Chapter 24: Initial Collaboration

Wanshun nodded in agreement; although she hadn’t interacted much with Zuo Dalong, he truly seemed reliable. Thinking of the first crisis he might encounter, she spoke up with rare kindness.

“Uncle, do you invest?”

Zuo Dalong laughed. “Why, are you thinking of investing?”

Wanshun pursed her lips. “Not really, but I know there’s a weak dollar policy now, which is causing a wave of investment fever as large amounts of funds pour into the market. Lots of people are getting involved.”

There would be an Asian financial crisis this year. Though it wouldn’t compare to the global one a decade later, it would still have a considerable impact on Zuo Dalong. Wanting to develop an industrial park but short on funds, he hoped to capitalize on the investment boom. He never imagined a financial crisis would strike, turning most investments into bubbles. When the capital chain broke, development halted, worker salaries went unpaid, fees piled up, and even land couldn’t be sold. He nearly had to sell his blood to pay his debts.

She had learned all this years later in prison, piecing together the stories of the wealthy in Qijiang County.

Zuo Dalong was clearly surprised. “Impressive, girl. You even know about this. So, you’re not thinking of investing yourself—are you introducing some investment to me?”

Wanshun glanced at him, seeing his carefree grin, and replied coolly, “I advise you not to invest. If you already have, pull out as soon as possible—otherwise you’ll end up selling your blood to pay debts. This policy won’t last. Once it ends and the funds flow out, your investment assets will burst like bubbles.”

Zuo Dalong’s smile faded; Wanshun spoke with such detail that he didn’t know how to argue. “Girl, you’re not pulling my leg, are you?”

“I’m not. If you go bankrupt, my chance to earn money is gone. So, Uncle, we’re in this together—you’d better manage your business well.”

Zuo Dalong… Something about this didn’t sound quite right. His heart pounded; he’d have to think this over.

Wanshun didn’t get off at the hospital. Instead, she had Zuo Dalong stop at a hotel so she could take a bath. Afterward, she bought some food before heading to the hospital.

Yu Yan hadn’t slept, waiting anxiously for Wanshun’s safe return. Only when she saw her come back unharmed did she relax.

“You’re only just getting back? Have you eaten? I had the nurse help buy some buns—they just need to be steamed in hot water.”

Wanshun smiled and lifted the food in her hand. “Not yet. I just bought some, so let’s eat together.”

Yu Yan’s heart ached. “So late and you haven’t eaten. Hurry up, eat. Godmother has already eaten. There’s hot water in the kettle. What were you doing today? Why do you smell like gasoline?”

“Fixing cars,” Wanshun replied. She was really hungry, so she stuffed a lunchbox into Yu Yan’s hand to eat with her, then dug in herself.

Watching Wanshun eat so ravenously, Yu Yan couldn’t bring herself to eat and kept piling more food into Wanshun’s box. “Eat slowly, don’t choke. Godmother isn’t hungry, I’ve eaten. You eat all of this. When did you learn to fix cars? It’s exhausting work for a girl. Why don’t we just forget about the treatment? My health really is fine.”

Wanshun paused long enough to push the food back to her. “Godmother, you eat too, I’m full. Fixing cars isn’t tiring, I’ve known how for a while and it’s actually pretty fun. I earned several hundred today—enough to cover your hospital and medical bills for now. Just focus on getting better and don’t worry about anything else.”

“Several hundred?” Yu Yan was incredulous. “How could you make so much in one day? You don’t need to exaggerate to comfort me. Work is tiring—why else are most mechanics men? Wanshun, listen to me. Godmother really is fine. Let’s go home, okay? Save your money for school. I overheard someone in the next bed say that when their child graduated from college, they were assigned a good job—so enviable. Even for non-college jobs, you need a high school diploma. All the good jobs require qualifications. I’m useless; I can’t afford to send you to school, but you can’t give up.”

The mention of schooling made Wanshun pause. She genuinely should go to school. The Wan family, wanting to control and oppress her, had refused to let her study, even sabotaging things when the Jiang family could have supported her. So in both her past and present lives, she had never attended a single day of school. In her previous life, she’d only taken a literacy class in prison, just enough to recognize characters. When she tried to learn repair work and other skills, simply knowing how to read wasn’t enough, and she regretted not having studied more.

“Alright, I’ll save up for school, godmother. Don’t worry.”

Wanshun was receptive, which made Yu Yan overjoyed. “That’s the spirit! Then let’s check out of the hospital tomorrow; the money paid today probably hasn’t been used yet and can be refunded.”

Wanshun smiled at her. “Godmother, don’t worry about that. Just focus on getting better. School and treatment don’t conflict—they can happen at the same time. I’ll find a way with the money.”

Yu Yan fell silent.

For three days straight, Wanshun left early and returned late, reeking of gasoline and with hands covered in oil. Yu Yan saw it all, pained but powerless to help.

Wanshun didn’t feel the hardship at all. She helped repair over fifty harvesters, her efficiency twice that of the other mechanics. Depending on the difficulty, Zuo Dalong always paid her generously—three thousand yuan in total. The sense of accomplishment was immense.

“You’re amazing, girl. Why not come work for me? I’ll pay you a high salary.”

“No,” Wanshun counted her money, ready to leave. All of Yu Yan’s test results were in; one thing required surgery, scheduled for tomorrow morning. She needed to be there so Yu Yan wouldn’t worry.

Three thousand should be enough to solve the immediate problem.

Zuo Dalong was disappointed. “Alright, but if you ever need money, come find me. Here’s five thousand yuan as a loan—pay me back whenever, no interest.”

Wanshun looked at him in surprise—no doubt, a true saint.

Zuo Dalong enjoyed seeing her astonished expression. “Take it. I’ll consider it an investment. I can see you’re very capable, and I might need your help in the future. Better to build a good relationship now.”

Wanshun chuckled and pushed the money back. “I’m not short on cash right now. If I am, I’ll come find you. Uncle, make sure you keep your business afloat—don’t go bankrupt.”

Zuo Dalong…

Yu Yan’s operation was minor, but for someone who’d never experienced it, it was terrifying. She was anxious the whole day. If Wanshun weren’t there, she might have run away.

The operation was indeed small; three days after, if there were no complications, she could be discharged.

After Wanshun brought Yu Yan out of the operating room and made sure she was fine, she left the hospital. She went to the recycling station to pick out a heap of old parts, then borrowed space from Zuo Dalong to grind and assemble them. In three days, she’d built a tricycle with a cargo bed. After some sanding and painting, it looked brand new and had only cost a hundred yuan—a real bargain.

Zuo Dalong was impressed. “Girl, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. This vehicle is practical and convenient. How about we work together and make more to sell?”

Wanshun’s eyes flickered. Most tricycles now were pedal-powered, but in the future, electric tricycles would be all the rage. As for motor tricycles, sidecars were popular now, but proper cargo tricycles hadn’t yet caught on, and the technology was still immature. With her knowledge and skills from the future, developing this wouldn’t be difficult.

“Alright, I’ll contribute the technology, and you handle the rest.”

What had started as a joke left Zuo Dalong stunned. “Really? We can do this?”