Hóng Tāo listened and began to ponder seriously. Their family's courtyard was very close to the village entrance, and villagers had to pass by their door when entering or leaving the village.
In just a moment, Hóng Tāo came up with a business for his parents.
"Dad, Mom, I've thought of a business for you that can earn money and isn't too strenuous..."
Hearing Hóng Tāo's words, Hóng Jiànjūn and his wife showed a hint of curiosity, turning to look at him.
"Son, what good idea have you come up with? Tell us quickly?" Wáng Cuìhuā asked.
"Dad, Mom, our house is very close to the village entrance. Villagers coming and going all have to pass our house.
I think we can open a small store, selling some general goods, things like bowls, chopsticks, plates, snacks, small toys, etc."
Hóng Tāo spoke directly without wasting time.
As soon as he said this, Hóng Jiànjūn and his wife's eyes lit up.
"Brother's idea is good. Our family is right at the village entrance. If we open a small store, both people from the village and passersby can come to our house to buy things."
His sister Hóng Tíng also agreed.
"Most importantly, I can help when I get back from school."
Wáng Cuìhuā smiled upon hearing her daughter's words, "Xiǎo Tíng, are you sure you're helping us run the shop, or are you going to sneak snacks yourself?"
"Mom, what are you saying? Am I that kind of person?"
Seeing her true intentions exposed, Hóng Tíng showed an embarrassed expression.
But in her heart, she secretly thought that if the family opened a small store, she would have rock candy every day from now on.
"You are my daughter, how can I not know what kind of person you are?"
Wáng Cuìhuā gave Hóng Tíng a look and said with annoyance.
"Mom..." Hóng Tíng blushed, clearly a little shy.
Seeing this, everyone burst into laughter.
"Opening a small store is indeed a good idea. It can not only earn some money but also help out the fellow villagers.
From now on, if villagers need to buy pots, bowls, or basins, they won't have to go to the town to buy them."
At this moment, Hóng Jiànjūn also nodded, agreeing with his son Hóng Tāo's suggestion.
Hearing his father's words, Hóng Tāo smiled.
Judging by his parents' reaction, they clearly didn't know how profitable it was to open a small store.
In their view, opening a small store could barely make ends meet.
In reality, in this era, almost no physical business lost money.
Don't underestimate a small store, even if it's only a few square meters in size. Backed by the entire Shítou Fishing Village, its consumption potential is astonishing.
In his past life, Hóng Tāo knew a boss of a chain department store who started by opening a general store.
In the mid to late 1980s, his general store had a monthly gross profit of around 3,000 yuan. After deducting labor, water, and electricity, the profit could reach 1,000 yuan per month.
Relying on opening more branches, he became a Hundred-thousand-yuan household in just a few months. By the 1990s, with the development of the real estate industry, he began investing in malls and real estate.
When Hóng Tāo had assets in the tens of millions, that person was already pursuing earning hundreds of millions each year.
After deciding to open a small store, the family began discussing the details.
Soon, they decided on a sales direction for the small store, focusing on selling soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine, and other non-staple foods, supplemented by general goods like toys, snacks, pots, and bowls.
Seeing Hóng Tāo's family happily discussing opening the small store, Xià Wǎn'ér also felt happy for them.
But when she thought about how she could only make tofu and have her grandfather sell it, earning only a few yuan a day, she became worried.
Seemingly sensing Xià Wǎn'ér's worried mood, Hóng Tāo asked with concern:
"Wǎn'ér, is something on your mind?"
Seeing Hóng Tāo ask her, Xià Wǎn'ér shook her head, "No, Hóng Tāo ge, I was just thinking, what business should Grandpa and I do to earn money after paying the public grain tax?"
"Wǎn'ér jie, isn't that simple? Why don't you and your grandpa open a general store like us?" Hóng Tíng enthusiastically suggested.
"Xiǎo Tíng, your family is already opening a general store. How can our family open another one?" Xià Wǎn'ér said, shaking her head.
"What's the problem with that?" Hóng Tíng was about to say more.
Hóng Tāo, standing by, interrupted, "Xiǎo Tíng, the worst thing in business is direct competition.
Although our family and Grandpa Xià's family are close and won't cause conflict because of this, if both our families open general stores, the customers will be split in half.
Everyone will earn less money."
After hearing her brother's explanation, Hóng Tíng finally showed a look of realization and then said with an awkward laugh, "Wǎn'ér jie, I'm sorry, I didn't think that far."
Xià Wǎn'ér shook her head, indicating it was okay.
"I think it's good for our family to sell tofu at the market. We can earn a few yuan a day, which is already better than many people in the village," Grandpa Xià said kindly.
He was not a person who valued money greatly.
As long as they could eat, stay warm, and had shelter from the rain, that was enough.
Moreover, what Grandpa Xià said was true.
In this era, an ordinary person's monthly salary was only thirty to forty yuan.
And they, selling tofu, could earn three to four yuan a day, which would amount to almost eighty to ninety yuan a month.
This income was even better than that of city workers.
"Wǎn'ér, I do have a small business idea that is perfect for you and Grandpa Xià to do together," Hóng Tāo said to Xià Wǎn'ér at this moment.
"What small business is it? Hóng Tāo ge, tell me quickly!" Xià Wǎn'ér asked with surprise.
Hóng Tāo did not answer directly but asked Xià Wǎn'ér:
"Wǎn'ér, what do you think of the Oyster Omelet I made this morning?"
Although she didn't know why Hóng Tāo suddenly asked this, she still nodded, "It's delicious. And this is something we rarely get to eat, even after eating it this morning, I'm craving it again now."
"Then, if someone were to sell this Oyster Omelet at the market, would many people buy it?" Hóng Tāo asked another question.
"Of course, they would, after all, this thing..." Xià Wǎn'ér said.
She stopped halfway through.
Xià Wǎn'ér was a woman with commercial talent. With Hóng Tāo's hint, she immediately understood.
"Hóng Tāo ge, you mean, you want Grandpa and me to set up a stall at the market and sell Oyster Omelets?" Xià Wǎn'ér asked.
"That's right. This Oyster Omelet tastes good, has a wide appeal, and will definitely sell well at the market," Hóng Tāo nodded.
"I've calculated it. If each Oyster Omelet sells for 3 mao, selling 100 a day is not a problem."
Everyone was astonished when they heard Hóng Tāo.
"Good heavens, 100 a day? That means earning at least 30 yuan a day?" Wáng Cuìhuā said with shock.
"It won't take a year for this to become a Yuan Household!"
"The Oyster Omelet business can really work," Hóng Jiànjūn also nodded.
Grandpa Xià and Xià Wǎn'ér also felt tempted.
Hóng Tāo saw this and struck while the iron was hot, "Most importantly, selling Oyster Omelets doesn't require much cost.
There are plenty of Oysters on the reefs by the sea, more than we can dig.
For lettuce, what we grow ourselves is enough.
We just need to buy some flour and cooking oil.
Daily material costs won't exceed 10 yuan."
Grandpa Xià pondered, "Then, after deducting costs, we can still earn at least 20 yuan a day? Extrapolating to a month, that's 600 yuan?"
Calculating this, his old face was filled with irrepressible excitement.
Such an income, let alone for Shítou Fishing Village, even for the surrounding ten li, or even the County Town, would surpass more than ninety percent of the people.
Xià Wǎn'ér also knew that the Oyster Omelet business was indeed viable.
Immediately, she said to Hóng Tāo, "Hóng Tāo ge, I'll go tide pooling with you tonight to dig for Oysters!"
Since they had decided to do it, they would do it.
She wanted to work hard to earn money and save her dowry!