Chapter 71 Hitting a Wall Everywhere

They went inside, pulled Jiang Chao out, peeled and pitted him, and taught him and Feng Jingling how to do it step by step.

Three people working together is faster than one person working alone. Half an hour later, Huang Xing finished cleaning everything.

Boil the sugar water, add the apricot flesh, cook for three minutes, turn off the heat, let it simmer for half an hour, then uncover and let it cool. Pour it into an oil-free and water-free container and stuff it all into the refrigerator.

When Aunt Wu returned, the group was eating canned food with spoons.

"Godmother, canned apricots, sweet, cool, and refreshing, have a taste!" the boy said, holding up the glass jar like a treasure.

"No, it's getting late. Godmother, go to the kitchen to cook."

As he spoke, he put down the cloth bag, gulped down a few mouthfuls of herbal tea, turned around and went to the kitchen. Jiang Chao narrowed his eyes and followed him in.

"Little Butterfly, don't you think... your godmother is acting a little strange?"

"He's probably having trouble finding a job. Be careful what you say at the dinner table."

Dinner consisted of sweet potato porridge, fried black-eyed peas, and fish and vermicelli soup.

Wu Lifang picked up a large piece of fried black-eyed peas and put it in the little girl's bowl. "The fish is fried well. Xiaxia, you've worked hard. Eat more. You're growing."

"Phew, it's so delicious, especially the beans inside. Aunt Wu, you should have some too. You must be exhausted after a long day of job hunting. Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I'll keep the house in perfect order so you can have nothing to worry about."

"Oh! Xiaxia is so good, even more considerate than my own son. Auntie will ask around at a few more factories tomorrow and try to find a job as soon as possible."

"Godmother, I'd like you to stay home and spend more time with me!"

"Lingling, you're talking as if your godmother doesn't live at home. Come on, have some fish."

Feng Jingling took the fish piece and ate it with gusto. The outer layer of dough melted in her mouth, making the fish meat chewy and giving it a completely different texture from freshly fried fish pieces.

"Wow, this is delicious!"

"Being able to eat is a blessing; if it tastes good, eat more!"

After dinner, Jiang Chao washed the dishes, Yun Xia made leftovers and porridge, which she fed to the kitten, while the others relaxed in the courtyard.

The two little guys meowed excitedly at the smell of fish!

"Eat slowly. No cat will take it from you. Keeping it on a leash is for your own good. Don't be angry. You'll be free in a few days."

"Little Black, stop stealing! Heh, you deserved to get hit! You're the older brother, how dare you steal your sister's food..."

Yunxia didn't care whether the two of them understood or not, and kept nagging beside them. The little guy's triangular ears were pressed tightly against his head, and the tip of his tail was swishing back and forth, obviously a little impatient.

After eating and drinking their fill, the little guys who had just been fighting and brawling instantly made up, licking each other's fur. Yunxia joined in, and only after they had played enough did they take their bowls and leave.

"Sister Xiaxia, watermelon, a big watermelon, here you go!"

After drying my hands, I took the watermelon, sat in the rocking chair, and ate it while listening to their casual conversation. Life couldn't be better.

For the next week, Aunt Wu rode her old bicycle to each factory, asking if they were hiring. However, due to the influence of the new trend, the factories not only refused to hire, but were also preparing to lay off workers.

At this critical juncture, she was destined not to find factory work and kept hitting walls. Her confidence was worn away, and she often secretly sighed and worried alone at night.

The observant Yunxia had already noticed her unusual behavior. While Jiang Chao and Feng Jingling went out to buy ice cream, she pulled her into the house.

"Xiaxia, what's wrong?"

The little girl had a very serious expression, looking like a little adult.

"Aunt Wu, all the factories are laying off workers, so you shouldn't look for factory jobs..."

Bai Ye's family's shoe factory collaborated with foreign businesses to produce trendy styles and spent a lot of money advertising all over the streets, which is why they were able to stay afloat and avoid the predicament of layoffs.

"But... I don't know how to do anything except cleaning and operating the sewing machine!"

As a salesperson, I'm bad at talking and dealing with people!

The tailor shop operates on an apprenticeship system, recruiting mostly teenagers.

She has to learn everything else from scratch. Why would they hire a middle-aged woman who knows nothing and not hire a young person?

"Aunt Wu, how about we open a shop selling daily necessities, snacks, and fresh produce? I'll provide the initial investment, and you can be the boss's wife, and we..."

With the reform movement in full swing, opening a shop now is a good choice, but Wu Lifang, a conservative, could not take that step no matter how much the young girl tried to persuade her.

Seeing that she was very thirsty, she couldn't help but say, "Xiaxia, you must be tired. Auntie will cut you a watermelon. We'll think about opening a shop carefully."

After saying that, she left the bedroom without looking back. Yun Xia shook her head helplessly, thinking to herself that Aunt Wu's acting skills needed improvement; she practically had the words "wanting to escape" and "being perfunctory" written all over her face.

The next day, while Aunt Wu was out looking for work, Yunxia recounted the entire conversation from the previous day.

"Little butterfly, that's a great idea! How come I didn't think of that!"

"The biggest difficulty now is... Aunt Wu herself doesn't agree."

"Heh!" The young man chuckled disdainfully, his expression enigmatic.

"Hey, Jiang Chao, hurry up and tell me what you've got. Aunt Wu has been so worried these past few days that she hasn't been able to sleep."

The boy parted his thin lips slightly, about to speak, but Xiao Jiang'an spoke first: "Just open the shop properly, what else can Mom do but help!"

Yunxia suddenly realized, "That's right, Aunt Wu is the most soft-hearted. If we just open the shop, she definitely won't leave it unattended."

Jiang Chao, with a stern face, rolled his eyes at his younger brother who had interrupted him. "Easy for you to say. Choosing a location, renting a storefront, decorating, getting licenses, sourcing goods, pricing, bookkeeping—which of these isn't troublesome?"

The complicated store opening process sounds so familiar, but wait, you can ask Gu Xun for help!

"Jiang Chao, don't forget Gu Xun."

Upon hearing the name, Feng Jingling frowned immediately. "Why bother with that scoundrel? It's just opening a shop; I can manage that myself."

"The most valuable quality in a person is self-awareness!"

"Ah Chao, who do you think you are?"

"you!"

Seeing that the two were about to trip each other again, he quickly changed the subject and coaxed the angry husky with words of comfort.

Yunxia is a woman of action; she does what she says she will do. In the afternoon, carrying a bamboo basket of canned apricots, she followed Jiang Chao to the abandoned bridge in the south of the city.

"Hey, what wind blew Yunxia here on such a hot day?"

Despite the sweltering heat, the boy still wore a mask with a gap in the middle. The fan next to him whirred as he leisurely sipped his iced cola.

"Southeast wind, here, I brought you some homemade canned apricots to try."

He took the bamboo basket, pulled out a can of food, turned it upside down, and slapped it hard with his palm.

"That...that one, you need to...twist it!"

Yunxia knew to tap the lid to release air, but the bottle was specially chosen and didn't need tapping.

Upon hearing this, the boy paused, blinked slightly, and said without changing his expression, "I know, I was just teasing you."

Well, as long as my acting is good, no one will notice my embarrassment.

Unscrew the lid, grab a spoon, and start eating.

"Speak, what do you want from me?"

The girl first showered the boy with compliments, making him smile. Then she revealed her purpose and asked him to help her open a shop.

"If you're going to open a business, open a big one. How much capital do you have?"

Yunxia gestured a few times with her fair fingers, and Gu Xun nodded knowingly.

"After paying the rent, there won't be much left. How about... I invest in the company?"