Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 70 The best of both worlds
and many more.

Chen Fan suddenly looked at the radio. Could this one be broken too?

Zhang Wenliang coughed lightly and said with a smile.

"Here's the thing, you helped fix the radio today, right? Our brigade headquarters thought that you deserved a reward for your service, but we're poor and don't have anything good to offer. Then we remembered that you know how to repair electrical appliances, and we happen to have two treasures in our warehouse."

He pointed to two things on the table, "These are the grandfather clock and the radio, but they're both broken and need to be repaired before they can be used."

Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Isn't this a coincidence? You happen to know how to fix things. So our Secretary Yang said that these two things are a reward for you. You can fix them yourself and they'll be ready to use."

He knew this was a bit of a gamble, so he forced a smile and said, "Don't underestimate these two broken things. If you fix them, they won't be cheap. Let's not even talk about the clock. This radio alone, you can't buy it for less than ten dollars in a secondhand store."

Hey, you should believe me.

Although a brand-new Plum Blossom brand vacuum tube radio only costs 37.5 yuan, it's impossible to buy one without industrial coupons. This has driven up the price of used radios, with some in good condition selling for over 30 yuan, almost as much as new ones.

This one is a bit old, but it's German-made, imported. Once it's repaired, it'll be a treasure!

Chen Fan glanced at the label on the back, but didn't recognize the brand. Then he looked at the voltage description: 110/220volt. It should be compatible with domestic voltages; he just needed to switch the power switch to the 220V position.

He couldn't help but feel curious, turning to look at Zhang Wenliang, "Where did this come from?"

This kind of vacuum tube radio needs to be plugged in. He didn't believe that the original Lu family would buy this kind of radio. If they were going to buy one, they would buy a crystal radio that doesn't need electricity. Why buy this kind? Is it even good-looking to put in the house?

Zhang Wenliang smiled and said, "It was brought by the Japanese, but it was already broken when we captured it, otherwise it wouldn't have been left in the warehouse."

Chen Fan was immediately speechless. Even if we calculate based on the latest year 1945, it would have taken at least 5 years to break down. And now, it's been 37 years? Or even longer?
Well, I used to hear the company boss brag that his grandfather's refrigerator lasted for 60 years. Compared to that, this radio is just a little brother, nothing to complain about.

The radio was broken, and the clock was broken too. Chen Fan chuckled twice, sat back down in his chair, and said with a wry smile, "The radio is broken, and the clock is broken too."

"You really think too highly of me. Let alone whether I know how to fix this thing, even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. I don't have any tools, I can't even open the lid, how can I fix it?"
And if any of the parts inside break, where am I supposed to find replacement parts for this German product?

As for grandfather clocks, they are mechanical products, completely different from electronic products, so I understand them even less.

If this had happened before the radio was repaired, he probably would have already dragged Zhang Wenliang back to the brigade headquarters to borrow tools to open the cover.

But right now, we need to keep a low profile!
Regardless of whether it can be repaired or not, let's make a show of it first. Even if it can be repaired, we should wait a while before discussing it further.

He didn't want to be blamed for nothing again; this is called learning from one's mistakes. I'm so smart!
Zhang Wenliang knew he hadn't handled things very ethically, so he chuckled awkwardly twice and said, "Let's give it a try first. Even if it can't be fixed, it'll still look nice in the house, won't it?"

Chen Fan nodded, "Alright, let's just leave it as a decoration for now, and talk about it later."

He then smiled at Zhang Wenliang and said, "It's rare for Brother Sanhu to come all this way, so we must have dinner here tonight." He pointed to the cured meat and fish, "I've been busy outside these past two days. The team sent so many good things, but we haven't even opened for business yet."

Zhang Wenliang did not refuse. Firstly, it was customary for the host to provide a meal when guests came to the house. Secondly, the news he was about to tell was worth a good meal. So he smiled and nodded, "Then I will trouble you today, brother."

He then leaned against the table and smiled at Chen Fan, "But I won't eat your food for nothing. Besides these two things, I also have some good news for you."

Chen Fan's eyes darted around, and he asked curiously, "What good news?"

Zhang Wenliang then relayed Secretary Yang's suggestion and said, "In your current situation, the brigade headquarters really doesn't dare to take responsibility. To put it bluntly, if—and I mean if—you really do have a problematic background, and the brigade headquarters issues you a political vetting certificate, then our entire brigade leadership, from top to bottom, will be held accountable!"

Chen Fan nodded gently, "I understand, I completely understand."

He sighed inwardly. He didn't care about getting land, but without a political background check, he really couldn't expect to leave this small village anytime soon.

Although political vetting is rare in daily life, in this era, this certificate is required for anything related to one's "future."

Attending vocational school or university meant becoming a cadre upon graduation, so this requirement was applied directly upon enrollment. Joining the military goes without saying; would the People's Liberation Army tolerate someone with an unclear background? Getting a job in government is another matter entirely; now, even factories hiring permanent employees require this document.

In addition to proof, "public review" is also required, and those with poor public opinion will not pass.

The brigade headquarters promised to give him a household registration, but not a political background check certificate, which basically cut off his path to advancement.

However, other aspects are unaffected. Once he has a household registration and gets a letter of introduction from the brigade headquarters, he can travel all over the country. As long as he doesn't stay in one place for a long time, there will be basically no problem.

If I don't want to stay in this small village any longer, I can wait until Shenzhen issues its first temporary residence permit in 1984. Then I can go there, get a temporary residence permit to settle down, and then try to pull some strings to transfer my household registration there.

From then on, they were no longer considered "of unknown origin," and they could obtain any kind of certificate.

But if you calculate the time, there are still 8 years left?
Seeing his low spirits, Zhang Wenliang sighed and said softly, "Brother Chen, this is the situation now. Don't be too discouraged. Once you get good news from Detective Zhu, you can cancel your household registration here. Wouldn't that be great?"

If no news comes, at least you'll have a place to stay. You can live in this educated youth house, and you don't have to work in the fields. You can work as a broadcaster at the brigade headquarters, earning ten work points a day, but only working three hours a day. What a wonderful thing!

It's only because you have this skill—you can speak Mandarin and fix the radio—that we can't possibly envy you enough. You have no idea how jealous we were when our team heard you could become a broadcaster! Hey, can you smell it? It's all over here!

But what can we do? They don't have that ability; only you do.

So, you can settle here temporarily and work as a broadcaster, easily earning work points. Our brigade will feel proud and secure having someone as capable as you. It's a win-win situation, isn't it great!

(End of this chapter)