Chapter 717: Lu Jiajie's Side Story 3
Chapter 717: Lu Jiajie's Side Story 3
Yao Hongmei was skilled at managing children, and Xiao Feng'er was very obedient to her. When she told him to study, he studied, and when she told him to take a bath and go to sleep, he obediently complied.
Lu Jiajie was delighted, and as the couple lay on the bed, he gratefully said, "Hongmei, thank you for your hard work."
Yao Hongmei smiled and said, "What's there to be tired about? They're my children too."
After giving birth to her child, she had a tubal ligation. If she wanted to have another child, she would have to undergo surgery and then find someone without children. At her current age and situation, if she were to find a partner who had never been married before, their conditions would be far inferior to hers, as those with better conditions would be reluctant to marry someone who had been divorced.
When she married her ex-husband, his family's situation wasn't great either. They didn't receive any support from his family after they got married and had a child. However, at that time, they were in love and content with their simple life, so a little hardship didn't matter. But when her ex-husband ventured into business and became successful, he changed his heart, and she regretted it immensely. After losing her son, her mindset changed even more. If she were to find someone else, she wanted someone with better conditions, at least so she wouldn't have to endure hardship again. If she found someone with worse conditions, who could guarantee that he wouldn't change his heart in the future and stay with her until old age? Lu Jiajie's conditions were very good, and most importantly, his character made her feel at ease. Although he often traveled for work, he was generous to her, giving her 2,000 yuan before leaving. Her monthly salary was only 200 yuan. In return for his kindness, she would definitely take good care of the household and look after the children.
With Yao Hongmei looking after the two children, Lu Jiajie didn't have to worry, so he pondered what business to do. After much consideration, he decided to stick with the clothing and electronics industries, as these were areas he was familiar with and had connections and resources.
Just as he was looking for a storefront, Lao He came over. Lao He disagreed with his decision to quit, saying, "Don't worry, last time was an accident. I won't let you take risks like that again."
Lu Jiajie shook his head and said, "Brother He, I volunteered to deliver the goods last time, and I don't blame anyone for the danger I faced. But Chang Li has issues with me, and in our line of work, if we can't deliver the goods, we'll eventually get into trouble. I have a family to support, so I can't afford to take risks."
Lao He's expression changed, "What's going on?"
Lu Jiajie often delivered goods to the border and had his own informants, "Chang Li thinks I'm just a runner and not worthy of sharing the profits with you guys. If we continue like this, we'll end up fighting and even lose our friendship."
Lao He didn't know about this arrangement. He paused for a moment and said, "It's fine if we don't work with Old Chang. You have your own procurement and sales channels, so it would be a waste to give them up."
According to Lao He's suggestion, Lu Jiajie could go solo. Since he had promised the big boss not to leave the country, he wouldn't travel abroad. Instead, he would source goods from the mainland that were in short supply in Russia and then sell them at the border. Lu Jiaguang was a leader at the Railway Bureau, and through his connections, Lu Jiajie could rent train carriages, significantly reducing the risk.
Lu Jiajie paused and said, "I don't have that much money."
Lao He smiled and said, "It's simple. I haven't touched most of the money we've earned over the years. Let's partner up; I'll provide the funds, and you put in the effort. We'll split the profits fifty-fifty."
Hearing this, Lu Jiajie sincerely said, "Brother He, you've earned enough. There's no need to push yourself so hard. If you can, come back!"
Lao He shook his head, "I'm different from you. I like what I'm doing now."
"But you can't keep doing this forever, can you?"
Lao He hadn't thought that far ahead. He smiled and said, "Who can predict what will happen tomorrow, let alone the future? Let's just live for today."
Initially, he had been single-mindedly focused on revenge. Now that his revenge was complete, he only had to repay the big boss's kindness. Once the big boss no longer needed him, he would return to the Capital City, marry a wife, have two children, and live a simple life with his family. If he were to meet an unfortunate end, it would be the path he chose for himself.
Lu Jiajie didn't persuade him further, "Alright, you put up the money, and I'll put in the effort. We'll split the profits fifty-fifty."
When Lu Jiajie returned home, he told Yao Hongmei about this, "Using trains to deliver goods to the border will earn less than before, but it's safer."
"Weren't you going to open a store? Why did you change your mind?"
Lu Jiajie explained the reason to her, "The money I earned previously was used to pay off debts, and now I only have a little over 30,000 yuan left. I'm already familiar with border trade, and it's a stable and profitable business."
Yao Hongmei didn't understand business, but after thinking for a moment, she said, "Renting train carriages isn't that easy either. We should consult your brother first about this matter."
"So, you agree?"
Yao Hongmei did agree, but she had a condition, "Once you've saved up enough capital, open your own store and stop running around. This business is still risky."
Lu Jiajie agreed that he had been thinking the same thing. However, with the changing situation in the Soviet Union, the profits from border trade were increasing, and he couldn't bear to give it up, so he continued.
Initially, Yao Hongmei had opposed this line of work because she thought it was too dangerous. But now, with the Soviet Union's collapse, this business had become extremely profitable, and many people had joined in. Many of her colleagues had asked her about it, so it would have been foolish for Lu Jiajie to quit at this time.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was time for Lu Qiang's college entrance exams. This child had always been diligent in his studies, and his grades were stable. However, no matter how good his grades were, as a father, Lu Jiajie couldn't miss such an important event. Therefore, Lu Jiajie specifically set aside his work and stayed to send and pick up his son.
Before entering the exam venue, Lu Jiajie patted Lu Qiang on the shoulder, "Son, relax. Life isn't just about going to university. If you don't do well in the exam, you can always join me in business."
A parent nearby, upon hearing this, quickly pulled their child away.
Yao Hongmei gave him a nudge, "What are you saying?"
Lu Jiajie explained, "These were the words Jiaxin said to Zhenzhen when she took the college entrance exam. I think they make a lot of sense. It's great if you pass, but it's not the end of the world if you don't. There are other paths to take."
Lu Qiang had been a bit nervous, but his father's words left him in a dilemma, "Dad, you and Aunt Yao should go back home!"
After Lu Qiang entered the exam venue, Yao Hongmei no longer held back her temper, "What kind of father are you? Today is an important day, and you should be encouraging him to get into high school, not talking about failing. It's so unlucky!"
Lu Jiajie smiled, "Didn't you see how nervous Qiangqiang was just now? I said that to help him relax and not feel so much pressure. Jiaxin said that being relaxed can lead to exceptional performance."
Yao Hongmei felt a bit helpless. Lu Jiajie kept mentioning Jiaxin, and after being married to him for a few years, she felt like her ears would grow calluses from hearing about her.
On their way back, Lu Jiajie said, "Let's calculate the days. Jiaxin's due date is in mid-October. The family went to celebrate Zhaozhao's full moon, and they should invite us for this child's full moon celebration as well. Hongmei, I plan to give the child a set of gold jewelry as a gift. What do you think?"
Yao Hongmei knew that Lu Jiajie's success was largely thanks to Lu Jiaxin, and she was generous, "You can't favor one child over the other. Zhaozhao's gift should be made up for as well."
"You're right. I'll have the gold shop make two sets when the time comes."
(End of Chapter
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