Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 538 Big changes

After being away for 50 days, I returned home to find it just as clean and tidy as before.

It seems that none of the three little girls were slacking off.

Since they were all old acquaintances, Chen Fan didn't stand on ceremony. He let Captain Yang and the others have tea in the living room on the first floor, while he went upstairs to his study first. Sure enough, there was an ordinary-looking envelope on the table.

If there's anything unusual about this envelope, it's that the words "Jiangnan University" are printed in the lower right corner.

I picked up the envelope and looked at it; the seal was intact.

He took a paper cutter from the bamboo tube on the corner of the table, cut open the seal, poured out two pieces of paper, and opened them to find that they were the graduate admission notices from Jiangnan University, which also stated "Literature Major" and "Chinese Modern Literature" as the research direction.

(78 Postgraduate Entrance Examination Admission Ticket)

The two pieces of paper were as simple and unadorned as an undergraduate admission letter.

Similar to the 77 college entrance examination, the postgraduate entrance examinations across the country this year are also being conducted independently, with different schedules and some even abandoning the 77 cohort altogether, only preparing for the 78 cohort's admissions work.

一般来说，78级研究生招生工作的报名时间是在3月份，然后考生在4月或5月进行初试、6月份学校发复试通知、7月份到校复试，最后8月份出结果、发录取通知书，9月初入学。

The entire admissions process lasted nearly six months.

（78年复试通知书，6月15号发通知，7月13日在北大复试）

However, this is only the application process for the 78 graduate students; it was different for the 77 students.

For example, the graduate students recruited by the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences were "rushed to enroll one cohort," with the exam in March 1978, the re-examination in April, and enrollment in May, making the timeline extremely tight.

Other schools also did the same. After completing the college entrance examination for the Class of '77, they immediately began the postgraduate admissions process for the Class of '77. They rushed to get the enrollment time forward, and basically completed the enrollment of new students in April or May, so that they could "snatch" one more class of students.

This batch of students, like the undergraduates of the class of '77, were considered to be from the class of '77, even though they entered the class of '78. However, since the exams and enrollment took place in '78, they were actually counted as the class of '78.

What Chen Fan is holding in his hand now is a graduate school admission notice.

So, even before he registered at the school, he was already a "senior student".

Time flies, and we all grow old.

Chen Fan glanced at the enrollment instructions again, which were similar to those for undergraduates, then stuffed the two sheets of paper back into the drawer.

Then I went downstairs and ran to the panda enclosure in a flash.

In the garden, Gun Gun was lying on the thick wooden bar, sulking. His owner had just returned, and Gun Gun had been calling him loudly, but he hadn't come over. Humph, he didn't want to talk to him!

Then I saw the owner come out of the house, carrying a basket full of delicious food that smelled wonderful.

But Gun Gun resolutely refused to move, instead turning its head away, as if to say, "Hmph, I'm angry, I won't eat."

Chen Fan carried the basket into the yard and saw Gun Gun's appearance. He couldn't help but grin. "Heh, are you still angry? Then I'll give these things to Chang Chang and Shui Shui."

The two little ones will be one year old in just two months. They are being fed and cared for well every day, and their figures are already somewhat like their mother's. They are round and plump and look very healthy, but they are much smaller than their mother.

The mother was angry, but the animals weren't. As soon as they saw their owner coming, they pounced on her, not to mention there was delicious food in the basket.

Chen Fan put down the basket, sat on the rock, and laughed as he hugged the two pandas. "Oh dear, they're so heavy, I can hardly carry them anymore."

Fortunately, I can still hold it and play with it now.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he put the two pandas on his lap, Gun Gun couldn't wait to run over and "Awoo".

Chen Fan burst into laughter, but the next second he was pounced on by the furious Gun Gun, who quickly begged for mercy, "Okay, okay, I won't laugh at you anymore, eat, eat."

After playing around for a while, Chen Fan sat up again. Gun Gun leaned against him, happily munching on a bamboo shoot. Chang Chang and Shui Shui also sat on Chen Fan's lap, each munching on a bamboo shoot, only occasionally glancing back to make sure their master was still there.

After finishing the basket of bamboo shoots, Chen Fan patted the heads of the three pandas, played with them for a while, and then got up and went outside.

Having eaten bamboo shoots and played, Gun Gun was completely satisfied and continued playing games in the garden with his two little ones.

It performs "rolling performances," doing somersaults and handstands. It still remembers the skills its former animal trainer taught it and plans to pass them on to its two children.

As Chen Fan came out of the panda enclosure, Huang Li immediately came over and said, "Teacher Chen, the hot water is ready, you can take a bath now."

She paused for a moment, then lowered her head and said apologetically, "I've never handled the things you brought back before, so I don't know how to make them."

She was referring to the box of wild game that Chen Fan had just given her, asking her to pick out some to serve Captain Yang and the others, but she didn't know how.

Chen Fan smiled and said, "It's alright. Just cook it like you would wild boar meat. Don't we have a steel needle brush for catching frogs at home? Wash the steel needle clean, scald it with boiling water to sterilize it, and then use the steel needle brush to prick the largest piece of tiger meat. That will make it more tender."

He thought for a moment and said, "Okay, you do what you can first, and I'll teach you how to do it after I take a shower."

The oriole then beamed with joy and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, okay."

Captain Yang had just come out of the house and stood outside the panda enclosure watching Chen Fan play with the three bears. When he saw Chen Fan teaching his apprentice, he couldn't help but walk over and laugh, "Only you are so patient when teaching your apprentice. In the old days, when the old masters in the village taught their apprentices, which one didn't beat and scold them?"

Chen Fan patted the dust off his clothes, glanced at Yang Mei who had brought him a change of clothes into the bathroom, and said with a smile, "I'm definitely different, I'm a cultured person."

Accountant Liu also came over, smoking a cigarette, and said with a smile, "That's true, otherwise I would have liked to become your apprentice."

He turned to look at the pandas in the park and said, "There's something else, it's not a big deal, I just wanted to let you know."

Chen Fan followed his gaze, then turned back, "Is there not enough bamboo to eat?"

Accountant Liu gave a thumbs up, "You really have a brilliant mind; you could guess what I was saying even before I finished speaking."

He pointed to the panda and said, "We used to raise one big and two small ones, and we had enough bamboo in our own team. Now the two small ones have grown up, and they only eat arrow bamboo and not moso bamboo. For a while, we almost didn't have enough food, and we had to make up for it with vegetables."

However, when the other brigades found out about this, they would bring some bamboo with them whenever they came to deliver goods, which ensured the supply.

The bamboo wasn't worth much, and they didn't ask for any. When we settled the bill, we just added a few dollars to round it up, so everyone could save face. It's a small matter, but I mentioned it to you; it was their kind gesture after all.

Chen Fan nodded in realization. "I understand. I'll remember this favor."

Although he had tricked Secretary Yang and the others into providing bamboo for Gun Gun for free with a diesel engine, in the end he still benefited from it, and he had to accept the favor he received.

He looked through the fence at the three pandas playing happily in the park, silently calculating in his mind that even if the food problem could be solved, the three bears would still be taken away by the zoo in a few years when the Wildlife Protection Law came into effect, without legal procedures.

Hmm, looks like I'll have to find some time to meet with Lao Guo.

Guo, whose main job is the deputy director of Yunhu Zoo, is also the chairman of the Yunhu branch of the Writers Association. Helping out a little shouldn't be a problem for him, right?

……

Give the oriole a bath and change its clothes, then teach it how to cook wild game.

By the time all the food was ready, it was already past 5 o'clock.

During this time, Zhang Wenliang also arrived on his bicycle. There's no doubt that he was called by the myna bird.

The weather is neither too hot nor too cold, and since there are quite a few people coming, we set up two tables in the courtyard.

Chen Fan sat at a table with Captain Yang, Accountant Liu, Warehouse Keeper Huang, and Zhang Wenliang. The others preferred to squeeze in rather than join them. Fortunately, the round table was large enough that all thirteen people could fit.

The three girls naturally took their bowls of rice and went inside to eat, not wanting to join in the fun with the men.

Chen Fan stood up and raised a glass of wine. "First of all, I want to thank all the leaders for their help during my absence..."

Then Zhang Wenliang grabbed him and pulled him down to sit. "Come on, you're a deputy director now, the same level as a county magistrate. A hundred years ago, we would have kowtowed to you. Leader? You're more like a tie."

Chen Fan looked at him in surprise, "Wow, people who've been to the big docks are different, you even know about ties, have you bought a couple to keep at home?"

Zhang Wenliang rolled his eyes, about to speak.

Chen Fan's expression changed again, and he said earnestly, "Don't mention kowtowing anymore. It's not good for unity. This is a new society and a new era. We are all the same now."

Captain Yang and his two companions grinned and laughed heartily, amused by their antics.

Naturally, no words of thanks were uttered.

Everyone immediately picked up their glasses and clinked them together in a lively atmosphere.

Setting down his wine glass, Zhang Wenliang said seriously, "The things brought back from Shanghai have all been arranged. As per your suggestion, the white rabbits were not raised with the wild rabbits, but in a separate rabbit hutch to avoid infection. The broiler chickens, laying hens, and three pairs of Hu sheep are also treated in the same way, raised separately and not mixed with other poultry and livestock."

"The brigade headquarters found a small hill to plant 15 kinds of fruit tree seedlings..."

Chen Fan's eyes widened immediately. "The seeds and fruit tree seedlings are all mine!"

Zhang Wenliang picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. Just as he was about to speak, his eyes suddenly lit up. "What kind of meat is this? It tastes very special."

Chen Fan, "Tiger meat. No, don't interrupt..."

"Tiger meat?"

Zhang Wenliang's eyes lit up immediately, and he had no time to talk about anything else. He immediately picked up the plate and started shoveling food into his own bowl.

Upon seeing this, Captain Yang and his two companions rushed forward to snatch the plate back, managing to manage to grab it, but only half of it remained. Chen Fan looked at the four of them, who had even stopped drinking and were now burying their heads in their food, and found it somewhat unbearable to watch.

It's just tiger meat, why be so unrefined?

Then he realized that it wasn't just a lack of consideration, it was downright complete silence!
Well, Chen Fan stopped talking and picked up his bowl to eat.

If they don't drink alcohol, people these days eat very quickly, especially strong laborers; they devour their meals in no time.

In just ten minutes, the table was left with only a mess of cups and plates—no, it should be said that the bowls and plates were a mess, and the wine glasses remained untouched.

Zhang Wenliang put down his rice bowl, wiped his mouth, let out a burp, and exclaimed, "I never thought I'd have the chance to eat tiger meat in my lifetime!"

Captain Yang followed closely behind, comfortably rubbing his stomach, and asked curiously, "What are the other types?"

Chen Fan shrugged and pointed to the bowl of food, saying, "This is wolf meat, this is venison, this is gazelle meat, this is leopard meat, these are all the wild game."

Accountant Liu put down his chopsticks and said with satisfaction, "This is more than enough. Tigers and wolves are ferocious beasts. I never thought we would have the chance to enjoy a good meal."

The custodian, Huang, nodded repeatedly, "Agreed."

Chen Fan blinked at him, "That's rare! It's actually quite a coincidence that Warehouse Keeper Huang agrees with Accountant Liu's opinion!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wenliang and Captain Yang couldn't help but laugh out loud, while the warehouse keeper Huang and accountant Liu blushed deeply.

The custodian, Mr. Huang, quickly replied, "We're just joking around all the time. We don't have any irreconcilable conflicts or grudges."

Accountant Liu nodded repeatedly, "Agreed."

The laughter grew even louder as soon as he finished speaking.

Having satisfied their appetites, they then picked up their wine glasses and savored the wine.

Zhang Wenliang continued the previous topic, saying, "There are five or six of each type of fruit tree seedling. You don't need so many by yourself, so we left you one of each type. The others were planted in a separate area. If they mature, the brigade headquarters will have another orchard. When they bear fruit, you'll get a share too, and you won't have to take care of them. Isn't that great?"

Hearing what they said, Chen Fan nodded and remained silent.

He hadn't really cared at first; as long as the goods were in Lujiawan, how could they possibly escape?
Zhang Wenliang continued, "As for your flower seeds, plant them on the slope in front as you suggested. As for the three types of rice seeds, plant them in the original pond on the back slope."

"A pond?"

Chen Fan pointed behind him and said, "Is that the pond on the back slope that was dug out when they were dredging mud?"

At this moment, Captain Yang laughed and said, "The production team's paddy fields all have planting plans, and not even a single inch of land can be used for other purposes. You also bought rice seeds and had them bring them back. After thinking it over, we realized that if we don't reclaim any other wasteland, the only place we can make use of is the pond on the hillside behind your house."

Accountant Liu nodded and said, "If we want to reclaim wasteland, we have to dig up these small hills, which would be too much work. But the pond is ready-made and can be used directly, so we repaired the side and drained the water inside, turning it into paddy fields."

Huang, the storekeeper, grinned and said, "That place is less than an acre in total, so I didn't register it. When this field has a harvest, I'll hand it over to the team for safekeeping first, and then distribute it to you and Huang Li when they issue rations."

Chen Fan looked at the group and couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, let's do it that way."

He then looked at Captain Yang and asked, "Have all the new educated youth arrived?"

Captain Yang nodded slightly. "You've only been gone for two days, and all 16 people have come to report for duty. I have to say, these people are quite different from those who came before. They are all very well-behaved, and they do whatever they are asked to do. They go to work and come home with everyone every day."

In the evenings, I would go to the study room that was built later to read and study. At that time, Yang Ju and the others hadn't registered for the training yet, so I had them go there for a few days of tutoring. I heard that they had made considerable progress.

Anyway, everything's normal now, so let's leave it at that.

Chen Fan squinted and thought for a moment, "So, there were no troublemakers, and no one made a special trip to greet you?"

Captain Yang shook his head without hesitation, "No."

Chen Fan pondered for two seconds and said, "Since that's the case, let's take another step forward. If after two months, if it's still the same as before, and no one is complaining about being tired, then we can assign them some easier work."

Anyway, none of these people come from poor families, and they don't care about the work points from the team, so let them have more time to study. When I have time, I'll occasionally go over and give them a lesson or two. As for whether they can get into university in July, that's up to them.

Captain Yang nodded slightly. "Okay."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his head again and said, "Speaking of lecturing, I just remembered that our Lujiawan Primary School has been built. The students who used to attend Nanhu Primary School have all come back to study. Once the fourth-grade students pass their exams this year, the first batch of senior primary school students will begin attending classes."

The teachers all studied under those who went to university, so they were definitely qualified to teach primary school. They had also passed the district's teacher qualification exam, making them certified and legitimate village teachers who could earn work points from the production brigade.

That day, when I was chatting with Principal Xiao, he asked me for a favor. He asked me to pass on a message to you, saying he'd like you to teach a few classes at the village school when you have some free time.

Accountant Liu, who was standing next to him, laughed and continued, "Those kids really admire you. All the students you've taught have been admitted to university. They say that if they listened to your lectures, they could also get into university, so they all want to hear you teach."

Old Xiao, wanting to motivate the students, asked Old Yang to put in a good word for you. But there's no rush; you can go whenever you have time.

Chen Fan nodded without hesitation and smiled, "Sure, it's not difficult. It's an honor for me that the students like me."

Captain Yang laughed heartily, then turned to Accountant Liu and Warehouse Keeper Huang and said, "See? I told you he would agree."

They had almost finished eating all the food on the table, so they ate some leftovers and rice, and drank quite a bit of alcohol.

They didn't finish drinking and leave until it got dark.

Captain Yang and the others went home. Zhang Wenliang, feeling dizzy, was about to ride his bicycle when Chen Fan stopped him, saying, "Wait, I'll go with you."

Zhang Wenliang thought he was worried that he had drunk too much, so he immediately waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing, we've only just arrived, we haven't even had half a jin yet, back in the day..."

Chen Fan turned and walked into the house. "You can reminisce about the past. I'm taking some things to deliver to Fourth Master Lu and your uncle."

Zhang Wenliang's face fell. Well, he had been presumptuous.

A short while later, Chen Fan came out carrying two large baskets. Just then, Yang Mei saddled the mare and led the horse over. Chen Fan put the two baskets on the horse's back, mounted the horse, and rode off towards Team 5.

Zhang Wenliang followed behind, pedaling furiously, saying, "Slow down, wait for me."

Chen Fan turned and glanced at him. "Wait, where's the black crow you bought? Why aren't you riding it?"

Zhang Wenliang's face darkened. "That black crow wants gasoline! The team can get some diesel, but where are we going to get gasoline?!"

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. "Next time I go to the prefectural committee, I'll bring you back a few cans of gasoline."

With unlimited fuel supply from the machinery factory, he had never worried about gasoline. Who would have thought that Zhang Wenliang would have to worry about fuel for even a black crow?

Oh, how pitiful.

The horses' hooves were swift and the wheels were spinning; they soon arrived at Team 5.

Chen Fan looked ahead and saw that most of the mud-brick houses in Team 5 were dark, which puzzled him. "What day is it today? Are they all home? Or do they all not turn on the lights?"

Zhang Wenliang huffed and puffed as he pedaled up the hill, saying irritably, "You've moved to a new house, huh? With a new brick house, who would still live here?!"

Chen Fan looked at him in surprise, "You've all moved in? The new house was built so quickly?"

The village started building new houses before the Spring Festival. The house types and layouts were designed by Chen Fan. According to his calculations, it would be quite good if a quarter of the villagers' families could move into new houses within two months, including the spring plowing season. How come it seems that many people have moved into new houses now?

Zhang Wenliang rode alongside him on his bicycle, chuckling, "How can it not be fast? All the bricks, tiles, and precast slabs are bought from outside. The brick and tile factories and construction teams in Nanhu Commune can't supply them, so we go to the county town to buy them. Anyway, there are cargo ships, so transporting them back is easy!"

As for labor, in the past there were fewer skilled workers and more unskilled workers, but unskilled workers could be trained.

The able-bodied men in the village had all helped build houses before, so they weren't completely clueless. With the guidance of experienced foremen, their skills improved very quickly; they could learn to lay bricks in about ten days. This way, with just two or three skilled workers overseeing the construction, the framework of a house could be completed very quickly.

They had now reached the alley leading to Master Lu. Chen Fan stopped the mare and asked, "Is Master Lu still here?"

Zhang Wenliang nodded and said helplessly, "Yes, Master Xiao and my uncle both advised him to move to the backyard of the brigade headquarters or build him a new small house, but he refused and insisted on staying in that thatched hut."

Chen Fan pursed his lips, glanced into the alley, and became even more certain that Master Lu's treasures were hidden there.

However, he didn't take it seriously. No matter how valuable Master Lu's treasures were, could they be as valuable as what was in his head?

He's just waiting for the right opportunity to make a fortune.

As for what Master Lu had, it was up to him to decide who to give it to or not. Chen Fan didn't care at all. When he used to play treasure hunt games with him, it was just to amuse the old man.

Shaking his head to put that aside, Chen Fan asked curiously, "Didn't it delay spring planting?"

Zhang Wenliang braced himself on the ground, grinning at him, "That's a question for you. You brought back so much farm machinery, if we're still worried about spring plowing, then it's all for nothing."

Chen Fan nodded in realization. "I understand."

With the addition of so much agricultural machinery, the demand for labor during spring plowing has been greatly reduced. Furthermore, the former construction team foremen no longer kept their skills secret, teaching bricklaying techniques to their team members, resulting in a surge in the number of skilled construction workers.

This made building much faster, which is only natural.

I never imagined that the village would change so much in less than two months.

Having figured out the reason, Chen Fan decisively abandoned his accomplice, waving his hand at Zhang Wenliang, "You go back first, don't forget to tell Secretary Zhang and Captain Zhang that I'll be there later, oh, and Captain Xiao too."

Zhang Wenliang's lips twitched slightly, and he pushed the cart away, not wanting to pay any attention to him.

(End of this chapter)