Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 842 Let's Attract Investments Too

The old man said, "Never mind him. He won't freeze or starve in there. What can he do? Going in there is just making him suffer. Am I going to bring him food?"

Xiao Wei asked, "Why are they even messing with the Imperial Aunt now?"

The old man sighed and said, "Who knows? He's quite capable, bringing honor to the Zhang family. After generations, he's finally produced one who's in detention. How capable!"

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "Detention centers aren't that serious. Administrative detention isn't a crime; it falls under the scope of public security management." Back then, public security penalties weren't considered crimes, and there was no legislation on public security; the regulations governing public security penalties were enforced.

The old man waved his hand and said, "You don't need to comfort me. What don't I understand? What good person goes there for a few days? It just means their crime was too minor to warrant a sentence. So why not hurry up? Just work hard and you'll be in."

The sound of high heels clicking and clacking drifted over. Several people turned to look and saw an older woman walking over from the annex. An older man glanced at her but didn't say anything.

In the early 90s, high heels weren't popular in Northeast China. Even in the city, women considered shoes with heels two or three centimeters high to be high, and five centimeters was considered extremely high. Many people weren't used to wearing them and were embarrassed to wear them. By the late 90s, sky-high heels were everywhere.

The old lady wore high heels even at home in the countryside.

"Xiaowei, what should we do? Can you think of a way to find someone? Don't you know a lot of people?" The words came before the person even arrived.

The old man said, "What are you looking for? Aren't you ashamed enough? So what if Xiaowei knows someone? Is it your fault? Why don't you use your knowledge for important things and instead drag this mess into your life? Xiaowei has told him so many times that it's illegal, did he listen? Did you listen? Take a break, stop trying to save face here."

Xiao Wei said, "Auntie, being detained is nothing serious, you'll be back in two or three days."

The old woman said, "Xiao Fu is timid, he'll be terrified. What if he gets beaten up or attacked by a bear inside? I don't even know if he'll have enough to eat or sleep in there. You could ask around and see if they can send him something, even if it costs some money."

The old man slammed his hand on the table, pointed towards the door, and said, "Get back here!"

The old woman stood up, looking aggrieved, and walked out, her eyes still darting towards Xiaowei. Xiaowei said, "I'll go ask him tomorrow. Don't worry, Auntie, detention isn't a prison sentence. It'll be fine. I'll go see him tomorrow."

The old man said, "Don't pay any attention to her. She acts like she's something special. Xiao Fu is the way she is today entirely because she spoiled her. So, I don't need to prepare or worry about anything, right? Do you think that little bit of money is enough?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's enough. We'll settle the rest after you earn the money. I'll cover it for you first. It's not a lot of money."

Xiao Wei's dad asked, "Don't we need to build a cabinet? Or should we buy one of those ready-made aluminum alloy ones? I feel like those aren't sturdy enough and won't last long."

Xiao Wei said, "There's no counter, just shelves, row upon row. Whoever wants to buy something just takes it from the top, then goes to the door to calculate and pay. The old man just stands at the door to calculate and collect the money. If something sells quickly, he restocks the shelves."

Xiao Wei's dad asked, "Can individuals just go in and take whatever they want when they're buying things?"

Xiao Wei nodded: "That's right, we don't need to worry about it. He can take whatever he wants to buy and pay at the checkout."

Xiao Wei's dad slammed his hand on the table and said, "That's it! We don't have to do it anymore. Won't we lose everything in those few days? We'll end up losing our shirts."

The old lady took a few steps, then turned and went to the main building to find Xiaowei's mother.

Xiao Wei said, "These kinds of shops are common in Hong Kong and overseas now. They're convenient because you can take whatever you want without having to wait for a salesperson like before. We don't need to hire salespeople either. If we're busy, we can just hire someone to organize the stock, and maybe a cashier. It's that simple."

Xiao Wei's dad asked, "What do we do if something is lost?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's probably impossible to say that nothing will be stolen, but it's not as serious as you're making it out to be. Just keep an eye on it. I'll install a security camera and hire someone to collect the fees. The old man can just wander around inside and check the goods whenever he wants. Is that alright?"

The old man asked, "What kind of monitoring device? What's it for?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's installed on the wall, and then you sit at the door and can see what the people inside are doing through the screen. I don't really understand the specifics, but Xiao Hong does. You can ask her tonight. I only know that such a thing exists."

Xiaowei's mother, Aunt Wang, and the old lady came out of the building together. Xiaowei's mother said, "Xiaowei, go and see Xiaofu tomorrow, so your old lady won't worry."

Xiao Wei said, "I'll go tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I just told the old lady."

The old man glared at the old woman.

Xiaowei's mom said, "What are we going to eat for dinner tonight? We ate something when we got back, and we're not hungry yet. Should we eat or not? What should we eat?"

Xiao Wei's dad said, "Let's just make something simple. Add some water and rice, wash some scallions, and there are some wild vegetables, right? Let's get some. It's been a long time since we've had any of those. We'll make it with some egg sauce."

Xiao Wei said, "Then let's boil some potatoes and eggplants, Xiao Hong loves them."

The old man chuckled and said, "What time is it? It's getting colder and you're still eating this? Aren't you afraid of chilling your stomach? You guys are just messing around."

Xiao Wei's dad said, "Who cares about that? Just eat what you want. There's no such thing as seasons when it comes to food here. Just eat whatever you feel like eating."

Xiao Wei said, "Just make some radish soup, drink some soup, and it'll be fine. It's nothing serious."

A car horn sounded from the gate. Xiao Wei turned his head and saw Chen Hui's car drive in. The couple walked over, carrying their child.

Approaching Xiaowei, he asked, "What does this mean?"

Chen Hui said, "My parents went to Kyoto. What does that mean? They're just here to freeload. They've been staying here for the past few days."

Xiao Wei asked, "What's your nanny's job? Doesn't she cook?"

Chen Hui laughed and said, "Three people, just cleaning will take about a day, why force them to cook? Three meals a day? Forget it, besides, it's not even good. I don't even like it, let alone Chen Xiao."

Xiao Wei's dad said, "Come on, your sister-in-law is quick and efficient. You two are just lazy. You come here and expect someone to hold the baby. Do you think I don't see through you?"

Chen Hui laughed and said, "Old man, you should have known better than to say it. You're breaking the rules of the martial arts world."

Little Hui was already in Xiao Wei's mother's arms. Xiao Wei's mother said, "Come on, stay here. I'm happy to hold you. What a good child."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, go to the annex and tidy up a room specifically for keeping the kids entertained. You do it."

Chen Hui sat down in the ice pavilion, offered cigarettes to the old man and Xiaowei's father, and said, "Xiaowei, I've been thinking about this. You know, our supermarket is going to get its goods from the big wholesale market? I don't think that's a good idea. I think we should first set up the space, put up the shelves and stuff, and then attract tenants. What do you think? Let them come and quote their own prices. We'll just get the cheaper, same-quality goods, and we won't even sign contracts. Is that okay?"

Xiao Wei said, "I'm afraid that if we cut prices too much, we'll end up losing money and resorting to dishonest means. Quality is the lifeblood of us in the market. If something goes wrong with one product, we're all finished, and our reputation is ruined."

(End of this chapter)