Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 517 You Are Invited
The safe house was renovated in a total of twenty days. Not only were all the hard and soft furnishings completed, but it was also left to air out for two or three days to dry completely, and then cleaned thoroughly. Everything was ready except for the owner moving in.

They came today not only to invite Chen Fan and his group, but also to discuss moving.

Chen Fan hoisted a large bag of luggage onto the sidecar and said irritably, "Lili helped me with my own luggage, and now I have to move for you? Where's the justice?!"

Anquan packed all the daily necessities he had previously bought in Huaiguo into boxes, carried them out, and looked around, asking, "Where should I put all these things?"

Chen Fan pointed to the large bundle in the cart, "Just put it on top, and then tie it with a rope."

Without saying a word, Anquan threw it over there, then took a ball of rope from the box and tied it up while saying, "Don't you even think about it? Keying and I are the ones who cleaned this place. Now we're asking you to help out as a mover, and you're already complaining."

As the old saying goes, "The most righteous are often from the humblest background, while the most ungrateful are often scholars." If it were Old Zhang here, he definitely wouldn't utter a single word.

Chen Fan glanced at him and said, "I'm going to tell Lao Zhang that you said he's a dog killer."

Anquan was speechless and didn't want to talk to him.

Chen Fan pressed his advantage, "Besides, you didn't tell me about this. I know you didn't want to bother me because of my illness and the baby, but that's no reason for you to falsely accuse me..."

Yu Keying and Jiang Lili packed up some small items, hung them on their bicycles, and watched the two bickering from the side, their smiles never stopping.

Many hands make light work; everything that needed to be taken away was packed up.

Anquan stood in the courtyard, hands on his hips, looking at Chen Fan's small villa, and said with emotion, "From today onwards, I will say goodbye to my spacious villa and move into a narrow shikumen."

Sensing his wife's glance, he immediately changed the subject, "But there's no place like home, and besides, my place is a detached house with its own yard. In the end, it's still more comfortable to be at home."

He took out a keychain, removed two keys from it, and handed them to Jiang Lili, who was snickering nearby. "Here, here are your keys back."

Jiang Lili blushed as she took it, stuffed it into her pocket, and then got on the back of the motorcycle.

He rode his bicycle safely out of the yard with his wife on the back, saying, "Don't go too fast, it won't work, you won't be able to get in."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. He drove the motorcycle out first, and after Jiang Lili locked the gate and got on the motorcycle, he stepped on the gas and sped away, leaving a trail of black smoke behind him, yelling angrily in the back.

Soon they arrived at Chengdu South Road. Chen Fan had smoked two cigarettes before finally managing to ride his bike safely to the destination.

Five kilometers is not a short distance, and he was already considered fast.

Jiang Lili had never been here before. Looking at the red courtyard wall, and after the gate was safely opened, she followed the person inside. Her first reaction was: It's so small!
No wonder Anquan said his house was a doghouse; compared to his own big yard, the 8-square-meter courtyard was indeed quite cute.

Yu Keying opened the living room door again and turned on the lights. A beautifully decorated living room appeared before everyone, and Jiang Lili's eyes lit up immediately.

She placed a small package on the wooden sofa, looked it over curiously, and then glanced at Chen Fan. "This is your design. It's really beautiful."

Chen Fan chuckled twice without saying anything. He also looked it over a few times, feeling quite a sense of accomplishment.

The living room, which is only about 20 square meters, is not very big. It can't compare to my own living room, which is over 50 square meters, not to mention that there is a floor-to-ceiling window on one wall where I can enjoy the view.

However, small things can also be exquisite.

The living room is divided into two parts. The entrance is a raised floor that occupies about half of the area. The ceiling is more than three meters high and a classic chandelier hangs from the ceiling.

This was also bought from a secondhand store warehouse. After cleaning the lampshade and polishing the copper rod, it looks very stylish.

(Republic of China era five-headed old bronze lamp holder chandelier)

Because the wiring was concealed, no electrical wires were visible in the entire room, and the light shone on the snow-white walls, making the room as bright as day.

The other half inside is a duplex structure, with the living room extending below, but it's a sunken living room. According to Chen Fan's design, the front half is made into storage cabinets, so as not to waste space.

Inside the living room, there is a tea table and two low cabinets. The tea table can also be used as a dining table. If there are too many guests, the wooden board underneath can be pulled out to turn the already large tea table into a rectangular dining table.

In the corner was a large, movable fireplace with a fist-thick chimney inserted into the wall, but there was no embers burning in it at the moment.

A radio and a grandfather clock were placed on a low cabinet next to it, and behind the cabinet was a wooden staircase that led to the attic platform above.

Jiang Lili tilted her head to look up, but her view was blocked by a set of railings.

Seeing this, Yu Keying pulled her forward, saying, "I'll show you around. It's definitely not as spacious as your house, but it's quite interesting."

Anquan carried the last large bundle in and placed it on the ground. He took a couple of breaths, patted his finger, pointed to the tea table, and said, "Come on, let's go sit down."

Chen Fan walked to the tea table and sat down, turning his head to look around.

Anquan picked up the kettle to make tea. He glanced at Chen Fan and smiled, "It's just like your design. Even the furniture and how it's arranged are exactly as you said."

He placed a cup of tea in front of Chen Fan, poured two more cups and put them aside, then picked up a cup from the tea table, opened the lid and gulped down two mouthfuls of cold tea.

He then said, "Everything here is exactly as you designed it, so I won't take you on a tour."

He leaned back in his chair, turned his head to look around, let out a satisfied sigh, and laughed, "To be honest, I was a little reluctant when I bought this little courtyard, but there was nothing I could do. I only had so much money. If I hadn't bought here, I would have been even less willing to buy the kind of public housing my parents had."

He patted the armrest of the chair, looked up and smiled, "Now that it's been renovated like this, hey, it looks pretty good."

He suddenly leaned forward on the tea table, grinning from ear to ear, and said to Chen Fan, "Including the pavilion room and the attic, there are a total of four rooms. Ten people can stay here without feeling crowded."

Then he pointed to the ceiling, "This little indoor loft can also be used for sleeping on the floor. Even if a dozen or so guests come at once, it can accommodate them all. You're really amazing to make the most of such a small space!"

After saying that, he leaned back again. "My mom was tempted today. She was thinking about selling the two public housing units in our house and buying a small detached house like mine. She said she would decorate it just like that, and it would be ten or a hundred times better than the old one!"

Chen Fan glanced at the security guard, who was clearly a bit excited, and remained silent, simply listening to him with a smile.

After he finished speaking, she smiled and said, "If there is a suitable house, it would definitely be better to move out of there. Public housing has no kitchen, so you can only cook in the corridor. There is also no toilet, and you have to empty the chamber pot every day. It is not as good as having your own private house with a yard, where everything is convenient."

Anquan nodded in agreement, "I'll go see Officer Wang tomorrow and see if there are any more small buildings like this for sale."

Chen Fan pursed his lips, picked up his teacup and took a sip. "The probability is relatively small, unless it's a regular Shikumen house, in which case the possibility is higher."

Anquan took out a cigarette and handed it to him, then put another one in his mouth and laughed, “Then we probably can’t afford it. A proper Shikumen house has four large side rooms, and it’s unlikely that we’ll find someone who urgently needs money again. Buying a house like that would probably cost ten or twenty thousand yuan, which my family can’t afford.”

Speaking of this, he thought of the bundles of banknotes in Chen Fan's suitcase and couldn't help but shake his head.

The difference between people can sometimes be greater than the difference between a person and a dog.

Fifty thousand yuan! If it were him, I don't know if he could ever earn fifty thousand yuan in his entire life!
Even after graduating from university, one only earns 58 yuan a month. If one can get promoted and become a junior leader, let's say 100 yuan, then one only earns 1200 yuan a year.

5 yuan, it would take him 41 years without eating or drinking... He's already 29 this year, he'll retire at 60, and we still have to factor in his pension for the next 10 years!
Chen Fan lit a cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, thought for a moment, and said, "Old An, I have something on my mind. If you think it's right, listen to it; if you think it's wrong, just treat it as nonsense and bragging, and forget about it."

An Quan paused for a moment, then stared at him for a few seconds before suddenly grinning, clearing his throat, straightening his back, and saying with a smile, "Alright, I'm all ears."

In the stairwell next door, Yu Keying was leading Jiang Lili downstairs. She overheard their conversation and stopped, hesitating slightly.

Instead, Jiang Lili smiled and pulled her aside, whispering, "It's alright."

Yu Keying turned to look at her and smiled, "Then let's go listen too."

Chen Fan leisurely smoked and sipped his tea. After they came out of the stairwell, he turned back and smiled, then asked An Quan a question, "How do you plan to spend your four years of university?"

Upon hearing this question, Anquan was stunned. He stared blankly at him, then at Yu Keying, who had just sat down, and turned back to say, "Isn't it just about studying hard, learning more knowledge, and then being able to apply it proficiently after being assigned a job?"

Chen Fan turned to Yu Keying and smiled, "You think so too?"

Yu Keying blinked, unsure how to answer.

Is this answer wrong?

Jiang Lili had the same question as her. She sat down next to Chen Fan, poured water into his cup, and asked, "Isn't that how it is?"

Chen Fan pointed to the tea stove on the table, "It's one thing not to make a fire in the dead of winter, but not even to light a tea stove? That's too stingy."

(A white clay tea stove from the 70s)
Anquan's face darkened, and he picked up the tea stove and walked towards the backyard, saying, "I owe you."

Yu Keying suppressed a laugh and quickly went to wash the copper kettle and teacups.

She knew that if you were going to make tea, you should use a special cup.

A short while later, Anquan returned carrying the tea stove. Yu Keying then placed the cleaned teapot, filled with tea leaves, on the stove and poured in a pot of boiling water. The aroma of tea filled the air, making the room seem much warmer.

Chen Fan took a leisurely sip of tea, but his first words were directed at Jiang Lili: "Old An's words are more suitable for you, because you have me. I will arrange everything for you, and you only need to focus on your knowledge and studies."

Jiang Lili rolled her eyes slightly, smiled sweetly at him, and said nothing.

That's how it is. If there's a man in the family, he's naturally the one in charge. You should just do what he says. Why think about anything else?

Chen Fan then turned to look at Anquan and said seriously, "But you are different. You are the head of the family. You must plan for the family and the future at all times, instead of just focusing on the present and sticking to the status quo. You will never get ahead if you follow the established path."

Anquan frowned, his eyes narrowed in thought.

I just mentioned that I had no money, and now you're criticizing me. Is there some connection between the two?
You were able to make money by writing books and by helping Lujiawan develop, and you also enjoyed the production team's dividends.

What do I have?
I can't earn royalties from writing, nor do I have any superior insights. Even if I make contributions to my workplace, the company has its own rules and regulations, so I can't expect a high reward. At most, I'll be remembered for my contributions and given priority for promotion when the time is right.

But that doesn't increase the salary by much, so it's still not really related to money!

After pausing for several seconds, he looked up at Chen Fan, frowned, and asked, "If you were me, what would you do?"

Chen Fan leaned back in his chair, leisurely lit a cigarette, and looked at him with a smile, "If I were you, academic performance would definitely be very important, because it is the foundation of a student's life and the stepping stone to advancement. If your grades are not good, you will not have the confidence to speak in front of teachers and the school."

Anquan looked directly at him without saying a word.

Yu Keying stared intently at Chen Fan, waiting for him to continue. Chen Fan took a drag of his cigarette and said seriously, "However, academic achievements are merely a stepping stone. You need to treat excellent academic performance as a platform, and on that foundation, develop your own career."

An Quan frowned, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "Just like the educated youth in Lujiawan, unite with them and build my own network?"

Chen Fan gently shook his head, "That was just a means, not an end."

He looked at Anquan and smiled, "What's your purpose in winning them over? What's the point?"

While thinking, Anquan said, "Since it's about connections, we should be able to help each other. After they graduate, we can share what we need."

He looked up at Chen Fan and smiled, “Just like when you came to Shanghai, we couldn’t find a guesthouse, but you could. It’s because you have connections in the health system and your status as a writer. They’re all happy to help you. When that group of educated youth grows up, they’ll be happy to help me too.”

Chen Fan smiled. "How long will it take? They'll graduate in four years, and they'll be just like you, grassroots cadres. Even if some of them become middle-level or senior cadres later, how long will that take? Ten years? Twenty years?"

"How will you maintain this relationship over such a long period? Yes, you and I both helped them with this college entrance exam, especially you, running around doing everything for them. They'll definitely be grateful, but what about ten years from now? Twenty years from now?"

Anquan frowned again. "So you mean it's useless to befriend them?"

Chen Fan smiled and shook his head, "No, it's not only useful, it's extremely useful."

Anquan stared blankly at him, even more confused.

Jiang Lili blinked rapidly, thought for a while, and then silently gave up trying to figure it out.

If you ask her to learn cultural knowledge, she can get the hang of it quickly, but if you ask her to think about these abstract and ethereal things, she's completely clueless.

In this respect, she is far superior to Chen Fan, let alone her older sister.

Yu Keying, who was sitting next to An Quan, thought for a moment and said, "Old Chen just said that befriending them is just a process, not the goal. Does that mean we need a goal to strive for, and we can use them in return, so that befriending them is meaningful?"

He then looked up at Chen Fan, "Moreover, this goal cannot be too far in the future; it should ideally be something that can be used immediately. In addition, this goal should also benefit them."

When a group of people come together for mutual benefit, that benefit is the best adhesive. Otherwise, it's just a one-off deal. Once they feel they've repaid Lao An's favor, they'll become ordinary friends. They might have meals or tea together and do small favors, but they shouldn't even think about doing anything that requires effort or personal connections.

Chen Fan gave her a thumbs up, but his gaze was fixed on Anquan. "Look at my sister-in-law, and then look at you. I really don't know how she could have married you."

Upon hearing this, An Quan actually started trembling and said confidently, "Hey, you're right. It was only through my relentless pursuit that I managed to win over your sister-in-law, and she's been with me all these years without any complaints. So what? You'll have to put up with your envy!"

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly, and he grabbed Jiang Lili's hand. "Envious of you? Is my family any worse than yours?!"

Upon hearing this, Anquan gave a thumbs up, and Jiang Lili blushed and laughed along with Yu Keying.

The slightly serious atmosphere from before was completely swept away.

Anquan took out a cigarette, lit it, and looked at Chen Fan, saying, "Since you know I can't think straight, don't try to inspire me. Just tell me what to do!"

Chen Fan, smoking a cigarette, chuckled and said, "Weren't you worried about money? Then start by figuring out how to make money. Think about how you can earn money. Once you have a goal, then make a plan. Do you know how to make a plan?"

Anquan frowned slightly. "A money-making plan?"

He could easily come up with a plan for the commune's finances, but what about a plan to make money?
I don't know how to do this!

Chen Fan looked at him and said, "After setting a big goal, set a smaller goal, which is how to make money. Is it to organize students to do work-study programs, or to create your own projects and organize students to achieve them, and then enjoy the benefits according to each person's contribution?"

Next, we need to create a list of available resources, clearly outlining which ones can be used, which ones cannot, and which ones can be used indirectly. Then, we need to incorporate these resources into the plan's execution process..."

The eight commonly used methods for making plans are: time-based method, checklist method, three-stage method, OKR method, classification method, four-quadrant method, Gantt chart method, PDCA method... Of course, Chen Fan wouldn't tell him all of them.

Totally unnecessary.

I just extracted a few key elements and explained them to him.

Finally, Chen Fan stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and said to him, "I've given you the method; how you do it is up to you."

Anquan frowned, staring blankly at him, but didn't say a word.

Chen Fan slapped his forehead and turned to Yu Keying, saying, "Hurry up and change him, really, your husband is hopeless."

Jiang Lili was both amused and exasperated, and gently punched him.

Yu Keying covered her face immediately, "It's stuck in my hands, I can't even throw it away."

Anquan glared at him. "What nonsense! I just wanted to test you. It's easy to say, set a big goal first, then a small goal. Ha, you think you can just set them like that? If I asked you to do it, what would you do to make money?"

Chen Fan sighed softly and said helplessly, "Old An, do you remember what I said to you not long ago when you asked me what to do with those educated youth who had families to support?"

An Quan was slightly taken aback, but then he realized what was going on. He slammed his hand on the table and said excitedly, "That's right! We can contact the supply and marketing cooperative to wholesale goods to our classmates to sell. We can also apply to the school to set up tea stalls on or off campus."

He tapped his head, closed his eyes, and let his thoughts wander. "This matter must be spearheaded by the student council, under the guise of work-study programs. The purchase price and selling price are fixed, but how the profits are divided is a matter that needs to be carefully arranged."

Besides supply and marketing cooperatives, we can also learn from Lujiawan and open grocery stores…

He suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with excitement, "Let's go find the Chongming Island farm. I had a pretty good chat with the farm manager last time. We can get our supplies from them, and then open a grocery store at the school, where the staff can be employed by underprivileged students. And also..."

Chen Fan waved his hand to interrupt him and laughed, "Don't think about it yet. First of all, I want to affirm your idea. These projects can be implemented. Moreover, you can also contact those Nanhu educated youth who have been admitted to Shanghai. You can buy goods from the farms, add a little markup, and supply them with the goods. Even if a portion of this money is given to the school, the rest will be enough for you to earn."

But that alone is not enough.

Anquan remained silent, gazing at him with unprecedented obedience.

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly, and he sighed, saying, "You should take a long-term view. Every school can do what you're doing, and they can only do it during your four years at school. As an ambitious college student, you can do even better."

Meeting the three pairs of eager eyes, Chen Fan smiled and said, "For example, most universities don't have literary journals these days. Could you do that?"

Anquan was stunned for a moment, then nodded frantically, "It can be done, it can be done!"

Compared to those delicatessens, supply and marketing cooperatives, and tea stalls, isn't a magazine publishing house much more sophisticated?
If he hadn't known how profitable the side businesses in Lujiawan were, he wouldn't have wanted to get involved in those "vulgar" businesses and would have focused solely on making magazines!

There's no need to worry about the manuscript either.

These days, which college student doesn't enjoy reading literature? If we ask them to contribute, I'm sure many will eagerly submit their work.

What? Quality?

Hey, it's a school magazine now, can we lower the bar a bit?!

If all else fails, how about we ask renowned writers Chen Fan or Chen Dong to sponsor two of my works?
Seeing how eager Anquan was to act immediately, Chen Fan smiled and said, "Besides literary publications, you could also organize and run a semi-professional journal on finance."

Or you could assist students from other majors by helping them publish 'Physics Journal', 'Chemistry Journal', 'Mathematics Journal', etc., etc.

This kind of project can help you and your classmates earn money, and it also enhances your qualifications. Isn't that much better than simply making money?!

Anquan became increasingly excited as he listened, and finally he simply lay down on the table, prostrating himself on the ground, crying out, "My benefactor!"

With a clear plan in mind, the subsequent organization and execution are his strengths, so there's absolutely no problem with this!

Seeing him like this, Jiang Lili and Yu Keying couldn't help but laugh.

However, neither of them looked at him; instead, they looked at Chen Fan.

The difference is that Jiang Lili's eyes are full of admiration and love, while Yu Keying's are full of gratitude.

With Lao Chen's guidance, she believed that her man would definitely achieve great things and would not be looked down upon by anyone!

……

After leaving Anquan's house, Chen Fan patted his stomach and sighed softly, "I attended a class, and all I got was a full stomach of water."

Jiang Lili smiled at him and said, "I'll cook you something delicious when we get home. What do you want to eat?"

Chen Fan looked at her and smiled, "Not going back to school today?"

Jiang Lili wrinkled her nose, her shyness tinged with reluctance, "You're leaving the day after tomorrow, and I want to spend more time with you."

Chen Fan chuckled, and after she got into the sidecar, he immediately started the motorcycle and hit the road, eager to go home.

……

the next morning.

Both of them unusually did not get up early.

Jiang Lili nestled in Chen Fan's arms, perfectly awake, but she just didn't want to get up.

She heard a doorbell ring and immediately turned to Chen Fan, saying, "Xiao Fan, someone's here."

Chen Fan opened his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly. "Who would come at this hour?"

Someone came over, and it wouldn't be appropriate to stay in bed any longer, so he got up and tucked Jiang Lili in first, saying, "Lie down for a little while longer."

I then walked to the window, pushed open the glass, and a blast of cold air hit me, instantly making me more awake.

He called out to the door, "Who is it?"

A few seconds later, a voice rang out, "Comrade Chen, Mr. Ba requests your presence."

(End of this chapter)