Chapter 65
"His younger sister heard that you opened a shop in the county town. She was worried that you must be tired, so she kept saying that she wanted to come and see you." Mrs. Zhen said with a wry smile.
It's been a long time since we last saw each other, more than two years, right? Mrs. Zhen has aged a lot.
Zhen Zhen put down his chopsticks and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law, do you believe what you said?"
Sister Zhen was a little embarrassed. She felt it was a shame that they came to her house after a quarrel, but she had no choice. Who asked them to ask for help? Sister Zhen wanted to save face, so she couldn't say it herself, so she gave her mother-in-law a look.
Old Lady Zhen didn't want to ask for money right away, so she glanced at Meng Nan who was eating and tried to start a conversation:
"You've grown up so much, Daya? When you were little, your great-grandmother loved you the most."
This is a bit unpleasant to say. Not only the adults, but even Daya herself doesn't believe it.
Daya didn’t have much impression of this old lady, but she was already nine years old and knew that if one liked someone, one would often want to visit her. She liked her father, mother, grandmother, and younger brothers and sisters, and she would miss them so much if she couldn’t see them for a day. If this old lady really liked her, why didn’t she recognize her?
Besides, although Old Lady Zhen appeared kind on the surface, her eyes were cold and scrutinizing, which Daya didn't like.
Daya lowered her head and continued eating.
Sanwa asked, "Sister, who is this person? Is he a relative of yours?"
Even Tao Aihong couldn't stand to see this poor kid anymore, so she picked up her chopsticks and hit him.
"Eat your meal!"
"Mom, why did you hit me? Did I say something wrong?" Sanwa touched his forehead and angrily picked up the bowl to eat.
Old Mrs. Zhen was extremely embarrassed. The children ignored her and there was no way she could get close to them.
Old Mrs. Zhen came this time for a reason. Zhen Zhen had heard about this from Second Brother Zhen a few days ago. He said that First Brother Zhen slept with a married woman and was caught by the woman's husband.
The woman's husband asked Brother Zhen to write a note, promising to give him one thousand yuan as compensation for sleeping with his wife.
Otherwise, Brother Zhen will be sent to see the official.
Brother Zhen was also a coward, so he agreed immediately. He ran home with a black eye and a swollen face after being beaten, and asked Old Lady Zhen to raise money for the woman's husband.
Old Mrs. Zhen was afraid that her son would go to jail. Besides, it would be really bad if this matter got out. After thinking it over, she decided that only her daughter could be the one who paid the money, so she brought Mrs. Zhen here with her.
"He's your own brother. You can't just watch him go to jail, can you? It was mother's fault for what happened in the past. There's no way we have any grudges against each other. After all, we are still a family. Your conditions are better now, and one thousand yuan is nothing to you." said Old Lady Zhen.
Zhen Zhen didn't even raise her eyelids. If Old Lady Zhen thought that she could control her in this way, she was wrong. Such a heartless person would never remember her no matter how much she helped him.
Besides, I help you now, but what about in the future?
Then can Brother Zhen turn around? Can Old Lady Zhen stop favoring boys over girls? How is that possible?
Zhen Zhen had figured it out long ago: a woman should not trust her parents completely, should not trust her partner easily, and should not be sure of her children.
As the saying goes, too much help may only annoy others.
She said directly: "I won't pay for this."
Old Lady Zhen had not expected her to be so stubborn. Although things had been very tense the previous few times, she had always thought that as long as she pretended to be pitiful and begged her daughter humbly, she would rush to her daughter and throw herself at him like she did before. Who would have thought that her daughter had become so bad that she would not even listen to her own mother.
"How can you not come out? Are you so heartless?"
"Heartless?" Zhen Zhen was not polite at all, "He wanted to sleep with someone else's wife, and he didn't want to bear the consequences after the incident. So, he slept with the woman, but he still wants me to pay for it?"
Old Lady Zhen's face turned pale when she heard what she said, "How can you blame your brother for this? It was that little whore who seduced him. If it weren't for the couple working together to set him up, your brother wouldn't have fallen for it!"
"Honey trap? Don't tell him that he didn't take off his pants! He took off his pants and did everything he had to do, but in the end he still didn't admit it and said that the woman seduced him. He's really shameless!"
Old Mrs. Zhen has always been protective of her son and grandson. They are the apple of her eye. She doesn't think her son did anything wrong. If there was any fault, it was that whore's fault. Her son was so wronged!
Mrs. Zhen looked unhappy when she heard what Zhen Zhen said, but she couldn't deny it. What her sister-in-law said was right. It was her husband's own fault and she couldn't blame anyone else.
But she still has children.
She has no shame, but the child should always hold his head up high and behave himself, right?
"Sister-in-law, please help me!" Zhen's wife begged.
Zhen Zhen will not help in this way. He has to bear the consequences of his own mistakes. Why should a man like Brother Zhen expect others to clean up his mess?
Old Mrs. Zhen is used to him, but Zhen Zhen won't.
Not to mention that he was just her original brother, even if he was her own son, she would not cover up for him if something like this happened.
"I don't have any money. I just opened a shop and I haven't paid off my previous loans. Where can I get a thousand dollars to lend you? Even if you kill me, I still have no money."
Old Lady Zhen could see that the young lady was determined not to help, but if she couldn't capture the young lady today, she would not be able to explain to her son.
Ultimately, this lady is too heartless, so we can't blame her for being merciless.
You don't want to pay me, right? If you don't, no one will be able to succeed today!
If the daughter doesn't give money to her parents, she will kneel on the ground to let the neighbors see how filial she is. If all else fails, she will make a blanket on the ground and sleep there tonight. No one can leave through this door without money!
Don’t open the store and don’t buy any vegetables!
The question is, as a mother, she has been pushed into a desperate situation by the concubine and there is really nothing she can do.
As long as she cried a few times to complain, the neighbors would help this poor old woman. Then we will see how Zhen Guizhi will live her life!
Old Mrs. Zhen bent her knees and was about to kneel down. Zhen Zhen also knew her character very well and realized that she wanted to do something bad, so he winked at his two sons early in the morning.
I have to say that over the years, the two sons have become more and more in tune with her. Before Old Lady Zhen even lay down, someone had already lifted her arms.
Meng Daguo said, "Grandma, the ground is cold. Your knees are not in good condition. How can you kneel here?"
Meng Eryong said, "Grandma, have you ever been to the county town? There's no wind in the yard, it's so hot, your grandson will take you for a walk outside!"
Old Lady Zhen was stunned and struggled hard, but how could Meng Daguo have such strength? Could he help an old lady like her escape? Old Lady Zhen was carried all the way out of the Meng family like a sow being slaughtered.
As soon as the three of them arrived at the door, they saw Old Lady Meng and Old Lady Meng's father standing at the entrance of the alley.
Both of them were wearing straw hats, and Old Lady Meng's father had a shoulder strap across his shoulders. However, his clothes were made of new and fine material, and it was obvious that they were made by Zhen Guizhi.
"Dear...mother-in-law?" Old Mrs. Zhen murmured.
The weather has been hot recently, and many people are catching eels. Eels are not as easy to catch as before. After several days of collecting, Old Lady Meng finally collected more than 20 kilograms of fish and eels, intending to sell them in the county town. However, as soon as he arrived at the door of his daughter-in-law's house, he saw such a big drama.
Old Mrs. Meng hasn't met her relative, Old Mrs. Zhen, for a long time.
I think that at first, Old Lady Meng did not agree with Daguo's father choosing Zhen Guizhi as his daughter-in-law because she did not like Old Lady Zhen's character. The Zhen family was notoriously troublesome in the village. With parents like that, how good could Zhen Guizhi be?
Later, the daughter-in-law recovered, and Mrs. Meng was glad that she did not punish her daughter-in-law.
Now, my daughter-in-law has brought the whole family to the county town to make a living. They have opened a shop, bought electric fans, and the children have been transferred to the county town to go to school. Their lives are getting better and better.
Old Mrs. Zhen came here to make trouble!
Mrs. Meng rolled up her sleeves at that moment, and she did it in a particularly domineering and serious manner.
She didn't dare to say anything else, but when it came to fighting, she had never lost among the old ladies in the surrounding area. No matter how unreasonable the old lady was, she would always make her obedient.
Old Mrs. Zhen is nothing!
Mrs. Meng pinched her waist and asked, "Mrs. Zhen, what do you mean?"
Old Lady Zhen avoided his gaze and said with a stiff upper lip: "This is my daughter's home. Is it not okay for me to come to my daughter's home?"
"Don't think I don't know! Isn't it your shameless son who slept with someone else's wife and was caught by that man? I heard that he was not even wearing any pants when he was caught, and was chased out with his bare bottom. How shameless! If I were him, I would rather die than run to my sister's house to borrow money! Shame on you!"
Old Mrs. Meng was not polite at all and directly exposed all of Old Mrs. Zhen's secrets.
Old Mrs. Zhen thought that no one knew about this, but who would have thought that the news had spread to Batou Village. The neighbors all stretched their heads to look, and Old Mrs. Meng didn't need to pull her hair. She felt embarrassed and fainted as soon as she closed her eyes.
If she was going to faint, she couldn't do it here. Meng Daguo went up to her and pinched her philtrum hard.
Old Mrs. Zhen pinched her so hard that she cried out in pain, and asked Mrs. Zhen to help her back.
Mrs. Zhen originally wanted to save face and let her child hold his head up high. However, the news spread all over the place and she felt ashamed for a while. Her originally wavering idea gradually became firm.
In the afternoon, Zhen Zhen felt a little sleepy, so he lay down in the rocking chair and took a nap for a while. The electric fan was blowing, but he didn't feel hot.
Jiao Huilan came back from buying groceries and asked concernedly, "Mom, why don't you go inside and sleep? Be careful not to catch a cold."
Zhen Zhen smiled and said, "I'm in good health, it won't be a problem."
Zhen Zhen asked her to buy kelp, chicken feet, duck necks, and pig trotters. Except for the kelp, the others were considered leftovers and could be bought without receipts.
Not many people eat this these days, so it's a good bargain for Zhen Zhen.
As for kelp shreds, although tickets are required, Brother Zhen knows that she needs food tickets, so he often sends them to her when he has tickets. Plus, with Zhao Meilan around, it's not difficult to buy them.
Zhen Zhen gave her some pointers, and thanks to Jiao Huilan's ability, she made the product very quickly.
Spicy and sour kelp shreds, halved chicken feet, tiger skin chicken feet, wind-dried duck neck, halved duck neck, halved pig's trotters, no matter which one, they all taste very good.
In order to prevent the taste from changing, Zhen Zhen simply wrote down all the recipes and had a rough idea of the amount of ingredients to use, hoping to ensure the consistency of the taste.
Zhao Meilan also helped her get a few vegetable plates used in the canteens of state-owned factories, four in total, which were just enough to fill a whole table. When placed at the door, they looked quite neat and formal.
Zhen Zhen also wrote a sign for cold dishes and hung it on the wall. When customers who came to buy snacks saw that there were also cooked dishes for sale, they were overjoyed.
The people living nearby are all dual-working families.
After get off work in the evening, I pick up my child, go home to do the laundry, and really don’t have much time to cook.
You can buy cooked food and cook a dish at home and it’s ready to go. The price is not too expensive and everyone can afford it. Everyone is willing to buy some to try.
By the time it’s dinner time, most of the cooked food has been ordered.
Zhen Zhen was sorting out the remaining food. It was already seven o'clock. In order to save electricity, many families went to bed early these days. There was no one on the street after seven o'clock, and there was no refrigerator, so Zhen Zhen decided to eat the remaining food at home.
Aunt Qiao from the east came over hunched over, "Grandma Daya, have you had dinner yet?"
"Not yet, Aunt Qiao, have you eaten?" Zhen Zhen asked with a smile.
Aunt Qiao shook her head.
Aunt Qiao had a hard life. The couple gave birth to their son Qiao Dazhuang when they were in their forties. They did their best to raise him. After Qiao Dazhuang got married, the couple spent all their savings to find a job for their son and daughter-in-law in the mine.
I thought that with two more iron rice bowls at home, I could just sit back and enjoy my life.
Unexpectedly, after less than two years of work, the young couple encountered a mining accident.
Many people died in that mining accident, but these two were lucky enough to survive. However, Aunt Qiao's daughter-in-law's face was destroyed, and Qiao Dazhuang lost half of his left leg.
After that, they were advised by their unit to go home and rest. Although they lost a sum of money, both of them lost their jobs, and the life of the whole family became a problem.
Zhen Zhen was also quite moved when she heard what Sister Qian said. She took the plate and asked, "Aunt Qiao, this plate of cold vegetables can't be sold. I plan to sell it for 20 cents. Do you want to buy it back and try it?"
The plate contained pig's trotters, chicken feet, and kelp shreds, and it filled the entire plate. It only cost twenty cents, and Aunt Qiao immediately took out twenty cents and gave it to her.
Today's dinner at the Qiao family was particularly sumptuous. When Qiao Dazhuang came in on crutches, he was stunned, "Mom, where did you get the money to buy so many dishes?"
"The food store next door couldn't sell its cold vegetables, so they sold them to me for 20 cents."
Two cents is very cheap. When Qiao Dazhuang's wife came over, she said:
"I passed by her house this morning and saw someone else buying a bag of this much for a full dollar! Not to mention that our pig's trotters are even bigger than the ones she bought."
Old man Qiao also knew in his heart, "The boss lady is a kind person, she cooks cleanly and pays attention to hygiene, no wonder she wants to make a fortune."
It was rare for a family to eat four or five dishes. Not to mention the adults, even Aunt Qiao’s grandchildren had their mouths full of grease.
After eating, they finally understood why this food store can make money, the food tastes so good!
The kelp shreds are sour, spicy and refreshing, and the halved pig's trotters are also delicious. Not to mention the chicken feet. Who would have thought that chicken feet that no one buys would be so delicious?
Seeing that the food store was doing a booming business, Qiao's daughter-in-law also came up with the idea of opening a store. It was impossible to compete with her good mother-in-law, so she could at least make some money by making steamed buns and selling them, right?
Unfortunately, her face is really ugly. Her mother-in-law is a decent person, but she dare not speak to strangers. Her husband's legs can't stand for a long time, so her way to make money is blocked again.
The temperature the next day reached a rare 35 degrees. The store had good lighting and was hot enough, but 35 degrees is also a rare high temperature this year.
The temperature these days is not as high as in later generations, so we can just turn on the electric fan in the summer.
Zhao Meilan came in on her bicycle. She took the watermelon out of the basket and wiped her sweat with a smile. "Sister Zhen, how is your business lately?"
"Not bad, how about you?" Zhen Zhen handed her a popsicle, which Daya had just bought and there was one left.
Zhao Meilan didn't bother to be polite with her. She took a bite and felt cool immediately.
"I came here specially to thank you. The noodle shop is doing well, getting better day by day. We already have regular customers. But here, few people eat noodles in the morning. We don't get business until noon."
But I can earn two yuan a day, and sixty or seventy yuan a month, which is equivalent to the salary of several people.
Grandma Zhao Meilan was very happy, and her father-in-law also helped out. Both of them were clean people, and the customers were quite satisfied.
Zhen Zhen thought that doing business was indeed easy these days. There was no competition from peers, it was like a monopoly, the industry standards were set by you, and it was also the era when state-owned hotels required tickets. This was really God feeding money into his mouth.
As long as you are diligent and don't do anything naughty, you can make money.
She thought about how popular breakfast shops in later generations were doing business.
"You can sell steamed buns or steamed or fried dumplings for breakfast in the morning, so you can have business all day long. But making breakfast is too tiring. You have to get up at four o'clock to do it. I'm afraid your parents-in-law won't be able to handle it if they get up early and go to bed late."
Zhao Meilan nodded. "After my husband takes the kids to school in the morning, he can help watch the shop and steam the buns, so the old couple can go to sleep. There will be no customers at 1pm, so we can sleep in. There will be no one in the shop at 7pm, so it's not too late to sleep in."
It ends at seven o'clock. After washing up, I can fall asleep at around eight o'clock. By four o'clock the next morning, I have had enough sleep.
"But then you and your husband will have to share more of the burden. The old couple are busy making money and definitely don't have time to help you take care of the children," Zhen Zhen said.
"That's fine. My parents-in-law make money, but it will eventually belong to us, right? Besides, they make more than us now. How can we ask them to stop making money and help take care of our children? It would only make us young people look ignorant."
Zhao Meilan asked about the methods of making steamed and fried dumplings, and Zhen Zhen only gave a general idea, but anyone who can cook would understand it immediately.
Zhao Meilan told her mother-in-law when she got home.
Her mother-in-law has always known that there is an older sister named Zhen who is very good at making money. Her son calls her Sister Zhen, and her son listens to Sister Zhen, so naturally her mother-in-law will listen to her as well.
Mother-in-law Zhao Meilan made breakfast according to what Zhen Zhen said.
Sure enough, people started coming for breakfast at around five in the morning, and the food was sold until noon.
With the current turnover, they can earn five yuan a day, which means the profit has doubled. Zhao Meilan's whole family is very happy.
Although it is busy and hard, people these days can endure hardships. Their family has no other advantages, but it is united. When one person does something, the whole family helps. Zhao Meilan, her husband and their children all support the couple's career.
From time to time, I help wipe the tables and mop the floor in the store, and polish the stove until it shines.
Word of mouth spread day by day, and soon many people in the county knew about her breakfast shop.
In recent days, you even have to queue up.
In order to thank Zhen Zhen, Zhao Meilan brought her a bag of rock sugar from the supply and marketing cooperative. Zhen Zhen didn't refuse. Someone happened to be selling yellow peaches on the roadside, so she bought some and planned to make canned peaches.
The method of making canned yellow peaches is very simple. Cut the peaches into slices, soak them, then add some rock sugar and boil them together.
The ratio of yellow peaches to rock sugar is about five to one.
Zhen Zhen used to have a roommate whose family had an orchard. They would mail yellow peaches to them every summer vacation. If Zhen Zhen couldn't finish them, she would can the peaches and put them in the refrigerator to chill them. When they were ready, they were so refreshing and no worse than those bought outside.
"Mom, where did you get the pears?"
Meng Daguo had just returned from the farm and smelled of pig manure. He took a shower and changed his clothes before coming over.
"There was an old man selling it at the intersection this morning."
The whole truckload of yellow peaches were harvested by our family. It’s not the season yet, so we don’t harvest much.
It was the old man's first time selling things, so he was a little nervous and didn't dare to say a word. Zhen Zhen saw that there were not many peaches, so he bought them all.
The old man was also very grateful, and didn't know what to do with the money.
"Since my mother opened the shop, more and more people have set up stalls in our county," said Meng Eryong.
Isn't it? Recently, Zhen Zhen heard that a new bakery had opened in the county town. It was run by a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and they sold big cakes every night.
This mother-in-law and daughter-in-law make great cakes, and many people buy them.
After all, everyone is poor and afraid of it. Who wants to be hungry and cold?
People do not come to this world to suffer, so if they can earn some money to improve their lives, they are naturally willing to do so.
Although there is no refrigerator, you can put the canned yellow peaches in a water tank to cool them down. The taste of these canned yellow peaches is quite good.
Each of the four kids took a stool and then went to get a spoon.
Daya picked up the chopsticks, and Siwa glanced at the yellow peaches, "Sister, get me a pair too."
Daya gave him one.
Si Wa frowned, "How can I use just one stick?"
"How do you say I use it? Who needs two chopsticks to eat canned food?" Daya looked at him with contempt.
Siwa was a little depressed because his sister looked down upon him. However, the canned yellow peaches were delicious, so he soon became happy.
Erya and Sanwa were not good at using chopsticks, so they just picked up the food with their hands. After eating the yellow peaches, they picked up the bowl and drank the sweet canned juice in one gulp!
After eating and drinking enough, the kids were very satisfied, and the adults were also very happy. Zhen Zhen started to think about the feasibility of canned yellow peaches.
She could do it, but without a health permit, it would be ok to sell some cold dishes, but she was still afraid of trouble with food that needed to be stored for a long time.
The canned yellow peaches were put on hold for the time being.
During this period, Jiao Huilan took on a lot of work, mainly autumn clothing. Because her reputation had spread, many people came to her. She was so busy that Tao Aihong, who was pregnant, helped her deliver clothes. Jiao Huilan wanted to find Song Xiaohong.
"She is quiet, doesn't like gossiping, and is steady in her work. Although she is not yet a master, she can still help me."
Zhen Zhen also thought it was feasible.
Song Xiaohong is much more stable than Song Xiaoyu. Song Xiaoyu is a big fan of competition. After Meng Hua went to Beijing to study, Song Xiaoyu has been distraught. But Song Xiaohong said divorce and got divorced. She seems to be a dull person, but she is independent-minded.
"Mom, how much salary do you think is appropriate?" Jiao Huilan asked.
"Normally, apprentices shouldn't be paid much, but considering the relationship between our two families, it would be embarrassing to tell others that we don't pay them. Besides, Song Xiaohong can really help make clothes, so why not just give her 21 months? If she does a good job, I'll give her more money. If she doesn't, I'll blame her."
Jiao Huilan also thought it was feasible.
In recent years, there has been no college entrance examination, so there have been many young people dropping out of school. In addition, the educated youth could not find jobs after returning to the city, so there were indeed many people without jobs.
But not being a self-employed person means there are no jobs. Even a formal worker with some qualifications like Meng Li only starts out with a salary of 15 yuan, so 20 yuan is not a small amount.
After the matter was settled, Zhen Zhen went back and told Zhang Guihua about it. How could Zhang Guihua not agree?
Twenty dollars is a whopping price! Let alone twenty dollars, I would be willing to pay even ten dollars!
She hadn't even graduated yet, and besides, she was taught by Jiao Huilan before. Zhang Guihua felt bad for asking so much money right away.
"Guizhi, thank you so much. I have been worried about my Xiaohong. If she can have a stable job, I can sleep well."
"Don't thank me, it's mainly because your Xiaohong has a good temper and is capable of work."
"That's right. I'm not bragging. My Xiaohong has the most stable temper. With such a good temper, she married that bastard and did his laundry, cooked for him, and took care of his family all day long, but she doesn't even know how to be grateful! Now Xiaohong doesn't have to serve them anymore. She can earn twenty yuan by working outside. If she makes it in the future, let the Chen family regret it!" Zhang Guihua really couldn't swallow this.
Zhen Zhen chatted with her for a while. When Gou Zi's mother heard that she had returned, she also came over and asked about the situation in the county.
"No one caught him?"
"No one. The central government supports individual businesses. Now there are many people doing this in big cities." Zhen Zhen said.
Gouzi's mother also saw that Mrs. Meng and her husband would go to the county town to sell eels. Gouzi's mother's family had many people, so after the release, they fenced off the land to the east of the house and started farming, mainly growing grains and vegetables, and raising chickens, ducks and geese.
Vegetables grow well in the summer, so there are a lot of them left. Chickens, ducks and geese can also be sold for money. But the country people are reluctant to eat them, so they want to exchange them for some money to live on.
"Do you think I can sell it?" Gou Zi's mother pondered.
"Why not? Just bring him to my store! It's okay if he comes once or twice. It doesn't interfere with my business."
Gou Zi's mother felt a little embarrassed. It was not nice to sell things in front of someone else's door.
Seeing that Zhen Zhen didn't mind, she thought that this was because of their years of friendship, and she also felt that it was worth it for them to get along with each other as old sisters.
Zhen Zhen picked cucumbers and tomatoes, and Zhang Cuihua helped her watch. No one picked the things in the field, but the seedlings were damaged a little, as if they were stepped on by a goose or a dog.
"I don't know whose goose it is, I have never been able to catch it!" said Zhang Cuihua.
Zhen Zhen didn't care too much about it. He picked some leeks and eggplants and went to sit at Meng's house.
Zhang Qiaohong was washing up, and several children were playing. The youngest, Chaowa, had grown quite tall. When they heard her come in, several children rushed up to her and called her aunt and grandma.
Zhen Zhen has a good temper. Whenever these children go to her house, she always brings them delicious food. Children are simple-minded. They think whoever gives them food is good, and they all like her.
Zhen Zhen played with them for a while, and then a tall girl carrying a cloth bag came in. The girl wore a pair of glasses and looked very intellectual.
Zhen Zhen didn't recognize him at first.
It was only when Meng Zhaodi called her that she smiled and said, "Zhaodi has become more beautiful. My aunt and grandma can't recognize me."
Meng Zhaodi felt embarrassed for bragging so she came up and put her arm around her.
"Auntie, I miss you so much! Really! Last weekend, Cheng Su and I went hiking, and Cheng Su even insisted on coming back with me. But you know her. She has been living with her aunt since she was a child. Her aunt has taken all her parents' property. She is short of money and can't afford the train ticket."
Meng Zhaodi and Cheng Su are both in Beijing, and they will make plans to hang out together.
Since both of us don’t have much money, we usually choose free hiking trips or free museums, and we have to think twice before going to anything that costs money.
In the original novel, Cheng Su, as the heroine of the sadistic novel, did have a miserable childhood.
Her aunt was not good to her. She went to the countryside to replace her aunt's child. After Cheng Su went to the countryside, her aunt never sent her a pair of socks. She wished that Cheng Su would die in Batou Village.
Cheng Su would write to Zhen Zhen every month. Zhen Zhen knew that she had no money, so she would always bring a new stamp and envelope when she replied.
"I know. You told her not to come back to see me and to finish her studies first."
I still have more than two years until graduation from university. After all, it is a regular university, different from Meng Hua’s Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University.
"And my brother Meng Hua, he said he wanted to study for a master's degree, but he couldn't find anyone in Kyoto University. His advisor wanted him to stay in school, but he refused."
When Old Mrs. Meng heard about this yesterday, she felt like the sky was falling. Being a university teacher is such a good job, and if you pass the exam, you can stay in the capital and get a city residence. How could Meng Hua reject her so easily?
Old Lady Meng said worriedly, "Guizhi, you should also talk about him. I don't know what this child is thinking. Can anyone who wants to stay in Jingda stay?"
Zhen Zhen knows the elders' concerns, but also respects Meng Hua's choice.
Staying in school is good, but if we push it back ten years, how many people will quit their stable jobs and go into business?
With Meng Hua's ability, this is not a matter of making a few tens of millions, it will only be more in the future. If he doesn't want to stay in school, then he doesn't have to stay.
However, she couldn't say this to Old Lady Meng, as it would make the old lady even more worried. So she simply agreed and said she would go back and try to persuade him.
When Zhou Shufen heard that she had returned, she came over from Dachuan's house, holding a ball of yarn in her hand, "Auntie is back?"
Zhen Zhen nodded, "Shufen seems to have lost weight?"
Zhou Shufen lowered her head, looking a little depressed. Yesterday she cooked pork heads and sold them at the intersection, and many people came to ask her the price.
But she was too shy. She would blush when she saw strangers. She was afraid that people would laugh at her accent, so she spoke awkwardly and dared not raise her head.
People looked at her strangely for a long time, then left without buying anything.
At the end of the day, Zhou Shufen only made one sale. The older sister was impatient, and seeing that she was slow to sell, she picked up some cold dishes, weighed them, paid for them, and left.
I made fifty cents on this order.
The remaining pork heads were not sold, and due to the hot weather they could not be preserved, so they had to be shared among the family.
Zhou Shufen's situation is not a big deal. Many country people have never traveled far in their lives, and some have never even been to the county town many times.
Many people feel uncomfortable when they go to the city. They cannot read, recognize road signs, or speak Mandarin. Aren’t they afraid of being laughed at by city people?
Zhen Zhen tasted Zhou Shufen's pork head and found it tasted really good, no one else could make it like this.
She thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you supply it to my store? But if I buy your goods, I will be responsible for the profits and losses. If I can't sell them, I will lose money. So the price I give you won't be too high, but you will definitely make a profit."
Zhou Shufen's eyes lit up. "Auntie, it doesn't matter how much you earn, as long as you can earn enough to supplement the family income. We are a family, there is no need to be so formal."
"We have to explain this to each other, but can you guarantee a stable supply? If you really want to supply me, I have to be able to buy pig heads every day."
Zhou Shufen bought the pork head meat from her mother's village yesterday. Someone happened to be slaughtering pigs so she bought some to test the waters. If she really wanted to supply it to her aunt, the source of the pork head meat would indeed be a big problem.
Zhou Shufen didn't dare to make a guarantee and was a little hesitant.
Zhen Zhen has no shortage of pork. Pork is expensive these days, but pig heads and pig trotters do not require tickets and are cheap, only a quarter of the price of pork, about 0.20 yuan per pound.
However, if you want to ensure a stable supply, you need to have connections at various food stations, and go to another one if one is short of stock.
Meng Eryong can do this kind of thing, but Zhou Shufen and Meng Dajian cannot.
"How about this! I'll help you rent a house near me, and I'll find the source of goods and prepare the furniture and so on. You finish the goods and bring them to my store every day, and I'll give you a commission based on the percentage." Zhen Zhen suggested.
Mrs. Meng asked, "Auntie, what is the ratio? How do we divide the money?"
"If you go, I'll pay for the rent and you can sell the pork in my shop. There are two ways: one is that if there's any unsold pork heads, we'll share the profits, 50-50. The other is that I'll share the profits, 40-60. If there's any unsold pork heads, it'll be mine, and I'll still give you my commission."
Zhou Shufen was timid and did not dare to take any risk. Besides, the other party provided the manpower, rent and shop, and also paid her 40%, which she thought was very good.
If her aunt hadn't helped her, she wouldn't have been able to sell it for a penny.
After all, this popularity comes from my aunt's shop. Even if she is paid, she would be happy to do it.
"I choose the second one."
"Okay, I'll go back and draw up a contract."
"Contract?" Zhou Shufen was a little nervous. "We are a family. Do we still need a contract?"
Meng Zhaodi explained, "Auntie, a contract is used to regulate everyone's behavior. For example, the contract will stipulate that you must use good pork heads for your supply, that the meat has no peculiar smell, that you cannot use expired meat, and that the production process must comply with hygiene standards. You supply goods to your aunt, but in fact, your aunt is at risk. If there is a problem with your goods, she will have to compensate for the losses, so there must be a contract."
Meng Zhaodi helped her explain, and Zhen Zhen no longer had to be the bad guy.
Zhou Shufen could understand and decided to work more diligently for her aunt.
As it was getting dark, Zhen Zhen stood up and was about to leave.
Old Mrs. Meng gave her two more fish to take with her. Knowing that she loved lobsters, she specifically asked Meng Dazhu to go to the fields to catch lobsters. No one ate lobsters these days, so Meng Dazhu had caught quite a few while they were talking.
In the evening, Jiao Huilan grilled fish and lobster and made small fish hot pot stickers. Zhen Zhen was very satisfied with the meal.
It rained the next day and stopped in the afternoon, so Song Xiaohong came over to see what was going on.
"Auntie, don't you have a place to stay?" Song Xiaohong didn't have a bicycle at home, and she was worried that the commuting would waste too much time and cause delays.
Zhen Zhen had also considered this. There were two more rooms in the front yard of Aunt Qiao's house, which were originally occupied by the old couple, but her backyard was also large enough to build a woodshed.
When Aunt Qiao heard that Zhen Zhen wanted to rent a house, she offered to move to the backyard and leave the front yard for Zhen Zhen to use for free.
How could Zhen Zhen really do it for free? So he suggested renting Aunt Qiao's house for five yuan a month.
Five dollars is really a lot. Sixty dollars a year is enough for the family to eat. With this money, at least the family doesn't have to worry about life and can spend more comfortably.
Aunt Qiao and her family were very happy. They vacated the house yesterday afternoon. Zhen Zhen signed the contract and paid the money, and asked Meng Daguo to repaint the house white.
The room looks bright as soon as it is painted white. Zhen Zhen also generously installed a ceiling fan and placed a few beds inside. It is also a pretty good staff dormitory.
Song Xiaohong didn't expect that food and accommodation would be provided, and she cherished this job opportunity very much. She helped Jiao Huilan in the afternoon. She was efficient in her work. Although her skills were not as good as Jiao Huilan's, her speed was much faster than Jiao Huilan.
Zhen Zhen looked at their drawings carefully. Although they did a good job, they were not irreplaceable. If they really wanted to become bigger and stronger, they had to come up with some new ideas.
She considered going to Hai City or Yangcheng.
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