Chapter 184 If the old man hadn't been suppressing the martial arts school, even Grandma Yan would...
Chapter 184 Martial Arts Hall
This time when we returned to Yancheng, the old man and the old lady came with us again, while Yan's father and his wife stayed in their hometown.
The old man has been learning Taoism from a Taoist priest since he was a child. He has a free and easy personality and goes with the flow. He has adapted well to the city and even made a group of old men as friends.
However, his two sons did not follow his personality. The eldest son could not settle down in the city even after living there for many years and still felt that life in his hometown was more comfortable.
He didn't have many friends around him because they all worked and he couldn't get along with them.
He was asked to guard the factory's gate, but he was unwilling to do so, as he felt he was taking advantage of the factory.
Anyway, let them be for now and we’ll deal with it when we get older.
That day, Yan Jiuru had just returned from outside when he saw the old man wandering around the door of their unit.
"parking."
Yan Jiuru quickly got out of the car.
"How did you get here?" Yan Jiuru went to support the old man's arm.
The old man shook it off unhappily: "Your grandfather is not that old, he is in good health."
"Okay, okay, are you just taking a stroll, or do you have something to ask your eldest grandson?"
It’s not close from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation building to Kuihua Hutong.
The old man straightened his back and looked at the Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Building. "I was just wandering around and suddenly I looked up and came here."
Yan Jiuru smiled.
He looked at his watch and said, "Okay, the cafeteria is open now. If you don't mind, how about I treat you to a meal in the cafeteria?"
The old man's eyes lit up. "That wouldn't be against your discipline."
The rejection was so perfunctory.
Yan Jiuru signaled the driver to go first, and he took the old man to the cafeteria on foot.
"It's not against the law. We paid for it."
"Then try it."
The old man looked around as he walked, nodding continuously.
He always heard that his eldest grandson had become a high-ranking official, but he never felt any sense of reality.
This time when he came to Dasun's unit, people kept greeting him with "Director Yan" and "Hello, Director" along the way. Only then did he really feel that things were different.
Yan Jiuru guessed it right after thinking about it.
He felt amused but didn't show it on his face, and settled the old man in the crowded cafeteria.
He went to buy food by himself.
Braised pork, fried tofu, stewed fish, stir-fried cabbage with black fungus, and seaweed egg drop soup.
He made two or three trips back and forth before he could serve all the food.
The old man has already started chatting with the people who are eating next to him.
"Yes, he's my eldest grandson."
"I've been a good student since I was young and I have great abilities."
“That’s not…”
Seeing Yan Jiuru coming back with a pile of steamed buns, he hurriedly took it and said, "That's enough to eat. That's enough to eat."
Four dishes and one soup is also a standard meal.
The old man also commented: "This braised pork is a little sweet, but it's delicious. The tofu is much better than the one your grandma made."
"How about you try the fish stewed by the master chef?" Yan Jiuru picked up another piece of fish.
***
After the father and son had eaten half their fill, Yan Jiuru finally understood why the old man had suddenly come over.
"You want to open a martial arts school?" Yan Jiuru was a little surprised.
The old man glared: "What? You also think it's not okay?"
"That's not the case."
Yan Jiuru saw that the old man had misunderstood, and hurriedly explained: "It just felt a little sudden."
A while ago, the old man bought several properties for himself. If he had this idea, he would definitely buy a shop.
The old man put down his chopsticks and, although angry, he lowered his voice and said, "It's your uncle Wang and the others who insisted on learning qigong. When they asked me to practice martial arts, they all looked down on my unconventional ways."
"Tsk, you don't know what's good for you! My Kung Fu is inherited from the orthodox Taoist sect."
Even though his training was average, he only studied with his master for a short time, so no one can say that his master's methods were unconventional.
***
Speaking of Qigong, it has been quite popular in the past two years.
I don’t know where so many qigong masters suddenly appeared from, and many of them have been reported in newspapers.
Nowadays, people are very pious and even respectful of words on paper, especially the general public who have little education. In their hearts, words on paper are absolutely credible.
Not to mention newspapers, there are also many magazines that introduce qigong and serialize the practice methods.
Many people follow this practice, and who knows, one day they might develop special abilities themselves.
At the very least, it can cure diseases and provide health care.
If it weren't for the old man's pressure, even Grandma Yan would have followed the old ladies in the alley to the park to practice qigong.
The old man was not blindly opposed. He also went to watch the master practicing qigong in the park out of curiosity several times.
He didn't know whether the other masters were real or not, but the few masters he had seen were definitely liars.
Magicians are more honest than these masters. After all, they practice their magic tricks hard, while these masters are blatant liars.
Old men and women sat on the ground, closing their eyes and practicing martial arts. Where could they see the master's fake movements?
As a bystander, Mr. Yan saw it very clearly, but no one believed him.
If even the old men he is close to don’t believe it, who else can he convince?
What's more, some people even said that the qigong master's kung fu was internal martial arts, and his external kung fu was at best a wild style, so he had no right to call the master a master.
The old man was so angry that he wanted to open his own martial arts school.
We must carry forward the authentic Taoist Kung Fu.
Well, that’s a good idea.
Yan Jiuru was busy with work and didn't pay much attention to these things.
The old man just opened a martial arts school. At most, he could invite a few retired soldiers with good kung fu skills to take charge. Ordinary people can still teach him.
"Then open it!"
***
The old man excitedly began to look for a venue.
Not only did he wander around every day, he also asked people to find out what was going on.
But I searched for several days and couldn't find a suitable one.
The old man went from being full of energy at the beginning to sighing and worrying.
Yan Jiuru didn't have a suitable place to open a martial arts school.
He thought about it and called Director Zhang of the Logistics Management Office of Institute 107.
Director Zhang has been working in logistics for many years and is very familiar with these matters.
"You've found the right person. Let me tell you, Xishan is clearing out the tertiary industry, so they're sure to have a lot of houses and other properties. They're sure to have something suitable."
Originally, the army was short of money, equipment, and everything else. But later, Yan Jiuru kept donating money, equipment, and building training grounds.
At least hundreds of millions of dollars every year, plus tens or hundreds of tons of gold, our country is at least not so short of money for military equipment.
Therefore, the industries that were initially developed through self-reliance are gradually being sold off. In the future, the troops should focus on military training and not waste time on mundane affairs.
Xishan was immediately happy when he received a call from Yan Jiuru.
The main fixed assets sold by the army happen to be houses and the like.
In the military, everything is big, including the buildings and facilities.
Although it is built with bricks, stones and cement and has little decoration, it is indeed a large place.
The price is not high now, but not many people can afford it.
Look, Yan Jiuru came to my door.
Although he only wanted a martial arts venue, how could the leaders of Xishan miss such a good opportunity to take action?
After talking about feelings and playing the victim, Yan Jiuru finally had to drive to the venue provided by the army and take a walk around.
This turn of events has ruined my entire weekend.
The troops from Xishan were the first to enter Beijing during the liberation. Although their base was in Xishan, their properties were spread all over the capital.
Yan Jiuru drove the old man around for a whole day, and all he saw were parts of the things that people no longer wanted and were being sold off.
***
Yan Jiuru finally took over several factories and stores.
As for the factory, the only valuable thing left is the land. The attachments on it are not worth much even if they are demolished.
He even collected two scrap yards.
These two scrap yards are quite special. Some military waste needs to be processed here. It’s not much and not very important. Even so, not just anyone can sell it.
Yan Jiuru didn't do anything after buying it. It would remain as it was before and he would make any changes when he thought it through.
In addition, he is interested in a three-story building on the street.
It was originally a food factory under the military. The first floor was a store, the upper floors were offices, and there was a large courtyard at the back. Large trucks from the food factory often entered and exited the alley, and the road was also very spacious.
As a military enterprise, the food factory has good welfare benefits. There is a canteen in the backyard where you can cook, a well dug by themselves in the yard, and a warehouse.
Of course, if you want to open a martial arts school, the layout must be modified.
The old man was mainly attracted by the nice backyard. The space in the building was so small that there was no room even for plum blossom piles.
After Yan Jiuru negotiated with the army, he accepted the permission for cleaners, canteen chefs and other staff to continue working in the martial arts school, otherwise the martial arts school would have to find new people.
The total cost of this venue, the accommodation for three people, and two old trucks was $150,000.
Judging from the current market conditions, it is not cheap.
But Yan Jiuru didn't bargain.
He donates a lot of money to the army every year. Is it interesting to just talk about that?
***
The Xishan troops introduced a group of retired engineering corps construction teams. Yan Jiuru had no idea about the martial arts school, but the old man had some ideas of his own and communicated directly with the construction team.
You also need to apply for a business license to open a martial arts school.
"Have you decided on a name?"
Yan Jiuru took the time to ask.
"Humph, your brothers and sisters have come up with several names, such as Yangwei, Zhenwei, and Weiwu. Just by hearing these names, you'd think my martial arts school is an escort agency!"
Isn’t it.
Yan Jiuru also laughed.
"Have you thought about it yourself?"
"Why bother with a name? Just call it our former Xiaoqingxuan Temple."
The old man even brought up the word "originally", which shows that he has already decided on a name in his mind.
Yan Jiuru reminded: "If you call it Zhenwei, Yangwei, etc., it's okay, but if you call it Xiaoqingxuanguan Martial Arts Hall, I'm afraid the people in the Industry and Commerce Bureau will have to ask the Taoist Association."
Taoist temples are under the management of religious associations, so whether a martial arts school can be named after a Taoist temple is still unclear.
***
As expected, the old man was rejected when he applied for a license.
The guy at the reception counter glanced at the household registration booklet, then at the old man. "Are you applying in person? You're almost seventy, aren't you?"
This stirred up a hornet's nest.
The old man stiffened his neck and said, "What's wrong with being seventy? The state stipulates that people over seventy can't practice martial arts, or they can't open a martial arts school? Young man, if you don't believe me, come out and let's have a fight.
I can easily take down three or five people like you."
What is this kid talking about? There are so many people in the hall. Isn't it ruining the reputation of his martial arts school?
The young man was about to say something when the lady next door nudged him with her elbow.
The elder sister pointed at the registered name.
He quickly changed the subject and said, "Is there any reason why you are called Xiaoqing Xuanguan?"
The old man's heart skipped a beat.
He remembered that his eldest grandson seemed to have mentioned it.
You really don’t allow me to shout?
He calmed himself down and said, "It's the old Taoist temple on the hill behind our village. I learned my Kung Fu there. If not this, what else can you call it?"
The staff member became serious and asked, "Is the Taoist temple in your village still there?"
The old man almost cursed, "What year were you born? Don't you know about destroying the four olds?"
Now the staff didn't know what to say.
The campaign to destroy the Four Olds has also been criticized in recent years. People used to shout about it loudly and smash things up so hard, but now they are so timid.
So many cultural relics have been destroyed, and most of them cannot be repaired.
He didn't dare to argue with this.
The older woman next to him was more experienced. After finishing her work, she gestured for the young man to leave. She took his information and asked with a smile, "Uncle, are you here by yourself? Is there anyone else at home?"
The old man didn't know whether to ask about the number of family members when applying for a license, so he said, "I practice martial arts on my own, so I can do it myself. What's there to be afraid of?"
"There are many people in my family. We are an old couple. Our son and daughter-in-law don't come here often. Here we have my eldest grandson, several grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren."
The eldest sister quickly flipped through the household registration book, and suddenly an idea came to her mind, "Uncle, your surname is not common. I seem to remember that the director of a factory in Yancheng is also named Yan..."
The old man didn't think much about it and continued naturally: "Ah, is the factory you are talking about the Flying Eagle Automobile Factory?"
"That's right, the factory director is my eldest grandson."
"Ah, now the country needs it, my eldest grandson has become a state official."
The older sister from the Industrial and Commercial Department nodded implicitly to her colleagues in the group, saying that this was right.
Just now, the young man hurriedly brought a stool to the old man and said, "Sir, please sit down. Respect the elderly and love the young. If you don't sit down, it means we are not doing our job well."
Some people who were originally queuing up to go through the procedures wanted to protest, but they stopped talking when they heard what the young man said.
These people are all in their twenties or thirties, or at most forty or fifties, and can be considered young and middle-aged. How can their treatment be compared with that of an old man in his seventies or eighties?
The lady at the Industrial and Commercial Bureau thought for a moment and said, "Leave your information here first. It'll take us three working days to review it. We'll call you back and ask you to come back. By the way, do you have a phone at home?"
"Yes. Please review it quickly, we are anxious to open the business." The old man left his home phone number and went back.
The people from the Industrial and Commercial Bureau finished their work and remembered this matter and quickly looked up the information.
Sure enough, some records were found in the information of the Flying Eagle Automobile Manufacturing Plant, and someone even found relevant reports in the newspapers of that time.
The elder sister quickly reported the situation to the leaders of the institute.
The director is not here, and the deputy director said they would discuss it with the director when he comes back.
After waiting for three or four days, the director asked someone from the police station to check the old man's address on his household registration book and his current address in Yancheng.
"Okay, okay, thank you. Let's have a drink later."
The director put down the phone and said to a few pairs of gossiping eyes, "It's the old man from Director Yan's family. His household registration moved back to his hometown a few years ago, and he's not on the same household registration page as Director Yan."
So, strictly speaking, it is not considered a family.
But it is undeniable that he is Director Yan’s grandfather.
The institute discussed it and called the Taoist Association for consultation before calling Yan Jiuru's home to ask him to come over.
***
The old man came to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau again full of hope.
This time the deputy director is in charge of the reception.
Of course, the old man didn't know.
"Master, can you please remove the word 'Daoist temple' from the end of your martial arts school's name?"
The old man was not happy.
"I learned my studies here. Wouldn't it be ungrateful to remove it?"
Deputy Director...
The director was indeed very capable. He brought a cup of hot tea to the old man and said with a smile, "There's nothing wrong with our institute, except that the Taoist Association said that adding the word 'Taoist Temple' requires certification.
As you know, public affairs require precise execution, so you might have to wait for several months.
If you are not in a hurry, you can wait."
Then we must not wait.
The martial arts hall has been renovated, the kitchen staff and cleaners have started work, and two retired soldiers have also been hired to support the hall. We will have to wait until the second half of the year before we can go.
That won't work.
Seeing that the old man was softening, the deputy director also said, "The association values peace and quiet, and generally doesn't want to send people to deal with these mundane matters.
Besides, you also said that we have already destroyed the Four Olds. If you really need to get a certificate or something, where can you get it, right?"
The old man thought about it and agreed. He could explain it in detail when recruiting students.
I nodded and agreed.
Then I waited another week before I got the license.
Just in time for the opening.
***
March 27th, the 28th day of the second lunar month, is an auspicious day for opening a martial arts school.
The day Yan Jiuru went to see the old man was set at noon.
The newly renovated three-story building has a sign hanging in the middle covered by a red cloth.
Yan Jiuru couldn't come because of work, but he took leave for the children. In addition, Chen Yin took a special leave, and Rushan and Xiaojing came with Yuxiu, and Ruyue also took leave to be present.
Rusong is struggling with his graduation thesis, so he has the final say on time.
The old man was very satisfied to see that several people had taken leave to come.
After all, this is my first time opening a store. If my family doesn’t support me, it will be deserted and boring.
In addition, three or five people from Xiaojing's family also came after hearing the news.
Not to mention the old man, we have to actively support Xiaojing's son-in-law's brother, who is a high-ranking relative.
“The auspicious time has arrived!”
Uncle Zhang in the front yard looked at the clock and shouted.
Rushan and Rushong immediately lit the firecrackers.
Crackling... After the lively sound of firecrackers, red confetti was left on the ground.
The old man personally tore off the red cloth on the sign, and the four golden characters "Qingxuanwu Hall" on the black background shone brightly under the blue sky and bright sun.
"Great handwriting, written with great courage!"
It's more than just boldness. If someone who knows the ins and outs looks closely, they'll find a hint of runic charm in the words.
Because this building was originally a food factory store and the surrounding area was very lively, it was suddenly converted into a martial arts gym, and it still attracted many people to come and see the novelty.
The old man was wearing a green Xuanmen robe and Taoist cloth shoes. Although he started growing his hair early, it was still barely enough to tie a small bun, but it was better than nothing.
However, after the old man easily cut a branch as thick as his arm with a sword that shone with cold light, he waved a few sword moves in front of the gate. The highlight was that he took several grandsons and great-grandsons to perform a series of punches in front of everyone.
The old ones have a bit of immortal air, the young ones are naive and cute, and the young people are full of energy. They are quite interesting to watch.
After throwing a set of punches, the old man was neither out of breath nor out of breath. He bowed to everyone around him and said in a loud voice: "Today, my martial arts school is opening. If you want to learn real kung fu, come and sign up. Forget about those who just want to learn fancy moves."
The old lady glared at him and muttered to Chen Yin, "Are you stupid? Who would sign up if you said that? They'd all be scared away."
These days are different from the past. How many people are willing to work hard and learn real kung fu?
***
Many people around who were watching the fun came over to ask for advice.
"What? Fifty per quarter?"
Even though a dual-income family now earns about 500 yuan a month, a dozen yuan a month is not much, but the Cultural Palace only costs 5 yuan.
After the Chinese New Year, the country gave another wave of salary increases, and the increase was quite large.
This wave of wage increases is mainly aimed at balancing the wage gap between ordinary employees and those of foreign companies.
After all, in a foreign-funded company, the salary of a receptionist who has just graduated from a transfer program is only more than 300 yuan.
How can those old employees who have worked in the company for half their lives but can only earn less than 200 yuan balance this?
Since the beginning of last year, a phenomenon has emerged in many places: foreign capital has been poaching technical workers with high salaries, especially those above level five.
Level eight workers earn 1,000 yuan per month, level six and seven workers earn 700 to 800 yuan per month, and so on down to the lowest level three workers who earn more than 200 yuan.
If the country doesn't increase wages and benefits, all the talented people will run away.
This is getting off topic.
Although many people complained that it was expensive, some people still came to inquire about and sign up.
The old man's martial arts training here includes food and accommodation, or not, but you must practice martial arts every morning unless there are special circumstances.
As the saying goes, the poor are good at literature and the rich are good at martial arts.
It's really impossible to learn martial arts without some family background. Although 200 yuan a year may seem like a lot, people who practice martial arts have to eat meat, and they have big appetites. The tuition fee alone can barely cover the cost of the meals.
The martial arts school is not too far from the old house, about twenty minutes by bike.
Chen Yin enrolled all three children and paid the annual fee of 600 yuan on the spot.
Zhao Xiaojing actually wanted to teach Yuxiu, but Yuxiu was too young to learn.
Can only swallow the regret.
However, my mother's family registered a girl who was in the third grade of school.
Three younger children from other old neighbors also signed up to support Uncle Yan. Of course, at least they can learn a few tricks.
The main reason is that they don’t accept gifts when opening a business.
After a busy day, the martial arts school only accepted three or five kittens as students.
When Yan Jiuxia rushed over after work, there were only his three children left in the martial arts hall, as well as a few children from the front and back yards, and four strangers.
The youngest ones are seven or eight years old, and the oldest ones are in their teens.
As the eldest brother of the first class of Qingxuan Martial Arts School, Zhuangzhuang is responsible for the daily management of his younger brothers. In addition, there are also retired soldiers who have recently retired from the army and have some skills in martial arts who are responsible for taking care of the martial arts school on a daily basis.
After all, the old man can teach you kung fu, but you definitely can't just sit here and endure it every day.
However, the old man would come to practice every morning.
***
The old man's martial arts school is gradually getting on track. Although there are not many people, the venue is his own. Apart from water, electricity and the salaries of a few staff members, there are no other costs, and the tuition fees can still be covered.
But by the weekend, several people came to sign up at once.
There are even families who drive their cars to bring their children to register.
Zhuangzhuang was attentive and chatted with the children who came to register, slowly getting them to tell him something.
It turned out that these people heard from someone that this martial arts school was run by Director Yan's family, and they all came here to see his father!
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