Ch 80: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Xiao Jun, ever impulsive, announced their plan to set up a stall at the breakfast table the morning after Shen Yunxuan mentioned it.

The other four family members were stunned. Yu Hong instinctively looked at Shen Yunxuan, then smacked Xiao Jun lightly. “What nonsense are you talking about? We can’t get involved in speculative trading. Are you worried you two won’t have enough to live on without salaries? Don’t worry, Yunxuan, how about working at the textile factory? I’ll talk to the manager for you. You’re diligent and smart; they’ll definitely take you.”

Xiao Zhijun chimed in, “You could also work at the state-run restaurant. My boss is an old friend of mine. I could get you a job as a waitress, handling orders and serving food. You’d earn at least ten yuan a month, and I’d be there to help you.” Then, with a sterner tone, he turned to Xiao Jun. “As a man, once you’ve started a family, you need to take responsibility. Find a proper job and support your wife and future children. You can’t keep fooling around like before. Got it?”

Xiao Jun cheerfully placed some pickled vegetables on their plates. “This stall idea is something we’ve already discussed. Don’t worry about it. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll move on. What’s the harm in trying? Besides, speculative trading is a thing of the past. Policies are more lenient now; no one’s cracking down on it anymore.”

Xiao Jun’s elder brother furrowed his brows, hesitating. “But the policies aren’t clear. What if they change? Better to let others test the waters first.”

Xiao Jun shook his head. “If we wait for others, won’t the opportunity be gone? You’ve got to be bold to get rich. If you follow behind others, you’ll always end up with scraps while they eat the meat.”

His sister-in-law hesitated. “But following others is safer. What if they use you as an example, parading you through the streets and pasting big-character posters? That’s not something small.”

Their concerns were valid. In the past, the fear of being labeled a “counter-revolutionary” had weighed heavily on everyone. Such labels could destroy entire families, forcing some to report or disown relatives just to protect themselves. It was no wonder people were wary.

Most people still looked down on street vending. If they saw someone selling goods, they’d mutter, “Speculative trader,” as if it were some lowly activity. Farming or factory work, on the other hand, was seen as respectable.

Xiao Jun suddenly suggested, “How about we split from the family? That way, if anything happens, it won’t affect you.”

This suggestion was poorly received. In that era, proposing a family split implied discord and was considered distasteful. Everyone’s expressions darkened.

Before Xiao Jun could say more, Shen Yunxuan kicked his shoe under the table and spoke with a smile. “This is something we really thought through. It’s precisely because Dad, Mom, and our elder siblings have stable jobs that we feel safe taking this risk. If we fail, we still have a safety net. But if it succeeds and we earn more, we can significantly improve the family’s living conditions.

“Xiao Jun isn’t suited for regular jobs, but he has the energy for these new ventures. As for me, I don’t have much education. Even if I get a job, it’ll be hard to move up. Times are changing. Since the college entrance exam policy was reinstated, there’ll soon be a wave of college graduates. In the future, any leadership position will likely require a degree. Instead of taking a job with no prospects, why not seize this opportunity to explore the new policies?

“Sister-in-law, you work at the supply and marketing cooperative. You know how scarce good items are. People have money and tickets but can’t find what they want to buy. Isn’t this the perfect chance for vendors? As for the risk of being labeled speculative traders, with the current relaxed policies, it’s minimal. Even if things revert, it won’t happen overnight. If the situation changes, we’ll stop immediately and stay home. We won’t cause trouble.

“When you think about it, there’s no real downside.”

The family exchanged glances. What she said made sense. The couple was sharp enough to back off if the winds shifted, minimizing risk. Moreover, this was the first thing Shen Yunxuan had suggested since marrying into the family, and Xiao Jun seemed genuinely motivated for once. It didn’t feel right to pour cold water on them.

After some deliberation, they all agreed and even offered to help with starting capital.

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “We’ll start small, just to test the waters. We won’t need much money at first. If we do later, we’ll let you know.”

Xiao Zhijun concluded, “Alright, give it your best shot and make something of it!”

After breakfast, the four working members left for their jobs. Xiao Jun took on the task of tidying up, cleaning the kitchen, and returning the borrowed tables and chairs. By the time he finished, the courtyard was spotless, and everything from the wedding was back in order.

Shen Yunxuan praised him, “I didn’t expect you to be so efficient. People say you’re lazy and idle, but they should see this. Most men can’t manage half as well as you.”

Xiao Jun couldn’t hide his grin. “They look down on men doing housework, but I say men should. We’re stronger, so it’s easier for us. Why make women struggle? Everyone in the family works hard at their jobs, so I might as well take care of things at home.”

Shen Yunxuan gave him a thumbs-up, genuinely impressed. In her past life, she had done endless housework until they could afford a maid. Xing Kai, with his strong patriarchal mindset, wouldn’t even lift a finger for small tasks. Though his rank climbed higher, the era’s emphasis on simplicity meant she lived like a widow, constantly busy inside and outside the house. Now, seeing Xiao Jun willingly handle chores, she couldn’t help but find him more and more pleasing to the eye.

Xiao Jun handed her a cup of malted milk and said eagerly, “Yunxuan, you said our money is enough—does that mean you already have an idea of what we’ll sell?”

Shen Yunxuan replied, “We’ll sell eggs and tea eggs. The cost is low, the demand is wide, and even if they don’t sell, we can eat them ourselves. It’s not easy to lose money.”

“What does ‘demand is wide’ mean?”

“It means the product appeals to many people. For example, hair accessories are mainly for young girls, while cigarettes are mostly for men.”

With this explanation, Xiao Jun immediately understood and looked at her with admiration. “You know so much! Did you secretly study with several teachers when your parents wouldn’t let you go to school? It’d be such a waste if you didn’t go to college. If you want, my big brother can get you enrolled in high school, and you can take the college entrance exam.”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head, amused. If she did nothing but study after marrying into the Xiao family—and considering their marriage was a sham—the family would feel like they’d been duped. Besides, having lived an entire lifetime already, she had no strong desire for schooling. In this era, time was opportunity, and she wasn’t willing to spend years studying only to end up doing the same things she was already planning.

“I’ve learned a lot already, so I won’t be going back to school,” she said seriously. “If you want to study, I’ll support you. Consider it repayment for helping me escape my past and treating me so well.”

Xiao Jun was taken aback by her confidence in him, as if she truly believed he could get into college. He straightened his back slightly, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. “I… I’m only good at math. I’m terrible at everything else and really don’t like studying. Forget it—let’s just focus on the eggs.”

Seeing his disinterest, Shen Yunxuan didn’t push the topic further. Instead, she wrote a list of ingredients on a piece of paper and said, “This is a recipe for tea eggs that an elderly woman in the cowshed taught me. She said it’s delicious, but I’ve never had a chance to try it. Let’s make a batch today to test it out, and then we’ll scout out locations—busy streets, workplaces, and the train station—to find good spots for selling. We want places with high foot traffic where people are willing to spend.”

Xiao Jun nodded eagerly, committing everything to memory. The two split tasks, with Xiao Jun giving her the bicycle and borrowing another one from a friend.

Originally, Shen Yunxuan had considered starting with a breakfast stall, but many breakfast foods required them to wake up at three or four in the morning to prepare. The noise would disturb the family, who needed their rest for work. Besides, making stuffed pancakes or similar items on-site might reveal her reincarnation secret to Shen Xuewei, which was a risk she wasn’t willing to take.

Starting with tea eggs was simpler. It didn’t require early mornings or cause significant worry about profits or losses. If successful, it would also help build Xiao Jun’s experience and confidence.

After scouting around, she decided to sell tea eggs near the hospital and train station during the day, then shift to residential areas of factory workers after hours to sell regular eggs. At the start, they had nothing but their energy, so legwork would be key.

Once home, they boiled the tea eggs and modified the bicycles, adding baskets lined with dry grass for cushioning. With this setup ready, Shen Yunxuan rode the bike back to her village to collect eggs.

At the village entrance, a group of elderly women chatting under a tree spotted her first. Surprised, they rubbed their eyes and hurried over. “Yunxuan, why are you back? Did something happen?”

A newlywed woman returning alone to her parents’ home was highly unusual, and their first thought was that something bad had happened. To their surprise, Shen Yunxuan greeted them with a cheerful smile. “Hello, grannies. I’m here to collect eggs. Since Xiao Jun and I just got married, we want to start a small business. We figured collecting eggs to resell would be a good way to earn a little extra. It’s not much, but it’s a start. Do you have any eggs to sell? I’m paying eight cents each—the same as the supply and marketing cooperative—so you won’t have to make the trip yourself and risk breaking any on the way.”

“You’re buying eggs?”

“You’re reselling eggs?”

“Isn’t that speculative trading? That’s not allowed!”

Some were shocked, others fearful, lowering their voices and glancing around nervously to ensure no one overheard.

Shen Yunxuan laughed gently. “I’ve noticed they’re not cracking down as much in town. We’re just testing the waters, and if it doesn’t work out, we’ll do something else. Honestly, I could have gone to the neighboring village—it’s closer and would save me ten minutes—but I figured if this works, it could make things easier for everyone here. I grew up in this village, after all. If there’s a good opportunity, it’s only right to share it, don’t you think?”

“That’s true! We all know each other here—at least no one would sell you bad eggs,” one granny agreed.

“But Yunxuan, why are you taking this risk? Only families who can’t make ends meet would dare to venture into speculative trading. Is the Xiao family treating you poorly because you’re from the countryside? They have four salaried workers; why would you need to sell eggs?”

Shen Yunxuan quickly waved her hand. “It’s truly my own idea.” She raised her wrist to show them her watch. “This was part of the bride price from the Xiao family, and so was this bicycle. They treat me very well. Anyway, it’s getting late. If you don’t have eggs to sell, I’ll head to someone else’s house. I just need a small amount for now, then I’ll head back.”

Hearing this, the elderly women hurriedly said, “We have eggs! Come with us, we’ll get them for you.”

They had been saving eggs to sell at the supply and marketing cooperative for the same price of eight cents each. Since they could sell to her directly without the risk of breaking them on the way, they were more than happy to do so.

One of the women suddenly remembered the Shen and Xing families and asked, “Are you going to start by collecting eggs from your parents and sister’s homes?”

At this, the smile on Shen Yunxuan’s face faded. She shook her head. “Not from them. On my wedding day, they were still scolding me that morning. They didn’t even let me have breakfast. I’ll pass.”

“What? Is that true?” The women exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued. They pressed her for details, but Shen Yunxuan only shook her head and remained silent. Sensing her unwillingness to discuss it, they didn’t probe further and instead brought out their eggs. They even helped her carefully pack the eggs into her basket, layering them with dry grass to prevent breakage.

Shen Yunxuan quickly calculated the total and paid them. The elderly women, slower with math, appreciated her patience. After receiving their money, they smiled and said, “Yunxuan, you’re so sharp! You calculated so many eggs so quickly. You’re a natural at selling things. I bet you’ll do well. Just be careful. If you see anyone watching you too closely, they might be planning to catch you. Pack up and leave quickly.”

Grateful for their concern, Shen Yunxuan smiled and assured them. When they asked about the Xiao family, she chatted for a while, emphasizing that the Xiao family were just regular folks, not as wealthy or mysterious as people rumored. They had enough to eat and wear, but no room for extravagance.

This new perspective changed how the elderly women viewed the Xiao family. Realizing they weren’t so unapproachable, they grew even friendlier with Shen Yunxuan.

After visiting several households, Shen Yunxuan collected 500 eggs, spending 40 yuan. She assured everyone she would return in two days and cycled back to town under their lingering gazes.

Once she left, the village buzzed with gossip. News of her collecting eggs to sell at a stall quickly spread. When Old Madam Shen heard, her face darkened. “What? My eldest daughter is collecting eggs in the village to sell? That’s speculative trading! How shameful! How dare she?”

Shen Weiguo frowned deeply. “Even though speculative trading isn’t strictly punished anymore, what if she gets caught? Wouldn’t that implicate us?”

Fang Fang snapped, “She’s growing more disobedient by the day. Now that her wings have hardened, she dares to do anything. Doesn’t the Xiao family care about her? Aren’t they afraid of losing their jobs if they get dragged into this? I need to talk to them.”

Shen Weiguo quickly stopped her. “Don’t forget the Xiao family doesn’t look kindly on us. Showing up unannounced so soon after the wedding would be inappropriate. Wait until the day after tomorrow when she and her husband visit us. Then, we can talk to them privately.”

Old Madam Shen snorted. “When they come, we must convince them. She can’t embarrass the Shen family. I bet it’s that loafer Xiao Jun’s idea. Look at Xing Kai—steady and reliable, a company commander. Thank goodness Weiwei was smart enough not to marry into the Xiao family.”

Fang Fang hastily added, “Mom, don’t mention that again. People outside are already gossiping that Weiwei only married Xing Kai for his rank, saying Xiao Jun never even considered her. If you keep bringing it up, it’ll make things harder for her.”

At the mention of this, their anger flared up again. Old Madam Shen slammed the table. “It’s all because of that ungrateful eldest daughter running her mouth! She’s jealous of Weiwei marrying a company commander and deliberately stirring trouble. What a wicked person. When she comes back, I’ll make her apologize to Weiwei and explain everything to Xing Kai. No matter what, we can’t let the Xing family hold grudges against us.”

Shen Weiguo and Fang Fang nodded in agreement, determined to discipline Shen Yunxuan when she returned.

Meanwhile, Shen Xuewei was puzzled by the news that Shen Yunxuan planned to sell eggs. This hadn’t happened in her previous life. Neither Shen Yunxuan nor Xiao Jun had sold anything at this time. What had changed to lead to this?

This deviation from the past made Shen Xuewei uneasy, as though events were slipping out of her control. Deep in thought, she was startled when her door suddenly burst open. She jumped up to find Xing Lei had kicked it in, holding an empty bowl.

Patting her chest to calm her nerves, Shen Xuewei scolded, “Xiao Lei, why didn’t you knock? It’s rude to kick the door. If you need something, you should wait for me to come out.”

Xing Lei glared at her with a fierce expression, forcing her to take an instinctive step back. Only then did he lower his gaze, extending the bowl in his hand. “I called you several times, and you didn’t answer. I thought something had happened, so I kicked the door open. My sister and I are hungry. There’s no food at home. Make us a bowl of malted milk and give us two long white cakes.”

Shen Xuewei frowned. “I didn’t hear you calling…”

“My brother called, and I called too. Are your ears broken?” Xing Xiaoxia ran over and stood beside Xing Lei, her innocent expression contrasting sharply with her words, which made Shen Xuewei furious. These little brats were blatantly lying. The courtyard was so quiet; if they had called her, how could she not hear? They were doing it on purpose!

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Since she was new to the household, she couldn’t discipline them yet. She told herself to be patient and make Xing Kai happy. Suppressing her anger, she made them the malted milk and forced a smile as she handed them the cakes.

But as she handed the bowl of malted milk to Xing Lei, his grip loosened, and the bowl fell to the ground, shattering. The freshly prepared hot milk splashed onto Xing Lei’s hand and spilled onto both children’s legs. They immediately began screaming, and Shen Xuewei’s face turned pale with panic.

“What’s going on? What happened?” Madam Xing ran over in a hurry from the kitchen, followed closely by Xing Kai, who had been fixing a bench in the backyard.

Xing Xiaoxia, tears streaming down her face, pointed at Shen Xuewei. “She burned my brother on purpose! She’s mean!”

Xing Lei, blowing on the small red patch on his hand, looked aggrieved. “She burned my sister too. My hand hurts, and so does my leg.”

Madam Xing immediately pulled the children to her side, inspecting them anxiously. She snapped, “Is this how you act as a mother?”

Shen Xuewei quickly tried to explain. “It wasn’t me! They asked me to make the malted milk. I made it and handed it to Xing Lei, but he didn’t hold it properly, and he…”

Xing Xiaoxia burst into louder sobs. “You didn’t want to make it for us, did you? Fine, we won’t drink it anymore!”

Xing Lei shrank back, looking at Shen Xuewei with fear. He stepped away and stammered, “It was… It was my fault. The bowl was too hot, and I couldn’t hold it.”

His demeanor made it seem as though he was terrified of her and forcing himself to swallow his grievances. Shen Xuewei’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You two! You did this on purpose, didn’t you? Kicking my door open and lying about calling me, scaring me on purpose, and now deliberately dropping the bowl…”

“Enough!” Xing Kai interrupted in a stern voice. “On purpose? Are you accusing the children of deliberately burning themselves to frame you? Do you even hear yourself? Forget everything else—how hot do you think that bowl was after you poured boiling water into it? You handed it directly to a child. How could they possibly hold it?”

Madam Xing, visibly angry, added, “Exactly! As a mother, don’t you know to let it cool before giving it to the kids? I think you’re just petty, resenting the children for asking you for food. Xiaolei, Xiaoxia, come with me to my room. You don’t need to ask her for anything. Let’s go!”

She grabbed the two children by the hands and marched out, her footsteps heavy with anger. The children lowered their heads, crying pitifully, looking every bit the victims. Shen Xuewei stared daggers at them, furious. These little brats had ruined her wedding night and now were framing her. How could Xing Kai’s children be so vile?

But arguing was pointless. It was better to play the victim. Shen Xuewei quickly grabbed Xing Kai’s hand, tears streaming down her face as she anxiously explained, “Kai, please believe me. I didn’t do it on purpose. I’m only six years older than Xing Lei—I’ve never been a mother or taken care of anyone before. Even if I were a fool, I wouldn’t deliberately hurt them. Why would I do that? To make you hate me? That doesn’t make sense.

But regardless, the kids got hurt. It’s my fault. I’ll learn from your mom and be more careful in the future. Please don’t be angry with me.”

Hearing her mention her age, Xing Kai’s anger eased a little. In his eyes, she was indeed young, and if her family had spoiled her, it was natural for her to lack experience in caring for others. But then he remembered how she had insisted on marrying him after learning he was a company commander. She valued his rank, not him as a person or his family. This thought made him uncomfortable.

Young she might be, but her scheming was clear. She likely wasn’t thrilled about becoming a stepmother to two kids while chasing the comfort of being the wife of a company commander. He could’ve married someone who met all his expectations, but because he’d saved her, he was now stuck with Shen Xuewei.

The more Xing Kai thought about it, the worse his mood became. He pulled his hand away and said, “Miss Shen, soldiers must be mindful of appearances. Don’t call me Kai; just call me Lao Xing (Old Xing). I’m going to check on the kids. Be patient with them. After all, you’re their mother now.”

Watching his dark expression as he walked away, Shen Xuewei grabbed a cake and hurled it to the floor, her eyes blazing with rage. Those little brats dared to play dirty with her! She would endure for now, but once she had a firm foothold in the Xing household, she would teach them a lesson they wouldn’t forget.

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆