1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

The next morning, Cheng Xuemin, carrying the check stub given to him by his aunt and preliminary information from North American cinemas, went to the Ministry of Culture.

Secretary Xiao Yang was waiting for him at the door. When they met, she said, "Director Cheng, Old Wu asked you early this morning if you had arrived. He said if you had, you could go straight in."

Cheng Xuemin walked into the office, where Old Wu was sitting in a rattan chair reading the People's Daily.

Seeing him come in, he put down his newspaper and asked with a smile, "Xuemin, sit down! I heard your aunt is back from North America again!"

The department's information network is clearly very efficient; Aunt Gu Qiuna only arrived home yesterday, and Old Wu already knew about it.

This wasn't because Mr. Wu was particularly concerned about overseas Chinese returning to China to visit relatives; rather, Cheng Xuemin had already informed Mr. Wu about the reappearance of his newly written foreign pop song yesterday.

When I returned from Bolin, I also reported to Mr. Wu that his aunt, Gu Qiuna, was planning to start releasing "Yesterday Once More" in North America at the beginning of the new year.

So, Mr. Wu probably took note of it!
Moreover, my aunt needed to bring such a large sum of cash checks, amounting to over a million US dollars, into the country.

Actually, you also need to report the remittance to the Hong Kong branch of ICBC first.

His aunt told him yesterday that the cash check had already been deposited into the account at the Hong Kong branch of ICBC.

So how could a foreign exchange inflow of up to 1.2 million US dollars not alarm the higher-ups?
Secretary Yang just said that Old Wu was already waiting for him in his office and told Cheng Xuemin to come in by himself, which is enough to show that Old Wu knew about this and was also waiting for Cheng Xuemin!
After thinking it through, Cheng Xuemin smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes, Mr. Wu, my aunt has returned from North America and brought us good news!"

"Oh! Really! Tell me! What good news did your aunt bring?" Although Old Wu already knew something, these words came from Cheng Xuemin himself!
That is enough to prove that their department and the old leaders in Haizili made the right choice and had the right vision!
With the heavy responsibility of the foreign exchange earnings pilot program entrusted to him, the people of the whole country are very reassured!
"It's that foreign pop song I wrote before, 'Yesterday Once More.' My aunt started charting and releasing it in North America on New Year's Day!" Cheng Xuemin nodded and continued, as if reporting good news, "It's achieved quite a bit of success!"

"According to my aunt, since its release, it has consistently topped the local pop music charts, selling over a million copies. We earned $1.2 million just from record sales!"

"Mr. Wu, this is a foreign exchange check in US dollars that my aunt brought over!"

After the report, Cheng Xuemin handed over the cash check, along with the North American cinema investment plan that he had worked on overnight!

"One million two hundred thousand US dollars in foreign exchange?! The news from the Hong Kong branch is that it really was earned from your English pop song, Xuemin?!"

How could Old Wu not be shocked after hearing this?!

The Hong Kong branch did send a telegram to Beijing explaining the inflow of US$1.2 million in foreign exchange.

It was Cheng Xuemin's aunt in North America who brought them in!
Although Mr. Wu had considered that this might be the foreign exchange earned from that popular foreign song.

After all, Cheng Xuemin's first foreign pop song earned the country 300,000 US dollars in foreign exchange.

but!
It suddenly skyrocketed to 1.2 million US dollars, for just one English song with less than a thousand words and notes.

You can earn a whopping 1.2 million US dollars in foreign exchange!
That, that, that!

Then what's the point of them making money from movies? It's so time-consuming and laborious. They might as well let Cheng Xuemin focus on writing pop songs in foreign languages ​​and release them in North America to chart!

If you release a dozen or twenty of these kinds of songs, wouldn't that be comparable to the US dollars and foreign exchange earned by a Tai Chi practitioner?!
"If the Hong Kong branch doesn't receive another $1.2 million, then it's all back to yesterday's profits!" Cheng Xuemin chuckled and joked.

"Oh my! Xuemin...you always manage to come up with something new and interesting to do with us old folks!"

Upon hearing this, Old Wu exclaimed in surprise, "This...this is another 1.2 million! You've truly given us old folks a wonderful surprise!"

"Mr. Wu...you flatter me too much...I still have a lot of room for improvement!" Cheng Xuemin accepted the tea that Mr. Wu personally poured for him, sat up straight, and smiled.

"Yes, yes, yes! Young people should avoid arrogance and impetuosity, very good!" Old Wu sat down next to Cheng Xuemin, patted Cheng Xuemin's thigh, and said, "Our task of generating foreign exchange is still arduous and has a long way to go. We cannot be complacent because of temporary achievements!"

"That's why I said, Xuemin, you're awesome! You really are awesome!"

Old Wu exclaimed in surprise, "Is that so! I actually discussed this $1.2 million cash check with the leaders in Haizi!"

"Their attitude is unanimous! This is considered Xuemin's private royalties, in accordance with our new foreign exchange policy!"

"Xuemin, you can keep 10% of the US dollars in cash privately, and the rest will be converted into RMB according to the international exchange rate and returned to you in full!"

Old Wu only said one thing!
Most of the US dollar foreign exchange reserves are deposited into the national treasury as part of our foreign exchange reserves.

However, this $1.2 million is still considered Cheng Xuemin's personal income.

The government will convert the currency into RMB according to the new foreign exchange policy and exchange rate and return it to Cheng Xuemin!
Of course, Cheng Xuemin could also keep 10% of the US dollar cash for his own use.

"Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Wu, and thank you to all the former leaders for your kindness!" Cheng Xuemin was overjoyed upon hearing this, but he quickly stood up and said, "However, Mr. Wu, I actually have an idea about this 1.2 million US dollar check that I would like to report to you!"

Without waiting for Mr. Wu's surprise and doubt, he continued directly, "I want my aunt to take this money back to North America and invest in several cinema chains that are on the verge of bankruptcy."

"What?" Old Wu was about to offer a few more words of encouragement, but upon hearing Cheng Xuemin's next words, he was instantly speechless with shock. His eyes widened instantly as he asked, "You're going to invest foreign exchange in North American cinemas?"

"Xuemin, do you know how precious foreign exchange is these days? Our country's foreign exchange reserves are already low. If you invest it out and can't get it back, it won't be a small matter!"

Cheng Xuemin quickly explained, "Mr. Wu, I'm not investing blindly. The biggest problem for mainland Chinese films going overseas right now is the lack of distribution channels. We can only rely on selling copyrights, and we only make small profits."

If we had our own cinema chain, we could control the screening schedule and revenue sharing when "Shaolin Temple" was released.

For example, if a film grosses ten million US dollars at the North American box office, we can get seven million if we distribute it ourselves, but we can only get three million at most if we sell the rights. That's a huge difference!

He then pointed to the documents that Old Wu hadn't had time to look at yet, which were on the table, and continued, "Look, this is some basic information I learned from my aunt!"
These are all art-house cinemas in Los Angeles and New York, mainly showing foreign films. Their audience matches our kung fu films, and they are cheap; you can get a controlling stake for one million US dollars.

"In the future, our films will not only be shown in these few theaters, but we can also cooperate with other North American theater chains through them to gradually open up the market." Mr. Wu picked up the materials and looked at them carefully page by page, tracing the words "arthouse theaters" and "target audience" with his finger, remaining silent for a long time.

The office was so quiet that the only sound was the barking of cats and dogs outside the window. Cheng Xuemin felt a little nervous, after all, this idea was too advanced for the times.

About ten minutes later, Old Wu put down the documents, picked up his enamel mug, took a sip of tea, looked at Cheng Xuemin, and said, "Your idea is indeed bold, but... it makes some sense."

We can't keep relying on selling copyrights for small profits forever. To truly promote Chinese films internationally, we need our own distribution channels.

He paused, then said, "But the risks are also great. We are not familiar with the policies and market conditions in North America. Can your aunt handle it all by herself?"

Should we ask the Xinhua News Agency's North American branch to help with the coordination?

Cheng Xuemin felt relieved and quickly said, "That's exactly what I was thinking of telling you! It would be even safer if we could have the help of the Xinhua News Agency branch to manage the risks."

My aunt also said that we need the support of local Chinese organizations, otherwise we might get scammed.

Old Wu nodded, picked up a pen, signed his name on the document, and said:
“Okay, I agree to this. You contact the Xinhua News Agency branch and ask them to send someone knowledgeable in the film industry to assist your aunt. All financial transactions must go through formal channels, every transaction must be recorded clearly, and reports must be submitted to the ministry regularly.”

He looked at Cheng Xuemin with admiration in his eyes: "Xuemin, you have more foresight than I thought. Earning foreign exchange isn't just about saving money; you have to make money generate more money so that it can last."

"Do a good job! If this succeeds, you'll be the number one hero in helping mainland Chinese films go global!"

Cheng Xuemin stood up, feeling warm inside, and said:

"Thank you, Mr. Wu! I will certainly live up to your trust and do a good job of this, so that more mainland films can be screened in North America through our own cinemas in the future!"

Cheng Xuemin was extremely happy when he left the ministry!

He knew that investing US dollars in North American theaters was only the first step.

In the future, we will also invest in record companies and establish distribution networks so that Chinese culture can truly reach the world through these channels.

And all of this, starting with the song "Yesterday Once More" and with this $1.2 million, is slowly becoming a reality.

When he got home, his father saw him return and quickly asked, "What did Old Wu say? Did he agree?"

Cheng Xuemin nodded with a smile: "Agreed! We'll also have the Xinhua branch assist Auntie in managing the risks. Dad, don't worry, this money will earn even more US dollars in the future!"

Mr. Feng breathed a sigh of relief and patted his shoulder: "Work hard! If you have any ideas in the future, discuss them with the family and report them to your superiors. If we take steady steps, we'll definitely succeed!"

The dinner table was laden with food. Mother Feng had stewed sauerkraut and pork belly, stir-fried a plate of green peppers and shredded pork, and steamed a basket of red bean buns. The steaming heat and aroma filled the house.

The little squirrel sat in the baby chair, playing with half a red bean bun in his hand. Feng Jiayou wiped his mouth from time to time, her eyes full of tenderness.

Cheng Xuemin picked up a piece of pickled cabbage with his chopsticks, then suddenly looked up at his aunt Gu Qiuna and asked, "Auntie, you work in North America, how much do you earn a month?"

The room fell silent as soon as he said that.

The chopsticks in Mrs. Feng's hand paused in mid-air, Mr. Feng put down his wine glass, and even Feng Jiamo, who was playing with the little squirrel, came over with bright eyes.

My eldest brother and sister-in-law, my second brother and sister-in-law, and my maternal grandparents!
Everyone is curious about how high the salaries are in North America, especially since my aunt just brought back a $1.2 million bonus, and everyone has been curious about her income for a long time.

Gu Qiuna paused for a moment, still chewing on shredded meat, and asked vaguely, "Why are you suddenly asking this? Are you trying to help me find a job?"

She put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and then slowly extended a slender, jade-like index finger. "It's not much, just over ten thousand, in US dollars!"

"A little over ten thousand US dollars?!" Mrs. Feng's chopsticks clattered to the ground. She quickly bent down to pick them up, her voice trembling as she asked:
"Nana, you're not mistaken, are you? Ten thousand US dollars a month? That's equivalent to several people with tens of thousands of yuan in RMB, isn't it?"

"No way, Auntie!" Feng Jiamo's eyes widened as she leaned close to Gu Qiuna and said, "We Peking University graduates only make a few dozen yuan a month when we get a good job, and you make ten thousand US dollars a month? That's too outrageous!"

She used to envy those in China who had tens of thousands of yuan, thinking that such wealth was unattainable.

I only found out now that my aunt's monthly salary is equivalent to several people with tens of thousands of yuan in income.

Gu Qiuna smiled, picked up her teacup, took a sip of hot water, and said, "I work as a magazine editor in North America, not as an ordinary office worker."

"Moreover, the distribution company also gave me a commission for helping you promote 'Yesterday Once More,' so my income is indeed much higher than in China."

However, the cost of living in North America is high; renting an apartment can cost over a thousand US dollars a month, and food is expensive too. The amount of money you actually save isn't as much as you might think.

At this moment, Feng Jiamo was already hanging around her aunt's neck, her eyes full of longing as she asked:
"Auntie, I want to study in North America in the future, and after graduation, can I work with you as a magazine editor? I also want to earn ten thousand US dollars a month!"

Gu Qiuna pinched her cheek and scolded her with a smile: "You should study hard at Yenching University and learn English well first."

Competition in North America is fierce; it's not enough to just have an idea to make money. When I first went there, I only made a few hundred dollars a month.

"By the way, Xuemin, why are you suddenly asking me this?" Auntie reminded Feng Jiamo, then returned to the original topic, wondering why her nephew-in-law was suddenly concerned about how much he earned in America.
Then, with a smile, he asked, "You don't think I skimped on yesterday's record revenue, do you?"

"No, no! Auntie, why would you think that?" Cheng Xuemin knew his aunt was joking, so he said directly, "Auntie, this is what I'm thinking! Would you like to start your own company and be your own boss?"

……

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