Yan Yangyang was still incredulous: "This... but all the other instructors listen to you... the head instructor must be joking with us."
The other instructors are all active duty officers!
Rong Zhaonan said calmly, "I'm not joking. I'm a temporary worker. After I retire, I'll be considered a militia member at most."
His personal file had already been transferred out of the army, and it's unclear how it ended up in General Chen's hands, which led to this trip to Shanghai.
Just consider it helping the old leader out, and also helping himself.
As for his reinstatement and return to the team, those are not currently on his agenda. He is indeed currently doing odd jobs everywhere.
After all, if he wanted to break free from his father's control, he needed to have enough capital and connections to stand up to his father.
In addition, many people in the capital probably wanted to trample his bones into the mud back then, which is why they didn't kill him when he was sent down to the countryside.
Who knew the situation would change? One day, a gentle breeze blew away the haze and revealed the bright moon. Now that he hadn't died in the countryside, the old man had gotten up again, probably regretting not having made a move.
He needs to conserve his strength and wait for the time to settle the score.
Rong Zhaonan lowered his long eyelashes, concealing the cold, deep light that flashed in his dark eyes.
Ning Yuan keenly sensed that something was off about his mood and was somewhat puzzled.
Chu Hongyu noticed that Ning Yuan kept staring at Rong Zhaonan.
She raised an eyebrow and suddenly asked with a smile, "Then why did the head instructor come to our school to do this temporary job?"
Rong Zhaonan raised his eyes, his expression now calm: "Because I'm short of money. My salary is all in my wife's hands. I have to hand over my salary and buy her dresses."
The people around couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Poor head instructor, he doesn't even have any money on him!"
"Hehe..." Ning Yuan kept her eyes down, listening to your nonsense, even though you clearly have your own mission.
Chu Hongyu glanced at Ning Yuan with a half-smile: "What do you know? A man's heart is where his money is."
Ning Yuan's round face began to feel a little hot. This... she herself completely agreed with this statement.
Rong Zhaonan's money is all with her, but it's all—investment, yes, investment!
Chu Hongyu rested her chin on her hand and smiled—
"Tsk tsk, the head instructor is telling everyone that he has a wife and that no one else should bother him. He's very sensible, just like a good man from Shanghai!"
When the head instructor announced to everyone that he had a wife, the girls who had been looking at him with admiration instantly became disappointed.
"No, the head instructor is a henpecked husband from Sichuan and Chongqing—commonly known as being afraid of one's wife!" A girl from Sichuan and Chongqing couldn't help but raise her voice.
Everyone burst into laughter, creating a joyful atmosphere.
"Cough cough..." Ning Yuan coughed, she was teased.
For some reason, I felt a bit like I had eaten ice cream on a hot summer day—cool and sweet.
Rong Zhaonan noticed that her little ears had also turned red, looked down at her toes, and chuckled softly.
He paid no heed to the female students' teasing, and simply announced—
"Quiet down, you are the only female formation to perform during the parade. I will personally oversee you, and your training partners will be the instructors!"
After saying that, Rong Zhaonan left.
Chu Hongyu's composed, teasing smile froze on her face.
Good heavens, the sparring partners are the instructors?! These girls are going to be tossed around like dough balls!
Ning Yuan watched Rong Zhaonan's retreating figure, feeling somewhat strange. He was fulfilling his promise to teach her self-defense.
This man either doesn't say anything, or if he does, he will definitely do it!
Ning Yuan's feelings were a bit complicated. She said to Chu Hongyu and Yan Yangyang, "Wait here, I'll make you some nice drinks!"
After saying that, she jogged towards the edge of the soccer field.
A handcart was parked on the side of the playground, and it was already surrounded by layers of students resting during military training.
For no other reason than the cool, sweet, and refreshing fruit mint sparkling water sold by the old lady and grandpa!
Sweet and juicy Nanhui peaches, crisp and sweet Songjiang crystal pears, and golden and sweet Fengxian yellow peaches were all diced and sliced.
A bamboo tube cup of sparkling water, with ice and mint, is sweet and sour, and can be garnished with a small piece of fruit according to the student's preference.
Although there weren't many, they looked beautiful and appetizing floating in the sparkling water; they presented themselves very well! Very stylish!
"Grandpa, give me a cup!"
"Grandma, I want the peach flavor!"
The students crowded together, holding up coins and penny notes.
"Slow down, slow down, kids, there's more, no rush!" Grandpa Tang said with a smile as he poured sparkling water for his students.
While busy collecting money, Grandma Xia muttered, "Luckily, Ning Yuan insisted on bringing the bamboo cup back then."
At first, she complained that transporting hundreds of cups on the train was too heavy and troublesome, and she had to rely on Zhang Er's connections to pay money to get them on the train.
Now we're finding that business is so good that it might not even be enough.
Ning Yuan squeezed through the crowd at this moment, smiling broadly: "It's okay, I bought those soy sauce spoons. Starting tomorrow, we can sell them by the spoon, and the students can just bring their own cups!"
"Great idea!" Grandma Xia's eyes lit up. This was a great idea, and it would save them the trouble of washing the cups and finding the deposit!
Ning Yuan's current fruit sparkling water is an improved version, costing eight cents a cup, but it's still half the price of a regular soda that costs fifteen cents!
Even though it's unbearably hot during military training, the college students still manage to afford an ice-cold, refreshing drink!
The reputation spread, reaching students, graduate students, and teachers from the other three grades.
Ning Yuan conservatively estimates that she can sell three to four hundred cups a day, and even if business is slow, she can still sell more than two hundred cups!
The daily income ranges from a dozen or so yuan to more than thirty yuan. After deducting costs, the monthly income is at least four hundred yuan!
At the end of 1979, a regular university teacher's salary was only a few dozen yuan. Even with some subsidies, retired professors like Professor Tang received a retirement pension of just over one hundred yuan a month.
The first batch of households with 10,000 yuan in income after China's reform and opening up were all self-employed individuals who were once looked down upon by everyone!
Ning Yuan was in a good mood and drank a glass of sparkling water in one gulp. She then poured two more glasses for Chu Hongyu and Yan Yangyang!
If you want to achieve financial freedom, you really have to do business!
Ning Yuan instructed Grandma Xia: "When you're selling sparkling water, remember to advertise that you've also opened a small shop on the first floor of the teachers' dormitory, so that everyone can come often!"
This is called traffic generation!
We need to let these 'customers' know where their products are sold!
Grandma Xia understood immediately and nodded vigorously: "Don't worry!"
Ning Yuan smiled and carried the sparkling water to find Chu Hongyu and Yan Yangyang.
Chu Hongyu had actually seen the cart selling things a while ago, but there were too many people, and she didn't want to squeeze in; she preferred to drink cold boiled water.
Ning Yuan brought it over, and after taking a sip, her eyes lit up: "It's delicious!"
Ning Yuan smiled and said, "My grandpa and grandma sell these to supplement their income. They'll also sell them at their home on the first floor of the teachers' building. Please remember to support their little business!"
Yan Yangyang nodded vigorously while taking a sip of his drink: "Don't worry, I'll definitely go!!"
Chu Hongyu looked at Ning Yuan with a charming smile: "Ningning, your grandfather is the retired professor who protected you last time, right? The school really gave you face. Not everyone sells things on the side of the military training field."
Ning Yuan hadn't expected to be able to hide it from Chu Hongyu, this shrewd Shanghai girl, and smiled frankly: "Yes! The school is taking care of us, letting us retire and find new jobs to contribute our remaining energy!"
Of course, the school wouldn't allow just anyone to push a cart or set up a stall to sell things. Otherwise, would this still be a school? It would be a market!
But many of Grandpa Tang's students are now leaders in their schools, and they feel guilty about what their teacher did back then.
In addition, the small shops on campus simply cannot meet the needs of students during military training.
Therefore, the security personnel allowed Grandpa Tang and Grandma Xia to sell sparkling water during their month-long military training.
Chu Hongyu thought for a moment: "There are quite a few retired faculty and staff who have been exonerated. The problem with this is not the scarcity but the inequality. Other faculty and staff's families may have their own opinions."
Ning Yuan was taken aback, then said thoughtfully, "You're right, I hadn't thought of that."
Chu Hongyu, having come from a big city and worked there, had a different perspective and offered insightful advice.
Who wouldn't be envious of a lucrative business?
I just didn't expect the impact of jealousy to come so quickly.
...
On Friday afternoon of the second week of military training, Grandma and Mr. Tang's car did not appear at the edge of the playground.
The students were even more listless. On such a hot day, all they longed for was a cheap and delicious iced sparkling water!
Ning Yuan was puzzled, but she couldn't leave during military training. Rong Zhaonan, the chief instructor, had to go to other places for a few days and wouldn't be at the school.
She could only complete all the training with a distracted mind.
As soon as the military training ended, Chu Hongyu's family took her home directly, while Ning Yuan and Yan Yangyang hurriedly rushed to the teachers' compound.
Sure enough, as soon as she got closer, Ning Yuan saw a group of people gathered in front of her house, and it was noisy inside.
"Why can these two old geezers sell drinks on the playground, but I, Lao Yu, can't sell noodles on the playground?"
"Yes, my dad was also exonerated from the countryside. If the school doesn't give us an explanation, they can forget about setting up their stall today!"
As Ning Yuan approached, she saw that the small cart she had specially commissioned had been kicked over and was lying on the ground.
Fruit, cups, and drinks were spilled all over the floor, and the newly bought large ceramic jar was broken.
A thin, fifties-old woman with a haircut resembling Liu Hulan's, dressed in a gray short-sleeved worker's uniform, stood with her hands on her hips, glaring like a fighting rooster, blocking her own front door.
Two men in their twenties or thirties followed behind, also shouting—
"Exactly! Everyone, be the judge! Only their family can make money selling things. Where's the fairness in that?"
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