Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 944-943 Guess how much money I made?

Although the two chocolate players were heartbroken because they lost their big fish and their fishing gear, they didn't lose out at all.

Tang Zhitong hung more than ten fish for each of them. In this short time, they should have earned at least thirty yuan, which would be more than enough to buy a brand new set of fishing gear.

"Alright, I'm not fishing anymore." Tang Zhitong knew when to quit while he was ahead and took the opportunity to put away his fishing rod.

"No, young man, I'm waiting to buy fish." A member of the public who was waiting to buy fish objected.

"Next time, next time, I have things to do today." Tang Zhitong remained unmoved, reeled in the fishing line, and prepared to leave.

"Young man, if you're leaving, I'll be fishing here." A fellow angler who had been eyeing Tang Zhitong's spot eagerly stepped forward and asked.

"Okay, go ahead and fish." Tang Zhitong looked up and saw that it was the guy who had caught a dead fish before.
Before Tang Zhitong pushed his bicycle away, he turned back to look at the guy who was beaming with delight as if he had gotten a great deal, sticking his butt out and digging for earthworms. He hoped that if he didn't catch any fish later, the guy's Dao heart wouldn't collapse.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Tang Zhitong did not turn back home in order to conceal his itinerary. Instead, he continued riding north, intending to take advantage of the early hour to deal with recent social obligations.

Our first stop is Yan Xiongfei's house in Ya'er Hutong, not far from here.

When they passed a less crowded area, Tang Zhitong pulled out two fresh catfish from his spatial storage, each weighing at least one and a half pounds.

With fresh meat and eggs no longer available on the market, a plump and juicy catfish has become a rare delicacy.

As Tang Zhitong passed Yandaixie Street, he subconsciously took a few quick steps, afraid of running into Tong Wang there.

Little did he know, Tong Wang was watching someone play chess at that moment, and saw Tang Zhitong's back before Tang Zhitong turned into the alley.

When Tong Wang, disregarding his image, jogged to the alley entrance, there was no trace of Tang Zhitong left.
The hutongs of Beijing are as numerous as hairs on a cow, and there are no dead ends in this area, so Tong Wang wisely chose to give up.

When Tang Zhitong arrived at Yan Xiongfei's house, only Yan Ningning was home, doing her homework.

"Ningning, you're studying very hard." Tang Zhitong lifted the curtain, knocked on the door, and greeted her with a smile.

"Uncle Tang!" Yan Ningning looked up and saw Tang Zhitong. She immediately put down her pen with delight and stood up to greet him.

"Good boy, are your parents at work?" Tang Zhitong casually put the catfish he was holding on the ground.

Catfish are incredibly resilient and can survive for more than twelve hours out of the water.

The catfish, having finally found a spot, began to frantically wriggle on the ground, trying to find a safe place, which startled Yan Ningning.

"Do you have a rolling pin?" Tang Zhitong picked up the catfish again before Yan Ningning could answer.

"Okay, I'll go get it." Yan Ningning deftly took out a rolling pin from the kitchen cabinet, handed it to Tang Zhitong, and then began to answer his previous question: "My parents have both gone to work."

"It's good that you know you're studying at home." Tang Zhitong held a fish in one hand and a rolling pin in the other, and at the right moment, he unleashed a series of bewildering stick techniques on the catfish's head.

You don't need many sticks, just one is enough. It'll confuse you but won't hurt your brain. It can keep the catfish alive and calm it down.

The only downside is that tapping the rabbit's head produces a crisp sound, while tapping the catfish's head produces a dull sound.

Yan Ningning smiled happily after receiving the praise, looked outside the door, and asked, "Uncle Tang, where is Uncle Jingmin...?"

"Oh? Aren't we supposed to address each other separately?" Tang Zhitong was quite surprised that Yan Ningning took the initiative to call Jingmin "uncle." The last time they met, he had asked Jingmin to call him "brother."

"My mom disagrees. She says that seniority is seniority and can't be messed up." Yan Ningning's face turned a little red when Tang Zhitong brought up the past.

"Ningning is so sensible. I'll definitely tell Jingmin to learn from you when I get back. He sells popsicles at his doorstep." Tang Zhitong smiled, but the child was shy and didn't continue teasing.

After chatting with Yan Ningning for a couple of minutes, Tang Zhitong left the fish and was about to take his leave. Yan Ningning was unhappy and pulled Tang Zhitong's hand back forcefully, saying, "Uncle Tang, my mom said I can't take things from other people."

“Your mom is right, but Uncle is one of us, not a stranger, right?” Tang Zhitong rubbed Yan Ningning’s head, taking advantage of the loophole in Wang Huiru’s words to lead him into a trap.

Yan Ningning felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't find a reason to refute it.

After leaving Yan Xiongfei's house, Tang Zhitong did not go back, but instead rode his bicycle through the alleys towards the infectious disease hospital.

Currently, Andingmen is still standing, and the northern city wall is basically intact. The old city of Beijing is not yet known as the North Second Ring Road.

When they arrived outside Andingmen, Tang Zhitong pulled out a catfish from his spatial storage and hung it on the handlebars.

The infectious disease hospital is located in the northwest corner of Ditan Park. After Tang Zhitong found Mu Youmao and explained his purpose, a struggle ensued.

Only after Tang Zhitong showed Mu Youmao his fishing rod and another catfish on the handlebars did he reluctantly accept it.

Tang Zhitong took Andingmen Inner Street home, and by the time he reached Dashizuo Hutong, the catfish on the handlebars had been replaced by a cat.

The younger brother, who originally weighed a little over one pound, has become the older brother or father who weighs a little over two pounds.

There's no way around it; there are so many family members, even if it weighs more than two jin, each person only gets about three liang (150 grams).

Tang Zhitong even wanted to catch two more, but the catfish had already registered with Mu Youmao. At the infectious disease hospital, only one catfish was left on the handlebars. He couldn't possibly have multiple catfish by the time he got home, since Mu Youmao might tell Luo Qingquan about it, and Luo Qingquan was acquainted with Director Ye...

Four people sat neatly behind a popsicle box.

"Wow, you guys have a strong lineup. Does anyone still dare to come and buy?" Tang Zhitong joked as he stopped the car.

"Yes, almost sold out!" Jingmin said like a proud little rooster, only his voice was a little hoarse.

"You must have been shouting a lot this afternoon, right? Does your throat hurt? Okay, we'll stop selling now that we're almost done. We can take the rest home and dissolve them to make a sweet soup." Tang Zhitong felt a little sorry for his brother-in-law's hard work. If he really ruined his voice, Xiao Wang would probably blame him.

"Brother, there are still fifteen left, which can be sold for seventy-five cents! If we use that to buy pencils and erasers, we can buy a lot!" Fengzhi clutched her little schoolbag, having calculated the accounts clearly. When she heard that her brother wanted her to eat them, she immediately felt a pang of heartache!

"You're a competent accountant; you've kept the accounts very clear. Although fifteen sticks left is a bit much, it's only the first day of sales, so it's acceptable." Tang Zhitong also praised his sister, not wanting to dampen the little one's enthusiasm.

"Including the few we ate at noon, we'll only make enough to cover the cost of an eraser after selling them all afternoon!" Although Fengzhi was praised, she was clearly not happy. The wholesale price of a red bean popsicle was four cents. She ate eight at noon, and with the fifteen in the box, even at the wholesale price, it would be ninety-two cents. Her brother bought one hundred and twenty popsicles wholesale, and so far, he had only made five cents!

Earning only five cents after spending an entire afternoon under the scorching sun? Fengzhi couldn't accept that.

"Not just the erasers. We also made twenty-three popsicles! You can get three of these popsicles, three of them!" Although Jingmin worked hard, he still longed to eat popsicles. Of course, he didn't want to continue selling. If he continued, what would he eat if they sold out?
"Jingmin, your voice is hoarse. You've worked hard today. Have a piece to soothe your throat." Tang Zhitong noticed that her brother-in-law wanted to eat, so she took one out of the box and handed it to him. Then she said to her sister, "Fengzhi, why don't you try shouting a few times?" Throughout the afternoon, Fengzhi had clearly followed her instructions. Now she spoke clearly and her voice was fine. She hadn't suffered the same hardship as Jingmin.

There's an unspoken rule in the workplace similar to "If you can do it, then do it; if you can't, then shut up."

When raising a problem, you need to provide a solution at the same time. Moreover, there is usually more than one solution; you need to list two solutions for the decision-makers to choose from.

"Let's give it a try!" Fengzhi was reluctant to part with the money, so she stood up without hesitation, stuffed the schoolbag containing the change into Jingmin's arms, and called out in a clear voice.

Tang Zhitong pushed his bicycle away, waved to Fengzhen and Jingying, led them to the alley entrance, and gave the spotlight to the two little ones, watching them from afar.

And you know what? It worked really well; we sold seven sticks in no time.

Tang Zhitong observed the customers and the two little ones, watching their expressions and listening to their conversation, and actually figured out something.

Fengzhi is always smiling, and Jingmin has a sweet tongue.

In business, a sweet talker and a cheerful disposition are rare qualities in an era where service quality is generally low. Coupled with the added advantage of the two children's age, almost anyone who stops by will buy one.

This reminded Tang Zhitong of the little girl in Northeast China, a three-and-a-half-year-old girl who managed to get an elderly man with diabetes to eat ice cream just by being sweet-talking!

Summer quietly passed, and winter arrived as scheduled. The little furball, who could no longer go to the park, started her market day routine. She was incredibly talkative and quite popular with the vendors, many of whom wanted to give her free food!

Fengzhi's calls ended as Xiao Wang finished get off work.

"Sister-in-law! We made money, and we even saved some popsicles for you!" When Fengzhi saw Xiao Wang, she stopped selling popsicles and ran over to him, wanting to take him home.

"Sycophant!" Jingmin muttered discontentedly from behind after hearing Fengzhi's words. What do you mean by "deliberately keeping"? It's obvious that it wasn't sold.

Tang Zhitong reacted quickly, stopping Fengzhi before she could bump into Xiao Wang.

Xiao Wang is pregnant and doesn't even dare to make a direct advance. If her sister were to get involved, how much harm would it cause to the baby?
"Brother, let me go!" Feeling her brother's strength, Fengzhi, who was eager to share the good news with her sister-in-law, became unhappy.

"Stand up straight and speak properly." Tang Zhitong flicked his little sister on the head, loosening his grip slightly, but not really letting go.

At that opportune moment, Xiao Wang came over, took his sister-in-law's hand, and praised her with a beaming smile, "Fengzhi is really amazing, she can make money now. How much did she make today?"

Once his younger sister had calmed down, Tang Zhitong let go of her hand and let the two of them chat. He then went over and picked up the ice cream box, instructing Fengzhen, "Fengzhen, take the stool home."

Summer days are long. When Tang Zhitong got home, he found that the coal station had already delivered some coal to his house. It was piled up against the west wall of the yard and looked very neat. However, there was some coal dust in the cracks in the ground near the gate that he couldn't sweep out.

“It’s really different here compared to the old-fashioned coal yard. The coal deliverymen are all very polite, unload the coal quickly, and even stack it neatly.” Zhang Guifang was digging a hole in the yard with a small hoe, planning to plant the seeds that had been pre-germinated.

How could I not be polite? After all, it was Yan Xiongfei who approved the note, and he is the leader of the entire coal station leadership in Beijing.

"You went to the coal yard? To buy on credit?" Xiao Wang asked quietly from the side.

"I've already paid. I'll tell you more tonight, and give you a surprise." Tang Zhitong smiled, took out all the remaining popsicles from the box, leaving only four. Jingying, Fengzhen, and Fengzhi each got one, and he held the last one in his hand, unsure whether to give it to Xiao Wang or to Jingmin.

"Brother-in-law, what about me?" Tang Zhitong's silence did not mean Jingmin would not take the initiative.

"You've eaten two today, can your stomach handle it?" Tang Zhitong didn't give Jingmin any, not because she was reluctant, but because she was worried that he would get an upset stomach after eating them.

"It's okay, I'm tough!" Jingmin acted as if he was fearless, his eyes only on the popsicle, and whether or not he had diarrhea was not a concern for him.

"Brother, give this to sister-in-law!" Fengzhi chimed in, having just boasted that one portion of the money would go to her sister-in-law.

"If I'm going to give it to you, I will. Why should I use mine to do you a favor?" Jingmin said unhappily, his voice hoarse.

"I'll give it to you!" Fengzhi wasn't buying it. She shoved the popsicle in her hand into Xiao Wang's hand, then reached out to her brother: "Brother, give me this one."

This action left Jingmin completely dumbfounded.

"I'll open a bottle of soda for you later, so they'll be tempted." Tang Zhitong gave the popsicle to his sister, while promising his brother-in-law that the popsicle was too cold and he should eat as little as possible, but the soda was a bit warmer and he could make an exception.

"Brother, you didn't prepare a bottle opener. Someone wanted to buy soda this afternoon, but we didn't sell any." Fengzhi was indeed a little tempted by the Arctic Ocean soda, but she was more concerned about whether she could make money.

"I forgot about that, I'll prepare it for you tomorrow." Tang Zhitong was also selling soda for the first time and was indeed unprepared in this regard. But putting the facts aside, shouldn't the customer bear some responsibility? No bottle opener? Use your teeth to pry it open!
Tang Zhitong had done this before and her teeth felt a little sore. A classmate did it and his tooth cracked...

Zhang Guifang didn't get to eat the catfish she brought home. She planned to save it to entertain Teacher Xiao Gu the next day and asked Tang Zhitong to put the catfish in the cellar first.

After dinner, back in the east wing, Tang Zhitong clutched his pocket and said mysteriously to his classmate Xiao Wang, "Guess how much money I made today?"

"Forty yuan?" Little Wang was quite cooperative, and after some consideration, she quoted a number that she thought was very unreliable.

The reason she guessed the amount was higher was because she knew that her husband's note was for two tons of coal. At the moment, the cheapest coal was 15 yuan per ton. Before the meal, her husband said that the coal payment had been settled, and he had no money left. In addition, the action of clutching his pocket indicated that he still had money in his pocket. With all these factors combined, the amount was higher.

"Young Wang, why not be a little bolder?" Tang Zhitong said with a smile as he took out some money.

Apart from the fen coins, the second set of currencies is basically complete.

When Ms. Wang saw the stack of money her husband pulled out, her eyes widened in surprise: "Did you rob a bank?"

"Look at what you're saying! Even though I'm incredibly handsome, how could I do anything illegal or disorderly? I earned all of this by fishing and selling fish today!" Tang Zhitong said confidently.

Even if each fish costs two and a half yuan, and Tang Zhitong didn't catch forty fish, it didn't stop him from using some of the money in his spatial storage to subsidize it.

These days, you don't even get a receipt when you buy fish at a grocery store, let alone the kind of transactions you see around Shichahai Lake.

No one keeps track of how many fish they sell; the number of fish depends entirely on their own words.

Furthermore, there will definitely be busybodies who will help spread the word, but the more the story spreads, the more exaggerated it becomes. Tang Zhitong believed that the legend of him catching big fish with every rod along the Qianhai South River was already circulating. Who knows, he might become a master at catching 50 jin of fish in an hour tomorrow. He wasn't worried at all about Xiao Wang or anyone else checking up on it.

"Even using a net to catch fish might not be as fast as you fishing. Did you really catch these fish?" Xiao Wang took the money and counted it out; it was around ninety yuan, less than a hundred.

That's already terrifying. Add in the cost of coal, and you can earn over a hundred a day just by fishing?!
(End of this chapter)