Courtyard House: A Prosperous and Joyful Life

"Being a 'ten-thousand-yuan household'? That's actually quite possible!"

"Yes, Wang Jun earns two or three hundred yuan a day, and he became a ten-thousand-yuan household in just over a month!"

"My God, becoming a millionaire means you can't publish it in the newspaper?"

"It won't make the news now, but it's still a very honorable thing!"

Huaihua stood in the crowd, listening to the discussions, her heart churning. She had clearly seen the Third Uncle hand Wang Jun a large wad of cash; in her twenty years of life, she had never seen so much money.

"My God... how much is in this huge stack?" she thought to herself. "If I had that much money, I could wear new clothes and use cosmetics every day."

She had already made up her mind: she must get along well with Wang Jun and make money and get rich with him.

Yu Li was also quite shocked by that stack of money.

"So much money! If I'm going to marry, I should marry someone like Wang Jun. He's rich, capable, and good-looking." She glanced at her husband, Yan Jiecheng, and sneered inwardly. "Compared to him, Yan Jiecheng is a good-for-nothing. I even have to ask Wang Jun for money."

Yan Jiecheng was glared at for no reason and stood there stunned. He hadn't said a word, yet he was met with this look. Who could he complain to?

Yu Li also wanted to curry favor with Wang Jun, but her family didn't have anything presentable to offer, making it difficult to even give a gift.

Xu Damao and Qin Jingru were pushing their bicycles, heading to work, when they saw the money in Wang Jun's hand and were stunned. Last night, they had bought 26 radios from Wang Jun and made 260 yuan in profit, feeling quite pleased with themselves. But compared to Wang Jun's income, they instantly lost their composure.

"Wang Jun is amazing! Earning so much so early in the morning, he's really talented." Qin Jingru said, then glanced at Xu Damao, "Look at him! He's already making big money in his teens, you're nowhere near as good!"

Xu Damao felt a wave of frustration. Comparing himself to Wang Jun was too painful. After a long pause, he muttered, "Hmph, so what if Wang Jun is rich? He's still unemployed."

Qin Jingru sneered, "Are you stupid? Wang Jun earns several hundred a day, what kind of job does he need? He earns his own money, sleeps whenever he wants, eats whenever he wants, his life is much more comfortable than yours!"

Xu Damao was even more frustrated. Indeed, being free and unrestrained is the true enjoyment of life. He was working from dawn till dusk every day and couldn't even leave work early if he wanted to. There was no comparison at all.

"We need to get along well with Wang Jun," Qin Jingru suggested. "After get off work, go to the market and buy him two pounds of mutton; I heard he loves it."

Xu Damao had no choice but to agree.

Inside, Wang Jun listened to the discussions outside and chuckled to himself. He was now earning several thousand yuan a day, not two or three hundred. He had been penniless when he transmigrated three days ago, but now he had nearly five thousand yuan, and he was earning money at an increasingly rapid pace.

At this rate, my net worth will exceed ten thousand in a couple of days, making me a true ten-thousand-yuan household.

Today, Wang Jun plans to rest for half a day, explore Beijing, and then go to a public bathhouse for a hot spring bath.

There was no other way; there was no bathroom inside, and to take a hot shower, one had to use a coal stove and carry water. If one wanted a comfortable shower, one had to go outside. Public bathhouses were everywhere in Beijing, and for just two cents, one could enjoy a good soak. What was a "luxury" for ordinary people was a "basic need" for him.

Wang Jun first turned into the trust shop at the entrance of the alley. This place was similar to a pawn shop, buying and selling secondhand items, from needles and thread to radios and televisions, and no tickets were required. People who were short of money sold their things to get cash, and people who needed something came to find bargains. It was a "secondhand luxury market" for ordinary people in Beijing.

The store was dimly lit but packed with customers. Wang Jun went straight to the female sales clerk: "Excuse me, do you have any brand new clothes? I'd like to buy a few."

His cotton-padded coat was already torn, and the wind could easily see through it, so he had to change into a new one.

The shop assistant smiled and led him to the new clothes section, where all the clothes were high-end; they wouldn't accept low-end or tattered items. "Don't worry, sir, everything is new, and we can issue receipts."

Wang Jun glanced around and selected two sets of clothes and a pair of leather shoes. When he was paying, a military green woolen overcoat suddenly caught his eye: the sharp angles, the straight shoulder line, the exquisite woolen material, and even the buttons had a matte sheen. This was a symbol of status, something that ordinary workers simply couldn't afford.

"How much is this coat?"

"Two hundred and ten yuan," the shop assistant said. "It's the last one of the three. We've sold two in two days. If you don't buy it now, it'll be gone."

Wang Jun did the math in his head: this money was equivalent to four or five months' wages for a worker, but for him, it was just the cost of assembling five or six radios, so he didn't care at all. Besides, it was warm and prestigious for officers, so it was worth it!

In the end, he spent 273 yuan, put the items into the system space, and went to take the bus.

Hujialou Bathhouse: The Relaxing Feelings and Stunning Looks from the Hot Spring Water

Hujialou Bathhouse uses underground hot spring water, with showers and pools. A ticket costs two cents, and after bathing, you can lie on a bench to drink tea and rest.

Wang Jun soaked in the warm spring water, and all his fatigue dissipated. After the bath, he had his hair trimmed, changed into new clothes, first putting on two sets of ordinary clothes, and finally putting on the officer's woolen overcoat.

The person in the mirror instantly transformed: his already striking good looks were accentuated by the coat, his shoulders were impeccably straight, as if measured with a ruler, and even his gait exuded a commanding presence. Wang Jun gave himself a 95 out of 100, inwardly delighted: "My looks were already good, and with this coat, I'm practically a perfect score!"

Wang Jun stepped out of the bathhouse and instantly became the "focus" of the street.

The passing men couldn't help but glance at him a few more times, and even the porters carrying their loads slowed down; the young women were even more exaggerated, their eyes seemingly glued to him, some covering their mouths and laughing, others hurriedly turning their faces away, but then unable to resist looking back.

Wang Jun strolled into the department store with his hands in his pockets, his canvas shoes making a soft "tap-tap" sound on the cement floor.

Department stores in the 80s were like "luxury goods exhibition halls" in the city. He had just stepped into the first floor when he was stopped by a commotion. A group of people were crowding in front of the color TV counter, craning their necks to look into the glass case, and muttering, "Sachiko is so pitiful."

Inside the glass case, three 12-inch color televisions were playing "Blood Suspicion".

As Sachiko, played by Momoe Yamaguchi, lay in her hospital bed, her pale face bringing tears to the eyes of several young girls: "Waaah, I wish we could buy Sachiko's shirt!"

Wang Jun glanced at it; the so-called "Xingzi shirt" was nothing more than a white shirt paired with a plaid skirt. Nowadays, vendors in Beijing were mass-producing imitations, making three to five yuan a piece, which was quite a lively business. He stroked his chin, regretting that he didn't know how to sew, otherwise he could have gotten a share of the profits.

"Look at that young man, he's even more handsome than Ken Takakura!"

A female saleswoman's muttering came from the side. Only then did Wang Jun notice that three girls in blue overalls were glancing at him, their knitting needles stopped. He shrugged helplessly. Girls in the 80s really had high standards, but his "time-traveler looks" were indeed a bit too much.

With his attention turned to color TVs, Wang Jun's "business opportunity radar" was activated.

The TV screen was filled with static, and several middle-aged men were standing on tiptoe adjusting the telescopic antenna, their necks almost twisted into pretzels: "Til it a little more! Yes! Right here!" In the 80s, there was no closed-circuit television, and the signal was obtained entirely by two metal poles. When the signal was poor, the position of the person standing could affect the clarity of the picture.

Wang Jun quickly calculated in his mind: a Yagi antenna! In the 21st century, this thing was an introductory course for radio enthusiasts; it was made by welding together a few aluminum tubes, costing less than ten yuan, yet it could allow a TV to receive three or four more channels. In the 80s? Definitely "cutting-edge technology"!

"Comrade, how much is this color TV?"

He leaned closer to the counter and deliberately asked a price. The sales clerk didn't even look up: "Imported, with all the receipts, 2800. No receipt? Then you'll have to find a scalper to pay extra."

Wang Jun sneered inwardly. Twenty-one-inch large color TVs are the trend. Buying a small color TV now? What a loss! He turned his head and glanced at the black and white TVs in the corner: 9-inch ones accounted for 80%, and 12-inch ones were considered "standard for large apartments". Looking at the price tag, a 12-inch black and white TV cost 800 yuan, which was equivalent to two years' salary for an average worker.

"Tsk, this price..."

He shook his head and walked towards the refrigerator section. Two green Wanbao refrigerators stood like the store's prized possessions, priced at 1800 yuan, with a wooden sign next to them reading "Supply by Ticket." Several middle-aged women circled around, wanting to touch them but hesitant: "If we break them, we'll have to pay half a year's salary, right?"

The Little Swan washing machines in the washing machine section were even more precious, with their plastic covers polished to a shine. Onlookers even held their breath. In the 80s, home appliances were "family heirlooms," not "daily necessities."

The fluorescent lights in the electronic components section on the third floor were buzzing, and Wang Jun's eyes lit up.

Resistors, capacitors, and diodes were neatly arranged, and several rolls of enameled wire were displayed in the glass cabinet—a veritable "parts warehouse" for Yagi antennas! He felt the money in his pocket, calculating how to buy materials and make samples first: "Make ten sets first, sell them as 'imported antennas,' priced at 50 yuan per set, with a cost of less than 10 yuan—a sure profit!"

As he went downstairs, the saleswoman was still glancing at him. Wang Jun pretended not to see her, but a smile crept onto his lips. Money in the 80s was hard to earn, but the money that was easy to earn required brains.

As Wang Jun stepped onto the second floor, he was greeted by Huaihua, a young woman holding a box of "Night Fragrance" face cream, her face flushed, and her eyes sparkling with barely concealed excitement.

He nodded at her.

Huaihua stared blankly for a while before recognizing him, then exclaimed softly, "You're Wang Jun? You're so handsome..."

As soon as she said it, her ears turned red. Wang Jun was now handsome and generous, and even the sales clerks on the first floor kept glancing at him. How could a naive girl like Huaihua withstand such "impact"? Her heart started beating wildly.

Wang Jun glanced at her and, noticing her flushed cheeks, casually asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, no, no!" Huaihua hurriedly came to her senses and waved her hands repeatedly.

Wang Jun didn't say much and went straight to the third floor.

Huaihua had bought face cream and was planning to go home, but when she saw Wang Jun, she couldn't move and blurted out, "Wang Jun, are you here to shop at the department store? Let me go shopping with you."

"Sure," Wang Jun replied casually. He was buying electronic components; it wasn't anything shady, so it didn't matter if someone followed him.

So, the locust flowers, as if they had received a royal decree, followed closely behind him.

On the first floor, several female sales clerks were stealing glances at Wang Jun, planning to get his contact information when he came down. Before they could even act, Huaihua rushed out and stuck to him, leaving them all dumbfounded.

"hateful!"

"That woman is shameless, following behind someone like that."

"She's got her eye on that handsome guy."

"Hmph, that guy definitely wouldn't be interested in her."

"Let's wait for him to come downstairs before we go up!"

The girls felt a pang of jealousy, as if Wang Jun had been "robbed."

The third floor specializes in selling all kinds of parts, including bicycle tires, frames, and wires. Experienced mechanics can find a complete set here and assemble their own bicycle. Electronic components are also readily available: resistors, capacitors, wires, light bulbs, transistors, diodes, inductors, potentiometers, sensors... you name it, they have it.

A saleswoman was sitting and knitting when she saw Wang Jun come in. Her eyes lit up and she smiled sweetly, her enthusiasm as gentle as a spring breeze: "Comrade, hello! What would you like to buy? I'll help you find it."

Wang Jun nodded: "Hello, I need a batch of electronic components. Could you please write down the quantity on a piece of paper?"

"No problem!" she immediately agreed, turned around, grabbed a blank notebook, and started scribbling away.

Several middle-aged men nearby stared in disbelief. Just now, when they asked her for a bicycle wheel, she had been indifferent; but now she was incredibly attentive to the young man.

"Why is this girl suddenly so enthusiastic?"

"I asked her just now, but she acted like she didn't hear me."

"Just look at that young man, he's handsome and dashing, and he's even wearing a military officer's overcoat. No young girl could resist that!"

"Hey, men love to look at pretty girls, and girls can't take their eyes off handsome young men either."

"Sigh, I'm so ugly, even my wife can't be bothered to smile at me."

The workbook was quickly filled with two pages, all listing the electronic components Wang Jun wanted. The saleswoman exclaimed in surprise, "Comrade, what do you need so many electronic components for?"

"Assemble a radio."