After Zhang Lei's demobilization, his salary shrank significantly. Half of it went to Liu Ercui, and the other half had to support three children and take care of the elderly. It was normal for him to be struggling financially.
But the fact that she didn't give her a single penny all at once caught Liu Ercui off guard.
She has rent to pay, and her salary alone is barely enough to make ends meet.
She was constantly on edge, afraid that something might happen to her life and she would have to ask others for help again.
Qin Hanshu asked, "Are you planning to quit your job as a sales clerk?"
Liu Ercui nodded: "I've had enough of relying on others. I want to earn a lot of money myself so that I never have to ask anyone for help again in this lifetime."
"I know the risk is quite high. If I lose money, I'll lose both my money and my job."
"Fortunately, Minyong has grown up, so if it really comes to that, he can help me share some of the pressure."
If Minyong and Peipei were still young, Liu Ercui would never have dared to quit her job and start a business.
Qin Hanshu accompanied Liu Ercui for several days to find a storefront, and they finally found two rooms in a small alley.
Her business doesn't need to be on a main street, and the location she found isn't particularly nice, but the price is very cheap.
At the same time, Liu Ercui also obtained the license.
It's easy to get a license to sell things, but Liu Ercui's industry is special, so they didn't issue one at first.
Later, Qin Hanshu gave her an idea: she should get a license to sell things, set up two shelves, stock up on some goods, and sell them on the side.
Although it's a case of false advertising, at least it has the appearance of a legitimate business.
In just two months, Liu Ercui's agency was up and running.
Unexpectedly, her first client was Wang Xiaogang.
After graduating from university, Wang Xiaogang was assigned to stay in Jiangcheng, and he still kept in touch with Qin Hanshu's family.
One of his teachers wanted to find a nanny, and he thought of Gu Yan from Qin Hanshu's family. He thought Gu Yan was a good candidate and planned to ask Qin Hanshu to help him find one.
Just then, Liu Ercui's real estate agency opened.
However, since the agency charges clients a commission, people may not be able to accept this model.
This requires Liu Ercui to personally negotiate and introduce the services she can provide to clients.
Since Wang Xiaogang was also considered an introducer, he led Liu Ercui there.
In Liu Ercui's eyes, the teachers' dormitory at Jiangda University was a place where cultured people gathered, and she, who only had a primary school education, couldn't help but feel timid.
Wang Xiaogang noticed Liu Ercui's nervousness and comforted her with a smile, "Sister-in-law, it's okay. My teacher is very approachable. Just say what you want to say. It doesn't matter whether it works out or not. After all, it's our first time."
Liu Ercui awkwardly tugged at her clothes.
She wore a suit skirt today, along with stockings and low-heeled leather shoes.
This was prepared by Qin Hanshu, who said it was a white-collar outfit to make her look formal and professional.
But the first time she wore it, she felt very uncomfortable.
"Xiao Wang, is my outfit okay? Will your teacher think I'm... indecent?"
Liu Ercui believed in Qin Hanshu, but she was too nervous and always doubted everything about herself.
Wang Xiaogang carefully examined Liu Ercui.
The dark gray suit skirt made her look very capable, and her hair was tied up, revealing the contours of her face, which suddenly made her look more three-dimensional and clear.
In Wang Xiaogang's memory, Liu Ercui's face had always been blurry. Only at this moment did he see that Liu Ercui had a high and straight nose, deep eyes, and her skin had become a bit whiter after working for a few years.
It's actually quite good-looking.
Wang Xiaogang panicked and lowered his eyes, only to catch a glimpse of her legs clad in stockings.
Wang Xiaogang blushed, coughed quickly, and looked straight ahead.
"Xiao Wang?"
Wang Xiaogang quickly replied, "It's very good."
Seeing that Wang Xiaogang suddenly seemed less interested in talking to her, Liu Ercui assumed it was because she had been talking too much, so she wisely stopped asking any more questions.
Wang Xiaogang's teacher had studied in Suzhou before and had no objection to Liu Ercui's appearance. In fact, seeing her capable and efficient demeanor, he felt a bit more favorably disposed towards her.
However, as expected, he was hesitant about the intermediary model.
"Sir, the reason I became a broker is because of a good friend of mine in the countryside. She got married at the age of seventeen, and on her wedding night, she was kicked to the ground by her husband because she didn't bring him water to wash his feet in time."
"Now, she has been married for more than ten years, has three children, and her eldest son is almost old enough to be getting married, but she is still being beaten by her husband every few days."
“In our countryside, a husband who doesn’t beat his wife is praised.”
Speaking of this, Liu Ercui thought of Zhang Lei. A man like Zhang Lei would definitely be considered a good husband by everyone in their hometown.
At that moment, she realized that although she was not well-educated, her ability to divorce Zhang Lei meant that she was fundamentally different from the women in her hometown in terms of her thinking.
"Your sister deserves sympathy, but what does that have to do with you being a broker?"
Liu Ercui came to her senses and said, "In the countryside, there are countless women like this. They have no other way out but to endure until their children grow up and they get married and become mothers-in-law themselves."
“My sister didn’t choose to endure it; instead, she chose to get a divorce because she heard my stories about life in the city and knew how women in the city lived. She also wanted to have a chance to change her fate.”
“My agency, if not changing their fate, can at least establish a pathway.”
"Of course, I'm not saying what I'm doing is so great; my goal is definitely to make money. The social atmosphere is different now, and making money isn't a shameful thing."
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