Kay wanted to help Leo, but he didn’t want to lead him off a cliff.
Leo fell silent at Kay’s words.
This path was indeed very profitable; every box of cigarettes was a legitimate product. They weren’t smuggling; they were merely relocating cigarettes that were allocated to specific regions, taking those that were hard to sell in Zoriville to Southern Henan, and then bringing them to capital, back and forth… Well, it wasn’t smuggling; it was definitely exploiting loopholes in the policy.
For someone like Leo, exploiting policy loopholes was fine; even if they were pursued one day, considering his father’s sacrifices in the war, things might be downplayed. Kay, however, was different; he had a bright future ahead. Would there be any stains left on his record?!
Leo shivered, and his mind, clouded by immense profit, finally began to cool down:
“Kay, let’s quit.”
Leo was timid; sometimes, it was a flaw, but at times, it became a virtue, allowing him to understand “respect.” He didn’t take advantage of his family’s elders’ indulgence to become unruly. Seeing that Kay’s words had sunk in, he stopped trying to scare him: “Quitting isn’t necessary; we can change our approach and continue. Let me think about it.”
Leo nodded vigorously, hoping Kay would think it through carefully. His mind couldn’t compare to Kay’s; he was used to following Kay’s lead.
His grandmother had said that being not smart was fine; just follow the smart ones.
The guesthouse was quite nice, and the five people staying there each had their own concerns, all suffering from insomnia. The next morning, the happiest person was undoubtedly Amanda , as William had already promised her the night before that he would withdraw the remaining capital and never touch that life-threatening business again.
Although Amanda felt pained by the wounds he bore, she was also glad about William’s decision.
In November, the temperature in the business city was quite low in the morning and evening. Amanda took a kettle to fetch water to wash her face. It was her first time staying at a guesthouse; it wasn’t as familiar as the rural life in Wellwater Village, but it had an indescribable convenience. Hot water was available at any time, and the toilets were clean. She heard that every year around mid-November, the business city also had centralized heating… No wonder Micheal didn’t want to go back after coming to the city; it was indeed different from the countryside.
People strive for higher places, and water flows to lower places. In the past, there were no aspirations, but once a thought takes root in the heart, it’s not so easy to get rid of it.
“How much capital can you withdraw? What if we, like Scarlett, start a business in the business city and bring Micheal to the city for school?”
Want to stay in the capital?
William wasn’t surprised. After seeing what a good life looks like, no one wants to suffer in the countryside without moving. Otherwise, why would he always think about making a fuss?
“What about the land at home? You used to worry about starving if you didn’t farm.”
Yes, what about the land at home?
Regardless of whether you farm or not, every year you have to pay the public grain and various fees, which is a limitation brought by being a farmer. Although it’s hard to scrape a living from the land, if you work diligently, you can fill your stomach, but when it comes to spending money, you feel restricted. You can fill your stomach, but a better life is out of reach. This is how rural people live; even urban workers don’t eat meat every day. Everyone saves and saves when spending money!
Compared to the past, Amanda should be satisfied with her current life. After the land was distributed, farmers’ lives would gradually improve.
But after seeing some things, Amanda was also unwilling to stay in the countryside.
She wasn’t just thinking of herself; as a parent, she had to consider her children, right?
“Who said I want to abandon the land at home? I can hire someone to farm it. Anyway, if the business fails, I still have a few acres of land to fall back on. No matter what, we won’t starve!”
Amanda raised her voice.
She didn’t expect to be as capable as her niece, but surely she could still earn enough to pay the public grain and fees, right?
“Alright, alright, don’t get worked up. You say how to do it, and we’ll do it.”
William was just teasing his wife, but he brought out Amanda ‘s competitive spirit. He originally planned to settle down in the county town, but after thinking it over, he realized that a small place like Greenfield County wasn’t worth staying in. The population is limited; doing a small business to make ends meet is fine, but for significant development, one must go to a big city.
William didn’t understand city economics; he only knew that the more people there are buying things, the more money people have in their pockets, and that’s when individual businesses can make money.
Harborfield, the capital of Skyhaven Province , couldn’t be compared to Zoriville or Sablewick , but it was already the best big city in Skyhaven Province . It wasn’t too far from Wellwater village, allowing him to take care of his rural home while also doing business… William felt he had been foolish to think of moving to Greenfield County; it would be better to go directly to Harborfield.
“Once I get my capital back, I’ll think it over carefully.”
Amanda mentioned Whitaker Scarlett’s previous suggestion, and William instinctively shook his head: “How can you take advantage of Scarlett? That girl clearly wants to give you money to spend. Are you good at picking clothes, or do you dare to go to Sablewick to buy goods yourself? What help can you provide for Scarlett’s business?”
The partnership must provide some value.
The clothes Whitaker Scarlett brought back from Sablewick were snatched up quickly because of her unique taste.
