Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire
Chapter 381 - Chapter 381 Chapter 370 Border Trade

Chapter 381: Chapter 370: Border Trade Chapter 381: Chapter 370: Border Trade Lu Jiaxin had never interacted with her two female cousins from the second branch but knew that they were hardworking, capable women who could do any chore at home and were equally competent in their marital homes. As for their personalities, she was not clear. As for Lu Jiachai and Lu Jiajie, they had always been under the supervision of Big Uncle Lu; if they did anything wrong, they would be punished.

Because Big Uncle Lu was the leader of the village, what he said was absolute. Second Uncle Lu and Second Aunt didn’t dare to oppose him, and even agreed that the discipline was good.

With some sympathy, Lu Jiaxin said, “Anyway, you’re settled in the Forty-nine City, so you’ll have fewer chances to see them.”

Lu Jiajie also declared that he would not bother anymore, feeling utterly disheartened. This was his brother-in-law, not his nephew–how could he manage that?

Wiping his face, Lu Jiajie said, “My mom even said she’d come to help with the kids, but I dare not let them look after them.”

It wasn’t just others–he disliked them himself. Not only were they insatiably greedy, but they also had filthy mouths, always blaming others when something went wrong, never considering they might be at fault.

Lu Jiaxin said, “You don’t have to be downhearted. Among siblings, it’s normal to help each other out with difficulties, but there’s no use trying to support a collapsing wall.”

Lu Jiajie nodded and said, “I’ve told them too, don’t come to me for any family matters; I won’t get involved anymore. I’ve discussed it with my older brother–we’ve agreed that I’ll pay for their medical expenses if they fall ill and provide living expenses if they can’t work, while he and his wife will take care of them.”

Anyway, he wouldn’t be going back there in the future; he was truly hurt. It was through this personal experience that he finally understood that the matter with Jiaxin had been handled poorly in the past.

“It’s good that you’ve come to understand,” said Lu Jiaxin.

Fortunately, the two brothers were raised under Big Uncle Lu’s strict supervision, and neither had gone astray.

Lu Jiajie had another reason for accompanying Jiaxin this time, as he wanted to get her opinion on something: “At the beginning of the year, a friend told me that they lack everything up north in Old Maozi’s territory and that it’s easy to make money there. He invited me to join in. I’m unfamiliar with that place, so I declined. Jiaxin, you’re experienced and knowledgeable–is doing business there really profitable?”

Lu Jiaxin kept a constant eye on international affairs and was aware of the situation in Old Maozi’s territory: “Right now, they lack everything, and you could definitely make a profit if you manage to sell domestic products there. The problem is that both countries currently control foreign exchange, and there’s no unified banking system for trade settlements. If you’re trading goods, it can only be done through bartering. You have two options for the goods you obtain: either sell them locally or haul them back here.”

“Hauling goods there and then bringing back the goods from Old Maozi, with the round trip filled with all kinds of risks, makes the money earned as good as blood money.”

“For those who are at their wit’s end and seeking a way out, it’s normal. You can make over a hundred thousand a year now and even more in the future. There’s no need to risk your life.”

“Qiangqiang and Xiao Fengfeng’s mom might as well not exist; if something were to happen to you, what would become of them? If the two kids end up orphans, everyone would be able to bully them.”

Lu Jiajie was tempted by the conversation at the time, but considering that doing business in a foreign land would cut him off from his family and make it impossible to look after his children, he weighed his options and eventually gave up, although he still felt some regret in his heart.

After listening to Jiaxin’s words, Lu Jiajie lost any lingering thoughts: “Jiaxin, you’re really well-informed.”

Lu Jiaxin said, “Doing business in Hong Kong means time is money. Trade with the north is just starting and will gradually scale up in the future. When you have capital, you can’t take risks, but there are people willing to take risks who don’t have the capital. Of course, it all depends on your judgment–if the other party makes money, they might kick you out in a heartbeat.”

Lu Jiajie felt fortunate that he had thickened his skin and followed her back. Otherwise, he would still be vacillating on his own. Although his sister was younger, she knew a lot indeed.

Lu Jiaxin asked, “Are Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng adapting well to staying with Big Brother and Sister-in-law?”

Lu Jiajie indicated that the two children liked staying with Lu Jiaguang. Following Lu Jiaxin’s suggestion, he hired a female teacher to tutor the children. Aunt Song’s workload had increased but her salary was up by fifty percent, and Lu Jiaguang’s family treated her with respect, making her job enjoyable. Meanwhile, Wang Xiaojie took over looking after the children, which relieved her of much of the household chores and made her life much easier.

“She didn’t come looking for the child, did she?”

When Lu Jiajie heard this, a mocking expression appeared on his face, “She’s pregnant, and I heard she pulled strings to get an ultrasound that confirmed it’s a boy. She’s all focused on the baby in her womb, hardly remembering Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng.”

“It’s good that she’s having another son, that way she can keep her savings and the house, so she won’t need to ask Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng for money when she’s old.”

Lu Jiaxin nodded, then yawned and said, “I heard from the Second Sister-in-law that Qiangqiang and Xiao Fengfeng are becoming more and more sensible.”

Lu Jiajie said with a smile, “The two kids have indeed become much more sensible. Jiaxin, if you’re tired, go to sleep. It’s not early anymore; I should also take the kids back.”

Lu Jiaxin really was feeling sleepy, “The backyard is bigger, let them play a bit longer if they like it.”

“Alright.”

Aunt Mei arrived after the nap. In total, there were six people; they stood there like a row of green pines.

Lu Jiaxin said, “Start with self-introductions.”

Gu Wenfeng stood by the side and chimed in, “Just say where your hometown is, how old you were when you joined the army, your branch of the military, how many years you’ve served, and why you retired.” “Oh, and whether you are married or not?”

The six individuals followed his instructions, introducing themselves one by one.

After listening, Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, “We provide room and board, with a monthly salary of three hundred yuan, and a bonus at the end of the year if you work well, plus three sets of work clothes each quarter. Do these terms sound good to you?”

For the six individuals, of course, there was no issue; that salary was considered high in the Forty-nine City, not to mention the room and board and three sets of clothes every quarter.

The oldest among them was named Jing Ziyang, and he took the initiative to ask, “Boss, may I know what our exact duties will be?”

Lu Jiaxin responded, “Your job is to protect my Aunt and this estate. Oh, my Aunt suffers from dementia, so pay extra attention when accompanying someone who goes out with her.”

Having said that, she designated Xing Ziyang as the leader of the six, “I’ll be leaving tomorrow, I’m entrusting everything here to you. If something comes up, call me, and you can get my number from Aunt Mei later; she’s the housekeeper of this estate.”

Then, Lu Jiaxin called Aunt Mei over and introduced Xing Ziyang and the others to her, “If my Aunt wants to go out, at least two people should accompany her. If you need to go out, you should also have someone with you. The security in the Forty-nine City is not bad, but there are still quite a few bad people around.”

Aunt Mei said with a headache, “Miss Cousin, I can’t understand what they’re saying.”

Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, “Don’t worry, the assistant I hired for you will be here soon.”

After finishing, she looked at Xing Ziyang and the others, “If you want to learn Cantonese, you’ll be able to learn from her when she arrives. If you learn it well, my Aunt may return to Hong Kong, and if you’re willing, you can go with her.”

Xing Ziyang had been worried about losing his job when the old lady returned to Hong Kong, but his eyes lit up at these words, “Don’t worry, boss, we’ll definitely learn well.”