Chu Yu was memorizing politics when he heard a thud coming from the back wall of the school. What fell to the ground was a black guitar case.
A boy in a white shirt climbed over the wall and jumped in.
He was tall and thin, with a high nose bridge and fair skin. He would have been considered a campus heartthrob in any era. In his previous life, Chu Yu worked for a music copyright company and had also taken amateurs to participate in talent shows. With his looks, he was good enough to debut directly.
Chu Yu stared at him for a few seconds. Zuo Ran was also sizing her up. He hadn't been to school for a month or so and didn't know that Chu Yu was a new student in the first year of high school. She looked like an angel.
Zuo Ran dusted himself off. "Have you finished your math exam?"
Chu Yu paused for a moment before realizing that he was being spoken to.
"Ten minutes left."
Zuo Ran never expected that he had arrived early. In fact, there was no difference between arriving early and late. Zuo Ran's mind was not on studying. He had skipped school for a month to go to Gangcheng to participate in a guitar competition.
In the 1980s, many people in mainland China didn't know what a guitar was, but Zuo Ran had already become fascinated with the instrument. He learned that there was a famous guitar competition in Hong Kong where he could meet many senior guitarists, so he secretly signed up to participate.
He also secretly obtained a Hong Kong travel permit without telling his family. The permit was not easy to obtain, no less difficult than obtaining a passport, and it required permission from the UK.
Zuo Ran grumbled as he finished getting his pass, participated in the guitar competition, and then spent over a month learning guitar from the competition judges.
The entertainment industry in Hong Kong was booming. The judges took a liking to his voice and wanted to promote him and bring him into the entertainment industry. However, Dai Qiongying gave him an ultimatum, telling him that if he didn't come back to take the exam, he should never come back for the rest of his life.
Zuo Ran was Dai's grandson, but he couldn't compare to his brother, who was from a more politically connected family. In the Beijing compound, his father had the lowest official rank, and his playmates had no idea what his father's official position was.
Things are different now. His father was transferred to Deyang to serve as the Party Secretary. As the only son of the Party Secretary, Zuo Ran could do whatever he wanted in Deyang. He was a well-off young master and didn't have much interest in entering the entertainment industry in Hong Kong.
He simply enjoys playing the guitar.
Feeling bored and not wanting to read, Zuo Ran took out his guitar and played a song.
Chu Yu initially didn't intend to pay him any attention, but the more she listened, the more something seemed off, and she couldn't help but remind him, "Your fingering is wrong."
Zuo Ran was surprised; she could actually understand guitar music?
After Zuo Ran became fascinated with the guitar, he couldn't find a guitar teacher in Deyang. He had to go back to his maternal grandfather's home in Beijing to finally find a renowned teacher.
The renowned guitar teachers in Beijing cannot compare to those in the port city.
It's not that the mainland is worse than Hong Kong. In recent years, people have been busy with the "Down to the Countryside Movement" and fighting this and that. A number of musicians were persecuted and fell. Who would dare to play guitar openly?
There were no locals in Deyang who knew how to play the guitar, yet Chu Yu, an ordinary student, actually noticed that his fingering was wrong.
These days, people who can play guitar are not ordinary people. This boy must come from a wealthy and powerful family. Chu Yu has never learned guitar, but in her previous life, she ran a music copyright company and had a lot of dealings with people in the industry.
She had watched famous guitar teachers instruct others and knew that Zuo Ran's fingering was problematic. Zuo Ran was a promising talent, and if Chu Yu had an entertainment company, she would want to recruit him and cultivate him intensively.
Fame should be sought early. In an era without fierce competition, every industry was easy to succeed in. Forty years later, however, it will not be easy for Zuo Ran to make a name for himself.
But this was 1983, an era when a few tens of thousands of yuan could create a superstar. For Chu Yu to promote Zuo Ran was really no big deal.
It's always good to build good relationships.
Chu Yu taught him a few techniques, and Zuo Ran was extremely excited. Even when it came to the political exam, he kept asking Chu Yu all sorts of questions. Fortunately, Chu Yu was not affected by him and successfully completed the remaining subjects.
A batch of goods arrived in Suicheng today, and Chu Yu had to go back to check them. When she arrived, Chen Yun was ironing clothes, and Shen Zhuyu was doing accounts.
"Chu Yu, how did the exam go?"
"It was alright, I performed as expected."
Shen Zhuyu liked her confidence. After the temperature dropped in Deyang, Mandarin's clothes sold incredibly well. Dozens of down jackets were sold every day, and the more expensive they were, the better they sold. Chu Yu placed orders with merchants in Suicheng every day.
Money came in like water.
Shen Zhuyu eats and dresses with Chu Yu. Shu Hui is in charge of buying groceries and cooking at home. Shu Hui is good at controlling expenses. With so many people in the family, the monthly food expenses are less than 50 yuan.
Shen Zhuyu offered Shu Hui twenty yuan, but Shu Hui refused outright, saying she wouldn't accept it no matter what.
Shen Zhuyu doesn't spend much money on food, and even less on clothes. When new clothes arrive at the store, she models them and sells them when someone wants them.
She didn't know anyone in Deyang, had no social obligations or expenses, and lived above a shop, saving on transportation costs. As her savings grew, Shen Zhuyu couldn't find a place to spend the money, which troubled her.
"Do you think I should buy a car or something?"
A Santana costs 200,000 yuan, which Shen Zhuyu can't afford now. She can earn enough by the end of the year. She used to work in a factory and was very envious of the bosses who drove cars. Now that she has money, she wants to buy a car and drive it around to show off.
Chu Yu refused outright, "No way."
"Why?" Shen Zhuyu didn't understand. If men could drive, why couldn't she?
Do you have a driver's license?
"No, but getting a driver's license is easy, right? Just pay the fee and you'll pass."
These days, getting a driver's license isn't as strict as it used to be. Many people can get a license without ever having been to a driving school, and there are quite a few unlicensed drivers.
Cars were toys for a select few; in an era when you could hardly see any cars on the road, traffic rules were practically useless.
"Cars are too expensive and not worth it. You might as well buy dozens of houses instead of spending 200,000 yuan on a car. Cars are depreciating assets. They start to lose value as soon as you get them. If you encounter a problem in the future and want to sell the car to tide you over, people will try to lower the price. You'll be lucky to get 50,000 or 80,000 yuan for a car you bought for 200,000 yuan. But buying a house is different. If you buy a self-built house, the house is yours and the land is yours. If there is a demolition in the future, one house can be demolished for several houses. You won't feel insecure if you have a house in hand."
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