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Chapter 2975 An Unexpected Path to Making Money!

Qiao Sanli had originally planned to go back to the main room with Wang Yue, but after hearing this, she immediately said...
"Dad, I want to eat here too. I want to see that ceramic mom!"

Wang Yue could see that the two children's attitude was firm but also somewhat panicked, clearly afraid of making him angry.

Wang Yue felt a little sorry for them, so he said seriously, "If you behave and come out to eat, I'll cook one for each of you later so you can take it with you."

When Wang Yue said each person would receive one, he wasn't referring to the kind with ashes, but rather a simple porcelain doll.

However, thanks to the skills Wang Yue learned from Cheng Jianjun, he can make porcelain so lifelike that it looks almost like a real person.

Of course, what Wang Yue meant by "like a real person" was that the image would be cute and cartoonish, making it more suitable for children to take out.

Sure enough, Qiao Yicheng and Qiao Sanli's attention was diverted. They looked at Wang Yue with eager eyes almost simultaneously and asked in unison,

"Dad, are you serious?"

"Do you keep your word?"

When Wang Yue met the distrustful looks in the two children's eyes, he couldn't help but feel a little heartbroken!

However, thinking that this was all caused by Qiao Zuwang, Wang Yue suddenly calmed down and even felt some sympathy for the two children.

Wang Yue softened his voice, trying not to frighten the two children.
"Don't worry, after we finish eating and take your mother to the cemetery, bring your brother along, and we'll cook together."

Having received Wang Yue's affirmative answer, the two children, though still somewhat skeptical, did not persist and followed Wang Yue with the food to the main room.

At this moment, Qiao Erqiang, the second brother, also got up. Qiao Yicheng asked him to wash his hands and face, and Qiao Sanli also woke up Qiao Sixi.

As the children all got up, the house became lively.

After the meal, Wang Yue didn't even need to wash the dishes. Qiao Yicheng had already taken the initiative to clean the house with Qiao Erqiang and Qiao Sanli, and then they all rushed to the kitchen.

Qiao Yicheng's hands were trembling as he tried to touch the ceramic piece that resembled his mother, but he was still hesitant and could only look anxiously at Wang Yue.

But thinking about his father's behavior over the years, Qiao Yicheng still couldn't bring himself to call him "Dad."

Qiao Sanli didn't have so many concerns; she immediately shouted excitedly to Wang Yue.
"Dad, can we take it now?"

"What should I take?"

Wei Shufen had just rushed over from home when she heard Qiao Sanli calling out as soon as she entered the courtyard, and she couldn't help but ask her what was wrong.

Although Qiao Simei was a bit short, her short legs made her run incredibly fast. She rushed up to Wei Shufen, grabbed Wei Shufen's hand, and said...

"Second Aunt, my dad made a porcelain doll that looks just like my mom."

She was still young, and with her older brothers and sisters taking care of her, she didn't experience that heart-wrenching feeling at all.

But Qiao Yicheng, Qiao Erqiang, and Qiao Sanli all wiped away their tears, finally snapping out of their reverie at the allure of the porcelain.

No matter how exquisite the porcelain is, it can't compare to a mother!
Following Qiao Simei's direction, Wei Shufen quickly arrived at the kitchen and saw her three nephews looking dejected. Just as she was about to offer a few words of comfort, she noticed the porcelain placed inside the stove!
The porcelain piece was unusually small, with half of its body protruding from the stove, but looking at its delicate face, wasn't it Wei Shuying's?

As an adult, Wei Shufen was startled when she saw the ceramic figure.

This ceramic piece looks so much like Wei Shuying!

"Ah~!"

Fortunately, it was daytime. If it were nighttime, Wei Shufen would probably be terrified. She only screamed once and then quickly returned to normal.

Wei Shufen took a deep breath, her finger trembling as she pointed at the ceramic figure and asked,
"Ichisei, who did this?"

Qiao Simei, Qiao Sanli, and Qiao Erqiang saw that their second aunt was frightened. Although they were a little confused, they were afraid of causing trouble and dared not make a sound.

Qiao Yicheng, however, was bolder. He had already heard Wang Yue's permission when Qiao Simei pulled Wei Shufen away, so he solemnly picked up the ceramic statue, as if to solemnly declare that his mother was not scary at all.

Wei Shufen stood there dumbfounded as Qiao Yicheng carried the ceramic statue into the courtyard, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Just then, Aunt Wu, the kind-hearted and nosy neighbor, heard that Wei Shufen had arrived in Jinghu and immediately put down her bowl and rushed over.

"Ah~!"

What she found was astonishing. When Aunt Wu rushed into the yard, she saw the ceramic statue that Qiao Yicheng was holding, and she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Gossip is bound to happen in alleyways, especially when two women exclaim in surprise in the courtyard of a man who has just lost his wife. This only fueled the curiosity of the people in the alley.

As a result, even more people came to the Qiao family, and they were all stunned by the ceramic version of Wei Shuying!

Now that Qiao Yicheng had carried the ceramic statue to the courtyard, it no longer looked so eerie under the sun and actually looked much better. Since it wasn't yet working hours, the crowd of onlookers naturally grew larger and larger, and everyone couldn't help but gossip.

"This ceramic statue really looks like Wei Shuying!"

"Yeah, where did this come from?"

"It probably won't be cheap to make."

"Old Joe really knows how to spend money!"

"I never expected that Old Joe, who usually seems unreliable, would actually be willing to invest heavily when it matters!"

"Yes, time will tell!"

As more and more people gathered in the courtyard, and the gossip grew increasingly exaggerated, someone finally couldn't help but ask a question.
"Yicheng, where did your mother get this ceramic statue? It looks more exquisite than the Guanyin statue in the temple."

Qiao Yicheng remained completely silent, holding onto Wei Shuying's ceramic statue tightly without letting go. In his heart, his mother was even more beautiful than Guanyin.

The other three children followed their older brother, watching their surroundings warily, worried that the ceramic statue would be stolen.

Seeing the shock on everyone's faces, and worried that word might get back to those with ulterior motives who would snatch the ceramic piece, Wang Yue could only feign helplessness and say...

"Shuying is unlucky; she just happened to be here when cremation is being implemented!"
"I was thinking that since she's gone, there's not even a body left, so I used her ashes to make a ceramic statue, which I'll bury in the cemetery later."

After hearing Wang Yue's explanation, everyone couldn't help but gape in astonishment!
Such a beautiful and exquisite ceramic statue was actually made by Wang Yue, a lazy and gambling person?

This is incredible.

As a result, the onlookers were all preoccupied with their own thoughts, and no one knew what they were thinking.

Wang Yue noticed the expressions on everyone's faces and suddenly wondered if he had just found another way to make money.
Thinking about this possibility, Wang Yue felt that it was not bad at all. At least while making money, this could be considered a good deed.

Moreover, only after these ceramic statues appeared in large quantities would tomb raiders stop targeting Wei Shuying's ceramic statue.

Wang Yue suppressed this thought and, together with his four children and Wei Shufen, went to the cemetery.

Qiao Yicheng and the other three children held onto Wei Shuying's ceramic piece with reluctance, until Wang Yue promised to make another one for them as soon as they got back, and only then did they agree.

Children never have that much patience. The funeral had just been finished, and all four children were urging to go back and make ceramic statues.

Wang Yue was still thinking about the child in the hospital, but he immediately realized that the original Qiao Zuwang didn't have that much money. So he pretended to have forgotten about the child, took the four children back, and started making ceramic statues with the remaining clay.

This time it was made for four children, so the size would be much smaller. Although Wang Yue didn't have much clay left, it was still enough.

Moreover, its small size and short burning time meant that each of the four children could hold a ceramic doll while sleeping.

These ceramic dolls look quite cartoonish, and even the youngest one, Qiao Simei, is held tightly in her arms.

After finally getting the four children to sleep, Wang Yue went to the main room, waiting for someone to come to him.

The result was much faster than Wang Yue had expected; it was only ten o'clock when a voice called out softly.
"Old Joe! Are you asleep?"

Wang Yue had been waiting for someone to come to his door. He put on a coat and went out of the main room. Seeing a figure in the darkness at the door, he couldn't help but ask.
"Old Xu, what brings you here?"

Old Xu looked around to make sure no one was there, then carried a large package into the house and said in a low voice.
“My mother saw the ceramic statue you made for Shuying and wants me to make one for my father too. Could you do me a favor?”

As Old Xu finished speaking, he noticed through the dim kerosene lamp that Wang Yue was completely unwilling, and he quickly whispered,
"Old Wang, I won't let you work for nothing. One hundred yuan, I definitely won't let you work for nothing."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yue couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that by relying on Cheng Jianjun, he would discover such a lucrative industry.

Keep in mind that the minimum living standard at that time was 12 yuan, and 100 yuan could feed a family for more than half a year.

Compared to the later minimum living standard of over a thousand, it was equivalent to buying a ceramic statue for over ten thousand.

This amount of money is affordable for most families in the city.

Wang Yue thought for a moment and then bargained, saying, "Okay, but I need you to give me some more industrial invoices! If you're willing, I'll do it; if not, forget it."

Wang Yue was planning to buy some baby formula for his child, but that required industrial ration coupons, and Wang Yue simply didn't have that many.

When Lao Xu heard that Wang Yue didn't necessarily want the tickets for those rare bicycles or televisions, he agreed without hesitation.

He pulled a wad of cash from his pocket, stuffed it directly into Wang Yue's hand, and said,

"Okay, this package contains ashes and a photo of my dad. I'll come pick it up from you tomorrow!"

(End of this chapter)