"The product is good, but if we want to make money, we have to be the first to market. If we buy it and take it apart, others can easily copy it. So, we need to make and sell it as quickly as possible."
He Yi, Cen's mother, and He Qingzhu said that when Madam Zhang went home, she brought back a few toothbrushes, which were spotted by her younger sister. The young lady, like a dog smelling a bone, rushed to the brothel.
"It's not too difficult to do, it's just that it's hard to hire people during the Chinese New Year."
"Let's all work together to find a way to hire people. As long as the products are made, we won't have to worry about selling them."
While the women were discussing business inside, Huo Shuwen watched from outside as his daughter brandished her large sword. The little girl, wielding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade almost as tall as her, looked utterly adorable.
Perhaps it's the father's bias, but Zhang Mengzhu would occasionally offer some pointers from the side. If it were in the eyes of others, this little girl would definitely grow up to be a formidable character, though whether she'd be fierce or not was another matter.
But the father didn't think so. The eagle felt that his eaglet was very popular, just look at his serious face.
Huo Xiaolong finished his move and stood in a standing position, then ran to Huo Shuwen's side and asked...
"Dad! Did I do a good job?"
She remembered how, after each exam, those kids would hold up their test papers and ask their parents if they were good at it. She felt a pang of sadness seeing them receive praise, but it's okay, now she has it too! And it's the kind where many people praise you together.
"Great! My daughter is a genius!"
"Hehe~" Huo Xiaolong chuckled happily.
"Long'er, is your mother Cen here?"
A woman's voice came from the back door; it was Fu Ping, Scarface's daughter-in-law.
"Aunt Ping, my mom is busy inside. What do you need her for?"
Floating duckweed didn't reply to her, but said softly
"Then Auntie will wait here."
Actually, Fu Ping wasn't very old, but because she followed Scarface, Huo Xiaolong called her "Auntie." Fu Ping came this time not for anything else, but to find work at the brothel.
Scarface brings money home every month, sometimes more than ten taels, sometimes a few taels, but it's all his hard-earned money.
Before the New Year was even over, his arm was broken again. Fu Ping truly felt sorry for him. Having lived in the red-light district for so long, she knew exactly how the girls in those brothels made their money.
If she had a proper talk with Mother Cen, could she also become a mistress? She wouldn't have to be as pampered as the young ladies; she could be like those maids, massaging the feet of female customers, as long as she had enough money to live on. She would never let Scarface go out to work as a bouncer again.
At worst, she can support him. He just needs to take care of his mother at home every day. Isn't his brother Wen also living off his wife? One more of him won't make a difference.
"Auntie, I haven't seen Uncle Scarface these past few days."
Fu Ping, who was five months pregnant, re-braided Huo Xiaolong's hair. Her hair had become a bit messy while she was wielding the knife, and her father had intended to tidy it up for her, but it only got messier.
He's been recuperating at home these past few days.
"What happened to my uncle again?" Huo Xiaolong grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds for her, his face full of worry.
"I broke my arm in a fight a few days ago."
Huo Shuwen, who was listening to the two chatting, frowned. To be honest, the hero had never been dissatisfied with Scarface's life before. Everyone has to work to make a living, and there's nothing wrong with working as a bouncer.
But before, he didn't have a wife and children. Now his own woman is so pregnant, and he's still working so hard. Eagle thinks that Scarface is a bit immature.
The man got up and walked towards Scarface's house. He had to explain the things his younger brother didn't understand, otherwise there would be no going back.
"Brother Wen"
Scarface was bored at home. He was really fine, just a little broken bone, but Floating was unhappy and made a fuss, insisting that he stay home to rest for a few days.
The man wanted to stand up to greet Huo Shuwen, but Huo Shuwen gestured to him with his hand, meaning, "No need for you to greet me, I'll sit down myself."
What happened to your arm again?
"Ah, it was just the other day when my boss was fighting with the gambling den across the street over land. It's just a small business, all the usual squabbles and scuffles, nothing serious."
"You want to work as a bouncer for someone else for the rest of your life?"
Huo Shuwen's question stumped the scarred man, then the man clapping his hands with bamboo clappers chuckled and said...
“Before, I didn’t really have any ambitions. I could have just stayed and worked as a bouncer for the rest of my life. But now that I have a wife and kids, I need to save up some money. Once I’ve saved enough, I’ll open my own casino. I know all the big and small things about casinos, so I shouldn’t lose money.”
"If you keep fighting like this every day, what if people die before the casino even opens?"
Scarface hadn't expected a man with Huo Shuwen's skills to be afraid of death. He scratched his head with his better hand.
"Brother Wen, are you afraid of dying?"
"I'm scared."
In his youthful exuberance, Huo Shaoxia was all alone. With a spirited heart, he yearned for a life where he would travel far and wide, day and night, seeing all the wonders of the world and righting all injustices.
At that time, he wasn't afraid of death; if he died, he would die, and he wouldn't lose anything anyway.
Later, he had a home, He Yi, his own nest, and two fledglings.
"Scarface, first of all, as a man, you can be carefree and live a free life. But that's all before you get married. After you have a family, both you and your wife have responsibilities, so you have to be afraid of death. You can't be afraid. You have to live, live to protect them."
This was the first time Huo Shuwen had spoken so much to Scarface, which made the atmosphere between the two men somewhat bittersweet.
"I'll say it again: it's not just you, but if one of your brothers is gone, how will his family survive? Will you support them? Will you take responsibility? Can you afford it, can you even provide the manpower?"
"Brother Wen, I also want to walk the straight path, but it's too late to regret it now. I don't know anything except how to run a brothel."
Who likes a life where there's no tomorrow? But it's too late for Scarface to learn new things at his age; even if they took on an apprentice, they wouldn't want him.
"Your sister-in-law is hiring in a few days, so take your brothers over there."
"Brother...this isn't a good idea."
They were a bunch of thugs, and no respectable business owner would look up to them, fearing they might be dishonest and shady.
That's right, this group of people had seriously wanted to change their ways before, and had been looking for opportunities for a long time, but all their efforts had been in vain.
Besides, Huo Shuwen is currently living off his wife at home. If he, a freeloader, interferes in his wife's business and tries to get people involved, won't his sister-in-law be angry?
I had already heard during the Chinese New Year that my sister-in-law had cut off my brother Wen's allowance. Now, won't he feel even more ashamed in front of his wife?
"There's nothing wrong with it. If you're coming, come find me tomorrow."
Scarface dared not refuse and quickly nodded.
"Okay! Done!"
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