Chapter 83

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

The place where Mei Yiliang and his friends lived was also a simple house, with small rooms partitioned off by three-ply boards. Living inside during the summer was really uncomfortable, so on this hot and clear night, the workers moved their bamboo beds to the yard and slept outdoors.

When Feng Yiping and his friends returned to the factory, the video had already finished, and some people were already snoring on their bamboo beds, while others lay there, fanning themselves with their palm fans.

Going to find Cai Hong so late would certainly be inconvenient, so Mei Yiliang had to suppress his enthusiasm, took Feng Yiping to wash up, and then brought out a bamboo bed for him to sleep on, while he used the one that Old Cai sometimes used for cooling off.

It was quite interesting to sleep outdoors for the first time. The moon was cool like water, and its silver light gently enveloped the entire world. In the flower bed, unknown insects chirped, and occasionally, the sound of cars passing on the riverside road could be heard. Fortunately, the provincial capital was not a city that never slept, and the number of cars was not high, otherwise, it would have been impossible to sleep soundly outdoors.

Next to him, Mei Yiliang fanned him with a palm fan, but soon the fan stopped, and a light snore could be heard. You'd think an adult wouldn't have as many worries as a child.

However, the snoring and snores around him seemed to have a hypnotic effect that night. Feng Yiping lay on his back, gazing at the moon, and muttered the phrases "as clear as jade, as bright as the moon." He fell asleep without realizing it.

The next day, when Feng Yiping was woken up, the sky was still dark blue, and the city was still very quiet. Faintly, the low whistle of a ship on the distant river could be heard.

The workers moved the bamboo beds back inside very quietly, occasionally clearing their throats in a low voice. Mei Yiliang seemed to be about to move Feng Yiping inside. Seeing him wake up with sleepy eyes, he said softly, "Come inside to sleep, it's cool now."

For students from the mountains, sleeping in is a rare luxury. At school, they have to get up early, and at home, they often have to get up even earlier than at school.

So even though he knew the city's morning was beautiful and the air was fresh, Feng Yiping was too lazy to go out and enjoy it. He got up drowsily, walked drowsily into his uncle's room, and fell back asleep on the bed.

Mei Yiliang used to practice martial arts, though he didn't achieve much, he kept the habit of exercising. He came back from running and saw that Feng Yiping was still sleeping, so he quietly took a basin to wash up.

Feng Yiping was woken up by the heat. There was no way around it; in such a house, once the sun came up, it would get hot inside very quickly.

The dormitory was empty, and there was no sound in the small building, but the workshop was very lively. After washing up, he prepared to go to the old street for breakfast. Cai Hong came out of the workshop and waved to him, "Come on, I'll heat up your breakfast for you."

On the kitchen table was a bowl of noodles covered with a lid, and a plate of soft fried dough sticks next to it.

Cai Hong reheated the noodles and put the fried dough sticks in to cook, then served them to him. She didn't leave, sitting beside him and watching him eat with a smile. Feng Yiping guessed she was just using this as an excuse to be lazy.

Being watched while eating wasn't a pleasant experience. Feng Yiping lowered his head and ate a few big mouthfuls, then asked her, "Aren't you going back to the workshop?"

Cai Hong leaned back in her chair and laughed, "Feeling embarrassed? You like to sleep in, that's more like a child! After you finish eating, you can play for a while. You can read the newspaper in my father's office or watch TV on the second floor. If you want to go out of the yard, you must tell us."

Cai Hong had just returned to the workshop when Feng Yiping hadn't finished his noodles yet. Old Cai came in, wearing work clothes, gloves, and a mask hanging from one ear. Being older, and with a lot of wood chips in the workshop, he still needed some protection.

"Hehe, you're up. Is it enough? If not, I'll go buy more."

"It's enough, very full," Feng Yiping finished eating in a few mouthfuls and followed Old Cai to the office.

Old Cai made tea and, as usual, chatted a bit about how he slept. Then he directly asked, "Young man, you're smart, quick-witted, and full of ideas, unlike me, an old man, whose brain doesn't work as well. This business has been getting harder to do since the beginning of the year. Do you have any ideas? Help Uncle think about it."

Old Cai didn't really have much hope, but seeing Feng Yiping's performance over the past day, he thought some of his words were on point. Following the businessman's approach of trying everything, he still wanted to ask, as it wouldn't take much time.

"I'm from the mountains, and I don't really understand the furniture business. However, starting this year, not just your industry, but many industries will face increasingly fierce competition. As you know, more and more people have started businesses since last year, and many people from all walks of life have joined in. To grab business, they will use all kinds of means, so in the short term, those who have been in the business for a while will be affected."

These reasons weren't surprising, and Old Cai and his team had analyzed them. However, the fact that a junior high school student could see these things proved that he hadn't misjudged him. Today, there might be a pleasant surprise.

"You said 'in the short term.' What do you mean by that?" Old Cai asked.

"Many people who have just started businesses don't have clear goals. They just want to start a business for the sake of it, to make money. They might see that opening a restaurant is good and open one, but if it doesn't work well, they won't persist for long. A few months later, they might think that selling clothes is not only profitable but also easier than running a restaurant, so they switch to selling clothes."

"Yes, yes, you're right. At the beginning of the year, four or five furniture factories opened in our area, and many of them hired my retired old colleagues. Now, after just over half a year, more than half of them have already closed down, and the remaining one or two are barely hanging on, with very little business." Old Cai seemed to take some pleasure in this.

"Yes, you're an experienced person. You must know that the hardest part of entering any industry is the first half year. If you can't get through that, there's nothing to say." Feng Yiping flattered him a bit.

"Yes, when I started, the first few months were tough, with more losses than gains. I thought about giving up, but I decided to try harder. Later, I found some business through connections and my old face, and things gradually improved." No matter who it is, they like to show off their success stories, and Old Cai was no exception.

"Yes, no matter which industry, those who have done well before will continue to do better as long as they don't make mistakes, while newcomers will find it harder."

Old Cai took a puff of his cigarette, "What you said makes sense. We find it hard, and the newcomers find it even harder. It's a matter of who can persist and develop faster."

"You're a smart young man. Just a few words, and you understand the situation. Do you have any good ideas for the current situation?" Old Cai asked again.

"I can't say I have any good ideas, but I do have some preliminary thoughts. Don't laugh at me for saying them." Feng Yiping thought about how to phrase his words and spoke slowly.