The Reborn Wicked Mother-in-law: The Officer Son Returns Home, Stunned

Chapter 37

Yang Yufen pedaled her tricycle, carrying her two children, and arrived at Badaling. Sure enough, there were plenty of foreigners around.

Instead of immediately setting up her stall, Yang Yufen took her children on a stroll to explore the area. She quickly noticed that these foreigners were surprisingly willing to spend money.

The same goods that would sell for a certain price in the department store were marked up to double here—and people were still buying them.

Feeling more confident, Yang Yufen realized that this area was well-managed, and the security seemed relatively good.

She dutifully paid the management fee and picked a spot close to the management office.

Opening her suitcase, she organized her goods and first prepared some food for her children.

Once the children were settled, she gently rocked them in a bamboo crib that doubled as a makeshift rocking chair. Holding a rattle drum, she shook it rhythmically, the drum’s “dong-dong” sound blending with the children’s laughter.

The cheerful sounds quickly drew attention.

Nearby, a tour guide was introducing a group of foreigners to the history of Badaling. When the guide noticed that most of the group’s attention had shifted away from him and toward the stall selling bamboo crafts, he had a sudden idea.

“This lady here is selling traditional bamboo crafts, a hallmark of our nation’s cultural heritage. Look, these are representations of the twelve zodiac animals…”

The guide’s enthusiastic introduction piqued the foreigners’ interest in the bamboo crafts.

“Ma’am, how much are these items?” the guide asked in a low voice.

“Young lady, I appreciate your help in bringing me business. Here’s how it works: these are two yuan each, those are one yuan each, and these cheaper ones are extras. If someone buys a full set, I’ll give them a discount.”

True to her word, Yang Yufen was straightforward in her pricing.

The guide gave her a thumbs-up and nodded to show he understood.

“This lady here is a master craftswoman. If it weren’t for some family difficulties, she wouldn’t be selling these treasures. This complete set of twelve zodiac animals costs just two dollars per piece. If you buy the whole set, you’ll also receive a complimentary pen holder. The pen holder features the Four Gentlemen of Chinese culture and famous poetic verses…”

With his polished and highbrow explanation, the guide elevated the perceived value of Yang Yufen’s bamboo crafts to another level.

When Yang Yufen saw the colorful foreign bills, she couldn’t recognize much beyond the numbers. But judging by the envious look on the administrator’s face, she knew the money was worth something.

“Ma’am, don’t leave just yet. I’ll come back for you in an hour,” the guide reassured her.

After the foreigners left, Yang Yufen encountered more customers—locals this time. For them, she quoted one yuan per item. For foreigners, she mimicked the guide’s earlier pitch, calling out prices like “wen dao” and “tu dao.”

In this way, Yang Yufen sold several more items.

“Miss, you’ve got the knack for this!” the elderly man from the management office gave Yang Yufen a thumbs-up.

Confused, Yang Yufen asked what he meant, and the old man elaborated.

“It’s good to take advantage of these foreigners! You’ve picked it up quickly. Their one dollar is worth about 1.5 to 2 yuan here.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Yufen finally understood the reason behind the pricing disparity.

"That young girl looked quite formidable just now. Do you know her, big brother?"

Yang Yufen began to inquire.

"Yes, I know her. That's little Fan, a top student in English, fluent in three foreign languages: Russian, French, and English. Whenever we host these foreigners, little Fan always brings them here. Almost everyone here knows her."

"That young girl is truly impressive!"

After an hour, Fan Juan really did arrive.

"Come, come, have some water; your lips must be dry."

Yang Yufen took a bamboo cup, rinsed it slightly, and poured a cup of water.

To ensure her two grandchildren had enough food, she always carried a thermos when she went out.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Fan Juan accepted the water without hesitation; she was genuinely thirsty.

After gulping down a cup of water, she finally felt alive again.

"I thought Auntie wouldn't wait for me."

"I was thinking the same, wondering if you wouldn't be afraid of me not waiting for you."

As they spoke, both suddenly burst into laughter.

"Auntie, these are twins, right? They are really good-looking."

Fan Juan wanted to return the bamboo cup to Yang Yufen, but Yang Yufen pushed it back towards her.

"Yes, my daughter-in-law works at the research institute. My son was a martyr, and he left only these two children."

Upon hearing this, Fan Juan felt a sense of solemn respect, even the old man at the management office overheard and was surprised.

"I'm worried Auntie might not know how to exchange these American dollars into our RMB, and about these foreign exchange certificates. By the way, I want to discuss a cooperation with you. I'll bring people over to buy things, and according to the set price, I need to take a cut of the excess, thirty percent."

When Fan Juan cooperates with others, she usually splits the profit evenly.

"That's fair, but I can't come every day. These things aren't made in an instant."

"How about coming every five days, Auntie? Can you make them in that time? Of course, if Auntie wants to sell them herself, that's fine too. Your items are good; even without me bringing people, they would sell."

Indeed, the profit margin was quite high, and Fan Juan wanted to negotiate properly.

"Sure."

Yang Yufen agreed readily.

Fan Juan then carefully inquired about the difficulty and time required to make each item and found that Yang Yufen had a good plan, so she wasn't worried.

"I have another group of foreign guests this afternoon, about forty minutes from now. Auntie, please wait a little longer, and I'll bring them over."

The two agreed, and Fan Juan hurried off again.

The group that came in the afternoon was different from the morning, but they were genuinely interested in the bamboo crafts. Yang Yufen's bamboo crafts were unique in the area.

After showing the guests around, Fan Juan finally had time around four o'clock to take Yang Yufen to the bank for currency exchange.

"Next time, Auntie, you can go to the bank yourself for the exchange."

"Today, you've really worked hard, little Fan. Here, this is your share."

Yang Yufen handed over Fan Juan's cut, even rounding it up.

Yang Yufen rode her bike home with the children, washed their dirty clothes, bathed and fed them, and put them to sleep before she had time to count the money.

All five sets of the Chinese Zodiac were sold out. The foreigners didn't haggle, taking four sets, and one set was sold individually.

After a day of miscellaneous dealings, the bamboo crafts didn’t cost a dime, as they were all handmade. After deducting the commission given to Fan Juan, the earnings for the day came to 286 yuan.

And that was even after Yang Yufen turned down someone who wanted a small bamboo crib for twins.

Yang Yufen felt that this business had potential. If she went out six times a month, earning an average of 200 yuan each time, that would amount to 1,200 yuan a month. With that money, she could start looking into buying a house. After all, she couldn’t keep living in her daughter-in-law’s house forever—eventually, she would need a place of her own.

Yang Yufen also noticed that the more intricate the items, the higher their price. Foreigners didn’t like to haggle. Take that trunk, for example—it was priced at 50 yuan, and the foreigner simply handed over a 50-dollar bill. At the bank, one dollar exchanged for 1.8 yuan.