Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 486 Xiuer

Chen Hui glanced at Xia Maosheng and said, "Damn, this guy's a real expert, way more amazing than us."

Xia Maosheng sat there holding Geng Hui's hand, rolled his eyes when he heard Chen Hui's words, and said, "I'm more eccentric than you. I'm a good boy."

Even Geng Hui couldn't help but laugh out loud, glaring at Xia Maosheng, while Xiao Hong laughed so hard she fell onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

Chen Xiao touched her belly and said, "Old Xia, let me tell you, you're doing something reckless, you know? If I laugh the baby out here, you'll be responsible."

Xiao Hong covered her stomach and waved her hand, saying, "I've decided, if I ever get pregnant, I'll stay away from Lao Xia."

The sister-in-law walked in, looked at the group, and asked, "Hey, are you guys drinking?"

Xiao Wei asked Zhang Wang with a smile, "Brother, do you usually do something fun when you're at home?"

Zhang Wang laughed and said, "Occasionally, occasionally. We don't have anyone in our family who drinks alcohol. I just sometimes get tired and have a couple of ounces at night, then I just collapse and go to sleep. Do you guys drink? Do you have any more alcohol at home?" He turned to ask his sister-in-law.

My sister-in-law said, "There's not much left. You bought two jin last time, so there's probably half a jin left."

Xiao Wei waved his hand and said, "Forget it, we don't drink. None of the three of us usually drink. We might have a beer occasionally, but we really don't drink baijiu."

Zhang Wang's sister-in-law asked, "Where can we buy beer?"

Zhang Wang asked, "The convenience store might have them, right?"

Xiao Wei said, "There's a small shop in the village now? I don't want to buy anything, I don't want to drink anything, sister-in-law, don't worry about it, it's not that I'm being polite." Xiao Wei said to his sister-in-law, who was about to take money from the box. Rural people don't carry money on their bodies; if they have any money at home, they wrap it up and keep it safe in a box.

"Brother, are you home?" A girl's voice came from outside.

Zhang Wang said, "He's inside, come in." He then said to Xiao Wei, "Xiuer, didn't you go to school today?"

As soon as the door opened, a little girl in a school uniform with her hair in a ponytail walked in, showing a bit of the same energy Xiao Hong had back then: "What delicious food did you make, sister-in-law? It smells so good."

Xiao Hong waved and called out, "Xiuer, Xiuer, come here."

Xiuer was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Xiaohong, what brings you here? Second Brother." She turned her head and saw Xiaowei.

Xiao Wei asked, "Aren't we going to school today?"

Xiuer sat down next to Xiaohong and said, "I took the day off to come back today because something came up at home."

Xiao Wei frowned and said, "What's wrong? Do you have to take time off to come back?"

Xiuer smoothed her hair and said, "My dad wants to raise ants. Today, people from the ant company came over, so my dad asked me to come back and see if it's feasible."

My fourth uncle's family only had one daughter, who was in high school. She was the most educated person in the family, and since she lived in the county town, my fourth uncle and his wife would discuss things with their daughter. Actually, what could a high school student understand? But that was the reality back then.

Xiao Hong, holding Xiu'er's hand, asked, "What kind of ants are you raising?"

Xiuer said, "It's an ant company that makes some kind of medicine using ants. They find people to raise ants, and then they come back to collect them. They say they pay 30 yuan for raising one ant colony, and if you raise 10 colonies or more, they pay 300 yuan for three months."

Xiao Wei listened with a frown, while Chen Hui said, "Damn, is this for real? This is free money! Let's do it, let's support ten thousand people."

Xiuer stared at Chen Hui with her mouth agape. Xiao Wei said, "This is Brother Chen, this is Brother Chen's wife, this is Brother Xia, and this is Brother Xia's wife." Xiuer then called out to them, "Brother Chen, sister-in-law, Brother Xia, sister-in-law."

Xiao Wei asked, "Why did your fourth uncle call you back? To let you decide whether or not to raise the child."

Xiuer was a little embarrassed and said, "Well, my parents asked me to make a decision, but I can't think of anything. The people from that company seemed very sincere, and then my dad said we should raise some money first and see how it goes. That's why I came to borrow some money from my older brother; we don't have enough money at home."

Chen Hui asked, "Didn't we give you money? Why do you want more? How much?"

Xiuer said, "We have to pay a deposit, they said they're afraid we'll kill the ants if we don't take good care of them, and they'll refund it when we collect them. It's 189 yuan per share. My dad said we should raise five shares first, which would be 945 yuan. My dad said he'd borrow 500 yuan from my older brother, since we don't have enough at home."

Xia Maosheng said, "That's not right. Didn't they say you have to raise at least ten litters? How come five litters is fine too?"

Xiuer frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "My dad probably discussed it with them, and they agreed anyway."

My sister-in-law walked towards the box and asked, "Is five hundred enough?"

Xiao Wei said, "Sister-in-law, no need to take it, you don't need to. I'll go take a look." He stood up.

Zhang Wang also stood up and said, "Let's go take a look together. If it works out, I'll get some too. Earning three hundred in three months is not bad."

Xiaowei said to Xiaohong, "You three stay here and keep your sister-in-law company. Don't bother her. Xiaoxiao, you take a break for a while. Geng Hui, you should rest too. Xiuer, let's go."

Xiuer agreed and stood up to walk out with Xiaowei and the others. Xiaohong called out, "Have Xiuer come over for dinner later." Xiaowei agreed.

Fourth Uncle's house is over there by the river, about a mile away from Xiaowei's house. Xiaowei and the others got in the car and drove there.

Xiuer touched the seat cushion and asked, "Second Brother, is this your sedan chair?"

Xiao Wei said, "Yeah, mine. I'll buy you one when you get into university, okay?"

Xiuer blushed and shook her head, saying, "No. I don't know how to drive, and besides, it's too expensive."

Xiao Wei said, "Study hard, get into university, and you'll be able to earn any amount of money in the future. You can even live in the city and become a cadre. I promise I'll buy you a sedan chair then."

Xiuer thought for a moment and said, "Which university does Sister Xiaohong go to? I'm afraid I won't be able to get in. My dad said I should take a vocational college entrance exam, and that I can earn a wage as a worker."

Xiao Wei said, "Don't listen to your dad, listen to your second brother. Going to a vocational college won't get you anywhere. Study hard. Your sister Xiao Hong got into college, why can't you? Does she have two heads?"

They arrived in just five or six hundred meters with a quick burst of gas, where a small truck was parked by the roadside. Several people got out and followed Xiuer into their fourth uncle's courtyard.

Upon entering the house, a dish was simmering on the stove, steaming gently. Uncle and Aunt were inside talking to three men, all in their early twenties, dressed in suits and ties—though all inexpensive. Xiao Wei was quite knowledgeable about clothes now and could tell the quality at a glance.

This outfit would be considered a low-level insurance salesperson in later generations, but it was quite impressive in this era.

"Did you get the money back?" Uncle Si asked as soon as Xiu'er entered the door. Then, seeing Xiao Wei behind her, he stood up in surprise and said, "Xiao Wei's back? When did he arrive? Why are you walking with Xiu'er? Did you go back to your house?"

Xiao Wei greeted them with a smile, "Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt. I just arrived and was sitting and talking with my eldest brother. I was saying I'd come over to see you after dinner, but Xiu'er went over there instead. What's going on?" He glanced at the three salesmen.

Domestically made suits of that era had no shape whatsoever, relying entirely on large shoulder pads, and they would sag after just one wash, becoming limp and full of wrinkles.

(End of this chapter)