As time passed, sunlight bathed the land, and the chill gradually faded.
The instructor had already made arrangements; Tan Jincheng's test method was no different from anyone else's.
Given Tan Jincheng's skill, coupled with the instructor's arrangements, the test was naturally no problem.
Chen Shuyi had also been practicing driving for so long, and she passed as well.
More than a year of effort finally paid off; she was very happy the moment she learned she had passed.
"Let's go, I'll take you back."
After a busy half-day, Chen Shuyi was a bit tired, but her inner joy was undiminished.
"Wait for me a moment, I have something to discuss with the instructor."
Tan Jincheng had pulled some strings, aiming to get his driver's license as soon as possible; he didn't want to follow the normal procedures.
"Then hurry up, I'll wait for you in the car, and tell my dad too."
"Okay."
Old Tan still had to go to work, so he wouldn't bother him.
Before long, Tan Jincheng emerged from the instructor's office with his driver's license in hand; if it weren't for Old Tan's insistence on practicing driving, he probably would have gotten it in about a week.
In fact, even without taking a test, it was very easy to get a driver's license in those years; Old Tan really went to unnecessary trouble.
However, if it were ten years later, it wouldn't be so easy.
Walking straight out of the testing center, Tan Jincheng approached the Jetta.
Handing over a cigarette, Tan Jincheng said to Chen Shuyi's father,
"Uncle Chen, thank you for your trouble."
In his memory, Chen Shuyi's father seemed to be a doctor?
He didn't remember, it wasn't important.
"It's nothing, just on the way, get in the car,"
Chen Zhongping said with a smile, taking the cigarette.
Chen Zhongping had heard Tan Jincheng's name; he knew about the chaos Tan Jincheng had caused in the Tan family last year, but it was their first time meeting.
He looked decent, but his personality was a bit wild, and he was quite bold, daring to go out to sea at seventeen or eighteen.
It was said he wasn't studying anymore either.
After Tan Jincheng sat in the back seat, Chen Shuyi, in the passenger seat, couldn't help but ask,
"Why are you smoking now?"
"I gave them to the instructor to build good relations, so he'd take care of me a bit."
"Oh, I see, no wonder you could take the test so quickly. Is it because I didn't give out cigarettes that it took so long for me?"
His daughter's question made Chen Zhongping chuckle; this kid was completely dishonest, and only someone as naive as his daughter would believe his nonsense.
It was obvious he got his license through the back door; he got it in less than half a month, probably bought with money.
Could that be solved just by handing out cigarettes?
Besides, when answering the question about smoking, this kid was clearly dodging the main point.
The cigarettes were Dahongying, from another province.
It was impossible to give an instructor cigarettes from another province; even if not Zhonghua, they should at least be Jinwan.
Moreover, the way he handed out the cigarette just now was extremely skillful, clearly indicating he smoked them himself.
Due to his preconceived notions, Chen Zhongping, meeting for the first time, did not form a very good impression of this nephew of his eldest sister's son-in-law.
Wild in nature, bold, daring to use connections for something as crucial as a driving test that concerns life; he wondered what he would do in the future.
Chen Zhongping drove carefully and asked,
"Xiao Tan isn't studying anymore, is he?"
Tan Jincheng knew what Chen Zhongping wanted to ask:
"That's right, after coming back, I started a small business."
"Oh, you started a business? What kind of business?"
This was unexpected for Chen Zhongping; he thought the kid had gone out to work.
But then Chen Zhongping quickly understood.
With such a wild personality, this kid couldn't work for someone else forever.
"Partnered with a classmate to sell clothes."
"That's Zhang Xupeng, right? I heard before that you two were going to start a business together. How did you end up selling clothes?"
Chen Shuyi interjected.
"Yeah, it's him. We didn't know what to do, so we just got some clothes to sell."
"Men's wear or women's wear?"
"Women's wear."
Listening to their conversation, Chen Zhongping nodded inwardly; he hadn't done business before and didn't know the profit margins for clothing, but selling women's wear definitely made more money than men's wear.
"Where is your shop? I'll go support it sometime."
Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng's startup was very low-key; currently, besides their own parents, no one knew exactly what they were doing.
Even Tan Jincheng's paternal grandmother and maternal grandmother only knew their grandson was selling clothes, not running a company.
When Chen Shuyi heard Tan Jincheng say he was selling clothes, she naturally thought of opening a physical store to sell women's wear.
Uh, how should he answer this?
Opened an online store?
Started a company?
Forget it, he'd just say he opened an online store.
Zhang Xupeng was already so tight-lipped and didn't show off, so there was even less need for him to do so.
"Uh, we set up a website. Do you know Taobao?"
"I've heard of it, but I haven't bought anything online. Is buying things online reliable? Aren't you afraid of being scammed?"
"There's a third-party transaction platform, so funds are safe, but you still need to be careful with verification; there are many cases of goods not matching the description."
"Why did you think of opening a website? Can this business be good?"
"Opening a website is cheaper. We use the money saved from store rent to purchase more inventory."
Hearing this, Chen Zhongping almost couldn't help but laugh.
Wasn't this just child's play?
He had never heard of doing business this way; what was the point of buying more inventory if it couldn't be sold?
No, although this kid had a wild nature, he didn't seem like someone who would mess around carelessly; he probably wasn't telling the truth.
"What's your shop called then? I'll check it out when I have time, and experience online shopping."
Chen Shuyi said, still smiling cheerfully.
"Jinshang Yidu. You'll know if you search for it on Taobao when you get back."
"Okay, I'll search for it then. Remember to give me a discount!"
Tan Jincheng laughed:
"I'll refund you the money then, you just help us boost sales; but you need to tell me in advance, I don't usually manage the shop."
"How can that be? I have to pay. You have business costs too, and it's not just your shop, there's Zhang Xupeng too."
"Suit yourself. Let's talk about it if you find something you like."
This topic couldn't continue.
Immediately, Tan Jincheng said to Chen Zhongping,
"Uncle Chen, it's already noon. Please let me treat you and Xiao Chen to a meal, to thank you for bringing me back."
What's going on?
He needs to treat us to a meal just for a ride?
Chen Zhongping looked at his daughter with some confusion.
"Hehe, Dad; we agreed just before the test. We rarely run into each other, so let's have a meal together."
So that's it; well, it was rare for classmates to meet at the same test center.
Chen Zhongping didn't think much of it:
"You two go eat. I have something to do this afternoon, I need to go to the hospital."
"Can't you go after eating?"
"No, your mom is still waiting for me at home. I'll drop you two off at your school gate. Xiao Tan, if you're going back later, will you take a taxi yourself?"
"Okay, thank you, Uncle Chen."
"Haha, you're welcome; speaking of which, calling me Uncle isn't quite right. Do you know what you should call me?"
Tan Jincheng paused, what did this old fellow mean? He hadn't reacted at all when called Uncle Chen before; now that he heard about eating with his daughter, he started talking about seniority.
"It was my oversight; Maternal Great-Uncle, Younger Maternal Aunt."
Yicheng people, especially those in rural areas and below the county level, are actually very particular about etiquette.
In certain contexts, Tan Jincheng indeed shouldn't call Chen Zhongping "Uncle"; an elder who values etiquette would find the child ill-mannered.
After all, he was the maternal uncle of his maternal aunt.
A moment of silence fell in the car; Tan Jincheng's sudden "Maternal Great-Uncle" truly caught Chen Zhongping off guard.
He looked at his daughter beside him, then at Tan Jincheng in the back seat, and Chen Zhongping couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Society truly trains people more.
Chen Shuyi was also embarrassed beyond measure; this was the second time Tan Jincheng had called her Younger Maternal Aunt.
Being a sophomore in university, she naturally knew how childish it was to force Tan Jincheng to call her Younger Maternal Aunt during high school.
Yicheng Normal University.
There are many small restaurants near universities, a standard feature in almost all major cities, and Yicheng Normal University was no exception.
As a local and a student of this university, Chen Shuyi clearly knew which restaurants had better food and were more affordable.
Chen Zhongping dropped the two off at the designated spot, gave a few instructions, and then drove off; he indeed had something to do that afternoon.
Entering the restaurant, after ordering the dishes, both sides were momentarily silent.
Back in this era, it was Tan Jincheng's first time eating alone with a member of the opposite sex, and the same for Chen Shuyi; for a moment, neither knew what to say.
Especially after the awkward situation just now.
Speaking of which, Tan Jincheng had interacted with many women in his previous life, but he hadn't had many serious dating experiences.
When dating his ex-wife, they were accustomed to sitting side by side.
Six or seven years of habit led Tan Jincheng to unconsciously walk to Chen Shuyi's side instead of sitting opposite her.
After realizing, he awkwardly moved back.
After a period of silence, Tan Jincheng spoke:
"How did you find time to take the driving test? Didn't you say the Normal University courses are quite packed?"
If this were in later generations, such an abrupt topic would somewhat be despised by young women; even with a full schedule, there are weekends.
However, fortunately, young women of this era were still relatively innocent.
Chen Shuyi gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and replied with a smile:
"The courses are quite packed, but I can still squeeze in some time. My family has a car, so my dad told me to get one, saying it would be useful when I enter society."
"What about you? Is it more convenient for you to have a driver's license because you're doing business?"
Immediately after, Chen Shuyi asked again:
"Oh, by the way, I still don't know which city you and Zhang Xupeng are in now. Why don't you two talk in the group anymore?"
Zhang Xupeng was fine; he would occasionally chat a few words in the high school group, but Tan Jincheng rarely appeared in the group, and his online name had also changed.
"I'm in Yongcheng now, and I'll be going back in a couple of days. As for why I don't chat in the group, it's because I'm busy. I've just started a business, there's a lot I don't know, and I need to learn."
"Yongcheng is in Zhejiang Province, right? If you're opening an online store, couldn't you open it from home here? Why go so far?"
That was a good question.
As for why he went to Yongcheng, besides the convenience of doing business, it was probably due to a lingering obsession from his previous life, because Tan Jincheng really loved this city.
Yongcheng, as a highly industrialized city, offered extremely convenient living.
In later generations, during a time when all cities vied to be first-tier or new first-tier, it consistently remained a second-tier city, exceptionally low-key.
If not for the three-year special period that crippled the import and export industry, coupled with changes in the global landscape, its housing prices would not have even significantly soared.
During the nationwide housing price surge from 2015 to 2016, and in 2018 when national housing prices peaked, Beicang's housing price fluctuations were kept within a very good range.
For an industrial city, soaring housing prices are fatal; clearly, the Yongcheng municipal government knew this, and its leaders had excellent plans.
But unfortunately, things changed in three years; by 2023, the average housing price in Beicang district, exceeding 25,000 yuan per square meter, was no longer suitable for new entrepreneurs and migrant workers from other regions.
Regardless, current Beicang held great promise.
Perhaps one day, Tan Jincheng would return to his hometown, but for now, even in his previous life, he hadn't had that thought.
"Coastal cities have their advantages. If you're not constrained by university, it's good to go out and see things, to broaden your horizons."
Just then, the dishes arrived:
"That's true. Let's eat. The food at this restaurant is pretty good, and not expensive."
"Okay, I'll also experience student's typical food,"
Tan Jincheng said with a smile.
For Tan Jincheng, the meal was a bit awkward; although they were classmates, their mindsets were different, and their environments were also different.
Apart from reminiscing about the past, they had almost no common topics to discuss.
After the meal, Chen Shuyi suggested taking a stroll around the campus, but Tan Jincheng declined, citing that his younger sister at home was still small and needed help looking after.
In reality, Tan Jincheng wanted to go back and pack his things, preparing to return to Beicang.
It had already been half a month since he returned, and there was only one week left until the OEM factory's order delivery.
Subsequent tasks like contacting containers might not be manageable by Zhang Xupeng and Li Yanning alone.
In fact, Tan Jincheng hadn't been idle during these past two weeks at home.
Since later hiring Li Jinglan, Zhang Xupeng's original computer was given to Li Jinglan, and Tan Jincheng's original desktop computer was given to Zhang Xupeng.
Tan Jincheng himself bought a new laptop, which was considered high-end at the time, costing over ten thousand yuan.
In his free time, Tan Jincheng would communicate with designers to enrich the samples.
Additionally, he would maintain good relationships with clients and also keep an eye on changes in the international platform.
As of now, the international platform had not yet received a single order.
"Is this your website?"
In the afternoon, just as Tan Jincheng was at home, contemplating how to operate the international platform on his computer, a QQ message popped up.
It was Chen Shuyi, with a screenshot of the shop attached.
"Yes, this one. Do you see any clothes you like? I'll have someone send them to you,"
Tan Jincheng replied casually.
"How come your shop doesn't even have a model? You just have pictures of a few clothes. How are people supposed to choose?"
Chen Shuyi, back in her dorm, remembered the Taobao shop Tan Jincheng mentioned at noon, so she logged in to check.
To her surprise, all she saw were simple photos of a few clothes, without even a model, and the sales were dismal.
With such a perfunctory page design, how could anyone choose clothes?
(End of chapter)
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