Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

Dabao wanted to eat egg pancakes, Yu Wentao wanted to buy chicken, fish and meat, saying that it was the weekend and everyone was at home, so she wanted to give everyone a good meal. Ye Fan asked Geng Leilei, who lacked exercise, to help her carry the vegetables, and she made pancakes for Dabao.

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan called Dabao and Erbao, who were playing badminton in the yard, to go out and take a look.

Dabao gave the racket to Geng Sensen and went outside to see no suspicious people: "Sister Huihui, what are you yelling about so early in the morning? I can hear your loud voice at school."

Geng Huihui pointed at the gift on the threshold with a frightened look on her face: "Didn't you say that no matter how popular the TV series is, no one will come to our house?"

Dabao tried to pick it up, but Geng Huihui hurriedly pulled him away. Dabao staggered back two steps, puzzled: "What happened again?"

Geng Huihui lowered her voice and asked, "Is it poisonous?"

"You've watched too many spy movies." Dabao pushed her hand away. "If there's anyone poisonous, it's the elusive Geng Leilei. What good is there in poisoning you?" He carefully opened the box, and inside was a bottle of perfume with English written all over it. Unfortunately, Dabao, who had accompanied his mother shopping, recognized this brand. His mother disliked it and said the fragrance was too greasy.

Erbao thought it smelled good. Ye Fan bought her a bottle. Dabao asked his mother, "Why did you buy it if you didn't like it?" Ye Fan's original words were, Erbao had never used perfume, just like never having eaten roast duck, the first time you eat it you usually think it tastes okay, but after eating it more often you can tell the difference.

If she is not allowed to eat it, and is given a burnt roast duck, she will still think she can give it a try. Besides, it is not worth much.

Dabao curled his lips in disdain: "How petty."

Geng Huihui: "This perfume is hard to buy. You have to go to Hong Kong."

"Do you still think it's like 'A gift of goose feathers from a thousand miles away is more valuable than money'?" Dabao rolled his eyes at her. "Don't be confused when you see foreign words. This thing is expensive to ordinary citizens only because of the brand premium." He raised his hand and threw it into a trash can in the distance.

Geng Huihui grabbed the perfume first again.

Dabao frowned: "Reluctant?"

"No, no, he could find our house and hide somewhere. If he saw you treating the gift he carefully prepared like this, would he be angry?"

It's not impossible! Dabao asked: "How do you want to deal with it?"

"Find a nail and a small basket to hang things on. Put the things in the basket and hang it on the wall. If someone steals it, just think that this bottle of perfume was taken before I came out."

Dabao immediately found a small basket, a hammer and nails, and Geng Huihui wrapped the paper. Then the brother and sister went home. At the moment of closing the door, Dabao saw a figure coming out of the alley next to him. Dabao stopped and watched for a moment. An old man was rummaging through the trash can.

Dabao frowned, coming out to look for garbage early in the morning, maybe he didn't eat last night and couldn't stand the hunger. Dabao smelled the fragrance in the yard and wanted to take an egg pancake, but people who were looking through the garbage cans didn't want food, obviously they wanted to be self-reliant.

Dabao waved to Erbao. Erbao was about to ask what happened to her cousin, and asked, "First, tell me how the person who sent the perfume to my cousin could find our house."

"Do I need to ask? I asked relatives and neighbors." Dabao said, "The TV series has only aired two episodes, and it has been broadcast for a whole day. Ordinary audiences in the capital don't know whether Sister Huihui lives in West City or East City. Our neighbor is not sure that the 'Teacher Chu' in the play is Sister Huihui. How could he have found out so promptly if he didn't specifically ask?"

Erbao suddenly realized: "Yes. But apart from anything else, he is quite thoughtful."

"What a thoughtful bullshit!" Dabao glared at her. "If you really like someone, you must be very cautious. But this perfume is hard to buy. To get it in such a short time, you must have asked a female friend or family member for it, and then bought some wrapping paper to wrap it. Using someone else's things as a gift, Chu Guangming didn't do this even when he was the poorest. When it was your birthday before, Chu Guangming didn't have much money. Did he go to the store to buy you a hairpin? This is called a small gift but a big thought!"

Erbao: "Doesn't he understand?"

Dabao nodded: "I understand. I took advantage of the fact that Sister Huihui had never been abroad and thought that she had never seen foreign things! Oh, I almost forgot when you interrupted me. Erbao, throw all the cardboard boxes and cans that we have collected at home next to the trash can."

"No, grandma keeps it for sale."

Dabao walked out while saying, "She doesn't need these few cents. But some people may be unable to afford a meal of meat during the New Year because of a few cents, and they may feel hopeless about life and want to die. Hurry up!"

Although Erbao had her own ideas, she had been used to listening to her brother since she was a child, so she subconsciously followed him to the front and pulled the things out from the ear room in the front yard: "Why don't you carry it yourself?"

"Let me see if the person is still there." Dabao opened the door and looked out. The person who had rummaged through the trash can was on the east side of his house before, but now he was on the west side. Dabao asked Erbao to throw the trash to the west side.

Erbao asked, "Should I give it to him?"

Dabao shook his head: "Grandma has sorted it out well. If you give it to someone else, they will think you pity them. Just throw it in the trash can."

Erbao nodded repeatedly.

Huihui and Sensen were curious about who this person was that Dabao had to go through so much trouble to get to the door. When they took a closer look at the door, they were disappointed to find that it was just an ordinary old man.

Geng Sensen asked: "Dabao, have you seen him before?"

“Never seen it.” He closed the door when Erbao came in.

Geng Sensen didn't know what to say for a moment: "You are so kind."

"I saw it. Mom said I could help if I saw it. Besides, it's just a piece of cake." Dabao ran to the kitchen door and said, "Mom, did I do it right?"

Ye Fan nodded: "Yes. But there are also some bad people who take advantage of your kindness to defraud you. You can help others, but you must also protect yourself."

Dabao: "Then I won't get close to strangers in the future."

Geng Huihui who came in later asked, "How can I help if I don't get close?"

Ye Fan: "If the other person falls, it's useless for you to go over to him, and you may even cause his bones to dislocate. At this time, call an ambulance. If the other person is hungry, then buy him some food and give the merchant some errand fees to ask him to deliver it to you. If you hear that the other person's money has been stolen at the station, then buy him a ticket to avoid him seeing that you have money and having evil intentions to rob him directly."

Geng Huihui seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "There is really no need to get close."

"Yes." Ye Fan said again, "There are many pitiful people in the world, and there are also many bad people. Dabao, would you like to try the egg pancake?"

Dabao asked: "Aren't you going to wait for grandma to come back?"

"You guys eat something first." Ye Fan said, "There are still many things to do. We can't finish them until your grandma comes back."

Before there was no gas stove, Yu Wentao thought it was inconvenient to cook porridge on the stove. Now there is a gas stove, she said that the porridge cooked slowly on the stove tastes better, so Ye Fan can only use the gas stove to make pancakes.

But it was not a big deal, and Ye Fan was too lazy to argue with her.

Geng Huihui asked while eating a cake: "Aunt, what should I do about this?"

Ye Fan: "Didn't you deal with the things?"

"Are you coming tomorrow?"

Dabao said, "Such careless people won't last for more than a few days. You should worry about those who deliberately pretend to be able to endure. There are very few people who are truly honest like Uncle Lai Fu, and many people are just pretending to be honest. For example, my dad."

Ye Fan was happy: "You are taking the opportunity to bully your dad again. Your dad is also honest."

"My dad doesn't care about changing his mind so often. Otherwise, he would have fooled you around." Dabao said, "Sister Huihui, I can pretend whether I like you or not, but I can't pretend to be really generous to you."

Geng Huihui: "You can borrow money to install it."

Dabao shook his head: "The confidence of having money is different from that of borrowing money. People who borrow money to invest are anxious to recover their costs. They want to play the long game and catch the big fish, but they will also set limits for themselves. Once they get close to their bottom line, they will be anxious because they are scheming. People who really like you and are really rich are not anxious. As long as you agree to be with him, he can date you for three to five years."

Geng Huihui looked at Dabao and asked, "Are you secretly in love?"

Geng Sensen: "You don't understand these things when you are in love. Dabao, have you ever been pursued by a girl like this?"

Dabao was shocked, "You, don't talk nonsense!" Ye Fan laughed out loud.

"Mom!" Dabao was anxious.

Ye Fan: "You are the child of your father and I. If you work hard, it's normal for girls to chase you because of our family. You dare not admit such a small thing, Dabao, mom looks down on you."

Dabao thought his mother would scold him: "You don't blame me?"

"Blame you for attracting bees and butterflies?" Ye Fan laughed, "If you bloom, butterflies will come! Mom can't blame you for blooming alone."

Dabao: "If I had known this, I wouldn't have kept it from you."

"You can have your own little secrets." Ye Fan turned to his niece, "Huihui, today it's not perfume but a brand name bag, you can't be tempted."

Geng Sensen felt that his aunt had something else in her words: "What does aunt want to say?"

Ye Fan: "He who hides his head and shows his tail is not a gentleman!"

Geng Sensen was enlightened: "Yes, why didn't we think of it."

Ye Fan said: "Go out. You can't help much here."

Erbao: "Mom, let me help you."

Ye Fan asked: "Holding the plate to receive the cake?"

Erbao wanted to say that she could help with the spread, but one pot and one spatula were enough, and if she put another pot on top, it would only delay her mother's work: "I can chat with you."

If the gas stove is too hot, the pancakes will be burnt; if the gas stove is too low, the pot will not be hot. Ye Fan needs to pay attention all the time and has no time to coax the children.

Erbao doesn’t need his mother to coax him: “Why doesn’t anyone give me perfume?”

Ye Fan said without thinking, "You were eighteen when filming. For most people, eighteen means they are in their third year of high school, just like you are in the drama. Chu Guangming is a few years older than you, but after the makeup artist's skillful hands, he and you look the same age. The audience must think that you two are high school students. It's a sin to pursue a third-year high school student and delay your college entrance examination. No one with a conscience would talk to you about love."

Erbao looked regretful: "I want to know who is the most popular among us."

"From the fact that people sent gifts within one day of the show airing, this show is a hit. You and Guangming must be the most popular. By the way, go make a phone call for mom. Chang Guangrong's factory hasn't closed for the holiday yet. Tell him to take a holiday on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month."

Erbao: "Is anyone buying sportswear in such a cold day?"

"You can wear pants because they are loose, and you won't look bulky even if you wear cotton pants inside. You can wear a jacket when it's hot at noon. Your dad said before that it is the coldest time of the year now, and I looked at the calendar yesterday, and it's already passed. Maybe this year will be a warm winter, and you can wear sportswear to visit relatives." Kids these days are happy to have new clothes and don't care whether they are sportswear or casual wear.

Parents who are thrifty also prefer to buy sportswear, which is practical and can be worn all year round except during the coldest and hottest days of the year.

Parents will definitely be happy if students buy sportswear instead of strange clothes.

However, Ye Fan did not expect that Rong Guangrong's sportswear became popular when the TV series was only halfway through its twelve episodes. Some people who had helped Chang Guangrong sell sportswear in the past took the initiative to find him for Ye Fan's sake.

At this time, dozens of computers were installed, priced at 15,000 yuan, and were snapped up by some units.

If you buy it from outside, the configuration of a machine that costs more than 20,000 yuan is the same as Ye Fan's machine that costs 15,000 yuan. If you buy it from outside, you will also need to pay for shipping and handling fees.

On the eighth day of the broadcast of "Glorious Class 8", Ye Fan drove to collect the bills. The companies that bought computers knew that Ye Fan had invested a lot of money, and they probably thought she really had no money, and they would need to buy computers from Ye Fan in the future, so they were all very happy.

After Ye Fan got the money, she went to the store and pulled a cart of things to the company. Now she has an independent office, where she does the accounts, stuffs the dividends and wages into envelopes, writes her name on each envelope, and then calls the people upstairs to ask them to come downstairs to get their wages.

The head of the R&D team came up first and saw that there were 100-yuan bills inside, which seemed to be a lot: "Sister, the company doesn't have much money this year, should we forget about the dividends?"

Ye Fan first explained: "In the past, the company was like a makeshift team. There were fewer people and more shares were given to you. Although it is still a bit like a makeshift team now, the share given to you has been diluted. Business is not good this year, much less than last year."

"Then when will it be possible for you to get your money back?"

Ye Fan smiled and said, "I'm not worried, so what are you worried about? Don't worry, the computers will pay for themselves in two to three years of mass production. Tomorrow afternoon is a holiday, so please close the water, electricity, doors and windows. Oh, by the way, I heard about a magnetic card that can only be used to get on the elevator. I'll talk to my colleagues later to see if our elevator can be installed."

The team leader also felt that the elevator could only go to the fifth and sixth floors, which was not safe enough: "Do we need to set a program?"

Ye Fan shook his head: "It's a magnetic card. It's used on the subway. You can ask your classmates or alumni, and I'll ask someone too. If possible, install it, so you don't have to lock the door when you go downstairs to eat at noon."

Speaking of meals, the team leader said, "Please hire a chef to cook for us. That sister-in-law can't handle it alone."

Ye Fan: "There is a cafeteria on the first floor. I will find a few people to rent it out for lunch and dinner. I won't charge them rent, so it will be as cheap as eating at a small dirty stall."

"There's a cafeteria?!"

Ye Fan: "Didn't you notice that the security room, front desk lounge and sales office are on one side, and there is only a small reception room on the other side?"

"I-I thought there was a bathroom further in."

Ye Fan said: "There is a bathroom, but it is very small, one on each side, with only two single rooms for men and women, occupying only a few square meters. If your relatives or colleagues' relatives are reliable, you can come and try. But I'll be frank in advance-"

"Even if my parents come over, it won't work!" The team leader understood, "I think Brother Han's cooking skills are pretty good."

Ye Fan: "He is definitely busy. His stall makes 100-200 yuan a day, and he doesn't think highly of the small amount of money from the company. But his relative can also cook, so I'll give it to his wife and let her take care of the two relatives."

Han Dawei's wife has been cooking for employees for several years and has never been fooled. The team leader would rather eat her food than the food cooked by his parents: "Then you can ask. This place is far from the restaurant. We have eaten enough in just a few days."

Ye Fan nodded: "Go and ask them to come up."

The sales office is more conveniently located on the street. There is no vegetable vendor around Ye Fan's company, and the nearest street is a mile or two away. The sales staff don't want to move in, so Ye Fan goes there to pay their salaries.

Computer and the others were only responsible for delivering goods and did not receive any commission. Ye Fan also gave each of them 100 yuan as a reward for their hard work and promised that if he made money next year, he would provide the sales office with a small van.

Salespeople all covet cars, and hearing that they are going to have a car makes them happier than getting a year-end bonus.

Seeing that everyone was satisfied, Ye Fan went to the clothing store to give Yu Yinxing a year-end bonus. Yu Yinxing received commissions like sales staff, so her year-end bonus was much less than that of company employees. Ye Fan gave her 500 yuan, asked her to work for a few more days, and gave her two boxes of snacks.

Yu Gingxing cared more about the actual money than the snacks. She was very happy when Ye Fan gave her the money: "Sister-in-law, I will rest on the 29th, and then ask Hongwei to pick us up. Sister-in-law, is Erbao going to be a big star?"

Ye Fan asked: "Do you think it's better to join the diplomatic department or be a celebrity?"

"The diplomatic department, of course!"

Ye Fan smiled: "So, if someone asks you about Erbao, don't say too much. By the way, if you are too busy in the store to leave, ask Chang Guangrong to deliver the clothes. He bought a pickup truck a few days ago."

In the past, Zhang Xiaoming would help her deliver goods on his three-wheeled motorcycle, or Ye Fan would bring them over from the warehouse at Xiushui Market. Since she didn't have to bother her family, after Ye Fan left, Yu Yinxing went to the public telephone booth outside to make a call.

When Ye Fan got home and saw Chu Guangming in his house, he remembered something: "Guangming, your biological parents haven't come to find you, right?"

Chu Guangming shook his head slightly: "I don't know. I haven't been back to the compound recently. I'm at my childhood friend's house. People in the compound don't know where my childhood friend lives."

(End of this chapter)