Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 159 Color Television

Jingyan couldn't help but laugh when she thought of that scene: "That would be great. If they leave late and get hungry, they can have a late-night snack. If they come to the store and don't spend some money to buy some food, they'll feel embarrassed. We don't know how much our turnover will increase."

On the third day, the shop owner returned with the two helpers from before. Having learned from their previous experience of finding a vehicle for the refrigerator, the group easily found a tricycle this time and delivered the freezer and television to the shop in several trips.

When Jingyan saw them in the store, she was surprised for a moment: "You got the stuff so quickly? The freezer even arrived, that's unexpected."

The shopkeeper chuckled, "These kinds of buying and selling businesses aren't strictly controlled anymore, so my inventory transfers are much smoother, and the time is naturally faster. Where are the TV and freezer placed? Have you confirmed the locations?"

Jingyan quickly pointed out the location to him. The shopkeeper looked at the spot she had chosen and thought for a moment, "Is there a cabinet here? Put the TV on the cabinet, it will be higher, and people in the shop can see it whether they are sitting or standing. Otherwise, it will always block the view when people are walking around. If someone is drunk, it might cause trouble, which would be worse."

The store didn't actually have any tall cabinets like that. "How about we send the other one to my house first, and then you can see which of my cabinets and boxes you can use and bring them over. I have plenty of furniture at home anyway," Jingyan suggested.

The freezer was moved to the food preparation area, and they said it needed to sit for a day before being plugged in. Well, it's similar to a refrigerator. The staff happily wiped the freezer clean inside and out, just waiting for it to be used.

Jingyan, along with the shop owner and the two helpers, pushed a handcart carrying the television home. Once home, they placed the television opposite the sofa in the living room. Then, the shop owner took out a bunch of things from their toolbox and cobbled together a simple signal collector – basically a metal fork.

The helper installed the thing on the rooftop, while the shopkeeper shook the TV's built-in antenna around inside, looking for a signal. When the children heard that the TV had been bought, even He Ci'en ran out of the study to watch the excitement, not to mention the three little ones, who were all squatting in the living room, watching with great interest even though the TV screen was full of static.

He Ci'en was curious about everything and couldn't help but go up to the shopkeeper and ask, "Uncle, what are you doing? How can I make the signal stronger?"

The shop owner was really nice; he was busy with his hands and also carefully explained some wireless knowledge he knew to them. Anyway, Jingyan couldn't understand it and just stood there waiting for the result.

After much trouble, we finally got a channel. As soon as the TV picture came on, the children exclaimed, "Wow, it's in color! Grandma Chen's is black and white. This is the first time I've ever seen color TV!"

Well, that shout drew Grandma and Sister Wang out of the room and they all came to the living room to see what was going on. Hmm, with so many people, it was certainly lively. The shopkeeper tried changing a few channels and then turned to He Chaoli and said, "Little friend, could you please go to the top floor and tell the uncle who installed the antenna that the signal is working and ask him to come down?"

He Chaoli nodded, then turned and ran upstairs at a very good speed. The shopkeeper then called over He Ci'en, Jing Yan, and Sister Wang to explain how to turn the TV on and off, how to change channels, and what to do if there was no signal...

After explaining for a while, Jingyan, who had prior experience, grasped the concepts well. However, Sister Wang was rather confused, only remembering the simplest operations she usually performed. She had no idea about adjusting the signal strength.

He Ci'en is indeed a quick learner. He wrote down everything the shopkeeper said in his notebook and reassured Jing Yan, "Don't worry, Auntie. I'll teach Uncle when he comes back tonight. Look, I've written it all down."

Jingyan patted his shoulder and praised him, "Ci'en is great. He can keep up with such a fast speaking speed and take notes. He will definitely be a great stenographer if he becomes a meeting stenographer in the future."

He Ci'en grinned and said, "Auntie, can I watch TV for three hours every day from now on? I can use the rest of the time to read books."

Jingyan nodded: "You can manage your own time. Your aunt trusts you. Make your own summer vacation schedule. Studying according to the plan will definitely be more efficient."

He Ci'en nodded hurriedly. At this moment, the people on the top floor also came down. Jing Yan led the shopkeeper to look at each room. Finally, they chose a separate cupboard in the kitchen with a door. It was something He Zhijun had found at someone else's house. Jing Yan thought the wood was nice and that it could be used to close the door to keep out cats. She never expected it to have this use.

They moved the contents of the cupboard into a cement cabinet. The three men carried the cabinet across a handcart, one pushing and the other holding it. Jingyan and the shopkeeper went back to the shop, no longer paying attention to the children at home who were now lively because of the new television.

After getting the TV signal working in the shop, it was almost noon. Jingyan treated them to the staff meal: a big bowl of braised pork noodles, a braised pork bone for each person, two side dishes, and two extra stir-fried dishes. The three shop owners felt embarrassed, saying, "Isn't this too much?"

Jing Yan smiled and said, "You've brought me food twice already, and this is the first time I'm treating you to a meal. It's all homemade. This pork bone was originally braised for our family, so don't be shy. If it's not enough, the kitchen can make more. All the ingredients are ready."

After everyone finished lunch, the shop owner and Jingyan went to the Postal Savings Bank. Jingyan withdrew the remaining payment and paid the bill. The three of them then patted their bellies and happily said goodbye and left. Before leaving, the shop owner said, "Sister, if you need any appliances in the future, just come to me. I can help you with anything."

As the workers gradually finished their shifts in the evening, the shop slowly began to pick up customers. Many people who entered the shop immediately noticed the color television. Amazed, they ordered some food and sat down to eat and watch. Surprisingly, the usually noisy environment became much quieter because of the television, as everyone was afraid of not being able to hear the sound from the TV.

Those who originally wanted to go to the private rooms decided against it, and everyone automatically shared tables, making the lobby packed for the first time. Perhaps there are really too few activities to pass the time these days; even watching cartoons was a lot of fun for a bunch of grown men.

At seven o'clock, the evening news was broadcast. Jingyan wasn't interested in some current events and even found them boring, but many people in the shop watched it very attentively. After the news ended, many of them would discuss it.

When a regular customer saw Jingyan come in to deliver barbecue, he couldn't help but strike up a conversation with her: "Boss, this is really generous of you. Your shop is the first on the island to have a TV. A color TV must be unique on our island too. Our factory manager's house still has a black and white TV. Seriously, color TVs are much better."

Jing Yan smiled and said, "Color TVs must be a new product this year. Those who bought them earlier only had black and white TVs. I just happened to get one."

"It must be very expensive?" someone asked.

Jing Yan nodded: "One thousand one hundred yuan a unit is not cheap."

When the price was announced, many people looked heartbroken: "No wonder it looks good, the price is good too." This was everyone's sentiment, and Jingyan wholeheartedly agreed.

The 8 PM TV drama series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is currently airing. This series was even re-aired in the 1990s, which shows its popularity. It has only been airing for a short time now, with only one episode per day, and it's currently in its twenties.

Although it was a disjointed story, the plot was still very engaging, keeping the diners reluctant to leave. They watched the entire series before finally settling down and paying their bills. Many even promised to come back the next day to eat and watch the show again.

Jingyan was naturally pleased with this situation. After politely seeing the people off, everyone started cleaning. Because of the attraction of the television, no one sat in the private rooms on the second floor tonight, so there was no need to clean the second floor, and the workload was not too heavy.

The staff were tidying up when Jingyan went to check the accounts. Previously, daily sales were around 500 yuan, with profits between 160 and 180 yuan. Today, they had set a new record with sales of 600 yuan, and most of the extra was from drinks. Jingyan looked at the ledger and was very happy.

If this trend continues, a net monthly income of 5,000 yuan is achievable. Of course, once the novelty wears off, the turnover will definitely decline, but the income will still be considerable. Working for a year and being able to save more than 1,000 yuan without spending a penny is already considered a high-income earner. But she can save what others earn in four or five years in just one month. Just thinking about it makes me happy.

After the accounts were settled and the shop was cleaned, Jingyan said goodbye to everyone and hummed a little tune as she walked home. She ran into He Zhijun, who had come to pick her up. The two chatted as they walked: "Zhijun, today's sales were almost a hundred yuan more than before, mostly from drinks, especially the ice-cold beer, which sold really well."

The refrigerator compartment is currently filled with beer. The freezer will be plugged in tomorrow, and once the temperature stabilizes, I can put some beer in around 3 PM every day. It will freeze quickly, and with summer approaching, sales will definitely be excellent. However, I need to keep an eye on the beer in the freezer; if it freezes too quickly, the glass bottles might break.

He Zhijun listened to her chatter with a smile, only tightening his grip on her hand as a response. After Jingyan expressed her happiness, He Zhijun finally spoke: "The TV show was great. I watched it when I got home from get off work today. The picture quality was very clear. Not to mention the kids, even Grandma watched it without blinking. It was definitely better than black and white. The drama tonight was also very good. It's a pity we weren't together."

Jing Yan smiled and said, "Yes, the shop is watching it tonight too. It's 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes,' about Huang Rong and Guo Jing. They say it's an adaptation of a novel."

"You saw it too?" He Zhijun's eyes sparkled. Jing Yan shook her head: "I was barbecuing in the yard, so I didn't see the whole thing. I just stood at the door for a while after I sold all the meat skewers. I thought it was alright. We'll have plenty more to see in the future."

Every night, this stretch of road became their time to connect and nurture their relationship. Walking slowly home under the moonlight, they felt a sense of peaceful bliss and timelessness.

After getting a television, Zhizhi and An'an, who used to love going out, rarely go out anymore. They get up early to exercise, read after breakfast, watch cartoons from 10 to 11 a.m., and can take a nap or play after lunch.

From 5 to 6 pm, there are children's programs, and several kids will come down to watch for a while. After dinner, there is a half-hour news broadcast at 7 pm, followed by the weather forecast, and then a TV drama at 8 pm. After watching the drama, you can wash up and go to bed. Every day is clearly scheduled.

Grandma, on the other hand, spends most of her time sitting on the sofa watching TV, except for three meals a day and an afternoon nap. Whether it's a family drama, a cartoon, or a documentary, Grandma watches it with great interest. For several days now, Jingyan has been trying to persuade Grandma to go out for a walk, but she doesn't want to move. Only after being forced to turn off the TV did she go for a walk in the yard with Jingyan and pick some vegetables and fruits to bring back.

Jingyan was a bit of a headache. She bought the TV to help her grandmother pass the time, and she also didn't want her child to keep going to other people's houses to watch TV. But now, the child was practically glued to the TV. It's not good for her health in the long run. Fortunately, her grandmother listened to her advice and only watched TV during times that interested her, turning it off at other times so that she wouldn't see it or be bothered by it.

Before they knew it, it was time for the start of the school year. He Ci'en's middle school entrance exam results came out, and they were quite good. He ranked third in the whole school and was admitted to high school. The first day of school was a weekday, and He Zhijun was not at home, so Jing Yan took him to school to register.

Finding his name on the school bulletin board, they found the class he was assigned to. As expected, it was Class 1, given his grades. Jingyan took him to the academic affairs office to register. After paying the first semester's tuition, the parents' responsibility was fulfilled. Jingyan watched as He Ci'en went to Class 1 by himself, found a seat by the window, sat down, and left the school.

As for Ho Chiu-lai, on his first day of school, he went to the teachers' office for a fifth-grade knowledge test. The teachers scored him on the spot and said that if he scored above 80 in each subject, he could skip fifth grade and go directly to sixth grade.

He Chaoli's hard work over the past six months has paid off. Except for Chinese, where he barely passed with a score of 82, he scored above 85 in all other subjects, including 96 in math. This made his math teacher extremely happy.

He Chaoli was also very happy. He received his sixth-grade books and followed his teacher to register for Class 4, Grade 6. In no time, He Chaoli became a celebrity in the primary school. It was very rare for someone to skip a grade in this school. His special case made him famous very easily. He became the "other people's child".

Many parents found out that He Chaoli lived at his uncle's house and that his aunt ran a barbecue restaurant on the island. They would come to the restaurant after get off work to eat, and also ask Jingyan how she managed to raise such a well-educated child with good grades and high motivation.

When Jingyan was surrounded by people, she was still completely bewildered. After listening for a while, she realized why everyone had come, and she was somewhat amused and exasperated. "This isn't my doing. The child is naturally smart and very self-disciplined."

After finishing her homework every day, she would preview the upcoming lessons. During the school year, she would study an extra hour every day, and on weekends and holidays, she would play for no more than three hours a day. She didn't slack off at all during the entire summer vacation, so it's no wonder she got these grades.