The railway station was a bit far from the city center. However, since there were many trains coming from the south, the passenger flow was still quite large.
It was too far to get there by pedicab, so pedicab drivers all scrambled for passengers in the city. As a result, the small railway station became a haven for private vehicles.
Whether it was tractors, minibuses or medium - sized buses, they would crowd there every day waiting for passengers.
Of course, the fares were extremely high.
The fare for carpooling was actually five yuan per person. In an era when people's salaries were low, it was simply sky - high!
But there was no other way. These were the only options to get to the city center.
Not taking one? Then you could just walk to the city center on your own!
That's when Teacher Li spotted this business opportunity. Opportunities are not only reserved for those who are well - prepared, but also for those who are willing to work hard.
He got up early every day to pick up passengers there. A round - trip took about two hours, and he earned very little each day, even less than when he was working in the city.
However, the advantage was that he could get to know many passengers who often traveled between the two areas.
They were all doing business in the south and were among the first wave of self - employed individuals.
They were never short of money, but they hated those pushy drivers. Instead, they preferred Teacher Li's pedicab.
Although it took longer on the road, it was quiet, which could just right relieve the fatigue of the journey.
They could take a nap when they were tired and chat with Teacher Li when they woke up.
As Teacher Li chatted with them, he gradually built up a large network of contacts.
They introduced many passengers to him, all of whom were doing business between the two cities.
But gradually, Teacher Li began to feel overwhelmed. However, this also meant that the groundwork he had laid before had paid off.
Teacher Li first went to the vehicle yard administrator. He used his only watch as collateral, wrote an IOU, and rented ten vehicles at once. He also borrowed some money and hired a number of drivers.
It took Teacher Li two months to finally recoup his investment, and his business was on the right track.
When he said this, there was a glint of tears in Teacher Li's eyes.
"If I had made the wrong bet at that time and the business had failed, I would have had no choice but to end my life."
That was the darkest period of his life. The time before dawn, when you couldn't see the sun, was the most despairing.
But Teacher Li persevered and finally got his business on track.
As the saying goes, one will not find a way out until pushed to the brink.
Hearing Teacher Li's story, Yun Que'er's eyes were filled with admiration.
She not only admired Teacher Li's courage and ability but also envied him.
"I'm back this time to recruit another batch of drivers," Teacher Li said. "I'm very grateful to those people. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today. But I'm even more grateful to your family."
Saying this, Teacher Li stood up and bowed deeply to Yun Que'er.
"Without you, I wouldn't have survived to this day."
This great kindness was really hard to repay.
Yun Fujin quickly supported Teacher Li. "Please don't say that. It was just a small favor."
There were tears in Teacher Li's eyes. "It might be just a small favor to you, but it's the greatest blessing in my life."
Teacher Li wiped his tears. "By the way, I haven't asked you why you're here. It's so hot. Aren't you afraid of getting sunburned?"
"We're here looking for business opportunities," Yun Fujin said.
He glanced at Yun Que'er helplessly. "This girl has the most ideas. She heard that there are antique dealers from the city who are buying timber recently, so she insisted on coming here to try her luck. I couldn't persuade her, so I had to come with her."
Yun Que'er stuck out her tongue at Yun Fujin and said coquettishly,
"I'm doing this for our family. Big brother, how could you bear to scold me?"
Teacher Li smiled and stroked Yun Que'er's head. "Yes, it's a good thing that the girl has this idea. But it's not a good way to just wait like this. Coincidentally, there's a big boss in the building materials business who came with me this time. His hometown is here, and he has a wide network of contacts. Let me ask him to inquire for you."
"We couldn't possibly trouble you like that," Yun Fujin said, blushing as he declined. "You have important things to do this time. You really don't have to do this for something that happened in the past."
"Hey, just like you said. It was just a small favor for you to help me, and it's the same for me to help you."
Teacher Li insisted on helping. After Yun Fujin declined a few times, he finally agreed gratefully.
After dinner, Teacher Li urged them to leave. Unexpectedly, just two days later, Teacher Li really brought back the news.
He even came to the Yun family with a lot of presents. He originally wanted to thank them and tell them the good news. But as soon as he entered the door, he saw Yun Motan who was still recuperating from his illness. He was so shocked that he dropped the things in his hands.
After learning what had happened, Teacher Li was so angry that his eyes turned red.
"Those damned people! They're out of power but still can't stay quiet. They've hurt you like this again. They're really..."
Yun Motan smiled and patted Teacher Li's hand. "Come on, don't be so angry. It's all in the past. The criminals have been punished. Don't take it to heart. Be careful not to hurt yourself."
Teacher Li still looked indignant. "You're really too good - tempered!"
As he said this, Teacher Li couldn't help feeling sad.
The people who had hurt Yun Motan had been arrested, but the people who had hurt him back then were still at large.
Seeing that Teacher Li seemed to be in a bad mood, Yun Motan knew that he must have thought of the past again. He quickly changed the subject.
"I saw you come in excitedly just now and say that you had some good news. Do tell me. I've been waiting to hear it."
"Look at me. I almost forgot the important thing." Teacher Li slapped his mouth and looked at Yun Que'er. "Girl, the people you're looking for are staying at the guesthouse in the town. I've already talked to them, and they specifically asked to see your craftsmanship."
"I have some works," Yun Que'er nodded repeatedly and took out the woodcarvings for Teacher Li to see.
Teacher Li couldn't put them down as soon as he saw them and kept exclaiming in admiration.
"Good, really good. Brother Yun, your children are all outstanding, especially this girl. I must take her as my god - daughter."
Yun Que'er blushed shyly, while Yun Motan looked completely confused.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand a single word."
Yun Motan was often away from home. Usually, when there were things at home and decisions needed to be made, the children would discuss them among themselves. They were so used to it that this time they forgot to tell Yun Motan in advance.
Yun Jianzhou was quick - tongued and casually told Teacher Li what had happened. As a result, Teacher Li's face darkened.
Yun Que'er knew something was wrong as soon as she saw this. Just as she was about to explain, Yun Motan interrupted her.
"All you kids go out. Teacher Li, please go to another room for a while. Fujin, stay."
Yun Que'er instantly became nervous. It seemed that Yun Motan was going to ask them about their mistakes!