BTYFOV Chapter 30

 

Chapter 30: Selling Clothes

Even if you don’t give the factory director face, you still have to give Moutai face.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Gu Wuyi’s face suddenly changed, not afraid of Qin Feng beating him, but afraid that Qin Feng would be disappointed in him and treat him like a bad child.

However, Qin Feng thought he was just afraid of being beaten. "Did you really get rid of it?"

Gu Wuyi didn’t want to betray his grandparents, murmuring, "I saw a bundle, mixed with paper, and mistakenly thought it was just paper. Later, I remembered you use handkerchiefs, and you never leave loose draft papers around. That bundle of things might have been money, so I thought I should try to get it back. But by the time I got to the garbage bin, it had already been cleared."

Qin Feng saw his nervous face turn pale. "Why didn’t you say something earlier? I was still wondering if it had fallen."

Gu Wuyi blinked in disbelief.

—It was that easy?

"Isn’t Dad angry?" Gu Wuyi asked cautiously.

Qin Feng replied, "What good would it do to be angry? Besides, I was careless, it’s not your fault."

Gu Wuyi sighed in relief, but felt even more guilty and ashamed.

The next noon, he told the old couple about the matter and casually added that it couldn’t happen again. His dad was smart; if he found out, there would be consequences.

Old Qin shook his head knowingly. "You don’t understand, it's hard to guard against thieves in your own home."

Gu Wuyi was immediately speechless.

Gu Xiao'er chuckled.

Gu Wuyi glared at him, then turned to Old Qin. "I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that."

"Isn’t your dad about to get paid in a few days?" asked Madam Zhou.

Gu Wuyi was startled. "Don’t even think about it!"

Old Qin couldn’t help but click his tongue. "Who are we doing this for?"

"For us?" Gu Wuyi said, completely unconvinced. "Every summer, selling popsicles for two or three months, the money Grandpa left for us is enough to cover our college tuition without touching it."

Old Qin replied, "High school is far from our home, and you’ll have to board at school. Doesn’t that cost money?"

"Then Dad's money will be enough. Dad said before that he's been using only his basic salary recently, and he’s saved all his bonuses. Dad’s bonuses are the bulk of it, don’t think just because I’m young I don’t know."

Old Qin saw that he couldn’t fool them, so he switched tactics. "Alright, how about this: every morning, go to your dad’s room and ask if he’s changing his pants. If he is, you help him take them down. Is that okay?"

"What about the money in his pocket?" Gu Wuyi was still worried.

Madam Zhou said, "I’ll go over after lunch to wash the clothes for you. I’ll take care of it, okay?"

"That’s more like it."

Old Qin reminded him, "But don’t tell your dad."

Gu Wuyi nodded. "My dad’s not stupid!"

"Take whatever you can," Madam Zhou had already planned. Qin Feng wouldn’t dare leave money in his pockets, so he’d lock it in the cabinet. He’s too lazy to take it out of the cabinet, and if it’s not out, he won’t think about spending it.

However, plans don’t always go as expected.

Autumn arrived, the leaves turned yellow, and the weather got cooler.

The children changed daily. The clothes from last year were already too small. The second day after Qin Feng received his salary, it was the weekend, and before his mother could come help him wash clothes, he locked the door and took the three kids to the city.

Miaomiao didn’t need new pants or a coat, so Qin Feng bought him a hat, scarf, and shoes. He also bought two sets of clothes for the older sons.

After passing by the department store and the bank, Qin Feng thought the money might get lost if he kept it, so he deposited the bulk of it — in a type of savings account where small amounts were saved into a larger sum.

Then he took the kids to a small restaurant for a meal.

Back home, he counted the money carefully, and there were only about twenty yuan left. Qin Feng sighed, "I’ll have to be careful with my spending." Fearing he might not be able to control his spending, he left a little change in his pocket and locked the rest in a drawer.

The next day, when Madam Zhou came to wash the clothes, she saw there was only a little more than a yuan left. When Gu Wuyi came home from school, she grabbed him and asked what happened.

Gu Wuyi lifted his feet, showing his new shoes.

Madam Zhou gritted her teeth. "…He really knows how to burn through money! Can't you wear cloth shoes?"

"They can’t be worn in the rain."

Madam Zhou replied, "It didn’t rain today."

"I’m just testing if the shoes are slippery, to see if they’re comfortable to walk in."

Madam Zhou didn’t believe him and placed her hands on her hips, asking, "How much did you spend yesterday?"

"My dad deposited fifty at the bank."

Madam Zhou was satisfied, "That’s better. In a few days, it’ll be the fifteenth of August. Do you want to eat crabs or pork?"

Gu Wuyi shrugged, "Either is fine, you can ask my dad."

Madam Zhou replied, "He’s working at the factory."

"Then you can make whatever you want. Anyway, Miaomiao can eat anything now."

It was Madam Zhou’s first time spending the Mid-Autumn Festival with her three grandsons, and she didn’t want to seem too stingy.

She was a bit frugal, but the children didn’t understand and would imitate her. Over time, they might become as miserly as she was. Those were her son’s words.

Madam Zhou seriously suspected her son was making excuses for his reckless spending, but she had to admit he had a point.

On the morning of the fifteenth of August, Madam Zhou took the bus to the nearest wholesale market, five miles away.

Binhai City was close to the sea, so the cost of transporting seafood was negligible. Since it was the golden autumn season, when the mitten crabs were in season, Madam Zhou bought a bag of crabs.

Worried that her little grandson might not like them, Madam Zhou also bought a pound of large shrimp and, gritting her teeth, bought a large yellow croaker.

Her wallet became flat, and Madam Zhou walked home, feeling a bit sore.

But then she thought of her three grandsons. Although the two older ones weren’t her biological grandchildren, they had started doing business at a young age. Even if they didn’t make it to college, they still had bright futures. The little one was the most obedient, and he was her biological grandson, so Madam Zhou felt a bit better.

When she got home, Madam Zhou thought about the saying, "No feast is complete without meat," and went to the nearby market to buy two pounds of pork belly.

When Old Qin came home for lunch and saw the kitchen counter piled high with ingredients, he couldn’t help but grumble, "Why did you buy so much?"

"It looks like a lot, but it’s not much meat," Madam Zhou replied before he could speak. "It’s already twelve, right? I’ll start cooking. By the way, where’s Miaomiao?"

She couldn’t bring him when she went to the market, and today wasn’t the weekend. After breakfast, Old Qin had taken him to school.

Old Qin asked, "What about Da Xiaozi and Er Xiaozi? How will they eat all this?"

Madam Zhou replied, "The pork can go into the fridge for dinner. How about we braise the yellow croaker?"

“I’ll peel some garlic. What about the crabs?”

Madam Zhou thought for a moment. “Set aside two or three to make congee, and steam the rest. As for the shrimp, let’s braise them—Miaomiao loves that. Then we’ll stir-fry some vegetables, and that should be enough.”

Hearing this, Old Qin went to get the rice cooker.

When he stepped out of the main room, he saw the kids coming home. “Come over here! Look at what your grandma bought for you to eat.”

Gu Xiao’er tossed his schoolbag into his brother’s arms and dragged Miaomiao straight to the kitchen.

The little one had never seen mitten crabs before. He clung to the counter and, upon spotting the crabs, couldn’t help but reach out his hand.

Gu Xiao’er quickly smacked his hand.

The little boy pouted, about to cry.

Madam Zhou suddenly remembered something her son had once said: the more you stop a child, the more curious they get. So she picked up a crab and gently poked the boy’s hand with one of its legs.

The boy yelped and quickly pulled his hand back.

Madam Zhou asked, “Now do you know why your brother didn’t let you touch it?”

The little boy glanced at his second brother, his guilty expression written all over his face.

Gu Xiao’er patted his little bald head. “Okay, I forgive you. Grandma, are we cooking all these crabs and shrimp?”

Madam Zhou nodded. “Did your teacher give you any homework?”

“I’ll go do it now.” Gu Xiao’er grabbed the little one’s hand. “Come on, let’s go do homework together. Once I finish, we can eat.”

The little boy tilted his head, curious. “Eat them?”

Gu Xiao’er shook his head.

The boy’s face turned frightened. “I don’t want to eat them! No, no, I don’t want to eat!”

“Okay, okay, we won’t eat them. We’ll eat meat instead. Come on, I’ll teach you how to draw.”

Gu Wuyi walked over, overhearing this, and couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re teaching him to draw?”

“Why not?” Gu Xiao’er shot back.

Gu Wuyi said, “Better let Dad teach you guys first.”

Old Qin, who had just finished rinsing the rice and was about to take it to the main room to start the rice cooker, paused in surprise. “Your dad knows how to draw?”

The question left Gu Wuyi a little confused. “You didn’t know? The blueprints my dad draws—” He quickly swallowed words like “computer” and continued, “are more precise than printed ones.”

“Drawing blueprints is different from drawing pictures.”

Gu Wuyi thought carefully and realized it was indeed different. “Well, he knows how to draw. Probably learned it from someone when he was in college.”

“No wonder.” Old Qin turned to Gu Xiao’er. “Ask your dad to teach you guys later. Don’t just scribble randomly.”

Gu Xiao’er, who was only trying to keep Miaomiao entertained with drawing, hadn’t expected such a lengthy conversation. He quickly nodded obediently without saying another word.

Back to the cooking—the seafood was done in no time. As soon as the congee with crab reached a boil, the shrimp, yellow croaker, and crabs were ready as well.

Although there were only four dishes, since the biggest eater wasn’t home, Madam Zhou figured the congee and seafood would be enough for them. So she didn’t bother heating up any buns or cooking noodles.

The elderly couple worried the two older grandsons wouldn’t know how to eat crabs, so they taught them first, showing how to crack open the crabs before peeling shrimp for Miaomiao.

The little one was eating with oil all over his mouth and still reached out for more crab.

Gu Wuyi handed him a crab leg. “Can you eat this?”

The boy took a bite but immediately frowned, sticking out his tongue in disgust.

The elderly couple couldn’t help but laugh.

Embarrassed and angry, the boy raised his hand, ready to throw the crab leg.

Gu Wuyi caught his tiny hand. “If you don’t want it, give it to me. There’s meat inside.”

The boy stared at him with wide eyes, as if to say, Where’s the meat?

Gu Wuyi gently bit the crab leg, then cracked it open to reveal the tender white meat inside. He picked a small piece and held it near the boy’s mouth. The boy looked at him in disbelief.

Old Qin took some crab meat, dipped it in sauce, and offered it to the boy. “Is it good?”

The boy nodded vigorously. It tasted completely different from shrimp!

Old Qin chuckled. “Even if it’s good, you can’t have any more. It’s time for you to eat your congee.”

The little boy didn’t say a word and pushed his bowl far away.

Sitting across from him, Gu Xiao’er glanced at him. “Small body, big temper.”

The boy puffed up his cheeks and glared at him.

Gu Wuyi poked his little face. “If you don’t drink it, I’ll tell Dad you’re being naughty.”

Although Qin Feng had never hit him, the boy was still afraid of him. Hearing that, he widened his eyes and reluctantly pulled the bowl back toward himself.

After taking a sip of the congee, the boy was surprised but couldn’t find the right words to describe how it tasted.

Gu Wuyi was watching him closely and noticed he liked it. “Is it good?”

The boy nodded vigorously.

Gu Wuyi rewarded him with a big shrimp. “Finish it up, and I’ll take you out to play.”

“Where to?” the boy asked in his small, muffled voice.

There wasn’t much to do in the countryside, and even Gu Wuyi wasn’t sure where to take him. “You’ll find out after we eat.”

The boy gripped his spoon tightly, his little face almost buried in the bowl.

Gu Wuyi tugged his tiny ear. “Don’t get so close.”

The boy obediently nodded, quickly scooped up the remaining congee, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and turned to look at Gu Wuyi.

Feeling awkward under the boy’s intense gaze, Gu Wuyi cracked open a crab, taking one bite himself and giving the next bite to the boy.

Before long, the boy was slumped over the table, too full to move.

Seeing this, Gu Wuyi asked playfully, “So, where do you want to go play?”

The boy stretched out his arms, asking for a hug.

Madam Zhou wiped her hands and lifted him onto her lap.

In less than a minute, the boy was fast asleep.

Madam Zhou couldn’t help but sigh, “This kid is really easy to take care of.”

Gu Wuyi smiled. “He’s been a bit naughty lately. He wouldn’t even dare touch a crab before.”

"Being a little naughty is good — he won’t get pushed around in the future."

Gu Wuyi agreed with that sentiment, which is why he usually let the boy do as he pleased. But when it came to grabbing crabs or dancing around in scorching wheat grains, they had to stop him.

Gu Wuyi noticed there were still quite a few crabs left. “What about these?”

Madam Zhou replied, “I’ll pick out the crab meat and store it in the fridge with the pork. Tonight, we’ll knead some dough, chop some meat, and make dumplings.”

Gu Wuyi was surprised.

Madam Zhou found his reaction odd. “What’s wrong?”

Gu Xiao’er, feeling that there was no need to keep things from his grandmother, spoke up. “Grandma, you always said Dad had good taste, but I didn’t expect you to also be a good eater."

“I’m not. I learned all of this from your dad,” Madam Zhou said, then suddenly thought of her son asking her brother to open a shop. She couldn’t help but ask, “What do you think we should sell if we opened a food shop?”

Gu Wuyi replied, “It depends on the location. If it’s across from the train station, selling simple noodles would be fine. But that wouldn’t suit Grandpa Zhou— train station business is busy early in the morning and late at night.”

Old Qin nodded. “During the day, people go home. Who’s going to stay there to eat?”

Madam Zhou considered her brother’s age. The train station wasn’t ideal. “What about just outside the station?”

“That depends on the spot too. If it’s in front of an elementary school, selling snacks and street food could work, but selling full meals probably wouldn’t. For middle schools, the food has to be not only tasty but also unique. Otherwise, students won’t bother coming out to eat since the cafeteria is always cheaper.”

Madam Zhou sighed. “So, student business is hard to crack.”

“What about in the city?”

Old Qin shook his head. “Better off sticking to schools. Students may not have much money, but they haven’t tasted the best food yet. In the city, there are so many restaurants already. If you want to stand out and stay in business for the long haul, making a profit won’t be easy with just your brother’s cooking skills.”

Gu Wuyi also had doubts but didn’t want to say it outright. “Why not ask my dad?”

Speak of the devil, he appears.

As soon as Madam Zhou looked up, she saw her son pushing the gate open, his face slightly flushed.

Old Qin followed her gaze and sat up straight. “Have you been drinking?”

“Just two glasses. I must be out of practice — feeling a bit dizzy. What did you all eat?”

Gu Wuyi: "Seafood."

Qin Feng walked inside, leaning in for a glance.

Madam Zhou: "Want some? If you’re eating, I won’t put it away."

Qin Feng shook his head.

Old Qin asked curiously, "Who did you eat with?"

"The factory director and the others. Originally, I didn’t plan on drinking, but the deputy director said, ‘The director even brought out his Maotai — if not for the director’s sake, at least give face to the Maotai.’ I mean, listen to that logic!" Qin Feng shook his head with a helpless smile.

Madam Zhou scoffed, "He just wanted to drink himself, didn’t he?"

Qin Feng dampened a towel with water and wiped his face, sighing in comfort. "Exactly. We had two bottles of Maotai. Each of us had two small cups, and he downed half a jin on his own."

Old Qin commented, "Well, he clearly has a high tolerance. Don’t try to keep up with him, or you’ll be the one suffering."

Qin Feng shook his head. "I’m not that foolish." Then he noticed something was off — one child was missing. "Where’s Miaomiao?"

"He ate too much and got sleepy," Old Qin said, pointing toward the bedroom.

Qin Feng peeked inside and saw the little one fast asleep, unmoved even by a thunderstorm. "Why is he so exhausted every day?"

"Because those little legs of his hardly ever stop moving. How could he not be tired?" Madam Zhou poured him a cup of water.

Qin Feng pulled over a chair and sat down, suddenly recalling something. Last year, during Mid-Autumn Festival, his sister’s family had joined them for lunch. This year, they hadn’t come, and he wasn’t sure if they would drop by later. "Mom, is Qin Ying coming by with mooncakes this year?"

Madam Zhou wasn’t sure. "Who cares? I bought some." She gestured toward the table, where a box of mooncakes sat. Upon hearing his question, she immediately opened a package. Since they had just eaten, she broke one mooncake into four pieces so everyone could have a small bite.

Gu Xiao’er hadn’t had a mooncake filled with rock sugar, candied fruit strips, peanuts, and sesame seeds for a long time. After two bites, he wasn’t tired of it yet and couldn’t help but comment, "It’s actually pretty good."

Madam Zhou smiled. "Want me to break off another piece for you?"

Qin Feng stopped her. "Don’t. This stuff gets greasy. Don’t open another package either. Leave the rest to bring to Grandma’s house."

Hearing about visiting her family, Madam Zhou sighed, unable to hold back her grumble. "There’s no one left in the old house. No matter how many we bring, it’s just your uncle’s grandkids eating them."

Qin Feng chuckled. “Didn’t you use to enjoy visiting relatives?”

Madam Zhou sighed. “That was in the past.”

Ever since she became disappointed in her daughter, Madam Zhou no longer cared much for maintaining ties with relatives. If even her own daughter was unreliable — someone she could go months without seeing — what good were distant relatives?

Seeing her mood shift, Qin Feng changed the topic. “Is my paternal aunt coming?”

Madam Zhou did a quick mental calculation. “Last year, she came to our house because you were home. This year, it’s probably the eldest family’s turn.”

Just as Madam Zhou predicted, the family spent Mid-Autumn Festival together on the 15th. The next day, on the 16th, Aunt Qin showed up.

Though she had married a farmer, her in-laws were relatively well-off. They owned a hand-held tractor, which could be rented out during the harvest season for cutting wheat or plowing fields to earn extra income.

Because her life was better off, Qin Feng's eldest and second aunts often tried to cozy up to her.

However, this aunt preferred her third sister-in-law, Madam Zhou, who never fawned over her or eyed her possessions. She especially liked that Qin Feng had achieved success, which brought her pride as his aunt. So, whenever there were visitors at Qin Feng’s house, she would drop by to chat with Madam Zhou.

She had heard during a previous visit to her family that Qin Feng had a child. However, that day happened to be a hot weekend, and the kids hadn’t come over, so she hadn’t seen him.

Now that she finally saw him, she immediately gave Miaomiao two yuan as a meeting gift.

Madam Zhou had given her grandchildren meeting gifts before, so she let Miaomiao accept it.

The little boy immediately handed the money to his big brother, asking him to hold onto it for safekeeping.

Aunt Qin was curious. “Does he already recognize money at such a young age?”

“What doesn’t your eldest nephew teach him?” Madam Zhou laughed, then turned to Gu Wuyi. “Take your little brothers to buy some snacks. But don’t buy random things, and watch out for traffic when crossing the street.”

It was already noon, and Gu Wuyi had just gotten out of school. Qin Feng hadn’t returned home yet, so Gu Wuyi thought he might as well take his two younger brothers to the factory and ask if their dad was coming home for lunch.

Once the boys were gone, Aunt Qin leaned in closer, hesitant at first, worried the kids might blurt something out. “Third Sister-in-law, did you hear? Eldest Brother and Second Brother’s families have been making quite a bit of money lately, bringing in goods from the south.”

Madam Zhou was surprised. “Who told you that?”

Aunt Qin wasn’t surprised by Madam Zhou’s reaction. “I figured you didn’t know. I don’t think many people in the village do either. I heard it from my husband. He went to the city to buy diesel a few days ago and saw them setting up a stall outside the department store to sell clothes.”

“Selling clothes?” Madam Zhou was astonished.

Aunt Qin nodded. “And shoes, along with some other random things. I asked my eldest sister-in-law just now, and she said my husband must’ve seen it wrong.”

Madam Zhou frowned. “Maybe he really did. I haven’t seen them with any clothes or anything like that.”

Aunt Qin shook her head. “They definitely don’t keep the stuff at home. Or maybe they bring it back after dark. Honestly, they act like selling things is some sort of secret. Is that really necessary?”

Madam Zhou didn’t think it was. “No wonder my eldest brother selling popsicles doesn’t make my sister-in-law jealous. I was puzzled about that before. Turns out they’ve got a more profitable side hustle.”

Then, all of a sudden, she thought of her daughter, but quickly dismissed the thought. “Do you know where they’re getting their goods from?”

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