Chapter 53

Xiaoyuan suddenly appeared at this moment, making her aunt-in-law’s face somewhat awkward.

"Are you still complaining about spending too much money?" Aunt-in-law looked at her, gesturing for her to sit in the empty seat beside her, and said to the other relatives at the table, "At first, her father and I wanted her to study finance, but she was unwilling. She insisted on studying design. Good grief, she asked me for a camera, saying it was needed for her studies. When I heard the price, I almost fainted. Can you guess how much it costs?"

Everyone looked curious.

"Twenty thousand!" Aunt-in-law said surprisingly, "Do you think this is just for fun?"

Xiaoyuan quickly explained, "Mom, don't exaggerate. Twenty thousand is for the camera plus three lenses."

Xiaoyuan then added with a pleading tone, "Mom, you could give me thirteen thousand first, and I'll save up for the rest of the lenses myself."

"You save money? The money you save is also the hard-earned money of your father and me!" Aunt-in-law pouted, waving her hand and shaking her head, "Don't even think about it. I'll give you at most five thousand, and you figure it out yourself."

The people present were still amazed. Five thousand for a camera was a dream for most families these days.

Xiaoyuan looked very unhappy, pouting with a puffed-up face.

Li Mu knew that his cousin had been pampered since childhood and was a typical artsy youth. She had fallen in love with photography before graduation and, after graduating, didn't work but asked her parents for money to travel as a backpacker. This would cause a lot of headaches for his uncle and aunt in the future, but everyone has their own way of living, and Xiaoyuan was at least very happy.

At this moment, Aunt-in-law said to everyone, "Look, who spends as much money raising a daughter as we do? A few months ago, she insisted on getting a phone, which cost over two thousand. She hasn't even finished playing with it and now wants to buy a camera..."

Li Mu didn't want to listen to Aunt-in-law anymore and said to her, "Aunt, my parents have already said that they won't borrow a single cent from relatives or friends for the clothing store and my college. They have been preparing for this for a long time, so don't worry."

Aunt-in-law quickly covered up, "We're not worried. If you have any difficulties, just let us know. We're family, and we should help each other, right?"

Li Mu didn't bother to argue with her, but Uncle was quick to catch the hint.

A meal costs several thousand, and the tuition and living expenses for a year of college add up to over ten thousand. Opening a clothing store, even a small one, would require an investment of two or three thousand. Altogether, it would be around forty or fifty thousand. He couldn't understand how the Li family of three could come up with so much money.

After thinking about the scale of the meal, Uncle couldn't help but ask, "Daoping, are you doing something on your own recently? The plans you mentioned would cost at least a few ten thousand, right?"

Li Daoping didn't know how to answer. He had been put on the defensive by his son, who had piled a bunch of unheard-of things on him, leaving him confused.

At this moment, Li Mu casually said, "A classmate's father set up a line to deliver coal to a power plant last year, and my father helped him get some electric coal..."

"Xiao Mu, you can't say such things!" Li Daoping couldn't sit still when he heard this.

Last winter, there was a nationwide shortage of electric coal, and coal prices soared. Although the Xiling coal mine was almost depleted, it still made a lot of profit. However, most of the profit was pocketed by the leaders through various means. Li Daoping, even if he wanted to, didn't have the ability to get electric coal. Li Mu putting this on him made him very uncomfortable.

However, Li Daoping's anxious and even angry expression was interpreted differently by the others.

Everyone thought that Li Mu must have revealed Li Daoping's secret, which is why Li Daoping was so upset. Everyone knew that wealth should not be shown openly. Since last winter, the TV had been talking about the coal shortage, the electric coal shortage, and the heating coal shortage in the north. Even the price of coal briquettes at home had risen significantly. Many people had made a fortune from the market boom. Li Daoping, being from the coal mine, might have had an opportunity to get some hot electric coal.

Uncle's tone was a bit envious, "Daoping, if you can make money by dealing with coal, why do you want to open a clothing store?"

"Brother, don't believe Xiao Mu's nonsense. During the coal shortage, every ton of coal had to be approved by the Xiling mine manager. Even the factory manager of the coal washing plant couldn't decide. How could I have the ability to..."

The more he explained, the more suspicious it seemed.

At this moment, Li Mu raised his hand with a look of fear, "I was just talking nonsense, Dad, don't be angry..."

Although he took the blame, his face was full of innocence, as if he was afraid his father would be angry.

Now, in the eyes of the family, it was almost certain that Li Daoping had made money from dealing with coal. The only question left in everyone's mind was:

Li Mu, seeing his goal achieved, quickly said, "Let's eat quickly. Dad, Uncle, have some drinks..."

...

"How much did Li Daoping make?"

On the way home after the meal, Li Mu's uncle, Xiao Yunjian, suddenly pulled over his motorcycle, lit a cigarette, and asked his wife, Cai Yanhong, who was sitting behind him.

"How would I know?" Cai Yanhong pouted, a bit unhappy, "Your sister-in-law is really good at hiding things! It's been since last winter, and she kept it hidden until now! If it weren't for Li Mu, we wouldn't know even now."

Xiao Yunjian took a hard puff of his cigarette, "I don't think he made much. Li Daoping is just a technician. How could he make that kind of money?"

Cai Yanhong hummed, "That's true. He probably made three or five ten thousand. Plus, his son did well in the college entrance exam, so he's showing off by treating us to a meal."

Thinking of something, Cai Yanhong smiled, "Li Mu said they were planning to apply for early retirement. I guess Li Daoping's coal business is over. Otherwise, who would voluntarily retire if they could still make money from coal, right?"

"We'll see!" Xiao Yunjian said, "Li Mu said they were going to open a clothing store. We'll see what kind of store they open, and we can guess how much they made."

Li Mu's aunt, Xiao Yunlan, also muttered to her husband, Zeng Jiwei, on the way home, "Do you think my brother-in-law, who is so timid, could really get electric coal from the Xiling coal mine?"

Zeng Jiwei waved his hand, a bit unwilling, "What's so timid about your brother-in-law? I think he's a good person. You and your brother always make fun of him, just bullying him for being honest!"

"Hey!" Xiao Yunlan got angry, "Are you defending him? Don't even talk about him. Do you think you're any better? Tell you, it's only because of your brother-in-law that your incompetence isn't so obvious!"

Zeng Jiwei's face turned red, and he said angrily after a while, "Xiao Yunlan, you're too mean. When you were laid off those years, did I ever complain about you?"

"You dare!" Xiao Yunlan stopped, hands on her hips, "Zeng Jiwei, marrying you is already a humiliation. You dare to complain about me?"

Zeng Jiwei felt a headache and quickly said, "Alright, alright, no need for complaints between us. The kids are still here. Let's go home."

Xiao Yunlan's anger subsided a bit, and she said as they walked, "I don't think your sister will do well with a clothing store. She's fine with a regular job, but she's not cut out for business."

...

Back home, Li Mu wasn't at ease either.

His parents sat on the sofa, and Li Mu stood in front of them, facing the "interrogation" from the two "commanders."

"What were you thinking? Bragging in front of so many people, you don't feel embarrassed, but I do..." Li Daoping was a bit agitated. He had always been honest, and being put in this position by Li Mu was hard to accept.

Li Mu's mother also blamed him, "Don't you know your father's temper? Why did you make up such a story in front of your uncle and aunt?"

Li Mu smiled slightly, "Isn't this good? I think you two shouldn't worry about this anymore. You might as well quit your jobs. The Xiling coal mine won't last one or two more years anyway."

Li Daoping glared at Li Mu, "I've worked for twenty years. You say quit, and I quit? Besides, what would your mother and I do if we quit? Open a clothing store?"

"Exactly!" Li Mu saw that his parents were hooked and said, "Let's open a clothing store! I've been looking around these days. We should open a big store, a chain franchise!"

The parents looked at each other, then at Li Mu, not sure what he was up to.

Li Mu continued, "When the store is running, everything will be managed by computers and the internet. When stock runs out, you can place orders directly on the computer, and the headquarters will supply you. For each new season, you won't need to go out to buy stock. The headquarters will handle it, and you can make adjustments based on their supply list."

"As for handling payments, you won't need to do it yourself. There will be a store manager and salespeople. Each sale will be recorded in the computer, and the daily revenue will be deposited into the bank account. You two won't need to go to the store regularly, just check in periodically!"