Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 484 Twist and Turn

Zhang Wenliang had originally intended to put Chen Fan in a good position, but one sentence from him completely ruined his composure. His old face darkened, and he snorted coldly, refusing to speak to him.

Seeing that he wouldn't take the cigarette, Chen Fan simply turned the cigarette upside down, put it in his mouth, then took out a lighter and lit it, chuckling, "So what if you were punished? Just correct your mistakes, that's all. Keep it up, I believe in you."

Zhang Wenliang rolled his eyes and exhaled a puff of smoke. "You go to the provincial capital, and all you get is a cigarette?"

He held the cigarette in his hand and examined it. "What kind of cigarette is this? It tastes even better than the Zhonghua you gave me last time?"

Chen Fan snorted twice, "It's not that it's better than Zhonghua, it's that it's more pungent than Zhonghua."

He turned his head and glanced at the other old smokers in the room, their eyes glazed over. Before Lujiawan became wealthy, these people smoked tobacco grown by themselves, and in earlier years, they even smoked tree leaves.

I only have a few coins in my pocket now, and I'm already carrying them.

He casually picked up the bag he had just tossed on the table, took out a few items from it, and placed them in front of each person. "Leaders, don't think I'm stingy, these things cost a fortune."

The items are all different, and each person also receives a pack of Golden Dragon cigarettes.

Captain Zhang picked up the pack of cigarettes and the notebook, looked at them, then opened the notebook, looked up at him, and said, "The commemorative gift from the Writers' Association, you still have to pay for it yourself?"

Captain Yang tugged at his black briefcase. "Wow, it's made of high-quality leather. Not bad."

Then he stretched out his arm to look at the words on the briefcase: "A souvenir from the Jiangnan Provincial Writers Association Reconstruction Conference?"

Needless to say, her gaze had already drifted towards Chen Fan.

Alongside them were Ye Shubao, holding an umbrella, and Xiao Liewen, carrying a travel mug.

Chen Fan coughed lightly, "This is a commemorative edition, it's very rare, you can't even buy it outside. Well, it's okay if you don't want it, I have other things here, they're not cheap either, how about I exchange them for you?"

Zhang Wenliang first stuffed the box containing toiletries and tableware into his pocket, and said nonchalantly, "Never mind, it's not easy for you to earn money. Leave those things for someone else, I'll take this one."

While he was speaking, the others quickly hid the souvenirs.

Just kidding, what good are ordinary souvenirs, no matter how good they are?
Is anything with the words "Jiangnan Provincial Writers Association" printed on it really that high-class?!

This is a souvenir from the Writers' Association. Try to get one if you dare!

Chen Fan grinned and chuckled.

He did buy souvenirs for these people, but when he came out this morning, he changed them to these other things.

People these days value face the most; as long as it saves face, they'll be completely open and honest with each other.

In an era when people considered the factory their home and their workplace their pride, giving them something that still bore the company's name and would be looked down upon by later generations was exactly what touched their hearts.

Not to mention that this is a souvenir issued by the Writers' Association. If they take it out, everyone will wonder if they have any connection with the Writers' Association.

At the very least, there's someone from the Writers' Association around.

This is face!
Sure enough, although they complained, as soon as they heard Chen Fan was going to take it back, they quickly hid themselves, afraid that it would be snatched away.

Secretary Yang closed the drawer, coughed lightly, and looked up at Chen Fan. "You didn't come back after you took Xiao An last time. I asked the transport team to inquire about your situation. They went to the Education Department and found Xiao Jiang. That's when they learned that you went to the provincial capital to attend the Writers Association meeting and had the opportunity to join the Writers Association as a member."

His eyes gleamed as he stared intently at Chen Fan. "Did it work?"

Chen Fan nodded and smiled, "It's done."

He then pulled out several certificates from his pocket and tossed them far away. "Not only did I succeed, but I also changed jobs. Yesterday, I came back and took a correspondence course exam, and I also got a bachelor's degree."

His expression and tone were as casual as if he'd just bought a bottle of soy sauce at the village entrance—completely insignificant!
The people holding the identification documents were stunned.

Xiao Liewen looked at his Writers Association membership card from left to right, "So I'm a member now?"

Captain Zhang nudged Ye Shubao's head as it leaned closer, "Don't get too close."

He frowned deeply and muttered, "Isn't it said that university entrance exams are very difficult? You got your diploma in just one day?"

Ye Shubao pretended to know a lot, "That's because it's hard for others to pass, but Xiao Chen will definitely pass it every time."

At the same time, he glanced at Chen Fan, thinking that he should ask him later if this correspondence bachelor's degree was easy. He signed up a few months ago, didn't attend a single class, and got his graduation certificate yesterday after just one exam. He wondered if he could take the exam for one too.
Come to think of it, we're college students too!
Secretary Yang held up his work badge, looking at it repeatedly. "Director of the European and American Branch of the External Liaison Department of the Jiangnan Provincial Writers Association? What level is that?"

Chen Fan smiled slightly, "Deputy division chief level."

Everyone, including Zhang Wenliang who remained seated demurely in his chair, turned to look at Chen Fan upon hearing his words.

Deputy division chief level?
Are you kidding me? !

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Xiao Liewen suddenly hummed twice, "Heh heh, does that mean we have a deputy section chief under us now?"

Chen Fan clicked his tongue, thinking there was nothing wrong with what he said, so he nodded very seriously, "All the members of Lujiawan are soldiers under the leadership of these leaders, so I must be one too!"

As soon as he said that, the office erupted in laughter.

The anxiety of Secretary Yang and his companions vanished instantly.

They were genuinely frightened just now. Although Chen Fan was previously a deputy section-level cadre in the health department, everyone knew that it was just a nominal position; he didn't even have a proper department and usually worked in Lujiawan.

And look at this work permit: first it's for the Writers' Association, then for the Department of External Liaison, and then for the European and American Branch!

What does this mean?
This shows that this is a legitimate department, and Chen Fan is the director and head of this department!

Moreover, he was a deputy-division-level official with real power, equivalent to a county leader.

Can this be the same?
They claimed to be leaders of the production team, but strictly speaking, even the lowest-ranking clerk in the commune was higher than them. At least the clerk received an administrative salary, while they did not.
However, seeing Chen Fan's current appearance and recalling his mischievous behavior when he entered the room, one knows that everything remains the same!
Secretary Yang was still a little uneasy. After hesitating for two seconds, he stared at Chen Fan and asked, "Little Chen, now that you've become the director, does that mean...?"

The words were not finished, but the meaning was clear.

Will you stay in Lujiawan in the future?

Chen Fan, of course, patiently recounted the story of the provincial capital once more.

The health department, the two sisters, the education department, the machinery factory—this is the fifth time I've seen this.

However, the content of his story was quite different. He recounted it in a dazzling, flowery manner, describing the many hardships he had endured along the way, how he finally joined the Writers' Association, where he was showered with praise and unanimously elected as a member, how he had to accept Chairman He's repeated visits to his humble abode to take on the responsibility of leading the European and American branch of the External Relations Department, a task that no one else could handle, and so on.

In short, it highlights a life full of ups and downs, and one who is highly valued.

"but."

Chen Fan threw his cigarette butt into the ashtray, his face full of determination. "For the sake of the unfinished business in Lujiawan, I have to discuss with Chairman He about temporarily putting aside my work at the Provincial Writers Association and returning to Lujiawan. As for the work there, we will make decisions by letter."

Zhang Wenliang hesitated for two seconds, then quickly grasped the key point, "So it's the same as before, I'm just a figurehead there, still working in the village." Chen Fan glanced at him, "I only draw inspiration from real life for the sake of my creative work."

Anyway, by this time everyone else had understood.

Secretary Yang gathered the three certificates together and tossed them to Chen Fan, saying, "Since it's still the same old story, then it's fine. Let's keep things as usual. By the way,"

He pointed to the certificate in Chen Fan's hand, "Don't you have a camera? Take a picture of each of you later, make the photos bigger, and hang them on the wall."

Chen Fan's eyes widened. "This is mine!"

"Knowing it's yours, no one's going to take it from you."

Secretary Yang took out his pipe, filled it with tobacco, and said, "Whether it's big or small, it's still an honor. Hang it on the wall for outsiders to see. This is also an achievement of our Lujiawan."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. "Fine."

He poured himself a cup of tea, sat on the corner of the table, and picked up the cigarettes in front of Zhang Wenliang and opened them.

Zhang Wenliang's eyes widened. "These are my cigarettes!"

He just handed out cigarettes and then took them to smoke himself? Is there really such a person?
Chen Fan tore open the packaging, took out a cigarette, and threw it back. "Knowing it's yours, no one's going to take it from you."

He then took out a lighter and lit it.

Zhang Wenliang was speechless. They'd already lit it, and they were still just robbing it?

The others lowered their heads and quietly put away the cigarettes they had received.

Chen Fan exhaled a puff of smoke. "How have things gone these past few days?"

Ye Shubao, who was in charge of production and involved in the team's affairs the most, spoke up, "What could possibly be wrong? The dike breaching is finished, the water conservancy institute passed the inspection, and they said it's the sturdiest project they've ever seen. As for the rest..."

He glanced up, thought for a moment, and said, "The water tower is almost finished. It will be able to supply water in a few days. Before the Lunar New Year, the whole brigade will definitely be able to use tap water before New Year's Eve."

Then there's the matter you mentioned about optimizing centralized farming. The expansion of the farm has been put on the agenda, but it definitely won't be completed this year (lunar calendar); construction will have to wait until after the Spring Festival.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Captain Zhang and asked, "Old Zhang, is there anything else?"

Captain Zhang also lit up his pipe, took a couple of puffs, and said, "Then there's the year-end bonus. Each team has finished calculating, and the brigade will be able to figure it out in the next couple of days. We can settle the accounts in a few days."

Dividends?

Chen Fan's eyes lit up instantly, "How much is one work point?"

Although he now earns three to four thousand a month from writing, plus various consulting fees, totaling over four thousand, who would complain about having too much money?
Moreover, his total income isn't much; if I calculate it yesterday, it's less than 20,000 yuan.

If the dividends are high enough, it should be able to break through 20,000.

Seeing Chen Fan's greedy look, Captain Zhang couldn't help but grin and chuckle, "Quite a lot, quite a lot."

Chen Fan blinked. "How much is 'not a lot'?"

Xiao Liewen couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Can you tone it down a bit? This is too unsightly."

Chen Fan's face fell. "What I'm doing is pursuing a happy life, which aligns with the directives from higher authorities!"

Believe it or not, the wind has indeed changed since last year. Although development has been mentioned frequently before, the way development is carried out must meet various requirements.

For example, only three chickens and two pigs could be raised, and only vegetables were allowed to be grown on private plots, not grains. Under the leadership of the production team and the commune, people were required to "work hard to get rich".

Actually, as early as three or four years ago, around 74, many places, well, mainly the southern regions, had already quietly begun to change.

For example, on the first day the market reopened at the beginning of the year, when Chen Fan bought chicks, the old man selling the chicks mentioned that there were many members of the commune doing small business in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Fujian.

These commune members all came out to earn money openly and legitimately, carrying letters of introduction from the production team.

However, this method does not comply with regulations!
In general, the superiors hope that all members will participate in collective labor, and then collectively develop and take off, thus achieving a better life.

Just last year, in 77, a leader told his superiors about the changes in certain parts of the south. The superiors took note of this trend, listened carefully to the consequences of this approach, and then decisively affirmed it.

From this point onward, pursuing wealth was no longer something to be ashamed of.

That's why, a year later, in February 1979, there was the report about the "ten-thousand-yuan household".

People need time to raise pigs, right? If the market isn't liberalized, how will we see people earning 10,000 yuan a year from now?
Moreover, following this report, numerous "ten-thousand-yuan households" emerged across the country!
Making money doesn't happen that fast. It's just that people who made money before didn't dare to speak up until second-rate newspapers affirmed "hard work leads to wealth," at which point they suddenly came out in droves.

For example, Chen Fan is now a "leading figure in getting rich" in Lujiawan.

Captain Zhang chuckled twice and said to him, "You have two jobs in the brigade, so you have a total of 7300 work points. As for your wages at your side businesses, they will be settled with you when the companies settle their accounts."

Chen Fan didn't care too much about the salary from his side businesses. In fact, he didn't do many jobs. It was just three: a cooked food processing plant, a cooked food shop in Luwan, and a farm. He didn't calculate the salary at first, but started calculating it after he made money. Each company paid 100 yuan a month. From September 1st to now, it's only been 4 months, totaling 1200 yuan.

Not worth mentioning!
The key is still work points.

At this point, Captain Zhang finally brought up the value of work points: "This year, a lot of money was set aside as development funds for next year. Only about 30% can be used for dividends. In the end, we calculated the work points for the brigade this year..."

His face flushed, he suddenly raised his voice, "One work point is 3 yuan, it's a bit low, but I'll keep working hard next year and try to earn more!"

3 yuan?
Chen Fan's eyes widened instantly.

Then I can get 21,900.

Ah... I've heard that sitting for long periods of time can hurt your back, so Chen Fan decided to stand up and stretch a bit.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, he raised his hands high and announced, "The 5th set of broadcast gymnastics, begin!"

Amidst laughter, Chen Fan finished wiggling his hips, threw away his cigarette butt, and turned to Zhang Wenliang to ask, "How are the wedding arrangements going?"

Zhang Wenliang's smile faded, he took a drag of his cigarette, nodded, and said, "Everything is arranged."

He then smiled and said, "Actually, there's not much to arrange. The new house will be temporarily set up in my current room. We'll clean it up and put on the wedding quilt on the wedding day. As for the banquet, we've already invited Liu Jujiang from your team to take care of it."

Chen Fan nodded. "Is the wedding car arranged?"

Zhang Wenliang: "Hmm, it's just a dozen or so bicycles, you think we'd bring a horse-drawn carriage?"

Chen Fan coughed twice. "A horse-drawn carriage might not work; my little mare doesn't pull carriages. However, I have a small jeep at the prefectural committee. If you..."

Zhang Wenliang jumped up and said, "Good brother, let's use the little jeep!"

(End of this chapter)