TL: Etude
"Wanqiu, what's wrong?"
Upon entering the room, Chen Jianghai saw that Lin Wanqiu was standing next to the table, appearing normal, which relieved him somewhat.
"What happened?"
Lin Wanqiu pointed to the money on the table, her eyes wide and her voice trembling a bit, "Where... where did you get all this money?"
Hearing Lin Wanqiu ask this, Chen Jianghai couldn't help but smile.
So that's what this is about!
"I earned it today by repairing electrical appliances," Chen Jianghai replied casually, as if discussing something ordinary.
Lin Wanqiu furrowed her brows, somewhat surprised, "You... you earned over a hundred?"
"What's so difficult about that?"
Chen Jianghai laughed, "If I weren't in a rush to come back and cook, they'd still be pulling me over there to fix things!"
Lin Wanqiu looked at him with a puzzled expression.
The change in Chen Jianghai was so drastic that she found it hard to believe.
Chen Jianghai smiled and said, "Wanqiu, I told you I'd make life better for you, and I'll definitely do it. Alright, I'm going to cook. You go wash your face and wait!"
With that, Chen Jianghai headed into the kitchen, leaving a bewildered Lin Wanqiu behind.
After enjoying a sumptuous dinner, Lin Wanqiu still couldn't believe, even until bedtime, that Chen Jianghai could earn over a hundred in one day.
As for Chen Jianghai, after a long and busy day, he lay in bed and fell asleep immediately.
Lin Wanqiu had numerous questions in her heart but never got a chance to ask them.
Listening to his deep breathing, Lin Wanqiu tossed and turned, hardly getting any sleep that night.
Early the next morning, as soon as Lin Wanqiu opened her eyes, she saw that Chen Jianghai had already prepared breakfast and was ready to leave after eating a little himself.
Seeing that Lin Wanqiu was awake, Chen Jianghai smiled and said, "Wanqiu, I've made breakfast. You eat before going to work. I'm leaving now."
With that, Chen Jianghai quickly left, not waiting for Lin Wanqiu to say anything more, riding off on his old bicycle.
Watching Chen Jianghai's retreating figure, Lin Wanqiu's eyes held a touch of unfamiliarity, a touch of comfort, and a touch of surprise.
Was this the same husband of hers, who had lofty aspirations but little ability?
...
The street from yesterday had a few appliances that still needed repair but lacked necessary parts. Only a trip to the component factory would do, so Chen Jianghai naturally had to make the visit.
He also planned to buy some commonly used parts to really get his repair business going.
He would have made these preparations earlier if he had had money in his pocket yesterday.
Now that he had some capital, he planned to set aside some for buying old appliances and the rest for purchasing common components.
It was still early, and the component factory hadn't opened yet, so Chen Jianghai decided to finish the remaining repair jobs from yesterday first.
For him, accumulating capital as quickly as possible would undoubtedly help him get his business going in a short amount of time.
After all, wandering the streets was just a temporary measure. He planned to eventually set up a shop and wait for customers to come.
When Chen Jianghai arrived at the street this time, people immediately greeted him warmly.
"Master Chen, you're out working this early?"
"If my son was half as diligent as Master Chen, I'd die in happiness!"
"Master Chen, you didn't fix my appliance yesterday, come and have a look!"
...
Chen Jianghai responded to each friendly overture from the neighbors.
Moreover, adhering to the principle that amiability brings wealth, he spoke kind words that cost him nothing.
With his experience from his last life struggling at the bottom of society, Chen Jianghai had a worldly wisdom far beyond his years.
Even in these brief interactions, he gained even more approval from this group of elders.
They were becoming more and more fond of this skillful, humble, and practical Master Chen.
If they didn't already know he was married, some would probably be rushing to play matchmaker for him.
By ten in the morning, Chen Jianghai let out a long sigh.
Finally, he had completed the last repair.
Handing the radio, now restored to working condition, to a middle-aged man, Chen Jianghai collected the three yuan and eighty cents in repair fees and stood up, preparing to make a trip to the components factory.
Most of the electronics in the area had been repaired; it seemed that the next stop would require a change in location.
Nevertheless, it was a good start, and Chen Jianghai was filled with anticipation for the future.
When he arrived at the exterior of the components factory, Chen Jianghai slightly furrowed his brow.
A crowd had gathered there, occasionally erupting into shouts and curses; it was unclear what had happened.
Upon closer inspection, Chen Jianghai realized that the materials suppliers were there to collect debts.
After making some inquiries, he found out that the components factory was not doing well financially and had long exceeded its payment deadline, leading the suppliers to come directly to the factory to demand payment.
Seeing this, Chen Jianghai suddenly had a daring idea: should he take over the components factory?
But after thinking it through, he immediately dismissed the thought.
This was the 1990s, and the boundary between state-owned enterprises and private enterprises was quite blurred.
Many business tycoons in his previous life had initiated their spectacular careers by acquiring state-owned enterprises.
Chen Jianghai had similar thoughts, planning to reform the equity of the components factory and use it as a stepping stone to expand his business.
However, the precondition was that Chen Jianghai would have to secure all the shares of the components factory.
Otherwise, it would not be a treasure trove but a ticking time bomb.
Many in his previous life had become wealthy by acquiring state-owned enterprises, but there were also those who had been ruined.
Some faced financial ruin, while others found themselves in jail; it was not uncommon.
Ultimately, policies varied from place to place, and the difficulty of obtaining shares also differed.
Linghai was a small place, with comparatively rigid and outdated thinking. If Chen Jianghai proposed taking over the factory, it was unlikely anyone would agree.
Moreover, the required funds were not a small sum, so it was better to consider this matter at a later time.
Upon entering the factory, Chen Jianghai located Xu Dong.
At that moment, Xu Dong was leisurely reclining in the warehouse office, reading a newspaper.
A cup of tea was also steeping beside him, filling the air with a rich aroma.
After some inquiries, Chen Jianghai had gained a bit of understanding about Xu Dong's position.
Xu Dong was primarily in charge of the warehouse, a role many would consider a cushy job.
As for how Xu Dong had reached this point, it wasn't solely due to his brother-in-law who was the factory manager; he had put in a bit of effort himself.
"What brings you here again?"
Seeing Chen Jianghai, Xu Dong's brows slightly furrowed.
After giving items to Chen Jianghai last time, Xu Dong had felt a bit regretful.
If someone with malicious intent caught wind of this, his position might become unstable.
More importantly, if his brother-in-law's position were to be affected as a result, the loss would far outweigh the gain.
Seeing Xu Dong's reaction, Chen Jianghai felt his heart skip a beat. What did this mean?
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