe comes back."
“...Alright then.” She wanted to ask Lin Yiku, but then remembered that he was staying at the military base recently and not at home, so she couldn’t ask him.
—
"Ah Qiu! Who's talking about me?"
Guan Yuehe, who was preparing for her final exams at school, was unaware that many people were waiting for her to come home for the holidays and tell her stories.
"I think you have a cold." Lan Yunqin reminded her to go to the clinic to buy cold medicine later, and gestured three with her fingers, saying, "I've been making up your blankets for you for the past three nights in a row!"
Her two kids are better sleepers than Yuehe.
Guan Yuehe thanked her repeatedly, but didn't intend to buy any pills. She was quite healthy; drinking more hot water and running around would make her feel better soon.
Also, Lin Yiku has been busy lately and hasn't had time to bring her food to replenish her energy. She must make up for it when she comes home for the holidays!
Halfway through her self-study session, a classmate came over and called her out of the study room. Half an hour later, Guan Yuehe returned alone to continue studying.
"What does he want from you?"
"The teacher recommended several students who stayed on campus to intern at Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. He asked me what kind of work they would do there and if there was anything they should be careful about."
The teachers recommended internships, mainly because they thought that since the students would be staying on campus during the winter break and not attending classes, it would be better for them to gain experience at the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. However, some students declined the teachers' recommendations.
Lan Yunqin covered her mouth and whispered, "Chen Simin said that the second-year students started an English club. They go out to communicate with foreigners during winter and summer vacations to improve their spoken English and earn living expenses. Chen Simin asked around and said that graduate students who want to participate can sign up so the club can arrange their placement. I also plan to sign up to practice my spoken English and earn some money on the side."
"Where can we find foreigners to train with...?" Guan Yuehe instantly realized, "To train as a tour guide for foreigners? Young people are really clever!"
Last July, the Law on Sino-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures was passed, opening up many joint venture projects in China. As a result, more and more foreigners are coming to China to inspect and travel.
"I heard they paid in US dollars. Besides the tour guide fee, there were also extra tips. No wonder they're our junior classmates, they're so bold and decisive."
These graduate students, all of whom had been working for several years, never thought of using their spare time to run a club and earn foreign exchange.
Guan Yuehe shook her head. "We have classes every day and work on Sundays. Do you expect me to split myself in two, one half going to school and the other half going out to work?"
Lan Yunqin smiled. That's true. Even if they have free time, it's only during holidays and the last academic year.
Are you going or not?
Guan Yuehe thought for a while, but still refused, "I'd rather not go."
At this crucial juncture, she only has six months left before she receives her graduation certificate and begins her reporting to the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
Besides, she's a military dependent; if she encounters any problematic foreigners while working as a tour guide, things could get complicated. It's best to be cautious. Deputy Regiment Commander Lin is still striving to become Commander Lin; she can't hold him back.
Upon hearing her concerns, Lan Yunqin immediately agreed, saying, "You'd better not go."
"When I earn some foreign exchange, I'll bring you a snack box when I come back from my holiday."
"Then I'll wait and see," Guan Yuehe encouraged her. "Earn more money. Why not make money off foreigners?"
—
"If we don't make money from foreigners, it's a waste. If we do, we're just contributing to the country's foreign exchange earnings!" Chen Lizhong's slogan was particularly loud.
He and Ding Xuewen made an unprecedented trip to Peking University to find her, mainly because they wanted her help translating simple dialogues about directions and tourist attractions.
It includes information about places like the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven, and even a tour of the Great Wall. It's clearly intended as a guide for foreigners.
"Going to climb the Great Wall in this freezing weather?" Guan Yuehe asked, puzzled.
“We don’t necessarily have to go, but we need to know that if they ask us and we can’t tell them, that would be so embarrassing,” Chen Lizhong said.
Okay, that makes sense.
"You're not going to tutor students during the holidays?"
Chen Lizhong said confidently, "How can tutoring classes be as easy as making money from foreigners? In fact, it's much more profitable."
Guan Yuehe stared at the two of them for a while, then muttered, "You should change your name to Money-Making Expert now."
After flipping through the documents, I asked, "When do you need them? If you're not in a rush, you can stay here this afternoon, and I'll translate them for you today."
Chen Lizhong's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed with delight, "Of course there's no rush! Yuehe, you're this one!"
As he spoke, he gave a thumbs-up and praised the speaker repeatedly.
The two followed Guan Yuehe, and fortunately, the empty classrooms on Sundays weren't as crowded as usual, so they found one nearby with empty seats.
“The University of Science and Technology doesn’t have a Department of Western Languages, but the Normal University does have a Department of English.” Guan Yuehe looked at Ding Xuewen, her gaze questioning why he had come all the way to Peking University specifically to have her translate for him.
"Chen Lizhong came to my house and mentioned that you bought a house. We were free at the time, so we came over," Ding Xuewen said. "I'm not very familiar with the students in the Spanish Department at my university, so I thought it would be more reliable to ask you. By the way, why didn't you write to me to tell me you bought a house?"
As soon as she finished asking, Ding Xuewen immediately remembered that he hadn't written to tell her after buying the house, and replied with a smile on her behalf: "I'd be happier showing it off in person, I understand."
Guan Yuehe, however, focused on another key point: Did Chen Lizhong know that she had bought a house?
Hmph! It must have been Sitian who told him.
But it wasn't time to bring it up yet, so Guan Yuehe didn't press the matter. Instead, she showed off something else: "I've been assigned to the foreign trade department, and I'll be reporting for duty next July after I graduate."
Chen Lizhong and Ding Xuewen were stunned for a few seconds, but quickly reacted and offered their congratulations.
"We made the right choice in hiring Yuehe. It's a waste of her talent to have her as a translator!"
For some reason, Chen Lizhong's praise always reminded Guan Yuehe of a sentence Ding Xuewen once wrote in a letter: Chen Lizhong has his own set of principles for raising pigs, saying that you should praise the pigs more to make them happy, and they will grow well and fast.
In contrast, Ding Xuewen's congratulations seemed particularly sincere, saying twice, "That's wonderful, Yuehe."
After praising them, Chen Lizhong asked, "How many people from your department were selected?"
"Just one?! That's amazing..."
Guan Yuehe lost interest in showing off and raised her hand to stop, "Stop talking, I need to get to work."
Chen Lizhong immediately shut his mouth and he and Ding Xuewen took out their own books and read them.
The materials they brought totaled twenty pages, which were not difficult for Guan Yuehe, who had many years of translation experience. Her pen was almost constantly in motion, only occasionally stopping to look up a word in the dictionary and quickly writing down lines of English.
Midway through, Chen Lizhong ran out for a while and brought back a paper bag of food to help Guan Yuehe regain her mental strength.
Guan Yuehe spent the entire afternoon translating their materials, then carefully checked them again to make sure there were no problems before handing them over to them.
The translation was finished, but Guan Yuehe also thought of another question, "You can all read it, right?"
"It's okay, our school has an English speaking club, I've signed up." If you don't know how, you can just take it to a classmate who does and ask them to teach you.
Chen Lizhong said, "I'll calculate your commission after the winter break is over."
"Ah? No need." Guan Yuehe hadn't thought about taking money. She waved her hand and said, "Once you've made money, just treat me to a good meal."
“That won’t do,” Chen Lizhong insisted. “We’ll treat you to dinner when we make money, it’s a celebration for friends. You’ve been a great help, so you deserve a fair share of the commission. It’s settled then.”
“I have no objection,” Ding Xuewen echoed.
Without giving Guan Yuehe a chance to refuse, Ding Xuewen continued, "My house is all tidied up. I was thinking, why don't you come over for dinner on the afternoon of New Year's Day?"
It wasn't easy to get everyone together. We had to consider Lin Sitian, Xu Chengcai, and Qin Zilan's work schedules. After thinking it over, we decided that everyone would be free on the afternoon of the first day of the Lunar New Year.
"Lin Yiku and I can."
"Okay, we're off then." Ding Xuewen didn't let her see him off any further, but after walking a while, he saw Guan Yuehe still sitting by the window watching them leave, so he waved again, "See you on New Year's Day."
Guan Yuehe waved in response, indicating that she had heard her.
It was completely dark outside when Guan Yuehe began to pack her things and walked in the opposite direction from them, first going to the cafeteria.
Guan Yuehe never expected that a second-year junior would come to her dormitory.
Ye Zhi Qiu stood at the door of her dormitory with a stack of documents in her hand and knocked on the door. "I'm looking for Senior Sister Guan Yue He."
"Looking for me?" Guan Yuehe returned with a washbasin and saw unfamiliar faces in her dormitory. She assumed they were friends of her roommates, but was told they were looking for her.
Upon inquiring about her purpose, Guan Yuehe learned that Ye Zhiqi was a sophomore who had founded the English club. It was also her idea to use her vacation time to work as a tour guide for foreigners and earn foreign exchange.
As for why he suddenly came to find Guan Yuehe...
"I went to ask Teacher Qin for help to check if these translations were correct, and Teacher Qin told me to go find my senior. Oh, Teacher Qin is our club's advisor."
"Oh, I see... Can you show me the documents?" Teacher Qin really knows how to keep her busy, afraid that she'll be idle.
Ye Zhi Qiu quietly looked up at Guan Yue He, who was sitting opposite her, flipping through the documents she had brought.
Since she entered Peking University, she had heard her teachers mention a senior student named "Guan Yuehe" several times, as well as the first class of worker-peasant-soldier college students taught by her teachers.
When I went to the office to submit my materials at the start of the second semester, I overheard a teacher saying that a student named "Guan Yuehe" had returned to pursue a master's degree.
This semester, I heard the name "Guan Yuehe" again in the department head's class, saying that she had been selected by the foreign trade department ahead of schedule.
She had seen Guan Yuehe several times at school, but they didn't know each other at the time. Now she finally matched the name with the person.
Guan Yuehe quickly flipped through the documents and found that they were similar to those brought by Ding Xuewen and the others, all intended for the tour guide to memorize.
"I have exams these two days, can I give it to you before Friday?"
"Ah? Okay! Okay, okay!" Ye Zhi Qiu didn't expect her to agree so quickly. After realizing what she meant, she nodded hurriedly, "Thank you, Senior Sister!"
"Oh right, senior sister, when are you free? Let me treat you to a meal."
She went back to correct a classmate's words, saying that Senior Sister Yuehe was clearly very easy to talk to!
Guan Yuehe raised an eyebrow. She was someone who received a salary while still studying, while the junior in front of her clearly hadn't worked much and probably only received subsidies while studying. She felt embarrassed to accept a meal from a student.
"No need, where do you live in the dorm?"
Ye Zhi Qiu gave her dormitory number, and Guan Yue He was surprised for a moment: it was the same building she lived in when she was studying at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University! They were even on the same floor!
"Senior sister, I'll definitely treat you to a meal when you have time!" Ye Zhi Qiu thought to herself, "Senior sister must be busy with finals and won't have time this semester. She'll surely have time next semester!"
After everyone left, her roommates said regretfully, "If only I had learned English from you guys, I could be earning foreign exchange now."
Guan Yuehe also envied them for being able to submit articles and earn royalties.
After the exam, Guan Yuehe began to look at the materials that Ye Zhiqiu had brought.
The Chinese sentences inside were all translated into English. Ye Zhi Qiu and the club members worked together to complete it, but they were worried and wanted to ask a teacher to help check for any mistakes, for fear of making a mistake in front of foreigners.
Guan Yuehe found a red pen and checked the text word by word, circling any mistakes and writing the corrections next to them.
I must say, this information is much more comprehensive than what Chen Lizhong and Ding Xuewen compiled. It's quite a thick book, covering all the tourist attractions in Beijing, and even includes a guide to strolling around the hutongs of Beijing.
In comparison, Ye Zhi Qiu could practically start a professional foreign tour guide agency, making Ding Xue Wen and Chen Li Zhong look like a makeshift team.
So, after Guan Yuehe corrected the information, she delivered it to Ye Zhi Qiu's dormitory and asked, "Two of my friends also want to be tour guides during winter break. Can we buy your materials?"
Ye Zhi Qiu didn't expect their club to attract all the foreign tourists in Beijing. The participation of people from other schools wouldn't have much of an impact on them.
They generously said there was no need to charge, and offered to make two extra copies for her when they finished making the copies.
Seeing that Guan Yuehe insisted on paying, Ye Zhiqi said, "Then I'll just give you a copying fee."
When others sign up, the club's officers will arrange the division of labor and assign routes. Half of the money collected will be used for car rental, prop purchases, and club development expenses. Therefore, those who sign up will receive this guide material for free, and the club will also provide unified oral training.
Guan Yuehe thought for a moment and told Ye Zhi Qiu that she didn't need to give her the information anymore. She decided to let Chen Lizhong and Ding Xuewen discuss it with Ye Zhi Qiu. They could exchange information or buy the information themselves.
With the semester drawing to a close and time running out, Guan Yuehe didn't linger. She went out and sent telegrams to Chen Lizhong and Ding Xuewen.
After she left, Ye Zhi Qiu's dormitory became lively again.
"Am I right? Senior Sister Yuehe is easy to talk to because of her many friends. He Minglang is talking nonsense," Ye Zhi Qiu said loudly.
Teacher Qin asked her to go to Guan Yuehe to review the manuscript. She wondered if she should find a middleman to help introduce her, such as Senior Sister Lan Yunqin who had just signed up.
Vice President He Minglang frowned and said, "Senior Sister Guan is hard to talk to. I don't know if she will help."
But Lan Yunqin encouraged her to boldly go to the dormitory to find the person, and after some mental preparation, she went to Guan Yuehe's dormitory. Only three days later, the materials were returned. The person had exams in the middle of the trip, and after correcting them, they even delivered them to the dormitory!
The other roommates also chimed in, saying, "The senior seems very approachable."
The next day, a group of people from the dormitory surrounded He Minglang, all saying that Guan Yuehe was a really nice person. They even showed him the revised documents, which were covered in red text and many were circled, clearly indicating that she had revised them very carefully.
"Did Senior Sister Yuehe offend you?"
"How could that be?!" He Minglang felt innocent too. "I've run into my senior in the department and at school several times, and when I greet her, she just runs past me without acknowledging me at all."
He'd encountered this five or six times already, and each time he called out to someone, his voice grew louder, but he never received a response, not even a glance.
"..." Ye Zhi Qiu was silent for a while, then said with certainty, "She didn't see you. Next time, run ahead of her and call for help."
He Minglang felt a lump in his throat; he knew he couldn't outrun Senior Sister Guan. She was gone in a flash; how could he possibly get ahead of her?
Ding Xuewen and Chen Lizhong, having received the telegram, decided that after finishing their last exam, they would make another trip to Peking University to find Ye, a student from the English club.
They were just a step too late. By the time they arrived during their holiday, Guan Yuehe had already gone home with her luggage.
Guan Yuehua kept reminding her on the way: "The news that you've been assigned to the foreign trade department has spread throughout Ginkgo Hutong. When you get back, no matter who comes to visit or brings gifts, don't accept them, especially from your uncle and aunt..."
"I know," Guan Yuehe reminded her, "Say less, the wind is like a knife."
Her mind was now filled with thoughts of going home, sleeping on the kang (heated brick bed) with Lin Yi, and eating meat. As for those little schemes that hadn't yet reached her, she didn't need to think about them for now. It was all too annoying; she wasn't incapable of using her strength. Or...
“If they come to our door, you come over and help me yell at them. They can’t out-argue you.”
Guan Yuehua really didn't want to say another word.
Guan Yuehe underestimated the enthusiasm of the elderly people in the alley. When they saw her return, they all chased after her, asking, "Yuehe, is it really true?"
"Really, really, really!" Guan Yuehe nodded perfunctorily as she struggled to clear a path for herself to get home; she really had made a big splash in the alley.
Not long after she entered the room, it was packed with people, all waiting for her to tell them how she was selected by the foreign trade department.
I thought I was going to hear a thrilling and exciting story, but Guan Yuehe finished it in just a few sentences.
"There was no selection process, no interviews. They got a document from the school leaders, and I only found out about it later."
"that's all?"
"What else would you like? My skills aren't bad either!" Guan Yuehe boasted, "I've been a translator at the Canton Fair twice. Can most people match my level?"
That's true. But some people have asked, "Why weren't you chosen to be the interpreter for the high-ranking leader in the delegation?"
"That's such a downer!" Guan Yuehe rolled her eyes. "Of course it's because there are always people better than you!"
There are nearly a billion people in the country, and there are many who are more capable than her.
The neighbors stayed for a while before gradually leaving.
They thought they'd hear something amazing, but nothing came of it. They tried to brag to people outside of Yinxing Hutong during the New Year about "the girl from our hutong," but found it wasn't going to be easy. So they just said something dry: "She got recruited by the Ministry of Foreign Trade before she even graduated," which didn't sound very impressive.
"It's finally over." Jiang Guiying breathed a sigh of relief. The room was so crowded that there was no room to move, and Gu Yu refused to come in no matter what.
Guan Yuehe was relieved. She was busy boiling water to drink when she suddenly noticed that Jiang Guiying was staring at her.
"Mom, just say what you want to say. You're giving me the creeps."
Jiang Guiying glared at her, and the kind words she had been preparing for half a month were completely forgotten. After thinking about it, she felt that it didn't matter whether she said the kind words or not.
The important thing is that Yuehe is really going to work for the Ministry of Foreign Trade after graduation.
Seeing Guan Yuehe's nonchalant attitude, Jiang Guiying also suppressed her excitement and helped tidy up the house.
Actually, there wasn't much to tidy up. If Lin Yiku were home, he could keep it very clean by himself. Recently, he's been staying at the military base, and she and her old friends come over every three to five days to clean it up, keeping the house spotless.
"Oh, by the way, the meat your brother-in-law sent is with me. I'll bring it to you later."
Guan Yuehe's stomach started rumbling, and she decided to cook two meat dishes tonight!
"When do you think we should move to Courtyard No. 1?" Jiang Guiying had already calculated it. In fact, the distance from Courtyard No. 3 to the left wing of Courtyard No. 2 and to the east wing of Courtyard No. 1 was almost the same.
Instead of answering, Guan Yuehe asked, "Has Aunt Niu's family moved away?"
"They're gone. They've changed all the locks over there." Jiang Guiying was still angry when she talked about it. That Niu Laosan actually wanted to stay and continue living there, saying that he hadn't found a place to rent yet. Fortunately, the neighbors helped and kicked him out.
"After the New Year." While we're still waiting to return this house, we should demolish what needs to be demolished and repaint what needs to be painted white. We should be able to move in after the New Year, and then we can return the house to the car factory's housing management department.
Jiang Guiying nodded, "It's better to move there sooner rather than later, so that no one will keep thinking about it."
"Who's concerned? What are they concerned about?"
"What are you thinking about? Of course, it's the house you live in now!" Jiang Guiying was both amused and annoyed. "Outsiders say that your house has good feng shui, and that living in it will bring great success. Since they found out you bought a house and are planning to move out, the doorstep of the housing management department has been worn down."
Guan Yuehe smiled mysteriously and said smugly, "It's none of their business."
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