Chapter 13 Selling Steamed Buns (Part 2)

  "Wow, little sister is really smart! My brother at home is already five years old and still can't count!" Seeing Fang Mo Nan's completely mature demeanor as a young man, the students beside him also burst out laughing.

  "Of course, 1 is like a pencil, thin and long; 2 is like a small duck floating on the water; 3 is like an ear listening to sounds; 4 is like a red flag waving in the wind; 5 is like a hook for buying vegetables; 6 is like a whistle blowing; 7 is like a sickle cutting grass; 8 is like a sesame seed twisting around; 9 is like a spoon for eating rice; 10 is like chopsticks with an egg." Fang Mo-nan said, counting on his fingers as he spoke.

  The person next to him listened and thought it was very vivid, so he said: "Wow... tell me again, let me remember, I'll teach my sister later." "My brother..."

  Other students who have younger brothers and sisters at home also let Fang Mo Nan read it again and memorize it.

  Someone said to Grandma Mo, "Niece Mo, your granddaughter is really clever."

  Their grandmother was more delighted with their praise than with making money from selling mantou, and she couldn't stop smiling.

  Very soon, Fang Momo and the others brought nearly fifty steamed buns, which were sold out in no time. Others who didn't get to buy any looked at the empty big bamboo basket and asked anxiously, "How did they sell out so quickly? Are you coming again tomorrow?"

  "Come, come again tomorrow." Fang Mo Nan said.

  Grandma watched them walk away regretfully, saying nothing. She was now anxiously wondering how much more money she had spent.

  Fang Mo Nan and the two of them, with autumn tiger on their heads, rushed home in a hurry, sweating profusely. They didn't even have time to quench their thirst or hunger, nor did they have time to tidy themselves up. The door hadn't even been opened yet when Grandma was already under the corridor, hastily pouring out the money from the cardboard box onto the small wooden table and counting it.

  The total is one block two? five, not counting the grain tickets, so much, grandma was a bit unbelievable, front and back counted three times, no mistake. Grandma's emotions were excited to count her fingers, muttering to herself: "Deducting flour money, coal ball money, and deducting miscellaneous expenses... The pure profit is actually one block of money, if this is done every day for a month it would be thirty blocks of money. This is more than your aunt's salary, and the buns are sold out in no time, the quantity can be increased to steam some more, so it won't just be this much money in a day, how is this possible?" Although it was just an accidental event, grandma couldn't help but imagine a better life after careful consideration. Calm down! With this, the flour stored on the attic at home also has a place to go. Nannan's mother didn't have any other skills, and she hadn't sold cheap flour to her family in the past two years.

  To know that the salary level of people at that time was only twenty or thirty yuan, Xiao Yi was a temporary worker and her salary was only over ten yuan, so Grandma was scared by the number she calculated. She was stunned for a long time and didn't come back to her senses for a while.

  Fang Mo Nan put all the money in a cardboard box, calmly thinking that on the first day, people's curiosity would lead to such good sales. Moreover, students from high school families had some savings at home, and even if their parents were poor, they wouldn't let their children go hungry, especially those who boarded at school. They would have to have money for food, so some people gritted their teeth and bought the steamed buns despite being a little more expensive. After the initial novelty wore off, sales would decline, but in her calculations, deducting costs and uncertain factors, she could still make 50 or 60 yuan per month, which should be easy.

  Now looking at Grandma's enthusiasm, I estimate that she doesn't need Fang Mernan to cheer her on, and she will continue to do so.

  Fang Mo Nan thought that the key was the follow-up issue, which was how she could persuade her grandmother to persist.

  Even in the era of movement, private economy was not completely banned, and there were still some unemployed people setting up stalls in the county town. For example, bookstalls, watch repair stalls, fried food stalls, popsicle stalls, etc.

  Nowadays, things are different and they can be done openly and honestly. They still have an advantage over the public in terms of mantou (a type of Chinese steamed bun).

  In the early 80s, it was individual businesses, in the late 80s, it was stocks, in the 90s, it was real estate, and in the 21st century, it's the internet. These are all the most profitable. In the early 80s, even setting up a street stall could make you rich, although there were historical reasons for this, but many people didn't dare to try. In the late 80s, IPO stocks, buying them would guarantee profits, but many people didn't believe it.

  To know that in the 80s, whatever you did, eight or nine out of ten would become one of the first group of people to get rich. Many people have sighed and regretted missing the good opportunity to start a business. But at that time, doing business was indeed seen as an unorthodox and reckless venture by most people. Most practitioners were either released from labor reform or idle vagrants on the street. Everyone would rather stick to their factory jobs, working hard from dawn till dusk, earning a meager salary of 20-30 yuan per month, just feeling that the money earned was solid.

  Fang Mo Nan looked at Grandma's face, which was filled with a silly and happy smile, and he was also very pleased. After all, he had found her an occupation that didn't require any technical skills. What's important wasn't how much money they could make, but rather cultivating this kind of awareness in them. A few years later, wasn't there a popular saying that went like this: "Those who work on missiles don't earn as much as those who sell tea eggs?" But whenever problems arose, they would be resolved then and there. However, soon all the issues she considered were one by one dissolved by Old Man Lin, for knowledgeable people are indeed farsighted.

  Grandma smiled foolishly, Fang Mo Nan hugged the box and sat on a small wooden table. Before Grandma came to her senses, she saw Auntie coming home from work. Looking at the big and small ones sitting silly in front of the door, without even opening the gate.

  "Nan Nan, what's wrong with your grandma?" asked her aunt, pointing at the dazed grandma.

  "Oh! Look." Fang Mo Nan handed her the cash box.

  Auntie took one look at all these banknotes and coins, raised an eyebrow, "What's going on?"

  Fang Mo Nan told her what had just happened, and although Little Aunt was also a bit surprised, by noon, after working all morning, she was both tired and hungry, so eating was the most important thing, and she didn't bother to think about it carefully. She pushed Grandma: "Mom, what are we going to eat for lunch?"

  "Ah!" Grandma suddenly came back to her senses, "It's noon, let's eat buns!" She opened the door and looked at the empty steamer basket, "Oh no, we've sold all the buns." At that time, she was only thinking about not being able to finish them before they went bad, so she just kept putting more in, forgetting to leave some for herself. She patted her thigh, "This is easy, Little Yan you make a stir-fry of tomatoes and eggs, and slice up some cucumber, I'll go roll out the noodles now. We can just have hand-pulled noodles for lunch."

  "Alright, I'll go to the backyard to pick some tomatoes." Fang Mo Nan got up and ran down the stone steps, going to the backyard to pick 'tomatoes, cucumbers'.

  After lunch, Old Man Lin also came back from work. He usually has lunch at the unit canteen and solves dinner himself when he comes back. Grandma and Little Auntie, Fang Mo Nan went to find him together to talk about this matter.

  Old Lin listened to the words and thought for a moment, saying: "Big sister, these days Xiaoyan reads newspapers, I suppose you also know that the national policy is open, doing this thing we don't violate the policy."

  Grandma heard his words and nodded happily.

  "Are you sure you want to continue?" Lin Laoye asked, looking at her. Seeing Grandma's excitement, he quickly waved his hand and said, "Listen to me finish speaking. Although the policy allows it, you also know that our county is small, and people's thinking may still be stuck in that era. I'm saying this because you understand." Seeing Grandma nodding, he continued, "I'm not afraid of others gossiping, pointing fingers, or spreading rumors." He also muttered to Grandma about some possible consequences that might occur.

  Fang Mo Nan saw that the old man had spoken out her previous concerns, and she felt relieved. Now it's up to Grandma's choice, and she looked at Grandma with some tension, fearing that she would back down in the end, and she couldn't help but feel anxious while waiting for her own decision, which no one else could make for her.

  Her aunt was also on the side, rubbing her hands and nervously looking at Grandma. She didn't expect that! After careful calculation, if she set up a steamed bun stall, she would earn more than her. Money can move people's hearts, and she was excited, just afraid that Grandma wouldn't do it. She had worked in the county committee and had contact with many people, and had also heard similar things. At that time, she thought about what to do if she encountered such a thing herself, now that it was her turn, she wasn't afraid of what others would say! The little broken things in their family were already known by almost everyone in the county when she quarreled with her big brother, so why should she be afraid of what others would say?

  Inside the house, all that could be heard was the annoying chirping of cicadas outside. Grandma, who had been excited at first, was suddenly doused with a bucket of cold water by Grandpa, and she hung her head in silence for a long time. Then, she looked up and firmly said to him: "I want to do it, I'm not afraid of what others say. At my age, what can't I see through? Looking at my granddaughter who can't even get enough meat to eat all year round, my heart aches; looking at my daughter moving bricks and mud every day, doing men's work, my heart aches; Nannan's mom and dad being belittled in front of their relatives, isn't it just because they don't have money? A whole family struggling. Why not do it? The policy allows it, what am I afraid of? As for those gossipers, I'm not afraid of them." Grandma said, tears streaming down her face.

  Grandma thought of her second sister in the countryside and their conversation between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law early in the morning, which had a great impact on her. She wiped away tears and said more firmly: "I'll do it, what else should I pay attention to? Tell me now."

  Little aunt listened to grandma's words and also shed tears, hearing mom's heartache for herself, was even more moved, just calling out "mom... mom..."

  Fang Mo Nan ran in front of his grandma and hugged her, saying: "Grandma, you're the best!"

  Old Lin waited for them to finish venting their emotions, then said to Xiaoyi: "Tomorrow go to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau to run an errand, handle the business license, and pay the handling fee."

  "My aunt said, 'Don't wait until tomorrow afternoon, I'll go this afternoon. First, I'll go to the Administration for Industry and Commerce, then to the Public Security Bureau, and the Taxation Bureau. I'll ask around all the departments. Although people forget about you after you're gone, my old man was still around and knew a few people. Even if it's just out of sympathy, I want them to help us so we won't be bothered again.'"

  "It's good that you know," Old Man Lin nodded, "With Little Aunt going, it's just right. The orphaned mother and child, moreover, when Old Mo was alive, he wasn't a bad person either. Those people wouldn't dare to bully them, and there are people looking out for the stall too."

  "The stall is set up in front of the high school gate, I'll go talk to them, after all, I'm from the Education Bureau, the principal of the county high school is familiar with me, a word from me should be enough to settle the matter."

  Fang Mo Nan listened to them discussing, it's also good to have someone inside the government to get things done, in China, everything depends on relationships, even setting up a stall requires connections. Otherwise, just wait for being driven away! Personal connections are actually a kind of wealth.

  What Fang Mornan felt more relieved about was Grandma's final decision, which might be a change for the better. At least they had taken the first step now. For the time being, they could only start with the basics of clothing, food, shelter, and transportation, and food was the simplest to begin with. The purchasing power in the county town was not strong, so expensive things were out of the question, as no one would buy them anyway. As for clothing, Fang Mornan had an idea, but she couldn't start here; she had to start from somewhere else. She would think about it again when she entered her space at night. Her first pot of gold might soon have a place to land.

  Grandma earned money, and only then could things be eaten openly in Fang Mernan's space. Eating alone, having food but not being able to share it with family members, this feeling is really bad.

  In the afternoon, Xiao Yi took a leave of absence and didn't go to work. She ran through all the connections she could use on this street, and when she came back, her eyes were red, and Fang Mo Nan saw that she had really cried. However, from the smile in her eyes and face, it seemed that things had been settled. In the evening, Old Man Lin also said that setting up a stall at the high school entrance was no problem. He also told Xiao Yi some good news - he had secured a place for her to audit classes, telling her to study hard.

  Little aunt jumped up happily and promised to study hard, not disappointing their expectations.

  Grandma's first step has been taken like this, and maybe there will be more troubles and problems in the future, but Fang Mo Nan believes they can overcome them.

  The next day, Fang Mo Nan took advantage of the cool morning and started steaming buns at eight o'clock. She asked her grandmother for eighty cents and went to the post office to buy stamps and mail a letter. The people in the post office initially didn't want to sell to her because she was small and they thought she wouldn't understand, but when she explained that there were important matters at home and she had come on behalf of the adults, they relented. They even helped her affix the stamps and send the mail, impressed by her cute appearance and sweet words. Not a hint of the usual bureaucratic indifference and unpleasantness was shown to her, Fang Mo Nan thought smugly.

  Watching a big, bulging envelope being sent away, inside were the five fashion design drawings that Fang Mo Nan had painstakingly selected and painted in her space yesterday afternoon. This was all thanks to her experience working at a clothing store in the US, where not only did they sell branded clothes, but also had many fashion magazines, including some classic vintage series. In her free time, she would often flip through them, even though she couldn't afford those clothes back then, it didn't stop her from appreciating them!

  What's most important is that Fang Mengnan's store accepted custom orders, so she learned to draw fashion illustrations in the store, and even learned cutting skills. When she wanted to quit, her boss wouldn't let her go, although she didn't have much talent for design, but was willing to work hard and be meticulous.

  The fashion design drawing is not just a simple style, a small piece of clothing seems simple but contains countless small details. How to design to highlight different features, how to design can be worn comfortably, shoulders, waist and hips, buttocks all have their own little secrets. In addition to the style, color matching, and collocation of the garment, the side and back are also drawn out. Fang Mengnan's 'stealing' in this aspect is very professional.