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Lin Xiu Li, or rather Lin Xi as she was now known, had adopted a new name since arriving here, hoping to leave the past behind and start afresh.
Seeing the girl in front of her, she couldn’t immediately recall where she had seen her before. She seemed familiar, but it was understandable that Xiu Li struggled to recognize her. Wang Qian’s bangs covered half of her face, making it challenging for someone unfamiliar to recall her childhood appearance.
Noticing Xiu Li’s hesitation, Wang Qian smiled happily. “Auntie, I’m Qian Qian, Wang Qian. Do you remember me?”
Upon hearing the name, Lin Xi suddenly remembered who she was. Surprised, she grabbed Wang Qian’s hand, “Qian Qian, it’s really you! Am I dreaming? How did you end up here?”
Upon looking up and seeing Wang Zhenhe, Lin Xi was taken aback. “Brother Wang? It’s really you! Today must be my lucky day. I knew seeing a spider meant good luck. Please wait a moment, I’ll close up shop and then take you to my place.”
With relatives visiting, Lin Xi couldn’t afford to delay. She quickly prepared to close her stall.
However, Wang Zhenhe and Wang Qian couldn’t let her do that. They didn’t want to disrupt her business and needed to secure their merchandise.
“Auntie, don’t rush. Continue your business. We came here to check out the goods,” Wang Qian reassured her.
Observing the variety of products at Lin Xi’s stall, Wang Qian hoped to source from her. It would be convenient to have a familiar supplier and potentially a closer relationship for future transactions.
Lin Xi was taken aback by the revelation, “Qian Qian, are you here to buy these electronic products to resell?”
Wang Zhenhe nodded in agreement, “Yes, Qian Qian and I came here to assess the market and potentially purchase some items to resell, hoping to make some profit.”
Lin Xi was delighted with their intentions, “Brother Wang, that sounds great! Take a look at what I have here. If you see something you like, just let me know. The price is negotiable.”
Eager to engage in business with someone familiar like Lin Xi, Wang Zhenhe carefully examined the merchandise at her stall. The products were similar to what they had seen elsewhere, so it ultimately came down to the pricing.
“Auntie, I’ve decided to source from your store. Let’s discuss inside. Business is business, and we can’t let you lose out. We look forward to long-term cooperation,” Wang Qian expressed her intent to collaborate with Lin Xi.
Being an experienced businesswoman, Lin Xi understood the importance of fair dealings. She warmly held Wang Qian’s hand, “Young lady, your negotiation skills are impressive. Rest assured, I understand the business. Let’s go inside.”
Once inside, they delved straight into business discussions. Wang Qian and Wang Zhenhe shared their preferences and types of products they were interested in purchasing. Lin Xi promptly offered a price that turned out to be lower than what they had heard from other vendors.
“Don’t worry, Brother Wang, I aim to profit as well. It’s just a matter of more or less. Plus, you’ll be getting goods from me in the future. Let’s stick to this price, okay?” Lin Xi reassured them.
Wang Qian immediately agreed, “Auntie, we’ll go with your plan. We’ll start by purchasing a batch from you. If we run out of stock later, could you arrange deliveries for us? That way, we won’t have to make another trip.”
Lin Xi nodded with a smile, “That’s not a problem at all. Your success means mine as well. It’s settled then. I’ll have the goods sent to you tonight. But where should I deliver them?”
Wang Qian had noticed a hotel near the train station when she disembarked, so she shared the hotel’s name with Lin Xi for the delivery. Figuring out the logistics was left up to Lin Xi.
“Brother Wang, I’d like to treat you to dinner tonight. After all, we were friends before, and you came all this way. It’s only right to show my hospitality,” Lin Xi warmly extended the invitation.
Accepting the dinner invitation, Wang Zhenhe was curious about how Lin Xi had ventured into this business.
Reflecting on her past, Lin Xi’s expression turned melancholic, “Ah, Brother, my journey has been quite complicated…”
It turns out that when Lin Xi arrived with her child, they couldn’t locate her aunt’s family as they had already moved. After running out of money, the mother and daughter found themselves struggling on the streets. Lin Xi took on odd jobs to make ends meet, but it wasn’t easy. The earnings were barely enough for rent and meals.
During their dire circumstances, Lin Xi encountered an employer, a Hong Kong man more than ten years her senior who was also in business. As they spent time together, she learned about his tragic past—losing his wife and child in a car accident. Over time, they developed feelings for each other, leading to their marriage. He handed over his electronic business to her, focusing on other ventures.
“Auntie, are you happy?” Wang Qian felt a mix of emotions hearing Lin Xi’s story but was glad she found a good man to marry. Having someone to rely on and her own business likely meant a prosperous life.
Lin Xi smiled, “Qian Qian, I’m content and living well. My husband, despite being older, treats me and Xiao Hui well. He cares for Xiao Hui like his own child. We also have a son. By the way, I’ve changed my name to Lin Xi, meaning ‘hope’.”
Impressed by the name choice, Wang Zhenhe nodded. “Indeed, that’s a fitting name. As long as there’s hope, everything will be fine. Lin Xi, I’ll call you by that name from now on. Let’s head back to the hotel to freshen up. We haven’t had a chance to clean up since getting off the train. So, once you finish up here, just come find us at the hotel.”
After bidding farewell to Lin Xi, the father and daughter felt relieved as they found their way to the hotel, fortunate that it was winter and not crowded. They easily secured a room.
Upon entering the room, Wang Qian collapsed onto the bed, “Oh my, I’m so tired. But at least we’ve sorted out our source of goods. It was exhausting, but it’s worth it. After all, we met someone we knew. Dad, go wash up first. I’ll rest here for a bit.”
Wang Qian was truly exhausted and took a brief rest on the bed.
Once they were both refreshed, the delivery from Lin Xi arrived. Wang Zhenhe directed the workers to move the goods into the room. After they left, Wang Qian organized the items in the space.
Inside the room, Wang Qian took out an electronic watch for herself and one for Wang Zhenhe. While Wang Zhenhe was intrigued by the watch, he was a bit unfamiliar with it. After some tinkering, they synchronized the time with the help of the staff.
“Dad, how do you like it? We have watches now. Exciting, right?” Wang Qian noticed Wang Zhenhe staring at the watch without blinking—an expression that tugged at her heart. Neither Wang Qian nor her sister had watches when they were in school. Mechanical watches were expensive, costing around 70 to 80 yuan each. Back then, when Zhang Lan wanted to buy watches for them, they had refused and opted for alarm clocks instead. This time, they planned to get watches for the whole family.
Wang Zhenhe couldn’t hide his happy expression while admiring the stylish new men’s watch on his wrist.
“Dad, you rest in the room. I’ll wait for Auntie in the lobby so she can easily find us,” Wang Qian suggested, eager to ensure a smooth meet-up.
After advising his restless daughter, Wang Zhenhe also lay down to rest.
Wang Qian had one more task at hand—selling the gold and silver she had brought with her. Without this capital, they wouldn’t have the resources to start any new ventures back home. This trip had almost depleted their family’s savings.
In the hotel lobby, Wang Qian casually conversed with the staff, discreetly inquiring about the black market trades in the area. The staff, unaware of her intentions, thought she was just a curious young girl and shared all the information they knew, considering it casual chat.
Satisfied with the information she gathered, Wang Qian left. With some time before evening, she decided to check out the situation at the place she had learned about.
The location wasn’t far from their hotel, so she strolled over casually. Guangzhou at that time wasn’t as bustling as it is today, but there was a noticeable difference in people’s demeanor and the emerging economic consciousness, with individuals starting to engage in various businesses, overt or covert, signaling a quiet revival of the economy.
Arriving at the location the staff had mentioned—a narrow street with people whispering and discussing prices—Wang Qian felt uncertain as she discreetly observed each storefront. She paused in front of a shop where an elderly man with a kind face caught her attention. Wanting to inquire about their dealings, she approached him respectfully.
“Sir, do you also buy gold here?”
The elderly man smiled and nodded, “Young lady, are you looking to buy or sell?”
Wang Qian didn’t specify whether she wanted to buy or sell, simply inquiring, “Sir, what are your prices here? If they’re reasonable, I might consider.”
Quickly realizing a potential business opportunity, the old man wrote down two prices on a piece of paper. After glancing at the figures and finding them low, Wang Qian raised her eyes to the old man, “Sir, I’ve come a long way, and these prices don’t seem quite suitable.”
Assuming the young girl was naive, the old man initially offered low prices, intending to make a large profit margin by buying low and selling high—an approach that seemed too drastic to Wang Qian.
“Hehe, young lady, in business, we can negotiate. If the price isn’t right, we can discuss it. How about this figure?” The old man wrote down a new selling price, presuming Wang Qian was there to sell based on her attire.
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