“Don’t you know what kind of work Kui Datou does? It’s a job where you risk your life. People like that wouldn’t even look down on ordinary small jobs. Do you think he would give up his lucrative business to become a lobbyist in some factory?” Zuo’s mother slapped Zuo Yan’s head twice in exasperation: “How could there be such a stupid thing as you?”
“This factory is bound to have a bright future, otherwise he wouldn’t have gone there. If you ask people about it now, won’t they look down on you for no reason?”
"I see..." Zuo Yan scratched his head, realizing that his mother made sense.
Seeing Zuo Yan's appearance, Zuo's mother sighed. Well, this child is probably hopeless.
"Fine, just do your job well."
"Alright!"
Courtyard
The courtyard house is brightly decorated and bustling with activity today.
This is the first time Wang Shouren has returned since moving out; it has been more than a month.
I saw that the old man was still guarding the door.
Wang Shouren walked over and asked, "Third Uncle, have you eaten?"
The old man was startled by the sudden question, and after looking at the sky, he was speechless.
"I said, you're back, so come back. Don't make a scene. It's already past seven o'clock. If you come any later, I'll be going to bed soon."
"Hehe." Wang Shouren chuckled. "What's up? Is there some good news in the courtyard?"
"There really is one," the third uncle said cheerfully. "Shazhu got married."
"Huh? That's quite novel. You're not holding a grudge against yourself anymore?"
The third uncle paused for a moment, then gave Wang Shouren a thumbs up: "You were right, weren't you? You're just being stubborn with yourself. What's up, something's up when you got back?"
“I do have something to discuss with an old man. I see he's quite free, so I'd like to find him something to do.” Wang Shouren chuckled, “See you later.”
"Hey, wait, wait..." The third uncle stopped Wang Shouren.
"how?"
"I'm pretty free too, old man. Do you have anything I can do?"
Wang Shouren looked the old man up and down. To be honest, in recent years, with nothing to do, the old man had also started practicing Tai Chi with an old man, and his physical condition was indeed quite good.
He thought for a moment and asked, "What kind of business are you looking to do? Speculation?"
"Speculation and profiteering?" The old man's eyes lit up.
In fact, quite a few people in Beijing have already made a fortune from this, and it's said that the authorities have already loosened restrictions. It's practically an open secret, but whether they'll back out is hard to say. However, as a cultured person, he clearly understands that the greater the risk, the greater the potential profit.
After a slight hesitation, he asked, "Is the risk high?"
"Look at you, would I introduce you to something high-risk? You know Qin Family Village, right?"
"Huh? What?"
"Go to Qin Family Village and find Huai Ru. She will take care of things for you."
"Qin Family Village? What's in that poor village?" The third uncle looked at Wang Shouren with a puzzled expression.
"Oh, you'll see when you get there. I can't keep arguing with you any longer, I have to go and discuss something with an old man, see you later."
"Hey, it's really true, Qin Family Village..."
"Old man, what are you muttering to yourself?" Auntie San came out and saw Uncle San muttering to himself.
A while ago, Uncle San went around asking if anyone was selling their house, and he did make some money from Wang Shouren. However, Uncle San's information network was limited to Nanluoguxiang; beyond that, there was nothing. These days, not everyone wants to sell their house; most people sell because they want to move out. So, without income, the old man started to get restless.
"Wang Shouren has just arrived."
"What? He knows Shazhu is getting married and is here to sabotage it?" The third aunt frowned. "Tell him that Shazhu has it tough too, he's over forty..."
"Go away, go away, go away." The third uncle waved his hand irritably. "He has never taken Sha Zhu seriously. If Sha Zhu hadn't provoked him, he wouldn't have bothered with him. In the end, he's just a cook. In times of famine, he was the envy of many, but as life gets better, who would envy a cook? He said he came back to discuss something with the first uncle."
"I reckon they saw that Lao Yi was too idle and wanted to find him something to do. They were afraid that Lao Yi would get sick from being idle."
"That's true. Old Yi, he's become quite restless since he retired. He was much more energetic when he was working," the third aunt said with a sense of agreement. She then nudged the third uncle: "Hey, how's it going? Has he introduced you to any good opportunities?"
"Yes, he did. He wanted me to engage in speculation and profiteering."
"What?!"
"Go away, go away, don't make a fuss. The policy has been relaxed now. It's not that serious anymore. As long as you don't get your hands on those contraband items, you'll be fine."
"So what did he ask you to sell?" After hearing what Uncle San said, Aunt San thought about it and realized it made sense. There were always a lot of people at the pigeon market nearby. Sometimes, they even set up their stalls openly during the day.
"I don't know. He told me to go to Qin Family Village to find Qin Huairu. But isn't Qin Family Village just a poor village?"
"Are you stupid, old man? Qin Huairu is someone else's woman. Where there's a woman, there's bound to be something good. Why don't you ride your bicycle there tomorrow and see for yourself?"
The old man hesitated for a moment; “That road is not easy to travel, and my bicycle…”
The old man's bicycle, supposedly a secondhand item he acquired back in the 1950s, has stood firm for nearly thirty years, still as sturdy as ever. It must be said, the old man's maintenance skills are truly exceptional.
"Go take a look. If it doesn't work out, we'll just get a new one. We've got plenty of money!" The three women waved their hands dismissively, completely disregarding the value of money.
"Alright then." The old man gritted his teeth, nodded fiercely, and glanced at his old partner leaning against the wall. He was about to put all his strength into it!
At an old man's house, the couple had finished their meal. The old woman was knitting clothes, while the old man, wearing glasses, was reading a book. Perhaps he was getting a little bored, he sighed, turned a page, sighed again, and turned another page.
"Hey old man, can you stop sighing all the time?" an older woman said, sounding annoyed.
"I feel uneasy." An old man put down the book in his hand, as if ants were crawling on his body.
Since retiring, he's been like this. The first few months were alright, but after a few months, he started to feel bored. Anyone who can reach level 8 is bound to be obsessed, so suddenly having nothing to do is really quite boring. It's like someone who's used to eating delicacies suddenly losing them; the daily grind of simple meals is indeed disheartening.
Now, the only thing that calms his mind for him is practicing Tai Chi every morning.
"Knock knock knock!" There was a knock on the door. An old man sprang to his feet and rushed to the door.
An older woman: ...
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