Chapter 134 - 131: Business
A pleasant night passed. As dawn broke, Li Xiu got up, feeling refreshed and full of energy, as if he wasn’t the one who had just spent several days on a train. He gazed tenderly at his beloved wife and daughter sleeping soundly on the kang bed. After happily giving each of them a kiss, he got dressed, climbed off the bed, and went to make breakfast for them.
After a lively breakfast, Li Xiu grabbed a bag he had prepared in advance and headed out. He was off to talk business, determined to work hard and make money for his wife and daughter.
In a small courtyard house in the Capital City, Wei Guo, Liu Qiang, and Wang Dongfang huddled around a briquette stove, their brows furrowed as they sighed. Chinese New Year was fast approaching, but they didn’t even have the money to buy festive goods. Since returning to the city, they had felt like outsiders in their own families. Wang Dongfang’s situation was slightly better; his parents were gone, and his older brother and sister were married and lived elsewhere. This small courtyard was his only refuge. But with no job and no income, he still had to eat.
Wei Guo’s and Liu Qiang’s family situations were similar. Their parents and siblings all lived together, so after they returned to the city, they didn’t even have a proper place to stay. They slept on the floor in the dining room every night, forced to endure the glares of their sisters-in-law. Even their own parents and siblings resented them for freeloading. Wei Guo had two older brothers, an older sister, and a younger brother, all of whom were married. His brothers lived with their parents. When he returned, his old room had been given to his younger brother and his wife. He didn’t even have a place to call his own.
It was the same for Liu Qiang. He had two older sisters, an older brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister. His older sisters were married and had moved out, his brothers were also married, and his younger sister worked in a factory. Since he returned to the city, there was simply no room for him at home. The whole family resented him for being a freeloader, but no one seemed to remember why he was the one sent to the countryside in the first place.
The three men looked up at each other, shaking their heads with bitter smiles. When they were in the countryside, they had longed to return to the city, longed to come home, and thought constantly of their families. Only now, upon their return, did they realize there was no room for them anymore. Even the most basic family affection had become like chicken ribs—offering little substance, yet a shame to discard. Who was to blame? When they’d left, they were passionate seventeen- and eighteen-year-old lads. They returned as passionless, unemployed men in their late twenties, with nothing to their names.
KNOCK KNOCK. The sound of knocking broke the trio’s silence. "Is that your brother? Or your sister?" Liu Qiang asked Wang Dongfang doubtfully. But they all knew Wang Dongfang wasn’t on good terms with his siblings. Fearing he would try to take advantage of them, his brother and sister had paid him a single visit the day after he returned. They had handed over the keys to the house and told him that they were both busy, he was a grown man now, and he should only contact them if it was absolutely necessary.
Wang Dongfang scoffed. "We’ll find out when I open the door." He pulled his worn-out, padded cotton jacket tighter around himself and went outside to answer it. ’Who the hell would be knocking on a freezing day like this?’
When he opened the door and saw Li Xiu, he froze for a second before a smile spread across his face. "Brother Li, you’re here! Come in, quick! Where’s your little girl? Why are you by yourself today?" Wang Dongfang asked curiously as he ushered Li Xiu inside. ’Every other time I’ve seen him, he’s been holding his daughter. Why is he alone today?’
"Da Guo, Qiangzi, come see who’s here!" Wang Dongfang called out loudly to his two childhood friends.
Wei Guo and Liu Qiang scrambled to their feet to greet Li Xiu as he walked in. They had known each other for over three months and were all familiar with one another’s circumstances. Their personalities meshed well, so they often got together to chat and shoot the breeze.
"What, all three of you are here? Got nothing better to do?" Li Xiu asked with a smile as he sat down. ’These three are the exact men I was looking for. I’m incredibly satisfied with their temperament and character. They don’t blame the world for their problems, but they aren’t pushovers, either.’
"Where are we supposed to find work? There are no jobs to be had, especially with the New Year’s rush about to start," Wei Guo said with a bitter smile. ’Work? What work could they possibly find right now?’
"Alright. We’re all brothers here, so I’ll get straight to the point. Take a look at what I brought today." As he spoke, Li Xiu opened his bag and laid its contents on the table.
The three of them swarmed the table, their eyes lighting up as they stared at the items. This was...
They turned to stare at Li Xiu, waiting for an explanation. Faced with three pairs of burning eyes, Li Xiu smiled. "It’s exactly what you think. I brought them back from the south. I came here today so we could figure this out together, as brothers."
"How many did you get?" Liu Qiang asked excitedly. ’Could it be what I think it is?’
"Enough to keep you guys busy for a while," Li Xiu said calmly. "The New Year is almost here, so it’s a chance for us brothers to earn some cash and have a proper celebration. Life isn’t easy for any of you, and I’ve got a wife and kid to support. So let’s be direct. I’ll provide the goods, and you sell them. I don’t care what price you sell them for; anything you make over my cost is yours to keep. How does that sound?"
"Done! We’ll do whatever you say," Wang Dongfang declared firmly. "We’re brothers. We know you won’t shortchange us, and we’d never stab you in the back!"
"Good," Li Xiu said calmly to the three of them. "This batch doesn’t require any ration coupons. I’ll give them to you for two yuan less than the store price per item. What you sell them for is none of my business. Whatever you earn is a testament to your own abilities."
"No coupons?" Wang Dongfang asked, looking at Li Xiu in disbelief. These were all high-demand items.
"I didn’t need coupons to get them, and I’m not about to scam my own brothers," Li Xiu said with a smile. ’We’re all men with a sense of decency. This isn’t charity; it’s about working together to put food on the table.’
"No coupons for real?! Then this stuff will fly off the shelves! People will go crazy for it!" Wei Guo exclaimed. "With the end of the year approaching, lots of people are getting married. These things are practically necessities!"
"So, what do you say? You in?" Li Xiu asked, smiling.
"We’re in! Brother Li, thank you for thinking of us," Wang Dongfang said with a wry smile. "But you know we’re completely broke. We don’t have a single yuan for the initial investment!" ’It’s like seeing a pile of gold behind a sheet of glass—so close, yet so out of reach.’
"Bah, we’ve known each other for this long; we all know what we’re about," Li Xiu said with a laugh. "Just take the merchandise. Pay me after you sell it. I trust you guys. It’s not like you’re going to just take the goods and run, are you?" ’He wasn’t doing this just to make money; it was also a test of their character. If they passed, he would have found himself some capable partners.’
"Brother Li!" Wang Dongfang said, his jaw set. "Since you’re putting your trust in us, we’ll follow your lead. I’ll put this house up as collateral. It’s all I have left, brother!"
"Enough. We’re all grown men; let’s not get mushy," Li Xiu said, already heading for the door. "I said I trust you, and that’s the end of it. Here are thirty watches and ten radios. Split them up and get to work. We’ll meet back here at Dongfang’s courtyard tonight, and I’ll bring more. That’s the plan. My wife and daughter are waiting for me, so I’m heading out. See you tonight!" ’Why waste time getting sappy with a bunch of guys when he could be home hugging his wife and daughter?’