Thirty-four Business Tourism

Just as Li Wei was ambitiously planning her hair accessory business, her father, Li Zhaoxing, resigned from his job at the winery.

The whole thing started with the construction of a house in my family.

In this era, having a stable job, even if it's under collective ownership, is a rare privilege, especially since Li Zhaoxing's salary level is quite good for the local area. Therefore, making this decision was not without difficulty.

However, seeing his wife Cheng Min running around like a spinning top every day, finding carpenters, bricklayers, and electricians, and buying raw materials such as wood, bricks, and sand, Li Zhaoxing, being a very conscientious man, couldn't bring himself to ask for leave. The couple discussed it all night and had a long talk with Mr. Cheng Enjiu, and finally decided to resign.

Li Zhaoxing used to read newspapers and listen to the radio regularly, knowing that many people were going into business, especially in the south, and quite a few were succeeding. Now, their family income was practically rolling in money, while his own monthly salary was incomparable to his wife's. Over time, any man would start to have reservations. Therefore, after careful consideration, he made this decision. And Cheng Min's burden was immediately lightened by more than half.

Li Zhaoxing had worked in sales for many years and was capable and reliable, earning him a good reputation. So, he took charge of building the house for his family. The couple would discuss things in the evening and he would go out to work during the day. The busier he was, the more energetic he became.

Because the Li family had ample funds and their personnel were well-organized, Li Zhaoxing estimated that the house would be completed around the National Day holiday. The whole family was overjoyed.

Li Wei was too busy with the family's excitement to participate. Every day, she sorted through the fabric scraps, categorizing them according to the requirements for the hair ornaments, and then took them to Aunt Lin's house for cutting. Li Wei was too lazy to make any excuses, but fortunately, Aunt Lin just thought she was running errands for her grandfather, and still praised Li Wei for being capable.

As for Wu Feng's mother, seeing how Li Wei, a child, could help adults receive and inspect goods, do accounting, and give instructions on the work, she was extremely envious. Whenever she had free time, she would educate her daughter Wu Feng: "Xiao Feng, don't always go out and run around with Li Lin. Learn more from Li Wei. Not only is she good at studying, but she also does things in a very proper way. Listen to your mother, get closer to Li Wei. That way, you'll be successful when you grow up, do you hear me!"

Wu Feng's ears were calloused from all the talking. At first, she could still listen to her mother finish speaking, but after a while, she became impatient. As soon as she saw her mother about to lecture her, she would run away immediately.

Her mother stomped her feet in anger and cursed, "You good-for-nothing, just like your father!"

Moreover, after such a long period of supervision, the children are generally able to listen in class, complete their homework on time after school, and then practice martial arts, play the piano, herd livestock, and play games. They can all distinguish between primary and secondary tasks. Occasionally, a few will misbehave and become defiant. Li Wei will slap them on the buttocks without saying a word, and they will usually behave. As for those who are not obedient, such as Luo Er, she will pick them up and beat them until they admit their mistakes. This violent suppression method is surprisingly efficient, to the point that Li Wei basically doesn't need to spend any more time, effort, or words on ideological education.

Of course. The neighbors almost universally condoned Li Wei's behavior. It was convenient to have someone disciplining the child, which made things easier for them, and much more effective than disciplining her themselves. Li Wei didn't care whether the adults liked it or not. Since she was going to study and play in her house, she had to behave. Otherwise, get out!

That's how Miss Li confidently disciplined the little brats.

The changes are obvious. Erpangzi is now neatly dressed and doesn't have a runny nose as often. He speaks to people more politely than his older brother, Dajunzi, who is in the same grade. As for Luo Da and Luo Er, they're even better. Grandma Luo hardly needs to supervise them anymore; she can basically let go. And Wu Feng, who was originally timid, speaks loudly and is more lively both in and out of class…

In short, all the children in the neighborhood are outstanding and well-known students at school.

Now, the current homeroom teacher, Ms. Zhang, treats Li Wei and her classmates who skipped grades quite differently from her previous two teachers. Perhaps it's because she's older, but she's more tolerant and approachable, making Li Wei feel more comfortable. At least she doesn't have to constantly be on standby to nip their misbehavior in the bud. So, things are much easier for her.

On the first weekend of the new semester, I originally planned to go to the free market with Luo Da to deliver the five hundred hair clips, but Li Lianhui and Luo Er insisted on coming along. Then Li Lin and Wu Feng also stared longingly. Helpless, Li Wei shouted, "Five minutes! Go change your clothes. Whoever is late will not be taken."

The children scattered like birds and beasts; except for Luo Da and Luo Er, their clothes were all at Li Wei's house.

Before setting off, Li Wei divided the two bags of hair accessories that she and Luo Da had originally packed into three separate bags. Not satisfied, she took over a hundred more. Li Lianhui carried the extra bags.

Upon arriving in town, since the bus station was close to the construction site where their house was being built, Li Wei took the children to visit the site. She didn't dare let them approach, just watching from the side. The foundation was already laid, and the bricklayers were busy building walls, creating a lively scene. In the short time it took to walk there, Li Lin, whose legs were as nimble as her tongue, pulled Gu Liwei along, and the group expanded again.

Li Wei didn't care about having too much debt or too many lice, but before getting on the bus, she reiterated the organizational discipline: all actions must be in accordance with orders!

Only after making sure everyone seriously agreed to obey did I board the old bus.

The time was arranged with Dong Hui, but Dong Hui had already arrived when Li Wei got there. Today, the voluptuous, middle-aged Dong Hui wasn't wearing her floral dress, but a floral shirt and white pants. Looking at the floral shirt, Li Wei thought to herself that this woman was quite passionate and lustful.

Standing on the roadside of the free market, Dong Hui saw Li Wei and her group of children coming from afar and warmly greeted them.

Not counting this time, Dong Hui had only met Li Wei twice, but she always felt something was off. Instinctively, she believed that these hair accessories were sold by children at the behest of adults, but she had never seen any adults show up. Even this time, the little girl was the one who made the decision to order so many hair accessories, which gave Dong Hui a strange feeling, a feeling of not being valued, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

When Li Wei arrived in front of her, she opened all three bags without saying a word, letting the customer choose. She had previously agreed with the customer that if she liked something, she could buy it, but if she didn't, she could leave it at that. So she was still a little worried.

While selecting hair accessories, Dong Hui temporarily put aside her unhappiness and focused on her work. Halfway through her selection, several other women arrived, inquiring about prices and making their own choices. This forced Dong Hui to speed up her process, quickly selecting fifty accessories—a total of five hundred. After packing them up and paying, Dong Hui hesitated for a moment before saying to Li Wei, "Li Wei, do you have a phone? Could you leave your number for me? I can contact your parents anytime I need more."

Li Wei instructed Luo Da and Li Lin to watch the stall, then pulled Dong Hui aside and whispered, "Aunt Dong, my family doesn't have a phone right now, and neither do our neighbors. But I do know our school's phone number; I'll write it down for you later. Before that, I wanted to talk to you about something. My mom told me to ask you if you could sell some to other places, like convenience stores or shops, and we'd give you a better price. Like your convenience store, how many convenience stores are there in the city? And how many are like yours located near schools? Selling it yourself versus having them sell it for you is a completely different story. You can think about it and give me a call as soon as possible. If you agree, we can meet next weekend to discuss it in detail. If you don't agree, we'll start selling to those places ourselves as soon as possible. My family is also quite busy and short-handed, which is why I'm planning to cooperate with you. What do you think? Oh... here's our school's phone number." Li Wei handed Dong Hui the school's phone number that she had prepared beforehand.

It's so inconvenient not having a telephone. There isn't even a public phone in town; you have to go to the post office to make a call. At this time, installing a private landline isn't about money; it's a matter of rank. Only leaders at the bureau level or above are eligible to install personal phones. Unbelievable!

Holding the small piece of paper with the phone number written on it, Dong Hui was momentarily stunned. Her convenience store was doing brisk business; she hadn't thought that far ahead. Precisely because she understood the challenges of running a small shop, she was somewhat tempted by Li Wei's suggestion. Using her connections wasn't out of the question. But that was only true for small-scale ventures. If it were a serious, large-scale undertaking, it seemed... well, her current partner was a bit too small.

Dong Hui was a straightforward person. After a moment's thought, she said to Li Wei, "Li Wei, it's not that I don't trust you, but this is no small matter. Why don't you have your father or mother come and talk to us?"

Being a child has its advantages and disadvantages. Although you can sometimes throw tantrums and act spoiled, no one will believe you when it really matters!

However, once Li Wei made up her mind to run the hair accessory business properly, she didn't intend to argue with Dong Hui. She thought to herself, "I'm just asking you to be an agent, why all the fuss?" She had only used her mother's name as a pretext to avoid trouble explaining herself, but now she was being straightforward: "Aunt Dong, to be honest, my parents both have their own things to do. This hair accessory business is mine. You can talk to me about it. If you really don't trust me, then forget it. I'll find someone else to wholesale to you soon." After saying this, Li Wei turned and went to help Li Lin and the others serve customers.

Dong Hui, who prided herself on having seen a bit of the world, was still astonished by Li Wei's words. Looking at Li Wei's busy little figure, she couldn't believe that a child could run a business and make money. She herself, an employee of a company under the health bureau, ran a small shop at home, which was the envy of all her office colleagues. Now, compared to this child, she was nothing. She was certain that this child earned more from selling her hair accessories than she did retail.

Dong Hui was momentarily taken aback, standing there staring blankly at Li Wei for a long while. Then she realized something: selling Li Wei's hair accessories would make her money, and not selling them wouldn't result in any loss. She decided to give it a try; there was no harm in it anyway.

So in the end, Dong Hui and Li Wei not only exchanged phone numbers, but also agreed to meet at the same place next week to discuss things in more detail. She needed to go back and check on the situation. Then Dong Hui left carrying a large bag of newly bought hair accessories.

Years later, Li Wei asked Dong Hui, "Back then, you had a good grasp of the market and had made connections with several organizations, so why didn't you produce your own hair accessories and sell them yourself?"

Dong Hui sighed, "Isn't it because I can't bear to leave that job?"

"You have to give to receive"—this is a golden rule.

Perhaps it was Dong Hui's good luck that day, but the extra hair accessories Li Wei brought weren't enough to sell, and they were all sold out before noon. Li Wei was overjoyed, and immediately took a group of children to a grocery store to buy snacks, fruits, sausages, braised food, and other food, which she packed into the three bags that originally contained the hair accessories, planning to go for a walk and picnic in the park.

Luo Er, Wu Feng, and others were shopping for the first time, looking around with the curiosity of country bumpkins visiting the Grand View Garden, their faces full of excitement. Li Lin, in particular, was chattering away, wanting to buy this and that. If Li Wei hadn't rejected some of her unreasonable requests, she would have used her sister's bank card.

As Li Wei left the store, she suddenly remembered Ding Anni, who lived not far away. The little girl was usually quite strict at home and didn't go out much, so she was rather lonely. Actually, aside from being a bit vain and prone to jealousy and showing off, Ding Anni was a good-natured girl once you got to know her. She had met Ding Anni twice during the summer vacation, and both times were pleasant.

Li Wei took a group of children to Ding Anni's house again. This time, it wasn't their nanny who opened the door, but a woman with an elegant demeanor and refined attire. She glanced at the group of children at the door, then looked down at Li Wei, who was leading the group, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Li Wei felt uncomfortable under her gaze: "My name is Li Wei. We're looking for Ding Anni to go to the park. Auntie, are you Ding Anni's mother?"

The woman glanced at Li Wei a few more times. Li Wei was dressed for ease of movement today, wearing white knee-length shorts, white socks, red sandals, a light red short-sleeved T-shirt, a white sun hat, and a small crossbody wallet. She was fair-skinned and looked quite fashionable, not at all like the stereotypical country girl. The woman had heard her daughter mention Li Wei before, and politely invited them in. Before Li Wei could speak, the woman said with an air of authority and brooking no refusal, "Please sit down. I have something I'd like to ask you."

Seeing that the woman showed no intention of letting the other children sit, and noticing the woman's condescending attitude, Li Wei said, "I won't sit, Auntie. Just ask me whatever you need."

Just as the woman was about to speak, Ding Anni came running out cheerfully: "Hey—, Li Wei, you finally came to find me..."

Before she could finish speaking, her mother scolded her sternly, "Annie, go inside and play."

Ding Anni was clearly afraid of her mother, but she was also reluctant to part with so many friends who had come all at once, so she lingered unhappily.

Her mother's face turned completely cold: "Go inside and play. Don't make me say it a third time."

Ding Anni went into her room, feeling sullen and extremely reluctant.

The woman then turned to Li Wei: "Cheng Fei is your aunt, right? Go back and pass on a message to your aunt for me. Tell her that it's impossible for her to be with my Anping. My son will graduate and start working next year, while she's just taking the college entrance exam. Don't let it interfere with her studies. Do you understand?"

Li Wei never expected to run into her aunt's wicked mother-in-law. Her previously warm smile turned cold: "I think it's Uncle Ding who's pursuing my aunt now. You should ask Uncle Ding, oh, I mean Ding Anping, first. As for passing on messages, you can do that yourself. I'm very busy. It seems Auntie won't let Annie go out to play with us country kids. Well, we're leaving now, goodbye!"

Ignoring the woman's livid face, Li Wei turned and left. This was her aunt's future trouble; let her aunt worry about it. There was no need for her to fawn over someone who wouldn't listen.

After walking quite a distance from Ding Anni's house, Li Wei remained silent, as did the children. Li Wei noticed the awkward atmosphere and, wanting to enjoy herself, decided not to let a few words from a snobbish woman upset her. She composed herself and announced loudly, "Let's go to the park to see Grandma Wolf and the Tiger!"

Children are easily infected, and the gloomy atmosphere was swept away. They ate, drank, and played happily all afternoon. It was the first time for several children to go to the park, and they were as joyful as birds released from their cages. Even Luo Da, who considered himself a smart kid, couldn't stop smiling all the way. By the time they got home by car, it was already evening. None of them showed any signs of fatigue. They reluctantly went home to their respective mothers.

The most exhausted was Li Wei, not physically, but mentally. "Sigh, taking care of children is really hard," she sighed. "While others can play carefree, I have to be constantly careful not to lose one of them. It's inhuman work! I should try to organize fewer large group activities like this in the future; it's such a waste of time and money." Lying on the kang (heated brick bed), Li Wei grumbled, not wanting to move.

Achoo! Achoo!

Several children who had returned home sneezed a few times.