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Chapter 170: Chapter 163 Secrets Leaked (Part 2)
"You should know that there may not be inherently bad people in this world, but there are also no permanently good people," Li Hongjun said, stroking her hair.
Shen Yunfang greatly agreed with this statement, and suddenly thought to herself if her presumptions came from the experiences she had in her previous lifetime, which she brought with her to this new life.
Perhaps her actions and thoughts were not suitable for this era. She should have listened to Li Hongjun’s opinions. So, she repeated all the things she had done last year to him.
For example, selling pork at high prices with Wang Dashuan, going alone to another commune to buy piglets, and traveling to the provincial city before New Year’s to sell meat, eggs, and vegetables.
Li Hongjun’s frown deepened as he listened, and he couldn’t hold back anymore, his large palm smacking down on her small behind.
"Ouch." Shen Yunfang winced in pain.
"It’s simply nonsense! And you say you were protecting yourself very well? Each thing you’ve done wouldn’t withstand scrutiny if someone were to investigate," Li Hongjun said angrily.
Shen Yunfang pouted, unhappy, "I’m just a small fry, who’d bother investigating me?"
Li Hongjun, frustrated, tapped her forehead, "Even small fries can die from stupidity, and that would be you."
"Think about it. Do you really think you’re completely safe going to another commune to buy piglets? Each commune’s market is operated by its own production teams, and the members who attend the markets are familiar with each other. The sellers might not recognize every single customer, but they know most of them. Wouldn’t they notice a stranger like you? There might be others like you, but are there others who buy several piglets at once like you do? Don’t you think you look suspicious? For all you know, they may have already taken note of you. It might be alright if it was just a one-time occurrence, but if you go several times, think about whether anyone would notice you."
Shen Yunfang fell silent; indeed, she had made assumptions.
"Furthermore, going to the black market in the provincial city is even more dangerous. You were lucky this time to have met a decent person, but what if you ran into someone solely profit-driven? Would you still be able to return home safely? You must understand that merchants prioritize profit, and those who take risks to trade in the black market do it for money. I admit there are many trustworthy and promise-keeping business people in this world, but it cannot be denied that there are even more who recognize only money, not people, and would dare to commit crimes for it. Ten thousand yuan is no small sum," Li Hongjun spoke earnestly. "Not to mention anything else, my own mother divided our family just to save ten or twenty yuan on my medical expenses. Think about what someone might do for your ten thousand yuan. Anything is possible."
In an era where the average wage was only forty to fifty yuan, two to three hundred yuan could provide a wealthy life for a family for an entire year. Ten thousand yuan was truly a fortune.
Upon hearing his words, Shen Yunfang burst into laughter.
"We’re discussing serious matters here, be serious," Li Hongjun said, his voice also containing a hint of laughter.
To speak of extreme characters, it seemed no one could outshine her mother-in-law.
"Going by that, selling pork with Dashuan seems quite reliable," Li Hongjun said as he pulled her close to him and asked seriously, "Wife, what are you really thinking? Why do you insist on making so much money?"
"I haven’t really thought about it much. I just find life now too hard. Even wanting to eat some rice requires careful planning. Wanting to eat a dumpling meal without white flour, let alone meat—when there is money, there’s nowhere to buy it. So, I just figured since I have a space for preservation, I could grow my own food and raise my own livestock. When it’s time to harvest, I’d just store it in that space, so I’d have something to eat whenever I wanted." In reality, it was that simple, though of course, there was something she hadn’t mentioned: in twenty years, when outside food would be contaminated with pesticides and chemicals, healthy and harmless food would be hard to find. So, she wanted to farm in the countryside for a couple of years, ideally growing all the grain and vegetables she’d eat in a lifetime as well as raising all the meat she’d need. It sounded exaggerated, but she genuinely harbored this thought.
"Then why do you still sell your products?" Li Hongjun still had some doubts.
Shen Yunfang looked at him as if he were a fool. Didn’t it go without saying? No matter what, being without money was utterly unacceptable.
"Isn’t there a saying that having money might not be omnipotent, but being penniless is definitely forbidden?"
"Who said that? I’ve never heard it before," Li Hongjun said with a look of bewilderment.
Oh, so this saying didn’t exist at this time?
"I don’t know who said it, but do you understand the meaning of it? Like you soldiers, earning a monthly salary, everything provided for by the state, that should be pretty good, right? But how many of your comrades are not struggling? Every day brings a new issue, and there are expenses at every turn. I’ll give you the simplest example. Let’s say we have a daughter in the future and suppose she gets sick..."
"Don’t talk nonsense," Li Hongjun protested, not liking the sound of this. What did she mean by his daughter getting sick? His daughter must be healthy.
"Alright, alright, let’s change the subject. Let’s talk about your parents. They’re getting on in years. If they fall ill or suffer a disaster and need to be hospitalized, won’t it be up to you sons to foot the bill? What if you don’t have a penny to your name, could you watch your father or mother die from illness? That’s why I say, no matter when, it’s essential to have some money on hand. That’s what I’m thinking when I sell things from the space. Also, I want to go to the city in the future. I can’t exactly sleep on the streets, can I? I’m starting to save money now so I can buy my own house later." Shen Yunfang had many opportunities ahead of her, and she knew that the future was a world run by money. If she started accumulating now, she would have the advantage later. Even if she didn’t engage in any business in this lifetime, she could invest her money and earn some pocket change.
Li Hongjun thought carefully about his wife’s words and found them sensible. He had never worried about these things before, but now that he had a wife, he had to start considering her and the children.
"Hmm, I understand what you mean, but the current situation is still unstable, so it’s not the right time for you to take risks trying to make money like you are. Even if you earn money now, you can’t spend it. You can’t explain where this money came from."
Shen Yunfang nodded in agreement. Ten thousand yuan was a huge sum over the next ten years, so for that period, it would be enough for her to live on. After ten years, the society would be more open, and making money would be much easier than presently.
"Okay, I’ll listen to you. As long as nothing major happens, I can be self-sufficient, and there’s no place I need to spend money. That should be enough to live on," Yunfang agreed to not take risks by selling things in the future.
"Promise me, you’ll think things through before doing anything in the future."
"Mm."
"You can’t do risky things behind my back anymore."
"Mm."
"Try to use the space as little as possible, and avoid using it whenever you can."
"Mm."
...
That very night before sleeping, Li Hongjun set a goal for himself. He resolved to work hard, to climb so high that even if his wife accidentally revealed her secret, no one would dare to trouble her.
