Chapter Nineteenth: A Letter from Afar

  The jujubes and pomegranates in the yard were not given to the stones, but also cheap for Uncle's family. The couple themselves did not come, let the children come over, beat the jujube tree, pick pomegranates, and every time they came, they would fill a basket full of them, and three children had to lift it together to move it away.

  The old mother brought back the coal briquettes to our home and placed them outside the main gate. My aunt took advantage of the fact that it was still dark, and pushed a cart full of them. She didn't expect that before dawn, she would unexpectedly see Fang Mo Nan, which gave her quite a fright. Without even saying hello, she hastily got back on the cart's iron frame, afraid that Fang Mo Nan would go back inside and call someone. Hurriedly trying to 'escape', it was hard for her small stature, with her butt sticking out, using all her might since childhood, pulling the big cart as she ran, probably getting quite tired.

  The mouth is bad and loves to take advantage of the family's benefits, I really don't know how it was allowed for the eldest aunt to enter the house in the first place.

  Marrying a wife who is idle, marrying one who is not good, will bring harm to three generations of people. I reckon that in my past life, I had a feud with my maternal grandmother and her family, perhaps it was because they were poor and feared me, but now I can only comfort myself like this.

  My mother's leave from work is over, and things are also busy, so she hurried back to the city. My father stayed behind, their construction team had just finished a project, and with winter getting colder and colder outside, they decided to take a long break, which happened to be here to help out, and Mengbei also stayed behind.

  Life has returned to normal, with my father helping my grandmother cook and steam buns during the day. He's also discovered the lucrative side of this small business, from initially just trying to please his mother-in-law to now taking it more seriously.

  Because I had to deliver the buns to the high school before breakfast, I got up very early. The two people who came were one from the neighbor's house in the backyard, Liang's family, and the other was a distant relative of my maternal grandfather's family, an aunt from the south. My grandmother paid them 15 yuan per month each, they all worked hard, after a period of running-in, everything went smoothly.

  Mr. Lin and Dad would often kill a plate during their free time after dinner, at which point the two of them would drink the Gongfu tea that Mr. Lin had taught Fang Mengnan to brew.

  Fang Mengnan really enjoyed brewing Kung Fu tea. Watching the tea leaves slowly unfold in her hands, revealing their exquisite flavor, was a pleasure.

  Of course, tea and spring water are space products, guaranteed quality and quantity, clearing liver and brightening eyes, strengthening body and strengthening physique.

  Mr. Lin, picked up the teacup and took a sip. "It's really like drinking a mouthful of tea, it's better than being an immortal!" Since moving here, he was most satisfied with the 'well water' in this courtyard. The tea leaves brewed from it were extremely good, with a rich aroma, refreshing and long-lasting.

  After getting in touch with Lao Ye for these days, Dad has a better understanding of him and knows that he is not an ordinary person. He often asks for his advice on the future. The time they spend playing chess gets shorter and shorter, while their conversation time gets longer and longer. Such conversations have a great influence on Dad, making him more respectful and admiring of Lao Ye.

  My dad's vision has broadened, and his thinking has already broken away from the narrowness and conservatism of small-scale farming. From then on, whenever something big comes up, he would call a family meeting to gather everyone's opinions and seek advice from my grandfather. After more than a month, my dad's temperament has undergone significant changes, becoming much more calm and composed.

  It was in the depths of winter when Father received a telegram from Mother, saying that his construction company had recommended him to study in the provincial city for a month, and he would return just before the Spring Festival. As soon as Father received the telegram, he rushed back to the city, packed up his things, and left with his colleagues.

  In early December, Fang Mo Nan finally received the long-awaited letter, which was actually a small package. The package felt heavy when she weighed it in her hands, but she had no idea what it was. Thinking that it had already been over two months, she thought that if there was still no response, she would send a few more letters after New Year's Day to try again.

  She walked into the bedroom, sat on the bed, and with some effort unwrapped the package. Several brand new 10-yuan bills slipped out, which she quickly picked up. Fortunately, the door was closed, and since it was lunchtime, no one was around to come in. After glancing at the letter, she saw that there wasn't much content, just a note saying they had received her fashion design sketches, but hoped to discuss the details over the phone, along with their name and phone number. Looking at the neatly bundled money left in the package, totaling 1000 yuan, she smiled, thinking that this person was indeed someone who knew how to do business.

  It is known that the bridgehead of reform and opening up was circled last year, and Hong Kong businessmen still don't know how many there are. She sent a letter so recklessly, it's possible that she didn't send it to the wrong place, or lose it, or the other party didn't respond because they didn't understand what it was about.

  Looking at the package on the bed now, I can get appreciation from others, and it's really fortunate that the goddess of fortune is blessing me.

  Fang Mo Nan thought that the other party was really bold, sending it over like this. No wonder they wrapped so many layers, probably afraid of damage or loss. From here, we can also see that the other party is extremely eager to grasp her, and in such negotiations, they can obviously take the initiative.

  Fang Mo Nan held the phone number and the other party's name and address, looked up at the sky which was gloomy and had been so for two days, guessing that it would snow heavily. He put on his coat and told his grandma before heading out to find Old Man Lin. The latter had just finished lunch but still had a lot of work to do as the year-end approached, so he went back to the Education Bureau to work overtime. Fang Mo Nan thought he should be able to borrow the phone from him.

  Walking outside, Fang Mo Nan had been practicing for nearly half a year and seemed to have developed some resistance to the cold. Even in the freezing weather, she didn't feel particularly cold.

  He soon found Old Man Lin at the Cultural and Educational Bureau, who was busy in his office.

  Fang Mo Nan explained with a smile, and Old Master Lin agreed without interrupting. However, there was no phone here, but the adjacent office had one. It just so happened that it was lunch break and no one answered her call.

  Fang Mo Nan looked at the old-fashioned rotary phone on the table, took off her shoes and stood on a chair. The signal was not great at that time, and there was a lot of static in the receiver. After waiting for a long time, she finally got through. She held the receiver, the unstable signal and the phone's own distortion made her voice sound more mature rather than childish. The other party picked up the phone, "Hello! I'm Fang Mo Nan."

  Fang Mo Nan heard the other party's obvious sigh of relief, followed by a low and mellow voice like that of a cello, coming from the receiver, "Hello, I'm Cheng Shi Gui."

  Fang Mo Nan heard the other person call Cheng Shi Gui, and unexpectedly, this Southerner's Mandarin was very standard, even with a thick London accent. However, there was no time to ponder this now, as time was pressing and long-distance calls were expensive. It was also unclear whether she had any relation to his good friend Cheng Shi Fei, but now wasn't the time for idle thoughts - business came first.

  "Miss Fang, are you satisfied with the price we sent?" Cheng Shigui said confidently, with a hint of arrogance and complacency, thinking that he had already taken control of the situation. He knew that his opponent was a woman from the envelope they had mailed, but on the current map of China, it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location, only finding the specific province, and the affiliated city was small and insignificant. If it weren't for the design drawings in his hand, and his friend standing beside him, who gave high praise to these drawings and couldn't hide his excitement, he wouldn't have imagined that this was sent from the mainland, and it was hard to believe, until he received the phone call, and even then, his attitude was still difficult to change.

  "Hehe... Mr. Cheng, you're really impatient." Fang Mo Nan wasn't in a hurry to express her own opinion; whoever lost their cool first would lose this round. "Do you think I should be satisfied with this price?" she asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

  He didn't answer her question, and of course, he heard the sarcasm in her tone. He said directly, "You should know that these designs are locally made in Hong Kong, and at this price, it's already very high." His voice was loud, clear, and bright, and it was obvious that he thought this price was suitable for her now. He had a sense of pride as a Hongkonger, and in his eyes, the mainland was mysterious, backward, and closed off. It was true that he had been here for half a year after drawing the mainland in the lottery.

  Fang Mo Nan replied lightly, "Regardless of whether it's the mainland or Hong Kong, I only know that its value is placed there, and the blueprint doesn't ask about one's background." She detected a hint of disdain and arrogance in his tone. "Your English should be quite good, and you must have stayed in England before!"

  "Huh?"

  "How did you know?" Cheng Shigui raised an eyebrow and asked curiously.

  "Simple, your voice has a thick London accent." Of course, Fang Mo Nan was speaking in British English.

  "Hmm...can't tell, it turns out your English is also very standard." Cheng Shigui said with praise on his lips, but in his heart he was skeptical, wondering how much real ability the other person actually had.

  "Let's cut the small talk and get to the point, shall we? Read out the specific terms of your contract." Fang Mengnan was too lazy to engage in a lengthy conversation with him, as phone calls were expensive.

  "Alright, five design drafts for 1,000 yuan. Five new designs every month." He said directly, the other party was indeed unable to hold back their excitement, this condition should be a sure thing.

  "The clothes I design, I want 10% of the after-tax profit, and five designs per month. Otherwise, forget it, I can find another buyer who will appreciate my work more." Fang Mengnan said loudly. From his tone, she could tell that he was not very old, this arrogant kid thought she was an idiot.

  Fang Mo Nan couldn't hear any sound on the other end of the phone, guessing that the person had covered it with their hand. About a minute later, "Miss Fang, you're really arrogant!"

  "I have this capital, I believe you are a connoisseur, and I even more believe in the great market of China, whose development speed will make you earn a fortune. What I want is still not enough." Fang Mo Nan had an expression as if he was being taken advantage of, implying that the other party had gained a huge benefit.

  The other side fell silent again, and Fang Mo Nan twisted the phone cord.

  "Alright, I agree, but the contract period must be ten years." Cheng Shigui fell silent for a moment before responding firmly.

  "Alright, I want a formal contract from your law firm. You sign it and send it over, then I'll sign it and send it back to you." said Fang Mengnan.

  "Right, I hope we don't meet for the time being, and don't tell anyone about my information. I think you understand this, I'm only responsible to you personally." Since the other party agreed to Fang Mengnan's conditions so readily, she also gave him more favorable treatment, hoping he would listen. After all, her age was too young, and she didn't want meeting to bring any trouble.

  "Alright, here is my address and home phone number in the Special Zone and Hong Kong." Cheng Shigui told her his personal information. "Right, how do I remit money to you?"

  "I'm not asking for cash now! Since you can easily get in and out of Hong Kong, let's exchange it for goods instead. You go prepare electronic watches, calculators, and other small things that are hard to find on the mainland. Just buy whatever you think is good!" Fang Mo Nan thought to himself that these items were much more cost-effective than cash.

  "Hmm... Miss Fang is indeed a shrewd calculator." These items she wanted were very cheap in Hong Kong, but when brought to the mainland, they would cost several times more.

  "Alright, that's it for now! Nothing much, let's keep in touch by letter later. The phone bill is just too expensive." Fang Mo Nan said finally and hung up.

  Cheng Shigui listened to the busy tone on the phone, muttering to himself: "How did I end up feeling like I'm negotiating with an old man in a marketplace? And I'm even at a disadvantage."

  The young man sitting across the table, with his legs propped up on the table, leaning back in his chair, holding five design drafts in his hand, constantly smacking his tongue, eyes full of admiration.

  Among them, the three designs that he couldn't bear to let go of were simply captivating. "Alright! Ah Kwei, you've won, don't say anything more about how hot the sales are here, even if Hong Kong's economy is not doing well now, the sales would still be good. What else can you say? Don't be sentimental, just based on these three design drafts, they absolutely have a master-level standard."

  The drawings sent by Fang Mo Nan have been on sale for half a month, and as predicted earlier, the sales should not be said to be more explosive than expected.

  "Don't call me Ah Kui, or I'll lose my temper with you." Cheng Shigui threw the pen on the table after listing down all the items Fang Mian wanted to purchase. "The name is really...unfortunate." He thought about how he, a Cambridge University graduate, ended up with this name - it was better not to bring up past matters. The names of their family's grandchildren were all given by the old man: 'Fu, Lu, Shou, Xi, Gui' - it was suffocating.

  "Alright... from now on, I'll call you by your English name, Matthew. That's settled." He took the pen that was still being passed to him, "Just now on the phone, she said her own name..." Looking at Cheng Shigui glaring at him, he swallowed the rest of his words, "But she lives in a remote corner! It takes us almost half a month to send letters. Luckily we made it in time, or else we might have missed each other."

  "Ah! The letter that was sent to you has been on your desk for almost a month, it's covered in dust!" Han Zhiqian teased.

  "Who made her send it at the wrong time? Wasn't I in Hong Kong back then?" Cheng Shigui stubbornly argued with a twisted logic.

  "It's done, fortunately Miss Fang was patient and waited for a reply. Otherwise, if it were me, I would have sent it to several clothing factories and found someone who appreciates good things. We're really lucky to have found the right person." Han Zhiqian breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Hehe... This shows that we have a good relationship." Cheng Shigui looked at Fang Mo's letter, which only mentioned Hong Kong clothing company, without even specifying the name, very vague. "Really thanks to the lucky goddess."

  "It's more practical to thank the postman than to thank Lady Luck." Han Zhiqian smiled.

  Cheng Shigui raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment, "Indeed! I should thank the mailman." Later, when Fang Moe's letter arrived again, the mailman came to deliver it. Cheng Shigui took out the first letter sent by Fang Moe and asked the mailman if he was the one who delivered it. As it turned out, it was indeed him. Cheng Shigui asked for the reason, and the mailman said it was because his garment factory was closest to the post office. This ridiculous reason made Cheng Shigui sigh with emotion, thinking that despite the mistake, things had eventually worked out.

  "By the way, after talking for so long, how old do you think she is?" Han Zhiqian asked curiously.

  "The voice sounds low and husky, like a female alto. He must be older than us!" Cheng Shigui furrowed his brow and said hesitantly.

  "That's good," Han Zhiqian patted his chest and said, "If I were younger than us, then I should have worked hard when I returned to school."

  Cheng Shigui handed him the paper, "What does this mean." Han Zhijian looked at him with a puzzled expression.

  Cheng Shigui recounted the situation over the phone.

  "Wah wah...... This Miss is really not an ordinary person." Han Zhiqian exaggeratedly shouted.

  "Alright, stop nagging. You're going back tomorrow anyway, so it's just as well that this matter is left to you to handle." Cheng Shigui gave Liu Erwu a push, grinning from ear to ear.

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