Back to 1978: Getting rich starts with treasure hunting

Chapter 208

Dabao longed to go out and have fun, but Lin Shu told him that it was impossible and that she would only take them out to pay New Year's greetings.

Look, little Dabao is looking forward to the New Year again.

It is said that the New Year comes after Laba Festival. In the provincial capital, the streets are busier than ever despite the severe cold in the twelfth month.

Some families with relatively good financial conditions would start asking people around to find out which village in the countryside would slaughter pigs for the New Year around the 12th lunar month.

In the city, even if all the family members are workers, the meat coupons are not enough for the New Year. You have to find a way to get some meat from the countryside to entertain guests during the New Year.

Some families who bought less meat for the New Year would serve a bowl of meat only to the guests in order to entertain them during the first month of the year. After the guests left, they would lock up the remaining meat.

They would rather starve their own family members than treat their guests badly. This is usually something that only hospitable and face-conscious families can do.

Lin Shu also received several orders asking her to bring back more meat.

That day, Lin Shu brought back dozens of kilograms of meat on his bicycle. He kept some for himself and also left about ten kilograms for Gu Nuan and the Jiang family.

Thirty kilograms of glutinous rice were also carried back along with the pork. Whether in the provincial capital or my hometown in the county, there is a custom of making glutinous rice cakes at the end of the year.

After the glutinous rice cakes are made, they will not go bad during the cold winter months. In addition to being eaten by family members, they can also be given as return gifts to guests when people pay New Year’s greetings in the first month of the lunar year.

In this era of material scarcity, relatives would try their best to use the limited materials to prepare food in various ways to reward their families and themselves who have been busy all year.

The provincial capital compound, although it is a government agency family compound, in fact, even if the people here have money, they may not be able to buy too many supplies, so they can only make them by themselves.

Wang Suzhen was very happy to see the glutinous rice that Lin Shu brought back, and she took a walk around the compound in the afternoon.

The next day, we made an appointment with a few good friends and families to steam glutinous rice and make rice cakes together.

Liu Xiao'e watched her mother-in-law run out happily, and smiled and told Lin Shu: "Steam the glutinous rice tomorrow, and remember to make a small jar of sweet wine."

"Sprinkle glutinous rice with yeast and place it in a warm room. It will ferment in a few days. For women, we drink sweet wine mixed with eggs and add a little brown sugar to nourish the body. After eating it for ten days or half a month, the complexion of women will come out. Especially if you have just given birth to a child a few months ago, you should eat more."

"it is good."

"Eat, eat, eat!"

As soon as Lin Shu agreed, the baby in his arms pointed outside the house and shouted for food.

Not long after Erbao started clamoring for food, the aroma of cooking meat came from the kitchen.

This time, sniffing became even more exciting.

Even Dabao, who was always praised by adults for his steadiness, frequently looked towards the kitchen.

During the Chinese New Year, families not only have to make bacon in advance, but also make fried meat at the end of the year, not long before the Chinese New Year.

Because no matter in the countryside or the city, people only cook and eat it during the Chinese New Year, so it is also called Chinese New Year meat.

Meat cooked in oil can be kept for a long time in winter. So at the end of the year, as long as you buy meat, you will fry it, wait for the New Year, cut it, add some spices and stir-fry it for a few times, and it is very convenient.

The meat must be cooked before frying, and the best result is when the skin can be easily inserted with chopsticks.

We are also cooking a pig's head today, and we need to cook it until the bones are removed.

When the meat was cooked to the point where the bones could be removed, Lin Shu pulled out two smaller bones from the pig's head and gave one to Erbao and one to Dabao.

There was still a little bit of meat on the bone, and it tasted a bit salty. The brother and sister held the bone in their mouths and sucked hard.

"Oh, it seems that you two are carnivores. Your dad has to work hard to make money, otherwise he won't have money to buy meat for you." Liu Xiao'e was touched by the way the two children sucked on meat bones.

Lin Shu took out a handkerchief to wipe the saliva of the two children, and asked with a smile: "We also sent some meat to the family today, and it should be fried today. We will not be returning to our hometown for the New Year this year. Are you and Dad planning to spend the New Year with your eldest brother or your second brother?"

Liu Xiao'e laughed and said, "Who else can they celebrate the New Year with? The two brothers are in the provincial capital, so of course they will celebrate the New Year together. I asked your father to send a telegram to your third brother, and he will come to the provincial capital to celebrate the New Year together when he has a holiday."

"It's just that your eldest sister may not be able to come over to pay New Year's greetings this year. I don't know how the business of the canteen is going this year."

Lin Shu reminded her: "Let Dongfa take his New Year's holiday early this year and come to the provincial capital to celebrate the New Year with Lin Gang. When you ask Dad to send a telegram, remember to send one to Dongfa as well."

"I know, I know. From what you said, it seems like you are his only aunt, so your father and I don't miss him anymore."

Lin Shu smiled and turned to look at the two babies who were sucking on their bones.

As a result, Lin Shu actually saw Dabao's eyes shining, "Dabao, do you like the taste of this bone?"

In fact, there is no meat on the bones, but they still have the smell of meat.

The brother and sister, who loved food, slurped it with gusto, and even after finishing they looked as if they were still not satisfied, which made Lin Shu and Liu Xiao'e very amused.

At dinner time in the evening, Dabao and Erbao pointed at the soup on the table with excitement.

Their excitement confused everyone who was having dinner that night.

"How come Dabao and Erbao have turned into carnivores after such a long time?" Gu Youhui stared at the two babies lovingly, and was filled with love at their expressive little faces.

Lin Shu helplessly took out two ribs from the broth, removed the meat, and asked them to hold the two bones and suck them slowly.

Gu Jiu looked at the two babies in amazement as they kept sucking on the meat. "They want to eat meat at such a young age?"

Liu Xiao'e replied with a smile: "Yes, they kept staring at the kitchen when they smelled the meat in the afternoon, and they kept yelling and wouldn't rest until I gave them two bones. Seeing how greedy they are, you have to work harder to make money in the future. Otherwise, they want to eat meat, and you won't even be able to afford it."

Gu Jiu smiled and nodded: "Well, in the future, even for them, I will work hard to make money."

"You should work hard to make money, otherwise who will support your children in the future?" Gu Changsheng talked about livelihood and looked at his other sons. "I mentioned the division of the family to you last time. In fact, there is no property in this family for you to share."

"Your mother and I have raised you and helped you get married and start a family. We have already fulfilled our responsibilities as parents. The rest of the journey is up to you to walk on your own."

"Dad, didn't you say last time that you wouldn't bring up the matter of splitting up the family? Why are you bringing it up again when the New Year is almost here?"

Not only Gu Xiang was confused, but everyone else also looked at Gu Changsheng and Wang Suzhen in surprise. Why did they suddenly bring up the topic of dividing the family again?

"You are in your forties, are you still dependent on your parents?" Wang Suzhen looked at the eldest brother with amusement.

Gu Xiang's expression was a little unnatural, and he denied it: "Of course not, I'm just used to seeing you when I come home. If we separate, we'll be busy at work and I'm afraid we won't be able to come back to see you often. If you can't see us often, don't you miss us?"

Gu Changsheng smiled and said, "We don't see you often, so your mom and I can have some peace and quiet. Your mom and I are in good health now. I understand that you are too busy with work to come back."

"Dad, the New Year is coming soon, and you suddenly want to separate the family. We are not prepared, are we? How about we spend the New Year together first?"

Jiang Chaohong couldn't bear to split up the family when she thought of the pot of deep-fried pork that the kitchen had fried today.

It is better to divide the family than not to divide it.

After the family was divided, I had to take care of everything at home by myself.

Instead of dividing the family, Wang Suzhen managed everything at home, and they basically just went to work and took care of the children. They didn't need to worry about anything else.

Gu Changsheng: "I didn't say that you should move out right away. This year, the family will still spend the New Year together. After the New Year and Lantern Festival, you can move out one after another. Whether you live in a dormitory or buy your own house, it's up to you."

Jiang Chaohong looked up and down the stairs, drank a mouthful of soup and said, "It's a bit difficult for our company to apply for a dormitory. Our current dormitory is too small, and there's no room for several children. How about, if the eldest brother, the second brother and the youngest brother want to move out, they can move out, and we can still live at home?"

Wang Suzhen frowned slightly, "Normally, the one who lives with us is either the eldest brother or the ninth brother. It is not your turn to live with us. The ninth brother didn't even ask to live with us, how dare you ask to live here?"

"I believe that many of the married employees in your unit live in dormitories. Why can they live there, but you can't?" Gu Changsheng couldn't stand his third daughter-in-law's scheming mind.

Gu Zhiyuan said, "Dad, ever since you mentioned the separation last time, I have intentionally exchanged a lot of tickets with my colleagues during this period of time. I will buy daily necessities after the New Year."

Gu Changsheng nodded with satisfaction. In the end, men still had to take on all the responsibilities.

"Just keep it in mind." Then he turned to Gu Jiu and said, "Youngest, how is your house doing?"

Gu Jiu glanced at the other brothers and replied, "The house is ready, and we are decorating the hotel now."

"Your building has seven floors. It will probably take several months to renovate the hotel. During these months, your capital chain will not be broken, right?"

What Gu Changsheng is most worried about now is that Gu Jiu and his wife’s savings are not enough to decorate the hotel.

Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows: "No."

Lin Shu's own company, trading firm, and several stores are all making money.

Now the couple exaggerates and says that they are making a fortune every day, and they can definitely afford a hotel renovation.

Jiang Chaohong glanced at Lin Shu and it was impossible for her not to feel envious and jealous.

After the hotel opens, I can just sit at home and wait for guests to come and pay. It is much better than those who work.

When did the street strollers start to become more motivated?

It seemed like it was after she married Lin Shu. Could it be that this woman's charm was so great that she could make a problematic man who was not doing his job turn over a new leaf?

Moreover, they built up such a huge fortune in just over a year. I wonder what their house will look like after it is built?

"Sister-in-law, aren't you going to live in a hotel when you move out? Is it safe to live with tourists and people coming and going?"

Lin Shu finished the last bite of rice and quietly looked at Jiang Chaohong, whose eyes were glowing with jealousy.

She admitted that being a sister-in-law with such a person was actually quite uncomfortable.

"Thank you for your concern, sister-in-law. Although our house is in the same building as the hotel, it is separate from the hotel and has dedicated stairs. Therefore, the problem you are worried about will never happen."

Gu Changsheng glanced at the other two silent daughters-in-law and took a sip of wine.

When it is time for a large family to branch out, it must be done decisively. Indecision will only intensify family conflicts.

The separation of the family has already been made public.

At the end of this year, the daughters-in-law of several families bought less New Year's goods.

Except for Lin Shu, the others basically don't bring any New Year's goods home. It can be seen that they all have their own little ideas and are making plans for their own future families.

Wang Suzhen saw through it but didn't say anything. They would be separated after the New Year anyway, so she was too lazy to argue with them.

It’s the end of the year, and Lin Shu is actually busy.

She has to worry about several shops, but the decoration of the new house has been completed and it is clean.

Lin Shu took advantage of the end of the year to buy furniture, electrical appliances, bedding, kitchen supplies, and even ordered curtains for his new home.

Everything is ready, we just need to wait until after the Chinese New Year and find an auspicious day to move in.

On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, Gu Jiu and Chen Fei's company had bought dried fruits from various places in the past few months, which were packaged into dried fruit gift boxes and were all sold out yesterday.

I originally thought that it could still be sold for a while during the first month of the year, but unexpectedly the sales were so hot that they were sold out before the New Year.

A gift box of dried fruits is packed individually, with a net weight of about one kilogram. The cost is one yuan, plus five cents for the gift box and the shipping cost. The selling price is three yuan and eighty-eight.

Excluding sales costs, the profit of a gift box is about two yuan.

This part of the profit was settled before the New Year. Gu Jiu looked at the account book and found that more than 60,000 boxes were sold in two months.

Gu Jiu and Chen Fei can share more than 60,000 yuan in profits alone.

The two were thinking of setting up a food factory next year, so the profits would not be fully shared this time.

Each person received 20,000 yuan, 40,000 yuan was placed in the company account, and the remaining several thousand yuan was used as year-end bonuses for all employees in the company.

Which worker doesn’t want to receive a generous salary at the end of the year?

When the employees in the company learned that they were going to receive bonuses, they were all very excited.

Chen Fei's right-hand men Xiaohui and Gu Yiyu received the highest bonuses, 500 yuan each.

Xiaohui and Li Yiyu were holding a thick stack of great unity, their faces beaming with joy, the only thing missing was the red star.

When Lin Shu learned about the bonus given by Gu Jiu's company, he quietly added another big bonus.

Otherwise, if his subordinates knew about the bonuses of Gu Jiu's employees, they would definitely feel disappointed.

"Aunt, you're back!"

After a busy day outside, Lin Shu just returned home and saw Niu Xiaoqin greeting her.

Lin Shu smiled at her and lowered his head to change his shoes.

Gu Jiu followed closely behind and saw Gu Youtao and Niu Xiaoqin coming back. "Are you here to discuss marriage this time?"

Niu Xiaoqin's face flushed with embarrassment and she looked at Gu Youtao for help, "Youtao..."

"Uncle, the New Year is coming soon, Xiaoqin is here to give you a New Year gift."

Gu Jiu uttered a soft "oh" and was about to say something else when he caught a glimpse of Liu Xiao'e coming down from upstairs. She was holding Dabao and Erbao in her arms. Frightened, Gu Jiu quickly ran over and took Erbao from her.

"Mom, it's too dangerous to carry two children downstairs. I can't see the stairs if I carry you downstairs like this. Next time, only carry one."

Liu Xiao'e accepted it humbly and said with a smile: "You two children are very smart. When they heard your voices upstairs, they both wanted to go downstairs. Otherwise, I would not carry them both downstairs at the same time."

Niu Xiaoqin walked to the stairs and clapped her hands at Dabao in Liu Xiaoe's arms, wanting to hug him. "Auntie, the children are making a fuss. You are an adult and you still need to be sensible. You can't just give in to them."

"According to seniority, you shouldn't call her auntie, but grandma or grandmother."

She was not familiar with her mother-in-law, and Gu Jiu felt a little annoyed that a junior dared to lecture an elder.