Chapter 53 Yes, the current People's Park is...

"Well, then, when we get out later, I'll treat you to spicy hot pot and sour plum soup!"

I know that I can make so much money today because of my good friends who are willing to take me with them.

After tightly grasping her handbag, Yang Xiaomei said without hesitation.

"Okay! It's already four o'clock, let's hurry up."

Chen Pan didn't refuse this. After using the restroom together, they both quickly walked towards North Station, each holding their own bag.

"Panpan, do you feel like you're dreaming?"

The two who'd said they'd eat once they'd earned a little money were now starving. Even so, as they hurried forward, Yang Xiaomei couldn't help but say, "The first twenty yuan I brought out today was earned by my sister and I over ten consecutive days. My mom also helped us out in the fields. The three of us—no, let's just say two of us—toiled for ten days to earn twenty yuan, and now we've earned over fifteen yuan in just half a day."

If I had come earlier today and taken our supplies to People's Park by nine o'clock, we would have made more than twenty yuan today. That's what my sister and I would have earned in ten days working in the mountains. And I never imagined that just a few cents could earn us so much. If money was so easy to make, then my parents—"

Yang Xiaomei wanted to ask, what about her dad's usual self-promotional attitude when he works himself to death for only five or six yuan a day? What about the way she and her sister would sigh and complain when they asked their parents for a few yuan in tuition?

Because she was so excited and feeling complicated, Yang Xiaomei couldn't say the last words.

"That's a cognitive limitation. They've never been exposed to business, so they naturally don't know that a few cents can make them over ten yuan a day. And business like ours isn't particularly sustainable. It's peak travel season here, and People's Park is a unique location, so our business is so good today. After National Day in October, there will be no one here except those skiing and jogging in the morning."

Knowing what the other party wanted to say, Chen Pan immediately gave a brief explanation.

But as she was talking, she suddenly turned her head and asked, "Would you like to come over tomorrow? If you are willing to come, we can continue like this tomorrow."

"Yes!" Yang Xiaomei nodded without hesitation, then asked, "Panpan, can I bring my sister with me tomorrow?"

"Okay!" Chen Pan nodded without hesitation, and then she instructed: "Xiaomei, let me tell you, go back today and give your mother four dollars, and then tell them that you earned five dollars all day. You have to say that the things we sell are all bought cheaply from the small shop next door to my house. When the time comes, you have to tell them that you don't know the specific amount of money I got, you only know that I took you out and gave you five dollars a day, you kept one dollar for yourself, and gave the remaining four to them.

Only in this way can you save some money. This money won't just go to your mother and then to your father. But if you don't pay, or pay very little, your mother won't be able to let you out every day, and your father will definitely stop you. So you have to give them some benefits, so that you can smoothly come out every day--"

As they were talking, the two had already arrived at the North City Farmers' Market.

Although this place is called a farmers' market, it is a food street in the front and a farmers' market in the back.

Anyway, they quickly found a familiar Malatang restaurant in that place.

Because it was getting late and they were afraid of missing the bus back, they didn't eat the spicy hot pot and instead ordered two bowls of stewed noodles.

Stewed noodles are more expensive than beef noodles, costing 40 cents a bowl, which is considered a luxury for them.

When the noodles came, Yang Xiaomei went out and bought sour plum soup at the front for 20 cents a cup.

As she came over with two cold drinks, Chen Pan handed her the crossbody bag she'd bought at the door. It wasn't a small bag, but one that could hold a few books. This way, she could use it as both a school bag and a regular outing bag, just like she did.

"Here, my good friend, this is my birthday present for you!"

"You, I—I thought no one remembered."

The little girl, who had been cheerful all day, quickly had her eyes red after she reached out to take the small cloth bag handed to her by Chen Pan.

"Don't be too touched. This thing is only one dollar, not as much as what you treated us to today. Just don't think it's cheap."

Chen Pan pointed outside, and Yang Xiaomei, whose skin was tanned from frequent outings, followed her gaze. Seeing the dozen or so similar bags hanging in front of the shop across the street, she burst into laughter. "Those are pretty good too, aren't they? I really like them anyway."

This was the first real birthday present Yang Xiaomei had ever received, even though the waiter had already served their noodles. Yang Xiaomei, who hadn't eaten since breakfast, didn't rush to eat. Instead, she picked up her handbag and quickly transferred everything inside into her new bag.

"Put all your fare and change for buying things later in the bag. Don't throw away the plastic bag in your bag; use it to cover your wallet. Also, don't put your bag down when you're eating or serving food. Keep it in front of you when you're walking, so it won't be stolen."

Longcheng is Chen Pan's hometown, and the Chengbei Farmers' Market here is a place Chen Pan loves very much. But this does not change the fact that the place is full of thieves. Even Chen Pan himself had his wallet stolen here in his previous life.

Anyway, at this moment, Chen Pan was like an elder, giving serious reminders.

"Got it, got it! I've already taken out two dollars separately, and stuffed the rest at the bottom."

Knowing what Chen Pan meant, Yang Xiaomei picked up the chopsticks and responded happily.

It was not clear whether this meal was lunch or dinner, but both Chen Pan and Yang Xiaomei were very satisfied with it.

Simao's stewed noodles were loaded with vegetables and meatballs, and the sour plum soup, fresh from the refrigerator, was still steaming, even the plastic cups forming a layer of steam due to the sudden change in temperature. As they ate their noodles and drank their cold drinks, their faces expressed a mixture of satisfaction and happiness.

While eating, the two had already discussed how to deal with their parents at home.

Yang Xiaomei wanted to make money, so Chen Pan went to help.

Chen Pan wanted to make money, so he asked Yang Xiaomei to come over to help.

Chen Pan was sure that her grandparents would not ask about the money, so she didn't need to think too much about it.

But the Yang family's situation was special. If she didn't pay, her father would definitely not let them leave. If they were told their wholesale prices, Yang Xiaomei's father would definitely be able to calculate how much they could earn in a day. Therefore, everything had to be kept a little bit secret when it came to them.

The two arrived at the North City Farmers' Market at 4:30, and it was already past 5 o'clock when they finished their meal.

In order to catch the six o'clock bus, they quickly went out to buy things and dared not delay any longer.

Chen Pan bought two kilograms of egg cake, two kilograms of peaches, and three glasses of orange juice. Yang Xiaomei also bought a kilogram of egg cake, two kilograms of green peppers, and two sheets of cold noodles, and then they both rushed to catch a bus.

The two of them arrived early and after grabbing a seat, they chatted for a while in the car.

Fifteen minutes later, when the bus was about to start, Chen Pan used the excuse that he had forgotten to buy something and got out of the crowded bus.

I vaguely understood that Chen Pan wanted to accompany me to wait for the car, and had no intention of taking this car.

Yang Xiaomei also leaned against the car window and said quickly, "Then Panpan, go buy something quickly. After you finish shopping, you can take the bus back."

"Well, if there's any change over there, just give me a call and let me know. I told you the phone number last time."

Standing under the car, Chen Pan also spoke loudly.

Yang Xiaomei nodded immediately in the car. After the bus slowly drove out of the station where they had been waiting for a long time, Chen Pan went to the front to get on the bus.

At that place, Chen Pan bought another roast duck and two kilograms of oranges.

Chengbei North Station is only a 20-minute drive from Liuping, and there are many buses.

The car arrived at its destination in almost the same time that Chen Pan took a nap in the car.

Carrying a few plastic bags in his hands, Chen Pan squeezed among a group of workers returning to their night shift and soon arrived home.

Seeing her finally come back, Grandpa Chen and Grandma Chen, who had been waiting for her for a long time, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Girl, why don't you come back after going out?" Grandma Chen, who had been worried all day, immediately brought out the cold noodles she made today from the kitchen.

"Panpan, your Aunt Qin came to see you at noon. She said she agreed with what you and Yangyang discussed. But her Yangyang needs to drive the car, so she can't let you drive it."

Looking at what Chen Pan and Grandma Chen were holding, Grandpa Chen subconsciously moved the vegetables and chili vinegar on the table to the side.

"Grandpa, no need. I'll tell them later that I won't be going to the market. Actually, I went to the market just to take Xiaomei with me. I'll save some pocket money, and she can earn some for her tuition and living expenses for next semester. But today we found a new business. We plan to wholesale some balloon masks and sell them in People's Park. We went out to experiment today, and each of us made a few dollars a day, so starting tomorrow we plan to do this together."

Now that she had made some money, Chen Pan's slight disagreement with her grandparents yesterday suddenly lessened. Without hesitation, she opened the roast chicken she had bought and tore off large drumsticks for the grandparents beside her.

“I love wings!”

Grandpa Chen subconsciously put the chicken leg into Chen Pan's bowl. Then he suddenly realized, "So you did this for Meimei. It's okay not to go to the market. The main reason is that you are young, and we are really afraid of you getting in someone else's car. Although we have known Chen Yang for almost half a year, he is still a child of seventeen or eighteen. If others see you always with him, they will definitely gossip. Besides, he is a teenager, and we don't know if his driving skills are good. We are always a little worried when you get in his car."

"Yes, we have no objection to you being with Meimei. If you really want to go to the market, we will pay for you to go out with your brothers Dabao and Erbao to sell the Qin family's things. Or we will pay for you to wholesale some small things and go to the market yourself. Anyway, you can't always be with the Qin family's boys, and you can't drive the Qin family's car. No matter how old Qin Yang is, no matter whether he has bad intentions or not, he is still a young man of seventeen or eighteen. If others see you two together, they will definitely gossip. And Panpan, you can't borrow or drive the car casually. If you really have an accident while driving it, whether it's you or the car, we can't afford it and can't bear it——"

Grandma Chen and Grandpa Chen were very excited last night, but now after a whole day of calming down and thinking, their attitudes have softened.

Chen Pan was soft-hearted and did not respond to harsh words. She also felt that selling balloons in People's Park was better than driving to the market, so she nodded indifferently.

Then, taking advantage of the favorable opportunity, Chen Pan immediately borrowed start-up capital for his business from his grandparents.

This was something Chen Pan figured out on the way back. In the past, she was too embarrassed to ask them for money. But after carefully analyzing her awkward mentality on the way back, Chen Pan decided to change it and give it a try. How could she be so sure that her grandparents wouldn't give it to her if she didn't ask? In the past, her family didn't make much money, so she was embarrassed to ask. But now her family's situation has changed after all. It would seem a bit foolish for her to quarrel with them over money at this time. Anyway, at this moment, Chen Pan asked her grandfather to borrow money with dignity.

"How much do you want?"

When Grandpa Chen heard that she wanted to borrow money, he laughed.

Grandma Chen was a bit quick-witted and immediately said half-seriously, "How can it be a loan between a grandfather and a grandson?"

"I want to wholesale goods worth fifty yuan. Grandpa and grandma, please lend me fifty yuan. If this business makes money, I'll use the money to take you to People's Park for a nice day. But if it loses money, I won't ask you for money. Of course, I don't think I will lose money."

Suddenly thinking of the terrifying number of visitors to People's Park, Chen Pan immediately became proud and confident.

"Given the flow of people in People's Park, you shouldn't lose money if you sell balloons there."

Chen Aiguo recalled the time when he was young and took his children and wife to the People's Park. At that time, everyone was shoulder to shoulder and crowded together. He subconsciously sighed.

"When we went there before, it was usually during holidays, and there were indeed a lot of people then, but now it's not a holiday after all—"

Grandma Chen, who was holding the chopsticks, became worried subconsciously.

"No, People's Park is the first choice for Longcheng residents to go out and have fun. On weekdays and holidays, it sees tens of thousands of visitors every day. Even if it's not a holiday right now, there are fields of newly planted peonies, an open amusement park, a haunted house, and an artificial lake. Even if there aren't tens of thousands of visitors a day, there are definitely still tens or even twenty thousand."

At the peak of their People's Park, it seemed that they received 170,000 visitors a day. Of course, this number was seen by Chen Pan when he was watching short videos in his previous life.

In the previous life, everyone lived a good life and transportation was convenient, so this number appeared.

Today, this number certainly doesn't meet this standard.

But even so, we can still get a general idea.

"Yes, even if there are not tens of thousands of people in the People's Park now, there should be seven or eight thousand people a day. Fifty yuan is not a lot anyway. I'll give it to you. You and your friends can try it." Chen Aiguo felt that the ten or twenty thousand or twenty thousand visitors a day mentioned by his granddaughter was a bit too exaggerated, but even so, he happily agreed to give Chen Pan the money later.

“…”

Grandma Chen always listens to her husband. Even if she has opinions on many things at home, she will not say anything if her husband has made a decision.

So even though she felt it was a bit bad to let her granddaughter run like this every day, she looked at her happy husband and granddaughter and didn't say anything in the end.

In the end, it was Chen Aiguo who went out and told his neighbors that Chen Pan no longer went to the market.

"Oh, that's fine. We're all busy, so we really shouldn't make any more trouble. If the two children want to go to the market, we adults can just take them out to play that day. We really shouldn't let them make any more trouble on their own."

Qin Guihua, who was finally persuaded by her son, was in an extremely complicated mood at the moment. After hurriedly dealing with Chen Aiguo who came to deliver the message, she subconsciously walked to the small room where they usually ate.

In that room, Qin Yang was carefully wiping the dust off a small shovel with a rag.

To his left were boxes of polished sickles and hammers, and to his right were some unpolished kitchen knives and hoes. Looking inside, on the ground were the hoes, hammers, grindstones, dustpans, scoops, sprayers, hoes, and shovels her son had packed away at noon.

Some of these things were taken by her son from the shelf in the corner of her shop, and some were found in her warehouse.

All these things were bought by her family in the past and her parents stocked up in boxes.

In just a few years, much of their village's farmland had been taken over by various factories. Even the young people who still had land were unwilling to farm, opting instead to work in factories. As a result, only the elderly remained, and those people only occasionally came to buy items like shovels and hammers. Sales of other items like hammers, sickles, and sprayers were declining.

In their shop, these things have indeed become forgotten old items. If Chen Pan hadn't reminded them and their son hadn't gone to the warehouse to sort them out, they would have almost forgotten that they still had boxes of sickles, shovels and other things in their warehouse.

"Son, don't pack anymore. Panpan's grandfather just came and said that Panpan will be going to People's Park to sell balloons with her friends starting tomorrow. She won't be selling these anymore!"

As Qin Guihua spoke, she felt a little bit of regret in her heart.

"Even if she doesn't go, we have to pack these things up and sell them off. The longer they are kept, the less valuable they are. Besides, iron things will rust over time." And these things are actually all money.

Qin Yang didn't actually say the last sentence.

He smiled and told the other party that he had heard it, then Qin Yang lowered his head and continued to clean and inventory.