Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 702 Can't Fly
The courtyard was quiet at noon; even the car horns on the distant road were barely audible, with only the occasional chirping of birds in the treetops.

Today is a bright and sunny day. The warm winter sun shines on the remaining snow on the rooftops, which has not yet completely melted, but it is not too dazzling. Instead, it gives the white snow a golden hue.

Three gyrfalcons flew in from afar, landing on the branches of a camphor tree in the courtyard. Ignoring the startled birds, they stared at a window on the second floor. Finding it still closed, they chirped twice, then spread their wings and flew away into the distance.

In the living room of the small villa, two little monkeys squatted in front of the fireplace with a burning flame, changing their posture from time to time to roast the other side of their bodies. Even though they were a bit close, they weren't afraid of getting burned.

Beside them, the raccoon dog Banjin was curled up on the ground, fast asleep.

In the master bedroom on the second floor, Jiang Lili, just like Banjin, was curled up in someone's arms, fast asleep during her afternoon nap.

I haven't done anything for a long time. I came back to work at noon today, but the workload was too heavy, and I felt quite tired. I didn't even eat lunch and fell into a deep sleep.

Chen Fan carefully withdrew his arm, tucked her in, got up and left the room. He took a hot shower in the bathroom, then came back and put on the thick pajamas Jiang Lili had made for him, before strolling downstairs.

First, I went to the kitchen, prepared a pot of nourishing and beautifying Eight Treasures Porridge, and simmered it on the stove over low heat. Then I put some things into the oven, lit the charcoal fire, and went to the living room.

I turned on the radio, brewed a cup of green tea, sat down on the sofa, lit a cigarette, crossed my legs, and felt inexplicably refreshed.

The radio is broadcasting the news.

"On December 28, Xiyuan decided to restore or establish 169 regular institutions of higher learning nationwide to further develop higher education and gradually adapt to the needs of the Four Modernizations..."

Chen Fan paused slightly, holding the cigarette between his fingers, and turned to look at the radio.

Wasn't this something my teacher had mentioned before? Is it officially settled today and time to start implementing it?
There have been many changes in various aspects of society in the past two years, but none of them can compare with the changes in education. These major events include the overturning of many people's cases, the numerous letters and demands from educated youth to return to the city, and the restoration of free markets in some places.

The National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) was reinstated last year, and postgraduate admissions resumed at the beginning of this year. In the middle of the year, some oversights in last year's NCEE policy were corrected, allowing a large number of students who were originally affected to take the NCEE again and successfully enter university.

Later, it was decided to resume sending students abroad.

They also held foreign language exams nationwide for selecting international students.

Then, the day before yesterday, on December 26, Vice President Fang met with the first batch of 52 young and middle-aged scholars after the restoration of the overseas student dispatch system.

Two weeks later, this group of people will head to the United States and return two years later after completing their studies, becoming leaders in their respective industries.

The education system has absolutely been the top priority in Xiyuan's work over the past two years.

Chen Fan silently smoked a cigarette, listening to the radio broadcast, his thoughts drifting far away.

So, after returning to the provincial capital, I will have to take on a new job and become a university teacher.
This matter has both advantages and disadvantages.

The benefits are obvious. Before the expansion of enrollment, the teacher-student relationship was one of the strongest in the country.

If he could become a teacher at Jiangnan University, not to mention anything else, all the students from the old and new classes of the Chinese Department at Jiangnan University would respectfully call him Teacher Chen.

The so-called "Old Three Classes" refers to the junior and senior high school graduates who graduated in 66, 67, and 68, while the "New Three Classes" refers to the college students who entered university in 77, 78, and 79. Many of them belong to both the Old Three Classes and the New Three Classes.

Just thinking about the jobs these people will take in the future... oh my god, I don't even want to think about it.

If he were to become a teacher to these people, it would be no exaggeration to say that he would be fawned over wherever he went.

Moreover, this kind of relationship is more reliable and superior than the ordinary "If I blossom, butterflies will come".

Of course, there are also downsides.

That means that once you become a teacher, you'll be tied to the course schedule, and you won't have as much freedom in terms of time as you do now.

Now it's so great, he can go wherever he wants, and if he's not happy, he can go to Lujiawan, or to Beijing or Shanghai, without it stopping him from wandering around.

But after being kidnapped, even if you don't have to attend classes every day, isn't it normal to attend two or three open classes a week?

The key issue is that having two or three classes a week is no different from having two or three classes every day; you're both stuck in one place, unable to leave either way.

Thinking of this, Chen Fan couldn't help but wipe his face, suddenly having the idea of ​​putting it off as long as possible.

As mentioned earlier, the teacher-student relationship is one of the most reliable relationships available today. Not to mention that Professor Xu treats him as his last disciple, a teacher-student relationship as solid as his own with Lin Yuanxiang and the others, comparable to that of a biological father and son.

Now that the teacher has spoken, how can he refuse?

So from the moment Professor Xu opened his mouth, it was destined that Chen Fan would enter Jiang University and become a university teacher.

The difference is whether one is a full-time professor like Professor Xu, or a part-time professor like Mr. Ye Shengtao.

The bird that longs to fly is ultimately tied with a rope and cannot fly.

……

After a while, a rich aroma wafted from the kitchen. Chen Fan sniffed, snapped out of his reverie, and got up to take a look.

The porridge was almost cooked, and the bread slices, sweet potatoes, corn, and several pieces of steak in the oven were also emitting a wonderful aroma that made one's mouth water.

He first turned down the fire, then turned around and went upstairs.

Upon entering the room, Jiang Lili was still fast asleep, her posture unchanged.

Chen Fan walked over and sat on the bed, gently patting his head. "Time to go to school."

Jiang Lili was sleeping soundly when she was groggily woken up. Suddenly hearing the word "school" startled her awake.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she wanted to get out of bed. "Oh dear, is it late? I have to hurry over there."

Chen Fan pressed down on her shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't rush, there's still more than half an hour. Go take a shower first, get dressed, and then come down to eat."

Hearing that there was still more than half an hour left, Jiang Lili breathed a sigh of relief. When she looked at him again, she couldn't help but open her arms and hug him.

After a moment of tenderness, Chen Fan pinched her pretty face. "Hurry up, don't catch a cold."

He then took the cotton coat, wrapped her up, and took her to the bathroom. Last summer, when Zhou Yali came, she not only installed air conditioning in every room but also imported water heaters.

Originally, the first domestically produced water heater in history was not successfully developed and launched until 1979. It was when Premier Zhou went to Europe for exchanges and passed through Hong Kong on his return trip that someone gave him two 5-liter direct-vent water heaters.

After returning to Beijing, the two water heaters became prototypes.

However, for some reason, a copy was not produced until 1979. Moreover, the liquefied gas water heaters at that time were prone to gas leaks, which could easily cause gas poisoning. They were also cumbersome to install and the water temperature was not constant, sometimes hot and sometimes cold. The market response was very poor, and they were quickly replaced by the newly emerging electric water heaters.

Now, a small change has naturally occurred.

Well, actually, there are now domestically produced electric and gas water heaters in China. They are not produced by other factories, but by Chen Fan himself and manufactured by Yunhu Machinery Factory.

However, due to its low production volume, it has never become a flagship product, nor has it sold as well nationwide as kettles and rice cookers. Chen Fan really couldn't buy it here unless he specifically asked for it.

When Zhou Yali went on a shopping spree, she chose a technologically advanced American product, a Whirlpool electric water heater, for the convenience of taking a shower at home.

Less than five minutes after Chen Fan went downstairs, Jiang Lili quickly got dressed and ran downstairs.

At this moment, Chen Fan had already placed lunch on the coffee table, turned to look at her, and said, "Come and eat."

Jiang Lili's face was still flushed after taking a shower, which contrasted nicely with the firelight in the fireplace.

There was no one else at home at the time, so she naturally sat down next to Chen Fan, first serving him a bowl of porridge and placing it in front of him, before serving herself a bowl and eating it herself.

After eating a few bites, she wasn't so hungry anymore, and then she asked, "How long will my cousin be gone?"

Chen Fan turned to look at her and smiled, "You just saw her off yesterday, and you're already missing her today?"

Jiang Lili shook her head slightly, "It's not that I want to, it's just that she said before boarding the plane that she would come back during the winter vacation. I was a little curious. They need to inspect at least three companies, and they are high-tech enterprises. In addition, they need to register a company in Hong Kong and recruit people. Can they handle all of this in such a short time?"

Chen Fan took a bite of his steak, swallowed it, and said, "You think she and your uncle do everything, but actually they have it the easiest. They only need to make the final decisions."

Jiang Lili ate her food, her eyes thoughtful. "So, this is what they used to say: capitalists rely on hiring workers to do things, and then they can make money without working?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "This problem is simple in some ways, and complicated in others."

After pausing for two seconds, he suddenly shook his head, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes, and said softly, "We don't need to pay attention to these kinds of issues. We only need to focus on whether the country has become better and whether the people's living standards have improved, and that's enough."

It's no wonder that Jiang Lili had such questions. In the early 80s, with the opening up of society and the country, all sorts of ideas flooded in, and reality clashed fiercely with ideals.

Let alone intellectuals like college students, even old men in the park will argue endlessly when playing chess.

To be more specific, let's not even talk about foreign investment; just take Lujiawan as an example.

Last year, a strong laborer in the team received a dividend of two or three thousand yuan, and even a young girl received more than a thousand yuan. This attracted the envy of many people, and countless people filed reports against it.

In other words, all the sideline income in Lujiawan can withstand scrutiny, all income is legal and compliant, and they can provide Mr. Li's speech from back then as evidence. In addition, the brigade leaders are united, Xiao Liewen dares to stand up to the county, and Teacher Chen has connections everywhere, which is why they can stand up to the law.

Furthermore, there are other cooperatives that offer similar or even higher dividends than Lujiawan, but they are not publicized and most ordinary people are unaware of them.

As the saying goes, it is not scarcity that is a concern, but inequality. Given the generally low income, such high-income examples are certainly not suitable as role models.

Finally, due to factors such as Lujiawan's initiative to not hoard resources but to lead surrounding production teams in developing sideline businesses, Lujiawan has been able to develop steadily.

If any one of these factors were missing, the meal in Lujiawan probably wouldn't last long.

Even a small place like Lujiawan is like this, let alone the changes at the societal level.

Thinking of this, Chen Fan shook his head slightly, picked up a sweet potato, peeled it, and chuckled softly, "If it's allowed, who would refuse to eat meat and be willing to be a vegetarian? Why would a family of more than ten people squeeze into a small nest when they have a big house?"
In short, living a good life is more important than anything else; there's no need to overthink it.

Jiang Lili ate her food, looked at him and nodded gently, "Yes, I just suddenly thought of this, just saying."

Chen Fan patted her head. "These things are fine to say at home, but try not to mention them outside. I'll also remind Tian Tian later to focus on learning your professional knowledge and doing your job well. That's your main task right now. As for those big-picture issues, those will naturally be decided by our superiors. We'll just follow whatever they say, and that's enough."

Looking at Jiang Lili who nodded obediently, Chen Fan smiled, but there was still something he didn't say.

If another big storm comes, I'll grab my bucket and run away immediately.

However, it's simply not possible.

After finishing lunch, Jiang Lili tidied up the coffee table. Seeing that there was still time, she made two cups of tea and snuggled up to Chen Fan.

She picked up two baby monkeys and said with a smile, "My cousin just left, and I already think I miss her a little. Do you think she'll be around here often once my uncle's company starts operating?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Not necessarily. Like I said before, there are other people to do the work; she just needs to make the decisions. Besides, compared to the maintenance business in China, the R&D department in the United States is clearly more important."

At this point, his eyes suddenly became somewhat unfocused. "Unless, in ten or twenty years, China develops and can build a research and development center, then we can gradually shift the company's focus from the United States."

Of course, it's impossible to completely abandon the R&D departments there. Even Huawei has R&D bases in Europe and the United States, many of which are also R&D headquarters.

Chen Fan was well aware that only by utilizing world-class resources could a world-class company be built.

only……

He shook his head. "I was planning to retire once I've made enough money. Why think so far ahead?"

Besides, Zhou Yali is definitely the one who does the work, so it's best to leave these things to her. I should just lie down and relax.

He leaned back and lay down with Jiang Lili. The two cuddled for a while, and when it was almost time for school, he got up and took her to school.

Two more days have passed in the blink of an eye, and 1978 is finally coming to an end. A new year, or rather, a new era, is about to begin.

On the evening of December 30th, the second to last day of the year, Chen Fan had just brought the two sisters home when he received a mission.

"What? A New Year's Day gala performance?"

(End of this chapter)