Free Web NovelChapter 16: Chapter 16: Let’s Build a Business
Li Hongqin was a rather unique figure in the neighboring Li Family Village.
Her mother had injured herself during childbirth and couldn’t have any more children, so Li Hongqin was an only child. As the sole daughter, she was raised almost like a son.
Her parents were skilled, hardworking people, and when she grew up, they found a live-in son-in-law for her. Everything was going well, and their lives were improving by the day. Unfortunately, her husband died in an accident two years ago, leaving her alone with their young daughter.
Li Hongqin, who had been planning for a second child, was now a widow. The Li Family was once again left with only a single daughter in the lineage.
Li Hongqin felt this might be her fate. It took her a year to emerge from the shadow of her husband’s death, but she eventually pulled herself together, determined to raise her daughter well.
Her daughter was her entire world, so she was immensely grateful to Su Li.
Looking at the clucking hen on the ground, along with the cured meat and salted fish, Su Li could truly feel the depth of her gratitude.
There wasn’t a lot of cured meat or salted fish, but in this era, such things were exceptionally precious and rare.
After Li Hongqin and her group expressed their thanks with great fanfare, the few people who had come with her left. They had relatives in Xinghua Village and said they were going to pay them a visit.
Only Su Li, Little Tang Mo, Li Hongqin, and Little Cao remained in the courtyard.
Little Cao was Li Hongqin’s daughter. She was only six years old and was the little girl who had been drugged by the human traffickers. Today, she was full of energy and earnestly kowtowed to Su Li to show her gratitude. Su Li’s main goal had been to save Little Tang Mo; rescuing Little Cao had been a matter of pure luck. Feeling too undeserving to accept the gesture, she hurried to help the girl up but wasn’t quick enough.
"You don’t have to do this," Su Li repeated.
"We should, we should. Does it still hurt badly?" Li Hongqin asked, concerned for Su Li.
"I’ll blow on it for Aunt Su," Little Cao said, her voice soft and sweet as she came forward to gently blow on Su Li’s injury.
Su Li had absolutely no resistance to such a small, well-behaved, and adorable little girl. She patted her head. "It doesn’t hurt. Aunt Su isn’t in pain."
Little Tang Mo, who had been standing off to the side, pursed his lips at the sight. He silently came closer, standing nearby to make his presence known.
"Little Mo, why don’t you go play with Little Cao?" Su Li said, thinking he was just eager for a playmate.
"Okay," Little Tang Mo agreed but didn’t move. He kept staring at Su Li’s hand, a look of longing in his eyes.
Su Li was baffled. ’There’s nothing in my hand!’
Seeing that she didn’t move, Little Tang Mo’s eyes filled with disappointment. His envious gaze fell on Little Cao’s head, then back to Su Li. His whole posture seemed to slump, and he looked utterly dejected and listless.
Su Li: "..." She inexplicably felt like she had committed an unforgivable crime.
But then, an idea flashed in her mind. Although she thought it was unlikely, just before Little Tang Mo walked away, she tentatively placed her hand on his head.
Su Li really was just testing her theory, but the moment her hand rested on Little Tang Mo’s head, she knew her guess had been correct.
She watched in disbelief as the dejected Little Tang Mo’s face instantly lit up, as if he had just been given the whole world. He actively nuzzled her hand before, completely satisfied and full of renewed energy, he led Little Cao away to play.
Su Li stared at his retreating back, completely dumbfounded. ’He really just wanted a head pat? Is this still the same person who will become that world-famous, aloof physicist?’
In her past life, Tang Mo had become expressionless and cold from all the hardships he had endured. But this Little Tang Mo, so happy and satisfied with a simple pat on the head... it was hard to get used to.
’Little Tang Mo, you’re going to be a genius physicist, a winner in life! Is it really okay for you to be so easily satisfied and so cute?’
Watching the interaction between Su Li and Little Tang Mo, then seeing the look on Su Li’s face, Li Hongqin couldn’t help but laugh. "Little Mo is so cute, and smart too."
"Yes, he’s very smart. He’s a genius," Su Li said matter-of-factly. Li Hongqin chuckled, not taking her seriously, and changed the subject to idle chatter. freēwēbnovel.com
Li Hongqin’s ancestors were tailors. She’d heard they had even entered the imperial palace to make clothes for nobles in the past. Although the family had fallen on hard times since then, the craft had been passed down.
"...I’m afraid I’ll be poor my whole life if I just keep farming. Things are getting better everywhere now. I want to use my skills to find a job. I also had a few years of schooling, so I want to take a chance and give Little Cao a better future."
The connections between people are strange. Some people you can know your whole life and never get along, while others you’ve just met feel like old friends.
Li Hongqin found herself naturally opening up to Su Li.
Su Li listened intently and asked her several questions. She had already been thinking about how to earn money, wondering where to start and what exactly to do.
In the early part of her previous life, she had struggled terribly, but she had slowly managed to pull through in the later years.
Her favorite thing to do since she was a child was reading. Unfortunately, she had no opportunity to do so in her early years. It was only later that she got the chance to read constantly. She read all sorts of miscellaneous books and later pursued specialized studies. Over time, her knowledge and foresight naturally developed.
When Su Li was reborn, her knowledge and foresight came with her. She possessed an unparalleled advantage that people of this era could never hope to catch up to.
She knew what would happen in the coming decades, and she knew which industries would be profitable... It was like having the superpower of foresight. With such a heaven-defying advantage, she’d despise herself if she still couldn’t make money.
Su Li had thought of many profitable industries—clothing, food, housing, and transportation were all potential starting points. When she heard that Li Hongqin was an experienced tailor, her first thought was of clothing, and an idea sparked in her mind.
Seeing her interest, Li Hongqin also spoke with great enthusiasm.
As they were talking, another guest arrived. It was none other than Yin Cuihua.
She had also come specifically to thank Su Li. She had set out from the county seat right after breakfast and had only just arrived in Xinghua Village. By the time she reached the Tang Family’s home, she was drenched in sweat.
Because the journey was long, it wasn’t convenient to bring her son, so she had come with her husband.
The Tang Family home was lively once again. The three women got together and chatted up a storm.
Although Yin Cuihua kept a smile on her face, a hint of worry lingered between her brows. When Su Li casually asked about it, she shared her troubles.
"...Everyone at the factory has been quite worried lately. Starting two years ago, as the factory produced more and more fabric, they began selling it without requiring ration tickets on the sly, though it wasn’t publicized."
"We were all mentally prepared for it, but now that the official documents canceling the cloth ration tickets have been issued, we’re a little scared. Morale at the factory is low, and all sorts of rumors are flying around. Everyone is saying there will be job reassignments. I’m going to be transferred too, supposedly to the sales department to sell fabric. I’ve been feeling so anxious these past few days..."
Yin Cuihua explained that their factory used to be the only one in the county, but a new one opened last year, and things slowly started to change.
Su Li understood this perfectly. ’It’s market competition.’
She looked at Yin Cuihua and Li Hongqin, and suddenly, a bold plan formed in her mind. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
"Sister Yin, Sister Li, what if the three of us partnered up to start a business?" Su Li asked, her gaze intense as she suddenly spoke with great seriousness.
Yin Cuihua and Li Hongqin were stunned.
