Chapter 68: Doing Some Small Business

 Chapter 68: Doing Some Small Business

Shu Yu had something to say to the old lady, and Lu Sanzhu was really an eyesore here.

She handed him two buns, and Lu Sanzhu turned his head and ran away as if afraid that she would change her mind.

After he had disappeared, the old lady said, "It's really like attracting like, San-ge rarely has such a clever moment."

Shu Yu poured her a glass of water and let Da Hu slowly eat before saying, "Third uncle may not have any other advantages, but he is quite good at reading people."

The old lady smiled and finished the buns in her hand.

She hadn't eaten meat buns for a long time, and she couldn't resist them just now.

Shu Yu handed her another one, but the old lady waved it off. "That's enough, I'm full. Er Ya, you said you wanted to discuss something with me just now, what is it?"

"In our family, what is our main source of income?" Shu Yu asked.

Income source? The old lady didn't react at first to this phrasing.

After a moment of confusion, she said, "You mean how we make money, right?"

Shu Yu nodded, and the old lady didn't hide anything from her. "Our family used to have seven or eight mu of land, but we've sold a few mu over the years. Especially after your father broke his leg, it took a lot of money to treat it, and now we only have three mu of land left."

Those three mu of land were all managed by the old lady and Ruan Shi.

Both of them were very hardworking, but no matter how hard they worked, the grain was just that much, and after paying taxes, there wasn't much left.

"Other than this land, your mother and I do some sewing work to supplement the household. As for your father, he can't work in the fields because of his leg, so he stays at home. He worked as an apprentice with his master for a few years before and knows a bit of carpentry. He makes some small wooden pieces to sell, but he can't go up the mountain to chop wood himself, so he has to buy it. With all this back and forth, he doesn't make much money. Plus, with his condition, he can't sit for too long, otherwise his legs will get numb, and he'll work even slower."

Shu Yu understood that even though the current Lu family had planted three mu of land, it was probably not enough for their own consumption.

The rest of the work is sewing and small woodwork, which doesn't earn much. They still have to support the whole family and pay for the medical expenses of Lu Er's leg, and even the travel expenses to find their missing daughter.

The old lady finished speaking with a worried look on her face. Although they had confidence that once Lu Er's leg was cured, their life would get better, she had also heard from Doctor Xu that even if Lu Er's leg healed, he wouldn't be as agile as before. There were only a few people in the family who could work, so life would still be difficult.

After a moment of contemplation, Shu Yu spoke up, "Grandma, have you ever thought about renting out those few acres of land and starting a small business ourselves?"

"Small business?" The old lady was taken aback, then shook her head. "No, your mother and I don't have any skills except farming. Starting a small business isn't easy. Besides, we need capital, and it's difficult for our family to even come up with one hundred copper coins."

"How come you don't have any skills? You and Mom are both good at sewing and needlework, right?"

"I can only mend clothes, and your mother's needlework is good, but compared to the embroidery ladies in the city, it's not even close. She can repair ordinary hand fans or cloth fans, but she can't do anything else."

The old lady waved her hand repeatedly, thinking that Shu Yu's idea was a bit naive. But Shu Yu said, "That's not important. Mom's embroidery skills may not be as good as those of the professional embroidery ladies, but I've seen how skillful and beautiful she is at mending clothes. That alone is enough." 

(End of Chapter)