The whole family happily finished dinner, and as usual, gifts were distributed afterward, bringing joy to everyone.
Little Stone clung to Grandma Liu, who hadn't seen her grandson in a long time and wanted to have some quality time with him.
Xiangxi exclaimed dramatically, "Little Lan, how did you know I really wanted a fountain pen? These are so useful but incredibly expensive. I'd saved up my allowance for ages, but still couldn't afford one."
"Even if you could, you wouldn't be allowed to buy one," Uncle Fu reprimanded. "Times are tough, and the shops haven't been making much money. The whole family needs to eat. You can't go wasting money."
Xiangdong chimed in, "Little Lan, Little Xi, our family can't be like it was when Wenbo was here," Xiangdong said dejectedly.
"It's all my fault. I couldn't bring Wenbo back from the battlefield," he said, hitting his own leg with his fist.
Chen Lan quickly stopped him, trying to comfort him. "Brother Xiangdong, how can you blame yourself? Cannons and guns on the battlefield have no eyes. Who could know where a shell or bullet would hit? You surviving is already a blessing. Don't blame yourself too much. It's good that you're back alive!"
Gentle Mother's eyes reddened, and she wiped them with a handkerchief. "You worry too much, child. You and Wenbo grew up together, played pranks together, studied together, and joined the revolution together. You weren't blood brothers, but you were closer than brothers. I would have been relieved and happy no matter which of you returned alive from the battlefield."
Seeing the somber mood, Chen Lan quickly changed the subject. "Uncle Fu, are there many people in the capital donating money and supplies to the government?"
Uncle Fu replied, "There are some, but not many. The capital is full of wealthy people. Only a few are donating now. I guess everyone is waiting to see."
"What do you think, Uncle Fu?" Chen Lan asked.
"I think the whole country has been liberated, and a new government has been established. We must support the new government. Our family may not be rich, but we should lead the way in donating. Otherwise, how can we face Master and Wenbo? They sacrificed their lives for liberation."
Chen Lan nodded in agreement and turned to Xiangdong. "What do you think, Brother Xiangdong?"
"We must donate!" Xiangdong said with a firm nod. "Little Lan, you haven't been to the battlefield. You don't know how poor our country is now. On the battlefield, because of the lack of medicine, many soldiers couldn't get timely treatment and died. I was able to come back alive because when I was injured, your family's Mingxuan happened to raise money to buy anti-inflammatory and hemostatic drugs. Otherwise, my life would have been in danger..."
"So, Little Lan, now we should give money if we can, and help with labor if we can."
"Yes, we must donate!" Chen Lan agreed.
"What about you, Brother Xiangdong? Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"
Xiangdong shook his head. "I really haven't thought about it. In the past, I always followed Wenbo. Whatever he did, I did. I never thought about what I wanted to do myself."
Chen Lan said, "Then you must think about it carefully."
Xiangdong nodded.
"Xiangxi, what about you?" Chen Lan turned to ask.
When Xiangxi heard Chen Lan's question, he knew she was serious.
He immediately sat up straight and replied earnestly, "I want to do business."
"Oh?" Chen Lan hummed with curiosity.
Xiangxi continued, "Firstly, doing business will definitely make money. Secondly, I can meet all sorts of people. You see, some people look strong and burly but are as meticulous as a hair, while others seem weak and incompetent but are ruthless. Just like Qian San from Cat's Ear Alley on the west street. His wife scolds him, and he never says a word. He's so timid that he wouldn't say anything even if you beat him with three sticks. You know how fierce his wife is, Little Lan, but he actually dared to... " Speaking of which, Xiangxi made a throat-slitting gesture toward Chen Lan.
Seeing Chen Lan's surprised expression, Xiangxi quickly said, "That's a tangent! A tangent!"
Xiangxi went on, "Thirdly, I really enjoy the process of completing each business deal. Whether it's buying or selling, a big deal or a small deal, each one is like a war. I like this kind of bloodless war. I give my all every time."
Chen Lan involuntarily gave Xiangxi a thumbs-up.
Xiangxi proudly lifted his chin at Chen Lan.
Chen Lan added, "Xiangxi, doing business isn't as simple as you think. Just being able to judge people isn't enough. You still need to learn more from Uncle Fu."
"There's a lot of wisdom in doing business!"
Seeing Xiangxi's nonchalant attitude, Chen Lan decided to give him a good lesson.
"Xiangxi, there are many things to pay attention to in the business world."
"First, in the business world, you must always remain vigilant, because failure can ruin a person, but success can also ruin a person."
"Second, you can't just focus on making money. Reputation is very important. A good reputation is like a living advertisement."
"Third, the biggest taboo in business is greed. Although greed is the nature of a businessman and the driving force for making money, it is also the nemesis of a businessman."
"Fourth, you need to have thick skin in business. Don't care about the taunts, ridicule, or even insults of others in the business world."
"Fifth, you can't replace profit with righteousness in business. This not only violates the highest principle of business, 'It is natural and right for merchants to speak of profit,' but it often leads to unintended misfortunes."
"Sixth, when doing business, you need to compete and cooperate. Sometimes cooperation leads to mutual benefit."
"Seventh, when doing business, you need to learn to seize opportunities. Opportunities lie between caution and risk. You need to grasp that balance."
"Eighth, and most importantly, is to uphold integrity. Only through honest operation can you win people's support and trust."
Xiangxi was deeply impressed after listening to Chen Lan's business advice, giving her thumbs-up repeatedly.
"Amazing, amazing! I didn't expect it! Little Lan, you really have some skills! Brother has learned a lot!" Xiangxi started to get carried away again.
Uncle Fu nodded repeatedly, saying, "It's true," after Chen Lan finished.
Xiangdong also nodded constantly.
This made Chen Lan a bit embarrassed, and she quickly changed the subject. "Brother Xiangdong, Xiangxi, can you both drive?" Chen Lan asked.
"Yes, but not proficiently," Xiangdong replied.
Xiangxi boasted, "Is there anything I can't do?"
Chen Lan asked curiously, "Where did you learn?"
"I have a good friend whose family owns a factory. They have several trucks. A few of us wanted to learn to drive, so he brought the vehicles out from home for us to practice."
"How long did it take you to learn?"
"Three or four days! Driving is easy to learn. Don't you believe me? I'll have him bring the car out next time, and I'll take you for a good tour of the four cities. You haven't been out in years, have you?"
"I believe you. I believe you wouldn't lie to me."
"Of course (=_=)! Alright! You're showing off again!"
"Oh! Uncle Fu, is there a lot of stock in our shops?"
Uncle Fu replied, "Not much. It's been unstable for the past six months, so I haven't dared to store too much inventory. We've been clearing stock, so business hasn't been good. We had to dismiss many helpers, leaving only a shopkeeper and a clerk in each store."
"Okay! Uncle Fu, tomorrow, settle the wages for all the shopkeepers and clerks. Give each of them an extra month and a half's pay. If any family has particular difficulties, you can give them a few extra months, helping them through this tough time. However, we must remember, we help those in urgent need, not those who are habitually poor."
Uncle Fu nodded repeatedly. "That's the principle."
Chen Lan thought for a moment and said, "Do we have any old stock of fabric in our cloth shop?"
Uncle Fu said, "Yes, quite a lot. It's accumulated over the years."
"Is it still usable?" Chen Lan asked.
"Yes, it can be used for linings, or interlinings, just not for outer garments. Much of it is fine cotton. It was soaked when the storeroom leaked a couple of years ago. Some of it has faded, or the color is uneven, not very attractive, but it's still usable."
"Uncle Fu, when you pay them tomorrow, give each of them a few bolts of this fabric. However, make sure to tell them that if they dislike it, they don't have to take it."
"These fabrics wouldn't look good if we donated them. I'm afraid people might misunderstand that we're being intentional. If we donate, we donate good quality!"
Uncle Fu nodded again. "That's the principle!"
Then, Chen Lan discussed with Uncle Fu the arrangements for the jewelry store and pawnshop that she had agreed upon with Gentle Mother that afternoon.
Uncle Fu nodded without saying anything.
Chen Lan continued, "Uncle Fu, do you have enough money to pay the wages?"
"Yes, how can a business not make money? I'll bring the ledger over to settle the accounts shortly," Uncle Fu explained busily.
Chen Lan said, "No need. Uncle Fu, after you settle the employees' wages tomorrow, of course, you and your family's wages and monthly stipends for the past few months should also be settled together."
"Uncle Fu, don't be shy. Just do as you normally would. If you don't have enough money, tell me, and I'll provide it. We're donating our family's assets, so why would we be stingy with our own people's wages and stipends? Don't you think so?"
"Uncle Fu, how about this? Tomorrow, the women will go to the cloth shop first to pick out fabrics. Once they've chosen, you can take inventory. Then they'll take the fabric home, and afterward, they'll go to the jewelry store to pick out items. Mother and I won't go to the jewelry store. We'll go directly to the pawnshop. We'll pick out a few old items to keep as family heirlooms."
Uncle Fu chuckled. "Little Lan, all the good things are in the storeroom. When I get there, I'll bring them out for you."
Chen Lan playfully said, "I'll go find some bargains."
Uncle Fu laughed even louder. "Find bargains? You really know how to find them! Haha..."