Yan Xiaonan held the letter in his hand and read it twice before he could understand what Southeast had written. Good heavens, his elder brother had been living a thrilling life these past few days, fighting a major battle.
Fortunately, the outcome was good. The family was very fortunate to have my uncle's help. If it weren't for my uncle's intervention, Southeast would have definitely suffered a loss this time.
Grandma Yan was watching TV, but when she saw Nan Nan looking at the letter over and over again, she became curious.
"My sweetheart, is there something precious in this letter?"
"Grandma, your mouth must be coated with gold, you're so accurate!" Yan Xiaonan looked at her grandmother with utmost admiration.
Grandma Yan was surprised; there really was a treasure.
Yan Xiaonan told Grandma Yan about the possibility that Dongnan might come to work in the capital. Grandma Yan was happy at first, but soon sighed. Cuihua was puzzled. Isn't it a good thing that Dongnan is coming to the capital? Why is Mother sighing?
“Cuihua, Yan Ge is my grandson, Xinan is my grandson, and Dongnan is also my grandson. I’m very happy that they came to the capital. The whole family is reunited. But this is Nannan’s home after all. Dongnan and Xinan are already married, and Yan Ge is a distant cousin. They all go to Nannan for help. My darling is going to be exhausted.”
Cuihua also became worried when she heard this. Nannan was still in college. People kept coming to her for help, and she had to act like a mother hen, buying groceries and cooking for them whenever they came. It really was a bit pointless.
My elder brother and sister-in-law, Ai Dang and Chen'er only come here to eat on weekends. In addition to giving our mother money for her old age and money for their own food, they also hired Sister Lu to help out. Sister Lu is quick and efficient. She comes for half a day every Saturday and can do the work of three days of my work.
Nan Nan has now handed over all her salary and benefits from the special department to me, a full three hundred yuan. Originally, I and Qiangzi had decided that we would spend a maximum of eighty yuan a month, which would be enough for the four of us to eat and drink, and the rest would be saved by Nan Nan.
But now that plan has been completely ruined. Southwest is now a factory director, how can he still be wearing clothes from several years ago? We need to get him some new clothes. Wu Jinban looks like a little beggar, we need to get him some new clothes.
Although I don't have to raise Liujin myself anymore, I still need to get some snacks for the child and buy a pair of shoes. These expenses are spent in small, scattered amounts, but after a month, I was shocked to find that I was going to use up all my savings if I continued like this.
What worries me most is that my daughter is very sensible. Every month she receives a school subsidy, and she always buys things for her mother, herself, and Qiangzi, but she never buys anything for herself. When asked why she doesn't buy anything, the little girl will say with a straight face that she has enough to wear and eat and there's nothing to buy.
Yan Xiaonan was deeply moved as she listened. The old lady was very patriarchal, doting on her grandson above all else and wanting to shower him with all the good things in the family. Only her own mother protected her like the apple of her eye.
"Grandma, don't worry. There should be dormitories where my brother works. They usually stay in the dormitories."
Grandma Yan's eyes lit up. "Yes, Dongnan is a teacher in the county town, and the school provides dormitories. Xuemei was overjoyed about that. If she goes to work in the capital, she should at least be given a place to stay."
Cuihua wasn't so optimistic: "Nannan, even if they have dormitories, their lives might not be easy. The capital is not like the countryside; everything is expensive. How can one person's salary from Dongnan be enough?"
"Mom, I've been thinking about it. Our clothing store mainly sells women's clothes, so it's not suitable for Dad to go, and you alone aren't enough. We were originally planning to hire a sales clerk, but now that Sister Xuemei is here, it's perfect. We can have her help sell clothes, and we'll pay her a salary. What do you say?"
Cuihua's eyes lit up. This was great! It was a win-win situation. Xuemei was smart and capable, so not only would she have a helper, but Xuemei could also supplement the family income.
Yan Xiaoqiang was unhappy. He had put a lot of effort into buying and decorating the clothing store: "Nannan, what am I supposed to do then?"
"Dad, isn't there another house next door? Let Ai Dang renovate it too, turn it into a general store, sell school supplies, bedding, mosquito nets, tea mugs, thermos bottles and stuff. Let Yan Ge find some suppliers, and bring them over when you ship them out. Don't complain about being tired then."
Yan Xiaoqiang thought about it and nodded. It was indeed a bit inappropriate for a grown man like himself to stand in a clothing store selling women's clothes. Even if young women and married women wanted to buy, they wouldn't dare to come in and buy. His daughter's decision was right.
"My dear child, what will happen to you when you go to school?" Grandma Yan was a little worried. The business had become so big; it couldn't be left unattended.
“Grandma, Second Brother is at the furniture store, and Aunt Sheng is there too; Mom is at the clothing store, and Sister Xue Mei is there; Dad is at the general store, and you're here at home. What am I worried about? Oh, right, I'm going to the post office to send a telegram to Brother Yan Ge and tell him to look for some supplies for the general store.”
Grandma Yan was dumbfounded. This little girl had set up so many stalls, dividing the burden among everyone, while she herself had slipped away unnoticed.
Cuihua thought her daughter was right: "Mother, Nannan has more important things to do, so we won't trouble her with these small things."
"Nan Nan, wait for me, I'm going to buy some firecrackers. The clothing store is opening in a couple of days, we need to set off some firecrackers." Yan Xiaoqiang hurriedly chased after him.
Wu Jinban was watching TV with his grandma. He couldn't understand the programs on TV, and he didn't understand much of what the adults were saying. But when his grandpa said that he was going out to buy firecrackers, he understood: "Grandpa, Grandpa, I want to go too."
Nan Nan picked up Wu Jin and a half in her arms: "Our little man must be bored staying at home, come on, Auntie will take you shopping."
"Auntie is so good, Wu Jinban likes Auntie." Wu Jinban hugged Yan Xiaonan's neck with both hands and patted her on the back.
They bought firecrackers, sent a telegram, and Wu Jinban ate snacks all the way. They were so happy they didn't know what to do. Yan Xiaoqiang rode his bicycle with his grandson in front and his daughter behind, feeling incredibly content.
The group decided to go to the clothing store anyway. They had already checked and found that the first Sunday of next month was an auspicious day, perfect for opening a business and making money. Counting the days, there were only a few days left until next month.
When Yan Xiaonan opened the door of the clothing store, she always felt that there were too few items in the store. People always look for stores with a wide variety of items on display, because that gives them more choices.
"Dad, don't you think we don't have enough clothes in our store? People come in and there's not much to choose from."
"No, we sell trendy clothes now. It's good enough if you can even buy them. If you want to be picky, you're just asking for trouble." Yan Xiaoqiang shook his head.
Yan Xiaonan realized that the times were wrong and she was thinking it was her past life. However, the store's quality was not up to par. Thinking about it, it made sense; a few batwing shirts and jackets were not enough to support a store.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
