sbdcsierra Chapter 1663 The Difficulty of the Car
Chapter 1663 The Difficulty of the Car
Chapter 1663 The Difficulty of the Car
When Ye's father saw his son and grandson order four large trucks at once, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night.
Once upon a time, all he asked of his children and grandchildren was that they have enough to eat and drink, and that they be able to shoulder their responsibilities and support their families.
Who would have thought that even the grandsons would be so successful, each of them able to afford a big car!
If they get that big truck, those two grandsons will never have to worry for the rest of their lives; they'll live a life of luxury.
Ah Hai doesn't need to worry. He has a father-in-law who is a factory manager, and he has now set up a small workshop for marine parts, which is said to be doing quite well.
As for the other two grandsons, Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang, they have even less to worry about. With Ye Yaodong as their father, they will never have to worry about anything in their lives, and they will have more money than they can spend in the future.
As for the granddaughters at home, there's even less to worry about; they're not old enough yet, and a bunch of matchmakers have already come to inquire about them.
Everyone knows that their family is well-off, and their daughter works and earns money, so she doesn't have to worry about getting married at all. Finding someone with good conditions is not difficult for her at all.
Mr. Ye was so happy that he tossed and turned in bed. He would become a great-grandfather again next year, and at just over 60 years old, his life would be complete.
He has an overwhelming urge to confide in someone and desperately wants to make a phone call, but unfortunately he's already in bed and it's dark, so he can't go outside to make the call. He can only keep it to himself and wait until tomorrow.
This caused him to be so excited that he couldn't sleep all night, and he woke up the next day with huge dark circles under his eyes.
"What did you do last night? Did you go thieving? Your eye bags are swollen like goldfish bubbles, and the area around your eyes is as dark as a panda's."
As soon as Ye Yaodong finished speaking, everyone else looked at Ye's father.
Father Ye chuckled, “I’m so happy I can’t sleep. Even Ajiang and Chenghe have become successful. We won’t have to worry about anything in the future.”
"You don't need to worry about this anyway. You're not the father, so it's not your place to worry."
"Then I'm happy that your eldest and second brothers don't have to worry anymore."
"You're still worried about when you'll retire. I'll buy you a car, but I think you really have to work until you're 80."
"I'll retire when I can no longer work."
"Let's go. Let's register them for the truck driving test as soon as possible. After that, we'll go look at small cars. If it's feasible, we can just place the order now."
Mr. Ye was overjoyed and asked as they walked, "Are we settling on it now? Isn't it too early? I don't even know how to drive yet."
"Didn't you say yesterday that you could drive two laps?"
"That was practice on the track. There was no acceleration. We just drove slowly in first gear. You can't do that on the street. I still need to learn more."
"It's not like you can buy it and drive it away right away. Of course, you have to wait. If you order it now, you should be able to pick it up after you pass the test."
"Yes, yes, we have to wait. Let's book in advance so it'll be just in time for me to pass the test." Mr. Ye was overjoyed. As soon as he got his license, he would have a car to drive right away.
"You're so thoughtful. Otherwise, by the time I finish the test, it will be winter break, and if I try to order a car then, it will be at least after the New Year or early spring, which would be too late."
"Let's wait and see. We don't know when we can pick up the car. It's best to place an order as soon as possible. Once the car arrives, we can decide when to drive it home. It would be best if we could pick it up before the New Year."
Ye Chengjiang asked, "If we get the car, do you want to drive it home?"
"Of course! We'll drive the new car home right away!" Mr. Ye said matter-of-factly.
Ye Chengjiang hesitated and said, "The road shouldn't be very safe, especially with the New Year approaching. It shouldn't be peaceful, especially with a car..."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Ye frowned, somewhat uncertain, "You came up here in a large truck. Was the journey not safe?"
"I've encountered a few cases. Some are easy to talk to and will let it go with a little money, but others are not. I've had that with my third uncle's friend before, and it even escalated into a fight..."
"Then... what should we do? Should we just not drive back?"
Ye Yaodong calmly said, "You're already worried about this before you even have the car? Don't worry, what's there to worry about? Things will work themselves out."
"These are all immediate matters. Now that we've bought the new car, how can we not drive it home?"
"If you want to drive it back, then drive it back. Just ask my friend in advance when there will be deliveries, and you can go with them."
Or you could ask those veterans to borrow their uniforms to wear. All four of their vehicles are the same model, a military green Dongfeng EQ140, which is quite deceptive.
Who would dare rob an army vehicle? They're asking for trouble.
Then, once you're within the county's boundaries, take off your clothes as soon as possible.
"Then we'll talk about it later."
If the new car isn't driven back, how much of the glory is lost?
Who doesn't want to make a fortune and return home in glory?
"Let's have breakfast first. I have to say, the food here is quite strange. They even have salty soy milk with seaweed, dried shrimp, and fried dough sticks. It tastes pretty good. I was initially reluctant, but after trying it once, I found it quite delicious."
"You think it's good? I don't want to eat it. It's weird, there's even salty soy milk in it."
"Yeah, I've learned something new. I'm amazed that there's salty soy milk and salty tofu pudding. I'm impressed by how strange it is to eat like this."
"You guys should try it, it's really delicious. Even the savory tofu pudding is good, the key is to make the sauce right."
Everyone shook their heads. Apart from Ye Yaodong, none of them could accept salty tofu pudding and salty soy milk; it was such a bizarre taste.
"Try it, it won't kill you, it's really delicious..."
"No, this is so weird, I'd rather die than eat it..."
Ye Yaodong shoved a spoonful directly into Ye Chenghu's mouth, making Ye Chenghu's face contort in disgust, and he opened his mouth as if to spit it out.
"Swallow it. If you spit it out, you'll lose all your allowance for this month."
Ye Chenghu rolled the food around in his mouth a few times before swallowing it immediately, without tasting anything.
"Is it tasty?"
He quickly shook his head.
"Wild boars can't eat fine bran, so you'll just swallow it whole if I stuff it in your mouth."
"Dad, you can eat by yourself." Ye Chenghu took his breakfast, along with his sweet soy milk, and moved to the table behind him, avoiding the other table.
Ye Yaodong didn't force him, and he shared the good food with them, but they all acted like they were facing a raging flood.
After breakfast, they asked about the bus route and boarded the bus to register for their truck driver's license test.
After registering, Ye Yaodong casually asked the staff where he could buy a car.
After their initial surprise, the staff members also enthusiastically explained things to him.
You have to go to the Shanghai Electromechanical Equipment Corporation; that's currently the only legitimate and official channel.
This is not the dealership we are talking about now, but a planning and allocation unit.
A mainstream Volkswagen Santana is priced between 17 and 20 RMB.
At that time, the average monthly salary of ordinary employees in Shanghai was about 200-300 yuan.
This means that it would take a family decades of not eating or drinking to save enough money.
Only a very small number of self-employed individuals, private business owners, overseas Chinese, or those who have become wealthy through other means can afford to buy a car.
The staff are very enthusiastic, and talented people are always popular wherever they go.
However, buying a car was more complicated than he had imagined. It wasn't as simple as just wanting to buy one and placing an order; he needed to obtain a license plate quota and get approval before he could actually buy it.
He had to apply for a car purchase quota from the "Office for Controlling the Purchasing Power of Social Groups" in Shanghai, or "Control Office" for short.
He also needs to prove the "legitimacy" and "necessity" of his car purchase, and that the source of his funds is legal.
I heard the approval process is very strict, and it's very difficult for individuals to obtain a quota...
Ye Yaodong's heart sank when he heard this. No wonder there were so many smuggled cars along the coast. Since it was difficult to get official quotas, the smuggled car market became huge.
He thought that smuggled cars were cheaper and didn't require complicated procedures.
The reason he was able to successfully reserve the truck was because he had already obtained the operating qualifications, with a "Business License" and a "Road Transport Permit," so he was qualified to make the purchase.
Furthermore, the purpose of buying trucks is not for personal enjoyment, but for production. In addition, the policy encourages private purchase of trucks as part of "revitalizing the economy".
Cars, on the other hand, are different; they focus on consumption and enjoyment.
Not only was Ye Yaodong disheartened, but Ye's father, who had been filled with passion, also felt a chill run down his spine.
The staff all said that the control targets were hard to obtain, so it must be really hard to obtain.
Ye Chenghu comforted him, "The staff said that the quota for the control office is difficult to obtain, but they didn't say it's impossible. Otherwise, why are there cars running around on the streets? Dad, why don't you ask your friends?"
"Let's go back first. I'll inquire about it. It's not good to keep bothering others. If we can solve it ourselves, we should."
"So you're going back? Not going to look at the car?" Mr. Ye was extremely disappointed, as he had thought he would be able to see the car ahead of time.
"I can't even see it, there's no approval, and I doubt anyone will bother with it."
Ye Chengjiang said, "Just because we can't buy it through official channels doesn't mean we can't buy it through other channels. Let's talk about it when we get back."
Ye Chenghe chimed in, "Yeah, just because we can't buy it through official channels doesn't mean we can't get it through other channels. Uncle San knows so many friends, how could he not be afraid to get a car? If we can't go through the official channels, then so be it, we'll talk about it when we get back."
Mr. Ye was comforted. Indeed, Dongzi knew so many people, so buying a car wouldn't be difficult. If they couldn't buy it through legal and compliant channels, then they would find other ways.
He wasn't unaware of the smuggling of cars; there were plenty of them.
"Then we can't buy a Hongqi."
"Let me find out first. If you're supposed to practice driving today, then go practice."
Mr. Ye nodded. Anyway, once he learned to drive, it would be his own, and Dongzi would eventually be able to get a car.
Ye Yaodong told them to go back on their own, while he went to the shipyard to take a look around and inquire about it.
Only then did I realize how difficult it was to control the quota, and that there was no way I could buy a Hongqi car; it was not for sale.
If you're looking for something else, you can only get a Volkswagen Santana or a Xiali; even the Jetta is a brand new model that just came out this year.
The identity of the Hongqi car goes far beyond that of a "car"; it is a ceremonial tool and means of production closely related to the country's political life.
From its inception, the Hongqi sedan was not designed for ordinary people, or even ordinary officials.
It is the official vehicle of national leaders, the highest-level ceremonial vehicle, used to receive foreign heads of state and dignitaries.
All Hongqi sedans are produced according to plan. After each car rolls off the production line, its allocation is based on administrative rank and political needs, rather than market demand.
It represents the pinnacle of my country's automobile industry and the image of the country; it is a political symbol and a national asset.
When Ye Yaodong thought about buying a car, the first car that came to mind was Hongqi, which was also because of the Hongqi that appeared in the televised military parade.
It was truly exhilarating to watch.
He came from the future and knew that buying a car wasn't easy these days, but he didn't know that the Hongqi sedan was so special.
It is extremely difficult for private individuals to purchase any car, let alone a Hongqi with such a special status.
Don't even think about it.
He looked into it further and found that the quota for the control office was very difficult to obtain, so he gave up and prepared to go back to Linji to ask.
If official channels are difficult to access, then try other channels.
Rules are dead, people are alive.
After learning about the car, he inquired about office buildings in Pudong and was told that he would have to negotiate with the government himself, and that he would need to contact and negotiate with officials from the Pudong Development Office.
This is very complicated, and foreign investors are also in contact with it.
Thinking that he only has a few million or tens of millions, he still waits to buy a building. One shouldn't be too greedy.
However, in a few years his funds will definitely be more substantial, and he certainly won't be satisfied with these things then.
He didn't have much money, but he had big ambitions and always wanted to do something big. Now he has to shrink back and focus on improving his processing plant and fishing boats.
His old profession was still the one he was familiar with and that was easier for him; he could make money with his eyes closed.
However, after rejecting several options, when he turned to Lin Ji, the guy certainly didn't disappoint him.
He said he wanted to get a car. Although Linji didn't give a definite answer, only saying that he would ask, he also said that it shouldn't be a big problem.
When he went home that night and told his father, his father was overjoyed; it was a complete turn of events.
Mr. Ye had been in a low mood all day and had lost his energy and motivation while practicing driving, but now he is full of enthusiasm again.
"Is it really possible to get one?"
"Yes, and the price is cheaper. For example, a Volkswagen Santana might only cost half the price."
Mr. Ye was excited, "That's better this way. If it's hard to get approval, we'll find our own channels to buy it, which will save us money!"
"We can buy it ourselves and it'll be cheaper? That's a great deal, can we use a truck?" Ye Chengjiang asked.
"You wish!"
Mr. Ye then asked, "What brands can I buy? How much do they cost? Can you get a Hongqi?"
"There can't be a Hongqi (Red Flag) car; Hongqi is for ceremonial vehicles..."
Ye Yaodong explained the special features of the Red Flag to them, and everyone was surprised and astonished. Ye's father opened his mouth again and again.
"This...this car is amazing! I...I must have such good taste!"
"90% of the cars that can be obtained through distribution channels are from Japan..."
"No!" Mr. Ye said sternly, refusing outright. "I wouldn't even take the Japanese car if it were given to me for free."
"You really don't want it if I give it to you?"
"If you're going to spend money to buy it, then don't. It's not like we don't have other car options. If you don't want the Japanese cars, how about that Santana you just mentioned? It's made in China, right?"
"Yep."
"This is also made in China, so why is it so expensive in China, costing tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan, while those imported from abroad are half the price? Aren't they all made in our own country? How come they are more expensive here and cheaper from abroad?"
"This brings us to the issue of quotas, consumption tax, planned production costs, and all sorts of other things. In foreign markets, especially Europe and America, the same models are much cheaper due to large-scale production and fierce market competition. Plus, smuggling avoids a huge amount of tariffs."
Mr. Ye seemed to understand, but he also realized that the price they got through their channels was cheaper than the official price.
"Then let's buy a Santana, right? It'll only cost 8 to 9, maybe even 10?"
"Yes, there are also some better German-made cars, like Mercedes..."
"No, no, just a domestic one, something cheaper is fine, as long as it runs. Why would an old man like me need to drive something so expensive? Besides, if we get a foreign car, people will immediately know that we didn't buy it through legitimate channels."
"That's true, after all, it will be used to pick up guests."
"Yes, if we buy domestic products, people will think we have some connections and got a permit to buy them."
At this point, Mr. Ye paused, then asked somewhat nervously, "The ones we buy through this channel should be the same as the official ones, right? Will it be easy to register them? Will we get caught?"
"Getting arrested is unlikely. At most, you won't have legal documents, so you'll have to have someone forge them before you can get the license plate. Anyway, there's a well-established system for this. Aren't there plenty of cars from these channels over the years? There are far more than legitimate cars."
“That’s right.” Mr. Ye relaxed.
Ye Chenghu asked curiously, "Dad, when will we get the car? Can we get it as soon as Grandpa gets his driver's license?"
"Who can guarantee that? It's uncertain, just wait and see."
"My grandpa even said he'd drive me to and from school!"
"Dream on! Get back to riding your bike to school."
Ye Chenghu turned to look at his father, who winked at him, and he immediately became obedient.
Mr. Ye then asked, "Dongzi, is the Santana the only domestically produced car? Are there any others? Have you already placed your order?"
"There aren't many domestically produced models now. They're mostly Santana, but there's also Xiali. Xiali is cheaper; it's a new model that came out this year."
"How much cheaper? Shall we buy the cheaper one?"
"Ask first. The price isn't absolute right now; it fluctuates."
And how could he even bother asking for a price or haggling? Ask about the car first; if there's a car, everything else is negotiable.
"Okay, okay, let's ask around first and tell them we want domestically made products."
"Ah."
Mr. Ye was delighted and happy, all the gloom he had felt that day had vanished.
Ye Chengjiang said enviously, "Third Uncle, you're really amazing. You spent over ten thousand yesterday, and today you ordered another car for over ten thousand. You spend over ten thousand so easily. You're really enjoying yourself."
"The more you earn, the more you naturally spend."
"I wish my dad could earn money like you someday."
"Huh? Isn't it you? You still expect your dad to earn more money for you?"
"Of course? You're the same generation as my father, so how can I not hope that my father can earn money like you? If he earns more money, wouldn't I have an easier life? I wouldn't have to work in the wind and rain every day, without day or night."
Ye Chenghu said, "Dad, work hard and keep it up!"
"I work so hard to earn money, and if you don't study hard, I'll beat you until your belt breaks."
Ye Chenghu immediately shrank back, not daring to interrupt or utter another word.
Ye Yaodong then looked at Ye Chengjiang and said, "Relying on yourself is worse than relying on anyone else. Your father will get old too, and you both have a long life ahead of you. Once you get the truck, you'll have a higher starting point. You can earn more money, order more trucks, hire people to drive them, and be your own boss. You can also run a logistics business."
Ye Chenghe's eyes lit up. "Third Uncle, you've hit the nail on the head. Last night, when Ajiang and I were sleeping, we were talking about how great it would be if we were as rich as you. We could buy a few cars, hire people to drive them, and just collect the money. It would be so awesome, no need to work."
"That's good. If you have an idea, you have to work hard to put it into practice and familiarize yourself with it first."
"We have two tractors, right? We were thinking that once we got the truck, we could rent the tractors to my cousin and collect a few dollars in rent every day!"
"Okay."
Mr. Ye said, "Can't they just buy it themselves?"
"We're so poor, what can we buy? My mom keeps telling my dad every few days that this relative or that relative keeps coming over. We don't even know where all these poor relatives come from."
Ye Chengjiang chimed in, "I didn't know we had so many relatives, especially during the Lunar New Year, most of whom I'd never met before."
Ye Yaodong's family didn't encounter such a grand occasion. His parents were there to handle his relatives, and his mother was no pushover either.
As for Aqing's relatives, they couldn't find him either. Besides the inconvenience of communication now, the main reason was that his father-in-law's family was very successful now. His brothers-in-law had earned a lot of money and moved to the city. They were among the best in their village and town.
Her relatives on her side naturally went to her parents and brothers.
His sister-in-law's family lived nearby, but they weren't very capable, so she naturally turned to his older brothers.
"You should discuss and arrange your own affairs. Brothers united can move mountains. If you're unsure, come and ask me."
Ye Chenghe: "Okay, Third Uncle, we'll have to wait until we get the car anyway."
Ye Chengjiang: "I spent so much money going out, I almost couldn't sleep last night."
How much money is left?
"There's not much left. It was only because my dad paid me back a while ago that I had money and dared to think about buying a big truck with Chenghe."
When Ye Yaohua went to pay the final installment for the ship last year, he didn't have enough money, so Ye Chengjiang took out all the money he had earned to support his father.
Ye Yaodong also borrowed a sum of money, which was deducted directly from the payment this year.
Ye Chenghe added, "That's right, it's only because my father gave it back to me that I dare to even think about it. Actually, to be honest, I sleep more soundly when I don't have any money on hand, and I don't have these wild thoughts..."
"Idiot!" Ye Chengjiang cursed without restraint. "Everyone else can't sleep because they don't have money, but you can't sleep soundly because you don't have money?"
"Sigh, I regret getting married. I'm always afraid my wife will find out I've taken so much money without her knowing, and then she'll start arguing with me. Sigh, if I didn't have money, I wouldn't have to worry about being found out."
Ye Yaodong said, "Then how about this, you give me the money, that way you won't have any money, you won't have to worry, and you can sleep peacefully."
Ye Chengjiang chuckled and put his arm around Ye Chenghe's shoulder, "Give it to me. I'm not getting married, so I'll feel very secure with it and be able to sleep soundly. You can take on this pressure for me."
“Brother Chenghe, I can do it too. Why don’t you give me the money? I’ll take this hot potato.” Ye Chenghu couldn’t help but say.
"Dream on! Don't even think about it. This is my hard-earned money. I have no conscience taking it."
Everyone said in unison, "We have a clear conscience."
Ye Chenghe spread his hands and said, "Anyway, I'm broke now. I'm penniless. I've already spent all my money. If I don't have enough money to buy the car later, Uncle San can lend me some."
"Sure, we can deduct it directly from the shipping fee."
"Great, now I can work for you for free for a year or two."
"That's just what you need. Let me make you poor for two years and see how it goes."
Ye Chenghe grinned, "I felt instantly at ease. If I don't have any money on me now, I can confidently tell my wife that I need to borrow money to buy a car. I'll have to work for you for free for a few years to earn the money for the car first."
Ye Chengjiang rolled his eyes. "It's a good thing I'm not getting married, so don't try to persuade me to get married."
Mr. Ye changed the subject and asked, "Now that you've finished your business, when are you going back?"
"tomorrow."
Ye Chenghu wailed, "Ah, you're all leaving tomorrow? Then I'll be all alone again."
Father Ye said, "Isn't there still me?"
"Ugh."
They set off early the next morning.
Everyone's time is precious, so I'll go back as soon as I'm done.
Mr. Ye was in low spirits yesterday and had no desire to share anything. However, his mood improved last night, and he was excited again this morning.
After seeing them off, Ye Chenghu went to school. His desire to share was overflowing, so he immediately went to make a phone call.
There was no one here to talk to, so he wanted to share his joy with his mother.
This is a huge matter, and I should have called back immediately to report it, but it was too late the day before yesterday, and he was practicing driving yesterday, so he had no desire to talk all day.
When Ye's mother first answered the phone, she was a little impatient. She thought, "I just called less than a week ago, why am I calling back again?"
His sons only call once every ten days, half a month, or even once a month. Compared to them, Ye's father calls far too frequently.
But when she heard that Ye Chengjiang and Ye Chenghe had each bought a large car worth tens of thousands of yuan, her voice rose.
"Huh? What? They bought a big truck? The same kind of big truck that Dongzi used to have?"
"It's even better than the car Dongzi bought before, and it's more fuel-efficient..."
"No, where did they get the money?"
"They paid a deposit and then said they needed to borrow Dongzi's money, didn't you know?"
"Know nothing! You all agreed? You didn't even call home to tell us. Such a big deal, and those two kids just bought it and placed the order? Their mother probably doesn't know, right? If she did, she should have told the whole village by now. Why didn't they say a word? Those two brats are getting more and more ambitious..."
"Didn't they call back to say anything? Weren't they idle all day yesterday?"
Mr. Ye was a little confused. He thought the family already knew, and then he wanted to call Mrs. Ye to chat and express his desire to share.
"Know nothing! He didn't even mention it. He didn't tell me before I bought it, and he didn't intend to tell me after I bought it. That brat, those two coffin-heads..."
Ye's mother cursed and swore, "No, I have to talk to their mother. They're still in the dark. Are you alright? If not, I'm hanging up."
"No, it's okay..."
Snapped!
After hanging up the phone, Ye's mother rushed out to talk to her two daughters-in-law.
Mr. Ye was a little confused as he listened to the dial tone on the phone. They were the ones who bought the car, so why didn't anyone call home to tell them?
He had originally intended to tell her that Dongzi was going to get him a car...
Hearing that she knew nothing, he swallowed his words, unsure whether to continue.
P.S.: I wrote early today, already 7000 words. Time for a shower and bed. Goodnight.