Courtyard House: A Prosperous and Joyful Life

Seeing that she was determined to get a divorce, Qin Huairu stopped trying to persuade her and sighed, "Alright, since you've made up your mind, then do what you think is best. You're only in your early thirties, and you're still pretty and have a good figure. After the divorce, it won't be difficult for you to find a man to live with and have children."

Qin Jingru is about ten years younger than Qin Huairu, still quite attractive, and with a stable job, she's certainly not bad in the marriage market. However, she has been married once before and is over thirty, so finding a young, strong, unmarried man with a job is impossible. She'll most likely only be able to find a divorced middle-aged man.

Qin Jingru was well aware of her situation and said with a bitter smile, "I haven't thought that far ahead about marriage. Right now, I just want to get a divorce as soon as possible. I've been with Xu Damao for over ten years, and we haven't even had a child. I'm constantly being pointed at and gossiped about. I've had enough of this."

For Qin Jingru, Xu Damao's infidelity was no big deal. What woman from the countryside hasn't seen a few men who cheat on her? As long as she had a child, she could tolerate Xu Damao's extramarital affairs. But the fact that she wasn't pregnant was her real problem. Without a child, that was the real dead end. So this time, she hardened her heart, extorted a sum of money from Xu Damao, and was determined to divorce him.

Mentioning children, Qin Huairu nodded repeatedly, deeply agreeing: "Cousin, you're right. For us women, if we don't have a child in this life, we're like duckweed without roots. In the countryside, if you don't have a son, people will gossip and call you childless, let alone if you don't have children. Just like our uncle, no matter how well he lives, if he doesn't have an heir, everyone can kick him while he's down."

"It's the same in the city." Qin Huairu lowered her voice and gestured towards the next room. "Look at Yi Zhonghai, an eighth-grade fitter, earning over a hundred a month, what a glamorous income! But because he doesn't have children, now that he's old, he's worried about retirement all the time, and his life is tighter than anyone else's. And Yan Jiecheng and his wife, what good is it to make money opening a hot pot restaurant? The people in the compound still laugh at them behind their backs, saying that no matter how much money they make, it's all for nothing if they don't have descendants, and they'll end up just like Yi Zhonghai when they're old."

Qin Jingru's eyes were firm: "Sister, I understand. The first thing I need to do after this divorce is to have a child of my own."

At this thought, Wang Jun's image involuntarily surfaced in Qin Jingru's mind. He was handsome, good-tempered, and quick-witted; a big boss before he was even twenty. She considered finding an opportunity to sound him out. She didn't ask for any official status, just a child to bear her and take care of her in her old age—such a simple condition, surely he would agree?

The two sisters had a heart-to-heart talk for a long time, and Qin Huairu finally advised, "Now that you're divorced, Xu Damao's house was left by his father, so you definitely won't be able to stay there for long. You need to find a place to stay as soon as possible, preferably close to the factory, so it's convenient for commuting to work."

Qin Jingru nodded: "I've been looking at that for a while now. Today I found a courtyard house that I liked, right next to the factory, but unfortunately I heard it was just bought. I plan to try my luck again tomorrow and talk to the new owner to see if I can rent a small courtyard to live in."

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and Wang Jun finally completed the manuscript.

In addition to explaining in detail how to assemble a radio, this book also includes a chapter on how to make and assemble a Yagi antenna. Therefore, the title has been adjusted accordingly to "How to Assemble a Semiconductor Radio and a Yagi Antenna".

In truth, Wang Jun knew perfectly well that even if these technical books were published, sales would be extremely limited, and he wouldn't earn much money at all. However, he was just doing it for fun, wanting to publish a book for enjoyment. As for the royalties, they weren't important to him; he wasn't short of money anyway.

Just as Wang Jun was carefully examining the manuscript, You Fengxia walked over. She was tall and slender, wearing a fashionable sweatshirt, looking youthful and beautiful, almost like a big star at first glance.

As a secretary, You Fengxia had to come and report to Wang Jun every day. Although she had to travel back and forth daily, she was extremely satisfied with the job. These days, jobs where you can sit in an office are incredibly rare! Before, she was an unemployed young woman, spending her days at home sleeping, poor and bored. Now that she had this respectable job, what more could she ask for?

This time, You Fengxia brought a data report that clearly recorded the production and sales situation over the past few days.

She handed over the documents, her face beaming, and casually remarked, "Boss, our garment factory is making so much money! With these profits, shouldn't you give me a raise?"

Wang Jun ignored her banter and took the document, carefully reading through it.

These past few days, the garment factory has been operating at full capacity, producing over three thousand garments daily. Everyone in the factory is working non-stop. Huanyu Garment Factory positions its clothing as high-end, but its actual costs are kept extremely low.

Take a women's coat with a factory price of 350 yuan as an example; its cost price is only 33 yuan. This means that a single coat can generate a net profit of 317 yuan, a shockingly high profit margin.

However, this has always been the case in the high-end clothing industry; exorbitant profits are the norm. Foreign luxury brands often charge thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars for a single garment, while their production cost is typically only a few hundred or a thousand yuan.

According to the report data, in just three days, the garment factory's net profit reached 219 million yuan, averaging more than 700,000 yuan per day.

Wang Jun was not surprised by this data. It's only been six years since the reform and opening up began, and high-end foreign clothing has not yet entered the domestic market in large numbers. Nationwide, his Huanyu Garment Factory is the only one capable of producing high-end clothing. Under such a monopolistic situation, it's difficult not to make money.

However, Wang Jun was also very clear-headed. This booming scene wouldn't last long, after all, the population with high spending power in China is still a minority at this stage. More importantly, once those large garment factories see Huanyu Garment Factory making a fortune, they will definitely flock to imitate it. The garment industry has relatively low technical barriers to entry, and styles are most easily copied.

Wang Jun predicted that this frenzied money-making period would only last a month or two at most. After that, they would have to turn their attention to exports and earn money from foreigners; that would be a real skill.

After Wang Jun finished reading the documents and closed the folder, You Fengxia approached him cautiously and said, "Boss, boss, the garment factory is doing so well. Look at my salary... The whole factory is working overtime now, and the workers can earn seven or eight yuan a day. The quick ones can even earn more than ten yuan. I, as the secretary, only earn 180 yuan a month, which is less than what an ordinary worker earns. If word gets out, you'll lose face."

Actually, a monthly salary of 180 yuan was quite good in those days, and You Fengxia was originally very satisfied. But now even ordinary workers in the factory earn more than her, and this huge disparity makes her feel ashamed.

Wang Jun casually replied, "Sure. As long as you work hard and satisfy me, I'll give you a raise."

Upon hearing this, You Fengxia immediately understood. The key point was in the second half of the sentence—she had to satisfy the boss. If the boss was satisfied, a raise would be a piece of cake.

But here's the problem: how can I satisfy the boss? You Fengxia frowned slightly, pondering to herself: should I warm the boss's bed? That's not difficult... the boss is handsome and rich, so even if I really warm his bed, I won't lose out.

Wang Jun, of course, had no idea what kind of crazy ideas were going through this girl's mind. He ignored her and continued to check the manuscript. After confirming that everything was correct, he beckoned You Fengxia over.

When You Fengxia saw the thick stack of manuscript papers in Wang Jun's hand, her eyes lit up immediately. She exclaimed in surprise, "Boss, are you a writer? That's amazing!"

In this era, people have a special affection for literature. Writers have a very high social status, a considerable income, and are idols in the hearts of countless young women with artistic tastes.

You Fengxia considers herself a literary and artistic young woman. She loves to buy various magazines to read in her spare time, and she also writes articles and submits them for publication when she has free time. Unfortunately, after writing for so long, she has never been able to publish a single article.

Wang Jun ignored her comment and handed her the manuscript directly: "Take this manuscript to a publishing house and ask if it can be published. Understand?"

You Fengxia nodded repeatedly, took the manuscript, casually flipped through it, and was instantly dumbfounded.

She recognized all the Chinese characters on the manuscript, but the words "resistor," "capacitor," and those winding circuit symbols gave her a headache.

Well, she had to admit, she couldn't understand this book at all.

You Fengxia decisively closed the manuscript and stuffed it into her bag; if she continued reading, her head would start buzzing.

"Boss, I'll be going now!"

Banggeng pushed his bicycle into the yard, his eyes darting around before settling on You Fengxia.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, a sigh rising in his heart: This girl is truly beautiful, like a movie star. What a pity, she's already taken; she's Wang Jun's woman.

During this time, You Fengxia came here every day, and Bang Geng saw her every time. Every time he saw her, a feeling of jealousy welled up in his heart. Such a beautiful woman, running around every day, buying groceries, cooking, and washing dishes for Wang Jun, what a waste.

"Hmph, that kid Wang Jun is just lucky," Bang Geng thought to himself. "When I make my fortune, I'll find a pretty girl like that and have her serve me every day."

"It'll be quick, just one more week and that big deal will be done." Bang Geng thought about the huge profits he was about to make, and a silly grin crept onto his face. He looked incredibly lewd.

Just then, Huaihua came back from get off work with her cart. When she saw Banggeng's expression, she couldn't help but roll her eyes and complain, "Brother, your smile is disgusting. You look like a villainous traitor in a TV drama."

Bang Geng's face darkened, and he glared at her, yelling, "You brat, can't you speak properly? Are you looking for a beating?!"

Huaihua wasn't afraid of him at all. As she pushed the cart inside, she added insult to injury: "Brother, you're like a toad trying to eat swan meat. You've got your eye on You Fengxia, haven't you? Too bad she doesn't even give you a second glance. Save your breath!"

After saying that, Huaihua dashed into the house, leaving Banggeng grinding his teeth in anger.

……

As soon as Bang Geng entered the room, he found Yi Zhonghai there as well.

Yi Zhonghai was restless; he had come to urge them about the restaurant. Four thousand yuan was his life savings, and he hadn't even seen a return on his investment. How long had it been dragging on?

Upon seeing Bang Geng return, Yi Zhonghai cut to the chase: "Bang Geng, how's the restaurant preparation going? When can we open?"

Bang Geng's heart skipped a beat, but he was preoccupied with the huge "smuggling color TV" business and didn't care about the restaurant at all.

He put on a confident smile and reassured him, "Uncle Yi, don't worry! I'm currently working on a big deal, dealing in imported color TVs. If it goes well, I'll make at least 20,000 yuan! Once I get the money, the restaurant will open immediately, and I'll even give you double the interest, repaying you 8,000 yuan!"

Upon hearing "20,000 yuan" and "smuggled color TVs," Yi Zhonghai's unease intensified. Having lived most of his life, he knew all too well that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

"That's ridiculous," Yi Zhonghai said with a furrowed brow, his voice heavy with concern. "These days, where can you find a business that guarantees huge profits? Is that 'powerful figure' you're talking about reliable? Or is he a conman?"

Banggeng scoffed, waving his hand dismissively, "Oh, Uncle Yi, you're too conservative! His relative works at customs; it's a real connection. He said he only brought me along because he thinks I have a business mind. Just wait and see how much money you make!"

Seeing Bang Geng's unyielding attitude, Yi Zhonghai felt a chill in his heart. He knew that the four thousand yuan was probably gone for good. Qin Huairu, on the other hand, listened with shining eyes, only thinking about the twenty thousand yuan, completely oblivious to what was wrong.

……

The next day, at the cannery.

Wang Jun arrived early in the morning; today was the day the first batch of canned goods would roll off the production line.

"Start production!"

At the command of factory director Lü Guangrong, the machines roared and the workers got to work.

We waited until 11 o'clock before the first batch of finished products was finally shipped out of the assembly line.

Wang Jun picked up a can of soybeans in tomato sauce, skillfully opened the lid, and took a sip.

The sweet and sour tomato sauce coats the soft and tender soybeans, making it incredibly delicious and leaving a lingering aftertaste. This recipe from the system is truly impeccable.

Lu Guangrong took a bite, and his eyes lit up instantly: "Boss! This tastes amazing! I guarantee it, this is absolutely the best canned soybeans on the market right now! It'd be a hot commodity even if it were shipped to the United States!"

Wang Jun smiled and said, "This was originally prepared for the Americans."

Upon hearing the word "export," Lü Guangrong's hands trembled with excitement. For people like him who were engaged in manufacturing, being able to export and earn foreign exchange was the greatest honor of their lives.

"Boss, if we can really export and earn foreign exchange, I, Lü Guangrong, can die in peace!" Lü Guangrong's voice was choked with emotion.

Wang Jun patted him on the shoulder and said with great enthusiasm, "Old Lü, don't worry. It's not just canned goods, the same goes for the clothing from the garment factory. From now on, our products will be sold all over the world, making you count dollars until your hands cramp!"

Lü Guangrong nodded emphatically, full of enthusiasm.

Wang Jun took a stroll around the factory area, already having a plan in mind. The best way to promote his products internationally was to participate in the Canton Fair. It was currently China's only window for foreign trade; if he could establish a reputation there, orders would surely pour in.

"Old Lü, you keep an eye on production. I'll go arrange things for the Canton Fair," Wang Jun decided immediately.