I Know the Street Stall Owner

The next day,

Fang Bai, as usual, guided the part-time students in repairing TVs and read during his free time. He planned to return to school that afternoon to ask his teachers some questions.

That morning, Fang Shi rode his bicycle to Yongjia No. 1 Middle School, intending to share the good news about the booming TV sales with his wife.

However, when he arrived at the school gate, no matter how he explained himself, the Gatekeeper refused to let him into the campus to look for anyone, mistaking him for someone trying to make excuses to get inside and find students.

Seeing that he looked like a farmer, it was only natural that the Gatekeeper did not want to bother with him.

Fang Shi had no choice but to stand outside the iron gate and peer inside. He happened to see his wife cleaning not far away and shouted, "Fengqing!"

Liu Fengqing had been busy sweeping with her head lowered. Suddenly hearing that familiar call, she looked up and saw the familiar figure waving at her.

When they met, Fang Shi told his wife how wildly the TVs had been selling.

"My heavens, eighteen thousand in a single day!"

Liu Fengqing raised her brows and opened her mouth wide. "Then doesn't that mean our family is getting rich?"

Her monthly salary was only fifty yuan, with no other benefits.

It was not that she liked the job, but she could not find stable work. Otherwise, where would they get the money for their children's schooling?

A few days ago, when her son had suggested that she quit, she had still been hesitating.

But now, her son had earned more in one day than she made in over twenty years. There was nothing left for her to hesitate over.

She decided to go over and help with some miscellaneous work.

"That's right. We sold twenty-nine TVs. I was in charge of collecting the money, and my shoulder bag was stuffed so full there was nowhere else to put it.

Our son said there were probably close to two hundred more that could be repaired. If we can sell them all... tsk, tsk, that could really be over a hundred thousand." Fang Shi spoke excitedly, proud of his son.

This way of making money was even more profitable than running a small factory.

Quite a few people in the village ran small workshops in the county town. Most made around ten thousand yuan, while the biggest earners probably made over a hundred thousand, though their factories were fairly large.

Now, his son was making more from one truckload of TVs than the village's most impressive bosses.

He had to maintain the glorious image of a father in front of his son, but in front of his wife, he could not help showing off a little.

"Alright, I'll go handle my resignation now. You go back and help our son first." Liu Fengqing finally made up her mind.

That morning, Fang Bai finalized the lease with the next-door landlord. The yearly rent was 450 yuan, ninety yuan more than his own place.

Take it or leave it.

Paying an extra ninety yuan for convenience, Fang Bai did not mind being taken advantage of a little.

Seven people came in that morning to have TVs repaired. The original shop was piled full of televisions and felt especially cramped; even shifting one's backside was a hassle.

With another shop, everyone had much more room to move around.

That afternoon,

Fang Bai bought a bag of apples weighing six or seven jin and went to Oubei No. 1 Middle School.

When entering through the school gate, he gave the Gatekeeper an apple and chatted with him for a couple of sentences.

The Gatekeeper smiled and let him into the campus, telling him to come back to school often when he had time.

The Gatekeeper earned the lowest salary in the school, but to students, he was an important figure second only to the Principal.

If you were familiar with the Gatekeeper, you could swagger out of the campus without even needing a leave slip.

Fang Bai walked up the steps, crossed the hall, and arrived at the Homeroom Teacher's office. Just as he was about to enter, he heard several teachers discussing the TV stall at Oubei Bus Station.

Thinking about it carefully, it was perfectly normal for these teachers to know.

The south gate of Oubei No. 1 Middle School was only two or three hundred meters from Oubei Bus Station. Some teachers lived downtown and passed by there after work in the afternoon, so it was normal for them to see it. Maybe they had even joined the crowd to take a look.

He had left the stall at four in the afternoon, or he might really have run into his teachers.

"Yesterday, when I was going home, I passed the bus station and saw people selling TVs. There were tons of buyers. Every TV was only twenty percent of the original price, including large color TVs. A twenty-one-inch one was only 1,100 yuan."

"How could they be so cheap? At twenty percent, people must be rushing to buy them."

"The TVs were a bit old. They said they were imported test units, which was why they were so cheap, and lots of people were scrambling for them. Sigh, it's a pity I didn't bring any money. Otherwise, I would have bought a Color TV to take home. I can't afford a twenty-one-inch one, but a fourteen-inch one would do."

"If they work, then they really are worth buying. I want one too. Teacher Zhang, will that stall still be there?" Fang Bai's Homeroom Teacher, Zhan Feng, asked.

"They said they'd be setting up again tomorrow."

Only after knocking did Fang Bai enter. Laughing, he handed fruit to the three teachers in the office, saving the largest share for his Homeroom Teacher, Zhan Feng.

Last time, he had given fruit to the teachers in his old Homeroom Teacher's office. This time, it was his new Homeroom Teacher and the other teachers' turn.

The same routine again. The teachers politely accepted Fang Bai's fruit, got to know him, and found this student particularly interesting.

After the teachers accepted the fruit, Fang Bai finally joined the conversation. "Teachers, I just heard that you want to buy imported TVs?"

"We were just talking casually. But if they're really that cheap, we could consider it."

"Oh, I see.

If you really want to buy one, I know the street stall owner. There won't be any huge discount, but at most I can get you ten percent off the original price.

His TVs are imported test units. They're old, but there's no problem with the quality."

The moment he finished speaking, the teachers were somewhat surprised.

One female teacher really wanted to buy a Color TV, and her eyes lit up. "Fang Bai, really? You're not joking, are you? You really know that owner?"

"Of course I know him. We're from the same village, and his surname is Fang too. We're very close." Fang Bai smiled. The owner was himself, and the little boss was his father.

He simply did not want the teachers to know that his family was selling TVs.

It was only right for him to ask teachers questions in ordinary times and be grateful to them. It could also be considered giving back to society.

Most teachers in this era truly devoted themselves wholeheartedly to their students. Working overtime without Overtime Pay to grade assignments was commonplace. At night, they patrolled the student dormitories, paid attention to every student's family circumstances, and occasionally made home visits because they did not want society to gain another good-for-nothing.

Besides, since they knew each other, giving the teachers a discounted price was nothing. It was not because he wanted to show off how impressive he was in front of them. That would be far too boring.

"Oh, so that's how it is. Then how do we get the discount when we buy one?"

"I'll visit that fellow villager who owns the stall when I go back this afternoon. When you buy one, just give them my name and say I referred you."

After saying that, Fang Bai told his Homeroom Teacher, "If Homeroom Teacher wants to buy one, I can get you twenty percent off the original price. This is a friendship price I got, limited to one TV."

"Fang Bai, thank you. I'll think about it. TVs aren't cheap, after all." Zhan Feng was tempted when she heard the discount, though she was somewhat doubtful and did not know whether it was true.

In any case, she could ask about it later.

If the discount really was that large, she would truly owe her student a favor. So she said to Fang Bai,

"Thank you in advance, Fang Bai."

"Yes, thank you in advance too, Fang Bai, whether I end up buying one or not." The other teachers said the same. They felt that Fang Bai might really be bragging, but they hoped it was true.

"You're too polite, Teachers. It's just a small matter." Fang Bai smiled as he took out a notebook from his backpack and unceremoniously began asking the teachers questions.

Several teachers enthusiastically discussed the questions he raised together.

When Fang Bai entered the classroom, his classmates were only mildly curious this time. They felt that this guy was always skipping school, so why was he even repeating the year?

"Boss, you finally came!" Seeing Fang Bai arrive, Wang Dakai stood up and greeted him with a grin.

When the other students heard him call Fang Bai that, they became even more curious. What had Fang Bai done to make this big guy willingly become his lackey?

Of course, most of the students thought the two were neglecting their studies and playing at being gangsters, and they looked down on them somewhat.

"Yeah, I'm here!"

Fang Bai patted Wang Dakai on the shoulder and sat down. This guy liked calling him "Boss," so he would let him.

He felt that this big guy was quick-witted and sincerely wanted to be friends, making him worth befriending.

Next, Fang Bai attended two afternoon classes to experience the learning atmosphere in the classroom.

Actually, as he sat there, he somewhat missed the days when he had gone to school with Qin Shuyu.

During his second and third years of high school, he had sat behind Qin Shuyu. He could see that girl's long jet-black hair, chat with her for a few words, and spend those wonderful high school days together.

Now, seated directly in front of him was a lively, round-faced girl named Zhang Xiao Ai. Sitting beside her was Zheng Ran, a thin girl with a face full of acne who was very shy.

Of course, Fang Bai was not looking down on them for being unattractive. He could still chat with them during breaks.

When Zhang Xiao Ai saw Fang Bai sit down, she turned around and squeezed out a huge smile. "Fang Bai, I haven't seen you in so many days."

"Yeah, Classmate Xiao Ai, long time no see." Fang Bai suddenly thought of the voice activation phrase for smart devices in his later life and almost laughed.

"Boss, Little Cutie is pretty great."

Zhang Xiao Ai raised her brows. "Big Guy, I don't allow you to call me that. Please call me Zhang Xiao Ai."

Wang Dakai gave a foolish grin. "Okay, Little Cutie."

Zhang Xiao Ai snorted, too lazy to pay attention to him. She turned back around and continued reading.

Fang Bai knew this big guy was playing dumb. Could he really like Classmate Zhang Xiao Ai?

Well, the two of them were quite a match.

"Boss..." Wang Dakai wanted to chat with Fang Bai.

"Read. Less nonsense!"

"Oh, okay." Wang Dakai also sat straight and picked up his book to read seriously.

Fang Bai studied seriously. The monthly exam was only a few days away. He had been busy doing business lately, but he could not let his studies fall behind.

He spent the most time on English, followed by physics and mathematics, while he spent the least time on Chinese.

Fang Bai believed that raising his Chinese score from ninety-two to one hundred would be enough, while in his other subjects, he needed to reach at least eighty percent of the full score.

The total score was 710. Eighty percent was 568, enough to get into a Key University and fulfill the requirement of advancing two levels.

If it were based on a total score of 750, then he would need 600, which would be extremely difficult.

That was why getting into a Key University was so hard.

Fang Bai studied with all his strength, hoping to leave no regrets.

After school that afternoon, Fang Bai went to the teachers' office again to ask questions. He was delayed for more than ten minutes before leaving school.

When he returned to the rental, he saw that his Younger Sister and mother had both arrived, and his father had returned as well.

When Fang Tingting saw her older brother come back, she ran over and clung to his arm. "Older brother, you got so many TVs? Does that mean our family can have one Color TV per person?

Can I claim one for myself and mess around with it?"

Hearing his Younger Sister ask that, Fang Bai knew she had not left the school grounds these past few days. "As long as it doesn't affect your studies, you can watch one with each eye if you want."

"Wow, really? Older brother, you're the best."

"Fake. Keep dreaming. You've watched too many TV dramas and got maggots in your brain."

"No way, you just promised me. When vacation comes, I'm claiming one."

Liu Fengqing was especially happy to see her children. Suddenly remembering something, she took a letter from a small bag and handed it to her son. "Son, Xiao Yu wrote you a letter. Remember to write back to her."

The envelope was from Shencheng University of Finance and Economics, and it was signed "Qin Shuyu." Liu Fengqing knew who had written it and reminded her son not to overlook something important.

Letters in this era generally had to be signed. If they could not be delivered, they could still be returned to the sender.

Fang Bai hurriedly took it. "Mom, when did it arrive?"

"Last night. The Village Chief announced over the loudspeaker for people to collect their mail. I went home this afternoon and brought it to you."

Fang Bai gave an "Oh." Mail carriers generally delivered letters to the elementary school, and every so often the Village Chief would make a loudspeaker announcement to notify the whole village. Otherwise, people had to go to the elementary school's mailroom themselves at irregular times to check.

In some villages, mail carriers delivered directly to people's doorsteps. But their village had steep terrain, and the mail carriers were unwilling to make door-to-door deliveries unless it was an especially important document or they were told to collect it in town.

Fang Bai took the letter back to his bedroom and opened the envelope.

He first checked the date it had been written: October 16. It had arrived at his home on October 24, and today was already October 25, Thursday.

He had only read for a moment when his Younger Sister slipped in. With a mischievous grin, she said, "Brother, you have a girlfriend? She's even a college student. You're amazing. Mom said she's really pretty. Why did such a flower get gobbled up by a pig like my brother? I just can't figure it out."

"Your brother's charm is unbeatable. Got it?"

Fang Bai pushed his Younger Sister out of the bedroom, then locked the door. She was interrupting him while he read the letter.