Dou Dou and Ding Ding finished their sodas and were about to go out to play with their tin frogs. Xie Sui called out to them, "Did you forget something?"
Pointing to their cheeks, the two boys ran back and gave him a kiss on each. "Bye, Dad."
"Be good, I'm looking forward to your performance."
Lin Wanwan leaned against the kitchen door, unaccustomed to their affection. "What exactly did you say to them?"
Xie Sui walked over to her, one arm resting above her head, displaying a demeanor that was three parts charming, two parts gentle, and five parts domineering – a classic CEO smile paired with such a strong pose, it was a perfect idol drama scene.
"Thump!"
Unfortunately, Lin Wanwan wasn't a naive heroine. She directly punched him in the stomach, causing Xie Sui's face to contort in pain. "You really hit hard!"
"Hitting you is light. Next time you dare to be presumptuous, I'll..."
Lin Wanwan made a gesture of a groin kick, implying she'd kick somewhere else next time. She blushed even saying it, her fierce expression faltering.
"You're trying to murder your husband! You're just jealous of my closeness with our son, and you refuse to tell me. I'll let you be curious to death. Unless you beg me, call me 'good brother,' and I'll tell you!"
Lin Wanwan picked up the rolling pin from the kitchen. "Are you asking for a beating?"
"No, no, just kidding. Wife, can you pour me some water? Let your husband tell you how our son got his revenge."
Xie Sui knew when to stop. Lin Wanwan poured him water. After taking a sip, Xie Sui made a "tsk" sound. "The water my wife pours is always sweet."
Lin Wanwan couldn't help but roll her eyes at his smugness.
"I bought those tin frogs and had the kids rent them out. Whoever wants to play pays one cent for half an hour. More importantly, whoever wants to play has to be on good terms with our son, right?
This way, wouldn't Zhao Xiaoshan be isolated?
When personal strength is insufficient, one must rally the strength of the masses. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"
Lin Wanwan's large, almond-shaped eyes widened, making her look like a beautiful cat.
"You actually taught your son these things?"
She couldn't really say Xie Sui was wrong. They couldn't go to the other family to reason with them; letting the children resolve it themselves seemed fine.
But something felt off, as if it were a bit... underhanded.
"Am I smart, husband?"
"Heh, time to get to work. You're the smartest, with all sorts of clever tricks."
Lin Wanwan tacitly accepted the plan. She wasn't a saint who had to consider her enemy's feelings after her son was bullied. Isolating a child was a bit unethical, but the Zhao family had always been overbearing, and he had made the first move.
The afternoon was spent making preserves. All the peaches were used, resulting in over fifty jars.
"So much, will it all sell?"
There were only so many people in town. They might buy some for a treat, but no one could afford to eat them all the time!
"It definitely will. Trust your husband. I'll start dinner. Tonight, we'll have fried egg pancakes and some millet porridge."
"Okay, I'll go cut some chives."
There were still some small oilseed rape plants and lettuce in the field. She'd pick them to stir-fry for dinner.
Dou Dou and Ding Ding returned with the setting sun, their imposing demeanor like victorious generals returning from a campaign.
Several other children followed behind them, escorting them like guards. At the doorstep, they earnestly said, "We'll escort you home. Tomorrow, we'll be the first to play with the frogs. We agreed!"
"Mm, playing for free for half an hour is your reward."
"Okay, we'll escort you tomorrow too. If Zhao Xiaoshan dares to bully you, we'll all beat him up."
Lin Wanwan mused. Xie Sui's method, though a bit devious, was effective and direct.
Dou Dou and Ding Ding ran into the kitchen to boast to Xie Sui. Not only had they made the other children listen to them, but they had also earned one jiao. Especially seeing Zhao Xiaoshan crying his eyes out had been so satisfying.
Xie Sui stuffed a piece of pancake into each of their mouths. "Go wash your hands, it's time to eat. But this jiao belongs to Dad. It's the money Dad spent on the frogs, your investment. Investments need to be returned."
"We know! We're people of our word. Here you go."
Xie Sui scooped the pancakes onto a plate, found a small wooden box, and put the money in. "When you save enough to buy your own frogs, that's when you'll start earning money. Keep up the good work!"
"Yes!"
The two boys even saluted, full of ceremony. Xie Sui was overjoyed. How could they be so cute? "Time to eat."
They only earned one jiao that day. It would take months to save enough to buy frogs. Xie Sui simply wanted to use this method to teach them business sense and problem-solving skills.
Dinner was a harmonious affair. The fried egg pancakes and millet porridge were delicious. The lettuce was crisp and refreshing. Even the two children who disliked vegetables ate quite a bit of the stir-fried oilseed rape and mushrooms.
However, the Zhao Tielin household was far from harmonious; it was quite chaotic. Zhao Xiaoshan lay on the ground, rolling around like a millstone, making Zhao Tielin want to grab a broom and beat him.
"Don't hit the child! It's just a tin frog, can't you just buy him one? It's not a big deal. My good grandson, get up quickly, Grandma will buy you one."
Zhao Xiaoshan immediately stopped crying. "Buy it now."
Zhao Tielin's temper flared again. "It's dark, the supply and marketing cooperative is already closed. Where am I supposed to buy it for you?"
Zhao Tielin's wife quickly pacified him. "We'll go buy it first thing tomorrow morning, okay? Be good, Grandma will steam some eggs for you."
"By morning, they'll all be playing with Dou Dou and Ding Ding. No one will play with me."
Zhao Xiaoshan was extremely aggrieved. He had always been the leader of the children, but today, the Xie family's two brats had lured away all his followers. How could he swallow this insult? Su Dan Novel Network.
"We don't care to play with them. Grandma will take you to town to buy candy."
Zhao Tielin snapped, "What are you teaching the child? You'll spoil him sooner or later."
"The child is still young, he'll grow up and understand on his own. I raised several sons, and they all turned out fine. My grandson will surely become a high official."
Zhao Tielin's wife was unconcerned. In her opinion, a child's character was innate, and raising them with good food and drink was the parents' achievement.
Zhao Tielin puffed on his pipe, not bothering to argue with the old woman. His mind drifted to Xie Sui. Making preserves seemed quite profitable. In just a few days, that little brat was eating meat at every meal, a far cry from before.
If he could do it, why couldn't he?
The next day, he went to find the village chief, Zhao Tiegang, to discuss the matter. Zhao Tiegang asked, "Do you know how to do it? There's no rule saying only Xiao Sui can sell them. You can sell them too!"
"I don't have the skills, that's why I'm asking you. Find a way to inquire about it. It would be best if you could see how he does it. In the past, doing business was a matter for the whole village; he wasn't the only one hogging it all."