"Yangyang, we can't make mistakes."
"Nowadays, houses are assigned by the unit, just like our place. We only have the right to use and reside, not to buy or sell."
However, Chen Yang had underestimated the limitations of the era. The reason his eldest sister's family was forced to squeeze into a small, dilapidated dormitory in his previous life wasn't solely because the unit didn't assign housing.
Even with money, no one dared to trade houses privately. At least, not in 1978. It was only this year that the government first suggested allowing private housing construction.
By 1980, the policy of housing commercialization was formally proposed for the first time. Housing sales trials began in 1982. Chen Yang estimated that it wouldn't be until after 1980, when the state officially promulgated the housing commercialization policy, that houses could be bought and sold.
It would take until 1983 for housing transactions to become more common.
"The dormitory buildings you mentioned, I can inquire about them. If people aren't living there, we can exchange quotas. Then your brother-in-law and I would have a home."
"It's better than how things are now."
Chen Juan patted Chen Yang on the shoulder. When they were younger, she would have ruffled his hair. But now Chen Yang had grown tall, standing at 1.8 meters.
Chen Juan was only 1.6 meters tall and couldn't reach the top of Chen Yang's head even by standing on her tiptoes.
Chen Juan looked at her younger brother. She felt that since he returned this time, he seemed to have matured a lot. After five years apart, her brother had truly grown up, now thinking about her situation.
"Sister, you can go ask about the dormitory buildings. At worst, we can exchange two quotas. We can knock through the walls of two rooms and partition them into two separate rooms. That would suffice."
"Don't you worry about the courtyard. I have my ways of inquiring. If we can't buy one, we can rent. In a few years, when the policy changes and opportunities arise, we can buy a courtyard."
Chen Yang didn't want his eldest sister and brother-in-law to suffer the same hardships as in his previous life. If it weren't for saving his brother-in-law's face, he would have found a courtyard near the education bureau to rent for them to live in.
"You're not old, but you talk big."
"Why rent such a big courtyard? Your brother-in-law and I don't need it. Besides, renting a large courtyard costs money, and our salaries are not that high."
"To get married, we spent all our savings on the 'three turns and one sound' items. Your parents and ours also chipped in some money. We have to repay this money later."
"What if we have children? Children's expenses, their food and drink, their medical needs, there are many places where money is needed."
Chen Juan meticulously listed everything. Looking at her elder sister, Chen Yang felt for the first time the pressure her elder sister and brother-in-law had faced back then.
Perhaps that was the reason they had endured and squeezed into that small, dilapidated dormitory for so long.
Both of them cared about their reputation.
They also didn't want to owe their parents too much. For various reasons, the couple could only choose to suffer themselves.
"As for Mom and Dad, you know they have their own salaries and don't lack this little bit from you. If you and your brother-in-law live well, they will be happier than receiving your money."
"Besides, there's me. Don't underestimate your brother. Your brother is now the actual owner of the first private business in the entire country."
"I'm running a radio shop. Mom and Dad don't lack money either; they have their own salaries. They don't need you to force yourself to squeeze out this money."
Chen Yang felt it was necessary to change his elder sister's mindset. Wanting to be filial to parents is a good thing.
But living your own life well first will surely make your parents happier. Compared to their children giving them money, they would much rather see their children live well. That would bring them more happiness than any amount of money their children gave them.
"Individual proprietor?"
"The Meng Hui Radio Shop in Qinghe City?"
Chen Juan looked at Chen Yang. She suddenly felt like she didn't quite recognize her brother.
Didn't her brother go to the countryside to work as a farmer? Shouldn't he be farming in the countryside? How did he get involved with the first individual business in Qinghe City?
Chen Juan was a bit bewildered.
She had only learned about this matter from reading the newspaper before. The first privately operated shop to be openly licensed and permitted to operate had sparked heated discussions across the country.
Some people called it speculation and profiteering and insisted it must be shut down immediately to prevent this unhealthy trend from growing.
Even many people openly declared that the leader of the industrial and commercial bureau who issued the licenses for individual businesses must be dismissed and investigated as a warning to others.
However, even more people saw the significant changes this type of business could bring to the entire society.
First, this group of educated youths who were returning to the city – how would they be arranged? Should they all be sent to factories? Factories simply didn't have that many positions.
What about the others?
These educated youths, who were sent to the countryside to work years, even a decade ago, had suffered so much down there. Now they were returning without jobs.
What were they to do?
In the countryside, at least they were involved in planting with the production team. As long as they worked hard, they could mostly secure food, though perhaps not enough to feel full. But returning to the city without work, how would they survive?
This legalization of individual business operations... no one was foolish. Engaging in small businesses could earn some money, at least enough to support a family.
Therefore, the news about Chen Yang obtaining the first individual business license in the country had spread to all the surrounding provinces.
It was precisely because of this widespread popularity that Chen Juan, an employee of the Education Bureau, knew about this matter.
But now her brother was telling her that he was the one who started the shop. How could Chen Juan not be shocked?
"Sister, since you already know, you should understand that with me here, our parents don't lack the money you want to repay."
"You and your brother-in-law shouldn't make things difficult for yourselves. If you need anything, just tell me directly."
Chen Yang hadn't expected that the news about his radio shop had already reached Jinling. It was clear that everything he had done was proving effective.
"Brother, that individual business, they won't arrest you for speculation and profiteering, will they?"
When Chen Juan heard Chen Yang admit it without any hesitation, her mind was in a whirl. But many people had said that those who operated the Meng Hui Radio Shop should be arrested for speculation and profiteering.
Chen Juan was also worried about her brother.
"Elder Sister, the reform and opening up has already begun. The future will be an era where the state-owned economy is the main body, with various forms of ownership economy developing together."
"From now on, everyone will look at money, look at prosperity. There's no such thing as speculation and profiteering."
Chen Yang comforted Chen Juan. Besides, the fact that this report could appear in newspapers across the country was a clear signal.
It meant that the higher authorities were optimistic about it and hoped that more people would see it.
Therefore, the situation was very clear.
If it wasn't viewed favorably, the news of Qinghe City issuing the nation's first individual business license would never have spread to various places.