Branch Manager Wu was in high spirits.
Dealing with Xia Xiaolan was straightforward – such a clever young woman, understanding what was needed without everything being spelled out.
Manager Wu didn’t feel guilty at all. He wasn’t seeking benefits for himself, hadn’t taken any kickbacks on loans, and promoting government bonds was purely about meeting targets. Government bonds were ultimately for supporting national construction. Manager Wu hadn’t taken a penny in benefits, so what was there to feel guilty about?
As for lending to Xia Xiaolan… heh, in Manager Wu’s opinion, her likelihood of repaying the loan was better than those barely surviving factories.
Manager Wu couldn’t understand – Reform and Opening Up had only been going for a few years, yet the old factories were already failing, relying on bank loans just to pay wages.
If Xia Xiaolan couldn’t repay the loan, she still had many wealthy relatives and friends. Manager Wu wasn’t worried.
Unaware of Manager Wu’s thoughts, Xia Xiaolan now had ample funds with the 200,000 yuan loan.
Buying 20,000 in government bonds wasn’t much – they could be redeemed after a few years. Xia Xiaolan treated it like a low-interest fixed-term investment. This money could help her open another store in Beijing.
What’s the difference between one sheep and two?
After the first store in Xidan, Xia Xiaolan planned to open the second in Xiushui Street.
Xiushui Street only emerged in 1980. Being just 5 years old, it was near embassies and diplomatic apartments, with scattered residents and shops, nowhere near as bustling as current-day Xidan.
“Can you make money opening a store there?”
Manager Wu wasn’t meddling; he was finally starting to worry slightly about the 200,000 yuan loan that hadn’t been disbursed yet.
Xia Xiaolan would receive 180,000, with 20,000 going to government bonds, but she’d still need to repay the full 200,000 principal plus interest.
“It should work out. Location selection depends partly on luck.”
Xia Xiaolan spoke mysteriously, leaving Manager Wu speechless.
Xia Xiaolan knew Xiushui Street would transform within two years, becoming a must-visit “attraction” for Chinese and foreign tourists, like the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square. A trip to Beijing wouldn’t be complete without visiting Xiushui Street and haggling with its ruthless shopkeepers.
Some called Xiushui Street “a 21st century Along the River During Qingming Festival painted by Reform and Opening Up’s scissors” – imagine how lively it would become!
Xiushui Street sold not just clothing but also silk, tea, porcelain, and other Chinese cultural goods. Being in the embassy district meant frequent foreign customers, and many vendors would overcharge them… Though Xia Xiaolan had no such intentions. Slightly higher prices were fine, and selling Chinese cultural products could attract foreigners, but deliberately overcharging wasn’t necessary. Foreigners weren’t foolish – after being cheated once, getting them to spend money regularly would become difficult.
Xiushui Street was already livelier than when it was first built in 1980. Manager Wu found a store quickly this time, and the bank’s loan processing was fast – the loan and store came through almost simultaneously.
Xia Xiaolan was incredibly busy. Low interest wasn’t any interest – each day with the money meant accruing interest.
She had no time to deal with Young Master Du or Old Master Du.
…
Zhou Cheng’s life hadn’t seen many major setbacks.
Birth circumstances couldn’t be helped – Zhou Cheng had a nanny growing up. While other children considered corn porridge a delicacy, he drank milk powder.
With Zhou Guobin and Guan Hui’e’s salaries, their only son was unlikely to suffer hardship.
Moreover, Zhou’s parents would occasionally provide support. Back then, Old Master Zhou had the highest salary, benefiting all his children. Old Master Zhou was gratified that none of his two sons and two daughters were idle – though not all were highly successful, they could support themselves through work.
So the elder Zhous’ support went mostly to the third generation.
Not just Zhou Cheng, but even Zhou Yi, who felt her grandparents showed favoritism, had received their support in childhood.
That support ensured Zhou Cheng, Zhou Yi, and their generation never went hungry. As a leading cadre, Old Master Zhou could only do this much, which was already remarkable in those years. Twenty years ago, things were much poorer than now – many went hungry, and just being well-fed was considered fortunate.
Zhou Cheng’s first setback came after returning from the front line. When he was up for promotion, some disapproved. He was too close to Pan Baohua, who crippled someone for revenge and had to retire early. After Pan Baohua left, others still disliked Zhou Cheng and set him up during exercises.
Zhou Cheng’s handling was somewhat radical, leading to an irreconcilable conflict. The unit gave both sides equal punishment and was about to discipline Zhou Cheng.
Having never used his leave in years of work, Zhou Cheng took an extended vacation.
It was during this leave that he met Xia Xiaolan.
Of course, that disciplinary action eventually came to nothing.
The second setback was his conflict with Fang Shizhong, which interrupted his momentum. For this, he had to study at the Land Academy for two years, diluting the negative influence while making up for his lack of cultural knowledge!
The third time was when he succeeded in catching smugglers one day, only to be suspected of colluding with smuggling groups the next, leading to isolation and investigation!
The investigation didn’t starve Zhou Cheng – three meals were provided daily, he just couldn’t communicate with others.
While others were on missions, he was idle at base.
Zhou Cheng could only request some books.
Wasn’t he supposed to study cultural knowledge?
Since he couldn’t do anything else, at least he could study.
The investigators found Zhou Cheng quite calm, showing no signs of guilt. Perhaps it was all an act to fool them and gain trust.
Zhou Cheng was genuinely studying.
He felt the cultural gap between him and Xiaolan was widening. His wife was a Huaqing student, and if she pursued graduate studies later, would they still have anything in common? Zhou Cheng knew he was more handsome than others and treated Xiaolan better, but there was still a gap. He worried excellent male students at Huaqing might steal her away.
He left in a hurry, not knowing if the Ji family matter was resolved.
That Ji boy might have feelings for his wife – why else would the Ji family act so crazy for no reason?
This sense of crisis drove Zhou Cheng to study.
He wasn’t naturally stupid; his mediocre academic performance had been due to a lack of focus. Now, with this crisis and needing to divert his attention, he developed a feel for studying.
Breaking down unfamiliar knowledge until he thoroughly understood it gave him a sense of achievement.
It was like spotting enemies moving hazily behind obstacles, taking aim, and hitting the target – that feeling was exhilarating!
Was this studying?
Could he learn?
Zhou Cheng would ask about anything he didn’t understand in the books. Those who came to investigate him ended up having to explain problems. If not for the Land Academy instructors there, it would have been embarrassing.
The cultural knowledge Zhou Cheng didn’t know – others might not know either!
He had a middle school education; others at most had high school.
These days, regular university graduates wouldn’t even come to work here.
Zhou Cheng’s only worry was his wife. After more than a month without contact, Xiaolan had gone to Jibei Province looking for him, but he wasn’t even at the Land Academy there. His wife must be so worried!
They would end the isolation investigation if he revealed his dealings with Pan San, admitted Pan San was smuggling, disclosed what information they had exchanged, and where Pan San’s bases were – all these questions faced Zhou Cheng. But how could he? What didn’t exist couldn’t be admitted. They kept pressuring him to confess but having learned from experience, Zhou Cheng’s temper had improved – otherwise, how could he cooperate so quietly with the investigation?
“Zhou Cheng, do you have nothing to say?”