My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

Reaping Wealth in Silence.

Zhuang Zhixi and the others truly experienced the magic of doing business, as the money flowed in like a torrent. Without firsthand experience, no one could have imagined it. Although those with formal jobs often looked down on those who engaged in business, considering it a detour from the main path and inherently lower in status, only those who had done business understood that, although it might not be glamorous, it was indeed very lucrative.

However, despite the profits, no one flaunted their success. Wasn't it better to grow wealthy in silence?

No matter what the venture, once everyone knows it's profitable, the golden days are usually numbered.

After returning home, Zhuang Zhixi counted the money and inventory, discovering they had sold over three hundred pants on the first day.

At this rate, they would run out of stock in three or four days. However, since today was Sunday and there were more people around, the sales might slow down in the coming days. Even so, they estimated the inventory would be cleared within a week. The thought alone was exhilarating.

Zhuang Zhixi smirked, his spirits soaring.

Ming Mei, counting the money, also felt dazed. She was so astonished that she nibbled on her fingernails, whispering, "If we sell it all, won't we become ten-thousandaires?"

Zhuang Zhixi proudly replied, "Absolutely."

Zhao Guihua looked at these two, untouched by the world, and said, "Calm down, kids. This is just the beginning."

"Oh."

Though they acknowledged, their excitement lingered.

After all, this was real money. They hadn't anticipated such substantial profits. Zhuang Zhixi's cost per piece was just two yuan and twenty cents. Ming Mei continued gnawing on her fingernails, asking, "Mother-in-law, should we go tomorrow?"

Zhao Guihua replied, "Yes, tomorrow Zhixi will go to work as usual. I'll bring your dad along."

Ming Mei blinked, clenching her fists, "How about I take a day off and go with you? With so much money, there's bound to be envy. With me there, at least I can ensure your safety."

Ming Mei immediately thought of this, influenced by her upbringing. Her father was a long-haul truck driver who often encountered highway robbers. She knew all too well the saying, "Humans die for wealth, birds die for food."

Growing up hearing such tales, her vigilance was natural.

She said, "Today was the first day, and people didn't know how hot the business was, plus we had Zhixi. But if it's just you two elders tomorrow, someone might have bad intentions."

Zhao Guihua nodded, "You're right."

Ming Mei chuckled quietly, "Right?"

Zhao Guihua said, "Alright, take three days off. I reckon we'll be done in three or four days. Can you manage?"

Ming Mei replied, "No problem. My job is very easy; it's not busy at all."

Zhuang Zhixi added, "That's settled then. Since Ming Mei is taking time off, I won't. She's much better at handling situations than I am."

If they encountered any trouble, his wife's combat skills were far superior to his.

Ming Mei confidently stated, "Leave it to me!"

She proudly puffed out her chest, eager to contribute to the family's earnings.

Zhao Guihua said, "Alright, put the money away and lock the door. We'll continue tomorrow."

"Okay."

Zhao Guihua's mysterious demeanor left Aunt Zhou full of curiosity. Human curiosity is truly insatiable. As soon as Zhao Guihua returned and went to her youngest son's place, Aunt Zhou kept peeking. When Zhao Guihua finally came out, she hurried over, "Guihua, what were you doing today? I feel like your family has been acting mysterious."

Zhao Guihua replied, "What's so mysterious about us? I was just setting up a stall."

"What!"

Aunt Zhou's eyes widened in shock, finding it utterly unbelievable. Zhao Guihua, of all people, setting up a stall? She stammered, "Re-really?"

Zhao Guihua shrugged, "Why would I lie about that?"

Aunt Zhou scratched her head, nearly scratching herself bald in confusion. She just couldn't understand why someone would abandon a comfortable life to set up a stall. It seemed so demeaning.

Aunt ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍Zhou asked, "What made you decide to do that?"

Zhao Guihua looked at her, saying, "What's there to think about? The state policy allows small traders to set up stalls. I'm just following the policy. Besides, I haven't worked much in my life. Now that there's an opportunity to experience something new, why not seize it? I still have the energy now. Who knows if I'll still have the stamina in a few years? So, now's the time to act!"

"Ah, this..."

Aunt Zhou was momentarily at a loss for words. She had thought of several reasons but hadn't expected Zhao Guihua's response. She hesitated, asking, "Isn't it embarrassing?"

Zhao Guihua retorted, "What's embarrassing about earning money through hard work? You don't know, there are all kinds of people doing business. It's quite fascinating."

Zhao Guihua knew Aunt Zhou would ask, and even if she didn't, Aunt Wang would. It wasn't that these women had malicious intentions; it's just that, with nothing better to do, their curiosity got the better of them. Better to clarify than to let them speculate endlessly.

"What are you selling?" Aunt Zhou asked.

Zhao Guihua replied, "Pants. The third son brought them from the south. Today, since it was a rest day, I helped him try selling some. Oh, stop asking so much. I'm hungry, I'm going home to eat."

Aunt Zhou wanted to ask more but didn't know what else to say, so she went home in a daze, only to quickly rush out to gossip with others. While initially shocked, she eventually found nothing wrong with it.

If someone had said Zhuang Zhixi quit his job to set up a stall, people might have thought he'd lost his mind. But since it was Zhao Guihua, it didn't seem so strange. She had little to do with her grandchildren in school, so finding something to occupy herself was just her style.

Zhao Guihua didn't care what others thought. She went straight home to enjoy dinner. Liang Meifen, who had the day off, prepared dinner: stir-fried cabbage with vinegar and minced pork with chili. As the family ate, she curiously asked, "Mother, how was the business today?"

Zhao Guihua bluntly replied, "None of your business."

Liang Meifen: "..."

The old lady was truly ill-mannered. She decided not to ask any further.

Zhao Guihua's straightforward response stopped any further inquiries. Her brusque manner, though not polite, served as an effective deterrent against endless questions.

Zhao Guihua only briefly mentioned her stall to Aunt Zhou, but news quickly spread throughout the courtyard that she had started setting up stalls. Even the Su family got wind of it. Su Jinlai thumped the table, saying, "That's it! I knew something was off with them. Turns out they were setting up stalls. Hah! They act all high and mighty, as if they were something special. But in the end, they're doing the same thing. How disgraceful! Who does that among honest people? Setting up stalls? Hah! Disgusting! Pfft, I look down on them!"

Wang Xiangxiu, busy at work, casually said, "What do you care what they do? It's their business."

Wang Xiangxiu had gone to the mountains today and managed to pick some winter fruits. Though frozen and thawed, many were still usable. She carefully selected the best ones, adding sugar to make fruit jam, which turned out quite well.

Wang Xiangxiu said, "Come take a look, is my jam alright?"

Su Jinlai impatiently replied, "Why bother making that? Yours will never be as good as store-bought. Who wants your trash?"

He was highly contemptuous. If you really think about it, what does Wang Xiangxiu, a woman with no insight, know about jam? This was something Su Jinlai had mentioned before, so he felt quite justified in speaking authoritatively. Before Su Jinlai came back, he had spent some time with three foreign women, enjoying himself. The hardships he endured during that time need not be elaborated on; it was truly heart-wrenching, something that would make listeners sad and observers tearful. A fine young man almost drained dry by those women, it was only due to his strong constitution and being a man of great capability that he managed to endure it.

However, despite the pain of mingling with those women, those few days also broadened his horizons. Not only did he visit Quanjude, but he also went to Laomo, all expenses paid by those women. He was the first person in their courtyard to visit Laomo and the first to dine on Western cuisine. Others simply lacked this insight and didn't measure up.

Upon his return, he naturally had to show off extensively. He described dishes like steak, pizza, wine, and even spreading jam on bread, mentioning them multiple times a day, every day. The entire family was so tired of hearing about it that their ears practically had calluses.@@novelbin@@

It was precisely because they had heard so much about it that when Wang Xiangxiu went hiking and saw wild fruits, she thought of making jam. After some experimentation with sugar, she found the taste quite satisfactory. Wang Xiangxiu felt quite proud of herself, considering she hadn't even tasted or seen jam before, but based solely on Su Jinlai’s incessant chatter, she managed to mimic it reasonably well. She truly had a knack for it.

After all, even Su Jinlai himself didn't know how to make it; he could only describe the appearance and taste. She took another sip and said, "Come taste this."

Su Jinlai: "Taste what? Who do you think I am? I’m not eating this kind of...”

Thud!

Before he could finish complaining, Wang Xiangxiu slammed the spatula onto the pot, her face cold as she scolded, "If you don’t want to eat, then leave. Are you done yapping? Look at yourself, good for nothing and always wanting more. I see you take after the Su family, always thinking of getting something for nothing. If you even had a smidgen of me in you, you wouldn’t be lazing around at home at your age. You’re twenty-something, doing nothing, not working, not cooking, not doing laundry, not cleaning the house. Your younger brother has to come home from school to do all this, and your second brother does odd jobs to make some extra money. What can you even do?"

Su Jinlai had been living at home for over a year, and Wang Xiangxiu had never lost her temper, after all, he was her biological son, and she was quite traditional, genuinely doting on her children. But recently, her patience had worn thin.

Jinlai had earned a thousand yuan, a substantial sum, yet instead of contributing to the household, he hoarded the money tightly. Not only that, but even when he wanted to eat chicken for extra nutrition, he expected her to pay for it. It was only due to Tonglai’s insistence that he reluctantly parted with twenty yuan.

This infuriated Wang Xiangxiu. She had heard that raising children is a way to support oneself in old age, but her son’s selfishness was beyond compare. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, convinced that he bore too much resemblance to the Su family, who were simply rotten at the core.

At the workshop, the women often chatted about family matters, and Wang Xiangxiu occasionally shared some grievances. She didn’t expose all her son’s flaws, but she did complain about his laziness and greed.

Why did she do this? If she only had one son, she might not have said anything. If all her sons were unreliable, she might not have voiced her concerns either. But since her second and third sons were hardworking, the contrast made her even more frustrated.

This wasn’t favoritism; she had to think about the well-being of her second and third sons, after all. She couldn’t keep subsidizing the most selfish one forever. No family could operate like that.

Wang Xiangxiu’s complaints weren’t lost on the other women, who understood her predicament. With multiple children, such issues were inevitable. They offered suggestions, encouraging her to be more assertive, as her eldest son would only become more unruly if she didn’t.

So when Su Jinlai spoke rudely, Wang Xiangxiu snapped, "You do nothing all day, and now, for such a small matter, you have a mouthful of nonsense. Look around the courtyard, is there anyone else like you? What’s the difference between you and that old sow in the pigsty? All day, eat, sleep, breed. What can you do? You’re not even as useful as the old sow; at least she can be slaughtered for meat during the New Year. All you can do is eat the meat I buy!"

Wang Xiangxiu wasn’t well-educated, so expecting her to curse with eloquence was out of the question!

Su Jinlai: "Holy crap!"

His eyes widened in shock. He truly hadn’t expected his mother to go off like this.

"You... you..."

"What are you stammering for? Did I say anything wrong? Have you ever given me a moment’s peace? From childhood to now, how many troubles have you caused for this family? I, as your mother, didn’t mind, but are you still a three-year-old? Look at the children in the courtyard, even a ten-year-old knows how to behave. You’re twenty-something, yet you don’t even measure up to a ten-year-old?"

Su Jinlai shot up, "Enough!"

Wang Xiangxiu: "Are you raising your voice to me? I provide for you, yet you dare raise your voice to me?"

At this, Yinlai stopped sewing and said, "Big Brother, be polite to Mom."

Tonglai was out studying and hadn’t returned, but Yinlai stood firmly on their mother’s side.

He added, "Mom is right to scold you."

Enraged, Su Jinlai swung a punch, "You punk, I’m the eldest brother, what business is it of yours? Watch me teach you a lesson!"

"Urgh!"

Yinlai hadn’t expected Su Jinlai to suddenly strike. Unable to dodge in time, he was hit, his frail body collapsing onto the ground. Wang Xiangxiu’s face changed instantly as she rushed to help her son, "Yinlai, are you okay?"

Yinlai wiped the corner of his mouth and said, "I’m fine."

Wang Xiangxiu exploded, grabbing a small broom commonly used for sweeping the kang and swung it at Su Jinlai, "You scoundrel, you ungrateful wretch! How dare you bully your brother, how dare you lord it over the house! Today, I’ll teach you a lesson so you know who's in charge here!"

She mercilessly beat Jinlai, who cried out, "Ah~"

By the time their fight broke out, people outside were already eavesdropping, especially Li Weiwei, who was practically right at the scene, given his rivalry with Su Jinlai. But he didn’t expect things to escalate to physical violence.

Upon hearing the commotion, Li Weiwei quickly entered, "Su Jinlai, don’t bully anyone, don’t disre... uh."

What he saw was astonishing.

Su Jinlai, a strapping young man, was being pinned down by his mother, who was pummeling him without mercy, leaving him utterly helpless.

Su Jinlai: "Ah! Help!"

Wang Xiangxiu: "How dare you call for help? You disrespect me, and when you hit your brother, you don’t even act like a human. I’ve spoilt you, but you’ve left me beyond disappointed. Is there any child like you? Today, I’ll make sure you understand who holds the reins here."

Wang Xiangxiu didn’t hit her son in the face, but instead, she wielded the short broom, landing blow after blow on Su Jinlai’s backside, each one eliciting a cry.

Li Weiwei was taken aback, retreating silently.

All these years, they had forgotten that Aunt Xiangxiu had her moments of prowess.

Clearly, Su Jinlai was no match for his mother.

The commotion brought others from the courtyard, with Ming Mei leading the charge, peering in curiously. What she saw was Wang Xiangxiu truly unleashing her fury, pressing Su Jinlai’s face to the ground while beating his backside relentlessly.

Ming Mei: "..." She was thoroughly shocked.

Su Jinlai desperately covered his face, attempting to escape, only to find his mother possessed some mysterious strength, leaving him, a grown man, unable to break free.

“Mom, please let me off this time. I know I was wrong, isn't that enough? Sob, why are you still hitting me? Why are you so hot-tempered?”

Wang Xiangxiu retorted, “Me, hot-tempered? If you hadn't hit your little brother, would I have raised my hand? Ah!” Bang bang.

“He... He, as the younger brother, shouted at me,” complained Su Jinlai, feeling unjustified. After all, he was the eldest son.

Wang Xiangxiu shot back, “If you hadn't been nagging at me, would he have spoken up for me? You ungrateful wretch.” Bang bang, she got angrier the more she thought about it.

Su Jinlai whined, “Mom, I admit my mistake…”

Wang Xiangxiu barked, “You little brat, do you think you’ll get away with this again?”

“No, no, I won’t!”

Su Jinlai yowled.

A group of slightly older children from the courtyard gathered around to watch the spectacle. Tuan Tuan, Yuan Yuan, and other kids all widened their eyes in astonishment, looking extra well-behaved. Ming Mei nudged her two kids and said, “See, kids will always be kids, even when they grow up. If they don’t behave, a mother has the right to discipline them. Otherwise, they won’t know how to act properly.”

Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan swallowed hard, watching Jinlai Gege, a grown man, getting his bottom smacked with a broom. They both said very seriously, “We’re good kids.”

Then they flashed flattering, ingratiating smiles. They were good children, after all.

Xiao Qijin, on the other side, also quietly covered his bottom. His family doted on him, and he rarely got punished. This kid, though a bit spoiled, was also surprisingly well-behaved at this moment.

A mother’s rage is terrifying.

He sneakily glanced at his mom, only to find her staring back. He quickly raised his hand and said, “I’ll be good.”

Jiang Lu: “See? I’m usually very nice to you. But if you cause trouble and don’t listen, I’ll spank you too.”

Xiao Qijin: “I won’t cause trouble. I’m very good.” Please don’t spank my bottom, it’s so embarrassing.

He turned to his friend and asked, “Right, Qingqing?” He was trying to form an alliance.

Bai Qingqing nodded: “Exactly, Qijin is the best.”

The two kids held hands, as if that gave them some courage.

Bai Fendou twitched his mouth and said, “Boys and girls shouldn’t hold hands all the time.”

He Lan: “It’s okay for kids, don’t overreact.”

She pinched Bai Fendou’s arm and smiled.

Kids don’t understand much; they’re just friends. Parents don’t need to be so paranoid. Bai Fendou rubbed his arm and smiled at his wife, but then shot an annoyed look at Zhou Qun. Strange, he didn’t get along with Zhou Qun, but their kids were able to play together and be friends. Weird.

Bai Qingqing gave a sweet smile and said, “Dad, don’t be mad. When I get home, I’ll massage your shoulders.”

Bai Fendou’s face lit up instantly: “That’s my girl.”

People from the back courtyard arrived a bit later. Li Zhenzhen was impatient: “Let me see, let me see.”

Yuan Yuan: “Quick.”

Li Zhenzhen: “Wow, even worse than when my brother got spanked.”

Li Weiwei: “…”

Why mention me?

He said, “I didn’t get spanked. That was ages ago.”

Li Zhenzhen innocently replied, “Not that long ago, just a couple of years back.”

She was quite the gossip and said, “I’ll go get Little Yezi to come see the fun.”

Yuan Yuan: “Hurry, I’ll save you a spot.”

It was like watching a fight or a movie. The kids were excited, though also a bit scared. Just when Li Zhenzhen was about to leave, a crowd had already gathered. More onlookers joined to watch Su Jinlai getting spanked.

Wang Xiangxiu didn’t care if others were watching or what they were saying. She was determined that if she didn’t teach this brat a lesson, he’d get out of control. Su Jinlai wasn’t in much pain, but it was so embarrassing.

He felt utterly humiliated.

But even so, what could he do?

Wang Xiangxiu didn’t care.

Ming Mei whispered to Zhao Guihua, “Mom, doesn’t he feel useless?”

She wasn’t suggesting Su Jinlai should fight back against Wang Xiangxiu, but she couldn’t help wondering why he couldn’t even resist. Here’s a twenty-something guy being overpowered by a forty-something woman. That’s just a real loser. As an experienced person, Zhao Guihua understood more. She said earnestly, “Men, when they’ve been drained, they end up like this.”

Ming Mei: “？？？”

Zhao Guihua smiled meaningfully.

Come to think of it, she had seen Su Jinlai when he came back. She had gone out to the latrine and saw a taxi drop him off. He had dark circles under his eyes, his steps were unsteady, looking just like those scholar characters in TV dramas who’d been seduced by female ghosts.

Drained dry.

Zhao Guihua immediately knew what was going on with Su Jinlai.

Initially, Su’s family said he had gone to work with his aunt, but then he came back and stayed home. Some people thought naively that he must have been fired. But Zhao Guihua and other seasoned folks saw through it immediately. Fired?

Su Jinlai must have been doing some unsavory work.

It wasn’t sustainable.

But this line of work wasn’t for just anyone. Didn’t you see how Su Jinlai still hadn’t recovered, couldn’t even muster the strength to push a woman away. Clearly drained dry.

She clicked her tongue.

At this point, Wang Xiangxiu finally let go of Su Jinlai after he wept and begged for forgiveness. She said, “If there’s another time, I won’t let it slide. Starting tomorrow, you’re going out to find a job. Pay me twenty-five yuan a month—ten yuan for living expenses, and the other fifteen I’ll save for a rainy day.”

She put her hands on her hips and panted, “Don’t think I’m trying to take your money. You’ve wasted enough of the family’s money already, you should know that. Even your younger brother knows to hand over money, and here you are, the older brother, freeloading. That’s not how it works. With the money in your hands, it’ll just get wasted. I’ll save it for you, and when you get married, we’ll be able to buy some things.”

“Ah?”

Su Jinlai wasn’t happy.

Wang Xiangxiu: "What do you mean 'ah'? Does it make you feel aggrieved to pay me money? If you don’t want to, then get out. Don’t come back for good, and I’ll leave you alone. But as long as you’re in this house, you have to listen to me. It’s not your place to make decisions here."

Su Jinlai thought his mom had gone mad. He could live very comfortably on twenty-five yuan a month outside. Why would he have to pay that much at home? But seeing his mom wasn’t kidding around, he got scared.

“Mom, this… this isn’t necessary, right? I…”

“If you don’t like it, leave!” Wang Xiangxiu brandished her broom fiercely.

Su Jinlai: “…”

He was resentful, wanting to say the house was left by his father, but he didn’t dare argue with his mom. After all, she wouldn’t budge, and even if the house was his father’s, he couldn’t get it. Besides, his mom had backup.

Everyone in the family, everyone in the courtyard, would definitely side with his mom.

But, he had money. He could move out and rent a place, like Aunt Zhou and the Li brothers who rented a room for four yuan a month. He could do the same… That way, it’d be better than handing over twenty-five to his mom.

Even though he thought of that, Su Jinlai didn’t want to leave.

You can’t flaunt wealth if you’re not in your hometown.

He was now rich, and if he didn’t live in the courtyard, how would people know he was rich, that he was doing well, that he was capable? He’d always been part of one of the poorer families in the courtyard, and he really wanted to show off.

Wanting to show off, yet not wanting to part with his money.

Very conflicted.

But show-off instincts won out in the end.

After hesitating for a long time, he said, “Okay, I’ll agree.”

Wang Xiangxiu: “Hand over the money by the first of every month, and find a job tomorrow.”

After a pause, she added, “Get a proper job.”

Su Jinlai: “…”

What’s not proper about my job?

“Okay.”

Wang Xiangxiu watched as her eldest son backed down and nodded, saying, "You'd better keep your word."

She waved her hand: "Everyone, disperse, disperse."

The crowd exchanged glances, though they didn't feel right standing at someone else's doorstep talking, so they slowly dispersed, reluctantly returning home, planning to gossip more about it later. Zhuang Zhixi and his family also went home. Tuan Tuan grabbed Ye Sitian and said, "Sitian, come play at my house."

The Ye family's three kids all came to Ming Mei's house, and even Da Qiang and Wang Zizhen came over as guests.

Although it was already evening, it wasn't late yet.

Tuan Tuan and Yuanyuan then led the Ye kids to Lan Sihai's place to watch TV, while Zhao Guihua, Aunt Zhou, and Aunt Wang sneaked in. Everyone gathered together to chat, and naturally, they couldn't stop talking about the neighbors.

Aunt Wang: "I didn't expect Wang Xiangxiu to be quite capable."

Zhao Guihua: "I think she should have acted like this earlier. If she had, Su Jinlai wouldn't have been so unreliable all this time."

Aunt Zhou had her own opinion: "That's not how I see it. I don't think he'll really look for a job. Do you see him as the kind of person who works?"

Zhao Guihua: "He really isn't, but it also depends on how much Wang Xiangxiu can push him. This kid intimidates the weak and fears the strong. Look how cocky he's been at home all this time, speaking without restraint, and today he was still obedient."

"That's true."

"By the way, Aunt Zhao, what kind of pants are you selling? Let us see." Aunt Zhou was very curious.

Zhao Guihua rolled her eyes: "You're really nosy."

But she did give her son a look. How to put it? If this were decades later, such people would be insufferably annoying, but now, it was quite normal. Everyone lived in siheyuan (courtyard houses), so it was natural to gossip about others.

It was just the way things were.

Zhuang Zhixi fetched a pair of pink bell-bottoms, saying, "Here it is."

"Oh my, that's too ugly!"

"Isn't that a bell-bottom?"

"How would you wear this? It looks so weird. Why are you selling this?"

Everyone expressed that they couldn't accept this style, Zhao Guihua: "So what? Just because you don't like it doesn't mean nobody else likes it. Many young people fancy this kind of thing."

"Really?"

Zhao Guihua: "This is fashionable."

Aunt Zhou shook her head vigorously.

Aunt Wang also thought it wasn't pretty.

Wang Zizhen was curious: "Are there really people who buy this?"

In her memory, only Lan Sihai could pull off such peculiar clothes. For others, it wouldn't work; surely no one would buy them?

Zhao Guihua: "Of course there are."

"I don't understand." Wang Zizhen scratched her head: "I really don't understand."

Zhao Guihua: "What styles does your factory make now?"

Wang Zizhen now has a job; she found a temporary position at a garment factory. It's the same factory where Yinlai works. Yinlai is a formal employee, but she isn't. This has nothing to do with gender; it's mainly based on policy.

Yinlai's health isn't great, and their family's burden is heavy, so the factory arranged a formal job for him. Although Wang Zizhen's family has more people, their children are young, and Da Qiang's salary is high. Moreover, all family members are healthy, so it's a bit different.

However, even though it's a temporary job, Wang Zizhen is quite motivated, earning fifteen yuan a month, which is not bad.

If you had asked her as a young girl to predict what her life would be like, she would never have imagined she could live so comfortably. Although it's not a wealthy life, it's much better than her old neighbors. She and her husband have always been good at saving money and living frugally, so their life is thriving.

Now, thinking about her childhood, she almost can't remember it. Back then, it seemed she was always hungry, doing a lot of work without clear rewards. Even among her sisters, there wasn't much warmth; they were almost always unhappy with each other over who got to eat more or less.

She has been married for eleven years. Since moving her household registration out, she has never returned. She doesn't know how her hometown is doing or whether her parents ever managed to have a son. However, when Wang Zizhen thinks about those old days, she secretly hopes her parents didn't have a son. If they really had a son, her sisters who were determined to sacrifice for the family would only have had a harder time.

Although when she left, her mother was already pregnant, and everyone said it was going to be a boy, Wang Zizhen secretly hopes it was all a disappointment.

Regardless, she doesn't inquire about that life anymore. She truly doesn't want to be involved. And back then, they essentially sold her. Now that she has a good life, she doesn't want to add any more troubles.

When Aunt Zhao asked about their factory, Wang Zizhen had to explain: "Now we mainly make shirts and also fake collars."

Zhao Guihua: "Those fake collars are selling quite well now."

Wang Zizhen nodded: "Right, we make a lot of them at our factory."

Zhao Guihua asked again: "Does your factory take private orders? Personal orders."

Their bell-bottoms won't sell out forever, and constantly going to the south for supplies isn't that convenient. If they can make them locally, it would be much easier. So Zhao Guihua naturally had to ask carefully.

Wang Zizhen shook her head: "No, our factory only takes state orders; we've never had private individuals come. And even if they did, we wouldn't be able to make them."

Although it's said that the country has opened up and reformed, most people still look down on individual businessmen. Moreover, their factory already has orders, so there's no need to consider outside orders. Wang Zizhen: "Aunt Zhao, are you thinking of placing an order with our factory?"

She's not a fool, so she naturally guessed Zhao Guihua's intentions.

However, Wang Zizhen spoke frankly: "Aunt Zhao, it's not possible. Our factory doesn't trust individuals."

Zhao Guihua nodded: "I see."

Indeed, now the various factories are doing well, so there's no need to consider personal orders and certainly won't pay attention to them. The decline of state-owned enterprises isn't happening now; it's mostly in the 1990s.

So if she wants to place an order at a state-owned garment factory now, they probably wouldn't pay much attention to her.

Aunt Wang was surprised: "You really want to place an order?"

Zhao Guihua: "Of course, I want to start a stall. But if it's not possible, I might have to go to the south."

"Oh my, you…"

Not only the few old ladies but also young people like Wang Zizhen and Da Qiang were very surprised.

Zhao Guihua: "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Aunt Wang exclaimed: "Sister, your courage is really great."

Zhao Guihua laughed: "It's not really about courage. I just feel like I don't have much to do every day, and my husband, Zhuang Laonian (Zhuang the Silent), always goes fishing. I'm not interested in that, so I naturally want to find something to do. Making money and enriching life—why not?"

"You do have a point."

"Of course…"

"Speaking of which, there are quite a few people doing small business now. Even in our workshop, a colleague's family member does it. She sells buns, saying it's hard-earned money." Da Qiang spoke up and then added: "But I think the business should be good. Ever since they started selling buns, they quickly bought a bicycle."

Actually, he had been tempted, but he didn't know what to do, so as they chatted, he naturally sought advice. He said: "Aunt Zhao, Auntie, what do you think I should sell if I set up a stall after work? I don't have that much time."

Aunt Zhou was surprised: "You also want to set up a stall?"

Da Qiang smiled humbly: "Yes, look at our family—we have three kids. If we don't save some money, we won't feel at ease."

Having more children means more pressure, but both he and his wife didn't experience much warmth or affection, so they particularly cherish the warmth of their family and enjoy being surrounded by their lively household.

He said: "As a father, if I don't consider the future of my children, what will happen then?"

Next to him, Wang Zizhen nodded.

"You definitely can't sell buns. The timing isn't right, and besides, Zizhen's skills aren't good enough to sell for money," Aunt Zhou stated quite frankly.

Aunt Wang nodded, agreeing with Aunt Zhou. "What she says makes sense. If it were our family, it might be a different story, but our old man definitely wouldn't go for it. They say, 'Your family's cooking is a bit weak.'"

Zhao Guihua suggested, "You could sell roasted sunflower seeds and peanuts."

"Hmm?"

Everyone turned to look at Zhao Guihua.

Zhao Guihua explained, "You can sell them near the movie theater after work. This business won't interfere with your job, and you can do it on weekends too. If you roast them well and are sweet-talking, I think the business can work. But I suspect there will be others doing the same, so you'll need to figure out a great flavor for your peanuts and seeds."

Da Qiang and his wife's eyes lit up. "That's a good idea!"

Zhao Guihua grinned. "Who else could come up with such a brilliant idea? I'm quite insightful, you know."

Aunt Zhou laughed. "Alright, you're amazing, are you satisfied?" she teased. "Honestly, this could really work. Young people buy a pack of seeds to munch on while watching a movie. A lot of them do that. Same with kids; when we take little Qijin to the movies, we always buy some snacks. Can't avoid it."

"Exactly, that's what we do too."

"This business could really take off!"

Da Qiang and his wife thought about it carefully and realized it made a lot of sense. The business wasn't too complicated. Roasting seeds, Zizhen knew how to do that. Despite growing up poor in the mountains, they always had seeds to roast for special occasions when there was nothing else.

Zizhen agreed, "I think it's a go. Let's do it."

Aunt Zhou chimed in, "That's great; you can use the extra money to help at home."

You see, people always have different opinions based on closeness. When Zhao Guihua wanted to start a stall, Aunt Zhou thought she was crazy. But when it comes to Wang Zizhen, Aunt Zhou praises it as a way to help the family, completely different.

Zhao Guihua didn't comment, but she felt that anyone willing to work hard for life is doing something good.

"Your third son starts work tomorrow, right?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Yes, my wife and mom will be going together."

Ming Mei laughed softly, "I'll be taking leave."

Everyone looked at Ming Mei in surprise. She explained, "I just can't be at ease with my mother-in-law alone. As children, we need to be filial to our elders."

"That's right."

"Absolutely."

Being filial is never wrong.

The conversation didn't last too late into the night. The next morning, Ming Mei went to her office to request leave. She didn't make up excuses and straightforwardly explained, "My mother-in-law wants to set up a stall, and she's not young anymore. As her child, I can't be at ease, so I want to take a few days off. It doesn't matter if my wages are deducted."

Initially, Ming Mei didn't plan to say that, fearing it might make her mother-in-law seem like a troublesome old lady. But Zhao Guihua insisted that Ming Mei should say it this way. After all, if news of her taking leave to accompany her mother-in-law setting up a stall spread at work, it wouldn't sound good.

Imagine, taking leave to set up a stall instead of working properly—where is the sense in that?

But if it's because she is very concerned about her mother-in-law and wants to take care of her, it's a different story. Everyone would only praise Ming Mei for being filial. As for Zhao Guihua's reputation, she doesn't really care. She's always been known as a fierce and sharp-tongued person anyway.

At her age, she doesn't worry about such things anymore.

Reputation is only something the young care about.

So, she thought this was a good idea.

Indeed, as soon as Ming Mei gave her leave reason, everyone in the office turned to look at her. "You..."

After a pause, someone asked, "How many days are you taking off?"

Ming Mei replied, "Three days."

"Alright, here's your leave slip."

Ming Mei took the slip and promptly left. Seeing her go, the colleagues all shook their heads and said, "Her mother-in-law is sure to stir up trouble. She's almost sixty, and suddenly she wants to set up a stall? Doesn't she think it's making her children look bad?"

"It's not just embarrassing the kids; it's also adding to their troubles. Look at Ming Mei—she has to take leave to accompany her."

"I think Ming Mei gives in too much to the old lady."

"What can she do, though? Could she just ignore her? That wouldn't be very filial. As daughter-in-laws, life is tough."

"Exactly. My mother-in-law... she's always causing trouble too."

Everyone soon started talking about their own mothers-in-law. Although they were sharing their complaints, they didn't feel too bad, as there were others who were worse off. In comparison, they felt that Ming Mei's mother-in-law was the most troublesome.

Sometimes, having someone worse off than you makes you feel better.

But what they didn't know was that Ming Mei was happily riding home, ready to team up with her mother-in-law to set up the stall. As soon as they stepped out, Su Jinlai quietly followed them.

He had heard yesterday that the Zhuang family was setting up a stall outside and wanted to check it out today to see what they were selling.

After all, his mom told him to go out and find a job. And while looking for a job wasn't happening, going to see some excitement was fine, right?

Su Jinlai trailed behind the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo, and shortly afterward, Ming Mei noticed. "We've got a tail," she said.

Zhao Guihua asked, "Who is it, Aunt Zhou or someone else?"

Curious old ladies, such as Aunt Zhou, wouldn't follow them, though. She had experienced a firm dose of justice and knew better than to do anything like that.

Zhao Guihua exclaimed, "That little brat! I guess yesterday's beating wasn't enough; he's following us again today."

Ming Mei was eager. "Should we teach him a lesson?"

Zhao Guihua replied, "No need. This kind of idiot, the more you pay attention to him, the more it wastes your time. Let's just go."

"Alright."

The two sped off on their bikes, leaving the tailing fool behind in a hurry. You'll catch up eventually!

Zhao Guihua and Ming Mei arrived at Xidan and found yesterday's spot, which was now occupied by someone selling sneakers. Without worrying too much, Zhao Guihua set up her stall a bit further away. A few more steps didn't make much difference.

Just as they finished setting up, two young men approached. "You're finally here! We want two pairs. Can you give us a discount?"

They had seen the bell-bottoms yesterday but didn't have enough money, so they rushed over today.

Zhao Guihua agreed, "Sure. You're the first customers, so I'll give you a good deal."

"That's great!"

Despite it being a Monday, business was still decent. Many were customers who had seen the merchandise yesterday but didn't have enough money or hesitated and decided today. Some even bought for others, purchasing two or three pairs at a time.

Although the crowd wasn't as big as yesterday, the number of transactions was still good.

This made others around jealous.

If the business could keep going like this, the money would pile up quickly. Known for high profit margins, neighboring stall owners couldn't help but glance over. They had wanted to ask the young man from yesterday, but he hadn't shown up today.

What a pity.

They awkwardly sized up the situation until the flow of people lessened, then hesitantly approached Zhao Guihua to start a conversation.

"Sister, your business is really booming."

Zhao Guihua nodded and responded, "It looks lively, but our profit might not be as high as yours. We rely on volume."

Who would believe that?

Who wouldn't make money?

"Either way, the crowd and the volume are worth it. Where's that young man from yesterday? He seemed familiar. Did he also set up stalls here before?"

Zhao Guihua knew they were probing.

She waved her hand and said, "No way. You must have mistaken him. That's my son. He's usually at work, so he doesn't have time to set up stalls. He only helped me out yesterday. Normally, he wouldn't have the time."

With that, the tall and short brothers felt more at ease.

Another strong competitor just avoided in Xidan.

They didn't think the old lady was particularly formidable. What could an old lady do anyway? She might as well go home and take care of the kids.

Thinking about it made them feel rather pleased. Without a strong rival, if they started selling bell-bottom pants, that would be great. The taller guy said, "So, Sister, are you doing this on your own?"

Zhao Guihua: "Why not? Even an old lady like me can join the grassroots market in response to the call, can't I? Don't look down on old ladies. I'm not doing so bad, am I? Look, I had a great start today. We're in business not just to make money, but for the benefit of the many, and also to practice our interpersonal skills. What else would I do at home all day? Old ladies get even more listless if they stay cooped up."

The two men smirked, finding the old lady quite talkative.

Zhao Guihua: "I'm not just setting up a stall, I'm beautifying young men and women."

The two men: "..."

Those eavesdropping nearby couldn't hold it in either and started coughing. The old lady sure could talk. Come to think of it, yesterday she was more chatty than her son. Everyone learned from her, and today everywhere you go, you hear "Can't go wrong, can't be fooled."

"You're really amazing, Auntie."

Zhao Guihua smiled and said, "If I weren't amazing, would I come out to set up a stall?"

"That's true."

"You know how to do business, and the goods are pretty good. These don't seem like local products, are they from out of town?"

Zhao Guihua: "From Guangzhou..."

She glanced at the taller guy and said, "Don't you believe me? They're really from Guangzhou. Local suppliers won't take us small independent buyers, but it's better there. The costs are a bit higher, but they sell fast. If you plan to go, you'll have to haggle. They ask for very inflated prices, and you'll have to bargain plenty."

The taller guy: "Ah, you really get them from Guangzhou?"

Zhao Guihua: "Would I lie? There are many manufacturers there. At first, the factory I went to said they wouldn't give us stock because we were buying in small quantities. So we had to go through a middleman, which raised the price a bit. But what can you do? We don't have that much capital..."

She went on for a bit, and soon enough, more customers arrived. She stopped chatting and got busy. After a while, with the crowd thinning out, Ming Mei whispered, "Mom, why did you tell them that?"

Zhao Guihua: "Even if we didn't say it, they could guess. By telling them directly, they'll focus on figuring out the supply channels and won't pay too much attention to us. We're only going to do this for a few days, so why complicate things by playing mind games with them? It's simpler this way. Besides, I don't think bell-bottom pants are worth selling a second time."

Ming Mei thought about it and nodded, "That makes sense."

The sales were hot, but it was mostly among the younger crowd. Older folks don't fancy such things.

And how many young people are there, and how many of them are willing to splurge?

So she agreed with her mother-in-law. It's better to just sell them once and throw out the supply source, so no one will be watching them. If they set up a stall again in the future, they won't consider bell-bottom pants. The two were busy with their business and before they knew it, it was noon.

Ming Mei: "Mom, I'll go buy some food."

Zhao Guihua: "Get two buns, I want vegetable filling."

Ming Mei: "Okay."

There were many food stalls around, offering all kinds of options. Ming Mei bought some buns and was heading back when she saw Su Jinlai looking around in the distance. When their eyes met, they both paused, but he quickly pursed his lips.

Ming Mei didn't react much and went straight back to the stall, muttering, "What a blockhead."

They were indeed riding fast, but it took him all morning to find them. What a genius. The places to set up stalls in Beijing are pretty limited, and they came to Xidan, which is pretty obvious.

What a blockhead.

It's unclear what this blockhead is following them for, but it's likely not with good intentions.