novelraw Chapter 236 - 232: How Much Do You Think Xiangyang Is Worth?
Chapter 236 - 232: How Much Do You Think Xiangyang Is Worth?
Seeing her hesitation, Lin Lan looked at her. "So, what are your plans now?"
"I haven’t decided yet. I wanted to hear your advice."
"I think you could open a small sundry shop. When it’s hot, you could put a cooler of popsicles out front, get some ice to chill a few bottles of soda to sell. Business would definitely be good."
"A sundry shop?" Zhou Xiaohong thought for a moment and looked at Lin Lan. "Are you talking about something like a consignment store?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Lin Lan slapped her forehead. "I saw in the newspaper the other day that in the coastal areas, they call them ’sundry shops’."
Zhou Xiaohong thought for a moment, made up her mind, and walked over to Lin Lan. "That’s a good path to take, too. But I have an idea of my own I’d like to discuss with you."
Lin Lan looked at her. "Go ahead."
Zhou Xiaohong said in a low voice, "I heard that the clothing business in the provincial capital is incredibly good. They can sell a huge bag of goods in one day, and a single bag can earn several hundred yuan. Are you interested? If you are, we could make a trip to the provincial capital to check out the market."
Lin Lan looked at Zhou Xiaohong with admiration. "Sister Zhou, you’re so quick on your feet. Xiangyang and I were also planning to go to the provincial capital in a few days. I want to see if there are any wholesalers for fabric."
"Then let’s set a time to go together." Zhou Xiaohong thought for a moment, then added, "To be honest with you, Xu Mingxuan came back to East Market for a trip a few days ago. He told Old Chen that he quit his job before New Year’s Day."
"He’s going to the coast specifically to wholesale clothes, then comes back to sell them in his family’s shop in the provincial capital. He makes a trip every half-month, and each trip earns him a four-figure sum. That’s way more than we make, working out in the elements all day."
Lin Lan nodded. "Xiangyang and I were also planning to go to the provincial capital to look at fabric. When Xiangyang is free, we’ll all go check it out together."
’These people are the real trendsetters of this era,’ she thought. ’I just had the unfair advantage of being reborn.’
She knew the fastest ways to make money these days: selling smuggled goods, clothes, and small home appliances. She had a shop. If she made a trip to the coast and brought back a batch of clothing, she’d be guaranteed not to worry about sales.
’I wonder if there are any electronics wholesalers on the coast yet,’ she mused. ’Things like tape recorders, televisions, electric fans, rice cookers, digital watches... if I could bring those small appliances back to East Market, they would be a guaranteed bestseller.’
Zhou Xiaohong said happily, "Great! It’s good to have company. Go on, you have a customer."
Lin Lan nodded, picked up her bag and bamboo tongs, and walked toward the customer.
After five o’clock, the crowd in the Eucalyptus Forest thinned out. Lin Lan declined Zhigang’s offer to help, said goodbye to Yang Liying, and started pulling her cart home.
When she reached the wall of Li Guizhi’s courtyard, a black sedan drove toward her, honked its horn, and stopped a short distance away.
Lin Lan moved to the side, under the wall, and saw a very elegant-looking woman in a black cashmere coat, with her hair in a bun, get out of the car.
Lin Lan gave her a faint glance, pulled her cart a little further to the side, and started walking her bicycle toward home.
"You must be Lin Lan." Li Jing walked up to Lin Lan’s bicycle and said, looking at her.
Lin Lan looked at her, confused. "And you are?" ’She looked familiar, but I can’t place her,’ she thought.
Li Jing gave a faint smile. "I’m Xiangyang’s older sister. I’d like to have a word with you." She had heard Xiangyang wasn’t around today and had come to find Lin Lan on purpose.
’This country woman is a little different than I imagined,’ Li Jing thought. ’She isn’t rustic or timid. It’s probably because she’s in business.’
Lin Lan also replied faintly, "If you have something to say, let’s talk at my home." ’So it’s Li Jing. Looking closely, I can see a hint of Xiangyang in her eyes and brow. No wonder she seemed familiar.’
Li Jing was unwilling to go to Lin Lan’s home, feeling that it was Lin Lan’s familiar territory. "That won’t be necessary. Come talk in my car."
Seeing Lin Lan’s calm expression, she figured Li Xiangyang might have told her about his relationship with his family.
Lin Lan thought for a moment, got off her bicycle, and got into the car with her.
After the two of them were in the car, the driver got out.
Li Jing saw that Lin Lan remained just as calm even after sitting in the car, unlike other country women who would become stiff and anxious, not even knowing where to put their hands and feet.
Seeing Li Jing just staring at her without speaking, Lin Lan looked back and asked, "You didn’t come looking for me just to see what I look like, did you?"
Li Jing gathered her thoughts and looked at Lin Lan, her face devoid of expression. "Do you think you’re good enough for Xiangyang?"
Lin Lan gave her a scornful look. "Whether I’m good enough for Xiangyang isn’t for you to decide."
Li Jing’s gaze turned grim as she stared at Lin Lan. "How dare you speak to me like that?" She couldn’t believe Lin Lan dared to show her no respect whatsoever.
Lin Lan leaned back, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her face as she looked at Li Jing. "One must respect oneself before others will respect you. As a teacher, Ms. Li, you should understand that principle better than I do."
Lin Lan’s mocking gaze made Li Jing’s anger flare up. She said furiously, "What a sharp-tongued little widow!"
Lin Lan looked at her coldly. "Since you have no intention of speaking civilly, Ms. Li, there’s no need for me to sit here any longer."
"Wait!" Li Jing lifted her chin slightly, looking at Lin Lan with contempt. "As long as you agree to leave Xiangyang, I’m willing to compensate you. Name your price."
As she spoke, she picked up the handbag beside her, unzipped it to reveal stacks of cash inside, and waited for Lin Lan to name her price.
"Heh." Lin Lan let out a short laugh and settled back in her seat. She retorted coldly, "How much do you think Xiangyang is worth? In your eyes, can everything be calculated in terms of money? Whether it’s family or love, you just buy it when you need it and sell it at a discount when you don’t?"
Lin Lan paused, her gaze sharp. "I’m sorry, but I don’t think someone with your character is fit to be a role model for students, nor are you fit to be Xiangyang’s sister. Don’t come looking for me again. My relationship with Xiangyang is none of your business."
"You... you..." Li Jing stared at Lin Lan, so angry she couldn’t form a complete sentence.
After she finished speaking, Lin Lan glanced at Li Jing’s ashen face. "I won’t see you out." With that, she opened the car door, got out, shut it, walked to her bicycle, and began pulling her cart home.
A chill ran through Li Jing’s entire body. She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms. It wasn’t until she heard the car door shut that she realized Lin Lan was gone.
Li Jing’s lips trembled. ’I was just lectured by a country hag? I underestimated this country hag. How dare she... how could she...’
’That country hag must know something. Did Xiangyang tell her everything about our family?’
She took a deep breath and slowly leaned back against the seat. ’I need to think carefully about what to do next.’
Lin Lan’s expression was grim as she slowly pulled her cart homeward. ’That self-righteous woman. If she weren’t Xiangyang’s sister, I would have spat in her face.’
’Even Sister Zhou is getting ready to act on the news. I can’t afford to get complacent anymore. I need to make a solid plan tonight and ride this wave to work hard for the next few years.’
’Tomorrow morning, I’ll go ask around about how to get a business license these days and how big of a stall a private entrepreneur is allowed to set up.’