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

Chapter 27 Making money

The small river shrimp remained unsold, but since they had planned to deliver them to restaurants anyway, they weren't in a hurry.

Because Chen Wenjun's fish sold well, Lin Qin thought that the vegetables would not sell and she would have to take them back untouched. Unexpectedly, around eight o'clock, someone came over to ask about the price.

The newcomer was a very fat man; fat people are a rare sight these days.

Lin Qin glanced at him a couple more times.

Zhang Youren seemed used to such looks and smiled familiarly, "I'm in charge of the canteen. How much are your vegetables? And what about these river shrimp?"

Lin Qin snapped out of her daze and hurriedly replied, "Green beans are one cent, bamboo shoots are one and two cents, cauliflower is eight cents, and river shrimp are two yuan a pound."

She just asked about this price on the street. These days, everyone haggles when buying vegetables. She can't lower the price herself, otherwise she'll be seen as a thorn in the side by others. It's a different story if others haggle over the price.

Sure enough, Zhang Youren frowned instinctively. He first picked and chose in the basket of vegetables, complaining about this and that. Then he said that some of the river shrimp were dead and not fresh.

"Can you make it cheaper? I'll take it all if the price is right!"

After listening for a while, Lin Qin finally heard him get to the point. She pursed her lips and said weakly, "These river shrimp were all collected from the river this morning. They're all alive. There are also eels. If you buy them all, I can give you a discount of one cent on the river shrimp and eels. I'll round down the price of the vegetables. Is that okay?"

"That's more like it!" Zhang Youren's attitude became much more amiable. This time, he didn't pick and choose anymore and directly asked Lin Qin and Chen Wenjun to weigh the items and pack them for him.

After Zhang Youren paid and left, the old lady at the next stall muttered under her breath, "You shouldn't have sold it so cheaply! That Zhang Youren will definitely misreport the expenses when he gets back, and everyone will say he's taking kickbacks! Nobody wants him to get a bargain!"

It must be said that people at that time were still very simple and honest. They were honest in doing business, did not play tricks, and had a strong sense of justice.

Lin Qin looked like she was being taught a lesson, and explained helplessly, "But the sun is already high in the sky, and no one is buying our shrimp. We can only sell them to them at a discount, otherwise they'll be stuck with us."

"That's true!" The old woman was right there and knew that what Lin Qin said was true, so she didn't say anything more.

The market was almost deserted by nine o'clock.

Lin Qin and her group still had some bamboo shoots and carp left to sell.

The two pushed their cart and carried their wares on shoulder poles, walking through the streets and alleys, and they actually encountered people who inquired about their wares.

Half an hour later, after crossing two streets, I sold all the bamboo shoot fish. The two carp that remained unsold could only be taken home for me to eat.

Lin Qin had money in her pocket, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

The two returned to the fishing boat.

Chen Wenjun started packing his things.

Lin Yi eagerly asked, "How did it go? Did you sell everything?"

Lin Qin beamed from ear to ear, "Sold! All sold out! Dad, the vegetables you grew sold for two yuan and sixty cents. Here's the money, keep it."

Lin Yi shook his head decisively, "Those vegetables are for you to eat, and for you to sell. Why are you giving them to me? Are you trying to embarrass me? Hurry up and take them!"

"You said it yourself, so I won't stand on ceremony!" Lin Qin immediately put the money back in her pocket.

Upon seeing Chen Wenjun enter, he immediately took out all his money to calculate the bill. "We sold bighead carp for 1.5 yuan per jin, and it sold for 6.75 yuan; small crucian carp were 0.8 yuan each, and large ones were 1.1 yuan, for a total of 11.7 yuan; eels were 2.4 yuan per jin, and it sold for 5.28 yuan; carp were 1.5 yuan per jin, and it sold for 7.5 yuan; bamboo shoots were 1.8 yuan per jin, and it sold for 10.2 yuan; shrimp were 1.9 yuan per jin, for a total of 5.3 jin, and it sold for 10.7 yuan. We rounded down to 10 yuan, so here is a total of 51.43 yuan."

If you add the 2.6 yuan from the vegetable vendor, the total comes to 54.3 yuan.

We made so much money in just one day! We're rich!

Lin Yi swallowed hard in disbelief. "Girl, you didn't miscalculate, did you?"

Chen Wenjun, standing to the side, chuckled and shook his head. "That's right, that's the number. Recently, I've been able to sell fish in the city for over twenty yuan each time. Today, with two people going, it's normal to make twice as much."

"Wow! If fishing is really that profitable, why would anyone bother farming!"

Even with the money right in front of him, Lin Yi still couldn't accept it. This was different from the hardship and struggle for survival that he had imagined the Tanka people had to endure!
"Dad! The facts are right in front of us. If Wenjun and I work hard, the hope of buying the land is within reach." Lin Qin squinted her eyes with glee and clenched her fists.

Lin Yi shook his head speechlessly, "Don't talk big, let's cook first. The two kids have been playing all morning and they're probably hungry." Lin Qin immediately took out the leftover carp, killed two of them, and made fish soup for the whole family.

During dinner, Liu Yaya asked softly, "Mom, can I go down with Brother Ping An to catch snails? Brother Ping An said there are also little crabs and turtles by the stream."

Lin Qin objected without hesitation, "You two children shouldn't go playing in the water. The weather is still cold, and you'll catch a cold if you do."

Liu Yaya lowered her head in frustration.

Upon seeing this, Chen Wenjun said, "How about I make a fishing rod for each of you so you can go fishing together?"

The two children's eyes lit up. "Yes, yes!"

Lin Qin shook her head and muttered, "Just keep spoiling him. What's the point of such a young child fishing? Don't let him bring any more fish into the water!"

Lin Yi was also worried and quickly said, "Grandpa is watching you all. The three of us can manage with just one pole."

Lin Qin: "."

So she's the only bad person in the whole family!

After the family had lunch, Chen Wenjun, as usual, first set up the fish trap and then went to catch the bamboo shoots.

Lin Qin was fishing on the boat with three elderly, weak, sick and disabled people.

In an attempt to continue her good luck from yesterday, she even made a point of praying towards the Dragon King Temple before casting her line, leaving Lin Yi utterly speechless.

Seeing that Lin Qin had been busy for a long time but hadn't started yet, Liu Yaya couldn't wait any longer and actually caught an earthworm and put it on the fishing hook herself.

Surprisingly, the little guy wasn't afraid at all, and he did it quite well.

Lin Qin turned her head and saw them casting their lines, so she quickly baited her own hook.

After the bait hit the water, everyone tacitly remained silent.

Soon, Lin Qin's side made a move.

Liu Yaya was getting anxious. "Mommy, why won't the fish eat my earthworms?"

She almost dropped the fishing rod as soon as she finished speaking.

Fortunately, Lin Yi had been watching closely and quickly grabbed the fishing rod and Liu Yaya.

Chen Ping'an immediately reached out his right hand to help hold the fishing rod.

Seeing that the three were struggling, Lin Qin immediately pulled up her own fish, a small crucian carp weighing about four ounces. It wasn't anything special, so she quickly threw the fish into the bucket and went over with a net to help.

The four of them strained with all their might and finally managed to bring the huge creature out of the water.

Lin Yi glanced at the fish's dark head and laughed, "Another big fat head, even bigger than yesterday's!"

"Dad, you hold on tight, I'll try to retrieve it."

"Be careful."

With everyone's combined efforts, Big Fatty was finally managed to get onto the boat.

Lin Yi was panting heavily, but he grinned from ear to ear. "Looks like the fatheads in Nanxi are overflowing!"

Lin Qin: "."

"Dad! Is it possible that we were just lucky?" Lin Qin said.

(End of this chapter)