Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

Chu Guangming's aunt knew that he was a good student, and seeing that he was obedient and sensible, she thought that her nephew was easy to control, and that if he went to school he would definitely help her, so she treated him well.

Grandpa Chu was ill and had to be hospitalized. Aunt Chu Guangming thought that her father was going to accompany her mother. She was worried that the money her father had saved would be taken away by her brother, so she took the opportunity to take out the money of the grandfather and grandson.

Ye Fan's classmate's words reminded her that her brother was richer than her nephew and father. At the same time, Aunt Chu also realized that threatening her nephew for money might cause her to be alienated from him, so she returned the remaining money to Chu Guangming.

In Aunt Chu's view, powerful people need to save face, and she is not afraid of those who wear shoes when she is barefoot, so she went to find her brother the next day.

Chu's father has no conscience and certainly doesn't want to serve his old father. Aunt Chu asked Chu's father to pay for someone to serve him, but he was stingy and took out fifty yuan.

Thanks to his ex-father-in-law, Chu's father had a good job and a stable job. After being persuaded to quit, the father-in-law did not dare to make trouble and failed to get rid of his son-in-law's job. Fifty yuan was only Chu's father's monthly salary, so Aunt Chu was naturally not satisfied and went to her sister-in-law's unit.

Aunt Chu threatened her sister-in-law again and said she would go to her sister-in-law's parents' workplace and ask if they taught her daughter and son-in-law not to care about the old man's life or death. The couple was worried about the bad influence, so they took out 300 yuan to settle the matter.

Geng Zhiye found out that the rumors about Chu Guangming's stepmother and stepfather being good were actually wrong. If the stepmother was really good, she would accompany her husband to visit her father-in-law in the compound even if she didn't like her stepson. If the stepfather was kind, he would also persuade Chu's mother not to embarrass the child.

Chu Guangming knew what kind of person his stepmother was. After his grandfather got sick, he realized that his aunt had the same character as his father. Since he was underage and could not open an account, he put the money in Zhang Xiaoming's house.

When Grandpa Chu was discharged from the hospital and returned home, Aunt Chu bought some rice and salt, cleaned the house inside and out, and gave Chu Guangming 15 yuan to pay his tuition. Chu Guangming thought this was strange - being too nice for no reason!

Chu Guangming carefully analyzed the recent events several times and felt that it was related to Zhang Xiaoming. The next day, he went to set up a stall in front of the university with Zhang Xiaoming, and asked, "Uncle Xiaoming, did you tell my aunt something?"

Zhang Xiaoming didn't understand.

Chu Guangming first said that his aunt had transformed from a Rakshasa into a Bodhisattva, and then said that she would give him tuition, but Chu Guangming passed it on to his grandfather. He could make money now, and didn't want to use his aunt's money, lest he be asked to pay it back double in the future.

Zhang Xiaoming shook his head: "I don't know your aunt."

"I heard Aunt Ye is very righteous, is that her?"

Zhang Xiaoming: "She was busy purchasing goods a few days ago, and she has been sending her nephew and son to the university these days so she has no time to look for your aunt. Think about who else might be able to help you out."

All the relatives of the Chu family fawned on Chu's father, Chu's father was annoyed with his son, and the relatives would not help Chu Guangming. Grandpa Chu had few friends. Apart from relatives and friends, there were only neighbors left.

The name of Ye Fan's classmate Han Dawei came to his mind. Chu Guangming had heard his grandfather mention it several times, saying that it would be better to ask his father to go to the countryside to work as a farmer like Han Dawei did, train for a few years and then come back to live a down-to-earth life without so many troubles as now.

After returning home in the evening, Chu Guangming went to Han Dawei's house and asked him if he knew his aunt.

Han Dawei: "What did your aunt say?"

Chu Guangming understood immediately, bowed to thank him, and then asked Han Dawei how he told his aunt. Han Dawei explained a few words, and then repeated the general content.

Chu Guangming said that his aunt seemed like a different person.

Han Dawei saw that Chu Guangming was grateful, so he thought that now was a good time to help him, and Chu Guangming would definitely repay him in the future: "Tell me if you encounter any problems in the future, I will find a way to deal with them."

"But my stepmother and stepfather——"

Han Dawei: "If I can't handle it, there's still Ye Fan. I heard about your family's affairs from Ye Fan."

Chu Guangming was wondering how Ye Fan knew that. He suddenly thought of someone - Geng Jingjing. Geng Jingjing had been in the same school with him for three years, so she must have heard about his family from someone.

Chu Guangming had a classmate who lived in the same compound with him. He was poor but could tell stand-up comedy. He was sure that he had said it. He went back to the compound to ask his classmate and found out that it was indeed him.

As the beneficiary, Chu Guangming was too embarrassed to blame his classmate, so he just told him not to talk so much in the future.

The next day was August 31st. Chu Guangming set up his stall for the last time. After selling the goods, he went to Zhang Xiaoming's house to settle the accounts. He earned more than 80 yuan in just a few days.

Chu Guangming couldn't help but say: "Why not learn to set up a stall?"

Zhang Xiaoming was shocked and said hurriedly: "No! This business won't last for a few years."

“You can make a lot of money in a year.”

Zhang Xiaoming was worried about being a bad example for his children: "Listen to your uncle and study hard. I tell you, going to a good school is more profitable than setting up a stall. Ye Fan has a company with eight top students from Peking University. The monthly salary is 100 yuan, which is the basic salary. If the performance is good this year, the dividend at the end of the year will be at least this amount." He held up a finger and said, "1,000 yuan. If the scale is expanded in the future, 10,000 or 20,000 yuan a year can be distributed."

Chu Guangming didn't believe it: "Why is it so profitable?"

"Develop high-end products." Zhang Xiaoming said, "Without a future, how could Ye Fan let her son go to Aviation University? If her nephew's scores were not high enough, he would have gone to University of Science and Technology instead of Aviation University."

Chu Guangming was stunned.

Zhang Xiaoming: "You didn't expect it, did you? I'll take you to set up a stall on weekends and during winter and summer vacations. When you earn enough tuition, then - Dabao has to go to the Northeast, so you can go there later, stay away from your relatives, and do research in a down-to-earth manner. If someone bullies you because your father doesn't love you and your mother doesn't like you, then come back. I'll ask Ye Fan to help you contact scientific research institutions. But you have to study hard first."

Chu Guangming's eyes couldn't help but turn red.

Dong Ying said, "Don't worry about your stepmother tripping you up. I just found out these few days that your stepmother's father is an old subordinate of my father."

"Uncle, aunt——" Chu Guangming was so moved that he choked up. He had so many words of gratitude that he didn't know which one to say first.

Zhang Xiaoming: "The person you should be most grateful to is yourself. Others who don't have money either steal or rob. You can lower your face and ask Ye Fan to buy the goods. Only then can we have the opportunity to know you, understand you and help you."

Chu Guangming's throat tightened and he couldn't speak.

Zhang Xiaoming patted him on the back and helped him calm down: "Look how excited you are. It's okay, it's okay, if you study hard, everyone will help you."

Chu Guangming nodded vigorously with tears in his eyes: "I - study hard, I will study well!"

Zhang Xiaoming took out the tuition and living expenses and gave them to him. "I'll keep the remaining 60 yuan for you. When your grandfather gets sick, ask your father and aunt for money. You're embarrassed to use their money, and they won't pity you."

Dong Ying agreed very much: "Don't think that you should give up everything to be filial to your grandfather just because your aunt said that it was not easy for your grandfather to take care of you all these years. It was even more difficult for your grandfather to raise your father and your aunt. They are the first ones to take turns to serve."

No one had ever said this to Chu Guangming before, so Chu Guangming was like a bolt of lightning that suddenly split his brain apart. When he returned home, he still found it difficult to accept this view. Lying in bed, he couldn't help asking himself, is this true?

The next morning, Ye Fan led Erbao to the school gate and ran into Chu Guangming. Chu Guangming's clothes were clean, but there were patches on his knees and elbows.

If you don't see it with your own eyes, who would dare to believe that a child with two working parents would wear patched clothes. Ye Fan couldn't bear to look at it any longer, so he glanced at it and then looked away: "Are you going to pay the tuition? We'll go together."

Erbao: "Let's see the class division first, Mom."

Ye Fan nodded: "Then go to the bulletin board first."

Erbao was delighted when he saw that she was in Class 1 and Chu Guangming was in Class 2: "What a coincidence, just like before."

The notice board said that students should go to the classroom to pay tuition fees. The head teacher was waiting for the students in the classroom, so Erbao asked her mother to go back. Ye Fan gave her the money and reminded her and Chu Guangming: "Give the money to the teacher and then go find your classmates to play."

Erbao nodded: "Let's go to work."

Ye Fan first went to the company for half a day to help his classmates solve their problems.

At noon, Ye Fan arrived home and checked the goods that had been delivered a few days ago - daily necessities.

Although Ye Fan only wholesaled two carloads of clothing, the price was actually equivalent to three carloads of clothing, because many of the items did not take up space and were inconspicuous when packed in the boxes, and if unpacked, they would be enough for the entire alley of Ye Fan's family to use until they were old.

It’s definitely not going to be sold out in a few days.

Ye Fan still has goods worth two to three thousand yuan. Zhang Xiaoming and Chang Guangrong should still have about one thousand yuan.

The packaging boxes had changed color after being stored for a year or so, so they had to be discounted to clear the inventory. Ye Fan didn't want to discount them, so he had to sell them as soon as possible.

Ye Fan divided the goods into small portions, and whoever came to pick up the clothes the next day took one portion and sold them at the university gate. Ye Fan and Chang Guangrong took two company salesmen to the south.

The salesperson delivers the goods, while Chang Guangrong and Ye Fan purchase the merchandise.

Last year, down jackets were very popular, and this year, coats are also popular. Chang Guangrong suggested that down jackets and cotton coats account for 70% and coats for 30%. Ye Fan disagreed and thought it should be 50-50.

Chang Guangrong couldn't blame her for being overbearing, so he said, "Sister, you must have the final say at home."

Ye Fan rolled his eyes at him and said, "I know what you mean. The capital is covered in ice and snow, so even if coats are popular, they are not as popular as cotton-padded down jackets. But don't forget that grandpa and grandma can wear a down jacket for ten years, and many people can't bear to buy expensive ones because they live in poverty. Our main customers are young people. Do young people like bulky down jackets and cotton-padded jackets, or do they like stylish coats?"

"Is not It Cold?"

Ye Fan: "What else do you need temperature for when you have grace?"

Chang Guangrong suddenly thought of his eldest nephew, who was taking the college entrance examination this year just like Dabao. He was two years older than Dabao, but his score was only half of Geng Dabao's.

Last winter, my nephew got beaten by his eldest brother with a belt because he wore leather shoes in the middle of winter and didn’t wear long underwear under his jeans, so he shivered all over indoors. His eldest brother thought his nephew had learned bad things, so his grades had not improved.

Chang Guangrong now finds this unbelievable when he thinks about it: "Would you give up your life just to be cool and elegant?"

Ye Fan: "Only old people are afraid of the cold."

Chang Guangrong was choked because that was what his nephew said at the time.

"As you say, fifty-fifty."

Ye Fan said: "Tomorrow we will split into two groups. You will lead the people to Yongcheng, and I will take a salesperson to another place."

"buy what?"

Ye Fan: "Wholesale small commodities. We will try to get two big bags each. I heard that small things there are cheaper than in Ningbo and Hangzhou. There are many people working alone now. If we want to make money, our goods must not only be fashionable, but also cheap."

“Can the quality be guaranteed?”

Ye Fan nodded: "It's not a one-time deal, the quality is definitely fine. They sell it cheaply in order to make small profits but quick turnover."

"Then let's pack up the big items today and go directly to the station when we come back?" Chang Guangrong said.

Ye Fan: "You will definitely come back earlier than us, you can make the arrangements."

There are bad people everywhere. Ye Fan was worried that she would encounter hooligans when she first arrived at the local area, so she asked the city to call the local leaders.

The leader hoped that the local small commodities would be sold abroad, so he personally went to the station to pick up Ye Fan after receiving the call. Hearing that Ye Fan was anxious to go back, he directly accompanied her to the local small commodity market on Xinmalu Road.

Ye Fan was like a local tycoon coming to the city. As long as it was something she had never seen before and that young people liked, Ye Fan would buy up every stall.

The market manager immediately arranged for people to pack the goods and personally delivered them to the train station.

The next morning, Chang Guangrong almost fainted when he received the goods. He shouldn't have believed Ye Fan's lies. Before he left, he said that each of them would get two bags, but when he came back, each of them got four large bags. All the money was spent.

Ye Fan pretended not to see it and asked him to arrange for the loading of the goods and return home.

When they arrived at the capital, Chang Guangrong suggested that the goods from Hangzhou and Ningbo should be sold to Ye Fan for 70% and to him for 30% as before. Ye Fan had a lot of money and a lot of people, while Chang Guangrong had few people, so even if he sold 70%, he couldn't sell all of them. He only wanted two bags of the small commodities that Ye Fan got from the small town. Ye Fan reminded him: "Don't blame me for being stingy if you don't sell enough."

"I blame myself for being timid."

Ye Fan gave him two packets.

After Chang Guangrong's goods were taken away, Ye Fan took two salesmen to sort the goods. The valuable goods and small items were placed in Ye Fan's home, and the rest were placed in the house that Yu Wentao had transferred to Ye Fan.

The two salesmen were not outsiders, they were Yu Wentao's nephew and Chang Guangrong's brother-in-law. They were able to settle down in the city thanks to Ye Fan and Chang Guangrong, so they didn't complain even though they were dizzy from exhaustion.

If this continues, sooner or later the favor will turn into hatred. So before the two of them left Ye Fan's house, Ye Fan gave each of them ten yuan as "travel allowance."

Seeing the great unity, the fatigue disappeared instantly.

Seeing the smiles on their faces, Ye Fan told them to go home and rest.

Ye Fan had figured out the wholesale price on the way here, but there were so many people and so many things that he couldn't tell everyone how much each item cost, so he had to write it down one by one. After writing the price list for dozens of people, Ye Fan was tired and annoyed, so he went to the company the next morning and asked, "Can we research printers?"

Ye Fan's old classmate directly said: "Don't think that one thing will happen at any time."

"No, the company is doing well and you earn more."

Old classmate: "Earn a lot but you have to live to spend it."

Ye Fan's junior fellow student asked, "You suddenly disappeared for several days. Did you go to buy more supplies? Which company did you see the printer in?"

"No. My invoices have to be written by hand. With a printer, they can be typed into the computer and printed out in minutes." Suddenly, he remembered that there is no office software now. "Are you busy recently? If not, let's see if we can develop an office software, that is-"

An old classmate interrupted: "We only have eight people and eight brains. Your idea is great but we don't have time. Don't do that! You must be very tired after just coming back. Go home and rest. Women who work too hard will age quickly!"

Ye Fan opened his mouth and said, "But, forget it, I'll go to the school some other day to see if I can recruit someone. Since my junior brother doesn't want to hang out with us, I'll go to other colleges and universities to have a look."

The old classmate waved his hand to indicate that he could leave.

Ye Fan turned around and went back, but was stopped by an employee at the door. Ye Fan immediately turned back and said, "Do you also think that I think..."

The employee interrupted: "Sister, should we apply for a patent for our Chinese card?"

Old classmate Ye Fan snorted, "She has already done it."

Ye Fan smiled and shrugged, "Don't worry about that. We don't brag or talk nonsense, so I can guarantee that the patent won't be taken by others. By the way, drink less when you go out, and don't talk too much about what you do. Being shot or stabbed to death during a break doesn't count as a work-related injury, and your family can only get a little consolation money."

Ye Fan's fellow apprentices laughed, thinking that Ye Fan was trying to scare them.

Ye Fan said, "Our company is just starting out this year, and we will make back our capital next year. No matter how much money we make the year after, I will invite you to go to Hong Kong City for a week. Take a plane directly to Hong Kong City, and when you get there, you can find the citizens to understand the real business war. So that you don't suspect that I have connections, and the people who tell you the truth are actors arranged by me."

Everyone simply ignored the last sentence: "One week? Go to Hong Kong City? You pay?"

Ye Fan: "The company pays for accommodation and air tickets. You have to take care of your own meals. The company only gives you 100 yuan for meals. 100 yuan per person for a week, isn't that a lot?"

The eight people nodded in unison, quite a few! But they were worried that Ye Fan was just making empty promises, so one of Ye Fan's junior brothers asked, "What if the benefits are not good next year?"

Ye Fan: "Don't I still have a wholesale business? I can invest some more money in the company."

After hearing this, everyone felt relieved and full of energy.

After Ye Fan left, a few people discussed whether they should really get an office software to help her make reports since the boss was so nice.

After a long discussion, the eight people decided to assign two people to be responsible for office software in the new year. If they encounter any problems, they can ask the teacher. The school will give them half of the net profit, so they can't just do nothing.

Ye Fanke didn't know that her people were "one thing in front of you and another behind your back", so she just walked around the store and it was no big deal. She relaxed and went home to rest when she felt tired.

Ye Fan had just fallen asleep when Aunt Li came running over and said that Dabao called.

Yu Wentao went to the market to buy chicken after receiving the call. After stewing the chicken, Yu Wentao went to pick up Dabao. Dabao was tanned from military training, and Yu Wentao felt bad for him, so she gave him both chicken legs to eat.

Erbao wiped away his tears with heartache when he saw his fair and tender brother become dark and thin.

Seeing her cry, Yu Wentao wanted to cry too. Seeing this, Ye Fan sighed, "Geng Zhiye has never lived in vain, and I have never seen you two shed tears."

Yu Wentao: "Can it be the same?"

Erbao nodded: "That's right! How old is daddy, and how old is brother?"

Ye Fan: "Aunt Yu, how old was Geng Zhiye when he entered the military academy?"

Yu Wentao couldn’t remember for a moment, but he was definitely under 20: “But, I…I couldn’t see from far away, so—”

"Just what? Eating!" Ye Fan turned to his son, "Aren't you afraid of a sudden gathering when you come back to eat?"

Dabao: "The teacher agreed to let me come out, but he was responsible for me not showing up when he called the roll."

"You are really good at cheating people." Ye Fan said, "Eat quickly and come back after you finish your meal."

After finishing his meal, Dabao took a soda bottle to school. After finishing his drink, he gave the bottle to Ye Fan. Ye Fan took it helplessly and said, "You are not allowed to call home before the military training is over."

It is better to say that Dabao was greedy than to say that it was the first time for Dabao to be away from home for such a long time. He was not surrounded by any relatives and felt anxious and uncomfortable. The teacher also saw that he was depressed and approved his leave to go out.

Dabao came home for a noon, and his grandmother loved him more than before. Everything was fine at home, so Dabao didn't miss home. Hearing this, Dabao waved his hand to indicate that he had remembered it.

Ye Fan went to the convenience store to exchange the soda bottle and planned to go to the store.

The person at the canteen asked curiously, "Didn't Dabao go to college?"

Ye Fan: "Yes. He might be homesick, so he called his grandmother and asked her to pick him up."

"You still want to pick up Dabao when he's this big?" The people in the convenience store couldn't believe it.

Seeing this, Ye Fan wanted to laugh: "The school has military training, and students are not allowed to go out during the training."

“Are college students still so strictly controlled?”

Ye Fan nodded: "You go ahead and get busy."

When Ye Fan arrived at the store, she asked her cousin if her cheap small commodities were selling well.

Two years ago, there were few businesses on this street. Last year, because Ye Fan sold clothes to attract passers-by, others saw business opportunities and set up stalls around. With the opening of Wei Jianshe's store and Ye Fan's own store, this street became lively, and stalls and shops sprang up like mushrooms after rain, with an average of one more store per week.

With the popularity, the surrounding college students and citizens are willing to come, and Ye Fan's shop always has business on rainy days. Unless there is a heavy rainstorm and students and citizens cannot go out, Ye Fan's cousin can rest.

Ye Fan asked: "Are you tired?"

With the salary and bonus, my cousin feels that she will be able to buy a house in a remote area northeast of the store next year. "Not tiring!" She smiled and shook her head.

Ye Fan: "I know a high school student who was abandoned by his parents. Can you ask him to help you in the store on weekends?"

My cousin couldn't help but say, "Sister-in-law, why are you so nice?"

Ye Fan: "He is the same age as Dabao and has good grades. No one cares about him and no one cares about him. It's a pity that he is wasted."

My cousin likes to study hard and be successful. After hearing this, she can understand why Ye Fan wants to help her: "Okay! This weekend or next weekend?"

Ye Fan: "This weekend. Put it in your account, give him three dollars a day and give you one dollar, and you two can eat together at noon."

The cousin was very surprised, thinking that Ye Fan would give him five dollars, because Huihui and Xiaoqin were paid five dollars a day each for running the store.

Seeing this, Ye Fan said nothing, "I'll go to the construction store to take a look."

Upon hearing this, her cousin told her to go quickly.

Ye Fan was surprised. When he arrived at the door of Wei Jianshe's store, he saw his sister-in-law on the left and his sister on the right. Both of them had things in front of them. He was speechless for a moment.

When they got there, Ye Fan pretended not to know them and went straight into the store.

Wei Jianshe saw Ye Fan come in and asked her to sit down, then looked outside.

Ye Fan: "What's going on?"

"They insisted that I help them sell my products because my store was doing well," Wei Jianshe said helplessly. "My mom said I should help my brothers and sisters. I said the products in the store belong to you, because they can't sell them. If you don't give me products in the future, there will be no good products and no business in the store, and no one will make money. So they thought of setting up a stall at the door."

Ye Fan frowned, how could he be more excessive than Zhang Xiaojun. Zhang Xiaojun had never thought of asking Zhang Xiaoming to take him at first.

"What are you going to do?"

Wei Jianshe: "I plan to find a strong wife. If I get physical, my mother will definitely scold me for being immature. My wife got physical with my sister and sister-in-law, but my mother didn't dare scold them, otherwise my father-in-law's family would not forgive her."

Ye Fanxin said what kind of idea this was: "Aren't you afraid of marrying a female tiger?"

"If she hits me, I can just divorce her," Wei Jianshe said. "I heard that Xiaoqin's ex-girlfriend did the same thing."

Ye Fan was stunned for a moment and asked, "Liu Ning? Do you know him?"

"I don't know her. Brother Xiao Ming said so. Brother Xiao Ming might have heard it from your mother-in-law. Brother Xiao Ming walks around the streets every day, and he might have been near Liu Ning's house. He said his wife was admitted to the city from the countryside. She didn't ask for anything before marriage. After marriage, she wanted a house, gold and silver jewelry, etc. She would scold her mother-in-law if she didn't allow her, and scold her father-in-law if she didn't allow her. Sister Liu Ning is still her younger sister, but she treated her like her grandson."

Ye Fan couldn't imagine: "What about Liu Ning?"

"I didn't hear what Brother Xiao Ming said. If it were me, I would stay away from him, so as to avoid feeling sorry for my parents being bullied, and feeling sorry for my wife being scolded, and finally becoming a nobody." Wei Jianshe said.

Ye Fan shook his head: "No need, no need. If you have this intention, just learn from Benben." Then he told the story of Benben causing trouble at the Chu family.

Wei Jianshe didn't want his mother to be sad, but he got angry when he thought about the two door gods outside the door, preventing customers from coming in. Zhang Xiaoming had two stores and asked Zhang Xiaozhi to sell clothes with Dong Ying. Zhang Xiaozhi would rather set up a stall than take advantage of her brother.

Why are sisters so nice to each other?

Wei Jianshe hesitated for a moment and said, "Let me think about it."

(End of this chapter)