Back to 1979: Sending the Educated Youth’s Wife Back to the City

Chapter 126 Confirmed Pregnancy

Fang Mingche took Lin Yan to see the doctor on his bicycle.

Let her sit in the back seat first, and then he will get in from the front. This way, they won't have to bump into the car.

The old Chinese doctor felt the patient's pulse, asked some questions, nodded and said, "Yes, she is pregnant. It's been about forty days!" He mentioned some precautions and then sent them back.

After returning home, Lin Yan used a calendar to calculate the due date. She calculated that the baby should be born in mid-May next year.

She frowned, feeling a bit confused. She definitely couldn't take the final exam, so she could only take the make-up exam.

However, if school starts in September, the child will be 100 days old. That shouldn't delay anything. But someone will have to look after the child.

Fang Mingche said: "I'll call my father-in-law and mother-in-law first."

It was reasonable to inform the elders. As for my parents, my cousin no longer worked for that boss, so he didn't have a landline phone to call. He could send a telegram tomorrow.

My cousin has been thinking about it for another week, and I don’t know if he has made up his mind yet.

Fang Mingche walked out the door and remembered that he hadn't picked up his daughter yet. Forget it, he called and went to pick her up.

Lin's mother was very happy when she received the call. She had always felt that it was not safe for Lin Yan to have only one daughter. She had been nagging Lin Yan to have another son since they remarried. Now that she was finally pregnant again, she was naturally happy as a grandmother.

"Tell Ayan that we will come to see her in a while."

Lin's father and mother were not actually born and raised in the capital. They moved here because they were transferred to Beijing for work. In the past few decades, many people were transferred to Beijing for work. That's how the Tuanjiehu community was formed. It's just that their family didn't live there, they just lived in a company house. So they also kept some southern habits in addressing her, and they called her "Ayan" just like Fang Mingche.

"Okay. Then come over for dinner."

"No, no, let's eat first. Don't keep A-Yan and Yan-Yan waiting!"

"also."

Fang Mingche paid for the phone call and went home.

Then he saw Yanyan came back without waiting for him to pick her up. She had seen her father and mother come back before.

When she came out, her father went out again. She said hello to Grandpa Gu and Uncle Gu, and walked back by herself.

The Gu family father and son also saw them enter the courtyard through the window. One person left, and there was still one left at home, so they agreed.

Yanyan asked, "Dad, why did you go out again?"

Fang Mingche said: "I went to call your grandpa and grandma."

The second child in his previous life was a bit tragic. He still felt a little scared when he thought about it in this life. However, the time was different, it was not that time. This time, it must be smooth and peaceful.

Fang Mingche asked, "Are you hungry?"

Yanyan nodded, "A little bit. But Uncle Ganggu gave me some orange cake. I thought it would be dinner time soon, so I only ate half a piece."

Fang Mingche then said to Lin Yan, "Father-in-law and mother-in-law said they will come to see you after dinner. Would you like to wait for me to bring it back home, or go over and eat directly? There is a lot of fumes at Lao Cui's place."

Lin Yan said, "I shouldn't be afraid of the fumes. Didn't I have no reaction when I gave birth to Yan Yan? Let's go directly over there. I'm too lazy to carry it here and there."

Fang Mingche went to the cupboard to get tableware for the family of three.

Yanyan scratched her head, thinking their conversation was a bit strange, but she quickly put it out of her mind.

Lin Yan asked: "When will you tell her?"

"Have you ever mentioned topics like being a sister to her?"

"no."

"Then wait until after dinner. Do you want your mother-in-law to come and take care of you?"

Lin Yan shook her head. "She's here, so let my dad and Lin Yi eat in the cafeteria? Forget it, no need. Let's just live our lives as usual."

Fang Mingche asked, "What about going to and from school?"

"It's still the same. I'm not that squeamish. If I were still in the countryside and couldn't teach, I would just do what I have to do."

Fang Mingche nodded, "It will be inconvenient to go back, so let's hire a black taxi to pick us up."

"We'll see when the time comes. I'll persist as long as I can."

Fang Mingche thought for a moment and said, "Tell the teacher and the monitor so that all the classmates know about it. Otherwise, if a classmate plays a joke and pokes your stool open, it will be a disaster if you fall down."

There are indeed students in the class who joke like this, and they don't mean any harm. But the consequences can be quite serious.

Lin Yan laughed, "You think a lot! Okay, I'll tell the homeroom teacher. But he won't be happy. He told the married ones of us before that we finally got into college, so we shouldn't focus on family life. But I really want to have a baby."

Fang Mingche thought: I saw such an example in "Zhiyin" in my previous life. He was a celebrity. He just didn't want to be treated specially or trouble others, so he didn't say anything. But the classmate in the back seat played a prank, and the child fell to the ground.

As for what Ayan's head teacher said, he was also reminded of this by the subject teachers.

People of this generation are too narrow-minded to think that getting married and having children will affect their studies. Little do they know that in forty years, the winners in life will be those who hold a diploma in one hand, a marriage certificate in the other, or even a baby in one hand.

Now we cannot have many children, but forty years later we are desperately encouraging them to have more children. It can only be said that this is a different time!

The family of three went out to have dinner, and Fang Mingche told Mrs. Cui about the situation and asked her to make decisions on the dishes.

He was determined to do everything for the health of the pregnant woman and the fetus, and he didn't care about the ridicule and scolding from others.

"Oh, we really need to explain this to our Lao Cui. No more thick oil or sauce! You guys sit down, I'll go check the dishes and order three dishes and a soup for you."

Mrs. Cui took it very seriously and turned around and left.

Yanyan asked, "Dad, what are you talking about?"

Well, let’s talk about it after dinner.

Fang Mingche said: "Yanyan, you are going to be a sister."

Yanyan frowned, vaguely remembering that being a sister was not a good thing.

Fang Mingche and Lin Yan looked at each other, neither of them seemed happy at all.

Fang Mingche said: "Yanyan, don't you want to be a sister?"

Yanyan hummed and said, "I don't want a brother or a younger brother." She didn't say she didn't want a older sister or a younger sister.

Fang Mingche thought for a moment and asked, "Do you still remember your cousins from your hometown?"

Yanyan shook her head, but she remembered that it was not good to have an older brother or a younger brother.

Lin Yan said: "Yanyan, Dad and Mom will not favor boys over girls. They will only let you work and let your brother and sister rest."

Now that you have grown up, you have to do things for me to the best of your ability.

Fang Mingche nodded in agreement, "Dad and Mom will treat everyone equally! You can supervise us."

After dinner, he returned home and found a photo of him, Lin Yan and their relatives from their hometown. He pointed at the grinning Fang Jian and Fang Kang in the photo and said, "Whether it's a brother or a sister, they won't be like them."

Yanyan reached out and poked her cousin's head. She only had a vague memory, but she really didn't like these two.

"Do I have to have a brother or sister?"

Lin Yan touched her belly and said, "It's already here. He will look a lot like Yanyan in the future. And he's younger than you, so he has to listen to you."

Yanyan was silent for a while, "I haven't seen uncle listen to you. He doesn't even listen to grandpa and grandma."

She always heard her grandpa, grandma and parents complaining about her uncle having to be with Aunt Han Mei. This is disobedience!

Lin Yan and Fang Mingche looked at each other. The little girl was very opinionated!

Yanyan raised her head and said, "We are already here, where are you?"

Fang Mingche said, "In mom's belly. Yanyan also came out of mom's belly. For the next six months or so, mom will have a hard time. She will have to go through the experience of giving birth to Yanyan all over again."

After that, Yanyan was a little depressed.

Fang Mingche had previously asked his brother-in-law on the phone to ask him to call a black taxi in the alley to take him there. He would pay for it! The number of bus trips and stops are still very small nowadays.

This way he wouldn't have to walk a kilometer to the square, and he wouldn't have to ride a tricycle to pick her up.

At this moment, Lin Yi was trying to persuade his parents, "There are three of us, one dollar, and we can go directly. This will save my brother-in-law from having to come and pick us up, and we can also take care of Uncle Ge's business. Why not?"

Father Lin said: "You are so generous, why don't you pay for it!"

"My brother-in-law is rich. Besides, I've already told Uncle Ge, and he said he'll drive out after dinner."

Father Lin said, "When your wife gets pregnant, can you afford to pay the black money to your father-in-law and two brothers-in-law?"

"They are close by, they can just walk here. Besides, you guys are arguing over the bride price, and I don't know when I can get married."

Father Lin said, "If you can afford the gift, go ahead and get married. I have no problem with how much you give to the Han family. Tell them, there's no point in talking if you're not sincere."

Lin Yi asked, "Whose family hasn't prepared a betrothal gift for their son?"

"Who would leave all the betrothal gifts for their daughter at home? Not to mention the dowry and dowry money, why don't you bring any betrothal gifts to your daughter? Well, I won't say any more. Saying it three times is as bland as water. If you have the ability, just get married yourself."

There was a horn outside, and Lin Yi said, "Hey, are you going to leave or not? The car is here."

Mother Lin said, "Let's go, let's go. I have to go over and tell Ah Yan a few words. Let's go, old man. Don't be reluctant to spend the money your son-in-law has paid for you."

"No matter who pays, it's still money. One dollar for two pounds of meat!"

"Let's go, go early and come back early. It's nice not to have to walk around."

Mother Lin picked up the two old hens she had prepared and tied them up with bags at the bottom to avoid dirtying other people's cars.

Fang Mingche had taken Yanyan on a bicycle to Xinhua Bookstore to buy a book about pregnancy care. It was a bit expensive, and it also had pictures.

When Hei arrived, he was pointing at the big belly and the fat baby in the picture and explaining to Yanyan how hard pregnancy was.

Yanyan pointed her hand at her mother's belly and said, "Was I so small then? How could I fit in there?"

Fang Mingche said, "Well, you were this big when the nurse wrapped you up and brought you out to show me."

When I saw how small and soft it was, I was too weak to hold it. I was such a coward!
Three days later, he picked up A-Yan and Yan-Yan from the hospital, pulling them on a cart. A-Yan, wearing a hat and a scarf around her head and face, lay on the bed with her daughter.

When they got home, Yanyan was first held by her mother. At that time, her eldest sister-in-law was also pregnant and was about to give birth to Fang Kang. Her eldest brother laughed at him for being useless.

Yanyan asked: "And then I grew up like this?"

"That's easy for you to say."

There was the sound of a car arriving at the gate of the small side courtyard, and Fang Mingche put down his book and went out to greet it.

His father-in-law and mother-in-law responded to his greeting and walked in. Lin Yi, who was carrying two old hens, handed him the bag and said, "Brother-in-law, this is for you."

Fang Mingche took it and asked, "How can I raise chickens like this? Most people don't have any at home. Besides, do I have to make a cage for chickens? There is no ready-made bamboo."

However, even if you take turns eating, it is better to eat freshly killed ones. That at least takes time to feed them.

My mother-in-law said, "It's good to raise them for laying eggs. How can you, a country girl, not know how to raise chickens?"

Seeing Fang Mingche frowning, Lin Yan smiled and said, "Take them to Sister Song and ask her to help feed them first. Tell Aunt Yuan that these two are ours."

In this way, the three chickens stipulated by the Song family will not exceed the limit. Now there is no official announcement of lifting this restriction.

Fang Mingche nodded and walked over carrying two chickens.

Mrs. Song took it with a smile, "Okay, let's put it here first."

Mr. Song got a promotion and a raise thanks to Xiao Fang. It's just a small thing.

Song Quan was in a good mood. "You have to keep three chickens for a long time, so as not to go hungry. Do you want me to make a chicken cage for you?"

Fang Mingche took the ready-made bamboo strips from him and said, "You should keep your hands to make the twelve zodiac animals and sell them to foreigners. I'm a country boy, so I can still do this little job."

Then he told Song Quan about the 52 government-sponsored students who were sent abroad with only 50 US dollars from the government.

"Now you know why the handicrafts of your cooperative can be sold to foreign friends. The higher-ups value it so much, right? Nowadays, these are the things that can earn foreign exchange for the country." Fang Mingche gave a thumbs up.

Song Quan stared in astonishment, "Are we so short of foreign exchange?"

There are related publicity nowadays, but none of them are as straightforward as Xiao Fang said.

Mrs. Song also said, "Then the foreign exchange is used to spend in other countries, right?"

Fang Mingche said, "Yes. The main reason is that we cannot produce many things now, and we have to rely on foreign exchange to buy them. For example, advanced weapons and fighter jets. If they are willing to sell them, we have to be able to afford them."

Since 1980, China has been buying weapons and fighter jets from the United States. This is very helpful for reducing our own R&D time and rapid iteration. At one point, we even bought so much that we owed the United States billions of dollars. So those who can earn dollars in the next few years are heroes!

Moreover, there was not enough foreign exchange (US dollar) reserves. When the Asian financial crisis hit in 98, how could the central government support Hong Kong, which had just returned to China? It was difficult for the central government to protect itself!
Therefore, what the country needs most in the next 20 years is a business that can earn foreign exchange. As long as craftsmen like Lao Song can operate well, they will be very popular.

Song Quan listened to Fang Mingche's analysis and said, "According to what you said, there is a lot of room for development in our industry, right?"

"Yes. I'll go back first. My father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law are here."

Fang Mingche unceremoniously took away the ready-made bamboo strips that were enough for him to weave a chicken coop. Indeed, from now on, the family must raise chickens for a long time, whether for laying eggs or killing them for stewing soup.

After returning, he sat at the door, talking to his father-in-law while making up stories.

Lao Song made these bamboo strips quite round so as not to cut your fingers. Pretty good! He mainly made them for the convenience of foreign tourists who want to DIY, and all of them were sanded.

Now he gets a bargain!

Yanyan lifted a small stool and watched from the side. She always liked watching her father do handicrafts.

Lin's father also sat nearby, smoking a Zhonghua cigarette given to him by his son-in-law. Anyway, the more he looked at his son-in-law, the more he felt that Lin Yi was a loser. He was not good at anything and he was never satisfied with anything he ate!
Lin's mother came out and said, "I'll buy you more after you finish eating. You young people are busy with school."

Fang Mingche said, "Mom, no need. You can buy it directly in the village from the scrap yard."

Mother Lin nodded, "Oh, yes, yes, I forgot about that place."

Lin Yi waited inside for a long time until his mother left. Then he whispered to his sister, "Sister, can you lend me a few hundred dollars?"

Lin Yan looked at him, "Mom and Dad won't give you two turns and one ring, thirty-two legs. Are you planning to let me do it?"

"I'll borrow it from you."

Lin Yan sneered, "If I lend money to someone, I have to be able to see the hope of getting the money back. Do you have the ability to pay it back? You only get 35 yuan a month, and Han Mei doesn't have a job but still wants to take at least 5 yuan a month to go back to her parents' home. Tell me, how are you going to pay me back? You shouldn't want to borrow or yuan, at least or yuan to barely meet the Han family's requirements."

At the lowest price, a watch costs a few dozen, a radio costs a hundred, and a sewing machine costs more than a hundred. This is all based on the receipts. Thirty-two legs, made of inferior wood, can be made for a few hundred dollars. But the question is, when can Lin Yi pay it back?

After Lin Yan finished speaking, she saw that Lin Yi was a little embarrassed and said with a smile: "You didn't just think about borrowing and didn't think about paying it back, did you?"

"I will pay it back. I am ready to pay it back."

"Okay, then tell me how much you plan to pay back each month? You are paying for living expenses by yourself now, and you don't have any money left in your pocket. If you really marry her, your salary will have to pay for the living expenses of two people. Will you still have any money left? Do you think that if you satisfy the Han family this time, it's over? They will push their daughter further and make demands on you from time to time." "Han Mei said that she will not listen to them in the future."

Lin Yan nodded, "Okay, then let's talk about how we plan to pay back the money this time. Dad won't retire early and let Han Mei take over. Don't take that into account."

Lin Yi said: "Han Mei said she wanted to learn how to set up a stall. In the future, I will go to work and she will set up the stall."

Lin Yan shook her head. "It's not like setting up a stall is a sure win. My family is in need of money right now, so I can't lend it to you. When your nephew needs milk powder, I have to go to the black market to buy expensive milk powder. Then you two will just throw up your hands and say you didn't make any money or didn't save any? You can't pay the money back, and let your nephew starve?"

"It would be fine if the child drank the adult's milk."

"Where does the adult's milk come from? You need to take nutritional supplements. You don't think that you can squeeze out milk from the grass you eat, do you? Will you tell Han Mei the same thing when she wants to breastfeed her child? Lin Yi, if you don't have the ability, don't promise anything. Your parents and sister can't support you for the rest of your life. If you satisfy them this time, there will be a second and third time in the future."

Lin Yi said: "Just this once, Han Mei will be done with them."

"Even if the bones are broken, the tendons are still connected! There will be no end to the way that kind of family treats their daughter. Whether Han Mei is foolishly filial or whatever, she will only tell you that she has no choice. I think you should listen to your mother and find a paid job in the factory. Even if you are a temporary worker who just passed the exam to join the factory, you can still get 15 yuan a month! People won't ask for 5 yuan a month to go back to your parents' home. They won't ask for a lot of betrothal gifts, and you can bring it back as the economic foundation of your small family."

His request for loan was rejected, and after thinking carefully, he realized that he really didn't have the ability to pay it back. Lin Yi went back home feeling depressed.

It was Lao Ge's black car that came to pick it up. When it was delivered, Fang Mingche made an appointment with him to pick it up in an hour.

When Fang Mingche heard Lin Yan talk about Lin Yi borrowing money, he burst into laughter.

"They are acting like a pair of star-crossed lovers who want to fight against feudalism? If they want to fight against feudalism, the first thing they should do is to resist unreasonable betrothal gifts."

Lin Yan said: "Let's not talk about them. Anyway, we can't bear the responsibility."

The next day was Sunday, Fang Mingche went to the post office to send a telegram, and brought Yanyan with him. What a coincidence, he ran into his cousin.

"Brother Mingfeng, you..."

Fang Mingfeng said, "I made an appointment with your sister-in-law. I will call her at 10 o'clock on the morning of the 10th. She is waiting to pick me up at the post office over there."

He didn't know where else there was a public telephone. Fang Mingche couldn't go outside the courtyard, so he went directly to the post office. Well, he came here on an old tractor from the next village. People heard that he was a relative of the family who picked vegetables, so they gave him a ride.

"That's great. Ask your sister-in-law to tell my parents that Yan is pregnant again."

Fang Mingfeng had heard what Sister Wei said two days ago, so he nodded and said, "Okay!"

Fang Mingche was too lazy to send a telegram and waited outside with Yanyan. Fang Mingfeng called and it happened to be his wife who answered the phone.

He explained the pros and cons of the two businesses, and his wife said, "Who says you have to choose one over the other? Why don't you learn from Mingche and open a scrap yard in the capital? Here in the county, we'll pay the lion's share, and it's clearly written down. Just let my brother take care of the business."

"There are so many people in our Fang family, it's not enough to just call you brother."

If he wasn't there, he would really worry that his brother-in-law would steal his money. So he might as well ask the Fang family to send two reliable brothers.

However, his wife's words really enlightened him. Yes, who says you can only do one business? As long as you have enough capital, you can do two businesses at the same time.

The capital is good for the children's future education, but it is definitely easier to make money in my hometown because of the connections.

Fang Mingche listened to him and thought it was a good idea.

"Then I'm in the area west of Tiananmen Square, and Brother Mingfeng, you can go to the east."

"Okay, I'll go look around the area."

It takes less capital to open a scrap yard, so he should do this first. He has asked his wife to remit the money, and it can be transferred to Fang Mingche's name.

It was only one thousand yuan. When Mingche went to Beijing, he dared to entrust him with his entire fortune of two thousand yuan. He didn't dare to remit one thousand yuan to him and then come to take it?

My cousin's wife hung up the phone and rode her bicycle home, secretly cursing her husband for not trusting her brother. However, keeping a hand has its benefits. This way, it can also prevent her brother from taking advantage of her.

When her car was going home, it turned a corner and drove to the yard of Fang Mingche's house.

The autumn harvest had just ended these two days, and everyone was exhausted and was resting.

At this moment, Fang Mingche's family was still drying the grain in the field. This was not distributed to their family, but only to the families responsible for drying it. There was a number on how much should be handed in. Later, the whole village would have to pay the public grain together, and then we could talk about distributing grain according to work points.

Every household is drying the seeds in the fields, and the village is also drying the seeds in the fields, and they have hired laborers to watch over them. If they are not dried thoroughly, they will sprout on rainy days.

Mr. Fang was originally planning to go to BJ to celebrate the National Day and then visit Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall.

One of his biggest regrets in life is that he never saw Chairman Mao in person. He lived from the old society to the new society. No matter what others say, he remembers how hard life was for farmers before liberation. Thanks to Chairman Mao who liberated everyone, they can have enough food to eat.

But the branch secretary told him privately not to leave yet, as something big might happen in the near future!

Ever since the second brother remarried and invited village officials to the wedding banquet, and later his admission letter was delivered, the village officials have been very polite to the Fang family. They would let them know if there was anything.

As for Fang Kang, he definitely won't get a perfect score. Besides, it's not even the monthly exam yet.

Fang Fang studied very hard after going to school. Girls in the village usually study very hard, and the opportunity to read and learn is not easy to come by, especially for those who have older brothers.

However, Fang's father said that she couldn't be allowed to study for only two years. The family was not so poor that she could go to school. As long as the child could pass the exam, she would be allowed to continue studying. It would be great if she could pass the exam to a secondary normal school. If the girl studied at a secondary normal school and taught, she would have a stable job for life.

It can be said that the 500 yuan in the passbook gave Fang's father a lot of confidence. He didn't favor boys over girls to that extent.

Fang Minghua thought: If you are willing to pay, of course there is no problem! The problem now is that there is not enough money.

The whole family is gossiping about this right now.

Father Fang said, "The Party Secretary said something big might happen. I suspect it was the household contract responsibility system thing that the second son mentioned that night."

Fang Minghua turned the grain with a shovel and said, "That's impossible!"

"What's impossible? The policy has changed, and anything is possible. But this is just speculation, so don't tell anyone."

If this is true, he will definitely not go to Beijing this year. If he goes, knowing that it is a major event like land distribution, he will rush back immediately. This is a lifelong event for farmers. If he doesn't rush back, and the land picked by the boss is not good, it will be too late for him to come back.

Don't think there is no trick here. At that time, a very small number of people will suffer a little, and then the majority of people will think it is fair, and then the matter will be settled. Do you think it is all based on luck? He doesn't believe it.

Fang Minghua said: "How many heads do I have to dare to say such a big thing? We don't even know whether the autumn harvest has come in Xiaogang Village, Anhui Province."

Father Fang thought for a moment and said, "It seems that the autumn harvest there is a little later than ours. Let's wait--"

My cousin's wife arrived at this time on her bicycle. Seeing the grain drying, she stopped her bicycle outside the fence and said, "Uncle Qi, Auntie, Mingche asked me to bring a message."

Fang's mother was making shoes. She was a little tired from the autumn harvest a few days ago, but she couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Rural people are not that precious. So she and Yuan Shufen made cloth shoes for their children. It's quite a lot for two boys to wear shoes!

When he heard that his youngest son had returned with a message, he came out with the soles and awl needles, and said, "Come in and sit down and talk."

"I won't sit down anymore. Mingche said that Lin Yan is pregnant again! She's just been pregnant for more than a month."

Fang's mother said: "Oh my god, this is really great! God bless you-"

Fang Minghua said: "That was conceived by them, what does it have to do with the Bodhisattva?"

He threatened, "You are the mother of a college student, but you believe in feudal superstition. If this gets out, your son will be embarrassed too."

The campaign to destroy the four olds failed to break the root of superstition among elderly rural women.

Father Fang thought for a moment and said, "Old lady, please stop talking about this. The second son and Lin Yan will definitely have bigger stable jobs in the future. Don't hold them back!"

Nowadays, praying to the gods and Buddhas is not allowed, and the small temple is in a dilapidated state. The nuns in the temple were driven out by the township government and married off.

After he spoke, Fang's mother reluctantly said, "Okay then!"

My cousin's wife said, "Uncle Seven, Aunt, I'll go back first."

Father Fang nodded, "Hey, Mingfeng is not coming back?"

"He's not coming back. He said he wanted to do business with Mingche. He gave me Mingche's address and asked me to wire him a thousand dollars."

After the cousin's wife left, Yuan Shufen asked, "How come these thousands or hundreds of dollars are just numbers in their mouths?"

Here, 30 yuan is a tight budget for the bus fare to Beijing.

Nowadays, the tuition and miscellaneous fees for one semester of primary school only cost a few dollars. 30 dollars is enough for three children to study for a whole school year.

Out of kindness of the children's second uncle, he actually sponsors their children's education in the name of New Year's money every year.

But just digging for food in the soil is still hard work. Especially when someone in the family is sick or something. You really need to study to have a bright future.

In the evening, Fang Minghua told her that perhaps the household contract responsibility system that the second brother had mentioned would be implemented. The second brother also said that the more you work, the more you get, and he hoped that this would come true.

Yuan Shufen was very convinced by what her brother-in-law said and couldn't help but ask, "Really?"

"I heard him speak clearly that day, not just nonsense! I hope it's true."

The 1,000 yuan sent by his cousin's wife soon arrived at Fang Mingche's home. He took some time to hand the remittance slip to his cousin.

"Mingche, I have already found a potential village to collect waste from. Several families in the village have married into a family there, and they say there is a garbage dump nearby. Now that the money is in place, I will go and take a look. I will lend you a tricycle today and ask the villagers to take me there. Later, lend me Gengshan to take care of my people."

"Okay! Tell my cousin's wife so she won't worry."

"Ok."

Fang Mingche didn't care about the extra things. Brother Mingfeng wouldn't be so imitative that there would be problems. As for when his cousin's video hall in the county would be opened, he didn't ask much. His studies were a bit tight.

Besides, there is a little girl who is over three years old and doesn't want to be a big sister, and a pregnant woman who just got into college. These are all his responsibilities and he has to take good care of them.

The calendar turned day by day, and it was National Day in a blink of an eye. My cousin's scrap yard also opened. The three of them sent gifts to celebrate.

Nowadays, the National Day holiday is only one day, and there is no Golden Week. The Golden Week was introduced by Premier Zhu to boost domestic demand after the Asian financial crisis in 98. It is too early. Even a two-day weekend is too early, let alone a Golden Week.

Fang Mingche continued to study after the National Day. English materials had arrived one after another, and he took them all home directly.

The information is something that you borrow from time to time, but you still don't know who you lent it to. If someone wants to borrow it, they can go to his house to read it or copy it. These materials cannot be bought at Xinhua Bookstore.

In October, he earned 1,200 yuan. He bought another imported radio. This time, he could search for shortwave radio stations and directly receive BBC. The big one became Yanyan's exclusive use.

Ah Yan began to feel some discomfort, but she said she could overcome it. Her catchphrase was "As a former educated youth, how could I be so delicate?"

However, I am not so poor now. There is basically no purchase limit in the black market and Friendship Store. I can still satisfy my hunger as much as possible.

Yanyan has started wearing autumn clothes and has finally slowly accepted the fact that she is going to be a sister.

"Then he will be younger than me, more than four years old."

Fang Mingche nodded, "That's right. When the time comes, let him follow his sister's lead."

"Ok?"

"I just listen to my sister in everything."

Yanyan nodded, "That's fine. Dad, what are you looking for in the newspaper?"

Fang Mingche wanted to see if there was any news about the autumn harvest in Xiaogang Village, Fengyang, Anhui. But he couldn't find any.

He thought about it. The policy of contracting output to households was not officially established until 1982. Maybe there would be no big talk now. Only those places in his hometown that would conduct the next pilot would talk about it. Now it is better to play it safe.

So after going to school, he went to find his alumni from Fengyang County, Anhui Province to inquire about the situation.

The other party looked at him in surprise and then asked, "Why are you asking this?"

“My hometown, Sichuan, may also start a trial.”

The other party then smiled and said, "A great harvest! The total output is four times that of last year. For the first time, we have contributed 4 kilograms of grain and 3 kilograms of oil to the country. The average income of farmers is 2.4 yuan. Xiaogang Village, which has always relied on "return sales for food, relief for money, and loans for production", has paid public grain to the country for the first time. Since you want to do the same, you will soon live a good life."

Fang Mingche smiled when he heard that it was exactly the same as his previous life. He and the other party talked about the poor scenes in their respective hometowns and villages, and they both had a lot to talk about.

"Student Fang, everything will be fine! Those eighteen uncles risked their lives last year. Fortunately, the land did not let them down!"

"That's good, that's good."

Then the process of reform and opening up will remain the same as in the previous life! You know, after the reform and opening up, China can be said to have ushered in a 40-year-long prosperity!
Fang Mingche asked his cousin's wife to help him arrange a time to call home.

At around 10am on Sunday, he called back the first time but the line was still busy. Maybe the person ahead of him was on the phone and hadn't finished talking yet.

He called again two minutes later and this time the call went through. It was his father who answered.

"Mingche, you understood it in college?"

"Well, it was a bit difficult at first, but it's better now."

He still maintained his previous English learning habits, memorizing words, reading widely, and listening to the radio. He had his monthly exam a few days ago and felt that he should have done well.

"Oh, that's good, that's good! What about your daughter-in-law? Is her study and health okay? You have to take good care of her. And Yanyan, you have to take good care of her too. It's hard enough for you to study and take care of them both."

Fang Mingche said, "Dad, I know. Dad, did the village tell you about the land division?"

Father Fang said, "It's not said explicitly. But I feel like they are spreading rumors, and now everyone is discussing it privately. But without any confirmation, it's hard to say for sure."

"I have an alumnus from Fengyang County, Anhui Province. I specifically asked about his dormitory. He told me."

Fang Mingche repeated what the classmate said.

"Really? How could Xiaogang Village in Fengyang have such a harvest? He is not flattering his hometown, right? We all know that Fengyang, Fengyang, has been famine for two out of three years since Emperor Zhu came to power."

Fang Mingche said: "What does it have to do with the Hongwu Emperor? Anyway, my schoolmates were very proud when they talked about it. It really washed away many years of shame."

"That would be great. Farmers are not afraid of hard work as long as they can get a good harvest. Nowadays, when we work in a collective, the production team leader is like calling for a ferry. Everyone is just slacking off to get work points!"

"Dad, that person is just collecting work points, so don't be too honest with me and my brother. Save your energy and use it in your own fields when you get your share of the work points."

"Oh, okay, okay. By the way, you only told me about the situation in Anhui. There's nothing going on in the capital?"

"Unless the capital has a policy, or there are facts that force the policy, otherwise it must be tried out in other places before the capital is discussed. The Ministry of Agriculture should have news, but we ordinary people don't know anything until the news is in the newspaper. Anyway, the farmers in the suburbs of Beijing have not heard that the household contract responsibility system will be implemented this year."

"Then it must have been tested outside and then sent back to the central authority. Mingche, do you have enough money? Don't let them and their daughter suffer, especially since Lin Yan is pregnant with your baby."

"That's enough. I'm a scrap collector and a vegetable vendor now. The money I earn is enough to support my living expenses."

Father Fang also felt that collecting waste was not very respectable. "Who knew you two brothers would end up doing this? But it is indeed the biggest money maker now! I can't let my daughter-in-law down anymore. By the way, your cousin also bought a big color TV and a VCR."

"He wants to open a video parlor, not for his own use. He should open it in the county town. This business will be very good as long as you have connections in both the black and white sectors."

Fang Mingche also thought it was a good idea for his cousin to have two flowers blooming and take advantage of their respective strengths.

When he went back to school, Zheng Xing, the only person in the dormitory, told him something: "Something happened in the dormitory across the street!"

Fang Mingche raised his eyebrows, "What happened?" School had been open for more than a month, and for personal reasons, he was more familiar with the people in his dormitory.

Zheng Xing said: "Some people only scored a dozen points in the monthly exam. They were all multiple-choice questions."

"That's impossible. They were all transferred here because of their high English scores." Before he could finish his words, Fang Mingche realized, "Could they be coming to college under false names?"

Zheng Xing said: "We also analyzed the situation and found that it was the case. Everyone said they couldn't just sit there and watch. So they reported it to the higher authorities and requested an investigation."

(End of this chapter)