Chapter 120 First Update

Chapter 120 First Update

"It's not a big deal; this is supposed to be a good thing anyway." Qin Yao deliberately pretended not to understand the implication in Gu Cheng's words, speaking leisurely.

"Is being apart from me a good thing?"

Gu Cheng grabbed her wrist and hugged her from behind. Knowing she was a cunning little fox, hearing her nonchalant response made Gu Cheng angry.

Being over thirty, recently Captain Gu had been cultivating his temperament and rarely got angry. Even though he criticized a lot in daily life, moments of real anger were few and far between.

The only thing that made him anxious was the person who was most special to him—family, friend, and also the most intimate lover and wife.

He wasn't angry because of what Qin Yao said, but because of the thought of being separated due to their different locations.

Gu Cheng couldn't bear being apart from his wife.

For male officers, advanced studies were a pretty good opportunity. If they could bring their families, it would be even better. Working from nine to five, they could go home to their wives right after class, with no other obligations, just like ordinary students in college.

With families around, they had more freedom to go out. He could spend a lot of time taking his wife and child out to play. When there were no classes, they could stroll around the city, visit the zoo as a family, take walks in the park, and occasionally eat at state-run restaurants...

If they were separated and lived in different places, all these pleasant dreams would be dashed. How many such days could he have in his life?

Even the usually calm Captain Gu couldn't accept such a further education life.

"I didn't say I would be apart from you; it was you who mentioned it." Qin Yao tilted her head slightly and looked up at him with her eyes.

Having seen her younger son Mingming act coquettishly many times, seeing Gu Cheng's anxious manner at this moment made her want to click her tongue. Despite his usual cool and handsome demeanor, it was oddly endearing.

"Now you're acting like your younger son."

"Indeed, the child resembles his father."

Gu Cheng had no more patience. "Don't change the subject. What do you plan to do? I absolutely won't accept being separated. I need to come home and see you every day after class. Whether we have our son or not doesn't matter, but I need my wife."

Qin Yao: "..." You should really let your two sons hear this.

"Alright, alright. Listen to what I have to say."

Qin Yao pressed her lips. "Recently, many units have been facing... uh, financial struggles."

In reality, it was financial difficulty. Funds were tight, and wages were delayed by one or two months. Their wages were even temporarily allocated to other places, and some state-owned units couldn't even afford to pay salaries.

So, many units thought of ways to save themselves and create revenue. Currently, this method was somewhat of a gray area, but many state-owned factories and companies were doing it.

For example, cooperating with some collective teams, the commune helped make parts, and state-owned factories bought them at low prices. Some communes could even generate millions in profits each year.

"Our unit has also devised a solution. It's officially called promoting cultural activities. Our cultural center is going to publish a literary journal."

Gu Cheng nodded. "So, you're planning to contribute to this journal?"

Qin Yao: "Sort of."

"Is this related to our previous topic? Are you planning to quit your job and focus on writing articles?"

If Qin Yao chose this path, Gu Cheng wouldn't refuse; in fact, he would welcome it.

Qin Yao's annual royalties were not small. Even if she couldn't earn royalties in the future, there was still him in this family. His salary was enough for the family's expenses.

"No, this literary magazine doesn't have much to do with me. Jia Hui is organizing it on the other side. As you know, we've never seen eye to eye, and I don't want to get mixed up in her business."

Since the last drama competition, Jia Hui has been holding a grudge against Qin Yao. This time, when the cultural center founded a literary journal, considering that Jia Hui had more communication with some authors, the important task of manuscript review and liaising with authors was assigned to her.

Qin Yao did not interfere with the founding of this journal, nor was she interested in engaging in petty conflicts with Jia Hui. However, she prepared to seize this opportunity to start her own business by founding a monthly journal affiliated with the cultural center. She might even apply for some startup funding. The entire editorial department would be under her management. The profits earned from the operation would be submitted, but she could set performance bonuses according to the trend of state-owned enterprise restructuring starting next year.

After a few years, she could gradually become independent and complete the privatization transformation.

"I want to found a journal myself. I have discussed it with the cultural center. I will lead a team to create the journal. I can set it up wherever I want and hire whoever I want. However, I can probably only secure a few hundred or thousand yuan in startup funding, and I will have to find other ways for the rest..."

This is Qin Yao's first attempt at entrepreneurship. If Gu Cheng is studying inland, her editorial department can be set up anywhere, where many things are easier to manage.

Qin Yao plans to create a fashion and lifestyle magazine, including domestic and international political news, interviews on domestic social issues, as well as beauty and hairdressing recommendations, fashion outfits, and introductions to trendy movies and TV series... The content will be fashionable, closely following the lives of young people and leading lifestyle trends.

Once this lifestyle magazine takes off, it will be perfect for placing ads, promoting lifestyles, and recommending consumer products... Most of the public are easily swayed by trends, and once they see these ads, they'll be quick to buy.

In the internet age, people have become accustomed to advertorials, each with a pair of eyes that can identify advertisements, deeply suspicious inside.

People from the 70s and 80s, however, have not experienced much exposure to advertising. Writing a few soft articles and custom pieces for some "explosive products" would likely result in substantial profits.

From another perspective, such a lifestyle magazine can further broaden the horizons of ordinary people, helping them learn about trendy fresh things domestically and internationally, especially fashion and hairdressing... Qin Yao has had enough of her neighbor Gao Lili, who has a good facial foundation but messes herself up every day.

Every time she sees her, she can't help but comment.

These days, the eyebrows Gao Lili draws are simply unsuitable for her. Qin Yao has been holding back hard from writing her a beauty and skincare guide.

But she is really struggling, as the love for beauty is universal. There is nothing to mock, but ordinary people's beauty IQ is not enough, and they need experts to summarize experiences. In the 70s and 80s, there were no beauty influencers flooding the internet, and there were relevant fashion and makeup recommendations for different face shapes, eyelid types, and skin colors to quickly improve one's appearance level.

Because of this, Qin Yao believes that this kind of lifestyle and fashion magazine has great potential and will be welcomed by most young people. People in the 80s, in particular, are longing for freedom and new trends. After being confined for so long, they become more fierce when freed.

While literary magazines are good, Qin Yao does not essentially belong to this era. She is not keen on some of the poetry and so-called scar literature of the 80s.

The audience for this scar literature is minimal, focusing on the sent-down youth who were relocated to the countryside. They complain about the hardships of rural life, but at that time, most people across the country were farmers. Haven't farmers been living this way all along, making them even more wronged?

Her lifestyle and fashion magazine, on the other hand, is suitable for everyone to read without any barriers. Although it will include domestic and international political news and discussions on domestic social issues, it will focus more on everyday people. For example, interviews with the first batch of college students after the restoration of college entrance exams, including students from technical secondary schools, normal schools, medical schools, prestigious universities, ordinary universities, and specialized colleges. Qin Yao plans to create a special category focusing on the experiences and daily lives of various college students, their psychology, and more...

In addition to this college student feature, there will also be a feature on the lives of farmers moving to the city. After 1979, farmers were no longer tied to the land and could freely enter cities for work. The magazine will interview various ordinary migrant workers about their lives and daily entertainment in the city...

These real-life interviews with ordinary people will also provide a window to the outside world for young people in rural areas.

Qin Yao has many ideas brewing to be realized. Currently, they are still chaotic and need time to organize. The only thing certain is that she will create a feature interviewing the first batch of college students after the restoration of college entrance exams, which will likely happen in March or April of 1978, after school has been in session for some time.

There is no rush for now, as it is still in the preparation stage, but Qin Yao is confident that once this magazine is released, it will be highly popular and sell out.

"You want to found a journal yourself?" Gu Cheng smiled. He fully supported his wife's entrepreneurial endeavor. According to Qin Yao's plan, even though the profits would need to be submitted while being affiliated with the cultural center, she would have significant autonomy in managing it, essentially becoming a small independent leader.

Qin Yao nodded. "For now, this is the plan."

Currently, private entrepreneurship is not allowed, so it has to be affiliated with a unit. Many large enterprises in the future will initially emerge from state-owned units and gradually transform during the share system reforms.

"Alright, I fully support you. I can also contribute articles," Gu Cheng said happily, pinching Qin Yao's cheek. He smugly thought to himself: After writing love poems for so many years, how could I not have the skill to publish them?

"Especially since I will have a lot of free time during my studies."

Comrade Qin thought: You are too proud, Mr. Poet Gu. But our small journal will not publish sentimental poetry.

Thinking of this, she reluctantly said, "I'll allow you to be a special correspondent, assisting with interviews and writing articles."

"I'll be a special correspondent, and I'll even go undercover if necessary."

Qin Yao glanced sideways and teased, "I was actually thinking of interviewing the first batch of college students after the return of the college entrance exams. Captain Gu, if you changed into student clothes, no one would suspect a thing."

Gu Cheng was speechless. "I heard that even people in their thirties and forties are signing up to take the college entrance exams."

Qin Yao: "..." She almost forgot that many of the first batch of students were older, often with families, and sometimes even couples attending the same school.

As a result, many top universities established daycare centers and kindergartens specifically for the children of these students.

Even though times were tough, the benefits were incredible. College was free, and students received food allowances. After graduation, jobs were guaranteed, and housing was provided later on.

Even though life was hard, people didn't feel much pressure. There were no thirty-year mortgages or car loans to worry about. The housing authority had plenty of low-cost rental properties available for urban residents, and no one had to pay property management fees. No one saw anything wrong with renting, especially since most people lived in government-owned apartments for life. If the buildings were later torn down, people even received compensation.

*

Qin Yao proposed her idea to her unit, which approved it. She was allowed to prepare at her own pace, and the unit even supported her in visiting various places for study and inspiration.

"Comrade Qin, it's a good thing that you young people have ideas."

"What you described about this lifestyle magazine sounds very interesting."

"Maybe you can really make something of it. Our cultural center has quite a few talented people."

The leaders of the cultural center were very appreciative of Qin Yao's idea and encouraged her to try. They saw her as a thoughtful and creative individual. Initially, when the cultural center decided to start a magazine, it was largely to fulfill a basic task, without much expectation of success. They didn't anticipate it gaining any fame beyond the local area, relying on connections to get other units to subscribe to a certain number of copies each month, ensuring some sales without expecting individual purchases.

However, Qin Yao's proposed lifestyle magazine was quite intriguing. Secretary Sun thought that if Qin Yao succeeded, it might indeed gain popularity among the general public and be sold in Xinhua Bookstores and newsstands, one copy at a time.

And that could really bring in some revenue.