Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space novel Chapter 1277

Chapter 1277: Chapter 1149: Just Small-Time Business

As soon as Zhou Jiao stepped into the courtyard, she heard voices coming from the main room—sounded like Shi Tou and Mai Sui, the brother and sister.

She wondered if her kid Wu was here or not?

"Who is it?"

Zhou Jiao strode forward and saw the heavy cotton curtain at the hall doorway being pushed; she beat them to it and lifted it up. "Don’t pull, I’m coming in."

The poor cotton curtain was yanked from both sides and almost got torn.

The main hall was quite spacious.

Previously it had been lent to the Women’s Federation for office use; they’d knocked through the living room and the west room, so the space felt pretty open.

Later, when they moved out and she took the courtyard back, the modified layout looked fine to Zhou Jiao, so she didn’t bother spending money to redo the partitions.

A redwood Eight Immortals table with four redwood double benches, and not far from the east room there was a simple coal stove.

Right now her youngest son Wu was half lying on a woven rattan recliner with his eyes closed, resting. Hearing movement, he immediately raised his head and sprang up in delight.

"Mom, you’re about to go to work, how come you came over?"

"I hear you lot have been doing business on quite a scale?"

Wu hurried over to meet her, taking the things from her hands. "Heh, just small-time stuff. Mom, you’re here, are you cold? Come on in and warm up by the fire."

Of course it was cold, so Zhou Jiao didn’t take off her coat; she wasn’t as warm-blooded as these three young ones.

"Auntie."

Zhou Jiao nodded with a smile at Shi Tou and his sister at the side. "Why not set up another stove? I remember you built a heated brick bed in the east room, it’s nice and warm inside."

Shi Tou explained, "People come and go during the day, and some of them like to smoke. It’s not really convenient to let outsiders into the east room."

Zhou Jiao smiled, knowing they didn’t want people climbing up on the kang, afraid it’d get dirty and they wouldn’t be able to rest properly. "Me turning up suddenly, am I interrupting you talking business?"

"How could you be? We’re happy you’re here. Besides, we don’t have much going on. We were just checking how much stock went out early this morning. It’s not enough, we still have to press the printing factory to speed up."

On the side, Mai Sui, quick with her hands and eyes, picked up the kettle from the stove and poured her a cup of hot water. "Auntie, warm up your hands."

"Thanks." Zhou Jiao took a look around. "Business is good?"

"Yeah, busy to death."

Zhou Jiao smiled at Mai Sui who’d spoken, then looked toward Wu.

Wu understood and explained, "It’s getting close to year’s end. There are a lot more markets out in the suburbs. Quite a few people got wind of it from friends and rushed over to buy wholesale."

Zhou Jiao nodded with understanding. "Making money is one thing, but you mustn’t skip your three meals a day."

"Okay." Wu pressed her down to sit on the recliner. "Every noon Aunt Yuan brings food over. Sometimes by evening if we’re hungry, Second Sis will cook some noodles."

Zhou Jiao glanced at the account book on the table not far away and chuckled. "You’re wholesaling firecrackers and New Year prints too? Planning to develop in all directions, huh?"

Wu followed her gaze to the order sheets and immediately laughed. "Just piggybacking. All the dangerous stuff is stored in the side rooms. I’m very careful about safety."

Zhou Jiao wasn’t actually worried about the safety of the flammables; her three sons were more expert at this than she was. So she just gave one cautious reminder.

"That’s good. Wrap things up a bit earlier before New Year, and keep the noise down."

Wu nodded. "Got it. Right now, while the factories can still supply, we’re shipping to our Northeast hometown on one side and wholesaling to Jingjiao on the other. Around the twenty-sixth of the twelfth month we’ll pretty much be done."

Mai Sui looked at him, hesitated, and asked, "That early?"

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