Back home, Mingjing took out her small ledger and started calculating the expenses. Building the house would cost at least 100,000, which was the biggest expense. Then there was the cost of repaying Bai Xiaoye for the boat and the house.
I pay back 3,000 yuan every month, so the money should be enough to cover my expenses.
After closing the ledger, Sun Yunmei called Mingjing out for dinner.
"Mom and Dad, you just eat. Why are you waiting for me?"
“You are a great contributor to our family. Who else would we wait for if not you?” Sun Yunmei said, serving up a bowl of sea cucumber and abalone congee.
It was almost eleven o'clock when the family finally started eating dinner, and Mingjing felt a lump in her throat.
It feels so good to have someone waiting for you.
Mingjing pulled out a wad of cash and slammed it on the table. "Mom and Dad, the seafood from earlier plus the basil from yesterday, that's a total of 59,000. I won't mention the change."
"Uncle Dong will transfer the money to our savings account at the bank tomorrow. Dad, take this money and buy some good cigarettes and alcohol."
"Mom, take this money and buy some meat, vegetables, cosmetics, and nice clothes."
"Brother, Mingyue, take this money and buy something. You wouldn't have earned this money without it."
Mingjing grabbed a handful of money and distributed it to everyone.
"Sister, you're so kind." Mingyue took the money, glanced at it, and estimated it to be three hundred.
Three hundred is a huge sum of money now, but Mingyue isn't excited about it.
“Look at all the money you’ve saved up over the years, they’ll just squander it if you give it to them,” Sun Yunmei said, reaching out to take it back.
"Mom, it's alright. They're generous and know right from wrong," Mingjing said, pulling Sun Yunmei down to sit.
Ming Dahai, with tears welling up in his eyes, drank a glass of wine and said, "Mingjing, our family has really wronged you. We've made you suffer a lot. You've never complained about us, have you?"
Mingjing picked up a sea cucumber about the thickness of a thumb and stuffed it into his mouth. He looked up at everyone and understood what they meant.
Making money can be addictive, and Ming Dahai was worried that one day she might not want to be a fisherwoman on the island anymore and would run away, so he asked her specifically.
"Mom and Dad, don't worry, the island is my home. I don't feel like I'm suffering. What's suffering if I'm just picking up money? I plan to develop the island and get rich."
She had seen the outside world before, but the fast-paced life and the complex society full of intrigue and backstabbing made her life meaningless as she toiled away for a pittance.
Just like in her previous life, she was an oceanographer and worked in a public institution, but in the end, she couldn't avoid toiling for money and had no freedom at all.
She'd be living a life of ease, making money hand over fist. She must be crazy to want to go to a big city.
Besides, even if you work your whole life in a big city, you'll still be a beast of burden. How can you earn hundreds of thousands of yuan so easily?
Upon receiving the reply, the Ming family smiled with satisfaction.
Ming Dahai took a sip of wine and said, "That's good, that's good. Mingjing, do you think we should take Song Yugui's ship or not? Song Yugui said he can get a better price."
"No, Dad, we don't want it even if it's cheap. We have a boat now, and building a house is the most important thing. I'll go to the building materials market in the city tomorrow."
No matter where you are, having a house means having roots, and her family will feel more at ease knowing she's doing this.
"By the way, speaking of the house, Zhang Ping wrote to us saying that the police have notified him that he will be detained for a few days. Once he gets out, he can give us the land."
Ming Dahai laughed so hard his hands trembled.
"Okay, I'll go to the city tomorrow and take a look."
"Take my water pump with you for repairs; it's such a waste that I bought it for two thousand dollars and it's no longer usable."
"Dad, you and Mom come with me. I don't know which building materials are good either. Let's go take a look and not buy anything yet."
Ming Dahai nodded and smoked even more heavily.
Early in the morning, the sky was overcast, the ground was damp from the light rain that had fallen the night before, and the wind was wet and salty.
After finishing breakfast, the Ming family rode their tricycles to leave the island.
"Mingjing!" Ming Xingwang's wife stopped Mingjing's car.
"Is something wrong, sister-in-law?"
Wang Jinhua hesitated, "Well, I heard you have connections and got Zhang Ping out? Could you pull some strings to get your second uncle's matter settled?"
“We can’t just let him bully us like this. He’s still your second uncle. Your sister-in-law doesn’t ask for anything else, just some compensation.”
Mingjing understood perfectly; they were trying to get her to be an accomplice in extorting money.
“Your second uncle was seriously injured, but the police station not only didn’t arrest him, they also made us pay a fine. Your second uncle went to mediate the fight, not to fight. This is not fair.”
A hint of impatience flashed in Mingjing's eyes as she replied perfunctorily, "I know, we'll talk about it later. I have something to do in a hurry, Auntie, please make way."
She twisted the handlebars, and the bike passed by Wang Jinhua.
"Don't forget!" Wang Jinhua shouted.
Mingjing was secretly pleased with himself.
Sure enough, once a person has power and influence, even those who dislike you will come to curry favor with you.
Passing by, in front of the Song family's house, the yellowish-brown stains on the wall were still there, and a foul stench wafted over.
"Hurry up, you don't know how awful the Song family's house is, especially in the summer. Flies swarm there like they're having a meeting, and you can't wash it off."
"Old Mrs. Song doesn't dare to scold him? She's afraid that person will retaliate by spitting out some excrement and urine." Sun Yunmei covered her nose and laughed uncontrollably.
Sun Yunmei only dared to breathe after the car passed the Song family's house.
As Old Wang passed by Old Wang's convenience store, he saw Mingjing leading her family out and found it quite interesting.
"Mingjing, Dahai, are you going to the market?"
"Uncle Wang, give me a soft-serve Tashan cigarette." Mingjing stopped the car, took out ten yuan and slapped it on the table.
Old Wang turned around, picked up a soft-pack of Soft Pagoda Mountain cigarettes, placed them on the table, and teased, "Da Hai, your daughter is really filial. She bought Soft Pagoda Mountain cigarettes without hesitation. Looks like she's really rich now."
"Uncle Wang, why don't you spend the money you earn to have more babies? You can only earn more if you spend it, otherwise it will all go moldy."
Old Wang laughed heartily, "You silly girl, you'll know how expensive firewood and rice are when you get married, and you'll know what thrift is when you have a son."
"She's still young, how would she know such a thing?" Ming Dahai said with a smile as he took the Ruantashan cigarettes and immediately opened a package.
Mingjing drove off, instructing, "Dad, remember to offer that 'Ruantashan' cigarette to the owner at the building materials market later."
"This kid, your dad's lived to be this old and you don't know as much as he does?" Ming Dahai chuckled, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
To be honest, he really hadn't realized that this girl was quite capable.
They went to the building materials market in town first, which would be close to home if it was suitable. Coincidentally, it started to drizzle just as they arrived.
Mingjing took out a prepared tarpaulin and covered the electric scooter with it, and the group escaped into the market.
Fortunately, the market is in the form of a greenhouse, housing many vendors of varying sizes.
"Boss Tan, how much are these red tiles?"
Mingjing looked through them all, then stopped at a shop selling red tiles.
"Boss Tan," Ming Dahai said, offering him a cigarette first.
Mr. Tan, a middle-aged man, took the cigarette and lit it. "How many do you want? There's a discount if you buy a lot."
Mingjing glanced at Mingdahai, signaling him to speak.
"Boss Tan, I'll need three thousand yuan for now."
After Ming Dahai finished speaking, Ming Jing said, "Five thousand yuan."
Upon hearing that a big order had come in, Boss Tan immediately became happy. "Okay, come with me to the office and we'll fill out a receipt."
The group followed Boss Tan to his office.
What is your last name?
“My surname is Ming,” Ming Dahai said as he sat down.
"Mr. Ming, we have many kinds of bricks and tiles, including brick tiles, marble tiles, asbestos tiles, mud tiles and asphalt shingles. Brick tiles are cheap but don't last long."
"How about trying our imported asphalt shingles? They're waterproof, sturdy, and look great too."
As recommended by Boss Tan, his secretary brought in tea, placed it in front of them, and then left.
“No need, we ordinary people don’t need such good stuff to repair the roof. How much does it cost?” Mingjing interjected.
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