Chapter 30 The Money-Making Plan

Chapter 30 The Money-Making Plan

Yao Shula took the three children home after they had eaten and drunk their fill.

Why stay after you've eaten your fill? To watch them fight!

Besides, the argument has nothing to do with the four siblings; they just came to have a meal quietly.

Back home, Yao Shula asked Yao Shuxin to watch the two children wash their hands and faces while she went to check if the kitchen door was properly closed.

Make sure nothing strange gets into the kitchen to steal food.

I've calculated that there are still a few days until Chinese New Year, and I need to figure out what to prepare. Maybe I should go to the department store and see if I can buy anything...

Also, I still need to prepare something for Grandma Zhou next door tomorrow.

Grandma Zhou has been a great help these past few days; a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative…

After thinking all this through, Yao Shula breathed on her hands and walked into the main room.

It's so cold!

When it gets cold next year, we must install a gas-sealed stove in the main room, just like the one in the old house.

At least this way it won't be so cold in winter...

As soon as Yao Shula entered the main room, she saw the three children hunched over the octagonal table under the long table, writing something.

"What are you writing?" Yao Shula asked with a smile as she leaned closer.

"Sister, you're keeping accounts!" Yao Shuxin said, looking up.

Yao Shula said "Oh," she almost forgot that earlier that day she had casually mentioned to Yao Shuxin that Yao Shuxin would be in charge of keeping the household accounts from now on.

I never expected that the little girl would remember my casual remark.

"Come on, let me see how well we've kept track of our accounts..."

Yao Shula immediately followed suit.

Upon seeing this, Yao Shula couldn't help but secretly give a thumbs up.

Yao Shuxin kept meticulous records, even noting where the money was spent and why so much was spent.

That's not all; she also marked the places where she spent a lot of money, indicating that these expenses might decrease next month...

Before Yao Shula could even utter a word of praise, Yao Shuxin began to worry.

"Sister, we've spent a lot of money these past few days."

Although I can use forty yuan a month now.

"But we still need to think of a way to save some money," Yao Shuxin said softly.

Yao Shula nodded.

Yes, you're right. We need to think of something; we can't just rely on these forty yuan...

"Sister, I have an idea, would you like to hear it?" Yao Shuxin suddenly looked at Yao Shula.

"Tell me! Just say what's on your mind! You don't need to hide anything from your sister," Yao Shula said with a smile.

Yao Shuxin closed the notebook she was using for bookkeeping, put the pen and notebook away, and then sat down in front of Yao Shula.

"Sister, this is something I wanted to tell you last time."

There are jobs available at the cardboard box factory and the cotton mill...

There are small cardboard boxes at the cardboard factory that you can glue together; you can earn five cents for gluing ten boxes.

The two of us, along with my younger brother, can make at least a hundred cardboard boxes in one night!

That way we can earn fifteen yuan a month!

Also, there's some scrap yarn at the cotton mill that you can sort. It's a bit hard on the eyes, but if you sort scrap yarn every night, you can earn more than ten yuan a month!

Yao Shuxin spoke very seriously.

Yao Shula, however, did not feel good about it.

What was I doing when I was fifteen?

I went to school every day, read comics with my classmates, and my mother always gave me whatever I asked for. I never had to worry about money.

And what about Yao Shuxin?

She was only fifteen years old (by Chinese reckoning) after the New Year, but she was already thinking about her family.

Previously, Yao Shula was a little puzzled as to why Yao Shuxin liked to be busy with housework and kitchen matters so much.

Yao Shuxin secretly told Yao Shula.

"Sister, you're all grown up now. You'll be getting married in a few years. You can't possibly take both me and Shuli with you when you get married!"

"I'll learn to do housework and cook as soon as possible, so you can rest easy after you get married, right?"

When Yao Shula heard Yao Shuxin say that, her heart clenched immediately.

Is this what they mean by poor children learning to be independent early?

Now, my younger sister is starting to worry about making money for the family again...

"Big sister, don't worry. Even if you don't let me paste cardboard boxes or sort through rotten yarn, I can still help with other things around the house."

I'll go to that place behind the supply and marketing cooperative where they buy and sell things sometime.

They buy things from others at slightly lower prices, then resell them to people who don't have the necessary permits at a higher price.

No matter how much, you can definitely earn 30 to 50 yuan a month!

In that case, our family's monthly expenses would be more than forty yuan; it could be fifty, sixty, or even eighty yuan!

"We'll definitely have enough money then!" Yao Shuli said, sharing her own plans.

Hehe, that way I won't have to go to school.

Staying in the classroom every day is a waste of time. Wouldn't it be better to use that time to go out and earn money?

No sooner had Yao Shuli finished speaking than Yao Shula, who wasn't a member of the Yao family, spoke up.

"Big sister, actually... making money isn't that hard!"

"Making money isn't difficult?" Yao Shuxin and Yao Shuli both looked at Xiaotian.

Little Tian nodded.

"Big sister, how about this?"

When my dad is less busy, I will go home for the Chinese New Year and have dinner with them.

Then I'll find another chance to sneak away, and then you guys can pick me up again.

In that case, will my dad give you another two hundred yuan?

Don't worry about spending it. I'll run away after I've spent it all, and then they'll give me the money..."

Before Xiaotian could finish speaking, Yao Shuli covered her mouth.

"Do you think our family are bad people? Just waiting to pick you up and make money off you? Shut up!" Yao Shuli said irritably.

After a moment of surprise, Yao Shula finally came to her senses.

Fortunately, Yao Shuli still has a sense of right and wrong, and knows what she can and cannot do...

This little Tiantian... I don't know what he's thinking, he dares to say anything.

"Alright, none of you should think about the money. It seems that this is not something you need to worry about."

"There's an older sister here!" Yao Shula quickly reassured the younger children.

The younger ones didn't say anything, but who knows what they were thinking?

In their view, their older sister had already worked very hard to raise them.

I can't let my sister worry about making money all by herself!

Yao Shula knew that each of them must have their own ulterior motives.

It's a good thing!

She had promised to come and raise her two younger siblings properly, but she wasn't there to raise ungrateful children.

So, it's good that you can worry about things at home!

"Alright! Do you believe your sister?" Yao Shula immediately straightened her expression.

"I believe you!" The three of them immediately stood at attention.

"Just believe me! Alright, it's getting late, go wash up and go to bed!"

Yao Shula waved her hand.

...

That night, Yao Shula lay in bed.

Money must be earned. If you really rely on forty yuan a month, you're not far from starving.

The key is what you do.

Yao Shula is very cautious when it comes to making money.

After all, her name has a bad connotation!

Yao Shula! Yao Shula!

We're going to lose!

It's not good to lose at everything you do...

We'll have to figure this out slowly!