Ma Xiangdong also felt that the house they rented was too big, and it would be enough to rent a small courtyard to live in.
Yuan Chun then took out the property certificate, handed it to Ma Xiangdong, and smiled, "Big brother, actually, I bought this house, spending eighteen hundred dollars, using the allowance you’ve sent back over the years."
"As for the four shops in front, I’ve already got it figured out. We’ll rent out three shops, and each one can rent for ten bucks a month, making thirty bucks for three, which is enough for our whole family’s needs."
"We’ll keep one shop for ourselves and open a braised meat store. It’s close to the market and the department store, so we won’t have to worry about having no business."
Yuan Chun wasn’t interested in considering other businesses, preferring to stick to her old trade.
She had run a braised meat store for two generations, gaining vast experience. The braised meat business was profitable, not too tiring, and very suitable for the couple to manage.
Qian Hongmei was at first delighted that they had bought a house. But when she heard her mother-in-law was planning a business, she nervously rubbed her hands, "Mom, I haven’t done business before. I’m afraid I can’t sell well. I’ve never braised meat, never even tasted it. I’m scared it might not taste good and we’ll lose money."
Daya cheerfully said, "Mom, just listen to Grandma. If she says we should sell braised meat, she definitely knows how. Erya and I will help you sell."
Erya nodded firmly, "Mom, I’ll help you sell. We won’t lose money. If we can’t sell in the shop, we can set up a stall. There are many people setting up stalls outside our school, and no one stops them now."
"Yes, yes, yes, I see those selling stationery, clothes, shoes, and snacks. As soon as school ends, many people gather to buy things. We could make quite a profit. Mom, let’s give it a try. How do we know if we can make money if we don’t try?"
Yuan Chun turned to Qian Hongmei with disappointment, "Look at you, not as brave as the children. Fine, don’t expect to become a strong businesswoman overnight. I’ll guide you for now."
After the family cleaned the house inside and out, Ma Xiangdong took Daya and Erya to report to their new school.
Yuan Chun took Qian Hongmei to the market to get familiar with the surroundings and taught her how to bargain with the vendors, how to order meat, and how to judge meat quality...
In the evening, when the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returned, their hands were full of groceries.
Qian Hongmei was pained, "Vegetables in the city are so expensive, a pound of peppers costs a dime. Had I known they were this expensive, I would’ve brought some from our backyard."
The backyard of their old home was filled with vegetables, all grown by Qian Hongmei who watered them every day. Now that they moved to the provincial capital, those vegetables were left for the second family to enjoy.
Yuan Chun said, "The new house has a plot of land in the backyard too. Tomorrow, you can turn it over and plant vegetables. They’ll be ready to eat soon."
Qian Hongmei nodded, "Luckily, I brought a set of farming tools when we moved, thinking of cultivating land in the city outskirts."
Two days later, after the family settled down, Yuan Chun took Ma Xiangdong to a provincial hospital to get a prosthetic limb.
With a prosthetic limb, Ma Xiangdong threw away his crutch and could walk like a normal person.
When Ma Xiangdong walked back, Qian Hongmei’s eyes welled up with tears and she hugged him, crying for a long time.
Those were tears of joy.
Once Ma Xiangdong adapted to the prosthetic limb, Yuan Chun took a cart and the couple to the newly established market, buying a pig’s head, pig offal, and a large pile of seasonings to bring back.
Yuan Chun taught Qian Hongmei and Ma Xiangdong step by step on how to clean pig offal, how to braise pig head meat, how to braise the pig offal...