Chapter 102

This time, there were only a few pieces left from the batch of clothes Roubao brought back. On the canvas laid out on the ground were a pack of stockings, a few skirts, and two pairs of jeans. Roubao patted the pouch around his waist, grinning with delight. “Come take a look, classmates! These are the latest styles from Guangdong—trendiest clothes, trendiest socks, just like the movie stars wear. You can’t find stuff this good even in shopping malls!”

Several girls gathered around and held the skirts up to themselves to check the fit. “Do you have this skirt in a larger size?”

Roubao sighed with a touch of regret. “You came too late. The large one was just taken by an older student. But if you wore it, I bet it’d look amazing on you.”

The girl let out a small frustrated sound, clearly unwilling to give up. “No other large sizes? I didn’t know you were back this time. I came as soon as I heard, and now it’s all gone?”

“You don’t know how hard it is bringing clothes back. Look at me—how much can I carry by myself each time? This is already the max I could bring. Next time come a little earlier, I’ll hold one for you.” Roubao spoke smoothly, and his words were pleasant to hear. The girl put down the skirt, picked up a pair of jeans to measure against herself, and in the end bought the jeans and two pairs of long socks, walking off cheerfully.

This wasn’t Roubao’s first time selling clothes at school. He was honest and careful with his selections—not just the style, but also the quality. For example, a skirt couldn’t have any loose threads; everything had to be high-quality. Thanks to that, he had built a good reputation on campus. Word of mouth spread fast—everyone knew that a student at their school sold clothes even better than the malls outside.

In just about half an hour, a girl bought the last pair of long stockings from the stall. The students who came later could only sigh in disappointment. One girl, watching Roubao fold up his canvas, leaned over and asked, “Li Chengrun, when are you going to Guangdong again to bring more clothes?”

Roubao looked up and smiled. “This month I need to catch up on all the classes I missed, so it’ll be at least two months before I can go again.”

The girl looked a bit down. “Then I won’t get to wear a new skirt…”

Roubao quickly added, “Next time I’ll bring trench coats. You don’t know—those trench coats over there are all Hong Kong-style, super classy and look amazing. Just like what the movie stars wear!”

Lately, Hong Kong films were all the rage on campus. The moment she heard the trench coats were like the ones worn by movie stars, the girl nodded repeatedly, even reminding him, “Next time, start selling at our Girls’ Dorm 3, okay? Don’t let Dorm 8 get first pick again.”

Roubao put the folded canvas into a bag and stood up. “Got it, I’ll remember.”

He waved to a few girls, then walked off cheerfully, thinking he’d count the money in the dorm, deposit it in the bank, treat his dormmates to a meal, and then begin his intense study catch-up. But just as he turned and took a few steps, all his plans vanished from his mind. He froze, face instantly pale, when he saw Li Mingdong standing not far off with a stormy expression. Clutching his bag, Roubao bolted.

Mingdong, seeing that the kid had the nerve to run instead of owning up, was furious. “You little brat! Stop right there!”

Roubao didn’t even dare to pause, sprinting straight out of the school gates. He saw a bus headed toward the siheyuan and jumped on. Mingdong, slower by a bit, reached the stop just in time to see a trail of exhaust smoke. Leaning against a tree, panting hard, he pointed at the bus where Roubao had disappeared, completely speechless.

“I’m dead, so dead.” Sitting in the last row of the bus, Roubao watched his enraged father and silently prayed, “Auntie, please be home. If you’re not, you might never see Roubao again—just the remains of a torn-up bun skin.”

It was Saturday, and plenty of students were riding the bus home to enjoy a better meal. Roubao sat like he was on pins and needles, brain spinning. He just couldn’t figure out why his dad would show up at school.

When the bus reached Houyang Station, Roubao dashed into the siheyuan, wailing, “Auntie! Auntie!” Guihua lifted the curtain and came out. “What are you yelling about? Get in here, quick.”

Seeing his mom also there, Roubao’s legs nearly gave out. He hid behind a tree, only poking out his head. “Mom! Mom! Where’s Auntie?”

Guihua gave him a mock glare and laughed. “This kid! Acting all spoiled—calling for so many moms.”

Roubao was nearly in tears. “Don’t joke, Mom! Where’s Auntie?”

Guihua pointed behind her. “She’s in the garden.” Roubao immediately darted out from behind the tree to find his aunt and beg for help.

“Wait.” Guihua glanced at the courtyard gate, frowning. “Where’s your dad? I sent him to school to call you back for dinner at your grandma’s. Where’d he go?”

Roubao was nearly on his knees. He shook his head in despair. “You really are my biological mom!”

Running toward the corridor, he shouted, “Mom, when Dad gets back, please talk to him for me. I’m his real son, okay? Tell him to go easy!”

He took off running again. Guihua, confused, dropped the curtain. Inside, Wang Sufen, who was making dumplings, looked up. “What’s with Roubao?”

“No idea,” Guihua said, shaking her head. “Looks like he got into trouble and is scared his dad will beat him.”

Grandma Li was sitting by the window eating grapes. She glanced at Guihua and spoke up for her great-grandson. “Roubao’s already grown, a college student. Whatever it is, talk it out—no need to hit. When Mingdong gets here, let him in. I’ll have a word with him. If he dares lay a hand on Roubao, I’ll beat him first.”

Guihua chuckled and nodded. “Alright, I’ll talk to Mingdong.” Then she frowned slightly. “Honestly, Mingdong’s not one to hit kids. He’s barely ever laid a finger on them. What could’ve happened this time?”

The women muttered among themselves for a while but couldn’t figure it out. They decided to leave it alone—whatever it was, they’d find out when Mingdong arrived.
—

Roubao ran down the corridor and soon bumped into Zhenzhen. “Auntie, save me!”

Zhenzhen looked him over. “What happened? Tell me.”

Roubao glanced around, looking desperate. “Auntie, maybe hide me somewhere first. I think my dad’s going to kill me.”

Zhenzhen paused, sympathy on her face. “He found out about your clothing business?”

Roubao nodded grimly. “Saw everything, clear as day.”

Zhenzhen smiled and shook her head. “It’s fine. Stay in my room. Your dad won’t come in there.”

Roubao finally let out a breath. At the main courtyard, he peeked in first, and when he saw no one, he tiptoed into Zhenzhen’s room and quickly shut the door.

Through her awareness, Zhenzhen saw him pacing nervously, then dive under the bed. She couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Good thing Wang Sufen scrubbed the floor twice a day—otherwise, Roubao would’ve ended up covered in dust.

Zhenzhen walked into the main room. Grandma Li pointed at the grapes. “Just picked from the vine. I chilled them in well water—sweet and refreshing. Come eat.”

Zhenzhen washed her hands, then popped grapes into Wang Sufen’s and Guihua’s mouths. Guihua tasted the cool, sweet juice and nodded. “These grapes are amazing.”

“This vine’s been here since the beginning,” Grandma Li said. “At first I thought it was dead and told your dad to pull it out. But Zhenzhen nursed it back to life. These grapes are better than the ones your Eldest Uncle brought.”

Zhenzhen munched and shared grapes. Suddenly, her hand paused. She sensed Mingdong getting off the bus, furious and heading home.

She picked up a plate of grapes and went back to her room, sliding the plate under the bed. “Your dad’s almost here. Stay put. Cool off with some grapes—I don’t think you’re getting dinner tonight.”

The plate was yanked under the bed, followed by a muffled plea. “Auntie, please talk to him for me!”

“Relax, you won’t die,” Zhenzhen said, opening all the windows so it wouldn’t get too stuffy under the bed.

Just as she returned to the main room, Mingdong stormed into the courtyard, stumbling three steps at a time. Clutching his chest, gasping, he shouted, “Where is that brat Li Chengrun?! Tell him to get out here!”

Zhenzhen set down a glass of cold water on the side table and handed him a wet towel. “Big Brother, what’s going on with Roubao? Tell me first—I’ll help you analyze it.”

“If I told you, you’d be furious,” Mingdong said, waving her off and looking around for Roubao. “Forget it. I’ll beat him first, then we’ll talk.”

When Mingdong tried to stand up, Zhenzhen pushed him back into the chair. “Big Brother, Roubao is already an adult. You should let go and allow him to grow up.” She placed a glass of water in his hand. “Now, tell us what happened first.”

“Zhenzhen’s right,” Grandma Li said, glancing at Mingdong. “You’re in your forties—can’t you stay calm when something happens? Don’t be so quick to beat Roubao. Tell me what he did first. If he really made a mistake, I promise I won’t stop you from hitting him.”

Mingdong gulped down the water and let out a long sigh. “So today we were supposed to go home and make dumplings, right? Guihua asked me to stop by the school to bring Roubao back with me. As soon as I entered the school, I ran into a few of his classmates. When I asked where he was, they told me Roubao was out selling clothes. That really threw me. I asked, ‘What do you mean selling clothes?’ One of his classmates told me that for the past few months, Roubao’s been taking half-month to full-month leaves and going to Guangdong to buy clothes wholesale and sell them back here. And this isn’t even the first time. I used to wonder why he was never home during the summer break—I naively thought he was staying at school to study. Turns out, he was off selling clothes.”

Everyone in the family looked at each other in shock. Even Grandma Li was stunned—it was completely unexpected. For a while, no one knew what to say. The room was silent until suddenly Guihua slammed the rolling pin on the counter. “That brat Roubao—where the hell is he hiding? Just wait till I get my hands on him!”

Wang Sufen was startled and quickly snatched the rolling pin out of Guihua’s hands. “It’s bad enough when one of you loses it. Can’t you at least try to calm things down? What if the two of you beat the kid half to death?”

Zhenzhen pushed Guihua onto a stool, handed her a damp towel to wipe her hands, and sat down beside her. “Big Brother, Sister-in-law, it’s not that I’m trying to defend Roubao, but I really think we should hear his side of the story before we beat him.”

Mingdong let out a cold snort. “Fine. I’ll listen. Go get him.”

Zhenzhen quickly shook her head. “I’m afraid if he comes out now, you won’t be able to listen—you’ll just want to hit him.”

“You’re always defending him.” Mingdong pointed at her angrily and slammed his fist on the table.

Zhenzhen rubbed her nose and looked at Mingdong and Guihua. “Big Brother, Sister-in-law, let me ask you something. What about Roubao’s business makes you the angriest?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mingdong flared up again. “Is this what students should be doing? How much learning time is he wasting? It’s hard enough to get into a top university in the capital, and he thinks just getting in is good enough? If he doesn’t study hard, what a waste!”

Zhenzhen refilled his glass. “Then let me ask you this—how were Roubao’s final exam scores last semester?”

Mingdong paused, then said, “Pretty good. He ranked fifth and even got a scholarship.”

Zhenzhen smiled. “So his studies haven’t been affected, right?” Seeing Mingdong’s confused expression, she dropped a bombshell: “Actually, I knew from the beginning that Roubao was selling clothes.” As everyone’s eyes widened, she added, “I even gave him the startup money.”

“What? Zhenzhen, you’ve really spoiled him!” Mingdong was flustered. “Why didn’t you tell me about something this big? Did that brat come to you asking for money? How much does he owe you?”

“He already paid it back,” Zhenzhen said, pushing him back into the chair. “Big Brother, why are you so hot-tempered lately? Is your menopause starting early?” She sat back and said seriously, “I was also worried the business would affect Roubao’s studies, so I’ve been closely watching his grades these past few months. Every time he came back, he’d show me his quizzes. I saw he was keeping up, so I didn’t tell you. He only made two trips to the South last semester and still managed to rank fifth. Clearly, the business didn’t impact his studies.”

Mingdong was left speechless and turned away angrily.

Zhenzhen took a sip of water and continued in a gentle tone, “In the spring, Roubao came to me and said denim jeans were all the rage on the streets. Even though they were expensive, they sold well. He’d done some research and found most of them were made in the South. He wanted to borrow some money to try reselling them. I thought about his safety and studies, but Roubao had considered those already. He’s not a brainless kid—in fact, he’s smarter than most. He knows how to seize policy and opportunity. I felt I should support him.”

Seeing the confusion on everyone’s faces, Zhenzhen went on. “Brother, times have changed. You watch TV and listen to the radio talking about reform and opening up all the time. What does that mean? Simply put, it’s internal reform and external openness. Internally, they’re pushing for a market economy—household farming contracts in rural areas, encouraging small businesses like raising chickens or pigs. In cities, people are opening restaurants, clothing stores, shops, getting into transport. Soon people will be opening factories and enterprises. Don’t look down on what Roubao is doing now—it’s just the beginning. Once he’s built up capital, you never know how far he’ll go.”

Grandma Li looked at Zhenzhen and popped a grape into her mouth. “Are you saying Roubao wants to be a capitalist?”

Zhenzhen smiled. “Grandma, in the future, ‘capitalist’ won’t be a dirty word anymore. If someone becomes a famous capitalist, it’ll be something to be proud of.”

Wang Sufen grew anxious. “But what if they start cracking down on capitalists again?”

“Mom, don’t worry. That won’t happen anymore. The country wants rapid development—economic growth is the top priority. Instead of cracking down, they’ll support it. Don’t we hear it on TV every day?” Zhenzhen turned back to Mingdong. “Mom might not understand this, but you can’t say you don’t.”

“What’s so good about doing business?” Mingdong scratched his head. “He’s in a top university. When he graduates, he can get a stable job—an iron rice bowl. That’s way better than selling on the streets.”

“Everyone has their own path,” Zhenzhen smiled. “And I believe Roubao won’t be selling on the streets forever. Once he’s built up capital, whether he chooses a stable job or to start his own company, it’ll be his decision.” Seeing Mingdong calming down, she added solemnly, “Brother, Roubao’s life should be his to decide—just like when you chose to study and become a teacher. Didn’t Dad stay out of your way?”

“He would’ve meddled if he understood it,” Wang Sufen chimed in, then added, “Mingdong, I think your sister makes sense. She’s the smartest one in the family. Maybe you should listen to her and talk to Roubao calmly—don’t just jump straight to hitting. You’re an educated man, after all.”

Guihua, who’d been listening quietly, had also calmed down. She turned to Zhenzhen. “Did he really start this business last semester? And it didn’t affect his grades?”

“If it had, could he still rank fifth? I think it even helped. Sister-in-law, Roubao is studying economics—doing business is part of that. I think it helps him understand what he’s learning, and what he learns in school can help him succeed in business. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”

“Alright then, let’s hear him out,” Guihua said, nudging Mingdong. “Calm down first. When you’re ready to talk, we’ll call him out.”

“Let’s call him now. I won’t hit him.” Mingdong wiped his face and asked Zhenzhen, “Are you sure he paid you back? Don’t cover for him—just tell me how much. I’ll make it up.”

“He really did,” Zhenzhen said with a big smile. “Relax. Do I look like someone who’d take a loss?”

“How much did he borrow?” Guihua asked, wondering how he’d managed with travel, food, lodging, and inventory costs.

“He asked for two hundred, I gave him a thousand.” Zhenzhen stood up to get Roubao, but before she could take a step, a shriek stopped her in her tracks.

“You gave him how much? A thousand?” Guihua’s hands were trembling. “Paid back my ass! There’s no way he could repay that. Forget it—get the rolling pin and give him a beating now!”

“He really did repay it.” Zhenzhen, both amused and exasperated, held her back. “Sister-in-law, you’re underestimating him. That first deal, he not only repaid me but made over two thousand in profit. I’m telling you, by the end of the year, your son might be a ten-thousand-yuan earner.”

Guihua’s hands trembled even more—she looked like she might faint.

Zhenzhen went to the bedroom and called Roubao out from under the bed. “Come on out. I’ve explained everything to your parents. Just tell them what you were thinking.”

Roubao pushed out a plate of grape skins and seeds, then crawled out and stretched his stiff limbs. He peeked out the window toward the main room. “Auntie, you better not be lying. My dad might look honest, but if he gets mad, he really hits hard.”

“Don’t worry,” Zhenzhen reassured him, then added with a smile, “Though I did tell your mom about how much money you made—that part gave her a bit of a scare.”

“It’s fine. My mom’s better at accepting things than my dad,” Roubao let out a sigh of relief. He followed Zhenzhen back to the main house, and as soon as they stepped through the door, before Mingdong could say anything, Roubao rattled off in one breath, “Dad, Mom, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have kept it from you that I was doing business. I promise next time I’ll discuss everything with you first, and I absolutely won’t let it affect my studies.”

Mingdong and Guihua were nearly choked by his rapid-fire confession, struggling to catch their breath. Mingdong patted his chest and pointed to a bench across from him. “Sit down and talk first.”

Roubao’s face lit up the moment he heard that. If they were already letting him sit down, that meant he’d really skipped the getting-a-beating part. He couldn’t help but give Zhenzhen a grateful hand gesture.

“Li Chengrun, tell me—what do you want to do after graduation?” Mingdong took a sip of water, his tone much calmer now.

“Dad, I know you want me to work for the government or a public institution after graduation, but that’s really not what I like.” When it came to his future, Roubao’s tone turned more serious. “I don’t like a step-by-step, routine life. I want to be in control of my own work and life. I want to ride the wave of policy trends and stand at the forefront of the times. Dad, I want to build my own business empire, just like the foreign business tycoons I’ve read about in biographies. The process might be rough, there might be setbacks, I might fail, or I might succeed brilliantly—but no matter the outcome, I won’t regret it, because I think that kind of life is really exciting.”

Mingdong and Guihua both fell silent after hearing his words. Mingdong closed his eyes, lost in thought. After a long while, he opened them again and turned to Guihua. “Do you think his idea is feasible?”

Guihua didn’t look at Mingdong. Instead, she asked Roubao, “How much money have you made these past few months?”

Roubao grinned and patted his bulging satchel. “Including this latest batch, I’ve saved up a total of 6,700 yuan.”

Mingdong took a deep breath. Even after all these years of working, he wasn’t sure if he had made as much as 6,700 yuan. For a moment, his expression as he looked at his son was quite complicated.

“Have you really thought this through? If you go into business, it might not sound as impressive as your classmates. After all, they’ll either be working in some unit or some department, not like you, doing small-time trade,” Guihua said, her tone very serious.

“I’ve thought it through.” Roubao grinned. “I won’t regret the decision I’ve made.”

“All right then.” Guihua slapped the table. “Mom supports you. Next time you go to Guangdong to stock up, I’m going with you.”

“Huh? Why would you go?” Roubao stared at her, dumbfounded. No matter how quick-witted he was, he couldn’t make sense of Guihua’s line of thinking.

“Two people can bring back more goods,” Guihua rolled her eyes at him. “From now on, I’m doing business with you.”

Mingdong rolled his eyes and slumped back into his chair.