amaotonovel Chapter 1287 The opportunity to make my first fortune has arrived.
Chapter 1287 The opportunity to make my first fortune has arrived.
Chapter 1287 The opportunity to make your first fortune has arrived.
After dinner, Qin Hao stood up, dusted himself off, and prepared to leave. Song Yunping insisted on seeing him off. She remained silent the entire way until they reached the intersection, when she finally couldn't help but speak: "Actually, my grades aren't that bad..."
Qin Hao chuckled: "In that case, I'll give you a question. In rectangle ABCD, AB=5, BC=12..."
After a long pause, Song Yunping stammered and gave up: "I...I can't answer that..."
"So, people should know their own limitations and never do things beyond their capabilities, such as taking the exam again next year. With your abilities, you only have this one chance to go to university this year, while your brother can still get in next year."
Song Yunping remained silent for a long time without speaking, only cautiously glancing at Qin Hao out of the corner of her eye.
"What? You think that someone as physically strong as me must be simple-minded?"
Song Yunping waved her hands repeatedly: "Don't misunderstand, that's not what I meant... I just..."
"I just... I wonder why you don't go to university when your grades are so good?"
As they spoke, the two arrived at the intersection. Qin Hao stretched, his movements as leisurely as a cat that had just finished eating and was nestled in a haystack. The evening breeze lifted the hem of his clothes, revealing half of his muscular waist.
"There are more ways to change your destiny than just going to university. I'm not going to squeeze onto that narrow bridge with you guys. I have my own broad road to walk."
“Go back now. Remember, this is your only chance to change your fate. If you don’t seize it, you’ll be stuck here for the rest of your life.”
Song Yunping watched Qin Hao's departing figure in the sunset, lost in thought for a long time before turning back.
……
Two weeks later, on a sunny afternoon, Qin Hao was relaxing at home, enjoying the cool air.
"Brother Hao! Is Brother Hao home?" A familiar voice came from outside the courtyard.
Qin Hao looked up and saw Song Yunhui standing outside the fence, wearing a faded blue work uniform, with beads of sweat on his forehead, clearly having run all the way there.
"Xiao Hui? How did you find this place?"
Song Yunhui's face beamed with undisguised joy: "Brother Hao, my sister's college acceptance letter came in!! My parents asked me to invite you over for dinner tonight to thank you properly!"
Qin Hao raised an eyebrow: "Judging by the time, it should be around soon. Now your sister can finally breathe a sigh of relief, right?"
"Yeah, my sister's so happy, she didn't sleep a wink last night." Song Yunhui scratched his head. "Brother Hao, you absolutely have to come! My parents even killed a chicken for us."
Qin Hao smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll definitely go."
After agreeing on a time, Song Yunhui hurriedly returned to the pig farm to continue working. Qin Hao watched his departing figure, thoughtfully stroking his chin.
Could this be considered a change in Song Yunping's fate?
As evening fell, Qin Hao changed into a reasonably clean shirt, pulled a bottle of his treasured liquor from under the bed, wrapped it in a cloth, and prepared to take it to the Song family. He had obtained this liquor a few days earlier from an old drunkard in exchange for two large eels when he went to the county town; it was said to have been stored for ten years.
As soon as I stepped out of my house, I saw Song Yunhui already waiting at the intersection.
"Brother Hao!" Song Yunhui waved and greeted him from afar.
As Qin Hao approached, he suddenly asked, "There's only one spot for university, and it was given to your sister. Don't you have any thoughts about that?"
Song Yunhui was taken aback at first, then his face turned serious: "Of course I have thoughts about it! I'm so happy for my sister! Brother Hao, you don't know, our family has a bad class background, and we've been bullied since we were little. My sister is actually very timid, but if anyone bullies me, even if it's a kid much older than her, she'll rush up and fight them to the death."
At this point, Song Yunhui's eyes lit up: "Besides, it's just one university spot. I'll just take the exam again next year. I'll get first place in the whole county then, and let's see what they have to say!"
Qin Hao looked at the boy, who wasn't much younger than himself, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. He reached out and patted Song Yunhui on the shoulder, giving him a thumbs-up: "Not bad, a real man!"
Song Yunhui was a little embarrassed by the praise, so he quickly lowered his head and kept going.
As they spoke, the two arrived at the Song family's residence.
The Song family's house wasn't much better than Qin Hao's mud house, but it was very clean. There were a few vegetables growing in the yard, and a few chickens kept in the corner.
"Haozi's here! Come in and sit down!" Hearing the commotion, Song's father quickly came out to greet him.
Song's mother peeked out from the kitchen, a spatula in her hand: "Haozi, don't be shy, make yourself at home!"
Qin Hao smiled and nodded, handing the wine he had brought to Song's father: "Uncle, we're happy today, let's have something good to drink."
When Song's father took the bottle and looked at it, his expression immediately changed: "This is too expensive! Haozi, you take it back. We'll just have some regular wine!"
"Uncle, you're too kind," Qin Hao said, patting the wine bottle. "On such a joyous occasion, wouldn't it be a shame to miss out on the experience without good wine?"
Mr. Song was about to decline when Song Yunping came out of the house. She was wearing a light blue overall and her hair was styled in two braids; she looked much more energetic than usual.
Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Song's father could only invite Qin Hao into the house to sit down.
The main room of the Song family was not large, with a square table, a few chairs, and several yellowed New Year pictures pasted on the wall.
Several dishes were already laid out on the table: a plate of scrambled eggs, a bowl of stewed chicken, and some seasonal vegetables. In those days, this was considered a very sumptuous meal.
After everyone was seated, Song's father poured a glass of wine for each person. Qin Hao noticed that there was also a small glass in front of Song Yunping.
"This first toast today is to thank Haozi." Mr. Song raised his glass, his voice slightly choked with emotion. "If it weren't for Haozi's help, our family might not have even gotten a university spot."
Song Yunping lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Qin Hao quickly waved his hand: "Uncle, you're exaggerating. With Xiao Hui's temper, even without me, he would have barged in to find Director Yang."
"No matter what, you have to drink this glass of wine!" Father Song tilted his head back and downed the wine in one gulp.
Qin Hao didn't refuse any longer and drank it all in one gulp. The wine was indeed mellow and smooth, truly a fine wine.
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the table gradually warmed up. Mr. Song became more talkative, recounting the hardships the Song family had endured over the years. Mrs. Song occasionally chimed in, and at the most emotional moments, she even wiped away tears.
Song Yunhui listened quietly the whole time, occasionally refilling Qin Hao's wine. Song Yunping, on the other hand, was busy serving everyone food.
"Brother Hao, try this chicken. My mom stewed it all afternoon." Song Yunping placed a piece of chicken in Qin Hao's bowl, her voice gentle.
Qin Hao thanked her, took a bite, and found it indeed tender and flavorful: "Auntie's cooking is really good!"
Mother Song smiled so broadly her eyes narrowed into slits: "Eat more if you like!"
As the wine flowed freely, Qin Hao suddenly put down his chopsticks and lowered his voice to ask Song Yunhui, "Did you get electricity in the room at the pig farm?"
Song Yunhui nodded憨厚ly: "It's working now, I have a light in my room."
"That's perfect." Qin Hao leaned closer. "I'll come to the pig farm to see you tomorrow; I need your help with something."
Without hesitation, Song Yunhui agreed: "No problem, Brother Hao, you can come anytime!"
Song Yunping looked at the two of them curiously, her lips moved as if she wanted to ask something, but in the end she didn't say anything.
The meal lasted until the moon was high in the sky. Before leaving, Song Yunping insisted on seeing Qin Hao to the intersection.
A cool night breeze blew as the two walked side by side in silence. Under the moonlight, Song Yunping's profile appeared exceptionally gentle.
……
The next day at noon, Song Yunhui was feeding the pigs at the pig farm. The August sun was scorching, making him sweat profusely. Just as he was wiping his sweat, he saw Qin Hao carrying a bulging snakeskin bag and walking up the mountain in the distance.
"Brother Hao! Over here!" Song Yunhui waved hurriedly.
Qin Hao followed the sound and put the snakeskin bag on the ground with a loud thud.
"This place is quite secluded." Qin Hao looked around and nodded in satisfaction.
The pig farm was built halfway up the mountain, with few other houses nearby. Song Yunhui's small house, a brick room of less than ten square meters, was right next to the pigsty.
"Brother Hao, what are you doing?" Song Yunhui asked curiously, looking at the snakeskin bag on the ground.
Qin Hao smiled mysteriously, opened the bag, and took out a bunch of things: a soldering iron, solder wire, several old radios, and some miscellaneous parts.
"Brother Hao, you can even fix radios?" Song Yunhui's eyes widened.
"I know a little bit," Qin Hao said casually.
He put a lot of thought into these things. Most of the money he'd saved from selling loaches and eels over the past two weeks had been invested in them. The soldering iron and solder wire were secondhand goods he'd bought from the black market, while the broken radios were purchased by weight from a junkyard.
Song Yunhui helped carry the things into the house. The small house was very simple, with a bed, a table, and a few clothes hanging on the wall. The only electrical appliance was the dim light on the ceiling.
"Brother Hao, you go ahead with your work, I have to go feed the pigs," Song Yunhui said.
Qin Hao waved his hand: "Go ahead, don't worry about me."
After Song Yunhui left, Qin Hao began tidying up the pile of junk. He first inspected the broken radios, picked out the one with the least damage, and started disassembling it. His movements were practiced, as if he had done it countless times before.
Time passed second by second. When Song Yunhui returned after feeding the pigs, he heard a piercing electric shock as soon as he opened the door.
"China National Radio." Amidst the static, the voice of a female announcer came through the radio on the table, albeit intermittently.
Song Yunhui was so surprised he could hardly speak: "Brother Hao, you fixed it already?"
Qin Hao, focused on adjusting the knob, didn't even look up when he heard this: "It's still a bit lacking; the signal isn't very stable."
A few minutes later, the sound from the radio finally became clear, playing a revolutionary song.
"How is it? Not bad, right?" Qin Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Just a new shell and it looks brand new."
Song Yunhui carefully touched the radio, as if it were a precious treasure: "Brother Hao, you're amazing! You even fixed this!"
Qin Hao smiled and began packing up his tools. Song Yunhui stood to the side, hesitant to speak.
"Speak your mind," Qin Hao said without looking up.
Song Yunhui hesitated for a moment: "Brother Hao, you're not planning to repair it and sell it, are you?"
Qin Hao paused for a moment, looked up at Song Yunhui, and suddenly smiled: "Your sister said you were a quiet type, but aren't you quite clever?"
Song Yunhui's face flushed red instantly: "I...I was just guessing."
Qin Hao put down the screwdriver and said seriously, "That's right, I was planning to fix it and replace some parts. However..."
He held up one finger: "I won't sell it for money directly."
Song Yunhui blinked in confusion: "Then how come?"
“Barter,” Qin Hao explained. “For example, you could exchange a repaired radio for food coupons, meat coupons, or just some food and other necessities. Charging a small ‘materials fee’ is always acceptable, right?”
Song Yunhui frowned, feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Qin Hao noticed his hesitation and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. You can keep these things for now, as long as you don't betray me."
Song Yunhui immediately straightened his back: "I would never betray you, Brother Hao!"
"Alright, I was just kidding." Qin Hao laughed. "You're great in every way, except you're too serious. The most important thing in life is to be happy."
He said his last sentence in Cantonese.
Song Yunhui was stunned for a moment, but after Qin Hao explained it to him, he suddenly understood and laughed along.
In the days that followed, Qin Hao came to the pig farm almost every day to "work." He repaired more and more radios, and soon the corner of the small hut was piled high with various "spoils of war": grain coupons, cloth coupons, and even a bicycle coupon. These things were all obtained by exchanging them in the county.
From initial trepidation, Song Yunhui gradually grew accustomed to it and even began assisting Qin Hao. The two worked together more and more seamlessly, and Qin Hao would occasionally visit the Song family for meals, bringing with him supplies obtained through exchanging grain and cloth coupons. He never came empty-handed, which he considered as Song Yunhui's "wages."
Before they knew it, it was the end of August, the day Song Yunping was to depart for Jingzhou. On the train platform, Song's parents kept reminding their daughter of important things to do.
Song Yunhui stood to the side, carrying his sister's luggage.
Song Yunping kept turning back, searching for something in the crowd.
"Sister, what are you looking at?" Song Yunhui asked.
"No, it's nothing." Song Yunping forced a smile and looked away.
She didn't see that familiar figure until the train sounded its whistle and started moving. As the train slowly pulled away from the platform, Song Yunping leaned against the window, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.
Qin Hao didn't go to see Song Yunping off not because he forgot, but because he had a big deal today. Old Wu, the manager of the scrap metal recycling station, said that a new batch of scrapped television sets had arrived. As soon as Qin Hao heard about this good thing, he rushed over immediately.
Television sets are rare items, even if they are scrapped.
"Everything's here. So, how about we put together a TV?"
Old Wu was so nervous because his son was getting married next month. These days, having a TV in his son's wedding room would be a real status symbol.
Qin Hao shook his head, feigning seriousness: "Hard to say, these are incredibly well-made. Look at these picture tubes, not a single one of them works..."
“If the picture tube were good, we wouldn’t have it. I’ll figure out a way to get the picture tube. Just tell me you have a new picture tube and ask if you can help me assemble a TV.” Old Wu pressed.
"should be no problem."
"That's it."
"Then I'll take these things with me first."
"Okay, I'll have Xiao Li and Xiao Liu help you load it into the car."
Qin Hao chuckled to himself. With these gadgets, his first pot of gold would be secured. A television set was nothing like a radio; in 1978, it was a luxury item. It wasn't just about the money; a single television ticket could make tens of thousands of workers in a large state-owned factory work themselves to the bone.