NOVPUB
Chapter 448: Chapter 438 Preparing to Strike Again
After receiving a plethora of comfort at school, Shen Yunfang returned home and completely put the matter out of her mind.
She always believed in a saying, "What I obtain is my fortune; what I lose is my fate."
Besides feeling annoyed with Dai Zhifei and Zhang Feng, she wasn’t particularly concerned about whether or not she could attend the exchange meeting.
If the school really sent her, she’d have to arrange care for her two little ones at home, as they obviously couldn’t come along, and she’d be worrying about the children wherever she went. In that case, she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on her studies, so it might be better not to go at all.
Moreover, she had just planned a big endeavor for this winter, a plan that was not yet put into action. If she left, it might even delay her own affairs.
Thinking about it this way, she had no regrets about not going.
That evening, after picking up the kids from school, Shen Yunfang went straight to Ma Liguo’s house, and of course, she didn’t go empty-handed but brought some meat and vegetables to join them for dinner.
Mu Huazhen was extremely welcoming when she saw her, happy to raise both hands and feet in greeting, simply because Mu Huazhen disliked cooking and Shen Yunfang’s culinary skills were much better than hers. So whenever Shen Yunfang came over, she would essentially take over the kitchen, and Mu Huazhen just had to help out on the side.
Shen Yunfang was not shy about it, donning an apron and busying herself in the kitchen with clanging and chopping until the dining table boasted four dishes and a soup, leaving the Ma Family satisfied and relishing every bite.
At the dinner table, Shen Yunfang started inquiring, "Brother Ma, I noticed that there are people carrying baskets selling vegetables and such on the east side of our community. I bought these vegetables from those old farmers today; they’re quite fresh. It seems like you’re not being as strict about this anymore."
Ma Liguo and Mu Huazhen, although not in the same department, worked seamlessly together in cracking down on speculation and profiteering. There was a time when their combined efforts had temporarily shut down the black market for a good while.
"Yes, the state has issued policies now, but no one is certain how long they will actually be implemented, so everyone is taking a wait-and-see approach." This basically meant that the enforcers below didn’t know how determined and persistent the leaders above were about reform and opening up, so they adopted an attitude of non-intervention. 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
This approach meant that no matter what edicts came down from above, they couldn’t be blamed for anything, a one-size-fits-all method.
"Exactly. These days, we constantly receive complaints from the public about people engaging in speculation and profiteering. But since the higher-ups issued documents without clarifying enforcement, we’ve all turned a blind eye," Mu Huazhen added.
"Those vendors have been around for a while now, but over the past few months, probably because they’ve seen that no one is getting caught, they’ve become bolder and have started calling out their wares on the roadside." At first, the peddlers were secretive, like thieves, but recently, seeing that no one was actually being apprehended, they grew more daring and spontaneously organized a small market at the east end of the community. Although the prices were a bit higher, it did make things more convenient for the general populace.
"You wouldn’t believe it, some people are just crazy. They can buy some greens from the stalls in the morning to eat at home, and then in the afternoon, they go to the police station to report the vendor for speculation and profiteering, can you believe it?" Mu Huazhen had the kind of temperament that hated injustice, detesting people who played both sides.
There were always such people, and Shen Yunfang didn’t care. What she cared about was whether the officials truly weren’t intervening?
"Sister-in-law, Brother Ma, I heard that since last year, there’s been a change in our country. All my classmates are discussing how our country needs to develop and will definitely have to transition from a planned economy to market economics. It seems like it’s true, and there’s great potential," Shen Yunfang said, stroking her chin with an enigmatic expression.
"What do you mean?" Mu Huazhen was somewhat confused.
"What are you thinking?" Ma Liguo knew more than Mu Huazhen and could tell that his sister-in-law seemed to be hinting at something.
"Heh, Brother Ma, Sister-in-law, I do have some ideas."
So Shen Yunfang shared her carefully thought-out plan with them.
Her plan wasn’t earth-shattering. It was simply to get moving while everyone else was still watching from the sidelines. She had sifted through the available business opportunities and considered her choice of personnel before deciding on a business selling Spring Festival couplets and blessings characters.
Although Shen Yunfang didn’t regard it as a big business—by future standards, it was a small business, the kind that just makes enough money to get by—it still required dealing with many issues in these early, restorative times.
For example, all the factories and such were state-owned at the time, and she wanted to find a place to print her Spring Festival couplets and blessings. If she didn’t get someone to pull strings for her, she wouldn’t get any attention, even if she had the money.
Another issue was to maintain good relations with neighborhood committees and local police stations. If she indeed started selling the couplets, it was certain that someone would report her. She didn’t harbor any grand expectations; she just hoped that both entities would continue to adopt a wait-and-see attitude, not interfering with her business.
Upon hearing her plan, Ma Liguo fell into deep thought.
"Yunfang, are you short of money? If you need money, Sister-in-law here has some. You can borrow it for now," Mu Huazhen thought she was running low on funds.
"Sister-in-law, I’m not short on money, but our kids are growing up. In the future, there will be many expenses like school, weddings, buying a house. Just think about it, how far can the little we save from our salaries go? Not to mention other issues—my elder cousin’s child’s sickness is a prime example. We’ve been saving for years, and it was not enough to cover the cost of that illness. And that was when I had some money to spare. If I hadn’t known how to manage our household, where would I have gotten the money for Jiajia’s recent illness? Without it, my elder cousin would have just had to watch helplessly." What she would have had to watch was clear to all the adults present.
Shen Yunfang used examples from their lives to make her point, prompting the Ma couple to reflect.
"I was thinking of testing the waters this year, seeing if a bit of business with the Spring Festival couplets can bring in some extra money. Brother Ma, Sister-in-law, are you interested?" Shen Yunfang had already decided that if the couple was interested, they would partner up; if not, she would pay them to help with the neighborhood committees and the local police—that’s a ready-made connection right there.
"Yes," Mu Huazhen answered decisively.
Shen Yunfang was surprised; she had expected that if there was an agreement, it might come from Brother Ma.
"What are you looking at? Your son is nearly eight, soon he’ll be grown. How far can the little amount you earn go? Yunfang says this can make money, so of course, I’m on board," Mu Huazhen said firmly to Ma Liguo.
She didn’t understand much about doing business, but she trusted Shen Yunfang, who never seemed to run short on money. In her view, Shen Yunfang must know a thing or two in this regard.
"Alright, it’s rare for my wife to be so enthusiastic, so I must support her." Ma Liguo was amused. Even if they didn’t make money, if his brother’s wife insisted, he had to lend a hand.
"What are you talking about?" Mu Huazhen gave him another stern look.
Shen Yunfang was glad to see the couple unanimously agreeing to invest. She had her own capital, and her primary goals were to test the waters and to help Li Hongjun’s elder sister’s family. Now that she could bring along Ma Liguo and his wife, it was a good outcome.
