Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire-Chapter 110 - 104 Done
Chapter 110: Chapter 104 Done
Gao Di Street was right next to the house they rented. Lu Jiaxin went there four times, filling six woven bags with clothes, socks, and shoes. Besides that, she bought ten baskets of dried sea products.
There was no way they could take so much stuff on the train; it would raise suspicions of trafficking goods. Mailing them was prohibitively expensive, so the best method was to arrange for railway freight. Lu Jiaguang worked in the railway department and was a leader there, so helping with some cargo shipment wasn’t a problem at all. However, when he heard the amount she wanted to transport, even Lu Jiaguang was taken aback.
Lu Jiaguang asked, “Are you buying all these clothes and dried sea products to sell?”
If she were selling them, earning back the travel expenses for a few people wouldn’t be an issue, but Lu Jiaxin didn’t want to cause any trouble for Lu Jiaguang. She smiled and said, “No, the clothes are for me to wear, and some of the dried sea products are for Xue Mao to use as materials. Big brother, will arranging the shipment affect you?”
Lu Jiaguang chuckled, “What impact could carrying such a small amount of stuff have? Alright, it’s not clear over the phone. Let’s talk when you get back.”
“Okay.”
...
After sending off the goods, Lu Jiaxin went back to Gao Di Street to buy more clothes. Xue Mao followed her helplessly, carrying things behind her. She had already spent more than a thousand on the previous clothes, shoes, socks, and dried sea products, yet she was buying even more. Sometimes he felt like what they were spending wasn’t money, but paper.
Lu Jiaxin knew that Gu Wenfeng would pass through the Ancient Capital on his way back to his hometown, so she asked him to check in on Liu Xiaoyue and her seven children, “Brother Gu, I want to know how they are doing now.”
If they were on the right track, and Liu Xiaoyue could make enough money to support her six children with her street vending, then this matter would finally be settled.
Gu Wenfeng, knowing her kind heart, nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll go to the Ancient Capital before heading home.”
He had bought a hard seat ticket for the train departing the next day, and when he left, he was forcibly given a package of clothes. Lu Jiaxin said it was a gift for Liu Xiaoyue and her seven children, and he couldn’t really refuse. However, it was only during dinner on the train that, upon seeing the paper bag used for his dry food, he realized he had been tricked. The package of clothes was for him. In the letter, Lu Jiaxin said he was stubborn, that the clothes from Gao Di Street were cheap and nice, and he wouldn’t know to buy anything for his mother as well as his wife and children when he got back. Since he didn’t know what to buy, she had to take care of it herself.
Pondering Lu Jiaxin’s personality, Gu Wenfeng suspected that the woven bag was likely stuffed with money, but with so many people around on the train, he refrained from rummaging through the bag. Once he got off the train and checked into a guesthouse, he dumped out the clothes and began to search. Eventually, he found an envelope in the pocket of each set of cotton-padded jackets and trousers. Counting them, each envelope contained one hundred Great Unity RMB.
In one of the envelopes, there was a letter thanking him for his protection and assistance over the past two months. The two thousand yuan were her little token of appreciation, hoping he would accept it. If not for himself, then for his mother, wife, and children, he should accept it. Finally, she extended a sincere invitation, hoping he would join her in her endeavors.
Upon seeing the money, Gu Wenfeng’s first reaction was to return it to her as soon as he got back to the Forty-nine City, but after reading to the end, he fell silent. Eventually, he decided to report the matter to his superiors. If they agreed that he could keep it, the money, together with what his family had saved over the years, should be enough to buy a small courtyard in the Forty-nine City. With a house, his whole family could be reunited.
Two days later, after finishing her vending for the day, Liu Xiaoyue returned home. Before she could even take a breath, her eldest daughter came over with a grin and said, “Mom, big brother, a man brought us a bag of rice today and said you asked him to deliver it.”
The weariness on Liu Xiaoyue’s body vanished in an instant, and grabbing her daughter’s arm, she asked, “Where’s the rice?”
Upon hearing it was in her room, Liu Xiaoyue briskly walked inside. As soon as she saw the bag, she couldn’t wait to untie the knot, and discovered a letter inside the rice.
The eldest daughter had no gift for secrecy and wasn’t capable of keeping things to herself, while the four younger children were too young to understand such matters, so the issue of the money was kept from them.
When the younger ones had all fallen asleep at night, Liu Xiaoyue woke Sun Dong to tell him about the person who had once again sent food, then handed him the letter, “Take a look, what does it say on here?”
After reading it, Sun Dong said, “Mom, the letter says he received Grandpa’s kindness. Grandpa is no longer with us, and he can’t bear to see us struggling like this, and hopes this money can allow us to live well.”
Having said that, he asked with puzzlement, “Mom, if the person is coming to repay a favor, why doesn’t he just give us the money directly? Why use this method?”
Liu Xiaoyue didn’t understand either, but she wasn’t fretting over it, “He must have his reasons for not showing up. Ah Dong, we still have three thousand yuan at home. The weather is getting colder and colder, our bodies can’t take it anymore with the outdoor stall. I’m planning on buying a shop.”
The main reason was that she always feared someone might sneak in and steal the money if it remained at home, and putting it in the bank would be even more likely to attract thieves if word got out. Once they bought a shop, the money would be spent and she wouldn’t have to worry about others eyeing it, plus their bodies couldn’t handle the physical toll of running the stall in the harsh elements. With six children counting on her, she couldn’t afford to fall ill.
Sun Dong was also excited about the idea, but he was concerned that showing wealth might bring danger.
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Liu Xiaoyue also considered the risks of opening a shop. It wasn’t that she was worried about not being able to sell her goods; on the contrary, after a month of running a street stall, she was very confident in her craftsmanship. Her concern was that once they opened a shop, people would cause trouble once they found out they were a family of orphans and a widow.
After much thought, Liu Xiaoyue said to her son, “I’m thinking of asking your uncle to come help out. Besides, after purchasing the shop, we’ll ask the landlord to keep it a secret, and we’ll tell others that we are renting it.”
Being the only daughter among three older brothers and one younger brother, she wasn’t cherished and was subject to beatings and scolding, and eventually, she was even sold to the gambler Sun Xun. Her oldest and second brothers used the money from her sale to get wives for themselves. By the time it was her third brother’s turn, the money had run out and, in a fit of anger, he became a live-in son-in-law. Hence, now only her youngest brother was unmarried.
Little Brother Liu was brought up by her, and the sister and brother shared a deep bond. After being sold to the Sun Family, she never returned, and her parents along with her several brothers never visited; only Little Brother Liu had come to see her twice, each time bringing many things, although they were just some inexpensive dried vegetables and local mountain goods. But this sentiment was precious, and she constantly thought of it.
Sun Dong had always liked his little uncle, but he also had concerns, “Mom, if grandma and grandpa find out we have money, they will definitely come knocking.”
Liu Xiaoyue wasn’t afraid and replied, “Raising you six children has already been difficult enough; if they come to take advantage, people will point fingers at them. They care about their reputation, so they won’t come.”
Although only eleven years old, Sun Dong had already experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships and had deeper thoughts, “Mom, Grandma and Grandpa won’t come because they care about face, but what about Uncle and Second Uncle? Mom, we should still have someone discreetly send a message to uncle, telling him to come quietly without Grandmother knowing.”
Liu Xiaoyue considered his words and decided to proceed accordingly, “Xiaodong, once your uncle arrives, you will go back to school. We now have money at home and no longer need to worry about making a living, so you should focus on your studies. Only with an education will you have prospects for the future.”
This time, Sun Dong did not refuse, as the family’s current situation gave him the confidence to continue his education.
