Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 283

By then, many people will know that Cheng Jinxiao has a gold necklace and at least several thousand yuan on her. What if they all ask Cheng Jinxiao for money? Then their dowry money will be wasted. And their sister-in-law, Zhu Yufeng, might even try to borrow money from her, since her family has two sons and the dowry money is a considerable expense.

When asked about Zhao Dage's question, Cheng Jinxi simply smiled and said, "You'll find out later."

Zhou Tianfu knew what Cheng Jinxi was thinking, but he didn't ask. However, the smile on his lips never faded. After happily finishing the bowl of noodles, Zhou Tianfu prepared to go out to work.

"Mom, I'm going out now."

Zhou Tianfu got up to leave for work in the fields, but Cheng Jinxi told him, "Godson, work hard. I'll be able to raise the dowry money for you in a few days. Just focus on your work and wait to get married."

Zhou Tianfu felt a little embarrassed by what he said, but he was even more motivated to work today.

The conversation between Zhou Tianfu and Cheng Jinxi left Zhao Da'e completely bewildered. What on earth had happened? She was utterly confused.

Zhao Da'e wanted to ask some questions, but he couldn't get anything out of Cheng Jinxi. Instead, Cheng Jinxi changed the subject, saying something like, "Children shouldn't meddle in adults' affairs."

Then Cheng Jinxi continued, "I have to go out for a bit later. Da'e, you and Chunwen stay at home. I'll be back to cook lunch."

Seeing Cheng Jinxi say this, Zhao Da'e could only nod and reply, "I understand, Auntie."

There was nothing she could do; Cheng Jinxi was unwilling to talk, and Zhao Da'e couldn't get any information out of her either, so she could only wait and see. Coincidentally, she was also going to find Xiangzi and the others that morning to ask how their water-selling business was going.

It took about five or six days to pick up my aunt and back, and she didn't pay much attention to the water-selling business.

After finishing his meal, Zhao Da'e went out to find Xiangzi and the others.

After walking along a side path for about ten minutes, Zhao Da'e arrived at Xiangzi's residence. From afar, he could see Xiangzi's van, with Xiangzi carrying buckets up and down, while Cai Xiaofeng stood beside him, taking notes in a notebook.

As soon as Cai Xiaofeng saw Zhao Da'e coming over, she immediately waved excitedly, "Da'e, you're here."

Upon hearing that Zhao Da'e had arrived, Xiangzi looked over excitedly, "Little Auntie is here!"

These past few days, Zhao Da'e has been busy going to Qiqihar. I haven't seen him much in a week. He's also been busy delivering water and doing other chores every day, so I haven't had much time to visit him.

"You've worked hard, Xiangzi and Xiaofeng." Zhao Da'e watched the two of them busy at work, especially Xiangzi, who was covered in sweat. Zhao Da'e thought to himself that if the Kangxi Spring Water business grew big, he would definitely give Xiangzi a raise or something.

As soon as Cai Xiaofeng saw Zhao Da'e, she said, "Da'e, I was just thinking of coming to see you in a few days to tell you some good news. I've been going to other organizations to recommend our Kangxi Spring water for the past week or two. Guess what?"

Zhao Da'e was pleasantly surprised, not expecting Cai Xiaofeng to have the ability to get people from her workplace to do sales. She also asked curiously, "What happened next?"

Cai Xiaofeng said, "At first, I sent them a barrel of Kangxi Spring water to try making tea. They all said it tasted great for making tea and that the water was sweet. They immediately placed an order with me to deliver 30 barrels of water a month. I was so happy that I took it upon myself to give them a discount and deliver a few more barrels. Then the people in that unit introduced me to other units to sell water, and the customers came back. I closed several more deals. And with the New Year approaching, there are many more people asking for water delivery. This month, I've sold at least a hundred barrels of water."

The profit is quite considerable, at least several thousand yuan. Cai Xiaofeng is in a good mood because she receives a commission. This month, with the commission, she expects to earn several hundred yuan.

Zhao Da'e was overjoyed. "Xiao Feng, you did a great job."

Xiangzi couldn't help but say to Zhao Da'e, "Little Aunt, let me tell you, Xiaofeng is really smart and capable. She closed the deal in no time. I'm usually a bit timid when I meet those people, but Xiaofeng isn't afraid at all."

When Cai Xiaofeng heard Xiangzi praising her, she scratched her head a little embarrassed and told Xiangzi to hurry up and get back to work, as they would be delivering water soon.

Xiangzi had no choice but to bury himself in his work, muttering to himself, "Little Aunt, your business is doing well, but it's a pity you've exhausted me. I only make a hundred yuan a month, but this has more than doubled my workload. These past few days I've been busy delivering your water. Many people have asked me to run errands and deliver things, but I haven't agreed. Xiaofeng is busy running around, but at least she gets a commission, while I can only do manual labor."

Knowing she was in the wrong, Zhao Da'e smiled and said, "Don't worry, Xiangzi, once I earn money this month, I'll give you a raise as soon as possible, how about that?"

Upon hearing about the pay raise, Xiangzi's eyes lit up. "Are you serious, Auntie? You really will give me a raise?"

Zhao Da'e nodded and said, "Really, really, I've had this idea for a long time. Water delivery is also an important part of the water business, and it's indispensable. I've seen how hard you've worked, and I promise to give you a raise when we make money."

Upon hearing this, Cai Xiaofeng patted Xiangzi on the shoulder and congratulated him, saying, "Congratulations, Xiangzi."

Xiangzi was both touched and surprised. He was touched that Zhao Da'e could see his hard work, and surprised that he could get a raise.

"Don't worry, little auntie, I will definitely complete the task you entrusted to me. No matter if it's windy or rainy, I will definitely deliver the water and make sure it doesn't interfere with business!"

Xiangzi was full of enthusiasm and carried the water even more diligently.

Cai Xiaofeng said, "Big Goose, you'll need to go to your workplace next week for a proper discussion. If everything is fine, you can collect the money."

Zhao Da'e was secretly delighted. It seemed that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would receive a good income next week. According to Xiao Feng's description, he should earn more this month than last month.

After setting the time, Zhao Da'e decided to go to his workplace on the 20th of next week to discuss the business in detail, which is two days later.

Meanwhile, Cheng Jinxi had arrived at the Cheng family home, but she did not enter through the main gate. Instead, she secretly watched from outside, not daring to let Zhu Yufeng, Cheng Rongguo, and Cheng Jinxiang discover her.

After seeing Cheng Jinxiao come out of the Cheng family home for a walk, Cheng Jinxi came out, grabbed Cheng Jinxiao's hand, and secretly ran to a corner.

When Cheng Jinxiao saw the person who suddenly appeared, she was startled, especially since the person was grabbing her hand and running. After realizing that the person was her older sister, Cheng Jinxiao breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought that Li Jin had come to her side to chase after her and get her gold necklace back.

Seeing that they had run far enough, Cheng Jinxi looked around, afraid that someone would see or overhear their conversation.

Seeing Cheng Jinxi acting so suspiciously, Cheng Jinxiao asked, "Big sister, what's wrong with you? Are you going to do something with me here?"

Seeing that no one was around, Cheng Jinxi was completely relieved. She took Cheng Jinxiao's hand and said a few polite words, "Sister, you've really had a hard time these years. You married so far away and met the wrong person. As your older sister, I can't help you much."

When Cheng Jinxiao heard Cheng Jinxi say these things, she was moved. She smiled bitterly and said, "It's okay, sister. It's all in the past. I'm back now and I won't go back to those miserable days."

Cheng Jinxi patted Cheng Jinxiao's hand, "Okay, that's good. If you have any difficulties, remember to tell me. I will definitely help you if I can."

Cheng Jinxiao felt a warmth in her heart after hearing this, "Big sister, you have already helped me more than enough."

Even if Cheng Jinxiao didn't want to get married, Cheng Jinxi promised to help her find a good family after the New Year. No matter what, it was for her own good. Moreover, Tianfu had come all the way to pick her up. Cheng Jinxiao would remember this kindness no matter what.

Having said all that, Cheng Jinxi couldn't hold back any longer. She gripped Cheng Jinxiao's hand tightly and began to complain, "Sister, your life is getting better, but I'm starting to worry. You know I just built a new house recently, so I don't have much money to begin with. My eldest son is also approaching marriageable age, and the other day he went on a blind date, and the other person asked for four thousand yuan. I'm really worried to death. How am I supposed to come up with four thousand yuan? I can only scrape together two thousand yuan by borrowing from all over the place."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jinxiao had a bad feeling. She first comforted her, "Big sister, take it slow, things will work themselves out."

Unexpectedly, Cheng Jinxi grabbed Cheng Jinxiao's hand and said excitedly, "Jinxiao, I heard that you got a gold necklace from Li Jin. Tianfu told me that this gold necklace weighs several hundred grams and can sell for several thousand yuan outside. I think you should lend me this gold necklace first so that I can pay for the bride price and let Tianfu get married. When I make money in the future, I will definitely pay you back as soon as possible. Tianfu is your nephew, and he even went to such great lengths to pick you up. Jinxiao, you can't refuse to help with this."

In Cheng Jinxi's eyes, Cheng Jinxiao had no reason not to help her. She was going to help Cheng Jinxiao find a good family after the New Year, and she had even asked her eldest son to bring the family back. She had done so much for Cheng Jinxiao, so all she had to do was ask Cheng Jinxiao to lend her some money. She wasn't going to refuse to pay her back, so Cheng Jinxiao had no reason not to help her. Besides, the money was useless to Cheng Jinxiao, so it was better for her to use it in an emergency.

Upon hearing that they were there to borrow money, Cheng Jinxiao's expression immediately changed. Her first thought was that Zhou Tianfu had told Cheng Jinxi about her wearing a gold necklace, since only she, Da'e, and Tianfu knew that she had a gold necklace.

When she returned this time, she didn't tell anyone in her family that she had a gold necklace, just to prevent her family from eyeing it. But what she feared most came to pass.

The day after I got home, my older sister came to borrow money from me.

Cheng Jinxiao said with some difficulty, "Big sister, I know you've been busy and worried about Tianfu's dowry these past few days, but this gold necklace isn't worth that much money."

Seeing this, Cheng Jinxi quickly said, "How could it not be worth much money? Jinxiao, if you're worried about not being able to sell it for that much money, just give me the gold necklace and I'll help you sell it. That way, it'll save you the trouble."

No matter what, Cheng Jinxi would sell the gold necklace for several thousand yuan, at least a thousand yuan, to make up the bulk of the dowry.

Cheng Jinxiao's face was grim. She said the gold necklace wasn't worth much, but she just didn't want to lend it to Cheng Jinxi. This gold necklace was her guarantee; she didn't know when her older sister would return it. If she didn't return it, she would suffer a huge loss. Besides, she had just returned to her parents' home. To put it nicely, it was her parents' home, but she knew it was actually her older brother's home. If she stayed at her parents' home for a long time, her sister-in-law would have objections. But she had money, so she could move out later without being looked down upon.

But if you lend the money out, you'll have no security.

When Cheng Jinxiao was doing business at the chicken farm, she had also encountered some shameless people who didn't want to pay after giving her work. Cheng Jinxiao was also afraid that if she lent money out, it would be difficult to get the money back later.

Cheng Jinxiao had no choice but to say, "Big sister, let me tell you this, this gold necklace is fake and worthless. It can only be sold for a few hundred yuan, not much money."

Cheng Jinxiao made the gold necklace seem worthless in order to borrow less money from Cheng Jinxi. She couldn't bring herself to give up all her savings, but she could give Cheng Jinxi a few hundred yuan to help with the dowry.

But Cheng Jinxi couldn't hear what Cheng Jinxiao said afterward, and her face turned ugly. She originally thought she could borrow the gold necklace and get the money, but Cheng Jinxiao's words implied a refusal, which Cheng Jinxi really didn't expect.

Finally, Cheng Jinxi tried to persuade her, "Jinxiao, I haven't treated you badly at all. On the contrary, I've taken care of you in every way. What I'm saying isn't wrong, is it? After the New Year, I'll help you find a good husband. I'll even have my son go all the way to pick you up. But you won't help with this little thing. It's not like I won't pay back the money I borrowed from you. Besides, I have two daughters. When they get married, the dowry I'll receive will be several thousand yuan. I'll definitely pay you back first. It's just a matter of time."

Cheng Jinxiao understood what Cheng Jinxi meant, and she explained, "Big sister, I know, but I really can't come up with that much money. I can only lend you a few hundred yuan at most. I have some money on me to keep in reserve."

Cheng Jinxi has her difficulties, but Cheng Jinxiao also has hers.

But Cheng Jinxi disagreed, saying with a hint of disdain, "You're living at your parents' house now, eating and sleeping there, how could that cost money? I think you're just using this as an excuse not to lend me the money. You're such an ingrate. I've been so good to you, but you won't help me at all."

Cheng Jinxiao was almost brought to tears. Her eyes were red. "Big sister, how could you say that to me? When did I say I wouldn't lend you money? I can lend you a few hundred yuan, but I don't have much money. How can you make things so difficult for me? Besides, as a woman, if I have no money, I'm easily bullied and looked down upon."

With only a small amount of money on her, Cheng Jinxiao felt extremely uncomfortable that someone was eyeing her so soon after she got home. Not a single word of concern, but a direct request to borrow money…

Ugh……