Chapter 147: Hatred of the Rich
Nothing happened on the sixth day of the first lunar month. It was freezing and snowy, so Lin Yan would definitely stay at home if she could. Fang Mingche also tried to rest at home.
On this day, the travel agency and the scrap yard both started working. Now that there is no eight-day holiday, they follow the date when Lin's father and Lin Yi's factory start working. Everyone in the travel agency, including Ning Anan, returned smoothly and greeted each other. The eighth day of the first lunar month hasn't even passed yet, so it's still considered the New Year holiday.
Fang Mingche said that after Sister Qiu and Xiao Shen finish leading the tour group, they will arrange a day off. Those who work on New Year's Eve and the first and second days of the first lunar month can take six days off, and the third to fifth days of the first lunar month can take normal days off. Taking advantage of the fact that the winter vacation is not over yet, Lao Cheng and Xiao Xu, a group of college students, are still used as part-time tour guides for the five-day tour. Otherwise, they can't arrange the staff. As for the driver, Wang Dexian asked Wang Dexian to find another retired car soldier.
As the office director, Lingzi's first thing to do when she gets to work is to arrange a day off. She looked at the calendar and the date of her part-time job and sorted things out. Then she said jokingly, "Deputy Director Wei, please notify everyone. If there is any adjustment, please tell me." As she spoke, she handed her arrangements to the desk opposite.
Wei You had just finished a phone call, so now he had to practice speaking. Anyway, Teacher Qiu and Lingzi were next to him, so he had the courage to communicate with the foreign tourists who called for consultation. At this moment, he took it with anger and amusement, "I just came here and I'm still in the internship period. What kind of deputy director is this?"
"I'm Director Zhou on my first day at work, and I don't have any soldiers under me." Lingzi's full name is Zhou Ling.
Teacher Qiu laughed on the side, "Let me see how many days our Qiu Yin has off. He can take nine days off, not bad."
Wei You hurriedly took it to him. From Fang Mingche on down, everyone in the travel agency respects Teacher Qiu very much. This is also one of the reasons why he feels comfortable here.
The old man is comfortable, and paying more attention when teaching is better than anything else. His mental state has been getting better in the past three months. But he still remembered what Fang Mingche told him, that his matter would be resolved in the first half of this year. After the first half of this year, there are only four months left!
When he asked again, Fang Mingche said, "Wait, some things will not be reported to ordinary people like us until the end."
Liu Qingfeng was seriously looking for a second scrap shop. He went there for a few days before the New Year, mainly for Qu Zhishu and others to see. But he didn't find a very suitable place at that time. This time he wanted to find two more alternatives and try to get the land reclamation and renovation done in February. Open in March!
Now that Hu Yong and others are in a slump in business, he plans to ask them if they are still willing to go. If they are willing to go, he can save a lot of trouble with their familiarity in the business. However, if they are not willing, he will have to find someone else. After all, Hu Yong and others used to make more than 100 yuan a month in the vegetable business.
The wages for land reclamation and renovation are definitely not very high. College students who can work as English tour guides only make 5 yuan a day during the winter vacation. They were only given two yuan a day, which included two meals with meat.
As for Huo Chen, he rode his tricycle straight to the Overseas Chinese Apartment as soon as he went to work on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. He also took a few leaf cigarettes that he rolled himself and prepared to give to the guard at the door.
When he was on break before, he went to the Overseas Chinese Apartment to take a look. He found that the community was indeed good, with a guard at the door and security inside. Well, there was also a community environment like a garden landscape, and everything was cleaned up. Of course, there is no free lunch in the world, and you have to pay 8 yuan in property management fees every month.
At that time, Huo Chen chatted with the guard and gave him cigarettes, but he said he was not used to it. So this time he brought leaf cigarettes. Teacher Fang asked him to ask Geng Shan to reimburse him for any expenses, but he was too lazy to have a few leaf cigarettes.
Because of the previous preparations, he went directly to say hello to the guard today. He set up the bicycle stall at a certain distance from the gate designated by the guard.
People from the Overseas Chinese Apartment came in and out. Seeing his stall, and the cardboard held by bamboo poles, it was written that he was collecting waste: broken copper and iron, waste paper, glass. The unit price was clearly stated on it.
However, the tricycle was kept clean, and Huo Chen himself was also kept clean. It didn't make any bad feelings at first glance, especially the beautiful handwriting (written by Gao Xiang). This was his first day at work after the promotion, and he was still very attentive. Of course, for now, just the promotion, salary increase and commission will start from March 1st. But the work is more promising!
When Fang Mingche took his daughter over on a bicycle, Huo Chen had already opened the shop and was weighing waste paper.
Fang Mingche looked at the car. Wow, half of the car was collected. After the scrap seller left, Huo Chen said, "Teacher Fang, you are right, people who live here are willing to throw things away."
Moreover, the things that were just taken out from home, not picked up from the garbage dump, were all clean.
Fang Mingche said, "This is also considered a wealthy area in the capital, so this is normal. OK, then you go ahead, I'll take this copper."
Huo Chen nodded, "Okay."
Yanyan waved, "Goodbye, uncle!" She had never seen this uncle before, and didn't know his last name.
"Goodbye!"
Huo Chen's square face was usually very serious, but today he still smiled when facing the guests. This is what Fang Mingche told him before, asking him to pay attention. However, he can't smile too much. He was asked to come because he had been a soldier, and his temperament is a little different from ordinary people, so he looks more reliable. If he smiles too much, he will be out of shape.
At this moment, he naturally smiled and waved to Yanyan.
Gengshan brought back a cart of vegetables and eggs at night, but now there is only one cart. This is from the two nearby villages. At this time, farmers don't have much vegetables to sell. Zhu Dahai couldn't get it, so he simply didn't go to pick up the vegetables. He asked his cousin to deliver it. But this time it was clear that he didn't get a salary, so his cousin got a share of the money for doing these things, not just the money.
Seeing Geng Shan coming back, four people from Hu Yong, two people from the next door compound, and Cui Saozi and Xiao Xie all came over immediately, not wanting to get less. Only Han Mei, as a close relative, could be guaranteed 100 eggs a day. Now it was Lin's mother who was in charge of distributing the dishes and eggs, and she would definitely take care of her daughter-in-law.
The group of people dug up the 100 eggs and quickly made the distribution. There was a certain ratio on weekdays. If there was less, each store would get less.
Count the eggs yourself, and no one in the neighborhood would steal a few eggs. The key is that people with big faces can't afford to be embarrassed if someone comes to ask about it. Lin's mother weighed the dishes for them, then collected the money and counted them.
Xiao Xie was the last one to leave. She said to Lin Yan, "Those people who were assigned by the model compound didn't let me participate. It is said that we businessmen who can get the title of model compound are the meritorious officials."
Those were all manual work, and you could do it at home. After the work is done, it is handed over to Aunt Yuan for inspection. If it passes the inspection, it is time to hand it in and share the money. But the other residents in the compound directly excluded the few households doing business this time. They said they all made a lot of money, so they should not compete with their neighbors for such an opportunity to make a little money.
Most of them didn't do business, and they were very unanimous. Aunt Yuan had no choice but to say that the minority should obey the majority. Almost all the families who were willing to install water pipes separately before were excluded. In this way, the remaining families would naturally get more manual work.
For the first time, Lin Yan directly understood what Fang Mingche meant by hatred of the rich. It was reflected in such small places. On weekdays, the neighbors in the slum and the neighbors outside would greet her politely as "Teacher Lin", but she really didn't understand.
Xiao Xie said: "If they greet you one-on-one in person, they will definitely be polite to you. Everyone knows that your family is the best in this area now? Even if you still owe a lot of debts, you must have a lot of income. But you can't know a person's heart by knowing his face. Who knows if they are dissatisfied in their hearts?"
Lin Yan nodded, and felt that Fang Mingche's intention of writing an IOU for buying the three main houses was far-reaching. Their family's monthly income must be over ten thousand by April, and this matter must be kept secret. She didn't even tell her own mother! In these days, earning over 10,000 yuan a month is too scary. It's hard to say what kind of trouble it will cause. Mingche said that when she has a better house in the future and can afford it, she will buy it and move out of the slum. It seems necessary.
She said, "Forget it. Those manual jobs don't make much anyway, so let them go."
"The problem is, if there are good things in the future, which are obviously what we deserve, will we give them all?" Xiao Xie was still angry.
Lin Yan said, "With the gap between the rich and the poor, it's actually best not to live together. After you send Aunt Gao to the hospital for a thorough examination and treatment, you can also save money to buy a house. The 52-square-meter house in Tuanjiehu Community, which costs more than 8,000 yuan, can be your goal. It won't be as noisy as living in a slum. Or, if you don't want to be far away from here, there are a few houses for sale in the nearby slum, you can also take a look."
Xiao Xie was stunned for a moment. Buy a house, more than 8,000 yuan? Their family's annual income is now more than 2,000 yuan, and the key is that they don't know how much they will have to spend on their mother-in-law. But it would be great if we could really buy our own house. Now the three of them pay 10 yuan a month in rent to Grandpa Gu.
Lin Yan said, "As long as your teacher Gao is still working with us, it can be done just like buying a bicycle. Look at me and Mingche, we have moved into a house first, and then slowly pay back Grandpa Gu's money."
Hearing this, Xiao Xie smiled. Gao Xiang is an accountant at the scrap yard and travel agency. She must know that the couple is pretending to be poor. But it was also because she kept her mouth shut that Gao Xiang told her as a joke.
Xiao Xie went back with half a box of eggs. After arriving home, she said to Gao Xiang, "We have to be more discreet in the future."
Gao Xiang said, "You, me and our mother have never been very ostentatious. Besides, how big a business can you run? You just sell eggs. They probably targeted me. Some people said that I was earning several salaries. In fact, it was because many people in the compound knew that Xiaofang and Xiaolin's income must be much higher than theirs. However, a small grass will not be jealous of a big tree. It is impossible to be jealous. In addition, Xiaofang went to the military compound for a banquet a few days ago, and everyone would unconsciously feel awe for him. Our family used to be the worst in the whole compound, but now we are doing well, but not too well. We are still within their jealousy."
In fact, in the past few years when the Gao family was not doing well, the neighbors in the compound were willing to lend a hand. But now, seeing that the couple has become rich through hard work, they feel a little unbalanced.
Xiao Xie said, "So, there is no point for the couple to pretend to be poor? Everyone knows that they are rich. Humph, they dare not envy the truly rich people, but they come after us!"
"Yes, why is it meaningless? They pretend like this, and others know that they are still in debt, so their mentality is much more balanced. Otherwise, although they will not be jealous of them, they may hate them! The couple really makes too much money!"
Xiao Xie thought about it and nodded, "Lin Yan just told me that people laugh at others who have nothing and hate those who have. Moreover, they hate the rich! She suggested that we buy a house and move out after treating Mom's illness. They can lend us money like buying a bicycle."
It's so good to follow Xiao Fang, her teacher Gao will definitely follow him. Anyway, whether you continue to study at university or teach in the future, the income will not be too much. However, it is better to teach at university so that you have free time.
Gao Xiang thought for a while, "Buying a house and moving out of the compound is a good idea. I suspect that if the couple has better options in the future, they will probably move out. After all, there are too many people in the compound and people are gossipy! Wait, wait until the official office of the travel agency is ready, and then we can make plans nearby."
Xiao Xie nodded, so that the next generation won't have to rent a house in the future. Yanyan even has a small yard under her name. OK, there is a new goal.
At 3:30 pm on the eighth day of the first lunar month, Fang Mingche took Master He's car to the train station to pick someone up. The train arrived at four o'clock. There was just enough room for him, his parents, brother Mingfeng, and the children. The children sat on the adults' laps. There was no other way, the business car could not be mobilized at this time. They could only squeeze in like this! For this reason, he didn't even dare to bring Yanyan.
Mother Lin was mixing water in the tin pot at home and preparing a fire. After sitting on the train for several days and nights, he must want to take a good wash and refresh himself. Even if it is winter. As for that room, she mixed the water and prepared to check if there was anything missing.
Originally, these tasks should have been Lin Yan's. But she was seven months pregnant, and it was inconvenient to be pregnant with a big belly. Lin's mother must have taken all the responsibilities on herself. During this period of time living here, her son-in-law respected her very much and gave her pocket money. It was okay for her to do something.
She looked at her daughter who was already not very mobile, "I think Mingche is right, you can take a leave of absence from next semester. You can continue to study at this time next year. We are all worried if you run away like this. Besides, you can only study for more than a month or at most two months, and you are not half-brained. It is uncertain whether you can give birth to a child, and the due date may not be accurate. Your belly is too big, and the teachers and classmates will be afraid that you will give birth in class. Besides, your parents-in-law will be here for the next month. They rarely come here, and you go to school with a big belly and leave them at home?"
The son-in-law must not have much time, he has too many things to do. It is not good for the pregnant daughter-in-law to go to class on her own. After all, the two elders are in a strange place, and Yanyan is still too young.
Lin Yan thought about it and said, "Okay."
Yanyan said, "What does it mean to take a leave of absence?"
Lin Yan said, "It means not going to school temporarily. It can only be done in situations like mom. Grandpa and grandma will be here soon, you should be sweeter."
"Got it." Yanyan naturally didn't remember her grandpa and grandma whom she hadn't seen for a whole year. But there were their pictures in the family album, so she could recognize them when she saw them.
Fang Mingche waited for about ten minutes at the train station, and the train arrived on time. He was waiting at the exit.
Soon, he saw his father carrying the box he had brought home before, and walked out with his mother. Brother Mingfeng was carrying a large box and pulling Fang Tong, walking behind them. Fang Tong was wearing a furry little coat, which looked very warm.
Fang Mingche wrote a letter asking his parents not to bring too much stuff, and even the New Year's goods they prepared were mailed by his brother at his own expense. Thank God, this time they finally listened. They brought everything from home to save money on the way and on the way.
Fang Mingche remembered that when his father occasionally went on a long journey, he would carry the luggage on a shoulder pole. Well, one side was the luggage, and the other half was food and rice, and he also brought a small pot.
He didn't take a car, but traveled the world on foot. Wherever he was hungry, he would pick up some bricks and stones to build a stove and cook. Then he would eat food with rice. The so-called food is to cook the food saltier than usual and eat it on the road. If it is salty, it must be eaten with more rice, and the key is that it can be preserved. But he tasted it once and it was too salty.
Although it takes more time, it saves money on travel expenses and meals on the way. If he stayed, he would go to a hotel and sleep in a large dormitory. This was his father's only experience of traveling far, but the farthest he went was to the city. So he said before that he could go back by himself when the train arrived in the city. He could even walk back!
As for his mother, she was a typical rural woman, and she had never been far away. She had only been to the county town. Therefore, he urged them to follow Brother Mingfeng to the capital.
Fang Mingche raised his hand and waved. When Fang's father and mother, who were looking at the exit, saw it, their eyes lit up. As soon as they got off the train, they felt that the capital was much colder than Sichuan. Sichuan was starting to warm up now, but the capital was still like the middle of winter. Fortunately, Mingfeng reminded them to put on more clothes when they got off the train. They put on another sweater, which was knitted by the whole family with pure wool yarn bought with the money sent back by their youngest son this winter. It was made with Yuanbao needle and was very thick! It just seemed that they were wearing too much at this moment, and the outer coat was bulging.
Fang's mother shouted happily: "Mingche--"
When they came out, Fang Mingche reached out to take the box from his father's hand, "Mom and Dad, come this way. Brother Mingfeng, you've worked hard!"
Bringing these two stubborn old men who are reluctant to spend money along the way must not be a simple matter.
Fang Mingfeng smiled and said nothing. He just said: "Tongtong, call him Uncle Jiu!"
Calling Mingche Uncle is really not intimate enough. People from the Eighth Route Army can also call him that. Yanyan calls him "Fourth Uncle".
Fang's father said: "Yes, yes, he is indeed the 'Nine' in our big room."
Fang Tong tilted her head to look at Fang Mingche and shouted directly: "Uncle Jiu--"
She spoke Mandarin quite well. This semester, her cousin's wife had been letting her listen to the radio. It is indeed easier for children to learn languages.
Fang Mingche touched her head, "Let's go to Uncle Jiu's house to rest first. After dinner tonight, Uncle Jiu will drive you back."
Fang's mother said: "Where did you get the car?"
She was still holding Fang Kang's hand. This was within the expectations of Fang Mingche and Lin Yan. The next step is spring ploughing and sowing, and the family is busy. Fang Jian and Fang Fang have to go to school, and they can help a little. It is normal for Fang Kang, who is over three years old, to be brought here, and he doesn't need a ticket. Otherwise, who will look after him at home? Such a young boy is naughty, and he may bump into things and cause trouble.
"I rented it. I opened a foreign travel agency. During the day, I take foreign tourists to the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and other places to play. At night, it can be used by me."
Fang's father raised his eyebrows, but he didn't say anything because he was not very energetic after just taking the train.
Fang's mother said to Fang Kang: "You call your uncle too. Well, you call him. Yaoba."
In the past, he called him Second Uncle, which was a bit inconsistent with Fang Tong calling him 'Ninth Uncle'. Just call him 'Yaoba', and it immediately shows that he is closer.
Fang Kang is usually a little naughty at home, but this is his first time going away from home, and his eyes are a little timid. After being poked by grandma twice again, he whispered, "Dad..."
The box in Fang's father's hand was taken by his youngest son, who simply bent down and picked up his grandson.
Fang Mingche responded, "Kang Kang is here. Let's go home first!" Then he walked towards the parking lot.
When Fang's father and mother saw the car, they hurriedly said, "No, no, why are you taking this?"
They said that they would rent a car to take Mingfeng and his daughter home in the evening, so it couldn't be their own car. Why spend this money in vain? If it's not far, they can walk back, and if it's far, they can take a bus. The public cars are always cheaper.
Fang Mingche said, "This is Master He from our alley. He just took me here. I must take his car to go home. The bus stop is still outside, and it can't be in front of my house."
Fang's father was shocked and said, "What, you came here alone in this car?" This is too wasteful!
"Master He has been waiting for a while. If you don't sit down, you will just waste his time. And you have to pay for wasting time."
After saying this, Fang's father and mother were willing to sit down.
Fang Mingche arranged for Fang Mingfeng to take Tongtong to sit in the co-pilot seat. Tongtong was five years old and not very big, so it was no problem for him to sit on his father's lap. There
were only four of them sitting in the back seat. After putting the boxes in the trunk, Fang Mingche took Fang Kang from his father's lap and put him on his own lap.
Fang Kang had forgotten about him again and didn't want to sit on a stranger's lap. But he didn't dare to resist, and his whole body was a little stiff. He just looked at his grandparents, but his grandparents, who were always responsive to his requests, ignored his request this time.
Fang Mingche didn't care about him and said directly: "Everyone is seated, Master He, drive. Well, drive past the Tiananmen Tower."
My parents must have been particularly yearning for this place.
Sure enough, when the car passed under the tower, Fang's father and mother both leaned against the car window to look at it. Look at the tower and the portrait of Chairman Mao hanging on it.
Fang's father asked, "Where is the memorial hall?"
"Over there, go back and rest first, and come to see it tomorrow. It's not far, just one kilometer. The memorial hall is about to close now, and there will be no queue."
Fang's father looked at the few people queuing over there, "Okay."
One kilometer was naturally reached quickly, and Master He parked the car directly at the door of the small side courtyard.
"Well, this small courtyard belongs to me and A Yan, just go in after getting off the car."
"What?" Fang's father and mother exclaimed.
Fang Mingfeng said, "Seventh Uncle, Seventh Aunt, go in. Mingche has already bought this small side courtyard, but still owes 4,000 yuan. You can live here peacefully."
After he said that, he pushed open the car door and put his daughter on the ground first.
Lin's mother, Lin Yan, and Yanyan heard the movement of the car and came out to greet them.
Yanyan looked at Fang Tong, who looked a little unfamiliar. There is no photo of this sister Tongtong in her family. But she still smiled, "Hello, fourth uncle! Sister Tongtong, welcome--"
Fang Mingfeng also greeted Lin's mother and Lin Yan, "Yanyan is so good. Tongtong, this is Aunt Nine and her mother. Just follow Yanyan and call grandma."
Fang Tong also called everyone one by one, and then couldn't help looking around.
The rear door was also opened, and Fang Mingche put Fang Kang directly on the ground. Fang Kang shivered a little, and he felt a little cold even with the sweater.
Lin Yan hurriedly stuffed the hot water bottle in her hand into him and held it, "Come, hold this. Yanyan, say hello to grandpa and grandma! Then take your brother to the house to warm up first." Do
n't catch a cold as soon as you arrive!
But Fang Kang refused to follow Yanyan at this time. And holding the hot water bottle, he was not cold.
Fang Mingche got out of the car and opened the door wider to make it easier for his parents to get out.
Fang's mother got off the car first. When she saw Lin Yan, she said, "What are you doing out here? Come inside quickly. You have a terrible cold and can't take any medicine."
Lin Yan said, "Mom, I'm fine. I've been used to it for two winters." She was born and raised in the capital, and she was much more useful than Fang Mingche and his daughter.
Then she asked about the prenatal checkup with concern. After getting a normal answer, Fang's mother saw that her grandson didn't say anything and said, "This is your second sister. If your second sister wants to take you in, just follow her. Don't be shy!"
Fang's father also got off the car. Yanyan hurriedly called, "Grandpa, grandma--"
After greeting everyone, Yanyan took Fang Tong and Fang Kang to her room, which was much warmer. The three of them went in first.
Fang's mother looked at Fang Tong and then at Yanyan. They were both dressed very well. Fang Kang looked very rustic! Moreover, Yanyan really grew taller in the capital. She used to be about the same height as Kang Kang, but now Kang Kang is only above her ears. It was obvious that he had eaten much better than Kang Kang this year.
Father Fang nodded, "Okay. This is my mother-in-law, hello, hello! We just came now, and you have to worry about Ayan and Yanyan."
He looked at the small courtyard and actually felt that it was not very good. This small side courtyard was very similar to the servants' quarters he lived in when he was a long-term worker for the landlord when he was young.
Mother Lin said, "We are not outsiders, so you don't have to be polite, father-in-law."
The daughter and son-in-law were right, and they really brought the little grandson. But it's okay to just bring him to play. And the two adults did leave, and there was no one to look after the children during the busy farming season.
Fang Mingche and Fang Mingfeng took the box out of the trunk. Fang Mingche carried it directly to the main house, and Fang Mingfeng followed.
Lin Yan hurriedly arranged, "Let's go in. Mom and Dad, you live in the east room of the main house."
So the group went to the main house. The down jackets they bought for two adults and one child have been hung in the closet.
The desks of the driver and the tour guide were empty. Lingzi and Wei You, who were at work, saw Fang Mingche's parents and quickly stood up to greet them, calling them uncle and aunt. Teacher Qiu also stood up.
Fang Mingche quickly introduced, "Mom and Dad, this is Teacher Qiu, an associate professor at Beijing Normal University. He came to be a consultant for the travel agency."
Teacher Qiu looked at Fang Mingche. He had been a school worker for many years. Associate professor, what year was that in the lunar calendar? Now Fang introduced himself to everyone as an associate professor at Beijing Normal University. He introduced him like this to foreign tourists and also to his parents.
When Fang's father heard that he was an associate professor at the university, he immediately showed respect. He quickly stepped forward to shake hands with Teacher Qiu, "Teacher, thank you for taking care of and helping my Mingche."
He didn't know much about travel agencies and consultants, but this associate professor must be a talent who was invited.
Teacher Qiu said, "Brother, it's your son who is looking after me and helping me."
Fang's father was slightly stunned, and Fang Mingche said, "Dad, let's go in first and talk later. Teacher Qiu, you guys are busy. And Lingzi and Weiyou are also employees of the travel agency."
His father worked hard in the fields all his life, and he looked a few years older than his actual age. He guessed that it was hard to tell who was older between his father and Teacher Qiu.
Seeing Fang's mother staring at the telephone on the table in a daze, Fang Mingche said again, "This phone belongs to Lingzi's family. Her uncle came back from the United States at the beginning of last year to install it. Now it is used by the travel agency, and the neighbors also call here. The travel agency pays the price according to how much it costs. It is considered to be lent to us for show."
Fang's mother came back to her senses. She said that she heard that the initial installation fee of this telephone is five or six thousand. It's so expensive that it's scary! Moreover, the secretary said that without a certain administrative level, there is no qualification to install a telephone.
Fang's father and Teacher Qiu said, "Then teachers, you are busy, we won't disturb you."
Several adults entered the house. Mother Lin did not go in, but went to the kitchen to watch her soup being cooked.
Fang Mingfeng looked around the room, "Not bad, it's about 11 or 12 square meters, and it's quite comfortable to live in. OK, Uncle Qi, Aunt Qi, you guys settle down first, I'll go find Fang Tong. I'm familiar with this place, Mingche, Lin Yan, you don't have to call me."
He looked around and left, leaving the space for the family to talk.
Seeing Fang Mingche put down the box, Father Fang hurriedly asked, "How much did you pay for this yard?"
"8500, and I still owe Grandpa Gu 4000." It's not that Fang Mingche wanted to hide it from his parents. But thinking about how they robbed the rich and helped the poor in their previous life, he hoped that he and his elder brother would share the wealth. He thought it would be better to hide it.
Fang's mother's face suddenly changed, "It's so expensive!" The house in the county town is only 20 yuan per square meter. A better yard than this is only 2000 yuan per set.
Fang's father said pertinently: "It's so close to Tiananmen Square, it's normal to be a little more expensive."
He figured it out as he walked in. If he didn't buy a small side yard like this, could he buy a big yard? That would be a sky-high price!
Fang Mingche opened the closet and took out two down jacket liners. "Mom and Dad, put on these down jackets. I asked someone to get them in Shanghai. To wear these, you need to take off one or two sweaters. Try them first! You can wear this kind of clothes to climb Mount Everest."
Fang's father raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I know about that. The whole country was promoting it at the time. The first climb was not recognized internationally at first, and they climbed a second time a few years ago!"
Fang Mingche said, "For various reasons, there was no video footage of the first climb. But in fact, foreigners climbed up themselves and found that the scene was consistent with the description of our team members who came down the first time. Later they recognized it. Come on, change!"
Lin Yan stood up, "I'm going to go out and check on the kids. It's not good to leave Brother Mingfeng alone."
It's okay for her mother-in-law to take off and put on clothes in front of her, but her father-in-law will definitely not take off his clothes in front of her, even if there are other clothes inside. He is just like her own father, and he pays attention to these etiquettes. The room is small and there is no place to hide.
She supported her waist and walked out slowly.
When Mr. Fang heard that they were wearing the clothes to climb Mount Everest, he took off his coat and two sweaters very cooperatively. Well, the outer sweater was new. The inner one was very old and didn't keep warm very well. He took off the coat and the old sweater inside, put on the new sweater as usual, and then put on the down jacket.
After putting it on, he said, "It's really quite warm, it's better than a coat and a sweater. Isn't it expensive?"
The coat he took off was actually given to him by Fang Mingche before he went to Beijing last year. It has only been made for two years, and it is much warmer than his own coat.
Fang Mingche said, "It's not that it's expensive, it's that it's not easy for us to buy it ourselves. I asked a high-ranking official's son to help us get it."
The down jackets sold to overseas Chinese and Chinese tourists at the Friendship Store can be bought, but they are very expensive. It's still more affordable to buy from the Shanghai Down Jacket Factory. When
Mr. Fang saw that his father put on the coat and said it was warm, she also put on the coat. She saw a small piece in the closet and said with relief: "We didn't tell you, how did you know Kang Kang was here?"
The old man said he forgot to mention it before and was too lazy to call again because it was expensive. Besides, we are a family and Kang Kang doesn't take up any space, so we don't need to buy a ticket. We will know when we go.
Fang Mingche said: "You are looking after Kang Kang for your brother and sister-in-law, and we are plowing and sowing in the spring at home. You will definitely bring him with you! It's okay, he is in the room now, and he can warm up by the fire. Just change him later. I didn't light the stove for you because I thought you two old people don't have the habit of warming up by the fire."
Father Fang touched his body and found that the lining of the down jacket inside could be pushed down and bounced up.
"It's very warm now. There is no need to light the stove to create a temperature difference inside and outside. Ah Yan, you should also tell her to be careful and warm up by the fire in the house, and remember to put on more clothes when she goes out."
Fang Mingche picked up the kettle and poured the hot water into the newly bought washbasin. He also bought three new towels for them.
"Mom and Dad, wash your faces and feet first and take a break. I'll call you after dinner. We'll arrange a bath at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon when the weather is the best."
There is no bathroom heater now, and they are worried that they will not be able to adapt to the temperature difference and catch a cold if they take a bath right after arriving.
"Okay!"
After he left, Fang's mother sat on the bed and tried it out, "The mattress is very thick, it will definitely be warm when you sleep. Oh, this house is ours, Mingche." The more she thought
about it, the more comfortable she felt! She didn't know about the travel agency outside, but it was a great thing to have such a separate yard. Even in the county, this is a great thing, and the yards that are better than this are not prepared for ordinary people. Not to mention that this is the capital, and it is so close to Tiananmen Square.
Fang's father nodded, and he also thought it was very good. It's just that he still owes a debt of 4,000, which makes him feel a little bad. None of the older generation of Chinese are willing to be in debt.
However, after sitting on the train for several days in a row, even the sleeper berth is a bit tiring. He also sat down to rest, while Fang's mother took care of him washing his face and soaking his feet.
"This towel is so soft! Let's use the one we brought to wipe our feet." The ones they used on the train were all depilated. It would hurt if they wiped their faces too hard. It didn't matter for them because they were old, but Fang Kang's face was still tender.
After Fang's mother finished speaking, she took the small down jacket liner and went to the compartment to find Fang Kang, ready to ask him to change into it and come over to soak his feet.
She went in and saw Lin Yan and Yan Yan warming themselves by the fire, both of them had changed into thinner coats. Fang Tong's big coat was also open. Lin Yan also unbuttoned the coat that Kang Kang had given her. Inside was a newly knitted sweater, the same color for the whole family: black.
"Come on, Kang Kang, your dad and mom bought you a down jacket, let's change into it. It's thin and warm!"
Kang Kang was sharing roasted sweet potatoes with Yan Yan and Tong Tong, and didn't want to change at the moment.
Lin Yan said, "Forget it, Mom, just put it here. I'll change it for him before I go out."
Fang's mother nodded, "Okay. I'll go talk to your mother."
She saw her mother-in-law busying herself in the kitchen alone, so she just sat there. So she walked over and said, "Mother-in-law, are you cooking dinner? I'll come and help."
Mother Lin said, "No, I'm stewing tonic for A-Yan. You take a rest, take a rest quickly. It's tiring to sit on the train for several days and nights. Besides, you don't have to cook dinner, the travel agency has a cafeteria. Just eat in the cafeteria later! My old man and my son and daughter-in-law are coming over too. It's rare for you to come here, and my old man said he would invite you to visit us in a few days."
Mother Fang was shocked and said, "Ah, such a small hotel, such a small hotel, has a cafeteria? But I'm not tired, the sleeper we are sitting in can be sat and slept. And there is one bed per person, not many people."
Mother Lin said, "Yes, the cafeteria is in the alley in front. The employees also went to eat together, and some people will be back later. The sleeper is good, and it is much more comfortable. They are all Mingche and capable. He can not only get a letter of introduction to buy a sleeper, but also buy a plane ticket."
Mother Fang said, "I don't know what he is doing now. Forget it, let's wait for his father to ask him."
Since she didn't have to cook dinner, she went back to warm her feet. Gang Mingche said that he had bought them all fur shoes, so they wouldn't be afraid of rain when they were worn. She warmed her feet to try and see which was warmer, the 'chicken shoes' (homemade cotton shoes with cotton inside, looking plump like hens) made by herself.
She went back to take off some clothes to warm her feet, "They said there is a cafeteria, and I don't need to help with dinner."
Fang's father was very surprised, "There is a cafeteria?"
"Yes, they said that some employees will be back soon, and they will all eat there. Did he hire people?"
Fang's father said, "This place is so close to Tiananmen Square, and he just put it up so openly and no one came to ask about it. I think he must have passed the Ming Road, no problem."
(End of this chapter)
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