"I'll pay you back fifty now, and I'll pay the rest back slowly as I earn more money," Brother Yu emphasized the word "slowly," "I'll pay you back fifty yuan every month from now on."
Lin Xiazhu: "..." It can still be finished in two years, which is not too long. The main thing is that she is not in a hurry.
"You've already started working. What are you doing now?" She knew about Yu Ge's family situation. Her mother was deaf and mute, and her younger sister could hear, but had some difficulty speaking and her pronunciation was not very clear.
After her father discovered that his daughter had speech problems, he abandoned her and her two children and ran away. He said he was going to work elsewhere, but he never came back or heard from her again.
Yu Ge's mother thought about going to find him, but she didn't know where to look. She was the only daughter in the family. Her father was old and his health was deteriorating. With the man gone, the family could only be supported by her. But as a mute, no matter how hard she tried, she was on the verge of collapse.
So Yu dropped out of school after finishing elementary school so his younger sister could go to school. He did think about going out to work, but he was too young, didn't have an ID card, and mainly didn't have anyone he knew to take him. Otherwise, he could have worked in a small factory.
Of course, the main reason was that he was worried about his family. Although his mother was mute, she was quite beautiful. His father had run away, and many unscrupulous men in the town wanted to take advantage of his mother. His grandfather was old, so no one dared to mess with him.
The family can't do without him, but there are very few job opportunities in town, and apart from doing odd jobs, he really can't find any more work to do.
"...Not yet, but don't worry, I'll find work as soon as possible, and I'll definitely pay you back." Brother Yu's tanned face was flushed, and his tone was somewhat stiff.
"Didn't Scarface compensate you? What did the Zhang brothers say?" Lin Xiazhu didn't follow up on what happened afterward, but seeing how difficult things were for Brother Yu, she asked about it.
"We had to pay some money back because we had previously stolen watermelons from the next town, as well as a goose, two ducks, and a few chickens. The goose and chickens were raised by Scarface's father." So they were in the wrong first, and Scarface refused to pay. It was only after the police intervened that he reluctantly gave them two hundred yuan.
“Don’t do these things anymore. You’re only petty thieves now. If you get bolder, you’ll be stealing pigs and cattle, and then you’ll end up in jail.” Lin Xiazhu sighed and shook her head. This kind of phenomenon is common in rural areas, all because of poverty.
Brother Yu now regrets it. In the past, he used to lead his brothers to various villages and neighboring towns every day, sneaking around to get food and drink, and he thought he was very powerful and impressive.
It wasn't until he was beaten up by Scarface and his men, and then given a lecture by the police, that he realized he had done wrong. It was like he finally saw the coffin and knew to shed tears.
"I won't do those lousy things again. I just want to find a job. I'm strong and can endure any hardship." Unfortunately, he has nowhere to use his strength.
Zhang Yu didn't want to leave Shanhe Town, but it was difficult to find work there, except for farming.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Xiazhu softened a bit. "Why don't you rent a piece of land to grow fruit trees? Can't we grow watermelons and oranges in our town?"
"I'd like to plant them, but I don't know how, and I don't have the money. I can't afford it," Zhang Yu said dejectedly, shaking her head.
If you don't know how to grow it, you can buy a few books to read and learn, and then gradually figure it out.
However, judging from Zhang Yu's expression, he clearly wasn't interested in the number of fruits planted.
"Actually, you could go collect scrap, why don't you give it a try?" In this day and age, collecting scrap is a pretty good business, and many people have made their fortunes by doing so.
Zhang Yu looked embarrassed and felt ashamed. Even if he wasn't ashamed, he didn't have any money to collect recyclables. He had given all his fifty yuan to Lin Xiazhu.
Later, Lin Xiazhu returned the fifty yuan to Zhang Yu as her initial investment, just to gamble once and give him a chance, hoping he could prove himself.
He usually collects recyclables everywhere. If it's market day on weekends and Lin Xiazhu is setting up a stall, he comes over to help. When he's not free, he asks his mother to come and help.
Lin Xiazhu told him he didn't need to do that, but he insisted. His mother, apart from not being able to speak, was very efficient and capable.
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye, and school was on summer vacation. Lin Xiazhu got up every morning to make steamed buns and dumplings. Because she had plenty of time, she also made snacks every day.
After spending a long time with her, Lin Xiazhu discovered that Zhang Yu's mother, Zhang Li, was very talented in making snacks, and the snacks she made tasted quite good.
After some thought, Lin Xiazhu made a decision. There happened to be a shop for sale next to the clothing store, so she took it over, intending to use it specifically for making snacks or stir-fries.
“Besides weekends, Chacha and I both have to go to school and don’t have the time or energy to manage the snack shop. While we’re in school, I’ll hand the shop over to you. I believe you can do a good job.” Zhang Li was hired by Yan Xin as a chef. If someone wants to order something, they can just tell Yan Xin.
Anyway, the clothing store doesn't usually have many customers, so she's quite free.
"Then wouldn't I be doing more work?" Yan Xin was unhappy, feeling that she was being taken advantage of.
"When customers order, just write it down and show it to Zhang Li. We'll eat at the restaurant for lunch and dinner, so you won't have to cook. You're getting a good deal, you know?"
Lin Xiazhu glared at Yan Xin with exasperation. "I think you haven't done farm work in a long time. You're making excuses for such a small thing. Let me tell you, since you've become a member of this family, you have to help earn money. There are so many children in the family, how much are the expenses? Who can afford the little money the clothing store earns?"
Yan Xin thought that it was enough for her to spend, but she didn't dare to say it aloud.
"You give Zhang Li two hundred yuan a month. I saw that the waitress at that restaurant on the street only gets one hundred and fifty yuan." The main issue is whether she was paid for helping out at the snack shop.
“Zhongyi is the chef. After Chacha and I went to school, the shop relied entirely on her. She must be so tired,” Lin Xiazhu couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Alright, I’ll give you a hundred yuan a month. Just work harder.”
"Really? You have to keep your word and remember to pay me when the time comes." Yan Xin was finally happy. Life is not easy, and she couldn't work for free. She had to get paid to make it perfect.
"Hey, aren't you afraid that Zhang Li will become too familiar with the shop and then open her own store and steal your business?" Yan Xin's eyes were filled with schadenfreude, as if she could already see that day.
"It doesn't matter, I don't want to spend my whole life running this snack shop." As expected, they'll be moving to the county town for junior high, and the small shop in town will have to be sold sooner or later.
What's the meaning?
"You mean you're leaving Shanhe Town?" What will happen to Lin Xiazhu and the clothing store if she leaves Shanhe Town?
She can't do it alone.
"I'm telling you, no matter where you go, don't even think about leaving me behind." Yan Xin gripped Lin Xiazhu's arm tightly, as if she would disappear if she let go.
"Let go right now, you're squeezing me until I'm bleeding. I'm definitely not leaving for the next few years, we'll talk about the future later, why are you in such a hurry?" How can someone so grown up cling to her like this? She has no independence at all.
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