Sunday, January 5, 1997. It was the lunar calendar's Minor Cold, yet the dazzling sun shone warmly on the earth, a rare blessing in the depths of winter. Even the sparrows perched on the bare branches seemed livelier, chirping and hopping about, adding a touch of vitality to the desolate season.
After lunch, Ding Yuanying was at home, busy with his computer and laser printer, handling various documents related to the farming operations in Wangmiao Village. Each document, whether partnership agreements, shareholder arrangements for family industries, safety production regulations, purchase contracts among farmers, or price lists for different processes, was drafted based on the verbal records provided by the villagers. The coffee table and sofa were strewn with printouts.
The phone rang. It was Ouyang Xue.
"Big brother, I'm downstairs. May I come up?" Ouyang Xue's voice was polite yet hesitant.
"Come on up," Ding Yuanying replied.
Moments later, Ouyang Xue arrived. Ding Yuanying opened the door, "Why so formal?"
Ouyang Xue removed her long scarf and placed it on the sofa, smiling, "I don't know why either. Big brother, I just bought a new car on installment, and the weather is great today. How about we take a drive?"
Ding Yuanying was surprised, "Oh? A new car?"
Ouyang Xue sat in the computer room, "I'll be registering the company in March, and I'll need to travel to Beijing frequently. I planned to sell my stocks to buy a new car. The old Santana was second-hand when I bought it, and after several years, it's practically falling apart."
Ding Yuanying continued sorting the documents coming out of the printer, "You don't need to explain why you bought a car."
Ouyang Xue said, "It's because… Xiaodan wanted the old car, valued at forty thousand yuan. The new car is personal. I just felt uncomfortable with Xiaodan driving that old car, can't really explain it."
Ding Yuanying understood, smiling, "Everyone has different circumstances. It's nothing. If you want to take me for a drive, let's go to the village. I have some documents to deliver to the farmers."
Ouyang Xue said, "That's my job, drive or not, I still need to go. Shall we leave now?"
Ding Yuanying said, "In a moment, once these documents are printed."
Ouyang Xue nodded, handing him a business card, "Big brother, you might already know, Liu Bing printed a box of these and handed out dozens in one day, calling himself 'Director Liu.' Our company isn't even registered yet, and we don't have an office director position. He didn't inform anyone before doing this. I'm a bit concerned, especially since we're just starting to work together."
The card was exquisite, both in paper quality and printing. It displayed Liu Bing's name and the position of office director, with a blue company logo that had been finalized but not yet officially used.
Ding Yuanying glanced at it, then set it aside, "You can bring this up in your meetings."
Ouyang Xue continued, "Liu Bing drives that BMW around, sometimes making it hard for Ye Xiaoming to get the company car for work. Liu Bing's expense reports for gas and phone bills are quite high. Feng Shijie and Ye Xiaoming have mentioned their concerns to me indirectly. Big brother, does it seem appropriate for our small company to have a BMW?"
Ding Yuanying said, "Regardless of whose car it is, let's use it for now. In Beijing, a car like that can be necessary to uphold our image."
Once the documents were printed, Ding Yuanying packed them into a manila envelope, and he and Ouyang Xue headed downstairs to Wangmiao Village. Parked below was a brand new black 2.0-liter Guangzhou Honda sedan, looking much more stylish than a standard Santana. The car's new interior required ventilation, so they had to crack the windows despite the winter cold, making the wind biting against their faces.
Driving into the countryside, the car moved along a narrow road that barely allowed two vehicles to pass. Passing through a village, they encountered a bustling market day. Normally quiet streets were crowded with people, vendors selling vegetables, snacks, and various goods on both sides. The car inched forward, taking over twenty minutes to navigate through the lively, congested street.