Government bond products?

Government bonds, that is!

Manager Wu, or rather, Bank Director Wu, wasn’t dealing with someone who would bow down for a hundred thousand yuan.

After all, this was just a Haidian District branch – weren’t they used to deposits and withdrawals? Some work units withdrew millions when paying salaries.

The difference was that those were public funds, while Xia Xiaolan’s was private money!

Bank Director Wu wasn’t joking – he was being driven crazy by the government bond quota. Higher-ups assigned quotas to lower levels, employees had to buy them, and many were unwilling. Banks had it worse – besides internal subscriptions, they had to promote purchases to depositors.

Upon hearing that redemption would take years, depositors would turn and run – why not just use fixed-term deposits?

Higher interest rates and safer too – why buy government bonds?

Director Wu lost sleep over it, desperately selling to any major client he could find.

These quotas couldn’t be fulfilled entirely through internal bank employee purchases – everyone needed their salary for daily living; they didn’t have that much money.

But Xia Xiaolan had money – she’d just spent 15,000 yuan on books. Director Wu had understood clearly that this wasn’t a school purchase but a donation to a county high school. Donations usually meant giving away a few old books, but spending 15,000 yuan on new ones? Director Wu couldn’t understand wealthy people’s thinking.

One thing Director Wu did know: missing this young, generous wealthy person meant it wouldn’t be easy to find another kind-hearted sucker.

Xia Xiaolan, reminded by Director Wu, only then remembered that government bonds could be traded. But buying bonds in ’84 seemed too early – buying at face value wasn’t worthwhile. She remembered that the government wouldn’t open bond trading until ’88. Government bonds were definitely profitable – this sector had produced legendary figures like “Million-Yuan Yang” in the stock market.

But profit wouldn’t come now, not buying at face value.

Should she buy over a hundred thousand in bonds waiting for appreciation in four years?

That would be crazy – keeping the money liquid and trading multiple times, by ’88 she’d be far ahead of Million-Yuan Yang.

But Director Wu was incredibly enthusiastic.

His attitude was extremely humble.

Xia Xiaolan finally bought 3,000 yuan in government bonds before leaving the branch.

She was supporting national construction – this 3,000 yuan wouldn’t show any profit in the short term. Director Wu, touching his heart with glistening eyes, was grateful even for selling 3,000 yuan – his initial minimum target had been 1,000 yuan.

For amounts under 1,000 yuan, Director Wu wouldn’t personally handle it – that was the tellers’ task.

While Director Wu was elated at completing a 3,000-yuan bond sale, the teller who had initially served Xia Xiaolan was miserable.

“Little Ma, one must be clever!”

Ma wanted to cry.

Why had he wasted so many words questioning someone’s withdrawal amount? She was so easy to persuade – if he had sold 3,000 yuan in bonds, he would have met several months’ quota!

Xia Xiaolan couldn’t care less about Director Wu and Teller Ma’s feelings.

Her bank trip had settled the book donation, withdrawn the wire transfer money, and temporarily deposited it in a current account at the branch. Today’s 3,000 yuan wasn’t wasted for Xia Xiaolan – it had reminded her of another way to make money.

Back in her dorm room, Xia Xiaolan took out her notebook and wrote down “Government Bonds.”

After thinking, she noted “88” beside it.

She wasn’t sure which month in 1988 the government would open bond trading. If she wanted to profit from buying low and selling high, she’d better start by late 1987. Of course, she might not have handled it personally then, but she needed to note down this business opportunity.

Xia Xiaolan’s brain wasn’t a computer – to avoid forgetting, she recorded many things in her unique way. A bad pen is better than a good memory. After her rebirth, more and more people and events filled her life, making her forget some details from her previous life.

Who would constantly reminisce when current life was so fulfilling?

Xia Xiaolan recorded major events, and she had truly forgotten about the government bonds.

The 3,000 yuan reminded her of another money-making avenue and showed her the bank staff’s powerful network. She had always wanted to buy a house in Beijing. Seeing the Zhou family’s attitude, she increasingly didn’t want to ask Zhou Cheng for help – not because of growing distant from him, but to avoid misunderstandings from his family… If Director Wu could help make connections, Xia Xiaolan thought buying another 3,000 yuan in bonds would be worthwhile.

Director Wu would surely be delighted, right?

This money was more cost-effective than agent fees, which would go to agencies. Though spent on bonds, the money was still hers.

Today’s bank leaders were so endearingly simple.

Xia Xiaolan wondered what kind of house she should buy.

If she could get a plot of land, it didn’t need to be large – she could design and build it herself, that would be even better.

Stay calm – even graduation design was three or four years away, where could she get land now? It was impossible!

…

Peng City.

Tang Hongen watched the videotape many times over.

The beginning looked increasingly familiar.

The later parts grew increasingly strange.

Tang Hongen lost sleep over this matter, triggering his old stomach condition! Secretary Peng was anxiously upset, and driver Wang tactlessly mentioned that Liu Fen was in Peng City.

Secretary Peng scolded Wang, “She’s not the leader’s housekeeper!”

Though most people wanted connections with leaders, this didn’t apply to Liu Fen. Secretary Peng found Xia Xiaolan calculating but had the opposite impression of Liu Fen. When Tang Hongen was sick before, Liu Fen helped cook but never appeared before the leader. Secretary Peng could tell she was just an honest, simple village woman.

Unexpectedly, Tang Hongen overheard and asked Wang to invite Liu Fen.

“Just say I have some questions to consult with Comrade Liu Fen. You must be polite, and if she’s busy or has concerns, don’t force her, understand?”

Wang didn’t understand but knew to follow orders.

Liu Fen was about to return to Shangdu when she heard Mayor Tang’s invitation, making her instantly nervous.

“Mayor Tang is…”

Liu Yong couldn’t understand either. Tang Hongen consulting his niece Xiaolan made sense – she was clever.

But consulting his sister Ah Fen?

He couldn’t be asking about farming!

People in Peng City barely farmed, and nobody’s mind was on agricultural development now.

Liu Fen couldn’t refuse the leader’s summons, mainly lacking courage. If the village head called her to a meeting, could she refuse? Now it was the mayor!

Tang Hongen was quite gentle, thanking Liu Fen again for her help during his illness, but his following question made Liu Fen quite uncomfortable.

“I know you’re divorced from Xiaolan’s father. If Xiaolan is willing, would you prevent her from contacting her father?”