Guo Jingyu stayed and spent a few days with his cousin in the university town. Most of the start of the school year was scheduled for early September, so the end of August saw the highest number of people returning to campus. Many incoming freshmen arrived early, accompanied by their parents, carrying bags of various sizes, heading towards the school.
Gu Yu was in his second year at college and had been active in the student union for a while. He knew many people who were involved in the freshmen orientation at the university. Guo Jingyu followed him. In just one morning, Gu Yu got a taste of what it meant to be eloquent and persuasive. When Gu Yu used similar words, he felt a bit embarrassed, as if he were asking for favors. But when it came to Guo Jingyu, it seemed like the other party had struck gold. They eagerly followed Guo Jingyu and joined in the activities.
Surprisingly, having a leader made a big difference.
A group of young men helped the new students move their belongings and warmly delivered them to their dorms. After visiting three dorms, Guo Jingyu and his group managed to sell dozens of mobile phone SIM cards and even a computer.
When Gu Yu was filling out the order form, he was a bit excited, and his hands were shaking.
Guo Jingyu wasn’t content with just one school. While taking a break at the freshmen reception area to have a drink of water, he struck up a conversation with someone from the Student Union’s External Affairs Department. After a few minutes of chatting, he patted Gu Yu on the shoulder and said, “Ge, I’m going to the neighboring Institute of Technology with Minister Chen. We’ll be back soon.”
Gu Yu had just finished recording some information and asked, “Should I come with you?”
Guo Jingyu smiled and replied, “No need, someone is guiding us there. You stay here and boost morale.”
“Okay!”
Gu Yu had been busy receiving people at the school for most of the morning. And although he had handed out many business cards, most people just took his contact information, promising to get in touch later without placing immediate orders.
But Gu Yu didn’t get discouraged. In the meantime, he also managed to sell quite a few mobile phone SIM cards!
By mid-afternoon, Gu Yu and the others returned to the freshmen reception area. There were two cases of bottled water placed on a makeshift long table, with the bottles covered in a few droplets of cool water. Guo Jingyu was standing there, chatting and laughing with a few people. When he saw them coming, he waved and said, “Cousin, come over here. I bought some water for you all when we got back. Everyone must be tired, so sit down and take a break!”
Guo Jingyu had a sunny and handsome appearance, and he was polite, handing out water and chatting with everyone. He had a good memory and could remember the names of people he had met even just once. Everyone loved this little guy, and when there weren’t enough chairs, someone jokingly said, “Jingyu, come sit on my lap!”
Guo Jingyu replied, “No thanks, I’ve been sitting for a while. I’ll stand for a bit.”
The people around him had come from the Institute of Technology, and Guo Jingyu asked his cousin for a few pre-prepared promotional flyers and a few pages of receipts, saying, “I didn’t expect so many people from our college to buy computers. I didn’t bring enough receipts. So, if we buy in bulk, I’ll calculate it at the group purchase price.”
“Group purchase?”
“Yes, group purchase. It’s more cost-effective, and I’ll even give a 5% discount!”
The students from the Institute of Technology were pleasantly surprised. After all, a few hundred yuan could be saved on a computer worth several thousand with this discount.
The person who received the receipt asked another question, “Can we really return or exchange it within three days?”
Guo Jingyu nodded, “Of course. The store is right there, and it’s not a short-term business. Don’t worry. Besides, the repair technicians will come for installation, and I’ll have them bring some system installation disks for us to keep.”
The guy on the other side smiled and said, “That’s great. I can’t thank you enough, Jingyu!”
“We’re all from brother schools. My cousin mentioned that we used to organize basketball games together, so it’s no big deal. Don’t mention it!” Guo Jingyu waved his hand. His friendly tone made him seem like one of these college students.
After everyone had left, Gu Yu secretly asked him, “Jingyu, how many orders did you manage to get at the Institute of Technology just now?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“I managed to get about 15 orders.”
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Gu Yu was still in a state of happiness and in disbelief.
After finishing the mineral water he had in hand and tossing the bottle into the trash can, Guo Jingyu asked, “Cousin, do you have money with you?”
Gu Yu immediately took out the money from his pocket and handed him over a little over a hundred yuan.
Guo Jingyu smiled and said, “Why are you giving me money? I asked you to prepare some money in advance. After we’re done here, you can use it to build relationships with everyone.”
Gu Yu replied somewhat naively, “We’re all good buddies. There’s no need for gifts.”
Guo Jingyu said, “How can our Chinese friendships be so casual? Take this money and go to the nearby restaurant. Order a table of food, and we’ll all have a meal together.”
Gu Yu obediently did as he was told.
It has to be said that sharing food makes it easier to build relationships. After the meal, Gu Yu felt that the bond between them had grown stronger.
During the meal, Guo Jingyu hurriedly took a few bites and then spent most of the time looking at his phone. He even took a phone call.
When they were on their way back, Gu Yu overheard Guo Jingyu talking on the phone in the car. His voice sounded especially patient. At first, Gu Yu thought it might be a girl calling, but later he realized it wasn’t because he heard his younger sibling being playful.
Where could you find a couple talking to each other like that?
“…I’m really tired, especially my sports shoes are falling apart. Yes, I don’t have to write my homework with my feet, but I’m physically and mentally exhausted. Why are you nagging me to study?” Guo Jingyu fanned himself by tugging at his collar, completely unlike the confident leader he was during the day. His voice intentionally softened a bit, “If I get sick, I’ll summon you to take care of me.”
The voice on the other end of the phone chuckled softly, “Do you think you’re an emperor or something?”
Guo Jingyu replied confidently, “We’re from the ’80s, only child. The media and newspapers all called us ‘Little Emperors’ on the front pages!”
Gu Yu in the front seat couldn’t help but laugh.
Guo Jingyu continued to talk to the person on the phone for a few more moments and then hung up.
Gu Yu hurriedly asked, “Who were you talking to?”
“Li Tongzhou, he was urging me to study.”
“That’s great! Your classmate is excellent, exactly the type of student Auntie likes. He can even control things remotely!”
During the ten days that Guo Jingyu stayed in this area, he arranged everything as best as he could and also gave Gu Yu, the newcomer, some guidance to help him adapt. Gu Yu was a bit shy and introverted, but he seemed to have inherited some of his uncle’s business acumen, and he quickly learned the ropes in a few days.
Guo Jingyu saw that it was almost time and planned to return home early.
During these ten days, he had completed a variable number of orders and had earned around 50,000 yuan. Gu Yu insisted on giving him half, saying, “At least half of this is from the orders you brought in, Jingyu. I can’t take advantage of you like this.”
Guo Jingyu only took out 15,000 yuan from the total and smiled, “Cousin, as we agreed earlier, this is for the ten days. Don’t forget, there are still two more months to go. I’m not contributing at all. I’m just taking my share!”
Gu Yu relented and nodded in agreement.
After bidding farewell to his grandmother, Guo Jingyu went to his uncle’s store to say goodbye. His uncle bought him a set of sportswear, and Guo Jingyu happily accepted it, saying, “Uncle, you still have the one you gave me last year!”
Gu Benshu said, “Take it. You’re growing so fast at your age. These clothes will come in handy.”
“Okay,” Guo Jingyu agreed and then added, “Uncle, I want to buy a cellphone. Can you give me a discount?”
Gu Benshu frowned and asked, “A cellphone? Where did you get the money?”
Gu Yu, who was standing by, was scared and pale, but he didn’t dare to say a word. But Guo Jingyu waved his hand and said, “I don’t have any money. It’s my dad’s secret stash that he’s been saving for a long time. He secretly asked me to buy a cellphone to give to my mom. Isn’t her birthday coming up? You saw it yourself, my mom is quite frugal. She’s generous when it comes to buying things for me to eat or use, but her own phone is still from several years ago. Even the screen is all cracked.”
Gu Benshu immediately relaxed and nodded in approval, “Even though your dad seems quiet, he knows how to care for his family. Wait here. I’ll pick a new model for you to take back to them.”
Gu Benshu handed Guo Jingyu a popular Nokia phone with a color screen, a camera, and a slightly larger display, but it was also more expensive, costing 1,300 yuan.
When Guo Jingyu was about to pay, Gu Benshu asked him in a low voice, “Does your dad still have any secret money hidden away?”
Guo Jingyu shook his head and said, “No, this is all there is.”
Gu Benshu was satisfied and put the money away, then handed another phone to Guo Jingyu, saying, “It doesn’t cost more than 700 yuan. You can give it to your dad.” He didn’t ask for change and took another phone of the same model from the side and gave it to Guo Jingyu, “Take another one back for your dad.”
Grateful for his uncle’s generosity, Guo Jingyu said, “Thank you, Uncle!”
Gu Benshu reminded him, “Keep an eye on your mom, okay?”
Guo Jingyu was overjoyed and nodded in agreement.
Guo Jingyu’s uncle drove him to the station, bought his ticket, and even got some snacks for him. He took care of him as if he were a child and said, “Give us a call when you get home. Also, I put some pocket money in this bag. Use it to buy some food. Don’t spend it recklessly, and don’t go to the game center, alright?”
Guo Jingyu gave his elder uncle a hug and then gave a hug to his cousin as well. His uncle waited until the long-distance bus was about to depart before he left. He waved to Guo Jingyu through the bus window, reminding him to be careful on the journey.
As the bus turned a corner and drove away, Guo Jingyu could still see the two figures standing there. He suddenly felt his heart was filled with warmth.
When Guo Jingyu arrived home that evening, his mother immediately took him to study. This time, they had hired a private tutor. It was a surprise attack. As soon as he got home, he was made to work on assignments for a long time.
Coincidentally, the tutor was the same college student who had helped Guo Jingyu with his studies before. He didn’t teach exceptionally well or poorly, but he appeared somewhat nervous, and he was even more careful than Guo Jingyu when it came to checking the test paper.
After the tutor left, Guo Jingyu protested, “Mom, didn’t we agree that Li Tongzhou would tutor me in my studies?”
Guo Jingyu’s mother replied with a heavy heart, “Your grades are so poor. How can I keep bothering him all the time?”
Guo Jingyu sighed, “Well, you should have discussed it with me in advance. I wasn’t prepared for this at all.”
“What preparations does a student need to make? Your mission is to study!” Guo Jingyu’s mother spoke firmly, making Guo Jingyu unable to refute.
But he did cooperate somewhat this time, showing a bit of improvement. He also discussed with his parents that he would have lessons with the private tutor from Monday to Friday and spend half a day on weekends getting tutored by Li Tongzhou.
Guo Jingyu’s mother reluctantly agreed, “When you go, don’t disturb him too much. It’s a crucial time for high school students.”
Guo Jingyu replied, “I understand.”
The aroma of the meal spread from the kitchen, and Guo Jingyu’s stomach growled. He tiptoed to look at the kitchen, saying, “It smells great. Did Dad cook spare ribs again?”
Guo Jingyu’s mother playfully tapped his forehead and chuckled, “Your nose is even more sensitive than a dog’s. Yes, it’s spare ribs. Go wash your hands. We’re about to eat!”
Guo Jingyu agreed. Taking advantage of his mother leaving the kitchen, he retrieved the phone from his backpack. He carefully concealed it beneath his clothes and brought it to the kitchen. He sneakily used the glass partition to mumble to his dad for a while.
Guo Jingyu’s father, who was at home, was completely caught off guard by the arrival of two new phones. He looked surprised and said, “Jingyu, these are quite expensive, right? How did your elder uncle ask you to bring these over? It’s not suitable, even for your mom’s birthday. They’re too valuable.”
Guo Jingyu whispered to his dad, “These were bought with my elder uncle’s secret stash. Don’t say a word.”
The exact same explanation had a magical effect on both middle-aged men. Guo Jingyu’s father went from surprise to understanding in a flash and looked at the two phones, saying, “I get it. Don’t worry, I won’t say a word to anyone.”
By the time they sat down for dinner, the table was set with braised spare ribs, rice, and two brand-new Nokia phones.
Guo Jingyu’s mother was thrilled to receive an early birthday gift. Few women dislike beautiful things, especially when the new phones were so sleek and compact, with a beautiful red trim around them.
That evening, when Guo Jingyu’s uncle called to inquire if he had arrived home safely, Guo Jingyu’s mother picked up the call. She answered and then laughed, “Dage, it’s my birthday. Why did you buy such expensive gifts for me?”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.
Guo Jingyu’s mother immediately became suspicious and asked, “Wait, wasn’t it you who bought them?”
Uncle Gu chuckled and said, “Hahaha, yes, it was me. My brother-in-law mentioned to me the other day that your phone was all cracked and you’re still using it. It made me feel sorry for you. I chipped in a bit, don’t worry, it’s just a small amount, he wouldn’t dare to save up any secret stash.”
Guo Jingyu’s mother agreed, saying, “That’s true, I won’t praise him too much, but Old Guo has never hidden a single cent of secret money from me all these years!”
Uncle Gu added, “…Xiao Mei, when your sister-in-law asks, please don’t tell her I bought them.”
***
The author has something to say:
The Merits of the New Phones:
Uncle Gu: This brother-in-law is not bad.
Guo Jingyu’s Dad: My eldest brother-in-law is really nice!
Guo Jingyu: Making money to buy things is so enjoyable. Who cares who gave them? Giving them away makes me happy, hahaha!
one little scheme, plenty of joy 🤭