Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 465 Black is Black
Chen Fan asked Jiang Tiantian to help him buy the boat tickets.

On the very day she received her acceptance letter and after confirming the date for her graduation banquet, Anquan asked Chen Fan for help in buying her a boat ticket home.

Chen Fan first called Jiang Tiantian to ask if they had received the notification letter. After the call ended, he asked her to help buy a boat ticket for Anquan. After buying it, he handed it directly to the people at the Luwan Delicatessen in the waiting room, so that the transport team could take it back with them when they delivered goods the next day.

Why not just ask the deli to buy it for you?
Because there are no telephones there!
I can't just call Director Lin directly about such a small matter.

However, when Chen Fan handed the ticket to An Quan, he was busy packing his things and contacting educated youth from other places to attend the college entrance banquet, so he didn't look at it carefully and just put the ticket in his pocket.

I only just realized it was a second-class ticket?!
(Second-class ticket. Other tickets are exactly the same, except that second class is changed to third, fourth, and fifth class, so it's hard to tell the difference without careful observation.)
At that time, second-class ship tickets, like airplane tickets, could only be purchased by officials.

This cadre isn't a low-level cadre like a section chief; it's someone at the deputy section chief level or above, recognized by higher authorities within the administrative hierarchy—like Chen Fan's current rank.

That's why Security was so surprised; he was also sitting in second class?!
The layout of all the Dongfanghong Yangtze River passenger ships is basically the same, and they are generally four-story.

The crew cabins are located at the front of the fourth level, while the passenger cabins are located at the front and rear of each level.

The middle section contains bathhouses, washrooms, hot water rooms, and toilets, while the stern typically houses restaurants, reading rooms, and video arcades.

As for passenger cabins, they are mostly divided into second class, third class, fourth class, fifth class, and fifth class lounge.

Fifth-class tickets are for passengers without a seat. They are generally available for short-distance travelers. They won't sell you a long-distance ticket even if you want to... unless there are too many empty beds and you are handsome.

Fifth-class cabins are usually on the first floor, below which is the noisy cabin, and the tickets are the cheapest. Each cabin has many beds, all of them three-tiered, similar to a hard sleeper carriage on a train, but without partitions. The beds are packed together, like a refugee camp.

Since we're already in fifth class, we shouldn't expect much from the environment. We should be grateful to have a place to sleep. Even the luggage is handled like in a public bathhouse. Each person is assigned a small metal locker... If there's not enough room, you either carry your own luggage or stuff it under the bed.

Fourth-class cabins are generally located on the second deck of a ship, but some ships may also place them in the middle and aft of the fourth deck. A cabin typically has 16 berths, arranged in bunk beds, which is 8 bunk beds, and the conditions are much better than those in fifth class.

Generally speaking, the most people buy fifth-class tickets. Passengers in this class are mostly visiting relatives because they pay for their own expenses and it's the cheapest option.

If you can't stand the fifth-class environment, you can buy a fourth-class ticket. Even the luggage lockers are much bigger. It is also the first choice for many business travelers. The reason is obvious: it can be reimbursed.

From fifth class upwards, the ticket price increases by about 25% for each class, so the higher the class, the fewer people buy tickets.

Upon reaching third class, we found ourselves in a rather upscale six-person cabin. It consisted of three bunk beds with metal frames, laid out much like a university dormitory.

(Third Class)

For ordinary section-level or department-level cadres, going on business trips usually means buying a third-class ship ticket, which offers spacious accommodations and comfortable living conditions, and is considered quite good.

If they are cadres at or above the division level, they will buy second-class tickets.

The cabin conditions are comparable to those of a hotel.

Two people shared a room with two single beds, a table and chairs, and an electric fan. In the late 80s, air conditioning was added, making it a truly "high-end" setup.

Naturally, the price and difficulty of purchasing it have also increased significantly, and ordinary people cannot buy it even with a letter of introduction.

If Chen Fan hadn't asked Jiang Tiantian to use her health department work ID to buy the ticket, and the people at the bus station hadn't given her face, she wouldn't have been able to buy a ticket, let alone a second-class ticket!
You need a letter of introduction to buy a long-distance ticket!

It was only because An Quan knew that Chen Fan was incredibly resourceful that he asked him to help buy the tickets; otherwise, he would have had to make the trip to the prefectural committee himself.

(Second Class)

We just introduced the transition from fifth class to second class, so what about first class?
If you know any elderly people who have taken the Dongfanghong passenger ship, you can ask them if they bought a first-class ticket!

Sorry, first class tickets are not available for sale!

Those who can afford to stay don't need to buy tickets; they can buy them on board. Those who need to buy tickets can't afford to stay!
That was a truly spacious single room, a double room, with an unbeatable river view...

Okay, I haven't seen it either.

……

When the Dongfanghong passenger ship docked, Brother Xu opened the narrow iron gate, and the passengers immediately swarmed out, like ants leaving their nest, and went up the steep steps.

Chen Fan stood to the side, looking as if he were picking someone up from prison.

About five or six minutes later, all the passengers had disembarked and left. Xu Ge and Zhao Ge finally had some free time and chatted with a few crew members while waiting for the gates in the lounge to open. Chen Fan immediately went over, took out a filter-tipped magnolia blossom, and lit it around.

It's amazing, I haven't even finished smoking two packs of Magnolia cigarettes yet.

What kind of situations haven't the crew seen? A mere filter-tipped magnolia is nothing more than a glance from them.

Unless it's a filtered Zhonghua cigarette, that would be more like it, but unfortunately Chen Fan couldn't bear to part with it.

It's not like you're on the boat yourself; just help with safety arrangements, that's enough.

However, when Brother Xu introduced him as Chen Fan, the famous writer who rose to fame this year (Lunar New Year), everyone was filled with respect, and one of the crew members even ran back to the ship.

Another crew member politely explained that the captain was a fan of his books and had also worked as a cadre stationed in the countryside. He had a deep personal understanding of the captain's novel "On the Hopeful Fields" and would be very happy to know that the captain was here.

Chen Fan was also very happy; this was the boat captain!
People who haven't worked in state-owned enterprises during this era may find it hard to understand the meaning of the word "system".

In short, if you have a relative who works for the railway, all you need to do is make a phone call, or even just give them your name and say that your relative works for a certain railway bureau and has a certain position, and the entire national railway network will provide appropriate assistance.

The same applies to the water transport system. If Chen Fan can become friends with this captain, he can mention at any passenger terminal along the Yangtze River that the captain of the Dongfanghong is my brother... and maybe he can even get a second-class cabin!
When the captain came down, it was indeed as he had predicted.

A middle-aged cadre in his forties or fifties held Chen Fan's hand warmly, asking, "I wrote you a letter, why didn't you reply?" and so on.

Chen Fan said, "I received so many letters, I didn't even know you were the captain!"
However, the captain didn't mind and casually directed two people to help carry the luggage and escort it safely to the cabin.

Anquan, clutching his second-class ticket, was sweating profusely despite the cold weather, and followed the two enthusiastic crew members onto the ship in a daze.

As he stepped onto the ship's railing, he glanced back one last time.

The long, empty staircase was completely deserted; there wasn't a single person on it.

The other passengers are still waiting in the waiting room.

It was already evening, and the passenger ship would dock at Yunhu Wharf for an hour. The captain earnestly invited Chen Fan to have a casual meal on board.

Chen Fan also tried his best to decline, saying, "Time is too tight. Leave me your address and I'll send you some local specialties from Lujiawan."

Captain, "Is it the Luwan Village from 'On the Hopeful Fields'?"

Chen Fan chuckled, "Indeed."

Captain, "No need then. I've bought all the local specialties from Lujiawan. They're from the Luwan Delicatessen in the waiting area up there. Oh, let me tell you, ever since your article got better and better, more and more people know about it. As far as I know, many tourists who have read your article make a point of going ashore to buy products from the Luwan Delicatessen when they come to Yunhu."

For example, I bought your smoked fish and dried fish in soy sauce, which you just launched not long ago, and your rice balls are really delicious! It's a pity the quantity is so limited, and they're often sold out.

Chen Fan, “…???”

He knew that smoked fish and dried fish in soy sauce were added to the products of the cooked food shop at the request of the Bailanghu Production Brigade.

But when did delicatessens start selling rice balls? How come I didn't know?
However, he finally understood why all the cooked food shops in Luwan sold out every day; it turned out that his article had served as an advertisement.

Could this be considered the earliest form of advertorial?

Seeing that Chen Fan didn't speak, the captain pulled him towards the ship. "It's lunchtime in the canteen, we have 50 minutes, let's have a couple of drinks!"

Chen Fan tried to refuse, but several crew members surrounded him and pushed him inside. Before he knew it, he was on the fourth floor.

The captain continued to show him around, "This is the reading room, that's the medical room, and hey, this is the canteen. Luckily we arrived early, there's no one here yet."

Chen Fan: It's only 4:30 in the afternoon, of course there's no one here!
There's nothing we can do about it; it gets dark early in winter, especially on a snowy day. It does seem a bit late now, so having dinner is understandable.

Upon arriving at the cafeteria on the 4th floor, the staff were already preparing to serve the dishes.

(Dongfanghong Passenger Ship Dining Hall)

Staff brought the food from the kitchen to the dining table, waiting for passengers to collect their meals after purchasing meal tickets. Besides the main dining area, the passenger ship also had several small private dining rooms.

Since the captain was treating everyone, the meal was naturally served in a private box.

Once the safety was brought over by a crew member, the canteen staff had already set the food on the table.

The captain was very generous, lifting six bottles of liquor with both hands and placing them on the table, which made Chen Fan suspect that he was from Northeast China.

Then carefully verify.

Oh, so it's from Zhuji.

That makes sense.

People from Zhuji, Zhejiang, are known as having "southern features but northern appearances," possessing both the refined elegance of people from the south and the forthrightness of people from the north.

Moreover, people from Zhuji are known for their "two great things": one is their boldness, and the other is their capacity for drinking.

After the reform and opening up, the people of Zhuji have created the world's largest jewelry market, the world's largest hosiery production base, and the world's largest automobile and refrigeration parts production base.

By the way, Xi Shi, who dared to infiltrate King Fuchai of Wu, was also from Zhuji.

The people of Zhuji are known for their many generals and their willingness to fight.

As for having a high alcohol tolerance.

There's a line in the novel "Blossoms" that says people from Zhuji are bold but can't hold their liquor, but that's nonsense.

As everyone knows, Shaoxing rice wine is world-famous; even people who don't drink alcohol can drink a pound of it.

Zhuji belongs to Shaoxing, but they are different there. They rarely drink yellow wine, mainly drinking baijiu, specifically 60-proof Tongshan Shao. Especially aged wine that is over ten years old, with a little honey added, tastes almost the same as wine with a proof of 20-something degrees, hence the reputation of "the gentleman among wines".

The local heavy drinkers can drink more than a pound of liquor in one go. Is that considered a low alcohol tolerance?

So Chen Fan stared blankly at the six bottles of sorghum liquor on the table for several seconds before suddenly looking up and asking, "This liquor is slightly reddish in color, is it Zhuji Tongshan Shao?"

The captain was surprised, yet also somewhat delighted. "Writer Chen knows about Tongshan Shao?"

Chen Fan looked on with longing, "I've heard of it for a long time, but I've never tasted it. I've heard that Tongshan Shao has a color like red jade, a smooth and sweet taste, and a strong, knife-like flavor when it goes down, which is very unique. It's a pity I've never tried it."

Upon hearing this, the captain immediately reached for the bottle cap, saying, "I'll let you have a taste today!"
Chen Fan quickly grabbed him, looking directly at the captain, "I have a favor to ask!"

The captain was very forthright. "Speak," he said.

Chen Fan said, "Could you give me these bottles of wine? I'd like to keep them and drink them slowly when I get back."

My main concern is saving my life!

Without hesitation, the captain waved his hand and said, "Since Writer Chen likes them, they're all yours!"

Chen Fan was immediately moved to tears. "I've also tried brewing a few jars of wine myself. I'll leave one at the Luwan Delicatessen. Next time you come, just go there to pick it up!"

The captain was surprised again. "Oh, Writer Chen can brew wine? I must try it!"

He then waved outside, "Bring over a case of Yunhu Daqu!"

Chen Fan was so startled he almost fell under the table. He quickly stopped him, saying, "Why don't we drink Shaoxing rice wine? I have something to do later, and the time is too short. I can't fully enjoy the baijiu, so rice wine is just right."

The captain tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said, "That works too."

Thus, Chen Fan finally escaped a calamity.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, and with staff coming to urge us two or three times, the meal finally ended ten minutes after the departure time.

Chen Fan, carrying six tightly bound bottles of Tongshan liquor, stood on the dock and earnestly said to An Quan, "These next few days, you must act according to the circumstances and not overindulge in alcohol!"

Security was speechless. "If it weren't for your readers, would I have been in this crisis?"

Chen Fan was displeased upon hearing this. "Who said you were going to Shanghai Jiao Tong University? I didn't say that! The captain only treated you differently because you're a prospective student at a top university. Don't try to pin this on me."

Safety, "...If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even know that captain!"

Chen Fan, "This is just like crossing the river and burning the bridge, pulling the ladder away after climbing over the wall, being ungrateful and treacherous... Hey, where are you going?"

Without turning his head, Anquan waved his hand and said, "Didn't you hear we're about to set sail?"

Once he stepped onto the ship's railing, he turned around, gripped the railing, and waved his right hand vigorously, shouting, "I'll be waiting for you in Shanghai!"

Chen Fan, however, had a dark expression. "I am going to Shanghai to see the rabbits after the New Year, but can you please not make it sound like a life-or-death separation?!"

Anquan wanted to say something more, but the ship's horn sounded again, and the ship slowly moved away from the shore. He waved gently and left with the ship.

Chen Fan casually made a hand gesture, then turned and started climbing.

He didn't dare look down the 45-degree slope. Luckily, he hadn't drunk any liquor earlier, otherwise he would have tumbled down and lost the game.

Upon arriving at the top, he found the Luwan Delicatessen. The shopkeeper immediately waved and greeted him, "Teacher Chen, there's a letter for you."

As he spoke, he took out a small envelope from under the counter.

Chen Fan walked over and put the wine on the counter first. He took the letter and looked at it. It turned out to be from Jiangnan Literature and Art Magazine. He was immediately puzzled. It was the middle of the month, not the time to send sample copies. Why would they send him a letter?
As he opened the letter, he took out two sheets of paper and unfolded them to read, casually asking, "I heard the shop is selling rice balls?"

After waiting a few seconds without hearing a reply, he looked up and saw several shop assistants exchanging strange glances. He couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

Is there something wrong with the rice ball?
The store manager, suppressing a laugh, said apologetically, "We didn't originally sell rice balls. But one day, we put the rice balls we brought ourselves in the counter, and then customers came to buy them. We told them we were just for ourselves, but they still wanted to buy them, so we sold them. After that, we tried making some every day, but not many."

Can you do this?

Chen Fan blinked. "How much is one?"

The shop manager cautiously held up two fingers. "Two cents."

Chen Fan blinked rapidly, and after several seconds, he sighed, "You guys are even darker than me!"

The store manager was initially a little worried, but after hearing what Chen Fan said, he immediately burst out laughing. Realizing his mistake, he quickly covered his mouth.

Chen Fan shook his head. "A rice ball costs at most 2 liang of rice, plus vegetables and a little bit of leftover braised meat scraps. The cost is less than 4 cents, but you sell it for 2 mao. You're ripping people off, really ripping them off, even more ripping off than me!"

Now a pound of rice costs 2 cents, and two ounces of rice is only 4 cents. After factoring in other costs, 4 cents is the maximum.

Five times the profit? What is that if not a scam?!

The store manager was feeling uneasy, trying to figure out how to argue, when he saw Chen Fan raise his head and give a thumbs up. "Make more in the future, and give it a nicer name, like Luwan Secret Recipe Chicken Rice Balls. If sales are high, I'll have Secretary Yang give you a bonus."

Upon hearing this, the store employees cheered and couldn't help but clap their hands.

Chen Fan laughed and waved at them, "Keep up the good work."

He then left, carrying the wine in one hand and the letter in the other.

But a question arose in my mind.

The Jiangnan Literature and Art Magazine wrote a special letter to invite me to the provincial capital, saying that they had important matters to discuss.

Quite a few magazines invited him to meet in person, but they were mostly for literary seminars, which Chen Fan wasn't interested in. So he had politely declined all the previous invitations when submitting his manuscripts.

This time was different. Jiangnan Magazine wanted to invite me to the provincial capital to discuss the restoration of the Writers' Association and to recommend me for membership in the provincial Writers' Association.

Before writers' associations at the provincial level and below were restored or established, provincial writers' associations were the backbone of local writers' associations and an essential step to joining the national writers' association.

Do you want to go by yourself?
(End of this chapter)