Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire-Chapter 82 - 76 Timely Rain

Chapter 82: Chapter 76 Timely Rain

Sun Xun was caught gambling and stealing from the factory, and the news spread quickly. Soon, people were rushing to the leaders to insist that such a degenerate must be expelled from the factory.

When Liu Xiaoyue, Sun Xun’s wife, heard the news and confirmed it was true, she fainted. When she came to, she clutched her eldest son and cried bitterly. If Sun Xun were to be fired from the factory, they would no longer be able to live there. The one hundred yuan she had managed to get from Sun Xun after making a scene was mostly spent, with over sixty yuan already gone on daily expenses and the illnesses of her youngest son and daughter. Barely thirty yuan remained, and with children to feed and now a need to rent a house, it would soon be gone. What would she and her children do once the money ran out?

The more she thought about it, the more desperate she felt, and her cries grew louder, prompting her children to start crying along with her.

While the family was immersed in grief, someone knocked on the door. Seeing the visitor, Liu Xiaoyue felt an endless sorrow.

The visitor was a distant relative who couldn’t have children and wanted to adopt one. The relative’s family was well off, and they had high standards for the child they wished to adopt: he had to be smart, good-looking, and a boy. She had searched for a long time without success but eventually set her sights on Liu Xiaoyue’s youngest son after hearing about him in a conversation. The relative had visited once before but was refused. After hearing of Sun Xun’s arrest, she hurried over to make her case before anyone else could.

Given the family’s situation, the children might starve to death staying with her. It was hard for Liu Xiaoyue to part with them, and she sobbed as she said she would consider it.

...

The visitor left with joy.

That evening, someone came to tell Liu Xiaoyue that the factory leadership had decided to fire Sun Xun after a meeting. The notice of his dismissal would be posted in the morning, and the factory would certainly require them to vacate their home, advising her to prepare in advance.

Liu Xiaoyue now took things one step at a time, living one day at a time; what plans could she have? Had she not been so attached to her children, she might have considered ending it all with a rope.

After sending the person away, she sat on a stool, lost in thought, until the crying of her youngest daughter brought her back to reality. She then wiped away her tears and got up to cook dinner.

After dinner, the four older children obediently went to sleep, while she still had to soothe the two little ones. Once the children were all asleep, she took a handkerchief out of her dowry chest. She had spent another five yuan on food today, leaving only thirty-three yuan.

Seven mouths to feed at home, and this small amount of money would last at most a month. Would she really have to send Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu away? They were her own flesh and blood; how could she bear to do it?

As she dwelled on these thoughts, tears couldn’t help falling from her eyes.

Suddenly, her eldest son, Sun Dong, climbed down from the bed and sat beside her, holding her hand and saying, “Mom, don’t worry. I’ll help you earn money to support my younger siblings.”

Liu Xiaoyue hugged him. Fearing she might wake the other children, she dared not cry out loud, allowing her tears to fall silently.

“Thud, thud, thud…”

Just then, a knocking sound unexpectedly came from outside. Liu Xiaoyue wiped away her tears and called out, “Who is it?”

It was late for a visitor, and who knew what it might be about.

The person outside did not respond, but the knocking continued.

Sun Dong picked up a kitchen knife and walked to the door. Their home was an abandoned storage room next to a warehouse, situated in a very isolated location. Who would want to live in such a place if they had any other choice?

Liu Xiaoyue was hardworking and capable, clearing out the junk from the room when they moved in, and tidying up the exterior. It was because of this that those struggling with housing were eyeing their home.

Liu Xiaoyue held him back, saying, “Don’t be afraid. If there really are bad people, just shout loudly, you understand?”

Even in its remote location, the factory had night shifts and patrol personnel. As long as he shouted, help would come quickly.

“Okay.”

What neither the mother nor her son expected was that, although the door had been opened, there was no one there. However, there were two big bags left at the doorway.

Sun Dong was stunned, “Mom, this…”

Liu Xiaoyue’s reaction was swift, “Don’t talk, let’s carry the things inside.”

After hefting the two big bags inside, Liu Xiaoyue hurried to close and lock the door. She lit a candle before she began to untie the ropes on the bags.

One bag contained flour, and the other was filled with rice. Inside the bag of rice, there was also a small blue cloth packet.

Seeing the flour and rice brought tears to Liu Xiaoyue’s eyes again. She didn’t know who the kindhearted person was who had delivered the food, but she couldn’t bear to eat such fine grains, instead planning to trade them for coarser grains the next day. Then, she could gather unwanted vegetable leaves at the market or dig up some wild greens to eat alongside the coarser grains for two or three months.

Sun Dong opened the blue cloth packet. On top was a newspaper. Underneath the newspaper was Great Unity notes. He cried out in shock, “Mom, Mom, look quickly…”

Seeing so much money, Liu Xiaoyue was astonished, “This, this…”

Once they had calmed down, the mother and son counted the money and found there were five hundred Great Unity notes, amounting to five thousand yuan. It was the first time in her life that Liu Xiaoyue had seen so much money.

Sun Dong asked with a trembling voice, “Mom, with this money, does it mean we don’t have to send away my brother and sister anymore?”

He knew there was not much money left at home and that once the remaining bit was spent, the family would be out of provisions. These days, many people had been inquiring about his brother and sister. His heart ached at the thought of being separated from them, but he also understood that if the family could no longer support them, sending them away was another way to survive.

Liu Xiaoyue came back to her senses, clutching the money tightly in her hands, and whispered, “Don’t worry, Mom won’t send away Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu.”

With this money, she could raise all six children.

Liu Xiaoyue picked up the newspaper to read, but since she was illiterate, she handed it to Sun Dong, “What does this newspaper say?”

Sun Dong, who had left school after the fourth grade, had no trouble reading the newspaper. But when he saw the headline, he was puzzled.

Liu Xiaoyue asked, “Dongzi, what does the newspaper say?”

It was not a complete newspaper but an article cut out from one. The headline read, ‘Entrepreneur Zhang Huamei—Reform and Opening-up Offered Me Opportunity and Courage.’

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After Sun Dong finished reading the article, he looked at Liu Xiaoyue, puzzled, “Mom, what does our benefactor mean by this?”

After pondering for a moment and wiping her tears, Liu Xiaoyue said, “Our benefactor is showing us the way, suggesting that I become a self-employed entrepreneur.”

It was essential to buy a house, preferably one with a separate courtyard to avoid many troubles. After buying a house, she would still need to find a job to make money. Six children meant everyday food and drink was a hefty expense, not to mention sending them to school. She couldn’t just wait and do nothing. The money she earned for taking care of Old Lady Gu wasn’t much, and the family was always finding fault, not allowing her to return home in the evenings. Before she had no choice, but now she would definitely quit.

Sun Dong’s eyes brightened, “Mom, your bread rolls and spicy soup taste so good, if you set up a stall outside, you’re sure to make money.”

Liu Xiaoyue felt it was worth a try. Setting up a stall didn’t require much capital, and even if it failed, she wouldn’t be afraid. She would find another way if it came to that.

Thanks to Lu Jiaxin’s secret assistance, Liu Xiaoyue began street vending more than two years earlier than she would have, and the third child didn’t die young, nor were the twins sent away.