Chapter 6: The Parents of My Classmates

“Yar, what are you doing?”

Zhang Caixia grew anxious the moment she saw her son move to block Chen Boyuan’s way. Just a moment ago, her son had been sitting there, his mind muddled, smiling foolishly to himself. Now, all of a sudden, he was stopping Chen Boyuan. What was he thinking? She prayed he wouldn’t say anything he shouldn’t.

“Yar, why don’t you go back to your room and rest a while?”

Husband and wife shared a single heart; Wu Wanli understood his wife’s concerns completely. But Chen Boyuan, standing nearby, was not willing to let things go so easily.

“Oh? Nephew, is there something you wish to say?”

The Wu family was wealthy, and this boy was still young and inexperienced, not to mention that he had just been released from the hospital after a head injury. Perhaps, in a fit of excitement, his thoughts were in disarray. If he had truly lost his wits and agreed to refund his money, wouldn’t that be ideal? He didn’t care who made the decisions in the Wu family—as long as someone from the Wu family said the word, that five thousand yuan would be his, down to the last cent.

Sure enough—

“I’ll give you your money back.”

The moment Wu Yar spoke, Wu Wanli and Zhang Caixia were struck dumb with shock.

Their son really must have been rendered foolish by the accident!

“Hahaha, nephew, I’ll take you at your word! Let’s do it now, hand over the money.”

Chen Boyuan didn’t dare to waste another second on pleasantries, fearing that Wu and his wife would step in to stop him. Without hesitation, he extended his left hand, ready to receive the money.

“Son—”

“Dad, Mom, I’m fine. Let Uncle Chen write a receipt, stating that from this day forward, the tailor shop has nothing more to do with him. Then you can return his money. We’re all just trying to make a living—it’s not easy for anyone.”

Wu Yar shook his head at his parents. Remarkably, every word he spoke was in consideration of Chen Boyuan.

Zhang Caixia stared at Wu Yar, blinking in disbelief. What had come over her son today? Earlier in the day, he had been perfectly normal, even driving those hooligans away and extorting twenty thousand in compensation from them. But now, he was acting strangely. Could this be some aftereffect of his injury?

But the words had been said, and Chen Boyuan was the type who would never let a windfall slip by. Zhang Caixia had no choice but to shuffle into the inner room, trembling as she opened the wardrobe, took out the bundle of twenty thousand yuan which had barely had time to warm, counted out five thousand, and returned to the living room.

“Yar, count it.”

As she handed over the money, she didn’t forget to remind Wu Yar to count it carefully.

Five thousand yuan—in those days, it was more than a family could earn in a whole year, even if they neither ate nor drank. Chen Boyuan’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Nephew, you tell me what to write, and I’ll write it just the way you want!”

This boy was certainly a fool—refunding the money meant they were accepting the loss as a family. And yet, he still spoke in Chen Boyuan’s favor, still considered his situation. Ha! In my view, your family is the one that has it hardest. After finally getting your hands on twenty thousand, you’ve just squandered away five thousand in a moment. People who have never seen so much money simply can’t handle sudden wealth—their manners and behavior are bound to become erratic.

But so much the better. If the boy hadn’t suddenly lost his wits, how could I have gotten my five thousand back?

Without delay, Chen Boyuan wrote out a receipt in a bold, flowing hand. From this day onward, the tailor shop belonged solely to the Wu family, and all matters relating to it were severed from him.

Wu Yar took the receipt and handed over the money.

“Old Wu, I’ll be off, then!” Chen Boyuan couldn’t resist mocking Wu Wanli as he left. You’ve really raised a fine son.

“Yar, what on earth were you thinking? Why did you refund his money? Why bear such a loss yourself?”

No sooner had Chen Boyuan stepped out than Zhang Caixia demanded answers. The two questions nearly made her burst with frustration; the little humiliation from Chen Boyuan’s parting jest was outweighed by her burning need to understand. After all, it was five thousand yuan!

“Dad, Mom, I want to continue running the tailor shop! In fact, I want to expand it and make it bigger!”

“What did you say?” Before Zhang Caixia could react, Wu Wanli exploded. Was this some kind of joke? A tailor shop on the verge of collapse, a burden even the adults in the family couldn’t salvage, and their eighteen-year-old boy, still wet behind the ears, wanted to expand it? Where did he get such courage? Who gave him this confidence? Was it because of the twenty thousand yuan? If so, then the compensation was more a curse than a blessing—it had changed his son’s usual contented nature and made him reckless.

“Son, does your head still hurt? Are you feeling confused?” Zhang Caixia’s concern brimmed over as she questioned her son’s condition.

It was all too much to take in. Not only had he given away money for nothing, he even wanted to jump back into the pit. No one would act this way unless… unless something had happened to his head!

“Dad, Mom, please don’t worry. I’m fine. The reason I have this idea is because of a suggestion from a classmate—her parents are what you’d call ‘speculators.’”

Speculators?

Wu Yar’s explanation immediately left his parents speechless. In that era of a controlled market economy, all goods—even basic necessities—were under regulation to some extent. Over time, this created a fixed pattern of shortages and surpluses, with sluggish circulation. Domestic information was limited, leading to imbalances in supplies: some places had mountains of goods, others suffered dire shortages. With the pace of reform and opening up accelerating, and the government quickly loosening restrictions on private enterprise, some sharp-minded people plunged into the new market. Most early entrepreneurs chose to travel across the country, seeking resources scarce in their region, buying in bulk, and selling at high prices elsewhere. The term “buying low and selling high” was coined in those years.

It was undeniable: speculators were not only the first to take the plunge and the boldest in spirit, but also the first to amass significant fortunes. These people were broad-minded and quick-witted, their experience and vision far beyond the reach of ordinary folk. To the average citizen, they were people of great ability.

So when Wu Yar mentioned “speculators,” Wu Wanli and Zhang Caixia were stunned.

“So, our son isn’t foolish after all. He’s acting on someone else’s advice!”

“But even if her parents are speculators, even if they’re capable, what does that have to do with our tailor shop? Your classmate surely doesn’t know our family’s situation, does she?” In the end, Zhang Caixia couldn’t help but ask. The tailor shop had never made ends meet since opening, and the hundred-plus unsold garments were the final straw breaking their backs. In such circumstances, how could Wu Yar’s classmate suggest they keep going? She must not know the details. Otherwise, with her parents’ experience and vision, how could she advise continuing with a tailor shop mired so deep it couldn’t break free?

“Dad, Mom…”