Make a Fortune and Become Well-off [90] - Chapter 185

Aunt Jiang’s house was located near the end of the street between the intersection and the neighboring city. Originally, there wasn’t as much traffic as the street at the center of the intersection, but that day, because of Jiang Bai and Tong Jingang’s small stall, a large number of people had gathered in the center of the street.

Grandpa Jiang hadn’t expected it at all. Although he didn’t see his grandson when he got off the bus, he knew his grandson was inside when he heard the familiar rhythmic advertising slogans and Tong Jingang’s voice.

When they arrived in Shuibu Town, it felt just like coming home. Grandpa Jiang was no longer in a hurry and went to Aunt Jiang’s house through the back door.

In the Jiang family, Grandpa Jiang was the real decision-maker.

A person who treated his children equally will put great effort into planning for each of them.

Uncle Jiang learned the craft of masonry. Father Jiang, who was willing to study and could read well, was encouraged to pursue his education. Aunt Jiang, being the youngest, only went to elementary school and learned to read a few words. When it was time for her to get engaged and married, Grandpa Jiang took the trouble to find a match for her in town, introducing her to the man who was now her husband.

It could be said that Grandpa Jiang had arranged everything well for his children. Uncle Jiang married Aunt Jiang, who was gentle and kind-hearted, in Linxian County. Father Jiang had a gentle temperament and married the daughter of the Tanshan squad leader’s family. Although Mother Jiang was hot-tempered and irritable, she had been a good girl who helped raise several younger siblings at home.

As for the youngest uncle, although his in-laws were powerful, they only had one son. The youngest uncle was down-to-earth and hard-working. The couple separated early and lived independently, making their own decisions in life. Even when they had to work in the fields, they didn’t face harsh exposure to the elements. And though they were busy with business, it was still a much better life than in the countryside.

When Aunt Jiang saw Grandpa Jiang coming, she smiled warmly. “Dad, Ning Ning, you’re here. Sit down quickly. I’ll get some snacks for you.” 

She couldn’t leave the store, as she was collecting payments, so she called her eldest daughter. “Mingyue, pour a glass of water for your grandpa and sister, and go to your aunt’s house to get some snacks.”

Aunt Jiang’s family rarely cooked breakfast, except during the off-season. They usually brought breakfast from a shop nearby.

Seeing his youngest daughter living a good life, Grandpa Jiang smiled in contentment. “You’re busy with your business. Ning Ning and I have already had breakfast at the neighboring market, so we’ll just sit and wait for Baizi.”

“Baizi took a lot of clothes from that Jiangnan Garment Factory and sold them outside. Business was so good that even after I called Mingliang to help, we could barely manage,” Aunt Jiang said, pouring water for Grandpa Jiang and Jiang Ning. She waved to her daughter to go buy food and added with a sigh, “That garment factory director was truly wicked. He took so much money and ran away. Now the workers have no wages, and the factory’s closed down. It’s really evil.”

Grandpa Jiang listened with a smile. Soon, Mingyue returned with a plate of pot stickers, dumplings, steamed buns, fried dough sticks, glutinous rice cakes, and other snacks. Aunt Jiang encouraged Grandpa Jiang and Jiang Ning to eat.

Grandpa Jiang politely refused, but Jiang Ning ate two dumplings. Aunt Jiang then wrapped two fried dough sticks in a packaging bag, squeezed through the door, and handed one to each of Jiang Bai and Tong Jingang.

Jiang Bai and Tong Jingang had left Wucheng very early in the morning. They had only eaten two big buns on the way and had been selling clothes in front of Aunt Jiang’s house ever since. Both were tired and parched. When they saw the fried dough sticks, they quickly ate them. Tong Jingang, feeling comfortable with Aunt Jiang, even called out, “Auntie, can I have some water?”

Zhou Mingliang, who hadn’t even eaten breakfast, whined playfully, “Mom, I want to eat too, and I want something to drink.”

Aunt Jiang, smiling warmly, responded, “Alright, I’ll get it for you.”

It wasn’t until lunchtime, when the crowd thinned a bit, that Aunt Jiang had a moment to breathe. She went upstairs and brought down a large plastic bag, handing it to Grandpa Jiang. “I was planning to give this to you and Mom on the second day of the new year, but I figured I might as well give it to you now.”

The bag was quite large. Grandpa Jiang opened it to find several pairs of cotton shoes, hand-knitted with cotton thread. There were several pairs inside.

“The two red pairs are for you and Mom. The smaller pair is for Ning Ning. I didn’t knit any for Songzi and Baizi, as Sister-in-law will take care of them.”

Mother Jiang and Grandma Jiang were both busy working outside and weren’t skilled in housework. Uncle Jiang’s shoes were all made by him. Jiang Song had brought shoes to wear, and Jiang Bai used Jiang Song’s hand-me-downs.

In her spare moments, when the store wasn’t too busy, Aunt Jiang made shoes for her family members while keeping an eye on things. In addition to Grandma Jiang and Grandpa Jiang, her father-in-law, mother-in-law, children, husband, and even herself all had thick, knitted cotton shoes. The soles were made from ready-made foam, and the shoes were stuffed with thick cotton to keep them warm.

Handing the shoes to Grandpa Jiang, Aunt Jiang finally took a good look at him and said, “Dad, you’ve had a good time lately. You’ve even gained some weight.”

Grandpa Jiang took the shoes his youngest daughter had knitted and chuckled, “I’ve moved closer to Ning Ning’s school. She brings me meat every day—so much in one meal that I can’t finish it! How could I not gain weight?”

His satisfaction was evident as he boasted about not being able to finish the meat. He couldn’t wait to tell his old friends back in the village. The thought of their reactions amused him. In their small rural community, Grandpa Jiang’s friends were mostly men of similar age, spending their days herding cattle, watching their grandchildren, or gathering to chat. Bragging was a favorite pastime, and Grandpa Jiang enjoyed it just as much.

That morning, Grandpa Jiang waited at Aunt Jiang’s house, not saying much to Jiang Bai and his companion.

Tong Jingang, however, was all smiles when he saw Jiang Ning. He grinned from ear to ear and teased, “Sister, you can’t be stingy with me today. Baizi gets a commission, so don’t forget me! Look at how much I earned for you today.”

He proudly fished a handful of money from his pocket, leaned toward Jiang Ning with a playful wink, and whispered, “I upped the profit on every piece of clothing.”

He was bursting with pride. He had increased Jiang Ning’s profit tenfold. Instead of earning one yuan per piece, she was making ten yuan. The thought of how much money he had made for Jiang Ning made him feel dizzy with excitement.

Jiang Ning smiled and said, “Alright, once these clothes are all sold, I’ll give you a big red envelope.”

At the mention of a big red envelope, their eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“I’ll be waiting!”