1994: Starting with unpaid leave

"Stop, stop, stop, we've reached the corner. Let's take a break and catch our breath."

As some people said this, the crowd carrying the wardrobe upstairs paused, stopping in the stairwell.

"Master Wang, you're not doing so well. You need to rest after climbing three floors? Were you exhausted when you got home last night? If you can't keep up with the energy, don't sell all the eggs you got from Jianguo. Eat some yourself to replenish your strength!"

"Get lost! I'm just worried that you bunch of brats are all bark and no bite, so I'm letting you rest and recharge."

The men's rough words elicited bursts of laughter, which bounced and echoed against the walls of the West Bureau residence's stairwell, lingering for a long time.

"Hey buddy up front, give it your all! Don't block the hallway, you're off to bed!"

At a shout from Erzhuzi, who was carrying the bed, the workers responsible for moving the wardrobes started moving again.

Inside room 301, Dong Jianguo opened the door and greeted the workers from the textile factory who had come to help, instructing them to arrange the beds, wardrobes, sofas, dressing tables, dining tables, and other items that had been brought in into their proper places.

Today is a moving day, and with so many people involved, Dong Jianguo was worried about people getting hurt, so he didn't let Xiuyun come over.

These are all newly purchased furniture items from the furniture store.

Worried that excessive formaldehyde content would be bad for Xiuyun and the baby in her belly, Dong Jianguo chose solid wood furniture of slightly better quality.

I didn't buy the kind of furniture that I had to assemble at home; instead, I bought the samples that the seller had displayed outside.

This sample had at least been displayed in a relatively spacious shopping mall for a while, so even if there was a smell, it would be much less.

The seller initially quoted 7500 for the entire set of furniture, but he managed to bargain it down to 6000.

As for the moving, they didn't ask the merchant for paid delivery. Instead, they invited the workers from their own egg wholesale business to come and help when they had time, and used the money saved to treat everyone to a meal.

Although it was called a meal, the new house hadn't actually been used for cooking yet.

While his coworkers were moving furniture, Dong Jianguo made two trips to buy roast chicken, braised duck, and pork head meat. He then added some Northeastern specialties like cold noodles, peanuts, smashed cucumber, and two cases of Mingyue Island beer, which was just enough for everyone to have a hearty meal.

After settling into their homes, Dong Jianguo called his coworkers to the dining table.

As soon as they heard that it was time to eat, the workers who had come to visit the new house came out of their rooms and pulled out chairs at the dining table to sit down.

"Brother Dong, congratulations! This new house is really nice!"

"Exactly! Look at the house they chose! It's well-ventilated from north to south, and the natural light is amazing! Look at the bedroom and the big balcony; it must be so comfortable to live in during the winter! It's much better than the shabby bungalows our factory assigned us!"

"Absolutely! You know, young people are really quick-witted! Back when he was on unpaid leave, a lot of the older women in the factory were gossiping behind his back, saying that Xiao Dong was finished, his life was ruined. But look at him, in just over a month, he's already got a house in Xijuzhai! Now that's what you call something special!"

The oldest employee, Master Wang, also gave Dong Jianguo a thumbs up.

Dong Jianguo smiled.

Although I know that there is an element of flattery in everyone's praise, I still feel very pleased.

Waving to stop the compliments, Dong Jianguo stood up, holding a bottle of beer:

"Come on, let me say a few words before we start eating."

"Thank you so much, brothers, for running around so many times today! I don't have much to offer, time was tight and I was busy. Everything on the table is ready, but I'll cook for you all myself another time to apologize!"

"Eat and drink to your heart's content today, don't be shy!"

"Well said! Come on, let's drink!" Erzhuzi led the response, and everyone raised their beers and clinked them together on the table.

After a few rounds of drinks, it was inevitable that some people would ask Dong Jianguo about the price of the house.

When they heard that the house would cost nearly 6 yuan, the men at the dinner table couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

"My God, Jianguo, where did you get so much money?"

"Don't tell me this all came from selling eggs; it's only been a little over a month!"

Erzhuzi was annoyed that this group of people were constantly asking Dong Jianguo about money, so he muttered:

"How much they earn is their own business. If it weren't for Brother Jianguo distributing eggs to everyone to sell, none of us would know what to do now!"

"Just asking, what's the rush? It's like the emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is!"

"Damn it, what did you say!" Erzhuzi, who had been drinking, looked up at the young man who had spoken up against him and glared at him.

"Hey, hey, quiet down! What are you all doing making such a racket in someone's new house?!"

Master Wang spoke up to stop the crowd, turning to look at Dong Jianguo: "Jianguo, everyone just doesn't mean anything by it, they're just curious..."

Dong Jianguo smiled and nodded, patted Erzhuzi on the shoulder, and said to everyone:

"I barely made any money! Most of the rent was borrowed! And I'm still strapped for cash after moving in!"

Erzhuzi, standing to the side, nodded in agreement: "Yes, I heard from Sister-in-law Xiuyun that they only paid a deposit for the house, and the balance is still outstanding!"

After he finished speaking, he pointed at the young worker who had talked back to him: "If it weren't for Brother Jianguo's soft heart and sharing the business profits with everyone, he might have earned more and wouldn't owe so much to others..."

The other person's face turned bright red immediately after he pointed at them like that.

"Stop, stop, don't say anymore." Dong Jianguo slapped Erzhuzi's hand away.

"Actually, everyone helping me sell eggs is a real help. Otherwise, I couldn't sell so many eggs by myself!"

"Okay, Jianguo, if there's anything we can help you with, just let us know. We may not have money, but we're strong and can always lend a hand!"

"Thank you, Master Wang. I do have some ideas about the eggs."

Seeing that everyone at the table had put down their glasses and focused their attention on him, Dong Jianguo cleared his throat:

"After I finish dealing with things at the new house, I plan to visit more suppliers and try to get more eggs. But if that happens, the way you used to sell them, going from street to street in a three-wheeled vehicle, probably won't be able to keep up with the speed of getting supplies."

"So, I'd also like to take this opportunity to ask everyone, are you interested in expanding your business?"

"How do we make it big?" The men's ears perked up at the question.

These days, I've been following Dong Jianguo around selling eggs in the streets and alleys. Although it's not as prestigious as working in a factory, it's a real way to earn money to support my family. So everyone thinks this business is pretty good. Although it won't make you rich overnight, the income is much better than when you were working a regular job.

Hearing that this business has room for growth, it's hard not to be tempted.

Dong Jianguo cleared his throat and addressed the crowd:

"I've calculated it all. During this period, each of you can sell an average of 200-300 catties of eggs per day. It seems like a lot, but do you know how many eggs I can sell at home? At least 600 catties a day! Of course, there are some group purchase prices of two yuan per catty, but now more people have developed the habit of buying them at the individual price of 2.1 yuan per catty."

"I've been thinking lately, what if we expand our small-scale, individual-sales model to other businesses, and you all open branches in the residential areas of various factories, doing the same retail business... maybe everyone could make more money!"