Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 490 Going Home for Dinner

In those days, there weren't as many rules and regulations as in later generations, and whether you dressed well or poorly didn't affect how you interacted with others.

As they talked, time passed, and Chen Hui, Xiu'er, and Xinghai returned. The group squatted by the car, discussing their plan to sell clothes in the city. Xia Maosheng and Xiaowei gave them pointers, while Xiu'er listened attentively next to Xiaowei.

Aunt Si came out once and stood at the gate looking this way for a while, probably because Uncle Si called her back.

Zhang Wang stood to one side, leaning against the car, smoking, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhang Wang's wife came over. The food was ready, and she came to see why everyone hadn't gone home yet. Xiao Wei said, "Sister-in-law, something's come up here, so we might have to wait a while. Why don't you and the other two eat first? Just keep it warm for us."

Zhang Wang also said, "You go back first, you guys eat first. Take Xiu'er with you." So his sister-in-law and Xiu'er went back first.

Chen Hui usually looks lazy and slippery, and likes to cause trouble, but in fact he is more down-to-earth and honest than Xia Maosheng. He quickly became friends with Siwei and Changyuan, which Xia Maosheng could not do. Of course, Xia Maosheng did not look down on these rural boys. It was all a matter of personality.

Chen Hui didn't care about the dirtiness; he sat down on the ground like Siwei and the others, legs spread, smoking a cigarette, and said, "Want to start a business? That's easy. What do you want to do? Don't listen to Xiaowei; he's too timid. It's not like you're broke. Want to sell clothes? Come to Fengtian. I'll get you a place to sell on Taiyuan Street. It's closer to the source and you'll earn more."

Xiao Wei said, "Don't talk nonsense. They can't go to Fengtian now. They've never done business before. They'll rent a couple of counters in the city to practice and get used to it first. Once they figure things out, they can go wherever they want. Not to mention Fengtian, they'll have to open shopping malls in Xingcheng to sell things in the future."

Chen Hui said, "It's just about stocking up and selling. What's there to be unsure about? With us guys here, what's there to be afraid of?"

Xia Maosheng said, "Let's listen to Xiaowei. That's not something that can be done in a day or two; it'll take a long time."

Xinghai said, "Let's listen to the Japanese. He's the only one among us with a brain. Let's practice in the city first. What do you guys think?"

Changyuan, Siwei, and Ga Zi all nodded in agreement. They were from the same village, grew up together, and didn't need to say anything; a single gesture or glance was enough for them to understand each other. They were completely unguarded with each other; frankly, their emotional foundation might not even be as strong as that of their wives. Later, as information became faster and more abundant, people became more complex and cunning.

Chen Hui asked with a smile, "You guys also call him a Japanese devil? I thought only Xiao Hong called him that."

Xinghai glanced at Xiaowei and said, "It's just the few of us calling him that. Was it Xiaohong who first called him that? I can't remember. Xiaohong's back too?"

Changyuan said, "That's Xiaowei's wife; she's definitely back."

Xiao Wei said, "I'm back. I'm at my brother's house. You guys can all come over and play for a while."

Siwei glanced at Manager Huang and the other two and said, "Let's eat later, I'm hungry. I have to rush home for dinner. I'm probably going to get a scolding again." Chen Hui said, "Why don't you all go to Brother Wang's house to eat together?"

Xiao Wei explained, "This isn't common in the countryside. Every family is struggling financially, and food is limited. Everyone eats at their own home." He then said to Xing Hai and the others, "The three of us are together every day in Longcheng, Fengtian. We eat, drink, and play together. We're used to it. Xiao Hui is from Fengtian and has never been to the countryside."

Xinghai took a drag of his cigarette and said, "Sigh, I wish I were a city person. I was born into the wrong family."

Chen Hui patted him and said, "Don't worry, Xiao Wei has already left, right? You can all leave in the future. Not only can you leave, but you can also bring your families out to enjoy a better life. Trust me, you definitely can."

The group of people began to dream happily, as if their days had suddenly been filled with sunshine.

Finally, a green-covered jeep crossed the river not far ahead of everyone and drove over here.

The jeep stopped beside them, and three policemen got out. The one in the lead, while patting his hat and putting it on, asked, "Where did you report the case? Who is Xiaowei?"

Xiao Wei raised his right hand and said, "Yes, that's me. I reported the case."

The police officer nodded to Xiaowei and walked over, saying, "What's wrong? They didn't explain it clearly on the phone."

Xiao Wei said, "I'm so sorry to have made you come all this way in the middle of the day. It was just a few people, and they said they were from Fengtian. I think they're scammers. If I hadn't come back just in time, my fourth uncle's family would have been scammed by them. That's over a thousand yuan! I don't even know if any other families in the village have been fooled." He looked at Xinghai.

Xinghai said, "Fourth Uncle doesn't know either. He said he'll ask around. The loudspeaker is broken and can't make a sound, so he has to ask around house by house." The younger generation in the village also calls the village chief Fourth Uncle.

The lead officer glanced at Manager Huang and his group and said, "Are you sure? How did they scam you?"

Manager Huang and his two companions got into the truck. When they saw the police arrive, they got out of the truck and shouted, "Officers, these people are making trouble. They're blocking my truck and threatening to beat me up. Can you do something about this?"

The lead officer glanced at him and said, "Wait there for a bit, I'll ask you more questions later."

Xiao Wei asked, "Brother, what's your surname?"

The policeman said, "We're from the same family, and I also share the surname Zhang."

Xiao Wei offered cigarettes to the three policemen, saying, "Brother Zhang, these three, they say they're from some breeding company in Fengtian. They say they'll get farmers to raise ants, providing both the ant stock and feed. They'll give you 300 yuan for three months of work. Do you believe it?"

Officer Zhang took a drag of his cigarette and said, "Anything else?"

Xiao Wei said, "They say the breeding base is in Yu Hong, Fengtian, and the company is in Heping. But the business card doesn't have an address printed on it, and the phone number is from Dadong. Brother Zhang, you bring the ants from Fengtian, provide the feed, and then haul them back, and you get 300 yuan every three months. Then they drive around the countryside looking for people to raise them. Do you think that's true? Wouldn't it be more cost-effective to find people closer to home in Yu Hong, Fengtian, with that kind of money?"

"Also, they charge a deposit of 189 yuan for each ant colony, and each family needs to raise at least ten colonies, which is 1,890 yuan. I didn't see their contract, but it said that if the ants die, the money will be forfeited and not refunded. Isn't that a scam? What kind of ants are worth that much money? And the rules are negotiable. My fourth uncle said he didn't have that much money, so he said five boxes would be fine, one box for one colony."

Officer Zhang asked, "Did you see those ants?"

Xiao Wei said, "I didn't see it. They said they would deliver it a week after I signed the contract and paid the money. They said they didn't have that many left in the truck. I guess they might have some left in the truck." He tiptoed and looked at the back of the truck. There were three or four cardboard boxes.

(End of this chapter)