Chapter 133 - 130: A Bold Plan
"There’s still some food from lunch. See if there’s anything you’d like, and we can make a little more. You just got off the train; you must be exhausted. You can cook for me after you’ve had a good rest." Zhou Lian rolled her eyes at him. ’This man is really something else. He lost so much weight on this trip south, and he still won’t take a proper break.’
"I’ll listen to Bao’er."
The couple were both quick and efficient. They soon had dinner ready and woke Nuonuo up. Seeing her father, Nuonuo rubbed her eyes. Her sweet, gentle voice was enough to melt your heart. "Daddy, Daddy, Nuonuo’s, Nuonuo’s."
Li Xiu laughed, scooping up his daughter and repeating, "Nuonuo’s, Daddy is Nuonuo’s."
Nuonuo then shook her little head and, seeing Zhou Lian smiling nearby, grinned to show off her baby teeth and called out, "Mama."
After dinner, the family of three lingered on the kang. Nuonuo was ecstatic. ’Mommy and Daddy are both playing with me! I must be the happiest baby in the world.’
Not until Nuonuo had played herself out and, with eyes half-closed, began looking for her mother to nurse did Li Xiu hurry to put away his daughter’s toys and spread out the blankets.
Watching Nuonuo sleep, they both gently kissed her forehead, silently thinking the same thing: ’Our little darling, have sweet dreams!’
Li Xiu got off the kang, dragged over the two large bags he had brought back, and set them on the floor. He opened them gently and began taking things out one by one: a pile of watches, a pile of radios, two quilts, clothes for Zhou Lian, clothes for Nuonuo, shoes for Zhou Lian, shoes for Nuonuo...
Zhou Lian stared blankly at the items on the floor. Li Xiu had only taken two thousand yuan with him, yet he had traded it for several piles of goods. She knew things were cheap in the south, but she hadn’t imagined it was to this extent. It was as if Li Xiu had hauled it all back like a load of cabbages.
"Bao’er, come back to us!" Li Xiu said teasingly, watching the dazed Zhou Lian, a `Hanshao` on his face.
Seeing her husband’s rare, impish expression, Zhou Lian didn’t bicker with him. Instead, she said with some seriousness, "The general climate has only just started improving this year. Is this really okay? Especially since we’re in the Capital City, where the atmosphere has always been the most restrictive."
"It’s fine. This is just small potatoes," Li Xiu whispered reassuringly. "Lots of people are moving ten, even dozens of times this volume. Judging by their accents, a good number of them are from the Capital City, too. Don’t worry, Bao’er. In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing. I was very particular with my selections—nothing is smuggled. Rest assured!" Despite having been reborn, Zhou Lian wasn’t actually very clear on these matters. She knew the general course of events, but as for the specific timing of things, she was truly in the dark.
"Well, that’s good. I don’t really understand these things, so as long as you’re sure about it," Zhou Lian said after a moment’s thought. She only knew that the general situation had just begun to improve this year. Since it was only the first year, she felt uneasy. After all, a major incident had occurred in ’83, and she didn’t want her husband to get caught up in something like that just for money.
"Mhm, don’t worry. These goods were all shipped from the other side. They’ve already cleared customs," Li Xiu explained gently, knowing she would only feel at ease once she understood.
"Now that you’ve brought all this back, how do you plan on selling it?" Zhou Lian asked, worried. ’It’s so much stuff. How long will it take to move it all?’
"Bao’er, don’t worry, just listen. I plan on handling the sales myself. I’ve already scouted a few people. I’ll hire them to do the selling first. If they can pass the test, I won’t have to show up in person in the future. This first batch is just to test the waters. Don’t worry, I have it all under control." Li Xiu carefully explained his plan to Zhou Lian so she wouldn’t worry anymore.
"Alright. I don’t know the first thing about this stuff, but I don’t want you taking risks for money. You know I like money and a comfortable life, but what I want more is for our family to be safe and sound," Zhou Lian said, looking at Li Xiu seriously. She knew her husband wanted to give her the best of everything, and that required money, but no lifestyle was more important than him.
"Okay, I promise you, Bao’er, I won’t take risks for money. I have my priorities straight. Nothing is more important than my wife and child. I’m earning money for our family, and it would be putting the cart before the horse if I got into trouble over it. Don’t worry, I still plan to grow old with my Bao’er and be with you for a lifetime!" Li Xiu said with a smile, giving Zhou Lian a `calming pill`. ’I’m not stupid enough to throw away a watermelon just to pick up a sesame seed.’
Zhou Lian blushed and shot him a glare. ’He even manages to flirt while we’re talking about serious business. This man is so shameless!’
As if hearing her silent complaint, Li Xiu’s expression changed, his eyes turning roguish. "Bao’er, I haven’t seen you in over ten days. I missed you so much my heart ached. Are you saying I can’t even express a little of my longing for you?"
"That’s enough. Just tell me about the situation in the south. What’s it like there now?" Zhou Lian changed the subject, curious. ’If I let him continue, he’ll never stop.’
Hearing this, Li Xiu’s face took on a complicated expression, as if he didn’t know where to begin. He started with some difficulty, "Before I went, I figured it would be at least on par with our provincial capital. But when I got there, I realized... forget the provincial capital, it couldn’t even compare to our county town. It’s rundown and shabby, but it’s packed with people. All sorts of them—people opening factories, doing business, trying to strike it rich. There were even some foreigners. And another thing—everything is incredibly cheap. And they have a full range of goods, everything you can imagine. From food and drink to all kinds of home appliances. They already have washing machines, refrigerators, color TVs, and the like over there. And they’re dirt cheap."
Seeing the surprised look on Zhou Lian’s face, he chuckled. "It’s true. But they’re undergoing `Jianshe` over there, bustling with activity building houses and paving roads. Bao’er, I’m planning to focus on the home appliance sector. At the start of the new year, I’ll go back for another trip to investigate thoroughly. If it’s viable, I’ll stick with it for the next ten years. Home appliances should be a hot market for a few years. Once I’ve earned enough, I’ll switch to something else."
"How could you know how many years this stuff will be popular?" Zhou Lian asked, looking at him in shock. She had lived through that era, so she knew he was right. ’But how does *he* know?’
Reaching out, Li Xiu gently flicked Zhou Lian’s nose. "Bao’er, you’re underestimating your man," he said with a laugh. "The general climate will only get more relaxed, and everyone’s lives will get better and better. In less than ten years, this market will be saturated. By then, this line of work won’t be so easy anymore. I’m not aiming to be the richest man alive—why work that hard? If the money’s not easy to make, I’ll just find something that is. It’s not like I’m going to pour all my energy into business anyway."
Zhou Lian stared at him as if she were seeing a ghost. ’Did he hide himself that well in our last life, or did I just never understand him at all? The only thing different from our past life is that he saw his relatives’ true colors twenty years earlier. The intelligence, composure, and confidence he’s showing now must be his true self. In our last life, when he learned the truth, his actions were incredibly ruthless. I was shocked by his disposition back then. It seems that in this life, he’s decided to completely unleash himself. It looks like this man, aside from being a little goofy when it comes to me and our daughter, is directly applying the mentality he would have developed over the next twenty years. At this rate, he’s going to soar to the heavens!’
’Other people don’t know how the future will develop, but she did. Though she didn’t know the inside details, no one was clearer on the general direction than she was. It was just as Li Xiu said. In ten years, it wasn’t that the market would be saturated, but that products would be upgraded and replaced too quickly, and prices would fall again and again. She had heard that the business became much harder to do later on.’