Chapter 187 During the Chinese New Year
, the days passed quickly, especially when we were having banquets in the countryside. One day of inviting guests from one house and another day of inviting guests from another house, and it was over. Last year we had an unprecedented bumper harvest. In addition, the small factory in the village was doing well. Although there was no dividend, the employees working there were paid. Therefore, every household could afford this year's banquet.
Fang Mingfeng returned to his hometown and invited guests for a day. He also brought back a large color TV and a VCR to play for a day. He invited the Fang family members to watch "The Bund" starring Chow Yun-fat and Angie Chiu for a whole day. All 25 episodes were played!
It was so lively that day, and everyone was fascinated by the video. I have never seen a movie about the old society Shanghai shot in Hong Kong. There were handsome men and beautiful women, and the plot was particularly attractive!
Everyone who had seen it said, "No wonder Mingfeng's video hall has such a good business! These Hong Kong TV dramas are so good."
Then someone else said, "What will Mingche's family do?"
Indeed, Mingfeng's family did so well, with rich food, chicken, duck, fish, meat, and eggs; even the entertainment activities were so good. The pressure was immediately placed on Mingche's family. The other uncles' families were fine, because they didn't have a son who was recognized as very promising. It was just a normal day of New Year's wine to entertain relatives and friends.
Fang Mingfeng didn't think so much. He just felt that these old people had a lot of dramas, and they were very competitive in private.
The next day he rented a tractor from the village to move the color TV and VCR back to the video hall in the county. There was business during the New Year, and moving it back for a day would delay business. Some people even booked it for a whole day. So he moved it back after entertaining the guests.
He called Fang Mingche at the Cultural Bureau and said, "This is something we haven't seen in many years. People are so leisurely that they can compare with each other."
Fang Mingche said, "That's true. In the past, people didn't have enough to eat or warm food. Last year, we had a good harvest, so we can have this leisurely."
However, the comparison was mainly concentrated in their two families, and the whole family was watching them.
He was happy to know that each family was watching his family, not mainly for food, but for entertainment.
"This has become a spiritual civilization and material civilization!"
The harvest was good, and no family was short of meat during the first month of the year. One or two families killed a pig for soup, and each family could use the money to buy meat. The big fat pig weighed hundreds of pounds, and it was not a problem for each family to buy a five-pound piece of meat.
Then Fang Mingfeng ate at this uncle's house one day and that uncle's house the next day, and had a very happy feast.
Everyone was a little surprised when they heard that the travel agency needed a person to go to Shanghai and was looking for a high salary, with a monthly income of about 500.
"This is a good expectation, and it is linked to business. It is a commission, and the basic salary is not too high. If business is not good, the income will also be reduced."
"What are your requirements? Tell us, and we can help you find one."
Fang Mingche said: "College students or former deputy battalion-level or deputy section-level, under 35 years old."
When you get older, you are not as energetic. The national civil service recruitment has this age requirement. His company is actually a private company, so of course it can be required.
When everyone heard this, no wonder it was difficult to find! Under 35 years old and reaching this level, they all have a bright future. And college students, who doesn't know that they are the pride of heaven nowadays. The key is that the 77th grade students who resumed the college entrance examination in the first year have not graduated and started working.
Now, the more outstanding graduates of the 77th and 78th grades have almost been selected by various departments and commissions. There is a shortage of people!
Fang Mingche also knew that it would be difficult to find one, and there is no policy of suspending work without pay to start a business. With that policy, you can still start at the same level when you return to your original unit after suspending work without pay for two years. If two years is not enough, you can renew it for another two years, and keep renewing it. With such a way out, only those with a stable job are willing to go into the business world.
So everyone just said, "Then we will keep an eye out for you."
Originally, they wanted to get their own people in, but since there is such a clear threshold, it is not easy to do. Besides, if they can really get someone who does not meet the requirements, the Wang family will not be able to get someone else's turn?
This matter can only be put on hold for the time being.
Fang Mingche muttered in his heart: Can I only trouble Brother Mingfeng to take over?
He knew two college students who had already graduated: Teacher Qiu and Gu Zhiguang.
Teacher Qiu is now very valued in the Investment Promotion Office. He is not only proficient in English and Japanese, but also has connections from when he studied in the UK.
As for Gu Zhiguang, he experienced such a big change at a young age. Now that he has gone through so many hardships and has become a father, and is working and teaching at a university, he really doesn't have the mind to go into the business world to fight for it.
He probably just wants to have a wife and children, and then produce some academic achievements. Fang Mingche had chatted with him before and heard that he was taking further studies and wanted to leave his position as a librarian and completely switch to teaching.
He started out as a librarian because there was no establishment in their department that year. So he took a detour and became a librarian first, and then switched to another position.
Moreover, his family only collected three or five yuan in rent for a room, which added up to about 100 to 180 yuan a month. Adding the income and subsidies of the couple, it was almost 200 yuan a month. This money was enough for a family of four to live on.
Nowadays, the minimum living standard per capita in the capital is only 7 yuan a month!
Grandpa Gu is in good health. He is not a bottomless pit like Aunt Gao, who needs to invest three-digit medical expenses every month. However, Aunt Gao's physical condition is getting better with Gao Xiang's persistent investment.
Even if it cannot be cured, her spirit is getting better. Occasionally, you can see her going out for a slow stroll.
Of course, this is inseparable from Gao Xiang outsourcing the responsibility of care to his wife and sister-in-law. The two sisters take care of her very wholeheartedly. No one has any objection to outsourcing filial piety by giving enough money or even changing their fate.
As for the deputy battalion and deputy section levels, Fang Mingche only knows those who are in office. They still have a future in the military and politics, or they can better realize their ideals and ambitions in their current jobs, so they are unwilling to come.
Didn't people in later generations say that a P7 with an annual salary of about one million in Alibaba is not as good as a deputy director? In later generations, everything is about money, and it is even more so now.
On the fifth day of the first lunar month, it was Fang Mingche's turn to host a party. Since each family had to invite guests and take turns to invite, the order was determined according to the ranking of the older generation. Except for the two married aunts, Fang's father's turn was on the fifth day.
He asked the party secretary to invite the projectionist of the town's dam movie to show the movie early. Since they are still on annual leave, the money must be doubled, and then they were invited to have lunch and dinner today.
As for the loan of film reels, the branch secretary went to the commune leader on duty and used the banner of "culture going to the countryside". The commune leader readily agreed. The village where the Fang family lived had done very well this year. It was very prestigious for the commune to make a year-end summary report.
He also asked, "Is it the family whose youngest son was admitted to Beijing Normal University, and is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and opened a travel agency to earn foreign exchange for the country?"
"Yes, yes, that's his family. He is the most promising young man in our village. I came to report before, and he also donated 1,000 yuan to poor children for education. Education changes destiny!"
"I remember this matter, this young man is quite good. Has the money been used up?"
"No, I reported it to him when school started in September, and I will report it again when school starts in February. If it is used only by our village, it will be enough to complete five years of elementary school. But what he meant was that if the village does it well, we can try to promote it to the commune. I have contacted the party secretaries of several other villages before, and included the students from their villages. This is probably only enough for three semesters. Xiao Fang meant that his share of the dividends from the rice mill in our village will be used specifically for this."
The commune leader said, "Enough?"
"It will definitely not be enough at the beginning, but it may be enough if it operates normally for a few years. This still requires a lot of support from the leaders!"
"Well, you have done a good job. We will definitely support you. You should pay attention to education, so that it will not be in vain for people to come back to donate money to support education."
The teaching results must be improved before we can talk more about this matter with the leaders. However, just the fact that there are dozens less students who drop out of school because they can't afford the tuition is worth mentioning.
With this, when the commune leaders saw Fang's father, they enthusiastically extended their hands to shake hands with him and praised him for having a good son.
Fang's father must have been very happy, and he also invited the leaders to have a New Year's wine on the fifth day of the first lunar month.
"I won't go. I wish you a happy New Year and a good harvest next year."
Fang's father and the secretary rode the tractor back to the village, with a smile on his face. He and the projectionist agreed to show "Lush Mountain Love" in the afternoon and "Mysterious Buddha" in the evening.
At that time, the village tractor would come to the commune to pick up the projectionist and the projection equipment, and then send them back after the projection. The secretary was happy that he rented a tractor from the village and asked the tractor driver to come to pick up the people and equipment cleanly.
He also had to attend the New Year's party at Fang Mingfeng and Fang Mingche's house. Other families also invited him, but he didn't go because he had his own plans. But he had to go to these two families. When he was short of money for his township enterprise and couldn't get it together in the village, these two families each contributed one thousand. Later, when others were vying for investment, they gave it to the Fang family.
Besides, these two young men are in the capital, and they might ask them for help someday.
"Lush Mountain Love" and "Mysterious Buddha" were both very popular last year, with box office revenues of over 100 million. When they were broadcast on the same day, many people from other families came to watch. It was even more popular than "The Bund".
While eating, Fang Mingfeng talked about Lin Yan buying New Year's goods and driving to deliver them to his wife.
"I came back this time because I was worried about the three women and children. With Ayan's help, they will have a much better year. By the way, it was Ayan who drove to pick up my wife when she was discharged from the hospital after giving birth to our second daughter."
"Ah, Lin Yan is so amazing?"
"Yes, it's mainly because their family has their own car. Mingche bought a second-hand small truck, which is very convenient."
Someone asked Fang Mingfeng, "Why don't you buy one?"
"My uncle, if you buy a car, you still need gas tickets! If you are not a cadre, where can you get gas tickets? Mingche's gas tickets were obtained for their travel agency by his friend who is a state cadre in the municipal government. I don't know such a friend. And buying a car will cost tens of thousands of yuan. After thinking about it, I might as well buy a house."
Everyone looked at each other and felt that buying a car was indeed not as good as buying a house. The car was rarely used, and a tractor in the village was enough.
Then they complimented Fang's father and mother, saying that their daughter-in-law was good at handling things.
Fang's mother smiled and said, "Lin Yan is indeed generous and doesn't care about things."
"That's because Mingche can make money, so she can be generous. Otherwise, what can she be generous with?"
Someone else asked Fang Mingfeng behind the backs of the branch secretary and the women's director, "Your second child is a girl, what are you going to do?"
Fang Mingfeng smiled, "The third child can't still be a girl, someone still has to pass on the household registration book. I'm going to Guangzhou to see what the wind is like there. It's definitely not as strict as the capital or the mainland."
After eating the fifth day of the New Year's banquet, Fang Mingfeng took Fang Tong on a sleeper train to Guangzhou. He could only decline subsequent banquet invitations.
"Uncle, I'm not trying to offend you. It's just that time is tight. It will be the eighth day of the Lunar New Year when I arrive in Guangzhou. I have to fly back to the capital quickly after finishing my business. My second daughter is only two months old, and the older one has to go to school."
Fang Tong followed her father into the car and sat on the sleeper seat. She said, "Dad, we went to Guangzhou to take more photos. I want to take them back to show Yanyan. She went to Shanghai for fun again during the winter vacation."
Fang Mingfeng felt a little toothache. The old people in the family want to compete with each other, and you have to compete with Yanyan too. You guys really make me dare not slack off for a day.
"I know. I've also applied for a border defense permit. When the time comes, we can go to Shenzhen nearby."
"Okay. Is Shenzhen big?"
"It's not big at the moment. It's just a small fishing village. But it should get bigger and bigger in the future."
When they got off the train at Guangzhou Station, Fang Tong changed into a late autumn outfit for the capital. She took off her thick clothes and thick pants.
"Dad, it's so warm here!"
Fang Mingfeng nodded, "Yes, otherwise why would I bring you this set of clothes?"
He comes here to deliver goods all year round, so he must be familiar with the temperature difference.
Fang Tong said, "I like it here, it's a warm winter."
Fang Mingfeng said, "Then wait until the house is delivered and renovated in two years, and you can transfer here to keep company with your mother and sister. It's not possible now, because the teaching quality is the best in the capital and Shanghai."
I heard that a private school will be established in two years.
"Then I won't be able to see Yanyan often." Over the past year or so, the two girls have been in contact with each other frequently in the capital, and they have a good relationship.
"With a phone and a plane, it's very convenient. It only takes three hours to fly from Guangzhou to the capital. You can have morning tea in Guangzhou, and you can also ask her to have roast duck in the capital at noon. There are flights now, as long as you have money and a letter of introduction, it's easy! However, I plan to buy a house in the capital as well. That way it will be very convenient for you sisters to go to college in the capital in the future. Look at your uncle Jiu who bought a small courtyard, and now he bought a big courtyard. The small courtyard is about 100 square meters, and the big courtyard is more than 1,000 square meters! I'm itching to buy one too!"
Fang Tong said, "It costs a lot of money to buy a courtyard house. Yanyan said that her family is very poor now and owes a lot of debts!"
"Why is she poor? Poor people take a plane to Shanghai to play?"
Are the couple crying poor to the child? Tens of thousands of yuan, it will take them less than a year to pay it back.
However, he did have to borrow half of the money to buy a house in Guangzhou. It would be a bit difficult to buy another one in the capital. Unless you buy it in the Tuanjiehu community. That courtyard house is something you can only encounter but not seek.
But he rented a courtyard house in the countryside in the capital, which was several hundred square meters. He was not used to living in a small apartment in Tuanjiehu Community.
Moreover, his uncle went back to the capital and lived in a place where he could walk to see Tiananmen Square. His father would not be too happy to live in the countryside.
Therefore, it would be better for him to buy a house in the city center. He can earn about 50,000 yuan a year now, and he can pay back the money for buying a house in Guangzhou this year. Unfortunately, he bought a pre-sale house, and he can only apply for a property certificate after the house is delivered. He can't take it to the bank for mortgage loan immediately after the transfer like Mingche did. His 100,000 yuan loan will probably be approved after the new year.
Fang Mingfeng took his daughter to the guesthouse to check in with familiarity. The letter of introduction was also opened at the travel agency before.
The sales center was open on the ninth day of the first lunar month, and he chose a house based on the model. He already knew which floor, direction, and apartment type were the best through the introduction of his acquaintances. So he went there that day and placed an order directly.
Fang Tong followed him and looked at the model in the sand table again and again. This should be the same as the model of her courtyard house that Yanyan mentioned.
"Dad, take a picture. I want to take it back to show Yanyan."
Fang Mingfeng also bought a Seagull camera. It was only a few hundred yuan, which was not a big deal for him and Fang Mingche. He took it out and started taking pictures of the model in the sandbox.
He had been to Guangzhou many times before, and he had found opportunities to visit all the places he should go. But this time he brought his daughter with him, so he must take her out for a few days. Then he would borrow a car from a friend and drive her to Shenzhen to have a look.
Fang Tong was his first child, and he had given birth to her with great expectations. Whether it was a son or a daughter, they were equally valued. Therefore, he was willing to take time to fulfill Fang Tong's wish.
As for the second child, it was indeed a bit disappointing that she was another daughter. But she was also his own flesh and blood, so he also bought her some gifts in Guangzhou this time. Well, he also bought some for Yanyan and Changchang.
Tsk, Mingche, that kid, is better than me in business. Even having a son is better than me.
It was already the 14th day of the first lunar month when the father and son flew back to the capital after traveling around the south. Fang Mingche drove Yanyan to pick them up at the Capital Airport. They drove directly to the yard rented by Fang Mingfeng, where the scrap business had already started.
Needless to say, my cousin's wife is really good at everything. The child is only 70 days old, and she can already take care of things.
"My second niece's full name is Fang Wu, right?" Fang Mingche asked while driving. He heard about it from Lin Yan, who had given her New Year's money before.
"Yes, I thought it might be a boy, so I named her Fang Wu, the Wu of Wutong. But it turned out to be a girl, so I changed the character." Fang Mingfeng sat in the passenger seat, which was convenient for talking.
The two girls in the second row were looking at the photos of the building model that Fang Tong brought back, as well as the photos of them father and daughter taken in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Yanyan looked at the building model with great interest, "Wow, it's so high! Which floor are you on?"
"The 12th floor."
Fang Mingche was also a little curious. But he was driving at the moment, so he was not in a hurry to see it. He just kept listening to the two girls muttering in the back.
When they arrived at the scrap yard, my cousin's wife came out and smiled and asked Fang Mingche and his daughter to go in and sit down, and eat before leaving. They also hired a special person to cook here. My cousin's wife's mother was only responsible for taking care of her granddaughter and cooking for her own daughter.
Fang Mingche and his daughter didn't hesitate to get out of the car and followed them in.
Fang Mingche looked at my cousin's wife, "Sister-in-law, you have recovered very well. Ah Yan must be envious when she sees you."
Lin Yan is still a little chubby. However, it feels good.
My cousin's wife smiled and said, "Your Ah Yan is content with having a son!" I can't be like her. I haven't recovered after giving birth for more than half a year.
Not long after she came out of the confinement period, she asked her mother to use a woolen blue waistband and traditional methods to help her tie her waist, trying to lose weight as soon as possible. This is how she got the effect today. This one
in her family is not as honest as Mingche, and he wants to cheat on her outside. It won't work if it's not tied up tightly! Fortunately, he was still thinking about having a son with her, so he would not have any extramarital affairs during this period.
As for the future, as long as she gave birth to a son, the family property would belong to her son. As for other things, as long as she didn't get sick, she could accept it.
Fang Mingche saw his cousin's mother coming out with the infant Fang Wu, and hurriedly greeted her "Aunt". Yanyan also followed his cousin and called her "Grandma".
They call grandma in the south, not grandma.
His cousin's mother smiled and nodded, "Hurry up and sit down and have some fruit."
Fruits are rare in winter, and if it weren't for the father and daughter, she wouldn't have been willing to eat so much.
Fang Mingche smiled and agreed, watching his cousin take his daughter and lean over to take a look, "Oh, she's grown up, like sister-in-law. She will be a beauty when she grows up. Brother Mingfeng, you already have two small cotton-padded jackets, and it would be perfect to add a leather jacket later."
This is not in the hospital, but in private, so it's okay to say so.
Fang Mingfeng smiled, hugged her and looked down, "It feels like it has changed a lot, it's really getting better and better."
Fang Mingche sat back in his seat and said to Fang Tong, "Tongtong, show all the photos to Uncle Jiu."
Fang Tong took them and explained to him. What is this place, what is that place.
"Okay, Uncle Jiu knows, take a look. You two can go play."
Yanyan brought her mini bike with her and tied it in the back compartment. The two girls went out to untie it and then lifted it down. Everyone took turns riding it. It has three wheels, so there is no need to worry about falling. Yanyan
mentioned it before, and Fang Tong asked her to bring it to him to ride. It is good to ride, so she also asked her father and mother to buy one.
The cousin's wife asked, "Is this bought with foreign exchange coupons?"
Then she would have to ask Lin Yan to exchange for foreign exchange coupons. Lin Yan is the one who keeps their family's money.
"No, this is not an imported product. Nowadays, only imported products must be purchased with foreign exchange or foreign exchange coupons."
The cousin's wife nodded, and that was easy! Although they had just bought a house, since the business was running normally, there was no need for Fang Tong to save money.
She was naturally concerned about the house that her family had bought for 60,000 or 70,000 yuan, and they looked down together.
Now there is no real object, only photos of the model. In addition to the model of the entire building, the house also has a model of the same apartment type. It is also a fully decorated model.
Her mother said, "You bought it just by looking at these models without even seeing the real house?"
Fang Mingfeng said, "Mom, this is a pre-sale. They will enlarge it and build it later."
My cousin's wife nodded and said, "It's very delicate. It would be nice if it is really enlarged and built later. I also think the winter in the capital is too cold. It's better in the south."
"It will definitely be the same after it is built. I've seen the models and photos of Hong Kong real estate projects after they were built. They are completely enlarged in proportion." Fang Mingfeng said.
The so-called introduction of foreign capital to build Donghu New Village is actually the introduction of Hong Kong capital. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan capital now enjoys foreign capital treatment.
After the great development in the 1960s and 1970s, Hong Kong is already very advanced in real estate. The models are also very well made. In order to sell the first pre-sale real estate well, a lot of effort must have been put in this time.
My cousin's wife's mother actually prefers Fang Mingche's large courtyard house. The elevator apartment is on the 12th floor. If you don't live there, you might get dizzy.
Fang Tong had the same worry. Yan Yan shook her head, "No, I've been to the upstairs of the Beijing Hotel, and I didn't feel that way at all."
Fang Mingche continued to look at the photos of Shenzhen. Except for Shekou Port and parts of Luohu, it was really just a small fishing village.
In addition to the port, he was most interested in the photos of the factory opening taken by his cousin.
"Brother Mingfeng, are you inclined to develop in the south in a few years?"
Fang Mingfeng nodded, "It's not easy to live in the capital. Without military and political connections here, you can't do much business. On the contrary, Guangzhou is much more open. Moreover, since the special zone has been designated, the south should usher in a great development. I plan to save money first and then participate in it when it starts to develop."
Fang Mingche nodded, "Not a bad idea. Guangzhou is also a famous historical and cultural city. Especially since the port was opened in 1840, the development has been ahead."
Fang Mingfeng smiled, "Why, are you also planning to open a branch?"
"Develop slowly from north to south." The houses in Guangzhou are characterized by the Xiguan mansions. The others are commercial houses, so there is no need to rush to buy them. Now there is not enough money, so I can only take it step by step.
Fang Mingche and his father had dinner here, and then drove back home.
"Dad, when will the capital build such a high house for sale?" The Overseas Chinese Apartment also has an elevator, but it is not as high as the 16th floor.
"Wait, it will come."
Yanyan continued: "Sister Tongtong said that Guangzhou and Shenzhen are very warm in winter, and she has to wear less clothes."
"Yes, our motherland is vast. The north is in the frigid zone, and the south is in the subtropical zone."
Yanyan said: "Sister Tongtong said that in two years she may have to go south with my second aunt to study in Guangzhou. But she also said that with the plane, she can have morning tea in Guangzhou, and then fly to the capital to eat roast duck with me."
Fang Mingche laughed, "Okay. In order to let you two sisters live a reunion life by flying, your second uncle and I will also work hard to make money."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com