boyutpedia Chapter 36 Son, how are you planning to spend so much money?
Chapter 36 Son, how are you planning to spend so much money?
"Dad, you're back so early today?" Chen Zhiyuan asked as he changed his shoes.
Chen Jianguo said, "There wasn't much going on at work, so I came back early. Son, how did the talks go? Did it go well?"
That's why he left work early to come home; he wanted to know the results as soon as possible, and he had been keeping it on his mind.
Chen Zhiyuan smiled happily and waved the crucial contract in his hand: "Everything went smoothly, it's all settled! The signing fee is 350,000, and there will be royalties later, up to 20%!"
The Chen couple may not have a clear understanding of the specific concept of royalties, but they clearly heard the words "350,000 yuan signing fee".
Three hundred and fifty thousand!
It was as if a huge, golden pie had fallen from the sky and landed squarely on the couple's heads, leaving them dizzy and almost unable to believe their ears.
After a long, stunned silence, Chen Jianguo cautiously asked again in a slightly trembling voice, "Son... how much was the signing fee?"
Zhang Hui's gaze was also fixed on her son, her eyes filled with disbelief, seriously doubting whether she had misheard.
Seeing his parents' reaction, Chen Zhiyuan laughed heartily: "Dad, Mom, you heard me right, it's 350,000!"
"The money will be deposited into my account in two or three days at most. This is the contract, written in black and white, everything is clearly stated."
Good heavens! It really is 350,000!
Chen Jianguo pinched his thigh hard, and the sharp pain made him realize that this was not a dream, but all of this was real!
My son has really made something of himself! He's become incredibly successful!
He reached out, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement, and accepted the contract that carried immense joy.
Zhang Hui quickly joined them, and the couple's heads were almost touching as they read the text word by word.
Their expressions grew increasingly varied: surprise, excitement, exhilaration, pride... a multitude of emotions flashed by like a revolving lantern, ultimately transforming into a deep, irrepressible joy.
Three hundred and fifty thousand!
The couple were filled with a myriad of emotions.
They worked diligently and lived frugally their whole lives, and all their savings added up to just over 30,000 yuan, less than one-tenth of this signing fee.
After reading the contract, Chen Jianguo took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.
He tentatively asked the question that all parents would be concerned about at this moment:
"Son...with so much money, what are your plans?"
Zhang Hui's gaze also fell on her son, awaiting an answer.
Chen Zhiyuan had already thought it through and replied, "I'm currently taking my driver's license test and should get it soon. Once I have the money, the first thing I'll do is buy a car."
Zhang Hui was the first to agree, her tone brimming with pride: "That's a great idea! Our family should buy a car!"
In 1999, families that owned a private car were extremely rare.
In large residential compounds like the Shuguang Machinery Factory's family compound, with thousands of households and thousands of people, the number of families who own private cars can be counted on one hand.
Seeing that his parents agreed to buy the car, Chen Zhiyuan felt relieved.
Owning a car is not just about status; it also brings real convenience to life.
"Dad, Mom," he continued, "once the royalties arrive, we'll have more money in our pockets. Then we'll go downtown, pick a good location, and buy a spacious new house."
Zhang Hui was overjoyed, nodding repeatedly, "Okay, okay! Anything is fine! My son has a plan!"
Looking at his spirited son, Chen Jianguo felt that strong thought surge in his heart again: My son has made something of himself! He really has!
In a good mood, he habitually reached for a cigarette. His fingers touched his pocket, then he paused—he'd lost the bet; he'd quit smoking for days.
He awkwardly withdrew his hand, but his face still couldn't stop smiling.
A few days later.
Good news kept coming one after another.
Chen Zhiyuan then buried himself in writing tens of thousands more words, which brought the total word count of the first volume of "Those Things of the Ming Dynasty" to over 300,000.
With sufficient quantity, Jiangnan Publishing Group can immediately begin the publication process for the first volume.
Another piece of good news is that just yesterday, Chen Zhiyuan passed all the tests and received a brand new driver's license.
For a seasoned driver like him with "over twenty years of driving experience," getting a driver's license is as easy as drinking water.
Early that morning, the family of three enjoyed a delicious breakfast and prepared to head out together to accomplish something important—buying their own car.
As for the laptop, Chen Zhiyuan went to the computer store and brought back a brand new Dell laptop on the very day the 350,000 yuan signing fee arrived.
It cost a little over ten thousand yuan, making it a true "ten-thousand-yuan machine".
He immediately installed the latest Windows 95 system and Word 95 software for writing on his computer.
After receiving his new laptop, Chen Zhiyuan tried it out with great interest.
Although its performance is incomparable to that of computers in later generations, it is more than enough for typing and writing articles, and it runs smoothly without any lag.
He began practicing the Wubi input method.
He was a little awkward at first, but his strong learning ability was once again demonstrated.
After a few days, he had become very proficient at typing and could type without looking at the keyboard. His ten fingers flew across the keyboard at an astonishing speed, and he could easily produce six or seven thousand words an hour without any pressure.
When the neighbors saw the family of three dressed neatly and happily going out together, they couldn't help but ask them a question out of curiosity.
"Jianguo, your whole family is dressed so smartly, where are you going? Is there some happy occasion?"
Chen Jianguo smiled proudly, straightening his back a bit, looking triumphant: "Let's go take a look at cars! If it's suitable, we'll buy one."
What?!
Your family is buying a private car?!
The news shocked everyone who heard it; they could hardly believe their ears and thought they had misheard.
Someone tentatively pressed, "Jianguo, are you talking about buying a private car? A four-wheeled one, not a motorcycle, right?"
"Of course!" Chen Jianguo replied confidently, his tone firm, "It's definitely a four-wheeled car!"
The news spread like wildfire among the neighbors.
After all, these days, if someone buys a private car, it's definitely big news that will shake the entire neighborhood.
"Did you hear? Chen Jianguo is buying a car! The family of three just went out happily!"
"No way? Where did they get so much money?"
"Do you think it might be that his son made money from writing books?"
"Impossible! How much could the payment be? A few thousand at most!"
"..."
For a time, this matter became the hottest topic in the entire Shuguang Machinery Factory residential area, with people discussing it with a mix of surprise, curiosity, and envy.