Do You Know How to Count? (Seeking Votes)

This chapter is titled "Chapter 25: Can You Count? (Seeking Votes~~)".

The person who had been waiting for Li Ye for a long time was the same candy seller Li Ye had encountered when he retrieved the Phoenix bicycle at the county's No. 1 Middle School that day.

Upon seeing Li Ye, the seller quickly smiled and approached him.

"Brother, have some candy."

"I don't eat candy."

Li Ye didn't stop walking, but the seller blocked his path and took out a pack of Da Fengshou cigarettes.

"Brother, have a smoke."

"No need, I have my own. Do you need something from me?"

Li Ye pushed away the Da Fengshou being offered, took out a Da Qianmen cigarette, lit it, and then looked up at the sky at a thirty-five-degree angle, his eyes glancing sideways, coldly observing the man who was shivering from the cold.

This wasn't Li Ye deliberately putting on airs!

In his previous life, Li Ye had also been a "helpful person." He was new to the workplace, kind to everyone, always smiling, and willing to do any task.

In the end, he worked himself to death without gaining any favor, and everyone wanted to step on him and use him.

So, Li Ye eventually realized that he couldn't be too kind to certain people; he couldn't show them a good face.

From his previous encounter at the county's No. 1 Middle School, Li Ye knew this guy was a shrewd businessman, possessing the cunning and slyness unique to this era. Today, his unsolicited kindness clearly meant he had something to ask for. If Li Ye was too accommodating, he would definitely treat Li Ye like a "child," which would be very detrimental to Li Ye's next plan.

The aura of a king needed conditions, right? If a three-year-old child talked eloquently to fierce generals like Zhang Fei, would they immediately bow down? It would be more likely they'd knock him into a ditch to rest for a while.

To make a middle-aged man in his late thirties listen to the arrangements of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old student, some tactics were necessary.

"Heh heh, actually, there is something, and I need your help, brother."

"You need my help? What can I, a student, do to help you? I wasn't planning on buying malt candy today."

"You can't help, but your relative at the Chengbei Police Station can."

Li Ye rolled his eyes and said, "How do you know I have a relative at the Chengbei Police Station? Besides, I don't even know your name. Why should I help you?"

"I have no other choice..."

The malt candy seller, Hao Jian, put on a pained expression and began to complain to Li Ye.

It turned out his name was Hao Jian. After coming to Qingshui County for rural work, he married a local and settled in Chenzhuang Township, thirty miles away. Now that the weather was warming up, he was making malt candy to sell in the county town, and it had been going smoothly for over half a year.

However, today he ran into a group of loafers who ate and took things without paying. Seeing his twenty pounds of malt candy about to be a total loss, Hao Jian, who had always believed in "harmony for wealth," got into an argument with them. It eventually escalated to a physical altercation, which even attracted the attention of the X Police Station.

The X Police Station people did reprimand the loafers, but Hao Jian, with his strong foreign accent, had his malt candy and clay pots confiscated by the X Police Station. They told him to go back to his village and get a letter of introduction to prove he wasn't a vagrant.

Hao Jian was secretly selling malt candy; how could he get a letter of introduction?

The newspapers acknowledged "individual economy," but the county had not yet issued any specific instructions. Would the old conservatives in the village give him a letter?

After much thought, Hao Jian remembered hearing Lu Zixue exclaim at the county's No. 1 Middle School entrance that "the director of the X Police Station is Li Ye's relative." He had no choice but to come and try to see if he could help.

"Classmate Li, I really have no other choice. I have a seventy-year-old mother at home and a four or five-year-old child who is sick. We rely entirely on that malt candy for our livelihood."

"I was supposed to get medicine for my child today after selling the candy, but now it's all lost..."

Hao Jian spoke pitifully, with snot and tears. Li Ye couldn't tell if it was true or false.

He threw his cigarette on the ground and asked, "How do you want me to help you?"

Hao Jian immediately said, "Just say I'm the uncle of your good classmate."

Li Ye asked with a half-smile, "And then?"

Hao Jian blinked his eyes, "What? What then?"

Li Ye said coldly, "I say you're my classmate's uncle, and then you can use my name, leverage my connection with the X Police Station, and pretend to be powerful, so you won't be afraid of those street thugs, right?"

"..."

Hao Jian was a bit stunned, smacked his lips, and tasted the bitterness.

Damn rich second generation, so cunning, not a good thing.

After a long while, Hao Jian said sheepishly, "I didn't mean it like that. Just help me out. In the future, you can have my malt candy for free."

"Who wants your malt candy?" Li Ye pouted, popped a White Rabbit candy into his mouth, and then asked, "Let me see the prescription for your child's medicine."

Hao Jian quickly took out two empty medicine bottles and a crumpled prescription from his pocket and handed them to Li Ye.

Li Ye looked at them, not understanding what the medicine and prescription were for, but it somewhat proved the truthfulness of Hao Jian's words.

"Let's go, I'll go with you to take a look."

Li Ye returned the medicine bottles and prescription to Hao Jian and turned to walk towards the Chengbei Police Station.

Hao Jian, who had already given up hope, was stunned for a moment and quickly hurried to catch up.

When they arrived at the Chengbei Police Station, Li Ye's uncle-in-law, Zhao Yuanchao, was not there. Hao Jian, following behind, felt his heart sink again.

Malt candy couldn't wait.

Li Ye gave his pack of Da Qianmen cigarettes to Hao Jian, then turned and went into an office. A moment later, he came out with a young man, arm slung over his shoulder.

Li Ye gestured with his chin towards Hao Jian. "Here, this is him. A relative of a good classmate of mine. Chenzhuang Township is thirty li from here. See what procedures you need to follow?"

The young man chuckled. "What procedures? With the kind of relationship we have as fellow disciples, you're just embarrassing me!"

Two minutes later, Hao Jian had his clay pot and his malt candy. Not a single bit of the malt candy was missing.

Hao Jian quickly took out the Da Qianmen Li Ye had given him and lit one for Wu Xiong. He then casually tucked the cigarette pack into Wu Xiong's pocket. His movements were not only swift but also incredibly natural. He was clearly a businessman worth nurturing.

The young man said to Hao Jian, "Remember my name is Wu Xiong. If those guys like Liu Er cause you trouble again, just come straight to me. They're getting too big for their britches."

Hao Jian nodded repeatedly in agreement, gaining a new appreciation for Li Ye's capabilities.

He had come to find Li Ye today as a last resort, a shot in the dark, but he hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.

As the two of them left the X Police Station, Hao Jian asked Li Ye what his relationship with Wu Xiong was. Li Ye casually replied, "We're fellow disciples who practice martial arts together."

Hao Jian looked at Li Ye with even more admiration.

This kid's got long arms and legs; he probably hits pretty hard.

"Brother, take this candy to eat. I'll pay you back for that pack of Da Qianmen in a few days."

Hao Jian took out a newspaper and wrapped a large portion of the candy for Li Ye, almost a quarter of his pot of malt candy.

Li Ye waved his hand and asked, "Have you been to the provincial capital?"

Hao Jian, unsure why he was being asked, nodded. "A few times. I have a couple of friends who are educated youths. After they returned to the city, they invited me to visit."

Li Ye stated unequivocally, "Take this candy and make a trip to the provincial capital. See how the sales of this malt candy are. If it's feasible, I'll invest in your business."

"..."

Hao Jian's smiling face froze. After a few seconds, he began to curse inwardly.

Damn it, I knew this kid wasn't on the level. I can't even treat him to candy for free, and now he wants to take advantage of me long-term? Even a rich landlord wouldn't be this ruthless!

"Invest in your business" meant taking a cut of the profits. Hao Jian had initially planned to find Li Ye often and treat him to candy, thereby maintaining their relationship.

But now Li Ye was directly asking to "invest," which felt like he was trying to skin him alive!

"My little business... the provincial capital is eighty li away. It's not worth it... sigh..."

Hao Jian tried to refuse Li Ye with a forced smile, but suddenly his vision blurred, and a five-yuan "big bill" appeared before him.

Li Ye handed the five yuan to Hao Jian. "Go to the provincial capital and investigate thoroughly. Focus on finding people like you who are doing retail and see if there's any potential. If you're going to do it, do wholesale."

Hao Jian touched the five yuan in his hand, feeling a sense of unreality.

At this time, the largest denomination bill was ten yuan. He sold malt candy for mere cents or dimes, and he might not even see a five-yuan "big bill" in a month.

Keep in mind that giving birth at the county hospital back then cost only eight or nine yuan in total medical fees.

Yet here was a "kid" who casually handed Hao Jian five yuan just to ask him to "make a trip to the provincial capital?"

Doesn't he know the train ticket from the county town to the provincial capital is only a few jiao?

Isn't he afraid I'll take the money and run?

Hao Jian pondered for a moment and finally realized that despite the young man's age, he truly wasn't afraid of him pocketing the five yuan.

Once he understood, Hao Jian's mind became sharper. He carefully put away the five yuan and asked, "Brother, what do you mean by wholesale?"

Li Ye asked, "What's the cost per kilogram for your malt candy?"

Hao Jian replied, "About three mao! If I can buy grain at the official price, it could be even lower."

Li Ye said, "Then how about selling it for six mao?"

Hao Jian was taken aback. He usually sold retail at one yuan per kilogram, and he had even sold it for two yuan to some gullible customers. Why would he sell it for six mao?

Li Ye shot Hao Jian a look and pouted, "Can you count? Are there any problems with addition or subtraction?"

Hao Jian rolled his eyes.

What kind of talk is that? I graduated from junior high school before I came to the countryside, alright?