Chapter 88: “Spend Freely, Spend Boldly!”

“Are you still going to go say hello or not?” Tian Hao wasn’t sure what Shen Subai meant. Could it be that Brother Shen looked down on Xie Yunshu because she was divorced?

Shen Subai lowered his eyes and turned to walk the other way. “Wait until she has contracted the cafeteria; then there’ll be time to greet her. Let’s go eat first. I have things to do this afternoon.”

Tian Hao responded with an “Oh,” and casually asked, “The New Year is almost here. What else are you busy with? Aunt Lian keeps urging you to go to Jingbei, but you don’t want to go. Aren’t you afraid she’ll be angry?”

“I’ll make her angrier if I go,” Shen Subai said casually as he walked further away.

“Hey, Brother Shen, your legs are long, but you don’t have to walk so fast!” Tian Hao hurried to catch up. He glanced back at Xie Yunshu and her brother packing up, and only then did he realize something.

Shen Subai said to wait until she contracted the cafeteria to say hello, but how was he so sure Xie Yunshu would definitely get the cafeteria contract?

The securities exchange was no longer so lively now. Some people were starting to leave, chatting about tomorrow’s business: “I heard they’re only issuing one batch of stocks tomorrow. In two days, this place will close for the New Year. If you want to buy more, you’ll have to wait until after the holidays.”

“Just a few days ago, they were issuing two batches a day. With so few stocks tomorrow, won’t people go crazy fighting over them? Looks like forget about lunch, even breakfast will be hard to get.”

“Hunger means nothing; making money is what matters. Wait for the stocks to rise, then we’ll make a lot of money this time!”

Xie Yunshu didn’t understand any of this stock talk. In her dreams, she only paid attention to love stories and didn’t care much about stocks. But she vaguely remembered that around 1990, the Haicheng stock exchange was really bustling — people were packed in, and there was a stock called something like ‘Niu Ji’ (Bull Market) that made a lot of people rich.

Of course, where there’s money to be made, there are always losses too. A few years later, she’d even heard about people jumping off buildings because of stock losses.

Riding her tricycle, Xie Mingcheng followed behind on his bicycle, passing the wholesale building. Mingcheng’s thoughts stirred as he thought again of that wool coat — but unfortunately, he had no ability to earn money now.

Meanwhile, Xie Yunshu’s mind was still on selling meals. “Mingcheng, we have to get up early tomorrow. We can’t just make money at lunch. Did you hear them say people have been lining up since six in the morning, starving? If we bring steamed buns to sell, we’ll definitely make money!”

Steamed buns were tricky. You had to steam them batch by batch, and to make enough to sell, it wasn’t just about getting up at five or six — you had to start working in the middle of the night.

Xie Mingcheng thought for a moment. “Then I’ll prepare the meat filling tonight, and ask Aunt Zhao to help knead the dough. We’ll start wrapping buns at two in the morning. Sister, you don’t need to get up so early anyway — there are only two pots total.”

Thinking about making fifty yuan in one lunch, Xie Yunshu felt energized. “I’ll catch up on sleep in the afternoon, but no sleeping tonight. After these two days, when will I ever have time to sleep?”

Xie Mingcheng knew his sister was determined and didn’t argue. He just thought to himself: the more I work, the less she has to.

At home, Ling Fenlan was knitting a sweater. Seeing the siblings come in, she quickly stood up. “Drink some hot water first, then eat. It’s already past one, and you haven’t had any hot food yet!”

She didn’t ask if they had sold all the meals or how much money they made.

But Xie Yunshu was excited. She picked up some cool, lukewarm water and gulped down two big sips, then smiled brightly as she pulled all the money from her pocket. “Mom, don’t be stingy with the money for the down jacket. Your daughter’s about to earn it back!”

Her lively face glowed with energy. “Spend freely, spend boldly!”

Ling Fenlan laughed at her, took a hot dish from the pot, and said, “Alright, you two hurry up and eat. You can rest this afternoon or watch some TV.”

After eating, Xie Yunshu prepared to take a nap before the evening’s work.

Xie Mingcheng sat on a stool reading a bit, waiting for his sister to fall asleep. Then his eyes landed on the new down jacket’s packaging bag. Quietly, he picked it up and whispered to Ling Fenlan, “Mom, I’m going out. Keep it down so you don’t wake sister.”

Ling Fenlan, still knitting, looked at him curiously. “Where are you going?”

Her gaze then fell on the down jacket bag in his hand. Mothers know their children best; she almost guessed what he was up to. Her lips moved, and she sighed, “Yunshu will be angry when she wakes up, plus…”

She wanted to say the cotton-padded jacket he was wearing was really too old…

Xie Mingcheng smiled. “After the New Year, it’ll get warmer. Buying such an expensive coat now would be a waste. I’ll buy one after the college entrance exam when I’ve earned some money myself.”

After the exam, he had two months to work part-time and try his luck. As long as he wasn’t lazy, he could earn some money.

Ling Fenlan glanced at her knitting, then at Xie Yunshu sleeping inside. She knew her daughter had been working really hard lately. But no matter how hard she worked, she had spent everything on her and Mingcheng.

She hadn’t bought anything for herself…

She thought for a moment, then took out her own down jacket. “You can return this one too.”

Xie Mingcheng shook his head. “Mom, if I return mine it’s one thing. But if you return yours, sister will be furious and probably blow the roof off.”

Daughter’s temper aside, Ling Fenlan hesitated. “But…”

“This one’s too expensive. Returning it can buy two cheaper jackets,” Xie Mingcheng smiled as he petted the soft, thick cotton jacket in his hands, feeling that this winter wasn’t cold at all.

Ling Fenlan said no more and sped up her knitting. The two kids were sensible; the only bad luck was having such an incapable mother and a short-lived father…

The two-hundred-yuan down jacket was returned at the wholesale building. The salesperson’s face darkened, and she was unpleasant. But Xie Mingcheng knew it was wrong, so he didn’t say anything and silently took the scolding before going to the wool coat shop. He spent 180 yuan to buy a light gray wool coat.

The young girl selling the wool coats was delighted and even gave Xie Mingcheng a scarf as a gift.

By the time he got home, Xie Yunshu was already up, mixing meat filling. She didn’t even look up when he came in. “Go upstairs and call Aunt Zhao. Ask if she has time to help me. No free work — she’ll get paid extra.”

Xie Mingcheng didn’t dare tell her about returning the jacket. He nodded and put the bag by the door before heading upstairs.

Inside, Xie Yunshu stopped working and glanced at the bag, biting her lip. She quietly cursed, “Wasting money! I have clothes to wear. He had to return the down jacket to buy it for me. Such a pain in the neck!”

After so many years, she knew exactly what this brat had done even without a word. But making money was the priority now. After these two days of hard work, she’d settle accounts with him!