Era: Starting from divorce from female college student

In January 1986, a large number of people came to a nearby alley in Nanluoguxiang, Beijing.

Zhao Mancang suddenly came to us, wanting to buy two courtyard houses in Nanluoguxiang, Beijing.

It's a large, open-plan courtyard house, not a typical three- or four-courtyard house.

Their family had always lived in Beijing. From the very beginning, Zhao Mancang lived in No. 5 Yongheng Hutong.

Later, he moved to No. 18 Courtyard near Huguosi, and soon after, he moved to a courtyard house near the Friendship Hotel on Zhongguancun South Street.

To be honest, Zhao Mancang and his family never actually lived in Nanluoguxiang.

However, in Beijing, the only place where you can still directly purchase a suitable courtyard house is Nanluoguxiang.

It doesn't work well in other places either.

In Zhao Mancang's view, the courtyard house he purchased should be extremely close to the Forbidden City.

After searching around, the only suitable courtyard I found was in the Nanluoguxiang area.

So he came over and started discussing moving with people, and then he needed to renovate these courtyard houses.

It's not a renovation, but rather we'll find experienced craftsmen specializing in the restoration of traditional courtyard houses to repair their exteriors using materials and materials from the original construction.

Another aspect is to redo the interior renovations, including modern amenities such as bathrooms and air conditioning, which are definitely necessary.

Otherwise, living in a courtyard house like this would be incredibly stifling.

"Mancang, are we really going to retire in Beijing?"

During dinner that evening, Lin Wan suddenly asked a question.

Zhao Mancang spent the entire day today making a fuss about this in Nanluoguxiang, so Lin Wan couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

They now live in a courtyard house on Zhongguancun South Street, which has always been their home.

However, as time has passed, they have spent very little time living on South Street in the last seven or eight years.

Most of the time was spent in other places such as Deep Water Bay on Hong Kong Island and Lumi Tung in Pak Kong.

Why is Zhao Mancang running around everywhere?
"Of course I'll come back here to retire. That's my general idea. But I estimate that I'll probably still have another twenty or thirty years before I can truly retire here."

After a pause, Zhao Mancang continued:

"Look at my face, and look at my body. In short, I most likely won't be coming back here to retire after I turn sixty."

"Furthermore, even for retirement, there are still many problems to be solved in the capital."

The area several hundred kilometers west of Beijing is mostly desert and Gobi, which needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

But that place isn't like Yunlan City; there are too many people there. Zhao Mancang wouldn't just casually go there to plant trees himself.

So he could only offer limited support.

On the other hand, we should increase investment and directly establish relevant afforestation companies to hire people to help plant trees.

Simply put, it's a purely charitable project.

So why do you insist on coming to Beijing to retire?

Whether it's Beijiang City, Hong Kong Island, Yunlan City, or even Baiyun City, Shanghai, Kunming, and many other places, they are all very suitable places for retirement.

The reason is simple: Beijing is, after all, the capital city.

Many major national events take place in the capital.

This is, after all, a heart-shaped area, and all kinds of medical technologies here are among the best in the country.

A doctor cannot heal himself. If Zhao Mancang really has a problem, he will have to see other doctors.

Of course, he still has the system, but he can't live forever, can he?

This is indeed quite difficult.

In short, Zhao Mancang is now preparing for this.

"Besides, we may not necessarily stay in Beijing to retire. We still have twenty or thirty years left. We can decide where to retire then, but we need to prepare in advance."

After listening, Lin Wan nodded silently.

Time flies. Back when she married Zhao Mancang, she was only twenty years old.

Now, in the blink of an eye, she is already forty-eight years old.

I'm almost fifty years old, so it's time to start thinking about retirement.

However, Zhao Mancang's maintenance skills are indeed very good.

Thinking of this, Lin Wan couldn't help but touch her face, which was indeed very smooth, delicate, and elastic.

"Mancang, did you feed Xiaochan and me something? I feel like we both look very young."

Every time she goes out shopping with Xiaobaozi and the others, people mistake them for sisters instead of mother and daughter.

This kind of maintenance technique is truly unbelievable.

"What did I feed you?" Zhao Mancang retorted directly.
"Don't you know best what you eat every day? Why do you need to ask me?"

"Does that mean I feed you while you're sleeping every day?"

"Don't overthink these things. I've told you more than once that there's no secret to longevity, and there's no secret to maintaining good health either. Just keep a happy mood, do some moderate exercise every day, don't overeat, and have a regular sleep schedule."

Unfortunately, many young people simply cannot do these things.

Therefore, many people who overeat or are obese are prone to illness and are more likely to die.

The hospital is definitely the place where you most want to regret your decision. Many people want to slap themselves after receiving their test results: Why was I so stupid back then?

"Okay, but something still feels off."

Lin Wan was helpless. She wasn't a very stubborn person, and many things didn't stay in her heart for long.

She doesn't care much about many things.

However, her face and her figure did indeed seem somewhat unbelievable to her.

For example, her mother, Zhang Dongyue, always looked much older whenever she visited her, as if she were on her deathbed.

After all, he's over eighty years old, with the yellow earth already reaching his neck; of course, he's very old.

But that was her mother, not her grandmother, or even her great-grandmother.

So whenever she visits her mother, the neighbors, her father, or her brother Lin Kai always praise and talk about her.

Others might not know, but Lin Guohua and Lin Kai certainly did. Lin Wan and Zhao Mancang were both around fifty years old, yet they showed absolutely no signs of aging.

It's truly unbelievable.

"Then you'll gradually notice it. As long as you keep thinking about this every day, I believe it won't be long before you start to see a lot more crow's feet on your face."

Startled by Zhao Mancang's words, Lin Wan glared at him, then buried herself in her food, trying to forget about it. The next day, Zhao Mancang went to Nanluoguxiang to continue dealing with the purchase of the courtyard house.

However, two cars arrived today. They came to inform Zhao Mancang that the leader wanted to see him.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mancang simply followed along and left.

In a courtyard house near Wenjin Street, Zhao Mancang sat in his office and met with his superior.

The reason the leader called him over wasn't for much; he just wanted to inquire about the development of Beijiang City.

Another question was about his purchase of a courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang.

Zhao Mancang didn't have much to say about the economic development of Beijiang City.

This is because the Spring Festival is just around the corner, and he will definitely give a detailed report to his superiors before the festival.

As the true person in charge of Beijiang City, he certainly has a lot to say about the development of Beijiang City.

Eleven years ago, he was called to the office by his boss. It wasn't exactly a crisis assignment; it was more of a job adjustment.

They took over the economic development of Beijiang City.

After so many years of development, Beijiang City is now the number one city in China.

Although its foundation is still weak, its economic development momentum is absolutely formidable.

"However, there are still quite a few problems. I plan to launch a special campaign to address these issues by the middle of next year and eliminate all obstacles."

Upon hearing Zhao Mancang's words, the leaders nodded repeatedly.

They had all been to Beijiang City, and more than once.

The leaders are very satisfied with the city's economic development speed and current urban situation.

This place is wonderful.

There are definitely problems, but they are minor.

Zhao Mancang is a perfectionist, at least in his work; he is extremely perfectionistic.

So whatever he decides to do, the leaders will definitely support him.

"As for why I bought a courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang, that's my personal matter. Nowadays, it shouldn't be illegal for private individuals to buy and sell courtyard houses, right?"

Upon hearing this, the leaders burst into laughter.

Of course it's not illegal; otherwise, Zhao Mancang would have been brought here for questioning long ago.

"Mancang, I'm just curious and have a question. Don't you already have many houses? Why do you need to buy more?"

Upon hearing the leader's question, Zhao Mancang immediately replied:
"Who would complain about having too many houses? Besides, Nanluoguxiang is closer to the Forbidden City, so you can see the flag-raising ceremony more easily, and it's also closer to Jingshan Park for a stroll."

Judging from Zhao Mancang's words, does that mean he wants to return to the capital to retire in the future?
That's great news!

So, a leader cautiously inquired whether I was planning to retire in Beijing or invest in the city.

It's no wonder the leader would have this guess, given Zhao Mancang's current age; that's really the only general idea he has.

Besides retirement, investing in Beijing is also a very likely option.

First of all, Zhao Mancang already had a home in the capital, and it was quite large, with a courtyard house both inside and outside the city.

However, in the last ten years or so, Zhao Mancang and his family have spent less time in Beijing, and in some years they have not even returned to Beijing for the Spring Festival.

Secondly, as the capital city, Beijing inherently possesses investment value.

If it were anyone else, the leaders would certainly not let them cause such a big fuss.

But if it's Zhao Mancang, then that's a different story.

"Yes, I've had that idea, but whether I'll actually return to live in the capital depends on how the city develops over the next two or three decades."

Upon hearing Zhao Mancang's words, the leaders stared blankly at him, their expressions filled with disbelief.

Twenty or thirty years?

Do you want to hear what you're actually saying?
Zhao Mancang, born in 1934, is already 51 years old this year. Does he really think he is still young?

Well, judging from his appearance, he really does look no different from a young man in his twenties.

But in another twenty or thirty years, Zhao Mancang will be in his seventies or eighties, already in his seventies or eighties.

People who have reached this age are definitely considered elderly.

Even if Zhao Mancang is in good health, he can't possibly be as energetic and lively as a young man in his twenties or thirties, right?
After their initial surprise, the leaders inquired with great interest about his next move and what he planned to do.

After all, although Beijing's current economic development ranks among the top three in the country, it is far inferior to that of Shanghai and Beijiang City.

Not to mention that the current situation in the capital is quite dire, for example, in terms of the natural environment, it is not as good as Beijiang City.

Every winter or spring, sandstorms are a nightmare for residents living near Beijing.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mancang chuckled and said:

"It's actually very simple. I plan to first improve the courtyard houses in Nanluoguxiang, and then invest in more than ten afforestation companies. We'll have them help plant trees in the Northwest to prevent wind erosion and stabilize sand dunes."

"I believe that in twenty or thirty years, the sandstorms in Beijing should be somewhat alleviated, right?"

"If we can't slow it down by then, then there's nothing we can do."

The worst period of sandstorms in Beijing was actually in the 1970s and 1980s, especially after the 1980s, when there were very terrifying sandstorms every year.

The major newspapers in Beijing reported on this matter, and there were quite a few criticisms.

The higher-ups were naturally aware of this, so they also began planting trees.

However, it's difficult to see results in the short term.

Now, Zhao Mancang has more than ten afforestation companies at his disposal, which has greatly surprised the leaders:

"How much money should we invest? Is it enough? If we invest too much money in this, isn't it a bit wasteful?"

"Yes, if we have too much capital, we might as well allocate some of it to developing the economy of the capital."

Upon seeing this, Zhao Mancang smiled and shook his head, indicating that the funds were not much and were barely enough to get by.

"As for the development of Beijing's economy, believe me, it certainly won't be too bad. In my opinion, if the city government wants to develop its economy, its financial companies should take the initiative."

He was referring to companies like CITIC Securities.

In China, whether it's Baiyun City, Shanghai, or other cities like Xiamen and Tianjin, every city in the original timeline of the 1990s would have successively established related investment companies.

Of course, companies like Yuexiu Company, Shanghai Chengtou, and CITIC Securities were already established in the 1980s.

Therefore, if these cities want to develop, they must first go out, make money from outside, and then bring the money back to develop their respective cities.

"What? You mean companies like CITIC Securities are going to actively expand overseas?" (End of Chapter)