My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

Ming Mei thought that Su Jinlai's presence was likely not for any good reason. After all, their families hadn't had much interaction. He had slyly followed them, and if he had good intentions, who would believe it? She quickly whispered to Zhao Guihua, "Mom, it's Su Jinlai."

Zhao Guihua replied, "Don't pay attention to him, it's fine."

She then added, "Just keep an eye on your wallet."

Ming Mei immediately became serious and said, "Okay."

This rascal had been a little thief when he was a kid, and now, who knew? But being cautious was always the right choice.

Zhao Guihua glanced in Su Jinlai's direction and saw that he indeed looked shifty. A decent-looking young man, well-dressed, but somehow just didn't seem like a proper person.

Even if he wore the royal robe, he wouldn't look like a prince. He didn't seem like a good person at all.

Zhao Guihua said, "Let's do our business. If he wants to watch, let him watch. If he dares to do anything, I won't be polite."

Ming Mei immediately nodded.

"You only have bell-bottoms? Why don't you have floral shirts? Floral shirts paired with bell-bottoms are the best."

Zhao Guihua replied, "We don't have many of those. You can look around the area. We only sell bell-bottoms here. With so many styles, we're already too busy."

"Then get me a small blue one."

"Coming right up."

Their stall was not large, but the business was really good. People came and went, and from a distance, Su Jinlai watched, growing more and more envious. He had originally come to see their joke, but surprisingly, the more he watched, the more jealous he became.

This business was too good, he thought. He saw Zhao Guihua collecting money, sometimes twenty-six, sometimes twenty-seven, and even thirty. Calculating the earnings, it was quite a sum. Even though he had made a large amount of money in one go, he was still jealous.

He could do this business too.

He silently observed the two of them, starting to plan... It's just setting up a stall, he thought. He could definitely do better than them. First, he needed to source the goods. Others might not know where their goods came from, but he did—they were brought from Guangzhou by Zhuang Zhixi during a business trip.

Thinking of this, he pursed his lips, feeling more determined. It seemed he needed to go to Guangzhou.

Heh heh heh, this business, he could do it too.

He proudly raised his chin and turned to leave. He would set off tonight for Guangzhou. Once he became rich, he would trample these people under his feet. Su Jinlai walked away arrogantly, and Ming Mei, seeing this from afar, clicked her tongue.

Ming Mei had always thought Su Jinlai was here to cause trouble, but in fact, he wasn't the one causing trouble. Someone else was.

No matter the era, there are always some aimless street-wanderers. These fellows had heard last night that someone was selling bell-bottoms here, and it was booming. So they immediately came to the stall today.

Like Su Jinlai, they were just drifting through life, and it was already afternoon when they finally decided to leave their usual hangouts.

A group of street-wanderers came over, and from a distance, they saw the stall was particularly lively. The business was good—one could tell from the number of people. The leader, swaggering, came over and said, "Move, move."

"Can't you see Big Brother Wei? Get out of the way."

In those days, there were all kinds of "brothers," self-proclaimed.

Several people who were buying things saw their thuggish demeanor and quietly moved aside. Those who came to buy bell-bottoms were somewhat trendy, but trendy didn't mean they weren't decent people.

But Big Brother Wei and his gang were anything but decent. Big Brother Wei held a toothpick between his teeth, one hand in his pocket, his feet tapping in flip-flops: "Did you ask for my permission to sell stuff here? Don't you know who I am? How dare you set up a stall here?"

Zhao Guihua looked at Big Brother Wei and momentarily froze. It wasn't that she was scared but because she recognized him.

This Big Brother Wei, whose real name was Wang Wei, had been one of Yu Baoshan's right-hand men in a past life. After Yu Baoshan escaped, this guy got sentenced to twenty-five years. Yu Baoshan's early days of setting up stalls weren't much, but he quickly gathered people and started running illegal coal mines. Wang Wei was responsible for transporting "labor" for Yu Baoshan. Their gang had clear divisions of labor; Wang Wei was in charge of recruiting workers from various places. They had people lurking at train and bus stations, luring migrant workers to their territory, forcing them to work day and night. While trafficking women and children was despicable, trafficking adult men was equally appalling. Many families were torn apart because their main breadwinners were taken away.

Zhao Guihua, seeing this man, tensed up completely.

However, Big Brother Wei didn't realize Zhao Guihua was reminiscing. He thought he had frightened her and said triumphantly, "Since you want to do business on this street, you have to pay your respects to me, Big Brother Wei. Give me two hundred yuan for some cigarettes."

Then he instructed his henchmen, "Pick one each, I'll give them to you."

Although he said it was a gift, he certainly didn't intend to pay.

The henchmen were overjoyed, one of them greedily added, "Big Brother Wei, my girlfriend doesn't have one either. You're so kind, why not give me two, haha..."

Big Brother Wei waved generously, "Take two, what's the big deal?"

"Big Brother Wei, I also want two..."

Okay, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍okay, okay.

Big Brother Wei said, "Take as many as you want."

He considered these goods as his own, thinking that with just two women running the stall, what could they do?

Their arrogance left everyone around silent, too afraid to speak up, lest trouble fall on them. This was a small business, and they couldn't afford to lose anything. Of course, there were also those who secretly rejoiced.

Rivals in business are enemies, and seeing their booming business, the money flowing like water, others were envious. Now that they were facing trouble, some were thrilled, hoping they would suffer.

Everyone had their own thoughts, all watching the situation unfold.

The small gangsters weren't usually this bold, but seeing that it was just women, an old one and a young one, they looked easy to bully. If they didn't take advantage of such an opportunity, it would be a waste of their gangster status. Their usual lack of integrity had led them here.

A few of them reached out to grab the clothes, but before they could touch them, Zhao Guihua swatted their hands away. She put her hands on her hips and spoke without hesitation, "Where did these little bastards come from? Thinking so highly of yourselves, who do you think you are? Don't you dare come to my stall with your nonsense. You think you can take our stuff without payment and even ask me for money? How about I give you some ghost money, so you can buy a coffin? You unlucky fool. Wang Wei, do you think I don't know your background? Get lost."

Ming Mei had actually wanted to act earlier, but since her mother-in-law hadn't spoken, she kept quiet. After all, her mother-in-law was the experienced one.

Sure enough, as soon as her mother-in-law spoke, Ming Mei immediately started rolling up her sleeves. It was just four men; saying she was afraid would be a lie. Ming Mei was calm, staring at the group.

Big Brother Wei never expected these two women to be unafraid. He looked at them, certain he didn't recognize them, but this old lady could call out his name, indicating she knew him.

He was puzzled for a moment but then became furious. How dare a old lady talk back to him? It was as if she didn't put Big Brother Wei in her eyes.

He also put his hands on his hips and sneered, "What are you, little old lady? You dare raise your voice to me? Do you believe I'll slap you? I don't care if you're an old lady, you dare flaunt in front of me? Do you believe I'll smash your stall?"

Zhao Guihua retorted, "Oh, I'm so scared. Go on, smash it. You smash my stall, and I'll smash you. What, so good at acting tough? Get lost, stop wasting my time."

When Brother Wei was out in the world, it was the first time he had ever been humiliated by an old lady. He prided himself on being a capable man, always tough and formidable. On this street, everyone respected him, offering him a cigarette and addressing him as "Brother Wei." Now, this old lady dared to disrespect them like this, and Brother Wei was not going to stand for it. He reached out his hand and said, "I've indulged you... ow!"

Before his hand could even touch Zhao Guihua, Ming Mei grabbed his wrist and twisted it hard, sending him crashing to his knees. Ming Mei quickly picked up a cardboard sign that said "Bell-bottoms" and started slamming it against his head, again and again. "Looking for trouble, huh? Trying to take advantage, huh? Bullying people, huh? Looking for death, huh? If grandma doesn't step in, you think you can run wild, huh?"

Thwack, thwack, thwack.

In just a few hits, the cardboard sign was reduced to shreds. It didn't hurt much, but the humiliation was extreme.

Brother Wei howled in pain and yelled, "You nasty woman, just you wait! I'll make sure you get yours! I'll sell you off to some remote mountain village! You all blind? Get in there!"

He struggled desperately to break free, but this woman was unbelievably strong. On his knees, he couldn't escape her hold. He continued to howl, "Get in there, dammit! Can't even take down a single woman?"

The other guys were momentarily stunned by the sudden turn of events, but they quickly snapped out of it and rushed at Ming Mei. With one swift kick, Ming Mei knocked Brother Wei to the ground, stepping on his back. Another two kicks, and Brother Wei let out a bloodcurdling scream.

The others who rushed forward were met with a punch to the face from Ming Mei.

Seeing the four against one, Zhao Guihua immediately charged in. She wasn't afraid at all. Grabbing one of the guys with a haircut resembling Liu Huan's, she yanked him back, her nails raking across his neck, leaving a bloody scratch.

She grabbed his hair, her hands moving so fast they almost blurred. Zhao Guihua might not have been in many fights lately, but she was still in great shape, delivering punch after punch. When you're up against Aunt Zhao, you know she means business!

Despite some elderly individuals in the park claiming to practice qigong, looking all mystical and pretentious, when it came to a real fight, Zhao Guihua proved to be the genuine article. She had mastered the essence of Mei Chaofeng, attacking mercilessly, focusing mainly on scratching.

Ming Mei held down a few of the guys, and Zhao Guihua went in for the kill.

In just a few moves, Brother Wei's gang of four were reduced to being pinned to the ground. Zhao Guihua gave each of them a kick to the butt, just to humiliate them further.

"You lot think you're tough, huh? Think you're special, huh? Today, I'll show you why flowers are so red. And you dare cause trouble at my stall? I'll kick your asses!"

The gang was absolutely shocked. Coming here to pick a fight, they had definitely stepped on a landmine. They never expected these two seemingly ordinary women to be such badasses. Zhao Guihua added, "If I weren't trying to do business here, I'd just lie down and milk this for all it's worth."

She delivered another kick to each of their butts, never hard enough to cause real injury.

"You, you, just you wait... ah!"

Zhao Guihua: "Still talking tough? I think you've really lost your minds."

"Ming Mei, go get the police. Tell them these guys were trying to collect protection money and steal stuff. We've already taken care of them, these scumbags..."

Ming Mei: "Got it, I'll go now."

As she turned to leave, Brother Wei seemed to suddenly unblock his meridians or something, bolting up and running away like a whirlwind.

His speed shocked everyone around. Before they could even react, Brother Wei's underlings also fled, following their boss's lead.

Zhao Guihua: "Wow, they run fast."

Although they weren't great fighters, they sure knew how to make a quick getaway.

Zhao Guihua muttered curses but didn't bother chasing them. These jerks were obnoxious but hadn't done anything major—just collecting some "protection money" on the street. Even if they were caught, they'd probably just get detained for a few days before being released. She couldn't be bothered to chase after them.

She said, "Fine, since they ran, I'll give them a chance. Next time, we'll just send them straight to the police."

Ming Mei: "Okay."

The two of them acted as if nothing had happened, but the onlookers were stunned. Who would have thought that these seemingly harmless women could take down Brother Wei's whole gang so easily? After all, they were street toughs!

And yet, here they were—two against four—and the women didn't even break a sweat!@@novelbin@@

A few young customers who were about to buy something wanted to stay out of trouble, but after seeing what happened, they got excited and said, "You guys are amazing!"

Zhao Guihua waved it off. "Nothing special, just third best in the world."

The onlookers: "..."

Zhao Guihua's composure had a hint of pride to it. "These little thugs, come one, I'll take one. Come two, I'll take both. Not a big deal."

She let out a cold laugh, looking pretty damn awesome.

Everyone couldn't help but admire, "You're something else, Auntie."

The stall returned to its usual bustle, and the neighboring vendors who had been jealous of them were now drenched in cold sweat. They had been tempted to start trouble, but after seeing Brother Wei's crew flee in humiliation, they thought better of it. These women were not to be messed with!

No matter what people thought, Zhao Guihua and Ming Mei continued selling their goods without a hitch. By evening, they had sold out all their inventory. Both of them rode home happily on their bikes. In just two days, they had made over six hundred yuan.

That was a lot of money.

Even without counting, they knew they had made a significant profit. In just a few days, the profit from street vending was eye-opening for Ming Mei. The two of them rode home quickly, discussing how they might finish selling their stock in a couple more days.

Ming Mei's cheeks were flushed with excitement as she said, "Mom, I don't even want to go to work anymore. Let's team up and do this full-time."

Zhao Guihua: "That might not be as steady as a regular job."

Ming Mei: "But we're making more money!"

Her eyes sparkled, finally understanding why people's attitudes changed so much in later years. Money was the driving force. Wasting time with a regular job wouldn't bring in nearly as much.

Zhao Guihua chuckled and said, "Calm down, we need to think this through. A few days of success isn't enough to make a decision. Just wait a bit, see how it goes. This surge in sales is because our goods are unique. We won't always have this advantage, you know."

Ming Mei nodded gently. "I understand."

Zhao Guihua said, "Alright then, let's rest up tonight and continue our quest tomorrow."

Ming Mei was over the moon. "Okay!"

Zhao Guihua wasn't tired at all. As she prepared dinner, she started thinking. No wonder everyone said this era was an opportunity—even a pig could soar on the wind if it stood in the right place. Now she understood why people said that.

Even someone like her, with no formal education, could make money. Wasn't that insane?

She had heard that street vending could be quite profitable, especially if you could get your hands on in-demand goods. Clothing wasn't exactly scarce, but unique styles sold well.

In this era, all you needed was the guts and good judgment, even if you were a grandmother like her. But in a decade or two, things would change. More brains would be needed, and by the time her great-grandchildren were around, it'd be even more so.

So, while one shouldn't plan for two lifetimes, within their limited abilities, they should strive to create better conditions for the younger generations and build some wealth for the family. That was her old-fashioned thinking.

As Zhao Guihua worked, she heard the sound of school letting out. Although her grandchildren, Yuanyuan and TuanTuan, were in fourth grade, they were still just eleven years old, lively and energetic. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they called out, "Granny, Granny!"

Zhao Guihua walked out with a spatula in hand. "What is it?"

Yuan Yuan, with her two ponytails, chirped cutely, "Granny, there's someone selling popcorn at the alley entrance. Let's have some popped corn at our house!"

Not just Yuan Yuan and Tuan Tuan, even Xiao Qiqian and Bai Qingqing were clamoring, while Li Zhenzhen had already rushed to the doorstep shouting, "The popcorn guy is here!"

Nowadays, popcorn wasn't sold ready-made but required bringing one's own grains.

Typically, an old man would carry his equipment and roam the streets, and when the children heard the "bang" sound, they knew it was the popcorn man. This kind of popcorn came in several varieties: corn and rice.

It tasted deliciously fragrant and was the favorite snack of children.

No wonder, once the little ones saw it, they couldn't wait.

Zhao Guihua: "Alright, Granny will take you out."

Ming Mei: "Mom, I'll take them."

Yuan Yuan: "Eh, Mom, are you home so early from work?"

Ming Mei: "I didn't even go to work in the first place. Let's go."

Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan quickly dropped their school bags at home and rushed out. They had just lined up when they saw Ye Siyuan leading his younger brother and sister over, in a rush. Wang Zizhen followed behind, and greeted Ming Mei. Ming Mei said, "You're home early from work too."

Wang Zizhen: "We also have work to do, but overtime work doesn't fall on us. It's for the formal workers."

While overtime often comes with extra pay, making it a benefit for formally employed workers, temporary workers don't get that privilege, as their workday is simply regular hours. Wang Zizhen: "I'm trying to make some side income by roasting sunflower seeds, who knows, maybe I can get some extra money later."

Ming Mei looked at the people in front of them queuing up for popcorn, and mused, "Do you think selling this kind of popcorn outside the cinema would work?"

Wang Zizhen was momentarily stunned, then said, "I wouldn't know how to."

Ming Mei blinked, saying, "You buy it ready-made and then resell it."

Wang Zizhen widened her eyes, looking at Ming Mei, then at the popcorn, scratching her head: "But then what profit would I make?"

Ming Mei, seeing that Wang Zizhen hadn't yet caught on, said, "You could prepare some small bags and sell them in packages. For fifty cents per bag, you'd definitely make a profit."

Wang Zizhen: "That would be quite profitable, but would anyone buy it?"

Ming Mei smiled, saying, "Why wouldn't they? Isn't it convenient? On a date, snacking on something while watching a movie—who's going to bother calculating how much it would cost to pop corn at home? Besides, the popcorn man isn't going to be waiting outside the cinema."

"You're right."

Although Wang Zizhen hadn't initially caught on, she quickly began calculating the numbers. The cost of their own corn plus the manual labor, it wasn't much. If a bag sells for fifty cents... "What kind of bag do you think would be suitable?"

Ming Mei: "Use those paper bags made in elementary school arts and crafts class. Those bags look big but don’t hold much."

"That works!"

Wang Zizhen thought it made more and more sense. Immediately, she said, "I'll go home to prepare some corn and rice."

Ming Mei laughed.

She wasn’t sure if this would actually work, but she remembered how she and Zhixi ge would take the kids to the movies, and whenever they saw snacks for sale, they’d buy them. At that time, they never really bothered calculating how much it would cost to make those things at home. If they did, they wouldn’t be going to the movies.

Ming Mei believed that they weren’t the only ones who thought like this, and surely there were many others.

Soon, Wang Zizhen returned with half a bag of corn and a pot of rice, saying, "You kids stay here and watch these get popped."

Ye Siyuan the little boy was stunned to see his mom, "Mom, are we not living on a budget anymore?"

Wang Zizhen: "Just do as you're told."

She said, "Call me when Sitian is done."

Ye Siyuan immediately replied, "Okay."

Wang Zizhen hurried home, asking, "Where did you put the paper bags you and your siblings made last time?"

Ye Siyuan: "They're on the desk."

Wang Zizhen: "Alright."

These paper bags were part of a fourth-grade arts and crafts assignment to train kids' manual skills. Ye Siyuan had just tagged along to play, but he had made a few. The bags were about thirty centimeters tall and twenty centimeters wide, but they opened to a shape that was narrower at the bottom and wider at the top, so they didn’t hold much when filled.

Wang Zizhen quickly found some newspapers and started making the paper bags.

Although people nowadays know that newspapers contain lead and are not safe for wrapping food, back then, no one cared much, and newspapers were quite useful. Some used them to cover their kang (a traditional Chinese bed), while others papered their walls or ceilings. They were also used to wrap food—even some places selling fried dough sticks used newspapers, and though people knew it wasn't great, they weren't too concerned.

Wang Zizhen was no exception. She quickly got to work.

In the evening, she borrowed a bicycle from Aunt Zhou. Their family also had a bike—it was the eighties, and as working-class folks in Beijing, almost every household had one. It was a basic mode of transportation.

Aunt Zhou, hearing that the couple planned to go out and sell things, advised, "You better send the kids to our place. You can't leave three kids at home alone; it's not safe for the little ones."

Wang Zizhen: "Okay."

The reason Wang Zizhen borrowed the bike was that she planned to split the work with Da Qiang, selling in two different areas, as popcorn didn’t keep well. Selling more early on was better. Da Qiang, upon getting off work, was immediately stopped by his wife, who gave him a detailed rundown. He was surprised: "Sell popcorn? Didn't we agree on selling roasted sunflower seeds and peanuts?"

Wang Zizhen: "Right, but let’s start with this first and see how it goes."

Da Qiang, simple-hearted, said, "Alright, I’ll listen to you."

In their household, he made the big decisions, while she handled the small ones. But their family was harmonious and stable, and so far, no major decisions had arisen.

It was the first time the couple was doing business. Wang Zizhen felt a bit nervous, but thinking that Aunt Zhao, at her age, could sell pants, she thought, what was there to fear for herself? She took a deep breath and left with Da Qiang.

The two rode off together. Da Qiang said, "I'll go to a more distant spot; you stay nearby."

Wang Zizhen nodded seriously. She soon arrived at the cinema entrance on her bike. At this hour, there were plenty of vendors. There were those selling roasted sweet potatoes, and surprisingly, popcorn was a unique offering.

Wang Zizhen had two types: one made from rice and one from corn, both packed into large plastic bags. She had newspaper bags ready to fill upon request. She found a spot, stood firm, and as people passed by, she stepped forward: "Popcorn, popcorn here~"

"Madam, how much is the popcorn?"

Wang Zizhen: "Fifty cents a bag."

She jiggled the large bag, saying, "I'll fill it up to the brim for you."

"Oh, that's too expensive. Never mind, never mind." The girl immediately spoke up: "That's way too expensive."

Wang Zizhen forced a smile, saying, "You can’t really compare it that way. Though popping corn at home is cheaper, on a date, you can’t be walking around with half a bag of corn looking for the popcorn man, can you?"

Her sales pitch wasn’t the smoothest, and if it were Aunt Zhao, it wouldn’t have been as good, but thankfully the people around were still of a simpler nature. Hearing her explanation, the couple smiled. The male companion said, "I think what this sister said makes sense. We’re not short of fifty cents; give me a bag."

Wang Zizhen: "Alright, coming right up."

She hadn’t expected a sale so quickly and was overjoyed. Even more delighted was the female companion, who hadn’t actually minded but had been a bit shy.

Wang Zizhen said, "You two are such a lovely couple."

The two immediately revealed happy smiles. Watching Wang Zizhen fill the bag to the rim, they felt it was actually quite worth it. Perhaps they didn’t realize the shape of the bag affected the volume.

Happily, they paid and left. Soon, they encountered another couple with children.

The kid, seeing anything they wanted, immediately started clamoring: "I want to eat, I want popcorn too."

"What are you asking for? Tomorrow I’ll find the popcorn man for you..."

"I want it now! I want it now!"

"Fine, fine, I’ll buy you some."

The weather wasn't as cold as it was in winter, and by the end of March, it was quite pleasant. The streets were gradually filling up with people. Wang Zizhen was selling popcorn faster than roasted sweet potatoes, one bag at a time.

Although roasted sweet potatoes were more filling, popcorn seemed more suitable for dates, especially when going to the movies. Wang Zizhen didn't know the time, so she specifically went to ask someone at the entrance. By the time she sold out her two bags of popcorn, it was only a little past nine o'clock.

Wang Zizhen returned home happily. As soon as she got home, she quickly went to Aunt Zhou's courtyard next door to pick up the kids. Ye Sitian was already asleep, while the two boys, Ye Siyuan and another, were happily watching TV at the Zhou family's home, not wanting to leave. Wang Zizhen called out, "Let's go, time to head home."

Aunt Zhou quickly asked, "How did it go?"

Wang Zizhen replied, "It went pretty well for me. I'm not sure how Da Qiang did, though."

"Good, good, that's great," Aunt Zhou responded. "Alright, hurry up and take the kids home to rest. They have school tomorrow."

Wang Zizhen replied, "Alright."

As she took the kids home, she saw the light on in her house. She hurried over, and Da Qiang exclaimed excitedly, "Wife..."

He paused, realizing that some things weren't suitable to discuss in the courtyard. Quickly, he took his sleeping daughter and instructed the two boys, "Hurry up and wash up to go to bed."

Siyuan and Si Jia acknowledged and obediently went to the courtyard to wash up. Although each household now had taps installed, their courtyard still had a well, and everyone tried to save water by using it.

Da Qiang and Wang Zizhen immediately huddled together, asking, "How much did we make?"

Wang Zizhen said, "I haven’t counted yet."

The couple quickly started counting the money. Wang Zizhen said, "I sold them for fifty cents each, and I made seventeen yuan in total."

Da Qiang checked his side and said, "Let me see... I made nineteen yuan."

They looked at each other. Wang Zizhen said, "That means we made a total of thirty-six yuan."

Da Qiang reminded, "But we had costs, too."

Wang Zizhen calculated, "The cost... it was about five yuan, maybe less. So, our net profit is... thirty-one yuan." She swallowed hard, saying, "Thirty-one yuan!"

She hadn't even made thirty yuan in a whole month!

Thinking about this, Wang Zizhen felt her heart racing. No wonder more people had started setting up stalls in recent years. This really was a profitable venture. She was both nervous and excited, gripping her husband's hand and saying, "Let’s do this again tomorrow."

Da Qiang nodded quickly, equally excited. Though he worked physically demanding jobs and earned a decent wage, selling popcorn for just a few hours in the evening earned them more than his entire month’s salary.

Da Qiang was in disbelief, murmuring, "Is money really this easy to earn?"

Wang Zizhen was also dazed. Quickly, she said, "But the popcorn we have left can only sell for two more days."

Since this was their first attempt, she hadn’t prepared much, initially thinking that if it didn’t sell well, they could eat the leftovers themselves. But to her surprise, it was selling so well! She suggested, "Let’s keep selling until we run out, then we can go back to the popcorn vendor."

Da Qiang agreed, "Alright."

The couple felt that their lives were improving. While Ming Mei and others were making big money due to higher investments, Da Qiang and Wang Zizhen’s small-scale earnings were still more than many families could manage.

Wang Zizhen encouraged, "Let’s keep working hard!"

Da Qiang responded, "Yes."

Wang Zizhen stood up and collected the money. She managed the household finances and stored the money in a small box. She whispered to Da Qiang, "Our savings have reached four hundred yuan."

While both she and Da Qiang were hardworking and earned a decent income, raising three kids made saving difficult. Although the older generation believed in the blessing of many children, having a larger family made life more challenging and reduced their ability to save.

If not for today’s thirty-one yuan profit, their savings wouldn’t have reached four hundred yuan.

Wang Zizhen contemplated, "If we keep this up, we’ll be able to save more soon."

Da Qiang smiled and nodded in agreement.

Although their family could save money if they tried, Wang Zizhen didn’t want to live frugally to the point of depriving themselves. She believed in the wisdom of Aunt Zhou and others, who, although they dressed simply, never skimped on food. Wang Zizhen thought this was essential for health. Since Da Qiang worked physically demanding jobs, she placed even more importance on providing him with nutritious meals.

Among his work group, Da Qiang ate the best, apart from the leaders.

While others in the neighborhood might have been a bit more frugal, Wang Zizhen never skimped on her husband’s meals. She believed that someone doing physically demanding work should eat well. She didn’t always buy meat but was good at fishing. After work, she and Da Qiang often went fishing together, which helped supplement their diet.

On weekends, they sometimes joined Aunt Zhao and others to hike in the countryside, enjoying hearty meals.

That’s why their savings weren’t very high.

Wang Zizhen closed the money box. Da Qiang pulled her closer and said, "All these years with me, you haven’t had an easy life..."

Wang Zizhen responded seriously, "You’re talking nonsense. These years have been the most comfortable for me. We can eat and dress well, both of us are earning, and we have well-behaved kids. Our neighbors even offer advice and help. I think this is really good. If I were still in the countryside, I wouldn’t have such a life. I know you’ve treated me well."

Da Qiang replied, "And you've treated me well too. In our work group, no one else’s family eats fish and meat as frequently as we do. Even Chen from our group often goes fishing but sells the fish for money instead of eating them himself."

Wang Zizhen said, "Aunt Zhao said that the harder the work, the more you need to nourish your body. Otherwise, once your health is ruined, all the money in the world won’t fix it. I think that makes sense. You’re the pillar of our family, so you have to take care of yourself."

She hesitated for a moment, then added, "In fact, I’ve always wanted you to change jobs. This kind of heavy labor can’t be your lifelong work."

Da Qiang said, "I’m still in my prime. It’s not necessary."

Wang Zizhen shot him a look, "Prime or not, if you keep doing this kind of work, your body will wear out sooner or later. I don’t want that."

Da Qiang was about to argue.

Wang Zizhen proposed, "Let’s make a deal. If our small business keeps doing well and we can supplement our income, you’ll change to an easier job, okay?"

Da Qiang looked at his wife’s worried face and hesitated for a moment before agreeing, "Okay."

The couple settled the matter. Wang Zizhen let out a sigh of relief and said, "It’s getting late. Let’s rest."

Both of them were in a good mood. While they were discussing their plans, others in the neighborhood were also talking about them. Bai Fendou exclaimed in surprise, "Wang Zizhen and Da Qiang are also setting up stalls?"

He Lan nodded, "I saw Wang Zizhen coming to pick up the kids earlier. She looked elated, so it seems their business is doing well."

Bai Fendou said, "Wow, even they’re doing this? Aren’t they embarrassed?"

He Lan replied, "Why would they be embarrassed? They have three kids, so their burden is heavier than ours."

Although Bai Fendou’s family’s income wasn’t as high as Wang Zizhen’s, since He Lan didn’t work, their living expenses were much lower due to having fewer children. Bai Fendou fell silent. After a long while, he suddenly said, "Do you think we should do something too?"

He Lan, "Huh?"

She looked at him with wide eyes, surprised.

Bai Fendou said, "Everyone’s busy working now. If we don’t step up, we’ll fall behind. Am I supposed to be outdone by some girl from the countryside? We need to work harder too. I’ll think about it."

He Lan, "Ah?"

She was genuinely taken aback.

Bai Fendou: "Look, Aunt Zhao is leading her daughter-in-law to set up a stall, Wang Zizhen and Da Qiang are selling things at the cinema entrance, and Wang Xiangxiu is at home with her son helping others with sewing and bedding. If we don't take action soon, won't we fall behind? You believe me, Aunt Zhou and Auntie will soon join the game too."

He was quite insightful.

He Lan: "..."

She scratched her head.

Bai Fendou: "Wife, since I married you, I can't let you live worse than others, right? No, I have to think about it, carefully consider."

Bai Fendou felt that his wife was a young lady from a wealthy family who married him, taking good care of him and giving him an heir. These years, few people mocked him as they used to, and his life was quite satisfying.

He was so content that he naturally wanted his family to do even better, especially since their daughter Qingqing was still young. As parents, they had to save up for her, otherwise, if other kids in the neighborhood had everything and his daughter didn't, how could that be acceptable?

His family couldn't afford to fall behind.

Whatever other kids had, his daughter should have too.

He said: "I'll ask around, setting up a stall isn't that difficult, and I can manage it."

He Lan: "..."

However, she soon stopped saying anything. She understood Bai Fendou's feelings; who didn't want their family to live better? She thought for a moment and said: "My brother left me a thousand yuan before he left. If you want to do business, we can use that as capital."

In fact, her brother had given her two thousand yuan, but she didn't reveal the full amount. Although Bai Fendou treated her really well, she was still hurt by the Fan family and had some lingering insecurity.

When He Lan mentioned this, Bai Fendou frowned disapprovingly, saying: "What are you talking about? That's the money your brother gave you, you should keep it for Qingqing. Spending it would be improper. I, as a man, can't casually spend my wife's money, that's just not right!"

He Lan: "It could serve as capital..."

Bai Fendou: "We already have some savings at home. No need to overthink it. Besides, since I haven't done this before, we shouldn't start with too big an investment. Let's do a small business. Don't worry about it."

He Lan: "Alright."

People really are different. Although Bai Fendou still had some minor flaws and caused trouble now and then, he was a completely different person since getting married. No matter how his personality changed—whether he was boastful, vain, impulsive—he treated her very well.

She said: "No matter what, I'll follow your lead."

Bai Fendou: "Ah."

He grinned with joy, saying: "Alright, just watch and follow me."

Bai Fendou said: "I can't afford to fall behind."

He suddenly clapped his hands, saying: "By the way, I actually have an idea."

He Lan: "What is it?"

Bai Fendou: "We can buy a tricycle. I'll go to the train station in the evenings to pick up passengers. Usually, people from far away have luggage and might need a tricycle. We can do this on Sundays too. I know it costs a lot, but the tricycle is a valuable asset. Even if we stop doing this, we can still sell it. What do you think?"

He Lan: "That sounds too tiring."

She frowned: "Why did you think of that? It’s a bit exhausting."

Bai Fendou naturally said: "To make money, what wouldn't be tiring? Do you think you can make money without working hard? My job now is tiring too. Besides, I'll just work near the train station, it's not that bad. I'll work for a while each day, come back when I'm tired, and I won't stay out late past ten o'clock. Otherwise, what else would I do at that time? Chat in the yard? It's better to make some money instead, don't you think?"

As he thought more about it, he got more excited and asked: "How much is our savings?"

This savings referred to the money he had saved over the years, not He Lan's private stash.

He Lan: "We have eight hundred yuan."

Bai Fendou: "A brand-new tricycle costs about four hundred yuan, so we're good. Great, this idea is really good..."

While the Bai family was thinking about this, Zhou Qun was also tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Thud!

He was kicked off the bed by Jiang Lu.

Zhou Qun: "What are you doing?"

Jiang Lu: "What am I doing? You've been rolling around all night, what's wrong with you? If you're not going to sleep, go outside and stop disturbing me. I have to go to work tomorrow."

Zhou Qun got up from the floor and sat by the window, saying: "You know, everyone's making extra money now. Shouldn't we think of something too?"

Jiang Lu, half-asleep, mumbled: "What are you talking about? We both work hard and don't slack off."

Zhou Qun: "But they're not just working hard at their jobs. Look at them, busy and prosperous, don't you feel tempted? Trust me, our neighborhood is about to change. Things are different now."

Jiang Lu: "..."

She turned around to sleep, while Zhou Qun continued to babble: "Everyone's taking action, you'll see, more will join soon. We can't fall behind, or else everyone will be earning money and we'll be stuck doing the same old thing, that's embarrassing!"

Jiang Lu: "Snore~~~"

Zhou Qun: "I know Bai Fendou well; he's a copycat. Watch, he's probably thinking about this too. We can't fall behind him, can we?"

Speaking of Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou, there wasn't much animosity between them, nor did they outright oppose each other. Bai Fendou envied Zhou Qun, who looked down on everyone. Their relationship changed on that rainy night—the legendary "night of carrying a knife without an umbrella."

That night when Zhou Qun tried to take advantage of Bai Fendou.

That night when Bai Fendou almost lost his innocence and became crippled.

Since then, Zhou Qun became Bai Fendou's number one enemy, without exception. Even now, life has been smooth, and they seem to get along as usual. Yet, Bai Fendou still dislikes Zhou Qun the most and wants to compete with him most.

What a coincidence, Zhou Qun feels the same.

Over the past decade, Bai Fendou has always compared himself to Zhou Qun. Compared so much that Zhou Qun has become Bai Fendou's rival.

In short, Zhou Qun feels he can't fall behind.

He always prided himself on being the richest in the neighborhood, how could he lag behind?

He pondered: "Bai Fendou isn't very capable, but he must be thinking of ways too. With his bad temper, he probably won't set up a stall. I wonder what he'll do... If I want to make extra money, what should I do?"

The more Zhou Qun thought, the more excited he got, and he couldn’t sleep.

He suddenly stood up. Jiang Lu: "Snore~~~"

Zhou Qun paced around the room. Jiang Lu, annoyed by the noise, grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, shouting, "Get out!"

Zhou Qun caught the pillow and said: "Why is this woman so moody?"

He tossed the pillow back and put on his coat to leave: "If I can't deal with you, can't I just avoid you?"

He went outside and sat in the hall, listening to the sound of his son talking in his sleep from the next room. Worried that he might disturb his son, he quickly went out. The night was dark and windy. Zhou Qun grabbed a small stool and sat by the door.

As he smoked, he heard the creak of the gate opening. It was Bai Fendou.

Bai Fendou also carried a stool, clearly intending to sit by the door for a while. As soon as he went out and saw Zhou Qun, he looked puzzled for a second, then quickly picked up his stool and went back inside. Humph, he thought so. Zhou Qun must also have ideas and was acting the same way.

Damn it!

Seeing Bai Fendou, Zhou Qun became more convinced of his own plans—Bai Fendou certainly had something on his mind too.

While he pondered, he saw Bai Fendou returning. Bai Fendou snorted and sat down with his stool. He regretted going inside earlier—why should he avoid Zhou Qun? Zhou Qun wasn't anyone special.

He also sat by the door, lit a cigarette, and started smoking while pondering the matter of buying a tricycle. If he could make a living by giving rides with a tricycle, it seemed like a pretty good idea. The reason he thought of this was because Zhuang Zhixi had taken a tricycle when he returned from out of town. That trip wasn't very far, but it still cost five jiao.

So he figured this could be quite profitable.

At such a short distance, it was already five jiao; wouldn't it be even more expensive for longer distances? Just by working a single evening, he could easily earn a few yuan. If he worked hard at the beginning, he could quickly recoup his initial investment, and after that, it would be pure profit. Even if he decided to quit someday, he could still sell the tricycle.

Bai Fendou was feeling quite optimistic, a strange smile creeping across his face.

Zhou Qun, noticing Bai Fendou's increasingly lecherous grin, speculated that the man must have some profitable idea in mind. If he had an idea, what about Zhou Qun himself? He grew anxious—how could he afford to fall behind?

As the two men sat in silence, each scheming, Yang Lixin also emerged from the backyard. Speaking of Yang Lixin, his life wasn't bad either. Although he was a son-in-law living with his wife's family, he was well-fed and well-clothed, and they treated him quite nicely. Although he was somewhat distant from his own parents, over the years he had managed to live comfortably. What more could a poor country boy ask for?

His life was quite good, but recently Yang Lixin had started to feel a bit restless. He was a chef, and while he had a job and extra work catering events, his income still couldn't compare to the oily crepe stall at the entrance of the alley in the morning.

To outsiders, it might not be obvious, but as an insider, he could see very clearly that the stall was quite profitable. Just the morning business alone surpassed what he made from both his job and catering. Logically, he should be tempted, but he also knew that his family would never agree to something like that, and deep down, he didn't think it was a good idea either.

After all, being an individual entrepreneur was such a humiliation; only a worker, a "worker brother," could maintain dignity.

But lately, the atmosphere in the courtyard had been a bit restless. Plus, the old man at the alley's entrance had recently bought a house and planned to move to a distant location, meaning he wouldn't continue running the stall. It was said that he intended to set up shop near a school in his new neighborhood.

Which meant that the oily crepe stall at their alley's entrance would disappear.

This got Yang Lixin's heart racing—he could do it, and do it well!

But he couldn't bear to give up his identity as a worker, and his family would undoubtedly object. The more he thought about it, the more conflicted he became. His son was already so big, and he yearned to do something on his own. Even as a worker, he was nothing more than a second cook under his father-in-law's shadow. Deep down, he felt a bit unfulfilled.

Unable to sleep, Yang Lixin didn't dare sit at his own doorstep, so he wandered to the front yard. As he approached, he couldn't help but exclaim under his breath.

What on earth was happening in the front yard?

He eyed Bai Fendou and Zhou Qun with suspicion, wondering if these two shameless men were sneaking out late at night for a secret rendezvous. After all, they had a history. Yang Lixin's gaze was filled with mistrust.

Zhou Qun: "What kind of look is that? Why are you here in the front yard?"

Yang Lixin: "Why are you not sleeping?"

A rendezvous—this was definitely a rendezvous!

He firmly disapproved of their behavior. "You're going too far, aren't you? It's late at night—this is just too disrespectful. How could you possibly justify this to He Lan and Jiang Lu?"

Already damaged goods, being eunuchs, yet they still sneak out at night for a rendezvous.

Outrageous!

Zhou Qun: "..."

Bai Fendou: "..."

The two spoke in unison: "Just shut up."

Bai Fendou: "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll beat you up."

Zhou Qun: "Don't tarnish my reputation—otherwise, I'll have to be harsh with you."

Yang Lixin wasn't convinced, asking, "So what exactly are you doing out here? Why are you all in the yard?"

Zhou Qun pursed his lips and said, "I couldn't sleep."

He added, "And you? Why are you out here?"

Yang Lixin: "..."

Yang Lixin: "...I couldn’t sleep either."

At that moment, Bai Fendou chimed in, "Me neither."

Just as the three were speaking, the door creaked open, and Zhuang Zhixi stepped out, his clothes draped over him, adding casually, "What a coincidence, I too couldn't sleep."

The four men looked at each other, perplexed: "..."