Chapter 25: Haggling the Price

“You stay here, I’ll go find Sister Jiang.”

Cui Yong pushed a bicycle and walked out, quickly pedaling away once he was outside.

Jiang Yiyi had just returned from delivering a meal to Jiang Jinzhong with Gu Yunchi when she heard a knock on the door.

Jiang Jinfeng rushed to open it.

Cui Yong was sweating profusely, “Is Sister Jiang home? I need to see her.”

Jiang Jinfeng hurriedly called for Jiang Yiyi.

Seeing it was Cui Yong, Jiang Yiyi invited him into the courtyard. Cui Yong waved his hand, “Sister, can you come out and talk?”

Jiang Yiyi came out, closing the gate behind her. She found a shady spot to stand, and Cui Yong followed, a little hesitant to speak. He’d acted impulsively, and now facing Jiang Yiyi, he felt it was inappropriate. It wasn’t a small amount of money; even he couldn’t lend it to someone he’d only known for a few days.

“Brother Cui, what’s the matter?”

Since he was already here, Cui Yong gritted his teeth, “Sis…Sister, Brother Cui…Brother Cui wants to borrow some money from you.”

“How much?”

Cui Yong held up two fingers.

If it were two hundred, Cui Yong wouldn’t have come rushing over in the middle of the day. It must be two thousand. She didn’t actually have that much on hand, and even if she did, she wouldn’t lend it. As the saying goes, don’t flaunt your wealth. She’d let Cui Yong misunderstand that she’d earned a lot of money that day, just to get him to help find someone.

“Someone’s selling a motorcycle, 80% new, for only three thousand yuan. I can make a good profit by reselling it, but I don’t have that much money. I know it’s not appropriate to borrow from you, Sister Jiang, since we’ve only known each other for a few days, but I really want to make this money. Sister, how about this: after I get the motorcycle, no matter how much profit I make, we’ll split it evenly.”

A motorcycle?

Jiang Yiyi suddenly remembered his unusual attitude at the hospital that morning. Maybe he was the one selling the motorcycle. She asked, “Brother Cui, who is selling the motorcycle?”

“A man in his twenties.”

The age matched.

“What kind of clothes is he wearing?”

Unexpectedly, she asked this. Cui Yong paused, but still replied, “A checkered short-sleeved shirt.”

It must be Qin Gang.

Jiang Yiyi thought for a moment, “Brother Cui, wait for me here, I’ll be right back.”

Cui Yong nodded.

Jiang Yiyi went back inside and called Gu Yunchi to the empty room, “Big Sister, Cui Yong came to borrow money from me. He said someone wants to sell him a motorcycle. I asked him carefully, and it’s probably Qin Gang.”

Hearing that Qin Gang was selling his motorcycle to raise money, Gu Yunchi felt a sense of relief.

“I didn’t want to lend Cui Yong the money, but Qin Gang’s attitude towards you and the children this morning was clearly malicious. If he can’t sell the motorcycle, he might target you and the children. We’re safe at home, but if we’re not home, only Mother and the two children are there, and I’m afraid something might happen. It’s better to lend the money to Cui Yong.”

Once he sold the motorcycle and had money, Qin Gang wouldn’t target Gu Yunchi and the two children.

Thinking of Qin Gang’s gloomy look when he found her that morning, Gu Yunchi had no objections and nodded.

“Then tell Mother, I’ll go talk to Brother Cui.”

Gu Yunchi went to tell Gu Mu, and Jiang Yiyi returned to the shade, “Brother Cui, to be honest, the money I spent earlier was my husband’s allowance. He’s a soldier, and he sends money home every month. I’ve never been willing to spend it, and I’ve saved it for several years, enough to start a business. I don’t have much left now. But Brother Cui, you helped me find someone and helped me find a house. You’re in trouble, so I can’t not help. I know a few army wives who have saved money. I’ll help you borrow some, but I can’t guarantee how much I can borrow.”

Cui Yong didn’t expect Jiang Yiyi to be an army wife, and he felt more respect, “Thank you, Sister. Whether I can borrow it or not, Brother Cui appreciates your kindness.”

“There’s no need for that between us. However, Brother Cui, the other party is selling it so urgently, they must need the money. Three thousand yuan is too much. Haggle the price down to two thousand five hundred, maybe you can get it for two thousand.”

Cui Yong’s eyes widened.

Two thousand!

That’s an 80% new motorcycle! He wouldn’t even dare to dream of it!

“Every hundred yuan you save is a hundred yuan earned. Think about it, how many bicycles would you have to sell to earn that much money?”

Ten or so.

Cui Yong swallowed, “If…if you push the other party too hard, what if they don’t sell?”

“Since they’ve reached the point of selling their motorcycle, they must be desperate. They will definitely sell.”

Seeing her so confident, Cui Yong swallowed again. Sister Jiang was right. Every hundred yuan less was a hundred yuan more profit. He just wanted the motorcycle so much that he didn’t dare to haggle aggressively. He had to calm down. If the other party wanted to sell, then they would sell. If not…he’d give them three thousand.

“I’ll help Brother Cui raise the money tonight. As for the 50/50 split, I can’t take advantage of you. You just need to pay back the money as soon as possible.”

Cui Yong was overjoyed. If Jiang Yiyi weren’t a woman, he would have picked her up and spun her around a few times. “Thank you, Sister Jiang, thank you, Sister Jiang. You’ve helped Brother Cui so much. Brother Cui will remember this kindness. If you need anything in the county in the future, Brother Cui will do it for you. If I can’t, I’ll find someone to help.”

“Then thank you, Brother Cui.”

Cui Yong waved his hands, thanked her repeatedly, then rode his bicycle back to tell his wife the good news.

Jiang Yiyi returned to the courtyard, and Gu Yunchi had already told Gu Mu. Hearing that Qin Gang was selling his motorcycle, Gu Mu was also incredibly happy. Without a word, she agreed, even cursing in her heart that Qin Gang should lose all the money from selling the motorcycle.

Jiang Jinfeng went to buy noodles. The stove was already burning coal, and it was estimated that it would be usable tomorrow, and the frying pan could be delivered tomorrow, so they could make Liangpi in the county the day after tomorrow.

At two o’clock, Wu Gang came. He ran the government canteen and had ordered thirty servings. Although it wasn’t much, it was just the beginning. Besides the government canteen, there were various small restaurants and stalls in the early market that he could sell to.

After telling Jiang Yiyi, he tentatively asked, “Boss Jiang, can my wife sell Liangpi?”

“Of course.”

Jiang Yiyi explained the rules to him.

Wu Gang had lived in the county for many years, and immediately chose a location in his mind and told Jiang Yiyi.

Jiang Yiyi nodded, “I’ll prepare fifty servings for your wife tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Boss Jiang.”

“Brother Wu, just call me Yiyi.”

…

At six o’clock, when it wasn’t so hot, the family went home, and Zhou Fen followed.

Gu Yunyang, who had been watching outside the door countless times, eagerly pulled Gu Mu into the house, “Mother, is the rented house good? Is it big? Can it accommodate all of us?”

His sister-in-law had said that as long as he passed his exams, he could go to the county with them. After school today, he had done five more math problems, although he got four wrong, he still made some progress.