The next day, after sending Ruirui to Wang's house to play with the two brothers, Chen Lishu went to the city. Although it was winter, small businesses and hawkers were popping up on the streets like mushrooms after a spring rain.
Those who sell roasted sweet potatoes, peanuts and melon seeds seem to be able to sell them as long as they have a surplus at home. Although they are still chased by red armbands, it cannot stop people from wanting to make money.
The news in the provincial capital is always better informed than the news below.
With the convening of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the planned economic distribution system began to loosen. This meeting also proposed for the first time the dual-track operation of the planned economy and commodity economy.
Chen Lishu had not participated in it before and therefore did not care about it. It was only later that she gradually realized the benefits of reform and opening up.
Things are different now. She is more eager than anyone else for the opening up of policies and for self-employed individuals to be able to do business openly and no longer need to be secretive.
Wang Aixiang is making clothes at home. Since she got a sewing machine at home, her mother-in-law cuts and Wang Aixiang sews. When they are not selling fabrics, they make clothes at home and earn an extra two yuan a day as commission.
"It's such a cold day, sister, please sit in the room. Are you on holiday?" Seeing Chen Lishu come in, Wang Aixiang hurriedly asked people to sit on the kang. She went to the stove to add some coal and hooked it twice with the stove hook.
Let the fire that has been suppressed burn brighter.
"Sister Ai Xiang, I'm wearing enough clothes to keep you cool. You don't have to be busy anymore."
There is nothing else to burn in the city, especially in winter, so you can only buy coal with a coal purchase book. Even if it is cheap coal, it is not something that ordinary people can buy.
Wang Aixiang waved her hand: "It's okay, girl, don't feel sorry for me. This year, in addition to my own coal, I also spent money to buy some coal from others. What is the purpose of making money? It's just to avoid suffering."
Chen Lishu nodded after hearing her words: "Is everything normal at the textile factory? How much fabric do we still have in the warehouse?"
Wang Aixiang heard her ask, turned around and took out this month's accounting book and handed it to Chen Lishu.
"This month, a total of forty pieces of cloth were imported from the textile factory, and twenty pieces were transported back to the town. The rest that could not be shipped away were wholesaled to agents, as well as the clothes shipped by Brother Zhou, a total of two hundred pieces.
Twenty-six pieces, I’ve recorded the money below.”
Chen Lishu nodded and scanned the accounts she had recorded. After deducting the costs and the shares shared by all parties, the net profit for a month was almost 2,000 yuan.
"I'm going back to my hometown for about a week or so. If there is any emergency, you can call me." Chen Lishu said and left the phone numbers of the village and the small courtyard alley in the town for Wang Aixiang.
"When I came here, I saw a lot of vendors on the streets. This period of time before the year was definitely the time when everyone was most active, and it was also the time when the crackdown on red armbands intensified. Sister Ai Xiang, please pay attention to yourself. We would rather have less fabric every time.
Going a step further, a meeting has been held at the top, and the policy will definitely be relatively loose after the year. We are not in a hurry. At this moment, you can also give instructions to the other two agents."
Wang Aixiang nodded seriously: "Yes, I understand, sister, I will definitely listen to you."
In her mind, Chen Lishu is a college student and naturally knows more than she does. Moreover, she has never been caught since she followed Chen Lishu. This is because Chen Lishu not only has many ideas, but also acts very cautiously.
After coming out of Wang's house, Chen Lishu went to deposit the money first. Thinking that Ruirui didn't have a hat or scarf yet, she went to the department store and bought a pound of wool. When she was about to take the car back, she happened to see a shop selling baked sweet potatoes on the street.
Like melon seeds and peanuts, Chen Lishu bought a pound, and then took the things back home.
After staying at home for another two days, Chen Lishu took the train back to town with Ruirui.
Gu Xingping returned home early during the holidays, and usually only Lin Qi came over. He would turn on the stove every morning and wait until the room was warm before picking up or delivering goods.
Since the Liu Xiaoting incident happened, the five supply and marketing cooperatives collectively requested a price increase, and until now Lin Qi has not resumed supply to them.
‘Meiting’ underwear is still being sold, but both production volume and sales volume are far less than those of ‘Shuise’.
Lin Qi had just returned from Yuan Lihua's place and was taking the fabric to send to Qingshan Village when she saw Chen Lishu leading a child into the house.
"Sister Chen?" Because Chen Lishu didn't say hello in advance, Lin Qi was very surprised to see her.
Chen Lishu rubbed her hands first and felt a little warmer before taking off Ruirui's scarf and hat.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the village to deliver fabrics to auntie and the others. The fire in the stove hasn't gone out yet. How about I add some more firewood?" Lin Qi said, putting down the fabric in her hand and turning around to add more firewood.
"No, it just so happens that we are going back too, and you can still carry some children."
Originally, Chen Lishu was afraid that Ruirui would be too tired and wanted to rest for the night before leaving. It happened that Lin Qi was going back to the village, so she simply went back together.
When Lin Qi heard her words, his eyes fell on Ruirui, and then he remembered to ask: "Sister Chen, whose child is this?"
Chen Lishu smiled: "This is my son, Gu Rui."
Lin Qi's mouth opened slightly: "Brother-in-law, he..." Is he married?
He actually never knew that Gu Xingdong was married for the second time.
Chen Lishu immediately couldn't laugh or cry: "It's not what you think. The child's background is relatively pitiful, so your brother-in-law and I adopted him."
Lin Qi was stunned.
Soon Chen Lishu found a cushion from the house and tied it to the crossbar of the bicycle. Thinking that the wind would inevitably blow on the way back, Chen Lishu went to find her own old clothes and wrapped Ruirui from head to toe, and then the three of them came together.
Set off back to Qingshan Village.
The heavy snow in winter has closed the door, and after the busy autumn harvest, this is a rare time for everyone to have a free time in farming.
Li Xiulan and Zhang Qin were working at home, and Liu Yuemin, with a belly of more than eight months, was sitting by the stove, warming up the fire and burning melon seeds and pumpkin seeds.
Although it was cold outside, we couldn't keep the children in. Several children at home went out to play. The room was a little quiet for a while, except for the occasional "crackling" sound of melon seeds and pumpkin seeds being roasted.
"Squeak."
The door of the room was suddenly pushed open, and a gust of cold wind blew in. Liu Yuemin turned around unhappily, and saw two people, one big and one small, wrapped tightly, walking in.
She didn't recognize her at first, but it wasn't until Chen Lishu took off her scarf and hat that Liu Yuemin asked in surprise: "Third brother and sister, why are you back?"
Li Xiulan and Zhang Qin looked up when they heard the voice and saw that it was Chen Lishu who had returned. They quickly asked her to go to the kang to warm themselves.
"Xiao Lin is here too. Is it cold on the road? Go and warm yourself by the stove. It's extremely cold this winter and the wind is hard."
Li Xiulan had already put on her shoes from the kang and went to the ground, inviting Lin Qi to go to the stove to warm up.
"Third brother and sister, whose child is this?" Liu Yuemin had already pulled the melon seeds and pumpkin seeds aside, then pocketed them in her clothes, and was about to sit down by the kang and eat slowly.