Fang Sandi rubbed his hands together, circled the stove twice, and finally couldn't help but ask, "My sister and her family came to our house last year. Should we go visit them this year?"
“I’m not going,” Yu Jihong replied firmly.
“They are my two older sisters. Last year, they wanted to get closer to us, so they came to visit us during the first month of the lunar calendar.”
"Then you go, Fang Yu and I won't go."
"What kind of nonsense is this? We're a family, and I'm the only one going, but none of you are."
“It’s the first month of the lunar calendar now. Taking Fang Yu along would be too much of a burden for them,” Yu Jihong said as she finished washing the dishes and took off her apron.
"Why would we make things difficult for them? We'll just buy some things and come right back."
“Why can’t you understand? Taking children during the first month of the lunar year, is it considered paying New Year’s visits or just visiting relatives? If they don’t give them lucky money, they might feel bad, but if they do, it will make them feel bad.” Yu Jihong understood perfectly well.
"Oh, you're so thoughtful." Fang San Di scratched the back of his head.
“I have no problem with you visiting them normally, but they might not welcome me. Third brother, I won’t keep anything to myself. Last time they came to see you, they helped me with chores for a day, but they haven’t come since. They’re afraid that if they come, they’ll have to help with chores again.”
“They also have chores to do at home.”
“I understand. They’ll feel sorry for you, their younger brother. But they’re just coming to help me with the work so I can do less. They won’t feel sorry for me. Third brother, I don’t mean anything by it. I just want to say what’s on my mind. If you have time and want to see them, then go ahead. I’ll pass on it and not go.”
"Okay." Fang Sandi walked away dejectedly.
"Let's think about when we should go to Wenzhou," Yu Jihong added.
“Jihong, I want to wait a bit before going to Wenzhou. My leg is just healed now, and I’m afraid I’ll hurt it again if I ride such a long distance.”
"Okay, then you should rest for a while longer, and we'll go see again. You should keep this in mind; if you think of something but don't do it, you'll regret it later."
"Okay, I remember," Fang Sandi replied evasively.
At the end of the first lunar month, the Spring Festival travel rush at the train station gradually subsided.
After the Spring Festival travel rush ended, the porters' wages also decreased. Fang Damiao felt that there was no point in doing this job, and he needed to think of a new way in the new year. In fact, he had started thinking about this new way last year, but he still hadn't figured it out.
Back then, I always thought setting up a stall wouldn't be difficult, but when I actually got there, I realized that not only did I lack capital, but after inquiring and carefully considering the options, I also realized it wasn't that easy. It wasn't just about selling one item and making a profit; you also had to consider the problem of unsold inventory.
After working odd jobs for half a year, I didn't save any money, and I did lose some of my initial enthusiasm.
"How about we go to the night market again?" Fang Damiao was unwilling to give up and went again. When he first arrived, he was excited by the scene and thought it was just about selling things, bringing in goods and reselling them.
Now look at these fashionable clothes and exquisite little gadgets; he can't even name them all, let alone explain the styles or prices to customers.
The night wind was a bit chilly. He sat on the steps by the roadside, looking at the dazzling lights of the night market. He felt a mix of sadness and bitterness. It turned out that setting up a stall wasn't as simple as "just setting up a stall and selling." He, a "country bumpkin" from the countryside, didn't even have the right to be a part of this lively scene.
Fang Damiao was indeed homesick. He checked the money in his pocket; he had enough for a train ticket, and now he even had a ticket back. But what would he do back home? Go back to farming?
Fang Damiao felt a lump in her throat when she thought of Fang Dongqiang, her son who was six years old this year. She wondered what he might want now that he saw something he liked. But if she went back to farming, she wouldn't have the money to buy him anything.
Tying steel bars on the construction site is tiring, but at least you can get a stable wage, unlike last year when I was just haphazardly digging here and there and ended up with nothing. Fang Damiao still had the burning desire to make big money in business, but reality wouldn't let it ignite.
With his business failing and no money to be saved from temporary jobs, Fang Damiao had no choice but to stand up and head towards a construction site on the outskirts of the city. He would find a job first and save some money later.
At the beginning of the year, construction work was easy to find, and food and lodging were provided. Fang Damiao also had experience working on construction sites, so he appeared at the construction site early the next morning.
When he was tired, he would sit on the earthen slope of the construction site and look towards the direction of West Lake Road in the distance. The lights there were still bright and lively, but he no longer felt envious as before.
The wind carried the scent of earth, which made me feel at ease.
As soon as the lantern factory started operations, Yu Jihong rode her bicycle to pick up the materials.
"So punctual? We just started work yesterday." The factory foreman's surname is Liu. Yu Jihong has been handling materials and deliveries for half a year and is quite familiar with him.
"Master Liu, we'd like to continue this year."
"Sure, the boss was satisfied with the goods you made last year too."
Yu Jihong's bicycle was covered with bags in the front and back as he rode into the village carrying materials.
Yu Jihong always passes by Xianlan's house in the village on her way home.
Last year, during the off-season, Xianlan went to the factory to inquire. The factory said that it was almost Chinese New Year, so they wouldn't be outsourcing this year and would wait until next year.
This year, when she saw Yu Jihong bring back the materials, she couldn't resist anymore.
Seeing Xianlan looking at her, Yu Jihong smiled at her.
"Jihong, can we get the goods this year?" Xianlan asked.
"Okay!" Yu Jihong didn't stop her bike and rode home directly.
Xianlan also picked up her bicycle and went to the factory again to ask, "Master, I asked last year, and you said to wait and see this year. Can I pick it up this year?"
"We just started production this year, and we don't have many orders yet, so the people working in the factory are doing the work first."
"Then why did Yu Jihong from our village take all the materials there and have them done?"
"She started doing this last year," Master Liu replied, then went on to do other things without paying much attention.
Xianlan rode back empty-handed, getting angrier the more she thought about it. It wasn't like she was asking them for money, and they wouldn't even let her do some work. Why was Yu Jihong able to get things done so smoothly? Could it be...?
Last year, when they were doing it, Fang Sandi had injured his leg and couldn't get out of bed for half a year. Yu Jihong would ride her bike to pick it up by herself. The deliveryman was indifferent to everyone, but he would only give it to Yu Jihong. There must be some kind of relationship between them.
So that's how it is. Xianlan increasingly felt that her thinking was correct, and she would intentionally or unintentionally reveal her thoughts when chatting with others.
Once such a story spreads, everyone takes it as fact and exaggerates it.
"No wonder she bought a bicycle so early and learned to ride it herself. It turns out it was so she could easily go out and find a man."
"I knew it! She's a madwoman, but she's more capable than any other woman in the village. She has so many ways to make money. Honest people don't have that many tricks up their sleeves."
The women who were jealous of her competence seemed to have found a good excuse for themselves: it turned out that she had many crooked ways.
However, people were still somewhat wary of Yu Jihong's outspoken and outspoken personality, and they only gossiped behind her back. Although the matter spread throughout the village, Yu Jihong remained completely unaware of it.
Some busybodies, intentionally or unintentionally, reminded Fang San Di behind his back, "San Di, why are you always making your wife go? Your leg is better now, you can go and get it."
"Oh, she knows that place better, and she can ride a bike, so she's the one who goes there."
“I heard that other people in the village also wanted to do it, but they couldn’t get the goods. Only your wife was able to get them.”
"Yes, we've been doing this for over half a year, and we're quite proficient at it."
"Oh, someone she knows! No wonder." The busybody winked with a half-smile.
Fang Sandi also sensed the hidden meaning in her words. He had never been to that factory. Yu Jihong always went alone. Even when Fang Yu said she wanted to go with him, he didn't take her because he needed to store things on his bicycle.
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