AgWorld Chapter 383 - 381: How Should Money Be Used?
Chapter 383 - 381: How Should Money Be Used?
Lin Lan left the post office and went to Liu Da’s house. She requested a bicycle and ordered a fourteen-inch television for accountant Jin.
Liu Da told her that the television and bicycle were in stock. He said she could head back and he’d have someone deliver them to the pastry shop.
After leaving Liu Da’s house, Lin Lan thought about the Eucalyptus Forest land sale and rode her bike to the East City Restaurant.
Lin Changyou was busy weighing star anise for a customer at the native produce store. Seeing her arrive, he smiled. "What brings you here today? Got some free time?"
"Dad, you finish up here. I’m going to the restaurant to talk to Mom."
Lin Lan locked her bicycle and entered the restaurant. Zhao Xiaohui told her that Wu Shufen and Zhang Xiuqing were in the backyard, drying mushrooms.
The Jin family’s village had sent over two shipments of sweet potato starch and one of potato starch. After the Dragon Boat Festival, they also sent some plums and mushrooms for Lin Changyou to sell on their behalf.
Captain Jin had given Lin Lan and Yao Xiuyun a lot of fresh mushrooms. They each took a small portion, and Lin Changyou bought the remaining high-quality ones—the termite mushrooms, the "big foot" mushrooms, and others—at market price to dry and sell in the store.
The plums from the Jin family’s village were crisp and sweet, and the two hundred-plus jin of them sold for a good price.
As soon as Wu Shufen saw her, she said cheerfully, "Little Lan, I bought some more mushrooms at the market today. If you like them, take some home."
Lin Lan took a look. The winnowing basket was filled with assorted wild mushrooms. She smiled and said, "I’ll take some of the mixed ones home later to cook with garlic."
Zhang Xiuqing glanced at her. "Didn’t you say the brigade was holding a meeting about the residential plots and the rapeseed harvest? What was the outcome?"
Lin Lan told them about having to pay a land use fee for any area exceeding the standard plot size. "The rapeseed harvest starts tomorrow. I paid to buy out my work points, so I don’t have to go."
Zhang Xiuqing sighed. "A full day of labor only earns you a little over one jiao. You can make that back easily just by running a stall. Anyone with any other option wouldn’t be willing to do that work. It’s as tiring as being an ox."
These past few months had been busy, but they held more hope than their time in Shilian.
After covering their monthly expenses and paying the salaries of the several people working in their shops, Wu Shufen and her husband deposited the remaining profits into the bank.
Zhao Xiaohui’s favorite saying was that opening a store was great. The moment the doors opened, money came in every day. It was like cash flowing into their pockets like water.
"Exactly. Even Sister Li bought out her work points," Lin Lan said, then looked at Wu Shufen. "Mom, do you and Dad have any spare cash on hand?"
"We do." Wu Shufen looked at her, her eyes full of smiles. "When I went to deposit the money, the young woman at the bank told me that a one-year fixed deposit has an interest rate of seven or eight percent, while a demand deposit is only three or four percent. So I put it in a fixed deposit. If you need it, I’ll go withdraw it for you."
Lin Lan smiled and shook her head. "It’s fine, I’m not the one who needs money. I heard from Sister He’s husband that they’re going to sell land over by the Eucalyptus Forest. When Xiangyang gets back, I’ll have him look into the details. You and Dad should take your money out and buy a plot to build a house."
Wu Shufen and Zhang Xiuqing both looked at Lin Lan. "Buy land and build a house in the Eucalyptus Forest? Is that really a good idea?"
Lin Lan nodded firmly. "Yes. As long as the commune is really selling that land, buying a plot to build a house is definitely the right move!"
Wu Shufen thought about the several tens of yuan they earned in interest each month and said hesitantly, "I’ll discuss it with your father."
Seeing her hesitant mother, Lin Lan was reminded of an elderly couple she had been friends with in her past life, despite their age difference.
The old couple had started their business early and made a lot of money, earning a small fortune by the late 1980s.
They built a small house in town for each of their three children and kept one for themselves.
At the time, the brigade was selling land plots for five thousand yuan per mu, and a storefront in town cost twenty to thirty thousand yuan. The old couple figured that since they already had houses, what was the point of buying so much land?
They thought buying a storefront to rent out wasn’t worth it, as the rental income would be lower than the bank interest.
They had two to three hundred thousand yuan left over. Unwilling to spend it on themselves, they deposited it all in a ten-year fixed account, thinking the monthly interest would be enough for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
’But what happened in the end? They were being far too optimistic, far too naive!’
When the ten years were up, the bank had lowered its interest rates. Their two to three hundred thousand yuan was still just two to three hundred thousand yuan.
Meanwhile, the people who had bought storefronts and land back then had seen their money multiply more than tenfold.
The old couple joked with her that it was a good thing they were from the countryside. Otherwise, the money they had saved wouldn’t even have been enough to buy a decent burial plot in the city!
Just then, Lin Changyou came over from the back door of the native produce store. "Little Lan, you were looking for me?"
"Dad..." Lin Lan explained the situation all over again.
After hearing her out, Lin Changyou said without a moment’s hesitation, "Wife, listen to Little Lan. Once Xiangyang gets the details, take the money out. We’re buying land with all of it."
With Lin Changyou having made the decision, Wu Shufen could only nod. "Alright. When Xiangyang confirms everything, I’ll go withdraw the money on the day it’s needed."
"Sounds good. I’ll let you know once he finds out." Lin Lan smiled. "The clothing store is going to be busy for the next couple of days, so I’ll be over there. If you need anything, just come find me."
"Go on, then!" Wu Shufen walked her to the door and whispered, "Don’t work yourself too hard. And try to get pregnant soon."
"Mom~" Lin Lan shot her an exasperated look.
’Now that the old lady isn’t nagging Third Brother to get married, she’s started nagging me to have a baby.’
Wu Shufen chuckled. "Alright, alright. You two just got married, so take your time. No rush, haha!"
Lin Lan waved. "I’m off."
The old couple watched her walk away. Lin Changyou said to Wu Shufen, "Xiangyang is so young, yet he’s already built such a large family fortune. We don’t have that kind of ability, so we should listen to those who do. Even if you have money, you have to learn how to use it."
He assumed Li Xiangyang had taught Lin Lan everything about buying shops and opening stores and that she had only changed after meeting him.
He believed that if you learn from capable people, you become more capable, and if you learn from incapable people, you become more incapable.
Wu Shufen gave him a reproachful look. "I know Little Lan means well, and I didn’t mean anything by it. I just can’t bear to part with the few dozen yuan of interest we get each month."
Lin Changyou shot her a look. "What’s the use of that interest? Have you done the math? The money we used to buy these three storefronts would only get you one of them today, and you’d be lucky to find anyone selling."
Zhang Xiuqing nodded. "Dad’s right. We should just listen to Little Lan."
Wu Shufen laughed and gave Lin Changyou a light slap. "You old coot. I never said I wouldn’t withdraw it. Stop nagging. Now hurry up and go watch the store."
Lin Changyou took his pipe, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked off.
Wu Shufen chuckled and shook her head. "And he says *I’m* the one who spoils Little Lan. To him, whatever that girl says is an imperial edict. I’m not even allowed a moment of hesitation."
Zhao Xiaohui laughed. "Don’t just talk about Dad. You’re the same way."
As they were talking, four or five young men swaggered in. They wore bell-bottoms and had long, shoulder-length hair.
One of them, a young man with a full head of curly hair, said, "Boss, bring out seven or eight of your best dishes. And a jin of goji berry wine."
Zhao Xiaohui approached with a menu and said with a polite smile, "Little brothers, today’s specials include preserved pork stir-fried with porcini, vegetarian stir-fried termite mushrooms, and also..."
The curly-haired man shot Zhao Xiaohui a sidelong glance. "So noisy. I told you to just pick seven or eight of the best dishes. Now hurry up and get them made."
Zhao Xiaohui forced a smile. "Alright, I’ll go arrange that for you right away."
The curly-haired man waved his hand impatiently. "Go, go, go. Just bring out the good stuff. Us brothers have plenty of money."