Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 603 Gathering
Over the next few days, Chen Fan spent two hours each day teaching the educated youth, helping them fill in any gaps in their knowledge.

When the principal of Nanhu High School in the commune heard that Chen Fan had returned and was even giving a lecture to the educated youth, he rushed over, hoping that Chen Fan could also give a lecture at the high school.

The application requirements for this year have been announced long ago. The confirmed target group is "young people around 20 years old". However, outstanding young people aged 26-30 and high school graduates from 1966-1968 can still apply. High school students with excellent grades can also apply with approval.

Compared to later generations, this condition is quite broad, but compared to last year, it is much clearer.

All those from Lujiawan who met the application requirements were sent away by Chen Fan last year. The remaining students were either still working hard in elementary school or were academic underachievers who dreaded books. In addition, since Lujiawan's income was now higher than that of workers and cadres in large companies, no one applied.

Therefore, this year's college entrance examination actually has little to do with Chen Fan.

However, after thinking about it, Chen Fan agreed to the principal's request and spent an afternoon giving a lecture at the high school.

There's nothing else to it. The students from Lujiawan will still go to the commune's middle school in the future. It's not much trouble. It's good to maintain good relations and make it easier to get along in the future.

Furthermore, Lujiawan is currently booming, so making more friends is always beneficial. It's always better to have a wider path than a narrow one.

Aside from these two things, Chen Fan spent the rest of his time at the brigade headquarters, instructing Huang Li on how to run the canteen well.

The canteen space is easy to find. There is a kitchen in the brigade headquarters courtyard. If we set aside two larger rooms, we can accommodate 4 or 50 people at the same time. This space is more than enough.

If there are a lot of people coming occasionally, other rooms such as meeting rooms can be tidied up and several tables can be set up.

In addition to Huang Li, the head chef, the brigade headquarters also hired two temporary workers as kitchen helpers.

However, unlike Huangli and Yangmei, they didn't receive work points as coordinators; instead, they received a discount. Even so, it still sparked a bit of competition.

There's no other reason than that the work points at the brigade headquarters are too valuable; even with a discount, they're still more worthwhile than working in the squad.

The winery in Yangmei is similar; she manages it herself and has two assistants to help her.

Lujiawan was well-equipped and had everything it needed. In just a few days, a small winery was built, ready to begin brewing.

……

July 7th, Friday, Minor Heat.

Chen Fan originally only planned to stay in Lujiawan for 3 days, but he ended up staying for a week.

There was a heavy downpour last night. These kinds of summer thunderstorms are quite common in Yunhu. They usually start between 10 pm and midnight, with particularly heavy rain, and then stop in the middle of the night, which helps to dispel the summer heat.

The interval is usually about a week. If it doesn't rain for more than half a month, it's an abnormal weather and there's a possibility of drought.

The morning after the rain, it was another sunny day.

Last night's rain seemed to act as a ripening agent, turning the rice in the fields golden almost overnight.

Once the morning sun dries the water droplets on the rice ears, the harvest can begin.

While the farm machinery operators in the production team were busy checking the machines and preparing to go to the fields at any time, Chen Fan, carrying a backpack, led Liu Lu onto the dike.

On the first day of the double harvest season, Secretary Yang and his team were busy inspecting the labor situation of each team, so they did not come to see them off.

Only Zhang Wenliang, Captain Yang, Warehouse Keeper Huang, and Accountant Liu escorted him to the dock.

Of course, orioles and bayberries are also indispensable.

Accountant Liu was repeating to his niece for the nth time, "When you're away from home, you must listen to your master, study hard, and not worry him..."

Liu Lu wasn't annoyed at all. She had never left Nanhu Commune before, let alone gone to a metropolis like Shanghai. She had no idea what to do. She listened to her uncle's instructions and nodded mindlessly.

Reaching the side of the boat, Chen Fan turned around and waved to the group, "This is enough. If you want to go any further, you'll have to come with me."

Captain Yang chuckled and waved to him, "Give me one of your filter cigarettes."

Chen Fan took out two packs and placed them in his hands. "Filtered cigarettes aren't hard to buy now. Go ask Secretary Qian of the commune for them. You'll definitely be able to get some Grade A cigarette coupons."

Captain Yang didn't stand on ceremony and handed a packet to Zhang Wenliang. After opening the packet, he took out a few cigarettes and scattered them. "Okay, I'll go find Secretary Yang later and ask him to inquire about it."

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "If it weren't for the double harvest season, I would really like to go to Shanghai with you and see what the big port is like."

Chen Fan lit a cigarette and took a puff. "As long as Lujiawan develops better and better, there will definitely be opportunities."

He turned to Zhang Wenliang and smiled, “Once the food and clothing factories in Lujiawan are up and running, you can go to those big cities and find their department stores and supply and marketing cooperatives to do sales. If they take a liking to you, then you will only have to worry about running out of stock, not about not being able to sell it.”

Zhang Wenliang, smoking a cigarette, nodded. "I believe that."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Back then, I was so envious of the supply and marketing cooperative's stores. I would never have dared to go to their leaders to sell my products."

He turned to Captain Yang and laughed, "Now, as long as you give me a letter of introduction, I can knock on any door without hesitation, carrying the products."

After chatting for a while, Chen Fan finished his cigarette, threw the butt into the water, and said with a soft laugh, "Alright, it's the first day of the double harvest, you're all very busy, I won't keep you from your work, I'll be going now."

Watching Chen Fan jump onto the speedboat, Zhang Wenliang shook his head regretfully, "I was thinking of having another match with you after the harvest season, but you ran away today."

Chen Fan stood at the bow of the boat, reached out and helped Liu Lu aboard, and laughed at her, "Forget it, you've never beaten me from the beginning, what's the point of competing?"

Besides, people from other places will be coming to visit and learn later. If I don't leave, am I just going to let them bother me?

Under Zhang Wenliang's dark gaze, Chen Fan waved his hand, turned around and lifted the tarpaulin. After Liu Lu sat down next to him, he started the engine, waved again, and drove the yacht away.

On the riverbank, two dogs ran alongside the speedboat, barking as they went. Above the speedboat, a hawk circled around it constantly, seemingly guiding it.

Only the myna bird flapped its wings and cried out happily, "Chen Fan is gone! Chen Fan is gone..."

Then it was grabbed by a swooping falcon and thrown directly in front of Chen Fan. It shrank its wings in fear and dared not make another sound.

Chen Fan, speechless, grabbed the myna bird and threw it into the air. He then shifted the gear to the highest setting, and the yacht sped towards the prefectural committee.

After arriving at Yunhu, I stayed there for another day. In addition to saying hello to Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi, I also made a special trip to visit old acquaintances such as Sister Zhou from the Health Department and Sister Zuo from the Education Department. It was not until the third day that I drove back to the provincial capital.

After arriving in the provincial capital and transferring to another plane, we finally arrived in Shanghai on July 9th.

As Liu Lu exited the airport, her face was still full of excitement, and she kept looking back.

I actually boarded a plane?!
She certainly didn't meet the requirements to buy plane tickets at her level, but she had Chen Fan. With just a phone call, Chen Fan, who had barely met the requirements, easily bought two plane tickets. He then smoothly took her onto the plane.

These days, the hardest part about flying is buying a ticket. Once you have a ticket, you can board smoothly without any checks.

Liu Lu, who had just been amazed by the airplane, immediately got into a taxi.

Only after the car stopped in front of the courtyard and she got off and stood still did she ask in a low voice, "Teacher, last time I heard from the people in Team 9 that Lao Gao had a lot of trouble coming back. He took a bus from the airport to the dock, but he couldn't buy a return ticket that day. He also stayed overnight at a guesthouse that was quite far away, and only boarded the ship the next day."

Moreover, the cabin was packed with people, all in bunk beds, and luggage had to be stored under the beds; there wasn't even a locker. How come our arrival was so smooth, and it doesn't match what Company Commander Zhang and the others said?

Chen Fan, holding onto the homemade trolley containing the computer with one hand and pressing the doorbell with the other, turned to look at her and asked, "A lot of people are sleeping in the cabin?"

Seeing Liu Lu nod blankly, Chen Fan was speechless.

This old Gao has foreign exchange in his hands, but he refuses to spend a single penny. He even buys the cheapest fifth-class cabin when he takes a boat. What a talent!

When he went back this time, he made a special trip to see Lao Gao.

The old Gao family's mud-walled house has been replaced by a spacious brick and tile house, and even the exterior walls have been plastered with cement and lime, making it one of the few "high-class" houses in the team.

Now that the house is nice and comfortable, even my old unhygienic habits seem to have changed quite a bit; at least it's presentable now.

People are much more cheerful now. When they go to work, they chat with others, unlike before when they wouldn't say a word.

I never expected that even after finding a powerful backer and improving his life, he would still be so frugal.

Hmm, I wonder how Xiao Gao is doing in the notebook?
Just as Chen Fan was letting his thoughts wander, the courtyard gate opened, and Jiang Lili appeared before him, beaming with joy.

She smiled happily at Chen Fan, then paused for two seconds before finally noticing Liu Lu standing beside her. She then said with a smile, "Lu, it's been a long time! You've grown quite a bit taller. Come in, come in!"

He stepped aside, waited for the two to enter the courtyard, then closed the small gate and quickly walked inside.

With Liu Lu there, Chen Fan didn't say much. After entering the house, he smiled at Liu Lu and said, "You can stay in the room on the first floor. Don't be shy here, just make yourself at home."

Liu Lu was still wondering why Jiang Lili was here. Hearing Chen Fan's words, she nodded instinctively, raised her face, and smiled, "I know."

Chen Fan handed the backpack to Jiang Lili, glanced at the kitchen, and before he could speak, Jiang Tiantian came out of the kitchen. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she quickly ran over, saying, "We're here. I'm cooking, it'll be ready soon."

Upon hearing this, Liu Lu decisively put down her luggage and said, "I, I'll do it. When Huang Li is busy at the teacher's house, I'll help with it too."

Jiang Tiantian looked at her and blinked twice. "You're Liu Lu, right? Uh, Xiao Fan mentioned you."

Before Chen Fan arrived, he called Jiang Lili and told them in advance that he would be bringing Liu Lu with him.

However, they knew about Liu Lu beforehand, but Liu Lu didn't know Jiang Tiantian.

Jiang Lili did know him; they had met frequently in Lujiawan before, and were quite familiar with each other because of Huang Ying.

But who is this person?

Jiang Lili quickly introduced, "This is my older sister. She studies at Fudan University and sometimes stays here."

Liu Lu then realized that it was Jiang Lili's older sister.

The next second, she was confused again. Why was Jiang Lili's sister living in the teacher's house?

She looked at the two sisters, who were more beautiful than flowers, and then at Chen Fan, her mind a complete mess.

So what exactly is the relationship between the teachers and them?
At that moment, she suddenly realized something: regardless of the relationship, her sister definitely had no chance. Not only Liu Dan, but Yang Mei and Huang Li's sisters were also likely out of luck.

Chen Fan had no idea what his apprentice was thinking about him. He untied the rope binding the computer, carried the box upstairs, and asked, "Has the printer Zhou Yali sent arrived yet?"

Jiang Lili immediately followed behind him, "It just arrived today. My sister and I went to the post office to pick it up and put it on the third floor. The floppy disks are also on the third floor."

After the two disappeared down the stairs, Jiang Tiantian picked up Liu Lu's luggage from the ground and said with a smile, "Let me take you to your room, it's right here."

He then walked towards the guest rooms on the first floor.

Liu Lu snapped out of her daze and quickly chased after him, saying, "I... I can do it myself."

Chen Fan carried his computer upstairs to the second floor and went into his room.

As he unpacked the box, he said, "Did Mr. Ba have someone take the computer away?"

Jiang Lili nodded gently. Seeing that he was sweating, she quickly turned on the electric fan and opened the window. She said, "The day after you called me, Mr. Ba came with his men to take it away. He came in person."

The day before yesterday, my sister told me that Mr. Ba told her the allocation results and asked her to pass them on to you. Two computers were allocated; one went to Jiaotong University, and the other went to Jiangnan University.

Chen Fan moved the computer out and placed it on the ground, then turned around and laughed, "Jiang Da still got his way?"

Jiang Lili walked over and squatted down next to him, chuckling softly, "Yeah, Mr. Ba said that since you're still studying at Jiang University and are from Jiangnan province, we can't just ignore you. Anyway, Jiang University was the first university to call and ask for a computer, so they just went along with it and gave them one."

Chen Fan skillfully assembled the computer and laughed, "Getting the computer isn't the key. Now it's about who can thoroughly study the function of this personal microcomputer first, and then submit a report to the higher-ups. That way, they can seize the initiative and be the first to get the research project on personal microcomputers."

In fact, at that time, some universities in my country were also researching microcomputers, such as Tsinghua University and the University of Science and Technology of China. They were almost on the same page, both researching microcomputers, and had already achieved results.

However, these microcomputers are still intended for scientific research and other purposes, rather than for personal users.

While supercomputers and business computers for companies are certainly important, personal computers should not be overlooked.

Chen Fan never considered taking on the research of personal computers himself. Just like he didn't want people to know that he was proficient in mechanics and electronics, it would be unrealistic to expect him to catch up with everything given the current technological lag in China.

Besides, if you want to meddle in everything, you might as well forget about having a peaceful life; even robots don't do that.

He would prefer to take two prototypes and give them to qualified organizations for research and development.

In the future, if he wants to promote other technological fields, he will also adopt this approach, guiding and inspiring at the appropriate time. This is not only easier but also more meaningful than doing it himself.

After all, in scientific research, a large number of basic research personnel are more important than one or two geniuses. These "ordinary" researchers are the cornerstone of a country's scientific and technological strength, because a larger base of scientific research talent increases the likelihood of producing geniuses and achievements, and is also more conducive to the popularization of science and technology.

(End of this chapter)