Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

Chapter 116 Abandoned Baby in the Hospital
Faced with the facts, Xu Dahai had nothing to refute. He looked at Lin Yi with a humble and receptive expression and said, "Dad! You're right. I also want to come out and work to earn money. Putting everything else aside, I need to pay back the money I owe as soon as possible, otherwise I won't feel at ease. What do you think I can do?"

Lin Yi was quite satisfied with his eldest son-in-law's tact, but he was actually stumped by the question. He pondered, "Let's ask Wenjun when he gets back. He knows a lot of people."

The two waited for Chen Wenjun to return and discussed the job situation. Chen Wenjun didn't have any good ideas yet, but Huang Yuezhen spoke up first, "If you only want to find a job in the city, you can ask Boss Huang."

Everyone turned to look at Huang Yuezhen.

Lin Yi excitedly pressed on, "Yuezhen, is Boss Huang hiring?"

Huang Yuezhen nodded, "Actually, Boss Huang has always needed manpower. Several of the brothers who worked with him when he first started out have started their own businesses this year."

Mr. Huang was angry, but he could understand. He didn't say anything, but just started hiring again. This time he tried his best not to hire acquaintances. Quite a few people came to apply, but some of them didn't stay long. Either they couldn't endure the hardship, or something came up.

After all, they have no connection with Boss Huang, so there's no way to stop them from leaving.

Boss Huang got serious, saying this time he'd hire people with contracts, for at least six months. The salary was increased to 55 yuan a month, no days off. Even if the weather was bad and work couldn't start, he'd still pay the full amount, unless they took leave themselves, in which case there was no question.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Dahai blurted out, "That's not much! My two kids saved up four hundred in less than a month of fishing."

Lin Yi slapped Xu Dahai on the back of the head. "Are you a pig? Fishing depends on the weather. The kids only made so much money because the snails were plump and delicious, which only lasted a few months. Wenjun helped them sell them, and they didn't get any benefits. If you go fishing and find ways to sell your catch, you might not even make any money!"

Huang Yuezhen wholeheartedly agreed, "In previous years, there were many typhoons in the summer, but this year there has been little rain, so we can go out every day. If the weather is bad, we can't even leave Nanyu."

Xu Dahai quickly explained, "Father-in-law, sister-in-law, that's not what I meant. I was just giving an example. To be honest, I want to start a small business to pay off this debt first. Once I'm free of debt, I'll work hard and feel more at ease."

Lin Yi and Huang Yuezhen looked at each other, realizing they really couldn't help with the small business.

Chen Wenjun pondered for a moment, thinking of Gao Lei, who sourced goods from Guangdong and should have a considerable amount of merchandise. He just didn't know if Xu Dahai was up to the task.

After thinking for a moment, he suggested, "How about this, I'll contact a friend of yours who does wholesale. See if he has any goods that suit your needs. If you really like them, I can lend you some capital to try it out."

“Wenjun, the risks of doing business are enormous! Dahai already owes you two thousand yuan, and I just bought houses for my two daughters, which has drained my savings. If Dahai loses his investment, it will only make things worse!”

Lin Yi's brows were so furrowed they could crush a fly.

Lin Qin, who hadn't spoken until now, finally said, "If all else fails, get some cheap goods, like some trendy clothes, shoes, and pants. The cost is two or three hundred yuan. Take them back to your town and try selling them. My sister can help. If they sell well, we can continue. If they don't sell well, we should just work honestly."

"This is a great idea!" Lin Yi stood up excitedly and began to talk at length about how backward the town where Xujia Village was located was. "I found that the people there dressed quite simply, but there were quite a few young men and women who loved to dress up. Several of them dressed up carefully when they went to the banquet that day, probably to look for potential partners."

Xu Dahai nodded in agreement, and the deal to start a small business was settled.

Chen Wenjun went to the city center that afternoon, but Gao Lei might not be there, so he could only go to the police station to find Shen Wenfeng.

They also brought some seafood. Shen Wenfeng expressed surprise at Chen Wenjun's arrival and personally invited him to the lounge for tea, saying, "Why did you come on such a hot day? And you even brought seafood?"

Chen Wenjun chuckled and said, "I was looking for Gao Lei, but I was worried that he had gone on a long trip, so I came to Brother Shen's place first."

"Just tell me what's on your mind." Shen Wenfeng looked at Chen Wenjun with a smile, his attitude very friendly.

Since Gao Lei reformed himself and got a fishing boat from Chen Wenjun to do wholesale shipping business, the atmosphere at his father-in-law's house has improved a lot, and his mother-in-law no longer talks about her youngest son every day.

In less than a year, Gao Lei made a fortune. He had initially invested 5,000 yuan to support Gao Lei, and Gao Lei returned 10,000 yuan to him with interest.

He kept betting, and that 10,000 has now become more than 30,000.

Although he wasn't superstitious, Chen Wenjun was indeed Gao Lei's benefactor. He had benefited from being with Chen Wenjun, so naturally he treated Chen Wenjun differently.

Chen Wenjun told Xu Dahai about his business plans, "My wife's brother-in-law doesn't have much capital, he just wants to take some clothes and such back to sell. I wonder if Gao Lei has any of these kinds of goods? If not, I'll help him find other ways."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenfeng immediately said, "Wait here, Lei is still in Guangdong Province. I'll give him a call and ask. Even if he can't find any, he can keep an eye out for you and bring some back."

It's all about making money, so what difference does it make whose money you make? Besides, clothing sells well everywhere, so letting Gao Lei stock up on a batch of goods definitely won't result in a loss.

Shen Wenfeng went to make a phone call, and Chen Wenjun returned after finishing a cup of tea.

"Ah Lei said we can stock up on goods. We'll stock up on a batch of high-quality, cost-effective clothing according to your requirements. He'll probably be back in three more days. He'll let you know when he passes by your house so you can pick up the goods on the ship."

"That's wonderful, thank you, Brother Shen."

Before Chen Wenjun could finish speaking, a police officer came in from outside and said to Shen Wenfeng seriously, "Boss, a nurse from the city hospital reported that a couple abandoned a newborn baby girl and ran away. The child is still at the city hospital."

Shen Wenfeng's expression changed drastically. He stood up abruptly and cursed a few times. He then said apologetically to Chen Wenjun, "I have something to do and have to go now. You can sit for a while longer and have some tea."

Chen Wenjun quickly got up to say goodbye.

Just as he reached the door, he saw another policeman carrying a bag walking towards Shen Wenfeng. "These are the things that the couple left at the hospital. They probably planned to run away a long time ago and didn't dare to take these things with them."

Chen Wenjun glanced at the bag subconsciously, then stopped after taking two steps. He turned his head and stared wide-eyed at a pair of baby shoes in the bag, his mind going blank.

Shen Wenfeng glanced at the things, and as soon as he looked up, he noticed that Chen Wenjun's expression was off. With his many years of police experience, he immediately realized the problem. "What? Do you know this couple?"

(End of this chapter)