Three hundred catties of oil cakes cost only 9 yuan.

If Xia Xiao Lan had discovered this business with such low capital requirements earlier, she wouldn’t have needed to start reselling eggs. But if she hadn’t dealt in eggs, how could she have gradually expanded her business from An Qing County to Shang Du City, and how would she have discovered this profitable venture? With around 10 yuan in capital, she could make 15 yuan in profit. Though cycling back with 300 catties of oil cakes was exhausting, thankfully the 1980s “28 Inch” bicycles were well-made – otherwise, Liu Yong’s bike would’ve surely been ruined by Xia Xiao Lan’s use.

Without Liu Yong’s initial capital and bicycle assistance, lacking transportation, how could Xia Xiao Lan have carried eggs and eels to Shang Du City on foot? That would have been a hellishly difficult way to make money. Xia Xiao Lan wondered why nobody else had thought of profiting from oil cakes – probably because they didn’t have bicycles.

Xia Xiao Lan was delighted to have acquired the oil cakes, finally able to utilize both legs of her journey.

With oil cakes as a side business along her route, carrying 300 catties each trip and making 15 yuan profit per run, coming to Shang Du City every other day meant she could earn an extra two to three hundred yuan monthly. With the eel business expanding to include a new major customer, she wouldn’t need to bring eggs to the city anymore. Focusing on just these two items, she could earn nearly 600 yuan monthly. By continuing the business until November, she’d have enough capital for wholesale clothing in Yang Cheng.

Once she had the capital, there were countless business opportunities available in 1983.

In her spare time, she could review her studies and take the 1984 college entrance exam next July – this was Xia Xiao Lan’s short-term goal.

“The money’s coming in too slowly. To focus on college entrance exams, I must have substantial savings before the New Year.”

Carrying 300 catties of goods, Xia Xiao Lan rested several times along the way, driven forward only by her desperate desire to escape poverty as she mechanically pedaled the bicycle. Though she had been a university student in her previous life, she wasn’t sure how difficult the 1984 entrance exam would be or how much of her knowledge she still retained. To get into university again, she would need to study intensively for several months, during which time she’d have to temporarily abandon her business. Without income, she needed enough savings to sustain herself for half a year.

What else could make money now?

The cigarette business was out of her reach – she could only watch from the sidelines.

If she were a man, she would have joined the booming smuggling business. Though risky, the returns were astronomical – a few successful runs would be enough to accumulate her first bucket of gold. But she wasn’t just an 18-year-old girl – she had the face of a vixen. If she tried smuggling, forget about the risks to the goods – she’d likely end up losing herself to others!

Thinking of smuggling made her inexplicably think of Zhou Cheng.

He’d been gone for several days now, saying he’d return to An Qing County – who knew if that was true? Even if it wasn’t, Xia Xiao Lan wouldn’t be angry. They were just passing acquaintances, and Zhou Cheng didn’t owe her anything – rather, she should thank Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei for “saving her life.”

Without the energy and capital to expand into new business channels, Xia Xiao Lan could only work with her existing resources.

The oil cake business was already at its limit – 300 catties nearly killed her. Unless she quickly transformed into a sturdy woman, she couldn’t possibly carry more oil cakes.

That left only the eels.

The Municipal Party Committee Guesthouse and Huang He Hotel were just the beginning. She should use the sales skills from her previous life and continue developing new major buyers.

Currently selling 50 catties every two days, what if she increased that to 100 catties?

That would mean an extra 300 yuan monthly income.

A one-third increase in overall income – Xia Xiao Lan felt this small goal, though challenging, wasn’t impossible. Since she hadn’t lingered in Shang Du City today, she returned home by 2 PM. Liu Fen was out collecting eels, with only Li Feng Mei at home.

Though they’d prepared plenty of dishes for last night’s guests, everyone ate heartily, leaving little leftovers.

Li Feng Mei was stewing carp soup in an earthen pot for her son’s return from school. Hearing movement, she discovered Xia Xiao Lan had returned.

“Why so early today?”

“Got lucky – a hotel’s procurement officer bought everything.”

Li Feng Mei caught a familiar scent and noticed Xia Xiao Lan hadn’t returned empty-handed but loaded with two baskets of oil cakes. Both surprised and delighted, she asked, “Where did you get these?”

It must be three or four hundred catties!

Even their two pigs couldn’t eat all this!

Li Feng Mei was about to say these would lose their nutritional value if kept too long when she suddenly realized Xia Xiao Lan wouldn’t be foolish enough to buy so many oil cakes just to store them – this must be for profit.

Li Feng Mei quickly swallowed her words, nearly biting her tongue.

“You’re going to sell these oil cakes?”

The oil residue had been pressed into cake form, each weighing about two catties, already fermented at the oil press factory.

“No point in returning with an empty cart, so I brought some oil cakes back to try selling. Aunt, didn’t you say you couldn’t find oil cakes? Get a bag and take some – we’ll have plenty at home from now on.”

Li Feng Mei shook her head repeatedly.

“These are for your business, not free pickings. I won’t take any.”

Xia Xiao Lan didn’t make a big deal of it, “Please don’t talk about paying – these are cheaper than sweet potatoes, only 0.03 yuan per catty. Once I’m familiar with the oil press factory, I might even get them for 0.02 yuan per catty.”

Li Feng Mei thought, doesn’t that mean making 0.05 yuan profit per catty?

She didn’t know Xia Xiao Lan had already decided to increase her eel sales volume. From what she knew of the business scale, it could earn several hundred yuan monthly.

In less than a year, Xia Xiao Lan could build several decent brick houses in the village.

Far from being the money-losing burden the Xia family claimed, she was a golden goose. If Liu Yong hadn’t hinted to Li Feng Mei that he had money invested in someone else’s business, she might have even been envious.

But thinking again, the eel business would end in November, and Li Feng Mei’s jealousy disappeared.

Hearing that Xia Xiao Lan planned to sell oil cakes to other villages, she slapped her thigh, “Why not sell to our villagers first? This is like salt – every household raising pigs needs it.”

Li Feng Mei went out calling, and quite a few people came to buy oil cakes.

Xia Xiao Lan sold them for 0.07 yuan per catty, cheaper than what they’d paid before – how could they not be satisfied?

The 300 catties of oil cakes almost weren’t enough for Qi Jing Village alone, with two households asking Xia Xiao Lan to save some for them when she brought more.

Selling to villagers meant earning 3 yuan less on the 300 catties, but worldly gains aren’t calculated by money alone. The villagers were satisfied, and Xia Xiao Lan was content too – no capital tied up, earning both money and goodwill.

“Oh my, forgot to keep some for our family.”

Xia Xiao Lan had been too busy, and Li Feng Mei didn’t refuse this time. She’d helped weigh the oil cakes, and her oily hands – even the washing water wasn’t wasted, being poured into the pig trough.

“You’ll bring more oil cakes in a few days, no rush.”

After finishing business, Xia Xiao Lan fetched a basin of water and thoroughly cleaned the bicycle. The baskets that had carried oil cakes were washed and left to dry, then she cleaned herself. Her calves trembled during her bath, showing she’d overexerted herself – making money wasn’t easy, carrying 300 catties of oil cakes all the way from Shang Du City to Qi Jing Village.

In her previous life as an executive, aging had slowed her metabolism, forcing her to watch her diet and find time for exercise to maintain her figure. At her current age and activity level, she couldn’t gain weight no matter how much she ate. The benefit of returning to youth was being full of drive and energy again!

Liu Fen didn’t return until 7 PM.

Seeing Xia Xiao Lan, she felt uneasy. Somehow, today many people had sold her eels – she’d collected over 80 catties.

“Your business is becoming well-known in the surrounding villages. Won’t others want to start reselling eels too?”

Liu Fen’s concern wasn’t unnecessary.

Xia Xiao Lan was glad her mother had learned to think independently.

“They can’t sell in An Qing County and would have to deliver to Shang Du City. The market there is so big that one or two copycats won’t harm my interests.”

Xia Xiao Lan no longer planned to follow the retail route. After securing procurement from the Municipal Party Committee Guesthouse and Huang He Hotel, other similar establishments in Shang Du City were beckoning to her.

“I’m not afraid of collecting more eels. As long as it doesn’t exceed 100 catties per day, I’m confident I can sell them all.”

While Xia Xiao Lan was boasting to her mother, Chen Qing called for her from outside.

Xia Xiao Lan went out, “Brother Chen Qing, why are you back again today?”