Ye Beiping left Su Xinyi's house and wandered around the neighborhood for a while.
They ultimately chose a state-run guesthouse.
Looking at the unassuming storefront, Ye Beiping curled his lip and went inside.
The receptionist rolled her eyes at Ye Beiping's attire, then lowered her head and went about her business.
Those who could stay at their guesthouse were managers from major state-owned factories or people from government agencies.
Dressed like Ye Beiping, he looks more like someone who's there to collect trash.
Seeing this, Ye Beiping wasn't angry. He stepped forward with a smile and asked, "Hello, how much is the room rate here?"
After all, every era has people who judge by appearance and clothing. If you try to compete with such people, you're showing a narrow-minded perspective.
Countless reclusive millionaires in the world keep a low profile, wearing worn-out and tattered clothes and shoes.
The receptionist, without even looking up, asked, "Do you have a letter of introduction?"
"Yes, yes, yes." Ye Beiping took out the supporting documents, which could be considered a letter of introduction.
The receptionist was slightly surprised when she saw the paper handed to her; she hadn't expected that this country boy actually had a letter of introduction.
In those days, many people secretly fled from the countryside to the city, but because they didn't have a letter of introduction, they couldn't find work or a place to live.
The receptionist, assuming Ye Beiping was such a person, took the documents with some skepticism and examined them carefully.
After reading it, her expression changed, and she immediately became obsequious: "Hello, sir, how many days will you be staying?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Beiping remained calm.
Such supporting documents are not something the average person can obtain, and he didn't seem to care about the changes in the front desk staff; it was perfectly normal.
"A few days?"
Ye Beiping pondered for a moment and said, "Give me three days' worth of rooms first, the best kind."
The best room?
The receptionist was initially surprised, but upon seeing the documents returned to Ye Beiping's hands, she immediately smiled and said, "Yes, sir, our best room is 5 yuan a day. May I ask when you leave..."
Before the receptionist could finish speaking, Ye Beiping took out fifteen yuan and placed it on the front desk.
"Okay, okay."
Upon seeing the money, the receptionist's smile became even more obsequious.
I really like your straightforward, bossy expression; it made Ye Beiping's lips twitch.
A few minutes later, the receptionist politely led the way.
They chattered away the whole way, as if they were trying to talk to Ye Beiping.
"Are you on a business trip, sir?"
"Are they here for a census?"
"The leader was surprised to see how capable you are at such a young age."
...
Ye Beiping finally made it to the room door. As soon as the receptionist opened the door, he rushed in without saying a word, then turned around and blocked the doorway, saying, "I don't need you anymore. Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask, and don't bother me unless it's necessary. I like peace and quiet."
Bang!
The door slammed shut, leaving the receptionist outside.
Instead of being angry, she became infatuated and exclaimed, "So handsome, so charismatic!"
They completely forgot the disdain and contempt they felt when they first met Ye Beiping.
Ye Beiping, who was inside the room, looked around.
It has a private bathroom, as well as a fan and some small appliances.
For a guesthouse in 1978, this level of facilities was already quite good.
"No wonder it costs 5 yuan, it's worth it." Ye Beiping muttered to himself as he tossed his package onto the chair and lay flat on the large bed.
Slowly closing my eyes, all I could see were memories of my past life.
The main issue is making money. Since we've come to Hangzhou, the first priority is to make money.
Glug glug!
Just two minutes after lying down, Ye Beiping's stomach suddenly growled.
I've been in Hangzhou for a whole day and haven't even had a chance to eat anything.
He shook his head helplessly, got up, went to the bathroom to wash his face, put the package in the cabinet, picked up his keys, and prepared to go out for dinner.
Although it's a guesthouse, it's also the most likely place for thieves to break in.
Everyone knew that the guesthouse was frequented by business travelers who would surely have money in their bags, so they all kept an eye on it. Although Ye Beiping didn't have much money in his bag—most of it was with Su Xinyi, and he only had a few hundred yuan in his pocket, which Su Xinyi had given him on the train, saying that a man should have money when he's away from home.
Ye Beiping originally didn't want it, but Su Xinyi insisted on putting it in his pocket no matter what, saying that buying a house wasn't a rush, and that the priority was to live a good life first.
How could Ye Beiping not fall in love with Su Xinyi? He gave her a kiss in public on the train, making her blush deeply.
She discovered that ever since she became familiar with Ye Beiping, she was frequently being forcibly kissed, and it was always on her lips.
Ye Beiping would only agree to kiss her if the kiss was so intense it felt like silk threads were forming.
Ye Beiping walked to the front desk, where the waiter greeted him with a smile, but Ye Beiping walked straight out of the guesthouse.
The waiter stomped his foot and pouted, saying, "What's so great about her? Can't you even see such a beautiful woman?"
Of course, she wouldn't dare say this to Ye Beiping, since girls are all shy and don't want to appear like they're throwing themselves at someone.
If Ye Beiping heard this, he would definitely stumble and fall on the spot.
Perhaps the waiter had a misunderstanding about what constitutes a beautiful woman; in his heart, Su Xinyi was the most beautiful. Only Su Xinyi deserved the title of "beautiful woman," and as for the front desk staff, Ye Beiping could only describe her as: a woman.
Ye Beiping frowned slightly as he walked out of the guesthouse.
In the vast city of Hangzhou, he didn't even know where to go to get something to eat, which was rather awkward.
Even a hero can be brought down by a penny, but now that he has money in his pocket, he's struggling to even find food.
Helpless, Ye Beiping could only ask for directions to the state-run restaurants as he walked. Although they were a bit expensive, he was too hungry after a day to care about the cost and just wanted to fill his stomach first.
Fortunately, there's a state-run restaurant just one street away.
At this time, business was booming, and the not-so-spacious state-run restaurant was almost full of people.
As soon as Ye Beiping sat down, a waiter came over to serve him, and he casually ordered two dishes to go with his rice.
Just after he finished ordering, he overheard a conversation at the next table, which caught his attention.
A: "Have you heard? It seems like a lot of people in Wencheng who run small businesses have made a fortune."
B: "Really? Aren't we not allowed to do business?"
A: "What do you know? I often go to Wenzhou with the truck. There are a lot of people there who run collective businesses and are affiliated with others. I know a boss who made so much money last year that it couldn't be contained in a sack. You know, these leather shoes sell for 3 or 5 yuan a pair in Wenzhou, but they become 10 or 15 yuan in Hangzhou, and they cost 20 yuan in Shanghai."
Upon hearing this, Ye Beiping raised an eyebrow; it was truly a timely and welcome gift.
Isn't this a chance to make money?
Wencheng started doing leather business in the 1970s, but under different names. Either the village collective ran the factory, or it was affiliated with a state-owned factory, which was a way to legally circumvent policy issues.
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