A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1444 Making a Fortune with My Friends! (Please Subscribe!)

Just as Hua Shier was about to pull Zhuang Tunan aside for a detailed explanation, Huang Ling stopped him: "Pengfei, come and lend a hand. Tunan, hurry up and wash the vegetables. You two are together all day long, what else is there to talk about? If you have something to say, wait until after dinner!"

The two brothers looked at each other and laughed. "Alright, let's get to work!"

After dinner, the family sat together, eating peanuts and melon seeds while chatting. Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling, the main couple, asked Zhuang Tunan and Hua Shier about their university life.

After being reminded by Hua Shier, Zhuang Tunan reluctantly kept quiet about the fact that this guy was running a Western fast food restaurant in Shanghai.

Just then, Wu Shanshan arrived with fruit, and Huang Ling quickly got up to greet her:
"Shanshan's here! Please have a seat."

Wu Shanshan placed the fruit on the table:
"Aunt Ling, I heard that when I was studying in Shanghai, Xiaoting borrowed a lot of Xiaojun's notes and test papers. I came here to thank Xiaoting, and this fruit is just a small token of my appreciation!"

Huang Ling quickly said, "Oh dear, borrowing the notes is nothing, no need, no need. Take this fruit back, don't let your mother be picky about the gifts!"

Zhuang Xiaoting waved her hand, saying no need.

Wu Shanshan smiled and said, "Auntie, I bought this with my own money. My mom can't control it, so please accept it!"

Huang Ling knew that Wu Shanshan and her brother had a hard life and was about to refuse, but Hua Shier suddenly spoke up:

"Auntie, it was a gift from Xiaoting's sister-in-law. We're all family, so please don't be shy!"

One sentence made Wu Shanshan blush and her expression became somewhat awkward.

Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling were taken aback by Hua Shier's words: "Xiaoting's sister-in-law? What sister-in-law?"

Upon seeing Wu Shanshan's expression, Huang Ling suddenly came to her senses, pointed at Zhuang Tunan, and then at Wu Shanshan:

"You, you guys."

Hua Shier was speechless. He walked over and put his arm around Wu Shanshan's shoulder.

"Auntie, I'm not Xiaoting's brother anymore, am I?"

Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling suddenly realized what was happening, and their expressions immediately turned sour. The former said somewhat angrily:

"Pengfei, when did this happen? Back when you were walking with Shanshan every day, I asked you about it. What did you tell me?"

Hua Shier spoke frankly: "Uncle, if I had told you back then, wouldn't that have been puppy love? Look how great it is now, I'm in college, and it's perfectly legal for me to have a girlfriend!"

Zhuang Tunan and Zhuang Xiaoting couldn't help but laugh out loud, but Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling didn't seem to be laughing at all.

Having lived in a blended family, Wu Shanshan naturally had the ability to read people's expressions. Seeing Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling's expressions, she knew that they most likely disagreed with her relationship with Pengfei, and she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Hua Shier patted her on the shoulder: "You go back first, I'll say a few words to my uncle and aunt and then come find you!"

Although Wu Shanshan was a little worried, she obediently nodded and then said to Huang Ling and her husband:
"Teacher Zhuang, Aunt Ling, I'll be going now!"

Huang Ling and her husband forced a smile, but after seeing Wu Shanshan off, they sat on the bed, their faces darkening.
"Tell me, what's going on?"

Hua Shier chuckled: "What's there to say? Isn't it obvious?"

Huang Ling slammed her hand on the table: "Pengfei, stop joking around with me and tell me what really happened!"

Hua Shier said helplessly, "At first, I just felt sorry for Shanshan. Later, we walked to and from school together, and we gradually developed feelings for each other!"

Zhuang Chaoying pointed at him, sighing with disappointment, "I told you you were dating too early."

Hua Shier: "Uncle, I haven't neglected my studies!"

"This isn't about studying; it's a matter of character."

Zhuang Chaoying is the dean of students, and cracking down on early romantic relationships has been part of his job over the years. So when he discovered that his nephew was secretly having an affair right under his nose, he felt a sense of failure and found it hard to accept.

Huang Ling was initially a little angry, but when her husband started to escalate the situation, she immediately stood up to defend her nephew. She glared at her husband:
“It’s not as serious as you make it out to be. Everyone in the neighborhood knows that my Pengfei has always been an excellent student. Every year when his teachers hold parent-teacher conferences, they use Pengfei as a role model to encourage other children. How can you say that he has moral problems!”

Zhuang Chaoying wanted to say something, but his wife glared at him and he shut up.

Huang Ling said to Hua Twelve:

"Pengfei, you and Tunan are at the age where you should be dating, but you need to be careful about this. Shanshan was raised by your aunt, and your aunt knows she's a good girl, but her family isn't suitable for you. They have too much financial burden."

Huang Ling saw it more clearly than anyone else:
"Old Wu is too selfish. Ever since he remarried Aunt Zhang, he has repeatedly sacrificed the interests of his two biological children for the sake of this marriage!"

"If you really get together with Shanshan, Lao Wu and your Aunt Zhang will definitely leech off you!"

"And your Aunt Zhang is no pushover either. All these years, she hasn't even mentioned having another child for Old Wu!"

"A couple who married later in life, without any biological children, is destined to have an unsustainable relationship. If your Aunt Zhang becomes unwell and needs someone to take care of her in the future, that's fine. But if it's the other way around, and it's your Uncle Wu who becomes unwell and needs someone to take care of him, then their marriage will be over."

Zhuang Chaoying was surprised that his wife would say that, and interjected, "It can't be that bad!"

Huang Ling curled her lip: "It can't be that bad? Look at all these years, the Wu family has always given the best things to A-mei and her daughter. It's always Lao Wu, Shanshan, and Xiaojun who suffer. With A-mei's calculating nature, if you don't believe me, just wait and see!"

She looked at Hua Shier and continued:
"When Lao Wu gets sick and needs money for medical treatment and someone to take care of him, that will be a burden!"

"And then there's Xiaojun, he's Shanshan's younger brother. If he were a promising kid, that would be fine, but does he look like one?"

"You're not good at studying and you're timid. If nothing unexpected happens, your life will be difficult. Shanshan is a good person and will definitely help her younger brother. If you stay with Shanshan, the burden of supporting Old Wu and your younger brother will fall on your shoulders!"

"How will you buy a house and live your life after you and Shanshan get married?"

Huang Ling looked at Hua Shier and spoke earnestly:
“Pengfei, you’re a good boy. You’ve never caused your aunt and uncle any worry over the years. On the contrary, you’ve helped us a lot. Your aunt treats you like her own son. Your aunt can’t just watch you jump into a fire pit. Your aunt doesn’t approve of your relationship with Shanshan.”

Huang Ling's words were insightful and well-reasoned. Hua Shier was still relatively calm, but Zhuang Tunan's expression grew increasingly grim.

Fortunately, Huang Ling and her husband were focused on Hua Shier at the moment, otherwise they would have definitely noticed their son's unusual behavior.

Hua Twelve didn't argue with his uncle and his wife, nor did he boast about how rich he was or that such things were nothing to worry about. Instead, he played it safe, smiling and saying:

"Auntie, I still have several years until graduation. If Shanshan and I can both find good jobs after graduation, then these things won't matter, right? Let's just wait and see."

Huang Ling thought about it and agreed, her expression softening a bit: "What you said makes sense. After all, apart from her family's difficult circumstances, I really like Shanshan!"

She cautioned, "Then we'll do it your way, but you better behave yourself. Don't do anything you shouldn't, and don't hold Shanshan back."

Hua Shier touched his nose and chuckled to himself; he could understand the meaning behind Huang Ling's words.

"Auntie, I'm going out to play!"

Zhuang Tunan quickly said, "Let's go together!"

Zhuang Xiaoting: "I'm going too!" The three of them had just come out when Lin Dongzhe from next door ran out:

"I was thinking of hanging out with Pengfei and the others, but I saw you getting scolded, so I didn't go over. I hope Pengfei didn't get into another fight!"

Once outside the courtyard, Hua Twelve said to Lin Dongzhe in an annoyed tone:
"Don't talk nonsense, do I look like someone who likes to fight!"

Lin Dongzhe chuckled and said:
"Everyone knows you're the best fighter. After you went to university, when boys from other schools harassed Xiaoting, before I could even make a move, Xiaoting said Xiang Pengfei was her brother, and the other guy immediately chickened out and apologized repeatedly."

Zhuang Xiaoting explained, "Actually, it was that incident in junior high school that scared them!"

She was talking about how Hua Shier sent Xiaopingtou from the cotton mill to the frontier to herd sheep. The more this story spread, the more bizarre it became. Now, among junior and senior high school students in Suzhou, Xiang Pengfei from No. 1 Middle School is like a legendary figure with connections to both the legitimate and criminal worlds.

After Zhuang Xiaoting finished explaining, she brought up what had just happened and asked with some concern:
"Pengfei, are you and Shanshan really going to break up?"

Hua Shier laughed and said, "Hey, as they say, never underestimate a young man's potential. Maybe the problem will be solved in time!"

Zhuang Xiaoting said, "What if you really can't get a good job?"

"Then don't look down on the poor middle-aged, don't look down on the poor old. In short, your brother will definitely make it big, and no problem will be a problem anymore!"

After Hua Shier finished speaking, he looked at Zhuang Xiaoting's bewildered expression and laughed out loud.

Zhuang Tunan said, "Stop teasing her. I'm the one who should be worried now."

Seeing his worried look, Hua Shier patted him on the shoulder: "What are you afraid of? I'm here. Let's go find Shanshan first, and then we'll go have some tea!"

The group first found Wu Shanshan, then went to a nearby teahouse, where they ordered a pot of tea and two plates of pastries.

On stage, someone was singing Suzhou storytelling, while below, Wu Shanshan asked Hua Twelve:

"How did it go? Aunt Ling won't object to us, will she?"

Hua Shier gave Wu Shanshan a reassuring look: "Don't worry, everything's fine!"

Lin Dongzhe asked in a low voice, "What are you talking about? I've been listening for a while and I still don't understand!"

Zhuang Xiaoting pushed the pastries over: "Just eat your pastries, why ask so many questions!"

Zhuang Tunan sighed, "I feel like my mom's words were spoken to me!"

He said to Hua Twelve:
"After you reminded me last time, I talked to Li Jia for a long time and finally figured out where the problem lay!"

"Her father was a sent-down youth from Shanghai who went to Heilongjiang Province, where he settled down, had children, and now his biggest wish is for the family to return to Shanghai. But she gave up her own chance to settle down so that her younger brother could settle down at her grandfather's house!"

"She said that she wanted to bring her family back to Shanghai, settle down there, and buy a house, but the pressure was too much, and she didn't want to drag me down with her!"

Zhuang Tunan looked at Hua Shier with a determined gaze as he spoke:

"Pengfei, you're more capable than me. I want to make money. Will you help me?"

Hua Shier punched him:
"We're best buddies who share a bed, I have to help you, right? Didn't I tell you before? I have a home appliance subsidy program for rural areas, are you interested?"

Zhuang Tunan immediately perked up: "Tell me in detail!"

Hua Shier moved forward, and once everyone was closer, he spoke:
"The SDX home appliance factory where Uncle Lin works mainly supplies big cities through its sales channels, but it can't sell to the countryside. In places below the county level, many people can't buy home appliances even if they have the money. Do you think we can make money if we get the goods from Uncle Lin's factory and then sell them in the nearby rural markets without needing ration coupons?"

Zhuang Tunan's eyes lit up. He knew that Hua Shiergen had deep connections with the SDX Group, so if they said they could get the goods, there was definitely no problem.

Lin Dongzhe quickly said, "Hey, Pengfei, aren't you making my dad make a mistake?"

Hua Shier explained, "We don't need Uncle Lin for this; we'll follow Yiming's approach!"

Lin Dongzhe's eyes lit up: "Count me in!"

In the original storyline, Lin Dongzhe, along with Zhuang Tunan and Xiang Pengfei, acquired a truckload of tape recorders from Guangdong Province and sold them at rural markets. They achieved financial freedom in just one holiday, and Xiang Pengfei even used the money to buy a minibus.

Now, SDX's home appliance factory is in Suzhou, and its products are not limited to tape recorders. This way of making money and benefiting the people is practically like giving them free money.

Of course, Hua Shier wouldn't care about such a small amount of money, but Zhuang Tunan and his men needed it. Giving them money directly would be charity, while helping them get rich together would be loyalty. The two are different.

After a moment's thought, Zhuang Tunan nodded emphatically:

"Done!"

Hua Shier smiled and reminded him, "Why don't you bring Li Jia in too? Count her in. Anyway, we have plenty of goods, what we lack is manpower. Besides, it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. If you help her make money, you can solve her problem, and you two can work side by side and strengthen your relationship. It's killing two birds with one stone. Isn't that amazing!"

Following Hua Shier's line of thought, Zhuang Tunan found it increasingly reasonable, and the worry on his face vanished, replaced by a cheerful demeanor.
"Great idea, let's do it!"

Zhuang Xiaoting, who was initially confused, suddenly realized, "Oh, I get it, brother, you and Sister Li Jia, the two of you."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhuang Tunan blushed. He had been preoccupied with his worries and hadn't considered his sister's presence. Now, realizing his mistake, he quickly interrupted her:

"Xiaoting, you absolutely mustn't tell Mom and Dad about this. Just consider it helping your brother out!"

Zhuang Xiaoting smiled slyly: "I can keep my mouth shut, but I have one condition: I have to be included in this matter, and I want to go with you!"

Zhuang Tunan glared at him: "Why are you following along to sell home appliances in the countryside? Aren't you just making things worse!"

Hua Shier immediately made the decision: "Then let's take Xiaoting with us, so my sister can earn some dowry money. If she has money to rely on in the future, she won't be bullied by her in-laws!"

Zhuang Xiaoting was both embarrassed and anxious: "Brother Pengfei, what are you saying!"

The group acted immediately, and that very evening Zhuang Tunan used a public phone to call Li Jia in Shanghai.

Li Jia originally lived with her grandparents and her second uncle and aunt in Shanghai, but now her younger brother has also come to Shanghai and is staying in her bed. So she can only stay in the school dormitory this winter vacation, which is easy to find.

Zhuang Tunan told Li Jia over the phone that he was coming to Suzhou to discuss something urgent. Although Li Jia wanted to keep her distance from Zhuang Tunan, she still cared about him. Upon hearing that it was urgent, she didn't hesitate much and bought a train ticket, arriving in Suzhou that same day.

Hua Shier, through connections with the supply and marketing cooperative, obtained a diesel-powered Jiefang truck capable of carrying cargo, and then went to the SDX home appliance factory to start loading goods.

In the days before height restriction barriers, aiming for excessive weight and height was the surest way to avoid disaster. They loaded a hundred refrigerators and other household appliances, tied them up with ropes, covered them with a tarpaulin, and set off.

Back home, Hua Shier and Zhuang Tunan said they were going to visit a classmate in Hangzhou for a few days and take Xiaoting to relax. Lin Dongzhe used the same excuse, but he didn't see the mischievous look in his father Lin Wufeng's eyes.

Lin Wufeng was the one who distributed the goods; how could he not know what Hua Shier was going to do with his son? He just watched the kid put on a show.

　Thanks to: 08a, Little Tiger of the Demon Realm, God of Death Li Meng, and Book Friend 20200906220034791 for their donations, and thanks to the brothers who voted for monthly tickets and recommendations, thank you very much!

　　(End of this chapter)