Traveling through 1942 with space

"Heiwa, who did you learn how to give gifts from? I don't even know how to do it." On the way back, Hou Yangmin said in shock.

"Uncle, I learned this from that Dongya guy. He said that in order to smooth the relationship, you have to give benefits first.

Moreover, when he met the butler of the Fan family, he immediately handed him a pack of cigarettes. After the butler took the cigarettes, his attitude immediately improved a lot.

I also heard this sentence from a storyteller.

Jianghu is not about fighting and killing; Jianghu is about human relations.

Although I don't know what the Jianghu is, I know the ways of the world." Hou Xiaoge said with his hands behind his back in a deep voice.

"Alas! We peasants really don't understand gift-giving and social etiquette. I only know that I would like to break a copper coin into two halves to spend.

As farmers, who would be willing to spend money on gifts unless we really have no other choice?

But you are indeed a spendthrift. I can't bear to give away cigarettes worth a few cents.

If the ticket seller takes the cigarettes and doesn't do anything, the few cents will be wasted, it hurts to think about it." Hou Yangmin sighed and said.

After listening to his uncle's words, Hou Xiaoge sighed in his heart. This is what ordinary people are like, and this is the helplessness of reality.

Ordinary people are busy making a living all day long, and they don’t even earn enough to spend. How can they possibly spend all day thinking about the ways of the world?

But do you think they really don’t know the ways of the world?

How could the common people at the bottom of society not know that they wake up every day to make a few small coins? They know even better what human relationships and worldly wisdom are.

It’s just that human relationships are mostly linked to money and interests, which ordinary people cannot afford. Their wealth is really meager, and every penny is hard-earned.

Just like Uncle Hou Yangmin, when Hou Xiaoge took out that half pack of cigarettes just now, Hou Yangmin felt that it was a waste to give a pack of cigarettes worth a few cents to the ticket seller, and it would be better to save the money.

Little did he know that Hou Xiaoge gave the cigarettes just to pave the way and to strike up a conversation with the ticket seller.

If you want to ask someone to do something for you, you have to give gifts first. It doesn't make sense to give gifts only after the request is completed. That's not asking, but fair trade.

It is impossible for an uncle to just smile and say a few nice words and expect others to take the risk to sell tickets for them without spending a penny.

Ticket sellers can see hundreds or even thousands of people like this every day.

It's impossible to expect something in return without paying anything first. The ticket seller even complained that they were too talkative and didn't want to talk to them at all.

Only when you give people real money can they see your determination and sincerity, tell that you are not trying to get something for free, and look at you in the eye.

But most people benefit themselves before others, and only think about taking advantage first. It is this extremely calculating thinking that has trapped the vast majority of ordinary people.

In his previous life, Hou Xiaoge did not understand the ways of the world when he was in school. One time, the fruits at home were ripe, and his father packed a box and asked Hou Xiaoge to give it to the teacher.

Hou Xiaoge had just entered university at that time and was shy. He thought that the teacher would definitely not look down on a box of fruits he grew at home, which were worth only a few dozen dollars.

But my father said that other children were sent to school, so how could the teacher take care of you if you didn’t send yourself.

Hou Xiaoge couldn't stand his father's scolding and his curiosity, so he gritted his teeth and sent it to the teacher.

What Hou Xiaoge didn't expect was that the teacher actually accepted it.

From then on, Hou Xiaoge clearly felt that the teacher's attitude towards him had changed and he took her more seriously. Even when he occasionally skipped classes, the teacher didn't say anything.

This gift-giving gave Hou Xiaoge a clear understanding of society and the ways of the world for the first time.

But because his parents are farmers and are not good at dealing with the ways of the world, Hou Xiaoge still cannot overcome this hurdle.

However, since then, Hou Xiaoge has been observing the classmates and teachers around him intentionally or unintentionally.

Teachers do take good care of some students who come from well-off families or are good at dealing with people. Later, these students often participate in class committees and student unions.

Students like me who are unknown or taciturn are destined to be just passers-by in the university. After a few years in college, the teachers may not even recognize me.

When it comes to awarding scholarships, good jobs or recommendations for staying in school at graduation, students who are good at socializing have already become friends with the teachers, so the teachers will naturally give priority to these students.

As for ordinary students, they should just stay where they like! This is the most direct manifestation of social etiquette.

When he entered the society, dealing with people and speaking differently to different people, and the ways of the world became more obvious, Hou Xiaoge had no choice but to learn to stand at attention while being beaten.

However, it is easy to learn the ways of the world but difficult to master them. Without a guide, Hou Xiaoge has been struggling in society for many years but still has not been able to get started.

In his previous life, Hou Xiaoge’s father often told Hou Xiaoge that gift-giving is a science, and if you can give gifts, it proves your success.

But gift-giving is a science, and neither father nor mother has learned it.

But do you think Hou Xiaoge in his previous life really didn’t understand the ways of the world?

How could Hou Xiaoge not understand? He also knew that people who work hard all day may not necessarily succeed, but those who spend all day thinking about giving gifts will definitely be successful.

However, cognition, family conditions and circle are the limiting ceilings for Hou Xiaoge, so in such an explosive era as in his previous life, unless Hou Xiaoge mutated, he could only be an ordinary person.

After coming to this era, although Hou Xiaoge has become a child, he has a golden finger and a sense of development for the next hundred years.

Therefore, in terms of innate conditions, Hou Xiaoge has already jumped out of the circle of ordinary people and treats ordinary people of this era with a condescending attitude like a God's perspective.

So, when Hou Xiaoge heard his uncle haggling over a few cents of cigarettes, he couldn't help but think of his past life.

Although the times are different now, wasn’t I also another “stingy” uncle in my previous life?

……

"Hei Wa, do you have enough money?

You know, I gave you twenty-five dollars in my hometown, and now I only have six dollars left.

Add your aunt's assets, and now the total is only nine dollars." After returning to the camp, Hou Yangmin took out his own dollars and asked his sister, and now he had a total of nine dollars in his hand.

"Uncle, I have enough money, you can keep these dollars! If you don't have money, you won't be confident.

I still had two gold rings left when I redeemed my sister and the others last month, and I stole a small yellow croaker from the bandit leader some time ago, which was enough to buy the train tickets." Hou Xiaoge was not short of money now, so he did not intend to take the little money from his uncle.

"That's fine, that's fine."

Hou Yangmin is now convinced of his ten-year-old nephew. He is not only brave but also smart. He is just as good as the child prodigy in the storytellers' books.

To the extent that Hou Yangmin now believes even more firmly in what his nephew said last month about his ancestors appearing in his dreams, he believes that his nephew may really have been blessed by his ancestors.

The money issue has been resolved, but Hou Yangmin now has another headache. He is now an elder in the village, and if his family members pass away, what will he do with the more than 200 people in the village?

Hou Yangmin grew up in the village, so naturally he has deep feelings for his clan. In addition, many of these people are within the five degrees of mourning, so they are real family members.

"Heiwa, can you give your uncle some advice on what to do?" Hou Yangmin scratched his hair and said with a distressed look.