1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 144 My uncle drives a taxi and wants to buy back the antique bed.
"Raising children is exhausting."

The uncle gained a profound understanding after just one night of staying up: "Mom is getting old, and it's too hard for her to take care of the child alone. Let Jinfang stay at home and help take care of the child."

"She's not working at the hotel anymore?"

Grandma paused in her hand, which was fanning herself with a palm leaf fan: "Can you support them, mother and daughter, all by yourself?"

“I’ve thought about it. I don’t earn enough working at a hotel. I might as well drive a taxi.”

The uncle tentatively discussed with the grandmother: "Driving a car is very profitable now. You can easily make two or three thousand a month, which is much better than working in a hotel."

"Who did you listen to?"

Grandma glanced at him sideways, half believing and half doubting his words.

"Jinfang's second brother."

The uncle glanced at his aunt, his expression somewhat unnatural: "His second brother knows someone at the taxi company, and he said that he doesn't need to buy a car himself. He just needs to pay the rental company two thousand yuan a month, and he can earn the rest himself."

"Two thousand a month? That's too much,"

Grandma's eyes widened in displeasure, and she tapped his head with her palm-leaf fan: "You just come up with whatever comes to mind without thinking carefully about whether you can make a profit."

“My brother-in-law has already asked around. The two of them work in shifts, running around 24 hours a day. They can earn six or seven thousand a month. After deducting the rent, if they split it between the two of them, they can still get more than two thousand each.”

Fearing that Grandma wouldn't believe him, the uncle covered his head and explained sheepishly, "He only told me the inside information he'd found out because he saw I could drive and we were family, so he wanted to partner with me and do it together."

Is driving a taxi really that profitable?

Grandma was still worried: "Didn't you ask someone yourself?"

"It really makes money."

My aunt chimed in, "My second brother said that anything new can make money. Taking a taxi is also a trend. More and more people are taking taxis now, but there are too many people and not enough cars. During rush hour, it's often hard to get a taxi, especially at hospitals and train stations where there are long queues. The business is even better on rainy or snowy days. Basically, there are never any empty taxis all day long."

"Xi Yu, can you help your uncle with his fortune telling?"

The uncle asked his niece for help: "The starting fare for a taxi is 5 yuan. If you take two rides an hour, how much can you earn in a month?"

"Let me think about it."

Lin Xiyu counted on her fingers: "The starting price is 5 yuan. 24 hours a day, two orders per hour, that's 240 yuan a day, 7200 yuan a month. After deducting the car rental and fuel costs, we can still save four or five thousand. If we split it between two people, each of us will get at least two thousand yuan. And that's just based on the starting price; the longer the distance, the more we earn."

"Mom, you believe what Xiyu calculated, right?"

The uncle used his niece as an example: "Nowadays, as long as you are quick-witted and willing to work hard, you can make money doing anything. I only realized this after seeing Leilei quit her job and make money. Before, our vision was too limited. We only knew how to work for others and didn't know how to be flexible. We only earned a few hundred yuan a month and were reluctant to eat or spend money. We were too hard on ourselves."

"Uncle is right."

Lin Xiyu showed her support enthusiastically: "Sister Leilei said the other day that she wanted her uncle and aunt to work with her. Her uncle could do renovations and her aunt could sell clothes. Anything would be better than working in a hotel."

"That's one way to go."

Grandma smiled with relief: "How about this, if you want to drive a taxi, try it for a few months first. If it doesn't work out, you can go to the decoration company. With Leilei around, she can help you out and you'll have a backup plan."

"Row."

The uncle was overjoyed to receive permission.

"I want to stay home and take care of the children."

The aunt said with a hint of regret, "I can't help Leilei sell clothes anymore."

"fine."

Lin Xiyu had great confidence in Gu Bin's vision and judgment: "Even if she doesn't sell clothes, she can still rent out the shop. In the future, when the foot traffic in the small commodities market increases, the shops will definitely be in high demand, and the rent will also rise. My cousin can make a lot of money just by collecting rent."

"Leilei really made the right bet."

The uncle made no attempt to hide his envy: "If only I had her courage a few years ago, I could have quit my job and made money earlier, instead of being laid off and having my wife and children suffer with me."

Did you have children at that time?

Grandma laughed in exasperation and tapped his head with her palm-leaf fan: "Go to sleep now, don't talk nonsense here so late at night."

"Hehe, time to sleep."

With a goal to make money, my uncle's mood became incredibly good. He hummed a little tune as he lay down on the bed: "Wife, kids, a warm bed—life is just so wonderful!"

"Is that all the ambition you've got?"

Grandma couldn't bear to watch and laughed as she scolded him, "You haven't even made any money yet, and you're already showing off."

"Grandma, let's go to sleep too."

Seeing that her uncle had lain down, Lin Xiyu felt it was inappropriate to stay in the couple's room any longer, so she pretended to be sleepy and rubbed her eyes.

"sleep."

Grandma saw through her granddaughter's intention, waved her fan, and went out of the house first.

Lin Xiyu left with her grandmother, and after watching her aunt turn off the lights and the inner room fall silent, she finally lay down comfortably on the straw mat.

After working all night, she was exhausted and soon closed her eyes and fell asleep.

-

As the final days of demolition draw near, every household is busy moving, and the alley is bustling with noise, with the piercing sound of truck horns blaring from morning till night.

Grandma went from house to house, saying goodbye to the familiar neighbors.

The old neighbors are all getting on in years. Now that they've moved, they're living far apart, and she doesn't know if she'll ever see them again. With each family she sees off, her eyes grow increasingly lonely.

-

"Aunt Jing, we're leaving now. Let's keep in touch."

On the last day of August, Zhang Dashan's family also moved out.

It's worth mentioning that Zhang Dafeng actually gave her grandmother an invitation before leaving, inviting her grandmother and her family to her wedding.

Grandma accepted it politely, wrapped a red envelope with twenty yuan in red paper, and gave it to her brother, Dashan.

The truck roared away from the alley, leaving only Grandma's family in the courtyard.

Lin Xiyu noticed that her grandmother was in a bad mood, so after dinner she accompanied her for a walk in the yard, visiting each of the empty houses.

“Grandpa Huang’s family is really wealthy. I remember when we first moved here in 58, every summer, Grandma Huang would take her leather coats out of the trunk to air them out, hanging them one after another, from the pomegranate tree at the north end all the way to the window at the south end.”

Grandma was pleased with her granddaughter's filial piety and was willing to share her thoughts with her: "Back then, leather jackets were a rare commodity. You couldn't buy them even if you wanted to. It was because of this that people resented us. During that major movement a few years ago, our house was ransacked. All the valuables were taken away, and even the floor tiles were pried up one by one to see if anything was buried underground."

"Luckily, they didn't discover our old antique bed."

Lin Xiyu loved listening to her grandmother tell stories from the past, and she listened with great interest.

"Our family owes a great debt to your great-grandfather."

Grandma thought of her deceased relatives, her eyes filled with longing: "When your great-grandfather fought in the Korean War, he donated all the savings he had accumulated over the years, which caused quite a stir at the time. Everyone in the neighborhood knew about it. Since then, our family has been destitute, so poor that we could hardly afford to eat. What valuable things would we have left for them to plunder?"

Lin Xiyu smiled with relief: "I guess you could say this is a blessing in disguise."

"Fortunately, people back then didn't value old things much." Grandma knew this perfectly well, and said with a smile, "Unlike in the last two years, after the reform and opening up, business people have more money and have become interested in collecting antiques, which has driven up prices."

"I wonder if Fan Wei still has our bed."

Lin Xiyu's mind stirred, and her eyes showed anticipation: "It would be great if we could buy it back sometime."

"What good thoughts are you having?"

Grandma scoffed: "You can't just buy back something you've given away. Do you really think that bed is only worth 20,000? Impossible. Even if Fan Wei keeps saying you're the savior of his wife and children, he's still a businessman. Do businessmen do things that lose money? Let me tell you the truth, that bed would be worth at least double in his hands, no less than 40,000. He won't sell it."

"Hey."

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed displeasure: "This person is too dishonest."

"Being honest with business people?"

Grandma laughed and said, "You silly girl, are you really stupid or just pretending?"

"hey-hey."

Lin Xiyu chuckled, touching her nose, and deliberately acted silly to make her grandmother happy: "If I were really stupid, it would be Grandma who's anxious."

"Luckily, you're a sensible person."

Grandma patted her hand with satisfaction: "Unlike your cousin, who's always up to no good. Her face is all over the place, making us worry about her all the time."

"I will not do it again."

Lin Xiyu, with a pointed remark, comforted her grandmother: "For her, the most difficult time is over. As long as there are no more clowns causing trouble and shamelessly pestering her, her future will be smooth sailing, and no one will be able to stop her anymore."

"Has something happened to Leilei?"

The grandmother, concerned for her granddaughter, sensed something was amiss.

"It's alright, it's been resolved."

Not wanting her grandmother to worry, Lin Xiyu told her everything about Xu Rui.

"Sigh, how could this girl be so foolish?"

Grandma, knowing the truth, was still shaken: "Luckily you were quick-witted and exposed that person's true colors in time, otherwise your cousin would never have realized it and would have been deceived forever."

"Having learned this lesson, my cousin should understand now."

Lin Xiyu smiled and chimed in, "You can't be too kind and help everyone. There are too many ungrateful people out there. If you help someone, they'll think you're trying to bribe them and hurt their self-esteem."

"Xi Yu"

Grandma was still worried: "You'll have to keep a close eye on your cousin's affairs in the future. That girl is stubborn and single-minded, and she's prone to getting stuck on things. I'm afraid she might do something extreme, either never trusting anyone again and not wanting to find anyone, ending up alone for the rest of her life, or she might just give up and start messing around with anyone she likes, no matter what."

"Will not"

Lin Xiyu felt a chill run down her spine: "I believe my cousin, she's not that kind of person."

"Try to talk to her more during this time."

Grandma gently advised, "Take her out for a walk to clear her head. Don't let her get so obsessed with money that she becomes mentally impaired."

"Row."

Lin Xiyu readily agreed: "I also have this plan. I'll leave a few days before school starts and ask my cousin to come to Shanghai with us. She wants to sell Shanghai foreign trade clothing that was originally intended for export but is now being sold domestically. Going to Shanghai to broaden our horizons and gain more knowledge is much better than just wandering around in our old Jinan."

That makes sense.

Grandma was very pleased: "I'm relieved that you have this thought. With you helping her, your cousin won't suffer any losses."

"We're family."

Lin Xiyu wanted to defend her cousin: "It's only right to help each other out. My cousin is just thinking of using her earnings to help my uncle and aunt, so that my grandmother can also enjoy a better life with her."

"This child has a good heart, but he's too stubborn. He only believes in his own reasoning and won't listen to what others say."

Grandma knows her granddaughter inside and out, so how could she not know that she is genuinely doing what's best for the family?

But that girl's personality is as stubborn as a mule, which is really worrying.

She knows in her heart who is truly good to her.

Just as Lin Xiyu was about to explain a few more words to her cousin, she heard the faint cry of a baby coming from the window. Not wanting to trouble her grandmother any further, she took the opportunity to divert her attention.

"Oh dear, the baby is crying again. He probably peed his pants again. Let's hurry back. We're moving tomorrow. Auntie has to pack and take care of the baby. She probably can't manage it all by herself."

"Let's go back. It's just a few empty rooms; there's nothing to see."

With the arrival of a new baby in the family, Grandma had an extra concern, and she quickly put her worries about parting behind her.

"Qinglong Back Street isn't far away; it's only a 20-minute walk."

Lin Xiyu helped her grandmother back into the house: "Grandma can come back to visit anytime she wants in the future."

"The old houses are all gone, what's there to see?"

Grandma, worried about the baby, hurried a few steps and said, "Let them tear it down. We'll come back after the new building is finished."

"We can move back in two years."

Lin Xiyu smiled and chimed in, "I really can't wait to see what the new building will look like once it's finished."

"The years go by so fast."

Grandma sighed with emotion: "Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and you and your cousin have grown so much."

"We're moving tomorrow, let Aunt Wu and Auntie come too."

Lin Xiyu had an idea and said with a smile, "I'll have Gu Bin bring a camera so we can take a family photo in the yard to remember this moment."

"Row."

Grandma readily agreed: "Our family hasn't taken a picture in many years, it's time to take a family photo."

"It's settled then. I'll go call them."

Lin Xiyu was overjoyed and rushed out of the yard without waiting.

"Oh dear, this child, so impulsive, whatever he says goes."

Grandma watched her run away, seemingly disgusted, but actually full of doting affection.

-

September 1st, a clear and crisp autumn day.

Early in the morning, my maternal grandmother's courtyard became lively as my uncle borrowed a pickup truck from his workplace to help my grandmother move.

Gu Bin also hired people from the Parks and Forestry Bureau to relocate the grapevines and pomegranate trees.

My cousin knew we were moving, so he took a day off and rushed back from the southern mountains.

My cousin stopped being stubborn and left the puppy in the office, entrusting it to Li Xiao's care.