Chapter 213: Intellectuals Have to Make a Living Too

As of now, the matter between Ning Wei and Huaihua has already made some progress; it's just that the two of them haven't reached the legal age yet, so they can't officially register their marriage.

Ning Weidong handing this matter over to Ning Wei is essentially the same as handing it over to their family.

As for Ning Weidong, it wasn't that he hadn't thought of this, it was just that, at best, it was only a small canteen.

Furthermore, he also wanted to see how Ning Wei would actually handle things, and whether he would be unable to walk straight the moment he encountered a woman.

If that were the case, it would show that Ning Wei was not worth grooming for big things, and he could just do some trivial chores in the future.

……

Meanwhile, at Li Yuanchao's club.

After Ning Weidong left, he immediately called his older sister.

Just as Ning Weidong returned to the company, a small sedan pulled up in front of the club.

Li Kangmei got out of the car and walked straight inside.

Li Yuanchao had been waiting in advance; he saw her the moment she entered, immediately stood up to greet her, and called out, "Third Sister."

Li Kangmei gave a hum and raised her hand, saying, "Let's go upstairs to talk."

The two of them went upstairs to a lounge reserved exclusively for Li Yuanchao.

Li Kangmei sat down and said, "Tell me, what's going on?"

Li Yuanchao immediately repeated everything Ning Weidong had just said.

Li Kangmei listened carefully, and even after he finished, she didn't express an opinion immediately, but continued to ponder.

Li Yuanchao wasn't in a rush either, waiting patiently on the side.

Seven or eight minutes later, Li Kangmei finally took a deep breath.

Li Yuanchao asked hurriedly, "Third Sister, what do you think?"

Li Kangmei pursed her lips and said, "This Ning Weidong really has a good head on his shoulders; his vision is incredibly sharp."

Li Yuanchao nodded in agreement.

In fact, starting from the year before last, some people had been secretly smuggling televisions in from the outside, but it was all small-scale, a few hundred units at a time.

Someone like Ning Weidong, who would build a factory and assemble them himself, was the first.

If it were really as Ning Weidong envisioned, producing millions of units in the future, the profits contained within would be too great.

Li Kangmei said, "Yuanchao, it looks like you're tempted?"

Li Yuanchao nodded without hesitation.

Li Kangmei thought for a moment and said, "Trying it out is fine, but don't make a big splash at the beginning; be mindful of the influence."

Li Yuanchao nodded; although the Li Family was no small matter now, they were not without opposition.

If they really made it too big, it would be easy for people to attack them.

Having settled this matter, Li Yuanchao couldn't help but remark, "Third Sister, this Ning Weidong is not simple; he's more capable than his brother."

Although Ning Weiguo is decent, in this circle, he can only be described as conventional.

And Ning Weidong is clearly not so "conventional."

Li Kangmei remarked, "I originally thought Zhao Ruyi chose this partner because of the marriage alliance between the Wang Family and the Zhao Family; I didn't expect him to be such a fine piece of jade."

Speaking of this, she paused again: "However, this person is also a double-edged sword. Yuanchao, be careful not to get too deeply entangled with him in the future."

Li Yuanchao nodded with a serious expression: "I know~"

Li Kangmei nodded and added, "This matter is extraordinary; I'll talk to our eldest brother about it later." After saying this, she stood up to leave.

Li Yuanchao said, "What's the rush~"

Li Kangmei said, "I have other things to do~ I'm leaving now."

……

On the other side, Ning Weidong returned to the company and was also pondering the follow-up cooperation with Li Yuanchao.

Li Yuanchao would be responsible for organizing the production line and some low-tech components that could be sourced domestically.

Ning Weidong would be responsible for the main components, such as the television picture tubes; these would all have to be brought in from the outside.

This made him think of An Zhiyuan; it seemed that things over there needed to be pushed forward a step as well.

Now was the time when everything was starting from scratch, with a thousand things to attend to.

Even for Ning Weidong, it was inevitably a bit tricky.

This had nothing to do with ability; it was mainly because the resources he could control were too few, and Ning Weidong could only do his best to integrate them from everywhere.

After resting in the Office for a while, Ning Weidong pulled himself together and raised his hand to check the time.

It was already past two in the afternoon, nearly the time Duan Ming had agreed upon with Zheng Tong.

Sure enough, after a while, Duan Ming returned from outside, followed by a medium-built young man wearing glasses.

Arriving in the courtyard, Duan Ming quickened his pace up the steps, first taking Zheng Tong to the main room for receiving guests, then immediately went to knock on the door of Ning Weidong's Office next door: "Manager, Zheng Tong is here."

Ning Weidong responded, came out of the Office, and sized up Zheng Tong.

At the same time, Zheng Tong was also sizing up Ning Weidong.

His first impression was that he was tall—one meter eighty-five—and robustly built; especially when he came close, he was quite imposing.

Then there was his handsomeness, which didn't quite match his rugged physique, making him think of the highly skilled "Zhao Yun" or "Luo Cheng" types from storytelling books—they were probably just like this.

Originally, Zheng Tong felt that his good friend Zhong Yuemin's appearance was already top-notch, but now, compared to Ning Weidong, he was outclassed.

Ning Weidong smiled and reached out his hand: "Comrade Zheng Tong, nice to meet you, nice to meet you~"

Zheng Tong shook his hand and said hurriedly, "Manager Ning, you are too kind; I am flattered."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ning Weidong said to Duan Ming, "Old Duan, hurry and brew a pot of tea; go to my room and get that jar of good tea on the table."

Zheng Tong was somewhat surprised by Ning Weidong's enthusiasm.

Duan Ming hadn't told him everything about Ning Weidong's situation, only saying that Ning Weidong was his current leader, had quite a background, and wanted to meet him.

Zheng Tong assumed as a matter of course that Ning Weidong was the same type of person as Li Yuanchao.

Although they had been widely acquainted in the residential compounds back then and had never heard of anyone named Ning Weidong, Beijing was vast, and there were many people he had never heard of.

Zheng Tong did not dare to be negligent, but inwardly he was even more curious about what purpose Ning Weidong had in specifically seeking him out.

Zheng Tong was very clear about his own situation; although he had also grown up in the residential compounds, his father was merely an intellectual, unlike the fathers of Zhong Yuemin and Yuan Jun, who had various intertwined and complex relationships with comrades-in-arms.

That kind of bond, forged on the battlefield and through life-and-death experiences, was not something an ordinary person could compare to.

At the very least, after his father died, Zheng Tong could not get any help from his father's former friends and colleagues at all.

Zheng Tong knew that he himself had no particular value.

Ning Weidong was not in a hurry; while waiting for Duan Ming to brew tea, he asked about Zheng Tong's situation and took the opportunity to flatter him a bit.

This was not hypocrisy; being able to get into Beijing University, regardless of the era, meant Zheng Tong could be called a dragon among men.

Zheng Tong was humble, but inwardly he became increasingly cautious.

Soon, Duan Ming brought the tea over. Ning Weidong took a sip from his teacup and said, "Right, Old Duan, later on, tell Xiao Wei to recruit two receptionists. Whenever something comes up, there's no one to pour tea or serve water."

Duan Ming hurriedly agreed.

Ning Weidong then said to Zheng Tong, "By the way, I heard from Old Duan that you also got a partner in the Northwest, who is also an educated youth from Beijing..."

Zheng Tong frowned, reached out to push up his old glasses, and became even more confused about what Ning Weidong wanted to do.

Today was his first time meeting Ning Weidong, and asking about his family affairs directly was clearly being overly familiar with a stranger.

It was just that the person before him was clearly not someone to be offended, so he had to play along and prevaricate, "Yes, I am seeing someone."

Ning Weidong asked, "Where does she work?"

Zheng Tong laughed dryly, "We took the college entrance exam together last year. She missed it by a few points and is preparing to take it again next year." Ning Weidong nodded, clicked his tongue, and said, "Young people still need to have a job." As he spoke, he looked at Duan Ming: "That~ Old Duan, leave this matter to you. Doesn't our company still lack a Deputy Workshop Director for the office? I think Comrade Zheng Tong's partner would be quite suitable~ The salary... just use your standard, seventy-five a month..."

Both Zheng Tong and Duan Ming were stunned.

Nothing had even happened yet, and she was already a Deputy Workshop Director with a monthly salary of seventy-five yuan—this was even higher than a regular employee at a State-owned large factory in Beijing~ Duan Ming hurriedly agreed.

Zheng Tong's heart, however, was thumping wildly.

He had not expected Ning Weidong to be so generous.

Because of their family background, his family had been left with nothing back then.

Unlike Zhong Yuemin and Yuan Jun, who had almost never worried about money, Zheng Tong was truly in difficulty at this moment.

He was currently in university and received a monthly allowance of seventeen yuan, which was certainly enough if it were just for food.

But life was not as simple as just eating.

Although it was said that intellectuals had integrity, they also needed money for daily necessities. At this moment, he was tempted, but at the same time, he was even more vigilant: what exactly did Ning Weidong want? Zheng Tong swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said with composure, "Manager Ning, as the saying goes, one should not accept a reward without merit. Please tell me directly where you can make use of me."

Ning Weidong smiled, "Comrade Zheng Tong, don't worry. I don't have any other intentions; I'm just a person who likes to make friends..."

Zheng Tong's reaction was very fast, and he immediately heard the subtext in Ning Weidong's words.

Make friends—make friends with whom?

It certainly wasn't him, Zheng Tong.

Regarding this, Zheng Tong had self-awareness. Although he was a top student at Beijing University, in terms of future and potential, he certainly had some.

But this also depended on who he was being compared to.

He was very clear in his heart that just by virtue of being from Beijing University, it was not worth Ning Weidong going to such great lengths.

Then what else was there to covet about him?

Covet his wife?

Zheng Tong also felt that was impossible. Although his partner Jiang Biyun was quite pretty, she was not the type of beauty that could bring disaster to a country or its people.

Moreover, with Ning Weidong's appearance, he did not think Ning Weidong would be short of women.

What else? Zheng Tong could not help but think of his few friends from his youth.

Zhong Yuemin, Yuan Jun, Zhou Xiaobai...

To put it bluntly, Ning Weidong was the same type of person as them.

Thinking of this, a sense of bitterness could not help but well up in the bottom of Zheng Tong's heart, but it was only for an instant before he returned to normal.

He took a deep breath and said, "Manager Ning is too kind. What virtue or ability do I, Zheng Tong, have..."

Ning Weidong smiled and did not elaborate further.

This move with Zheng Tong was just a casual play; he did not count on anything happening immediately.

After all, Yuan Jun and Zhou Xiaobai still needed a few years to develop; laying the groundwork now was enough.

As for bringing Jiang Biyun in, it was not a losing deal either.

Jiang Biyun's background and ability were not bad; paying a salary of seventy-five a month was not a waste.

After talking for a few more minutes, Zheng Tong took his leave.

Ning Weidong personally saw him to the main gate, giving him full courtesy.

Originally, Ning Weidong had wanted to invite him to taste the food cooked by He Yuzhu, but he politely declined.

It was not until he walked onto the main road that Zheng Tong came back to his senses.

The time he spent meeting Ning Weidong today was not long—at most, it was just over half an hour—but it left him feeling dazed.

He urgently needed to find someone to discuss this with.

He hurriedly boarded a bus to go find Jiang Biyun.

Jiang Biyun's home was in Dongcheng; after returning to the city last year, she had been preparing for the college entrance exam but had missed it by a few points.

In the current situation, she certainly could not count on being assigned a job, so she could only stay at home for the time being and wait to take the exam again next year.

Zheng Tong was very familiar with the route here, but he gave Jiang Biyun a surprise.

"Zheng Tong, why are you here?" Jiang Biyun opened the door, looking incredulous.

Zheng Tong shed the seriousness he had just shown when meeting Ning Weidong and said with a rascally air, "I missed you, didn't I~"

Jiang Biyun rolled her eyes: "Cut the crap. It's not a holiday, it's not the weekend, would you really bother to come find me? Speak up, what is it?"

Zheng Tong stopped playing coy and recounted the situation of his meeting with Ning Weidong just now, finally saying: "Xiaoyun, what do you think we should do about this?"

Jiang Biyun was also taken aback; she had not expected such a pie-in-the-sky stroke of good luck.

To go there and immediately become a Deputy Workshop Director with a monthly salary of seventy-five—she couldn't help but feel her heart race.

But she was even calmer than Zheng Tong, and she quickly said: "Giving such a big benefit, what does he want to do?"

Zheng Tong shook his head: "He didn't say, but I suspect it probably has something to do with Zhong Yuemin, Yuan Jun, and the others; thinking it over, they're the only ones I can think of."

Jiang Biyun pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and said: "Regardless of what he wants to do, let's go first and see."

She truly did not want to continue 'waiting for employment' at home.

As for continuing to study for exams, she didn't even know if she could pass next year.

It would be better to just go; she could earn money for every month she worked, and if Zheng Tong found it difficult in the future, at worst, she would just quit.

Zheng Tong didn't answer, but he silently agreed with Jiang Biyun's idea.

……

On the other end, Ning Weidong was in the south-facing room eating two dishes that He Yuzhu had just stir-fried.

The row of south-facing rooms in the front courtyard, besides the wide gate and the gatehouse next to it, had three and a half rooms left.

Originally, one of them had been cleared out for Liu Guangzhi and Natasha, the couple, to stay in temporarily.

Now that the couple had moved to a new home, the two rooms had been cleared out and opened up, with tables and chairs placed inside to serve as a canteen.

Ning Weidong had sent Zheng Tong away, not feeling that the other party would refuse his good intentions.

These past two years must have been the most difficult time for Zheng Tong.

Back in the Northwest, although living conditions were arduous, there were some things that didn't need to be considered—or rather, considering them was useless.

One labored when it was time to labor, ate when it was time to eat; everything followed a set routine.

Now that Zheng Tong had cast off those shackles, he needed to consider more: regarding his studies, his life, the present, the future, and this little family of his and Jiang Biyun's.

He was no longer that carefree youth, full of mischievous ideas and lewd jokes.

Even intellectuals have to make a living.

Ning Weidong sat by the Eight Immortals table, reached out with his chopsticks to pick up a bite of stir-fried pork with wood ear mushrooms and eggs, and there was also a plate of stir-fried cabbage next to it.

This place of Ning Weidong's was a canteen; besides supplying the company employees, it was also where Ning Weidong and Zhao Ruyi usually ate.

However, it was a bit rushed today; originally, that plate of stir-fried cabbage should have been the relatively famous 'stir-fried cabbage with prawns' in Lu cuisine, but because there were no fresh prawns, they used some dried shrimp to enhance the flavor.

Ning Weidong ate the stir-fried pork with wood ear mushrooms and eggs and couldn't help but nod.

It had to be said, He Yuzhu's cooking skills were truly extraordinary.

You have to know, at this time, there wasn't so much "technology and ruthless tricks" 【food additives】.

Ning Weidong smiled: "Master He is truly extraordinary."

He Yuzhu gave a hehe laugh: "Manager Ning, thank you for the compliment." He appeared quite honest and simple, with not a trace of his usual reckless demeanor.

Ning Weidong turned to look at Qin Huairou again, put down his chopsticks, and said: "If Master He is willing, then it's settled. As for the specific compensation... I'll have Xiao Wei set it according to the company's regulations later."

(End of this chapter)