I can travel back and forth in 1986

Chapter 85 Showdown

Zhang Xiaoli stared at the string of numbers on her son's phone screen, feeling her head buzzing.

"Three...three hundred and sixty thousand? You earned that?" Her voice trembled, her fingers gripping the edge of her phone tightly. "Xiao Chuan, tell Mom the truth, where did this money come from? You can't do anything illegal!"

The mother and son had only been apart for a few days, and it wasn't like they had won the lottery; her son suddenly had so much money, and she instinctively became worried.

Zhang Beichuan quickly pulled her to sit down on a chair in the store and lowered his voice.

"Mom, don't rush, let me explain slowly."

He had anticipated this question, took a deep breath, and began to organize his thoughts.

"This money was earned honestly. Do you remember I told you the other day that I got a big order?"

Zhang Xiaoli nodded, but her eyes were still full of doubt.

"But what kind of deal can earn so much money all at once? You've only been working for a few years..."

"Mom, it wasn't because of my salary." Zhang Beichuan interrupted her, deciding to explain half-truthfully, "Actually, I... I quit my job back then and started a business."

"Start a business?" Zhang Xiaoli was taken aback. "What kind of business?"

"Aquatic products business," Zhang Beichuan said sincerely. "I rented a shop near Baijia Market, specializing in selling eels and loaches. The market has been good lately, and the supply is stable, so I've made some money."

After he finished speaking, the shop fell silent instantly.

The mother and son looked at each other, and Zhang Xiaoli didn't know what to say for a moment.

You might say you don't believe it, but the balance on my son's phone can't be faked.

But believe it or not, is the seafood business really that profitable?

How can you earn 360,000 yuan in less than half a month?

"But...but this doesn't make sense! Even if business is good, how could you earn so much in such a short time?" Zhang Xiaoli was genuinely worried that he was going astray. He was her only son. "Xiaochuan, although your mother has never run a big business, I know that your money is coming too fast, and where did you get your initial investment?"

"Mom, please let me finish." Zhang Beichuan had already prepared his explanation. "Our business isn't retail; we mainly do wholesale. We have long-term supply agreements with several big bosses, and we have a huge daily turnover, and..."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice even further.

"I found a very stable source of goods with low purchase prices and good quality, which resulted in a large profit margin. In addition, these goods are in short supply in the market, so I made a lot of money by reselling them."

These words made perfect sense, and Zhang Xiaoli's doubts gradually subsided, but her brows remained furrowed.

"But what about your capital?"

Zhang Beichuan gave an awkward smile and took a step back.

"Mom, I've told you, but please don't be angry."

Seeing his strange expression, Zhang Xiaoli nodded.

"I...I applied for several credit cards and spent 20 yuan..."

Before he could finish speaking, his mother, who had been sitting just moments before, suddenly stood up from the stool, grabbed the clothes rack next to her, and ran off.

"You stand up straight for me!"

Zhang Beichuan, who had run to the store entrance, glanced awkwardly at the deserted street around him. "Mom, didn't we agree not to be angry?"

"I'll count to three! Are you coming over or not?"

In Sichuan and Chongqing, even a passing dog would tremble at the sound of "I'm from Sichuan to the mountains," let alone Zhang Beichuan.

"Come on over, come on over, can you put the stick down here?"

Zhang Xiaoli was so angry she laughed. She chuckled and put the clothes-grabbing pole aside, then waved her hand.

"Come here, little one."

Just as he got close, Zhang Beichuan's ear was grabbed, and he hissed, "Ouch...ouch..."

"Now you know what pain is? I've told you so many times not to touch those things, to only do what you can afford, but you wouldn't listen, would you? Just two hundred thousand, you've got some nerve!"

"Mom...Mom...I was wrong, I was wrong..."

Seeing her son wince in pain, she finally let go.

Zhang Beichuan quickly rubbed his ear, which was about to fall off, and it took him a long time to recover.

"Have you paid me back yet?"

"Not yet."

"Then why don't you hurry up and return it?"

Zhang Beichuan immediately retorted, "Mom, my business needs a lot of money to keep going every day. I'll pay it back as soon as I have some extra cash in a few days."

"I really don't know how you got so bold. Nobody in our family has ever been in the seafood business. What if we lose money? What will you do then?"

"So what if I lost money? If I'm always worried about this and that, I won't be able to do anything. Besides, I'm only 26. If I lose 200,000 yuan, am I really going to never be able to pay it back in my lifetime?"

Seeing his confident demeanor, Zhang Xiaoli's anger subsided considerably, and a hint of pride gradually appeared in her eyes.

"You're so headstrong! You never discuss anything with us." She paused, her gaze returning to her phone screen. "So, of that 360,000... 160,000 really was earned in just half a month?"

"Mom, it's absolutely true." Seeing that his mother's attitude had softened, Zhang Beichuan quickly pressed his advantage. "The shop is in Baijia Market, called Beichuan Seafood. You can come and see it anytime. We currently deliver to two restaurants regularly, and that alone brings in several thousand yuan in profit every day. Add in regular customers, and we can make twenty to thirty thousand yuan in gross profit every day."

He continued, observing his mother's expression.

"Moreover, the business is already on track, the supply of goods is very stable, and there is no worry about selling them. It's just that I can't handle it all by myself right now. I have to receive and deliver goods during the day, and I have to watch the store in the early morning. Today I almost missed delivering goods to a customer."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaoli frowned.

"You're running alone? How can you do that! What if you exhaust yourself?"

"So, Mom," Zhang Beichuan seized the opportunity, "I came here today to discuss something with you. Dad's work is unstable right now, and your clothing store... I see business is slow. How about you and Dad come and help me?"

"Shall we help you?" Zhang Xiaoli was tempted.

With a gross profit of 20,000 to 30,000 a day, after deducting expenses, there should be at least 10,000 to 20,000 left.

More importantly, she just heard from her son that he's handling all the big and small things at the shop by himself, which is bound to cause problems in the long run.

"Yes." Zhang Beichuan's tone became serious. "Mom, you're meticulous, so you're perfect for accounting and running the shop. Dad can drive, so he can handle the deliveries. That way, our whole family can be together, look after each other, and the business will be more stable."

"Besides, hiring outsiders not only costs money, but you also have to be constantly on your guard. Running your own business is much more engaging, isn't it?"

Zhang Xiaoli thought about it and agreed; she felt more at ease knowing that her own business should be run by her own people.

"You've managed to get your mom here, haven't you?" She hesitated for a moment, her tone softening. "I was just worried you wouldn't do a good job, plus your dad and I are always together and arguing."

Zhang Beichuan smiled. Just because there aren't many deliveries now doesn't mean they can't continue to develop some regular customers.

For example, people like Li Tao order quite a lot of goods every day. They could easily offer door-to-door delivery and improve their service, which might even boost their business.

"Mom, didn't I just say? Dad's in charge of deliveries, he's exhausted after a long day, he doesn't have the energy to argue with you. Besides, keeping accounts and minding the shop aren't difficult, you'll learn after watching me sell for a day."

Hearing her son say that, Zhang Xiaoli's last bit of worry disappeared.

"Okay, you call your dad and ask him, I'll call the boss and tell him."

Without saying a word, Zhang Beichuan took out his phone and called his father, Zhang Qiang.

"Great job, you're a true son." Zhang Qiang on the other end of the phone beamed with joy after hearing this, but then added, "However, I haven't finished my work yet, so it'll be another two weeks before I can come back."

"Dad, no rush. You finish what you're doing, Mom and I will take care of things at the shop for now."

As soon as Zhang Xiaoli hung up the phone, Zhang Beichuan hung up as well.

"Mom, what did your boss say?"

Zhang Xiaoli smiled helplessly, "What else can I say? The boss agreed without saying a word, and he's not even planning to work here. He'll come to the store this afternoon to settle the payment."

"That's perfect. Dad said he'll come back as soon as he finishes what he's doing."