Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Old Scar locked the door from the inside, and the two of them quickly entered the house one after the other, carrying a folding table.

Old Scar's wife wasn't home at the moment, and the room wasn't as hot as it used to be.

Xu Bei glanced at the television set that was on, the ashtray and teacup by the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), as well as the pillow and the small quilt draped over his feet.

You can probably guess that Old Scar was probably smoking, drinking tea, and watching TV before.

When Old Scar brewed tea and poured water again, Xu Bei took the warm teacup but didn't drink it immediately. Instead, he used it to warm his hands.

Old Scar didn't bother to greet him at the moment. He was fiddling with the folding table, opening and closing it several times, paying particular attention to the details.

Xu Bei could see the satisfaction in the other party's expression, which gave him even more confidence.

Sure enough, Old Scar pressed down on the table again, staring intently at Xu Bei, and said, "Brother, your buddy's got some skills. This table is well-made, both lightweight and sturdy. How much is he planning to pay me for it?"

Facing the other party's intense gaze, Xu Bei calmly and confidently lied, "To be honest, brother, before I came here, my buddy told me to give you a minimum price of 14 yuan. As for how much you sell it for, that's up to you."

"Brother, it's too expensive, it'll be hard to sell." Old Scar played the emotional card again. "To be honest, we've had a pretty good working relationship since we met. You see, your friend asked for the price of the stool before, and I didn't try to bargain too hard."

But I definitely can't afford this table at this price. Go back and tell your friend that we should aim for small profits but quick turnover; making money is the real goal… My target price is another 50 cents lower. If possible, send me two first, I'll test the waters.”

Since Xu Bei is using the guise of helping others sell and deliver goods, he must act in a manner consistent with his public persona. Therefore, he cannot readily agree to a price reduction, even if his production involves no initial investment. The price cannot be too outrageous.

"Don't worry, brother, I'll pass on the message. How many of those wooden stools do you plan to get?"

Old Scar immediately said impatiently, "Of course the more the better, but I'm afraid your brother won't be able to do it all. How about this, you send them off in batches for me."

Afterwards, the two discussed giving one hundred first, and then giving the other half later if they had more.

Xu Bei said goodbye and left, only returning more than an hour later with his goods.

The total cost for the 100 wooden stools and 2 tables was 117 yuan, and all that was in my pocket was profit, with no cost.

Xu Bei became increasingly adept at this risk-free business.

However, he also understood that this model was only temporary, just like a rabbit's tail can't grow long.

When the time is right, we will seek new ways of doing business, and buying and selling will not be limited to the small area of ​​the forest.

Xu Bei's goals are quite ambitious: from the provincial capital to Beijing, and then radiating across the country, anything is possible...

With intensive preparations and overtime work, it felt like the eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month arrived in the blink of an eye.

Because today is the opening day, even though they went to bed very late last night, Xu Bei and his family got up early, had a simple breakfast, and headed straight to the store.

The weather was perfect; after daybreak, the winter sun shone down without obstruction, illuminating the rooftops and streets covered with thick snow and reflecting a dazzling light.

In the alley next to the Forestry Bureau store, the signboard of Fengying Department Store Clothing Store, which is right next to three tailor shops, shines brightly in the sunlight.

It was a brand new wooden plaque with white background and red characters, which was particularly eye-catching.

The characters are vigorous and powerful; Xu Bei specially commissioned an elderly gentleman with excellent calligraphy skills to write them.

Below the sign, two strings of red firecrackers were already prepared, looking quite festive against the backdrop of the snowy landscape.

Dahei, Chen Guodong, and their families, who had also arrived early to show their support, stood at the shop entrance like other people who had come to see the excitement, curiously looking at the soon-to-open shop and waiting for the firecrackers to be set off.

Chen Guomei held her mother's arm and whispered something to her, but her eyes followed Xu Bei's busy figure with burning passion.

Xu Bei was so busy inside and outside the shop, preparing to announce the opening and light firecrackers as soon as the auspicious time arrived, that he didn't notice the little girl who admired him making small gestures.

Chen's mother, however, knew that no one could see her daughter better than her mother, and she sighed inwardly.

If it were before Xu's parents got divorced, she would have thought Xu Bei, whom she knew well, was a suitable son-in-law.

After all, the Xu family only has one son, and Xu Bei has to take over almost all of the workers' shifts.

But now, not only are they getting a divorce, but Xu's mother is able to start her own business entirely thanks to Xu Bei's support, and it's unclear whether the matter of her taking over the business is even going to happen.

She couldn't help but whisper in Chen Guomei's ear, "Xiaomei, I know what you're thinking. But to be honest, I don't think Xu Bei has any romantic feelings for you. You should give up on that idea and focus on your college entrance exam."

Once you get accepted into university, you'll definitely meet someone suitable for you...

Chen Guomei didn't want to hear any of this. She let go of her mother's arm, pouted, and said, "Mom! It's their big opening day, why are you talking about all this nonsense! What if someone hears us? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?"

"Keep your voice down, that's better than anything!" Chen's mother was naturally afraid of losing face, so she looked around nervously and scolded her lightly. Then she smiled at the woman next to her wearing a dark red woolen hat and said, "Oh dear, Sister-in-law Zheng, I'm sorry you had to see this."

This Mrs. Zheng was Dahei's mother. She was standing nearby and had overheard some of the conversation, but she had to pretend not to know.

"What are you laughing at? I didn't hear what you two were talking about."

Zhao Fengying then walked over, greeting them with a smile, "What are you all talking about so enthusiastically? It's so cold outside, please forgive me for not being a good host."

Zheng's mother grabbed Zhao Fengying's arm and said affectionately, "Fengying, you're being too polite."

We've known each other for so many years, and our children are also very close. They always think of us when there's something good. They helped us with such a great job, and I haven't even thanked your son in person yet.

"Your grand opening is such a great occasion, I absolutely have to be there!"

Mrs. Chen quickly chimed in, "That's right, there's no need to be so polite. Our families are very close. You look radiant today, your face is all rosy."

Zhao Fengying waved her hand with a smile, "What's so good about it? It's probably just from the wind. And..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Bei shouted loudly, "The auspicious hour has arrived! Fengying Department Store Clothing Store is officially open for business!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two strings of red firecrackers were lit.

The crackling explosions instantly echoed throughout the entire alley.

The red firecracker debris, like red snowflakes, fluttered down and fell onto the snow-covered ground in front of the shop, like a red carpet, and the air was filled with the smell of sulfur...