Chapter 141: The General Environment Is Improving

Beyond a sense of curiosity, the common folk found nothing wrong with these changes. Every household had its share of repairs and odd jobs; in the past, one either had to beg for favors or fumble through it themselves, regardless of whether they knew how, just to make do. Now, with these craftsmen available for hire, there was no need to owe favors or make do with subpar work—it was a necessary supplement to daily life.

Beyond these technical services, a few spontaneous roadside markets began to emerge in the city. For instance, on Qingniangou Road near the north gate of the Temple of Earth, farmers would arrive daily with carts, bicycles, or shoulder poles to set up stalls. They sold home-grown produce: live chickens, eggs, vegetables, coarse grains, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and fruits. Buying grain here didn't require ration coupons; while the prices were slightly higher than at state-run grain stores, the quality was better and fresher.

These were likely the embryonic forms of free markets. Once they reached a certain scale and exerted enough influence, the government would organize them, establishing designated areas where they could operate by renting stalls. From that point on, the people of the capital gradually shifted their shopping for vegetables and non-staple foods away from state-run stations and shops toward these free markets.

From then on, the concept of engaging in small-scale trade gradually took root in people’s minds; it no longer carried the stigma it once did. As more of these small-scale traders struck it rich, they were no longer discriminated against or looked down upon. Instead, they were regarded as capable individuals. The social atmosphere shifted from a multi-faceted focus to a singular one, a trend that persisted into the 21st century. This focus narrowed further and further until it reached an extreme.

Eventually, when society evaluated everything, it looked at only one thing: money. Morality, law, human nature, country, society, and nationality were all considered nonsense. Children who had just graduated from elementary school knew that to determine if someone was a role model, one only needed to look at whether they could earn money. As for how that money was earned, who cared? The phrase "worshipping the rich and ignoring the poor" was the most fitting description.

"Sister Liu! How's business today? Take it easy; your health is your own. You can't take money with you when you die. It’s enough if you have enough to spend; why risk your life like this?" After school let out at noon, Hong Tao ran over to the two-story building. He no longer did the work himself; Han Yan had become the master technician, Tang Weidong and Wang Mei had learned the trade well, and Sister Daling remained at the level of an apprentice. That was just a matter of talent.

Although he was no longer needed at the hair salon or the clothing store, a daily inspection was still necessary. He especially liked to wander through the rental counters at the Fenjin Mall, tossing out pleasantries while checking on their operations. It had to be said that these "sent-down youth" were truly industrious, working from dawn to dusk at their stalls, some almost living there. If Hong Tao hadn't forbidden anyone from staying overnight, they would have happily slept on the floor.

"You have it easy! I'm the Yang Bailao here, slaving away to make money for you, the Huang Shiren!" Sister Liu was a sent-down youth in her thirties who had returned from Inner Mongolia. Perhaps the vast grasslands had made her temperament straightforward, for she spoke bluntly and never minced words.

"That's right! We work ourselves to the bone, and all the money goes to you. Whose idea was this in your family? It's too ruthless!" The two brothers selling sunglasses across from Sister Liu, who often traveled south and were more worldly, had figured out the tricks in Hong Tao’s profit-sharing agreement and took the opportunity to complain.

"If you ask me, you’re all just ungrateful. A few months ago, you didn't even have a few coins in your pockets; now that you’ve got ten-yuan notes, you start cursing the cook. Little Hong Tao, tell your family to kick them out and rent the stalls to me instead. I won't have a single complaint!" The man flattering Hong Tao sold embroidery. When he was sent to the countryside, he had stayed near the Miyun Reservoir, where many village women were skilled at embroidery. After renting a stall from Hong Tao, he went back to his former village, provided the patterns, bought the finished work, and sold it for a huge markup. It was highly popular with visiting tourists, and business was booming. He had long wanted to expand, but there wasn't an inch of space left in the shop.

"Don't bully me just because I'm young! My heart is ruthless! I'm keeping a little notebook of everything you say. The next time you're in trouble, I'll check that notebook. I'll help those who spoke well of me, but for those who spoke ill, I won't help—I might even step on you while you're down!" Hong Tao didn't care how these youths evaluated him. No matter how much they called him "Huang Shiren" or "Skinflint Hong," none of them would actually leave if he kicked them out; in fact, they were all desperate to rent more space. They had asked countless times about the two empty rooms upstairs.

In truth, Hong Tao was acting in their best interest. This wasn't a bustling commercial district; without the nearby Lama Temple and the Imperial College, these dozens of stalls wouldn't be doing well at all. Even with those tourist attractions, there weren't many visitors—at most two or three tour buses a day. If he opened dozens more stalls, it would just mean more people selling items without an increase in customers.

Furthermore, the variety of goods available was limited. Aside from tourist souvenirs, there were no products involving complex manufacturing; even if Hong Tao could conceive of them, there was nowhere to process them. Any additional stalls would mostly focus on tourist crafts, daily necessities, or repair services, which would only intensify competition among them. For Hong Tao, this would mean more headaches without any benefit. Thus, he preferred to leave the rooms upstairs and downstairs empty rather than rashly expanding the number of stalls.

However, his uncle-in-law was the first to get anxious about the empty rooms. After two years of ups and downs, he had cast aside his fear of "the nail that sticks out getting hammered down" and unleashed his primal desire for money. Every time he visited his father-in-law's house, the first thing he asked Hong Tao was whether those empty rooms had been rented out. To him, missing an opportunity to make money was a crime against himself. He didn't care about market trends or logistics; he only cared about getting cash in his hands.

At first, Hong Tao patiently explained his reasoning, and his uncle-in-law would listen, but the sight of the empty rooms made him uncomfortable, and he couldn't stop asking. Eventually, Hong Tao simply ignored him; even if asked, he wouldn't reply, pretending not to hear.

Beyond his uncle-in-law, others came inquiring on their own. They included private individuals wanting to open restaurants or grocery stores, and work units looking for retail space. Carpet factories, washing machine factories, and children's clothing factories had all approached him. Hong Tao didn't mind what they did—even a restaurant would have been fine—but none of them had the capacity to rent even one of the three rooms. As soon as Hong Tao stated his price, they were all scared off.

"One thousand yuan a month for the downstairs room! Six hundred for the ones upstairs! Three-year contracts, with a twenty percent annual rent increase. Utilities are extra, and the rent must be paid in full for the entire year upfront, with no refunds!"

No one could afford those prices at the time. Even if they could turn a profit, paying ten thousand yuan in rent at once was unthinkable for individuals, and difficult even for ordinary work units. Hong Tao set the price high because he didn't believe in their proposed projects. He was wary of restaurants and preferred to avoid them unless absolutely necessary. As for the work units, he was deeply suspicious; once they moved in, it would be easy to invite them in but hard to get them out, potentially leading to bureaucratic entanglements with the neighborhood committee.

As for what to actually do with those three rooms, Hong Tao hadn't decided yet. The Fenjin Store definitely needed to expand, but not yet. So, he let them sit empty. They would be used eventually; now simply wasn't the time for desperate money-grubbing.

During the spring, another event occurred: many large posters appeared in the alleyway, all calling for the public to respond to national policy and implement family planning. They listed many reasons why family planning was a great benefit to the country and the people, along with various statistics, one of which noted that by 1982, China's total population had reached one billion.

Hong Tao was an only child, and his parents had no plans for a second, so their family received a small red booklet called a "Certificate of Honor for Single-Child Parents." With this, one of his parents could receive a five-yuan monthly allowance from their work unit. This fee remained unchanged for over thirty years; even in the 21st century, it was still five yuan—not enough to buy a movie ticket, even if collected all at once.

"Good!!! That'll ensure you don't have brothers or sisters in the future either!" Hong Tao felt a sense of vindication. He had been an only child his whole life and knew the taste of loneliness. Other children had siblings to play with, while he had to be the one to initiate play with others. If the other kids went home, he was left alone to play by himself.

In early summer, Hong Tao once again used his grandfather’s name to add a refrigerator and a washing machine to the house, both purchased from the Friendship Store using Foreign Exchange Certificates. The refrigerator was placed in his grandmother’s kitchen, ensuring they could eat meat often during the summer. Leftovers could be saved for the next meal, and by keeping Arctic Ocean soda, red bean popsicles, and watermelon in the fridge, they could enjoy them cold without having to run out and buy them every time.