Chapter 58

  "Oh, is it? That's great." A flash of delight crossed Stacy's eyes. "You are..."

  "Reynard, her current violin teacher." Reynard pointed silently towards Mordred.

  "You don't play piano," Stacy said, stroking his goatee, so she didn't recognize who he was.

  "Thanks." Renard nodded in gratitude, not daring to say that Mo Bei wanted to go to Curtis because it was tuition-free, or else this music teacher at the Curtis Music Academy would definitely go crazy.

  "Silly girl, this is a teacher from the Curtis Music Academy. You're very lucky to have caught her attention." Reynard said to Mo Bei, who was still in a daze.

  "I think if you're really going to apply to Curtis, I'll write you a letter of recommendation," Stacy said seriously.

  After hearing this, Fang Mo Bei was stunned for a moment, then jumped up excitedly and sat back down again. To enter Curtis Institute of Music, you need two letters of recommendation from professional musicians outside of the school. Fang Mo Bei wasn't worried because she had Leonard, so she shouldn't have any problems. But unexpectedly, a master-level musician like Curtis suddenly took a liking to her and even wrote a letter of recommendation for her. This was simply a pie that fell from the sky, an ultra-luxurious pie. Now she wouldn't have to owe anyone else a favor, especially not Leonard.

  "Of course, of course, Miss Stacy. Thank you for your attention." Mu Bei stood up again and bowed sincerely to her.

  Stacy stroked her long hair elegantly, with a sly smile, "Although I have high hopes for you, during the interview, I won't go easy on you. You must continue to work hard and don't disappoint my expectations, I'm looking forward to your performance during the interview."

  "Of course," Mo Bei nodded silently in guarantee.

  Stacy smiled slyly, looking forward to the days to come.

  Stacy never mentioned the previous topic again, and enthusiastically discussed the trivial details of the elegant art of violin with Moe Bei and Lennard.

  "Hey young man, you have a solid grasp of theoretical knowledge!" Stacy said, looking at him properly for the first time.

  "I was originally majoring in violin," Leonard said.

  "You just mentioned the Royal College of Music in England," Stacy asked, "what's your full name?"

  "Leonard Stock."

  "Alfred Stock," Stacy said.

  "It's just my father."

  "Yeah, just you'd go teach her violin." Stacey said, bewildered. Her father was a world-renowned master in the music industry and her brother was hailed as a child prodigy violinist.

  "I've been entrusted with this," said Leonard.

  "Oh" Stacy looked at his stiff appearance, not as lively as before, and suggested "You should continue to study further."

  Perhaps changing the environment wouldn't be bad after all. When Renard said that this silly girl from the north got into Curtis, I thought I would find a college to finish my studies."

  "Is this right?" Stacy said with an air of old-fashionedness, actually she looked younger than her actual age.

  They continued to communicate until the day before Mo Bei returned home, when Stacy reluctantly gave Mo Bei her contact information and solemnly wrote a letter of recommendation that would not be used for several years.

  As the year 1985 passed, Fang Mo Bei and Leina returned home after a competition, analyzed their performance, identified areas for improvement, and practiced intensively before participating in the next competition. Fang Mo Bei spent her days like this, with a fulfilling yet tense life that also brought rewards, although she was exhausted. However, seeing the increasing amount of money in her savings account filled her with motivation. Leina couldn't help but shake his head at her greedy appearance.

  Even Fang Mo Nan, who was following them, became numb and didn't even want to be a flying person in the air.

  This year, the family members are all doing well. My old dad has been promoted and, thanks to his outstanding achievements in bringing technology to the countryside, he has been recommended by someone higher up and has become the director of the newly established Investment Promotion Bureau of the county. After New Year's Day, he will take office!

  After the reform and opening up, emerging private enterprises are quietly rising. On the surface, everyone does not admit it, but in fact, a large number of people are playing edge ball with the law. Like them, those who have already employed a considerable number of workers as bosses are not in the minority. Either there is someone backing them from above or the whole family is working together to share the risks. As the saying goes, "there are policies from above and countermeasures from below." The brave ones get rich, while the timid ones starve. Sometimes, that's just how things are.

  Zhongteng Enterprise developed rapidly and expanded extremely quickly. After negotiating with the county government and the original machinery factory, it acquired the factory at a reasonable price. From originally "borrowing a chicken to lay eggs", it finally officially established the company.

  The four walls of the factory are written in large red paint "Quality is life", "Is money". Worried about the lack of skilled workers, Qi Qiu Shi also requisitioned land next to the factory and built a simple vocational school to ensure future development. Old workers have become accustomed to completing tasks with guaranteed quality and quantity, and under their influence, newly graduated vocational students also guarantee quality and quantity.

  Zhongteng Industry is booming under the leadership of Qi Qiu and Long Xianghai, while Hongwang Feed is thriving under the management of Sun Youcheng and Sun Yousheng. The two companies continue to expand in scale and have become the star enterprises and major taxpayers in the county. The two business owners jointly donated 10,000 new desks and chairs to the primary and secondary schools in the county.

  Shouhou in Shanghai did not do well, under the inspiration of Yan Guangxing, the two men calculated that where there is a supermarket, next to it is his home appliance store. With Fang Mernan's financial support, apart from Shanghai and Yangcheng, the two plan to open up to Beijing next, currently their strategy is ambitious to open branches in every provincial capital city.

  Liang Zi and Paozi's Jun Yue Lai Hotel has established a stable foothold. After investigating Hong Kong, with financial backing, they decided to expand outward.

  Cheng Shigui and his team continued to infiltrate the industry with a large amount of funds, and they came again on Christmas Eve.

  "It's only been a month since we last met, there was no need to come all the way here." Fang Mo Nan said, looking at them, Far away in Europe, Xiao Rong had something going on and couldn't make it.

  "It's okay, they're all on holiday in the West for Christmas. Besides, we can't do everything ourselves, let's just take a break and enjoy the moment." Yang Fan said with a smile. "You weren't here for these few months, Matthew and I were so busy that we couldn't even sleep, busy with the reorganization of the company bank after the acquisition. I'm exhausted!" He patted his small body and said coquettishly, "Look, I've lost weight from exhaustion."

  "Seriously," Fang Mo Nan pretended to shiver, "look at me, I'm getting goosebumps all over." She continued, "I'll definitely give you guys a good treat."

  "This is the best reward." Yang Fan said happily.

  "Is he usually like this?" Fang Mo Nan asked Cheng Shi Gui.

  "If I don't do this, everyone in the company will be scared away by Matthew's black face," Yang Fan said. "It's just right that one of us plays the bad guy and the other plays the good guy." He stroked his mustache and continued, "Although Matthew is handsome enough to make even Lan jealous, with a black face, no one dares to get close to him."

  "Ah, Yang Fan, looks like you're bored out of your mind and have the mood for me to tease you. There are a few acquisition plans left, come on over, I need to take a break." Cheng Si sat leaning against the sofa, gazing at him leisurely.

  "No, isn't it enough? I dare not anymore." Yang Fan also spoke to Matthew's taboo, and hurriedly clasped his hands together and made a desperate bow.

  "Alright, let's talk business." Fang Mo Nan said.

  "Things are going smoothly in Japan as planned, and we've established a good relationship with the local government, with hardly any major obstacles." Cheng Shigui sat up straight, "The Hong Kong side is also proceeding in an orderly manner, and the stock market has rebounded. On the US side, Microsoft's Windows has been officially released, and Cisco will release its protocol router early next year due to sufficient research funding."

  Fang Mo nodded silently, hearing the last one, this was a year earlier than before. "There will be no major actions next year, just do everything in an orderly manner."

  "Nan Nan, your aunt will soon receive the admission letter from Wharton School of Finance at University of Pennsylvania. If everything goes smoothly, she can start school next spring. Has she informed you guys yet?" said Cheng Shigui.

  "Ah, I don't know about this matter, she never said anything, she graduated from Beijing University." Fang Mo Nan asked a string of questions.

  "This thing was she first found Zhiqian, and then found me. She had already received her undergraduate certificate. Wharton Business School was contacted by me to help her, and the admission interview was also passed. Moreover, she also got a full scholarship. Didn't she discuss with her family?" said Cheng Shigui.

  "If not, I guess I'll just have to give you a surprise." He could only say that.

  "It's almost time for winter break anyway, just wait a bit." Fang Mo Nan said. The host is not here, others' responses are useless.

  After discussing things, Fang Mo Nan went to prepare dinner for everyone, while Mo Bei pulled Han Zhi Qian's hand and went into another room.

  Han Zhiqian looked at her anxiously and smiled, "The deposit slip is here." He handed it to Mo Bei, "Each record sells for one yuan, unexpectedly the sales volume has broken through one million copies. If sales continue, the money will also increase. Don't look down on the small amount of money, no one expected the sales would be so good,"

  "Hehe......" Mo Bei smiled foolishly. "Now that I'm going abroad, Mom and Dad won't have to worry so much."

  "By the way, I have about ten more songs here, so I'll entrust them to you." Mo Bei handed over the score, "The melody was composed by me, and the lyrics were filled in by someone else."

  Han Zhiqian held the sheet music, mostly inspirational songs, striving to move forward. These were all written by Fang Mornan, in order to encourage Mo Bei to strive for strength.

  Han Zhiqian flipped through it once and said, "Alright, ask again later. Wait for my news." He put away the lyrics.

  Fang Mo Nan had prepared a sumptuous feast to treat them, of course, the Bodhi fruit was juiced and blended into the dishes, subtle and unnoticeable, without arousing anyone's curiosity. That night they made several more trips to the bathroom, simply because they had eaten too much.

  "This is a pair of shoes Xiaomei asked me to give you." Han Zhijian handed Fang Mengnan a large package.

  "Ah, what did you bring?" Fang Mo Nan asked curiously, hugging his package.

  Han Zhiqian said, "I'd rather send it by express, after all, it's faster than sending a package." Han Zhiqian smiled.

  "Thank her for me," Fang Mo Nan said.

  "Is canvas shoes really good?" Han Zhiqian asked in surprise.

  "Of course." Fang Mo Nan put on the cloth shoes made by Xiao Mei, stood on the kang and walked back and forth, turned her head to look at them with an air of importance and said in ancient language, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." The feet not only bear the weight of the whole body but also help us run around and walk through the world, it can be said that they are laborious and meritorious. Health is built from the little things in life, and foot care is no exception. A person's feet are like a tree's roots. When a tree withers, its roots die first; when a person ages, their feet decline first. The health of the feet is closely related to the overall health of the body. Paying attention to foot care can also have the effect of preventing disease and prolonging life. She tapped her feet, lifted up her toes to take a look, and found that they fit perfectly.

  She sat down with her legs crossed and continued, "All along, cloth shoes and chopsticks have become symbols of the Chinese nation, making people sigh in admiration. Leather shoes make your feet ache, sports shoes make your feet unable to breathe, and the foot is the second heart of a person. In the human body's meridians, the six main meridians, including the Foot Three Yang and Foot Three Yin, are all distributed in the foot, with 33 acupoints below the ankle. The five organs and six viscera, as well as the four limbs and hundred joints, all have corresponding reflex zones in the foot. The 'Huangdi Neijing' says: 'When a person gets old, their feet decline first.'" She paused for a moment before continuing, "Cloth shoes have the rare ability to absorb moisture and breathe, creating a cool and comfortable shoe environment, preventing bacterial growth, and also promoting blood circulation in the foot, unblocking meridians, with excellent nourishing and protecting effects on the foot."

  "It's as good as you said it would be, it really moves people's hearts." Han Zhiqian's eyes shone brightly, with an eager expression.

  "Just try it and you'll see," said Fang Mo Nan.

  Because of the shoelace, it actually brought Han Zhiqian and Xiaomei together, but that's a story for later.

  Cheng Shigui and his wife left with a full load as usual. Cheng Shigui also took a purple pearl the size of a soybean to a jewelry store to set a pair of wedding rings. After it was done, he packaged and mailed it, very conveniently, whether it would be used or not, just in case.

  The winter vacation arrived, and Xiao Yi brought Da Bao and Xiao Bao together with He Qiuchu.

  "After dinner, 'Mom, I plan to study in the United States,' said Xiaoyi, dropping a bombshell while everyone was present. Fang Mengnan had learned about this from Cheng Shigui beforehand and wasn't surprised."

  "When are you getting married? Qiushi has been waiting for you for several years." Grandma was surprised and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "You can't bully an honest person."

  "Yes, Xiaoyan, you're not young anymore, it's time to settle down." Mother said with a heavy heart, what she didn't say was that she was afraid that her little sister would be too wild and wouldn't come back, which would be good. "And in an unfamiliar place, if you get bullied, who will take care of you?"

  Dad doesn't want to comment on this matter, Little Auntie is an adult now, she has the ability to make her own choices and take responsibility for them.

  My aunt finished her four-year course in two years and got a place to study abroad, she didn't want to give it up. "This marriage is not going to work out, foreign universities don't care, I can still attend classes with a big belly." My aunt's face didn't turn red as she paused for a moment, "Besides, Autumn Reality often runs to the US, and this year Mo Bei is taking the Curtis Institute of Music exam. I'll take care of her, you can't let such a young child go alone, right?" My aunt gave Qi Autumn Reality a look, asking him to help out.

  "Yeah, it's okay if Little Yan goes to take care of Mo Bei, I'll just run a few more errands, as long as she marries me, whatever she wants is fine." Qi Qiu Shi smiled foolishly, he had heard that his aunt was going abroad and his heart had fallen to the bottom of the valley, but after getting married again, his heart had risen to heaven. Marrying a daughter-in-law is easy anyway, but being able to hold onto a beautiful woman, he's so happy he can't even find north."

  "You will spoil Xiao Yan." Grandma scolded him, but in her heart, she felt more sorry for him. Her daughter was stubborn and disobedient, making it hard for him to be patient with her.

  "Go on, you figure it out yourselves, I don't care. The tuition is not cheap, and the living expenses are all taken care of." Grandma said, now that the child has grown up and become independent, she simply let go.

  "Don't worry, I'll cover your tuition and living expenses." Qi Qiushi hastily said.

  "It's actually not much, I got a full scholarship." said Xiao Yi.

  "Then when will you have your wedding?"

  "We'd better get it done before the New Year. After the New Year, we should be leaving," said Little Auntie.

  If Xiaoyi's summer vacation goes smoothly, she may go abroad to study music. The university courses are not as tight as the college entrance examination, nor are they like other university students actively expanding their social circle. All the spare time is used for intense learning. When thinking about her next step in development, she has a plan in mind. Taking advantage of her youth, she secretly signed up for the University of Pennsylvania - Wharton School - Finance (Finne).

  Grandma and Little Aunt are preparing for their wedding.

  Fang Mo Nan pulled Qi Qiu Shi's hand and walked towards the northern bedroom. After entering the room, Fang Mo Nan handed him a small square box. "What is this?" Qi Qiu Shi opened it to find a pair of rings lying quietly inside, and he looked at her with confusion.

  The ring is very beautiful, dazzling to the eyes. The ladies' gold diamond pearl ring is very beautiful, with small diamonds surrounding the pearl. The men's version has a circle of gold inlaid with small diamonds.

  "Block the color wolf." Fang Mo Nan said.

  "Pervert, I see," Qi Qiu suddenly realized. A foreigner's wedding ring, usually when people see the wedding ring on their hand, they will retreat. "Thanks a lot, this can at least ward off the perverts' harassment."

  "If it's really a wolf, then it can't be stopped." Fang Mo Nan ventured, "Aren't you afraid that your little aunt will go and not come back?"

  Qiu Shi sat on the edge of the bed, his head bowed, clutching a box tightly in his hand, his knuckles white. Just when Fang Mo Nan thought he wouldn't respond, a low voice rose up, "To be honest, that man isn't scary, but I'm more afraid that Xiao Yan will lose her opportunity and regret it later. In the past, we didn't have money to go to school, every time I saw others going to school, I felt envious, now that Xiao Yan has fulfilled our shared dream." "Hey, old guys, waiting two more years is fine too, anyway, the certificate has been issued, Xiao Yan won't run away, I trust her" His firm voice revealed his trust in her.

  "And what about you? You're now handsome and rich. Not a single young girl in the factory doesn't fawn over you," said Fang Mengnan.

  "That girl has been very diligent." Xiaoyi pushed open the door and came in.

  Qiu Shi hastily stood up, really flustered, "No, no, Nannan Hu said, I'm busy every day, my feet don't touch the ground, how can I have leisure time..."

  "So you're saying that since you have nothing better to do, you can accept their hospitality?" Xiaoyi deliberately misinterpreted.

  Fang Mo Nan quietly left, some things must be said openly, otherwise even the best feelings will be worn away by space and distance. As for what they talked about, that was no longer something she could control.

  Fang Mo Nan watched as the wedding proceeded on schedule, Qi Qiu Shi and Xiao Yi's genuine smiles, perhaps they had handled the discomfort brought by space well.

  Wang Shuji also attended Xiao Yi's wedding and learned that Fang Mo Nan was going to study in the United States after the new year, so he personally sent 1,000 US dollars during the Chinese New Year.

  Grandma looked at the money without taking it and politely declined, saying "No need for this, kids are all on full scholarship."

  "It's better to have less money when going out. A poor family has a rich road." Secretary Wang directly stuffed the money into Grandma's hand.

  Her eyes sparkled a few times, and she said again, "The money is not enough. There's my nephew-in-law Cheng Shigui, really no need." Her idea was simple, and this could be considered a clear road in the county.

  "This is me, otherwise there's no way going abroad would be that easy." Secretary Wang said, "The old lady still thinks the money is too little."

  Grandma quickly waved her hand and shook her head. "No... no... it's just that I'm embarrassed. You're such a high-ranking official, and I'm just a commoner..."

  "Take it." Secretary Wang said, and left without looking back, walking very quickly, afraid that Grandma would catch up.

  Afterwards, Grandma told Fang Mernan and Old Man Lin about this matter. They both asked Grandma to be at ease, saying that others had good intentions and they could endure it.

  Although everyone looked happy, they couldn't hide the faint sadness. The Spring Festival in 1986 was on February 9th, and Fang Mo Bei's visa had been issued early, so he boarded a plane to Philadelphia. As for whether Fang Mo Nan would go or not, her parents were very reluctant to let her go, as one child had already left, they didn't want another one to be away too. But they couldn't resist the persuasion of Fang Mo Bei, Leonard, and Xiao Yi, so in the end, they gave up, and Fang Mo Nan also embarked on the journey of studying abroad, boarding the plane.

  It is by