Going north: A winner in life starting from a kid
Chapter 11 - Ma Siyi's Envy and the Proposal to Change Boats

Chapter 11 Ma Siyi’s Envy and the Proposal to Change Boats

Shouts!

Footsteps!

Calls!

…

The whole courtyard became lively. This was probably the home of the boat people. Every time the head of the household returned from a boat trip, the whole family, young and old, gathered to welcome them.

“Dad…”

Xie Wanghe ran towards Xie Tiancheng.

“Dad…”

Dahuazi also ran towards Xiao Lao Er. They hugged tightly, spinning in the air, then walked over under their armpit. This was the sense of security from a father.

You can praise them, you can complain about them, but you can’t do without them.

Unfortunately, Bai Zimo didn’t have that. Ma Siyi didn’t either. Bai Zimo had long been used to this kind of scene. Since that autumn when his father didn’t return from the boat trip—he lost the right to wait because no one made him wait. He just watched, cried, and laughed!

As he grew older, he learned to get used to it. Dad wouldn’t come back, and Mom wouldn’t either. Ma Siyi was the same. Her father passed away from illness, and her mother remarried and left. But she was a little more fragile than Bai Zimo. She still couldn’t accept this reality. She was still waiting for her mother’s return!

Waiting for a hug and warmth.

Ma Siyi looked at this scene with longing, someone who had never seen her father, watching a father and child playing games—her empathy was strong. Bai Zimo extended his right hand, and Ma Siyi looked at him in confusion.

“When there’s no father’s warmth, we must become our own little sun!”

Bai Zimo knew that her expectations would ultimately be disappointed. The more hope you give yourself, the more disappointment you’ll feel in the end. Ma Siyi showed a faint smile. She placed her hand on Bai Zimo’s hand.

At that moment, she seemed to have found a sense of security again, thus showing a knowing smile.

_____

Today, the families of the boatmen, as per tradition, gathered to eat together. Of course, they were also waiting for the boat captain’s news!

Bai Zimo sat at the children’s table. Everyone was eating happily.

“While everyone’s here, let me report on the boat trip we just did!”

The boat captain, Xie Tiancheng, brought good news.

“This time, the trip my brother and I ran on earned… twenty-four thousand.”

The scene erupted in joy. Twenty-four thousand in the year 2000 was a significant amount, everyone was happy about the earnings.

“As per the old rule, we’ll keep half of the money, and the other half will be divided according to each family’s share. Is that okay?”

The happy moment hadn’t ended yet!

But the time of concern was about to come. While dividing the money, Xie Tiancheng proposed the idea of changing boats. Changing boats was an essential part of the livelihood of the boatmen.

Over the years, with the changes in society, boatmen had been upgrading their boats. Changing boats was a joy, a joy of the boatmen, a joy for men.

“I think our 500-ton boat just doesn’t have enough capacity. Look at those with 1,000-ton boats, they can make one trip while we have to make two, and the fuel costs aren’t much different!”

Xiao Lao Er added, “The key is that it wastes time.”

“So, I think now is the perfect time to change boats.”

He thought… but only he thought that!

Xie Tiancheng had the guts to bet on it! He wanted to take a gamble. But that didn’t mean everyone agreed.

“This is what I’m thinking. Let’s sell the 500-ton boat and use an extra three hundred thousand to buy a 1,000-ton boat. Our shared account already has two hundred thousand, so we still need another hundred thousand.”

“One hundred thousand is no small amount!” Shao Bingyi voiced his concern.

Liu Yuling secretly poked him under the table.

“Why are you poking me? Do you have one hundred thousand?”

Liu Yuling: “…”

Guess why I poked you?

_____

Seeing this, Xie Tiancheng quickly smoothed things over!

“Of course, I know a hundred thousand is a lot. But I roughly calculated, once we get the 1,000-ton boat, if we work hard for two years, we should be able to break even, and the rest will be…”

“Pure profit.”

Xiao Lao Er played the role of a sidekick today!

“Listen to that, pure profit, haha!”

The scene fell silent, only the clinking of bowls and chopsticks could be heard.

“Hey, Zimo, do you think we should change the boat?”

Dahuazi nudged Bai Zimo.

“Can we decide on this?”

“Then what about your family?”

“My family might follow yours.”

Bai Zimo glanced at the adults’ table.

“Steamed? I knew you’d agree with me!”

“Fried? Hurry up and eat.”

Zhou Yanlin hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Captain, we should discuss this matter. The Beijing-Shanghai Expressway will be fully operational by the end of the year. I’m a bit worried, worried that the shipping along the canal will be affected. So this issue should be handled carefully.”

“About that, I really researched it. Buildings over 20 stories have been booked until 2008. I know that on the expressway, the speed is fast, but it’s costly. If we just focus on the Honghuai line, we’ll still be able to make a good living, right?”

Xiao Lao Er quickly agreed.

“Exactly, the orders from the Jiangnan Shipyard have already been booked until the year after next.”

“But I…”

Zhou Yanlin didn’t finish before being interrupted by the elder Zhou.

“Enough, if you don’t want to do it, then withdraw your shares. I’ll make up the difference.”

“Look at what you’re saying, I never said I wanted to withdraw my shares!”

The elder stood up and was about to leave!

“I’m telling you, this canal has supported us common folk, we can’t forget our roots.”