Chapter 68 Doing Some Small Business

Shu Yu had something to say to the old lady, and Lu Sanzhu standing there was really an eyesore.

She handed him two steamed buns, and Lu Sanzhu, as if afraid she would change her mind, stuffed the buns into his pocket and turned to run away.

After he disappeared from sight, the old lady said, "It's true that one thing can subdue another. It's rare to see the third son so well-behaved."

Shu Yu poured her a glass of water and told Da Hu and San Ya to eat slowly before saying, "Third Uncle may not have any other redeeming qualities, but he's quite adept at reading people."

The old lady smiled and finished eating all the buns in her hand.

She hadn't eaten meat buns in a long time, and she couldn't resist just now.

Shu Yu handed her another one, but the old lady waved her hand, "That's enough, I don't want any more. Er Ya, you said you had something to discuss with me, what is it?"

"I'd like to ask, what is your family's main source of income?"

Source of income? The old lady didn't immediately understand this question.

He paused for a moment before saying, "You mean how exactly our family makes money, right?"

Shu Yu nodded, and the old lady didn't hide anything from her, "Our family used to have seven or eight acres of land, but we've sold off a few acres over the years. Especially after your father broke his leg, we needed a lot of money to treat it, so now we only have three acres left."

The three acres of land were managed by the old lady and Madam Ruan.

Both of them were very hardworking, but no matter how hard they worked, there was only so much food left, and after paying taxes, there wasn't much left.

“Besides this land, your mother and I do some needlework to supplement our income. Your father has bad legs and can't work in the fields, so he stays at home. He used to be an apprentice for a few years and knows some carpentry. He makes small wooden parts to sell, but he can't go up the mountain to cut wood, so he has to buy it. So he doesn't earn much. Plus, with his condition, he can't sit for long periods, otherwise his legs will go numb and it will be even more troublesome, so he works slowly.”

Shu Yu understood that although the Lu family now cultivated three acres of land, it probably wasn't enough to feed themselves.

The rest of the work consisted of needlework and small wooden crafts, which didn't earn much. The family's living expenses, Lu Erbai's medical expenses, and even the travel expenses to find his missing daughter were all covered.

The old lady finished speaking, her face also filled with worry.

Although they were confident that things would get better once their second son's leg was healed, she had also heard from Dr. Xu that even if his leg recovered, it wouldn't be as flexible as before.

With only a few able-bodied people in the family, life will likely remain difficult.

After a moment of contemplation, Shu Yu said, "Grandma, have you ever thought about renting out those few acres of land and starting our own small business?"

"A small business?" The old woman paused for a moment, then shook her head. "No, your mother and I don't have any skills, we only know how to farm. This small business isn't so easy to do. Besides, it requires capital. Our family can't even come up with a hundred copper coins right now."

"How can you say you don't have any skills? Aren't you and your mother very good at needlework?"

"I only sew and mend clothes. Your mother is good at needlework, but she's nowhere near as good as the embroiderers in the city. She can manage to repair a simple handkerchief or fan, but nothing else is presentable."

The old lady waved her hands repeatedly, feeling that Shu Yu's idea was somewhat naive.

But Shu Yu said, "That's not important. It doesn't matter if Mother's embroidery skills are not as good as the embroiderers, but I have seen her mending clothes and her skills are very skillful and beautiful. That's enough."

(End of this chapter)