After delivering the fabric with Wang Aixiang, Chen Lishu called Li Yuanchao before returning to school.
In Yangcheng, some people had recently started selling electronic watches privately. Word was that someone had brought them from Hong Kong. The cost of these electronic watches was only a few yuan, but they could be resold inland for twenty to thirty yuan, or even forty to fifty yuan, and people would still buy them. The key was that the quantity was limited, and without connections, it wasn't guaranteed one could get them.
Li Yuanchao had been itching to use his connections to get some of these electronic watches to sell. Just two days prior, he had asked someone to help him make a connection and was waiting for news when the old woman downstairs suddenly called him to the phone.
Thinking that the connection he sought had finally yielded results, Li Yuanchao threw on a jacket and rushed downstairs impatiently.
"Hello, this is Li Yuanchao. Is there news?"
Chen Lishu asked, confused, "What news?"
Hearing a female voice on the other end, Li Yuanchao paused. "Who is this?"
Chen Lishu smiled, "I'm Chen Lishu. The one who bought a batch of bell-bottom pants and shirts through your introduction before."
Li Yuanchao suddenly realized and greeted her with a smile, "I know, the pretty lady."
Afterward, his brother-in-law had mentioned it to him. Not long after Chen Lishu placed the order for the bell-bottom pants, foreign merchants had come to pick them up. Within just a few days, the price of bell-bottom pants had risen from nine yuan to eleven yuan. For a shipment worth sixty thousand yuan, Chen Lishu had already made over ten thousand yuan before even selling them.
If Li Yuanchao hadn't been absolutely certain that Chen Lishu was visiting Yangcheng for the first time and had only connected with him by chance, he would have suspected Chen Lishu of having precognitive abilities.
"I want to get some more clothing, and I'm not particular about the style. Please keep an eye out for me, and if you find anything suitable, you can contact me."
With business coming his way, Li Yuanchao readily agreed, "Don't worry, I'll notify you immediately as soon as I have any news."
After hanging up the phone, Li Yuanchao was so happy that he couldn't help but whistle loudly.
The old woman at the stall asked curiously, "Why is Ah Chao so happy? Did his girlfriend call?"
Li Yuanchao stepped onto the stairs and replied, turning his head, "Not a girlfriend, she's my god of wealth."
...
On the weekend, Chen Lishu took Rui Rui back to the military dependents' area.
'Da Wang' was dozing on its mat. Hearing movement at the door, its pointed ears twitched. After recognizing Chen Lishu, it suddenly stood up from its mat and trotted to the entryway in a few steps.
As Chen Lishu opened the door, she saw 'Da Wang' lift its palm-sized head and meow at her twice.
It was rare for this fellow to act so affectionate and cute. Chen Lishu crouched down and petted it heartily. 'Da Wang' wanted to escape but ultimately endured it.
Having raised it for so long, Chen Lishu naturally knew its temperament. After petting it enough, she deliberately pouted, "Oh no, I forgot to buy you fish."
Upon hearing this, 'Da Wang' looked at Chen Lishu with a moment of bewilderment. After reacting, it turned around, presented its backside to Chen Lishu, and coldly returned to its mat to continue dozing.
"Mom, is it angry?" Rui Rui asked, feeling a bit sorry for 'Da Wang's' dejected back.
Chen Lishu smiled, "Your Aunt Wang said there are people selling fish nearby, so I'll go buy some later."
Before returning, the two had gone to the market, but unfortunately, all the fish had already been sold.
"Sister-in-law, what are you going to buy?" Just as the mother and son were talking, the door to the Wang family next door opened, and Zhao Guiying emerged. "I came out to see when I heard the noise. At this time, it must be you two back."
"It's our cat. I promised before that I'd buy it fish. Seeing me come back empty-handed, it got angry," Chen Lishu explained with a wry smile.
"Your cat is becoming a spirit. Last time, our two little rascals tried to lure it home with food, but it didn't fall for it at all."
Children around seven or eight years old were at the age of teasing cats and dogs. Chen Lishu didn't mind and smilingly invited Zhao Guiying into her home.
"It's just that we've just returned and haven't had time to tidy up yet. The house might be a bit messy."
"If this is messy, then my house is a pigsty," Zhao Guiying said, turning back to hug her youngest of three boys and followed Chen Lishu into the house.
As soon as she sat down on the chair, the child in her arms began to fuss about getting down. There was no choice but to pat his little bottom and let him onto the floor.
"I see your garden vegetables are going to get old if you don't eat them soon, so I took the liberty of picking them for you to dry. I'll bring them over once they're dried."
Chen Lishu thanked her profusely upon hearing this, "Thank you so much, Sister-in-law. Please sit down first, I'll go put things away."
Zhao Guiying waved her hand, as it didn't hinder their conversation.
"A new doctor has arrived at the team. She's quite pretty. I heard she was transferred from the city. When my youngest had a stomachache, I went to get medicine and saw her once. This place is too male-dominated. If more female comrades like Doctor Jiang were transferred here, the company could solve quite a few personal problems."
Thinking about the personal issues of those older soldiers, Zhao Guiying couldn't help but worry for them.
Chen Lishu agreed, "It would be really good if it works out. Internal integration."
After chatting for a while longer, Chen Lishu had finished tidying up. She grabbed a small basin and went with Zhao Guiying to a nearby village to buy fish.
September was the season for ripe sugar-heart fruits. Many families in the village had apricot trees and plum trees, as well as other fruit trees in their yards. Because they weren't valuable, Chen Lishu bought a large pile of them for the children for just twenty cents.
Watching her own children gobble them up almost one by one, Zhao Guiying couldn't help but scold them. Then she sighed to Chen Lishu, "They say growing boys can bankrupt their parents. I have three boys to feed, and they have to go to school. We also have to send some money and ration tickets back to our hometown every month. we have to live very frugally with our grain every month."
At this time, no family was well-off, especially those with many children. Towards the end of the month, they would be stretched thin, sometimes even having to borrow grain from others and return it at the beginning of the next month.
Chen Lishu looked down at the sugar-heart fruits in her hand and suddenly had an idea.
"Sister-in-law, I do have an idea for making money, but it requires some hard work, and it might not be very respectable..."
Before Chen Lishu could finish speaking, Zhao Guiying quickly said, "As long as it's not stealing or robbing and it can make money, what's not respectable about it? Besides, I'm from the countryside, what hardship can I not endure? Sister, tell me quickly. If it can really make money, our whole family will be grateful to you."
Seeing that she had agreed, Chen Lishu smiled and said, "I see that the sugar-heart fruits in the nearby villages are so cheap. Those I bought for twenty cents just now must be at least three to four catties, right? Sister, you can buy some and take them to the city to sell. For ten cents a catty, someone will definitely buy them."
Zhao Guiying hesitated upon hearing her words, "Can… can this work? Just these common fruits, ten cents a catty?"
Back in their hometown, children could pick them freely from the trees, and they wouldn't cost anything.