Chapter 64 (1/2)

There was a street behind Zhao Yuan’s home. It was not very wide and seldom traveled by vehicles, but as it connected two counties, it was frequently traveled by pedestrians. As such, there were many shops and unlicensed street vendors.

Zhao Yuan pointed at two men who were smoking at a corner of the street while glancing around from time to time and told Lin Wenxin. “They must be urban management officers.”

Before opening this small shop, Zhao Yuan’s father Zhao Ming had been an unlicensed street vendors and feared the urban management officers just like the other vendors.

At the crossroad, located a teahouse. Its owner would inform the vendors of the coming of the urban management officers by calling the most respected guy among them. Once this vendor saw an incoming call from the teahouse owner, he would tell all the other vendors that the urban management officers were coming. In an instance, these vendors stood up and pretended to be pedestrians. They would walk around while carrying two baskets on a shoulder pole. Upon seeing that, the urban management officers had no reason to arrest them. Once the officers successfully arrested an unlicensed vendor on the spot, the vendor would get completely unreasonable and even make a scene with them. Even if the officers just came to give these unlicensed vendors a warning, they would become agitated and accuse the officers of not giving them a chance to make a living.

Gradually, the urban management officers got used to turning a blind eye to the unlicensed street vendors, as long as they did not hinder the traffic. In the past, Zhao Yuan had often opened the back door of his house to set up a stall on the street. As he got along well with his neighbors, they would help him guard against the urban management officers. Once the officers came, they would tell him to pack up his things and close his back door. As such, he had never gotten caught by the officers. When he and his father had some money, they applied for a business license and opened this shop at the back of their house. Now, Zhao Yuan often helped the unlicensed street vendors guard against the urban management officers.

After hearing Zhao Yuan’s story, Lin Wenxi frowned slightly.

Zhao Yuan said with a smile. “Do you think I shouldn’t do this?”

Lin Wenxi replied bluntly, “Yes.”

Upon seeing the serious look on Lin Wenxi’s face, Zhao Yuan did not know whether to laugh or cry. He explained. “This is a market. Without it, this street won’t be so lively.”

Lin Wenxi said righteously, “No, if everyone refuses to obey the regulations, this street will be blocked up.”

Zhao Yuan did not want to argue with Lin Wenxi. He thought that it was alright to do anything to make money as long as it was not illegal. Lin Wenxi’s reaction made him feel a little uncomfortable. He asked, “Is someone in your family an official? You really talk like an official now.”

Lin Wenxi looked somewhat nervous and honestly replied: “Yes. Do you hate officials?”

Zhao Yuan said. “Yeah.” Zhao Yuan vaguely remembered that his father had said that the reason he got broke was that a newly promoted official hindered him from completing his project even when he managed to get all the certificates required. Because of this failed project, Zhao Yuan’s father became deeply in debt, and the life of his family got completely changed.

As such, Zhao Yuan really did not like officials very much. He told Lin Wenxi what he felt directly, as he wanted to be honest with him. He would never voice his thoughts so directly in front of the other people.

Upon seeing the flicker of disappointment within Lin Wenxi’s eyes, Zhao Yuan pointed at a box of snappers and asked smilingly, “How much do you think this box of snappers is worth?” (Snappers are a kind of firecrackers that you throw to the ground to make snapping noises and often played by small children.）

By doing this, he successfully diverted Lin Wenxi’s attention. Upon looking at the nicely packaged box, Lin Wenxi could not help but reach out his hand to touch it. He said, “I think that it’s worth at least a dozen yuan.”

Zhao Yuanxi chuckled and said, “Alright, I sell it to you at 10 yuan now. That’s such a bargain for you!” Afterwards when Lin Wenxi knew that Zhao Yuan sold such a box of snappers at 10 yuan when he bought it at 2 yuan, he could not help but call Zhao Yuan a black-hearted businessman.

Lin Wenxi used to hate the children who played with snappers on the street, as he did not like noise. Today, however, when the children in the street came to play together with him, he felt somewhat excited and gave them his snappers for free. Soon enough, all the children nearby knew about this and came to beg him for snappers. As such, no one wanted to buy the snappers anymore.