Chapter 47: I'll also go to the collection of their things...
"Grandpa, in your eyes, what I said yesterday is not worth a thermos bucket worth five or six dollars?" Chen Pan had long expected his grandfather's reaction. After putting down the rag in his hand, Chen Pan turned his head to look at him.
"No, Grandpa naturally knows that what you said yesterday is quite right and valuable. But—"
Chen Aiguo frowned and wanted to explain, but Chen Pan didn't give him a chance to continue explaining.
"Grandpa, since you know all this, why are you still refusing this reward? Even if he gave me a thermos today, let alone a thousand or ten thousand, I would have accepted it. If the Qin family implements my method, their store will definitely become the best and most famous in this area. If they keep doing this, their future benefits will be very, very substantial. I gave him such a great idea and then showed him so many promotional methods. Anyone with a long-term vision and the ability to repay a favor should know how to repay it."
After all I've said, if he doesn't even say hello, doesn't even offer a genuine thank you, do you think I'll continue dealing with him? Will I even talk to him about any other money-making schemes? And this thermos is just the first token of my gratitude. If he actually makes money later, but doesn't offer any other tokens, thinking he can get rid of me with just a five or six dollar thermos, then that's all he'll be in my eyes, and his vision and achievements will only go so far."
Chen Pan was very grateful for Qin Yang's care for her in her previous life. In order to respond to the special care in her previous life, she planned to thank Qin Yang.
But all the gratitude ended when she reminded the other party to take her mother to the hospital for a check-up in advance.
In the future, whether they buy the other party's shop or the other party replaces the windows and covers the exterior walls of their family, the money and goods should be settled and it should be a unique social etiquette in this life.
If her family doesn't give his family 9,000 yuan, will Qin Yang's family give her a free shop?
If his grandfather and Uncle Wang at the door had not come to help every now and then when the Qin family was building the house, would the Qin family really be so quick and willing to replace the windows and paste the exterior walls?
"Grandpa, you're right. People should be upright and honest. We shouldn't be looked down upon by others just because we are greedy for petty gains. But at the same time, after we have truly helped others, we should also accept the rewards they give us with an open mind, because we deserve it. I gave him such a good idea, and he should thank me in this way."
His grandfather didn't say anything, but Chen Pan, who had been trapped in the grocery store for the past few days, became more and more excited.
After she finished speaking, she picked up the rag next to her and wiped the stainless steel thermos on her hand again.
“…”
Chen Aiguo was completely at a loss after hearing her remarks.
After a long time, he slowly found his voice: "Okay, if you don't want to give it to me, then don't give it to me. You deserve it, then you deserve it."
He vaguely felt that his granddaughter seemed to be very different now, and he also vaguely sensed a hint of inexplicable anger from her. Or perhaps it was the resentment that she was trapped and unable to go out during the holiday. Now Chen Aiguo really took it seriously.
Anyway, after hesitating for a while, Chen Aiguo finally said, "Well, Panpan, you continue to watch over me. Grandpa is going to buy groceries."
"Hmm!" Chen Pan, who had suddenly lost his temper when he saw the money his grandfather handed over, gradually came to his senses at this time.
He turned around and nodded gently to his grandfather, then Chen Pan started working obediently as usual.
Just at this time another customer came, and Chen Pan immediately put down the rag in his hand and hurried to sell the goods.
After Chen Pan finished serving the customer, he looked up and found that his grandfather had already ridden away on his half-worn bicycle, panting.
He looked at the half-worn bicycle under the other person's butt, the two large bamboo frames mounted on the back of the other person's bicycle, and his slightly hunched back in a sky blue shirt.
At this moment, Chen Pan finally understood why he was so excited, so - so angry.
Because when he was in contact with the Qin family just now, Chen Pan suddenly found that his grandfather ran too fast, was too nice, too attentive, or in other words, he tried to please the Qin family too much and too humbly.
Chen Pan admitted that her grandparents were rare good people in their Qingshui Village.
Because I have lived in the countryside for a long time, I have become accustomed to the mutual help and cooperative system of farming there.
So they are used to it, and they will help others when they have problems.
Today I watered the Wang and Yang families’ plants so that when something happens at my house later, I can get help from others.
Today I'm driving your dogs and cows back. If you see my dogs and sheep coming out later, please drive them back for me as well.
Today I covered the wheat and rapeseed in front of your house. When I go out later and the weather is bad, please also collect the wheat and rapeseed in front of my house.
Today I brought back the child who was playing outside your house. If you see my child playing in the dangerous mountains and by the river, you will probably bring my child back too.
Since you are not going out to work today, I will help you take care of your mother and children. If something happens to my family later, please take care of my mother and children as well.
This is the key to rural areas, where everyone helps each other and respects the elderly and loves the young.
The true purpose here is mutual assistance. It means I help you, and you help me back. Everyone abides by this rule and interacts with each other as equals.
In rural areas, almost everyone with a normal brain interacts like this.
But his grandfather's attitude towards the Qin family was obviously too excessive and too attentive.
Even though their family has bought the Qin family's shop, his grandfather still seems to have the mentality of a tenant.
Moreover, his tenant mentality is not the kind of tenant mentality that Chen Pan had in his previous life, which is that I give you money, so I am the legal tenant of this house and I am protected by the law.
His grandfather's tenant mentality seemed to be the same as that of a farmhand in the old society towards a landlord.
The Qin family was building a house, and he ran up and down there spontaneously every day.
The Qin family had a shipment, and before his mother even came near, his grandfather had already quickly run under the van.
Whenever someone gives him something, he becomes extremely nervous, as if he is afraid that if he accepts the gift, others will look down on him and secretly despise him.
It was clearly her who came up with the idea, so the Qin family should repay her and thank her.
But Chen Pan saw a feeling of indifference and fear and uneasiness from the attitudes of his grandfather and Qin Yang's mother.
Chen Pan had no way to express his feelings correctly.
But what she just said to her grandfather was true. She felt at ease accepting this thermos tea bucket today.
And if the Qin family thought they could get rid of her with just a thermos, they were wrong.
Chen Pan was in his shop, lost in thought.
In the Qin family shop, Jiang Wenwu's mother next door had just received a call from her son announcing the good news. She was now at the Qin family thanking Qin Yang and asking Qin Yang what the advertising design company her son mentioned did.
Chen Aiguo, who was riding a bicycle to the vegetable market, was thinking about what his granddaughter had just said.
The words "should" and "I deserve it" that his granddaughter said were unfamiliar to Chen Aiguo. Chen Aiguo had a vague idea of why his granddaughter was angry.
As he pedaled the bicycle one step at a time, Chen Aiguo gradually felt a different feeling in his heart.
Slowly, he vaguely understood that it was right for the Qin family to thank their family for what happened today.
Gradually, he seemed to understand his granddaughter's toughness and self-righteousness.
In fact, if one's own financial and family conditions are not really good, who would live so cautiously and passionately?
His son passed away early, leaving the family with only a granddaughter who was unexpectedly given by God.
For their future and their granddaughter's future, they tried their best to suppress their temper and build good relationships with all the neighbors when they were in the village.
Their relations with their elder brother, younger brother, brother-in-law and elder brother-in-law, who had quarreled with them in the past, have gradually smoothed over the years.
After all, they had rented the Qin family's house when they arrived in Liuping Town. To avoid the Qin family suddenly raising the rent, suddenly refusing to rent the house to them, or suddenly becoming disgusted with them, he and his wife had subconsciously tried to please everyone around them since they arrived.
It just so happened that the Qin mother and son were also nice to them, so they felt more at ease trying to please them.
They are afraid of being looked down upon, afraid of being suddenly bullied by others, afraid that they are not good enough and others will not help them when they have something to do, or afraid that if something happens at home there will be no one around to help them.
They have always been subconsciously cautious, living in fear, and practicing the principle of being polite and kind to others.
What "should", what "I deserve", what "If he just wants to use a thermos bucket to send me away today, then he is just that in my eyes."
All of these seemed unfamiliar to Chen Aiguo.
If his granddaughter had said something like this in front of him before, Chen Aiguo would have refuted her without hesitation, telling her, "Who do you think you are, and who are we? What do you think you deserve to be thanked by others? Do you still look down on others? Do they need your respect? What ability do you have to look down on others? How much is your contempt and disappointment worth in the eyes of others?"
If it were in the past, Chen Aiguo would definitely say this and would definitely let his granddaughter see clearly his own strength and their family background.
But at this moment, I was thinking about the look on my granddaughter's face when she said that just now.
Thinking about my granddaughter's self-righteous look.
Thinking about how she talked so much yesterday and the boy from the Qin family could only listen attentively.
Gradually, Chen Aiguo's bent waist suddenly straightened up little by little.
At the next downward intersection, Chen Aiguo, who had been subconsciously bending over, speaking and acting cautiously, being timid and cautious all his life, stood there.
As the car sped down, he subconsciously straightened his body, just like he did when he was young. He also subconsciously exhaled the peculiar turbid air that had been pent up in his chest for nearly ten to twenty years.
After buying all the vegetables and meat at the market, Chen Aiguo went to a public telephone booth at the entrance of the market to call home.
Of course, his family didn't have a telephone, so the call was made to the supply and marketing cooperative, which then asked someone from outside to go to his house to call him.
So after Chen Aiguo finished the call, he waited for a while.
After seven or eight minutes, he called again.
"Brother Chen, my sister-in-law hasn't come yet. She must be on her way or not at home yet. Do you want to call me later, or ask my sister-in-law to call you back? If you can, you can tell me what happened and I will tell her later."
Chen Aiguo used to have a good relationship with the cooperative's owner, who was only four or five years his junior. When he was assigned to the Qingshui Village cooperative, he was still a young man in his early twenties. Now, twenty years later, the once-young Du has gradually become known as Lao Du or Uncle Du.
If it were in the past, Chen Aiguo would not want to trouble the other party, nor would he want to tell the other party about his own affairs, and he would definitely not let the other party pass on the message.
But now, looking at the 28-inch truck beside him filled with cabbage, green peppers, pork, and beef, Chen Aiguo suddenly said, "It's nothing serious. I just wanted to ask when she'll be back after a week. I'm thinking of doing some sweet fermented rice wine business here, and I'd also like her to bring me two bags of peeled oats and highland barley!"
"Well, ask her when she'll be back, and I'll get you two bags of peeled oats and barley. Got it, got it. I've got it all down. It looks like your business is doing well out there, brother."
At three or four o'clock, business is slow no matter where you are.
When the supply and marketing cooperative owner saw that there was no one in the store, he subconsciously started chatting with Chen Aiguo.
Whether or not to allow them to pass on messages or write notes sometimes actually indicates whether they are worthy of the other party's trust.
It is right not to tell them some private words or private matters.
But like what I just said, you can actually let them convey it.
Anyway, Chen Aiguo's actions today made Lao Du feel a little bit of trust for the first time in a long time, so he started to have a good chat with Chen Aiguo.
"No matter how good my place is, it's definitely not as good as yours. But to be honest, life these days is much better than back home in the village. If you're on a business trip or visiting relatives in Liuping one day, you can come sit with me. I'll treat you to some of my sesame cakes!"
"That's great! We haven't sat together for a drink in a while, we can clink glasses then!"
"really!"
The brotherhood we had before seemed to come back all of a sudden.
Thinking back to when the other party first came to Qinghe Village, Chen Aiguo was the first one to become friends with him, and Chen Aiguo even learned how to use an abacus from him.
At this moment, the gap of more than ten years between the two of them seemed to disappear suddenly with a gust of wind and a layer of gauze.
The conversation between the two was finally interrupted by Xu Chunhua who came hurriedly.
Seeing the real owner coming over, the 45-year-old Lao Du hurriedly spoke to Chen Aiguo and immediately handed the phone over.
"When will I go back? There's a market the day after tomorrow, isn't there? I want to go there and visit my parents. I'll be back right after I see them. So what? I've only been gone for a week, and you're already gone?"
Grandma Chen looked at Old Du in the distance, smiled subconsciously, and felt embarrassed.
Old-fashioned microphones don’t have very good sound insulation, or rather, people nowadays are used to shouting when they make phone calls, as if the person on the other end can’t hear them at all.
Anyway, at this moment, Lao Du, who had already walked to the common people's area, clearly heard Lao Chen's loud voice inside.
"I'm not anxious, but Panpan is. The child finally has summer vacation, and I'm afraid if we keep her locked up all the time, she'll go crazy sooner or later."
"What are you talking about? How can you talk like that? Did Panpan complain to you?"
"No, she's such a well-behaved child, she wouldn't really say what's on her mind. But she's been getting more and more impatient lately, maybe she can't stand it any longer."
"Then tell her in advance that I'll go to the market the day after tomorrow, visit my great-grandmother and great-grandfather, and then take the bus back from Chenjia Town. Alas, I originally wanted to leave home the day after tomorrow."
"No, no, then just follow your normal steps. It's rare for you to take a break, so we can't rush you too much. Panpan still has a lot of vacation time left, so as long as we talk to her nicely, she'll understand. By the way, Panpan said that in this kind of weather we should make some sweet mash to sell. The sweet mash you make is so delicious, I think I can give it a try too.
Why don't you talk to Yongyi, Yongqiang, and the others over the next couple of days and ask them to get us some peeled highland barley and naked oats. If they find it troublesome to get them themselves, they can go to the neighbors and collect them. A lot of people are doing this lately, so if you give them a little money, they should be willing to share some with us."
"Just two bags? If we really do that, will two bags be enough?"
"You can get three bags, too. We don't know if anyone out there will buy this, and it's not a good idea to get too many at once, so let's try two or three bags first. Yongqiang and his team will be delivering noodles and oil in a couple of days. You can talk to them and maybe you can come back with them then."
"That's fine, I'll go ask later."
…
With money in hand, Chen Aiguo and Xu Chunhua seemed to have changed their approach to phone calls. In the past, they'd immediately check the time on their phones, fearing they'd waste a dime or two talking too much. But today, they simply held onto the phone and chatted for a long time, seemingly oblivious to the waste.
Even before the call ended, Chen Aiguo took the initiative to remind her, "It's rare for you to come to the supply and marketing cooperative. You might as well buy all the things for your mother's family today so that you don't have to come back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
"Too!"
Xu Chunhua agreed verbally, and after hanging up the phone, she really started to stroll around the supply and marketing cooperative.
The supply and marketing cooperative in Qingshui Village was the largest store in the area. Using the rural practice of counting shops one by one, there were a total of eight shops. Behind the cooperative was a particularly large courtyard with specialized warehouses and storage areas.
Even though there are other small shops in Qingshui Village, the supply and marketing cooperative in Qingshui Village is still the largest and has the most comprehensive range of goods among the nearby villages.
While talking and laughing with Lao Du, whom she had known for a long time, Xu Chunhua bought a lot of things here that day.
There are thin Dacron shirts with blue and white small floral patterns, black trousers for men and women, Hardman cigarettes smoked by the old man, beautiful scarves liked by young wives, white short-sleeved shirts worn by middle-aged men, beautiful hairpins liked by children, and small water guns liked by little boys.
There was also a loose shirt with red flowers that suited her. Feeling that her pants were not suitable for going back to her parents' home, Xu Chunhua also bought herself a pair of thin white pants with a special style.
Now that I have the pants, it seems I should buy a pair of shoes as well.
When buying shoes for myself, I looked at the new leather sandals with holes that had arrived from the supply and marketing cooperative.
Thinking that if she only bought a scarf for her sister-in-law, she might not be happy, Grandma Chen, under the promotion of Lao Du, simply waved her hand and not only chose a pair of suitable black sandals for herself, but also a pair of brown shoes for her mother and a pair of suitable beige sandals for her sister-in-law.
As for her brother, Xu Chunhua didn't plan to buy it.
"My dad never likes the shoes I buy him. This time I'm going to take him to the market and let him choose for himself."
"That's fine, then why don't you buy one or two for Panpan and Brother Chen?"
Seeing her spending so much, Boss Du was also very happy. He was happy that his old friends' lives had finally improved, and he was also happy that they were spending lavishly with him, which made him earn money.
Although he knew in his heart that it was wrong, out of his businessman instinct, he still mentioned Panpan and Chen Aiguo, hoping that the sister-in-law across the street would buy some more.
"I'll also go to the market to buy their things. My daughter Panpan has never worn a skirt, so I plan to buy her one at the market this time. As for my old man, I plan to pick out some lighter-colored clothes for him. If you don't have anything suitable here, I'll go to the market to buy them. If there's nothing suitable at the market, I'll buy them for them in Liuping. The shop next to ours specializes in selling clothes and shoes, and the small shop next to my house also sells clothes."
While Lao Du was counting his own bills and packing his things, Grandma Chen was counting her own bills in her mind while chatting with him.
Looking at the pile of things on the counter and seeing Lao Du's enthusiastic smile and saying "That's fine", Xu Chunhua felt truly happy for the first time in a long time.
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The author has something to say: Thank you all for the nutrient solution, muah!
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