Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 332 Widespread Fame
The Wang Family Courtyard.

Wang Chengpeng was patiently teaching Zhu Hong at the moment, completely unaware that Liu Yanran was about to break free of her cage and attempt to take revenge on him.

Of course, even if Wang Chengpeng knew about this, he would remain unmoved.

Liu Yanran, a nobody, was reduced to a clown long after Wang Chengpeng returned from his rebirth and saw through her true colors.

Once the filter of love is removed, Liu Yanran's low-class methods make her no match for Wang Chengpeng.

At this moment, Zhu Hong is diligently doing exercises to consolidate the knowledge he has learned today.

Perhaps because of the baptism of learning, Zhu Hong now seems much more shrewd than before, and he is no longer so stubborn and inflexible in his actions.

The only slightly amusing thing was that Wang Chengpeng had gained another student in his class, his younger sister Wang Meiyan.

At first, Wang Meiyan was able to take advantage of the fact that she hadn't fallen behind in her studies and humiliate Zhu Hong to her heart's content.

However, with Wang Chengpeng's intensive tutoring, Zhu Hong quickly caught up and successfully surpassed Wang Meiyan in academic performance.

Just a few days ago, Zhu Hong was far inferior to her and could be mocked at will. But he had actually surpassed her. This cruel fact left Wang Meiyan dumbfounded.

She tearfully approached Wang Chengpeng and angrily denounced his favoritism, much to Wang Chengpeng's dismay.

There was no other way, so Wang Chengpeng had to add another student to his small class.

Whether he herds one sheep or two, it doesn't make much difference to him.

On the contrary, the comparison fostered a competitive spirit in them, making them study even harder.

However, just as the two were working on their problems, Wang Tieshan's voice came from outside the door, saying:
"Xiao Peng, someone is looking for you outside. Go and ask them what they want."

Wang Chengpeng naturally responded to his father's summons, and soon he arrived in the courtyard.

Unexpectedly, Wang Chengpeng did not recognize the person who came to visit, but he vaguely felt that he looked familiar and that he should be from the same village.

The boy stood at the door, seemingly unsure of what to do with his hands and feet, appearing extremely awkward.

He was about twenty-three or twenty-five years old, with a slender build like an unripe bamboo shoot. He wore a faded blue cotton jacket with short sleeves, revealing his wrists with distinct knuckles.

Perhaps he was walking too fast, because the stray hairs on his forehead were damp with sweat and stuck to his reddened temples, making him look even more uneasy.

His gaze darted around, avoiding eye contact with Wang Chengpeng, his eyes fixed only on the tips of his shoes.

They were a pair of black cloth shoes with worn-out edges, and you could vaguely see the socks underneath at the big toe.

He unconsciously rubbed the soles of his shoes, as if trying to remove the mud, or perhaps simply not knowing what to say and using this small gesture to ease his tension.

Seemingly aware that things couldn't continue like this, the boy spoke up under Wang Chengpeng's questioning gaze:

"Um... Comrade Wang... I am Wang Fugui from the same village."

"I came here to borrow some textbooks from you. I wonder if you have any extra textbooks that you could lend me."

"If all else fails, I'll pay you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Fugui looked at Wang Chengpeng with hopeful eyes, afraid that the other party would ruthlessly shatter his illusions.

Upon hearing the other party speak, Wang Chengpeng knew that his previous actions had been effective.

Although Wang Chengpeng did not actively promote it, judging from the fact that he casually lent books to others, it was obvious that he had a large collection at home.

After word got out in the village, those preparing for the college entrance exam also got the idea to give it a try and came to Wang Chengpeng to borrow books.

The effect is completely different when you take the initiative to ask someone to borrow a book from you, or when someone else comes to you asking to borrow a book.

Wang Chengpeng nodded and said with a smile, "Borrowing books? No problem."

"As for money, don't mention it. We're all from the same village, there's no need to talk about money for such a small matter."

At this point, Wang Chengpeng added:
"Although my family has extra textbooks and the subjects are quite complete, it would be inconvenient to lend them all to you at once."

"How about this, you borrow three to five books first, and then borrow another three to five when you return them?"

Borrowing out all textbooks at once would not only increase the rate of textbooks being idle and greatly reduce their utilization, but it would also be detrimental to Wang Chengpeng's plan to cast a wide net.

That's why he proposed limiting the number of books that could be borrowed, in order to connect with more people at the same time.

This is also a way to prevent book fraud. No matter how many books Wang Chengpeng has, they can't withstand this kind of unrestricted lending.

If you encounter a scammer and borrow too much money at once, it will definitely be a losing proposition.

Faced with Wang Chengpeng's request, Wang Fugui not only did not find it inappropriate, but was also overjoyed.

With the college entrance examination just around the corner, these textbooks are priceless.

Wang Chengpeng not only agrees to lend them money, but he also doesn't charge them any money. He's even willing to lend several books at once—he's practically a living bodhisattva!

After all, what Luo Wenbin said back then was not wrong. There was actually an invisible antagonistic relationship among those who were also planning to take the college entrance examination. They were all competitors.

In such a situation, how noble must one be to selflessly lend out their family's collection of books?
After expressing his gratitude profusely, Wang Fugui happily left with the book he had borrowed from Wang Chengpeng.

Judging from the joy on his face, Wang Chengpeng's selfless act must have left a deep impression on him.

And as he borrows books more and more often, this impression will be deepened until it shines brightly.

It seems that everything is proceeding as I imagined, developing step by step.

Many things in the village can't be kept secret. With Wang Fugui setting the precedent, the number of people coming to borrow books will only increase.

It is precisely through this seemingly small act of borrowing books that an invisible giant net is rapidly expanding, gradually attracting more and more people to Wang Chengpeng.

As it turned out, Wang Chengpeng's idea was completely correct. Ever since Wang Fugui returned home in high spirits, the news that he could borrow books from Wang Chengpeng for free spread throughout Wangjia Village.

Those with some talent who planned to take the college entrance examination flocked to the area, making Wang Chengpeng's originally quiet courtyard even more lively.

Although Wang Chengpeng always said that he would not charge money for borrowing books, most people were unwilling to take advantage of him and would bring some local specialties from their hometown. Although they were not very valuable, they were still a token of their goodwill.

It is precisely because of this that Wang Chengpeng's reputation in Wangjia Village has become increasingly excellent, and he has become someone who is praised wherever he goes.

"Have you heard? You can borrow textbooks from Wang Chengpeng's house that you can't buy with money anywhere else."

"What? Such a good thing actually happened?"

“My eldest child had pretty good grades when he was in school. It was a rare opportunity to take the college entrance exam again. He wanted to give it a try, but he couldn’t even buy the textbooks, so he had to give up in the end.”

"If such a good thing really happens, I'd be willing to risk my reputation to borrow some books for my eldest son." "If he gets into university, then his life will truly be turned around."

Who can argue with that?

"If you really have this idea, you should go there as soon as possible. Comrade Wang's books are not an endless supply; there must be a limit to the number."

“My family also has a child who does quite well in school. If we could borrow some books from him, maybe one of my family members could become a college student.”

"That makes sense, but I'm afraid Comrade Wang won't lend us the book."

Even if he were willing to lend it to me, I would still be a little uneasy.

"Why would he lend out books without making any money or taking a single penny? What's in it for him?"

"What are you after? Your family's worthless possessions?"

"I reckon you've never been to Comrade Wang's house, otherwise how could you say such outrageous things?"

“That other family’s house is so impressive. It’s not only big, but it also has electricity and lots of big-name furniture and appliances. They wouldn’t even look at your little bit of property.”

"If you ask me, Comrade Wang is a living bodhisattva. He couldn't bear to see us lose the good opportunity to take the college entrance examination, so he selflessly lent out all the textbooks."

"What you said makes some sense. This Comrade Wang really can't get anything from my family. He's a really good person."

"Don't take advantage of Comrade Wang's good nature and try to bully him. If you really go to borrow books, you'd better show him some respect."

"Comrade Wang is a good person, but he is also a man of skill; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to build such a large empire."

"Have you heard about that slutty Liu Yanran from the village?"

"The other party seems to have some ability; they even found a big shot to overturn the case for them."

"And guess what? Comrade Wang just intervened slightly, and not only was the case overturned, but it's said that the person who abused his power was also shot."

"Not only the Liu family, but the Shen family also fared badly, both of them were arrested and imprisoned."

"Not being able to borrow textbooks is a minor matter, but if you offend Comrade Wang by saying the wrong thing, your fate will be dire."

As the saying goes, "three men can make a tiger," and some rumors are just that outrageous.

In fact, it was only these villagers who made wild guesses that Li Weiguo's downfall was related to Wang Chengpeng; anyone with a little knowledge would think that this was absolutely impossible.

However, it was precisely this outrageous guess that hit the truth, making one sigh that sometimes reality is even more outrageous than fiction.

Hearing the first person's advice, the second person was clearly startled and said with lingering fear:
"What? This Comrade Wang is actually that terrifying?"

"Then I won't borrow this textbook either. Our family can't afford to offend such an important person."

“I had heard before that he had put in a lot of effort when the sugar factory was opened in the village. It seems that he is indeed not an ordinary person.”

"What nonsense are you talking about? Is Comrade Wang the kind of person who would target people randomly? The Liu family and the Shen family are just reaping what they sowed."

"If they hadn't provoked Comrade Wang, he probably wouldn't have even bothered to kill them."

"So many people have managed to borrow books without any problems, is Comrade Wang going to eat you alive?"

"If you don't lend it, there are plenty of people who are willing to. If you go too late, there might not be any books left to lend to you."

"By the way, speaking of Dapeng Sugar Factory, I just remembered something."

"Didn't they say that Dapeng white sugar wasn't selling well? I didn't expect that after the expert's guidance, things would immediately take a turn for the better."

"Now, the Dapeng white sugar produced in our village is the best-selling product outside. When buying white sugar, who doesn't recognize the Dapeng brand?"

"It's said that Director Wang is planning to go to the city's supply and marketing cooperative to discuss supply matters. I wonder how the talks went."

"Although Dapeng white sugar sells well in the town, how big can a town be? It can't possibly compare to the city."

"If Dapeng white sugar were listed on the municipal supply and marketing cooperative, sales would probably skyrocket."

"If Dapeng Sugar Factory makes money, how could they not give us a share of the profits at the end of the year? Life is getting better with the naked eye."

"Hey, who says that's not true?"

"This Dapeng Sugar Factory was also Comrade Wang's idea. According to you, he really is a living bodhisattva sent by heaven to save our Wangjia Village."

"After we get our share of the money at the end of the year, maybe we can find a marriage partner for my second child."

“He’s long past the age to get married, but unfortunately his family doesn’t have the means, so the marriage has to be put on hold, which has been driving me crazy.”

"Speaking of marriage, I just remembered that Comrade Wang is still single. I wonder which family's daughter will be lucky enough to marry into the Wang family."

"If we hold a wedding then, I'm afraid it will be incredibly grand."

"Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore. I need to go to Comrade Wang's house to see if there are any books left that I can lend to my eldest child."

"I'll go ask around for my family too."

“My family has produced a college student, and I even helped them borrow the books. They should at least look after our family.”

And so, without prior arrangement, the two of them headed towards Wang Chengpeng's house.

On the way, they found that this once deserted road was now much busier.

After making a few inquiries, they discovered that they were all plotting the same thing, which immediately made the two of them wary, and they quickened their pace.

……

While Wang Chengpeng was stirring up trouble in Wangjia Village, Wang Yong was also busy.

Just as the two were talking, he was on his way to Shanghe City, intending to discuss the Dapeng white sugar matter with the city's supply and marketing cooperative.

Logically speaking, after Dapeng Sugar Factory has developed to this extent, he, as the factory director, shouldn't need to work so hard.

However, most people in this era are hardworking and resilient. In addition, Wang Yong is young and full of ambition, so he felt uneasy about entrusting this matter to others and chose to take charge himself.

Since Dapeng white sugar became a bestseller, the welfare benefits at Dapeng Sugar Factory have also improved considerably.

This is reflected not only in the welfare and benefits of the workers, but also in the treatment of Wang Yong, the factory director.

While it might not be possible to buy him a car for official use, buying him a bicycle specifically for errands would be perfectly feasible, allowing Wang Fucheng to avoid using his own bicycle for official business.

For some unknown reason, Wang Yong bought the same bicycle as Wang Chengpeng. At this moment, he had some products from Dapeng Sugar Factory in the bicycle basket. These were his "secret weapons" for the negotiations later!
(End of this chapter)