Chapter 14

Seeing his son eating with his mouth full of oil, looking very sweet, Xiao Qiliang and Bai Shuxian were very happy, looking at him with a kind smile. Bai Shuxian hurriedly served a bowl of rice to Xiao Yuanhang and placed it in front of him, saying with a smile, "Xiao Hang, eat slowly, no one is competing with you!"

"Xiao Hang, how did you do in the technical performance competition at the branch office this time?" Xiao Qiliang had been wanting to ask this question. After all, his son had only been working for two years, and being able to participate in the branch office's technical performance competition was something he was proud of. He was very concerned about the results, and only asked after Xiao Yuanhang finished eating the dish.

Xiao Yuanhang swallowed the food before saying, "Dad, I did pretty well in this technical performance competition. I got first place in the train attendant group, and also the highest score among the three participating groups. The branch office decided to name the first 'Technical Champion,' and I got it!"

"Ah!" Xiao Qiliang was overjoyed upon hearing this. He knew very well that in previous technical performances, not only the first place, but even the top three, were promoted and given important roles within the section. His son getting first place, and being the first technical champion in the entire branch office, meant that getting promoted to a business position was not a problem.

"Really?" Xiao Qiliang knew how difficult it was to be the first in the branch office. Although his son never lied to him, he couldn't help but ask.

"Of course, why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, I'll show you the certificate!" Xiao Yuanhang finished speaking, jumped off the bed, and went to his small room to get the certificate of the technical champion, handing it to Xiao Qiliang, "Dad, look!"

Xiao Qiliang held the large red certificate of the technical champion, looking at Xiao Yuanhang's name and the large red seal of the Tongshui Railway Branch Office, feeling very excited. Mother Bai Shuxian also came over to look, sharing the uncontrollable joy in her heart with her husband. After repeatedly examining the certificate, Xiao Qiliang raised his head and said, "Xiao Hang, well done! You should work hard and aim to become a train conductor soon!"

Xiao Yuanhang nodded vigorously and said, "Dad, Mom, don't worry, I will work hard. I not only want to be a train conductor, but I also want to be a section chief, and even a branch office director in the future!"

"This kid, always talking about unrealistic things. I don't need you to be a section chief; I would be satisfied if you could become a train captain!" Xiao Qiliang had worked all his life to become the head of the business office, a middle-level official in the unit. He knew very well how difficult it was to stand out. Being a section chief was already a very high bar, let alone a deputy section chief, and a branch office director was something he could never imagine.

Xiao Yuanhang laughed and said, "Dad, don't underestimate me. I might accidentally become one."

"Alright, alright, stop boasting. Hurry up and eat, I still have to go to work later." Bai Shuxian was naturally happy that her son was doing well, but seeing the potential for a quarrel between father and son, she intervened.

After finishing the meal, Bai Shuxian cleaned the bowls and dishes and returned to the main room to prepare for work. Xiao Yuanhang took out the 160 yuan bonus from his backpack and came to the main room, saying, "Mom, here, this is the bonus I got for winning the technical champion!"

The family's finances were managed by the mother, and their economic situation was not good. Xiao Qiliang had retired due to illness and received only 65% of his salary, about 60 yuan per month. Bai Shuxian worked at a city-owned mining machinery factory, earning about 50 yuan per month. Xiao Yuanhang contributed 30 yuan per month for household expenses, totaling about 140 yuan, which was enough for living, but Xiao Qiliang's monthly medical expenses took up half of it, and hospitalization costs were even higher. Therefore, the family's financial situation was always tight.

"Xiao Hang, so much money!" Bai Shuxian was surprised after counting it.

Xiao Yuanhang smiled and said, "This time, the branch office is heavily rewarding the winners, and it's in cash. I got the highest prize as the technical champion, 80 yuan. The technical model received 50 yuan, and the technical expert received 30 yuan. After returning, the section matched the branch office's reward, giving me another 80 yuan, making it a total of 160 yuan."

160 yuan was a huge sum for Bai Shuxian, but since it was earned by her son, although she felt a bit reluctant, she still handed the money back to Xiao Yuanhang, saying, "Xiao Hang, this is what you earned. I don't want it. If you want to buy something, go ahead."

Xiao Yuanhang pushed his mother's hand away and said, "Mom, do you not know our situation? Dad spent over 100 yuan on medicine last month, and I don't need to buy anything. Just keep it."

"Take it, son!" Seeing the mother and son at an impasse, Xiao Qiliang said to Bai Shuxian, "Keep the money for now. If Xiao Hang needs to buy something, you can give it to him."

Bai Shuxian hesitated for a moment, then took out 60 yuan and handed it to Xiao Yuanhang, saying, "Xiao Hang, I understand your intentions. I know you must have worked hard to get this first place in the branch office. This money is special. I'll keep 100 yuan, and you keep 60 yuan. Buy whatever you want!"

"Thank you, Mom!" Xiao Yuanhang understood that he had to take the money, or his mother would be unhappy.

After Bai Shuxian went to work, Xiao Qiliang, as usual, took a nap. Xiao Yuanhang returned to his small room, lay down on the bed, and rested. He still had to attend the celebration banquet organized by the section that evening.

Lying on the bed, Xiao Yuanhang couldn't fall asleep. After being reborn, this was the first time he had the opportunity to think about his future. Since he was reborn, his family must be his top priority. Without a happy family, everything else would be meaningless.

Xiao Yuanhang's parents were a typical old husband and young wife. His father was 12 years older than his mother, both of the same zodiac sign, making him exactly one cycle older. When they got married, his father was 30 years old, and his mother was 18. He had a sister, Xiao Dongmei, when his mother was 19, and he was born when she was 24. This year, Xiao Qiliang is 53 years old, and Bai Shuxian is 41, still quite young.

In his previous life, his father died at the age of 61. If the historical trajectory doesn't change, Xiao Qiliang has 8 more years to live. In fact, when his father had late-stage liver cirrhosis, a liver transplant could have extended his life by another 10 to 20 years. However, the cost of a liver transplant was extremely high, an astronomical figure that an ordinary person could not afford. His family had no means to pay for the surgery, which ultimately led to his father's early death.

To save his father's life, the prerequisite is to have money; otherwise, everything is meaningless! Therefore, Xiao Yuanhang must consider how to earn money. In this era, even a ten-thousand-yuan household is envied by people. To earn hundreds of thousands of yuan for the surgery, even as a reborn person, it is quite challenging!

Xiao Yuanhang's mind was racing. In his previous life, he didn't remember any winning lottery numbers, nor did he trade stocks. Most importantly, it was 1985, and these things didn't exist yet. The Shanghai Stock Exchange was established in 1991, and it would be another six years. Although buying original shares could make money, it required a large amount of capital and local connections in Shanghai. Additionally, buying original shares was quite troublesome, and he couldn't spend so much time in Shanghai.

Xiao Yuanhang knew about the real estate market and profitable businesses in Guhe City, but these opportunities only emerged in the late 1990s, which was too far away to help. Although obtaining permits could make a lot of money, he didn't have the necessary connections, and getting rich overnight was almost impossible.

After being reborn, he saw money everywhere and opportunities all around, but it was not easy to pick up the money, and not everyone could seize the opportunities. The current trend was for everyone to do business, and people talked about making money through trade, mainly because of the lack of information and underdeveloped transportation, which allowed them to profit from the price differences between different regions. Apart from the human and material costs, it was just a matter of effort, and it couldn't solve the problem.

What can I do to earn money?

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PS: Tonight is the ranking push. Old Qu sincerely requests your support with a vote. Thank you!

{Piaotian Literature}