Step by step, a gentle breeze leads to a smooth path

In addition to cutting costs, Song Wanli planted a mountain of bamboo behind his house, so that he wouldn't have to buy bamboo from his uncle's house in two years.

The key is to expand the business. Bamboo products are not profitable enough if you just wait for buyers to come to you at home. You need to expand your business.

He called all the family members to Tingnan to test her math skills. She did quite well and was more than capable of handling business and accounting.

“Tingnan, there’s a carrying pole over there, why don’t you try it?” Song Wanli pointed to the carrying pole next to him.

Ting Nan didn't understand, but still obediently walked over, put the load on his shoulder, and lifted it up! It was a bit heavy, but lighter than carrying rice seedlings from the paddy field.

"Take a few steps!"

"Okay!" I'll do as Nan Zhao says.

Song Wanli walked over and took one bamboo product from each side.

"Tingnan, from now on you will carry these samples and go from street to street."

"Oh, am I alone?"

“I found an old man who sells tofu. He can take you to several nearby villages and familiarize you with the routes. Then you can run it on your own.”

"Ah, I'm a little scared," Ting Nan said, resisting.

"What are you afraid of? You have to forge your own path. Your younger brothers will all depend on you in the future. Come here and write down the prices of these items. Don't buy anything below this price, and it would be even better if you could buy something above the reserve price." Song Wanli made the decision without giving a direct answer, sealing off Ting Nan's even more arduous path ahead.

Song Wanli repeatedly explained the pricing, demanding that Tingnan keep the accounts and that they match up upon return.

He wasn't worried about price fluctuations of only a penny or two—his child was still young and probably didn't have that much cunning.

To maintain good faith, Song Wanli agreed that the price would be two cents lower for buyers who came to his door, with different prices for multiple items.

The first time, Song Wanli patiently talked to Tingnan for a long time, and Tingnan listened attentively.

Anyway, once my uncle has made up his mind, no one can change it, not even my grandmother.

After following along for a few days, Song Tingnan began to figure it out on his own.

Except for rainy days, Tingnan would finish making breakfast, doing housework, and taking care of her aunt and her two children before heading out every day.

She's been chased by dogs and mocked by children who throw stones at her. When she's scared, she tells herself, "Going out to do business isn't so bad. I can just take a cut of my pay."

Because she longed to go home all the time, but her family was poor, and her mother was always sighing. She needed to save money.

Ting Nan began to tentatively try to get some "kickbacks" from the bamboo products. Her uncle gave her the lowest price for every bamboo product. Ting Nan sold her sincerity, diligence, eloquence, and pitifulness, trying to sell each bamboo product at a good price.

For example, bamboo hats cost 1 yuan each, but she bought them for 1.2 yuan each; bamboo baskets cost 1.5 yuan each, but she bought them for 1.8 yuan each...

Song Tingnan has a very good memory. He can tell you exactly what he bought in which village, the price per unit, and the total price.

Of course, you can't always give your uncle the lowest price when you report expenses, or you'll get a beating. You have to be flexible.

Most of the time, the total bill was a few cents higher, and Bo Song Wanli would give him a smile. If the bill was a little lower, it meant he had sold a lot of goods and encountered a skilled negotiator.

After a long period of error-free accounting, Song Wanli became too lazy to check the accounts every day, and gradually started submitting accounts once a week or once a month.

Song Tingnan saved every penny, one, two, three, little by little, until she had enough for the boat fare, enough to buy shoes for her mother, and enough to buy a shirt for her sister...

Ting Nan wrapped the money in a rag, hid it in an old, leaky jar, and then placed it in the corner of the smelly outhouse pile of junk.

With a goal in mind, Tingnan, who was always busy, felt energetic every day.

After making a trip, Song Tingnan usually gets home around 4 p.m., because her grandmother would worry if she was late.

When the weather is nice, after Grandma finishes her work, she will sit on the bamboo recliner specially made by Song Wanli, basking in the sun while watching Tingnan's way home.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't worried about her seven-year-old son running errands. But she was in poor health and needed her sons to buy her medicine and take care of her.

Besides, given the family situation and her eldest son's temper, there was no point in objecting. She could only pray in her heart that Nanping would be safe and sound. She only felt at ease when she saw Nanping stagger home every day.

As Song Tingnan grew up, this image always appeared in her mind: her grandmother waiting for her, looking around, and smiling when she saw her. This was the warmth of her childhood; she knew that someone cared about her.

Song Tingnan loved reading. She heard that there was a library in the city where she could read books for free, so she mustered up her courage and started secretly going to the county town.

Since traveling by bus would be expensive, Song Tingnan would choose a day with good weather and set off on foot early in the morning.

In order not to miss work or arouse suspicion from my uncle, I only did it once or twice a month.

She also asked for directions home, as she didn't know her home address before and had to get it from her grandmother.

The old gentleman once said, "When books touch the heartstrings, wisdom follows." She wants to become smart, very smart, and possess great wisdom.

Upon arriving in the county town, she would take a quick look around and then head to the library to read, managing to steal a couple of days each month to do so. She took it very seriously, often forgetting the time to go home while engrossed in her books, and the librarian always had to urge her on.