Lu Jiaxin thought that after receiving ten thousand yuan, Lu Hongjun would ignore her for a while, but unexpectedly, he had still actively arranged to buy so many things for her.
Looking at these items, Lu Jiaxin felt somewhat conflicted. The original self had only resented Ding Jing and Zhao Siyi, while she harbored deep admiration for Lu Hongjun. Undeniably, as long as there were no conflicts with Ding Jing, Lu Hongjun had indeed been very good to the original self, especially when it came to money, he was never stingy.
Lu Jiajie brought the bedding to her room, smiling as he said, "Xinxin, if you're lacking anything, just make a list. If you're too embarrassed to ask Third Uncle, I'll ask with you."
"Xinxin, you are Third Uncle's own daughter, and you'll have to support him and care for him in his old age. Asking him for money and things is only natural. If you don't, those two will end up benefiting in the end."
Actually, it was he who had asked Lu Hongjun for these things.
Lu Hongjun had indeed intended to leave Lu Jiaxin alone for a while and didn't plan to arrange any provision for her, as the large sum of money given should have spared him from blame. But he couldn't resist Lu Jiajie's arguments, such as how Zhao Siyi was fawning over him only because of his money and power, anticipating that once he stepped down and had no money, she would show her true colors. And when he got old, the one he could rely on was still Lu Jiaxin.
The things Zhao Siyi had done truly made Lu Hongjun wary, and in the end, he still took Lu Jiajie shopping at the department store.
Lu Jiaxin glanced outside and saw Xue Mao and the other two people in the yard; she asked in a mosquito-like voice, "Fifth Brother, isn't it bad to buy so many defective goods from a department store?"
Buying a few items cheaply wouldn't be a problem, but now, bringing so many over at once, Lu Jiaxin worried it would cause trouble. She was someone who disliked trouble the most, and she would rather slowly accumulate things on her own.
Lu Jiajie was first startled, then laughed and said, "We're buying, not taking. Since we've paid, we have nothing to fear even if someone tries to cause trouble."
Lu Jiaxin, frowning, asked, "Fifth Brother, does Dad often buy defective goods from department buildings? If someone reports it, and superiors send someone to investigate, it could be dangerous."
Even if they had a falling out, the father-daughter relationship wouldn't change, and she would definitely be implicated if it came to a head. At that time, doing business could become much more troublesome.
Lu Jiajie thought that now she had grown up and become sensible, she should also know about some things, "Xinxin, the distribution of defective goods from the department building is allocated according to job grades. Third Uncle has been with the department building for so many years and seldom buys things from there. This time is a special case; no one is going to trouble themselves with reporting it."
"That's good."
By the time they finished moving things, it was already past five o'clock, so Lu Jiaxin invited Lu Jiajie and his two friends to have dinner at a small restaurant. They ordered five dishes and a soup: chestnut tower pork, braised prawns, braised pork, stir-fried pig liver with cabbage, cucumber strips in sauce, and carp tofu soup. Additionally, they got a bottle of wine.
Sawing this, Xue Mao felt so distressed. How much money would that be!
Lu Jiajie felt she had changed too much. In the past, when eating out, this girl would only order dishes she liked. But now, she ordered mostly meat dishes and even got a bottle of wine, clearly catering to their tastes. In the little over a month she spent outside, she had already learned the ways of the world.
The restaurant cooked well and was generous, so Lu Jiajie and his two friends enjoyed their meal immensely.
Standing at the intersection, Lu Jiajie bid farewell to his two friends, "Today's gotten too late, and I dare not let you drink too much since you have to bike back. Wait for Sunday, I'll treat you, and then we can drink to our heart's content."
Jiaxin also thanked the two men, "Brother Qiang, Brother Sheng, thank you so much for today."
Both had come because of Lu Jiajie's face, but Lu Jiaxin had been very polite to them, inviting them to a meal with meat, prawns, and wine. This girl, she knew how to curry favor,
The one called Ah Qiang laughed and said, "Sister, if there's anything you need in the future, just tell me, and I'll make sure it's taken care of."
Lu Jiajie, with a look of disdain, waved his hand and said, "This is my sister, don't get too familiar. It's late, you'd better hurry back, or you'll get scolded by the wife if you're home late."
The one called Ah Sheng teased her for crossing the river and tearing down the bridge.
After seeing the two off, Lu Jiaxin asked, "Fifth Brother, aren't you going back?"
Lu Jiajie had no plans to return: "The two of you are just youngsters, how can Big Brother and I rest easy? I'll stay here for the next few days. Once the traps are set and you're familiar with the neighbors, I'll go back home."
Lu Jiaxin, of course, couldn't ask for more. Being in a strange place and with the security situation not being great, living in such a large house did indeed make her feel a bit uneasy.
On the way back, they had to pass by the public toilet, and the pungent smell almost made Jiaxin throw up. Even if at home she used a chamber pot, coming here was still a form of torture.
Lu Jiaxin asked, "Fifth Brother, there's no toilet in my house, and I want to build one. Do you know anyone who could help? I want to get it done as soon as possible."
Lu Jiajie's mother-in-law's place also didn't have a private toilet; they always used the public ones. However, given the large area and many houses here, building a toilet in the yard was not an issue: "I'll ask around with some friends, and you should also report it to the neighborhood committee."
Lu Jiaxin was shocked, "What? I have to report to the neighborhood committee just to build a toilet at home?"
Lu Jiajie chuckled at her expression and said, "You're starting construction, who would know what you're doing if you don't report it? Also, you'll definitely be connecting the toilet to the sewer, how would you know where the sewer line is without reporting it?"
Lu Jiaxin felt she had taken things for granted. This wasn't like the future where many facilities were readily available.
When they got back home, Xue Mao and the others locked the door from inside as soon as they entered the yard.
As Lu Jiajie walked in and gazed at the spacious yard, envy flashed in his eyes, "Having a house is really nice. Sigh, I don't know when I'll be able to have my own house."
Lu Jiaxin knew his monthly salary was just over eighty yuan; relying on that salary, he'd never be able to afford his own house in his lifetime.
Thinking for a moment, Lu Jiaxin said, "Fifth Brother, do you know what Xue Mao and I sold at our snack stand in Ancient Capital?"
"What?"
"Cold noodles and egg pancakes. They might not look like much, but the profit is considerable."
Lu Jiajie, recalling a friend saying that doing business was very profitable, immediately grew interested, "How much do you make in a day?"
Jiaxin said with a smile, "The best day we made forty-six yuan, and on the worst, we still made twelve. Just using twenty-four days, we not only supported ourselves but also saved over three hundred yuan."
Lu Jiajie was astonished, "What, you make that much?"
You see, his monthly salary was only eighty-six yuan and eighty cents. The earnings from a small snack stall in a day amounted to almost half his monthly wage.
As policies were relaxed, more and more private factories were being established, and state-owned enterprises would face tougher and tougher times. When the burden became too great for the nation, that would be the time for a momentous wave of layoffs.
Wanting Lu Jiajie to step out of the shoe factory and start his own business, Jiaxin deliberately provoked him, "I'm physically weak, so I only sell in the morning. If we were to sell in the morning, afternoon, and evening, we'd make even more."
Lu Jiajie opened his mouth but ultimately swallowed his words before they could leave his lips.
Jiaxin could see that he was tempted, but he had reservations and didn't dare to try. However, it wasn't a problem; a few more nudges over time would surely drive him to action.