"Brother Qing Fan, why has your handwriting changed?" In Zhang Yiyi’s home, the two little ones were distractedly copying Xu Qingfan’s summer homework.
"Oh, my handwriting... the pen isn’t writing well. Wanning, you better copy quickly and not end up calling me after ten at night crying again." Xu Qingfan touched his nose awkwardly, trying to change the subject.
"Brother, the homework!" Zhang Yiyi remembered what Xu Qingfan had said last semester and wrote on the draft paper, "Brother Qing Fan, didn’t you say that homework should be left until the last day to be meaningful?"
"Pfft—I meant when you do it yourself. Of course, if you have homework to copy, it’s better to get it done early. I’m just worried you two won’t finish!" Xu Qingfan patted each of their heads in turn as he spoke.
"Hehe, thank you, Brother Qing Fan, you’re the best!"
"Brother, thank you!"
Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi comfortably rested their heads in Xu Qingfan’s palms.
"Take your time copying, once you reach page 60 today, I’ll take you guys out to play." He patted their shoulders and then turned and walked out of the room.
"Yiyi, let’s copy quickly!"
In the living room, Zhang Chunxue was intently processing emails on her computer. Seeing Xu Qingfan come out, she couldn’t help but twitch her face, "Don’t call me ’Mom’!"
"Pfft—are you busy, Auntie?" Xu Qingfan said with a chuckle as he sat down beside her.
"Spill it, what’s your latest scheme? Auntie is busy right now," Zhang Chunxue said without lifting her eyes from the screen as she typed.
"Holy shit—Auntie, you invested in this company?" Xu Qingfan exclaimed as he saw the content displayed on the computer screen.
"Yep, what about it? Didn’t you advise Auntie to pay more attention to e-commerce before? This company expanded quickly during the SARS outbreak in Yanjing, so I felt it had potential and put some money in." Zhang Chunxue said with a smile as she ruffled Xu Qingfan’s hair.
"N-nothing, I also think it’s pretty good," he said with a grin.
Xu Qingfan thought to himself, how could it not be good? This is a second-hand platform!
In the original timeline, Qiangzi wouldn’t start his e-commerce entrepreneurship project until the beginning of 2004. Despite his family and girlfriend’s doubts, he still borrowed money to start his business.
Now, when the entrepreneurship plan was still in an embryonic stage, they already had venture capital reaching out, and Brother Qiang was naturally overjoyed. After all, the internet business burns through cash, and Zhang Chunxue had effortlessly gained a 30% stake in the second-hand platform for 1 million US dollars plus some advertising resources.
Compared to the first round of financing exceeding ten million US dollars three years later, the current price was undoubtedly like a steal.
"It is pretty good. If Auntie hadn’t chatted with you before, I would have missed out on such a promising unicorn. When we make some money, Auntie will share some shares with you!" Zhang Chunxue said with a single-handed cheek rest and a playful look at him.
"Then I better record it on an MP3 so you can’t go back on it later!"
"You actually don’t trust your aunt? Even if you record it, it’s no use; verbal promises have no legal effect." Zhang Chunxue playfully tapped his head, "Now tell me, what do you need Auntie’s help with this time?"
Xu Qingfan gave a shy smile, "Auntie, I want to buy stocks!"
Zhang Chunxue didn’t wonder why Xu Qingfan had this idea. It was 2003, and the domestic stock market was booming. From 80-year-old vegetable-selling grannies to 18-year-old high school graduates about to enter college, nearly everyone was playing the stock market.
She thought Xu Qingfan was influenced by what he had heard and thus had this idea.
"The stock market has ups and downs, be careful not to lose all the hard-earned money you made from drawing comics. Plus, you need to be 18 to open a stock account; you’re not thinking about having Auntie help you open one, are you?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Xu Qingfan nodded like pounding garlic.
Zhang Chunxue, with her finger propping her cheek, looked at Xu Qingfan with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile: "The stock market is a deep ocean of knowledge. Have you thought about which stock you want to buy, just following others to play stocks?"
In principle, Chunxue agreed, as her stock account’s earnings were quite substantial. Moreover, with red-chip stocks being so hot right now, one could make money just by buying with their eyes closed, and even if there was a loss, she could just cover the difference for Qingfan.
"Auntie, I’ve made my choice, I want to buy stocks from Apple Company!"
"Apple Company? Which Apple Company?" Chunxue tried to recall which stock on the A-share market was called ’Apple’.
"Auntie, it’s the Apple Company from Beautiful Country, the one I saw in the movie Forrest Gump. Gump became a billionaire by buying that stock!"
"Pfft~ You mean that company that sells computers and MP3s, I somewhat remember now, movies are all lies, I could die from laughter because of you." Chunxue started to laugh again, covering her belly.
"But I think their iPod is really easy to use, Auntie, stop laughing!" Qingfan helplessly looked at Chunxue.
"Ahem~ Okay, Auntie will stop laughing. You said you want to buy shares of Apple Company, so you have to give Auntie a reason, after all, it’s a lot of money!"
"Tsk~ A reason... a reason... I just feel like their stock is undervalued. Auntie, your company has so many professionals, you can have them do some research!" Qingfan had no real reason, he just remembered that between ’03 and ’08, Apple’s stock had a big surge.
"Alright, Auntie will take a look at the situation for you first, and if things are really as you say, I’ll help you buy it." Chunxue was already used to Qingfan’s insights beyond his age, and many times, the facts had proven him right.
"Hehe, thank you, Auntie!" Qingfan, elated, kissed Chunxue on the cheek.
After the second batch of book payments had been deposited, Qingfan’s bank card was quietly filled with over one hundred and thirty thousand, and instead of letting it sit in the bank collecting dust, it was better to do something more meaningful.
Catching the era’s trend, it was indeed easy to make money. If it were twenty years later, when almost everyone owned a smartphone, who would spend money on leisure comics? Qingfan pondered.
"Don’t thank me yet, don’t come crying to Auntie if you end up losing money."
"If I lose money, I’ll just draw another comic, what’s the big deal."
Chunxue gave Qingfan’s hand a light smack, her expression serious and stern as she educated him, "Xiao Fan, the success of a comic is but a fluke; no one can be lucky all the time, you need to get your attitude right!"
"Auntie, I was wrong!" Qingfan promptly admitted defeat, raising his hands in surrender.
"You, oh you," Chunxue shook her head helplessly, "with Auntie watching over you, it’s hard for you to make any big mistakes." Unconsciously, Chunxue had started to see herself in the role of Qingfan’s guardian.
"The world only has Mother’s love~"
"Pfft~ Shut your mouth!!"
While they were having fun, Wanning and Yiyi came out from the room, hand in hand, hopping and jumping.
"Brother Qing Fan, we’re done writing!!"
"Okay, okay, go out and play with Yiyi and Wanning for a while, don’t disturb Auntie’s work anymore!" Chunxue put on a serious face and knocked on Qingfan’s head.
"Yeah, put on your shoes, I’ll take you to the park to catch goldfish!"
Both kids planted a kiss on each side of Chunxue’s cheeks and excitedly ran to the door to put on their shoes.
"Remember to be safe!" Chunxue called out loudly.