What else could be the reason?
More smuggled radios had entered through various channels. The market had shifted from demand exceeding supply to supply exceeding demand. The days of earning 60 yuan profit per unit were gone. When supply outstrips demand, who could remain calm with tens of thousands worth of inventory on hand?
Xia Xiao Lan couldn’t foresee these minute market shifts; she relied on her experience.
One could take risks, but shouldn’t be too greedy.
Many understood the principle of “quit while you’re ahead,” but few could do it.
This time, Xia Xiao Lan came to Pengcheng not to make quick money, but specifically to bring local specialties to Tang Hong En and check on Bai Zhen Zhu.
Bai Zhen Zhu’s business was doing well, and she looked energetic.
When Xia Xiao Lan replaced Senior Brother Wan with Ge Jian, Bai Zhen Zhu didn’t question it.
Hopefully Senior Brother Wan had already sold the radios he kept. They weren’t selling well in Yangcheng now—domestic radios were much cheaper than imports, even cheaper than smuggled goods. The ten radios Senior Brother Wan kept could have been sold to Yangcheng wholesalers for 150 yuan each at the time, but now that was close to the retail price.
Selling to wholesalers in one go would have been much easier.
Since Xia Xiao Lan didn’t want Senior Brother Wan around anymore, Bai Zhen Zhu couldn’t object, though she wasn’t happy about it. She had kindly introduced him to this work, but he hadn’t appreciated it. After just one trip to Pengcheng, he was already trying to take over Bai Zhen Zhu’s business connections. She had experienced this once before when running her fruit stall—even the most generous person would harbor some resentment.
Bai Zhen Zhu had even advised Senior Brother Wan that if he couldn’t decide on a business, selling food was always an option.
But Senior Brother Wan looked down on even Bai Zhen Zhu’s street stall, let alone a snack stand.
Bai Zhen Zhu had done all she could. Her only worry was that experiencing the quick profits from radios might make Senior Brother Wan even more disdainful of steady, modest businesses.
Now that radios had become dead stock, Bai Zhen Zhu just hoped Senior Brother Wan hadn’t dug himself into a deeper hole.
Since Xia Xiao Lan was here anyway, Bai Zhen Zhu had accumulated about a hundred pairs of stockings for her to take back to Shangdu. The clothes had been shipped, and a hundred pairs of stockings didn’t take up much space—Xia Xiao Lan could carry them in one bag.
She had her eye on some leather goods in the small commodities market.
The belts and small wallets were supposedly Hong Kong goods. Xia Xiao Lan felt them—genuine leather.
The prices were quite reasonable. She bargained the belts down to 7 yuan and small wallets to 5 yuan, taking fifty of each. Too cheap to be real Hong Kong goods, but Xia Xiao Lan would still present them as such in Shangdu.
As “gifts,” though they might not create as much buzz as stockings, they were more practical.
Pleased with her selection of belts and wallets, Xia Xiao Lan noticed briefcases that could fit A4 paper and bought two. These briefcases were for her and Liu Yong’s use. She also chose two ladies’ handbags for Li Feng Mei and her mother… These four leather items were visibly better quality than the small wallets. Since they were for family use, Xia Xiao Lan was willing to pay more, using her money rather than business funds.
If Liu Yong got contracts, he’d be a boss of sorts and needed to look the part.
Ready-made suits didn’t fit Liu Yong well. Current suit styles were loose-fitting, and with Liu Yong’s short stature, the long sleeves and bunched trouser hems didn’t look impressive at all. Seeing the briefcases reminded Xia Xiao Lan to get two custom-tailored suits for her uncle back in Shangdu.
Until Xia Xiao Lan left Pengcheng, she never received an invitation to meet Tang Hong En.
What she didn’t know was that shortly after she crossed the border, Driver Wang had called the guesthouse. When told Xia Xiao Lan had already left, Tang Hong En waved his hand saying, “Never mind, she probably really did just bring me some local specialties in passing.”
If she had come to ask for something, she wouldn’t have checked out without waiting for a call.
Since it was purely a gesture of bringing him some local specialties, the yams and dates became even more precious.
Young Wang saw how pleased the leader was and was quite impressed with Xia Xiao Lan.
Zhang Cui and Xia Chang Zheng were unhappy.
The business had plummeted at the shop. Right after sending Xia Hong Xia home, Grandmother Xia summoned the couple back. Zhang Cui didn’t want to return—did she still need to curry favor with her mother-in-law? She and Xia Chang Zheng were the wealthiest in the Xia family now, and Grandmother Xia could offer little help! Second Brother Xia Da Jun, who used to be most obedient to Grandmother Xia, had vanished, and Xia Hong Bing had his schemes—there wasn’t much money to be squeezed from the Xia family anymore.
But they had to go back—Grandmother Xia could make a scene outside Zhang’s shop just as she had with Xia Xiao Lan and Liu Fen.
Zhang Cui knew well how unreasonable her mother-in-law could be. Previously, this unreasonableness had been directed at the second brother’s family, but now that Grandmother Xia had no control over them, she would naturally turn to torment others.
The couple thought they were being called home about Xia Hong Xia losing her job. On the way, Zhang Cui rehearsed how to explain her difficulties—she had no real authority at the shop, business was poor because of Xia Xiao Lan, and she had no choice but to send Hong Xia home.
But just as they stepped through the door, a filthy shoe flew at Zhang Cui’s head.
“So you finally remember to come back! Living it up as shop owners in the county town while Hong Bing’s family tends your fields. You won’t even spare a meal for your niece!”
Zhang Cui covered her head—if she hadn’t fed Xia Hong Xia, how had the girl gained weight?
Wait—the old lady’s words suggested she knew “Zhang” belonged to her and Xia Chang Zheng!
Zhang Cui’s eyes reddened, “Mother, who’s been spreading lies? How could Chang Zheng and I be in charge? That shop is—”
“Sister-in-law, whose shop is it?” Wang Jin Gui cut in with a sneering tone.
Grandmother Xia glared at her, “Whose shop is it? Your mother’s been bragging everywhere about how generous her daughter is, paying high wages to her family members, making big money in the county town. You dare come here and lie to your mother’s face!”
Zhang Cui felt like jumping in the river. After all their precautions, her own family had leaked the secret.
Xia Zi Yu had said to make money quietly, and Zhang Cui agreed. No matter how much they earned in town, she never breathed a word when home, still wearing old clothes, keeping wealth hidden. Three years since starting the snack stand, who in Da He Village knew? The peasants rarely went to town, and Zhang Cui had never shown any signs.
Xia Chang Zheng glared fiercely at Zhang Cui, “Tell me today whose capital started Zhang’s! If you dare lie again, I’ll follow Da Jun’s example and divorce you!”
Wang Jin Gui rolled her eyes.
Big Brother was quite the actor!
But Grandmother Xia, always biased toward her own family, really believed even Xia Chang Zheng didn’t know.
“Eldest son, your wife’s ambitions are too big, keeping secrets even from you. Where has all the money from the shop gone? Is she spending it on some man on the side?”