Making a living in Dongguan, her fiery red lips offer me tenderness.

Ding Yang suddenly felt as if he had opened the door to a new world.

"Sis, how much capital do you estimate you'll need?"

"Cement at the wholesale market seems to be 16 yuan a bag, so a ton is only a little over 300 yuan. You can just put some cement and sand in your shop, hang a sign at the entrance, and that's it. How much money would that make?"

"But you'll need to deliver goods, so you'd better buy a dump truck. If you can't afford a new one, you can buy a used one, or even a beat-up old tractor. If all else fails, you can buy a three-wheeled vehicle. It'll only cost a few thousand yuan at most."

"The total cost won't even be 1 yuan. You can surely afford that, right? After all, owning your own shop means being a small business owner, which is definitely better than working for someone else. With your emotional intelligence and looks, you could easily make a few thousand yuan a month just by doing sales."

"On the other hand, even if there's no business, you can still find work. Cement and sand aren't like other things; they don't spoil. At most, you'll lose money on rent."

"Sister Huang, thank you. Your words are more valuable than ten years of study. I feel like I've suddenly seen the light."

"I can do this job, so it's settled. But, won't this steal Old Li's business? He asks me to do the work today, and I'm going to steal his business tomorrow. That's a bit unreasonable."

"You're overthinking it. Old Li is a local. He owns several buildings that generate rental income. He wouldn't care about this little business. He's just doing it for fun. Locals can't stay idle. He has absolutely no interest in whether there's business or not."

"If you do business here, I'll put in a good word with him and ask him to take care of you. He can also introduce some business opportunities to you."

"Thank you, I've really met a benefactor, sister. You've touched me so much, I almost cried."

"Don't say that. We're all away from home, and it's not easy for anyone. It's fate that you came to see me. Don't be so formal."

"Thank you, I won't say anything more, I'll remember it. Don't worry, I'm definitely not an ungrateful person."

"Oh, Xiaoyang, did Lao Li ask you about our relationship today?"

"He asked, and I told him you're my girlfriend's cousin, and I came from Fenggang."

"Oh, okay, I'll go find him later. You want to buy a tractor? I'll have him take you there. He's a local and knows a thing or two about this. It's not easy for us out-of-towners to do business here. Having a local to look after us will make things much easier in the future."

"Okay, I'll do as my sister says!"

Ding Yang thought to himself, "If you listen carefully to what they say, it seems that Huang Xiaoxiao and this Old Li have a special relationship. They might even be having an affair."

"Eat quickly, it's getting cold."

"Xiaoyang, I don't have any blankets in this shop. If you sleep here tonight without a blanket, you'll easily catch a cold. I'll go back and get you a blanket later."

"Sis, you don't need to go get it. There's an industrial area just ahead with lots of small shops. I'll just go buy a quilt; it's very cheap. I'll need it myself eventually anyway. I'll also go buy some toiletries later."

"Alright then!"

"Oh, Sister Huang, you're a real estate agent and you know a lot about properties. I don't know much about this. Could you help me rent a storefront? A tin shed is fine, the size doesn't matter, it should be close to the road, but not too remote. It would be best if it had running water and electricity, and it shouldn't be too expensive. I can accept anything under a thousand."

"Okay, I'll go rent one for you tomorrow."

"Thanks!"

The two finished eating in no time.

"Xiaoyang, you rest well here. I won't come over tonight."

"Okay, sis, thank you!"

"You're welcome. You must be very tired after doing so much work today. Get some rest. Call me if you need anything."

"good!"

"Xiaoyang, would you like me to massage your legs?"

"No need, I'm still young, I'll be fine after a good night's sleep."

"Alright then, I'll be going now!"

A short while later, Huang Xiaoxiao rode away on her motorcycle.

Ding Yang lit a cigarette, sat on the sofa, and thought to himself, "Where am I going to find 1 yuan in capital? I want to start this business, but I can't even afford a beat-up tricycle. This is really pathetic."

Without a delivery vehicle, this business definitely can't be done.

This is a rare opportunity. I worked all day today and was very tired, but I earned 340. This shows that doing manual labor is definitely much better than working in a factory.

Selling cement and sand, renting a small storefront, and doing manual labor—the expenses and capital aren't high, and it's definitely better than working for someone else. With my emotional intelligence, attracting some business shouldn't be a problem.

Damn it, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I've heard that some developers started as bricklayers, so maybe I can make something of myself too.

Where can we get 10,000 yuan? We haven't paid off our debts yet, and Grandpa can't come up with any more money. It's a real headache!

After sitting for a while, Ding Yang left the store and went to a small supermarket.

I bought a military green work quilt. These kinds of quilts are basically made of chemical fiber and substandard cotton. It was cheap at 28 yuan.

A plastic bucket, a small bottle of Pantene shampoo, a pair of slippers, a cheap fan (of unknown origin), and a box of mosquito coils.

My legs are getting more and more painful. They used to ache when I was carrying things, but now they hurt.

Ding Yang gritted his teeth, went to a pharmacy, bought a box of ibuprofen, and swallowed two pills directly.

Back at the shop, I put the dirty clothes in a bucket, added some laundry detergent, and soaked them until tomorrow.

Pull down the roller shutter door, open the sofa, and it turns into a bed. Plug in the fan, lie down on the sofa, and go to sleep.

After sleeping for about an hour, Ding Yang woke up. Although he had taken ibuprofen, his foot still hurt a lot.

At this time, Dawei had already finished get off work, so I dialed Dawei's number.

"Hey, David!"

"Ding Yang, how is it? Are you in Chang'an?"

"good!"

"Dawei, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I carried cement here all day today and earned more than 300 yuan."

"Ding Yang, 300 yuan is indeed a lot of money, but this work is very heavy. Can you handle it?"

"Hey, as long as I can make money, I'll do anything, even carrying manure. I'm not afraid of hard work, I'm just afraid of not making any money."

"You've really become obsessed with money these days."

"Dawei, could you ask your parents to lend me 1 yuan?"

"Ding Yang, what do you need so much money for?"

"I want to open a small building materials store, specializing in cement and sand. Many of the residential areas here are newly built, and many homeowners need to renovate, so they all need cement and sand. I feel that this is a job I can do, and the capital required is low."

"I earned more than 300 yuan today by myself. If I opened a small shop like this, I estimate that I could definitely earn several hundred yuan a day."

"Ding Yang, that shouldn't cost 1 yuan, right? How much does a few tons of cement cost?"

"I also want to buy a dump truck, a used one, which will cost several thousand yuan. Without a truck, it's inconvenient, and I can't do this job."

"Ding Yang, a few months ago I would have had enough myself, but I got scammed last time. You probably don't know, but my family is building a house, and your second uncle is helping out. My parents don't have much extra money, and we'll probably still be in debt after the house is finished. Can I ask around for you first?"

"Oh, if not, then forget it. I'll think of another way."