Chapter 10: The Monkey Stamp!

With Zhao Jianguo's nod, the Fang family's baozi successfully entered the factory canteen, supplying one hundred pounds of baozi daily. This made the entire Fang family immediately busy, and even Fang Mingyuan's parents and two aunts would gather at Grandpa Fang's house after work to help make baozi. Although they were busy, everyone's spirits were high—after deducting the cost of the baozi and the management fee paid to the canteen, the income each person received was not insignificant, and it was much higher than their salaries. In an era when most people earned only two or three dozen yuan a month, this was a tremendous happiness.

However, with the adults in the family busy all day, no one had time to take care of Fang Mingyuan. Fortunately, it was summer vacation, and Fang Mingyuan was always sensible, so no one had to worry about him.

If there was one thing Fang Mingyuan, who had been reborn, was most dissatisfied with, it was probably bathing. The family naturally didn't have the conditions for it, so he had to go to the public bathhouse at the factory. Not only was it far, but it was also very inconvenient. Especially since the bathhouse was full of grown men, and as a six- or seven-year-old child, he was often poked and hugged by them. If it were pretty sisters or aunts, Fang Mingyuan wouldn't have minded so much, but a group of grown men was something he couldn't tolerate. He certainly didn't have any tendencies like that.

However, at six or seven years old, he was no longer a little kid, and Bai Ping couldn't take him to the women's bathhouse anymore. It was summer, and even staying in the house all day, he would often be drenched in sweat. Solving his personal hygiene issues became Fang Mingyuan's top priority. Installing a solar water heater in 1983 was absolutely impossible—not only would it be extremely expensive, but even if he had the money, he probably couldn't buy one. So Fang Mingyuan had to give up on that and instead opted for a makeshift version of a solar water heater. Fortunately, he was not unfamiliar with solar water heaters from his previous life.

However, in this era, even making a simple solar water heater presented a significant challenge: it was very difficult to obtain the heat collection tubes. It was uncertain whether such tubes were even available for purchase in China at the time. Out of necessity, Fang Mingyuan chose the most primitive method. Fortunately, with Fang Bin's help, finding a large metal drum wasn't too difficult, saving Fang Mingyuan a lot of trouble.

"Xiao Yuan, what do you need such a large metal drum for?" Fang Bin pointed at the drum, which was as tall as a person, and asked in confusion. This little guy was becoming more and more mysterious. Although he had brought the drum back, he still didn't understand what it was for. However, since his nephew had asked, Fang Bin, who doted on him, naturally wouldn't refuse. He had also noticed that while Fang Mingyuan was always exceptionally smart, he now seemed like a little adult. Sometimes, if you ignored his childish voice and small frame, he sounded just like an adult.

Fang Bin had also heard from Grandpa Fang that the reason he was doing the baozi business was largely due to Fang Mingyuan's suggestion. Although he initially had some resistance to the job, he was now extremely satisfied. Compared to his peers, his income was two to three times higher. With money in his pocket, he naturally stood taller, and many people envied him. Therefore, his affection for Fang Mingyuan had grown even more.

"Of course, it's useful!" Fang Mingyuan walked around the drum, which was taller than him, and tapped the sides, nodding in satisfaction. The size of the drum was just right, sufficient for the bathing needs of a family of three. The only issue was that the outer wall was dirty, and if he planned to paint it black, he would need to clean it first. Fang Bin first washed the outer wall of the drum with water, and then the two of them found some sandpaper and started to scrub off the dirt.

"Little Uncle, what do you plan to do with the money you earn?" Fang Mingyuan asked casually.

"Buy some nice clothes, a better bicycle, get some things for your grandparents, and then find a little aunt for you!" Fang Bin replied nonchalantly. "If there's any money left, I want to try collecting stamps. I've heard that many people in the provincial capital are collecting stamps."

"Collecting stamps?" Fang Mingyuan couldn't help but stop. How could he have forgotten about this? Although he wasn't particularly interested in stamps in his previous life, he knew that the stamp market in the late 1980s was incredibly popular, with people queuing up all over the country to buy stamps. Stamps like the Monkey Stamp, "A Red China," and the Blue Military Stamp were selling for astronomical prices in the future!

"Stupid!" Fang Mingyuan slapped his forehead, scolding himself. "A Red China" and the Blue Military Stamp were rare, but the Monkey Stamp was not uncommon at the time.

The Monkey Stamp, also known as the Gengshen Monkey or Golden Monkey, was a set of zodiac stamps issued by the China Post and Telecommunications Corporation in 1980, the Year of the Monkey. It was the first zodiac stamp issued in China. Along with the Monkey Stamp, a first-day cover was also released. Due to its beautiful design and exquisite printing, the Monkey Stamp was very popular among stamp collectors. As the stamp market in the late 1980s flourished, the economic value of stamp collecting became increasingly evident, and the Monkey Stamp became highly sought after. Its price in the stamp market rose rapidly, with the block of four and the full sheet being even more valuable. It later became a symbol of Chinese stamp collecting and a barometer of the Chinese stamp market.

Because the first set of new stamps and philatelic items often had a "leading effect," and collectors' desire for completeness often made these first sets highly valuable and appreciated. Especially by 1992, when the second round of zodiac monkey stamps was released, many collectors suddenly realized they were missing the first set of monkey stamps. As a result, the price of the "Gengshen Monkey" skyrocketed, and the supply and demand became extremely imbalanced. The price was even tens of thousands of times higher than its face value!

"Xiao Yuan, what's wrong? Why are you hitting yourself?" Fang Bin quickly dropped the sandpaper and hugged Fang Mingyuan.

"Little Uncle, I'm fine!" Fang Mingyuan calmed himself, broke free from Fang Bin's embrace, and walked around the yard a few times. Fang Bin watched in confusion, completely unsure what his nephew was thinking.

After a few laps, Fang Mingyuan turned and went into the house, and Fang Bin followed closely behind. Fang Mingyuan went straight to his piggy bank, poured out all the coins, and counted them.

"Twenty-seven yuan and sixty-five cents!" Fang Mingyuan was a bit discouraged. This amount was far too little to buy a single eight-cent Monkey Stamp. He would have to convince the family to contribute. However, the most important thing now was to check if the post office still had any in stock. Fang Mingyuan remembered that the first wave of the Monkey Stamp market seemed to have been between 1984 and 1986. If he was lucky, he might still be able to buy some.

"Xiao Yuan, what are you planning to buy?" Fang Bin asked with a smile, "Not enough money? I'll make up the difference for you!"

Fang Mingyuan shook his head, gathered the coins, put them back in the piggy bank, and tucked it into his chest. He jumped off the bed and said, "Little Uncle, come with me to the post office!"

"What about the metal drum?" Fang Bin asked hesitantly, worried that if he left it in the yard, his brother would scold him when he returned.

"Can't worry about that now! We'll deal with it later!" Fang Mingyuan, impatient, pulled Fang Bin, closed the gate, and headed straight for the post office in town.

"May Buddha, Guanyin, and God bless me to catch this last train!" On the way, Fang Mingyuan kept praying in his heart.