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As Wang Qian carried her young cousin back, the excited little one bragged to Ma Fenqing, “Mom, I saw the bride, and she even talked to me!”
The scene that just unfolded was witnessed by all the helpers, impressing even the women who had prompted Minggui to choose. “Ma Fenqing, how do you raise your children? They are incredibly smart. We have to admit that,” they praised.
Proudly beaming as a mother, Ma Fenqing replied, “Hehe, have you not seen my third brother’s children? With Minggui growing up alongside his siblings, how could he be any less? We all benefit from the influence of his brothers and sisters. We’ll aim for university in the future.”
Amidst envy and admiration, everyone spent the afternoon. Wang Juan, aware that Zhang Lan and the others would be leaving in the afternoon, arranged a table for them to eat without having to help further. Wang Minggui naturally sat with his mother and cousins at the table. After finishing her tasks, Ma Fenqing joined them, holding her son as they sat down together, saving an extra seat.
“Mom, Third Aunt and my siblings saved this seat for you. Go ahead and eat,” Minggui said, offering his mother the reserved spot.
Wang Minggui still had his mother in mind. He brought the dish that Zhang Lan had set aside for Ma Fenqing to her, filled with delicious items. Seeing that no one else at the table had started eating, Ma Fenqing felt touched and smiled gratefully at Zhang Lan, saying, “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”
Zhang Lan simply replied with a smile, “Go ahead and eat. You’ve been working all morning; your stomach must be rumbling. Minggui and I have almost finished our meal, so focus on yourself.”
In a fawning manner, Wang Minggui said, “Mom, I’ve eaten a lot. Sister said it’s good luck to eat plenty at a wedding feast, so I’m full of good luck now.”
The little one even patted his own round belly, while Ma Fenqing, feeling genuinely hungry, kissed her son’s cheek and reassured him, “Be a good boy and sit tight. Mom will eat first; I’m starving.”
Ma Fenqing was too hungry to speak further; she needed to fill her stomach first. She didn’t worry about maintaining her image at that moment, especially among a table full of women. Together, they began their meal.
Zhang Lan and the others ate with Minggui, nibbling as they waited for all the dishes to be served. It was the first celebration hosted by Wang Zhenhai’s family, so Wang Juan had gone all out. The seafood was purchased from Zhang Lan’s family, and the pork had been saved from last year’s pig, specifically kept for this occasion. Luckily, Zhang Lan had shared some pork with them during the New Year festivities.
Therefore, the meat on the banquet table was fresh and delicious, leaving no room for complaint.
As the final fish dish was served, completing the banquet meal, Zhang Lan and the others had eaten their fill.
“Sister-in-law, take your time eating. We’ll be heading back soon,” Zhang Lan said.
Ma Fenqing nodded with a smile, “Sister-in-law, when do you think you’ll return? I can pick up the kids later. Little one keeps talking about his siblings even when he’s at his grandparents’ house.”
Zhang Lan affectionately ruffled Minggui’s hair, “I think it’ll have to wait until the kids finish their exams. You know Mingyuan and Qianqian are taking their university entrance exams this year. It’ll be in two or three months. Minggui, be good at home. Once your siblings finish their exams, Auntie will take you to the city for some fun.”
Wide-eyed, Wang Minggui looked at Zhang Lan, “Auntie, are you telling the truth? Then we have to pinky promise. You can’t trick kids.”
Wang Qian pinched the little one’s cheek, saying, “Don’t worry. When the time comes, Sister will take you to the city to play, but you have to be obedient.”
After informing Wang Juan and the others, even Minglin joined them as they left. With nothing much to do at home, it was better to return early and earn some money.
Upon their return to the city, Zhang Lan received a long-distance call from Lin Xi. “Sister, I happen to have a batch of TVs here. If you’re interested, I can send them over. They’re quite popular items.”
As Wang Qian overheard the conversation, her mind raced at the mention of TVs. While the cost price for such items was high, there was a considerable demand for them. At that time, TVs were just starting to appear, albeit in small sizes that were hard for the average person to acquire.
Poking Zhang Lan, Wang Qian asked, “Mom, can you find out the size?”
Upon learning that they were twenty inches, Wang Qian pondered for a moment before nodding at Zhang Lan, saying, “Mom, let’s go for it. This could be a profitable venture.”
Zhang Lan made the call, “Sister, go ahead and send them over. However, I might need some time before I can send the payment. How much per unit, and how many are you sending this time?”
After jotting down the details provided over the phone, Zhang Lan discussed the matter of also acquiring some tape recorders with Lin Xi. The conversation was brief as the other party was already urging for the delivery to proceed.
Feeling a bit uneasy, Zhang Lan glanced at her daughter, “Qianqian, this is quite a costly investment. If we can’t sell them, we’ll be stuck with them. Fortunately, your Aunt Lin has arranged for someone familiar to deliver them for us.”
Wang Qian’s primary concern was how many TVs their family would receive. When Zhang Lan mentioned fifty units, Wang Qian was pleasantly surprised. Lin Xi had certainly been generous, making a significant investment in such high-demand products.
After reviewing the purchase price and discussing with Mingyuan and Zhang Lan, Wang Qian adjusted the pricing accordingly. Even the usually composed Mingyuan was taken aback, commenting, “Sister, aren’t these prices a bit high? Will people be willing to buy at this price?”
Wang Qian, with a smile, replied, “Expensive? These are not expensive at all. Just wait and see; people will be eager to purchase them. Haven’t you noticed that stores only sell black and white TVs, with only a few small Colored TVs available by ticket only? Ours are similar in size but without the need for a ticket. It’s a fantastic opportunity.”
Wang Qian couldn’t help but admire Lin Xi’s acumen. She had managed to secure such excellent products. While Lin Xi could have profited handsomely by selling the TVs herself, her decision to sell them to them likely stemmed from their past relationship.
Therefore, Wang Qian planned to repay this kindness whenever the opportunity arose. However, she would figure out the specifics of how to repay the favor later. Currently, she was unable to do so, but once she entered university, she would have more freedom.
Zhang Lan also recognized the value of the TVs. “Qianqian, Aunt Lin mentioned they will be delivered soon. We don’t have enough money at the moment. What should we do?”
Feeling hesitant about holding onto such sought-after goods without paying, Zhang Lan didn’t want to delay the payment. Despite the family facing financial constraints at the moment, she didn’t want to delay the payment.
“Why rush, Mom? Tonight, let’s visit Uncle Yang and Uncle Cong. See if anyone there might be interested in buying these. We can inform them first so that there’s no issue if they decide to buy later. We’ll prioritize selling to them due to our relationship. Any surplus can be sold through other channels. These goods won’t stay with us for long,” Wang Qian suggested.
It wouldn’t make sense for such excellent products to go unsold. Both Zhang Lan and Mingyuan agreed with her plan. They knew Uncle Yang and Uncle Cong wouldn’t purchase all fifty TVs at once due to the high price, and not everyone in their circles was wealthy. Mingyuan was confident they could pair these TVs with other items to maximize their profits.
After dinner, the siblings accompanied Zhang Lan to the Yang family’s residence. They also called over the neighboring couple, Cong Wei and his wife. Zhang Lan carefully addressed them, “Brothers, I’ve acquired a batch of Colored TVs through a friend. Please check if any relatives or friends are interested. I’ll give you priority.”
Upon hearing about the Colored TVs, Ge Yun and Zhao Ru became excited. This was something they had been wanting but couldn’t find. After learning about the price and size of the TVs from Zhang Lan, they were impressed. They knew this was a valuable opportunity that they couldn’t miss. Even if they weren’t personally interested, they were aware that their leaders and colleagues might be, making it a great opportunity to build relationships.
Yang Mingxuan and Cong Wei, along with their wives, shared the same sentiment, “Haha, Sister, this is indeed a great product. Please keep this information confidential for now. We’ll start contacting people tomorrow. If there are confirmed orders, we’ll come directly to you. Don’t rush this.”
They understood that if Zhang Lan had spread the news earlier, they might have missed out. Therefore, they needed to act quickly to verify if their acquaintances were interested in purchasing the Colored TVs.
The next day, Yang Mingxuan and Cong Wei began informing their superiors, close friends, and associates in various government and official circles about the Colored TVs. Ge Yun and Zhao Ru were equally proactive, engaging in similar activities once they were at work.
Upon hearing this news, many individuals rushed over, indicating that a simple phone call wasn’t sufficient to explain the situation. “Old Yang, is this for real? You’re not pulling our legs, are you?”
During this period, there had been several individuals claiming they could provide Colored TVs, some of whom turned out to be fraudsters. Consequently, people were both surprised and skeptical about Yang Mingxuan’s proposition.
Yang Mingxuan, with a steely gaze, retorted, “Nonsense! This is what I do. Who dares to deceive me? That would be suicidal. Enough with the doubts. This is from a friend’s home, and I guarantee its authenticity. If it’s a lie, you can use my head as a football.”
Even a seasoned professional like Yang Mingxuan’s earnest assurances left everyone convinced. One individual spoke up, “Old Yang, your words are gold. I’ll go prepare the money and secure two units. Don’t let me down. I’ll check with my connections to see if anyone else is interested. Make sure you don’t disappoint me.”
After seeing off the former leader, Yang Mingxuan’s office phone rang incessantly, mirroring the situation Cong Wei faced. Initially met with skepticism, people rushed over to inquire. However, upon confirming the authenticity of the offer, they excitedly returned home to gather the necessary funds.
The prospect of buying these TVs and potentially making a profit by reselling them was enticing. Those who could act immediately sprang into action, some borrowing money, others heading to the bank, all with the singular goal of acquiring these Colored TVs – it was a must-have item.