After school in the afternoon, Xu Tingsheng walked home on the 11th route.
At first, he thought that he had misremembered the appearance of the bicycle. After searching for a long time in the shed, he finally remembered that he had gone to Yanzhou last weekend and hadn't brought the bicycle to school at all.
No wonder Dad would ask whether he should wait for him to go home together at noon.
When Xu Tingsheng came home, his mother had already prepared dinner and was breaking eggs to boil rice wine. His father was sitting at the dining table with tea, chatting with the guests.
A guest came to the house, but it wasn't actually a guest. It was Wang Jinfang, a kid from the neighbor's house.
The name Wang Jinfang was chosen by Mr. Wu, the only teacher in Daluo Village Elementary School at the time. "Fang" in his hometown dialect means one "ten thousand". Plus thousand. These two names were well recognized by the villagers at the time, but they were not the favorite of Mr. Wu, who named most of the children in the village. He said that the meaning of these two names was good enough, but the cultural connotation was not enough. .
Teacher Wu's two most proud names were given to a pair of brothers in the village. The elder brother is called Li Congjia, which was the name used by the empress of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and the younger brother is called Li Congliang.
At that time, no one in the village knew what the word "Congliang" meant. Later, a girl who had worked in a certain city in Guangdong for a few years broke the news. He said to Li Congliang, "We are the same!"
Xu Tingsheng was very grateful that his father didn't ask Mr. Wu to name him, even though his own name seemed perfunctory.
"Mom and Dad, I'm back."
"Jinfang, are you there? Stay for dinner later."
"What about autumn?"
Xu Tingsheng tried his best to act as natural as possible, and greeted each one of them.
"Your sister is doing homework, go and call her." Mom said.
Xu Tingsheng knocked on the door of his younger sister Xu Qiuyi's room, but no one answered.
"Doing homework... must have fallen asleep again."
Xu Tingsheng sneered, and opened the door to see that his younger sister was lying on the table, sleeping soundly, smiling in her dream, revealing two big dimples. My younger sister is a kind of amazing person. She has been sleepy and greedy since she was a child, but she is still in good shape and has better grades. If there was no accident at home in her previous life, she should be a little girl who will always be confused and happy.
It was the plight of the family that forced her to learn to be sensible, thrifty, independent and strong early.
Sometimes you love someone very much, and you hope that he (she) doesn't have to be so sensible, provided you have the ability to care for (him) her.
"Qiu, I will do my best in this life so that you will never have to be too sensible, and will always be a cute little girl." Xu Tingsheng said softly.
"Well... brother, what did you say?" My sister woke up in a daze and asked, yawning.
"Ah... It's nothing, Mom asked me to come and tell you to eat, hold on tight, or you'll get beaten again."
Xu Tingsheng was startled, and hurried out to talk with his father and Wang Jinfang.
Wang Jinfang was about the same age as Xu Tingsheng, and he was his playmate when he was young. In short, he was the person who did many unlucky things together when he was young. Everyone had such a person in their childhood.
In the memory of Xu Tingsheng's previous life, Wang Jinfang did not continue to go to school after graduating from junior high school. He ran a farm at home and raised pigs for two years, and then suddenly sold the pig farm to serve as a soldier. It's a pity that being a soldier at this stage is no longer a good way out. Wang Jinfang didn't go home after retiring from the army and found a job as a security guard in the city.
When the two met again in the previous life, Wang Jinfang was already married and had a two-year-old child.
He came back that trip to avoid debts.
Wang Jinfang married his wife at the place where he was serving. He retired from the army and got married. His wife and children, grandparents, parents, parents, and a younger brother all lived with him. Wang Jinfang had no choice but to apply for a bunch of credit cards. He swiped the cards to get by and maintained them with the cards. In the end, he couldn't use them. Counting more than 20 cards together, he owed more than 400,000 yuan.
Xu Tingsheng had just graduated and gave him 2,000 yuan to help him in an emergency. After that, he didn't know what happened to him. He just heard from his mother that he was kicked out of the house by his parents and disappeared.
"Calculating the time now, Wang Jinfang should be about to join the army." Xu Tingsheng thought.
Wang Jinfang just came to discuss with Xu's father about going to the army. He wanted to hear Xu's opinion. Seeing the meal time, his mother set wine glasses and chopsticks for him. .
Dad Xu poured wine for himself and Wang Jinfang, looked at Xu Tingsheng, "You drink after the exam."
Regarding the matter of Wang Jinfang serving as a soldier, Dad Xu judged it based on the ideas of his generation, so he naturally agreed with it with both hands.
Wang Jinfang clinked glasses with Xu's father, took a sip of wine, hesitated for a while, and said, "I asked about serving in the army a few days ago, and the people inside told me that there are not many places. If you really want to go, you can take it first." Twenty thousand yuan. I just want to ask Uncle Xu, what do you think?"
Dad Xu pondered for a while: "Is it about money...?"
Wang Jinfang shook his head quickly: "No, no, I have saved some money in the past two years. I plan to sell the pig farm for the insufficient part. It should be enough to make up."
"It turns out that this is the process of Wang Jinfang serving as a soldier in a pig farm. I don't know why I didn't participate in this conversation in my previous life... Could it be that I didn't go home that week?"
Xu Tingsheng thought for a while, then interjected, "Why don't you raise pigs anymore?...Well, our teacher said that serving as a soldier is not a good way out now. If you don't have this pig farm, and you don't have to pay the 20,000 yuan... , I think it would be good to exercise, but now... why don't you continue to raise pigs?"
Wang Jinfang shook his head: "On the one hand, I still want to be a soldier. Anyway, it's a way out. On the other hand, the pig farm can't go on anymore. Once SARS came, the price of pork kept dropping. I was here last month. Someone else offered 30,000, I hesitated, and now it has dropped to 16,000."
Xu Tingsheng searched his memory. During the period of SARS in 2003, the price of pork did reach a rock bottom. Many farmers could not bear the pressure, and either sold it at a loss, or slaughtered it for burial, resulting in a sharp decline in the number of live pigs that year. But this low tide In fact, the past is very fast. After the worst months of SARS have passed, people’s fear of SARS in remote counties like Libei County soon disappeared. The price of pork began to rebound rapidly, and the market price exceeded that before SARS. double.
At the end of that year, due to the emergence of bird flu, poultry meat such as chicken and duck was temporarily withdrawn from the daily diet of the people, which objectively promoted another wave of rise in pork prices.
Thinking of this, Xu Tingsheng said: "I heard people say that SARS may pass soon. So let's think this way, if there are fewer people raising pigs, will the price of pork go up after SARS passes?"
Both Wang Jinfang and Dad Xu looked at Xu Tingsheng in surprise, and Dad Xu asked curiously, "Then what do you mean?"
Xu Tingsheng thought for a while and said, "What I mean is that instead of continuing to raise them, it's better to take advantage of this wave of price cuts and then buy some at a lower price to expand the scale of breeding. After SARS is over, maybe I can make a small fortune."
Father Xu hesitated for a while, and said to Wang Jinfang, "Jinfang, what do you think of what Tingsheng said?"
Wang Jinfang scratched his head and smiled: "I don't know either, just seeing that everyone is selling it, I will follow suit."
Xu Tingsheng was a little anxious, and hurriedly said, "Then when you go back, remember to think about it carefully, and don't rush to make a decision. I think the situation I mentioned is very likely."
Wang Jinfang nodded and didn't say much.
Dad Xu didn't say much.
After Wang Jinfang left, his mother and younger sister were also full to watch TV, and father and son were left at the dinner table. Xu's father hesitated for a while, and poured Xu Tingsheng a small glass of rice wine.
Xu Tingsheng picked up his wine glass and clinked with his father, and asked, "Dad, how do you think Jinfang will decide?"
Dad Xu smiled: "Jinfang is different from you. He actually has a similar concept to our generation. After trying it once, it will be difficult to have the courage to take risks again. It's harder to be a soldier than you said. Be safe."
Xu Tingsheng understood what Dad Xu said. On the surface, he was talking about Wang Jinfang, but in fact he was talking about himself
"Dad, I think you're actually very young. How should I put it, you just...have a lot to do." Xu Tingsheng said with a smile.
"That shit has a lot to offer." Dad Xu's laughter has always been hearty, which is the imprint left by his high-spirited youth. At this moment, Dad Xu said with a smile: "I only want you and your sister to be healthy now, take care of yourself." Just study. This family will depend on you in the future... I have nothing to think about myself." In the second half of the sentence, the bright smile on Xu's father's face was replaced by a look of helplessness and loss.
Xu Tingsheng saw it, and suddenly said seriously: "But you are not reconciled, a person who dared to come out to set up a factory at the age of 18, I don't believe you are willing to be like this for the rest of your life."
Father Xu was silent.
Xu Tingsheng continued: "Dad, I'm not reconciled either. I still like you in the past. Drinking in big bowls, talking and laughing loudly, my mother said that you looked so young when you were young, and waved all the female workers in the three nearby factories to see you." Movies, and deliberately sent the movie tickets next to me to my mother... How chic and chic you were at that time."
"How do you use the words? You still have to go to university just like this. That's romantic? That's called... technology. If it's not for chasing your mother and I'm embarrassed to be too direct, do you think I'm willing to invite so many people to watch a movie?!" Xu Dad slapped Xu Tingsheng once again, as Xu Tingsheng wished, but of course it was just a light pat on the head.
"Okay, technology... Anyway, I've been thinking for the past two years, you can't stay in the fields all the time. As long as there is an opportunity and a sum of capital, you can start from scratch."
Dad Xu was obviously a little moved, pondered for a while, and said slowly: "It's not that easy, our family only has so little money now, I want to use it for you and your sister to go to school, don't say it's not enough, I will go to set up a factory, Even if it’s enough, I can’t take the risk.”
Xu Tingsheng hurriedly asked, "Dad, can you tell me how much money our family has now?"
Dad Xu looked at his son suspiciously, and said, "It's a little over 30,000, what do you think it's enough for?"
In 2003, it was 30,000 yuan, not too much, not too much, Xu Tingsheng pondered for a while, and said, "Dad, don't always limit your thinking to building a factory. 30,000 yuan is not enough to set up a factory. You can do a lot. For other businesses, what to do specifically, how to do it, we will discuss it with my father and son after my college entrance examination, in short, I hope you will get back your confidence and the energy you used to have."
Dad Xu thought for a while, smiled and nodded, "Then wait until you graduate."
Hearing what his father said, Xu Tingsheng was in a good mood. He picked up his wine glass and clinked it with Xu's father, and drank it in one gulp: "This glass of wine is done first as a respect, and I wish my father... a comeback and kill everyone."
Father Xu laughed heartily, toasted happily, and drank it all in one gulp.
…
Xu Tingsheng didn't know how much this conversation touched his father, let alone whether his father had made up his mind. His idea was very simple. If his father still had the energy and decided to make a comeback, then he would give his father some advice and rest assured. It's also good to be a behind-the-scenes pusher and rich second generation.
As the saying goes, there is no better way to know a son than a father, but in fact, why does a son not know his father? Xu Tingsheng knew that his father's ability is actually very strong, at least better than his previous life, but he just lacked confidence.
So... what if the father backs down in the end? Xu Tingsheng has also thought about this, so through his own efforts, he can let his father live in peace and comfort for the rest of his life.
…
Xu Tingsheng did not see Wang Jinfang the next day.
On the third day, Sunday, Xu Tingsheng slept until noon, when Wang Jinfang came to the house when he woke up, Xu Tingsheng got up without even fully dressed.
Wang Jinfang came to say goodbye, but he still decided to sell the pig farm and serve as a soldier.
"Don't you think about it anymore? I promise, SARS will pass soon." Xu Tingsheng used the word "guarantee" out of desperation.
Wang Jinfang smiled: "I have collected and used up all the money from selling the pig farm, and the matter of serving as a soldier has almost been settled... So, Uncle Xu, Tingsheng, I'll go first, and see you when I return from the army."
Wang Jinfang left.
Xu Tingsheng waved his hands in a daze.
He couldn't change Wang Jinfang's choice of selling cheap pig farms to become a soldier, and he didn't know whether Wang Jinfang's subsequent fate would be the same as his previous life.
He's just messed up.
Even if he is lucky enough to be reborn and predict the future, some people and some things are irreversible after all.