Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 401 News Arrives
The next day, August 10th.

Chen Fan strolled into the courtyard of the brigade headquarters, where Zhang Wenliang was leading a group of militiamen in their morning exercises.

Upon seeing him enter, Zhang Wenliang forgot all about practicing his martial arts and walked over to look him up and down before glancing up at the sky.

Chen Fan smiled slightly and said calmly, "No need to look, the sun will rise from the east as usual today!"

Zhang Wenliang blinked rapidly. "But why did you arrive so early?"

The last time I came to work this early was probably before Zhang Cuie became an apprentice, right?

Since students started doing the work for him, Chen Fan has been letting himself go more and more each day.

Even if the coordinator is considered to have a semi-secure job, that's only if you don't make any big mistakes. Can someone who skips work every day expect to get any benefits?
If it weren't for his other great abilities, and the fact that the Party Secretary and the Captain both indulged him, he would have been dismissed from his position as a broadcaster long ago.

The same applies to veterinarians.

Looking at Zhang Wenliang, Chen Fan smiled and said, "I went to the commune to take care of some things and then came straight here."

He went to the post office early this morning to mail letters, but he didn't send out all the manuscripts.

Submitting articles to more than a dozen magazines at once is something no one can handle; it's no wonder the post office clerks spread the word.

This doesn't fit Teacher Chen's excellent quality of developing in a low-key manner.

So he decided to send the mail in a scattered manner: two here, a few when he went to the county town, and the rest to the prefectural committee.

Anyway, he has many contact addresses, so any delicatessen can use his address. Although it's a bit troublesome, it's safe.

At most, people in the commune would say, "Teacher Chen has submitted another article," but only he himself knew exactly how many articles he had submitted!
After mailing the letter, he returned to the production team and was caught red-handed by Zhang Wenliang.

Zhang Wenliang didn't ask him what he was going to do, and stopped practicing his skills. He waved to the militiamen to finish their practice and go back on his own, then followed him inside. "Yesterday when I came back from outside, Uncle Ye said that I don't need to go out to collect goods anymore, nor do I need to go out to sell them."

He was still a little annoyed when he said this.

To date, Luwan Delicatessen has a total of 15 stores, 13 of which were acquired by Chen Fan: 3 in the county seat, 10 in the prefectural committee, and the remaining two located in front of two hospitals in Shuanghe County, which are also related to Chen Fan.

Besides that, he couldn't even open a new store.

The only gain was that before the next batch of live poultry hatched in Lujiawan, they led several groups to purchase a lot of live chickens from other communes, which made a small contribution to increasing sales. They also purchased a lot of calves and foals, which helped the production team expand its livestock.

The seedlings in the four brigades of Ganjiacun have begun to grow, and the new seedlings in Lujiawan have also hatched. As long as no new stores are opened, there will be no problem in ensuring market supply. The autumn harvest is just around the corner, and the people who were sent to the county to learn how to drive tractors will be back in a few days.

At that time, the allocation and management of personnel, the rotation and maintenance of agricultural machinery will all require someone to be in charge of overall coordination.

Secretary Yang and the others all knew that they couldn't rely on Chen Fan for this kind of thing, even though he was the most capable. Besides, he had already taken care of everything beforehand, so it would be too much to ask him to take charge of the execution as well.

Therefore, Ye Shubao recalled Zhang Wenliang and put him in charge of these tasks.

Listening to Zhang Wenliang's rambling, Chen Fan stopped at the office door and laughed gleefully, "Who told you not to give me the work points? You, the security chief, are going to be the 'agricultural machinery station chief' too, and you still don't have any work points!"

There is naturally no agricultural machinery station chief in the production team. This position is at least a commune-level position. However, if Zhang Wenliang were to manage all these agricultural machines, not to mention the commune agricultural technology station, even the county agricultural machinery center would not be as wealthy as him!
Zhang Wenliang knew it was a joke, but he couldn't help but get angry. "What have you done as a data clerk besides organizing books once? How can you compare to my work as the 'agricultural machinery station chief'?!"

He had barely finished speaking when he burst into laughter.

At this moment, Ye Shubao came out, pointed at the two of them, and shook his head with a wry smile, "You two are still short of work points? Xiao Chen, you have a technical instructor title in the brick workshop of Team 6, and your team leader Yang will pay you 100 yuan a month."

Then, pointing at Zhang Wenliang, she added, "And you, you want the farm machinery team's work points? Fine, then give up your position as the transport team leader, and give your salary and bonuses to someone else too, okay?!"

Zhang Wenliang immediately stood up straight and said, "Reporting to the team leader, there's no need for such trouble. I'm willing to work tirelessly for the development of the production team!"

Just kidding, the transport team is independently accounted for and they do get paid, okay? I don't know how much bonus they get, but a team leader's salary of 50 yuan a month is pretty good, why would they need a bonus?!

Managing agricultural machinery is no big deal!

Before there were extra wages or work points, he did all those temporary jobs just the same. Now he's just running errands, how could it be as tiring as it was back then?!
Chen Fan grinned and chuckled, "I'm not just a figurehead; I go to check on things every time the kiln is fired."

Although he really just went to take a look, he did go, so who dares to say he didn't participate?
He took the money with a clear conscience.

Ye Shubao was too lazy to argue with him, so he waved his hand and said, "Come in, let's talk about something."

Chen Fan followed him inside. "What's the matter?"

As Ye Shubao walked inside, he said, "Last year (according to the lunar calendar, before the Spring Festival), you told your team's Master Liu about a buffalo disease caused by malnutrition, so you suggested that we prepare more silage before winter this year?"

Chen Fan nodded immediately. "Hypothermia in buffalo is not very common, but it's not rare either. The veterinary station has recorded more than a dozen cases with similar symptoms. The cause is malnutrition and decreased resistance in buffalo. If silage can be provided to supplement nutrition, hypothermia can be effectively prevented."

As soon as Ye Shubao returned to his seat, Secretary Yang raised his head and said, "Yesterday afternoon, your Captain Yang reported this matter to Captain Zhang. The water buffalo is an important asset of the production team, and we cannot be careless in the slightest."

Moreover, our production team now has quite a few livestock. Including the original ones and the newly added ones, there are more than 300 head of livestock, including cattle, horses, mules and donkeys. Many of them are calves, and feeding small animals is a troublesome matter.

So this morning, Lao Zhang told us about this, and we wanted to have a meeting with you to discuss it properly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Liewen laughed and said, "You are the head veterinarian of the production team, and you were the first to bring this up, so we have to discuss it with you."

Chen Fan smiled, but a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.

Normally, Xiao Liewen wouldn't concern himself with matters related to production, at most he'd say a word or two to express his stance, but today he immediately made his position clear.

The word "must" was also used.

Hehe, it seems my status in the production team is different now than before. Even Secretary Yang and the others are starting to consider my feelings.

Since Xiao Liewen was considered his master whom he had not kowtowed to, he knew he had to take his words seriously.

Conversely, whether it's Secretary Yang, Captain Zhang, or Captain Ye speaking up, even if it's just a discussion, it carries the implication of an order. The leaders are very adept at handling interpersonal relationships here!
Chen Fan thought for a moment, then casually raised his head and smiled, "Actually, I've never even seen silage, let alone had any contact with it. But personally, I have two thoughts."

Secretary Yang immediately pointed at him and said, "Speak."

Chen Fan gestured, "First of all, we must not only make silage, but do so urgently. The Mid-Autumn Festival has already passed, and if we wait any longer, many plants will wither and turn yellow. So now is the best time to make silage, and we must seize this window of opportunity to produce as much silage as possible."

Captain Zhang nodded in deep agreement, paused for two seconds, then looked up at him, "And the second one?"

Chen Fan smiled, then his smile faded and he said seriously, "Secondly, as I just mentioned, I've never seen silage before. Although I've read a little about it in books, I'm not sure what it's like."

Unlike other things, there's no way to get guidance from anyone; I can only read some books and grit my teeth and do it myself.

However, both the commune's agricultural technology station and the county's agricultural bureau have technicians with extensive experience in making silage. Therefore, my suggestion is to request support from the commune and county, and apply for several technicians to come down and guide us in making silage.

Secretary Yang looked around and, seeing that no one else seemed to object, immediately nodded and said, "That's easy. I'll go to the commune and the county agricultural bureau today and ask them to send a few more technicians over."

Chen Fan nodded, "Then there's no problem. They have the technology and experience, and they can most likely help us make good silage."

He paused for a moment, then looked at Zhang Wenliang, who was sitting next to him smoking, and said, "There are still a few days before the autumn harvest. Brother Sanhu can organize the farm machinery team to harvest the grass. It can be considered as a rehearsal for the autumn harvest."

Ye Shubao immediately nodded, "That's a good idea."

Then he looked at Zhang Wenliang and said, "Sanhuzi, I'm leaving this to you." Zhang Wenliang scratched his head in distress and replied, "Okay."

He had only ever organized militia training and simulated combat before, and even the transport teams operated by referring to the militia's logistics supply. This is harvesting pasture.

Nope!
Most of the pasture grass grows on slopes, unlike rice paddies which grow in large patches. How do we manage this?
Seeing his expression, Chen Fan's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled at him, "Brother Sanhu, just think of the farm machinery as tanks, the farm machinery team as the fighting force, and the pasture as the enemy. Just lead the farm machinery team to victory!"

Zhang Wenliang was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at the others, then at Chen Fan, "So, our team is all mechanized?"

Chen Fan was somewhat speechless.

Secretary Yang and the others burst into laughter.

Xiao Liewen exhaled a puff of smoke and said with a smile, "I haven't even commanded a mechanized unit before, and you're already leading mechanized soldiers. Stop talking nonsense. Say something, can you even get in?"

Zhang Wenliang chuckled twice, then his expression turned serious. "Yes!"

As the laughter subsided, Chen Fan looked around. "Is there anything else? If not, I'll go check in the back."

Although he spends most of his time at home, he still comes over every day to check on Zhang Cuie and her classmates' learning progress, and to answer their questions.

We've already done so much; it would be a huge loss if we were to fall short by just a little bit.

Secretary Yang nodded and was about to speak when the phone on the table suddenly rang.

He waved to Chen Fan to indicate that everything was alright, then picked up the phone. "Hello, this is Lujiawan Production Team. Who are you looking for?"

Chen Fan waved to the crowd, smiled, and turned to leave.

But after taking only two steps, they heard Secretary Yang raise his voice, "Ah? Looking for Chen Fan?"

Chen Fan turned around abruptly and saw Secretary Yang holding a microphone, saying, "He's looking for you."

Looking for me?
Who is it?

Chen Fan strode over, took the cigarette Ye Shubao offered with his left hand, and picked up the phone with his right, holding the receiver to his ear. "Hello, this is Chen Fan. How can I speak?"

"Xiao Chen, it's me, Teacher Guo."

Chen Fan suddenly realized, "Oh, hello, Teacher Guo."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Teacher Guo, is there something you need?"

These days, the most common way to communicate is by writing letters, followed by telegrams. Generally, people only make phone calls for important matters, and when making a phone call, you should never exchange pleasantries, just like Chen Fan is doing now. You should get straight to the point to save on phone bills!
When he has free time, he would bring two braised chickens to visit Teacher Guo and Teacher He, as a way to maintain their relationship. After all, when they first met, they had told him about the possibility of resuming the college entrance examination. Although he didn't need to use it himself, the favor was genuine.

The key to social interactions lies in the latter two words: social interactions. Anyway, he often went to the prefectural committee and would stop by the education department and health department to visit old friends, so it wasn't too much trouble.

But when I went to the prefectural committee to buy agricultural machinery parts a few days ago, I stopped by to visit them. They didn't mention anything important. Could it be that there was some kind of emergency?
Just as his mind was racing, Teacher Guo suddenly lowered her voice and said with a slight tremor, "Xiao Chen, it's decided. Just yesterday, the higher authorities officially confirmed that college entrance examinations will be reinstated!"

Chen Fan blinked rapidly, thinking to himself, "I know, it's October 12th, it's officially finalized."

Moreover, the vice president had already decided on it back in August. After two months of meetings, they gradually shed burdens and finally finalized the relevant outline. It was then formally approved by the institute. Yesterday was just the official approval.

However, it was not announced to the public, but was instead forwarded to relevant units at all levels in the form of documents.

So at this moment, everyone who can know already knows.

As for those without connections, they will have to wait until October 21st to receive the news through major newspapers and radio stations across the country.

Then the whole country was in an uproar.

After a two-second pause, Chen Fan put on his best acting, his voice filled with surprise, "Really? Is this for real?"

The others in the office looked at him and couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances.

What's wrong?
Have you found your family?
Professor Guo's voice was also somewhat excited, "It's absolutely true! Not only that, but the ministry's 'Opinions on the Enrollment of Postgraduate Students in Higher Education Institutions' has also been approved, which means that the enrollment of postgraduate students will be officially resumed!"

After a pause, Teacher Guo took a breath and said to Chen Fan, "Little Chen, Lao He and I were just joking before, telling you to take the postgraduate entrance exam for Jiangnan University. Now it turns out we were right."

With the knowledge you've demonstrated, passing this year's correspondence exam shouldn't be a problem. That way, you can get your bachelor's degree and then be ready to register for the postgraduate entrance exam.

Therefore, you must seize this opportunity, avoid complacency, and strive for even greater progress, taking each step steadily to pass next year's postgraduate entrance examination.

Chen Fan kept nodding, but when he heard the last sentence, he paused slightly, "The date for the postgraduate entrance exam has been set now?"

The others in the office were confused again.

postgraduate?
What kind of student was that?
Teacher Guo's emotions softened slightly, and she said softly, "It's not decided yet, but this year's main task will definitely revolve around the college entrance examination. The postgraduate admissions work will definitely be a step behind. But judging from the current situation, it shouldn't be too long."

He slowly exhaled a long breath, "It's been delayed for too long. Nobody can wait any longer, and nobody wants to wait any longer. I estimate that the postgraduate admissions process will be finalized and announced by December of this year at the latest. The postgraduate entrance exam may be held in March or April of next year, which will be just the right time for you to register."

Chen Fan nodded seriously, "Understood, Teacher Guo, I will try my best to seize this opportunity."

He then smiled and said, "Thank you for making this special call."

Teacher Guo laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright. I just saw that you are a rare talent and I couldn't bear to let such a promising young man go to waste."

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Teacher He and I were really worried that you would refuse to register for the postgraduate entrance examination, just like you refused to take the college entrance examination last time. I was so worried that I thought I would just call you and try to persuade you, but I didn't expect that I would not be able to say a word."

Chen Fan was touched. "Thank you for your trouble."

"it's okay no problem."

Teacher Guo smiled and said, "As long as the result is good, that's fine. Okay, that's all for now. I'll hang up now. Come over next time and we can talk in person."

Chen Fan: "Okay, goodbye."

After hanging up the phone, he looked at Zhang Wenliang and said, "Brother Sanhu, close the door."

Zhang Wenliang closed the office door without hesitation.

Ye Shubao closed all the windows, then turned to look at him and whispered, "Is there something important?"

Chen Fan was about to speak when he couldn't help but grin and laugh uncontrollably.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Liewen immediately became anxious and stood up, saying, "Hey, hurry up and tell me!"

Chen Fan chuckled twice before lowering his voice and saying, "The call was from Teacher Guo at the correspondence center of Jiangnan University in the Yunhu area. He said that the college forwarded the ministry's document yesterday, but it hasn't been officially announced yet."

Ye Shubao and Zhang Wenliang quickly walked up to him, while Secretary Yang, Captain Zhang, and Xiao Liewen also stared intently at him.

Chen Fan continued without pausing, "Starting this year, the college entrance examination will be officially reinstated!"

………………

(The mystery is revealed. When the book was first published, many readers said they wanted to take the college entrance exam and go to university, but why didn't anyone think of going straight to graduate school? Fun fact: in that year, it was possible to skip directly from high school or even middle school to graduate school, as long as you had good grades. Hehehehehehe...)
(End of this chapter)