Chapter 1578 - 1567: Honest Fool

Chapter 1578: Chapter 1567: Honest Fool

The visit from the Niu Family that day indeed affected Niu Xue Mei, and from then on, she worked even harder, as if determined to achieve something and not be looked down upon by others.

However, Ye Qiu knew that in this era, no matter how wealthy you are, without a son, you would still be despised. You may not mind it yourself, but the looks and gossip from others constantly intrude into your sight and hearing.

The best way to change this situation is to have another son, but Ye Qiu didn’t want to do that. He insisted on making others look at his family differently through other means.

Who says a family without a son cannot succeed? Who says not having a son means being destined to be looked down upon? Who says without a son, there’s no one to care for the elders, and the family estate would ultimately belong to someone else?

He is determined to strive, determined to educate his daughter to be excellent, even if he has to find the best husband for her, and show those who doubt him that he can live much better than those with sons!

After about half a month, Ye Qiu went to the county, ready to tell Ye Xia about his plan to do business at the dock. Who would have thought he’d run into Ye Chun.

This is Ye Chun’s third visit; he came to ask Ye Xia to supply him with cheap goods like Jia Zhihe did in the past so he could become a peddler. But Ye Xia and Jia Zhi didn’t see much in him, and rejected him twice before. Who knew, prideful Ye Chun would be so persistent, coming for the third time, even claiming that Ye Xia and Jia Zhi were afraid his business would grow and threaten theirs, so they dared not let him trade, saying they had no sense of family, willing to help outsiders instead of relatives.

So what could Ye Xia and Jia Zhi do now? Since he had said so and wasn’t afraid of risks, they could only let him try.

The business of being a peddler seems simple; to outsiders, it just involves carrying goods and roaming streets, alleys, and villages. But actually, it’s not easy. First, to be a peddler, you must have plenty of goods; carrying them from village to village isn’t an easy task, and the sales are poorly near the county. The farther into the countryside, the better the business may be; after all, closer to the county, people know more variety is available, right?

Actually, going to remote areas carries risks; who knows if you might be robbed halfway?

Moreover, being a peddler requires not only bearing hardships but also being persuasive; you need to convince thrifty women to buy your goods, otherwise, you’d walk all those miles for nothing.

Ye Chun and Wang Hong only saw Jia Zhihe, after just a few years as a peddler, buy a shop in town, yet they didn’t know how hard and careful he was, having to smile even to sell the simplest hair tie. Can Ye Chun bear the humility to do the same?

Ye Chun has been pampered at home, barely doing farm work; with farming, at least you get some rest, but being a peddler allows no breaks because you need to keep moving for business; if stopped, maybe another peddler takes the village’s trade.

The first two times, Ye Xia and Jia Zhi worried Ye Chun couldn’t bear the hardships, ultimately blaming them for not providing the cheapest prices or teaching business skills. But after the third plea, they had no choice but to agree, with a condition: if Ye Chun couldn’t continue, he shouldn’t blame others.

Ye Chun, immersed in dreams of quick wealth, readily agreed, while the Jia Family just shook their heads.

After finally sending him off, Ye Qiu came saying he wanted to do business too; Jia Zhihe’s face almost fell, and even Ye Xia’s heart was anxious.

"Third brother, you also want to be a peddler like the first brother?"

"No." Ye Qiu shook his head, and Ye Xia breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing they didn’t understand, he continued to explain: "Since we sold the family land and have nothing to farm, I consulted with Xue Mei on doing some different business. She worries my health may not suit labor, and we lack experience for other trades, so we decided on something simple and practical—to sell cooked food by the dock, hoping it doesn’t lose money."

Jia Zhihe pondered for a moment, then nodded amidst Ye Xia’s incredulous gaze: "That’s a good idea."

Ye Xia nudged him: "Why join the folly? Those working at the dock come from poor families; who would spend money to eat outside?"

"Not necessarily." Jia Zhihe shook his head, "From what I know, many laborers there are bachelors; those with families may be thrifty, but some occasionally indulge in good food. Third brother, what have you decided to make?"

"Decided, I’ll make pancakes. This morning I made two and brought them for you to taste, to see if this business is viable."

As soon as he took them out, Ye Xia smelled a mouthwatering aroma: "How fragrant! I even smell meat?"

"Indeed, there’s meat in them. Try it yourselves."

Ye Xia saw the large pancake, thick with vegetables inside, and took a big bite, unable to stop: "Truly delicious, and indeed meat, but seems not what we usually eat. Third brother, what’s in it?"

"Pig offal," Ye Qiu said truthfully.

This left Ye Xia even more surprised; she had eaten pig offal before, but it always had a peculiar taste, nothing like this deliciousness!

"I learned the method from the barbarians while working abroad. Second sister, do you think this will be popular if sold outside?"

"Absolutely." Jia Zhihe ate and gave a thumbs-up, "Third brother, didn’t expect you and your wife to have such skill. Listen to me; pursue this business, surely, it’ll make money."

"With second brother-in-law’s words, I’m relieved. Besides showing my intended business, I wanted to ask if there’s any protocol at the dock for setting up; like paying protection fees or something?"

"No need for protection fees, but you should report it to the county government first. Although no protection fees are required, there’s a fee for the stall, so if trouble arises, you can seek justice at the county government."

Ye Qiu smiled gently upon hearing that: "That’s only right. I’d appreciate second brother-in-law accompanying me for that trip."

For such a small request, Jia Zhihe was accommodating, immediately agreeing, and saying he would introduce friends once the business is opened.

Receiving a satisfactory response, Ye Qiu returned home, preparing for the business. After seeing him off, Jia Zhihe and his wife Ye Chun talked: "Used to think among your brothers, third brother was the simplest and naïve one, yet he proves to be the most reliable."

Ye Chun was also emotional: "When we were young, only third brother would help me while our status in the family was lowest. In the future, when capable, we should support him more."

"Indeed, you wait; I guarantee third brother will be the one doing best among your siblings."

"But he still has no son."

"Yet I see since the family separated, he seems to have direction. Don’t fret; as long as third brother makes money, why worry about good days ahead?"

Ye Chun chuckled: "True, just hope third brother won’t make foolish mistakes in the future; as for big brother and Fourth, no amount of money fed to them fills them."