Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Father's Favoritism 22

The stars are twinkling in the dark night sky and the night breeze is blowing. It is the coolest time of the day.

Passengers filed off the bus, silently disappearing into the night in different directions. Zhuozhuo, wrapped in his windbreaker, clung to Zhao Hongwei's arms, staring at the familiar surroundings with hazy eyes. He listened to Zhao Hongwei's low, quick voice, "Ma Xia and Wan Ping are going to the wholesale market to pick up the goods as planned. Zhuozhuo and I will go to the car rental company. We'll meet at the usual place at noon."

Ma Xia and Wan Ping replied and left. Zhuo Zhuo poked his head out and asked curiously, "Zhao Hongwei, how big is the car?"

This was their sixth time to come to Hai City to purchase goods. Zhao Hongwei's middleman plan was very successful. With the assistance of Wanhai, they successfully expanded the clothing market in three counties. Every time they brought back goods, they were pre-ordered early and were taken away by retailers in various counties as soon as they arrived at the station, saving time, worry, efficiency and high profits.

Inevitably, word leaked out, and many people from the four counties followed suit and began purchasing goods from Haishi. However, without Zhao Hongwei's large purchase volume and low prices, the resulting high selling prices kept the business from making a big splash. However, Zhao Hongwei had sensed the danger, and having accumulated some capital, he planned to expand his business.

Zhao Hongwei targeted various household appliances. These were bulky and heavily regulated, making them easy to detect if carried back manually. He had originally planned to find time with Ma Xia Wanhai to get a driver's license and save enough money to buy a car before selling these appliances. However, during a casual conversation, Zhao Hongwei discovered that the son of the zongzi-selling woman, who had a close relationship with Zhuo Zhuo, was actually a truck driver, renting a truck from a rental agency for long-distance travel.

Zhao Hongwei's mind immediately became active. He stayed in Haicheng for another day and waited for the old lady's son to come back. He then talked to him about hiring him to transport the goods.

The old woman's son, Guo Qingshui, worked for a freight company and had a lot of freedom. Zhao Hongwei offered him a good salary, and with the old woman's assurance, he readily agreed. Worried about a schedule conflict with Zhao Hongwei, he hadn't driven the car for the past two days, leaving it at the rental company for maintenance. They had previously arranged to meet at the rental company today.

Zhuozhuo had ridden buses, bicycles, taxis, and trucks of varying lengths, and was curious about the size of the vehicle Uncle Guo had rented. When he arrived at the rental agency, he discovered it was a small, silver-white container truck, meticulously cleaned.

Guo Qingshui was about forty years old, tall and strong with dark red skin. He spoke in a booming voice and was very cheerful. After greeting everyone, he took a box of rice dumplings from the car and said with a smile, "Zhuozhuo, these are made by grandma especially for you. They are sour and sweet crystal rice dumplings. They look good and taste good."

His family's financial situation was acceptable, but his mother couldn't sit still and insisted on going out to sell zongzi. She wasn't happy about not making much money every day, but she couldn't bear to throw away the leftover zongzi and insisted that her family eat them all. The family almost vomited from eating zongzi, and they thought this would continue until his mother gave up, but one day when she came home, they had sold out of zongzi!

The family bought a roast chicken overnight to celebrate. The little daughter started crying while gnawing on the chicken leg, and sobbed that she hadn't eaten anything other than rice dumplings for a long time.

It was also on that day that they got to know Zhuozhuo, a very cute little girl.

After that, the zongzi business became more and more prosperous. Occasionally, if there were a few left over, they could share them among the family. The family finally had normal meals on the table. His mother also smiled every day, and the atmosphere at home became more and more relaxed and happy. The family had wanted to thank Zhuozhuo for a long time, but unexpectedly, before they could put it into action, Zhuozhuo asked them for help. Of course, they would help as much as they could.

Apart from these, Guo Qingshui also has a good impression of Zhao Hongwei and Zhuozhuo.

The reason he said Zhuozhuo asked for help was because, while Zhao Hongwei had negotiated the hiring, it was Zhuozhuo who paid him. Zhao Hongwei explained that this way, when they split the profits, Zhuozhuo would get a higher percentage. Guo Qingshui had never seen parents so respectful and attentive to their children, and never seen anyone so young start a business. He had a hunch that their future achievements were immeasurable, and that following them would bring him good fortune!

Zhuozhuo held the zongzi box and looked at the rice dumplings inside with curiosity. The transparent rice allowed her to see the red bean paste inside, which was so beautiful. She scooped a mouthful of rice with a spoon. The first taste was just the fragrant rice dumpling leaves and the faint sweetness of the red bean paste. But when she chewed it, it felt like eating soft little beads, with a very unique taste.

The appearance was more attractive than the taste. Zhuozhuo asked with great interest: "Uncle Guo, how is this made?"

Guo Qingshui said casually: "This transparent rice is made of tapioca pearls. The rest of the ingredients are the same as normal rice dumplings."

There was no sense of leaking my mother's business secrets, and fortunately, neither of the two listeners had any intention of stealing her skills.

Zhuozhuo didn't know what sago was and said, "This is the first time Zhuozhuo has eaten a rice dumpling like this. Grandma is an inventor!"

"Hahahaha, then I'll tell grandma. She'll be so happy to hear it!"

Zhuozhuo shook his little head happily, "Grandma likes to be praised. It's a pity that I'm too busy today and can't go to see her."

Except for the first two times, they took direct buses to Haishi every time they came, which shortened the journey by more than ten hours. They arrived at Haishi around 4 a.m. every time, and they would finish purchasing goods before noon. During this time, there were no buses back home, so they would stroll around Haishi and come back in the evening to buy the old lady's rice dumplings.

But this time they drove the truck back, picked up the goods and left immediately, so they couldn't go to the night market to see the old lady.

Zhuozhuo felt very sorry, but then he thought, if he couldn't see her this time, there would be next time, and if he couldn't see her next time, there would be the next time, so he felt relieved.

After the conversation, Guo Qingshui asked the two to get in the car and set off.

Zhao Hongwei held Zhuozhuo in his arms as he sat in the passenger seat. Experiencing this perspective for the first time, he suddenly felt a sense of relief, like a fish leaping freely in the vast ocean. Driving himself was so convenient. He would take Zhuozhuo on a trip around the country, and he would buy a car to take her with him. He would get a driver's license when he got back! That way, he could go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

Listening to Zhao Hongwei asking Guo Qingshui about the driver's license test, Zhuozhuo, staring at the scenery outside the car window with wide eyes, raised his hand and said, "Zhuozhuo also wants to get a driver's license!"

Guo Qingshui laughed. "You can only get a driver's license when you're eighteen. Zhuozhuo, you'll have to wait another fifteen years."

Zhuozhuo's arithmetic ability had improved by leaps and bounds recently. He immediately realized how long fifteen years was. He fell back on Zhao Hongwei's chest in frustration, unable to laugh anymore, as if he had lost all his means and strength.

Zhao Hongwei rubbed Zhuozhuo's little head, his expression full of doting. "You can't drive a big car now, but you can drive a small car. Do you remember the toy cars I saw when I took you to the toy store before? Daddy will buy you one later. Any kind you want will be fine!"

Selling toys was Zhao Hongwei's next plan. He had already figured out where to buy the goods and was familiar with the types and prices of the goods.

Zhuozhuo recalled that there were so many toys in the toy city that she couldn’t count the number of cars alone. Moreover, the difference between the big and small ones was huge. The small ones were not even half the size of her hand. It was not fun at all!

"I don't want a small car! I want a big car that I can sit in!" Zhuozhuo turned around to bargain, and still asked 9972 in her mind whether her money was enough to buy a drivable toy car.

[You can buy it. Baby's piggy bank is full of money now. But let's let Zhao Hongwei buy it. He likes spending money on you, and he gets upset if you don't let him.]

Zhuozhuo felt the same way. Every time she said she would use her own money to buy something, Zhao Hongwei would agree quickly, but he was always in a low mood. She could feel it!

The group first went to the appliance store. Zhao Hongwei navigated the area with familiarity, finding the shop owner he had already arranged a meeting with. After inspecting the merchandise, he readily paid. Because appliances are expensive and bulky, Zhao Hongwei only took a relatively small radio, but it still filled a quarter of the cargo area.

Zhuozhuo looked at the neatly arranged paper boxes, held his chin in his hand and asked, "Will many people really buy this?"

The little girl had only seen the owner of a radio use it in a few restaurants and retail stores, and she felt it wasn't widely available. She still remembered all sorts of electronic gadgets from her original world, and didn't quite understand the appeal of the radio. She had initially strongly suggested Zhao Hongwei sell the television, but after analyzing the pros and cons, he agreed to the radio.

Before Zhao Hongwei could say anything, Guo Qingshui fished out a large black object from under the driver's seat and handed it to him. "Zhuozhuo, look, this is my personal radio. I saved up food coupons for a year to buy a radio ticket, and it cost me a lot of money. If you're selling this, only want money and no tickets, you'll be going crazy trying to grab it."

Zhuozhuo seemed to understand, but he tilted his head and asked, "Is it because few people use the radio that they don't have tickets, not because they don't want to buy them?"

"That's right."

Zhuozhuo immediately became happy and cheered, "We are going to make money!"

"Yes, make a lot of money."

Laughter and joyful chatter echoed in the van.

Soon they arrived at the clothing wholesale market. Ma Xia and Wan Ping were already waiting by the flowerbed, having successfully picked up both passengers and goods. Ma Xia squatted in the car, clutching a radio and unable to let it go, yelling, "Radio! How much is this? I want one!"

Zhuozhuo looked at them with a smile and said in a childish voice, "No need to buy them, I'll give them to you as a gift. All of them are given to you as a gift."

“No need to buy, everyone will get one for free.”

Two voices rang out at the same time. Zhuozhuo looked at Zhao Hongwei and shook his head happily, "Dad, it's the same as what Zhuozhuo thought."

"Well, father and daughter are connected by heart."

The thought of "a son resembles his father" suddenly popped up in Zhao Hongwei's mind, and then he was filled with emotion. Zhuozhuo was making too fast progress and was about to push him, the wave in front, onto the beach.

Wan Ping waved her hand and said she didn't want the recorder. She had a deep-seated inferiority complex, always feeling she wasn't doing enough, wasn't good enough, and didn't deserve good things. She wouldn't show it normally, but it would always pop up at crucial moments to make her presence felt.

Zhuozhuo couldn't explain the feeling, but her solution was simple. She raised her little face and announced in a firm tone, "This is an employee benefit. You can't refuse it. If you don't like the tape recorder, just sell it yourself."

The little girl always had new words popping out of her mouth, some of which she had learned from the bosses at the wholesale market, and some from TV. These new words made up for her young age, making people subconsciously think that she knew a lot, and they always obeyed her involuntarily.

As expected, when Wan Ping heard that this was an "employee benefit you couldn't refuse," she immediately fell silent and obediently took one. She huddled in a corner of the train car, her rough hands stroking the box over and over again, a twinkle of light blooming in her dark eyes.

"Big sister, Uncle Ma, come down for dinner!"

As soon as the car stopped, Zhuozhuo started shouting through the window. Zhao Hongwei held his head down and forced him back into the car. He then gave him a stern lecture, "Don't stick your hands out of the car. There are so many cars on the road. If you get hit, your head will fall off. Have you forgotten the safe driving video the police officer showed you earlier?"

Zhuozhuo shrank his head in dismay and quickly made a face at Zhao Hongwei, "I didn't forget. I only stuck my head out after the car stopped."

"Even if the car stops, what if another car passes by?" Zhao Hongwei repeatedly emphasized, "As long as you are in the car, you cannot extend any part of your body."

9972 played the promotional video to Zhuozhu in her mind, making sure to deepen her memory, let her follow it instinctively and develop a habit.

Zhuozhuo covered his ears and said, "I know, I know."

Zhao Hongwei laughed angrily and pulled Zhuozhuo's hand away. "Can't I teach you a lesson? Listen to me carefully."

Zhuozhuo was also unhappy and said angrily, "I already told you everything. You've taught me enough this time. You can teach me again if Zhuozhuo makes the same mistake again next time."

Guo Qingshui and Ma Xia also tried to reconcile, "Yes, yes, the child has been taught to rebel. Adults often talk about it, and Zhuozhuo will remember it and won't do it again, right, Zhuozhuo?"

Wan Ping plucked up her courage and took Zhuozhuo out of Zhao Hongwei's arms and away from the van.

Zhuozhuo cheered, kicked his legs and ran down, pulling Wan Ping into the restaurant.

Zhao Hongwei watched helplessly and said, "Zhuozhuo will be spoiled by you guys sooner or later."

"This group of people" is full of questions. Why don't you, the ultimate daughter slave, reflect on who could have spoiled Zhuo Zhuo?