Back to 2008: I Helped My Dad Become the Richest Man

When I got home and opened the door, the house was pitch black.

"Dad!" Luo Xiyuan called out.

"Hey! It's here!" Luo Xinde's voice came from the inner room. Immediately afterwards, a small light appeared. He had lit a match and was preparing to look for a candle.

Luo Xiyuan quickly turned on her flashlight and shone it over, only to see her father anxiously rummaging through the drawer.

"The power went out, and I couldn't find a single candle in the house. I was so worried!" Luo Xinde breathed a sigh of relief when he saw them return.

Luo Xiyuan took a candle out of the bag, lit it with a match, and the dim but warm light instantly dispelled part of the darkness in the room. She fixed the candle to a plate on the table.

"Dad, we're back."

Luo Xinde then noticed the large bag at their feet and the bulging money bag in Luo Wen's arms.

"You... bought the things? This is..." He pointed to the money bag and asked somewhat uncertainly.

Luo Wen excitedly handed over the money bag, his face flushed: "Dad, look!"

Luo Xinde took the money bag; it was heavy. He poured all the money inside onto the table, and when he looked at it by candlelight, he gasped in shock.

On the table was a pile of colorful banknotes, including ten-yuan notes, five-yuan notes, a large number of one-yuan and two-yuan notes, and even some small change. Although the denominations were not large, the quantity was quite considerable when piled together.

"How much money...how much is this?" His voice was trembling.

"Dad, count them," Luo Xiyuan said with a smile.

Luo Xinde stretched out his rough hands and began counting the money one bill at a time.

"Three hundred and twenty-seven...three hundred and thirty-five..."

He counted several times, and finally looked up, staring in shock at his daughter and son.

"Three hundred and sixty-eight dollars and fifty cents!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief. "We...we spent one hundred and three dollars and fifty cents, and in just this short time, we earned two hundred and sixty-five dollars?"

Two hundred and sixty-five yuan!

This is more than he earns in a week of hard work on a construction site!

"Dad, it's true!" Luo Wen said excitedly, "The power went out as soon as we got to the convenience store! So many people rushed to buy our candles and batteries. My sister said the candles were only one yuan each, and they all bought them!"

Luo Xinde stared blankly at the money on the table, then looked at his daughter's calm face in the candlelight, his heart churning with turmoil.

He had lived for nearly forty years, and his lifelong belief was in working honestly and earning money uprightly. He used to despise speculative and profiteering activities from the bottom of his heart.

But now, this money he once looked down upon is right in front of him. It came so quickly, so easily, and... so satisfying.

With this money, we won't have to worry about the New Year.

He looked at Luo Xiyuan, his daughter who had suddenly become utterly unfamiliar that evening. She had stopped him from leaving the house, saying something bad would happen to him; she had predicted a power outage; she had asked him to buy candles and batteries; she had even thought of the prices…

All of this was so coincidental, it was like a pre-written script.

"Xiyuan..." He wanted to ask something, but didn't know where to begin. He wanted to ask, how did you know? But he also had a vague feeling that perhaps he shouldn't ask that question.

Luo Xiyuan could see her father's struggle and confusion.

She didn't explain her rebirth; that was too shocking. She simply looked calmly into her father's eyes and said earnestly, "Dad, I just thought it was so cold and the snow was so heavy, the power lines definitely wouldn't hold. Everyone would need candles, so I wanted to give it a try. I didn't expect... it would go so smoothly."

This explanation is weak, but it's the one that Luo Xinde can accept the most at the moment.

He stared at his daughter for a long time. The candlelight flickered in her eyes, which held no childlike pride or ostentation, but only a composure and calmness beyond her years.

He ultimately did not pursue the matter further.

He sighed deeply, carefully collected the money on the table, and handed it to Luo Xiyuan.

"Keep it," he said. "From now on, you're in charge of this house."

He said those words with great difficulty, but also with great sincerity.

This is a traditional, patriarchal Chinese father who, by relinquishing his authority, is also giving his daughter the greatest recognition of her abilities.

Luo Xiyuan felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and her eyes welled up with tears. She took the money and nodded emphatically, "Dad, this is just the beginning. Our family will get better and better."

"Hmm," Luo Xinde responded, a glimmer of light appearing in his eyes that he himself didn't realize. The poverty of his life had worn down most of his edges and dreams, but the impact his daughter had brought tonight had rekindled something long dormant within him.

"Sis, what do we do next?" Luo Wen leaned closer and asked in a low voice. He now had complete admiration and trust for his sister.

Luo Xiyuan glanced out the window. The snow was still falling, and she didn't know how long the power outage would last.

The candle and battery business is a one-off thing; once it's sold out, it's over. We must find new, sustainable business opportunities.

"Dad, do we still have a coal stove in our house?" Luo Xiyuan asked.

"Yes, it's in the storage room. We take it out to keep warm when it's cold," Luo Xinde said.

"Do we still have coal?"

"There's still a little bit left. If we use it sparingly, it should be enough to get through this winter."

Luo Xiyuan immediately had a new plan in mind.

"Dad, brother," she called them to the table, lowering her voice like a general outlining a battle plan, "the power's out. Besides light, what else do we all need most?"

Luo Xinde and Luo Wen exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat bewildered.

"It's hot water and hot food," Luo Xiyuan revealed the answer herself.

She explained, "Most households in the village now use electric rice cookers and electric kettles. With this power outage, let alone cooking, we can't even get a sip of hot water. How can we survive in this cold weather without hot water? Especially for families with elderly people and children."

Luo Xinde's eyes lit up instantly.

"That's right! How come I didn't think of that!" He slapped his thigh. "We have a coal stove at home, which can be used to boil water and heat up food!"

"That's right." Luo Xiyuan nodded. "So, our next business will be selling hot water and providing hot meal services."

"Sell...sell hot water?" Luo Xinde's excitement waned, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his face. "This...is this feasible? Selling hot water in my own home sounds so awkward. It's like begging, how embarrassing."

This is what Luo Xiyuan is most worried about. Her father is a man who cares a lot about his image, and asking him to show his face in public to "do business" is a huge psychological barrier for him.

"Dad, how is this shameful?" Luo Xiyuan immediately retorted, "Think about it, we're not asking people for money for nothing. We solved our neighbors' problems through our own labor. They didn't have hot water to drink, so we boiled it for them, and they paid us a little for our hard work. It's a fair trade, essentially the same as you earning money working on a construction site."

She paused for a moment, then changed her approach to continue persuading him.

"Besides, think about it, what can we do with the money we earn? We can buy Mom a new dress, pay for my brother's tuition, and make sure our family has a lively and festive New Year. Compared to these things, is a little bit of so-called face really that important?"

"Besides," Luo Xiyuan looked into her father's eyes and said, word by word, "earning clean money with your own hands is never shameful. What's shameful is being incompetent and letting your wife and children suffer from hunger and cold!"

The last sentence struck Luo Xinde's heart like a heavy hammer.

His face flushed red and then turned pale. It was a mixture of shame and struggle.

Luo Wen noticed his father's wavering. He tugged at Luo Xinde's sleeve and whispered, "Dad, I think Sister is right. We're helping everyone, not begging. Last time Grandma Zhang's water was cut off, didn't she come to our house to get water? She even gave us two eggs."

The son's words became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Luo Xinde let out a long breath, as if exhaling the last bit of ridiculous self-esteem in his heart.

He raised his head, his eyes becoming more resolute than ever before.

"Okay!" He nodded emphatically. "Let's do it! Xiyuan, whatever you say, Dad will do!"

Seeing that her father had finally changed his mind, Luo Xiyuan felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.

"Great!" Luo Xiyuan exclaimed excitedly. "Then let's divide the tasks now!"

She pointed to herself: "Me, in charge of overall command and publicity. I'll write a sign and put it on my front door later."

Then she looked at her father: "Dad, you're strong, so you'll be in charge of lighting the coal stove, moving it to the yard, and then boiling water continuously. This is physical work, and the hardest part will be left to you."

Luo Xinde patted his chest and grinned, "No problem! This is nothing!" He was full of energy now.

Finally, she looked at Luo Wen: "You, our family's little accountant, are responsible for collecting money, keeping accounts, and fetching water for people. You need to be quick-witted and efficient. Can you do it?"

"Yes!" Rowan puffed out his little chest and answered loudly.

"Alright! Then let's open for business now!" Luo Xiyuan waved his hand, full of vigor.

Although Luo Xinde and Luo Wen didn't understand what "limited company" meant, they were also infected by her emotions and started laughing along.

Outside the window, the wind and snow continued.

But in this impoverished home, an unprecedented warmth ignited because of a shared goal.

Luo Xinde got right to work, immediately heading to the storeroom to move the stove and poke coal briquettes. Luo Wen, meanwhile, found paper and pen, ready to get to work.

Luo Xiyuan picked up a pen and carefully wrote down the opening notice of their new business on a piece of cardboard.