Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 726 Unable to Grasp
After dinner, it was already dark. Since Zhou Zhengdong and his companion had to leave early the next morning, they didn't linger and drove straight home.

As they were leaving, Jiang Lili looked on longingly, wanting to follow, but her older sister held her arm tightly, preventing her from even going down the steps.

Jiang Tiantian was genuinely afraid that she would run away with Xiao Fan. Although they had confirmed their relationship, they were not married yet. If she went back with Xiao Fan, she would probably be laughed at by the people at the cotton mill for the rest of her life.

We must not make mistakes that are of principle!

So they could only watch as the three got into the car and left.

The two houses were not far apart. Zhou Yali arrived at the old house courtyard in the blink of an eye. Two forgotten raccoon dogs were still hiding in the corner, staring at her with their bright eyes.

Chen Fan waved for them to patrol, then opened the door and went inside. He turned around, pointed to the backyard, and said to Zhou Yali, "There's hot water on the stove. You can boil more if it's not enough. The bathroom is right next to the kitchen, separated only by a wall. You can keep warm by lighting the fire in the stove, but don't make it too hot. Go take a shower first... uh, do you know how to use this kind of bathroom?"

Zhou Yali rolled her eyes at him. "I'm just ignorant and haven't seen anything like this before, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid."

After saying that, she went back to her room to find her clothes, carried them to the back, muttering to herself, her face clearly showing that she was unhappy.

When passing by someone, he stomped his feet forcefully.

Chen Fan felt confused. "It's not like I asked you to leave. If you're so capable, take it out on your father."

Is it because of the two little monkeys? But you saw that Aunt Shen liked them and left them for her on your own initiative. I, the owner, haven't even said anything yet, so why are you stomping your feet?

With a slight pout, Chen Fan brewed three cups of tea: two for himself and his uncle, and one for Zhou Yali.

This young lady is in a bad mood. If she comes out and doesn't see her tea, she'll definitely cause trouble again. So I brewed a cup in advance so she can drink it when she comes out. That's called anticipation.

Sitting at the octagonal table, Chen Fan turned to look at Zhou Zhengdong on the other side and asked, "Is there a car picking me up tomorrow?"

If they want to go to Guangzhou, they can only travel from the provincial capital by plane or train, so they need to go to the provincial capital first.

But tomorrow is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the Yunhu Long-Distance Bus Station will not be open. Buses will not depart until the second day of the Lunar New Year. If there is no special car to pick him up, Chen Fan will have to make the trip himself.

Zhou Chengdong held the teacup, blew on it a few times to disperse the tea leaves, took a small sip, then exhaled a long breath, turned his face and smiled, "Yes, when you went to get your luggage, I asked your father-in-law to help me call the local United Front Work Department. Tomorrow morning, they will send a car to take us to the provincial capital to catch our flight."

Let alone whether he is an "important person," even an ordinary overseas Chinese would most likely get a response if they sought help from the relevant authorities at this time.

Chen Fan nodded to indicate that he understood, and then said no more.

Instead, Zhou Zhengdong had something to ask. He took out a cigarette, handed one to Chen Fan, and asked with a hint of curiosity, "The company your parents used to work for, the Yunhu Machinery Factory, had many products that could be exported. Your father-in-law's cotton mill, and Lujiawan, also had industrial products. These things were of good quality and low price, and could all be exported to earn foreign exchange."

I didn't bring it up before because I was busy with other things and didn't have time to deal with it immediately, and also because I was waiting for you to bring it up.

But you've never mentioned it to me, why is that?

He had been keeping this question in his heart for a long time, but he finally asked it today after reaching a verbal agreement with Jiang Heng and returning home.

Chen Fan lit a cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, turned to look at him, and grinned, "Why would I bring that up?"

Zhou Zhengdong raised an eyebrow slightly. "It can generate foreign exchange."

He flicked the ash from his cigarette and said, "Didn't your father-in-law just say that there are many benefits to earning foreign exchange? If you can act as a go-between for them and help their company's products be exported, wouldn't you be even more important to them? This would also help increase your bargaining power."

Chen Fan chuckled and looked at him, saying, "And then?"

Zhou Zhengdong was taken aback. Looking at his nonchalant expression, he felt even more puzzled. "You don't seem to care much about this?"

Chen Fan shrugged and said, "When I went to the capital to find you before, I had a mission with me."

Zhou Zhengdong nodded and continued, "Yes, Yali told me that she wants to use Qianfan Publishing House to publish several of your association's works. And this is being finalized; we're just waiting for them to provide the translations, and printing in the US can begin anytime."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "You see, even the Writers' Association wants my help, so they take the initiative to ask, and they don't work for free."

He gestured, his smile widening. “Chairman He has made it clear to me that accomplishing this task is a great achievement. Once the other task of opening up channels to Europe is completed, I will not have any other tasks during my term in office. Moreover, the achievement will be substantial, and no one can find fault with it.”

He paused, took a drag of his cigarette, shook his head slightly, and chuckled, "But whether it's the machinery factory, the cotton mill, or Lujiawan, they've never mentioned export earnings to me. Why should I take the initiative to bring it up for them?"

He shook his head slightly as he spoke, “That’s not how it works. I’m not from the machinery factory or the cotton mill, and although I’m registered in Lujiawan, apart from receiving a veterinary work point, almost all my other work is voluntary, so I don’t owe anyone anything.”

It's not about rushing to make a sale. The reason I worked for the machinery factory before was because of my parents' connections. The cooperation between the cotton mill and Lujiawan was also due to Lili's relationship.

As for Lujiawan, that is my actual hometown, and of course I hope to lay a solid foundation there so that it can develop better in the future. But that's all I can do; lay a solid foundation.

Actually, I've been helping these organizations for a reason: I want to deepen my understanding of the fundamentals.

However, there's also an old saying: "A small favor is appreciated, but an excessive one breeds resentment." I can do a lot for them, but I absolutely cannot do 'more'.

At this point, Chen Fan grinned and then fell silent.

Actually, he had a lot more to say.

Whether it was the machinery factory, the cotton mill, or Lujiawan, he was always careful about the "appropriateness" in handling matters.

Ultimately, he grew up after the new millennium, and his thoughts and ideas are fundamentally different from those of people of this era. He greatly admires and respects the spirit of selfless dedication and public service, but it is something that does not exist in himself.

His philosophy is: every effort must be rewarded!
It was the same back in Lujiawan. Every action had to be rewarded, regardless of whether the reward came from the government or private individuals, or how much or how little. Otherwise, there would be no future.

Fortunately, the atmosphere in Lujiawan was quite good. Although they couldn't give him much and kept pestering him for help, they had given him the best and the highest respect within their means.

Chen Fan also benefited greatly from this, gaining even more support from the entire Lujiawan area.

That's why he couldn't forget Lujiawan and regarded it as his base.

This was true for Lujiawan, and also for the machinery factory and the cotton mill.

The machinery factory paid him well and almost always granted his requests, so whenever there was a good thing, Chen Fan would think of the machinery factory, even now that it has been divided into three.

The cotton mill could only offer limited benefits, unlike Director Yang and Deputy Director Li who would give him favors whenever they wanted. Therefore, his feedback to the cotton mill was naturally limited as well.

In fact, if it weren't for the need in Lujiawan, he wouldn't have approached cotton textile manufacturers to discuss the production line for down jacket fabrics.

So what if Jiang Heng is his father-in-law? He doesn't owe his father-in-law anything. On the contrary, he tries his best to help them get out of trouble in advance, so Chen Fan has no psychological burden at all.

Besides cotton mills, there is an even more obvious example: the health department.

It was because the Health Department didn't offer the proper benefits that Chen Fan was easily poached by Chairman He to join the Writers' Association.

Although he agreed to work at the health department for a mutual benefit, he can't fail to provide what he's owed. If he doesn't provide what he's owed, then he can't blame me for leaving.

If they had been willing to offer more back then, such as more benefits, Chen Fan would have hesitated for three more seconds when Chairman He poached him.

Because he owed no one and had helped these companies a lot, even though he knew his uncle's family owned an international trading company, he never mentioned or asked him to consider purchasing products from these "favor-based" companies.

Why is he so anxious when no one even mentions it?

Besides, it's not like we can't survive without leaving the exit.

Lujiawan is already quite conspicuous. Every household has a small villa, with electric lights and telephones upstairs and downstairs. It's just a telephone away from being there. What more could you want?
Are we really going to go to heaven?
The same was true for the machinery factory. After being split into three, Yunhu Automobile was in high demand, and production was already scheduled a year into the future. The same was true for Yunhu Home Appliances Company. The newly appointed Party Secretary and factory director, Li, was so busy counting money that he didn't even have time to treat Chen Fan to a meal. In the end, he was only given a slip of paper, saying that several restaurants in Beijing, the provincial capital, and Yunhu had signed agreements with the appliance company, and he didn't need to pay when he ate at these places; he just needed to sign the papers, and someone would settle the bill later.

Look how busy everyone else is, how dare Chen Fan help them export and earn foreign exchange, making them even busier?

It's obvious that it's not needed.

Of course, if Director Li really wants Chen Fan's help, Chen Fan won't refuse; he can certainly make an introduction.

It seems that he had previously helped Director Li connect with the Provincial Import and Export Company through Chairman He regarding the Provincial Writers Association's procurement of welfare items. I wonder what happened after that?

Even Deputy Factory Director Xue, with whom they weren't particularly close, received a positive response to Chen Fan's request, and Chen Fan helped them develop several flagship products.

In short, Comrade Chen, the great writer and teacher, has entered a semi-retired state. From now on, his main job will be to stay at home and write articles, and then give lectures every now and then after officially joining Jiangnan University.

Don't worry too much about other things.

Across from Chen Fan, Zhou Zhengdong's smile deepened upon hearing his words, and a few seconds later, he couldn't help but throw his head back and burst into laughter.

Seeing him like this, Chen Fan didn't say anything, just smiled and smoked his cigarette, occasionally taking a sip of tea.

After the laughter subsided, Zhou Zhengdong gave Chen Fan a thumbs up, "I used to think you were just a brilliant business genius, but now I realize I underestimated you."

He paused for a moment, then said softly, "Actually, business isn't the most suitable field for you. You should consider changing jobs; it might offer you a better future."

The Writers' Association is similar to the Hanlin Academy in ancient times. It has a prestigious reputation, but the future is limited and predictable. It doesn't have the same prospects as ordinary grassroots units.

In other words, Zhou Zhengdong didn't know what the Writers' Association would be like in the future. If he had known in advance, he probably would have encouraged his nephew to change careers even more.

My nephew is capable of holding a high-ranking position; how could he possibly waste his time in that kind of unit?!
However, Chen Fan didn't think so. He shook his head and chuckled softly, "Everyone has their own ambitions, and we can't force things. Besides, the waters of the official factory are too deep for me to control, so you don't need to say that anymore."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhengdong indeed stopped mentioning it.

He hoped his nephew would achieve even greater success, but he hoped even more that his nephew could live a peaceful and safe life until old age. The path of officialdom and factories was indeed too murky; even the most talented person could fall into a trap. It was better not to go down that path.

The two chatted for over half an hour, sipping tea and smoking.

As a gust of cold wind blew in from behind, Chen Fan realized that someone was still taking a bath in the back.

Turning around, they saw Zhou Yali walking in, wearing cotton slippers, thick pajamas, and a towel over her head, her face flushed. She glanced at them, then fanned her nose with her hand in disgust, asking, "How many cigarettes have you smoked?"

Zhou Zhengdong silently threw away the cigarette butt he had only smoked a third of, picked up his teacup and drank water, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Chen Fan stared blankly at her, "Big sister, don't you know how long you've been soaking?"

Zhou Yali raised an eyebrow slightly, "You should wash yourself clean on New Year's Eve, and besides, it's not that long."

Then he turned his head and looked at the clock on the wall, and finally his voice softened a little, "It's only 55 minutes, not even an hour yet."

He then coughed lightly, "Why isn't the TV on? Is there nothing on today?"

Chen Fan clicked his tongue. This transition was really abrupt. He hoped it would be improved next time.

The television set in this old house was delivered by the machinery factory. It's a Venus brand color TV, but the picture quality is a bit blurry, though that's related to the signal.

He turned on the TV, then ran outside and adjusted the antenna with a bamboo pole for a while. Only after Zhou Yali called that it was okay did Chen Fan return to the main room.

At that moment, CCTV's "Spring Festival Gala" was playing on TV, and it had just begun.

Seeing this, the three of them became interested, moved their chairs to create some distance between them, and sat in suitable positions.

Zhou Yali put on a fur coat, sat down in a chair, wiggled her hips, and complained to Chen Fan in a low voice, "Brother, you can't just not prepare the most basic things just because you don't come here often. Shouldn't we prepare one of those sofas and recliners like the ones we have at home in Shanghai?"
And today is New Year's Eve! Where's the tea? Where are the melon seeds and peanuts?

Chen Fan's face darkened. If it weren't for New Year's Eve, he would have made sure she knew who was the boss and who was second-in-command.

Since there were no deck chairs, we put together a few stools to make a coffee table, and placed sunflower seeds and peanuts brought from Lujiawan, as well as Northeast specialties such as pine nuts, hazelnuts, and walnuts, and served a cup of strong green tea.

I hope she can't sleep tonight!
With the fruit platter in place, the show officially began, and Zhou Yali finally calmed down, though she was still pouting.

Chen Fan sat to the side and let out a long sigh of relief.

He knew that the young lady was unhappy about leaving soon, but luckily she was leaving tomorrow morning, so he could just bear with it for now.

The party was a revelation from the very beginning.

It's not a traditional theater-style stage, but an open-air teahouse-style space, with the stage right in the middle of the audience.

On the small round table, there were soft drinks and champagne.

Champagne, in particular, was a rare commodity. Coupled with bullfighting and ballroom dancing, which most ordinary people had never seen before, it was described in a modern word as "sophisticated"!
After a song and a dance, when the "Toast Song" was sung, the audience was particularly excited. Many people raised their glasses and clinked glasses with those around them. Judging from their expressions, it seemed as if they were celebrating a victory rather than celebrating the Spring Festival.

After watching for a while, several lines of subtitles appeared on the screen.

Zhou Yali instantly became excited, turned around and grabbed Zhou Zhengdong's arm, shaking it vigorously, "Daddy, Daddy, this song was written by my younger brother, it's really good."

Zhou Zhengdong was already in high spirits. Watching tonight's gala allowed him to experience the cultural atmosphere of the mainland and also convey the new changes brought about by the changing times through these programs.

Given the circumstances a few years ago, it would have been impossible to perform these kinds of shows publicly, especially bullfighting dances and ballet.

That is to say, this is a color television set. If it were a black and white television set, he probably wouldn't be excited, but rather fearful.

Because ballet dancers' costumes are all tight-fitting and close to flesh-colored, they look fine on color TVs, but on black and white TVs, it's almost like they're not wearing any clothes.

So before the show even ended, countless complaint calls came in, complaining about male actors not wearing clothes, female actors being too revealing, and things like that.

While reform is necessary, this reform has gone too far!

Zhou Zhengdong is not confused about this at all. On the contrary, he nods in agreement. As long as such programs continue to appear on the stage, his business can continue to operate.

Hearing his daughter say that the song was written by her nephew naturally made him even more excited.

On the contrary, Chen Fan lost his sense of anticipation after he found out who the singer was.

As expected, the song ended up in Aunt Li's hands. She was originally a cover singer, and she was a cover singer again this time. But she was also the one who made the song famous. It was quite fitting that she sang it on the Spring Festival Gala.

After the song ended, Chen Fan lost all interest in the rest of the show.

Originally, only one song from this year's Spring Festival Gala was famous, "Toast Song." Now, there will probably be another song, "Young Friends Come to Meet," so the other programs will be dispensable.

He then greeted Zhou Zhengdong, went to the back to take a long shower, and when he came back, the short-lived Spring Festival Gala had already ended.

After Zhou Zhengdong finished washing up, the three of them sat in the main room chatting and staying up all night. When the clock struck midnight, Zhou Zhengdong took out the red envelopes he had prepared in advance, gave one to each of them, and then went back to their rooms to sleep.

While still in bed, Chen Fan was muttering to himself that he had forgotten to bring the fireworks that his family had prepared. Oh well, he would set them off when he got back to Lujiawan. He couldn't let them go to waste.

(End of this chapter)