Chapter 213: Su An’s Plan

Chapter 213 Su An's Plan

Wang Xiaocui wanted to find something to do, and Su An was all for it. She didn't plan to use her knowledge of the future to choose a special industry for Wang Xiaocui.

Her mother should do something she's capable of—her own willingness matters most!

However, Su An still offered some small suggestions: "Mom, I'm totally behind your idea, and in terms of snack options, we can offer a few more. For example, for pancakes, besides adding eggs, shredded potatoes, and shredded radishes, we can also add chopped pork cracklings and pickled or fermented vegetables."

"When it's cold, we can sell pancakes, rice curd, and potato cakes. When it's hot, we can sell jelly noodles and cold noodles (liangpi). If we're not too busy, we can also fry glutinous rice cakes..."

"Moreover, in the morning, we can set up our food stall at Sanhu Street. That area is full of factories, and most employees pass by there on their way to and from work. After the peak hours, we can move to a busy street intersection. On holidays, we can go to the square!"

Wang Xiaocui became more and more excited listening to Su An's suggestions. "An An, I think it's a great idea!"

"I can whip up all the dishes you mentioned. If we do as you say, I'm sure I can turn a profit!"

Su An smiled. "I have faith in you. Tomorrow I'll ask Da Bao’s grandma to find out and get you a pushcart. Think about what supplies you need to get, and we'll go and get them together tomorrow!"

Wang Xiaocui was full of energy. "Alright, I'll figure it out!"

After dinner, Su An returned to her room and tallied up her savings.

The money she got from Ji Qingqing and Su Jianjun earlier had already been used to buy the courtyard on Fuqing Street.

This time, she got 2000 yuan from Zhao Daxing after the divorce, 400 yuan in cash and a small gold bar from Chen Shuming, over 2000 yuan from Xiao Jiliang's passbook, and 600 yuan from Su Jianjun and Ji Qingqing by using the excuse of the Zhao family reporting Su Jiao, totaling just over 5000 yuan.

The money spent on adding furniture and daily necessities, and buying winter clothes for herself and her brother, had been reimbursed by the police after Cui Yuanfeng stole things, so it was as if it cost her nothing.

Only 93 yuan went out, and the things sent back to her uncle were basically from Wang Xiaocui's 800 yuan. Now she has about 4500 to 4600 yuan in cash!

This sum seems large, but it's really not.

In the 1980s, opportunities were everywhere, and Su An had big ambitions. She hadn't been much of a businesswoman in her past life, but she'd seen plenty of TV shows and heard plenty of stories.

Now she wanted to wait for Mr. Luo's news to see if the sports school mentioned by Eldest Master Cai could let her enroll as a student. Whether it worked or not, Su An planned to go south in February.

If Mr. Luo's side worked out, that would be the best. If not, she planned to study on her own and take the adult college entrance exams later.

Su An took out a pen and notebook and began mapping out her plans. At this time, the south was developing rapidly, and many things could easily make money if brought back.

In terms of clothing, the popular collar shirts, bell-bottoms, frog-eye sunglasses, and even jeans. In terms of electronics, radios, electronic watches, game consoles, tapes, as long as they were brought back, they would be highly profitable.

After accumulating a certain amount of capital, she could try to enter the home appliance industry, such as refrigerators, TVs, washing machines, disinfection cabinets, electric fans, VCDs, etc. These were all in-demand items. As people's living standards gradually improved and their economic strength increased, these home appliances would become household necessities!

Su An didn't know much, and she could only think of these things after racking her brains.

The specifics would have to be seen by going to the south herself.

Going south was not an easy task. Opportunities were everywhere there, but at the same time, the influx of outsiders increased dramatically, and local government control was inadequate. Not to mention key cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen, even Dongguan and Haicheng were extremely chaotic.

In her previous life, she had heard of many bosses who went south with money to buy goods and returned empty-handed before even leaving the train station. Some even went and never came back!

According to later statistics, in the 1980s and 1990s, there were quite a few people who went south to seek their fortune and disappeared, never to return.

Being unfamiliar with the place makes it easy to suffer losses, so she had to prepare in advance.

The next day, Su Ping got up early and rode his bicycle to the Good Luck Restaurant. Su An, Wang Xiaocui, and Ren San had breakfast and then got busy.

"Mom, since we're going to do it, let's do it all at once. Buy a tricycle? It's not difficult; you can learn to ride it. Even if we don't set up a stall, we can do other things with it in the future!"

Wang Xiaocui refused without hesitation, "No, no, that tricycle, even a cheap one would cost two or three hundred, right? I’m getting these tools to make money, not to spend so much before I’ve even earned anything. I won’t do it!"

"Here’s my plan: I’ll check the second-hand market first to see if there’s anything suitable, maybe buy a pushcart to start with. An old pushcart would cost at most twenty or thirty bucks, right? I’ll use it for now, and if I really make money later, I can always upgrade!"

Seeing that Wang Xiaocui had her own plans, Su An didn’t try to persuade her further.

The three of them went to the second-hand market and actually found a used pushcart. They also found a medium-sized iron bucket and two basins. The rest had to be bought brand new from the department store.

They got a small coal stove, ladles, spatulas, tongs, and other tools, plus oiled paper in bulk. After gathering all the tools, the three of them pulled the pushcart to the grain and oil shop, where they bought various seasonings, oil, and wheat flour.

As the money kept flowing out, Wang Xiaocui winced in frustration.

The eight hundred yuan Lu Jin'an had paid for Su Jiao’s fraud, nearly a hundred yuan spent on sending things to Jiushisan, and today over a hundred yuan gone again.

"Starting a business isn’t for the faint of heart. Not a single penny earned yet, and already over a hundred yuan spent. How many pancakes will I need to sell to make that back?"

Wang Xiaocui’s tone was heavy, her pressure immense. If she couldn’t sell them, the money spent today...

Seeing Wang Xiaocui upset, Ren San quickly cheered her up, "Auntie, your pancakes smell amazing—the business will take off in no time! Once we’re back, we’ll figure out how to start selling and earn that money back!"

Su An also comforted her, "Mom, let’s not stress. These things aren’t a waste—the stove, grain, and oil, they’re all useful! Even if sales are slow, it’s fine—we can use them at home. But like Ren San, I believe you’ll do just fine!"

In the inpatient department of the Chinese Medicine Hospital.

Lu Jin'an, unconscious for a full day, groggily opened his eyes to the white ceiling and the IV bag above him.

A nurse holding a registration book pushed the door open, "Oh, you’re awake!"

"How are you feeling? Any better? Does your head still hurt?"

"Here, don’t move, let me take your temperature!"

Su Jianjun, who had been sleeping beside him, was awakened by the noise and quickly got up to check.

"Oh, Xiao Lu, you’re finally awake—you had us worried sick!"