"Bro, what are you thinking? Iām fine. My mother-in-law came over this afternoon and said sheād take Little Star for a day. I was the one who dropped them off in the afternoon."
Lin Yinghui saw that Lin Wan seemed normal and didnāt look distressed, which made him feel relieved. "You actually fell asleep and muddled things up? You gave your brother a scare. Why did Aunt Shen take the baby for no reason?"
Lin Wan sheepishly scratched her head. "Mother-in-law is afraid I donāt get enough sleep every day and wanted me to have a proper rest for a day."
Lin Yinghui had nothing to say about how well his little sister was treated by her in-laws.
Liang Hongmei came back and heard the siblingsā funny story and laughed along happily with them.
"Bro, howās the factory dealing with buying land?" After that topic, Lin Wan asked.
"Still negotiating. We want to take the whole surrounding area, but the government is asking for eighty thousand, and we only have just over fifty thousand in hand. We are negotiating with the leaders over there to see if we can defer part of it."
"I have over ten thousand here, Bro. You can use it first."
"Our family also has over twenty thousand. Itās just sitting there, so if you need it, just take it out, donāt make it hard on yourselves," Liang Hongmei added.
Lin Yinghui smiled and declined. "Mom, little sister, although the factory has more than fifty thousand, we arenāt planning to give it all for the land this time. The government is keen on attracting investment, and factories like ours are considered big investors, so thereās support from the government. If we are really short, we can defer part of the payment. Weāre thinking of giving them forty thousand first, and for the remaining forty thousand, we can pay the government twenty thousand a year and pay it off in two years."
"Itās great that the government allows deferred payments." Lin Wan was delighted, especially with the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, followed by the National Day holiday.
These two holidays are always the busiest times of the year and the most profitable as well, but of course, they also require a lot of expenses.
The factory needs to keep some working capital.
"Yes, weāre discussing this matter these days. If itās agreed, that land will be ours. By the way, thanks to your classmate, or else that land wouldāve cost us ten thousand more." Lin Yinghui gestured the figure.
"Ah... ten thousand more."
"Xiao Wan, we really need to thank Little Yin this time."
"Mom, I know." Indeed, she needed to thank Yin Peibai, who had been busy supporting her these days.
"By the way, we launched a new product for this Mid-Autumn Festival, a cherry wine. The price is eight jiao a bottle."
"Is it tasty?"
"Iāll bring you a few bottles tomorrow. It tastes quite good. Brother Li managed to find a good R&D team this time. The salary we paid them was definitely worth it." Now that Lin Yinghui had graduated and entered the workforce, he was much more knowledgeable than before and had learned quite a bit recently.
"Itās good for the factory to develop well. I donāt care how much you earn as long as itās enough to spend. Your sister now takes care of the child and occasionally makes some clothes to sell. Itās not tiring and earns good money, so I donāt worry about her. Ah Hui, you have a formal job now and need to manage both ends. Be careful not to let colleagues at the unit talk behind your back." Liang Hongmei knew that formal employment often prohibited side jobs.
"Mom, I understand."
"As long as you are aware. Mom will manage the restaurant well here. This is our familyās foundation. No matter what happens in the future, this shop will always be your support, understand?"
"Understood, Mom." Lin Wan took a bite of the potstickers Liang Hongmei made and added, "Mom, our shop is doing so well now. Should we open another one?"
Liang Hongmei shook her head decisively. "Letās not open another one in the next couple of years. Letās wait a couple of years and see how things are. Recently, the nearby shops have been watching us closely. Our family is new here, without any roots. If we attract too much attention, it could bring trouble. Itās better to stay low-key for now."
The siblings thought what their mother said made sense. If someone harbored ill intent, there were plenty of ways to cause trouble. At that time, others would be in the dark while they would be in the open, and they would be at a disadvantage. Thanks to her mother-in-law, Lin Wan slept soundly until after ten oāclock for a change.
In the afternoon, around four or five, Hu Bin and Shen Qing brought back the baby.
Little Star had eaten and slept well at the grandparentsā. He didnāt cry much at night either.
Lin Wan was relieved. She had planned to have Uncle Hu and her mother-in-law stay for dinner, but Hu Dong was still at the cinema entrance by himself. They had to go check on him.
A few days later, the armyās truck helped Shilan move her clothes, bedding, and even eight large jars.
Large jars are incredibly heavy. A dozen guards came to help her move.
Lin Wan helped by preparing snacks and brewing a pot of tea for the guards at Shilanās house. After a busy two to three hours, they finished moving. Shilan celebrated her move by treating their family to a meal at her new place at noon.
As October arrived, the weather got colder. Lin Wan had already dressed Little Star in cotton-padded clothes.
She carried the baby in a soft wrap when going out.
The knitted sweaters and cardigans sold very well at Sister Zhaoās and Director Wangās places. They kept asking if there was more stock.
Knitting sweaters isnāt as simple as sewing. It takes a day or two to produce dozens of pieces.
With woven sweaters gone, even the scarves were sold out. Thereās no need to mention childrenās long johns; apart from a few expensive outdoor jumpsuits left, everything else sold completely.
This winter, Lin Wan didnāt plan on making any more clothes.
The child is still young, so her main responsibility is to take care of the child.
With Lin Yinghuiās help, Shilan bought a tricycle at the market. Every day, she rode it around, selling homemade sauce across the streets.
The business was decent, though it was time-consuming.
"Why donāt you get some small jars from the market, pack them up, and try selling them at our storeās doorstep? The weather is getting colder soon, and running around the streets with a tricycle isnāt practical."
"Thatās a great idea. Iāll check the market tomorrow for small jars." Shilan trusted Lin Wanās judgment. Otherwise, her restaurant wouldnāt be thriving so well.
While Shilan was busy finding jars, Lin Wan received a letter from Han Yi.
"Xiao Wan:
I received the clothes you sent and the photos of you and the child. Seeing you and the child made me miss you even more. The studies here are intense, besides which Iāve learned some computer knowledge. Itās a bit complex, but fortunately, Iām gradually understanding.
In a couple of days, itāll be the Mid-Autumn Festival. It seems like I havenāt spent it with you since we got married. But donāt worry, I promise you that next year Iāll spend a special Mid-Autumn Festival with you and the child.
Donāt overwork yourself at home. Take care of yourself as well as the child; otherwise, Iād worry.
Donāt miss me, Han Yi
After reading the letter, Lin Wan smiled, knowing that her husband missed her. Since Han Yi left, she had been quite relaxed.
During that half-month, her godparents often competed to hold the baby, and after they left, her mother-in-law and Aunt Jin frequently came to help with childcare.
They didnāt always take care of the baby at her house; both liked taking the baby home to care for.
Lin Wan actually didnāt spend much time taking care of the baby herself.
Regarding the land for the winery, the government approved it. The eighty thousand Yuan required was initially covered by forty thousand, with the rest to be paid off in two years.
Once it was settled, Lin Wan brought three or four bottles of fruit wine to Yin Peibai.
"Xiao Wan, why did you bring me these? The unit even gave me a fifty Yuan bonus for closing the deal." Yin Peibai said with a smile in her eyes. "Weāve cleared our debts, and we can finally save some money this month. Xiao Wan, it wouldnāt have been possible without you. By the way, since the weather is not too cold yet, why not make another batch of clothes?"
Lin Wan pondered but couldnāt think of what to make.
"Let me think about it when I get home."
"Alright, take your time to think."
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lin Wan spent a week helping at the winery.
The cherry wine was quite tasteful, and Lin Wan managed the packaging and printing.
At the factory, regular clients were stable, and there were quite a few new ones. They generally managed to package a few hundred bottles a day during holidays.
When the new product was released, many units wanted to try it. This seasonās cherry wine wasnāt made in large quantities and was nearly gone as soon as it was out.
Li Jianye immediately raised the cherry wineās price by two jiao, yet many units were still eager to order.