National Tide 1980

Chapter 1118 A good start

The giant plane broke through the clouds and fog, flew up to an altitude of 10,000 meters, and soon began to fly smoothly.

Half an hour after taking off, there was a vast expanse of white beneath our feet, and the capital city had been engulfed by the rolls of white clouds.

From the loudspeaker, the stylized sweet voice of the female flight attendant came on time.

Afterwards, the flight attendants on the plane started distributing meals as usual.

At this time, Ning Weimin, who was feeling a little calmer, began to notice an obvious change between this trip and his previous experiences.

That is, you can vaguely hear the conversation in Beijing dialect in the front, back, left and right of his seat. The cabin environment should always be quiet, so it is a lot noisier.

There is no doubt that this shows that the number of our compatriots taking this plane has increased significantly.

Because the situation was serious and there were few flights, Ning Weimin decided to fly economy class to Japan this time in order to make the trip earlier.

He really didn't expect that the passengers on this flight were almost all pure foreign tourists unlike when he first came to Japan in August last year.

It's not like when he took the Tan Palace employees to Japan together after the Spring Festival this year, the plane was mixed with some Hong Kong and Macao tourists who went to Japan to prospect for gold and a few cadres who went abroad for inspection.

This time, besides him, there were actually many people from the capital dressed in ordinary clothes, who seemed to be international students.

Just like the young man next to him who is similar to him.

Although he looks fair, elegant, and wears glasses, he looks a bit foreign.

But the woolen vest inside the suit is hand-knitted by family members, the leather bag I carry is a popular style in China, and the watch is a Shuangling quartz watch.

The most important thing is that he is unfamiliar with and curious about everything on the plane.

Before taking off, I spent a long time just putting on my seat belt, and finally I was able to do it with the help of the flight attendants.

After taking off, he kept looking out the window where Ning Weimin was leaning.

It was even more obvious when he was eating the airplane ration breakfast. Even a glass of ordinary milk made him enjoy it very much and admired it.

This all goes to show that this is his first time flying.

Finally, Ning Weimin had an enlightenment and began to realize that he was at a key historical node - that is, the wave of domestic compatriots going to Japan was beginning.

People thirty years later will all know that during the 1980s and 1990s, many people from Shanghai and Shanghai went to Japan.

In fact, there are a lot of people from Beijing. Even because it is located in the capital, it is more convenient to apply for a visa. There are more people from Beijing than people from Shanghai and Shanghai, and they have to make the trip earlier.

This is not only related to the “100,000 International Students Plan” proposed by the Japanese government in 1983, but also related to the increasing trend of domestic students going abroad.

I have to say that people in China are almost going crazy if they want to go out.

More and more people are dreaming of going abroad - to go to the West and live like Westerners.

Especially senior intellectuals have reached an irrational level.

For example, among young people, some newly married wives even nag their husbands every day, blaming them for their incompetence and lack of manliness. The reason is that he is content with the status quo and has not tried to go abroad like a friend around him.

Since the American movie "The Great Escape" starring Stallone was released in China two years ago, many people jokingly called people going abroad "the Great Escape" during this period.

This statement certainly has no political meaning, but it reflects a common extreme mentality of people at that time.

It seems that I can find any relationship, any way, no matter what, as long as I can go abroad.

The first choice of destination is of course the developed countries in Europe and the United States, but with so many people trying to get out, the road will definitely be narrow.

For example, Qu Xiao was able to go to Paris, France, to earn francs entirely because she was engaged in modeling work, and her friend Shi Kai helped run everything in Paris. Most people do not have such luck and opportunities.

So as visa rejections became common, some smart people turned to the next best thing - leaving Japan to pursue their dreams in Asia's most developed country.

In other words, it is actually much slower for Chinese people to go to Japan than to go to the United States or Europe.

Counting from 1983, it is almost three years.

Ning Weimin started a conversation with the young man next to him by reminding him, "If you like, you can refill the milk on the plane."

As expected, the young man was full of surprise and asked for another glass of milk. His response also verified Ning Weimin's inner judgment.

"Thank you, buddy, oh, it turns out we are fellow villagers, and you are also from the capital, right?"

"Of course, buddy, what do you think?"

"Ah, I always thought you were Japanese."

"Scold me? I heard it..."

"Oh, I don't dare, I don't mean that. I mean, you look... well-dressed, quite elegant, and very fashionable. At first glance, you look like a successful big shot, even more powerful than the director. "

"Haha, you are so funny. Let's get to know each other. My name is Ning Weimin. What about you?"

Seeing that Ning Weimin took the initiative to extend his hand, the other party also extended his hand in response and announced his home address.

"My name is Liu Yang, I majored in engineering, but this time I went to Japan to study, because I wanted to get a more practical degree. Hey, you look so relaxed, you probably didn't go to Japan to study, right?"

"No, I open a restaurant. Business visa."

"Open a restaurant?"

"Yes, to save Japanese people's tongues and stomachs. I work at Dan Gong Restaurant and opened a branch in Japan. Have you heard of Dan Gong?"

"Oh, why haven't you heard of it? The most authentic Yushan restaurant is the most awesome restaurant in the capital! But I have never been there. I heard that they are expensive and they are all foreigners. It costs less than 100 yuan a month for me. The money and salary can't stand it. Disrespect, no wonder, no wonder, you look like you have a lot of money. You are really a real rich man. A poor student like me can't compare with you."

Ning Weimin smiled, and in order to make the conversation easier, he simply joked about the other person's name.

"Oh, you are not bad. In fact, engineering is very practical. The loneliness now is temporary. Sooner or later, there will be a world for you in the country. Of course, now that you can come out, you can't say it's wrong. Look at your name. How good would it be? Study abroad! It seems that those who are born and destined to study abroad are government-sponsored?"

"No way, I'm not that lucky, so I paid for it myself. To tell you the truth, I was forced to do nothing, and I only managed it by selling the iron at home."

"How could it be? No, you are a college student, the proud one of heaven."

"College students are the pride of heaven. You don't know that in the research institute I was assigned to, even the people who sweep the yard and turn on the water are college students. Only seniors who graduated in the 1950s can get a desk job. I spend my whole day I am responsible for organizing materials and old books in the library. Think about it, did I go to college in vain? No, just because I am in the General Affairs Department, considered a second-line staff, even the cleaning fee of 7.5 yuan was reduced to 2. If it’s enough, I’ll give you a bathing ticket a month. Isn’t this bullying? I got angry and came out in anger. Let’s not fight over the steamed buns. I can’t go to college for four years in vain and just become a librarian in this life, right?”

As a result, when he said this, someone in the next door seat also responded.

"No, just leave. At least you can live a more exciting life if you go out. If you stay, you will really die and stink."

The person who started talking was named Chen Song, who graduated from the Conservatory of Music and majored in musicology.

He also went abroad to study. The long-term isolation has kept domestic music creation and performance away from the international stage.

The backwardness in musicology theory gave him the idea of ​​​​going out to take a look.

Especially after he graduated, he joined the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe, and then looked at the veterans and celebrities of the art troupe, going abroad, and taking the postgraduate entrance examinations, which made him even more lonely and wanted to go out and have a career.

Of course, the most critical issue is the inability to apply what you have learned.

Chen Song didn't have any creative opportunities in the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe. He used the name of music director and finally wrote two songs that he was satisfied with, but the leader threw them away without even looking at them.

During normal work, I am responsible for chores on the stage, such as pulling down curtains, moving ladders, adjusting lights, etc.

To put it bluntly, he is just a small worker earning a regular salary.

All in all, through the experiences of these two people, it can only be said that there are certain problems in the deployment and use of talents in many domestic units.

The living space is small and they are unable to develop their talents. This is also the reason why many people want to go abroad to find their self-worth.

At least the two people Ning Weimin met were not completely admiring foreign things.

However, the most surprising thing was that there was a couple of self-employed people sitting in the front seat not far from them.

The man's name is Li Xiaojiang and the woman's name is Wang Yan. They were originally from Xidan Night Market selling clothes.

The man and woman heard their chat and couldn't help but join in.

And when they opened their mouths, they really demonstrated their enterprising spirit that made people admire them.

"You also went to study abroad?" Liu Yang was a little unconvinced at first.

"By the way, what's wrong? Don't look down on people. Here, we have the admission notice, property guarantee, tax certificate, passport, and study abroad procedures."

Wang Yan took out her ID from her handbag with a slightly unhappy expression.

"Okay, it seems you are self-employed and have the skills. It is easier to study abroad at your own expense. At least money is not an issue." Chen Song quickly smoothed things over.

"No, how else can this person afford the tuition fee of 18,000 yuan?" Wang Yan then softened her expression.

"Hey, many people who have graduated from Japan want to study in Japan at their own expense, just because they can't go there without these 18,000 yuan." Liu Yang couldn't help but lamented and sighed.

Studying abroad at your own expense is indeed a complex and huge project. How easy is it for ordinary people?

Just in terms of fundraising, how many human tragedies and comedies have you directed?

Therefore, those who dare to study abroad at their own expense are not only heroes, but also gamblers.

Although Liu Yang did not talk about how he raised funds, through this sigh, it was obvious that he was someone who knew what it was like.

"Then there's nothing we can do. This is the situation in China. A university professor's monthly salary is 260 yuan, and the two of us can earn 260 yuan a day. Otherwise, it's better to sell tea eggs than to make missiles..." Li Xiaojiang faced There is color.

"Then you are so rich, why do you want to go abroad to make a living?" Liu Yang was envious and a little confused.

"It is precisely because we have money that we can go out and make a living." Wang Yan said matter-of-factly, "We have a lot of money, but we can't do it without experience and knowledge. If we continue like this, we will be eliminated by the market sooner or later."

"Hey, you are quite ahead of your time, you actually have a sense of competition?"

Liu Yang is worthy of being a man of science and engineering. He always speaks in a hasty manner, and he may say nice things, but he doesn't pay attention to the method, which makes people feel unhappy.

As expected, Wang Yan glanced at him displeased again.

"It's so new. Do you think it's easy to practice at a clothing stall? You can't keep up with the styles, colors, and trends of clothing. It's easy to make money, but you'll cry when you throw it into your hands..."

At this time, Ning Weimin couldn't help but interrupt, kindly reminding them.

"I see that your admission notice is for a language school, right? Then when you go to Tokyo, you can only learn Japanese first. After passing the language barrier, you will want to study business, and I'm afraid you will have to take an exam. Although your plan is very good, it is variable. Not too small..."

"That's not necessarily the case. Our plan is to study Japanese in the morning and go to work in the afternoon - learning business at work, earning money and studying at the same time. Isn't it more effective than going to school? I heard that a day's salary in Japan can be as much as a month's salary in our country. . No matter how tired we are, we are not as tired as squeezing the train and running between Huacheng and Beijing. So we don’t lose money even if we give up the business, and we have gained knowledge." Wang Yan said.

"Ah? I came to Japan with you to make money." Liu Yang suddenly realized, but his tone was somewhat disdainful.

This time, Wang Yan was so angry that she simply rolled her eyes at him.

"It's not like stealing. It's also the result of hard work. Why don't you act confidently?"

Li Xiaojiang also supported his girlfriend at this time.

"Yes, in our opinion, going to school is not that important. Your life trajectory is primary school, middle school, university, national cadres, studying abroad. My life trajectory is primary school, jumping in line, fighting, and reeducation through labor. , the bad guy - study abroad. This can be regarded as different paths to the same destination. And after listening to your words just now, I think there is no difference between us in essence. We are all looking for better possibilities in unsatisfactory lives. We also need to redesign our own Life.”

The last sentence is absolutely touching.

No one expected that Li Xiaojiang could say such high-level words. Suddenly, several people didn't know what to say, making the cabin environment strangely silent.

…………

Perhaps it is because in this era, there are still only a few Chinese who have the courage to go abroad.

The first batch of people who dared to eat crabs were almost all leaders in all walks of life. They were both courageous and talented.

Perhaps it is because everyone understands in their hearts that going abroad is a new beginning. Their past identities and achievements are all useless from now on, and everyone has fallen on a new platform.

The friendship from the same hometown and the common growth background have become more important, making everyone cherish the fate of sharing a plane.

Anyway, for more than three hours on the road, they all chatted happily with each other, got along well with each other, and were even quite emotional.

Even when the plane flew to Tokyo and landed at Narita Airport, they even gave up the opportunity to overlook Mount Fuji from the air.

Instead, they used the last bit of time to leave each other's contact information and phone numbers, and made an appointment to get together later. In addition, they also had emergency insurance for each other.

After all, as the saying goes, you rely on your parents at home and your friends when you go out.

If everyone leaves their hometown, it is inevitable that some of them will encounter difficulties in the future.

Their parents, relatives and friends are not around, so the fellow villagers can be regarded as a kind of support.

As for Ning Weimin, of course he doesn't need such insurance.

But he doesn't mind giving out his phone number and Tan Palace's address.

If nothing else, in his mind, the backgrounds of these people were relatively transparent and clean.

Everyone is sincere and full of pursuits and dreams.

Unlike those who went abroad thirty years later, when they were in a foreign country, they felt that their compatriots were the most deceptive and dangerous, and they were full of defensiveness and indifference towards each other.

This made him feel very warm and happy, and he was even proud of being such a fellow countryman.

Although he is unlikely to turn to these people for help, he can feel emotional comfort from these people and is willing to help them when the time is right.

After all, the purpose of his coming to Tokyo was to draw Japanese blood and feed the country back.

Although he is doing well now, relying on one person alone has too little energy, and he is not willing to fight alone all the time.

The fact is that it is difficult for him to find true fellow feeling from those overseas Chinese to comfort his loneliness.

Even because of the dialect, in terms of language and cultural exchanges, it is more difficult for him to communicate with the overseas Chinese owners who open restaurants in Japan than it is with the Japanese, let alone talk about common aspirations.

But it's different now. Finally, there are real "family members" here.

To put it another way, when you are lonely, at least there are people who understand you and you can express your feelings to each other.

And if they can all mix well and realize their dreams in their respective fields, it will also be a help and achievement for people from the capital to come to Japan to dig for gold.

It can help more people in the capital find tips for establishing a foothold in Japan more smoothly and conveniently.

Who can say that the future prosperity of the motherland has nothing to do with these people who came overseas to pursue their dreams in the 1980s?

Even if these people are unwilling to return to their country after achieving what they want, at least they will send more foreign exchange back to their relatives in China. Isn't this a good thing for a country that is in urgent need of foreign exchange?

So after getting off the plane, Ning Weimin not only tried his best to help these people go through the immigration procedures and reminded them not to miss buying cigarettes from the duty-free shop, but he also kindly gave away two handbooks in Japan printed for Tan Palace employees in his schoolbag. them.

The above are all things that need special attention when living in Japan. He wrote it himself in order to help employees adapt to life in Japan as soon as possible. It must be able to avoid some life embarrassment for these people.

Moreover, he generously bought bus tickets from the airport to Shinjuku for everyone. Even the self-employed couple had to fight to pay. After all, those two people couldn't speak Japanese, how could they beat him?

In the end, Ning Weimin said goodbye to these people one by one at Shinjuku Station. It can be said that his kindness has been exhausted.

His generous and righteous image as a top brother also left a deep impression on these people, and everyone felt that their trip to Japan was off to a good start.

However, even including Ning Weimin, none of these people thought that their chance meeting was destined to have more meaning than that.

Because in the years to come, with their joint efforts, they have greatly improved the situation of Chinese students and trainees in Japan in the original historical trajectory, and greatly improved the status of overseas Chinese living in Japan.

It has also made the connections between Chinese people living in Japan closer, and their relationship with each other is no longer indifferent or alienated.