Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 328

Cai Xiaofeng took the contract. She had experience dealing with this type of contract. After carefully reviewing it, Zhang Daya whispered to Zhao Dage, "Boss, there's nothing wrong with this contract."

"It even clearly states on the document that they will charge us two months' rent less."

Upon hearing this, Zhao D'e couldn't help but smile. He then proceeded to sign and leave his fingerprints, thus completing the contract. Zhang Daya handed the keys to Zhao D'e.

"From now on, this is your shop. You can renovate and make some changes, but be careful not to make any random alterations. This building has load-bearing walls and some basic infrastructure. If you mess things up and damage them, or if a fire breaks out due to the shop's negligence, you will have to pay compensation," Zhang Daya reminded her.

Zhao Da'e took the keys, feeling very happy. Finally, her hard work today had paid off. She not only got the shop, but also saved two months' rent!

"I know, Aunt Zhang, I'll be careful about these things." Zhao Da'e gave Zhang Daya a sweet smile.

Then I wandered around the shop, thinking about how to decorate it in the future.

Renting this shop doesn't mean you can start doing business the next day. It requires preparation and renovation. Zhao D'e needs to hire people to do the renovation, find suppliers, and hire people to do the work. Otherwise, Cai Xiaofeng and Xiangzi alone are not enough. Moreover, these two also have to take care of the water business, which is enough to keep them busy.

Zhao Da'e was having a headache. She had to hire people and get everything done quickly. She needed to start operating and making money by the second month at the latest, otherwise she wouldn't have enough funds. The shop, staff, rent, and other expenses all required financial support.

After viewing the house, Zhang Daya took the group back to her home for dinner.

With guests present, Zhou prepared a rather lavish meal today. She spent a lot of money at the market to buy beef to stir-fry. The aroma was so enticing that even Zhao Da'e couldn't help but swallow hard, feeling incredibly hungry and eager to eat.

For most rural people, apart from common meats like pork, duck, fish, and chicken, meats like mutton and beef are rare. Although they taste good, they are expensive and are rarely sold even in towns. They are probably only commonly seen in cities.

Even so, it's not something that ordinary people can afford to consume regularly; only wealthy people like Zhang Daya would buy it to eat often.

After waiting for a while, Zhou prepared the meal: four dishes and a soup. The house was also heated, making it a very comfortable temperature.

Looking at the food in front of her and the spacious house, Zhao Da'e suddenly felt that happiness was nothing more than this, and that one day she would live such a life.

Zhang Daya's family didn't have many rules; they started eating after Zhou finished her work.

Zhou didn't treat Zhao Da'e and the others as outsiders, and would chat about everyday things from time to time.

"When I first met you, Big Goose, I felt sorry for you, little girl, standing outside shivering in the cold. Later, when I found out you were there to rent a shop from my daughter, I was truly shocked. What I didn't expect was that you could help me sell all the eggs. You're quite capable, little girl. You really can't judge a book by its cover. I also have a granddaughter, and she's twelve years old, much older than you, but all she does is eat, drink, and play all day. She doesn't do well in school, and it worries me. If I have the chance, I'll introduce you to her. Big Goose, please help me persuade my granddaughter. If she doesn't work hard, even if she has a lot of money, she'll squander it all one day."

Zhou had read some books and understood some principles. Although she had a house and money, she would not be content with that. Instead, she would think about ways to improve herself, how to make money, and how her descendants could work hard and live a better life.

Zhao Da'e now deeply understands why some families can stay rich and why having a wise elder is crucial, and why his own family can't get rich.

Thinking of my own grandmother, who was full of male chauvinism and mostly followed my grandfather's opinions, and only knew how to do hard labor, she was incomparable to Zhou Shi.

The difference between the poor and the rich is not just in money, but also in mindset.

Xiangzi couldn't help but say, "Grandma Zhou, your family is so rich, with so many houses and shops. Just these are enough for your descendants to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. Even if your granddaughter doesn't study hard, it doesn't matter. As long as you have money, you can still live a comfortable life. You don't need to have such high expectations for her. Besides, the houses and shops are right there and won't move. You can have an income source just by sitting at home. Why work so hard?"

Xiangzi understood that Zhou had a lot of money, a sum that Xiangzi could never accumulate even with a lifetime of hard work. But he couldn't understand why Zhou, who was so wealthy, would work so hard to sell eggs to make money.

If it were him, he would definitely spend money lavishly and enjoy life, and wouldn't have so many demands on his descendants. After all, he has houses and shops, and the rent alone for one month is equivalent to the annual income of an average rural person.

Moreover, Zhang Daya owns more than just this one shop, so she must have countless amounts of money, a wealth that Xiangzi had never seen before.

Cai Xiaofeng couldn't help but facepalm in exasperation. What was all this nonsense? Cai Xiaofeng tapped Xiangzi on the head and said, "You little rascal, if everyone thinks like you, no matter how much wealth they have, they'll squander it all within three generations."

Xiangzi was a little confused. He said matter-of-factly, "How could I have lost everything? The house and shop are right there. They're not going to run away. We can live quite comfortably on the rent."

Zhou sighed and explained, “Xiangzi, it’s not as simple as you think. It’s very, very difficult to live a peaceful life. Who can guarantee that nothing unexpected will happen? Even though the house and shop are there, what if there’s a flood or earthquake and the house and shop are gone? Wouldn’t that cut off your source of income? Would you still be able to live such a comfortable life then?”

"Reading more books is always good. At least it can broaden your horizons and help you understand many principles. If you don't read and don't understand other things, it's like having dust covering your eyes. You're easily blinded by things and deceived by villains. How can you keep your money then? Or you might succumb to temptation and touch things you shouldn't touch. Any of these three things—pornography, drugs, gambling—can bankrupt you. That's when the value of reading comes into play. Reading isn't about making us successful, but about helping us understand many things and see things clearly. With wisdom, we can retain most of our wealth. Otherwise, within three generations, no matter how glorious our ancestors were, our descendants will fall into poverty and become ordinary people."

"Besides, nothing beats relying on yourself. Take my husband who died young, for example. He was only good at bullying his own family. He always told me he favored sons over daughters, thinking my daughter was useless. He wanted to divorce me and marry another woman to have a son. I didn't take that kind of treatment. I divorced him directly, took the inheritance my parents left me, and bought a house and a shop in this county town. Now I live a very comfortable life. Meanwhile, his spendthrift son sold the house to enjoy himself. He got sick in his old age and indulged in pleasure when he was young. He died young after only a few years. If I had listened to him in everything back then, ignored my eldest daughter, and just become a housewife, only caring about giving birth to a son for his family, I would definitely be wasting my life with a full head of white hair now, and I wouldn't be living this comfortable life today."

"Back then, my divorce from my husband was incomprehensible to people. My relatives and friends thought it was normal for men to want sons, and that women should be obedient after marriage and not have their own tempers anymore. They also said that it was normal for couples to quarrel, and that it would pass if they just endured it, or that it would be fine when the children grew up and became successful. But I didn't think that way. I chose to divorce him directly and even took half of my husband's money."

“Back then, my friends and family always thought I was arrogant, but was I wrong? I was just trying to protect my interests, and my relationship with my husband was strained. I did nothing wrong. The reason I am different from the people around me is probably because I am educated. My parents only have one daughter, and they love me more. I know what it is like to be loved, and I have the money to see the outside world. That’s why I am unwilling to just marry someone and live a muddled life.”

This is Zhou's perspective and past. Because she has experienced and seen so much, she is strict not only with her granddaughter but also with her daughter, Zhang Daya. When Zhang Daya was young, she didn't like to study, so Zhou would beat her with a stick until she started studying.

Everyone told her that it was useless for girls to study, but she didn't think so. She thought studying was extremely important. She could ask her descendants not to study well, but she couldn't accept that her descendants didn't want to study.

Just as she herself didn't want to study, her father forced her to, and she only understood her parents' intentions later. Now, decades have passed, and her granddaughter doesn't want to study, so she forces her to study. One day, her granddaughter will also understand her intentions.

Xiangzi listened to Zhou's story with fascination. It seemed that education was indeed very important. Xiangzi couldn't help but sigh, "If I have a daughter in the future, I will also make sure she goes to school. If she doesn't study hard, I will force her to study."

Cai Xiaofeng couldn't help but joke, "Why are you thinking so far ahead? What if it's a son?"

Xiangzi scratched his head and said embarrassedly, "I love both sons and daughters, as long as they are born to the people I love."

As he said this, Xiangzi looked at Cai Xiaofeng tenderly.

Cai Xiaofeng understood that Xiangzi also had feelings for her. Over the past few months, Cai Xiaofeng had also developed feelings for Xiangzi. Realizing that Xiangzi might be talking about her, she blushed and couldn't help but turn her head away.

Zhou was a shrewd woman, and she immediately saw that the young couple had feelings for each other. She couldn't help but smile. These young people nowadays...

However, Zhou turned her gaze to Zhao Da'e with eyes full of affection, "Da'e, you are seven years old now, are you already in elementary school?"

Nowadays, children can start primary school at the age of five or six, so Zhou guessed that Zhao Da'e was in school.

Cai Xiaofeng knew about Zhao Da'e's family situation. She looked at Zhao Da'e with some concern, wondering whether she should speak up for him.

Seeing the sudden silence, Zhou asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Zhao Da'e hesitated for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "Grandma Zhou, I haven't gone to school yet."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Daya and Zhou were both stunned. Zhang Daya blurted out, "Why? Da'e, you're so clever. If you go to school, you might be able to go to university in the capital someday."

Having seen a lot, Mrs. Zhou guessed, "Big Goose, tell Grandma Zhou the truth, is it because your family won't let you go to school?"

Zhao Da'e shook his head with a wry smile, "You really can't hide anything from Grandma Zhou. My family favors boys over girls, and I'm not favored either. My grandma thinks I'll be a money-loser after I get married, and that going to school would just benefit outsiders anyway, so she's been dragging her feet on letting me go to school."

The word "money-losing brat" made Zhou's pupils widen slightly. She had only heard this word at her previous husband's house, where her mother-in-law had also called her a "money-losing brat." Her marital discord was largely due to her mother-in-law and the family's preference for sons over daughters. She understood that Daya could not grow up in such an environment and was destined to be suppressed, so she decisively divorced and brought Daya to this city.

Zhang Daya was already furious. Looking at Zhao D'e, she felt as if she were seeing her own past self, and she couldn't help but empathize with him.

“Big Goose, don’t listen to your family. I’m asking you if you want to study. If you do, I’ll sponsor your education until you finish. You’re a promising student.”

Zhang Daya spoke from the bottom of her heart. She genuinely felt that Zhao Dage was very suited for studying. Whether it was Zhao Dage's intelligence or his courage to do business, she believed that Zhao Dage's future achievements would not be much lower than her own. If he were to study, it would definitely be the icing on the cake, with only benefits and no drawbacks.

Zhang Daya cherishes talent. Whenever Zhao D'e says he wants to study, she immediately uses her connections to send him to school, ensuring that Zhao D'e's talent is not wasted.

Zhao Dage felt a warmth in her heart at Zhang Daya's concern. Her own grandmother disliked her so much, yet a complete stranger was so kind to her. She smiled and said, "Aunt Zhang, I'm fine. Now that I've started a small business, I have money and a say in things. I will definitely go to school, but not now. I plan to wait until the business stabilizes after spring before going back to school. After all, making money is quite important to me. In the countryside, you can't do anything without money."

Zhao Da'e was still hesitant about whether to study. After all, if he used the time he would spend studying to do business, he would definitely make a lot of money. On the contrary, studying would consume a lot of his time and energy.

However, my family will definitely object if I don't go to school, and outsiders will gossip. Anyway, if I go to school, it'll be elementary school curriculum...

There's really not much to learn.

I can always skip class.