Chapter 28: How is this different from usury?
Ji Yushu slept very soundly this time. He had hardly slept a wink for nearly a whole day and night on the train. On the first night, he still didn't dare to sleep too soundly due to various worries. It was not until tonight that he dared to fall into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Ji Yushu woke up at dawn. He was still thinking about the goods he would get from the stall. His hands subconsciously touched the pocket sewn on his underwear. It was this touch that made him feel something was wrong. He quickly sat up from the bed and looked down at the purse on his underwear with unwilling hope. The purse was still there, but the money inside was gone. His face turned pale.
He hurried to the next door and knocked. After a long while, Zhao Dacheng's confused voice came from inside. He was yawning as he opened the door: "What's wrong? Brother Ji."
"Brother Zhao, my money, all my money is gone, what should I do?" Ji Yushu gestured incoherently. He was hoping that Zhao Dacheng, who was familiar with the place, could help him find a solution.
"What did you say?" Zhao Dacheng suddenly looked up at him, looking more anxious than him.
"What's going on? Tell me slowly." Zhao Dacheng pulled him into the house.
"I don't know either. He was fine last night, but disappeared when I woke up in the morning." Ji Yushu's eyes were red and his voice was choked with sobs. A grown man was about to cry. This was a loan he had taken out. How long would it take him to save up 5,000 yuan?
"Is there something wrong in the room? Ask the boss first. If that doesn't work, you can only call the police." Zhao Dacheng comforted.
Ji Yushu had lost his backbone at this point. He followed Zhao Dacheng to find the boss, and the two of them chatted a lot in Cantonese. He didn't understand a word. Finally, Zhao Dacheng looked at him helplessly and said, "The boss said that this matter is not his responsibility and there is nothing he can do to help."
"What should I do?" Ji Yushu was a little desperate, and he looked like he would collapse at any time.
"Let's go to the Public Security Bureau to report the case." Zhao Dacheng said and patted his shoulder.
After filing a case at the Public Security Bureau, Ji Yushu slowly regained some of his sanity while waiting. He looked at Zhao Dacheng next to him and asked, "Brother Zhao, did you hear any noise last night?"
"Brother Ji, you know, I drank last night and slept too deeply, so I didn't hear anything." Zhao Dacheng looked at him apologetically.
"Oh, what did the police say just now? Is there a chance to get it back?" Ji Yushu had the last glimmer of hope in his heart.
Zhao Dacheng looked at him hesitantly, and finally said, "You must prepare for the worst."
Ji Yushu really wanted to die at this moment. He only knew that there were motorcycle gangs in Guangzhou, but he didn't expect that there were also thieves with sophisticated methods. He muttered to himself: "Why did I sleep so soundly? I didn't sleep like this yesterday."
"Someone from the police will go with us to check it out later. They suspect that the man drugged you, which is why you slept so soundly." Zhao Dacheng said.
"So that's how it is." Ji Yushu's face was filled with sudden enlightenment. He said that he didn't feel anything at all.
Sure enough, after the police searched his room, they found a bit of cigarette ash at the door, confirming their guess. They also found the mark outside the door. The police told him that he must have been targeted early in the morning.
"What does this mean?" Ji Yushu was a little confused.
"Before committing a crime, these people would scout the area and mark it with symbols that only they understand to make it easier for them to act." The police explained to him in somewhat broken Mandarin.
"So what should I do next?" Ji Yushu looked at Zhao Dacheng in confusion. Had he been targeted this early in the morning? He glanced at the symbol on the ground. He had no idea when it was drawn there.
"Wait, all you can do is wait for news. Judging from their methods, they should be veterans and are very skilled in committing crimes. Brother Ji, what are your plans?" Zhao Dacheng asked.
"Brother Zhao, can you lend me some money? I can't just come to Guangzhou for the first time." Ji Yushu made a decision quickly. No matter whether the lost money could be found or not, he had to gain something from this trip to Guangzhou.
Zhao Dacheng obviously didn't expect him to borrow money from him. He paused for a few seconds, and after a long while, he said, "Brother Ji, are you borrowing money to buy the goods?"
"Well, I saw so many things yesterday and I'm going to get them today." Ji Yushu became more determined as he spoke. Since he was already here, he couldn't go back empty-handed.
"It's not impossible to borrow money from you, but you know I'm also here to pick up the goods, so I probably can't lend you much." Zhao Dacheng looked embarrassed.
"How much can you lend me, Brother Zhao?" Ji Yushu looked at him expectantly.
"I only have five hundred extra dollars." Zhao Dacheng made a five gesture.
"Five hundred?" Ji Yushu was a little disappointed. Five hundred was too little.
"Yes, if you really want to borrow, I can help you get it, but you have to pay interest." Zhao Dacheng looked at him hesitantly.
"Usury?" Ji Yushu asked unwillingly.
"It's not usury, it's just a little higher than the interest rate at the business office. He happens to be in Guangzhou these two days. I can help you contact him if you want." After Zhao Dacheng said this, he looked at him, waiting for his decision.
"Yes, I want it." Ji Yushu made the decision without much hesitation.
He stared at Zhao Dacheng, who was on the phone, and a trace of doubt flashed through his mind. Was what happened last night really a coincidence? Why did they steal only his and not Zhao Dacheng's? He began to doubt.
About half an hour later, Zhao Dacheng's friend arrived. He had a tattoo on his arm and greeted Zhao Dacheng cheerfully. Zhao Dacheng briefly explained what happened last night. The tattooed man came outside with a serious expression. He immediately noticed the mark on the ground and said, "You might have been targeted the moment you arrived. Isn't this brother acting too nervous?"
"Yes, a little bit." Zhao Dacheng nodded.
"That's it. He probably thought you two were together. Seeing how nervous he was, he guessed the money was with him, so he let you escape." The brother with the tattooed arms analyzed.
"Is there any hope of getting it back in this situation?" Ji Yushu held the last glimmer of hope in his heart.
"It's difficult. You can tell from the looks of it that he's a veteran. You have to be careful next time and not act too nervous, otherwise those people will see through it at a glance." The big brother with the tattooed arms imparted his experience to him.
"Brother Liu, what do you think about borrowing money?" Zhao Dacheng asked for him.
"We have been friends for so many years. Now that you have asked, how can I refuse? But as usual, you have to write an IOU and the time." The brother with the flowery arms patted Zhao Dacheng's shoulder.
"Of course, Brother Ji, you have no objection, right?" Zhao Dacheng looked at Ji Yushu.
"No problem, of course no problem. Then do I have to come to Guangzhou when I pay back the money?" Ji Yushu asked.
"Of course not. Our Brother Liu has a wide range of business." Zhao Dacheng said with a smile.
When Ji Yushu saw the IOU brought by Brother Huabi, his eyes widened. With such interest, he still said it was not usury. Seeing him stop, Zhao Dacheng was a little puzzled: "Brother Ji?"
"Brother Zhao, isn't this interest rate a bit too high?" The smile on Ji Yushu's face was a little forced.
"Brother Ji, if you think it's too high, it's okay if you don't lend it to me." The brother with the tattooed arms didn't seem to mind that he thought it was too expensive.
Zhao Dacheng pulled Ji Yushu to the side and whispered, "Brother Ji, this is the rule in the underworld. Just be straightforward and tell me whether you want to borrow it or not. Don't be so hesitant." By the end of his words, his tone was already filled with disgust.
Ji Yushu gritted his teeth and said, "I understand, Brother Zhao, then I'll borrow two thousand first." He originally wanted to borrow five thousand, but the interest rate made him discouraged.
"Okay, then fill in the number on the IOU. If you ask me, you are too timid. You can pay back the money tomorrow. This is just one day's interest. How much can it be? How much does it cost for you to go to Guangzhou and back?" Zhao Dacheng said and shook his head.
Ji Yushu, who had already picked up the pen, couldn't help but pause, thinking that what he said seemed to make sense. He could pay the money back tomorrow, and even if the interest was high, it would only be for one day. Thinking of this, he pulled a smile at the corner of his lips: "Brother Zhao, you are right. I'll borrow a little more."
So Ji Yushu, who had just lost more than 5,000 yuan, went to the stall with the 5,000 yuan he had just borrowed. This time he was very cautious when buying goods. For things like single-player tapes, thanks to Jiang Yulan having mentioned them to him at the beginning, he knew more about these things than other things.
It was already afternoon when Ji Yushu finished picking up the goods. He returned to the hotel with two large bags. This time, he didn't dare to go out easily, so he asked Zhao Dacheng to buy him two steamed buns. When he went to bed at night, he moved his bed directly to the door to block it. He remained vigilant even when sleeping. In this way, he endured the whole night and finally made it to dawn.
Seeing him like this, Zhao Dacheng was a little surprised: "You didn't sleep all night?"
Ji Yushu scratched his hair a little embarrassedly: "Well, after what happened, I dare not sleep anymore."
"Then I don't have to think about you all the time. Let's go. After checking out, we should go to the train station." Zhao Dacheng was also carrying two big bags in his hands. These were women's bags. Recently, there has been a trend of women's bags in Yuncheng.
Ji Yushu didn't say anything. He didn't dare to be careless this time. This was all his savings now. Moreover, this money was obtained by mortgaging the iron factory's house. He had to return the money to the business office and get the property certificate back before his family found out.
Sitting on the train, the long journey began again. Ji Yushu's eyes were bloodshot, but he still didn't dare to close them to rest. Zhao Dacheng next to him was snoring in his sleep. He looked at him with some jealousy. How come he was the one who was robbed?
*
Ji Yuanping and Chen Guilan came to the factory to cause trouble for Jiang Yulan after the holiday. Jiang Lili heard that the aunt next door had taken over the document. She looked at Jiang Yulan in surprise: "Grandpa and grandma are causing trouble for you, why didn't you tell me? Is it because of my changing my last name?"
"That's no big deal. They can't argue with me." Jiang Yulan said nonchalantly.
"Why are they here?" Jiang Lili was a little surprised.
"Judging from their tone, Ji Yushu should have gone to Guangzhou." Jiang Yulan guessed.
"Did you go to Guangzhou to get the goods?" Jiang Lili was a little surprised. Where did he get the money? In the plot, the first batch of funds for his business came from his family savings and a loan guaranteed by Jiang Jianyi.
"Probably." Jiang Yulan nodded.
"He's quite fast." Jiang Lili was a little curious. Without the support of the Jiang family this time, could Ji Yushu still successfully become the richest man?
"It's been several days, he should be back. I guess he doesn't have time to make a fuss about this now." Jiang Yulan guessed.
"Maybe, Mom. Grandpa said he would take us to visit the toy factory. When are we going?" Jiang Lili did not forget this.
"Let's go to your uncle's house later and ask him yourself, why haven't you given up yet?" Jiang Yulan asked her with a smile.
"Not really, I just want to go and take a look." Jiang Lili shook her head. She felt that it was only a matter of time before the toy factory was sold, but there was no need to tell them about it for the time being.
"Although many people have been laid off there, the factory is still operating normally. Your grandfather needs to confirm with them before he can take you in." Jiang Yulan said.
"Oh, okay, then let's go to my uncle's place now." Jiang Lili said that she was not in a hurry, but her body honestly urged Jiang Yulan.
Just as Jiang Yulan guessed, Ji Yushu really didn't have the energy to argue with them about changing his surname. The return train ride was nearly forty hours long, and Ji Yushu still didn't dare close his eyes. The moment he got off the train, he felt like he was about to lose his balance and felt dizzy. It was Zhao Dacheng who was standing next to him who supported him and said, "Brother Ji, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Brother Zhao. How should I pay back Brother Liu's money?" Ji Yushu didn't borrow money from him. If he borrowed money for one more day, he would have to pay one more day's interest.
"Just give it to me and I'll pass it on to you." Zhao Dacheng said.
"Where is the IOU?" Ji Yushu asked hurriedly.
"Don't worry, when the time comes, you will definitely hand over the money and the IOU at the same time." Zhao Dacheng signaled him not to worry.
"That's good. Then let's meet at the business office this afternoon?" Ji Yushu felt distressed when he thought that the deposit certificate would be withdrawn to pay off the debt before it was even warm.
"Okay, then you go back and have a good rest. Your eyes are as red as a rabbit's." Zhao Dacheng persuaded.
"Okay, I got it, Brother Zhao, don't forget to come to the business office in the afternoon." Ji Yushu, who was still worried after walking two steps, turned around and shouted again.
"I understand." Zhao Dacheng nodded at him.
When Ji Yushu returned to the iron factory, he frightened Chen Guilan: "Second Brother, what happened to you?"
"Nothing, let me sleep for a while, remember to wake me up at two o'clock." Ji Yushu said as he carried his pile of things and went straight back to the small room that was separated for him. He was so sleepy that he didn't want to move even though his body was sticky. He just lay down on the bed and fell asleep in less than two minutes.
"The second brother is like he's fleeing from disaster. I don't know if his trip will go smoothly." Chen Guilan looked worried. She was more worried about whether he had been cheated. Unfortunately, he couldn't answer her now.
"I guess he didn't sleep a wink on the train. Let's talk about it after he wakes up." Ji Yuanping guessed the reason why he was tired.
At half past one, Chen Guilan went to wake Ji Yushu up. He was sleeping so soundly that he suddenly opened his eyes when Chen Guilan reached out and pushed him. He looked around with a vigilant look on his face. Only when he saw familiar people and scenery did he completely relax. "Mom, what's wrong?"
"Didn't you ask me to wake you up, saying you had something to do this afternoon?" Chen Guilan said, moving closer to him and asking mysteriously, "Second Brother, is Guangzhou very lively?"
Thinking of the five thousand yuan that was stolen from him, Ji Yushu had no good feelings towards Guangzhou, so he looked at Chen Guilan unhappily: "Why are you asking this?"
"Just asking. Next time you go, take me with you. I, your mother, have never been to such a far place in my life." Chen Guilan's eyes were full of longing.
"Let's talk about it later. I'm going to take a shower first. I have some important things to do later." Ji Yushu said as he went to the stove, picked up the teapot and poured it into the bucket. He could then take a shower directly after adding cold water.
"Okay, okay, I'll do as you say." Chen Guilan nodded quickly. She told herself that there would be many more opportunities in the future.
Ji Yushu had just finished taking a shower when Ji Mingyue came back on her bicycle: "I heard my dad is back?"
"Mingyue, are you looking for me?" Ji Yushu changed into clean clothes again and felt refreshed all over.
"Dad, you're back?" Seeing him, Ji Mingyue's face was full of joy. He went to Guangzhou, so he should bring something back for her, right?
"Well, you're not here during the holidays?" He was a little surprised.
"No, I'm staying with my mother these two days." Ji Mingyue replied.
"Didn't we just buy this car a few days ago? How did it become like this?" Looking at the black spots on the car body, Ji Yushu's tone was a little displeased.
"I don't know either. Lili had a fight with me about changing the surname that day, and my car became like this after school?" Ji Mingyue didn't expect that the old couple were so useless. They went to the cotton mill and made a scene, but Jiang Yulan's work was not affected at all.
"Lili changed her surname. What surname did she change to?" Ji Yushu was a little confused.
"She said her last name is Jiang now." Ji Mingyue said in a low voice.
"There's no rush. I need to go to your mother's place. You just stay here. No one else is allowed to go to my room, okay?" Ji Yushu reminded him. He was afraid that Ji Wenwu would touch his goods.
"Oh, okay." Ji Mingyue couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. It seemed that he didn't care about Ji Lili changing her surname. Does this mean that Ji Lili is not important to him?
After Ji Yushu left, she went to his room and saw a bag on the ground. She guessed that it might contain his gains this time. She squatted down and untied the bag, only to find that it was full of single-player machines, discs and tapes. There were even discs in another bag that were not suitable for children. Looking at the bold pictures on the cover, surprise flashed in her eyes. Ji Yushu actually brought this thing back?
She thought about it and realized that this thing seemed to be quite popular at the moment. She didn't care. As long as she could make money, she didn't care what kind of business he was doing.
She didn't stay in the room for long and left because there was a foul smell in the room. Ji Mingyue thought with disgust, when will they have their own house?
Ji Yushu went to the house rented by Ye Qiuju, but Ye Qiuju was not at home. He took the deposit certificate and looked at it, feeling a little melancholy for a moment.
When Zhao Dacheng arrived at the business office, Ji Yushu was already waiting there. He stepped forward to express his apology: "Brother Ji, I'm sorry, I overslept."
"It's okay, Brother Zhao. I just got here not long ago. Here's five thousand. Please count it." Ji Yushu put the money he had just taken out into the newspaper. When he saw him coming, he quickly opened the newspaper and handed him the money inside.
"Okay, let me count it." Zhao Dacheng counted the money smoothly and soon he counted to fifty.
"Isn't that right, Brother Zhao?" Ji Yushu asked.
"That's right, five thousand. It seems that Brother Ji's family is well off." Zhao Dacheng joked. Before going to Guangzhou, he had found out everything about Ji Yushu, but he didn't expect that he could come up with so much money at once.
"What's good about it? These are all loans." Ji Yushu smiled bitterly.
"Don't worry, you will make it back soon." Zhao Dacheng patted his shoulder and told him not to lose heart.
"Well, Brother Zhao, where is my IOU?" Ji Yushu asked carefully.
"It's here, but Brother Ji, have you forgotten about the benefits? According to the agreement on the IOU, you have to pay 50% interest when you pay back the money today." Zhao Dacheng reminded.
"Yes, the interest is here." Ji Yushu still had five ten-yuan cash bills in his hand, but he didn't hand them to him directly. He was waiting for the IOU.
Zhao Dacheng quickly handed over the IOU. He opened it, carefully checked it, and made sure it was the one with his signature and fingerprint, then handed over the fifty yuan. At this moment, he felt the pain in his heart. In less than two days, he had to pay fifty yuan in interest.
"I knew that Brother Ji was a straightforward person." Zhao Dacheng smiled, but he was calculating in his mind how much money he could get from this trip to Guangzhou.
"Brother Zhao, if you have any news from the Public Security Bureau, please let me know." The contact information he left at the Public Security Bureau was Zhao Dacheng's cell phone number. Although he knew that the hope was slim, he still couldn't help but hope for good news.
"That's for sure." Zhao Dacheng nodded.
"Then Brother Zhao, let's make an appointment next time. I want to go back and catch up on some sleep." Ji Yushu had only sleeping in his mind at the moment.
"Okay, see you next time." Zhao Dacheng waved at him and saved the five thousand yuan again after he left.
When Ji Yushu returned to the ironworks, Ji Mingyue was helping to pick vegetables in the yard. He stepped forward and asked cryptically, "No one's going in, right?"
"No, Dad, please clean up. Grandma said you probably didn't eat well on the train. It's time to eat later." Ji Mingyue reminded.
"I'm not hungry yet. Tell her to stop cooking. I'll eat together in the evening." After saying that, Ji Yushu went straight back to the room. At this time, he also noticed the sour smell in the room. He frowned and opened the door to let the air circulate. His eyes swept over the bags on the ground. These were all his current wealth, especially those special films. Ye Qiuju would be able to help him sell them at the Qingyuan Hotel.
Ji Yushu slept through the night this time. He was still yawning when he was called up for dinner. Yao Yan, who was sitting over there, took the initiative to speak: "Second brother, what did you get when you went to Guangzhou this time? I heard that repeaters are quite cheap there. I wonder if you got any?"
"The price of the repeater is almost one hundred yuan. How can it be cheap?" Ji Yushu saw through her thoughts at a glance.
"So, second brother, you took it?" Yao Yan's eyes flashed with surprise.
"Why should I take that thing back if it's so expensive?" Ji Yushu said as he took a bite of the rice in front of him.
"What did the second brother take?" Yao Yan continued to ask.
"Why, do you want to buy it, Second Aunt?" Ji Mingyue asked. Don't think that she doesn't know what she wants to do and wants to take advantage of her. No way.
"Kid, we are all family. Why are you talking about buying or not? It seems so distant." Yao Yan smiled.
"Aunt, are you planning to take it for free? My dad paid for all this." Ji Mingyue looked at Yao Yan in surprise.
"What nonsense are you talking about, kid?" Yao Yan felt a little embarrassed when her little thoughts were spoken out so bluntly.
"Okay, can't even the food stop you from asking? Can't you see that your second brother is so tired, and you're still asking?" Chen Guilan didn't stand on Yao Yan's side this time. After all, Ji Yushu had borrowed money from them, and the most urgent thing was to earn the money back.
"I'm just asking on behalf of Wenwu. Wenwu is about to take the high school entrance exam. He has always been bad at English. I think a tape recorder can help him learn English. I'm doing this for our Ji family." Yao Yan looked aggrieved.
"If you really want to do it for him, just buy one for yourself. Didn't Jiang Yulan buy that thing for that girl Lili before? You two are both getting salaries, can't you afford it?" Chen Guilan glared at them as she spoke. Don't think she doesn't know that they had originally thought of coveting the single-player machine in Ji Lili's hand.
"Mom, you don't know how expensive that thing is. I'm just trying to save as much as possible. Second brother, why don't you bring one back for us next time you go to Guangzhou? Don't worry, we won't take it for free. We'll pay for it." Yao Yan suddenly looked at Ji Yushu.
"Let's talk about it when the time comes. I don't know when I will go next time." Ji Yushu did not agree directly.
"Okay." Yao Yan shut up reluctantly.
Ji Yushu finished the meal the fastest. He stood up and told the old couple, "I'm going to Qiuju's place tonight and setting up a stall around there tomorrow. There are a lot of people there." Then he went to the room to pick up the bags.
"Are you going to set up a stall? Didn't you say before that you wanted to rent a shop?" Chen Guilan was a little confused.
"I haven't found a suitable shop yet. I'll look for one while setting up my stall." Ji Yushu lied. He was practically penniless now, so how could he afford to rent a shop?
"Okay, then go ahead and come back and let me know if you need help," Chen Guilan instructed.
After he walked away, Yao Yan said with dissatisfaction: "Second brother is guarding against us."
"Aunt San, you're overthinking it. Didn't my dad say it would be more convenient to set up a stall at my mom's place?" Ji Mingyue looked at Yao Yan innocently.
"Heh," Yao Yan sneered. If she had known that this girl was a troublemaker, she would not have let her live here.
Seeing that she no longer answered, Ji Mingyue couldn't help but sneer. It turned out that this person was used to taking advantage of others, and he was angry and embarrassed when he failed to take advantage this time.
*
"Grandpa, what date did you agree on with that person?" When Jiang Lili arrived at Jiang Ai's house, she couldn't wait to ask Jiang Jianyi what date he had agreed on with that person.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow the workers in their factory will be on vacation, and I will take you there. Just give up on this idea. I have asked, and they have no plans to sell the factory." Jiang Jianyi looked at her with a smile on his face.
"I'm not in a hurry." Jiang Lili firmly believed that selling the business was only a matter of time. She was not in a hurry now, but they would be the ones who would be in a hurry when the time came.
"Yes, yes, you don't have to worry." Although he said this, Jiang Jianyi obviously didn't believe it.
Jiang Lili didn't say anything. Well, she was actually a little anxious and wanted to seize this opportunity, but she also knew that haste makes waste. Let's wait until after the visit tomorrow to decide everything.
"By the way, I heard some news about Ji Yushu today. Do you want to know?" Jiang Aiguo looked at them mysteriously.
"Just listen to the bad news and forget about the good news." Jiang Lili said directly.
Jiang Yulan was amused by her, and then nodded in agreement: "Lili is right, let's not talk about the good news, but I can listen to the bad news."
"Should it be considered neither good nor bad?" Jiang Aiguo was not sure.
Zhou Qingfen, who was standing next to him, pinched his arm and said unhappily, "Why don't you just tell me now? Why are you keeping me in suspense?"
"Ji Yushu went to the business office to apply for a loan a few days ago. He probably couldn't find a suitable guarantor, so he took out a mortgage loan on the iron factory's house. I remember that the house belonged to his parents. Didn't they say they had signed a receipt for his nephew last time? How could they be willing to let him mortgage it?" It was a coincidence that he went to the business office to deposit money today and heard someone asking about a mortgage loan, and someone happened to mention Ji Yushu.
"So this is how he got the money to go to Guangzhou this time?" Jiang Lili looked as if she had suddenly understood.
"He also went to Guangzhou?" Now it was Jiang Aiguo's turn to be surprised.
"I was wondering why Ji Yushu was so quiet about Lili changing her surname. It turns out he went to Guangzhou." When Jiang Aiguo said this, he remembered the last time Ji Yushu wanted him to guarantee him.
"He's quite brave to mortgage the only house in the family. I don't think Yao Yan would support it. Maybe his parents don't even know about it." Jiang Yulan knew how important the old couple attached to the house.
"So he did the mortgage without telling anyone?" Jiang Lili guessed.
"I guess so." Jiang Yulan nodded. The mother and daughter looked at each other, and they could see each other's plans in their eyes.
"If this news gets out, the Ji family will be in turmoil again." Jiang Aiguo touched his chin, thinking that this was a good opportunity.
"No rush, choose a suitable opportunity to let them know." Jiang Yulan said.
"Let's stay out of his family's troubles. Let's go to the toy factory tomorrow and make plans early for anything we want to do." Jiang Jianyi's desire to win was aroused. They couldn't afford to lose to Ji Yushu.
"Okay, I don't know what kind of business Ji Yushu is doing." Jiang Aiguo was a little curious.
"I guess it's a DVD player or something like that. I've heard him mention it before." Ji Yushu had mentioned it to Jiang Yulan before.
"These costs are quite high, but he is very brave." Jiang Aiguo did not expect Ji Yushu to choose the DVD player.
"How can he not be brave if someone doesn't back him up?" If they hadn't divorced and his business failed, they wouldn't have stood idly by.
Compared to their guess, Jiang Lili was more looking forward to going to the toy factory tomorrow, so much so that in her dream at night, she was being chased by a group of running toys. She kept running and running until she was awakened. She patted her chest. The dream was too real, and her heartbeat was much faster than usual.
"Lili, are you up?" Jiang Yulan knocked on the door outside.
"Hurry up, didn't you say you were going to the toy factory?" Jiang Yulan was bringing porridge to her from the kitchen.
"I'll be right there." Jiang Lili nodded.
Although no one was working today, only Jiang Jianyi, Jiang Lili and Jiang Qitong went to the toy factory. After all, the old man's original reason was to bring his two granddaughters to look at the toys.
The toy factory was even smaller than Jiang Lili had imagined. Uncle Wang, who had brought them in, pointed to the production line on the right and said, "That's where they produce the iron frogs, but they've stopped now."
"This is the doll production line. The sales were good before, but now they are not selling well." Uncle Wang's tone was full of sadness when he said this, and he seemed to not understand what went wrong.
Jiang Lili's eyes fell on the dolls on the production line. They had golden hair, red skirts, and heavy makeup on their faces. She couldn't help but say, "Maybe everyone likes cuter ones now?"
If she remembered correctly, this style had been popular for years. The one she had at home was almost broken. Jiang Yulan had even used her sewing machine to make two sets of dresses for the doll. Thinking of this, Jiang Lili suddenly remembered the popular Barbie doll dressing-up sets. Her eyes lit up. Dressing up a doll—what girl could resist? Similarly, she could design characters boys liked and have them dress them up. Ultraman was the first thing that came to her mind, but she quickly rejected it. Too few children knew about Ultraman.
"Factory One has two best-selling models, but they won't produce them for us, otherwise their workers would have nothing to do." Uncle Wang sighed again after saying this.
"Is the factory still producing this?" Jiang Lili pointed to the doll over there.
"It has just been stopped, and these were returned. Now people prefer imported ones that can sing and laugh." Uncle Wang said as he patted the doll's body with some sadness. The factory had held a meeting before to discuss adding electronic recording into the doll, but it was cut due to cost issues.
"Yes, the doll at home can sing." Jiang Qitong nodded beside her.
"Other production lines, such as glass marbles, haven't stopped yet, but it feels like they will soon."
Jiang Lili took a quick look. These toys were the ones she had seen in nostalgic videos before. The toy factory probably wasn't unwilling to reform, but was just constrained by cost. The remote-controlled cars on the market were very popular, but they probably couldn't produce them due to patent and cost issues.
Her eyes fell on the production line. Although the equipment was old, it should be usable. Changing it to produce dress-up dolls should be the cheapest, right?
Coming out of the toy factory, Jiang Jianyi saw that she looked worried and couldn't help but ask, "Lili, do you think there's something wrong?"
Jiang Lili shook her head: "Not really, Grandpa, if I have a new idea, do you think they will adopt it?"
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The author has something to say: My dears, take a look at the pre-collection [poorly], is there anything you like [holding your chin], please add a collection to the pre-collection
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