Chapter 6: Capital

A lonely heart finds solace at home, and it makes me much more cheerful along the way. I see the scenery and people with a little more kindness. When I get off the bus, I meet a rickshaw that comes to talk to me, and I also have a smile. I always smile and talk to others.

Chengdu was unfamiliar to me, but fortunately the car that arrived at the station was in the Lotus Pond area, and the rickshaw driver, who was driving around 78,000 yuan, smoothly took me to the place where Su Rou was renting a room.

I knocked on the door of Su Rou with my bags, and I was worried that he wouldn’t be out at 10 o’clock in the morning.

As it turned out, a little while later, there was movement in the room, and Su Rou, with sleepy eyes, came to open the door for me. When he saw it was me, he perked up and said cheerfully, “Sanwa, you’re up early?”

I squeezed into the room, and as always, the stench hit me in the face. I said, “What the hell, it’s already past 10 o’clock, and you’re still sleeping. Don’t you have a business to run?”

Su Rou lazily sat down on the sofa and said, “This business is done at night, you don’t understand. You’ve been with me for three years, Sanwa, you see, I will be very rich in the future.”

After traveling for almost a day, I was tired too. I threw my luggage down and lay down on Su Rou’s bed, saying, “I didn’t plan on this. I’ll follow you to make some money first, and then I’m going to travel around.”

“You can’t leave without money.” Su Rou held an enameled basin and drank the overnight tea inside without looking at it. He scolded me while drinking.

“Overnight tea is not good.” I had my own plans and was too lazy to argue with him.

“There’s no need to be so particular when you’re out in the world. But I also plan to save money and travel around. Only by traveling more can you discover business opportunities. We’ve been apart for so many years, so this time I have to follow you. Don’t leave me behind.” Su Rou said calmly.

I looked at Su Rou and was moved. I knew that this kid didn’t trust me. He thought I didn’t have much experience in social life, so it would be better for him to follow me.

I’m not imagining this. From the environment where Su Rou lives and the fact that he sleeps all morning, I know that this kid’s life is not too good, but he wants to find an opportunity to soar.

“Let’s go downstairs and get something to eat. I’m hungry,” said Su Rou, patting his stomach.

“No, my mom made me a bunch of food, so save some and eat at home.” While talking, I went to look through my luggage, and soon found a lot of things, my mom’s braised chicken feet, cold-cooked rabbit, spicy chicken…

Su Rou drooled and said that I loved the dishes made by Aunt Xiuyun, but when I was flipping through the bag, I froze. I found a stack of money in the bag, a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills!

When I saw the crispy pork, I also came over and found the stack of hundred-yuan bills. I looked at it and exclaimed, “Damn! I don’t need to count it. I can tell at a glance that it’s ten thousand yuan. Sanwa, you don’t need to do anything. You can eat and drink for two years for free.

Yes, in 1990, 10,000 yuan was enough to buy absolutely nothing for two years!

I took out the money, and without thinking, I knew that my parents had secretly slipped it to me. I was moved, but also felt guilty! I was such a big person, and I still had to ask my parents for money.

Seeing my ever-changing face, Su Rou knew what I was thinking and patted me on the shoulder, saying, “Sanwa, Uncle Chen and Aunt Xiuyun are actually quite wealthy now. They’re old, and all they want is for their children to do well. If you have the ability, use this ten thousand yuan to do something and make more money to repay them.”

I don’t have a strong concept of money. It was only during the few months when my master was away that I gradually realized the importance of money. However, even so, I still don’t have a strong concept of it. Just as the antiques my master left me are all valuable, and he said that in a critical moment, they can be sold and used for cultivation, I am still very confused. Moreover, I have decided not to sell these things, and I was only thinking of shipping them home and letting my parents help collect them. Suddenly, holding 10,000 yuan, I suddenly felt that it was a bit hot.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to do with it.

The crispy pork gave me some ideas. Master said that cultivation cannot be stopped, but what is cultivation? It is supported by money. I have to make money in the next three years. With this capital, what should I do?

The crispy meat walked around the room excitedly, saying, “Buddy, I’ve always wanted to do something big. This is really a lifesaver. Sanwa, let’s do it together.”

I nodded blankly, but said, “But there’s only 7,000. I have to pay 3,000 back to someone else.”

Then I thought that the remaining three years of my life would pass in the process of doing business with Su Rou, but I didn’t expect that fate would always be different for everyone. It would lead people to the path they should take, just as I was a Taoist, I always had to do what a Taoist should do.

I avoided Miaojiang, but I still ended up there…Taoist priest

I slept in the house until the afternoon because I was tired. When I woke up, the crispy meat was gone. I got up and asked around. I finally transferred the money to Qinhuai at the post office. When I got back, I saw the crispy meat waiting for me with a worried look on his face.

“Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you to do something important.” Su Rou said anxiously.

I saw a pile of things in the room, which made me blush. It turned out to be women’s underwear and other things, as well as some ordinary shirts and trousers.

I didn’t know what Su Rou was going to do, but I just said, “I’m a big guy, I’m not going to get lost, what big deal?”

Su Rou didn’t say anything, took two woven bags, and put all the miscellaneous things in them. He said, “Come help me. What’s the best thing to make money on these days? Women’s money is the best to make money on. With a brand, everything is easy to say. My financial resources are not enough, so I can only make small-cost underwear. With your money to join, my underwear will sell well. After making this money, we’ll go to Guangzhou…”

I listened to Su Rou’s rambling speech with some confusion. I had no idea what business was all about, so I asked, “Women’s money is easy to make. Why are you making men’s shirts and pants?”

“Nonsense, who else do women buy things for besides themselves? Their own men! You just wait and see!” Su Rou had already neatly packed a bag of things, and I followed suit. After packing two bags, Su Rou beckoned me to go out.

We arrived at a small factory, a garment processing factory, and I was a little confused. Su Rou and I put the bags in the guard room, and then under the influence of a pack of Hongta Mountain, Su Rou and I successfully entered the factory.

When we got to the director’s office, I saw a skinny man sitting behind the desk. As soon as he saw Su Rou, he shouted in a thick Cantonese accent, “Why are you here again? I’ve told you many times, don’t you understand? We don’t do anything illegal anymore. I have to go with my goose, aluminum goose, that’s it.”

What the hell is a goose or an aluminum goose? I didn’t expect to be treated like this as soon as I walked in. I was almost confused by the Cantonese accent of a native speaker. But I didn’t want to be dragged in by Su Rou. He slammed the door shut and then said with a smile on his fat face to the factory manager, “This is a small token of my appreciation. Buy something nice for your son or daughter. I’ll pay a good price this time. Can you do me a favor?”

While he was talking, I saw that Su Rou had already handed over two hundred yuan. In those days, two hundred yuan was not as exaggerated as it was in the 1980s, but it was definitely not a small amount. I thought that the factory manager in front of me, such a big boss, would not want the two hundred yuan, but he still took it, and his expression towards Su Rou also eased a lot.

“It’s not a matter of money. You know, I’m a legitimate businessman…” the boss said.

I resisted the urge to slam the teacup on his head. It wasn’t a matter of money. You’re such a big boss, and you’re charging 200 yuan? And then you’re going to take the money and not do the job? And you keep saying you’re a legitimate businessman. Is Su Rou going to do something illegal?

“How about 10 yuan per sign? Are you in or out?” Su Rou didn’t hesitate and said directly, slapping the table.

“Do you have money? Didn’t you say you owed me last time? You know, I’m just a small business…” The boss changed his tone.

“If you don’t have money, how can you give your son and daughter gifts?” In the meantime, Su Rou took out a stack of 1,000 yuan from his pocket and said, “Long-term cooperative relationship, right? For a logo, how low is the capital you invest? Don’t you often cooperate with Wang Wu? I give you a higher price, what do you think?”

The boss said calmly, “I can’t do business with less, you know, it’s a loss…”