Chapter 106
Ding Yurou was so angry that she was shaking all over. She looked at her sister's crazy face and said in a deep voice, "No, I will not break up with Xiang Qian, let alone threaten him. Xiang Qian is a very good man, and it is not easy for me to find such a person. I will never destroy the relationship between him and me because of what you said or what you asked me to do."
"You really don't want to go?"
"Yes, I won't go!" Ding Yurou said firmly.
But Ding Ruyu immediately started crying and making a fuss at home, and even went on a hunger strike in protest, which finally alarmed Ding's parents. After asking what happened, Ding's parents, without asking any questions, asked Ding Yurou to do what her sister said.
Mother Ding said, "Yurou, this is your biological sister. She has grown up so big, but has she ever asked you for anything? If you are not willing to help her with a little thing, are you still a sister?"
"Mom, be honest with yourself. How much have I done for her since she was a child? Can't you see how good I am to her?" Ding Yurou looked very sad.
Ding's mother asked, "Why are you unwilling to help her this time? Are you old and feel that you can get married now, so you have become independent and don't need to care about your sister's life or death?"
"I didn't care about her life or death? Mom, can you please be reasonable? She wants me to threaten Luo Xiangqian with breaking up! I have been going on blind dates since last year, and Xiangqian is the only man with good conditions and a good personality. If I miss this man, who else can I marry? Xiangqian and I get along well, and maybe we can get married by the end of the year. Now, just because of Ding Ruyu's unreasonable request, am I going to destroy the relationship between Xiangqian and me?" Ding Yurou's eyes were red.
Mother Ding said, "She asked you to threaten him with breaking up, not to really break up with him. Besides, he's just a man. Even if we really break up, what's the big deal? I don't believe that Luo Xiangqian is really that good. Besides, his family is so well-off. Are you sure he will really marry you? Don't be the kind of playboy who will date you for a few months, sleep with you, and break up with you when he's had enough fun!"
Ding Yurou's face turned pale: "Mom, what are you talking about? Xiang Qian is not that kind of person!"
"You said he wasn't, so he wasn't? I heard from your sister that Luo Xiangqian wasn't a good guy. The other day when you went to the park, he couldn't even take care of your sister. I knew he was a playboy. Anyway, he wasn't a good guy."
Ding Yurou said, "Even if Xiang Qian is not that good, I will never threaten him with breaking up! Have you figured out who is wrong this time? Who is the bad guy? Ruyu is already 18 years old. Others can have children at this age, but she is always like a child! But is she really a child? Children will not steal other people's husbands. She has done such a shameful thing now, and you don't correct her, but you want me to listen to her. Why should I listen to her?"
Mother Ding sneered and said, "Just because your sister is a college student at the provincial university, just because your sister is the pride of our family, and just because you are inferior to your sister in everything! Your sister has her reasons for what she says and does. She is not as confused as you, nor as stupid as you! Do whatever she says! I warn you, this is my home. If you don't do what your sister says today, get out of this house! Didn't you say Luo Xiangqian is great? If you have the ability, take your luggage and marry him now! If you don't have this ability, go and threaten him!"
Ding Yurou's hands and feet were cold, and she was shaking so much that she could hardly stand. "Mom, do you really know what you are talking about? Do you know who Luo Xiangqian's parents are, and who his grandfather is? I'm looking for Luo Xiangqian, isn't it for our family?"
"I know. As for the Luo family, you mentioned it when you first came back. But I'm worried about you. You're not smart enough. Even if you marry there, you may not be able to bring any benefits to the family. But your sister is different. As long as your sister can marry that Xie guy, won't everything be the same? Yu Rou, let me say that your sister is much more reliable than you. She's a smart person and knows how to use the relationship with her husband's family to bring benefits to her family. You, you've been so stupid since you were a child. Even if you marry a Luo guy, what benefits can you bring to the family? Mom won't harm you. Just listen to your sister this time. If you help your sister, in the future, when your sister is with that Xie guy and becomes the wife of a high-ranking official, she will also respect you."
Ding Yurou was stunned. She looked at her mother in disbelief and said, "Mom! You actually think so... You... It turns out that you are supporting my sister to destroy other people's families! I said, if she didn't have the support of her family, how could she be so bold! But they have already said that if my sister harasses them again, they will tell the principal. At that time, it will not only be a serious punishment, but she may be expelled from the provincial university at any minute! Mom, didn't you see Xie Jinxuan's wife? She is not a woman who is easy to mess with, and she is extremely beautiful. She is not a person that a little girl like my sister can get away with! Mom, wake up! Don't let it end up that someone's family is not destroyed successfully, and my sister is expelled from the university instead. That would be stealing a chicken and losing the rice."
"That's why I want you to help. You have to help Ruyu! Ruyu has told me that Xie Jinxuan and Luo Xiangqian have been good brothers since childhood, and Luo Xiangqian is obsessed with you. You should threaten Luo Xiangqian now and tell him to help. Since they are good brothers, it should be easy to invite Xie Jinxuan out for dinner and drinks. I have thought about it. The Xie family has a strict family tradition. As long as the surname Xie gets drunk and does something wrong and hits your sister, the Xie family will be responsible." Mother Ding said complacently: "Your sister and I have already discussed it. Now, it's time for you to come in handy."
"Dad, why don't you say anything? Do you agree with them doing this?" Ding Yurou could only ask her father for help.
Who knew that Father Ding said, "What your sister wants to do must have a reason. From childhood to adulthood, which goal has she not completed? Besides, if Luo Xiangqian really cares about you, he will not refuse if you persuade him to help you."
"Dad! Are you crazy too?" Ding Yurou was shaking like she had epilepsy.
Father Ding said, "Your sister is so well-off. If Xie Jinxuan is divorced, she is just a second-married man. Isn't she worthy of him? You should do as your mother says and find Luo Xiangqian now. Otherwise, you should move out of this house. You are old and independent. We can't control you anymore."
Ding Yurou cried uncontrollably, and finally, under pressure from her family, she had no choice but to find Luo Xiangqian and convey what her mother wanted to say.
It took Luo Xiangqian a long time to understand what Ding Yurou was saying. After listening, he widened his eyes and said, "Yurou, are your family members serious?"
"They are serious. If you can't complete this, we will definitely break up." Ding Yurou cried very pitifully.
Luo Xiangqian looked at the tearful man in front of him. Although he felt extremely distressed, he still hardened his heart and said, "I won't do such a thing! I have never heard of such a ridiculous thing. You actually want me to help your sister destroy Jinxuan's marriage? Yurou, I thought you were a sober person. How can you have the same idea as them?"
"Of course I know this is wrong, and of course I don't want to come. I care about you so much...but if I don't do this, I will be kicked out of the house."
"Then take me to your house and I'll talk to your parents."
"What will happen if you go to my house? My parents won't take you seriously, nor will they take me seriously! They only have Ruyu in their eyes, and they will fight for Ruyu as long as she wants something. They think Ruyu can get everything in the world, and finally bring supreme glory to the family! Xiang Qian, I beg you, we get along so well, I can't bear to leave you, please help me, let's not break up because of this kind of thing, okay?" Ding Yurou held Luo Xiangqian's big hand and cried so hard that she almost fainted.
Luo Xiangqian's expression also looked painful. He supported Ding Yurou, thought for a while, and said in a deep voice: "But... Yurou, I can't do it! Jinxuan is my best brother. I can't destroy his marriage and his family just to help your sister. Do you know? Jinxuan has liked Xiaoxia for many years. It is not easy for him to be with Xiaoxia today. If I agree to you for my own affairs, what kind of person would I be? What's more, I don't approve of what your sister did. If you ask me, your sister is so shameless, your parents should teach her a lesson! Otherwise... you move out of the house, I will help you find a place to live. You are in your twenties, you have a job and income, so moving out of the house is not a big deal."
Ding Yurou was stunned: "You want me to move out, how can I... do this?"
"Why not? You have a job and can support yourself. It will be good for you to move out and stop associating with them."
Ding Yurou looked at Luo Xiangqian's sincere eyes and hesitated for a long time. She struggled and said, "No, I can't move out. The day I move out must be the day I get married. You want me to move out now. Are you going to marry me right away?"
Luo Xiangqian was stunned and speechless for a long time.
Ding Yurou looked at his hesitant expression and her heart suddenly turned cold.
She smiled bitterly and said, "Since you can't marry me now, what's your intention in asking me to move out of my parents' home? What do you think of me? Am I not worthy of you? You actually hesitate about such a thing... You hesitated... Forget it, I won't tell you anymore. It seems that my mother is not wrong. There is no big loss in breaking up with you. That's it. I'll go back first."
Luo Xiangqian hurriedly chased after him, but no matter how he tried to win her back, Ding Yurou didn't want to listen to him anymore. She just kept saying, "Unless you can ask Xie Jinxuan out for a drink, don't look for me anymore."
Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang didn't know that Luo Xiangqian was going through such a painful thing, because Luo Xiangqian hadn't come to see them for some time.
Another Sunday came, and Xie Jinxuan's class organized a mountain climbing activity. As the class monitor, he had to attend, so Xia Qingtang invited Hu Yanni and Xie Xiaoshuang, and the three of them gathered in the small courtyard to cook and prepare to spend a lunch with only girls.
Hu Yanni looked very happy. She said, "My brother will be back soon."
"What? Are there jobs available?" Xie Xiaoshuang asked curiously.
"Where can there be jobs? Most of the educated youth who came back this year are staying at home. I heard that the factory under construction in the city will not start recruiting workers until at least half a year later. It won't be that fast. My brother came back from the countryside because his leg was injured and he couldn't stand it over there. I discussed it with my parents. Now that I am in college, my food and drink are provided by the school, and it doesn't take up the family's share. If my brother comes back, we can support him with my parents' food coupons, so why not let him come back to recuperate. He has been in the countryside for so many years and has a lot of health problems."
Xia Qingtang said, "Yes, it's better to go back to the city. Winter is coming, and life in the countryside will become increasingly difficult. The factory will start recruiting workers in half a year anyway, so why not let your brother come back early to recuperate so that he can go to work properly after he recovers."
Hu Yanni nodded: "So I am looking forward to it now. My brother will be back next week. He told me in the letter that he plans to find something to do for half a year after he comes back. He is definitely not the kind of person who will sit around and do nothing."
Hu Yanni's brother is indeed a very responsible person, and he has a very good relationship with his sister.
Xie Xiaoshuang asked curiously, "Your brother wants to do something on his own after coming back. What is he going to do? As a temporary worker? I heard that it's hard to find temporary workers now. You need someone with connections."
"I'm not sure about the details yet, maybe we'll set up a small stall and sell some things outside."
"Selling things? Won't we get caught?" Xie Xiaoshuang whispered.
Hu Yanni said, "No, haven't you noticed that recently on some hidden streets, people have been carrying bamboo baskets to sell things. They sell all kinds of things. Some sell mountain products, some sell dried vegetables, and some sell homemade shoes, hats, clothes, etc. I think the business is pretty good."
"But we can only get money from selling these. No one will use cloth coupons and food coupons to exchange for these things."
"It's OK to just collect money. As long as you collect enough money, you can exchange it for food on the black market. My brother said that as long as you are willing to work hard and find ways, there is no way you can't earn food."
As Xia Qingtang listened, he tried hard to recall things from his previous life. It seemed that during this period in his previous life, some people did slowly emerge to do small businesses, but their number was very small and they were all very secretive. After experiencing those years, even the most daring people would act with caution.
Moreover, people who start small businesses now cannot actually make much money because no one has much money in their pockets.
Nowadays, those who go out to sell things can at most earn some money for entertainment, supplement the family expenses, and then find a chance to exchange for some coarse grains or necessities.
By next year, when foreign factories move in and special economic zones appear, the streets will really become lively.
Not long after, Hu Yanni's brother came back, and Xia Qingtang was invited to their home and had dinner with their whole family.
After dinner, Xia Qingtang helped to clean up the dishes and took them to the kitchen to wash. At some point, Hu Yanhui also went in.
He said cheerfully, "I heard in a letter that you were married. It's been more than a year now. How are you doing?"
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "I'm doing pretty well. I found a very good person and we have a very good relationship. He treats me very well and my whole family respects me."
Hu Yanhui smiled and said, "Seeing that you are doing well, I feel relieved. In these years in the countryside, besides my parents and Yanni, the person I miss the most is you."
Xia Qingtang was startled. She looked up at Hu Yanhui's face with a faint smile on it, and suddenly realized that this friend's brother might have always liked her.
Seeing Xia Qingtang's surprised expression, Hu Yanhui asked, "Sorry, did I scare you?"
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "I wasn't scared, but I certainly didn't expect..."
She tried hard to recall some things that happened in the past. She and Hu Yanni had been good friends for a long time, and she did often come to Hu's house to play, but at that time, she didn't feel that Hu Yanhui had anything special towards her.
Of course, he is a very gentle and steady person. Even if he has any emotions, he won't show them very obviously. Also, since he is very nice to everyone, it is normal that there is no sign of anything special about him.
Hu Yanhui said: "I didn't expect it, but it happened naturally, and I couldn't control it. You are Yanni's good friend. When I left here, you were still young, and I was confused at the time, so I couldn't say anything to you. Later, you started working, but I was always in the countryside, and I didn't see you very often. I only came back a few days a year. What's more, I had no security in the countryside, so I didn't dare to say anything to you. Then... I heard the news that you were getting married. I was a little sad at the time, but I was still happy for you. Now that I'm home and I see that you are doing well, I feel more relieved. To be honest, I hesitated for a long time and didn't know what to do. Should I tell you these things? I'm afraid you'll feel embarrassed if I tell you, and you won't dare to come to our house in the future. But I think, after all, this is my first relationship, and telling you now will make it a beginning and an end. Don't worry, this is the first and last time I say this. I have actually moved on. From tomorrow on, I will still be Yanni's brother, and the relationship between you and me will not change, and I won't pretend to be affectionate. I am a person who can think things through. When I have a stable job, I will move forward, get to know other people, and try to find someone I like. I hope you won't hate me or feel embarrassed because of this."
These words were very sincere, and one could tell from his eyes that he was indeed relieved. He just wanted to say it out loud to put an end to his first crush.
Xia Qingtang nodded and said seriously, "I won't hate you, and I won't feel embarrassed. Brother Hui, you have let it go and are relieved, so I won't take it to heart. I believe in you. A good person like you will definitely find a girl who loves you very much."
Hu Yanhui laughed, and this time his smile seemed more calm. He said, "Thanks to your good words, I will work hard myself. However, it's too early to say these things now. I have nothing at the moment. The first thing is to take care of my health, and then think about making some money. When the factory is built next year, I will go and give it a try. With a job, people will have confidence."
In his previous life, Hu Yanni's brother did not actually go to work in any foreign factory, and he did not come back at this time. He returned to the city with many people a year later, and then entered the steel plant through his family's connections. In the early 1990s, like those who were on unpaid leave, he went to the coastal cities to do business. It was because Hu Yanhui went out of town at that time that he was unable to take care of Hu Yanni.
After Hu Yanni passed away, Hu Yanhui was also hit hard. He closed his business in other places and returned home, where he opened a store and did small business. But after that, Xia Qingtang also cut off contact with him.
However, just looking at his previous life, we can tell that Hu Yanhui was a very good businessman. If he follows the old path in this life, he will definitely achieve something.
Xia Qingtang said: "Brother Hui, you have been smart and have a lot of ideas since you were a child. Now some people have started small businesses on the streets. I think if Brother Hui also does these, he will definitely make more money than others. Although money is not food coupons, it is a good thing anyway. As long as you earn more, money can be exchanged for many things."
Hu Yanhui smiled and nodded: "You are right, I think so too, it is absolutely right to make more money. Anyway, our family has enough food to eat, and I can also use the money I earn to exchange for coarse grains. It seems that what Yanni said is not false at all. You have changed a lot since last year, becoming more mature, stable, and smarter. Seeing these changes in you, I am really happy for you."
This time, the tone of his voice was completely that of an elder.
"Thank you, Brother Hui." Xia Qingtang said, "I think Brother Hui has changed a lot. He seems to be smarter than before. If Brother Hui starts a small business, I will also go to your place to buy things."
"Okay, if I start a small business, I will definitely come to you for patronage." Hu Yanhui said, "Okay, I'll say everything I need to say today. I've kept it in my heart for so many years. I feel much better now that I've said it. I just hope I haven't burdened you."
Xia Qingtang quickly shook his head and said, "It's not a burden to me. Didn't Brother Hui say that you will be Yanni's brother from now on. We will continue as usual, right?"
"Yes, that's fine. I'll go out first and let Yanni come in to accompany you." Hu Yanhui said and walked out.
Hu Yanni quickly ran to the kitchen. She carefully looked at Xia Qingtang's face and whispered, "Qingtang, my brother didn't scare you, did he?"
Xia Qingtang said: "I was a little scared, but Brother Hui was very cautious and didn't cause me any trouble. We have already talked it over. From now on, he is still your brother and our relationship will remain the same."
"That's good, that's good! I was really afraid that my brother might make a mistake and make you unhappy, and you would no longer be friends with me." Hu Yanni hugged Xia Qingtang's arm, looking relieved.
"Why would I be unhappy? Your brother is not a bad person. He has a good impression of me and has never caused me any trouble. Why should I be unhappy? Besides, he has let it go, so of course I will let it go too."
"Oh, it's a pity. Since my brother likes you, why didn't he tell you earlier? Otherwise, you could marry into our family and we could be real sisters." Hu Yanni whispered, "My brother is not bad, right?"
Hu Yanni has a good-looking appearance, so her brother is naturally not ugly either.
Hu Yanhui is not the particularly handsome type, but he is tall, with regular features, and is very friendly when he smiles. He is a very likable young man. In addition, he has good conduct and a good personality, and comes from a warm family with decent conditions. If he wants to go out and find a partner, he is a very promising man.
Xia Qingtang said: "Your brother is certainly not bad, but he and I don't seem to be a good match..."
"It's too late to say anything now. You've been married for so long, and there's no way of knowing whether it's suitable or not. In fact, I only knew that my brother liked you after he came home. If I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have revealed all that news about you in the letter. Now think about it, my brother was in the countryside at the time. How sad he must have been when he heard the news of your marriage."
"But he will know it sooner or later. The sooner he knows it, the sooner he will accept it. And don't worry, your brother is a very good person. He will definitely find a better wife in the future."
However, Xia Qingtang was not very confident when she said this, because the trajectory of everything was different from her previous life, and she was not sure whether Hu Yanhui could find a good wife in this life.
Of course, she was not very familiar with the lover Hu Yanhui found in his previous life. She only knew that the relationship between the couple was okay.
But after thinking about it, as long as Hu Yanhui is a kind and capable person, no matter how the trajectory of his life changes, it is unlikely that he will find a bad partner, so this is enough.
Hu Yanni said: "I also hope that my brother can find a better partner, but my parents said that my brother has no job now, and finding a partner is something for the future. We have to wait until the factory recruits workers."
"Your brother is not too old, why is he in such a hurry? He will have enough time to find a partner in two or three years. Or... you are in a hurry to get married, but your family has rules that say that if your brother doesn't get married, you, the younger sister, can't get married either, so you are in a hurry?" Xia Qingtang joked.
Hu Yanni blushed and rushed over to grab Xia Qingtang's arm: "Hey, what are you talking about? Am I that kind of person? I just started college, how can I get married while studying? Don't talk about me, my partner hasn't thought about getting married so early either."
"But your partner graduated a year earlier than you. I don't know what the school says, but as long as you don't have children, it should still be okay to get married."
"He and I have already discussed that we will not get married until I graduate from college. But before that, if things go well... in two years, he will come to my house to propose." Hu Yanni smiled.
"Then you two are making good progress." Xia Qingtang said, "Are you happy with him?"
Hu Yanni thought for a moment and said, "I'm quite happy. He knows a lot. Although he has some shortcomings in dealing with people, I still like him very much. He is also willing to communicate with me, which makes me very satisfied. You know, I'm a chatterbox. If I meet someone who is not talkative, I will be suffocated to death."
"It's fine as long as you two have a good relationship. If you encounter any trouble, just tell me." Xia Qingtang and Hu Yanni washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, then said, "It's getting late. I'm going to say goodbye to my uncle and aunt and go home. I have to tell Jinxuan about this tonight."
Hu Yanni said, "Do you still need to tell Comrade Xie about this? Can't you not tell him? Anyway, my brother will never say such things to you again, so you can keep it a secret."
"You should tell him. I know you so well, and I will see your brother often in the future. If I don't let Jinxuan know about these things, your brother and I will often meet in the future. Even if we are aboveboard, it's not good for Xie Jinxuan to be kept in the dark."
Hu Yanni was stunned for a moment and said, "Then should I also tell my boyfriend about the letter I received at school?"
Xia Qingtang was stunned: "What? Someone wrote to you, why didn't you tell me?"
"Alas, although someone did write to me, I rejected him the first time, so it's not a big deal... I didn't intend to tell Gu Xing'an about this, but now that you said this, I'm a little hesitant. Qingtang, do you think I should tell him?"
Xia Qingtang said, "You should make your own judgment on your own affairs, because every couple has a different way of getting along with each other. Xie Jinxuan and I had agreed before that we would not hide anything from each other in this regard, because I am very popular and he is also very popular. Some things are better if we talk about them openly. If we were to be secretive, it would be inappropriate and I am afraid it would cause misunderstandings. But I know Xie Jinxuan's character very well. First of all, he is very confident and will not be unhappy because I am liked by others. But I don't know what kind of personality Gu Xingan has, so you can only judge for yourself. It's okay to say it or not, as long as you think it's appropriate."
"Then I'll think about it again. Gu Xing'an is not as open-minded and confident as Comrade Xie. I'm afraid that if he finds out that someone wrote to me, it will add some burden to him, which would be bad."
"Just handle it well. There is no right or wrong in this matter. As long as you can handle it well, it's right." Xia Qingtang gave her a hug and said, "Okay, I'll go say goodbye to my uncle and aunt, and then go home."
Xia Qingtang said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Hu and rode his bicycle back to his home.
Xie Jinxuan was doing his homework seriously in the study room at the moment. Xia Qingtang went in first, kissed him, and then went to take a shower.
After taking a shower, she made a cup of hot milk for Xie Jinxuan, and while he was drinking the milk, she told him about Hu Yanhui.
Xie Jinxuan nodded and said, "I understand."
Seeing that he looked normal, Xia Qingtang knew that he didn't take it to heart at all, so she asked, "So do you want to go to bed now? Or do you want to continue studying?"
"I'll study for another half an hour and then go to bed."
"Then I'll go back to the room and wait for you." Xia Qingtang took a novel and lay on the bed reading while waiting, but she fell asleep before Xie Jinxuan came in.
Gradually it was the end of November, and the late winter finally showed signs of coldness. People changed into thin cotton-padded clothes and found thick shoes to wear. Grandma and Sixth Aunt prepared new gloves and scarves for Xia Qingtang so that she would not be cold when riding a bicycle.
During this period, their lives were very peaceful and quiet. Xia Qingtang's work went smoothly, and Xie Jinxuan could concentrate on her studies at school.
The previous warning from the department did work. No matter how bold Ding Ruyu was, he didn't want to give himself a serious warning. From then on, when he attended large classes, he would choose to sit in the farthest seat.
By the beginning of December, Xia Daming's leg injury had almost healed, so he returned to the factory to continue working. The factory also arranged him to the cleaning team as promised.
Xia Qingtang went over to see him once, and was relieved to see that he was adapting well to the cleaning class.
After work that day, Xia Qingtang was riding her bike along a familiar street when she suddenly spotted Hu Yanhui selling something in the corner ahead.
He was pushing Hu's father's bicycle, with two large bamboo baskets tied to the back of the bicycle. The baskets were covered with cotton cloth, and no one knew what was in them.
Hu Yanhui was introducing something to a aunt in her forties at the moment. Soon the aunt paid the money. Hu Yanhui took out something packaged from the bamboo basket and handed it to her. The aunt nodded and walked away quickly.
Xia Qingtang rode over on his bike and greeted him softly, "Brother Hui, you've really started a small business."
Hu Yanhui smiled as soon as he saw her coming over: "Yes, if you say you will do it, you must arrange it."
"What are you selling?" Xia Qingtang looked at the two bamboo baskets covered with blue cloth curiously.
"It's edible. Do you want to try it?" Hu Yanhui said, "I always try it first and buy it if you are satisfied."
"Okay, how much is it? What's delicious?"
"It's peanut cake. I learned how to make it in the countryside. It's a secret recipe from a fellow villager. The finished product I made back home turned out pretty good. Peanuts are pretty cheap now, too. I packed them into bags and charged by the portion. Try one, and if you think it's good, take two bags home. I won't charge you."
"That won't do. I still have to pay the money. You are doing business, not doing charity. Let me tell you, the most important thing about running a small business is that you must collect the money, regardless of whether they are relatives or friends. If you take the money this time, you can give me food next time when you are not doing business, but you must collect the money when you are doing business." Xia Qingtang said seriously.
These words were told to her by her cousin's husband before. He was able to expand his business by following these rules.
Hu Yanhui laughed. He thought for a moment and said, "What you said makes sense. We must abide by the rules when doing business. Otherwise, if I give a pack to everyone I know and a pack to everyone I am familiar with, what else can I sell? I might as well just give them all away. Okay, try some first. If you think it's good, you can buy a pack. However, I am very confident in this peanut cake. The taste should be guaranteed."
As he spoke, Hu Yanhui opened a clean lunch box, which was filled with a lot of peanut cakes cut into small pieces. It looked really appetizing.
Xia Qingtang took a piece from the cake and put it in her mouth to taste it. It was crispy, fragrant, and lightly sweet. She widened her eyes and said, "This is the first time I've eaten this kind of peanut cake. It's so delicious! I didn't expect that you, Brother Hui, have such great cooking skills!"
Hu Yanhui smiled and said, "Would you like to buy a pack?"
"How can one pack be enough? Give me four packs." Xia Qingtang said, and started to take out money from his pocket.
Xia Qingtang bought four bags of peanut cakes and put them all in her bag. Then she looked around and whispered, "Brother Hui, I don't think this section of the road is very suitable for selling things. For delicious things like this, you should take them to the places where people get off work in the government compound, or sell them near where they live. They have a lot of spare money, so buying a few bags is not a problem. There are several government compounds in the city. You can rotate to a different place from time to time. Don't worry, no one will catch you. There are quite a few people selling things outside our compound recently."
Hu Yanhui looked around and nodded, "Indeed, you are right. Although there are many passers-by here, not all of them have spare money. They still have to go to the agency. Qingtang, thank you. I will change places now and go over there to take a look."
Having said that, he rode away from Xia Qingtang on his bike.
Xia Qingtang returned to the compound with four packages of delicious peanut cakes. She first rode her bike to the small western-style building and placed two of the packages on the coffee table in the living room.
Grandma smiled and said, "What is this?"
"It's peanut cake, very delicious. I bought it on the roadside. It tastes really good. After eating one piece, I wanted to eat the second one, so I bought four packs at once." Xia Qingtang said as he opened one of the oil paper packages and invited Grandma and Sixth Aunt to come over and taste it.
Aunt Six said, "Things bought on the roadside? Can you eat them? Are they unclean? Let me tell you, a few days ago, a man from the yard next door bought some chestnut cakes on the roadside. They tasted delicious, but he got diarrhea the next day and had to go to the infirmary to get better."
Grandma also said: "Yes, Qingtang, there are more and more people selling things on the roadside recently. There are all kinds of people here, and I don't know if the food they make is clean. You still can't eat the things on the roadside casually."
"Yes, if you get sick from eating something sold in a store, you can go and settle the bill with them. But these things sold on the roadside are a one-time deal, and you won't be able to find anyone if you get sick from eating them. Qingtang, you'd better not eat it, or you'll get a stomachache tomorrow."
As more and more educated youth returned to the city and more and more young people were unemployed, more and more people came out to do small business as the wind eased. Among them, some people were very conscientious, but there have always been people who do business against their conscience, so buying things on the roadside does depend on luck.
Xia Qingtang said quickly, "I know. I won't just buy things on the street. The one selling the peanut cake today is Hu Yanni's brother. I know him, and I know that his family is very hygienic. Plus, this peanut cake is really delicious, so I bought it."
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