"I can probably come up with sixty thousand."
Qin Nian thought for a moment, calculating her savings and the money she could withdraw from the passbook her mother-in-law had given her.
"Sixty thousand—that’s not a small amount. Once this first batch of goods is shipped out, we’ll start seeing returns."
Fan Juan frowned slightly.
"Is the gap still large?"
Qin Nian could tell from Fan Juan’s expression.
"It’s quite a bit. I initially thought our combined funds would be enough, but after investing, I realized the subsequent expenses were much higher than I anticipated."
Having returned from two years abroad, she was met with rising wages and prices—something she hadn’t accounted for. It was a mistake she shouldn’t have made, but if she’d overanalyzed everything, they might not even have a product by now.
"Let me go back and discuss it."
Qin Nian spoke after a pause. Both of them were busy, and if it weren’t for matters unsuitable for phone calls, they wouldn’t have made time to meet.
"Will you lead the team at the upcoming social event? We can continue our discussion then."
"Sure."
Qin Nian nodded.
When Qin Nian returned home, Yang Yufen had just arrived as well.
"Mom, have some water. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you."
Qin Nian quickly poured a glass of water for Yang Yufen and took the things from her hands.
"What is it?"
Yang Yufen drank the water in one go, sat down on the stool, and picked up a fan to cool herself.
"Mom, Fan Juan and I started a factory. Now we need to expand production and require additional funds. I’d like to use all the money we have at home."
"Is it not enough?"
Yang Yufen immediately grasped the crux of the matter.
"The shortfall is quite significant."
Qin Nian nodded.
"Gold prices are high right now. We can sell all the gold we have—it’s just sitting there anyway. Let’s see how much more is needed after that, and I’ll figure something out."
Yang Yufen considered the quickest way to raise money.
If it weren’t urgent, Qin Nian wouldn’t have brought it up like this.
"Mom, I’m sorry."
Qin Nian felt deeply apologetic.
"Why are you apologizing? This is for a proper cause, not for squandering. What’s yours is yours—even if you’d used it without telling me, I wouldn’t have said a word."
Yang Yufen tapped the fan against her leg.
"If you’re busy tomorrow, I can exchange the gold for cash for you."
"No need, Mom. The bank can handle it directly."
Qin Nian shook her head.
"Good, as long as it doesn’t delay your plans. Have you eaten? The kids have been eating at the canteen on weekdays lately."
"I have. Mom, I brought you food from the canteen."
"Wonderful."
Yang Yufen happily took the meal and began eating.
After finishing, Yang Yufen fed the chickens and collected the eggs. She thought for a moment, then told Qin Nian she was stepping out and left with the eggs.
"Yufen, what have you been up to lately? It’s been ages since you last visited. Come, sit—I bought a melon today. Let me cut you a slice; it’s very sweet."
"Just keeping busy. How’s business at the shop?"
Yang Yufen placed the eggs in the kitchen.
"Steady as always. We’ve got plenty of regulars."
"That’s good. I came to ask if I could withdraw some money in advance. How much can you spare?"
Yang Yufen got straight to the point.
"Of course. It’s quiet now—let me close up, and we can talk inside."
Gui Xiang swiftly locked the door and turned on the light to brighten the room.
"Is something wrong? Business has been good. I’ll keep some for supplies, and the rest—I’ll note it in the ledger—you can take it all for now."
Gui Xiang couldn’t help but worry.
"It’s just a temporary need for funds. Nothing’s wrong—if there were, would I hide it from you?"
"Of course not. Luckily, there aren’t any big expenses at home right now."
Gui Xiang brought out a wooden box with neatly organized money.
"Is three thousand enough?"
"Plenty. We’ll deduct it from the shop’s accounts later."
Yang Yufen pocketed the money.
"If it’s not enough, you must tell me. Let me walk you out."
Gui Xiang escorted Yang Yufen to the door.
"Qin Nian, take this too."
As soon as Yang Yufen returned, she handed the money to Qin Nian.
"Mom, did you borrow this?"
Qin Nian stared at the money in her hands, stunned.
"No, I just withdrew some from the noodle shop. Where are the kids?"
"They said they’re staying at Wang Xing’s place tonight. They packed their things and ran off."
The children were growing up, becoming more independent.
"That’s fine. You should rest early too."
Yang Yufen yawned—a full day’s work was tiring.
Qin Nian clutched the money, the neatly arranged bills a mix of large and small denominations. Her grip tightened slightly as she glanced at her mother-in-law’s closed door.
"How do you have time to call me now?"
Fan Juan was astonished, only believing it when she heard Qin Nian’s voice.
"Better sooner than later. Let’s meet at the bank now. After we’re done, I’ll take you to the lab to see the new prototype."
Fan Juan immediately filed for leave and set off. By the time she arrived, Qin Nian was already there.
"What’s that you’re holding?"
Fan Juan was curious. Qin Nian opened the box, and the gleam nearly blinded Fan Juan.
"You carried this out in the open? That’s terrifying!"
"My mother-in-law gave it to me."
Qin Nian was reluctant to part with it.
"You’re planning to exchange all of this? Actually, I was going to tell you something this morning—we can apply for a loan. Our factory meets the criteria and could secure a sizable amount. You could deposit these in the bank for safekeeping. There’s quite a lot here."
"Wouldn’t a loan require paperwork? It might take too long."
Fan Juan nodded after Qin Nian spoke.
"We’ll handle the loan separately. Since we’ve already brought these, let’s exchange them for capital first."
Qin Nian made the decision firmly, handing the gold over to the bank, where a specialist took charge.
"Auntie Yang bought these at low prices—mostly last year. The highest was only fifty per gram, and the lowest was under forty. Forget the designs—these are all solid. The price has doubled now. Auntie Yang is incredible."
Fan Juan stared in disbelief at the scale’s reading.
"Does Auntie Yang want another daughter?"
Fan Juan couldn’t help but ask.
"..."
Qin Nian was momentarily speechless, but seeing the staggering number on the scale, she felt overwhelmed by her mother-in-law’s love.
"Don’t even think about it. I don’t need a sister—partners suit us better."
Qin Nian shut it down firmly.
"Are you certain? If so, we’ll proceed at today’s rate of 149 per gram. I’ll handle the paperwork for you."
Qin Nian nodded.
"Auntie Yang probably had no idea how much this was worth, right?"
A hundred yuan profit per gram—1,234 grams in pure profit.
"With the current gap, I can’t cover this much. I initially estimated a hundred thousand, with the rest to be covered by a loan. The government has support policies now."
After recovering from her shock, Fan Juan returned to business.
