Chapter 9: The First Windfall

Chapter 9: The First Windfall

"What's next?"

Ye Changyuan nervously glanced around.

"Of course, we gotta holler to sell stuff, otherwise, folks won’t know what we’re up to."

Ye Xiaoxiao had never done this before, but a penny can break a hero, and she wasn’t afraid of losing face to make money.

"Sell..." Ye Xiaoxiao took a deep breath: "Sunflower seeds and popcorn!! Perfect for movie nights!"

Indeed, it was pitch black around, and only by shouting could others notice them.

Ye Xiaoxiao’s calls did the trick.

Soon, a young couple approached, and the guy casually asked what they were selling.

"Roasted sunflower seeds and popcorn, what city folks snack on during movies." Ye Xiaoxiao untied the sack and showed them.

The girl said, "Yeah, I saw someone selling these by the cinema last time I was in town."

The guy asked, "How much?"

"One serving is ten cents, no weighing, just a full enamel mug each."

Ye Xiaoxiao introduced softly.

Sweet enough to knock your socks off!

Though the portions weren’t huge, the price was a steal.

The guy didn’t hesitate much and said, "We’ll take two."

"Alright."

Ye Xiaoxiao picked up the enamel mugs and filled them to the brim, then said, "If it’s easier, we can pack them in a newspaper box for you to carry."

In a small place like this, who’d seen such thoughtful service?

The girl also shyly said, "Holding it works better."

Ye Xiaoxiao quickly folded a paper box from the newspaper and packed it up for them, and they promptly handed over twenty cents.

Ye Changyuan widened his eyes: "Xiao Xiao, someone actually bought it!"

Ye Xiaoxiao put the money away, "Of course, just wait and see, today’s business is just getting started."

After the first sale, things got easier.

Curious, people gathered around to ask the price, and if the price was right, they’d pull out their money.

Some people wanted to bargain, "Can I get just sunflower seeds for five cents?"

Ye Xiaoxiao explained with a smile: "We’re a small operation, we don’t split orders, buddy, don’t make it tough on us."

"I’m not a fan of popcorn."

"Our popcorn’s loaded with sugar. If it’s not your thing, take it home for your wife and kids—they’ll love it."

The person who asked didn’t get angry upon hearing this; instead, they were pleased. Who wouldn’t want to spend an extra five cents to make their family happy?

The man quickly pulled out the money and bought a portion.

After the person left, Ye Changyuan asked, "Xiao Xiao, why can’t we sell them separately?"

Ye Xiaoxiao put the money away, "It’s mainly to make accounting easier, and also because running a business requires sticking to principles. We can’t start doing that. If someone buys separately, others might feel cheated, and that could cause trouble."

Ye Changyuan: "Xiao Xiao, you’re really clever."

Once business picked up, more and more people started buying melon seeds and popcorn. Watching movies and snacking even gave people a sense of pride.

Those without snacks felt left out when they saw others eating. When they heard it was only ten cents, it seemed like a steal.

Some kids threw tantrums for popcorn, and their parents had no choice but to buy some.

The little stall was soon swarmed with people, and the three of them were nearly overwhelmed.

Ye Changsheng handled the money, Ye Xiaoxiao folded boxes and kept an eye on the goods, while Ye Changyuan weighed and packed.

A sack of melon seeds was gone in no time, and the popcorn sold even quicker since it looked like a lot but wasn’t.

"We should’ve brought more."

Ye Changyuan regretted it immensely.

Ye Changsheng stayed quiet, but his eyes showed he felt the same.

No one expected to sell out so fast.

"It’s our first day—we’re still learning."

Ye Xiaoxiao stomped her numb feet, finally feeling the reward of hard work.

Ye Changyuan said with annoyance, "When’s the next time? Not for another ten days or two weeks."

"Nearby villages shouldn’t be too far—if they’re close enough, we can go."

Of course, a place as isolated as Baichuan Village is out of the question.

"Right! We could go to the county town. It’s just a two-hour walk from here." Ye Changyuan said excitedly, "And they show movies every couple of days—way more happening than here."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "..."

Two hours isn’t exactly close, but it’s a lot closer than Baichuan Village. This is the town, after all.

But she didn’t think selling in the county town was a good idea—city folks would expect something fancier.

They’d sold out before the movie was even halfway over.

Normally, Ye Changyuan would’ve been all about the movie, but now he just wanted to get home and count the cash.

"Let’s go back then, it’s quite cold outside."

Ye Xiaoxiao also wanted to see today’s earnings.

Back home, the three of them grabbed the family flashlight and turned it on.

Songlin Town had electricity, but it wasn't available to every household, like in Grandpa Miao's area, where none of the homes had installed electric lights yet.

So, it was pitch black at night, and you had to watch your step.

With the dim glow of the flashlight, the three of them could finally make out the money.

They took out the small bills and placed them on the heated bed. Ye Xiaoxiao counted the paper bills, while Ye Changsheng handled the five-cent coins.

In total, they had thirteen yuan and five jiao in paper bills and nine yuan and eight jiao in coins, adding up to twenty-three yuan and three jiao.

In this small town, that was nearly a month's wages for a factory worker.

And this... was just from their first day.

"We made a year's tuition in just one day..."

Ye Changyuan felt like he had opened the door to a new world.

Ye Xiaoxiao stashed the cash and laid it out for her brothers: "This is our seed money. At year's end, we'll divvy it up, alright?"

Changyuan: "No problem, Xiao Xiao. You're the boss."

Ye Changsheng's face was hard to read. He knew the family was struggling financially. Though their parents never brought it up openly, he'd caught bits of their hushed talks. When their little sister Yan Yan left, she cleaned out the family's savings—three hundred yuan.

At first, he'd been worried about Yan Yan leaving, but now he didn't care.

If she was chasing a better life, he wouldn't stop her. From now on, they'd be strangers.

Ye Changyuan: "We doing this again tomorrow?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "You bet we are."

"I'll head out and find out where the next movie's playing."

Ye Changyuan bolted out, all fired up.

Ye Changsheng eyed Ye Xiaoxiao. "What's the rush to make money?"

"Why else? We're broke. Who doesn't want a better life?"

Ye Xiaoxiao kept quiet about the family's string of bad luck. She had faith things would turn around.

Ye Changsheng didn't press her. He just quietly packed up and mapped out tomorrow's plan.

Ye Changyuan came back with Grandpa Miao, having learned the next movie would screen in nearby Daliushu Village. It was just a half-hour walk to the village's screening spot.

Ye Changyuan: "Let's stock up more tomorrow."

Ye Changsheng: "We don't have that many sunflower seeds at home."

"It seems you had a good business today. Sunflower seeds are something every household has. If you want more, ask around the neighborhood. It shouldn't be too expensive."

Grandpa Miao watched the children bustling about with a smile, looking quite serious, and offered some advice.

"Grandpa's right. I'll go ask tomorrow," Ye Xiaoxiao said with great enthusiasm. "Tomorrow, we'll roast the sunflower seeds we have at home first. Thanks for your hard work, Grandpa."

Miao Fengshan chuckled. "Seeing you kids so fired up, Grandpa's not tired one bit."