121: Chapter 31 The Arrival of the Young Man_2 121: Chapter 31 The Arrival of the Young Man_2 “Little Brother!” Seeing Lin Xiaoxi standing in the reception room with a beaming smile, Lin Xiaoguai exclaid with a surprised face, pulling his hand, “How co you’re here?
No, why didn’t you let know you were coming?”
Lin Xiaoxi was about to reply when the old man in the reception room coughed and interrupted, “Since there’s no problem with his identity, take him away, and don’t hold up my listening to the opera.”
Lin Xiaoguai felt sowhat embarrassed and chuckled, “Then Uncle Xiao, we’ll be off.
I’ll be making chive pockets tonight; I’ll bring so over for you to have with your drink.”
Uncle Xiao had a bit of a temper, but he wasn’t a bad person.
People from his hotown often sent him things, always quite a lot.
When Shen Chi wasn’t there to help her carry the packages, he would always have a soldier bring them to her.
He might speak harshly, but it wasn’t malicious.
Lin Xiaoguai didn’t mind at all.
Knowing he liked to have a little drink at night and his favorite snack was chive pockets, which he couldn’t make well himself, she would always bring so over for him to enjoy with his drink—it wasn’t much trouble to make a portion for one more person.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Xiao’s expression softened slightly, but with a stubborn tone, he said, “Put more chives in it this ti.
Don’t make it all eggs like last ti.”
He just wanted her to put fewer eggs in to save money, a kind but stubborn old man.
Lin Xiaoguai secretly laughed to herself but nodded earnestly, even though she had no intention of putting fewer eggs in.
“This Uncle is quite nice, huh?” remarked Lin Xiaoxi with a smile as they left.
Lin Xiaoguai nodded and then said, “You still haven’t answered my earlier question.”
“I ca to find sales channels for tea and to repay you,” Lin Xiaoxi replied cheerfully.
“Originally, I planned to co to see you after I had finished my business, but the hotels here are too expensive.
I was hoping to crash at your place for a few nights.”
For Lin Xiaoguai, Lin Xiaoxi always treated her as a dear sister and naturally wouldn’t stand on ceremony with her.
“Why would you repay ?
Aren’t you just starting your business?
I’m not short on money; there’s no need for you to rush to pay back,” Lin Xiaoguai said, dissatisfied, yet also pleased, “Exactly, why stay in a hotel when we have spare rooms at ho?”
Before his arrival, Little Brother and Aunt had a spat as he didn’t want to work in the production team and wished to start a business instead.
However, Aunt refused to agree, let alone provide financial support.
After learning about it, Lin Xiaoguai gave him one thousand yuan as capital—not that she didn’t want to give more, but because Little Brother wouldn’t accept more.
But Lin Xiaoxi changed the subject and pointed at Yaya, asking, “Little sister, whose child is this?” He recognized his nephew, Little Niangao; kids might change quickly, but it had only been a month since his sister’s family moved to Shanghai and he surely could recognize them.
“She’s a friend’s child; I’m taking care of her now.
Yaya, say hello to Uncle Lin,” Lin Xiaoguai said, patting Yaya’s head.
“Hello, Uncle Lin,” replied Yaya, a bit puzzled.
Aunt Lin’s brother didn’t look as good as Aunt Lin.
Wasn’t it said that siblings often resemble each other?
“Hey, hello,” Lin Xiaoxi replied, fishing through his pocket and handing her a handful of candies originally intended for his nephew, “Here, eat these.”
These weren’t the kind of hard fruit candies sold for one yuan per pound.
Figuring that his sister spoiled the child too much, and he couldn’t wimp out as an uncle, he had especially weighed out more expensive soft candies and milk candies.
Yaya was delighted.
Her mother was reluctant to buy candies, and Aunt Lin was worried about cavities, so she wouldn’t let her eat too much.
There must be at least a dozen pieces in this handful.
Uncle Lin and Aunt Lin really were siblings—both generous and kind-hearted.
“Little Brother, why did you give her so many?” exclaid Lin Xiaoguai, half laughing and half crying, as she watched Yaya quickly stashing the candies in her pocket.
She tapped the child’s head, “You’re not allowed to eat them all at once, only two pieces a day, got it?”
“Got it,” Yaya reluctantly muttered, pouting her lips.
Back ho, Lin Xiaoguai prepared a cup of sesa paste for Lin Xiaoxi, “Try this, Little Brother.
I roasted the sesa seeds myself.”
Lin Xiaoxi took a big sip and gave a thumbs up, “Not bad, your skills are improving.”
Lin Xiaoguai then busied herself taking out peanut cakes she made the day before to offer Lin Xiaoxi and asked, “Did you co by train, Little Brother?”
“Yep, but the village paid for it,” Lin Xiaoxi said, squinting his eyes.
“What happened?” asked Lin Xiaoguai curiously, glancing at him, “And, I don’t know if it’s just , but don’t you seem much whiter, Little Brother?” Her brother had always been good-looking, but working in the production team had sun-tanned his skin, robbing his features of their true charm.
“You cheeky girl, picking on your brother now,” Lin Xiaoxi blushed at the comnt, “Well, sumr just ended and I haven’t been working in the fields.
Besides, I’ve been ho managing the old accounts for tea sales from Liberation tis, which has made pale, right?”
“You couldn’t have partnered with the village committee to set up a tea factory, could you?” asked Lin Xiaoguai in surprise.
“How did you guess?” Lin Xiaoxi looked even more surprised, adding with a bitter smile, “There was no choice.
Although national policies have been implented, individual thinking hasn’t caught up yet.
It’s very difficult for small business owners to sell tea, especially if you want to grow big.”
Lin Xiaoguai wasn’t too worried about this.
In a few years, these collective factories were bound to beco unsustainable.
Little Brother gaining so experience now ant he could either buy out the tea factory or start his own business later, which would be good either way.
But…
“You’re not trying to pay back because of this tea factory business, are you?” Lin Xiaoguai was concerned that Little Brother, without the pressure of his past life, might settle for working in the tea factory for life, considering Aunt and the other elders who valued stability, which was a real possibility.
If so, it would be a pity.
Little Brother truly had a talent for business, sothing evident from his past life.
“No,” thankfully, Lin Xiaoxi shook his head.
(To be continued.
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