Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 490 Queuing Up to Treat
Today, Chen Fan wasn't wearing his flamboyant overcoat or Zhongshan suit. He was just wearing a thermal undershirt and a thick cotton-padded jacket. The jacket was blue, as were the trousers, and the cotton shoes he was wearing were made for him by Jiang Lili last year.

Aside from his striking good looks, his clothes make him look exactly like a member of a production team.

At this moment, with a cigarette in his mouth and his legs crossed, he sat on the bench, looking even more like the man.

When it comes to distributing profits, the accounts are settled according to each person's work points. However, when distributing the profits, they are not directly paid to individuals. Instead, they are distributed to households, with the head of the household or the person in charge of the household coming to collect the money.

Team 6 originally had 46 households, but with the addition of the educated youth group and Chen Fan, there were a total of 48 households. So, there were only about 40 people queuing up to receive the money, while the others craned their necks to watch from both sides.

Accountant Liu checked the ledger, first loudly announcing the work points of a certain household, then announcing how many points each household had, and finally reporting the general ledger.

In addition to Accountant Liu, who also served as the scorekeeper, each member of the commune also had a notebook to record their work points. Every day after work, the members would go to the scorekeeper to reconcile their accounts, so everyone's score was recorded clearly.

When Accountant Liu reports the accounts, the members check their own scorebooks. If there are any discrepancies, they can raise them on the spot.

However, after reading through a whole list, there wasn't a single problem, which shows that Accountant Liu is a very meticulous person.

After he finished reading, custodian Huang counted out the corresponding amount from the pile of money and handed it to Captain Yang, who was sitting next to him.

Captain Yang counted the money again, and after counting it, he went over his ledger again and reported the total work points and amount.

Only after verifying the information repeatedly was the money handed over to the recipient.

Once the homeowner received the money, he naturally counted it first.

This has nothing to do with trust, but rather it's about "clearing things up when you part ways," which is good for everyone and avoids the frustration of having to go back and find something that's too much or too little, and then being unable to come back for it.

Many village conflicts are sown in this way. If you talk things out face to face and count the money clearly, you can avoid a lot of misunderstandings.

After counting and verifying the money, they signed and sealed the ledger.

If someone cannot write, they will take out a stamp from their pocket and carefully stamp it on.

These seals are all registered at the police station and have the same effect as handwritten signatures. They are something that almost every ordinary person has now. For example, when receiving money today, there are more people stamping than signing. Well, basically everyone is stamping, and there are very few people signing.

Chen Fan looked on with a bit of envy. This thing is great; you don't even need to use a pen, just slap it on and you're done.

Unfortunately, although he carved many seals for himself, he could not use them as signatures.

This kind of signature stamp must be made at a place designated by the police station. Then the stamp maker delivers a stamped piece of paper to the police station and adds it to the individual's file for record-keeping. Only then is it a legitimate and valid stamp.

He can only keep these for himself to play with. He can stamp them everywhere like a stamping maniac, as long as they're not used for official documents. But they can't be used as signatures.

Hmm, I'll go get it stamped by Officer Zhu sometime.

Captain Yang handed out another sum of money, saying, "Huang Laowu, ...you have a total of 7289 in your room, keep it safe."

Huang Laowu was Huang Ying and Huang Li's father. After separating from the family, there were 7 people in the family, 5 of whom were girls. He was the only strong laborer. The others combined could only earn the work points of two and a half strong laborers at most, so the total work points were only 3 and a half strong laborers.

A strong laborer can earn an average of 3300 work points a year, so his family's total work points this year would be between 11500 and 12000.

Accountant Liu just reported that it was 6 mao per work point, which adds up to 7289 yuan.

Despite receiving so much money, Huang Laowu was still not very happy.

He had just heard that others had earned more than 10,000 yuan, and there was even a family with three brothers who had not divided the family property and had only sons. Including the elderly, women, and children, their total income exceeded 20,000 yuan. They had 20 bundles of 1,000 yuan each, not counting a large amount of loose change.

Looking at himself again, his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he muttered something under his breath, probably not something nice.

Before he could say anything, Captain Yang became displeased, pulled back the money he had extended, and pointed at him with his other finger, cursing, "Your Huang Ying has been admitted to the University of Foreign Trade. Teacher Chen said she's going to earn foreign exchange and make great contributions to the country. Her personal income will be substantial. What are you still muttering about!"

The custodian, Huang, joined in the cursing, "All you ever want is a man, you never know when to stop. Ask anyone else, who doesn't envy your two daughters studying with Teacher Chen? If you keep this up, I'll slap you."

Huang Laowu wasn't afraid of Captain Yang's scolding, but he couldn't stand it when his own cousin scolded him, since that was the head of the Huang family!
Ignoring the laughter around him, he could only shrink back and give an awkward laugh, "No, I didn't say anything. I'm just happy to see so much money."

After giving him a sidelong glance, Captain Yang handed the money back, then subtly gave him a wink.

Huang Laowu was stunned for a moment, then looked at his cousin, whose eyes were also twitching. He suddenly realized what was going on and couldn't help but glance to the side.

Teacher Chen is still sitting here, with six girls standing behind him, two of whom are his own daughters. Although they are his daughters, they are his students because they are with Teacher Chen. How is Teacher Chen supposed to think that they are cursing and swearing in front of their teacher?
Master, Master, Master is before Father!

Although they hadn't formally become apprentices, everyone in the team knew why; in reality, they were no different from Teacher Chen's students.

Didn't you see that Teacher Chen, who was all smiles just a moment ago, has stopped smiling now and even threw away his cigarette butt?
Huang Laowu's expression immediately changed. He stuffed the money into his cotton-padded jacket pocket, then took out a cigarette from his outer pocket, quickly ran over, pulled one out, and handed it to Chen Fan, smiling obsequiously, "Teacher Chen, have a cigarette."

Chen Fan pursed his lips, not wanting to offend him, and accepted it with two fingers, but didn't say anything.

The meaning is quite obvious.

Everyone knows that Teacher Chen is always kind and gentle to everyone, so he must be angry now.

Seeing this, Captain Yang even paused the distribution of profits and gave the custodian Huang a wink.

The custodian thought for a moment and was about to speak when he heard his cousin say, "Teacher Chen, my two daughters have been learning skills from you. Thanks to your guidance, they have become quite successful."

Normally, you're always so busy, and I don't have much money myself, so I've been too shy to ask for anything. But thanks to you this year, raising chickens, ducks, and geese has made me quite a bit of money, and today I received such a large dividend. I was just thinking of inviting you to my home for a simple meal. It's not really a thank you gesture, just a small token of my appreciation. What do you think?"

These words caused a sensation throughout the entire arena.

They all looked at Huang Laowu in surprise, as if they didn't recognize him.

Captain Yang glanced at custodian Huang, as if asking, "Is this the fifth son of your Huang family?"

The custodian, Mr. Huang, was also a bit confused. When did our fifth son undergo this change?

Little did he know that Huang Ying's mother had been talking about inviting Teacher Chen to dinner these past few days. She said that Huang Ying's admission to a top university was all thanks to Teacher Chen; without him, she wouldn't have been able to get into elementary school, let alone university.

Inviting someone to a meal is a token of goodwill, no matter how small.

But Huang Laowu was a bit indecisive. He thought that since Captain Yang, as the leader of Team 6, hadn't even treated him to a meal, what would it mean if he took the initiative to step forward?
His original plan was to wait until the dividends were distributed and the money was in his pocket before discussing with his third brother whether to invite each family separately or invite them together.

As a result, he unintentionally offended Teacher Chen. He couldn't care less about Captain Yang's feelings, so he quickly brought up what his wife had said at home, which was also a way of expressing his feelings.

Sure enough, Chen Fan's expression softened considerably upon hearing his words.

He turned to look at Huang Ying and Huang Li, whose eyes were still a little red but were now all smiles, and said back with a smile, "We appreciate your kindness, but we don't need to eat."

He didn't say much else. Of the five Huang Ying sisters, the two eldest were under his watchful eye, so he had to protect them. As for the other three younger ones, they were none of his business.

If the orioles and nightingales are willing, they will naturally take care of it; there's no need for me to meddle.

At this moment, Captain Yang shouted, "Little Chen, this meal was originally planned by Lao Liu, Lao Huang, and me to treat you. The kids have all become successful by following your example. If we don't show our appreciation, people will talk behind our backs."

We were busy with dike repairs, building water towers, and renovating ditches for a while, and there were a lot of other things to do. We only had a little free time these past few days. We were planning to talk to you about this after we distributed the profits. Since Huang Laowu just mentioned it, I thought I'd bring it up.

Don't refuse. Let's have a big drinking session at my place in the next couple of days, tonight or tomorrow night. Which day suits you best?

Chen Fan blinked, then immediately put on a smile again and said, "The captain has spoken, how could I dare not listen? Just make the arrangements." Captain Yang laughed heartily, "Alright, let's take advantage of today's payday celebrations and come to my house for drinks tonight."

Although it hadn't been discussed beforehand, the custodian Huang and accountant Liu didn't object; in fact, they somewhat agreed.

It's time to treat Teacher Chen to a meal!

After a brief interlude, the profit sharing continued.

The banknotes on the table dwindled at a visible rate, until finally only a pile of loose bills remained.

Captain Yang gathered the money in his hand, tapped it neatly on the table, and looked up to say, "This is how the dividends are this year. Ah, well, not much money, ah, not much money."

Everyone standing on the field was laughing so hard their back teeth were showing. When they heard Captain Yang's words, they couldn't help but open their mouths even wider and burst out laughing.

Is this considered a small amount of money?

One work point is worth 60 cents, which is nearly 10 times more than last year's 6.5 cents!

Captain Yang chuckled as he spoke.

However, he quickly suppressed his anger, coughed twice, and continued, "It really isn't much. As everyone knows, there was hardly any output in the first half of this year. We only started selling in September. In other words, most of today's dividends come from the income of the last four months."

As soon as he finished speaking, the field fell silent, except for Hachiko flying overhead, "Coo-coo, coo-coo..."

Chen Fan glanced at it, beckoned to it, and Xiao Ba immediately flew down and landed on his shoulder. It wagged its tail, shut its mouth and didn't say a word. It looked around, hopped over, and then jumped onto Huang Ying's shoulder before settling down.

Captain Yang glanced at the myna bird and continued, "Later, the profits were very good. Chickens, ducks and geese were in short supply, and there was also a shortage of seedlings. After discussion, the brigade decided to implement batch breeding. Every time a batch of seedlings was purchased, they were distributed and started to be raised."

This approach has its advantages. Firstly, it reduces the pressure on feed production. Secondly, it allows for the production of a batch of pigs every few days. Although the quantity is not large, it ensures a continuous supply, and the quality is better with less waste.

Furthermore, the rabbits are now ready for market.

I know some of you have taken rabbits to raise, while others haven't raised them because they thought the initial breeding period was too long. That's okay. What I want to say is that from now on, everything you raise will generate profits.

So, in 78, our income will definitely quadruple again. What do you all think? Do you agree that my statement that this year's money isn't much is reasonable?

Everyone immediately shouted in unison, "Yes!"

Captain Yang waved his hand with a smile, "Disperse, everyone go home and count your money."

After a burst of laughter, hundreds of people scattered haphazardly and without discipline along the slope into the village, with only some sighing and lamenting.

"At the time, I was too busy to raise rabbits, and I suffered huge losses. Who knew I would receive so much dividend this year?"

"Me too. There are only a few people in my family. We can't even keep up with the chickens, ducks and geese. We also have to raise two pigs. We work from dawn till dusk every day without a break."

"Hehe, it's a good thing you didn't claim them, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten any. Don't you think about it? Teacher Chen raises rabbits himself, this stuff must be profitable."

"You're just being wise after the event. If you didn't have a large family, would you be able to manage all that?"

"Oh, it's just a matter of getting up earlier and going to bed later. Whether you can handle it or not is another matter. I'm just asking you guys, isn't making money enjoyable!"

"Making money is great, but the thought of not raising rabbits makes me feel uneasy."

"It's okay, I'll raise it. I'll send you a rabbit for the New Year later."

"I only got more congested because you raised it."

……

After the crowd on the threshing floor had mostly dispersed and the militiamen had carried the table away, Captain Yang took the stack of change and walked over to Chen Fan, handing it to him. "Here, this is Jiang Lili's. She was away for the last month or so of the year, and she didn't participate in the autumn harvest either. Plus, she usually only has seven or eight work points, so she doesn't have many work points this year, only 2256 points, which is 1353.6 yuan in total. Count it, and if there are no problems, just sign it."

After Chen Fan took the money, he sat down on another bench, took out a cigarette, lit it, and waited for Chen Fan to count the money.

Chen Fan held the money and counted it with great satisfaction. Last year, Jiang Lili's dividend was less than 100 yuan, but this year it was more than 1,000 yuan. She was rich overnight!

So here's the question: this year's work points are worth less than 10 times that of last year, so why does Jiang Lili have fewer work points but receive more than 10 times the bonus?

Because each year's dividends have to deduct advance costs such as food, oil, and cotton, when the base is small, the costs are too high, and the balance is naturally small. When the base is large enough, and the costs remain constant, the balance is naturally larger.

Behind Chen Fan, Huang Ying and the others watched as Teacher Chen collected the money for Jiang Lili, and they couldn't help but look at each other with somber expressions.

I thought they would still have a chance after Sister Li left, but I didn't expect that she has already been collecting dividends on behalf of others. I guess they have already confirmed their relationship.

Chen Fan quickly finished counting, folded the bag twice, put it in his inner pocket, and nodded, saying, "That's right."

Captain Yang smiled and handed him the ledger first, saying, "Sign your name and put your fingerprint on it."

After Chen Fan signed and sealed the document, he took out a cigarette and offered it to him. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard the sound of a bicycle bell.

Everyone looked up and saw several squad leaders riding bicycles together.

Captain Yang quickly stood up and said as he walked, "What brings you here today?"

Hou Chenggen, the captain of Team 12, gripped the brakes tightly and the car stopped in front of Captain Yang. In the back seat was Wan Qitang, the captain of Team 11.

The cars behind also stopped quickly. Team leader Su Yujun (10th team leader), team leader Zhong Zihong (9th team leader), team leader Qi Zhanzhong (8th team leader), team leader Tang Xianjun (7th team leader), and several team leaders from the eastern side of Lujiawan were all present!

Six people in four cars. While Hou Chenggen and Yang Chuanfu were exchanging pleasantries, Su Yujun jumped out of the back seat and walked straight towards Chen Fan, who had just stood up. Waving his hand, he shouted, "Teacher Chen, come to our team for dinner today! I've made all the preparations. Old Peng will come along too. Let's get some wild game..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qi Zhanzhong shouted in a fit of rage, "Su Yujun, you have no martial ethics! You've started an internal conflict! You should be dragged out and criticized!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Chuanfu immediately guessed what they had come for and shouted, "You're all late! Teacher Chen is having dinner in my room today. She just promised in front of the whole team. If you want to treat us, you'll have to wait your turn."

After a burst of laughter and commotion, Chen Fan finally understood what had happened.

These squad leaders had the same purpose as Yang Chuanfu: to invite him to dinner. The reason was the same: families in their squads whose children had been admitted to university wanted to hold a thank-you banquet for their teachers.

But everyone knows that Teacher Chen is busy. He has to go to work at the brigade headquarters every day, take care of household chores, and go to the prefectural committee frequently.

Teacher Chen is a senior consultant to the Health Department, the Machinery Factory, and the Cotton Mill, and also a leader of the Writers' Association. He is a person who is going to do great things. How could he be going to accept invitations to meals all day long?
So the team leaders discussed it with the parents and decided to invite the students who had been admitted to university and their parents to accompany them. They also invited everyone who could talk to Teacher Chen. Each team would only have one meal, so it wouldn't take up too much of his time.

The rules had been agreed upon, but a time hadn't been set yet. Early this morning, Wan Qitang from Team 11 saw Hou Chenggen from Team 12 riding a bicycle on the riverbank. He immediately sensed something was wrong... and naturally, the team leaders from that row all rushed over.

After listening to their words, Chen Fan couldn't help but glance at Captain Yang.

He had initially thought that Captain Yang was deliberately trying to smooth things over for Huang Laowu by inviting him to dinner, so he readily agreed.

Unexpectedly, this was something their squad leaders had planned together. They only came to invite them today because they had too many things to do before and couldn't find the time.

Since that was the case, he readily agreed.

Anyway, today is only the 17th of the twelfth lunar month. Even if each of the 12 teams goes to eat, it will only last for 12 days. We can take a day off before the New Year, so let's eat!

(End of this chapter)