Back to 1978: Getting rich starts with treasure hunting

"You city folks have food supplies every month, so why would you look down upon the little food we grow in the countryside with so much effort? Besides, my parents and brothers are all making a living in the city, so where would they get the food they grow to sell to you?"

Lin Shu sat on the sofa nearby and poured himself a glass of water.

Wang Suzhen smiled and took over the conversation, "My in-laws have stopped farming a long time ago, and now they are also in the provincial capital. You want to eat food grown in the countryside, it's not that they don't want to sell it to you, but they themselves eat high-priced food."

Aunt Niu's face trembled slightly, and she laughed: "Grandma, you are joking. Your family has so many people, and you must consume a lot of food every month. Do you buy expensive food every month?"

Wang Suzhen thought her question was funny: "What if you don't buy more food after you finish eating it? Are you going to let everyone in the family starve to save money?"

He Chunru looked at the mother and daughter of the Niu family with a sullen face and remained silent.

He didn't know where his son found the girl, but the first time she came home, she dared to blatantly covet food from her brother and sister-in-law's house.

Do you want face?

At this time, Niu Xiaoqin saw that Gu Youtao was just listening to everyone talking and grinning, and she couldn't help but pinch him secretly in anger.

Gu Youtao felt the object's dissatisfaction and had to speak up:

"Grandma, our family is short of food every month, isn't it Auntie who brings it back from outside? Xiaoqin's family has a large population, so at the end of each month there is not enough food. Since Auntie has connections, why not help the Niu family get some food back every month?"

Wang Suzhen was so angry at this stupid grandson that she almost couldn't breathe, "You..."

Lin Shu smiled and spoke first: "There is no need for me to bring food. If Aunt Niu is short of food at the end of the month, she can take the money and go to the trading company I opened to buy food."

"Your trading company?" Aunt Niu heard from Gu Youtao that the youngest uncle of the Gu family had opened a company, but she had never heard of a trading company.

Could it be that Gu Youtao forgot?

Lin Shu nodded. "Yes, it's the trading company that Gu Jiu and I opened. There are a lot of daily necessities in it, with clear prices and no cheating. The store has all the basic daily necessities, including food. As long as the customer pays, they can buy it without a receipt."

Aunt Niu glanced at Gu Youtao and smiled awkwardly: "We are all relatives from now on. Isn't it a little impersonal to still specify the price?"

Lin Shu asked with a fake smile: "You want a discount, you can have this too. As long as you spend more than ten yuan, I can help you deduct a few cents from the remainder."

Aunt Niu's mouth twitched when she heard this. Does she look like someone who is short of a few cents?

"Of course, don't think I'm stingy and only give a few cents discount. You should know that the goods in the trading company are sold at a fair price, which is a principle of small profits but quick turnover. If I give too much discount, I will lose money."

As he spoke, Lin Shu smiled and asked, "Aunt Niu, you can't just watch me lose money in business, right?"

Aunt Niu wanted to curse in her heart, nine out of ten businessmen would say that they make small profits but quick turnover, and that they don't make any money. But can you believe this?

Obviously not.

"Don't call me aunt anymore. When Youtao and Xiaoqin get engaged, we will be equals."

Lin Shu waved her hand and said, "You are much older than me, so I'd better call you aunt. At your age, I really can't call you sister-in-law."

Aunt Niu could hardly maintain the smile on her face. If she wanted to tell her what she was doing, she should just say it directly and not remind her in such a roundabout way.

"Hey, Aunt Niu, we've been sitting here talking for so long, but you still don't know where you're from?" Lin Shu seemed to suddenly remember to ask about the basic situation of the girl's family.

Gu Youtao rushed to answer: "Aunt, Xiaoqin's family works in the provincial canning factory. His parents were originally employees of the canning factory, but later the jobs were given to Xiaoqin's two younger brothers. Now aunt and uncle do some handicrafts or odd jobs to support themselves."

Lin Shu nodded in understanding: "Without a job and no money to earn, life is a bit difficult. Now that I am still young and not yet at retirement age, it is indeed a problem."

In order to avoid a dull moment, Wang Suzhen chatted with them about family matters and tried to take care of their self-esteem by not mentioning their family's financial situation.

Lin Shu went upstairs to check on the children first. After the men in the family came back, she led them to the table and started eating.

During the dinner, Aunt Niu proposed the conditions for their engagement.

Three turns and one ring are a must.

The betrothal fee of 688 yuan is a bit outrageous.

Don't forget, Lin Shu only paid 300 yuan for the engagement.

This is because Gu Jiu is the youngest son in the family and it is the last time, so Wang Suzhen and Gu Changsheng were willing to give Lin Shu a betrothal gift of 300 yuan.

The Niu family asked for 688 yuan, so it would be better to rob them.

Normal families usually pay a betrothal gift of around 100 yuan. Especially after asking for three turns and one ring, they will not ask for a specific amount of betrothal gift.

Although the Gu family's conditions were better than those of ordinary families, they were not extremely wealthy.

Most of the people in my family work in units and receive a salary of a few dozen yuan per month.

Apart from food, clothing, social interactions and raising children, there is not much money left.

The Niu family asked for 688, and Gu Xiang and He Chunru thought that they could barely make up the amount even if they took out their savings for their coffins.

But everyone should not forget that Gu Xiang and He Chunru have more than one child, Gu Youtao.

There are younger brothers and sisters below.

It’s time for Gu Youhui to find a partner in the next few years, so the betrothal gifts must be prepared in advance.

There is also the third child in their family, Gu Chunyu, who is still in school but is sixteen years old this year.

When the second son Gu Youhui gets married, it will be almost her turn.

In a word, it is impossible for Gu Xiang and his wife to spend all their savings on You Tao alone.

"Miss Niu, aren't you asking too much? I can understand the three turns and one ring, but most people only ask for a hundred yuan for the betrothal gift, but you want six hundred and eighty-eight. Do you know how much I earn a month?"

Gu Xiang could no longer bear it and finally spoke up, "My monthly salary is only 46.68 yuan. You know, based on my salary, 688 yuan would take me a year and a half to save even if I didn't eat or drink."

Aunt Niu frowned slightly, "My dear, what do you mean by that? I just want you to work for a year and a half and then I can marry a daughter-in-law home. Just smile secretly."

"According to what you said just now, you can marry a grown-up girl in a year and a half. But I raised her for twenty years until she came of age. In the end, she didn't help the family earn money for a few days before your kid took her away with all the pots and pans. What's wrong with me asking for more?"

"No matter how you calculate this account, your family has made the profit. Our family is the one that has suffered the loss. We haven't even started a fight yet, but you're already dissatisfied."

Sister-in-law He Chunru glared at Gu Youtao and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"Sister Niu, you can't say that. Your family is marrying off your daughter, not selling her. Does that mean Xiaoqin is no longer your daughter after she gets married?"

After Gu Xiang finished speaking, he pinched his brows with a headache, "The betrothal gift you mentioned is really too high. We can't afford it and can't pay it."

Aunt Niu looked at the Gu family members who were eating around the table and said with a smile, "For such a united family like you, how could you not come up with more than 600 yuan?"

When Lin Shu heard this, she was speechless. If he married the daughter of her family, the other branches of the Gu family would become her family's backup blood banks?

When is the need, when can you climb up and suck blood?

Gu Xiang explained: "Whether you believe it or not, it is impossible for my son to get married with money from other family members."