Lu Tianxing is now doing the scorpion-selling business brought by Xie Sui. He can earn twenty to thirty yuan a day. If it weren't for Zhao Xuefei's meddling, he would earn more.
When Xie Sui was doing it, he could earn two to three hundred a day at most. He monopolized the nearby villages, so how could he not make money?
Zhao Xuefei had essentially cut off one of Xie Sui's sources of income. Xie Sui's face was grim. Did that Zhao guy think he was a pushover?
When they arrived at Xiawa Village, Li Tianxing's house was easy to find. It was the largest courtyard in the village. At that time, the village head's power was still quite significant, and those who could be village heads had many ways to make money.
Lu Tianxing happened to be at home. He was surprised by Xie Sui's visit and quickly welcomed him into the house: "Brother Xie, why are you here?"
"Naturally, I'm here to help you get rich. How have things been lately?"
Lu Tianxing's father, Village Head Lu, smiled heartily: "You must be Xie Sui. Good, young man, keep up the good work."
"Uncle Lu, hello. I came in a hurry and didn't prepare any gifts. Please accept this pack of cigarettes. Tianxing and I are good brothers, so please don't be polite with me."
Xie Sui was fortunate to have kept two packs of cigarettes. He had forgotten that the elder was at home and it would be rude to visit empty-handed.
Village Head Lu's face was creased with a smile. A pack of cigarettes cost more than ten yuan, which was already a significant gift. The young man was sensible.
"You're too kind. You two chat. Have dinner at home tonight, and I'll have your aunt stew a chicken for you."
"No need to trouble yourself. I just need to discuss a few things and will be leaving soon. I still need to go back to the county town. Let's have a drink together another day."
Village Head Lu left, holding his cigarette, leaving them to talk alone.
"I've got the freezers for you. We'll put one in every town in our county. From now on, you'll be solely responsible for managing sales in the towns, and you'll get a commission, which won't be worse than your scorpion-selling business. Can you handle it?"
Lu Tianxing rubbed his hands, feeling a bit insecure: "Can I do it?"
"You just need to be literate and know how to count. Rent a place in town, and small vendors will pick up their goods from you. It's that simple. The difficult part is handling the interpersonal relationships in town. Doing business is essentially about dealing with people. Once you have connections, making money will be as easy as drinking water.
It's settled then. You go find a place tomorrow. Once you're settled, I'll bring you the freezers and the goods. "
"Alright, thank you, Brother Xie, for trusting me."
Xie Sui got up to leave, then suddenly asked, "Do you know any bricklayers? My house is being built, and I want to finish it as soon as possible. That bastard Zhao Tielin, his brother is the village head, and he's trying to mess with me, pulling all the villagers away."
Lu Tianxing replied, "My uncle is the best bricklayer in our town. He has over a dozen people working under him, and everyone comes to him for roof beam installations.
If Brother Xie is in a hurry to move in, I can have my uncle bring his workers, and they'll get it done for you within a month."
Xie Sui was satisfied. "Alright, money is not an issue. Pay them according to market rates, and the workers should also be paid. I have money, but I won't let those spineless opportunists in the village profit from it."
"Brother Xie is generous. I'll have my uncle sort this out for you."
"Thanks. Ask your uncle to come as soon as possible. There will be plenty of food and drink."
Lu Tianxing was amused. Brother Xie was more familiar than him; in just a few words, his uncle had become Xie's uncle.
Xie Sui didn't linger. The tractor chugged back to the county town, just in time to give Lin Wanwan and the others a ride home.
On the way, he bought a few watermelons to take home. Watermelons were two fen per jin. He marveled again at how cheap they were, only a few fen per watermelon. They were ripe and had a pure watermelon flavor, unlike the ones grown with fertilizer in later generations, which tasted off.
Although the economy was backward in this era, the grains, vegetables, and meat were all natural. In a few more years, with the prevalence of fertilizers, such food would be gone.
Lin Wanwan was still worried about the children while they were away for a few days, feeling undecided.
When they arrived home, their eldest sister Xie Lan had tidied up the yard and was about to leave. Huzi was at school, and the elderly at home took care of him, so she wouldn't come often.
Qingqing and Wenwen had also become sensible and were playing well with Doudou and Dingding.
"You're back. I've cooked porridge in the pot and prepared the vegetables. You can stir-fry them yourselves. I'm going back now. It'll be dark later, and I won't be able to see the road."
"Big Sister, let me walk you back."
"No need. The tractor is running, and that's money. Let's save some. Sister isn't tired. I haven't done much today, and it only takes ten minutes to walk home from three or four li away."
Xie Lan was thrifty and saw no reason for Xie Sui to waste money. She was very careful with their expenses.
She couldn't ride a bicycle either. Xie Sui planned to teach her tomorrow and buy her one later. It would be more convenient for her to get around. A bicycle didn't use fuel, and Big Sister would surely like it.
Xie Min was still immersed in the excitement of counting money. Earning so much in one day, wouldn't they make a fortune in a month?
"Dad, we played with the frogs today. Can frogs be sold?" Su Dan Novel Network
The two sons each gave him a kiss, covering his face with saliva, so he didn't need to wash his face.
"Frogs can't be sold, but they can be eaten. Dad will stir-fry them for you to eat. Stir-fried frogs are also a delicacy."
"No, frogs are so cute, how can we eat them? Let's keep them to play with. We want to watch the tadpoles play."
Life at home had improved. It wasn't like a few months ago when Xie Sui was irresponsible and neglected his family. They had fried eggs for breakfast, various stews for lunch, and steamed eggs for dinner. The two children had chubby, rosy cheeks, and anyone who saw them would want to pinch them; they were so cute.
"Alright, you can keep them to play with."
Xie Sui spent some time watching the frogs with the two children. Xie Min prepared dinner, and the family ate. The children went out to play hide-and-seek, while Lin Wanwan and Xie Sui chatted and cooled off in the courtyard.
"Xie Sui, I've thought about it. It's better not to bring the children. It's our first time, and we won't know our way around. It would be inconvenient with the children, and they would suffer. It's fine if just the two of us go.
Let Big Sister stay at home for a few days to take care of them. The children are obedient and easy to manage. It should be fine."
Xie Sui listened to her arrangement: "Okay, I'll do as you say. When we earn more money, I'll buy a small car. It will be more convenient to travel by car and won't be so tiring."
Lin Wanwan smiled, not taking him seriously. A small car? Only county leaders could afford to drive one. Could their small factory afford it?
Xie Sui didn't say anything. A small car would come, within a year at the latest, he would definitely get one.
The cool breeze was blowing, and with watermelons in hand, the day's fatigue dissipated. The sky was dotted with stars. It was the fifteenth, and a bright moon hung in the sky. Xie Sui saw such a beautiful moon for the first time.
"Wanwan, look how beautiful the moon is, and the stars are so bright."
"Yes, tomorrow will be a clear day."
Xie Sui: "..."
His wife was so unromantic. Couldn't she say something romantic?
However, romance seemed to be something men should do.
"Wanwan, let me sing you a song, about the moon."
Lin Wanwan was very skeptical. He could even mispronounce poems when teaching the children, let alone sing?
This look made Xie Sui feel very hurt. He had to show his wife what he was capable of. He had lived seventy to eighty years in his previous life; what kind of flirting skills wouldn't he know!