Chapter 33 Three Cobblers Are Better Than Zhuge Liang
Gu Jianguo and Han Deyi were not people who had never seen the world. They had seen many people and things when they were in the army. But even when they were in the army, the families of the leaders did not spend nearly two months' allowance to buy a piece of clothing.
The two of them looked at the young man's "puffer jacket" again and couldn't help but sigh in their hearts. If it were them, they would never buy such expensive clothes.
At this moment, Gu Jianguo also gave up the idea of selling down jackets. They were too expensive. How many people would be willing to spend as much as this young man?
The three chatted for a while before going to bed. Gu Jianguo stayed awake. He wandered around Lizhou this afternoon and realized that society was truly different from before.
Many small businesses have appeared at the train station, such as those selling tea eggs, water, and even clothes and shoes. Private restaurants have also appeared on the street, and there are many snack vendors outside the cinema.
There are still many young people on the street wearing the same clothes as those he saw on the train. He now knows that the pants that look like bell-bottoms are called bell-bottoms, which are the most popular nowadays.
And the reporter in the next bed spent more than 50 yuan on a piece of clothing.
All this made him feel like a frog in a well, and the south should be more prosperous!
At this moment, he strengthened his determination to go to the south.
Han Deyi also couldn't fall asleep. Like Gu Jianguo, he was thinking about the day's experiences and felt an urge to burst out.
Gu Jianguo and Han Deyi almost didn't sleep all night, thinking about the past, looking at the present, and looking forward to the future.
The next day, they got up early, washed up, ate a few bites of pancakes with hot water, ate two eggs, and then went out for a walk again.
In reality, eating breakfast out only costs a few cents, but for them, a few cents is something they save whenever possible. There's no hardship a grown man can't endure. What they fear isn't the hardship, but the fact that even if they do, they won't be able to provide their families with a good life.
The two of them wandered around Lizhou City again, then bought tickets to go home. Sitting on the train, Han Deyi sighed and said to Gu Jianguo, "Only after I got out did I realize how ignorant I was before, and how others struggled."
Gu Jianguo also lamented that when they were in the army, they were taught to work hard for the country and the people. After retiring, they also knew that they had to fight hard, fight for their families.
But if the direction and method of struggle are wrong, in the end it will be the same as not struggling at all.
"We still have to send our children to school," Gu Jianguo said. "Look at that reporter. He graduated from university and works at a newspaper. He doesn't have to do manual labor and he looks respectable."
Then he thought about his own children, Yimin and Erhui. Even though he loved them and didn't let them do heavy work, they still had to work in the fields, exposed to the wind and sun. You can't compare people. If you do, you will feel that you are not doing your job as a father well.
"Let's prepare to go south after we get back," Gu Jianguo said, clenching his fists. "Let's go south and try to carry goods."
He made up his mind that he could no longer live like before. The country was undergoing reform and development, and he couldn't fall behind. He couldn't let his wife and children fall behind with him.
"Okay, I'll prepare when I get back." Han Deyi also made up his mind. He was young and strong at this age. If he didn't give it a try, he would not only be sorry for himself, but also for his wife and children.
The train arrived at the county town at night, so the two of them stayed at the train station for the night and took a train home early the next morning.
Gu Jianguo arrived home that afternoon, which happened to be Sunday. Gu Siqing and Gu Sanjing were also there. Seeing that he looked exhausted, Wang Yueju and her four daughters hurriedly boiled water for him to wash, and then cooked him a meal.
After a hot shower and two bowls of steaming noodles, Gu Jianguo felt he had never been happier. He pulled out the candy and apples he'd bought in Lizhou from his bag and said, "Share it among you."
In the past, not only Gu Sanjing, but also Gu Yimin and Gu Erhui would be happy if there were delicious food, but now Sanjing just took a look at the food and waited eagerly for him to tell about his experiences during this trip.
Gu Jianguo had no choice but to recount his journey. Wang Yueju and the four sisters listened intently. When they heard him mention the young reporter spending fifty-five yuan on a "pancake coat," they gasped.
Wang Yueju also said: "That's a young person who can feed the whole family. If you try with your family, you will definitely not be able to bear it."
Gu Jianguo agreed. "Deyi and I are planning to go south in a couple of days, but we won't be bringing this jacket back to sell. No one will buy it."
Wang Yueju and Gu Yimin both thought he was right, but Gu Erhui said, "That reporter would buy it, so there must be other people like him."
Gu Siqing couldn't help but give her second sister a thumbs up, she really had a business mind.
"My second sister and I have the same idea," Gu Siqing said. "For example, if you and your parents both work in the workplace, and my eldest and second sisters also have formal jobs, if they spend two months' salary on a piece of clothing, do you think it's possible?"
Gu Jianguo fell silent. If this was the case, the family must be very well-off. Although he felt a little distressed that the child spent two months' salary on a piece of clothing with his own earned money, he probably wouldn't object too much.
Seeing that they were all thinking, Gu Siqing added, “In the provincial capital, there should be many families like the ones I’m talking about.”
"It should be." Gu Erhui couldn't help but feel a little envious when she said this. The whole family had formal jobs and produced commercial grain. In her mind, such a life was almost like a fairy life.
Gu Jianguo couldn't help but face up to the intelligence of his little Si again. An eight-year-old child could see things more deeply than him. Was it really because he read too many books?
"So, what do you think? If I come across some bread and clothing in the south, should I buy it or not?" From Xiao Si's analysis, he knew it was best to discuss the matter with everyone. Three cobblers are better than one.
Gu Siqing didn't say anything, but looked at Gu Erhui. She couldn't stand out too much, after all, she was only eight years old.
She looked at Gu Erhui, causing others to look at her as well, which made Gu Erhui feel very pressured. But after thinking it over, she said, "I think it depends on how much each piece costs. If you don't make much, then there's no need."
Gu Jianguo nodded, "That's indeed the case."
"The Chinese New Year is just a few months away, and I think clothes should sell well," said Gu Yimin.
"We could import some cloth," Wang Yueju said. "Rich people buy ready-made clothes for the New Year, but ordinary people buy cloth and make their own. The cloth sold at the supply and marketing cooperative requires coupons, but if we import cloth without coupons, I think there will be a lot of people buying it."
The family sat together and discussed for a long time, and Gu Jianguo had a general idea of what goods to import from the south.
After the discussion, the four sisters took the apples to wash. Wang Yueju took out two apples and a handful of candy and gave them to Gu Siqing, "Take them to your grandma."
No matter how badly the old lady treated them, she was still Gu Jianguo's biological mother, and Wang Yueju would not do anything that would cause people to gossip.
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