Chapter 82

If possible, please put the book on the shelf. It will be convenient for you and supportive to me. Thank you very much!

Everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts, and dinner ended hastily.

In the courtyard, the workers were watching a video, "Once Upon a Time in China," one of Tsui Hark's representative works. Regardless of Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan was incredibly beautiful at that time, and describing her as a beauty who could topple a kingdom was not an exaggeration at all.

This was the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, with high production volumes and high standards. Many of the films produced at that time would still be considered classics twenty years later. Whether due to the film stock or the technology, many classic martial arts films, such as the "Once Upon a Time in China" series, the "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" series, and "Ashes of Time" and "New Dragon Gate Inn," among others, had a dark yellowish tone, like the color of the clouds on the horizon at sunset.

The covers of the released discs also often had this tone, which was the most direct impression Feng Yiping had of these classic martial arts films.

Feng Yiping had something on his mind, and his uncle seemed to have little interest as well. Although it was a martial arts film, there were many funny parts. Feng Yiping sat and watched for a while, but found himself out of sync with the happy crowd around him. Seeing that Mei Yiliang also couldn't get into it, he asked him to take him for a walk by the river.

At this time, there was no luxury of a "lighting project," and the lighting on the riverside road was adequate but far from scenic. The river breeze brought a coolness that dispelled the heat, slightly tinged with the smell of river water, but the people by the river were already accustomed to this smell, so there were still quite a few people strolling on the pedestrian walkway.

The waves of the river surged before Feng Yiping. Mei Yiliang, who was usually optimistic and talkative, was now silent, slightly bent over, with his hands in his pockets, slowly walking along the road.

"Uncle, are you thinking about something?" Feng Yiping asked, tilting his head.

Mei Yiliang stopped, leaning against the riverside railing. "Yiping, help me think. Should I stay in the factory?"

This was a problem. The furniture factory was not large, and with two sons already competing, it would take a long time to develop and grow under the current model. Even if it did grow, and even if Uncle had married Cai Hong by then, his position in the factory would be awkward, and he couldn't possibly surpass the two sons.

Moreover, if he continued to work in the factory, he wouldn't save much money, and how would he have the means to marry Cai Hong?

"What do you think?"

"I feel that staying in the factory, I won't learn much, and I won't earn much in a year. How can I make Cai Hong my aunt then?" Mei Yiliang now spoke as if he didn't treat Feng Yiping as a child. "You have many ideas, help me think!"

Feng Yiping had indeed thought about this. He imitated Zhuge Liang, stroking his non-existent beard and waving his non-existent feather fan, and said in a serious tone, "I have three strategies for this matter."

Mei Yiliang finally laughed, patting him on the head and smiling, "Speak clearly."

"If you can't learn much in the factory, I think you should leave. However, there's one factor to consider: will leaving the factory affect your relationship with Cai Hong?"

"That's not a concern; it won't affect it." Mei Yiliang answered without hesitation.

He answered so quickly that Feng Yiping guessed either he had already discussed it with Cai Hong or they had already taken things to the next level.

Alright, no need to ask further, "That's good, then let's go! After leaving the factory, there are two options. Your skills are already good, and you can do what your master can do. You can consider starting your own business. You can choose to be in the provincial capital or the county, each with its pros and cons. What do you think?"

Starting a small furniture factory now wasn't difficult. With more money, you could use more machines; with less money, you could use more labor.

"About this..." This time, Mei Yiliang took longer to think.

"I've thought about doing this, but I feel it would be disloyal to my master, and I'm afraid Cai Hong would have objections. I'm even more worried that her two brothers would disapprove of Cai Hong and me if I started a furniture factory to compete with them."

Mei Yiliang's concerns were not unfounded. The Cai family might accept other furniture factories competing, but they might not accept Mei Yiliang starting a furniture factory to compete with them.

"Then, should we go back to the county instead of the provincial capital?" Feng Yiping asked again.

"But how much business can there be in the county? Many families still hire carpenters to make furniture." Mei Yiliang had clearly thought about this issue.

Feng Yiping originally wanted to tell him that buying ready-made furniture would be a trend in the near future, but he realized that this "near future" might be a difficult period.

What about partnering with the Cai family? Returning to the county to start a workshop, where labor and land were cheaper, and taking on the overflow from the Cai family's business. But this would still rely on Old Cai, and his business might not always be good, which wasn't ideal.

That left only one option.

"Then, stay in the provincial capital and change your industry."

"Change my industry? I've thought about it, but I only excel at this."

"Let me explain. Most people who come to the factory to order furniture are moving into a new home, right?" Feng Yiping asked.

"Yes, most are moving into a new home, and fewer are just adding furniture," Mei Yiliang said.

"Then think about it, when they move into a new home, what else do they need besides furniture?" Feng Yiping prompted him.

"What else? A lot of things, just tell me!" Mei Yiliang, seeing his expression, knew he had an idea.

"When moving into a new home, they first need to renovate, right? Unlike before, where they would just paint the walls and move in, now they need to renovate, including ceiling work, laying tiles, and wallpapering, among other things. Some people might not buy new furniture when moving into a new home, but they will at least do some basic renovation. With more high-rise buildings being built, this business is very promising!"

"Renovation?" Mei Yiliang thought about it and realized it was true. People now had higher standards and liked to follow trends, so they were willing to spend money on renovation.

"Moreover, have you thought about it? If you take on renovation jobs, you can recommend your master's furniture to them. This is complementary. If you grow your business in the future, you can start your own furniture factory, and your master won't have much to say about it, right?"

This was the benefit of capturing the end customer, with multiple options.

Mei Yiliang didn't say he knew nothing about renovation; he could learn. He had already had some contact with it when delivering furniture. The current renovation companies were of varying quality, with many amateur teams, and the entry barrier was low.

As for himself, he was a professional carpenter, so entering this industry wouldn't be difficult.

He could first find a renovation team to learn for half a year, then bring a group of people from home, like his third brother, who was a stonemason and helped build houses in the county, also a professional in the industry. As long as there was work and money to be made, he could find many such people in his hometown.

And as his nephew said, when he got business, he could recommend his master's furniture, which was of good quality and reasonably priced, helping his master's business, which would be a plus!

He was quick-witted and quickly figured out the key points. "Hehe, Yiping, your idea is good. It's not late, let's go back!"

"Uncle, when you get rich and marry your aunt, don't forget me!"

"Don't worry, I won't forget you. Whatever you want, I'll buy it for you. Let's go, let's go home!" Mei Yiliang put his hands on Feng Yiping's shoulders and pushed him forward from behind.

At this moment, he was full of spirit, a stark contrast to his earlier dejected state.

Thank you all for your support! Special thanks to book friend BrightVHolyVKnight for the tip!

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