wavenovel Chapter 15 Joining
Chapter 15 Joining
The Lan family's old house is a small courtyard with several brick and tile houses arranged in a U-shape.
Clothes were hanging out to dry in the yard, and some odds and ends were piled up in the corner. They looked quite old, but they were kept relatively clean.
Lan Xiuying walked to the courtyard gate and called out inside.
"Mom! Baojun!"
A voice responded from inside, and a petite old woman in her fifties lifted the curtain and came out. It was Chen Xiuzhi, Zhang Beichuan's great-grandmother.
"Yingzi? Dequan? What brings you here?"
When Chen Xiuzhi saw her daughter and son-in-law, she was both surprised and delighted. Her gaze quickly fell on Zhang Beichuan, with a hint of doubt in her eyes.
"This person is...."
Zhang Dequan glanced at his wife, who was carrying corn and wheat out of a basket on her back, and quickly introduced her.
"Mom, this is my younger brother, Zhang Beichuan. He's the youngest son who ran away a few years ago, and he just came back from the provincial capital."
Looking at his young great-grandmother, Zhang Beichuan recalled visiting her with his grandparents during the Lunar New Year when he was a child.
The old man would always secretly slip himself 20 yuan so that everyone could use it to buy snacks.
Zhang Beichuan stepped forward and respectfully greeted him.
"Hello, Auntie. You can just call me Xiaochuan."
"Oh, it's Xiao Chuan!" Chen Xiuzhi exclaimed in surprise, a smile spreading across her face. "Come in and sit down, come in and sit down."
"Mom, isn't Dad home?" Lan Xiuying asked after putting down her things.
"Yingzi, Dequan, look at you two! How many times have I told you not to come here and take things every time?"
The old lady complained because she felt sorry for her daughter and son-in-law, who had three children to support. Although life was better these days, they could barely afford to eat their fill.
"Your dad went to the market to sell vegetables and won't be back until noon."
After saying that, the old lady took her daughter's hand in one hand and her son-in-law's hand in the other, and then turned around to invite Zhang Beichuan to come in and sit down.
"Are my granddaughters all doing well?"
Lan Xiuying smiled and said, "I'm fine. When we have time next time, Dequan and I will bring the children to visit you and Dad."
"Alright, alright, it's time to come back and visit more often."
Just then, a young man who was 1.82 meters tall and had a buzz cut came out of the side room.
He was wearing a grass-green Type 85 military uniform, his posture was straight, he looked particularly energetic, and his eyes were sharp. He was Lan Baojun.
"Sister, brother-in-law, you're here?" Lan Baojun said with a laugh, then his gaze fell on Zhang Beichuan, but his eyes held a hint of scrutiny.
"Yeah, after serving in the army for a few years, you look much more energetic!" Zhang Dequan said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.
The group went inside and sat down, and Chen Xiuzhi busied herself boiling water for them.
Lan Xiuying didn't beat around the bush and told her younger brother and mother everything about Zhang Beichuan's return and her idea of finding someone to help with her lighter business.
"…Baojun, you haven't found a job yet, and it's not good for you to just stay at home all day. I think Xiaochuan's business is reliable. He's quick-witted and can get his hands on new lighters from the coastal areas, which can fetch a good price here."
"This business can't be run by one person alone; you need someone to help you. Your brother-in-law and I have thought about it a lot, and you're the most suitable." Lan Xiuying said, looking at her younger brother expectantly.
Lan Baojun didn't agree immediately. After a moment of contemplation, he looked at Zhang Beichuan.
"Brother Xiao Chuan, how exactly does your lighter business operate? What can I do?"
Zhang Beichuan liked his direct and steady attitude, which was not impulsive.
"Baojun...brother." Zhang Beichuan forced himself to change his form of address to sound more intimate. "I can reliably get the goods. I have piezoelectric lighters and flint lighters. They're convenient and durable, and there's definitely a market for them."
"As for the method..." He paused, "Selling them on the street at a lower price than the kerosene lighters sold at the supply and marketing cooperative would definitely make them sell, but they would be too conspicuous and easily attract the attention of thugs. I'm thinking that since I can't set up a street stall, I can find a fixed place and become a self-employed individual."
Partnering with supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores for wholesale is certainly a more stable approach.
But if he rashly went to their door, these arrogant organizations wouldn't even bother with him.
Start by operating as a sole proprietor. Once you've reached a certain scale, you won't necessarily need Zhang Beichuan to personally visit you anymore; people will naturally come to you seeking cooperation.
"Then what do you need me to do?" Lan Baojun asked more specifically, adding, "And given my situation, I probably can't work with you and your brother-in-law for very long, at most a few months."
Zhang Beichuan knew that Lan Baojun was concerned about finding a job after being discharged from the military.
In the seven years since the reform and opening up, the private economy has only officially started to take off in the last two or three years, after several ups and downs in the first few years.
A formal job is still very valuable, and it's unrealistic to persuade Lan Baojun to give it up in a short period of time.
Once he realizes that doing business is better than holding onto a secure job, he will naturally stop thinking about it.
"Brother Baojun, your wife told me about your situation. It's unrealistic for my business to rely on just the two of us, my third brother and me, in the early stages. Once we get through the initial phase, we'll continue to look for more people. You're free to come and go as you please."
Hearing this, Lan Baojun felt relieved and waited for him to continue.
"There are roughly two things I need you to do. First, you need to be an assistant, handling shipping, managing the stall, and keeping accounts. I need reliable people like you, Brother Baojun, and my third brother."
"Secondly, it's about the storefront." Zhang Beichuan said bluntly, "Brother Baojun, you're a veteran. When I go out to buy goods, with you and Third Brother watching over the stall together, ordinary thugs won't dare to come and cause trouble."
"In addition, I heard from my sister-in-law that there are still many children in our Lan family who don't have any proper jobs. If the business takes off, we will need a lot of manpower. Brother Baojun, can you help me make connections and pick a few trustworthy people so that everyone can have something to do?"
The children of the Lan family mentioned by Zhang Beichuan all grew up with Lan Baojun, and many of them were related to the family.
Before joining the army, Lan Baojun was also a member of the street gang.
These days, jobs are precious. Families with several children usually have the eldest child taking over a job, leaving the younger ones with nothing to do, so they naturally end up gathering together.
Eighteen or nineteen is the age when one is full of vigor and energy. They are bored every day, and with so many people around, it is natural that someone will come up with a clever idea and cause some trouble.
Gradually, he gained a reputation, but it wasn't a good one; rather, it was a reputation that everyone disliked and even dogs hated.
But Lan Baojun knew that these people weren't all bad; they just had nothing to do and could only create trouble to pass the time and drift through life.
The real bad seed has been living off the government's salary during his years in the army.
Lan Baojun didn't want to see his childhood friend get into trouble one day and follow in the footsteps of those people.
Zhang Beichuan's words now seem to have given him a direction.
"Brother Xiao Chuan, your idea sounds reliable to me." Lan Baojun sat up straight, his tone serious. "The current policies encourage individual businesses. If we can really have a stable supply of goods, I think we can give it a try."
Immediately afterwards, Lan Baojun changed the subject, his expression somewhat embarrassed.
"Of course, I know that since my older sister brought you to our home, she must trust you, and you won't treat us badly. However, I want to say a few things upfront to avoid hurting our relationship."
Zhang Beichuan nodded; what he said was indeed true.
Discussing the money beforehand can avoid a lot of unpleasantness. Many brothers will fight over money, let alone his current relationship with Lan Baojun.
"The minimum wage is set at 80 yuan per person per month, and will be adjusted later based on the actual situation."
"80 yuan?" Lan Baojun had expected Zhang Beichuan to treat him fairly, but he didn't expect Zhang Beichuan to be so generous.
A private boss is already doing well if he can give you forty or fifty dollars a month. He's talking about the monthly salary of a regular worker after two or three years of work!
Zhang Dequan, who was standing to the side, was also dumbfounded. He knew that Lao Yao's lighters were highly profitable.
But a lighter costs over ten yuan, how many people are really willing to spend that much money to buy one?
With such high labor costs, plus the shop's annual rent and other miscellaneous expenses, is it possible to recoup the costs?
Lan Baojun paused, noticing his brother-in-law's nervous expression.
"Brother Xiaochuan, you're not kidding, are you?"
Zhang Beichuan smiled, his tone calm and composed.
"Third Brother, Baojun, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Higher wages mean more people will put in the effort. Besides, we're selling lighters now, but we can expand to other products later. Once we get the market in place, this little bit of money is nothing."
Seeing that he was really not joking, Lan Baojun's eyes lit up.
He served in the army for several years with meager allowances. When he returned home after his discharge, he was worried about not having a way to earn money. Eighty yuan a month would be a considerable income if he worked for a few months.
More importantly, the confidence Zhang Beichuan revealed in his words was that he wasn't just doing small-scale business; he genuinely wanted to expand his business.
Even if he quits later, he can still help introduce a few of his trusted childhood friends from the same compound to Zhang Beichuan.
"Brother Xiao Chuan, I'll work with you. When do we start?"