Chapter 29 Jinjiang's Exclusive Aunt
"What are you standing there for? Come over here quickly, it will be dark soon and it will be difficult to wash."
Tong Dahua looked at Aunt Liu and asked, puzzled.
Although it is very hot during the day, the water gets a bit cool after the sun goes down.
"Oh, oh." Aunt Liu was conflicted. She was worried about offending someone, but she was also afraid that if what Sister Wang said was true, it would put her and her daughter in a terrible situation.
Jiang Xiaotao pulled her a couple of steps upstream and said, "Mom, let's wash here."
Although they were still huddled together, the water flowed towards Su Ruyi, so any dirt wouldn't get on her.
Although Aunt Liu was still a little worried, she didn't say anything more, but just winked at Jiang Xiaotao, telling her to stay away for a while.
As Aunt Liu took off her clothes, she casually remarked:
"Qiaoqiao, I saw you girls going to the market in town early this morning, but I didn't see you there."
Aunt Liu's mention of this only made Zhang Qiaoqiao, Zhang Sisi, and Wang Huiting exchange glances and burst into laughter, looking like mice stealing oil.
They were so happy today; it turns out that making money isn't as difficult as they thought.
Although I didn't have much of a chance to sit down all day and was mostly standing or walking around, and my legs are a little sore now, I still feel very happy.
Although they don't know exactly how much money they'll make yet, it's the first time they've received so much money, and with the costs already set, and the selling price two to three times higher than the costs, they're bound to make a profit.
Jiang Xiaotao asked, puzzled, "Qiaoqiao, what's wrong with you two?"
This clearly indicates a secret. As Zhang Qiaoqiao's best friend, she felt terrible that she knew nothing about it.
Tong Dahua smiled and said, "These kids went to town to do business today."
The town is only so big, and many people in the village are related to people in the town. Moreover, many people go to the town now, and the children sell things in a bustling area, so they are easily seen. There is no need to hide it.
"Doing business? What kind of business can a few kids do?"
Zhang Sisi is a quick talker: "Selling hairbands and hair clips! Sister Tingting bought a lot of pretty accessories wholesale, so we took them to sell at the market!"
Because they sell different things—where Aunt Liu lives, people sell vegetables, chickens, ducks, and the like—they definitely can't go to those places where they sell those kinds of things.
Later, they went to other places to sell their products, so they didn't bump into each other.
Zhang Qiaoqiao said to Jiang Xiaotao, "Xiaotao, after you take a shower, come to my house. I'll give you a hair clip. Didn't you like a hair clip before but didn't want to buy it? We have the hair clip you want there."
Wang Huiting had already discussed with the sisters today that she would give them a commission, ranging from two cents to two dimes depending on the category.
Zhang Qiaoqiao and Zhang Sisi sold quite a lot today; they should be able to earn two or three yuan without any problem.
Jiang Xiaotao usually shares good things with her, and Zhang Qiaoqiao always returns them. However, her family's situation is not as good as Jiang's, so the things she gives are definitely not as good as Jiang Xiaotao's.
She had always wanted to make up for it, but her abilities were limited. Now she finally had the chance.
The hair clips were quite expensive to buy; they were set with very fine diamonds, making them gorgeous and beautiful. Each one cost 1.5 yuan, and they would sell for at least 2 or 3 yuan. They were even more expensive in boutiques, and Wang Huiting only bought about 20 of them.
At first, the shopkeeper was unwilling to give her the wholesale price, and it took a lot of haggling before she finally agreed on a price.
When Zhang Qiaoqiao came back today, she discussed with Wang Huiting that she wanted to buy one, and Wang Huiting generously gave her the wholesale price.
Jiang Xiaotao's eyes lit up immediately: "Really? Is this okay? It's too expensive!"
"Your birthday is in a few days, this is your birthday present."
Zhang Qiaoqiao ate a birthday cake for the first time when Jiang Xiaotao celebrated her birthday last year. It was a cake that Jiang Xiaotao's father specially bought from the provincial capital, and it even had Jiang Xiaotao's name written on it.
They'd never seen anything like this in their village before. It was only in recent years, when conditions had improved and some families in the village had bought televisions, that they saw it on TV.
The Jiang family is wealthy and bought a television a long time ago. The three Zhang children are frequent visitors. Ever since the Jiang family bought the television, they would go to their house to watch TV almost every night. Jiang Xiaotao even reserved a special spot for them.
"Ahhh, Qiaoqiao, you're so amazing!!"
Jiang Xiaotao excitedly plunged into the water, splashing countless droplets that also splashed onto the shore.
Aunt Liu scolded angrily, "Jiang Xiaotao, how old are you to still be acting like this? Your clothes are about to get soaked!"
Jiang Xiaotao didn't care and just laughed heartily.
She really wanted that hair clip and even asked her mom if she could skip the cake but still wanted the hair clip. Her mom scolded her, saying that she was too young to like dressing up and didn't like that habit.
Seeing the children chatting away, sharing their day's experiences, Aunt Liu knew, no matter how much she liked to overthink, that what Sister Wang was saying was baseless.
"Do these little things make that much money? I heard from the villagers that they saw the children bring back a lot of things."
When Tong Dahua brought this up, she wanted to both brag and complain; she couldn't keep anything to herself.
“These kids are so greedy. They want to spend all the money they earn. Now that they're older, they don't like us helping them collect their New Year's money. Every time we help them collect their money, they pout so much they could hang an oil lamp on their lips. It's not that we want to steal their money. They're so extravagant. If we don't collect it, they'll squander it all in a day.”
Aunt Liu also had a lot to say about this.
The New Year's money is supposed to be for the children, but it's really out of respect for the adults. The children are happy to receive it, but the adults are expected to give something in return.
If their family is better off, it's fine; they don't rely on the children's New Year's money. But for families in difficulty, if they don't receive the money, they can't even return it.
But because their family was well-off, and both their husband's and her own relatives were successful, they were generous with the New Year's money they gave. Jiang Xiaotao was also a big spender, so she always accepted it all.
When she was little, it was fine; I would just give her whatever she wanted. But now that she's older, she throws a tantrum every time.
The two started with this topic, but soon drifted off to other things, their conversation going quite far.
Aunt Liu had almost forgotten about Su Ruyi, and it took her a while to come back to her senses.
"Oh dear, I almost forgot about the important thing!"
Aunt Liu was now convinced that the outsiders were just spreading rumors. She had gathered a lot of information from the occasional additions from Tong Dahua and Wang Huiting.
Su Ruyi also played a part in Wang Huiting's business success; she's just a smart woman.
In the past, Tong Dahua didn't mention Su Ruyi and Su Ying much to avoid suspicion, since they were divorced. She was afraid that mentioning them too much would make people think that she preferred Tong Aihua's ex-wife and was dissatisfied with her current wife.
But seeing how well Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting get along now shows that Li Mei doesn't mind at all, and she also knows that Li Mei called Su Ying for help before.
Therefore, there were no taboos, and they praised Su Ying and Su Ruyi lavishly.
Given Su Ruyi's background, how could she possibly be the kind of person who acts recklessly? She just finished her college entrance exams.
After spending a brief time together, Aunt Liu became even more certain that Su Ruyi was a good girl and not the kind of person who would go astray because of vanity.
After listening to Zhang Qiaoqiao share her day's experiences, Jiang Xiaotao really wanted to join in, but Su Ruyi made the decision and agreed.
The town is so small; if there's one more person, it will take away some of our customers.
Aunt Liu also runs a small business and knows the ins and outs of it very well.
But Su Ruyi didn't care, saying it wouldn't affect them.
This shows that this person is not only generous, but she must also have other ways to make money. She doesn't value this small business that much, otherwise, who would complain about having too much money?
"What's wrong?"
Aunt Liu thought for a moment, then pulled Tong Dahua aside and glanced at Su Ruyi, who was swimming happily and not paying any attention to them.
She whispered, "I have something to tell you, so don't get angry right away."
Seeing her acting mysteriously, Tong Dahua also became serious: "What's wrong?"
Aunt Liu repeated everything Sister Wang had just said, and Tong Dahua's eyes widened in shock. She roared:
"Go to hell! How can these people be so despicable!"
Aunt Liu didn't have time to cover her mouth and immediately felt a little regretful, worried that she would get herself into trouble.
Tong Dahua isn't usually this assertive, but her family situation prevents her from standing up straight.
I never expected that I would swear so much for my niece whom I was meeting for the first time.
The group of people on the other side also heard the commotion and turned their attention over.
Tong Dahua was furious. Spreading such lies was like driving someone to their death!
"No, I have to tear Wang Juhua's mouth apart! How could she be so despicable! She has a daughter too, doesn't she fear retribution falling on her daughter's head!"
Tong Dahua could tolerate being taken advantage of in other situations, but she couldn't bear something as serious as this, even with her gentle nature.
Tong Dahua has been in charge of the household for several years now, handling all the big and small matters both inside and outside the home. She has also become much more efficient and decisive than before.
You can bully her, but when it comes to bullying children, Tong Dahua will fight to the death every time.
It was because of her temper—that she would chase people with a kitchen knife when pushed to the limit—that her family wasn't completely crushed in the village.
As she spoke, she tried to go ashore, but Aunt Liu stopped her, lowering her voice to say:
"You're in such a hurry, your niece will be in big trouble if she finds out."
Su Ruyi swam quite far just now. Whether in this life or her previous life, she was a good swimmer.
The river here is relatively calm, so we dare to venture deeper into the water.
Hearing Tong Dahua suddenly shout curses, he was curious about what was going on, so he quickly swam back.
Zhang Qiaoqiao: "Mom, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing. Your Aunt Liu is just telling me about something that happened in Yu Family Village next door. We adults are talking, so don't come over here."
Tong Dahua immediately realized that these words could not be allowed to reach Su Ruyi's ears; the young girl could not bear such rumors.
Zhang Qiaoqiao was suspicious, but seeing that her mother seemed fine, and that they sometimes got into heated arguments and would grumble at each other, she didn't say anything and went off to play with her friends.
At her age, she no longer likes to stay with her parents and prefers to play with her girlfriends.
Su Ruyi glanced at Tong Dahua and felt that things were not so simple, but since the other party was unwilling to talk about it, she would not press for details.
After getting home and putting her things down, Tong Dahua grabbed a rolling pin and went out.
Wang Huiting asked curiously, "What is Auntie doing taking a rolling pin out so late at night?"
Zhang Sisi: "My mom said that Aunt Zhao's rolling pin broke and she's borrowing it from us."
Wang Huiting asked casually and didn't take it to heart. She excitedly pulled her friends back into the house to count the money.
Su Ruyi watched Tong Dahua's departing figure without saying anything, and went with everyone to count the money.
"How much money do you have?" Wang Huiting asked excitedly, her face flushed.
Zhang Qiaoqiao felt her hand tremble slightly: "Eighty-seven yuan and fifty cents."
She's never handled so much money in her life! Her biggest expense is usually tuition, but her mother is always worried that it might get lost or stolen on the way, so she always takes her with her to pay it.
"I have 94.8 yuan here, which adds up to 182.3 yuan! Oh my god!"
Wang Huiting screamed uncontrollably, "So much money!"
She knew today's earnings would be substantial, but seeing so much money made her so happy she didn't know what to do. So she hugged Zhang Sisi and spun around the room.
Zhang Shitou was in the yard helping Wang Huiting make a box with Zhang Dagui when he was startled and shuddered.
Zhang Dagui glanced towards the house. Although he didn't know what was wrong with the girls, he was happy along with them.
The house used to feel like it was weighed down by a heavy object, and the children were always trembling with fear. Now, seeing how lively they are, Zhang Dagui is happy too.
It took Wang Huiting a while to calm down: "Qiaoqiao, Sisi, you two are so capable!"
The ninety-odd yuan she had in her hand included some of the money she and her sister had sold together.
Aside from being initially overwhelmed, I quickly adapted to the rhythm and was able to handle it all by myself.
Wang Huiting discovered that some girls knew they had good stuff and came all the way there. After discussing it, the two sisters decided to sell it elsewhere on their own.
When the two sisters left, Wang Huiting had already been selling t-shirts for two hours, and that was in the busiest part of the market.
But in the end, the two sisters sold about the same number as he did.
Because Zhang Sisi is still young, the two sisters acted together and did not separate.
Zhang Qiaoqiao smiled and said, "I know the town better than you do, and I know where to sell it. Besides, I have classmates in town, and they help promote it."
"Anyway, you two are the heroes!" Wang Huiting said, taking out eighteen yuan and handing it to the two sisters. "This is your commission for today."
Zhang Qiaoqiao and Zhang Sisi were both stunned. They thought they had sold well today and should have received a lot of commission, but they didn't expect it to be this much!
The two sisters didn't dare take it at all, and Zhang Qiaoqiao pushed the money back, saying, "This is too much."
Wang Huiting stuffed the money directly into Zhang Qiaoqiao's hand: "What's so much? We already agreed beforehand that it was originally seventeen yuan and seventy cents, and I only added three cents. It's all thanks to your own hard work."
Don't underestimate these small items; they're all incredibly profitable, typically sold for three or four times the original price.
Wang Huiting just did a rough calculation. After deducting the commissions of the Zhang sisters and Su Ruyi's share, she earned nearly fifty yuan today!
What a terrifying number!
However, this is because there is no rent, and costs such as transportation expenses are not included.
Su Ruyi couldn't stand the back-and-forth pushing and said, "Take it. We're all sisters. Let's make money together."
Wang Huiting: "That's right, my sister and I always keep clear accounts."
The Zhang sisters then accepted the money, both of them extremely excited yet feeling a sense of unreality.
"If we sell like this every day, we'd make five or six hundred a month!" Zhang Sisi was calculating very quickly at this moment.
The sisters' eyes lit up. This was more than many workers could earn these days. No wonder so many people are starting businesses now!
This money is too easy to make!
Wang Huiting was even happier. Although the commission she gave to the Zhang sisters was not low, she could earn money without doing anything, which was almost like giving it away for free.
So Jiang Xiaotao was tempted, and both she and Su Ruyi agreed to her joining.
Wang Huiting had already made up her mind. The town was only so big, so she wouldn't go there to join the crowds; she would go to the provincial capital to sell her goods.
Today's success has emboldened her.
Since I'm not going back anytime soon anyway, I might as well make some money here first.
"Sis, are you really free to come with me to the provincial capital tomorrow? Don't we need to go and keep an eye on the plastics factory?"
Although Wang Huiting was ambitious and wanted to make a big splash in the provincial capital, she also knew that the provincial capital was not safe.
She hadn't forgotten what happened when she encountered the thugs.
Su Ruyi: "I'll go over after the samples are ready."
"That's good. That way we won't run into each other selling together. I'm still a little hesitant to go to the provincial capital alone."
“If I leave you alone, I won’t be able to explain it to your mother later.”
These days, big cities are actually more chaotic because they're a melting pot of all sorts of people. Smaller places, on the other hand, are much safer because everyone's related or connected. However, if there's a local tyrant or bully, that's a different story altogether.
The sisters were still dreaming about how much money they could earn tomorrow when Jiang Xiaotao rushed in.
Zhang Qiaoqiao: "Xiao Tao, I've been waiting for you. Why are you only arriving now?"
Jiang Xiaotao was about to say something, but after glancing at Su Ruyi, she swallowed her words.
"It's all my mom's fault. She kept bringing this up and dragged it out until now."
Su Ruyi raised an eyebrow, sensing that something had happened.
I could hear a commotion in the distance, but because of the distance, I couldn't make out the details clearly.
Wang Huiting curiously peeked out the window, but the Zhang sisters were not surprised.
Zhang Qiaoqiao: "Don't bother with it, there's a disturbance in our village almost every night."
Wang Huiting asked in surprise, "Your village is so lively now? It's never been like this before!"
"Since the road was built, the situation in the village has been getting better and better, but there are also more and more conflicts."
"Why?" Wang Huiting asked, puzzled.
Zhang Qiaoqiao: "Who knows?"
Jiang Xiaotao: "I know, my dad said it's because people are restless. Some people have picked up bad habits from outside and brought those bad influences back to the village. There used to be very few gamblers in our village, but now there are quite a few."
Now many factories have been built nearby, and it's close to the provincial capital, so there are more ways to make money than before. But some people are not satisfied and don't want to work hard, so they think about taking crooked paths.
Jiang Xiaotao happily took the hair clip and left, and made an appointment to go out and sell things together the next day.
The Zhang sisters took her with them first, and then they split up to act separately.
Jiang Xiaotao had already walked several steps out of the courtyard, but she couldn't help turning back and saying to Su Ruyi:
"Sister Ruyi, if you hear any gossip outside, don't get angry. Those people are just jealous. They have a sharp tongue and can't stand to see others doing well."
Because everyone has changed a lot in recent years, there are always those who don't work hard themselves but are envious of others.
Their family has always been well-off, and there are many men in the family, all of whom are tall and strong and have bad tempers, so no one says anything.
However, those families who were previously looked down upon are now easily slandered when their lives begin to change.
Wang Huiting: "What did she mean by that? Why didn't she explain herself before leaving?"
Su Ruyi roughly guessed what was going on, and she said that she felt strange today.
Whether decades later or now, attacks on a woman almost always involve 'sexual humiliation'.
When Su Ruyi went to university and lived outside, some people spread rumors about her behind her back.
Some people believe she's being kept by a sugar daddy, which is why she's always staying out all night. Others claim to have seen her enter a hotel with a much older man.
At that time, she didn't understand the ins and outs, and even went to prove it herself by hanging the property certificate directly on the confession wall.
The rumors only escalated, with claims that her sugar daddy bought her a house, and that the evidence was irrefutable. The man even shamelessly flaunted it to others, which infuriated Su Ruyi.
Su Ruyi immediately followed the clues and went to find someone to fight.
She has always been fierce, not because she has strength, but because she always weighs the pros and cons. She only dares to fight when she gets carried away.
When she encountered similar situations again, she simply resorted to legal means, since she had both money and free time.
Instead of taking matters into her own hands, she pays others to vent her anger on her behalf.
When Tong Dahua returned, she was trembling all over, her hair was completely messed up, her forehead was covered in sweat, and the rolling pin in her hand was cracked.
Su Ruyi felt a mix of emotions: "Aunt, why didn't you call me when you went to fight?"
“I can manage on my own…” Tong Dahua realized, “What nonsense are you talking about, child? When did I go to fight? I don’t have any enemies.”
Su Ruyi smiled at her, and Tong Dahua, seeing her expression, knew she couldn't hide it anymore and sighed deeply.
"It's all my fault for being useless and dragging you down. I'm so sorry."
Why would those people spread rumors about a strange girl? It's just because they look down on their family.
Their family has been eating better lately, and I don't know how many people have been talking behind their backs.
Su Ruyi was just an outlet for their dissatisfaction. After all, she was just a little girl, what could she do?
The Zhang family was still a poor family in the village and was often ridiculed, which made them act recklessly.
Otherwise, if it were the Jiang family, who would dare to spread rumors? They would be eager to curry favor with them, hoping that even a little bit of information leaked from the driver would be a huge profit.
Their family was looked down upon, and Su Ruyi was also looked down upon, with people making all sorts of malicious assumptions about her.
The reason why Tong Aihua used to come over whenever she had free time was that she wanted the villagers to know that the Zhang family wasn't without members.
“Aunt, how can you blame yourself? They are the ones who are vicious.”
Looking at her aunt, who looked much older than her actual age, Su Ruyi understood even more why her father had such a good relationship with her aunt's family.
Tong Dahua is clearly not a strong person. She usually tolerates things as much as possible, but for the sake of her family, she becomes like a fighter.
Upon hearing this, Tong Dahua felt even more embarrassed and guilty.
She wanted to get closer to her niece, but given the environment in the village, her niece had finally managed to come over, and yet she was being slandered like this!
If it were anyone else, they would definitely complain about her, their aunt.
Tong Dahua is attached to the place where she grew up, but many times she also wants to leave.
Especially after the road opened, there are more and more opportunities. Farmers can no longer rely solely on the land for survival as they did before, and that feeling is becoming increasingly difficult to suppress.
Tong Dahua: "If anyone dares to talk nonsense from now on, Auntie will tear their mouths apart!"
Su Ruyi laughed: "Aunt, if you call me then, I can really tear their mouths apart."
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