Make a Fortune and Become Well-off [90] - Chapter 198

Uncle Jiang’s three sons had all returned. The end of the year was the busiest time for families building houses. His three sons were busy working outside every day and had only returned on New Year’s Eve.

After working for a few more years, he would be able to build a house for his third son.

He asked Grandpa Jiang, “Dad, is there room in his house? If not, you can come live at my place.”

Grandpa Jiang knew his eldest son was still dissatisfied with him for giving all his salary to his second son’s family over the years, so he replied, “I won’t stay long. I’ll leave in two days.”

He also wanted to take advantage of the New Year to see if he could sell some clothes and shoes. The shop was rented, and they had to pay rent every day, so how could they not open the shop?

He didn’t want to stay with his sons and deal with those like-minded birds.

Neither Uncle Jiang nor Father Jiang expected Grandpa Jiang would actually leave in two days. They asked him where he was going and what he was planning to do.

“What else can I do besides begging for food?” Grandpa Jiang said, sitting at the head of the table with a teacup in his hand. “At my age, what else is there besides begging for food and picking up rags?”

But Uncle Jiang and Father Jiang knew full well that Grandpa Jiang’s new clothes and leather shoes didn’t exactly look like a ragpicker’s. Still, they were relieved knowing that Grandpa Jiang was living well outside and wouldn’t starve or freeze.

They also knew Grandpa Jiang had a thousand yuan. After excluding Jiang Ning’s tuition fee, they didn’t know how much he had earned in the past six months. They didn’t ask, nor did they want his money.

Father Jiang had earned a lot in the past six months by selling lobsters, snail meat sauce, eels, and loaches every day. Uncle Jiang, who built houses with his three sons, also made good money. Neither of them cared about the little money Grandpa Jiang had. What upset Uncle Jiang was seeing the old man’s money going to his younger brother.

On the second day of the new year, Aunt Jiang returned to Jiangjia Village early in the morning, bringing clothes and food she had bought for Grandpa Jiang and Grandma Jiang. She hurried back to town after barely sitting down for three minutes.

Everyone knew that business was better during the New Year than any other time of the year. Of course, she had to stay busy making money. She always wanted to come back to see Grandpa and Grandma Jiang, but if she couldn’t, she had to wait until the New Year.

When Father Jiang sent Aunt Jiang back, he asked her if she knew anyone in Shenzhen City.

Aunt Jiang didn’t really understand why he wanted to go to Shenzhen, so she asked, “Didn’t you get a good job in Nanshi?”

“The city is so far away, and you don’t know anyone there. Why go?”

Father Jiang was silent for a moment before replying, “Songzi didn’t come back for the New Year. He said he went to Shenzhen with someone before. I want to go there and see what’s going on. Anyway, you have to work wherever you go.”

Aunt Jiang nodded and said, “I’ll ask around when I get back.” With so many people coming and going in town, she could help Father Jiang inquire.

Aunt Jiang hurried off and didn’t mention that Jiang Bai was selling clothes in the town.

Yes, early in the morning on the second day of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Bai went to town to continue selling clothes. Tong Jingang took a bag of clothes and caught the bus to Shuibu Town early that morning.

When Tong Jingang received the New Year’s red envelope from Jiang Bai and saw that it contained three hundred yuan, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

He had never received so much money in his entire life—three hundred yuan in just three days!

“Oh my god, the girl is so generous! She gave us so much money. What does she earn for herself? Isn’t all the money she earned going to us?”

Jiang Bai tallied the earnings they made for Jiang Ning over the past three days and said, “Let’s sell more these next two days.”

On the second day of the New Year, the streets were packed. Many people were buying things to take back to their parents, so Jiang Bai and Tong Jingang turned on their loudspeakers, shouting, “39, 49! Everything is on sale for 39 and 49!”

Their announcement was so loud and clear. People had heard about it—a few days ago, the director of Jiangnan Garment Factory ran off with someone’s wife, and the factory closed down, unable to pay wages. Someone had taken the clothes. They thought those clothes had been sold out, but they didn’t expect to see them on the street again. Soon, a crowd gathered around Aunt Jiang’s shop.

Seeing that the clothes were really cheap, they quickly bought one, just in time to take back to their parents’ house as gifts.

Mother Jiang also carried pig’s feet and salted fish, buying brown sugar, longan, peach cake, and other items to bring back to her family. Her natal family lived in the neighboring township and did not pass through Shuibu Town.

She had already sent meat to her parents a few days ago, but after the New Year, she no longer needed to send meat. Instead, she mainly went to ask her brother and sister-in-law if they knew anyone in Shenzhen.

Her brother was three years older than her and was already forty-three. He had been farming with his uncle in their hometown, while his two daughters were older and working outside.

The eldest niece has already gotten engaged to a boy from the same village, a young man who was an old educated youth and had known her since childhood, growing up together and being familiar with each other.

The second daughter hasn’t gotten engaged yet, but she also has someone she’s dating. When they heard Mother Jiang inquiring about things in Shenzhen, they were curious and asked her, “How did Songzi end up in Shenzhen?”

In her brother’s family, the eldest son was valued, and Jiang Song had a lively personality. He got along very well with his cousins. Every year on the second day of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Song would accompany Mother Jiang to visit his uncle’s family to play, but he didn’t come this year, making them feel that it was less lively without him.

Mother Jiang didn’t want to tell her family about Jiang Song’s shortcomings, so she said, “You all know his character. He probably feels that since he didn’t earn any money this year, he’s embarrassed to come back.” She sighed, saying, “His dad and I can still work; we don’t need him to earn money. But seeing the family like this, he wants to share the burden with his dad and me.”

Deep down, she genuinely believed that Jiang Song thought this way; he had always been so considerate and understanding.

After hearing Mother Jiang’s words, her relatives felt that Jiang Song was indeed very sensible. Seeing the family’s difficulties and his parents’ hard work, he chose to give up studying to work and help them.