mesbooks Chapter 2: Making money is the easiest thing in the world.
Chapter 2: Making money is the easiest thing in the world.
"What's it to you!"
Hearing his words, Lin Fuze's face hardened, and he angrily rebuked, "You should focus on your studies!"
For a parent from Shandong, schooling is the most important thing in life.
Even if the sky falls, it shouldn't affect the child's studies.
But Lin Qi didn't want to give up and kept trying to persuade him: "Dad, I'm serious, just give me a month, one month is enough."
"Why don't you plant garlic for another year? The price of raw garlic is going to skyrocket this year. Just by planting garlic, we can pay off our debts..."
But no matter how much he tried to persuade him, Lin Fuzhe wouldn't listen at all.
Lin Qi tried to persuade him all the way to his doorstep, but when he still wouldn't listen, he simply pulled out his trump card.
"If you don't agree, I won't go!"
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Lin Fuze stopped in his tracks.
Lin Qi looked at him defiantly, but his tone softened slightly as he pleaded, "Dad, it's only a month anyway. Why don't you wait until the end of April to go work on the project with my uncle? Please listen to me this once!"
Seeing Lin Qi's determined attitude that he wouldn't give up until he agreed, Lin Fuze remained silent for a moment before nodding in agreement: "Alright, I can go at the end of April, which will be a good time to settle things at home."
"Go to school and don't talk nonsense when you get home. Don't let your mom hear you, or she'll be furious."
"Okay, you can agree."
Lin Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief: "You keep your word!"
"What a fool! Do you think I could possibly win you over?"
Lin Fuze laughed and cursed before pushing open the front door and going inside.
Looking at the large red-painted iron gate in front of him, Lin Qi couldn't help but pause.
After my parents passed away in my previous life, the house here was still there, but it had been abandoned.
He dared not come back.
He was afraid to see the vegetable garden overgrown with weeds taller than the courtyard wall, and afraid to stand alone in the empty old house, enveloped by the cold loneliness of a place devoid of human presence.
He took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
Before me was a rural courtyard house similar to my uncle's, but with a slightly larger yard that was kept very clean.
In the vegetable garden in the yard, a plastic film greenhouse was erected, and the seedlings inside were just beginning to emerge. The tender green chives had already grown to about half a hand's length.
The chickens in the coop were clucking, and every now and then there was a flap of their wings.
The kitchen was filled with the sizzling sound of stir-frying vegetables, and the aroma of scallions and ginger wafted out of the window. Through the glass, I could vaguely see my mother wielding the spatula.
Looking at the familiar scene, Lin Qi's emotions surged, and his eyes suddenly felt swollen.
This is what home looks like in his memory!
He strode into the kitchen, lifted the curtain, and saw Zhang Chunmei busy at the stove.
He had a thousand words in his heart, but they all turned into a single cry: "Mom!"
"You're back?"
Zhang Chunmei turned around and saw him, smiling as she greeted him, "Go wash your hands quickly, it'll be ready soon."
Whoosh!
Lin Fuze scooped up a ladle of water and poured it into a basin. He then called out to Lin Qi, "Come wash your hands quickly, and peel some garlic afterward. We're having dumplings today."
This was his habit; to avoid wasting water, he would wait until Lin Qi finished washing before washing himself, and then pour the water he used for washing into the vegetable garden.
Suppressing his inner turmoil, Lin Qi went to the washbasin stand, carefully washed his hands, and then went to the small table outside the kitchen.
Sitting on a small stool, he peeled garlic, put it into a mortar and pestle, and prepared to mash it into garlic paste.
From childhood to adulthood, whenever his family ate dumplings, his task was to mash the garlic.
As he pounded the garlic cloves with a rolling pin and listened to the clanging of spatulas coming from the kitchen, he felt a sense of peace.
It felt like going back to my childhood.
My mom is a great cook, and she quickly brought out two dishes.
A plate of stir-fried cabbage with vinegar and a plate of scrambled eggs with toon leaves were placed in front of Lin Qi.
She cleared the pot and soon brought out a plate of steaming dumplings, each with a thin skin and generous filling.
"Eat quickly, while it's hot."
Zhang Chunmei moved the dumplings closer to Lin Qi: "The chives are just sprouting; they're ready to be blanched."
Lin Qi didn't say anything, he just ate the dumplings in big bites.
He had been craving this flavor for many years.
Eat slowly, there's more if you're not full.
Zhang Chunmei's eyes showed heartache as she got up to serve him a bowl of noodle soup and placed it on the table to cool.
After finishing a plate of dumplings, Lin Qi picked up the noodle soup and gulped down two mouthfuls, letting out a comfortable sigh.
He hadn't had such a satisfying meal in a long time.
"Is that enough? There's another curtain left, shall I bring you some more?"
Zhang Chunmei picked up the plate, but she didn't eat a single dumpling.
"That's enough, Mom. There's more for you and Dad to eat!"
Lin Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"I'll download those and bring them to school for you to eat."
Zhang Chunmei got up and went into the kitchen.
Lin Qi followed him inside with the bowl, saying as he washed the dishes, "I'm not bringing any. There's a cafeteria at school; you can keep it for my dad!"
"Leave it there and I'll swipe it."
Zhang Chunmei was cooking dumplings when she took a lunchbox out of the cupboard and went to the water vat to scoop water and rinse it: "You only come back twice a month, how many meals at home do you get to eat?"
These are all made with the first batch of chives; the ones in the cafeteria aren't as good.
She placed the rinsed lunchbox on the cutting board, picked up the lid, and put a stack of neatly stacked pancakes on it.
She took a stack of newspapers, picked out the middle one, spread it on the cutting board, wrapped the pancake inside, and stuffed it into a food bag with difficulty.
Lin Qi didn't remind her that ink was bad for her health, but simply advised, "Mom, you don't need to bring so much, I can't finish it all."
Zhang Chunmei kept stuffing pancakes into her food, pressing them down repeatedly: "You're using your brain a lot when you're studying, it's very tiring, how can you manage if you don't eat your fill?"
After packing the pancakes, she took a bowl of boiled eggs, put them in another food bag, and then put them in her schoolbag.
The dumplings in the pot were cooked, so she scooped them out, drained them, put them in her lunchbox, tied it tightly with a food bag to prevent leakage, and then put them in her schoolbag.
Looking at all this, Lin Qi felt his heart was filled to the brim, heavy and reassuring.
He attended the No. 1 High School in the city, where he lived on campus and could only go home on weekends.
He goes home every two weeks, staying overnight on Saturday and returning to school on Sunday noon.
Before he goes back to school each time, his mom packs him a whole backpack full of food.
"Let's go, it's almost time."
Lin Fuze arrived at the kitchen door.
After lunch, it was time for Lin Qi to go back to school.
The bus route from the village to the city only runs once an hour, so you have to be on time.
"Go quickly."
Zhang Chunmei helped Lin Qi put on his schoolbag and saw them outside.
"The mock exam results should be out this week, right?"
She told Lin Qi, "No matter how you do on the exam, don't overthink it. Just study hard and do your best so you won't regret it in the future."
My mom never talks about grand principles.
She was simply expressing care and expectations, not pressure, in her own way.
"Okay, Mom."
Lin Qi advised, "You should boil some eggs and eat them every day at home. Don't always eat leftovers; it's not good for your health."
"Tube."
Zhang Chunmei verbally agreed, but Lin Qi knew she didn't take it to heart at all.
Ideas and beliefs cannot be changed in a few words, so Lin Qi didn't say much more.
There is only one disease in this world: poverty.
Money can't bring the dead back to life, but it can extend lifespan as much as possible.
Once he earns enough money, his mother's mindset will naturally change.
Who wouldn't spend money if they had it?
With enough money to support her and proper preventative measures, my mother will naturally no longer suffer from illness.
make money!
His top priority right now is to make money!
Zhang Chunmei stopped at the door and watched Lin Qi and his son walk towards the village entrance.
The two of them arrived at the main road at the entrance of the village, one after the other, waiting for the bus to arrive.
"Put the money away properly."
Lin Fuze helped Lin Qi tighten the zipper of his school uniform.
The borrowed fifty yuan had already been put into the inner pocket of Lin Qi's undershirt.
"Know."
Lin Qi pressed on the inside pocket.
These fifty dollars weighed on his chest, heavier than a stone; he couldn't afford to lose them.
The sun had already passed its zenith.
Lin Fuze looked up at the locust tree by the roadside and suddenly exclaimed, "The locust flowers are blooming."
Lin Qi followed his gaze and, sure enough, locust blossoms were already blooming on the branches of the locust tree in the spring breeze.
Suddenly, as if on a whim, Lin Fuze walked towards the locust tree.
Looking up at his position, he hugged the tree trunk with both hands, braced his knees, and began to climb the tree.
"Dad, what are you doing?"
Lin Qi was startled and quickly reminded him, "Be careful not to fall."
"fine."
Lin Fuze struggled a bit, but he still climbed upwards, like a slow sloth.
Seeing this, Lin Qi quickly came forward, took his leg, and lifted him up.
With Lin Qi's help, Lin Fuze finally climbed to the center of the locust tree.
With one arm around the tree trunk, he reached out and grabbed a branch covered in locust blossoms, snapped it off, and handed it to Lin Qi: "Here you go."
Lin Qi took the branch and, with a trembling heart, helped him up. Only when he landed safely did his heart finally relax.
"Oh dear! I'm getting old!"
Lin Fuze patted the dirt off his pants and sighed breathlessly, "When I was young, I could climb up there in no time. I'm really getting old."
"Where are you old?"
Lin Qi couldn't help but laugh: "I can't even climb this tree now."
"That won't do! We need to practice in PE class!"
Lin Fuze chuckled, reached out and plucked a few locust blossoms from a branch, and held them to Lin Qi's lips: "Try it, this locust honey is very sweet."
Lin Qi was slightly taken aback, and then he realized that his father wanted to pick locust flowers for him to eat.
Although he had to borrow money from others to cover his children's living expenses, he did his best to make their lives a little sweeter.
Lin Qi popped a locust flower into his mouth, savored the juice inside, and nodded vigorously: "Mmm, it's sweet."
Lin Fuze smiled, then suddenly raised his hand: "The car's here!"
A minibus drove up from a distance and stopped in front of the two at Lin Fuze's signal.
As soon as Lin Fuze helped Lin Qi onto the bus and raised his hand, the ticket seller closed the door.
After sitting down in an empty seat in the back, Lin Qi leaned forward and peered into the back of the car.
The car had already driven away, but Lin Fuze was still waving by the roadside.
As the car rounded a bend, its rear end completely obscured his figure, and Lin Qi finally looked away.
Sitting in his seat, Lin Qi looked at the locust blossoms on the branch in his hand, his gaze gradually hardening.
Since God has bestowed such a great gift upon him, he naturally must cherish it.
The family's total debt is over 50,000 yuan.
In his previous life, that amount of money wouldn't have even been enough to buy him a bottle of wine.
But in this era, it has become a heavy burden that crushes a family.
But now things are different; he's been reborn.
For a top trader of his caliber, making money is the simplest thing in the world.
His short-term goal is to earn 100,000 yuan in a month to help his family solve their debt problems.
How much start-up capital did he have?
He touched his chest.
Fifty dollars.
Fifty heavy coins.
enough?
Enough, more than enough.
Crunch!
The car slowed down and stopped on the side of the road.
The ticket seller opened the bus door, and a girl boarded the bus with difficulty, carrying a bulging backpack.
Her figure was not as tall and plump as that of women from Lu; she appeared rather slender.
Her straight bangs made her already small face look even smaller.
If it weren't for her high school uniform, most people would probably mistake her for a junior high school student.
She handed the ticket money to the ticket seller, glanced back, searching for a seat, and her gaze suddenly fell on Lin Qi's face in the back row.
Her eyes lit up, and she picked up her schoolbag and went to Lin Qi's side, calling out in a soft voice, "Brother Lin Qi."
Hearing her voice, Lin Qi snapped out of his reverie and looked up.
Lin Qi was slightly taken aback after seeing her face clearly.
"An Xin?"