Reborn in 1977

After class and school, the students went home. Chen Fan also returned to the broadcasting room to turn off the equipment and go back.

Walking to the door, he found Xiao Liewen inside the room, one hand behind his back, the other holding a long red spear. His arm pressed against the end of the spear, his body motionless, only shaking the spear with his wrist, creating shimmering spear flowers.

Chen Fan chuckled, "Captain, you're getting stronger as you get older."

"Bah!"

Xiao Liewen didn't appreciate it. "Old? I'm not even 50 yet, and you're calling me old?"

Chen Fan wasn't intimidated. He calmly turned off the radio and broadcasting machine, and smiled, "It's said that having an elder at home is like having a treasure. I'm praising you."

"Spare me. Praise something else next time."

Xiao Liewen leaned the spear against the wall and said, "I have something to ask you."

Chen Fan packed his things while looking at him. "Go ahead, I'll tell you everything I know."

Xiao Liewen pointed in the direction of Grandpa Lu's house, walked over, and whispered, "Did you install that stove at Grandpa Lu's house?"

Chen Fan slung his cloth bag and water bottle over his shoulder, turned to look at him, and nodded. "Yeah, what's wrong?"

Xiao Liewen said, "I haven't seen that thing anywhere else. Where did you buy it?"

Chen Fan smiled. "I didn't buy it. I made it myself."

Xiao Liewen's eyes widened. "You made it yourself?"

Was that something that could be easily made?

Chen Fan pulled over two chairs, first inviting him to sit down, and then sat down himself, smiling. "That's right. This thing isn't complicated. I tried firing a few when I was firing pottery. After using it myself, I felt it was okay, especially for burning charcoal for heating at night. It keeps you very warm while sleeping.

Hasn't it been snowing heavily these past two days? I thought that Grandpa Lu's house walls were too thin and didn't retain heat, so I brought one over to him."

After a pause, he asked again, "What, do you want one too?"

If he didn't want one, why would he ask about it?

Xiao Liewen laughed. "I went to his place last night and saw him sleeping soundly. I went again this morning and he was reading a book next to the stove you sent. The house was warm and cozy, more comfortable than my brick house, and there wasn't any coal smoke at all, so I wanted to ask you where you bought the stove."

He shook his head, his eyes full of emotion. "I didn't expect you to have made it yourself?!"

This kid is full of skills!

Chen Fan knew what he was thinking and immediately chuckled, "To be honest, these are all experimental products. Before, I asked Zhu Hao, the cousin of Master Zhu, who is a chef at the state-owned restaurant, to buy some books for me from the county. There was a book called 'Local Pottery Firing', and I fired these according to the process written in the book."

After a pause, he smiled again, "But I only know a little bit. I dug an earthen kiln, and I can't fire much at a time. I just fire some utensils for my own use, which doesn't have much effect, so I didn't tell you."

He was saying this in advance, so that Captain Xiao wouldn't get the same idea as Captain Yang and the others in the team, wanting him to use his pottery skills.

If that were the case, he wouldn't be able to do anything else in the future, and he would just become a master craftsman.

Or he might simply lie down and do nothing.

But without learning these things, how could he live comfortably with the current rural conditions?

He was still hoping to hand-build a rural villa with a toilet, bathroom, and a large sunny kitchen.

Regardless of whether he left or stayed in the future, having a good life was the most basic human need!

If even this requirement couldn't be met, even if he was given two work points, he would only try to run away.

Hearing his words, Captain Xiao immediately understood what he meant and waved his hand, laughing, "Don't say you only have a little pottery skill, even if you were a master potter, how much soil and firewood is enough to build on this small piece of land in Lujia Village?"

Chen Fan was relieved to hear this.

Hehe, as expected, the leaders of the brigade headquarters are far-sighted and consider problems comprehensively, much better than Captain Yang's short-sighted vision.

He said with a smile, "It definitely won't work to do it on a large scale. It's okay to fire a few things for my own use. Since you like it, I'll make one for you when I get back, but I have to wait for the clay to dry before I can put it in the kiln, so I have to wait a few days."

Putting aside everything else, he had to repay Captain Xiao for teaching him martial arts.

Xiao Liewen didn't refuse and laughed. "Okay, I'll wait a few days. Anyway, it's still cold before the end of the first month. After I use it this year, I can continue to use it in the future."

After saying that, he pondered for two seconds and said, "A coal stove at the supply and marketing cooperative costs 15 yuan plus two industrial coupons. If you don't have a coupon, you can get one made at the blacksmith shop, but they will charge 20 yuan. Yours is a ceramic stove and burns charcoal, so it definitely can't be sold that expensive."

Chen Fan was a little dumbfounded. "I didn't plan to sell it."

Xiao Liewen glanced at him and continued to talk to himself, "This charcoal stove doesn't need sheet metal. Plus, it's easy to get materials, and it's heavier than a coal stove. It doesn't even have a handle and can only be moved by pinching the handles on both sides, which is inconvenient.

But it also has advantages, which is that it has a special smoke outlet. In addition, it can burn coal, charcoal, and firewood, unlike coal stoves that can only burn coal briquettes or honeycomb briquettes. Anyway, back and forth, let's calculate it as 10 yuan each."

Chen Fan opened his mouth wide and stared at Xiao Liewen.

What does this mean? Forcing me to make a mistake and then finding an excuse to fire me?

Xiao Liewen looked up and laughed again, "But you can't do business, unless it's at the rural market. Otherwise, you can't sell it for money at other times. If you want to sell it, you can only sell it to the purchasing station, but they may not accept it."

Chen Fan closed his jaw and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

You've said everything, both the right and wrong things. What are you trying to do?

Xiao Liewen took out his smoking pipe and crossed his legs.

Chen Fan immediately took out a match from the drawer, lit one, and lit it for him.

Xiao Liewen took a puff before smiling. "Money won't work, but exchanging things will. According to the value of 10 yuan, I'll give you another sheepskin-lined earflap hat, guaranteeing it's worth the money."

Chen Fan's eyes flickered slightly. "Someday I'll bring you a charcoal stove for the New Year, and you'll give me a leather hat in return?"

Xiao Liewen immediately shook his head. "Tomorrow you'll still bring me a big radish for the New Year, nothing else. After you fire the charcoal stove, bring it over to me, and I'll give you that hat then."

Chen Fan blinked. "Why?"

Xiao Liewen pointed at him. "Say you're smart, you're really smart. Say you're stupid, you're really stupid."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue in annoyance. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly realized and lowered his voice. "Are you afraid that if I give you a charcoal stove, everyone else will come to me asking for one?"

"That's right!"

Xiao Liewen looked outside, turned back, and whispered, "Before, the things you did were for the public good. When you do things for the public good, the public will naturally give you credit and issue certificates of merit.

But this time is different. This time it's for private individuals. Today I'll teach you a saying, 'Give rice, gratitude; give too much, resentment.' Even blood relatives can quarrel over a few pounds of rice and a few pieces of meat, let alone an outsider like you.

As long as people know you can fire pottery, there will definitely be a constant stream of people asking you for this and that every day. Then, will you give it or not?

If you give it, where will you get so much time and energy to fire it for them? If you don't give it, then people will scold you behind your back, and it will become your fault.

But, if I set a price with you in advance and exchange things with you, then it's different.

Even I have to exchange something worth 10 yuan with you. Can other people take advantage of you for nothing? In the future, no matter who asks you, you can say to them, 'This thing was exchanged with Captain Xiao for something worth 10 yuan. If I give it to you for free, it would be like offending Captain Xiao.' That way, people won't ask you for things.

Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Chen Fan pretended to be enlightened and nodded vigorously. "Understood."

Before his transmigration, he had stepped into countless pitfalls since he was a child. Of course, he understood this principle, but he just hadn't found a suitable opportunity to deal with it in advance.

He didn't expect that Xiao Liewen would actually take the initiative to put on an act with him.