Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 541 Guests are arriving

There is a true story circulating online about this.

It's about a well-behaved boy in a school who never fights or swears. One day, he suddenly picked up a chair and chased after three classmates, crying and yelling for revenge as he did so.

Then the teacher stopped him and asked, "Why did you fight?"

The obedient boy answered while crying, "They called me a 'little notebook' (a derogatory term for someone who writes obscure books)."

The teacher frowned. "That's incredibly vulgar."

Jokes aside, whether true or false, the reality is that most people in this era are even more extreme than that goody-two-shoes.

From childhood to adulthood, we watched movies like "Mine Warfare," "Tunnel Warfare," and "Little Soldier Zhang Ga," and also held comic books like "Chicken Feather Letter," "Little Hero Yu Lai," and "Guerrilla on the Plain." Who wouldn't grit their teeth at the mention of those little notebooks?

Gao Jianguo, who had aspired to make a living from a small business since childhood, couldn't accept the fact that he was actually doing it!
Just now, when I heard my mother say that the person was my great-grandfather since I was a child, and that I was also a child from a small family, I broke down and fell to the ground crying and kicking, refusing to accept it no matter what.

Chen Fan stood outside the door, listening to Zhang Wenliang recount the events in a few words, then looked at Xiao Gao, who was still crying, and couldn't help but click his tongue, "So pitiful."

Zhang Wenliang also sighed, "That's right, who could accept this?"

Chen Fan glanced inside. The bearded old man in his fifties or sixties was standing awkwardly to the side, wanting to pull him but not daring to approach. The other three men stood to the side, looking quite troubled.

Old Gao sat on the chair next to him, his eyes full of confusion. His wife held his son's hand and tried to pull him up, but was kicked several times, yet she still couldn't bear to let go.

Well, it's a complete mess.

At this moment, Zhao Junhui came over and offered two cigarettes as a prelude, "Excuse me, are you Director Chen?"

Chen Fan and Zhang Wenliang each took a cigarette, exchanged a glance, and Zhang Wenliang quickly introduced him, "This is Zhao, a cadre from the United Front Work Department of the province. He's the one who brought the people here for this family search."

Zhao Junhui quickly said, "No need to call me that, just call me Lao Zhao."

He is indeed a cadre, and in a grassroots unit, being called "Cadre Zhao" is acceptable. However, Chen Fan is a deputy director-level leader in the Writers Association, two levels higher than him, so naturally he wouldn't dare to consider himself a cadre.

Yes, the story of Chen Fan, a well-known young writer in the province and deputy director of the external liaison department of the Jiangnan Provincial Branch of the Writers Association, who gave up the excellent conditions of the Provincial Writers Association and was willing to settle down in the rural areas, has already spread throughout various units in the provincial capital.

He came to Lujiawan hoping to run into Director Chen, and to his surprise, he actually did. Of course, he had to come over and say hello.

Who knows, maybe one day I'll run into someone who's also a member of the Writers' Association and the vice minister of my own unit, and they might even mention me!

Chen Fan shook hands with him and said first, "Then I'll call you Comrade Zhao."

Then, out of curiosity, he asked, "Comrade Zhao, I remember that your United Front Work Department has departments for democrats, ethnic and religious affairs, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan affairs, non-public economy, non-partisan affairs, and overseas Chinese affairs. Does it also have a department for handling foreign affairs?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Zhao Junhui's face. "Originally, there wasn't one, but the situation is special, so I'm temporarily filling in. My department is responsible for overseas Chinese affairs, mainly dealing with overseas Chinese in East Asia. I'm relatively familiar with that area, and I've also learned a little Japanese, so I was sent here to assist Xiaobenzi in finding her relatives."

Chen Fan nodded in realization, "I see."

He glanced back into the room and asked in a low voice, "How common is this?"

Zhao Junhui glanced inside with a complicated expression, sighed softly, and said in a low voice, "There are all sorts of situations. Some people, upon hearing that relatives from Xiaoben's side were looking for them, quickly packed their things, wishing they could fly over immediately."

Some, knowing they were from small countries, couldn't bear to leave their adoptive parents and resolutely refused to go with their relatives there, saying that their motherland and hometown were China, and had nothing to do with that place.

As she spoke, she gestured with her chin towards the room, "Then there's this kind of situation, where people get married and start families. The children can't accept it, and the adults don't know what to do either. However, in most cases, they eventually leave. Of course, there are some who don't leave, but the proportion is relatively small."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue. He really couldn't comment on this kind of thing; it depended on the person.

In fact, there are several Japanese communities in Japan that came from China. These communities were basically formed in the 80s, and a large number of the people there were persuaded to go by their "relatives" and leaders.

Back then, there was a craze for going abroad, and the government was also encouraging people to seek connections overseas, so many people thought that everything was better abroad, and such behavior was not surprising.

But when they returned to their hometown, they still spoke Chinese, ate Chinese food, and worked in nearby companies. Some of them, from youth to old age, never learned to speak fluent Japanese.

It does resemble Chinatowns abroad.

A Japanese-owned town on their own soil?

However, if they don't go back to China at least once a year, they feel like something is missing, provided their financial situation allows. That feeling is similar to that of people who work far from home and long to return for the Spring Festival.

Of course, some people are sentimental, while many others turn their backs on them, and still others stubbornly refuse to go.

There is something for everyone.

Chen Fan took a drag of his cigarette. Seeing that the room was still not quiet, he couldn't help but ask, "Comrade Zhao, how do you usually handle this kind of situation?"

Zhao Junhui immediately shook his head, "I don't know what others do, but my principle is not to interfere. I won't stop those who want to leave, and I won't help Xiaoben persuade those who don't want to leave. They can handle their own internal situations, and it's up to them whether they stay or leave."

Although he also wanted to achieve results and build more overseas relationships to facilitate foreign exchange earnings, he couldn't bring himself to persuade people to use small business licenses.

Chen Fan said "Oh" and nodded. Just as he was about to speak, Lao Gao suddenly walked out quickly, approached Chen Fan, and said cautiously, "Teacher Chen, my uncle from Xiaoben came to see me and wants to take me there. I don't know what to do. Could you please give me your advice?"

Looking at Lao Gao, then at Zhao Junhui, Chen Fan couldn't help but blink repeatedly.

I just came here to watch the drama unfold, how did I end up watching it all myself?
Secretary Yang, Captain Zhang, and a few others who were watching the commotion from the sidelines exchanged glances and quickly came over.

Secretary Yang said sternly, "Old Gao, this is your own family matter, how can you ask Teacher Chen about it?"

Captain Zhang, hands on his hips, rebuked, "That's right! What advice did you ask Teacher Chen for? If he told you to leave, and you can't get used to living there, are you going to blame him? If he told you not to leave, and you stay here to continue being a peasant, not living a good life, are you going to blame him again?"

Captain Ye then added, "You have to make the decision yourself; there's no reason for anyone else to interfere!"

Captain Xiao just stared at him with his pipe in his mouth, grunting but saying nothing.

Old Gao's face turned bright red, and he waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, I didn't mean to blame Teacher Chen at all."

His face flushed, and he said to Secretary Yang and the others, "Teacher Chen saved my family, Xiaoguo, which is equivalent to saving our whole family. No matter what advice Teacher Chen gives, how could I blame him?"

Then he looked at Chen Fan and said, "I just thought that Teacher Chen is a very capable person who knows a lot more than I do, so I wanted to hear Teacher Chen's opinion."

After saying that, he lowered his head and sighed, "Secretary Yang and Captain Zhang are right, it's really not good to ask others about this. Teacher Chen, I'm sorry, please pretend I didn't say anything."

Then he turned around, head down, and went inside.

When Lao Gao came out, Takahashi Hideo was a little curious and asked Lao Gao's wife, "Who is this person?"

Old Gao's wife sat on the ground, holding her son tightly in her arms. Hearing the sound, she glanced at the door and immediately said in broken Japanese, "That's Teacher Chen. He's a very accomplished writer and teacher. All of his students have been admitted to the best universities in our country. He's also our child's savior. He saved our whole family."

Hideo Takahashi was taken aback upon hearing this.

In my country, the words "teacher" and "sir" were not to be used casually. Although they have been somewhat "devalued" over time, before the 90s, teachers were the most respected profession, almost without exception.

They generally address male teachers in primary and secondary schools as "Mr." and university teachers as "Professor."

Even highly respected scientists were nurtured by their teachers. Therefore, they have an extremely high tolerance for their teachers.

For example: If a celebrity or politician cheats on their spouse, they should be killed! If a teacher cheats on their spouse, ... wow, Mr. So-and-so is such a womanizer!
Not to mention that this young teacher has also taught students who have been admitted to the best universities in China, and they are among the best of the best.

At the same time, writers are a highly respected profession in society. The status of well-known writers far surpasses that of directors and stars, and is almost equivalent to that of scientists.

A teacher and writer, and someone who saved his own grand-nephew and even his nephew's family, Chen Fan's image instantly became fully formed in Takahashi Hideo's eyes.

When he came to his senses, he walked out without hesitation, just passing by Lao Gao.

Just now, Lao Gao ran over to ask for his opinion, but Chen Fan hadn't said anything before Secretary Yang and the others sent him away. Then, in the blink of an eye, that old man with the small notebook rushed up to him again, bowed at a ninety-degree angle, and mumbled a bunch of Cantonese at him.

This gave Chen Fan a bit of a headache.

A slightly younger man followed Hideo Takahashi out, bowing and translating in unison, "President Takahashi is saying that he is very grateful to you for saving his nephew's family, and he expresses his highest respect and gratitude to you."

Chen Fan pursed his lips. This Mandarin is no good; it's unclear and similar to what you hear in movies.

Zhang Wenliang nudged him with his elbow and chuckled softly, "These little devils are so cunning, they practically bury their heads in the ground when they bow." Chen Fan glanced at him, "Brother, they have a translator."

Zhang Wenliang quickly coughed, pretending nothing had happened, and muttered, "He can't hear me anyway."

In the end, he still got kicked by Master Xiao from behind.

Chen Fan reached out and offered a helping hand. "No need to be polite. Lao Gao has already treated me to a meal, so let's put this matter behind us. Besides, I'm a doctor, and saving lives is just my duty."

Listening to the translator's words, Hideo Takahashi's surprise increased even more.

He was actually a respected doctor?

How many jobs do you actually have?!

At this moment, Secretary Yang looked around the room. Xiao Gao had stopped crying and was nestled in his mother's arms, looking utterly hopeless. Old Gao, on the other hand, sat in a chair with a blank expression, sometimes gritting his teeth and sometimes looking helpless, his face changing faster than the face-changing act in Sichuan opera.

Turning his gaze away, Secretary Yang said to Zhao Junhui, "Zhao, you tell them that they definitely can't make a decision today. So, you find a place to settle down first and let them think it over. After all, this is not a small matter. How can you expect people to just follow you around? Even raising a dog requires some emotional attachment."

Let them think it over first. Tell those little guys not to rush things. Take it slow. Anyway, finding the person is a good thing, right? Whether Xiao Gao and the others go with them or not is another matter. We can't rush it, and we shouldn't rush it.”

Zhao Junhui's lips twitched slightly, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Secretary, what you said makes sense. I'll talk to them."

Then he spoke to the translator, who then spoke to Hideo Takahashi.

A few minutes later, after exchanging a few words with Lao Gao and the others, and saying goodbye to Chen Fan and Secretary Yang, Takahashi Hideo and the others reluctantly got into the car. Zhao Junhui and Zhu Gong'an also got into the jeep, and they drove away slowly, one after the other.

As soon as they left, the villagers who had been watching the commotion from a distance suddenly surged over.

"Old Gao, who are those guys to you?"

"Old Gao, are you leaving? Really going to Benjamin?"

"Old Gao's going to have a good life, isn't he going to treat us to a meal before he leaves?"

"What are you saying? Life isn't good these days? If it is, why don't you come with Lao Gao?"

Old Gao was used to being cautious in the village, and hearing everyone's discussions made him feel both upset and unable to get angry.

Fortunately, Secretary Yang and the others were still there, and they immediately started to shoo people away, saying, "What nonsense are you spouting? Old Gao hasn't even said whether he's leaving or not, how can you make the decision for him?"

Then he called out, "Where's Su Yujun? Su Yujun?"

Team 10 captain Su Yujun quickly ran over, saying, "I'm here, I'm here."

"You're the one talking."

Secretary Yang glared at the onlookers and said, "Look at this! What kind of behavior is this? Get them all out of here! Anyone who bothers Xiao Gao again will have their work points deducted."

Su Yujun nodded and bowed, "Yes."

Then he turned around and started yelling, "Can't you listen to human language? Get out of here or you'll lose points!"

Before he finished speaking, the crowd dispersed in a panic.

I couldn't stand having my work points deducted before, and I can't stand it now. It's several yuan a day, who would want to have it deducted?!
Seeing the crowd disperse, Lao Gao finally breathed a sigh of relief and came over to thank Secretary Yang and the others.

Secretary Yang waved his hand. "Go back and think it over carefully. No one can make this decision for you. Anyway, if you want to leave, we'll see you off; if you want to stay, things will remain the same. Do you understand what I mean?"

Old Gao nodded, "Understood, understood."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Secretary, it's almost noon. Why don't you have lunch here?"

Secretary Yang waved his hand without turning his head, "I'm not eating, you guys eat your own food."

He started walking forward, and the others followed.

Su Yujun leaned closer and said, "Secretary, you've all arrived, and it's lunchtime. Why don't you come to my house for a meal? Consider it a treat from the team."

Before he could finish speaking, Principal Xiao rushed over, "Go to your house? Come to the school! Teacher Chen is here to give a lecture today. If you don't even eat, where will I put my face?!"

Su Yujun: "Isn't that the same? Both the squad and the school have 10 squads, what's the difference?"

Principal Xiao, "If there's no difference, then go to the school! The cafeteria is much bigger!"

Su Yujun: "...The canteen it is, I'll just grab two chickens and take them with me."

Secretary Yang, "You certainly know how to make decisions. Did I agree to it?"

Su Yujun immediately turned around, "Then Secretary Yang, Captain Zhang, Captain Xiao, Captain Ye, Teacher Chen, and Company Commander Zhang, please come in?"

Secretary Yang waved his hand and said, "Let's go. Hey, I can't say it's not delicious."

Principal Xiao: "If it doesn't work, come again. We'll keep going until you're satisfied!"

Chen Fan: If people keep saying it's not good, can we come and eat here every day?
……

The next morning, Yang Mei and the others went to work.

Chen Fan strolled around the courtyard, inspected it, and then moved a chair to sit under the covered walkway, where he began to study a Japanese book.

Among the books left in the old house of the prefectural committee, there are many foreign language books, including English, French, German, Japanese and Italian, all brought back from abroad. It seems that the mother was also a talented woman.

Chen Fan hadn't really looked through them before; he just picked out a few introductory books and brought them back, thinking he'd learn some foreign languages ​​when he had some free time.

Yesterday, a few notebooks arrived, and when he came back in the afternoon, he took out his Japanese textbook.

In half a day, I've already learned almost everything.

Aside from Chen Fan's extraordinary abilities, learning Japanese is actually very easy for Chinese people.

Japanese is composed of hiragana and katakana, and most of the characters are based on Chinese characters. Even people who don't know Japanese can understand about 70-80% of the characters just by looking at them, but this is not the fundamental reason why Japanese is easy to learn.

Most importantly, the pronunciation of Japanese is very similar to our Pinyin pronunciation.

The phonetic alphabet used in my country before the pinyin system, known as "Zhuyin Fuhao," was similar to that used in Japanese, and the pronunciation rules were almost identical.

Therefore, you only need to arrange the Japanese pronunciation letters vertically according to the rules of initials and finals, and then arrange the initials and finals of the pinyin letters horizontally, and then combine them to fill in the table. In this way, you only need to remember the Japanese pronunciation to accurately read every Japanese word.

For smart people, learning Japanese is that simple.

Even without any special abilities, Chen Fan could quickly learn Japanese by relying on what he learned from Kuaishou.

Of course, having a cheat code makes things even faster. He has already memorized the entire Japanese book in his hand, and by comparing it with the pronunciation he heard from Hideo Takahashi and the others yesterday, mastering a Tokyo accent is that simple.

Just as Chen Fan was reading aloud in his distinctive Northeastern accent, a myna bird descended from the sky and landed on the small square table next to him, announcing, "A guest has arrived, a guest has arrived."

Chen Fan looked up at it, then looked up at the sky.

The Eurasian Hobby circled overhead once and chirped a few times.

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow. There really were guests?
The myna bird looked at Chen Fan, who was not moving, and thought, "What, you don't believe me?"

Chen Fan stood up, carried a chair inside, put the books down first, and then moved the small square table in.

He then stood at the door with his hands behind his back. A moment later, the sound of two cars came from down the hillside and soon stopped.

A moment later, led by Hideo Takahashi and Junhui Zhao, the group of people from yesterday appeared in front of Chen Fan.

(End of this chapter)