Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 105 Making money

Magic City.

Office of the Criminal Investigation Team, Jing'an Branch.

Four desks were placed side by side in the room. Criminal investigation flowcharts and public security data display boards for the jurisdiction were posted on the walls. A photo of Duanmu Hongyu, the "Famous Detective of Jiangnan," hung next to the filing cabinet.

A middle-aged police officer sized up Zhou Yongqiang across from him: "Comrade Zhou Yongqiang, where are you from? What brings you to Shanghai?"

Zhou Yongqiang nervously rubbed his hands: "I'm from Beijing, but I'm doing business in Shanghai. I've already spoken to the officers at the police station about this."

The officer tapped the case file on the table: "Because the amount of money involved is quite large, the case has been transferred to our precinct for investigation. I am now in charge of investigating your case. If you want to get your stolen money back as soon as possible, please cooperate with our investigation."

Zhou Yongqiang nodded: "I understand, Captain Zheng. Please ask."

"What is your relationship with Ji Hongbin? How much money was stolen in total? How did you discover the theft?"

“We are business partners, and he had 23,000 yuan stolen from him.” Zhou Yongqiang spoke faster: “While I was sleeping, I suddenly heard Uncle Ji shout ‘The money is gone!’ which startled me awake, and then we called the police.”

Captain Zheng frowned: "Who is this Master Ji you're talking about?"

"Ji Hongbin".

"Give me your name when you give your statement," Captain Zheng reminded him. "Did you bring any money with you?"

"I brought a thousand."

Captain Zheng countered, "Why wasn't your money stolen?"

"I hid the money in my underwear; I guess the thief couldn't find it."

Captain Zheng stared intently at the man: "According to Ji Hongbin's statement, he went to bed after drinking tea. What did you do after he fell asleep? Did you leave the room?"

Zhou Yongqiang recalled: "I paid for the hot water. I was afraid of wasting it, so I soaked my feet, then poured out the water, went to the toilet, and came back."

"How long have you been gone? Has anyone come to the room?"

"It only took two or three minutes, and I didn't see anyone else."

Captain Zheng thought for a moment and asked, "Did you drink the tea when Ji Hongbin was drinking it?"

Zhou Yongqiang shook his head: "The water was too hot at the time, so I only took a sip. I drank it after washing my feet, and then I went to bed."

Captain Zheng pulled out a test report: "We tested the tea you drank, and it was drugged; according to Ji Hongbin's statement, you were the one who fetched the water and brewed the tea."

Zhou Yongqiang panicked and shouted, "What do you mean? You don't suspect me, do you?"

"We are just conducting a normal inquiry. You just need to answer the questions, and we will investigate the rest."

Zhou Yongqiang clenched his fists, his expression indignant: "If you want to investigate, you should investigate the hotel and catch the real thief, instead of making things difficult for me here."

Captain Zheng continued, "There are no signs of forced entry on your room's door lock. How do you think the thief got into the room?"

Zhou Yongqiang also fell silent, leaning back slightly: "I don't know. You can't assume I'm a thief just because I helped Master Ji fetch water and pour tea. I also helped him wash clothes, buy meals, buy tickets, and carry his luggage. I've always done these things for him. Is that wrong?"

Captain Zheng stared at him for a while: "Where did you get the hot water from?"

"A hotel employee sold it to me, but I don't even know his name."

"Describe his appearance."

Zhou Yongqiang took a deep breath and recalled, "He wasn't very old, tall and thin, and had a scar on the back of his right hand..."

As Captain Zheng took notes, he asked, "Have you been to this hotel before?"

"This is our third time in Shanghai. It's close to the train station, so we always stay at this hotel."

Have you seen this waiter before?

“No impression…”

After taking the statement, Captain Zheng closed his notebook: "Don't leave Shanghai for now..."

……

The front courtyard of No. 7 Courtyard in Suzhou Hutong.

Li Zhe was busy in the village for several days, but the work of selling vegetables never stopped.

A few days later, he had to come to the capital. He could delegate other matters to others, but he had to come in person to collect money and settle accounts.

Unbeknownst to many, Li Zhe's total income from selling vegetables has exceeded 27,000 yuan, including 2480 foreign exchange certificates and 3153 yuan in margin deposits. Recent expenses have also been substantial, including renting land from the village collective, purchasing an excavator, and buying building materials.

After deducting expenses, Li Zhe still had more than 10,000 yuan left. He had basically not touched the foreign exchange certificates and had not spent the margin.

Previously, the two thousand yuan borrowed from Jin Baiwan had been repaid. Although Jin Baiwan is not short of money, borrowing public money and borrowing private money are ultimately not the same thing.

After settling the accounts, Li Zhe was in a great mood. He was already very satisfied to be able to earn so much money in this era.

"Knock knock..." There was a knock on the door, followed by Wang Jianjun's voice: "Zhezi, it's me." Li Zhe opened the door and let Wang Jianjun in. With the increase in sales channels, the vegetables were all pre-ordered. The daily output of vegetables was not constant. When there was a surplus, Wang Jianjun would go out to sell them. When there was a shortage, he would rest at home after delivering the vegetables.

Li Zhe said, "I'll ask the Ji family later if they can change the lock, so we don't have to call someone to open the door every time."

"It won't cause any trouble, it's fine whether we replace them or not." Wang Jianjun washed his hands and went into the living room: "Have they all left?"

"Let's go, there's nothing to do here." Li Zhe poured him a cup of tea: "Brother, why are you so late today?"

"I went to deliver some groceries to my aunt." He sighed as he said this, adding with emotion, "My aunt hasn't had it easy these past few years."

Li Zhe also noticed something amiss: "Has he had a conflict with Director Wei?"

Wang Jianjun had a lot to say, but he could only tell Li Zhe: "Back then, my mother, maternal grandmother, and maternal grandfather tried to persuade my aunt to leave, but she couldn't bear to leave her child and my uncle, so she stayed."

Later... my uncle couldn't withstand the pressure from his workplace and family, and he divorced my aunt... They only remarried in recent years.

Although her uncle had been taking care of her all those years, a thorn remained in her heart...

Li Zhe pressed further, "Any news about your aunt and cousin?"

Wang Jianjun's hands were twisted together: "My maternal grandfather passed away, and my mother remarried, bringing my maternal grandmother and younger sister with her..."

Li Zhe didn't know how to comfort him, so he patted his cousin on the shoulder and changed the subject: "Brother, I'm thinking of using trucks to deliver vegetables in the future, what do you think?"

Wang Jianjun paused for a moment: "What did you say?"

Li Zhe repeated it.

Wang Jianjun thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'm always on edge when I deliver vegetables, afraid that someone will rob me on the way."

Li Zhe got up and went back to his bedroom. When he came out again, he had a handful of bills in his hand: "Brother, this is your wages from last month."

Wang Jianjun counted them and asked in surprise, "Zhezi, did you give me too few? How come there are so many?"

"That's right, the salary is 150, and the bonus is 300."

"Are others getting this many too?"

"The salaries are the same, but the bonuses are slightly different. Keep that to yourself, and don't tell anyone except my uncle."

"I won't tell your uncle either." Wang Jianjun put the money in his pocket, his mood improving. "Whose bonus is the highest?"

"I can't say who's the tallest, but you're the second tallest."

Wang Jianjun guessed, "Is your uncle the tallest?"

"If my dad is the highest, then my uncle won't be low either, and you won't be second. Alright, stop guessing. There are only a few people, you'll guess right in no time."

"Let's go out and have a bowl of mutton soup to warm up, and then go to the Friendship Store to buy some welfare items, which we'll distribute together tomorrow."

……

On Guangqumen Inner Street, there is a six-story tenement building.

Li Zhenguo carried the washed dishes out of the washroom and bumped into a plump, dark-skinned woman: "Zhenguo, washing dishes again? My husband is half as hardworking as you, I'd be laughing in my dreams."

Li Zhenguo smiled but didn't say anything, and carried the basin into the house.

The chubby boy ran out to play, and Chen Shuping and her daughter were sitting on the bed in the living room chatting. When he came in, they stopped talking.

Li Zhenguo set out the bowls and chopsticks, said hello, and went inside.

A short while later, Chen Shuping followed her into the room and closed the door.

Li Zhenguo was somewhat surprised: "Why did you go back to your room so early?"

"What's the point of talking to an old lady? Let's chat for a bit, shall we?" Chen Shuping looked in the mirror: "Is the factory busy today?"

"Speak, what's wrong?" Li Zhenguo had been married to her for many years, so how could he not tell that something was wrong? Their relationship had always been good. Chen Shuping was beautiful and a former educated youth from Beijing. Back then, Li Zhenguo had put in a lot of effort to marry her.

He wasn't happy living with the Chen family. It wasn't that the Chen family members were bad; for example, the old lady of the Chen family would sleep in the living room with the little fat boy, leaving the inner room to the couple. It's just that the life of a "son-in-law living with his wife's family" was destined to be anything but comfortable.

Chen Shuping sat down next to him and said, "The second son is all alone in the capital with no relatives or friends. As his uncle, you don't even think about going to visit him."

Li Zhenguo looked at his wife: "Want to eat cucumbers?"

"Isn't the heating on? The old lady is feeling a bit feverish and just wants something refreshing." Chen Shuping immediately betrayed her mother.

“Those cucumbers are so precious, I can’t go empty-handed.” Although his nephew might not mind, Li Zhenguo couldn’t just take his nephew’s vegetables for free.

Chen Shuping unfolded a white handkerchief: "I still have some meat coupons and coal coupons here. Take them to the second son. Even a cucumber with a broken skin will do. We're just eating at home, so we don't need to be picky."

“Okay, I’ll go when I’m not busy.” Li Zhenguo’s feelings were complicated. This was the first time in all these years that his wife had asked him to contact his family.

(End of this chapter)