South City, beside the bustling street.
Ji Shuyuan carried a woven bag on his back and a table, setting it up directly by the street.
On the table, he took items out of the bag at his feet one by one, various types of hair clips and beautiful scarves, which he displayed using a stick he’d fashioned into a scarf rack. The colorful scarves fluttered in the wind, drawing a lot of attention.
The street he’d chosen was one that the people of South City loved to stroll through, teeming with pedestrians. Before he’d even finished setting up, people began asking for prices.
"How much for this scarf?"
Ji Shuyuan paused in arranging his goods, glanced at the scarves, and, with a smile, quoted a price. Then he added, "These come from Ningbei. My cousin is studying there, and these are the trendiest scarves in Ningbei."
"From Ningbei?" The girl who had asked, initially thinking it a bit expensive, changed her mind when she heard they were from Ningbei. Plus, she’d never seen such beautiful scarves in her county. After trying one on—finding it warm and pretty—she immediately paid for it.
Ji Shuyuan’s first transaction went exceptionally smoothly.
"Lili, why don’t you buy one too? They’re so pretty." The girl who had just bought a scarf urged her friend, then turned her eyes to the hair clips on the table. After asking for prices one by one, she ended up buying a bunch without realizing it.
Once people saw others buying, more and more crowded around. Ji Shuyuan was non-stop busy, his throat went dry, but the woven bag of goods sold out in a frenzy.
Ji Shuyuan looked at the empty woven bag and the bulging wallet; ignoring his sore throat, he happily went home with the table on his back and the bag in hand.
Ji Shuyuan headed straight for his grandfather’s room.
It was just four in the afternoon, the time when his grandfather usually woke up from his nap.
"Shuyuan is back?" Ji Xinghua had indeed just woken up and was about to go out for a walk when he heard his grandson’s happy voice. His gaze fell on Ji Shuyuan’s empty woven bag and he asked, "Did you sell everything?"
"Mhm, mhm." Ji Shuyuan gleefully poured the bulging money bag out, and various denominations of bills covered the bed.
Ji Xinghua’s pupils contracted, and he quickly said.
Ji Shuyuan obediently closed the door and said excitedly, "Sold out, everything’s sold out."
"Good," Ji Xinghua praised, "Our Shuyuan can make money too."
"Go drink some water. What has happened to your voice?" Ji Xinghua sat at the bedside, neatly stacking the bills by denomination.
Ji Shuyuan drank a full glass of water and excitedly started to count the money with Ji Xinghua.
He had never seen so much money in his life.
When he had to raise money for his grandfather’s treatment, he only thought about it being other people’s money, necessary for his grandfather’s treatment, and he hadn’t paid much attention to it. But this time was different; this was money he had earned by selling goods himself.
"Grandpa, we’ve made money."
Ji Shuyuan and Ji Xinghua counted three times, totaling three hundred yuan.
Three hundred! That was enough to completely cover the initial investment, and he had only sold half of the goods.
"Right, we’ve made money." Ji Xinghua’s eyes also brimmed with happiness. Originally, he thought it would be good to make a few tens of yuan; who could have imagined making so much on the first go?
"Shuyuan, remember Nian’an’s kindness; you guys are cousins, but don’t let that relationship become distant." Ji Xinghua reminded him, finally feeling as though a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. His grandson was capable of earning money; from now on, they wouldn’t need to rely on his mother to provide for his education or marriage.