Chapter 31: Opening a New Way to Make Money

Chen Gui couldn't even utter a word in reply.

Lao Xie coughed twice, saying: "Alright, alright, stop crowding around."

"Just clear up the misunderstanding."

"A An, let's go inside to discuss the price."

Wu An saw no expression on Wu Yingwei's face, his heart pounding, and he didn't know whether Father would eat the seafood he brought home when he returned.

Father and he have severed ties; it's easy to imagine how badly he had behaved before, making Father so angry.

He didn't think that saying he would study hard, reform, and sending some seafood would make Father calm down.

So for now.

He also didn't know how to speak to Father, so he could only follow Lao Xie into the house.

Chen Gui turned away with a dark face.

Wu Yingwei shouted back: "A Gui, where are you going?"

"There are still flyers left to hand out."

Chen Gui didn't look back: "You hand them out yourself."

"I'm going home to eat."

Wu Yingwei quickly followed after him.

Chen Gui asked with a dark face: "You're not handing out flyers anymore?"

Wu Yingwei smiled and said: "No rush."

"Whenever you hand out these flyers, it's still handing them out."

"I came out early this morning and hadn't even had breakfast; I'll go home, eat first, then talk."

Having said that, he strode forward.

Soon, Chen Gui fell behind, watching Wu Yingwei's striding back, and a phrase inexplicably popped into his mind: "walking with wind!"

"Damn, going home isn't to eat breakfast; it's clearly to go see the seafood your second son sent."

"Still laughing, go ahead and laugh—I don't believe a good-for-nothing can truly reform; sooner or later you'll be crying!"

Chen Gui grew angrier the more he scolded.

"Damn it! Wu An called me a blockhead; looking at this, I really am a blockhead."

He thought it over, pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and said: "Lao Tan, it's Wu An from our village—you lent me money, right?"

"These past few days that kid has made a fair bit of money gathering seafood."

"That guy's already been kicked out by his father; if you don't act soon, this money might be impossible to recover."

After hanging up the phone.

Chen Gui sneered: "Just wait and see—we'll see who ends up laughing at whom."

……

Lao Xie poured the Crab Tigers from the bucket into a large basin, then took two small basins for sorting, saying: "These need sorting; the smaller ones are about two taels each, I'll pay 150."

Speaking, he picked up one small Crab Tiger after another and tossed them into the red small basin.

"These larger ones, I'll pay 170."

"Let's just split them into these two sizes."

A Qing nodded, squatted down, and said: "This is simple."

After saying that, he began sorting according to Lao Xie's standard.

Wu An didn't speak.

We've all dealt with each other before; Lao Xie said: "A An, I wouldn't dare say this purchase price is unmatched, but it's absolutely fair."

Wu An smiled and said: "Lao Xie, then I definitely trust you; otherwise I wouldn't have come straight to you."

"But another day, when I go to town, I'll also inquire about prices."

"Same as always: as long as you don't cheat me, I'll give you all the seafood A Qing and I gather, catch, and harvest."

Lao Xie smiled and nodded.

Laying out the unpleasant truths upfront is good; everyone is clear.

Wu An also squatted down to sort.

Not long after sorting, they weighed them: the smaller ones totaled 8 catties, the larger ones 13 catties; after calculation, the total came to 3410.

Wu An voluntarily said to round up the change, and received 34 red banknotes.

After counting the money, he called for A Qing to take the water bucket and leave.

Just as the two left, Lao Xie pulled out his phone and called: "Hello, boss, I've just gathered a bit of wild Crab Tiger, yes, absolutely wild."

"Because the amount is small, the price is……210 per catty!"

"Haha, good, good, I'll send it over as soon as I collect it at the stall."

After hanging up, he called several restaurant purchasers.

After a few calls, Lao Xie happily smoked a cigarette, and with a slight turn of his hand, he made a thousand or so dollars.

This money was easy to make.

Wild Crab Tigers are too rare, and still very much in demand.

Of course, he isn't afraid of Wu An going to town to inquire about prices; the price he gives Wu An is a purchase price, while what he supplies to restaurants is at retail price.

……

Wu An divided the money on the road; having no change, he directly gave A Qing four hundred.

A Qing took the money and said: "Brother, come to my house for dinner tonight."

Wu An shook his head: "No."

We'll just make do with something to eat in the evening; we can't go to your house every day to mooch food and drink.

Right, I need to go to town this afternoon.

A Qing blinked, asking: "Going to town? Are you worried Lao Xie will screw us over?"

No, the price Lao Xie gave should be fair. Wu An paused, then said: "But today's matter gave me a heads-up."

If we keep selling goods at our village dock, it'll be too conspicuous and invite envy.

Go to town to pay off the usurious loan, then buy a fishing rod, and check the situation while we're at it.

The two of them dug up a crab tiger on the tidal flats; this news will spread quickly, and then the villagers will surely swarm over.

Crab tiger is a premium catch worth over a hundred per jin; if we're lucky enough to dig up a few, it's far better than odd jobs for the village women and elders.

Rather than fighting the others for limited resources, it's better to open another moneymaking avenue—fishing can be done all day, unlike gathering at sea which requires chasing the tides, so it's far more flexible.

As long as our luck value is high enough, fishing won't earn less than gathering at sea; if we catch some premium haul, we can even make a big profit.

A Qing said: "Then this afternoon I won't go gathering at sea; I'll go with you to town, so I won't have missed going to town for fun."

Wu An nodded.

A Qing is willing to come along; besides, if we buy a lot of stuff, we can share the load.

Upon reaching the alley entrance, A Qing carried the bucket home.

He went to the small shop.

He greeted Lao Jiang, who said: "Just now your sister-in-law came to buy soy sauce and took the liquor as well."

Wu An nodded and headed straight inside.

Lao Jiang didn't follow this time.

He found the rice and flour, all in small bags, and also a small electric fan; yesterday he hadn't slept well because it was too hot—even with the sea breeze at night, he woke up drenched in sweat.

Lao Jiang said: "Buying these old things, we're getting rich again."

Wu An said: "Good luck."

Lao Jiang lowered his voice: "Chen Gui called your dad to the dock, but instead it ended up giving you the chance to stage that prodigal son's priceless performance."

"Just now Chen Gui came here to buy cigarettes."

"He had such a sour face."

Wu An didn't expect the news to spread so fast; before long the whole village will know, which also helps him gain fame, establishing the prodigal son persona—a pleasant surprise. He laughed and said: "Bring another case of beer."

Lao Xie said: "If you don't buy two cases, I'll deliver the rice and flour together by bike later."

Wu An nodded: "Later I need to sleep; just put the alcohol and rice/flour at the door."

He isn't afraid of theft either.

No one in this village would dare come to his house to steal.

The little money for two cases of beer is no problem to spend.

Back home, he first washed the dirty clothes, hung them out; by then the sun was already high, and he broke into another sweat. After a quick rinse, Wu An shut the door, turned on the electric fan, and drifted off to sleep with the breeze blowing.

Lao Jiang rode his bike to Lao Wu's place to deliver goods, where he met Lin Bin, who curiously asked: "Old Jiang, why are you coming to the delinquent's residence?"

Lao Jiang: "Making a delivery."

Lin Bin saw the beer and rice/flour on the bike and exclaimed: "Old Jiang, are you all right? His father doesn't care about him, but you do?"

Lao Jiang snapped: "They spent money buying a lot of stuff; I'm just helping deliver it—what's the problem?"

Lin Bin simply didn't believe him: "If you have some leverage over the delinquent, give me a wink if it's true."

Lao Jiang cursed: "Get lost, I can't be bothered to wrangle with you."