Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 683 Gift Exchange
December 17th, Sunday, the 18th day of the 11th lunar month.

Chen Fan woke up in the warm house, lay in bed for a while in a daze, then got up and stretched, which was his morning exercise.

After washing up in the bathroom, Liu Juan called out from downstairs, "Brother Chen, a technician from the telephone company is here to install a telephone."

Ok?
Chen Fan leaned against the railing and looked around, but didn't see anyone. He asked, "Where is everyone?"

Liu Juan pointed outside, "They're making connections."

Chen Fan: "Did they say who sent them?"

He asked the question, but he already had the answer in his heart.

It's impossible for the three masters. It's not that they wouldn't be willing to give up this small favor, but they just don't have the awareness to do so, unless Chen Fan brings it up himself, but he has never made such a request.

Aside from those three, the other possibilities are Deputy Factory Director Li and Zhou Zhengdong.

In comparison, Zhou Zhengdong is more likely, mainly because Deputy Factory Director Li's abilities are slightly lacking. He doesn't have that much influence in Beijing, and he's not as influential as Chen Fan himself.

Zhou Zhengdong is still staying at the Beijing Hotel, and the results of yesterday's negotiations have been announced. At this point, it would be perfectly reasonable for him to make a small request.

The phone installer has already come to the house, but why haven't they come out yet?
Liu Juan looked up at Chen Fan standing on the second floor and gently shook her head. "I asked, and they only said that the leader issued the work order, but they didn't know who arranged it."

They arrived quite early, first checking the wiring inside, then going outside to connect the wires. Ma Lan was watching from outside.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and several people walked in, with Ma Lan leading the way.

An experienced worker was still talking, “This house is great, it’s wonderful. Not only is it big, but everything is convenient. The house was built with cable trays, and there are cables inside. Both ends have connectors, so it doesn’t take much effort. You can just connect the connectors directly. I’ve never installed such a simple telephone line before.”

Upon seeing this, Chen Fan quickly turned around and went downstairs.

By the time he got closer, the master craftsman had already finished assembling and was done with the job.

Just like the villas in Shanghai, the telephone and television lines here have already been laid out, and there are dedicated cable trays for easy maintenance in the future.

The installer just went outside to connect the outside telephone line, so now all we need to do is plug in the telephone and it's ready to use.

The experienced technician installed the phone, picked up the receiver, dialed a number, chatted for a couple of minutes, confirmed the signal was normal, and then hung up.

Chen Fan took out a few cigarettes and offered them to the initiator, saying repeatedly, "Thank you, thank you."

The old man took the cigarette, pulled out a small notebook, took out a piece of paper and handed it to him, "This is your home phone number, please keep it safe."

Chen Fan took a look and saw that it said "86-7890", a straight flush, what a lucky number.

The experienced caller lit a cigarette and explained with a smile, "86 is the telephone exchange number, and 7890 is the phone number. You can dial this number directly within the city. If you want to call out of town, you need to dial the long-distance area code."

Telephone Bureau 86 was the first telephone bureau in Beijing to upgrade its phone numbers to six digits. CCTV used their telephones, and other telephone bureaus followed suit later.

至于再6位升7位，那要到1994年7月8日，但是紧接着在两年后，也就是1996年5月8日，又升到了8位数。可见电话走进私人家庭，已经是90年代的事。

In Beijing, telephone numbers are distinguished by the telephone exchange's code and are not directly related to administrative regions.

比如东单电话局是65，安定门电话局是64，84和85是为了弥补64和65开头号段紧张而后开的，另外4字头的在东城、5字头的在朝阳、6是西城，7是广渠门电话局，宣武区是3开头、海淀是2开头，后来把0给了通州。

However, the largest telephone exchange is 86 Telephone Exchange. Many public telephones belong to 86 Telephone Exchange. Their equipment is also the most advanced, and they have their own dedicated international long-distance lines, so they don't have to go through long-distance telephone exchanges. This gives them a greater advantage when making domestic and international long-distance calls.

The experienced craftsman gave a brief explanation and then made a hand gesture.

A young man standing next to him immediately took out two small notebooks from his bag and handed them over, saying, "Comrade, this is a partial telephone directory of the Beijing area. Please keep it for future reference."

Chen Fan took the book and flipped through it. One book mainly contained work-related phone numbers, while the other contained some private home phone numbers in addition to work-related ones.

(A 1978 Beijing map and related unit telephone number book, the cover of which is wrapped up.)
(This is what it looks like inside. Hint: Note the police emergency number. It was originally 00, the emergency number used during the Republic of China era. In the late 70s, it was changed to 110 to distinguish it from international dialing codes, and other service numbers were also changed accordingly. It wasn't until 86 that the 110 emergency call center was required to be widely promoted.)
After the phone was installed and the phone book was given to him, the experienced worker asked Chen Fan to sign the work order before packing up and leaving.

There was no mention of money. The installers were only responsible for the installation, doing the work according to the work order, and didn't collect payment.

They happily accepted the pack of filtered Zhonghua cigarettes that Chen Fan gave them, and left their phone number, saying that if they had any problems in the future, they could call this number directly, which would be faster than contacting the telephone company.

Chen Fan asked Ma Lan to see the masters out, and then asked Liu Juan to bring over a chair. He plopped down next to the phone and slowly dialed a number.

The call was answered quickly, and Zhou Yali's voice came through, "Hello, who is this for?"

Chen Fan, "I'm looking for you."

Zhou Yali: "Oh, you haven't called for days. You finally remembered your older sister today?"

She paused for a moment, then a thought suddenly flashed through her mind, "Wait, wait, could someone have installed a telephone at my house?"

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "I guessed it was you guys who did it. You didn't even give me a heads-up, so I was caught off guard."

Zhou Yali said, "You don't have a phone there, and it's inconvenient for us to go out, so how can we let you know in advance? Hmph, you think you won't call us if we don't look for you?"

Chen Fan said, "How would I know if you're free or not? Besides, I know you're handling important matters, why would I call you if I'm not busy? Wouldn't that just distract you?"

Zhou Yali: "...Never mind, I'll let you off this time."

Then, changing the subject, he said, "We're almost done here, probably in a day or two. Once the negotiations are over, I'll come find you right away. Hey, make sure the room is ready in advance. Hotels are so uncomfortable; home is much more comfortable."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly; he really wanted to say, "This is my home, not yours!"
However, he still wisely said, "Don't worry, the rooms have been prepared for a long time. My uncle will stay on the first floor, and yours will be on the second floor. We'll be waiting for you anytime."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Write down this number. Call me when you're done with work, and I'll come pick you up."

Zhou Yali: "Okay."

After giving her his phone number and having her write it down, Chen Fan hung up.

He then went down to the basement, picked out a small set from the scattered 7501 porcelain pieces, padded it with cotton cloth, packed it in a sandalwood box, and then gave Liu Juan a few instructions, telling her to keep an eye on the little monkey so it wouldn't be bullied by the dog and the gyrfalcon. He then took the box and went out the door.

When I drove to Dashilan, I heard laughter and conversation coming from inside the courtyard as soon as I reached the gate.

Chen Fan went inside and saw that, well, Mr. Huo was here again.

The four elderly gentlemen sat in the living room, drinking tea and chatting happily, their topics still revolving around yesterday's events. How much they had to say!
Upon seeing Chen Fan enter, Lin Yuanxiang immediately waved his hand and said, "If you hadn't come, I would have sent someone to look for you."

Chen Fan placed the box on the table, sat down next to Master Zhang, and said helplessly, "Sending someone to find me, are they not going to make me cook again?"

“No, that’s not it.” Zhang Xuansong chuckled. “We’re not eating at home today. We’re taking Brother Huo out for hot pot. Your car can carry a lot of people, so take us there.”

Chen Fan took a deep breath and forced a smile, "It's my duty!"

This caused the elderly gentlemen to burst into laughter.

Chen Fan ignored his three masters, took the box, opened it, pushed it in front of Mr. Huo, and said with a smile, "I didn't prepare anything for our chance encounter yesterday, so I specially prepared a small gift today to express my gratitude."

Mr. Huo immediately tried to decline, saying, "How could I possibly accept this..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Fan waved his hand and laughed, "This thing isn't expensive, it only costs a few hundred yuan, but its significance is quite extraordinary."

Mr. Huo was slightly taken aback. "Oh?"

He turned to look at the contents of the box, carefully picked up a porcelain bowl, and frowned slightly. "Thin as paper, white as jade,"

He gently tapped the porcelain bowl again and immediately heard a crisp sound. He was startled and exclaimed, "The sound is like a chime, and the clarity is like a mirror. What fine porcelain!"

He then turned to Chen Fan and asked, "This must be worth more than a few hundred yuan, right?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "These things are priced at 10 yuan each, which is really not expensive."

He paused for a moment, then explained, "However, regardless of its price, this thing cannot be found outside of the original manufacturing plant."

As he spoke, he picked up a teapot from the box. “This type of porcelain is called 7501 porcelain. It was made by the Jingdezhen Ceramic Factory in 75 specifically for Mr. Li. Moreover, there was only one batch, so it is of extraordinary significance.”

Upon hearing this, Mr. Huo was immediately startled and quickly put the porcelain bowl back, his eyes filled with surprise. "So that's how it is! That's truly a priceless treasure!"

He was decisive; after only a couple of seconds of deliberation, he said to Chen Fan, "Since it's something meaningful, I'll shamelessly accept it!"

Zhang Xuansong had been watching from the side. Seeing him accept the gift, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "You should accept it. You're a man, why be so hesitant?"

Mr. Huo was about to speak with a smile when Lin Yuanxiang looked around and said, "Then, shall we take our things out too?"

Li Shangde immediately stood up. "I'll go get it."

A moment later, he came out of the room carrying a small bag.

He sat down at the table, grabbed the bottom of the bag, turned it over, and several small items fell onto the table.

Chen Fan looked at them and found a Zippo lighter, a Parker gold pen, and a compass, but they were all secondhand.

Zhang Xuansong said with a smile, "Brother Huo, we don't have anything good to offer. These three items are spoils of war that we seized from the northern battlefield."

"You're doing your business peacefully right now, so it's not appropriate to give you anything else. We don't understand the rules in Hong Kong either, so we just picked these three things that can be used anywhere. Please don't find them unsuitable."

Mr. Huo's eyes lit up when he heard the words "spoils of war." After Zhang Xuansong finished speaking, he immediately laughed and said, "This is a priceless treasure. I would be more than willing to give it up. How could I dare to look down on it?"

After saying that, he grabbed the three small items and played with them non-stop.

Li Shangde chuckled and said, "A pen can write words, a lighter can light a fire to keep warm, and this compass is something we hope you will never forget your original aspirations. Take it out and look at it when you have nothing to do. When you see the north, you will know where home is."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Huo's face turned solemn. Holding the compass in his hand, he stood up and bowed slightly. "Thank you for the gift, brother. This gift is of great significance. I will always keep it with me and never forget it."

He carefully put away the three gifts, then closed the box containing the porcelain. He then took out a few small boxes from his pocket, placed them on the table, and said with a wry smile, "I have also prepared some small gifts, but compared to what you have given me, they are nothing."

Lin Yuanxiang immediately waved his hand, "It's the thought that counts in a gift, not its monetary value. As the old saying goes, 'A gift of a goose feather from afar carries great meaning,' the sentiment is what matters."

Chen Fan looked around and continued Lin Shifu's words, "You guys are being so polite, so I won't stand on ceremony."

As he spoke, he grabbed a small box, opened it, and was immediately surprised. "Wow, Mr. Huo, this is no small gift, it's a very generous one!"

Zhang Xuansong took the box from his hand. "This foreign watch must be very expensive."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue. "A Patek Philippe gold watch, it must be expensive."

Mr. Huo smiled and waved his hand, "It can't compare to your gifts, it's just a common item."

Chen Fan laughed and said, "I just like the common stuff."

After speaking, he picked up a long box that was clearly a fountain pen, opened it, and sure enough, it contained a Montblanc gold pen. Looking at his two masters' watches, all three were identical.

So this pen belongs to me.

He didn't stand on ceremony and just stuffed it into his pocket.

Then he turned to Zhang Xuansong and said, "Third Master, it's still early. Have you prepared the raw materials?"

Zhang Xuansong snapped out of his reverie and forgot to ask how much the watch was worth. He immediately said, "It's all ready. I've also found you a few assistants. They're all paint repairmen at the Forbidden City. I've heard they're very skilled. Oh, I mean, they're very skilled at mixing paint. Their painting skills are definitely no match for yours."

Chen Fan pursed his lips and blinked, wondering what the ancient building restoration experts at the Forbidden City would think upon hearing this.

Hearing their conversation, Mr. Huo couldn't help but ask with curiosity, "Mr. Chen, would you like to have a painting done?"

Chen Fan turned his face and smiled, "Mr. Huo, please don't call me Mr. Chen. Just call me Chen Fan, or like my master, just call me Xiao Fan."

Mr. Huo laughed and said, "Then don't call me Mr. Huo. I'll be a little shameless and take advantage of you. Just call me Uncle Huo."

Chen Fan smiled and nodded, "You and I are like brothers, so you deserve to be called Uncle Huo."

He paused for a moment, then explained, “My third master used to be a Taoist priest. During the war, the temple was destroyed and he went down the mountain. Now he is all alone, and his greatest wish is to rebuild the Taoist temple.”

The Taoist temple is now mostly built, but we're still missing murals and statues of deities. We've been preparing for a few days and gathered all the materials. So, taking advantage of the good weather these past few days, I'd like to get the murals painted to avoid further delays due to rain or snow.

Mr. Huo nodded in realization, then looked at Zhang Xuansong, "Brother, can I go take a look?"

Zhang Xuansong laughed and said, "Sure, why not?"

Li Shangde immediately made the decision, "Anyway, it's still early for dinner, let's go together and see how Xiao Fan draws."

As they spoke, they stood up, saying, "Let's all go, let's all go."

They then filed out, got into the car, and headed towards the Taoist temple.

(End of this chapter)