Chapter 41

Sun Jinshan soon left, and after his departure, Jiang Liyun immediately turned to Jiang Lihai and said, “Brother, I’m too busy to handle this business. In the next few days, go around the commune, note down which families are raising chickens, how many they have, and when they plan to sell them.”

The two percent for Jiang Lihai wasn’t to compensate him; she simply didn’t have time to collect the data and intended to delegate the task to him.

“If I do all that, what will you be doing?” Jiang Lihai asked Jiang Liyun.

“I come up with ideas,” Jiang Liyun replied.

Jiang Lihai: “…”

Jiang Liyun added, “If you don’t want to do it, I can pay someone else to do it.”

“I’ll do it!” Jiang Lihai declared. Now that he realised Jiang Liyun and Sun Jinshan’s work could indeed make money, he was determined to give it his best.

“Spend some effort doing it seriously. This way, you can earn more money in the future and get a larger share. The He family is hoping for an engagement by the end of the year, right? Work hard to earn the betrothal gifts,” Jiang Liyun advised.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lihai was filled with determination.

He would do well and earn more money!

Jiang Liyun was confident in her older brother.

When Jiang Lihai was in charge, he might not succeed in taking the lead on certain tasks, but for jobs like data collection, he would certainly do a good and meticulous job.

In a way, Jiang Lihai was a very reliable employee.

In the following days, Jiang Lihai went around every evening, asking households about the number of chickens they raised and their estimated time of maturity.

People at that time weren’t too cautious, and the critical point was that Jiang Lihai wasn’t asking for confidential information.

The quantity and maturity dates of the chickens raised by each household were things neighbours often knew about.

So, when Jiang Lihai asked, they immediately responded. Some even asked if he wanted to buy chickens, as they had heard about Jiang Liyun selling fried chicken in town.

Jiang Lihai could only claim uncertainty, stating that he was just inquiring.

A few days later, armed with a rough set of data, Jiang Lihai set off with the boat again.

Meanwhile, the new house had been completed.

With the construction finished, Feng Yi found himself with less work and started helping Jiang Liyun. With his assistance, Jiang Liyun’s workload lightened.

Time swiftly moved into December.

During this period, Jiang Liyun’s daily earnings exceeded sixty yuan, a substantial increase compared to the initial days when she earned just over ten yuan per day.

Counting the money every night brought her immense joy.

Jiang Liyun didn’t disclose her true income to her parents. While Jiang Quanzi and his wife were trustworthy, there were more than one of their children, and if others inquired about her income, they might inadvertently reveal the truth.

So, she mentioned that running the stall had many expenses, such as coal and oil, and she now earned around forty yuan per day.

Even with a conservative estimate, her parents were already impressed with this income.

Having money brings confidence. They used to speak cautiously when conversing with others, but now they dared to express their opinions.

By December 10th, the money in Jiang Liyun’s hands had accumulated to a thousand yuan.

During this time, she didn’t spend much, saving almost all her earnings.

However, now she needed to spend money.

After selling pan-fried dumplings one day, instead of checking the newspaper, Jiang Liyun, accompanied by Feng Yi, went to the bicycle and tricycle store in town.

Having browsed around the store, she eventually stopped in front of the largest tricycle.

This tricycle could accommodate all the items she needed for her stall and looked incredibly sturdy and durable.

In her previous life, Feng Yi had a similar tricycle that he initially pedalled with his legs. Later, it was modified into an electric tricycle by adding a battery.

However, when private modifications like these were banned from being used on roads, Feng Yi obtained a driver’s licence and bought a larger, more luxurious van. The van could be slightly modified to accommodate her wheelchair.

“Can’t afford it? Why are you looking?” A voice suddenly sounded, and Jiang Liyun turned around to see Xie Zugen.

Since Feng Yi left the brick and tile factory, Jiang Liyun hasn’t seen Xie Zugen. Unexpectedly, they crossed paths again, and besides Xie Zugen was a young girl—Sun Cui Cui.

Jiang Liyun recognised her; she was Sun Jinshan’s younger sister.

Seeing them together, Jiang Liyun wondered if they were on a date or discussing marriage.

She contemplated giving Sun Jinshan a heads-up about Xie Zugen not being a good choice.

In this lifetime, Xie Zugen might not be into gambling, but even without considering gambling, he still had nothing to offer.

Xie Zugen’s father did have some money, but even if it reached the sky, it would be just over one or two hundred thousand yuan. It might seem like a substantial amount now, but what would it be in twenty years?

However, evaluating Xie Zugen from a contemporary perspective, he was considered a prime candidate for marriage. He had a house, more than one bicycle, substantial wealth, a decent job, and a good income.

“Jiang Liyun, heard you set up a stall in town before sunrise, working tirelessly until dark, sleeping later than a dog, and waking up earlier than a rooster?” Xie Zugen seemed somewhat maliciously pleased.

Xie Zugen had been inquiring about Jiang Liyun’s news and knew that she and Feng Yi were busy from dawn to dusk, with no idle moment.

Setting up a stall should earn money, but even if Jiang Liyun and Feng Yi earned more, could it match what her father made?

Observing Jiang Liyun and Feng Yi’s worn-out clothes, Xie Zugen assumed they hadn’t earned much.

Xie Zugen’s gaze swept over their ill-fitting old clothes, full of disdain.

Sun Cui Cui, his date for the day, was meeting him for the second time.

Originally, they planned to visit the town park. Passing by this shop and noticing Jiang Liyun and Feng Yi, they came in to take a look.

As soon as they entered, Xie Zugen saw Jiang Liyun hesitating in front of a tricycle.

“This is not cheap. Jiang Liyun probably can’t afford it; she’s likely just window shopping,” he thought.

“If you marry me, you won’t need to work so hard!” Xie Zugen said, then turned to Sun Cui Cui. “Cui Cui, feel free to look around. When we get married, no matter which one you like, I’ll buy it for you!”

Hearing Xie Zugen’s words, Jiang Liyun couldn’t help but find them amusing.

Xie Zugen’s words sounded like something from a domineering CEO in a modern romance novel. However, their current surroundings were an 80s small town bicycle shop!

The shops at this time were generally small, and this one was no exception. The place was dimly lit, and various styles of bicycles were scattered around haphazardly. The tricycle Jiang Liyun was interested in even had miscellaneous items inside.

Xie Zugen was naturally unattractive, short, and chubby.

Well, Xie Zugen, with his current appearance, posting a video on a short video platform would be hilariously cheesy for a self-proclaimed CEO.

Ignoring Xie Zugen, Jiang Liyun pointed to the tricycle and asked the shop owner, “How much is this bike?”

“This bike is 600 yuan,” the owner replied.

“Can it be a bit cheaper?” Jiang Liyun inquired.

The shop owner recognised Jiang Liyun and knew she was selling pan-fried dumplings. He also knew his tricycle was well-suited for her business. “Look at the cargo compartment behind this bike, all made of thick iron, very sturdy. The cost of this bike is not cheap.”

As the shop owner was explaining about the tricycle, Xie Zugen interjected, “Why are you introducing her to this? She can’t afford it! If you have the time, better introduce these bicycles to me!”

The shop owner was embarrassed. He had initially planned to bargain with Jiang Liyun, but now there was this person with a questionable mind.

Stores like his were not rare in town; he was worried that Jiang Liyun might leave.

“Why are you explaining this to her? She can’t afford it! If you have time, introduce these bicycles to me!” Xie Zugen added.

The shop owner hesitated before saying, “…”

The shop owner felt awkward. He had intended to negotiate the price with Jiang Liyun, but with this person with a strange mindset, he was worried she might leave.

“If you take it away now, you can have it for 550 yuan! This is already a very reasonable price. Check around outside; you won’t find a cheaper one,” the shop owner directly offered as the lowest price he could accept.

Jiang Liyun had already inquired about the prices of tricycles. Hearing the shop owner, she immediately responded, “Okay, 550 yuan, I’ll take it.”

Xie Zugen was stiffened.

Jiang Liyun and the shopkeeper completely ignored him. Jiang Liyun began counting money to settle the bill, while the shopkeeper pushed the bike outside, intending to let Feng Yi try riding it.

If it feels too strenuous or encounters other issues while riding, he plans to fix it on the spot!

Feeling awkward being ignored, Xie Zugen looked towards Sun Cuicui, hoping for her support.

However, Sun Cuicui didn’t like him from the beginning. Xie Zugen inexplicably brought her into the bicycle shop just for Jiang Liyun, a former blind date prospect.

How could any young girl tolerate that?

Sun Cuicui gave Xie Zugen a disdainful look and walked towards Jiang Liyun, saying, “Sister Liyun! Long time no see!”