My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 78 Discussion
This completely confused Zhou Jiye. Since Lin Ying was so clear about the future value of the monkey stamps, why didn't she take this opportunity to buy more?

These are monkey stamps! If you buy several... no! A dozen... no, no, no! Buy dozens or even hundreds of editions and hoard them at home. You don't have to do anything; just patiently wait for ten or twenty years, and it will become a huge fortune!
"You really are stupid!" Lin Ying retorted without hesitation as soon as Zhou Jiye uttered his thought, "How long do you think it will take for these monkey stamps to appreciate in value? How long would it take for one stamp to be worth several thousand or even tens of thousands?"

"This..." Zhou Jiye pondered for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "The mid-1990s? Or perhaps around the turn of the millennium?"

"Then let me ask you, what year is it now?"

"1980 years!"

"That's settled then!" Lin Ying shook her head and said, "Spending ten or even twenty years waiting for the monkey stamp to appreciate in value, are you saying you won't do anything else? Isn't time a cost? Such a long time, just sitting and waiting for the monkey stamp to appreciate in value to achieve financial freedom? You're supposed to be a college graduate, do you think this kind of return on investment is appropriate?"

"If you just want to be an ordinary person who lives a life of leisure and thinks you can live a comfortable life with some money in the future, then this path might be worth a try. But don't forget, the 1980s was an era full of opportunities. Countless opportunities were everywhere, and you could take off just by grabbing one. Is it really necessary to put all your eggs in one basket?"

"Besides, if you have a few sets or one or two sheets of monkey stamps, it won't be a big problem to sell them in the future. But if you have dozens or even hundreds of sheets of monkey stamps, do you know how much impact such a large quantity would have on the value of monkey stamps once it is released into the market?"

"Besides, with so many monkey stamps suddenly appearing on the market, there needs to be someone to take them all! The best way is to sell them off slowly, but that takes time."

"In my opinion, only a fool would do that. Why give up the whole forest for one big tree?"

Lin Ying's words stunned Zhou Jiye. He pondered Lin Ying's words carefully and had to admit that Lin Ying's idea was correct.

Monkey stamps do have collectible value, and it's true they'll be valuable in the future, but the appreciation period is far too long. This idea might be feasible if it only lasted a few years, but to invest directly and gamble on returns over the next twenty years or even longer is simply not worth it.

Furthermore, as collectibles, the value of stamps is realized through the collector's market. Once a large number of monkey stamps are dumped on the market, their value will inevitably decline.

In addition to supply and demand factors between buyers and sellers and other factors, many uncertainties can occur, so his own idea was wrong. Zhou Jiye only saw its potential but did not take into account some objective factors.

At this moment, Zhou Jiye recalled many plots from online novels he had read in his previous life, in which there were indeed instances of time travelers or reincarnated individuals hoarding monkey stamps in advance. However, in the subsequent storylines, these monkey stamps played no role whatsoever in the future, and the authors even stopped mentioning the hoarding of monkey stamps altogether later in the story.

The reason is simple: the author probably realized this problem as they wrote—the investment and return cycle was too long, making the idea of ​​getting rich with monkey stamps completely unnecessary. Why waste so much time hoarding a few monkey stamps when there are so many other things to do? Just like Lin Ying said, isn't that something only a fool would do?
Once he understood, Zhou Jiye suddenly realized what was going on, scratched his head sheepishly, and chuckled. But then, upon further reflection, another question suddenly popped into his head.

"Since you clearly knew this and thought it was unacceptable, why did you do it yourself?" Zhou Jiye couldn't help but ask Lin Ying.

"I'm willing! I'm bored! I'm curious! I'm happy!"

Lin Ying rolled her eyes at him again, annoyed, and threw out four answers in one breath, leaving Zhou Jiye completely stumped.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Zhou Jiye ultimately shut up. Arguing with a woman was not only self-torture, but also likely to make her scrutinize his intelligence. Zhou Jiye wasn't stupid, so why make a fool of himself after saying all this?
Seeing that Zhou Jiye had nothing to say, Lin Ying's smile widened. She picked up the stamp album on the table and put it in the drawer.

Then, Lin Ying pressed Zhou Jiye and Xu Guoqing about their trip to Lingnan.

Zhou Jiye was exhausted when he came back yesterday. He ate something, took a shower, and went to sleep. Lin Ying helped him pack his luggage.

While packing, Lin Ying didn't find anything Zhou Jiye brought back. Besides, Zhou Jiye's luggage was basically the same when he left and when he came back. Nothing was missing or extra. Could it be that they went to Lingnan and returned empty-handed?

"The goods have been secured. We arranged for them to be shipped before boarding the train. They'll arrive in Shanghai in two more days," Zhou Jiye said to Lin Ying in a low voice, glancing at the closed door.

"How many did you get? What kind of goods?" Lin Ying asked excitedly. "Ten items. We'll know the exact number after we pick them up and unpack them," Zhou Jiye said, showing his palm.

"What? You didn't even know what you bought?" Lin Ying was shocked upon hearing this.

Zhou Jiye quickly gestured for them to calm down and lowered his voice to explain in detail their trip to Lingnan, especially telling Lin Ying about the origin and consequences of the goods.

After patiently listening to Zhou Jiye's explanation, Lin Ying's expression gradually calmed down. She couldn't help but frown: "Will there be any problems with this batch of goods?"

"That shouldn't be a problem," Zhou Jiye said confidently. "Achang inquired before we went, and he said there would definitely be no problem with the goods. However, we'll only know the specific type of goods after we open the blind box. In any case, the goods are genuinely from Hong Kong, and Achang also guaranteed that we'll make money after bringing them back. It's just a matter of how much we'll make. Once we pick up the goods in two days and open them, we'll know what's inside. Don't worry."

Lin Ying sighed and nodded. This was the only option now. She hadn't expected Zhou Jiye and his group to encounter such a situation on their trip to Lingnan. Listening to Zhou Jiye recount their experiences after leaving Ma Village, Lin Ying's heart pounded. This trip was far too dangerous; this business was practically risking their lives! The risks were too great.

However, the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone has not yet been established, and the actual situation in Guangzhou is like this. It is already very difficult for Zhou Jiye and his team to obtain a batch of goods from Lingnan using this method.

Fortunately, Zhou Jiye and the others were unharmed; otherwise, Lin Ying really wouldn't know what to do. The more she thought about it, the more worried she became, and the more frightened she felt. Luckily, Xu Guoqing accompanied Zhou Jiye this time. If it had been the two of them going as originally planned, she really didn't know what the outcome would have been.

"Fortune favors the bold, so taking some risks is worthwhile. Besides, we're back safe and sound, aren't we?"

Seeing Lin Ying's worries, Zhou Jiye smiled and comforted her, saying, "We talked to Achang before we left, and we asked him to try to find some connections in Yangcheng. We'll try to avoid going to Macun as much as possible. If all else fails, we can break down the shipments into smaller batches. Achang is Aqing's comrade-in-arms. He's a good guy, reliable and steady. Besides, the special economic zone is less than six months away from being established. Once the Pengcheng Special Economic Zone is established, the supply channels will definitely be much easier, and there will be no need to take such risks anymore."

“That’s a good idea.” Lin Ying nodded. “Now that you mention it, it seems like we can work with Achang. We can always negotiate to give him more benefits later. It’s okay to earn less, as long as it’s safe. If the risk is too high and something goes wrong, it will be a huge loss.”

"Yes, Brother Qing and I thought so too. Brother Qing gave him two options to consider. We'll discuss the specifics of how to proceed after we pick up the goods and inspect them. By the way, did you inquire around the market while I was away? Did you find a suitable place to ship the goods?" Zhou Jiye suddenly remembered the sales issue and asked anxiously.

"We should thank Brother Wen for this."

"Thank you, Lao Wen?" Zhou Jiye asked, puzzled.

When this matter came up, Lin Ying immediately told Zhou Jiye about how she had asked Lao Wen for help. She told him that Lao Wen recommended the West Palace as the most suitable place, and that she had also visited the site herself and found it to be indeed suitable.

However, the specifics of how to set up the stall need to be discussed with Xu Guoqing and the others. After all, it was agreed that the business would be for the four of them. The goods will arrive soon, and sales are the top priority, so they cannot be careless in the slightest.

"Xigong? Is it really as good as you say?" Zhou Jiye didn't know much about the area. When he came to work in Shanghai after graduating from university, Xigong was already gone. He wasn't a native of the area and had never even heard of it.

"Come on! I'll take you there to see for yourself." Seeing Zhou Jiye's skepticism, Lin Ying suggested they go to the West Palace for a visit. Seeing is believing, and she firmly believed that seeing it for herself was far more effective than her explaining for a long time.

Since Zhou Jiye had nothing to do after returning, and Lin Ying mentioned the West Palace and said it was the most suitable place to set up a stall, Zhou Jiye naturally became interested.

And so, the two of them changed their clothes and went out. Each rode a bicycle, with Lin Ying leading the way. Half an hour later, they arrived at the West Palace. As soon as Zhou Jiye saw it, he immediately thought that Lin Ying's choice of this place was really good. The liveliness and prosperity of this place, combined with other factors, made it the most suitable location.

After strolling around the West Palace with great interest, the two decided to go directly to Xu Guoqing to discuss the matter. After all, setting up a stall here is different from setting up a vegetable market or a movie theater. As outsiders, they need to figure out where the "connections" are. To do business, you need to first establish connections and find someone you know to help you. Otherwise, going there blindly might cause trouble.

(End of this chapter)