Chapter 2020
Sports Park cement field
The dynamic disco music was played at full volume, and Fang Zhiwen followed the beat with unbridled youthful enthusiasm. Xu Shanshan's watery eyes were filled with him, and that love rippled through her heart. Her chest felt sore, swollen, flustered, and sweet, all mixed together, making her feel uneasy.
Fang Zhiwen's eyes were all on his wife. Seeing her smiling and looking so relaxed, which was rare, he danced even harder.
The boys gradually became exhausted and slumped under the shade of the trees. The whole place became Fang Zhiwen's one-man show. Soon, passersby came over to watch and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, this guy dances pretty well."
"This young man has powerful arms and a really strong waist."
The music stopped, Fang Zhiwen supported himself on the ground with one hand, then turned over and stood up. He walked up to Xu Shanshan and said, "Wife, how are you?"
"Brother, you are definitely the dancing king of our Lin City. You dance so handsomely."
Fang Zhiwen pushed his brother's face aside with a look of disgust. He only wanted his wife's praise.
Xu Shanshan's face flushed red, and she said with a firm and serious look: "He's very good, more handsome than a movie star." At this moment, Xu Shanshan was a little dazed. How could she find such a handsome and good man?
"That's right. How can my wife have bad taste? Come on, I'll take you to a nice dinner."
Fang Zhiwen waved goodbye to his brothers, held up his umbrella, and left with Xu Shanshan. The brothers didn't leave, but sat there replaying Fang Zhiwen's moves. They tried to do it themselves, almost straining their waists. They couldn't help but shout, admiringly, "Brother Fang is really awesome."
A single movement could tire someone out, yet he managed to dance so smoothly.
On the other hand, Fang Zhiwen took Xu Shanshan to a private restaurant and spent all the money they brought with them before going home.
The aunties in the staff building were speechless when they saw that Fang Zhiwen not only dressed like a gangster, but also got Xu Shanshan a pair of bell-bottom pants to wear.
Sometimes they wonder if they are too old and why they can never understand what young people are thinking.
Just like Zhou Kai and Liu Xin, who were married for only a few days and were already asking for a divorce.
Hi, we were about to get a divorce certificate, and then we found out that Liu Xin was pregnant.
These two people don't look like they can live a normal life.
......
After that day, Fang Zhiwen would occasionally take Xu Shanshan out to relax. Xu Shanshan was naturally worried about the money, but she knew through Qin Sisi how carefree Fang Zhiwen's life was before, so she couldn't bear to see him become financially strapped after marriage.
Fang Zhiwen said something very reasonable: "Money is a bastard, spend it and earn it again." So the problem is not spending, but earning.
Xu Shanshan wrote a letter to her sisters and asked them to get some corn. A while ago, Fang Zhiwen made some milk-flavored popcorn, which Xu Shanshan found delicious.
It just so happened that the team was harvesting corn recently, so Xu Shanshan planned to get some to sell.
The big iron pan that Fang Zhiwen used to fry chestnuts can be used to make popcorn.
Fang Zhiwen secretly didn't want his wife to be so tired, but seeing how motivated Xu Shanshan was, he didn't dare to pour cold water on her.
"Shanshan, why don't you sell tapes like cousin Yang Jian?"
"Yang Jian can sell enough of the quantity you have, so I can't rob him of his money. Besides, I think popcorn is very good. I can eat it myself if I don't sell all of it." Xu Shanshan especially likes popcorn.
"Okay, I'll help you then."
"Hey, no need. Didn't Yang Jian ask you to record more tapes? You should focus on your own business first. If I rely on you for everything, then my job will be meaningless." Xu Shanshan immediately declined Fang Zhiwen's kindness.
Fang Zhiwen was very busy, not only recording tapes but also occasionally taking on tape recorder modifications. But he was also very lucrative, earning in a month what others would earn in a year.
Xu Shanshan wants to try her best on her own.
It’s not that she has to make such a clear distinction, but she relies on Fang Zhiwen for everything, and she is really afraid that one day she will lose all motivation.
She didn't want the gap between herself and Fang Zhiwen to grow wider.
She was even afraid that one day Fang Zhiwen would suddenly come to his senses and go find the female comrade who was a good match for him.
Xu Shanshan naturally couldn't share these worries with Fang Zhiwen. She could only keep them to herself and digest them silently. She could only turn her anxiety into motivation and strive to catch up with Fang Zhiwen.
Xu Shanshan is a person with great initiative. As soon as she got all the raw materials, she set up a stall on the street to sell milk-flavored popcorn.
The sweet, milky, and corny smell spread everywhere, and the children nearby couldn't help but run over.
"Auntie, what is this?"
"It's milk-flavored popcorn. Come, try it."
The children immediately stuffed the food into their mouths. It was sweet and crispy, and the more they chewed, the more fragrant it became. Ah, it was really delicious. They ran back again, and soon came back holding the hands of their elders to buy more.
Starting at 5 cents for a full spoonful.
The price is not expensive. Even if the family is poor, they are willing to spend five cents to make the children happy.
Xu Shanshan was worried that the business would not be good, so she cooked a large iron pot, but it was sold out in half an hour. A chubby little kid said, "Auntie, I want more."
“Sold out.”
"Ah? Will you still sell it tomorrow?"
"Sell."
"Auntie, please make more. I want to buy some for my sister."
Xu Shanshan encountered this conversation several times. The children who had eaten wanted more, and the children who hadn't eaten wanted more. One child even cried because of his greed, and the elders in the family had to comfort him for a long time.
After returning home, she placed the change on the table and slowly counted it. She had actually earned two dollars and fifty cents. Two dollars and fifty cents, she couldn't earn that much in the village even if she broke her shoulder.
The next day after work, Xu Shanshan fried two iron pots, and unexpectedly they were all sold out. She earned 7.60 yuan in two nights.
After earning money for half a month, Xu Shanshan had enough money to buy a second-hand radio. She was very happy that day when her grandmother Liu Cui'e came to see her.
Because of her bad relationship with her eldest daughter-in-law, Grandma Liu Cui'e rarely visited the TV factory's residential building. However, today she had to go because Xu Shanshan was really going to bring shame to their family.
When they arrived at the door, Grandma Liu angrily scolded, "Does our Fang family need you to eat or drink? Do you want to set up a stall outside?"
"Grandma, this has nothing to do with food or drink. Selling popcorn is a legitimate business. What's wrong with that?"
"Hey, you're still stubborn? You've really learned bad habits from your mother-in-law. You two only care about yourselves. Your father-in-law is the factory director. Go to the factory and see which cadre's children are squatting on the roadside and setting up stalls like you do. Ah, if you are so capable, why did you want to work in Zhiwen in the first place?"
"You really are from the countryside. You don't know how to enjoy the good things, and you have to endure the hardships."
Liu Cui'e was extremely dissatisfied with her granddaughter-in-law. When she heard Sun Yuemei say that Xu Shanshan was selling snacks on the street and smiling at passers-by, she became even more angry.
Fortunately, Peng Shuya was home during the summer vacation. As she listened to the old lady's increasingly outrageous remarks, she immediately shielded Xu Shanshan behind her and said, "Mom, elders should act like elders and be careful when they speak. What's going on? Are you proud of yourself for belittling your own descendants?"
"Peng Shuya, I knew you had bad intentions. You don't care about Yuanzhou's future at all, and you don't care about it now."
"Mom, if Yuanzhou doesn't have the ability to secure the position of factory director, then he should just retire and go home. At worst, Shanshan and I can support him."
"Yes, I am willing to support Dad." Xu Shanshan has always been grateful for her mother-in-law's kindness, and naturally did not want her to fight alone.
"Okay, okay, you're all unfilial. Okay, I'm not going to argue with you. But I'm putting this out there. If you don't close your stall, I'm going to stay here."
When Fang Zhiwen came back and heard about the lawsuit, he immediately felt overwhelmed. "Why is milk coming in? And why are you talking about this?"
"Grandma, it was my Second Aunt who instigated you to come here, right?"
"Hey, little brat, how can you talk like that? What do you mean by instigating? Your aunt is just reminding you kindly."
Fang Zhiwen sneered, "Haha, grandma, she's using you as a pawn again. Do you believe that as soon as Shanshan closes her stall, she'll arrange for her brothers from her mother's family to take over?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Your aunt is not that kind of person."
"Grandma, let's make a bet. If you lose, you're not allowed to interfere in Shanshan's affairs from now on. Of course, if you win, I'll make Shanshan listen to you, too."
Liu Cui'e was doubtful and asked, "Your Second Aunt can't do that, right?"
"Grandma, don't say so much. I just want to ask you whether you want to gamble or not."
"I bet you a lot. Your grandfather hated gambling the most in his life. No matter what your aunt thinks, I'm asking you, do you really think it's okay for your wife to be so public in her business? You have to understand that it's those who can't even eat and are about to starve to death who are willing to sacrifice their dignity to be self-employed. Your family is well-off, so you should sit in the office and get some fresh air." This silly boy, can Xu Shanshan be safe if she's let out this good-looking girl? At the factory, with his father in charge, he's safe and sound.
"What's the matter? Did my grandfather, a Huizhou merchant, bring shame to you?"
"Pah, can it be the same as now?"
"Yes, how can it be the same now as before? The country encourages self-employment now, so why do you dislike it? If you really can't stand it, that's fine, Shanshan, you can do the math for grandma and ask her if she has given you the money from her business."
Xu Shanshan immediately took the account book. Although Grandma Liu was an old woman with bound feet, she was literate. After taking a closer look, she realized that it must be a ghost.
"You've only been working for a little over half a month, and you've already earned over 40 yuan? Haha, isn't that more than you earn at work? If you keep going like this, who would still work? Wouldn't everyone go into business?"
Fang Zhiwen thought to himself, "That's exactly how it is. In the future, many more people from all walks of life will go into the sea of business."
Now is the time for reform, which means that the bold ones will be fed to death, while the timid ones will starve to death.
Anyone who is willing to lose face and become an individual business owner can get a share of the cake.
Furthermore, Linshi, as a coastal city, has very relaxed policies. Shanshan's hometown is still cracking down on speculation, but here, street vendors are nothing new.
Nowadays, self-employed individuals can obtain various licenses, but they can't hire workers, as this is considered capitalist exploitation. But Fang Zhiwen has been traveling around lately, and he knows that there are already small family workshops. Even if they say they can't hire workers, their relatives help each other out and cover for each other, so there's nothing they can do about these people.
"Grandma, don't worry about what others do. This is the situation at home. Since you want to take care of Shanshan, you have to do it to the end. Don't just kill her and not bury her. That's too immoral. If you want to destroy someone's job, you have to prepare dry food. You can't let them compromise for you while they're hungry."
Liu Cui'e was speechless after being scolded by her grandson. Fortunately, her eldest son came back. Unexpectedly, her eldest son did not help her and said, "The children are grown up, not just two or three years old. Mom, let them do whatever they want."
"If you really want to bother me, then bother Fang Yuan more. That kid is coming back."
"Ah? Really, the kid figured it out?"
"Well, I also have to come to participate in the factory's recruitment."
"Oh, that's great. As the uncle, you have to take good care of him."
"As long as he passes the exam, I will definitely be able to protect him."
Liu Cui'e returned home happily. When Sun Yuemei asked her about Xu Shanshan, she suddenly said, "I'm done with it. Do they dare to disobey me?"
Sun Yuemei smiled and said, "Oh, mom is really amazing. It's just that Xu Shanshan wasted so many things. As her aunt, I will think of a way to help her later."
Liu Cui'e understood. Well, her little grandson was right. This bastard was using her as a weapon. Although she was angry, she thought of her second grandson Fang Yuan and said, "Fang Yuan is coming back. You should clean up the room at home."
Meanwhile on the other side
Peng Shuya brought Xu Shanshan to the study, where the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had a rare private conversation.
"Shanshan, Mom sees that you have to work, run a stall, and go to school. Can you handle it all?"
"Well, I can do it. All these combined are not as tiring as being in the village."
"Mom understands, but I just want to ask you one more thing: have you decided on your future path? Do you want to work in the factory and gradually get promoted, or do you want to set up a stall to earn money? Your dad and I have discussed this, and he said that you've performed very well and diligently in the factory, especially since you got second place in the workshop training exam. We always thought you wanted to continue working in the factory. If you want to work in the factory, then Mom suggests that you go to night school and slowly finish your diploma. Things are different now. Without a college degree, I'm afraid there will be many restrictions on your advancement."
"As for night school, Mom can arrange it for you."
"But if you want to continue your career at the factory, I don't recommend setting up a stall. It's true that setting up a stall can make money, but it's too energy-consuming. People's energy is limited, and I don't think it's necessary to make money and go to night school at the same time. You and Zhiwen are one, and he can support you."
"If you want to make money, then you have the option of learning something, like accounting. You don't necessarily need to get a diploma. And you don't have to take many of the courses at the factory yet. You've set up a stall and worked a job, so you should know which one makes more money."
"Shanshan, Mom knows you want to make progress, but everything has to be done slowly."
Xu Shanshan didn't say anything. She thought for a long time. She said softly, "Mom, I'm tired of being poor. I want to make money."
She is not only herself, but also the hope of her sisters, the hope of Hongxia and Congcong.
Life is so hard for women in the mountains.
Peng Shuya understood, and she smiled and said, "Then I understand. In that case, go back and find this person."
"Mom, who is this?"
"She's my old sister, a life-and-death companion. She's an expert at making money for our base. When it comes to making money, she's got it in her hands."
"Mom, aren't you going to give it to Zhiwen?"
"Forget about him. I know my son. He's suited to the wild path. Besides, your father has something to discuss with him."
Peng Shuya looked at Xu Shanshan. To be honest, she never expected that her son would become so motivated one day.
Yes, be ambitious.
The child had been spoiled by her and Yuanzhou since childhood and was unwilling to endure any hardship. Now he doesn't even complain when carrying a load outside.
What's more, he has been willing to study recently. Yesterday, he asked me for the course schedule for the next semester of the University of Science and Technology, saying that he wanted to attend as an auditor.
Peng Shuya thought that suitable couples should be like this, working together to become the best half.
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