TL: Etude
Chen Jianghai had decided that once he got through this busy period, he would treat himself to a proper stroll around the county town.
His reputation had grown through his hard work; now and then, people would request his services for repairs.
Assembling and repairing went on simultaneously, keeping Chen Jianghai unimaginably busy every day.
However, this toil was not in vain, as the rewards were quite gratifying.
In just one week, he had sold more than forty assembled televisions.
This not only brought Chen Jianghai considerable income but also made him fully aware of how vast the Linghai electronics market was.
If Chen Jianghai could have assembled them faster, he probably could have sold a hundred units without issue.
Regrettably, the assembly was a task only he could manage; no one else knew how to do it.
Once the assembled televisions were sold out, Fang Aiguo found himself idle, wandering around the warehouse daily. As soon as Chen Jianghai finished assembling a TV, Fang would immediately carry it off to be sold.
The second-hand televisions were affordable and of high quality, not to mention the unique after-sales service, leading to an overwhelming number of buyers.
To secure a television sooner, many even left deposits with Fang Aiguo.
Fang Aiguo was both anxious and excited.
A significant amount of money was there for the taking, but alas, the limited speed at which Chen Jianghai could assemble them was frustrating.
During this time, Chen Jianghai once again approached Xu Dong, ordering five to six hundred of each component, much to the latter's astonishment.
Chen Jianghai's orders were now comparable to those of small factories.
Xu Dong couldn't help but feel impressed by the rapid expansion of Chen Jianghai's business.
Now, both Fang Aiguo and Xu Dong had made money, but their earnings seemed trivial compared to Chen Jianghai's.
Including the initial ten televisions, the total came to fifty-five.
After deducting costs, Chen Jianghai had earned nearly ten thousand yuan.
In just about a month, Chen Jianghai had gone from being down-and-out to breaking through to a ten thousand yuan household.
Who would believe such a story if told? Who would dare to believe it!
The happiest of all was his wife, Lin Wanqiu.
She could hardly believe that Chen Jianghai had earned so much money in just half a month.
Now, who would dare to call her husband a good-for-nothing?
But Lin Wanqiu understood the wisdom in not flaunting wealth.
She would not brag about it everywhere, content to quietly share her joy with Chen Jianghai.
Publicly, she only mentioned that Chen Jianghai made a small sum from repairing home appliances.
Of the money earned, Chen Jianghai gave three thousand to Lin Wanqiu and kept the rest, ready to restock goods from Brother Qiang at any time.
Unbeknownst to Lin Wanqiu, she had already saved up four thousand yuan.
Looking at the stack of hundred-yuan bills and smelling the faint scent of ink, Lin Wanqiu truly felt as if she were dreaming.
Before, Chen Jianghai was idle at home, and all the family expenses relied on the meager salary Lin Wanqiu earned through hard labor.
At night, when all was quiet, Lin Wanqiu would often cry into her pillow, sleepless and in despair.
That life, void of hope, brought her intense despair and pain!
Yet, in just a month, Chen Jianghai's achievements had utterly surpassed Lin Wanqiu's imagination.
Becoming a ten thousand yuan household in half a month?
Even Lin Wanqiu herself found it hard to believe.
But, it had indeed happened, just like that.
...
Today, dragging his weary body, Chen Jianghai returned home and, as usual, began to busy himself in the kitchen.
Not long after, Lin Wanqiu also came back.
Seeing Chen Jianghai's tired face as he cooked in the kitchen, she felt a surge of tenderness.
This man seems to be pushing himself a little too hard!
"Jianghai, how about I talk to the director and stop working overtime from now on, so I can come home early and cook for you?"
Lin Wanqiu walked over and took the initiative to suggest.
However, she was still quite conservative, not saying she wouldn't go to work at all, just that she wouldn't work overtime.
Upon hearing this, Chen Jianghai replied, "Wanqiu, why are you still working? Just quit your job and come home to help me."
"That doesn't seem very good," Lin Wanqiu hesitated, "I still feel that having a stable job is more reassuring."
Seeing Lin Wanqiu felt this way, Chen Jianghai didn't say anything more.
"Alright, you decide for yourself!" He nodded in agreement.
He believed that in the near future, Lin Wanqiu would completely give up the idea of working and happily stay at home to enjoy life.
Lin Wanqiu smiled and nodded, "Then I'll talk to Director Qi tomorrow. Oh, and there's something else I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
Chen Jianghai asked as he stirred the vegetables in the pot.
Lin Wanqiu paused for a moment before saying, "A couple of days ago, my parents called me. They want to come and stay for a while. I haven't agreed yet. What do you think?"
"Sure, if they want to come, I definitely don't mind. We're financially comfortable right now, and it's a good opportunity to show our filial piety," Chen Jianghai replied readily.
Lin Wanqiu's parents weren't bad by nature; they just wanted their daughter to have a better, less hard life. That's why they looked down upon the once useless me, harboring many grievances.
How pitiful the heart of a parent is!
Chen Jianghai understood their thoughts and naturally wouldn't hold any grudges.
More importantly, having lived a second life, Chen Jianghai certainly wouldn't be petty enough to hold a grudge against the parents of his beloved.
It wasn't worth it; it was beneath him.
Lin Wanqiu had been worried that Chen Jianghai might have some opinions about her parents and would refuse them, but now, hearing what he said, she was immediately pleased.
"Jianghai, then I'll call them tomorrow and tell them to come over."
"Alright, then I'll go rent a place for them tomorrow," Chen Jianghai replied in agreement.
Lin Wanqiu hesitated, then bit her lip and said, "Jianghai, my mother might say some unpleasant things, but it's all for our good. Please... don't take it to heart. If you don't want them to come, then I..."
Chen Jianghai suddenly realized that Lin Wanqiu had misunderstood his intentions, and quickly said, "Wanqiu, I will definitely listen to whatever you say. The reason for renting a house is also for convenience. After all, we are still planning to have children. If they stay in the same room with us and there's some noise, how awkward would that be!"
Hearing Chen Jianghai bluntly say such a thing, Lin Wanqiu's face turned red, and she couldn't help but retort in embarrassment, "You can't expect anything polite from a dog's mouth."
After dinner and watching TV for a while, Lin Wanqiu, in a good mood, took the initiative to go to bed first. Seeing this, Chen Jianghai quickly cheered up, took a quick shower, and then joyfully jumped onto the bed beside that graceful figure.
What a wonderful evening, not to be wasted with a beauty!
...
The next day, a refreshed Chen Jianghai was not in a hurry to go to the warehouse.
Since his in-laws were coming over, it was natural to prepare in advance.
Not to mention food and drink, the place to stay must be arranged first.
Honestly, even if there were spare rooms at home now, he wasn't too keen on living with the old couple.
Deep down, he still preferred the world for just the two of them.
Besides, the soundproofing in the current house was just so-so. It would be a bit embarrassing for intimate couple exchanges if the elders lived next door.
Of course, the rented house couldn't be too far; it had to be in the vicinity of their home.
So Chen Jianghai started wandering around nearby. After all, in this day and age, finding a house was all about legwork, unlike in later years with agencies and websites that make it convenient and fast.
While strolling, he ran into an acquaintance, none other than Old Jiang, who had once fixed his radio.
"Yo, Little Master Chen, haven't seen you for a few days!"
Old Jiang greeted him with a smile, looking very enthusiastic.
Chen Jianghai smiled and said, "Yes, Old Jiang, I've been a bit busy lately."
"It's good to be busy, you can make a lot of money!" Uncle Jiang said with a smile.
Chen Jianghai then remembered that he could ask Old Jiang about renting a house. These old people would gather together every day to chat, so they knew the situation best.
"Uncle Jiang, let me ask you something. Does anyone have a house for rent nearby?"
Thinking of this, Chen Jianghai asked directly.