TL: Etude
"Brother Dong, take a look, do we have these components?"
Chen Jianghai didn't dawdle; he pulled out a list he had written and handed it over.
"Oh,"
"Okay, let me check." Xu Dong nodded, taking the list from him.
Chen Jianghai had already inquired about what the electrical appliance factory was capable of producing.
The items he listed were certainly available.
Sure enough, Xu Dong quickly looked up and said, "We have everything, but the quantity is quite large this time, isn't it?"
"Mmm-hmm, so I have to trouble you, Brother Dong. The money is ready; here is five hundred, please count it."
With that, Chen Jianghai took an envelope out of his pocket and passed it over.
He had calculated the cost beforehand; if he were to buy these items in a store, it would amount to a little over six hundred, but at the factory price, it would probably be around four or five hundred.
If the other party could secure the goods at a lower price, it was sure to be a profitable deal.
"Alright."
Counting five "old men" banknotes, Xu Dong's face was all smiles as he asked.
"With this much cargo, can you manage it on your own? Or should I arrange someone to deliver it for you?"
"That would be perfect, thank you so much, Brother Dong!"
Chen Jianghai responded, handing over a pack of Hongtashan cigarettes as well.
"Hehe, it's no big deal, but you'll have to wait until after work."
Seeing Chen Jianghai so cooperative, Xu Dong's mood improved significantly.
"Fine, I'll leave an address and wait for you there."
Chen Jianghai picked up a pen and paper, jotting down the warehouse address.
After leaving the electrical appliance factory, Chen Jianghai went home to prepare the meal. Then he left a note for Lin Wanqiu, telling her to eat without waiting for him, before hurrying out.
The factory had already closed for the day, and Chen Jianghai wanted to get to the warehouse early to pick up the goods, to avoid making the other party wait too long.
As the sun set, Xu Dong arrived at the entrance of the alley with a tricycle.
"Brother Dong, over here!"
Chen Jianghai waved, hastening to greet him.
After unloading all the purchased components, Chen Jianghai politely said, "Brother Dong, thank you for your hard work. How about we go for a couple of drinks?"
Xu Dong shook his head, "Let's do it another day, I still have to take care of the kids, I'm off!"
"Alright, Brother Dong, take care!"
Chen Jianghai called out, then hurried home as well.
...
"Jianghai, where have you been? Have you eaten?"
Seeing Chen Jianghai return, Lin Wanqiu stood up and asked.
"Not yet, I had some urgent matters to attend to!"
"Then hurry up and wash your face, and come eat!"
As she spoke, Lin Wanqiu brought out the dishes from the kitchen.
Seeing the untouched food, Chen Jianghai couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What? Wanqiu, haven't you eaten yet?"
Lin Wanqiu filled a bowl with rice and said, "I'm not hungry, I thought I'd wait for you to come back and we could eat together."
Hearing this, Chen Jianghai felt a warm tenderness in his heart and couldn't help but embrace Lin Wanqiu, earnestly admonishing, "Wanqiu, in the future, if I have to go out for something, you eat first, don't wait for me, okay?"
"Oh!"
Lin Wanqiu responded softly, but by the look of it, Chen Jianghai knew she hadn't taken his words to heart.
"Jianghai, are you very busy with repairs now?"
Halfway through the meal, Lin Wanqiu suddenly asked.
Chen Jianghai swallowed his mouthful of rice and nodded in response, "Yes, I'm going to be very busy from now on. I've handed over the appliance collection to Aiguo, and I'll focus solely on assembly."
"Do you mean to say you won't be fixing appliances anymore?" Lin Wanqiu asked with a hint of confusion.
Chen Jianghai chuckled, "Hey, where are there so many appliances for me to fix? The only reason repair work is profitable now is that people had nowhere else to go for repairs before. I've been around and the business is pretty much taken care of."
After all, it was the early 1990s. For ordinary families, having a black-and-white TV or a cassette recorder was already considered good. With fewer appliances owned, naturally, there was less business.
"What will you do in the future?"
Lin Wanqiu suddenly became a bit anxious upon hearing that repairs weren't profitable anymore.
Chen Jianghai patiently explained, "Wanqiu, don't worry. Repair work only earns a bit of pocket money. Once the assembly business takes off, you won't have to go to work anymore. You can be a contented housewife at home."
"What nonsense are you talking about? What housewife? I don't want to be that!" Lin Wanqiu retorted with feigned annoyance.
Chen Jianghai moved closer, wrapped his arms around his wife, and whispered in her ear, "In the future, when we have kids, you'll eventually become a grandmother!"
"You never take anything seriously! Can't even keep your mouth shut while eating!"
Lin Wanqiu's face flushed with embarrassment.
But in her heart, she was secretly pondering whether Jianghai would prefer a boy or a girl.
After dinner, at Chen Jianghai's initiative and with Lin Wanqiu's half-hearted resistance, the two crawled back under the quilt, starting a joyful and happy night together.
...
In the following days, Chen Jianghai spent most of his time assembling appliances in the warehouse.
Fang Aiguo kept bringing back more and more broken appliances, and Chen Jianghai's last bit of money also went out.
"Brother Hai, I've already spent all the money you gave me last time."
Fang Aiguo pulled another cart of broken appliances, his head drenched with sweat, but he was full of vigor—more than he had been in years.
Chen Jianghai replied with a smile, "Since there's no money left, it's time to do something else."
"Hey, Brother Hai, all I think about is our business, I don't have time for anything else."
Fang Aiguo obviously misunderstood Chen Jianghai's words and shook his head repeatedly.
Chen Jianghai pulled Fang Aiguo into the inner room, pointing to more than ten TVs set up, "Next, you're going to start selling TVs."
Looking at the dozen TVs in the room, Fang Aiguo was astounded, "Brother Hai, can these all be watched?"
"If they couldn't be watched, why would I tell you to sell them?" Chen Jianghai retorted with feigned anger.
Fang Aiguo quickly went to one of the TVs, plugged it in, and turned it on.
Soon, the TV lit up, but the screen was full of static, no clear picture at all.
Fang Aiguo was stunned, "Brother Hai, this isn't watchable!"
"Are you stupid?"
Chen Jianghai laughed and scolded, "You didn't connect to the closed-circuit TV, and there's no antenna outside, how could there be a picture?"
Realizing his mistake after Chen Jianghai's explanation, Fang Aiguo slapped his head, "Haha, I was just too excited."
"How much are you planning to sell each TV for?"
Chen Jianghai asked in follow-up.
With this question, Fang Aiguo perked up.
"Brother Hai, I've already checked. A brand new black-and-white TV at Zhongbai Store is around six hundred, so I'm thinking of selling these for three hundred each," Fang Aiguo shared his plan.
Hearing this price, Chen Jianghai nodded, finding it reasonable, and added, "Okay, you decide on the price. If there's a lot of buyers, it's okay to raise it a bit."
Fang Aiguo responded with a smile, "Don't worry, Brother Hai, I know what to do."
Chen Jianghai patted his shoulder and continued, "Let's base it on three hundred, and you'll get a fifty yuan commission per TV. If it goes over, you'll get an extra bonus."
Fang Aiguo was momentarily taken aback, "Brother Hai, wasn't it ten yuan per sale?"
Chen Jianghai smiled, "That was the price for radios. This is for TVs. What, do you think it's too little?"
Fang Aiguo hurriedly waved his hands, "No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I'm just happy. Fifty yuan, that's a lot!"
"Alright, take a few TVs and try selling them tomorrow. If it goes well, we'll continue."
Chen Jianghai was now counting on this assembly and sales business to turn his fortunes around.
And as for Lin Wanqiu, her days were also quite enjoyable. Now that she didn't have to rush to the factory at dawn, she'd wake up naturally every morning, clean the house, and prepare food for her husband.
In the evenings, the couple would chat about all sorts of things, and occasionally, Chen Jianghai would tease her about the future children, making her blush.
This kind of life, warm and full of hope, continued through the cold winter until the approach of the new year.