Chapter 145: Working Overtime During the New Year
Lin Yan and Fang Mingche brought Yanyan in. They sandwiched Yanyan in the middle, and the three of them sat on one side. At this kind of banquet, children do not count as guests. But there can’t be more than two people at a table. Otherwise, it would be encroaching on other people’s food rations.
No matter what the educated youth at the table thought, they all greeted Fang Mingche and Lin Yan enthusiastically. Speaking of which, many of them hadn’t been seen for at least half a year.
Wu Dan had a wedding banquet on May Day. But she was not as popular as Chen Shuona, so she didn’t invite so many people! The people he met that time hadn’t been seen for more than half a year, and the others had been gone for almost thirteen months.
The educated youth asked about the situation of his acquaintances in the village, and Fang Mingche answered one by one according to what he saw and heard when he returned to his hometown in June and July, as well as what his parents mentioned in letters and phone calls.
However, he did not mention the division of land. Brother Mingfeng called and said that the official document clearly stated that "production teams with conditions can also allocate some scattered, remote or thin land and contract it to households for operation according to the annual output." As a result, these bold people in the village or those who "have wanted to go it alone for a long time" actually divided up all the land.
Brother Mingfeng said at the time: "You are taking such a big step, aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?"
Fang Mingche said: "That's really a bit bold. The party secretary and production team leader are really bold. I guess the people below can't wait."
"I heard that it has something to do with you. You told them about the bumper harvest in Xiaogang Village, and that one year of work would be enough to feed five years. Your words, as the only native college student in the village, were very inspiring to everyone. Maybe they were a little excited at the time, so they just did it! Anyway, there were people from Xiaogang Village in the front. They were still doing it under the ban at that time, but now at least the official document clearly states that the land should be contracted to households for operation. No matter whether it is scattered, remote or thin land, it is still land!"
The news of Xiaogang Village has not been publicized widely, probably because they are afraid that it can't be suppressed. Looking back, the people below are all eager to contract the land. But Fang Mingche got the first-hand information from classmate Ma. When he told his father on the phone, Fang's father must have told people close to him. Then the whole village spread it!
Fang Mingche said, "Actually, they just can't wait any longer and want to divide the land and work on their own. Brother Mingfeng, I didn't expect you to be so worried. You are a smuggler of color TVs, tape recorders and audio-visual products. You shouldn't be a coward!"
He said that it seemed that he didn't divide up all the land so quickly in his previous life. It turned out that it was because he, the butterfly, flapped his wings. It would be strange if the villagers, who were almost going crazy with poverty, could bear it after hearing that the household contract responsibility system could work for one year and eat for five years. In particular, the official documents have been issued, which is a qualitative change. If they take one more step, it is just a quantitative change.
Fang Mingfeng said, "I didn't expect the older generation to be so obsessed!"
"The peasants have been poor for too long!"
So at this moment, Fang Mingche and a group of educated youth were talking about the things they used to play together.
He laughed and said, "That time, Ah Yan came back and said that the educated youths had to share the cost of the meal. I remember that after school, we went there with our food and drinks. When we got there, we saw that you had already erected four bricks on the open ground, leaving a gap in the middle and lighting a fire. Then you put a large basin on top, ready to cook hot pot."
The educated youths had been in Sichuan for a few years, so naturally they followed the local customs and liked to eat hot pot. The main reason was that this method was the simplest. You just needed to prepare the pot base and cook all the food in it.
When he said this, Wu Faming, a male educated youth who had returned to the city, said, "Now that you mention it, I remember it. The basin was bright red, and Yu Dong had just bought it. You can cook a lot of dishes with it!"
Yu Dong covered his face with his hands, "I rinsed it with boiling water for a long time, and I could still feel the oil and gas of the hot pot base. Later, I just used it!"
When he talked about this, everyone got excited. After all, that was everyone's youth! Now sitting here, although there has begun to be a gap between the rich and the poor, life is still bearable.
Fang Mingche said, "I'm telling you, which one of you stole the chicken from my fifth uncle's house? That month, my fifth aunt put her hands on her hips and cursed, and she had a lot of words in her mouth. It was really annoying! They raised the chickens so fat."
Wu Dan waved his hand and said, "It wasn't someone from our capital who did it." There must have been more than just their group of educated youth in the village at that time.
Wu Faming smiled and said, "I can testify that it was definitely not someone from the capital who did it. It was another group of educated youth in the village! However, after I found out, I ran over when they were secretly making roast chicken and got a chicken wing."
Yu Dong and others next to him hit him, "You kid ate alone! You didn't even come back to tell me."
"They sealed my mouth with a chicken wing."
Fang Mingche had a very happy chat today. It's true that everyone spent the most impoverished, but also the most youthful days together. When they dispersed after lunch, he left the phone number of the travel agency with everyone.
"This is the phone number of a family in our alley who has overseas connections. They usually use it as a public phone and charge for it. You can call us directly."
Since Chen Shuona didn't mention their travel agency, Fang Mingche didn't mention it much. He said that they did open a scrap yard, but now the weather is bad, they are just barely holding on.
As for the scrap yard, because Liu Qingfeng went out in the wind and snow to find a place to open a second scrap yard, he signed a long-term contract with the village smoothly.
Secretary Qu must have asked Huo Chen, Sister Wei and Uncle Xia. But those two didn't know anything.
Huo Chen knew and told the truth that he was going to open a second store. But Liu Qingfeng can find a place, so he can find a second place. The village doesn't have any indispensable advantages.
Secretary Qu discussed with the people in the village party committee and agreed to sign a long-term contract. But they required the annual rent increase to be between the inflation rate and 10%, whichever is higher. Fang
Mingche agreed. He had to give some benefits to the village in exchange for things going smoothly. His purpose was just to avoid being ripped off.
Because of this incident, Liu Qingfeng's income in the first half of February increased rapidly. And the year-end bonus also jumped up.
When he and Geng Shan got their year-end bonuses and came back, they saw Zhu Dahai. He couldn't help but put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Boss Zhu, congratulations on your prosperity and business."
This guy tried to poach customers from their vegetable business several times. He was very mean!
Zhu Dahai, who had no income for more than a month in the dead of winter, was so angry that his teeth were itching. But the New Year was coming soon, and it was not easy to get angry at these two people who said auspicious words.
On New Year's Eve, Fang Mingche was indeed at work, replacing the role of tour guide. He had led this five-day tour group for two days. That is to say, in addition to New Year's Eve, he also had to lead the group on the first and second days of the first lunar month. He could only have one day off on the third day of the first lunar month! As for the group next week, it was led by Lao Cheng, who worked part-time.
He couldn't let Lao Cheng work on New Year's Eve and the first and second days of the first lunar month. Lao Cheng's fierce wife and children came to the capital to see him and stayed in the school guesthouse. They had to be reunited for a few days.
Ning Anan's home is far away, so she went back two days in advance. She took a plane to their provincial capital, but it is said that she had to reverse and even take a bullock cart to get home on New Year's Eve.
She hasn't been home for several years. So this time, when she heard that she could get a letter of introduction to buy a plane ticket, she had a strong desire to go home.
Fang Mingche is partnered with Xiao Shen, and there must be a skilled driver and tour guide. Wang Dexian is partnered with Sister Qiu, who is responsible for driving. He came today on vacation, and Xiao Hu took the sleeper berth last night to sleep back, and he will be home this evening.
Lin's mother couldn't help but say: "Everyone is willing to spend money, taking a plane and a sleeper berth."
Lin Yan said: "New Year's Day, it only comes once a year. Besides, didn't you get paid a few days in advance, and there is also a year-end bonus."
She didn't say more about how much she got. Moreover, Ning Anan found her privately and advanced her one month's income.
Lin Yan thought again and again and gave it to her. As long as she can come back, an advance of one month's salary is nothing. The travel agency is particularly in need of English tour guides.
Moreover, Ning Anan herself must want to come back. She just started to live a good life with a high salary. Her family should not be so short-sighted as to force her to marry in the mountains. People who learn English can only live well in big cities like the capital, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
Lin's mother estimated that the salary, bonuses, and year-end bonuses of those tour guides and drivers would add up to two or three hundred. Otherwise, how could they afford to take a plane?
Lin Yan told Lin's mother before that English tour guides can earn 150 yuan a month. In fact, she wanted to tell Han Mei through her. Whether
this sister-in-law wants it or not, she is already the sister-in-law. Of course, she can only let her live a good life as much as possible, and she must be controlled. It seems that the effect is good in the past two months. Han Mei has performed well in order to become an English tour guide. Even the foolish filial piety that was a weakness before is gradually improving.
Lin's mother said: "My son-in-law has to run around outside like this and fill in for the tour guides under him. It's still snowing in the sky!"
In fact, Fang Mingche is fine at the moment. He and the foreign tourists each held an umbrella and were looking at the solemn Forbidden City in the snow.
Today was New Year's Eve, so naturally there were very, very few people coming. And it was snowing, so the Forbidden City really turned back into the Forbidden City.
He said in English: "It is very suitable to watch and visit the Forbidden City in the snow. The atmosphere is just right! We have an ancient Chinese poem: If you don't see the magnificence of the Imperial Palace, how can you know the dignity of the emperor? I believe you will have the same feeling when you see the White House, Louvre, and Buckingham Palace in your own country."
Some of the translated words were translated by Mr. Qiu in advance, and some, such as this poem, were his on-the-spot performance. He really felt that the Forbidden City in the snow with few tourists really reflected the magnificent side of the Imperial Palace.
At noon, he took the tourists to the Imperial Restaurant for dinner. Some of these old shops are very arrogant and think they have no shortage of customers. But some are also very progressive and took the initiative to talk to them about commissions. Then he will definitely take them to places where there are commissions. The tastes are similar, and neither will lose points! Under the same conditions, of course, it is better for the travel agency to make more money.
As a tour guide, he can also get a personal commission of 3%. It is not difficult to spend 100 yuan on food for 11 foreign tourists.
At 5 pm, he sent all the tourists back to the Friendship Hotel. Several tourists said that his service was very good and gave tips. Some tourists also said that they knew that today was their Chinese New Year, so they also gave extra tips.
After getting on the bus, he gave 40% of these tips to Xiao Shen. The status of their travel agency tour guides is higher than that of drivers because of their language skills.
Xiao Shen couldn't help but say, "Teacher Fang, you get a lot more tips than Ning An'an."
"It's mainly because it's Chinese New Year today, and some foreigners actually know about it. Then someone said so, and other people also expressed their opinions."
Xiao Shen nodded, "Oh, so that's it."
Sister Qiu looked at Fang Mingche, she didn't get so many tips today. It seems that Xiao Fang is quite powerful!
Xiao Shen didn't go home for the Chinese New Year, so he naturally went back with Fang Mingche to celebrate the Chinese New Year and have a reunion dinner in the evening. Sister Qiu met up with her friends at the Friendship Store, took a bus home, and celebrated the Chinese New Year with her father and grandmother. As for Xiao Jin, it was his turn to drive a one-day tour car during the Chinese New Year, so he could go home for the New Year first and come back in a few days.
Wang Dexian sent the tourists back and drove the business car directly to the old man's courtyard to have a reunion dinner. Fortunately, everyone was within the Second Ring Road and not far away.
Fang Mingche still ordered the New Year's Eve dinner directly from Boss Cui, otherwise A Yan would be too worried.
Well, it was Cui's apprentice who came with tools, ingredients, stuffings, etc. to cook. Otherwise, even if Cui's family was close, the food would be half cold if it was sent in a food tray.
Han Mei originally came here early to help her mother-in-law and elder sister-in-law. When she heard that this was the arrangement, she couldn't help but feel fortunate. It would be better if you can eat ready-made food without having to do anything.
Han Mei looked at Lin Yi, who took out five yuan from his pocket, "Mom, this is your New Year's money. I've already given it to Dad."
This made Lin's mother stunned for a long time. Lin Yi actually gave him New Year's money?
Lin Yan said, "Mom, are you so happy that you are stunned? Keep it!"
Lin's mother said, "Good!" This is more surprising than getting 20 yuan from her daughter and son-in-law.
Han Mei smiled and said, "Yan Yan, go and wish your uncle and aunt a happy new year!"
Yan Yan immediately bowed and said with a smile, "Happy New Year, uncle and aunt! Good health, happy every day, and make more money next year!"
Han Mei smiled and said, "Okay, I will accept your good wishes and make more money next year!"
Then she handed Yan Yan four brand new one-yuan bills, which she had specially exchanged at the bank. It's one yuan less than the old people, which is reasonable. She and Lin Yi only have this financial strength.
Lin Yi's 20 yuan, 5 yuan each for the four old people. She earned 14 yuan in two weeks, 10 yuan was given to her parents, and the remaining 4 yuan was exchanged for new ones for Yan Yan as New Year's money. At this point, the pockets of the two were cleaner than their faces. The only thing to look after the house was the 20 yuan that Lin Yi deposited in the bank.
Fortunately, the younger one was still in the eldest sister-in-law's belly and didn't come out. And her two brothers are still unmarried and have no children.
Life is tight enough. This time, Lin Yi also fully understood that being employed and married means being an adult. You have to spend money for the New Year!
Han Mei went back to her parents' home two days ago, and her mother asked her to give New Year's money to her two younger brothers as well. She refused, saying that they were of the same generation and New Year's money was not allowed. It
would not be too late for her, as an aunt, to express her gratitude when her brothers had children. Seeing that her brother|son and sister-in-law|daughter-in-law were doing a good job, Lin Yan and her mother both smiled with satisfaction.
Lin Yan said, "Yanyan, give the money to me and I will keep it for you."
Wang Dexian came to the travel agency early this morning to drive the car, and gave Yanyan 30 yuan as New Year's money. It is said that 20 yuan of it was asked by his father to bring it. Lin Yan must have kept such a large bill for her daughter.
In addition, grandma and grandpa gave 5 yuan, which was also kept! But now her mother wants to take away 4 yuan, Yanyan is not very happy.
"It's 1 yuan, I won't lose it if I keep it."
Lin Yan said: "This is a new bill, it would be a pity to use it. Don't you think so?"
Yanyan thought about it and handed it to her mother. Anyway, it will definitely fall into her mother's hands in the end. Fortunately, she still has one yuan for this week. Go buy some candy later!
Fang Mingche passed by the post office when he was driving back. But it must be closed at this time, so come back a few days later. It's not crowded to buy stamps now!
Today, February 15, 1980, the Gengshen Monkey Stamp, which was later known as the Dinghai Shenzhen of the Stamp Market, was officially issued. In later times, the market price of a golden monkey stamp was as high as 12,800. But today, its price is 8 cents. The return on investment is as high as 160,000 times!
When Fang Mingche's car drove into the alley, Lin Yan heard the voice and said, "Lin Yi, tell Master Ma that the dishes can be put into the pot."
Except for the soup and steamed dishes, other stir-fried dishes have not been put into the pot yet.
Master Ma is the little Ma when grilling skewers. Now he has basically graduated and is in charge of cooking independently. He fried a few dishes skillfully, took the red envelope from Lin Yan, and said goodbye with a smile.
Fang Mingche had already brushed off the cold outside and came into the house. As soon as he came in, Yanyan, who was wearing a bright red space suit, ran over and was picked up by him.
At this moment, the father and daughter came over, and Fang Mingche smiled and said, "Master Ma, Happy New Year! You have to work on New Year's Eve."
Master Ma also smiled and said, "Teacher Fang, Happy New Year! It's nothing, I live nearby, it's good to earn a red envelope. Besides, you just got off work. OK, you and your family can eat, and I will go back to eat the New Year's Eve dinner."
He didn't have to do anything when he got home, because everything was ready at home. They were also waiting for him to get home before putting the stir-fried dishes in the pot. The cook was in the kitchen every day, and actually didn't want to cook when he got home.
"Okay, then I won't delay you."
Fang Mingche carried his daughter and sent her out of the courtyard, and then closed the door. No one will come again!
He actually invited Lao Cheng to bring his family to celebrate the New Year together. After eating, it would not be a problem to drive them back to the school guesthouse.
But Lao Cheng said that his family of four would be lively no matter how they celebrated. These few days, he would take the three of them to the capital to eat and eat.
The travel expenses for the three of them to come here were actually not small, but they had never been to the capital. Take advantage of the winter break for the two kids to have some fun.
Old Cheng will come back to the travel agency to lead a tour group, and it will also be five yuan a day. This can help him make up some of his expenses. This guy is usually frugal, but he is quite willing to spend money on his family.
Everyone inside has already sat down, and Lin Yan asked Xiao Shen to sit on Fang Mingche's left hand side. On his right hand side is Yanyan, and then Lin Yan, so there are still eight people.
Everyone who drinks and drinks clinked glasses first. They said "Happy New Year!" together.
Lin's father said: "Then Mingche, you have to go to work tomorrow and the day after tomorrow?"
You can't just see that others make more money. There is no rest on New Year's Eve, the first day, and the second day of the New Year.
Fang Mingche nodded, "Yes. Tourists have to pay for one day's accommodation and food for one day's stay. We can't let them wait for us to finish the New Year before continuing the tour. If they have a bad tour experience, they may not come back after they go back. But if the experience is good, they can recommend us to their relatives and friends. We are in the service industry. Others take a break during holidays, but we don't."
Now, he didn't know if there was any place to print business cards. He asked college students majoring in fine arts to customize some palm-sized cardboard. There was an introduction and contact information of the travel agency on it.
If possible, Fang Mingche wanted to set up an office abroad within this year. This would facilitate publicity and directly finalize tourists. Nowadays, running to the Capital Airport every week to pick up tourists arriving from Paris is still a makeshift team.
He remembered that in November 1980, flights between China and the UK were opened. There was a direct flight route between our capital and London. In this case, the office would be set up directly in London. Because it would be more convenient to master English. French is a bit over the standard for the time being.
His choice of person to go to London is Miss Qiu, and bring administrative staff with her. Miss Qiu's English is fluent, and Teacher Qiu has some classmates and old friends in London.
However, this will only work if the travel agency develops very well this year. When we go to London, we need to rent an office and a place to live. Regular office buildings in London may not allow people to stay overnight. We need to rent both! This requires a lot of money.
In addition, if the two sides communicate through cross-border telephone calls, the cost is also very high. Try to communicate through telegrams as much as possible. But we also need a telephone. In the early stage, we can use the telephone in the public telephone booth on the street. There should be many public telephone booths on the streets of London. Unlike China, public telephones did not become popular until the 1990s.
Father Lin said, "That's true. I heard that staying in places like Friendship Hotel and Capital Hotel for one night is very expensive. Food must not be cheap either!"
The first day's expenses there must be no less than his monthly salary!
Mother Lin said, "Foreigners have money, so it's not expensive for them. However, even if it's not expensive, they will definitely not be happy to spend money for nothing. Besides, time is wasted."
Fang Mingche said, "That's what my parents said. The service industry is to make guests feel at home. Otherwise, why would they hire us?"
Lin Yi frowned and said, "Then it's equivalent to being a waiter yourself?"
He always thought that his brother-in-law lived a very impressive life. He made a lot of money and had so many people under him to listen to him. Moreover, everyone was still saying that 'employment is exploitation'. His brother-in-law took advantage of the loophole and made the street office, the police station and even the people around him downplay this point.
But he had to work overtime during the Chinese New Year, which suddenly punctured his halo.
Fang Mingche nodded, "Yes. Moreover, the older generation of revolutionaries usually call themselves public servants."
Fang Mingche didn't care about the halo. Compared with the halo of being high and mighty, he still preferred the image of working overtime on New Year's Eve. Otherwise, he would be excluded by the people nearby.
Although it was already 1980, he still couldn't give people the impression of a "capitalist". That's why he always asked people to call him "Teacher Fang" instead of "Boss Fang". He also had to work overtime, and he was not separated from the people.
Nowadays, what he feared was being isolated, becoming the opposite of ordinary people, and being hated by the rich! He was quite satisfied with his current image of being in debt and working overtime.
He said such a great truth as "serving the people", and Lin Yi naturally had nothing else to say. Can you say that the waiter is still working for himself and is inferior to others? The old revolutionaries said that they were the people's public servants and the people's servants.
"Brother-in-law, you really deserve to be a teacher!" He taught people a lesson in a set way!
Father Lin said, "This is to teach you to be careful with your words. Don't look down on the working people. Whatever you do is a different division of labor in the revolution."
"Got it."
Fang Mingche said, "It's New Year's Day today, so let's not talk about this. Let's eat while it's hot--"
When Wang Dexian drove the business car to the old man's courtyard, all three generations of the Wang family were there, and he was the only one left. He had been particularly valued by the old man for more than two months, so naturally there were people who disliked him.
His uncle said directly: "Oh, Xiao Si'er is back from serving foreign tourists. You are so dedicated to your work even on New Year's Eve!"
Wang Dexian said: "After receiving their money, we must do our job well. The tourism industry has grown, but it can continuously earn foreign exchange for the country. Of course, we have to do it well from the beginning, otherwise how can we build a good reputation? They don't have the concept of New Year's Eve, and they have their own schedule. We can't force them to follow local customs."
He saw the old man coming out and continued: "Uncle, did you just want to say that I served foreigners? These are two different things. The nature is completely different! Now that we are reforming and opening up, we are opening our doors as an equal country and welcoming guests from all over the world. I am just making it convenient for guests and paying attention to the etiquette of hospitality. When you say that, what position do you put our country and our people in?"
Uncle San hurriedly said: "Don't talk nonsense, I have just changed my words."
This question can be exaggerated! This kid, the whole family talks to him in a tone when they are talking in private.
Old Master Wang stood behind him and said, "Old Third, you must be careful when you speak. Once the words 'foreign masters' are spread out, people will think that this is my attitude and the attitude of the Wang family."
He looked at the other children and grandchildren, and said, "You too, you should be careful even when you speak in private. Last year, four special economic zones were established in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen, and Shantou. Some people murmured that they are special economic zones, but are they special politically? If they are also special politically, wouldn't they be similar to concessions? Such words should not come from the mouths of people like us. There is no political vigilance at all! I strongly agree with what the fourth child is doing now. The country is most in need of money now, especially foreign exchange. The tourism industry can earn foreign exchange for the country, which is great!"
The children and grandchildren in the house nodded one after another. This matter is indeed a big deal or a small matter. The third uncle was embarrassed and couldn't even raise his head. If you take it seriously, his words are indeed a topic of conversation. The Wang family naturally has political enemies!
"Dad, I know."
Wang Dexian's father, the second child, had just heard his brothers squeeze the eldest son and was about to say something. He saw the eldest son give him a look, indicating that he should handle it himself. Well, it was handled well, enough to make his uncle drink a pot.
Humph, the emperor loves the eldest son, and the people love the youngest son. Usually, the old man pays the most attention to the eldest son and loves the third son the most. I, the second son, have always been neglected.
Now that the eldest son is engaged in the foreign tourism industry, he is very valued by the old man and I am paid more attention than before. It seems that the eldest son has helped me improve my status in the family.
Needless to say, the Wang family's reunion dinner was very lively and sumptuous.
Even Fang Mingche's family was willing to spend money to prepare a lot of delicious dishes, and everyone was very satisfied with the meal. After eating, Lin's mother and Han Mei stood up to help clean up, and Xiao Shen also stood up to help.
Han Mei said, "Brother Shen, you sit down, sit down. You have been working all day." She glanced at Lin Yi who was not aware of it, and you sat steadily. Eating is eating ready-made, and now it is as stable as a rock.
Lin Yi had to stand up and help clean up.
Lin Yan supported her waist and went to the kitchen, and saw Han Mei tied an apron and prepared to wash the dishes. Lin Yi helped to clear the cups and dishes, and went to watch TV with Yanyan. Fang Mingche called Xiao Shen over as well, as he certainly couldn't make Xiao Shen, the only outsider, feel uncomfortable.
Only Lin's father and mother were left in the small room. The old couple had been together for a long time and didn't feel that way, but they missed each other a lot after being apart for a while.
Lin Yan said, "Oh, Meizi, this is hard for you. I'll ask your brother-in-law to come."
"Oh, no, no, no, my brother-in-law went out early in the morning to work. There are not many bowls!"
"Then boil some hot water to wash, don't freeze your hands. We usually use hot water to wash things. Thank you for your hard work!
" Lin Yan's belly is now pressed, and she can't wash even if she wants to. "It's okay." Han Mei said with a smile. She has many things to ask her elder sister-in-law for help now and in the future. Without money, she has to work harder.
In the small room, Lin's mother said, "Han Mei really eats Lin Yi to death."
The son doesn't listen to his parents very much, but is completely obedient to his daughter-in-law. Naturally, she feels bad.
Father Lin said, "It's good. I think Lin Yi is much more docile under her control. Otherwise, how could he think of giving us the New Year's money? He is not deaf or dumb, and he is not an in-law. He should just turn a blind eye to everything. It's not a matter of principle! Besides, Han Mei is still washing the dishes, and Lin Yi has gone to watch TV."
Because she didn't have much hope for Lin Yi at the beginning, she was quite surprised to receive the New Year's money from him.
Mother Lin thought that it was indeed Han Mei who was working, and Lin Yi had gone to watch TV with Yan Yan, so she didn't say anything.
On the second day of the New Year, Fang Mingche still went to work early in the morning.
Lin Yan slept until she woke up naturally, and took her mother and Yan Yan back to her parents' home in Master He's car. I really can't save trouble today, I have to go back. It was agreed that she would go back in the morning and Han Mei would go back to Han's house in the afternoon.
Now that the family is well-off, Lin Yan is a real guest when she goes back, whether she is pregnant or not. Yan Yan is also treated very well. Therefore, Fang Mingche was not worried at all that they would suffer any grievances, and went to work peacefully.
He would get off work in the afternoon and drive over in a business car. After dinner, he would pick up the mother and daughter and bring them back.
Lin's mother would go back in the morning so that she could help prepare gifts for Han Mei to take back to her parents' home. After Han Mei's money was robbed once, she knew what was good for her. And there was also the bait of making a lot of money as an English tour guide to keep her company. So she has been behaving well during this period.
Lin's mother prepared a nice gift for her to take back to her parents' home and asked her to carry it back.
When the time comes, Lin Yi will ride the bike, and Han Mei will sit behind him carrying the gifts. This way, the neighbors can see it. Even if the Han family says that the Lin family is stingy, it is untenable.
In the afternoon, Fang Mingche and Wang Dexian met at the entrance of the Friendship Hotel.
Fang Mingche said, "Old Song seems to have something to ask you. He came to ask you how long you would work before the New Year."
Wang Dexian thought for a moment, "Hasn't he resigned from that position as a junior leader?"
"I guess the leader asked him to ask you for advice. Now they have no choice but to come to you!"
Wang Dexian said, "I think he is very strict with himself. He will be good at managing people in the future. But he doesn't seem to have any requirements for his subordinates. This kind of person is really not suitable to be a leader."
Well, he admitted. In addition to Xiao Xu, he also misjudged Old Song. Who knew that this person was a strict person who was strict with himself and lenient with others. This kind of person is good to be a friend, but he is really not suitable to be a leader.
Sure enough, two business cars stopped in the alley, and Song Quan came out when he heard the sound.
"Xiao Fang, Comrade Wang, Happy New Year!"
The two also smiled and responded, "Happy New Year!"
Wang Dexian said, "Come in and talk if you have anything to say. It's cold outside."
He led the person directly to the driver's office. Now only Xiao Shen is there among the three drivers, and it is more convenient to talk there.
Xiao Shen got off the car a step later, and didn't go over when he saw this. He went straight to the kitchen in the east wing to warm himself.
Fang Mingche said, "Old Wang, I've turned that office into a room. You two can go to the room with the TV and talk."
He asked Xiao Shen to do the moving and lifting. There weren't many pieces of furniture, so they could just swap them. So now the three drivers are working in the room with the TV. Of course, the TV is still not turned on during working hours. The three tour guides, Teacher Qiu, and Lingzi are in the living room. The other room was arranged as a living room.
Wang Dexian raised his eyebrows, "Why change it?"
He naturally knew the origin of the room with the TV. But why vacate the other room? But he realized it after he finished speaking, "Is someone coming from your hometown?"
Fang Mingche said, "My parents will be here on the eighth day of the first lunar month."
There was no need to say more now. Wang Dexian could completely understand why he arranged for the two elders to stay in this room. He was afraid that the two elders would be taboo! But the three drivers didn't mind at all.
Wang Dexian said, "You really don't plan to demolish that house and rebuild it?"
"Wait until the account is a little loose in the second half of the year and the dividends are distributed. Then I will ask the descendants of Yangshi Lei to help me tidy up the small courtyard. I don't believe that we haven't found a suitable office in the second half of the year."
Putting the office here must be a stopgap measure. Hurry up and do it in the second half of the year! The further you go, the more troublesome it will be to renovate such an old house. You have to go to many places to get stamps, and people have to come to the site to check. Make sure that your changes will not change the structure of the house itself before you can make changes. For example, if you want to install a toilet indoors.
Wang Dexian said, "Then we should find it. But it's too far away from this order. Even if the Lei family accepts the order, at most they can send an apprentice and a worker over."
"So, it's best to find a courtyard house, and then completely tidy it up and use it as an office. My place here will be a bonus!"
Tsk, now that Fang Mingche can find a well-preserved courtyard house with clear property rights, Fang Mingche really wants to buy it. After this year, the value of Siheyuan will gradually be known to the world, and the price will start to rise!
The real old Siheyuan are all non-renewable resources. They cannot be compared with the antique imitations of later generations.
Wang Dexian nodded, turned around, took Song Quan to the TV room, and asked him to sit down.
"Old Song, I know why you are here. However, it is really impossible for travel agencies to take tourists to visit anywhere at will. Let me tell you bluntly, your points are really not enough. Boss Cui has given 20%, and he is still our creditor. But if tourists say they don’t want to eat home-cooked food, we won’t persuade them too much."
If you are not in the position, you should not meddle in other people's business. He would not say something like first increase the price by 50% and then give a 30% commission. It is a waste of effort to say such things! He is happy about the price increase, but he would think that a 30% commission is too high. He actually made this very clear to Lao Song and Xiao Fang that day. But Lao Song is also smart, and he did not go back to talk about the money.
There are too many people, and it is difficult to satisfy everyone! It is your duty to lead the team well, and you should provide service; if there is anything wrong, it is all your fault. For example, the income is lower now than in Tiananmen Square, because it is far away from the square. The flow of customers must be greatly affected!
But those people are not satisfied, and they complain behind and in front of Lao Song that he can't think of solutions like Xiao Fang. Don't they think that Xiao Fang's ideas are so easy to use?
Isn't there a story? An engineer drew a line on the machine equipment, revealing how to start the repair, and then took away $10,000. Some people say that they charge $10,000 for drawing a line.
The engineer replied confidently: "It only costs 1 yuan to draw a line, but knowing where to draw it costs 9999 yuan."
As for the cooperative, Xiao Fang was right. If they persisted, the passenger flow of Tiananmen Square would definitely increase greatly. The Dashilar area would also naturally rise. But the people in the cooperative had made a lot of money in the square before, and they were a little overwhelmed. It can only be more, not less!
Song Quan said: "It's not just about cooperating with travel agencies. The leaders also want me to ask you, how can the cooperative generate income?"
Wang Dexian said: "If you can't effectively increase revenue in the near future, then think of ways to save money. This is my suggestion! Old Song, don't meddle in other people's affairs. I'll stop here. You should be able to get your message back."
Song Quan nodded, "Thank you!"
He paused, "Are you talking about other craftsmen who want to share the Dashilar storefront with us? But it would be too passive to share the storefront directly."
They grabbed this advantage and had stalls in Dashilar. How could they be willing to give up half of it?
Wang Dexian smiled and said nothing. Many brother units feel that the cooperative has not played the role of a storefront.
It is impossible to give them half or one-third. There must be a first come first served basis! However, they can send things for consignment, and then the cooperative will collect commissions. This is much better than collecting rent.
If there is no way to increase the number of foreign tourists who come to buy things for the time being, it is actually not bad to collect consignment fees from peers in this way. Moreover, diversifying the products sold can also better attract business. If he were still there, he would definitely do this.
Song Quan said: "Well, I will only say what you said before. If you can't increase revenue in the short term, find a way to save money. Let them figure it out on their own."
In this way, it will not be his business whether it is good or bad in the future, and he can concentrate on being a craftsman.
Wang Dexian nodded, "Okay."
This old Song is really smart and understands everything. But people's character really determines their destiny. He is just not suitable to be a leader. If he concentrates on being a craftsman, maybe he can produce more products. He can also earn back the income from the position he quit.
But those craftsmen still can't change their ideas. You want the horse to run, but you also want the horse not to eat grass! It's really not as fast as a small business like Boss Cui's.
(End of this chapter)
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