Stepmother Reborn: Dad, my mom hasn't hit me for three days

After Zhang Xiuhua and Jidong paid the bill and came out, Youcai curiously asked how much the previous table cost.

Jidong didn't hide it from him, "Twenty-six."

Several children stared with their eyes wide open, "So expensive?! It's a steal!"

Youcai thought that this kind of hidden alley would be very cheap, but it turned out to be a mistake.

"Private alleys are expensive because they buy their food from the black market. State-owned restaurants are cheaper because they require food stamps. By the way, Quanjude roast duck is only eight yuan." Jidong told them not to complain about the high price, "You get what you pay for. You can see how deep the alley is and how many customers come here, so you know the food is not expensive."

Youcai touched his chin and said, "It would be great if I could open a restaurant. A meal costs twenty-six yuan, and the daily turnover is at least four or five hundred yuan. If the gross profit is 50%, it is two hundred yuan, which means six thousand yuan a month."

Jidong sneered, "You think too much. No one comes to check this place, and someone has to support it from behind. 50% gross profit? You're dreaming, 20% is good enough. The majority of the profits go to others."

Only then did I understand. It was the same as the restaurants in their school.

Zhang Xiuhua asked Jidong, "Is there anyone checking your store?"

At that time, the management was chaotic, especially in many places that had not yet been reformed and opened up, and business was done in secret. If you open a store openly, you need a backer. Does Jidong have a backer?

Jidong nodded, "Yes, the partner I hired is very influential. He is also in charge of the canteen, and I only provide ideas and store layout."

Zhang Xiuhua breathed a sigh of relief, as long as it didn't affect her studies.

Back at the guest house, they had a good sleep. The next day, everyone got up late.

The state-owned restaurant was out of food, so they had to go to a private restaurant and have breakfast.

Then the family went to visit the Forbidden City. It took five hours to visit the whole Forbidden City. We had lunch at the Forbidden City.

After dinner, they continued climbing the Great Wall. Halfway through, they were already exhausted, but because of the saying "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man", they had no choice but to continue climbing.

After finally reaching the Great Wall and appreciating the natural scenery, we turned back.

When going downhill, everyone's legs and feet began to become uncontrollable.

Zhuzhu's legs began to cramp. She had never walked such a long distance in her life, but in order to avoid paying five dollars, she could only grit her teeth and bear it. But sometimes she couldn't bear it just because she wanted to. As she was walking, she fell down.

Zhuzhu was in so much pain that tears fell from her eyes. Zhang Xiuhua helped her up and asked Jidong if there was anywhere to eat nearby so that they could rest and eat before leaving.

Jidong carried Zhuzhu on his back and walked for another ten minutes before arriving.

Zhuzhu is already eight years old and her face is still chubby. Jidong was so tired that sweat broke out on his forehead after carrying her for only a short while.

Seeing this, Youcai immediately took it over and said, "Let me do it."

Even though his legs hurt, he should still pamper his own sister a little.

I found a restaurant nearby, this time it was not a private one but a state-owned one.

After ordering six dishes, they sat down and massaged their legs.

Jidong was a little embarrassed, "We are too rushed. It would be better if we went shopping separately."

"It's okay! We'll just sit there when we get on the train." Zhang Xiuhua asked them to hold on.

Youcai asked Jidong, "What are the fun places in Shanghai?"

Jidong said without thinking, "The Bund, Shanghai Zoo and Sheshan. I have a classmate from Shanghai. I asked him for a guide and will take you to eat the delicious food then."

He knew what Youcai cared about the most. When he heard about the delicious food, Youcai was so happy that his teeth came out and he nodded like crazy, "Okay!"

I don’t know if the meal last night was particularly delicious or if the chef in this restaurant is not good, but the meal was not delicious anyway.

However, in order to hurry on their journey, they still finished all the food.

After returning to the guesthouse and carrying their luggage, they headed straight to the train station. The time was very tight.

After getting on the train, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. Zhuzhu was so tired that she fell asleep.

The others were also exhausted and leaned against each other to sleep with their eyes closed.

Zhang Xiuhua was not sleepy yet, so she chatted with Jidong.

Jidong talks about how he and his classmates opened a convenience store.

In fact, you can open a convenience store in the capital, but you cannot hire more than five employees, otherwise you will be considered a capitalist and exploiting poor people.

Although it is called a small shop, the things they sell are really miscellaneous.

There are vegetables, fruits, various seasonings, and various daily necessities.

Jidong and his classmates spent a lot of time looking for these sources of goods.

The vegetables are sent to the city by old farmers in the countryside. He has long-term cooperation with them and pays them when the money is due.

The seasonings were specifically ordered from the factory. In order to expand production, the soy sauce and vinegar factory also began to accept private orders. Although they were only small batches, they could still make a profit.

A classmate from Sichuan Province came to our class to help collect the spices during the holidays, and then sent them over by train.

Various daily necessities are simple. Some are collected from the countryside, and some are obtained in cooperation with factories.

Jidong also told Zhang Xiuhua, "Some factories can no longer afford to pay wages. They can't sell their products, so we come to them to help them clear their inventory."

Zhang Xiuhua sighed, this is just the beginning. More and more factories will be affected in the future.

Zhang Xiuhua told Jidong to buy a shop when he made money. "If you don't have enough money, you can take out a loan. If the landlord raises the rent, the foundation you have laid will be gone."

Jidong doesn’t run the store alone, so he can’t make the decision on his own. “I’ll discuss it with him.”

"Row!"

Jidong smiled and said, "Aunt, I made some money, not much, so I'll buy a refrigerator for our family. Then we don't have to worry about food going bad in the future."

Zhang Xiuhua laughed, "The temperature in the Northeast is not high. Even in the hottest summer, the temperature is not high at night, so the food will not spoil that quickly. Forget about the refrigerator. Save some money so you can buy a shop later."

Seeing that she didn't want a refrigerator, Jidong thought for a moment and said, "Then buy a washing machine. You won't have to wash by hand anymore."

Zhang Xiuhua smiled and said, "You don't have to buy it! I have plenty of money. Auntie didn't raise you for anything in return. You are still young, and you will have many places to spend money in the future. You should keep it for yourself. I will come to you when I need money in the future."

Jidong felt warm inside, and seeing that his aunt didn't want it, he let it go, "Okay then."

They chatted all the way.

When we arrived in Shanghai the next morning, the children were already awake. Everyone was in high spirits, staring outside intently.

The Northeast is sparsely populated, almost entirely fields. It's different going south, with many villages and factories on both sides. The house types are different from those in the Northeast. The children have never seen these before, so they are inevitably curious.

After leaving the train station, Zhang Xiuhua first took them to the guesthouse and then asked the clerk about the situation.

To be honest, she didn't quite understand what was being said here. Fortunately, a clerk could speak Mandarin and helped her find the way.

Zhang Xiuhua thanked him and took the child to the room. She changed into a dark blue dress with patches on it. Jilin did the same.

Youcai looked at her attire and asked, "Are you still pretending to be poor?"

"If I were rich, no one would sympathize with us, so I have to pretend to be poor and can't survive." Zhang Xiuhua also took out cosmetics from her bag and painted her skin darker. Jilin... He doesn't need to paint, he is dark.

Jidong was a little worried, "Aunt, let's go after we eat. What if they don't give us food?"

Zhang Xiuhua glanced at her watch. It was half past eleven. It was almost time for lunch. She shook her head, "No need. I'm afraid he's at work today. He will definitely be home at lunch time."

Having said that, she handed the luggage to Jidong and took Jilin out of the guesthouse.