Chapter 536 - 517: Making a Bet

The proprietress knew Chunxiang was with the Public Security Bureau, so she couldn’t really object. She decided to do her a favor to stay on her good side and returned the money to Chunxiang.

Of course, none of this had anything to do with Gu’er. She and Sui’er had already left the shop. Sui’er still wanted to look around, but Gu’er pulled her along, and the two of them started heading back.

"We just wanted to have a nice day shopping, and we run into something like this. Otherwise, we could have shopped a bit longer and bought more things."

Sui’er grumbled, feeling like their fun had been cut short.

"Actually, that Chunxiang is a lot like Wang Shan from your school. They both look down on people who aren’t well-off and suck up to those who are. But Chunxiang also has that mentality where she can’t stand to see others do well. It takes all kinds to make a world, I suppose, with all sorts of mindsets. You really can’t understand what goes through some people’s heads, making them do things that hurt others without even benefiting themselves. As for us, we just need to focus on living our own lives well."

Gu’er explained to Sui’er that she had seen plenty of people and situations like this; in her past life, she had experienced more than her fair share of human indifference and kindness.

"You’re right, Sis. By the way, Sis, I was thinking about starting a small business with Xiaomei. What do you think? Don’t worry, we won’t let it affect our studies. In college, studying is definitely the priority."

Sui’er asked for Gu’er’s opinion. The idea hadn’t occurred to her at first. It came to her after she went with Chen Xiaomei to look for work. As college students, their schedules were erratic, which made finding a decent job difficult, and the monthly pay was low. So she started thinking about starting a small business. It might not earn a lot, she thought, but it would surely be better than working odd jobs.

If they started their own small business, they could manage their own time, which would be more convenient and give them more freedom.

But she had no experience. When she mentioned it to her mother, Chen Fengjiao, she was completely against it. Her mother said they weren’t short on food or clothing for her, and she could have money if she asked for it. All she needed to do was study hard. Why start a small business? It was a waste of time and energy. She told her to stop having such wild ideas.

"Of course you can. As long as it doesn’t interfere with your studies, you should do what you want. Whether or not you make money isn’t important; you can gain some experience. But you must prioritize your studies and your safety."

Gu’er actually thought it was a great idea. ’In the future, times will change,’ she thought. ’There won’t be any jobs for life, and being a factory worker won’t be so desirable anymore. If Sui’er has a talent for business, she should absolutely go for it.’

"So you think it’s okay, Sis? Mom is completely against it. She says I’m just fooling around and acting on a whim. She told me to just study hard, and when I come back home after graduation, Dad can find me a good job, and I can marry into a good family. But that’s not what I want. I have no interest in getting a nine-to-five. I want to build something myself. As for marrying into a ’good family’... what even is a ’good family’? Isn’t it enough for two people to just fall for each other?"

Sui’er told Gu’er exactly what she was thinking.

"From the sound of it, you’re not planning to come back after you graduate? You want to stay and build your career somewhere else?"

Gu’er asked, realizing she had never actually discussed this with Sui’er before.

"Hehe, well, Sis, you’re here, aren’t you? And there’s Xiao Zheng, too. I’ll see when the time comes. I haven’t really made up my mind yet. Anyway, I’ve still got four years. I’ll see what the situation is like then."

Sui’er grinned at Gu’er. She really was considering staying away from home.

Gu’er said nothing. ’Everyone is their own person with their own mind,’ she thought. ’You can’t force your expectations on others.’

"If you’re going into business with Xiaomei, you need to be very clear about the finances from the start. I know you mean well and want to help her out, but the biggest taboo in business is having messy accounts. How will you split the profits? How will you handle the losses? You have to discuss all of this clearly. You can’t just say you’ll split profits fifty-fifty but cover all the losses yourself. Even if you want to help her, that’s not the way to do it. You have to make this clear with her before you start, or you’ll run into conflicts later, and you could even end up as enemies. Alternatively, you could hire her to help you and pay her a monthly wage. That way, whether you make a profit or not, you still pay her. It would be a more stable situation for her."

Gu’er advised Sui’er.

"I think Xiaomei will definitely want to be partners. I was originally planning to split the profits and cover any losses myself. Sis, you don’t understand, Xiaomei’s family is in a really tough spot. She has an older sister, two younger sisters, and two younger brothers. They can barely put food on the table. They’re all counting on her to be successful in the future and help the family out. But Xiaomei isn’t the type to take advantage of others; she’s a really good person. I’ll ask her about it. I’m sure she’d never agree to just work for me for a salary."

Lin Sui’er had a very good impression of Chen Xiaomei and always wanted to help her.

"Not necessarily. Often, the more a person’s family needs money, the less willing they are to take risks. That’s especially true for someone who doesn’t like to be indebted to others. She has to consider, what if you lose money? She wouldn’t be able to come up with her share, and she wouldn’t want you to cover it for her. In that situation, she would likely choose the safer route: helping you out while you pay her a wage. She wouldn’t make a fortune that way, but it would be stable."

Gu’er’s understanding of human nature was far more profound than Sui’er’s.

"No way. You can definitely earn more as a business partner than you would just by helping me. Even if we lose money, it won’t be that much. Xiaomei will definitely choose to partner with me. How about it, Sis, wanna make a bet?"

Sui’er, however, thought, ’My sister has never even met Xiaomei. She doesn’t know her like I do.’

"Alright. What are we betting?"

Gu’er agreed without a second thought.

"What to bet? Let me think... How about a new outfit? Or the loser has to do a favor for the winner? You can decide, Sis."

It was a spur-of-the-moment suggestion, so she hadn’t really thought it through.

"Either one is fine with me. By the way, do you need any start-up money for the business? I have some if you do."

Gu’er was worried Sui’er might be short on cash.

"No need, I have enough. I’ve been saving the money Mom, Dad, and you gave me. I don’t really have any big expenses, so it’s plenty. When my business gets bigger later, I’ll come ask you if I’m short, Sis."

Sui’er shook her head. Then, as if she had just remembered something, she asked Gu’er, "Sis, I heard Dad say you’re going to start building a primary school for the village after the New Year. That must cost a lot of money, right?"

"Yes. We were originally going to build it this year, but we had some delays and then the weather got cold. We’ll start construction next spring. The building itself won’t cost too much; it’s the long-term operational costs that will be more expensive. We have to hire a principal and find teachers—there’s a lot to do. But your brother-in-law and Li Zhi have already found people to take care of those things. Dad is very supportive, too. He’s spoken with the township authorities, and they’re behind it as well. When the time comes, we just have to provide the funds. It won’t require much effort from us."

Gu’er nodded. She had promised back then to build a nursing home and a primary school. The nursing home was already operating well, with quite a few seniors living there, all of them very satisfied. The township had even presented them with a certificate of recognition for it.

The primary school, however, still hadn’t been built. Although neither the township nor the village had rushed her, she had made a promise, and they intended to keep it. She had discussed it with Lin Shan, and he was very supportive. It wasn’t that he wanted to use his daughter’s philanthropy for his own political gain; he simply believed that it was a good thing to do something for the people when one had the means. Helping children get an education was a monumental task that would benefit generations to come.

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Thank you to Hai Feng’s Baby 060219 for the monthly ticket, and thank you all for your support.