The year after Yuanchun left with the eldest branch of the family, the couple known as Ma Lao’er and his wife moved to the county seat to do business. They started by running a street stall, selling agricultural products they purchased from the village, such as dried mushrooms, wood ear fungus, and poultry like chickens, ducks, geese, and eggs.
Within three months, the couple had earned nearly a thousand yuan. They bought a shop in the county and opened an agricultural produce store; Ma Lao’er was responsible for going to the countryside to procure goods, while Wang Cui stayed at the shop to handle sales. A few years later, Ma Lao’er’s family settled down in the county, owning five or six shops and two houses, living a prosperous life.
While Ma Lao’er’s life was thriving, Han Conghui suddenly found himself unemployed. The Supply and Marketing Cooperative had shut down. Ma Xiangling and Han Conghui had relied entirely on Han Conghui’s salary; once he lost his job, the household lost its only source of income. To support their three children, Han Conghui looked for work everywhere, but he looked down on ordinary jobs. As for good jobs—well, there were no good jobs to be found. State-owned enterprises were all laying off staff, and none were hiring. Private companies were strict, and since Han Conghui was used to a leisurely pace, he couldn’t handle being managed tightly in a private firm—he couldn’t even sneak a cup of tea without watching his back. After two days, he quit an…
Chapter 507