Chapter 16: Generous Income!
"Mom, where are we going?" Song Yu asked, holding Song Xinran's hand as they walked down an unfamiliar street.
The weather was cool today, and it wasn't market day, so there weren't many people on the street. Song Yu became a little bolder and looked around. He saw a restaurant with many people eating noodles inside.
Song Yu patted his stomach. He had also eaten noodles this morning. The noodle soup was made with chicken broth, and it was incredibly delicious! His mother had also boiled an egg for him.
This was a privilege Cai Yang received at her aunt's house; she ate a boiled egg every morning.
Song Yu used to crave food, but not anymore. He has his own mother now!
He saw some clothing stores on both sides of the street. He was very happy and looked down at his clothes because his mother was taking him out today. He was wearing brand new clothes without any holes.
"I'm taking Xiaoyu to the barbershop for a haircut," Song Xinran said.
Upon hearing this, Song Yu immediately shook his head: "I won't go to the shop, Auntie will cut my hair."
He has no memory of going to the barbershop for a haircut. Back home, his aunt would always cut his hair when it grew long, and many other children in the village did the same.
However, Cai Yang had gone to the salon to get her hair cut before. Once, when Cai Yang's hair had grown long, her uncle took her out, and when they came back in the afternoon, Cai Yang's hair had become short again.
Song Yu was very surprised. Cai Yang told him that his father had taken him to the barbershop in town to get a haircut, which cost a lot of money. The aunt at the barbershop even washed his hair, making it smell nice.
As Cai Yang spoke, he scratched his hair, insisting that Song Yu smell if it smelled good.
Song Yu has a sharp nose and can smell it without getting close. He took two steps back, nodded, and said, "It smells very good."
Cai Yang was extremely proud, saying that getting a haircut at the barbershop was terrifying. The barber had many scissors, which were very sharp. She would use all the different scissors to cut his head, and finally she would use something called clippers to shave his head, making a buzzing sound, which was very scary.
But Cai Yang was very brave and not afraid at all, and successfully cut his hair.
Finally, Cai Yang said that it was like a great adventure! He was the super invincible warrior who made it through!
Song Yu was a little scared. So many scissors and clippers, what if they cut off his ears? He touched his ears and his small body trembled.
"Mom, Auntie can cut my hair, it won't cost any money." Of course, he also remembered what Cai Yang said about how much money it would cost to get a haircut at the barbershop.
Song Xinran said softly, "Xiao Yu, don't worry, Mom has money now. Xiao Yu even helped Mom earn some money last night. The haircut at the barbershop looks even better."
Song Yu whispered, "It doesn't need to look good."
Song Xinran thought to herself, "This child is too sensible. He knows how to save money at the age of three." She didn't like the idea of a poor family education: "But Mom wants to take Xiaoyu to the hair salon and wants to see Xiaoyu look even better."
Song Yu's face flushed slightly, and he touched his hair, but he was too embarrassed to admit that he was scared. He was very conflicted, but finally he bravely clenched his fist and said, "Okay."
When they arrived at the barbershop, the child looked up at the tall door, mustered up his courage, and went inside. As soon as he entered, he saw a lot of scissors, and his whole body trembled.
The proprietress greeted the customer as soon as she saw him arrive, smiling and asking, "What kind of haircut would you like?"
On market days in town, there are many mobile haircut stalls that are half the price of those in shops. Therefore, most people just wait for market days and randomly pick a stall to get a haircut. Those who come to barbershops are people who have specific requirements for their hairstyle and whose families are relatively well-off.
Therefore, the boss was extremely enthusiastic as soon as he saw business. He looked at Song Xinran and then at Song Yu: "Who wants to get a haircut?"
Song Xinran said, "For my child, I'll cut his hair a little shorter, thin out the sides, trim the bangs and the top of his head, and make the back of his head fuller..."
Upon hearing this, the proprietress immediately concluded that this was a customer who had specific requirements for their hairstyle and possessed their own ideas, and thus communicated with them in greater detail.
The proprietress had never had a haircut like this before. Most people in town who came to the hair salon just wanted a shorter cut to look good.
After learning about Song Xinran's idea, the proprietress said, "We can cut it, but it will cost three yuan. We usually charge two yuan for a haircut. You have a very specific request, young lady."
Song Xinran nodded: "Three pieces are fine, as long as they can be cut out."
The proprietress was delighted and immediately arranged for Song Yu to sit down.
Song Yu stared blankly at herself in the mirror, motionless.
The proprietress praised, "You're such a good child. Many children are afraid of getting their hair cut; they start crying and fussing as soon as they sit down."
She had no idea that Song Yu was already terrified. Looking at the scissors and many other unfamiliar things, she felt as if her ears had been cut off. She had to try very hard not to cry.
Song Xinran smiled: "Xiao Yu is very obedient."
Hearing her words, Song Yu sat up even straighter, unable to cry even though he was terrified. His uncle told him that nobody liked children who cried and made a fuss in public.
The barber studied Song Yu's hair for a moment, then picked up a pair of arrowheads and started cutting.
As Song Yu listened to the clicking sound, he gripped the chair armrests tightly with both hands, praying in his heart, "Please don't cut off my ears, please don't cut off my ears."
Finally, the proprietress finished the basic repairs and placed the first pair of scissors aside.
Song Yu's grip loosened a little. Looking at himself in the mirror, he saw that his ears were still there. He was about to climb down from the chair when the hairdresser pressed his shoulder down, her voice laced with laughter: "Little one, don't move. We're not finished yet."
He then picked up a second pair of scissors.
Song Yu frowned slightly, pursed her lips, sat back a little, and straightened her back.
Buzz buzz buzz!
Upon hearing that voice, Song Yu's body trembled.
It's here, it's really here! He thought to himself, the hair clipper that Cai Yang was so afraid of has arrived!
He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look any longer.
The proprietress carefully trimmed the outline with clippers, and the general shape was now complete. Having worked in this industry for many years, she could tell at a glance that the hairstyle was indeed beautiful.
"Girl, what did you think of this hairstyle? It'll definitely look great when it comes out."
Song Xinran thought that she had seen this hairstyle in her past life; many little boys had this haircut, and it even had a special name: differential split cap.
However, the proprietress had cut Song Yu's bangs shorter this time, which Song Xinran could understand. After all, most people don't get haircuts for the sake of their hairstyle, but to avoid obstructing their vision.
"But kids' hair grows fast, so if you cut it like this, you'll probably have to come back for another haircut in less than two months," the shop owner reminded her.
Song Xinran said, "It's okay, I'll come back to you to get it cut when it grows longer."
The proprietress happily agreed and worked even faster.
It took half an hour to cut his hair. Finally, all the tools stopped, and Song Yu finally felt a sense of peace. He was still on tenterhooks until he heard, "It's done."
Song Yucai opened his eyes shakily.
"So cute." Then she heard her mother's praise.
He opened his eyes and saw the child in the mirror. His hair seemed to have changed a lot, and the landlady was praising him. Song Yu was very shy and didn't dare to look at the person in the mirror for too long.
Song Xinran patted Song Yu's head. His hair was black and soft, and it felt very comfortable to touch. He had changed his hairstyle, and his eyebrows were fully exposed. They were black and thin, and he looked very handsome.
Although she is only three years old, her distinctive facial features are already visible. She is a little thin, but that does not diminish her cuteness at all.
Song Xinran thought to herself, "This hairstyle is definitely the right choice."
"Young lady, can I ask you for a favor?" the proprietress asked, turning her head. "Can I take a picture of your child, develop it, and put it in my shop? In return, I won't charge you for the haircut this time."
"Look, we have several photos in our shop. I only took them because they were edited quite well."
The proprietress could see the value in the haircut; the hairstyle was beautiful, and the child was adorable. Once the photos were posted, it would definitely attract a lot of business.
Song Xinran shook her head: "I won't take the photos. I'll pay you as usual. If you want to cut other customers' hair, you don't need to ask me. I saw other people getting their hair cut."
She doesn't like to display photos of her children in the shop, as it inevitably leads to comments and criticisms.
The proprietress was delighted to hear this and agreed, even giving them a discount by charging them only two yuan.
After leaving the barbershop, Song Yu touched his hair and said, "Mom."
"What's the matter?"
A small smile appeared on his lips: "I'm on a dare too."
Song Xinran didn't react at first, but after a moment she understood. She thought to herself that children have such rich imaginations, and smiled, "Yes, Xiao Yu is really brave."
Song Yu took her hand and jumped up and down happily.
He thought to himself that when he saw his little brother Xiaoyang again, he would tell him that he had also gone to the barbershop to get a haircut and saw lots of scissors and clippers, but he wasn't afraid at all! He had also gone on a great adventure and was a very brave and adventurous person!
After getting her hair cut, Song Xinran took Song Yu to buy pajamas.
In this remote town, the concept of pajamas is not yet widespread. People wear old clothes or clothes they wore during the day to bed at night.
Song Xinran looked at several clothing stores and finally bought a light yellow cotton long-sleeved shirt and a pair of cotton shorts in the same color. She tried to choose clothes without prints or patterns so that they would be more comfortable to wear to bed.
She also bought herself a set of pure cotton pajamas, and Song Yu insisted on carrying them for her. The child was very happy when she left, carrying them in her hand.
Originally, Song Xinran wanted to order daily fresh milk for Song Yu to help him grow taller, since the child was too thin. However, after searching around the town, she couldn't find a single store selling boxed milk, let alone fresh milk.
Nowadays, most of the milk powder sold in stores is in bags; even canned milk powder is not common.
Although this is a world in a book, it is more like a parallel universe to the world she lived in in her previous life. Many major events are the same, such as the tainted milk powder incident that shocked the whole country six years later.
Song Xinran thought that this town was still too remote, and even daily life and shopping were not very convenient. She should go to a bigger place if she had the chance.
After a quick shopping trip, Song Xinran went to buy the ingredients she needed for her stall today.
Compared to yesterday, I spent much less money today. I didn't need to buy a clay pot, and I still had the seasonings at home. I only needed to buy some ingredients and things to make soup.
Today, Song Xinran decided not to buy a whole free-range chicken. Firstly, it was too expensive, and secondly, the broth for Bo Bo Chicken only needs to be chicken soup, and they hadn't finished the chicken from yesterday.
It would be great if I could buy chicken carcass bones, but there are plenty of people selling chickens, but I haven't seen a single one selling chicken carcass bones.
First, at this time, vendors mostly sell whole chickens or half chickens; very few vendors will disassemble them unless the customer requests it and pays extra. Second, even if others have them, they won't sell them because the price is too cheap; a chicken carcass costs only one or two yuan.
After thinking it over, Song Xinran finally bought half a chicken at the market, spending twenty yuan.
When buying meat, Song Xinran still went to Huang Yun. They had agreed in advance that Song Xinran would get all the pork she needed for making Bobo Chicken from Huang Yun, and Huang Yun naturally gave her a discounted price.
The two chatted for a while, and in the end, Song Xinran left with a bag full of meat, weighing at least four or five pounds. This included not only what she needed to make Bobo Chicken today, but also what her family would eat.
The stall owner next to Huang Yun saw this scene and said with a hint of sourness, "Huang Yun, you're really lucky. Another big customer has come. Judging from his tone, he'll be ordering every day from now on. With so many customers, how can you manage?"
Huang Yun said cheerfully, "Big clients also come from individual customers. How can you expect big clients to come if you look down on individual customers? Don't you think so?"
The stall owner fell silent. They sold meat together and often chatted, complaining that some people bought too little meat and were sarcastic, only buying certain cuts of meat.
Huang Yun happily continued tidying up the stall, thinking to herself that she hadn't misjudged Song Xinran after all. The first time she met Song Xinran, she felt comfortable and happy just listening to the girl speak.
Sure enough, not long after, they moved to town, set up a stall, and their business is booming. Their lives are getting better and better.
Song Xinran bought meat and vegetables, but prepared less than yesterday, so there's no need to treat everyone today.
After getting home, I carefully calculated the prices: a haircut and clothes cost 52 yuan, and the ingredients for the Sichuan-style boiled chicken cost 65 yuan. Yesterday, just one chicken cost 50 yuan!
Song Xinran was delighted at the thought that today's profits would be substantial.
*
Before he knew it, it was afternoon and he was much more at ease setting up his stall today, thanks to yesterday's experience.
"I should have bought more earthenware bowls; that way, we could have sold more," Song Xinwen remarked, looking at the three large earthenware bowls filled to the brim.
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Sister, we have limited manpower. Making enough for three earthenware pots of Bo Bo Chicken is already a lot. Don't bite off more than you can chew. The most important thing in business is quality."
Song Xinwen thought about it and agreed. She felt a little embarrassed. After seeing the success of the early sell-out yesterday, she was thinking about making more money. However, Xinran's words made sense.
She does the same thing when she buys things. When the store first opened, the products were solid and cheap, so she naturally went to buy from them every time. But as she bought more, the quality deteriorated, and she would always complain and then stop going there.
"If I can't do more, how can I earn more?" Song Xinwen said casually.
Song Xinran casually replied, "We'll sell them together with other varieties. Anyway, lowering the quality and raising the price is absolutely out of the question."
As they were talking, the stall had already been set up. Song Xinran glanced at her watch; it was 5:10, and the students from No. 3 Middle School would be dismissed in ten minutes.
She thought to herself, "It shouldn't be like yesterday, where there was no one at the beginning."
At this moment, Song Xinwen nudged her with his elbow and said in a low voice, "The owner of the fried food stall next door is watching us."
Having lived in the countryside for many years, Song Xinwen immediately sensed the ill intentions behind it.
"How about I take some food for them to try, and chat with them to build rapport?" Song Xinwen said.
They've been around for a long time, and the newcomers always seem to get the short end of the stick. Song Xinwen still held the same belief: you can't hit a smiling face; talking to them will ease the tension.
Song Xinran stopped her, saying, "No need, sister. We're competitors. It's not something that can be resolved with a few words or a few things. Besides, what's the point of trying to resolve it? We just need to focus on selling our own products well."
Song Xinwen was still a little hesitant, after all, she had been taught to get along well with people, and that every friend was a friend.
Song Xinran said directly, "Sister, we're also taking away their business by setting up stalls next to us. Would you maintain a good relationship with someone who's taking your money?"
“How can this be called robbery? Everyone can set up a stall. People buy our food because it tastes better!” Song Xinwen immediately retorted.
Song Xinran smiled, and Song Xinwen also realized what she meant and gave up the idea.
She pondered what Xinran had just said, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt it made sense. She couldn't help but think that her sister had not only become more generous in personality, but had also become much smarter and more insightful in dealing with people.
At 5:20, the school bell rang on time, and the students of No. 3 Middle School quickly ran out. The scene that Song Xinran had just worried about did not happen at all.
Because the first student who ran out of the school came straight towards her, and as soon as he arrived, he shouted:
"Auntie, I want ten different flavored vegetarian skewers!"
Song Xinran immediately installed it for him.
We'd barely collected the money when a second, a third... a whole huge horde arrived. "So this is what 'Bo Bo Chicken' is! It doesn't smell good at all!"
"It tastes so good! I dreamed about eating it last night! Boss, why don't you set up your stall at night?" a female student in a school uniform asked. "We came here hungry after evening self-study, but we couldn't find it after looking for a long time."
Upon hearing this, Song Xinwen grinned from ear to ear: "Little classmate, we sold out before evening self-study was over. If you like them, come earlier!"
"Ah!" a student cried out in despair. "Couldn't you make more? There's not nearly enough to eat!"
In the past, Song Xinwen would have agreed immediately. Wouldn't it be foolish not to make money? But after hearing Song Xinran's words, she understood and said, "No, we don't have many people. We can only make three pottery bowls at most. If we make more, we can't guarantee the taste."
Middle school students are already quite sensible. After thinking about it, they realized that taste is the most important thing when it comes to food. From this perspective, this pot-boiled chicken is truly a conscientious chicken!
We hadn't finished shopping here when the students from the Central Primary School were dismissed at 5:30.
Thanks to Ding Sisi's enthusiastic promotion, almost all the sixth-grade classes (actually only three classes) knew that there was a delicious pot-boiled chicken restaurant near the No. 3 Middle School gate.
As soon as school was over, everyone rushed over here, making the already bustling stalls even more crowded.
Seeing this, Song Xinran quickly shouted, "Students, don't push! Everyone can buy something. I'll get the items for the students in line first."
They were all students, only twelve or thirteen years old in sixth grade and two or three years older in junior high. As soon as they heard Song Xinran's words, they obediently lined up.
This led to this strange scene: with only a little over an hour of break after school, many students were wasting their precious time queuing to buy things.
Curious people also went over to take a look, and even more curious people joined the queue.
The elementary school students who ate Bo Bo Chicken yesterday and still wanted to eat it today came over and were surprised to find so many people queuing up in front of this hidden gem of a stall, and they were all middle school students!
Instantly, cries of despair filled the air!
Ding Sisi was among them, but she didn't cry out; she was actually quite pleased with herself!
She's different from these people; if she wants to eat something, she can just go through the back door and buy it from Aunt Song!
Just then, her classmates saw her and immediately ran over: "Ding Sisi, don't you know the auntie who sells Bobo Chicken?"
Ding Sisi was in high spirits, feeling that she deserved a perfect score as the publicity committee member. Upon hearing this, she straightened her back and said, "Yes, Aunt Song and my mother are best friends!"
"Then why don't you ask Auntie Bobo Chicken to sell it at the gate of our school? That way we can be the first to buy it."
Upon hearing this, the students in the surrounding classes chimed in, "Yeah, didn't you say that Auntie Bobo Chicken likes you the most? If you set up a stall at our school gate, we wouldn't have to come all the way here."
"Yes, yes, I don't want to wait in line either."
"Ding Sisi, you go and talk to them."
Ding Sisi was both proud and conflicted, still hesitating, when a middle school student in line next to her suddenly spoke up:
"How dare these mere elementary school students steal our jobs as middle school students?!"
"Exactly! They have no respect for elders or care for the young!"
"What a vicious elementary school student! They have absolutely no sense of fairness or morality!"
Upon hearing this, Ding Sisi blushed immediately and dared not say anything about asking Aunt Song to change the stall.
The elementary school student who initially made the suggestion also fell silent. Although they were only two or three years older, in the elementary school student's mind, the middle school student was a completely different big kid, and they dared not confront the other side.
They all stood silently in line, not daring to utter a single word.
But the students from No. 3 Middle School, having won their first battle, were not about to let the opportunity slip away easily.
Having studied for a few more years, their veiled insults have become several times more sophisticated. In comparison, primary and secondary school students are practically defenseless.
Meanwhile, Song Xinran was busy collecting money and serving the chicken, completely unaware that a silent war was taking place within the group.
Students always go to great lengths to get the food they like.
Perhaps because of this, the students bought things for one or two yuan each, which surprised Song Xinran. She knew that students didn't have much pocket money at this time, and students like Ding Sisi who could have one yuan of pocket money every day were considered average.
In their village, some primary school students don't have a single penny of pocket money for the whole day. The situation is a bit better in the town, but most of them only get a few cents.
Yao Xu even took out a huge sum of fifty yuan. Song Xinran hesitated when she took the money. She knew that many children would steal money from adults because they were greedy, and then the adults would bring the children to ask for a refund. After all, fifty yuan still had a lot of purchasing power.
"I want five pork skewers, and one of each of the remaining vegetables." Yao Xu really wanted to act like a millionaire, but unfortunately he didn't have the means. This fifty yuan was a gift from his grandmother when he went to the city, and he couldn't spend it all.
Song Xinran glanced at Yao Xu, who looked somewhat familiar: "Little friend, you came to buy things yesterday too, didn't you?"
Yao Xu was surprised that the auntie who sold the Bobo Chicken was so popular and still remembered him. He was immediately excited and started rattling off things like he was Ding Sisi's classmate, that he had only bought two cards yesterday but didn't have enough money, and that he wanted to spend more today, so he brought his savings with him.
Upon hearing this, Song Xinran immediately understood. She counted out several strings of skewers for him and gave him his change: "Four yuan in total."
Yao Xu: !!
"So cheap!" He thought it would be expensive to buy everything!
Song Xinran thought to herself, "He really is a little rich man." She smiled and said, "Meat skewers are four mao a skewer, and vegetables are two mao a skewer. There are ten kinds of vegetables today."
Yao Xu said, "I want to come here to eat every day!"
Song Xinran thought the way the child spent money was adorable, and smiled, "Welcome!"
Business was booming, and the three bowls of Bo Bo Chicken that were prepared sold out in just one hour. The students who arrived late missed out and looked regretful, muttering, "This is too popular! If you come late, it's gone. I must come earlier tomorrow!"
Although Song Xinran hadn't thought about it at all, she inexplicably came up with the prototype of scarcity marketing.
After packing up and returning home, Song Xinran started calculating today's profits again. She was full of confidence that the profits would look much better!
After counting the money with Song Yu, we found that today's total sales were 188.2, the cost of ingredients was 65, and the gross profit was 123.2!
huge sum of money!
You have to understand that people's incomes are not high these days. The original owner was already doing well working in a glass factory, earning 600 a month. Cai Yongde, on the other hand, earned 800 a month and dared to stay at home doing nothing and still act arrogantly.
Song Xinran counted out fifty yuan and knocked on Song Xinwen's door.
Song Xinwen was also getting ready for bed when he learned of Song Xinran's purpose and immediately refused: "You're my sister, it's only right that I help you, why give me money? Take it back!"
“Sister,” Song Xinran said, “this is what you deserve. These days, the daily wage for odd jobs in town is this much. And you’ve helped me so much, not only helping me set up my stall but also cooking for me and taking care of my child. I couldn’t find someone as considerate and trustworthy as you even if I looked for someone else outside. Do you think you’re less than a stranger to me if you don’t want this money?”
Upon hearing this, Song Xinwen quickly shook his head: "How could that be! It's perfectly fine here with you!"
"Then take the money."
Song Xinwen had no choice but to accept it, and Song Xinran finally cheered up and went back to her room to sleep.
Song Xinwen held the money and pondered for a while before realizing what she meant by saying that if she didn't want the money, she was worse than an outsider. Xinran was just too good at talking; she had completely confused her!
But Song Xinwen felt touched and happy!
She recalled that she did just as much work at home, if not more, so how did Cai Yongde manage to do it?
He would give her 500 a month, which would cover all the household expenses. Cai Yongde would not use the remaining 300; he would use it to buy wine and have meals with his friends.
Five hundred is enough for a family if nothing goes wrong, but Cai Yang is a mischievous girl. She has to pay for the broken windows, she has to see a doctor when she gets sick, and even her clothes wear out faster than others. Sometimes when she doesn't have enough money, she asks Cai Yongde for more.
Cai Yongde looked very surprised: "You spent all five hundred yuan I gave you? It's not easy for me to earn money, you guys should be more frugal! Don't think that money is free just because you don't work!"
Song Xinwen retorted immediately, but she still felt a little upset, as it wasn't easy for her to ask her husband for money.
She had never worked outside the home, and all she knew was that making money was difficult, definitely harder than farm work.
But now, looking at the money in her hand, she realized she had earned fifty in just two days. She knew Song Xinran must have given her more than she should have. But this also proved that she was capable of making money, and that this money was much easier to earn than farm work, and she didn't have to ask anyone for it!
With the money in hand, Song Xinwen slept soundly that night, as if he knew that he wasn't limited to doing farm work in the village to survive.
In contrast to her peace of mind, Shi Yancun's home was in complete chaos.
Cai Yang slammed the bowl down and cried, "I want my mom! I don't want your cooking, it's not tasty at all!"
Cai Yongde was also furious at this moment, raising his eyebrows: "If you're not going to eat, then get out! I have to cook for you after I get home from work, and you still have such high expectations!"
Cai Yang sobbed, "My mom always makes me steamed eggs, stir-fried meat, and sliced meat at home! I don't want to eat pickled cowpeas and fragrant tofu!"
Pickled cowpeas are a good accompaniment to porridge. Every time Song Xinwen cooks porridge, he adds some pickled vegetables, but Cai Yang doesn't like them. So Song Xinwen will chop them up, add two eggs, and stir-fry them with the pickled cowpeas. Only then will Cai Yang eat them.
“Your mother’s gone, so if you don’t eat, you’ll just go hungry!” Cai Yongde said bitterly.
He's been very busy these past few days. Before, he could stay at the factory for a while after work and chat with his friends, but now he's busy coming home. He has a son waiting for him to eat, and the livestock, which have been hungry all day, are squealing and wanting to be fed.
Every time Cai Yongde hears the chickens, ducks and geese squawking, he feels like killing them all. But he only knows how to kill them, not how to care for them or cook them. Killing them would be a waste, which is heartbreaking!
Each time, I could only hold down the noses to let the livestock out to feed them.
Every time they rushed back, they suffered terribly. It was so easy for Song Xinwen to herd the chickens, ducks, and geese back into the shed, but as soon as he arrived, the chickens, ducks, and geese would fly around everywhere, and in the end, Cai Yang had to help them.
As a result, the chubby boy was very unhappy, feeling that his playtime had been interrupted, and that his mother had never asked him for help before.
Cai Yongde immediately gave him a whack with a stick, teaching the chubby boy a lesson that made him completely obedient.
But the stick's power only lasted for a short time, and Cai Yang's anger resurfaced: "Dad, let's go to a restaurant."
The first day after Mom left, they ate at a restaurant.
Cai Yongde glared at him angrily: "Do you know how much a meal costs at a restaurant? Do you even have the money?"
Cai Yang burst into tears: "I don't want to eat pickled cowpeas, I want to eat meat, I want my mom!"
Cai Yongde was already in a bad mood. Song Xinwen hadn't been around for the past two days, and no one was washing his clothes. He was running out of clean clothes after changing a couple more times. When he heard Cai Yang's distress, he got even angrier and stood up, slapping Cai Yang on the butt.
Cai Yang dashed out, shouting, "Someone's been hit! My dad hit someone! I want my mom!"
He ran and shouted, which was heard by the neighbors. They opened their doors and laughed, "Yongde, where did Xinwen go? He hasn't come back for two days."
Cai Yongde was a proud man, and only said, "I went to visit her sister and will be back in a couple of days."
But he turned around and chased after Cai Yang, shouting, "Cai Yang, you get back here right now!"
He cursed inwardly, "Disgraceful piece of trash!"
Although Cai Yang was chubby, he was incredibly agile, weaving in and out of things, and Cai Yongde couldn't keep up with him for a while.
The sounds of Cai Yang crying and making a scene echoed throughout the area, quite startling. People had already been talking about Song Xinwen leaving home behind their backs, and now it was being brought into the open as gossip.
Cai Yongde finally managed to catch Cai Yang, who was still struggling and crying until his face turned red: "I don't want to go back to that smelly house, it's full of chicken poop, I want my mom to help me take a bath!"
Now that they're outside, Cai Yongde doesn't want others to see the spectacle, so he can only coax, "Dad will take you to find Mom tomorrow."
Cai Yang raised his red eyes: "Really?"
“Really!” Cai Yongde gritted his teeth.
He hadn't planned to go find Song Xinwen so soon. What kind of livelihood could a woman who had never worked or earned money outside have? Song Xinran was also unemployed. The two sisters had left, and he guessed they were probably blaming each other right now.
At most, Song Xinwen will be back in two more days. To be honest, Song Xinwen being able to go out for two days was already far beyond Cai Yongde's expectations.
He was determined not to back down. He would wait until Song Xinwen came back on her own initiative and then he would know where her real home was and who her real family was, and he would no longer side with outsiders.
But unexpectedly, even the useless Cai Yang had to humble himself for the sake of his child.
However, Cai Yongde thought that he definitely wouldn't be able to give Song Xinwen a pleasant look when he found her tomorrow.
Maybe once he leaves, Song Xinwen will see her and come back to him on his own initiative!
Thinking that someone would come to clean the house tomorrow, Cai Yongde was too lazy to do laundry. He decided to wait until Song Xinwen came back tomorrow and do it together.
*
For the next two days, Song Xinran's pot-boiled chicken business was very good. Each time, she would make three large pots, which would all be sold out in less than an hour after school.
She pays Song Xinwen 25 yuan a day, and after deducting costs, she can earn 100 yuan a day!
After making some money, Song Xinran took Song Yu to buy new clothes.
The temperature is dropping day by day, and Song Yu doesn't have any thick clothes to wear in winter. Song Xinran originally planned to buy a down jacket, but there weren't any in the town. The best thing they could get was a cotton-padded coat.
Song Xinran bought a relatively good quality item, which cost 45 yuan.
When Song Xinwen saw this, her heart stirred slightly. She had been away for four or five days. She didn't feel anything while she was working, but when she was idle, she still thought about Cai Yang, after all, he was her child.
Seeing Song Xinran buying clothes, she realized that she had earned about a hundred yuan from her work over the past few days and thought it would be more than enough to buy Cai Yang a piece of clothing.
As a mother, Song Xinwen knew her child's clothing size perfectly, and she quickly bought a set.
Song Xinran asked, "Sister, are you getting ready to go back?"
Song Xinwen hesitated. She was sure her life would be better here, but the child was a mother's burden, and she couldn't bear to leave Cai Yang behind.
However, these past few days have had a significant impact on her life, especially in terms of her thoughts. She finds Cai Yongde somewhat annoying whenever she thinks about him.
Even if she were to go back, Song Xinwen thought she wouldn't live the same life as before. Cai Yongde could earn money at the pottery factory, and she could earn money outside as well. It wasn't that she couldn't survive without Cai Yongde.
Song Xinwen said, "Let me think about it."
The two were carrying clothes and chatting as they walked when they turned a corner and saw two familiar figures talking to the shop owner in front of the shop.
The two men were none other than Cai Yongde and Cai Yang.
Cai Yang spotted Song Xinwen immediately and rushed over, shouting, "Mom!"
Song Yu's eyes showed a hint of surprise: "Little Yang, my little brother."
Cai Yongde looked up when he heard the sound, and was immediately shocked when he saw them.
What's going on? These two seem to be getting along quite well.
In Cai Yongde's mind, they should have been blaming each other, disheveled and not saying a word, but now they were standing close together, smiling, and dressed cleanly, with Song Xinwen even wearing new clothes! Not to mention that they were both carrying things!
Cai Yongde's heart skipped a beat, sensing something was different, but he remained calm and walked over with a sullen face.
"You've been gone for days and aren't you going back? Are you waiting for me to come pick you up?!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
