Chapter 25: What Everyone Does Best?

The next day, as dawn broke, Yan Xiaoyue opened her eyes and gazed at the faintly lit window, feeling a pang of sadness.

She had just had a dream, returning home to her parents…

Waking up, she was still in the same brick house, a better dwelling than many others in the village.

She sat up, stretching, and glanced back. The bed was empty.

She must have been exhausted yesterday to fall asleep so quickly.

Getting up and putting on her shoes, she noticed a note on the table: Going to the mountain, back in the evening.

Yan Xiaoyue smiled, went into her private space, washed, packed a small bag, and returned to her parents’ home.

Under Jin Chao’s note was a deposit slip for two thousand yuan.

In an era where one thousand yuan could build a beautiful large house, two thousand yuan was enough to buy a small shop.

She doubted she’d find a suitable one, but if she did, she could definitely afford it.

Putting away the deposit slip, she felt puzzled. Even as an investment, this was a substantial amount. And whose name would the shop be under?

Yan Xiaoyue decided to ask Jin Chao when he returned.

“Dad, Mom, I just wanted to bring my wife back to my parents’ home. Is that really not allowed?” Yan Heng sat on the ground, looking dejected.

His elder sister-in-law wept silently, and his niece sobbed. The whole family looked incredibly miserable.

Yan Xiaoyue understood her sister-in-law’s feelings. Having lived in the village her whole life with no prospects, returning to the city offered hope.

Now that restrictions on educated youth returning to the city were lifted, bringing her husband and child back was the right choice.

Except for the earliest group of educated youth, most children were grown, still contemplating whether to return to the city. Younger people, like her sister-in-law, had already gone back.

With the city’s rapid development and convenient living conditions, who wouldn’t want to return?

“If you want to go back, go. Your mother and I won’t stop you, but we really don’t have any money left.”

Old Man Yan tapped his pipe, his eyes showing helplessness and embarrassment.

He had lived a long life, never expecting that in his old age, his children would ask him for money, while his pockets were emptier than his face.

“Dad, don’t we still have some savings?” Yan Heng looked at his father incredulously.

“Your sister said she wants to take our family into business. Your brother-in-law is investing, and our family can’t contribute nothing,” Old Man Yan had his own plans, unwilling to let his daughter marry into a family of lower social standing.

“Dad, you’re too biased! You give money for your daughter’s investment, but refuse to let us go to Haicheng.”

Yan Heng was heartbroken, sitting by the door and wiping away tears.

They say men don’t cry easily, but Yan Xiaoyue understood his feelings.

Some educated youth abandoned their spouses or children when leaving the village.

Sister-in-laws like his, willing to take their families back to the city, were the kind with a conscience, unwilling to separate couples.

“Dad, I think you’re being too biased. You clearly want your sister-in-law to have a better life after the family business takes off, but you’re hiding it. If you don’t tell them, I will.”

After listening for a while, Yan Xiaoyue decided to intervene to prevent family discord.

“Dad, did my sister really say that?” Yan Heng looked at Old Man Yan, his face full of disbelief.

“Your sister said that, and your sister-in-law mentioned living in a tube building. Where will you live when you go back?” Old Man Yan had seen the world. City tube buildings, while seemingly glamorous, were cramped, with some families squeezing into a single room.

“Brother, Dad said that since our family is going into business, we’ll divide the profits according to the number of people. Children don’t count, of course. We’ll count the number of working adults. This contract is for ten years. If you want to start your own business during this time, you can, but it can’t affect our partnership. Here’s the contract. Let me know if you have any objections; I can adjust it…”

“Your sister is helping you. She treats you this way because you’re family. Don’t be ungrateful.”

Yan Xiaoyue handed a contract to Old Man Yan, amused by his surprised expression.

The old man certainly didn’t expect to get a share.

“You siblings can cooperate. Including me, an old man, will only embarrass you.” Old Man Yan was a village bricklayer; besides building houses, he didn’t know what else he could do.

“Dad, you can do so much more! Almost every house in our village was built by you. Your share isn’t much, but it’s enough for your retirement.”

The largest share was given to Jin Chao, with ten percent reserved as contingency funds.

“Xiaoyue, you’re thoughtful.” Old Man Yan turned away, wiping a tear.

Yan Heng took the contract, signed without reading it. “Xiaoyue, you decide. I don’t understand these things. Will there be a new contract after ten years?”

“Yes, our contract with Jin Chao is for ten years. We can pay off his investment then, and we’ll have a new contract.”

Yan Xiaoyue didn’t elaborate. In ten years, they might want to go their separate ways.

After all, the business would grow. Standing at the cusp of reform and opening up, nothing was impossible.

As long as you dare to do it, dare to charge, nothing is impossible.

“I’ll sign.” Li Shumei, the elder sister-in-law, also took the contract, glancing through it. She looked at her younger sister-in-law with newfound respect.

She had never seen such an idea. If it didn’t succeed, it would be unfair.

Seeing his wife sign, Yan Heng signed as well.

Worried about her mother’s feelings, Yan Xiaoyue explained, “Mom and Dad, you’re both older, so you’ll have the same contract. You can manage cleaning and security.”

Mu Fangru and Yan Congnan laughed.

“At our age, who would listen to us?”

“Mom, Dad, you have my brother, sister-in-law, and me to back you up. Who dares to disobey?”

Yan Xiaoyue knew the company’s ultimate direction was for her two brothers. Her ultimate goal wasn’t food, but cosmetics.

In her past life, she had envied others’ expensive skincare products. She finally could afford them, but she didn’t live long enough to enjoy them.

“Auntie, I don’t have one either.”

Her niece ran over and tugged at her arm.

Yan Xiaoyue raised her eyebrows. The original owner had bullied her niece, but the girl still seemed fond of her.

“Oh, our little Lele doesn’t have one? What to do? Little Lele should ask her parents!”

Yan Xiaoyue smiled. She liked her niece, but money, especially large sums, felt like bloodsucking.

She currently had no money, relying entirely on her powerful partner.

“Let’s talk about what you’re best at. We need to quickly recoup our investment.”

Business wasn’t easy. Businesses with fast capital turnover involved arbitrage.

Everything was in short supply. City dwellers had money; arbitrage was the fastest way to make money.

In later years, with rapid economic development, tourism would boom.

In her time, information arbitrage was the most profitable, especially during the short-video explosion. Many people went from nothing to earning millions annually.

She knew several such people from university.

Since they were starting, they should begin with everyone’s strengths, ensuring the food business’s long-term success.