Chapter 00031: Leadership 1
# Leadership 1
Chapter 31
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 31: Leadership 1
Evening.
The six children returned to the opera school.
Chen Qi had followed them for a while, shaking hands with the teacher at the gate before saying goodbye, "Thank you so much for today. On behalf of all the educated youths from the Dashilan Cooperative, I really appreciate your help!"
"Don't mention it. The kids got some good practice, and everything went well."
The teacher paused for a moment and asked, "So, do we need to go again tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow the news should be out. Let's see how it's received. If the response is good, we might have to trouble you again. If this becomes a regular thing, we certainly won't let you run around for nothing."
"Alright, see you later!"
The teacher understood what he meant and didn't object.
He led the students into the courtyard.
Liu Bei wasn't tired at all.
She had sung in the morning and again in the afternoon, with a break in between.
She felt no pressure.
Excitedly, she returned to the dormitory, an eight-person room.
Her friends immediately surrounded her, chattering away:
"How was it today? Was it fun?"
"What did you all do?"
"How was lunch?"
"Quiet! Quiet! Listen to me!"
Liu Bei raised her hand, commanding authority in the dormitory, and said, "There were so many people at the Qianmen Arrow Tower, maybe a thousand or so. We just sang a bit, and they cheered like crazy. The applause was like thunder—it was amazing! Later, they wouldn't let us leave. We almost got crushed, and the teacher had to fight to get us out. Lunch was okay. They cooked their own food, kind of like the cafeteria. Radishes and cabbage, but we got full, and we didn't have to pay for the trip."
"Wow!"
The girls exclaimed in unison, filled with envy.
Liu Bei rolled her eyes and then dropped the biggest news: "Guess who I saw today?"
"Who? Who?"
"A foreigner!"
"There were foreigners too?"
"Of course! A woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was speaking some language I couldn't understand. I sang a part for her, and she said 'good, good' to me!"
"Wow!!!!"
If envy could take physical form, Liu Bei would have been stabbed to death by tiny knives.
The girls chattered away until the teacher came to check on them and they finally went to bed.
Liu Bei lay on her simple bed, savoring the wonderful day, hoping every day could be this exciting.
Those older brothers and sisters were so warm, and they even gave her eggs to eat.
And that Brother Chen, he was really good-looking too.
…………
China Youth Daily.
It was already eight o'clock, and Yu Jiajia was still waiting at the newspaper office for news.
The article involved foreigners, so it had to go through special review.
The relevant authorities had to approve it before it could be published.
The attitude toward foreigners at the time was quite conflicted—on one hand, they wanted them to come and see, but on the other hand, there was still some lingering revolutionary fervor against American imperialism.
They were both welcoming and wary.
In a few years, when foreign investment would flood in, and the whole country would start idolizing the Western world, the nation would need foreign currency to develop.
Ordinary people would think the foreign moon was rounder, the elite would start emigrating, and public intellectuals would emerge.
"Reader," "Yilin," "Zhiyin," "Youth Digest"—the four great classics of the reform and opening-up era, galloping across the land!
This wave had been building for 40 years!
"Why hasn't there been any news yet? Could it have been rejected?"
"I shouldn't have listened to that guy's advice!"
Yu Jiajia muttered to herself.
The article could be approached from multiple angles.
Chen Qi had suggested this one: an American friend experiencing old Beijing traditions, gathering with educated youths and young performers, listening to Peking opera, drinking big-bowl tea, and praising it all—very good...
Not just the common folk, even the leaders would love to read this!
"Xiao Yu? Xiao Yu!"
"Here, here!"
Suddenly, an old reporter rushed in, and Yu Jiajia jumped to her feet.
"How did it go? Did it pass?"
"It passed!"
"You wouldn't believe who it got reported to. The leader read it and praised it highly. He personally approved it for the front page tomorrow!"
"Whoa!"
Yu Jiajia gasped, "Front page?"
"Yes, you're really something now. No young reporter in our unit has ever made it to the front page!"
"It's all thanks to the teachers' guidance."
Yu Jiajia suddenly felt a surge of pride, and at the same time, she had an epiphany—oh, so this is what journalism is all about!
…………
"Yesterday, the renowned Qianmen Big-Bowl Tea Cooperative invited a group of young performers from the city's opera school... The young performers gave a brilliant performance, drawing cheers from the crowd, and even welcoming an unexpected American guest. Eve was deeply interested in Chinese folk culture. She listened to a segment of Peking opera and personally tasted the big-bowl tea, which gave her a very novel experience. In the end, Eve even took photos with everyone as a memento before reluctantly leaving..."
At the opera school, the director and teachers read the newspaper three times before reluctantly putting it down.
Reporter Yu was reliable—she said it would be published, and it was, on the front page no less.
Although the school's part was brief, the presence of an international friend made it understandable.
"Great!"
"I think this activity should continue. It brings glory to our school and gives the students a chance to practice. Go ahead and take the students there!"
"But they didn't say we'd perform today?"
"Strike while the iron is hot, don't you understand? Be more proactive!"
……
West of the Qianmen Arrow Tower.
This was the newly opened tea stall, manned by 20 people.
They were also educated youths, but their cooperative had started a bit late.
They didn't know what to do, so when they saw the big-bowl tea trend, they decided to try it out.
They had been open for a few days, and business was decent.
People walking down this street either came from the east or the west.
Big-bowl tea wasn't anything special—whoever they saw first, they'd drink there.
But today was different.
"Comrade, want some tea? Two cents a bowl!"
A passerby came from the west, glanced at the stall, and hesitated for a moment.
The educated youth quickly called out, "We also have jasmine tea, and it's clean. You'd have to walk a bit further to get to the other one!"
"..."
The passerby didn't respond and walked past.
The educated youth watched as they went to the stall to the east.
"Comrade, want some tea?"
"Comrade, have a bowl of tea!"
One after another, people passed by, but none stopped.
One person, annoyed by the persistence, said, "They have a show over there. What do you have? They have foreigners drinking tea. Do you have that?"
Of course not.
The group was gloomy.
Dozens of bowls sat on the table, and not a single one had been sold.
"We haven't made a single sale today. What do we do?"
"We haven't earned a single cent!"
"Those guys are really doing well. That Huang Zhanying is really something, coming up with so many tricks!"
They were both jealous and envious, listening to the loud singing and thunderous applause from the other side.
They itched to go over and take a look.
……
"Bravo!"
"Bravo!"
Today, it was still Liu Bei and the other five, and they were putting in even more effort.
Since the show was free, of course, people would buy a bowl of tea.
Their throats were dry from shouting, so they needed to drink...
At the stall behind them, tea was being brewed pot after pot, and they couldn't keep up.
This wasn't just big-bowl tea.
This was the 1979 version of "Milk Tea Shop"!
"I can't take it anymore. I'm exhausted!"
Even Huang Zhanying, a robust man, was feeling the strain.
"I think we need to buy a few more big teapots, another fifty bowls, and a couple of large vats. Otherwise, we won't be able to keep up."
"Let's get a few more tables too and set up another stall nearby. We should also put out the sandals. How's business on the west side?"
"Dead as a doornail!"
Huang Zhanying actually used a proverb.
"Let them learn. Serves them right! Now they're getting a taste of their own medicine."
"Hey, be more open-minded. There are so many tea stalls in the city now. It's not easy for anyone."
The strong never complain about the environment because they're the ones who mess it up!
Chen Qi never engaged in business wars; he only preached open-mindedness.
"Listen to me, and don't let this get out. Their business will only get worse. When they can't keep going, they might come to you, asking you to take them in. If they don't, you go to them and say you're short on hands, willing to take in new people. Then you set the terms—ask the government to provide a business location, preferably a storefront, the bigger the better. At the same time, expand the range of products we sell."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh'? You don't want to be a street vendor forever, do you? By then, we won't just be a tea stall. We'll be a small general store."
(End of Chapter)