My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 150 Good Brother

Because Lin Ying was in her postpartum period, Xu Guoqing only took the time to meet her briefly, see the baby, leave a gift, and then get up to say goodbye.

Zhou Jiye got up and offered to see him out. Xu Guoqing did not refuse, and the two of them left the small building one after the other and came to the door.

"I'll have to trouble you guys with the stall these days. Please say hello to Brother Wen for me, I really can't leave here." Once outside the door, Zhou Jiye took out a cigarette and offered it to everyone, saying apologetically to them.

"It's nothing, no need to be so polite about such a small thing." Xu Guoqing nodded with a smile. Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying had a child, which was a joyous occasion. Besides, the business was a partnership, so there was no need to be so particular. Helping out was only right.

"By the way, there's something I need to tell you." Xu Guoqing took a puff of his cigarette and said, "The tape recorders are almost sold out. There are only a few dozen left, and I think we can clear them out in the next few days. I wanted to discuss it with you. Next month is Chinese New Year, and you just had a baby. How about we wait until after the Lantern Festival to go to Lingnan?"

“No problem. We’ve been busy all year, so let’s take this time to rest.” Zhou Jiye nodded with a smile.

Xu Guoqing also mentioned the current situation of the funds recovered, and said that he planned to try to distribute some of the money before the Chinese New Year, so that everyone could have a good holiday.

Zhou Jiye had no problem with this. The tape recorder sales were going well. After deducting costs and sales channel expenses, plus Amin's share, the three of them would each get about 70,000 to 80,000 yuan, which was no small sum. As for going south to Lingnan to get more goods later, that could be discussed later and wouldn't have any impact.

"Actually, I had my own reasons for bringing this up. I'm a bit short on cash these days and I really need some money," Xu Guoqing sighed.

"Need money?" Zhou Jiye was taken aback. Xu Guoqing should still have a lot of money on hand, right? Although the profits from the tape recorder hadn't been distributed yet, he knew that Xu Guoqing wasn't short of money. The ordinary goods on both sides were being sold continuously, and after deducting the inventory, there was at least some cash on hand. This didn't even include the daily sales revenue.

What's wrong? Is there some urgent need for money at home? Or what should I say?
"Brother Qing, are you short of money? How much do you need? If it's not enough, how about I take a smaller portion of the tape recorder payment for you to use first?"

"Hehe, that's enough, that's enough. There's not much missing, and we've almost prepared everything." Xu Guoqing said, then thought for a moment and decided to tell Zhou Jiye the truth: the money was for his sister.

"What about my little sister...?"

Xu Guoqing nodded and sighed, "Girls grow up and leave home! All she can think about now is going out, and I really can't stop her, nor can I stop her. After I went back last time, I thought about it carefully, and you're right. If we really try to stop her and something bad happens, we might regret it later."

"Frankly speaking, she needs to come to her senses. Right now, she's stuck in this situation, and no amount of persuasion from others can change her mind. I've figured this out now. Rather than letting her make a mess of things on her own, I might as well help her out. So I'm no longer against her going out."

"No wonder..." Zhou Jiye suddenly realized that Xu Guoqing's money was used for this purpose. Zhou Jiye couldn't help but ask Xu Guoqing how far things had progressed. Xu Guoqing told Zhou Jiye that he had already asked someone to handle the matter. Currently, there are two types of overseas study: one is government-sponsored overseas study, which is handled by the government. The school, tuition, and accommodation are all covered by the government, and there is also a certain living allowance.

Xu Guoqing's sister definitely can't get a government-sponsored study abroad program, even if Xu Guoqing knows someone. Firstly, there are limited spots, and secondly, there are educational requirements. How could she, a high school graduate who recently resigned from her job, possibly be eligible?
Therefore, Xu Guoqing's sister could only pursue her studies abroad at her own expense. Although this route also requires some complicated procedures, it is much more flexible than government-sponsored study abroad. However, she has to pay for everything herself, from travel expenses to the schools she attends, to accommodation, food, and daily life abroad.

Currently, the procedures for studying in the United States are quite easy to handle. We are currently in a honeymoon period, and the United States is very open to our student visas. As long as we can put forward reasonable study requirements and provide proof of sufficient funds to live abroad, the visa is easy to obtain.

The problem is that it's impossible for Xu Guoqing's sister to directly enter an American university for her studies. Aside from the fact that the education systems of the two countries don't mutually recognize each other, her original high school diploma and English proficiency are simply insufficient.

Xu Guoqing consulted someone, who suggested that he first go abroad under the guise of studying abroad, then apply to a preparatory program at a school in the United States. After studying for a period of time, mastering the language, and having a certain level of basic communication skills, he could then choose a suitable school to study at.

Following this procedure, Xu Guoqing's sister will need to overcome the language barrier for at least a year after she goes abroad, in addition to other factors that need to be considered. Furthermore, since her purpose in going abroad is because of her boyfriend, Xu Guoqing also has to take these factors into account. Therefore, he plans to make as comprehensive an arrangement as possible for his sister so that she won't feel lost or helpless once she arrives.

Looking at the exhausted Xu Guoqing, Zhou Jiye couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. It really wasn't easy for him to be the eldest brother!

Back then, for the sake of his younger siblings, he, as the eldest brother, could have stayed in Shanghai, but he voluntarily chose to go to the Great Northern Wilderness. After spending several years there and enduring considerable hardship, upon returning to Shanghai, due to his family's financial situation, Xu Guoqing ultimately gave up his stable, secure job and resolutely plunged into the world of reselling goods. Now, Xu Guoqing has moved out of his family home. Several months ago, he rented an apartment elsewhere, moving so that his younger siblings could have more space to live in.

Not long after, his younger sister started making a fuss about going abroad. Xu Guoqing was extremely worried about this. Even though he had come to terms with it, in order to arrange his sister's trip abroad and dispel some of her worries, Xu Guoqing even took out most of the money he had earned in recent days to help her go abroad.

As the eldest brother, Xu Guoqing is undoubtedly a truly good one. Moreover, he's not young anymore; he's several years older than Zhou Jiye, almost thirty.

In this day and age, if you're not married by twenty-six or twenty-seven, you're considered an old youth. Xu Guoqing, who's almost thirty, hasn't even had a girlfriend yet. He's been so busy all these years that he hasn't had time for his own life.

"If you need any help, just let me know. I might not be able to help with big things, but I can definitely help with small things," Zhou Jiye said to Xu Guoqing, patting his chest. He really wanted to help Xu Guoqing, but Xu Guoqing smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "I don't need it for now. I'll definitely let you know if I need it."

After taking a drag of his cigarette and tossing the butt on the ground, Xu Guoqing said he had to go first, and told Zhou Jiye to go back and spend time with Lin Ying. He told her not to worry about the stall these days, as they would take care of it, and they would meet again in a few days.

After dropping Xu Guoqing off at the intersection and watching him ride away, Zhou Jiye went home.

When they arrived home, as soon as they entered their bedroom, Lin Ying, who had just finished feeding the baby, saw him return and immediately called Zhou Jiye over to help.

Zhou Jiye quickly went over and settled his son back into the crib next to him. The little guy, who had just finished drinking milk, was very well-behaved. He lay there with his little mouth smacking, his two little hands wrapped in a towel raised high by his ears. He was sleeping soundly and occasionally kicked his little legs. He looked just like a little angel.

However, when he wakes up crying loudly, he turns from a little angel into a little devil. These days, Zhou Jiye has been tormented by this little devil in the middle of the night, causing him to have his days and nights reversed. He can't sleep well at night and can only barely take a nap during the day.

"Brother Aqing is gone?"

“Yes, I saw him off and we chatted for a bit at the door…” Zhou Jiye said, while telling Lin Ying about their conversation. After listening, Lin Ying frowned slightly, shook her head and sighed, “To be honest, I don’t think much of his little sister’s relationship. Even if she gets out, she will definitely break up with her boyfriend.”

“That’s what I think too.” Zhou Jiye nodded and sighed, “This kind of love can’t withstand the test at all, and it’s completely different in America than in Shanghai. In Shanghai, no matter what, you still have a home to rely on, but in America, you can’t rely on anyone and can only rely on yourself.”

"Besides, her boyfriend is unreliable. He went abroad to study through his family's overseas connections. He's not even self-reliant and has to depend on others. It's hard to say what will happen after he goes abroad. They might break up after a short time."

“Yes.” Lin Ying agreed, feeling a little sorry for Xu Guoqing’s actions, but it was, after all, a family matter. Moreover, Zhou Jiye’s advice to Xu Guoqing was reasonable; it was difficult to stop such things, and might even cause trouble. It was better to consider it from another angle, letting his younger sister experience it firsthand, and also to arrange an escape route for her in advance. If all else failed, she would have a way out after suffering and realizing the consequences.

"Tell me, how much money did Brother Qing spend on his little sister this time?"

"I don't know, I didn't ask, and it's not convenient for me to ask." Zhou Jiye shook his head. Even so, judging from Xu Guoqing's expression just now, it was probably not a small amount.

Xu Guoqing was even using the profits from the tape recorder business, which meant he didn't actually have much money left. But according to Zhou Jiye's estimate, Xu Guoqing should have at least a little over ten thousand yuan in cash on hand, and if he spent it all, it would be no small sum.

Studying abroad is quite expensive. Besides the fees for handling the paperwork, there are airfares, living expenses, tuition fees, and so on. All of these cost money!

According to the official exchange rate, the current exchange rate is approximately 1 USD to 3 RMB, meaning that 10,000 RMB should theoretically be exchanged for 3,330 USD. However, in reality, this exchange is impossible because it's self-funded for studying abroad, and there's no way to exchange money at the bank according to the official rate. One has to find their own way, and in the black market, the exchange rate is doubled, at least 1 to 6.

Based on this calculation, 10,000 RMB can only be exchanged for a little over 1,600 USD, or even less. Although this seems like a lot of money, it won't last long in the US. Zhou Jiye estimated that Xu Guoqing definitely wouldn't have prepared only this much; as for the exact amount, Xu Guoqing didn't say, and Zhou Jiye didn't know either.

(End of this chapter)