"So, sis, how much money do you have exactly?"
Chu Ning looked at Chu An, a little confused. Who didn't want to change their situation?
But the problem was, Chu Jianguo was just a simple factory worker, and Chu Ning was a small-town girl who had never even left Ningyuan, let alone gone to a big city.
The limitations of the times, the narrowness of their horizons, and the lack of opportunities had left them unable to contribute more to their fractured family.
And honestly, Chu Ning didn't believe that Chu An had the ability to change things.
Yet, at this very moment, there was a certain confidence in Chu An's demeanor that made Chu Ning feel a bit dizzy, as if he was a different person.
Instead of answering his question, she asked him in return, "What exactly do you plan to do?"
She had saved up some money, but it was her lifeline—her savings for Chu An's college education.
She couldn't let him end up like her, having gotten into college but not daring to attend. She couldn't let their family remain trapped in this small, hopeless northern town forever.
Without a solid plan, no way could she just hand over her savings to him.
Chu An seemed to expect this reaction. After all, he had risen from the very bottom and knew how cautious people could be when they had nothing.
In Chu An's mind, making money was something he could handle. His sister, Chu Ning, still had to return to school and finish her university dream.
Only Chu An truly understood how hard his sister had worked. Only he knew that during the final year of high school, the light in her room would burn late into the night.
But he couldn't directly convince Chu Ning to go back to school—it would be useless!
People only change in two situations:
One, when they're desperate! When they've hit a dead end and can't afford to stay the same.
The other is hope! You need to give them hope, and real hope—something that can actually change their current situation.
So, for Chu Jianjun to just try to convince Chu Ning to return to school with words—without offering a concrete way out—was never going to work.
No, step by step, he needed to give her something to believe in.
And now, it was time to give her that hope.
"The film crew has over a hundred people. They drink several cases of mineral water every day, not to mention office supplies, snacks, and other miscellaneous items. And there are no stores near the south gate of the staff housing area, so they have to go all the way to the north gate to buy things, or have them transported from the south city."
The farm machinery factory had more than twenty buildings, plus a large dormitory area.
Chu An's house was near the south gate, and he was referring to the north gate, which was a few hundred meters away, and the only wholesale store in the area was located there.
Chu An continued, "The director of the film crew is really nice to me, and I've gotten pretty familiar with the people handling the logistics and production. They're filming at our place, so why not take advantage of the opportunity and let us make some money?"
Alright, apart from Sister Lan, Chu An didn't really know anyone there—he was just making it up.
Chu Ning's eyes lit up, realizing this was a business opportunity. But she hesitated. "What about after the film crew leaves in three months?"
"My dear sister," Chu An said, "the hardest part of starting a business is the beginning. The crew has guaranteed three months, and if we can't make it work, then we deserve to stay poor for the rest of our lives!"
His words were harsh, but they triggered Chu Ning's competitive spirit.
Chu An didn't stop there. "Plus, there are around twenty to thirty thousand people in our staff housing area, and there's only one small grocery store at the north gate!"
The staff housing area's location was unique. Its main entrance faced the factory, so no outside merchants could come in. The only store was a factory-run shop.
The south side of the housing area faced the Ma Yan River, and right outside was a walking path by the river—no buildings at all.
The housing area had some storefronts, but they were owned by the factory.
Originally, these storefronts were for the factory's sales department, but with the factory shut down, those stores were now closed too.
Government-run factories had their own way of doing things—no money, no idea how to turn things around, and no intention of renting the property out.
It seemed that Chu Ning had caught on. "Are you saying that even without the film crew, the neighbors in our housing area alone could support a store?"
Chu An spread his hands. "If there were a small shop near the south gate, would you still go to the factory shop?"
There was no doubt about it—who would want to walk a few hundred meters to buy something when it was much closer to go to a small shop at the south gate?
Chu Ning had experienced how inconvenient it was to cross the whole housing area just to get soy sauce, so she knew exactly what Chu An meant.
Just as she was starting to waver, Chu An added fuel to the fire. "It's not just that."
"Students from No. 1 High School who live in the north city usually walk along the river path, cross the old stone bridge, and head to the south city. They all pass by our south gate."
"If we bring in some nice stationery and expand our snack offerings, we can definitely do business with the students."
Though No. 1 High School was a bit far, it was still within reach.
"So," Chu An said, cutting straight to the point, "Stop hesitating. How much do you actually have saved?"
Chu Ning was indeed moved. This was a way out she hadn't thought of before. But still, it was one thing to consider, and another to take the risk with her money.
"It's not much… just five hundred!"
Five hundred wasn't nearly enough to open a shop. She just wanted to get Chu An to drop the idea for now. Whether to open the shop or not would be a decision she'd make after thinking it through carefully.
Alright, so Chu Ning had worked for a year, hardly spent any money, and was wearing clothes from years ago. She usually just gave Chu An a little pocket money and contributed to the household expenses, so she'd actually saved more than five hundred.
But saying just five hundred was instinctively her way of protecting that money.
But her little trick? It might fool seventeen-year-old Chu An, but it wouldn't fool the older version of him.
"I'm telling you, Chu Ning!" Chu An said firmly. "Can you be more honest with your brother?"
Chu Ning was still stubborn. "Really, just five hundred!"
"Cut the crap!" Chu An sneered. "You think I don't know? The three thousand for renting the crew's place—Dad left that with you, didn't he?"
"You've at least saved three thousand!"
Chu Ning was shocked. "How do you know Dad left the money with me? Why is he telling you everything?"
"I... I really haven't saved up three thousand! You're always asking for money here and there, don't you have any self-awareness?"
"I ask for money?" Chu An said without any embarrassment, "You always give me a few bucks, like I'm some beggar. I've counted it all up, at least three thousand!"
Chu Ning almost cried. Why had she never realized her younger brother could be so sly?
"Okay, okay!" she said, reluctantly admitting, "It's two thousand five hundred!"
At last, Chu An got the exact number. He began to calculate, "Dad's three thousand, plus yours, that's five thousand five hundred. That should be enough."
Chu Ning was in a panic. "Enough for what? This money can barely cover the stock! And we still need to rent a place and set up the shop. We'll need at least ten thousand to make it work!"
Her point was clear. She didn't want Chu An to get too excited over an unrealistic plan. She had worked at a grocery counter for a year, so she knew how these things worked.
But instead of discouraging Chu An, her words seemed to calm him down.
"Sis, I was afraid you wouldn't understand what you're doing in the second-hand shop. But look at you now—you're pretty knowledgeable, huh?"
Chu Ning narrowed her eyes. "Are you mocking me?"
But she quickly changed her tone. "I've thought about opening a small shop before, but we didn't have the capital. Even if we have five thousand now, it's still not enough."
Chu An smiled confidently. "Don't worry, I've already thought of everything."
With that, he started sketching something on the glass counter.
"Go to Ma Guoyou, he's in charge of logistics now. Ask him to rent us a store from the sales department."
Chu Ning shook her head. "You think renting from the sales department is that easy? Even if the factory would rent it, it would cost a lot."
Chu An gave a mysterious smile. "How do you know it won't work if you don't try? And anyway, what does the factory's rent have to do with us?"
"Tell him to use the rent as a way to offset what the factory owes Dad in wages. He'll end up giving us money!"
Chu Ning was silent for a moment.
"Okay, that makes sense!" she said, impressed. By doing this, they could save a significant amount on rent.
But Chu An wasn't finished.