Tian Manjin also wanted to laugh, but he held it back, as Shou Jizu was someone Daddy and Mama absolutely despised. If he laughed, Daddy and Mama would be furious.
In fact, Tian Manjin thought too much. Right now, Old Man and Granny Zhao were also delighted, but they both kept a stern face. It’s essential to clearly distinguish friends from enemies.
Tian Sisi had already noticed that Granny Zhao’s mouth twitched a moment ago. Although she quickly returned to her dignified demeanor, how could she hide it from her? Tian Sisi secretly found it amusing, Granny was unable to step down!
"Granny, just let us try, maybe we can reform Uncle-in-law." Tian Sisi twisted her body and acted coquettishly.
After a long silence, Jianguo spoke up, "Grandpa, Grandma, Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt, I also agree with my cousin and Brother Xin Hua’s plan. Regardless, it’s like trying to revive a dead horse as if it’s alive. The worst outcome would be that Daddy remains the same scoundrel as before. But if there’s even a slight change in Daddy, it would be good."
At that moment, Jianguo appeared as solemn as an adult, earnestly looking at Old Man and Granny Zhao. Just then, Tian Xinhua came in. He had planned to come over and explain why Weiguo hadn’t returned after dinner, but he happened to hear Jianguo speaking.
"Great Grandpa, Great Granny, please give Uncle-in-law a try, just as Jianguo said, even a little change would be a pleasant surprise."
Old Man pondered for a while, stroked his chin, sighed, and said, "Well then, let’s try it your way first. I hope Shou Jizu doesn’t waste your sincere effort!"
"Old man, why do you also let the children mess around? Is Shou Jizu, that... guy, someone who can be reformed? It’s more practical to help Man Lan raise her children properly, and then later they can rely on Jianguo and his two brothers."
Granny Zhao absolutely didn’t believe Shou Jizu could change, unless the sun rises from the west!
"Solving an immediate need doesn’t cure perpetual poverty, no matter how we help, it’s limited. Ultimately, Man Lan and others need to make their own lives better. Let the children try, maybe there will be a pleasant surprise!"
Although Old Man also didn’t believe Shou Jizu would change, he didn’t want to undermine the children’s confidence, especially Jianguo’s. He didn’t want Jianguo to feel sad, so let Jianguo try, perhaps a miracle might indeed occur!
"Then I’ll listen to you, but I’m worried about Weiguo staying there alone, not eating or sleeping well."
Granny Zhao usually doesn’t oppose her husband’s decisions, so she agreed, but she was truly uneasy about her six-year-old grandson staying there alone.
"Granny, you don’t have to worry. Every Saturday on our day off, we will visit Weiguo and bring him some tasty treats as well, and we can also keep an eye on our uncle to ensure everything is fine. Weiguo will be alright," Tian Sisi consoled the old lady.
The decision to reform Shou Jizu was thus settled. The next day, however, Granny Zhao still felt uneasy, so she had Tian Manjin ride over to deliver some grains and oil. Returning with a relaxed expression, Tian Manjin told Granny Zhao that Weiguo was doing quite well; he even inquired with the village head and confirmed that Shou Jizu was indeed working every day, albeit slowly, but at least he was still going to the fields.
Each time Tian Manjin thought of Shou Jizu being prodded by Weiguo to work, it brought a smile to his face. It seems Ah Nan was right; Shou Jizu’s temperament was indeed decent. Even being pressured by his son, he did not lose his temper.
Granny Zhao scoffed, "It’s only been two days. Let’s see how long he can keep this up."
Tian Manjin smiled and then went back to work. He somewhat believed that Shou Jizu could change for the better under the influence of Ah Nan and the children. Perhaps they were also at fault before; as soon as they heard Shou Jizu was a good-for-nothing, none of them showed him a friendly face or ever really spoke with him honestly, resulting in their lack of real understanding of what kind of person Shou Jizu was.
After listening to Tian Sisi’s words, Tian Manjin went to have a talk with Shou Jizu, which made him realize there was some truth in Ah Nan’s words. Shou Jizu wasn’t beyond redemption after all. As Jianguo said, treating a dead horse as if it’s alive.
Time passed neither slowly nor hastily, and the weather grew hotter by the day. Over a week had passed since He Xuewen’s departure; he had actually returned from Guangzhou bringing two carriages full of clothes and a small amount of fabric. He didn’t stop in Sui City, instead heading directly to Hangzhou, where Yang Wenbin said they would handle selling the goods.
Some of the clothes were new, most were used, about seventy to eighty percent new, fashionable and stylish, sourced by a man named A Ji whom He Xuewen knew. A Ji had some gangster connections and was said to be linked to people in Hong Kong, whom he met while wandering around and with whom he shared hardships.
The clothes came at a very low price, averaging about one yuan per item. He Xuewen and Yang Wenbin took a gamble, thinking if the clothes didn’t sell, they’d just write off their investment. To their surprise, however, the clothes and fabric sold exceptionally well, reaching a frenzied level of demand.
Of course, they didn’t set up a stall to sell the clothes themselves but worked through buyers from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. They sold used clothes for two yuan each, new clothes for six yuan and fifty cents each, all at wholesale prices. Initially, these buyers sampled only about ten pieces each, with a wait-and-see attitude. But within a couple of days, they were back for more.
This time, the buyers didn’t stick to the ten-piece minimum. They straightaway wanted hundreds of pieces. There was no counting the numerous Supply and Marketing Cooperatives in Hangzhou. Thus, within a few days, all of He Xuewen’s brought stock was sold out, and many buyers who didn’t get their goods in time were urging them to bring more.
He Xuewen and Yang Wenbin were taken aback; they truly hadn’t expected that used clothes could sell so well. If it were up to them, they’d never wear clothes that were previously worn by others.
In fact, this surprise stemmed from He Xuewen and Yang Wenbin’s privileged upbringing. They were unaware that at that time, many people were still wearing clothes patch-upon-patch, and buying a new decent shirt could cost over ten yuan, while making one themselves would cost about five or six yuan, not to mention needing cloth tickets.
The clothes sold through the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives—used clothes for three yuan and fifty cents each, new clothes for nine yuan and fifty cents each—were so fashionable and beautiful. Although they were used, they looked just like new and were sold so cheaply. Frugal, fashion-loving people naturally swarmed to buy them, and within a day, all the clothes were snapped up.
Under the urging of these purchasers, He Xuewen had no choice but to call A Ji to request another batch of goods, saying he would come to pick them up immediately. A Ji was also very happy; this was a business with virtually no cost. Except for some investment needed for new clothes, those used clothes were collected door-to-door by his subordinates, almost pure profit. (To be continued. If you work, we welcome you to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with a recommendation ticket or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)