Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 259 No need to collect

In the broadcasting room, Chen Fan took a sip of water and said to Zhang Cuie, "So, the most suitable career path for you is definitely broadcaster. Of course, this is just my analysis. Whether you want to listen or not is up to you, or you can discuss it with your family."

Zhang Cuie hesitated for two seconds, then raised her head and resolutely said, "Teacher, I will listen to you and study to become a broadcaster."

She pouted as she spoke, "Hmph, if I were to discuss it with my family, they would definitely make me learn to repair appliances, because repairing appliances earns more money than being a broadcaster."

Chen Fan laughed and said, "Don't think like that. The fact that you're sitting here shows that your parents love you very much. In some families, girls might not even have the chance to go to school, but you at least finished primary school. If you didn't have that foundation, no matter how hard you try, you wouldn't have learned so much, right?"

Zhang Cuie smiled sheepishly, "I understand, teacher. I didn't mean to blame them."

Chen Fan smiled and nodded, "Anyway, you just need to think it through yourself. Once you've decided on your direction, I'll make a study plan for you."

He turned to look at the radio on the table and said, "Besides, focusing your studies on becoming a broadcaster doesn't conflict with learning electronics. Repairing appliances doesn't require advanced electronics skills; a basic understanding of high school electronics principles is enough. You can watch it as a pastime, and it won't interfere with your main career path."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cuie nodded vigorously, "I understand, teacher, I will."

Chen Fan smiled, took another sip of tea, put down the cup, slung his bag over his shoulder, and left work.

However, I can't go home yet; I have to go and cook a few dishes for Captain Xiao to entertain his old buddies.

……

He politely declined Captain Xiao's invitation to drink together. He figured it was better to go home and have dinner than to join in the fun of a gathering of old friends.

Back at the educated youth settlement, it started to drizzle again.

This is how the Qingming rain in Jiangnan is: it falls continuously and incessantly, making the house damp both inside and out.

Chen Fan led the horse into the yard, and the foal immediately ran out excitedly, circling around him and the mare.

Because of the rain, the four girls had already returned from the fields and were studying together in their room. When they saw Chen Fan enter the yard, they got up to greet him.

Chen Fan waved his hand at them, "You all continue with your studies, I'm going out for a bit."

He tossed aside the reins, letting the mare and foal return to the stable on their own, then looked at Yang Ju and asked, "Is your father home?"

Yang Ju stood up, walked to the door, and said loudly, "I don't know, I haven't been home yet today."

Not only did she not go home today, she hasn't been home for several days. She eats and lives well here. There is meat and fish on the table every day, and she sleeps in her own bed. Compared to eating pickles and vegetables every day at home and sharing a bed with her two younger sisters, it's like heaven and earth. As a result, none of the three girls want to go home. Even if they do go back, it's because they have something to do.

When Chen Fan heard that she didn't know, he didn't say anything more, waved his hand and walked out.

Watching Chen Fan's retreating figure, Huang Ying asked curiously, "What did he want with your dad?"

Yang Ju looked blankly at him. "I don't know."

Jiang Lili said thoughtfully, "Could it be related to the reopening of farmers' markets?"

Huang Ying and the other two realized what was happening and nodded in unison, "That's possible."

……

Chen Fan wasn't concerned about the farmers' market; he just wanted to ask Captain Yang if he needed to pay a side business fee for making and selling pottery.
Now it's a team contract system. If you have to pay a sideline fee, it's first paid to the team, and then the team pays the brigade headquarters according to a certain percentage. So we have to ask Captain Yang about this.

When we arrived at Captain Yang's house, he was doing carpentry work.

However, compared to professional carpenters, Yang Chuanfu can only make things like wooden basins and buckets. He can't make anything more complicated, such as tables and chairs.

The biggest difference lies in whether or not mortise and tenon joints are used. Without the guidance of a professional carpenter, the average person cannot learn the tricks of the trade. Chen Fan lightly kicked their big yellow dog as a greeting, and at the same time took out a cigarette and offered it to the dog, "Making a wooden basin again?"

Yang Chuanfu put the wooden board aside, took the cigarette offered to him, lit it on a match, took a puff, and then laughed, "Anyway, we can't work on rainy days, so we might as well make something and take it to the market. Maybe we can make some money."

Yang Mei, the second daughter of the Yang family, moved a chair to the side and said softly, "Please sit down, Teacher Chen."

Chen Fan smiled and thanked him, "Thank you."

He then sat down on a chair and looked at the wooden planks on the ground. “A wooden basin only costs one or two yuan, while a chair costs 3.5 yuan. It’s simpler to make than a wooden basin. You can find a carpenter and learn how to make a chair in half a day. It’s easy and you can make more money selling it.”

Yang Chuanfu chuckled. "Easy for you to say. Without apprenticeship, which master craftsman would be willing to teach you a skill?"

He looked at Chen Fan while smoking and said with emotion, "So you took the initiative to start a veterinary class to teach them veterinary skills, and taught Xiao Ju and the others cultural knowledge at the educated youth settlement. A few days ago, you also took Zhang Cuie as your apprentice and are going to train her to be a broadcaster. Now, who in the whole brigade doesn't give you a thumbs up?!"

Chen Fan smiled and shook his head, not taking up the topic.

His idea was actually very simple: first and foremost, to repay the favor.

Yang Chuanfu pulled him out of the water, which was a life-saving grace that could not be repaid in any way. But at the beginning, they not only did not make any demands, but also let him stay at the educated youth settlement and lent him 30 catties of white rice so that he could survive.

At that time, he hadn't shown any ability; he was just a complete "refugee." How could Chen Fan not reciprocate the kindness that Captain Yang and the others had shown him?
Another question is, how can I, as an outsider, establish myself in this place if I don't demonstrate enough value?
As a result, he demonstrated his value, and the production team reciprocated with "sincerity," even hiring him, an outsider, as a broadcaster. This entanglement deepened, eventually leading to him becoming known as "Teacher Chen" in Lujiawan.

Thinking about his own ulterior motives, Chen Fan couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.

Then just don't think about it.

He coughed lightly, took the teacup Yang Mei handed him, and said to Captain Yang, "Captain, I came here to ask if I need to pay a side business fee since I've made quite a bit of money firing pottery and selling it?"

Captain Yang turned to look at him in surprise and asked, "Who told you that you had to pay a side job fee?"

Chen Fan chuckled, "I went to the commune today and heard from others that the members of the production team were doing side jobs outside. They had to pay a side job fee to the team when they made money, so I came back to ask."

Captain Yang's expression softened a bit after hearing what he said. He chuckled and said, "You're quite conscientious, thinking of voluntarily paying for your side job."

He paused, took a drag of his cigarette, and said with a smile, "Indeed, when people in the team go out to do side jobs, they have to pay the team a side job fee. This side job fee is divided into two types: one is calculated by the number of times, and the other is calculated by the time."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and continued, "For example, some of them go far away to do odd jobs to earn money. Because they miss the work of the production team, they need to 'buy work points' from the team, which means they ask someone else to work in their place. In this case, it is calculated by the number of times."

The exact amount they charge per day depends on their income. Those who earn more pay more, and those who earn less—like some who work as porters at the docks, earning only three to five dollars a day—would only charge a dollar or so.

Hearing this, Chen Fan recalled what the old man had said when he bought the chicks last time: those who paid 8 yuan a day to "buy work points" were the ones who earned more money, and the more money they earned, the more money they naturally had to hand over.

Captain Yang continued, "If you open a shop outside and don't come back to work in the production team all year round, then you have to 'buy out' it, which means you have to pay a certain amount of money per year based on the time you spend there. This also depends on your income. Generally speaking, paying two or three hundred yuan a year is considered normal."

He suddenly smiled and said, "If you can't even earn two or three hundred yuan for a side job, then there's no point in going out to do a side job. It's better to work honestly in the team than to suffer outside."

Chen Fan smiled and nodded, "That makes sense."

He then looked at Captain Yang and asked, "What about mine?"

Yang Chuanfu chuckled and shook his head. "Your situation is actually quite common in our production team. For example, bamboo weavers and carpenters do side jobs to earn money while working their regular jobs. In this case, the production team usually doesn't charge a fee for side jobs."

He looked at Chen Fan and smiled, "Because they didn't miss work. As long as they didn't miss the production team's work, why should we charge them a sideline fee?"

For example, you've been a dedicated broadcaster since you started, never late or leaving early, and always working full hours. You only do some side work in your spare time, so why should we charge you a fee for it?

(End of this chapter)