Chapter 115 Aunt He goes to set up a stall, and Old Sun is the best at it...

Old Sun was extremely shrewd; he had long understood the personalities of his two sons perfectly.

Despite Sun Xuewen and Sun Xuewu's outward appearance of filial piety and unquestioning obedience to their father, he knew in his heart that his two sons were the most selfish and self-serving of all.

They listen to him now purely because he's still healthy, can work, and earn money; they're practically begging him for help. But when he's old, unable to do anything, and bedridden, who knows how his two children will treat him!

Waiting for them to clean up his excrement and serve him is like dreaming.

Not everyone in this world is as kind as Li Chunzhi. She said she would take care of her mother, and she did so obediently. She fed her mother on time, emptied her bedpan, changed her diapers, wiped her body regularly, and took meticulous care of her mother.

Thinking about this, Old Sun couldn't help but regret it. Where else could he find someone like Li Chunzhi after divorcing her?

While Old Sun in the front yard was immersed in regret, Mingxi in the back yard had already returned to her front door. Just as she was about to push the door open and go inside, she saw Aunt He dart out from the side.

"When you came back, were the people in the front yard still there?" Aunt He winked at Mingxi.

People from the front yard?

Mingxi thought for a moment: "Aunt He, are you talking about Sun Xuewen and Fang Yan?"

Aunt He curled her lip: "Besides that couple, who else can I say?"

She whispered, "That couple has been here for quite a while. As soon as they arrived, they went from house to house greeting everyone in the courtyard. They said nice things, saying that their mother was getting a divorce and would be living alone in the courtyard from now on, and that they, the couple, wouldn't be able to take care of her immediately if something happened. They hoped that everyone in the courtyard would help take care of her and that if anything happened, they would ask everyone in the courtyard to notify them."

Aunt He scoffed, "Is that even true? We've lived in the same courtyard as Old Li for over thirty years. If something happened to her, wouldn't all of us in the courtyard help? Wouldn't we notify the couple? Why would they need to say such nonsense?"

"Besides, if they're really worried about Lao Li, why don't they bring him to their home? Sun Xuewen's current apartment is a two-bedroom unit, and they don't have any children. Even if they bring Lao Li over, they can still fit him in."

Mingxi: "What? Wasn't the apartment Sun Xuewen was allocated a single room before?"

Aunt He glanced at Mingxi, her eyes clearly indicating that Mingxi was behind on the news.

Aunt He: "It was changed a long time ago, last year. Old Li and Old Sun paid half of the money, and Sun Xuewen and his wife paid the other half themselves. I don't know how much it cost, but they used it to help Sun Xuewen exchange his apartment for a two-bedroom apartment in a tenement building with his colleague, saying it was for when they have children in the future."

Mingxi nodded, agreeing that the money was well spent.

Sun Xuewen was lucky when he got married, as his workplace was allocating housing. Although he was only allocated a single room, housing was scarce at the time, so being allocated a single room was already considered good. Didn't you see that there were quite a few comrades in the factory who couldn't even get a single room?

However, this also has its downsides. Once someone has been allocated a house, the factory will not consider them again for housing allocation in the next few years. If Sun Xuewen and Fang Yan have a child in the next few years, their housing situation will indeed be quite tight.

So spending some money to buy a two-bedroom apartment is indeed a good idea.

Moreover, Mingxi remembered that Sun Xuewen's original single room was a single-story house. From today's perspective, living in a tenement building is indeed more convenient than living in a single-story house. Each floor has a toilet and a sink, so the whole courtyard doesn't have to squeeze into one sink. You don't have to run to the alley entrance to use the toilet. Not to mention, there is heating, so you don't have to burn a stove for warmth in winter. It's really much more convenient!

Spending a little money to get a room in a tenement building is still a good deal.

However, on the other hand, since Aunt Li paid for the house, she should have a share in it. From any perspective, Sun Xuewen and Fang Yan should take Aunt Li in.

Instead of putting on an act by bringing a bunch of stuff here, like we are now.

Mingxi curled her lip, finding Sun Xuewen and Fang Yan's behavior even more distasteful.

Aunt He thought so too. She said, "These two think they're the only clever ones. Everyone in the yard is a fool. They can't see that they're putting on an act. Sun Xuewen and Fang Yan are just afraid that people in our yard will say they're unfilial. Who can't see that?"

She snorted twice and said, "They don't even think about it. How could little sparrows like them possibly outmaneuver us old thieves?"

Mingxi: "...However, I think Fang Yan also genuinely wants to apologize to Aunt Li."

If it were just for show, Fang Yan wouldn't have needed to bring so many things; a couple of boxes of pastries would have been just as good.

"Hmph, Fang Yan, I guess there's a little bit."

Although Aunt He was annoyed, she did agree with Mingxi's idea.

She said, "She regrets it. Fang Yan probably regrets offending Lao Li so badly. After all, Lao Li still has a house. Didn't Lao Sun originally say that the house and things in the family would be left to Sun Xuewen and Sun Xuewu? Now that the west wing has been allocated to Lao Li, Lao Li isn't like Lao Sun who favors sons over daughters. What if Lao Li leaves the house to Sun Lili? Wouldn't Fang Yan be at a disadvantage? So she's rushing over to please Lao Li."

Aunt He snorted, indicating that she could see through the little sparrows' thoughts perfectly clearly.

Aunt He said, "Not only do Sun Xuewen and his wife regret it, but I think Old Sun is also regretting it now, regretting divorcing Old Li."

She whispered to Mingxi, "Didn't you see? Old Sun has become noticeably slovenly these past few days. The sleeves of the clothes he wore this morning were greasy, and his hair was all slicked back. He looked disheveled, nothing like his usual clean and tidy self. I even saw him standing at Old Li's door for ages today. If you ask me, he's definitely trying to make peace with Old Li."

That's for sure. Old Sun thought he had kept his little scheme a secret, but little did he know that everyone in the yard had already figured it out.

Mingxi: "But Aunt Li won't agree to Grandpa Sun's request."

Aunt He: "That's right! Old Li is so happy living alone now. He's all set for himself, no need to cook different dishes for the rest of the family, and he doesn't have to worry about who doesn't eat this or that, or what they want to eat. He can cook whatever he wants, however he wants. It's so much easier for him living alone. He has less housework and doesn't have to chase after the men in the family to clean up after him. Life is so much easier for him!"

As Aunt He spoke, she couldn't help but feel envious.

Anyone with a man in the house knows how annoying it is to keep up with them and do housework. These men come home from work, don't even change out of their work clothes, and just collapse on the sofa or bed, leaving all the machine oil from their clothes on the bed. If you want the house to stay clean, you have to keep nagging them.

"When you get home, change out of your work clothes first. Don't throw away your clothes or smelly socks. Don't flick cigarette ash everywhere when you smoke. Don't litter your belongings..."

I can't stop watching it or talking about it for even a moment.

Aunt He: "Putting everything else aside, I really envy Lao Li's life after her divorce. After she finishes eating, she does some simple housework and can go out to the park whenever she wants. Unlike me, I still have to wash your uncle's clothes."

Mingxi glanced silently at the He family, then cast a pitying look at Grandpa Zheng, who was cooking dinner in the He family's kitchen.

Grandpa Zheng is in danger!

Fortunately, Aunt He only expressed her envy verbally; she didn't actually intend to get a divorce.

She quickly steered the conversation to something else, "Hey, speaking of parks, Xiaoming, you didn't know, did you? Old Li has been setting up a stall in the little park near us lately."

Mingxi had no idea. She was surprised: "Aunt Li has a stall?"

Mingxi asked curiously, "What does Aunt Li sell at her stall?"

Aunt He: "It seems to be something for children, like tiger-head shoes or tiger-head hats. Actually, I don't really know much about it. I just saw Old Li carrying a bag mysteriously when he went out this morning, so I asked her out of curiosity, and that's what she told me."

Aunt He said, "Old Li said that Sun Lili gave her the idea. When Old Li was staying at Sun Lili's house, she often went to the park near her house. There were many stalls selling things in the park, and Old Li saw that they were all making money, so she was a little tempted. After discussing it with Sun Lili, Sun Lili encouraged her, saying that she was good at making things and could try making some children's items to sell at a stall. Anyway, it wouldn't cost her much to make them herself. She could try selling them outside, and if she could sell them, she could sell them. If she couldn't sell them, Sun Lili could use them when she had children in the future."

Mingxi nodded in agreement; that made sense.

These days, no one who sets up a stall loses money; at most, they don't earn much.

However, for Aunt Li, it doesn't matter how much she earns, since she doesn't have a job and was just idling at home anyway.

Seeing Mingxi nod, Aunt He couldn't help but ask, "Do you think it's feasible for Old Li to set up a stall?"

Mingxi nodded: "Of course!"

What's wrong with that?

Aunt He: "Aren't you afraid of being arrested for speculation and profiteering?"

Mingxi smiled: "Aunt He, you haven't read the newspaper in a long time, have you? The newspaper says that the country is now encouraging the development of the individual economy. Any self-employed individual with fewer than eight employees can apply for a temporary business license from the Industry and Commerce Bureau, not to mention street vendors. Look at all those street vendors outside, who has ever been arrested?"

"That's true..."

Aunt He murmured something, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes and moving her lips as if she had something to say. Seeing this, Mingxi said directly, "Aunt He, just say what you want to say. With our relationship, there's no need to hide anything."

"Alright, since you put it that way, I'll get straight to the point." Aunt He mustered her courage: "Xiao Ming, what do you think about me setting up a stall too?"

Mingxi: "Who?!"

Mingxi's eyes widened: "Aunt He, you want to set up a stall too?!"

Aunt He was initially hesitant, but upon hearing Mingxi's tone, she immediately felt looked down upon and became unhappy.

“What’s wrong with me? I want to set up a stall, so what? Old Li can do it, so I feel like I can too. What, do you think I can’t?” Aunt He said curtly.

Mingxi chuckled, "Aunt He, look at you, why are you getting so impatient as you're talking?"

She smiled and said, "I don't look down on you or think you're not good enough. You're good at talking and handling things. Someone like you is perfect for setting up a stall. To sell things to others, you first need to be able to talk to them. If you're timid and don't dare to speak to strangers, even if your products are good, it's hard to sell them. Don't you think so?"

Aunt He was easy to coax. Mingxi's words, which followed her lead, quickly appeased her.

She glanced at Mingxi, then patted his shoulder hard, saying, "No wonder you're Mingxi, the most outstanding young person in our compound. You have such good taste!"

Mingxi chuckled awkwardly and said, "But I'm just a little curious, what are you going to sell at your stall?"

Aunt He: "I haven't decided yet."

Mingxi choked for a moment, but then she started to analyze the situation for Aunt He: "Do you want to make a lot of money by setting up a stall, or do you just want to try it out and pass the time?"

Aunt He, however, was self-aware: "Making big money? I'm not cut out for that."

She figured she was just an ordinary middle-aged woman, nothing particularly outstanding, and making big money was out of the question for her.

She said, "I just wanted to kill time so I wouldn't have nothing to do at home all day. Of course, it would be great if I could also make some money on the side."

Mingxi understood: "Since it's just to pass the time, we don't need to invest too much upfront, so we don't end up losing money if we can't sell them."

Aunt He nodded: "Yes, yes, the investment cost cannot be too high. I would rather not make money than lose money."

Actually, Aunt He's family is quite well-off. Her husband earns seventy or eighty yuan a month, and the two of them can live quite comfortably on their own without giving their children any subsidies.

But how could parents not subsidize their children at all?

Her eldest son's eldest child started elementary school this year, her second son's family had their second child at the beginning of the year, and her daughter also got pregnant not long ago. All the children in the family are a bit tight.

She receives this subsidy and that subsidy, so her family can't save much money.

Her husband is also quite old and in poor health. He should have retired a few years ago, but because he was worried that his pension would be less than half of his salary, he insisted on continuing to work.

Aunt He saw this and also wanted to earn some money to help support her family. This was one of the reasons why she was so happy when Mingxi paid her to inquire about information a while ago.

She suggested setting up a stall to earn some money, to ease her husband's burden, and to stop him from having to push himself too hard.

Naturally, I don't want to lose money.

Mingxi: "Then you should choose a simpler business with lower costs. Otherwise, you can learn from Aunt Li and do handicrafts, but don't make tiger-head shoes or tiger-head hats. It's not appropriate for you to sell the same thing as Aunt Li."

Aunt He: "I know!"

Mingxi: "If Aunt Li sells things for children, then you should sell things for women."

Women and children have always been the main force in the consumer market.

“Women’s things, women’s things… Ah, I’ve got it!” Mingxi’s eyes lit up: “I’ve got it, Aunt He, you can sell hair accessories!”

Mingxi: "It's the kind of hair ornaments that women use to tie their hair. It doesn't take much fabric to make one. You can make quite a few by collecting a bag of scraps. If you make more different designs, referencing the ones worn by main characters in TV shows or movies, you'll definitely be able to sell them."

Aunt He's eyes lit up: "You mean this is a good idea!"

This thing doesn't cost much, it's easy to make, and it doesn't take much time.

Mingxi: "Don't sell this thing too expensively, three or four cents each. But you can do some promotions. For example, if you sell one hair accessory for four cents, you can sell three for one dollar. That way, women will definitely buy them in groups of three, and your sales will go up."

Aunt He: "Great idea!"

She took Mingxi's hand and said earnestly, "Xiaoming, thank you for giving me this idea. You wait, when I make money, I'll give you a share of the profits!"

Mingxi quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need!"

Selling hair clips doesn't earn much money; at most, it's just a small fee for the labor involved in making them. Aunt He even wants to give her a share of the profits, which she really feels embarrassed to accept.

Mingxi: "No need for profit sharing. How about this, if you really make money from your stall, then you'll treat me to a meal."

Aunt He: "That works too!"

Aunt He is very efficient. After agreeing with Mingxi, she immediately rushed home and got to work.

The next day, when Mingxi went to work, she saw Aunt He and Aunt Li each carrying a bundle on their backs, standing side by side, ready to leave.

Mingxi: "Aunt He, Aunt Li, are you setting up a stall?"

Before Aunt Li could speak, Aunt He chimed in, "Yes, let's set up a stall. I stayed up all night yesterday and made some hair accessories. I'm going to go with Old Li today to test the waters."

She said, "I have no experience in setting up a stall, and I don't dare to go alone. It's a little better with Lao Li accompanying me."

Mingxi nodded: "Yes, it's better for two people to go together."

Even if there's no business, it's good to chat and keep each other company.

Aunt He: "Okay, Xiaoming, I'll talk to you now. I'm in a hurry to set up my stall. I'll talk to you when I get back tonight."

After finishing her sentence, Aunt He grabbed Aunt Li and hurriedly left.

Mingxi watched the two middle-aged women leave, filled with curiosity. If she didn't have to go to work today, she would have liked to go and see what was going on.

It's a shame, I still have to go to work.

Mingxi sighed and started walking towards her workplace.

Mingxi arrived at the office right on time again today. When she arrived, Yu Xiaomin and Sister Wang were already there. As soon as Mingxi took off her bag at her desk, she heard Yu Xiaomin say, "Xiaoming, Director Shen just said that she wants you to go see her when you arrive."

Mingxi paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay, I understand."

Mingxi put down her bag, straightened her clothes and hair, and then walked towards Director Shen's office. She knocked on the door and entered: "Director Shen, you wanted to see me?"

Director Shen, who was behind his desk, looked up and said, "Oh, Xiaoming, you're here."

She picked up a document and said, "I've looked at the proposal you submitted yesterday. It's well done, and I think it's quite suitable. It's just that the process needs a slight modification."

As she spoke, she waved to Mingxi, signaling her to come forward. Mingxi obediently stepped forward and came to Director Shen's side, listening attentively to Director Shen's suggestions for revision.

"The plan is generally fine, but the activities are too tightly packed together. People need some time to rest and breathe. For example, a break and chat time could be arranged between these two activities..."

Director Shen pointed to the social event plan made by Mingxi and made several adjustments to the process.

Mingxi nodded earnestly, looking like she had learned something: "Thank you for your guidance, Director. I still lack work experience and didn't pay attention to this point when I was making the plan. I'll go back and adjust it now. I will definitely pay attention to this issue next time."

Director Shen patted Mingxi on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't be nervous. This is your first time doing this kind of work. You've done a great job."

Mingxi couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth, revealing her small white teeth.

Director Shen: "Yes, there's something else I need to tell you."

Mingxi pricked up her ears and listened attentively.

Director Shen: "I see that your plan mentions needing two hosts to facilitate the event and help coordinate the various activities and transitions, right?"

Mingxi nodded: "Yes."

She said, "My plan included two people, preferably one male and one female, which would fit our theme today, but actually one person is also fine."

Director Shen raised his hand to interrupt Mingxi: "No, I think two hosts are fine, just two hosts. I've already thought of the candidates, and you're one of them."

Mingxi paused, pointed at herself, and asked uncertainly, "Me?"

She's never been a host before.

Let alone that she's never done it before, she's never been a host in either of her two lives combined. Is it really appropriate for her to host a social event?

Director Shen: "Hmm? Do you have a question?"

Mingxi raised her hand and said timidly, "Director, I have a question. I've never been a host before and have no experience. Is it really okay for me to host this kind of social event?"

"Are you questioning my decision?" Director Shen asked sternly.

Mingxi immediately cowered: "No, no, Director, I wasn't questioning you, I was questioning myself..."

Director Shen laughed out loud: "I was just joking, how could you actually believe me?"

"Haha..." Mingxi chuckled awkwardly.

It was just a joke.

So, making her the host must be a joke, right?

As if knowing what Mingxi was thinking, Director Shen said the next second, "But choosing you as the host is no joke. I've thought about it, and in our office, you have the best appearance, the best speaking skills, and the best ability to adapt to situations. You are the most suitable person to be the host of the social event."

Mingxi opened her mouth, unable to refute.

There's no way around it; she really is as outstanding as Director Shen described.

Mingxi, without realizing it, became smug again. At this moment, Director Shen continued, "I also considered your lack of hosting experience, so I specially found an experienced comrade to cooperate with you. The two of you will host the social event together."

As Director Shen spoke, the office door opened, and Mingxi's gaze followed to the doorway.

Who could be the experienced comrade?

-----------------------

Author's Note: Sorry, I haven't been feeling well these past couple of days, hence the late update (apology image).

Regular updates will resume tomorrow. I'll also be announcing a pre-sale; interested readers can check out my column and bookmark it.

"The Daily Life of a 90s Girl Gossiping"

Yu Zhen was unexpectedly bound to a gossip-eating system.

Everywhere she looked, everyone's secrets were revealed to her by the system.

[Teacher: I'm having hemorrhoid surgery tomorrow, and I'm feeling anxious.]

[My roommate has a crush on the top student from the next class, and she gets nervous when she sees him.]

[My childhood friend: I stole some of Yu Zhen's instant noodles, hopefully I won't get caught?]

It doesn't mean that she truly understood the origin of the system, and that's how she learned that her mother was hospitalized and unconscious.

To earn money for her mother's medical treatment and to catch the culprit who caused her mother's hospitalization, Mingxi drives a red Xiali taxi, one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear shift, taking over as one of the many female taxi drivers shuttling between the northern part of the city.

The unreliable gossip system became Yu Zhen's best assistant.

[Backseat passenger, destination Jinhai Hotel, objective: to catch someone cheating.]

[The passenger in the front seat is heading to the proctology department of a hospital. The objective is to remove a foreign object that was accidentally inserted into their body.]

[Visitor ahead! Car thief! Please be careful, host...]

Yu Zhen was eating melon seeds and making money at the same time, until a handsome man who spoke broken Mandarin got into her car.

The system's barrage of comments exploded.

[Passenger Shen Yu's father is connected to the case of the host's mother.]

Passenger Shen Yu found the host to be quite special.

Passenger Shen Yu likes host Yu Zhen.

Yu Zhen: "..."

What's going on?

She just wanted to follow the drama and find out who the killer was, she didn't intend to bring a man home!

Reading Guide:

A dashing wild rose from the north vs. a refined young master from the port city

The main plot revolves around catching a criminal, while the side stories involve gossiping and lighthearted humor.