Chapter 12

Wang Yunyun was confused by what she heard.

Jian Li stopped the bike and asked Wang Shuai to turn on the flashlight and shine it on the road ahead.

Once they were back on the bike, Jian Li, breathing heavily, began to explain.

“People open businesses to lower costs and sell at high prices. It’s all about making money. When they haggle, it’s not personal. If it was my uncle going, she’d bargain the same way. Besides, didn’t I also bargain?”

“They want to buy at a low price, and I want to sell at a high price. Whether the deal goes through depends on each person’s standpoint.”

“If you’re going to take people’s rejection as an insult to your character and their agreement as a compliment to you, then how can you do business?”

Wang Yunyun sat stunned on the bike.

Jian Li’s words were like a crack splitting her thoughts, shaking her heart deeply.

By the time they arrived home, Wang Yunyun was still processing what Jian Li had said.

Jian Li secretly parked the bike outside and pulled them behind a pile of straw.

She took out a wad of bills and divided it into five parts.

She and Wang Yunyun each took two, and gave Wang Shuai one.

Wang Shuai was initially surprised, but then he became dissatisfied.

“Why do I only get one portion?”

Without looking up, Jian Li replied, “You didn’t help catch crabs, make crabs, or sell crabs. You only get one because you’re just benefiting from our work.”

If it had been any other time, Wang Shuai would have been overjoyed with nearly five yuan, but today, comparing it to the ten yuan Jian Li and Wang Yunyun had, he immediately became discontent.

“…Then I’ll join you tomorrow to catch crabs.”

Jian Li was pleased.

Wang Yunyun, on the other hand, was uneasy. “I didn’t help much, I don’t deserve this much.”

She had caught more crabs than the others, and while they had shared the work of making them, she was mostly absent when it came to selling them.

Jian Li replied, “If you don’t want it, then don’t catch crabs tomorrow, and only Wang Shuai and I will go to sell them.”

Wang Yunyun hesitated, feeling that Jian Li might be angry.

Jian Li wasn’t angry. She knew exactly what Wang Yunyun’s temperament was like.

“Sis, if you’re going to join in, then you need to follow my distribution method.”

Only then did Wang Yunyun stop saying anything about deserving or not. Today had been a huge shock for her, and she needed time to think about what Jian Li had said.

Even though they were months apart in age, Wang Yunyun couldn’t help but feel that Jian Li’s words were more convincing than the usual advice from their parents about being “filial, obedient, and sensible.”

After dividing the money, Jian Li naturally stretched out her hand.

“Okay, everyone, hand over your money.”

Wang Shuai was frustrated. “Why?”

Why did money that went into his pocket need to come out again?

Jian Li rolled her eyes. “Do you think doing business doesn’t require capital? Also, we need to replenish the oil and salt we used today. No more talking, keep one piece for yourself, and give me the rest!”

Wang Shuai looked at the small amount of money being taken away by Jian Li, as though he had lost something precious. Even though there was still one yuan left, he felt like he had lost everything.

Jian Li laughed. “Look at you! We’ve got a whole summer ahead of us. If you’re willing to work, I’ll share the money with you. But remember, each person gets one yuan a day, and the rest stays with me until the summer ends, when we’ll settle up.”

Neither of them objected.

After the money was collected, the three of them pushed their bikes into the house, only to be caught red-handed by the adults.

Wang Yuedong had gone into town to work as a laborer, earning a penny per brick, making around twelve or thirteen yuan a day. Sun Cuifang had been helping at a noodle shop run by relatives, making five yuan for a whole day’s worth of dumpling wrapping.

After working all day, they came home to find the stove cold, and the kids were all gone. Their hearts almost stopped in panic.

They asked Jian Li’s grandmother, who seemed guilty.

“How would I know? I’ve been at home all morning. The kids just ran off, and I couldn’t stop them.”

“Why do you look so angry? Is it my fault? Am I the one who told them to run off? You two were busy making money, and didn’t care if I ate lunch at home. Now that you’ve come back, you’re acting all upset.”

“My life’s so hard. Your father passed away early, and now you’re not being filial, are you?”

—–

Jian Li’s grandmother was anxious too. In the morning, Wang Yuedong had told her to cook for the three kids. She had agreed but then went to her younger son’s house instead.

She didn’t want to cook for those kids!

Besides, Jian Li and Wang Yunyun were old enough to take care of their younger brother, right?

She had spent the whole day at her son Wang Yuexi’s house before returning home.

Originally, she thought nothing was wrong, but now, the kids were missing!

Wang Yuedong was further upset after his mother made a scene.

“I didn’t say that! The real problem is the kids are missing, what should we do now?”

Grandmother didn’t know what to do, either.

It was Sun Cuifang who was steady and decisive. “Let’s ask around and find some people to help look for them.”

The couple had made up their minds, but before they could leave, they met the three kids sneaking back.

Their faces were covered in sweat and dirt.

Wang Yuedong: …

Then he went looking for a stick.

“Wang Shuai, you little rascal! Did you lead your sister off running around? I’m going to beat you to death!”

Wang Shuai: …

This is so unfair!

Jian Li quickly stepped in. “Uncle, uncle, don’t do it! It’s not Wang Shuai’s fault. I took him and my sister to the county.”

Jian Li quickly summarized the events of going to the county town to sell crabs today, cleverly hiding the income and only mentioning that she had earned a little pocket money.

Wang Yuandong’s anger, which had been at its peak earlier, dropped to fifty percent when he heard that it was Jian Li’s idea to go. By the time he finished listening, he was no longer angry at all.

“This child, how did you think of going to the county town? Luckily nothing happened, or how would I explain to your mom? Listen to your uncle, don’t go. If you’re short of money, I’ll give you some.”

As he spoke, he was about to take out some money to give to Jian Li.

Wang Shuai: !!!

Jian Li laughed helplessly: “Uncle, it’s really no big deal. The county town is so close, we took the main road. After selling the crabs, we came straight back. The teacher also said we shouldn’t just study hard all the time, going out a bit can broaden our horizons.”

Sun Cuifang gave her husband an elbow, smiling with approval: “I think Xiao Li’s right, the kids are doing it on their own, isn’t that better than running around outside? It doesn’t matter how much money they make, the most important thing is the experience.”

With Sun Cuifang supporting Jian Li, Wang Yuandong had no objections.

The whole family was busy outside, everyone was starving, so Sun Cuifang immediately called for dinner.

Jian Li and Wang Yun Yun also went to help.

Only Wang Shuai stood there, feeling very wronged.

Why did his sister not get punished and still got money?

Dinner was pancakes with cold cucumber salad and stir-fried potato slices. Jian Li brought out two plates of crabs, poured a little loose wine for her uncle, and also brewed a pot of dandelion tea.

Wang Yuandong drank the wine and ate the crabs. On a summer evening, the breeze came through the door, and he squinted his eyes, enjoying the moment.

The crabs were spicy and flavorful, perfectly paired with the wine, making him feel relaxed.

Jian Li, on the other hand, drank several bowls of slightly bitter dandelion tea. She had been running around in the past few days, and the heat had made her feel irritable.

After dinner, the adults were busy resting, and the kids picked up buckets to go catch crabs again.

Perhaps because of the money they earned, Wang Shuai was particularly serious tonight, even borrowing two more buckets from others.

After a whole night of work, they caught four full buckets of crabs!

The three of them, exhausted, poured the crabs into a large red plastic basin at home.

Jian Li was a bit worried: “They won’t escape, will they?”

Wang Shuai: “No, the edges are too high.”

Wang Yuandong and Sun Cuifang came back with a fan and stools, both surprised.

“This is too many.”

Jian Li said: “Aunt, the oil in the kitchen is almost gone. I’ll go to the town to buy some tomorrow.”

Sun Cuifang replied: “What are you buying? We still have some. This year’s rapeseed oil is still plenty. When it’s finished, I’ll have your uncle carry a sack to the town to press some more.”

In the past years, no family had much oil, and Sun Cuifang might not have been so generous.

But in recent years, every family’s life had improved. While there were still plenty of people lacking money, not many lacked food anymore.

Wang Yuandong and his wife worked hard every year, planting wheat, corn, rapeseed, and peanuts. Their small vegetable garden had everything.

Jian Li didn’t decline and planned to give her aunt a big red envelope before leaving.

At night, the whole family slept on the roof.

The Wang family’s house was a single-story flat, built a few years ago.

At night, they set up a ladder, brought the quilts up to the roof, and Sun Cuifang even used a bamboo pole to set up a mosquito net, pushing Jian Li and Wang Yun Yun inside to sleep.

“You girls have thin skin, mosquitoes love to bite you.”

Jian Li lay on the soft bedding, her hand reaching out to feel the floor’s warmth.

At that time, electricity in the countryside was unstable, and almost everyone slept outside. In flat-roof houses, they slept on the roof, while in older houses, they put bamboo beds in the yard, opening the door to let the breeze through. Without a towel blanket, it was easy to catch a cold.

Perhaps because there were fewer lights, the stars in the sky seemed brighter. A bright and splendid galaxy stretched across the sky.

“So beautiful.”

Jian Li fell into a deep sleep.

Jian Li’s small business quickly took off.

Fried crabs, something that city people would have difficulty making, turned out to be a big hit. The crabs weren’t meaty, but the red oil that soaked into the crabs made them flavorful and perfect for pairing with alcohol.

The female stall owner who had bought the crabs from Jian Li smiled widely when she saw her again and raised the price to one yuan per pound.

“Whatever you have, I’ll buy.”

She had a freezer, so even if she didn’t sell them all at once, she wasn’t in a rush. She could store them and fry them later when someone bought them.

Jian Li brought sixty pounds this time, and without hesitation, the woman bought them all.

With sixty yuan suddenly in her pocket and still some time left, Jian Li took Wang Yun Yun and Wang Shuai to spend the money.

Wang Yunyun went straight to the bookstore. After browsing for about ten minutes, she reluctantly chose a copy of “The Old Man and the Sea.”

Seeing her interest in reading, Jian Li suggested: “Sister, why don’t we try to find the county library?”

Jian Li knew that the city had a library. For ten yuan, you could get a library card and borrow three books at a time.

Wang Yunyun instinctively wanted to refuse, but after lying awake most of the night thinking about what Jian Li had said, she forced herself to suppress her usual “forget it” and asked herself what she truly wanted.

“Okay, let’s go ask.”

The three of them found out that the library was at the Youth Palace, so they headed there directly.

By the time they came out again, Wang Yunyun was blushing, looking at the three books in her arm with great care.

Dream of the Red Chamber, The Old Man and the Sea, Gone with the Wind.

It all felt like a dream.

Jian Li had satisfied her cousin’s request and then asked Wang Shuai what he wanted.

“Sis, the money is supposed to be an advance for the next ten days, you can advance too.”

That’s right, Jian Li was doing it on purpose.

One yuan a day wasn’t much, but Wang Shuai was still at that age where he was growing taller but not wiser, so this amount of money was enough for him to run wild in the village.

Jian Li didn’t want him to get out of hand, so she was thinking of a way to get him to spend it first.

But who knew Wang Shuai covered his pocket, unusually alert.

“Sis, I won’t spend it.”

As if afraid Jian Li would force him to spend, Wang Shuai shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.

“I won’t spend a single cent!”