Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

The next morning, Ye Fan sent Erbao to work. When they reached the intersection, Erbao asked her mother to stop. Ye Fan slowed down the car: "Hasn't the leader checked you? Doesn't he know that our family has money to buy a car? Why are you still afraid of your colleagues seeing it?"

“My colleague doesn’t know.”

Ye Fan: "Are you worried that your colleagues will chase you because of their mom's money and dad's job? Don't worry, just think of it as making a few more friends. Only when you have seen the whole forest will you not regret choosing a single tree."

"But I have to deal with it."

Ye Fan comforted him, "Just think of it as facing annoying reporters in advance. Think about it, if your boss thinks you have a good image and makes you a spokesperson, and you want to curse at annoying reporters, can you still calmly fight back?"

Erbao shook his head.

Ye Fan patted his daughter's head: "Right. Once you realize the diversity of species, you will be able to tell at a glance who wants to pursue you and who wants to get information from you."

Erbao opened the car door: "Mom, be careful on the road."

"Mom is not in a hurry to go to work, don't worry." Ye Fan watched her daughter go in before turning the car around.

A director who was about to go in stopped when he saw this, and when Erbao came closer, he asked, "Boyfriend?"

Erbao was not afraid of the leader and answered without hesitation: "My mother."

"Your mother drove you?" The director thought that the car didn't look like one driven by a lady. Then he remembered that no one stipulated that ladies must drive an Alto.

Erbao: "My mom is free today." Suddenly he remembered something, "My mom sells computers. Do we need computers? My mom's company also represents foreign brands."

The director was amused: "You really know how to do business. But it's not necessary."

"I think it's necessary." Erbao saw him leaving and chased after him. "My mother makes most of the computer parts herself. We buy computers from her. If her company does well, it can provide many jobs for the local area."

The director stopped and said, "Isn't it an agency?"

"No, my mother's company doesn't have many computers, and for the sake of sales staff, it still sells foreign brands. But in the future, we will definitely only sell the ones we develop and produce ourselves." Erbao didn't wait for the leader to refuse, and took out a notebook and a pen, "I'll give you the company address and sales phone number, as well as my mother's company phone number. If you mention my name, you can get a 10% discount. It's 10,000 yuan per unit, and a 10% discount can save 1,000 yuan." After saying that, he stuffed the note into her hand.

The director took it subconsciously, and when he saw the word "Fanhua", he swallowed his teasing words and asked, "Is your mother Ye Fan from Fanhua?"

Erbao blinked and asked uncertainly, "Do you know my mother?"

"I've heard of it. Someone from the ministry bought a Chinese card from her company."

Erbao asked, "Did they give us a discount? If not, I'll ask her to make it up to us."

The director laughed: "It's discounted, either 20% or 30% off."

"Is my mother okay?" Erbao looked at him eagerly.

Seeing this, the director wanted to laugh again: "Okay! I'll ask for you later."

"Thank you, leader." Erbao saw his colleagues looking at him, bowed and went in.

After she left, several people walked towards the director, who handed over the note in his hand. Within a day, everyone knew that she was Ye Fan's daughter. However, only the leaders who had seen and checked her family situation knew that her father was Geng Zhiye and her uncle was Geng Zhihua.

In fact, there is no need to promote Erbao.

When hearing that Ye Fan's computer is a domestic brand, most people's first reaction is that it is not as good as foreign brands. However, Ye Fan spent money on the mold, used good plastic, and the color was very positive. Although it is only white, it gives people a warm and high-end feeling. Compared with foreign brands, laymen can feel that her computer is high-end at a glance.

Those who know computers may not be able to afford one, and those who can afford one may just use it for typing. Most ladies would choose Ye Fan’s computer.

Ye Fan's company had a solid foundation thanks to Hanka, and was recommended by her employees and partners in the capital, so Ye Fan's computers did not have to worry about sales even though they had not been advertised.

At the end of last year, the institute suggested that Ye Fan expand production.

Ye Fan planned to wait a little longer. He made money from shipping twice this year, and it was just in time for the reform of state-owned enterprises. He wanted to find an opportunity to acquire a mature factory. Even if he couldn't acquire it, he could hold 51% of the shares in a public-private partnership.

Ye Fan’s response to the institute was that he had no money.

In fact, she could have bought a factory if she had taken out all the funds. But she was too busy to do that. Besides, putting all the funds at stake was not in line with Ye Fan's usual style.

Besides, Ye Fan has to go to the army in addition to company matters.

Geng Zhiye disappeared for nearly a month. Ye Fan went to the company to drink some water to warm his stomach and then called his office.

No one answered the call. I guess they were training in the field, as drills were unlikely at this time of year.

The next day at noon, Ye Fan came back from the cafeteria and called him again. This time someone answered the phone, and it was Geng Zhiye himself. In case the leader's line was busy, Ye Fan chatted with him for a few words and then hung up.

On weekend mornings, Ye Fan went to the army carrying food and daily necessities.

Geng Zhiye went to a meeting, and the guard told Ye Fan that Commander had given instructions before he left, so his sister-in-law could go directly to the dormitory.

Ye Fanxin said I don’t have the key.

Geng Zhiye would not make such a low-level mistake, so she parked the car and carried her things upstairs. When she got upstairs, she was speechless but wanted to laugh. The door was only half-closed, and Ye Fan opened it with a light touch.

Ye Fan went in to rest for a while and then walked around the room. She found that the bed sheets and quilt covers were very clean and the floor seemed to have been mopped. She didn't need to clean it, so she took out her things. The watch she bought for Geng Zhiye years ago was placed on the bedside table.

At noon, Ye Fan thought he had to go to the cafeteria by himself, but just as he was about to leave, the door opened and Geng Zhiye came in with two lunch boxes. Ye Fan poured two glasses of water: "You're back on time."

"The higher-ups don't provide meals." Geng Zhiye opened the lunch box, "Just eat whatever you want."

Ye Fan took the chopsticks and said, "I always eat something casually. But why are we having a meeting at this time?"

Geng Zhiye was stunned by the question: "At this time? Oh, you mean the two sessions are coming up soon?"

Ye Fan nodded.

"It's an internal meeting, and it has nothing to do with the two sessions." Geng Zhiye thought about it and said, "It's mainly about the recruitment of new soldiers."

Ye Fan: "Are there new recruits here too?"

Geng Zhiye: "The capital has new soldiers every year. In addition to conscripts, we will also recruit some ceremonial guards this year."

"Is it difficult to choose the guard of honor?"

Geng Zhiye nodded, gave her the eggs in his lunch box, and took the green peppers from her lunch box. Ye Fan wanted to say something, but suddenly remembered that there were no green peppers in this season: "How dare you buy out-of-season vegetables?"

Geng Zhiye smiled.

Ye Fan was confused, but when he saw him eating the green pepper, he suddenly realized, "Did you grow it yourself?"

Geng Zhiye nodded, "Yes. There are also tomatoes, cucumbers, and so on. Greenhouses are not cheap, and none of us know how to grow them, so many people disagree. In recent years, many farmers in the suburbs of the capital have built greenhouses, so I picked a few who were willing to help the masses. After about half a month of hard work, I not only learned how to grow crops, but also knew who to find to buy materials for the greenhouses. Aren't the higher-ups encouraging us to engage in production and foreign trade? We are not near the border or the port, so we can only use the surrounding terrain to do this."

Ye Fan: "You mean you still sell vegetables?"

Geng Zhiye: "Sell it. Make back the money from the greenhouse before the New Year. We can sell a few more batches before April. If I were transferred back to Ningbo at this time, I might make more money than you as a trader."

Ye Fan was so frightened that he forgot to eat.

Geng Zhiye raised his eyebrows. "Don't believe it? We have boats. We don't have to pay for things in the sea. We make a profit no matter how much we catch. Even if the market in Yongcheng is saturated, we can ship to Jinshi and then send it here. We can also go to Shencheng. There are as many rich people in Shencheng as in the capital. Another point is that no one dares to bargain with us openly."

Ye Fan smacked his lips: "I forgot, you have guns in your hands, no one dares to cause trouble for you."

"Correct!"

Ye Fan: "But there are also some people who use this for personal gain."

"Well, this kind of situation happens everywhere." Geng Zhiye said calmly, "Where there are people, there are selfishness. I just need to take care of my own little piece of land."

Ye Fan thought of some bad rumors he heard in his previous life: "Luckily you are here. If you were closer to the port, someone would definitely come to you with boxes of gold, silver and money."

Geng Zhiye smiled and shook his head: "No. Because my wife is you. How much money do you have to give me to let me turn a blind eye and risk my own future?"

Ye Fan was stunned.

Geng Zhiye patted her legs and said, "Eat quickly. The food is getting cold."

"It turns out that if I have money, you can avoid so many troubles." Ye Fan sighed.

Geng Zhiye: "Recently I've seen many people wearing famous watches. I guess they made a lot of money, and the money came from a legitimate source—"

"Wait, you don't have to hand over all the money you earn?"

"Who will hand it over? For example, we can go to the activity room to rest after training in the morning, but now we have to deliver food to various units. If there is no hard work pay, they may delay today's lunch until tomorrow's lunch."

Ye Fan put down his chopsticks and went to the bedroom to get the watch.

Geng Zhiye took it and asked, "New watch?"

Ye Fan nodded: "You try it."

Geng Zhiye opened it and was dazzled by the royal blue dial. He couldn't wait to try it on, but he felt it didn't match his military uniform: "It looks good, but it doesn't match the uniform."

Ye Fan: "I didn't expect you to wear it, I just wanted you to see it. If you want to wear it, I'll bring all the watches over next time and you can try them one by one."

Geng Zhiye nodded vigorously with joy.

Ye Fan handed him the chopsticks: "Eat first."

Geng Zhiye said no, and he didn't even think about taking it off after dinner. Ye Fan went to take a nap, and he wore the watch to the office, deliberately revealing half of it, which made people curious.

Indoors, the blue dial looks black at first glance, and the dial Geng Zhiye wore before was white, so the political commissar realized that he had changed his watch when he saw a corner of it. Changing watches is normal, and the political commissar didn't care. Suddenly, he remembered that someone said that the division commander's wife was coming today. Because Ye Fan was not short of money, the political commissar raised his chin towards Geng Zhiye and said, "Did your sister-in-law buy the new watch?"

The chief of staff came in and heard this, and immediately asked Geng Zhiye to show him.

The situation has changed. Geng Zhiye wants everyone to know that he is rich, so that he won't be transferred to a place with convenient facilities and people will come to his door with money every few days. Geng Zhiye rolled up his sleeves, revealing his luxurious watch.

The two of them wanted to lie on Geng Zhiye's wrist and look at him.

When Geng Zhiye saw that the two were about to start fighting, he immediately rolled up his sleeves. The political commissar said, "Look at how stingy you are."

"If I bought it, I wouldn't mind lending it to you for two days."

The political commissar looked terrified: "Don't hurt me. If my sister-in-law knew that I was wearing your things, I don't know how she would punish me."

Geng Zhiye laughed: "She's like a tigress."

Political Commissar: "How many people can a tigress bite? My sister-in-law kills people without being seen."

Geng Zhiye knew what he was referring to: "Your sister-in-law is just a businessman."

The political commissar sneered: "Do you believe it?"

Geng Zhiye nodded: "I have never participated in the city's selection of outstanding entrepreneurs or CPPCC members."

As a result, except for the city leaders who had contact with Ye Fan, most people in the city government didn't know whether she was black or white. Over time, many people thought that Ye Fan was a low-key person, so they never invited her to banquets or tea parties.

In fact, because her father is still alive and she is a military family member, most government officials or business leaders of medium or small companies dare not disturb her.

The political commissar laughed again when he heard this: "Of course there is no need to worship the Bodhisattva."

Geng Zhiye paused for a moment and said, "I can't explain this to you. I'll go out and take a look."

"Take it down and let us see it." The political commissar stopped him.

Geng Zhiye took off his watch and held it in his hand. The political commissar thought he was stingy again. The chief of staff asked, "Is it expensive?"

Political Commissar: "Remove the 'ma'."

The chief of staff could not help but feel envious. Geng Zhiye said, "You should also find a wife who is engaged in business in the future."

"Can we buy it for him if we find it?" The political commissar shook his head. "Do you think everyone is your sister-in-law? Your sister-in-law herself doesn't even carry a brand-name bag, so how can she buy you a brand-name watch--" He sighed and patted Geng Zhiye on the shoulder: "You are so lucky, boy!"

Geng Zhiye is fifty years old, how could he be teased like that? He just kicked him, put on the watch and left.

The political commissar waited for him to leave before shaking his head and sighing, opening the document handed to him by the chief of staff, "People can't be compared."

"Yes. We can't compare in terms of reincarnation."

Political Commissar: "You can't decide on reincarnation, but you can find a wife. But there are so many young ladies in the capital, how many are as capable as Ye Fan? The commander has a sharp eye."

"In fact, the teacher is also worthy."

The political commissar couldn't help but think of himself. Sometimes he would be tempted when he saw an outstanding actress, although it was only for a moment. But if an actress from the art troupe noticed him and came up to him, he might not be able to control himself. But Geng Zhiye could do it.

The political commissar particularly admired this.

Apparently the Chief of Staff didn't understand, and said, "The division commander is indeed excellent."

The excellent teacher drove himself to various places to take a look, and then went to the dormitory to accompany his wife.

Ye Fan knew that it was boring here, so she brought her son's handheld game console. Geng Zhiye thought it was boring at first, so he watched her for a while and thought Ye Fan was stupid: "I'll teach you."

Ye Fan rolled his eyes: "How do you teach a game that requires quick eyes and quick hands?"

"I'll help you play." Geng Zhiye wanted her to get up and sit by herself, but seeing that Ye Fan looked unhappy, he probably wouldn't give the only chair to him, so he simply pulled her up and made her sit on his lap.

Ye Fan was speechless: "Look at you now, do you still look like a teacher?"

Geng Zhiye thought to himself, no, because he will no longer be a division commander in a few days.

"Provocation doesn't work on me. Hey, why did you think of buying this?"

Ye Fan: "Your son bought it."

"Tell Geng Dabao to buy one for his father later."

Ye Fan patted the back of his head and said, "Don't even think about it!" He added, "Don't you even look at where you are?"

Geng Zhiye raised his head, as if waking up from a dream, and continued: "When I saw you, I forgot I was still in the army."

"My fault?" Ye Fan grabbed his ear.

Geng Zhiye didn't dare to argue immediately: "It's my fault. Look at the watch, I'll play for ten minutes - I'll return it to you after half an hour."

Ye Fan watched him play for half an hour, and took it away without a cent. Geng Zhiye was annoyed, and realized something. He couldn't help but sigh, helped her up, and rubbed his eyes: "In the past few years, I have seen many comrades who have only met a few times and served in the same unit degenerate, and I even called them bears."

Ye Fan: "You think you are great, but others don't know your preferences."

Geng Zhiye looked at the watch on his hand and sighed, "Yes. Fortunately, it was my wife who discovered this first."

Ye Fan: "It's also because their faith is not firm enough."

"That's not the case. They are not afraid of bloodshed and sacrifice," said Geng Zhiye.

Ye Fan said: "Don't make excuses for your comrades. Have you encountered as many temptations as I have?"

Geng Zhiye was panicked. He squatted down and looked up and asked, "What do you mean? And there's a pretty boy——"

"What are you thinking about?" Ye Fan interrupted, "I mean, with my network of connections, I can make a lot of money without doing anything at home. Compared to me, it's nothing."

Geng Zhiye said: "You don't feel any sense of accomplishment if you earn money in that way. I don't know you yet. You don't make money just for the sake of making money."

Ye Fan handed over the game console: "I'll give you half an hour as a reward."

Geng Zhiye didn't answer: "Not as interesting as my watch."

Ye Fan sneered: "New models will be released in the second half of the year. I will choose one for you. By the way, do you want a gold watch?"

Geng Zhiye blurted out: "No!"

"I know you don't want to. Just play by yourself and don't disturb me while I'm playing games."

Ye Fan rarely comes here, so how could Geng Zhiye let her play with the game console?

Three days later, Ye Fan went back. He worked on time for a few days, then led the sales staff south to Pengcheng, and then crossed the border to Hongcheng.

After returning from the port city to rest for a few days, Ye Fan and Wei Jianshe went to the south to get spring and summer clothing and small commodities, and by the way, they negotiated the goods to be shipped north.

In early May, Ye Fan went north. He went again in mid-June. When he returned home at the end of June, Ye Fan exclaimed loudly as soon as he entered the door: "Finally, I don't have to go abroad anymore!"

Xiao Wang was washing vegetables in the yard. Hearing this, he couldn't help but ask, "Aunt, you've been away for more than half a month, and you've been abroad?"

Ye Fan nodded: "In Russia. No need to go there anymore."

"Why?"

Ye Fan: "Several people who worked with me have immigrated."

Yu Wentao asked: "Is the West so good?"

Ye Fan: "Great. It's a paradise for the rich, where you can do whatever you want without worrying about anyone finding out."

Xiao Wang asked: "Is there no one in charge? Aren't they afraid of a bad influence?"

Ye Fan: "Don't be afraid, they are very good at brainwashing people. Even though there are thousands of miles between us, people from our country can be brainwashed, so brainwashing our own people is a piece of cake."

Yu Wentao was surprised: "Don't they say that people outside are free and we are strictly controlled?"

"Foreigners also know that family disgrace should not be made public." Ye Fan asked Xiao Wang to turn on the water heater so that she could take a shower.

Xiao Wang watched her go to the study room: "Auntie, you're working right after you got back? Are you hungry?"

Ye Fan: "Cook some porridge. Smash some cucumbers, that's all."

At noon today, only Yu Wentao and the nanny Xiao Wang were at home, and they had noodles with stewed meat. Yu Wentao felt that cucumber and porridge were not nutritious, so she gave Xiao Wang 20 yuan and asked her to buy stewed meat.

Ye Fan certainly couldn't eat so much. He would probably eat the rest at night. Xiao Wang had dinner with Ye Fan's family. Thinking that he could eat at night, Xiao Wang didn't mind the heat and ran to Han Dawei's store to spend all the twenty yuan.

Yu Wentao cut half a pound of braised beef, put it together with the smashed cucumber, poured garlic sauce on it, and asked Xiao Wang to take it to the main room. She put the remaining dishes in the refrigerator and said casually, "Let's eat it tonight."

Nanny Xiao Wang went out with a smile on her face.

Yu Wentao was surprised: "You kid, are you so happy that your mother is back?"

(End of this chapter)