The world market for ornamental fish was about five billion USD, and the number was climbing by at least 10% every year as ordinary families began to discover the ornamental fish culture.
Chu Xian was very confident in the future of ornamental fish, in addition to being confident in his remolding ability. Maybe one day, he could even directly cultivate and raise precious goldfish through the system without relying on manual remolding. When that day came, his ornamental fish would be sold worldwide, and he wouldn't have to spend intense, tiring sessions just to meet customer demand.
After numerous busy days dealing with online orders, Chu Xian received a call from his parents. Their bustling voices and good-natured urging and nagging put a speechless smile on his face, warming his heart.
"Pupu, I won't be here tomorrow. I'm going home for a bit. I'll restock a hundred or so goldfish, and you can just watch the store while I'm gone. If there are any problems, just call."
Chu Xian instructed Feng Pupu as she sat on a little chair with a book in hand. The child had been spending days staring blankly at the fish, and when Chu Xian finally told her she could just play on her phone or borrow some books to read, she brought a stack of books over the next day, much to Chu Xian's amusement.
"Oh. Big brother is going home!" Pupu said with slight disappointment. "Don't worry brother, you can count on me. No problem!"
"En." Chu Xian nodded with a smile.
Afterwards, Chu Xian rang up Xiao Ying for dinner. Of course, Chu Xian used the excuse of the last meeting before a temporary parting to get a tussle in bed.
Xiao Ying's problems at school were all solved, but she couldn't leave school otherwise Chu Xian would drag her to meet his parents and show off his pretty girlfriend to people from nearby villages.
Although he couldn't show off his beautiful girlfriend, he could still show off his car.
Chu Xian's home was founded along the coast of Yangtze River and it took two hours by train or four by car to get there. Four hours wasn't too far, and even if it were six or seven hours, Chu Xian would still drive not because he wanted to torture himself, but for the happy feeling of showing off. Maybe this was the honor and glory of being a little loser!
On the road, tapping his wheel to the beat of the music, Chu Xian reflected on his past years with a small smile.
The last time he went home for Chinese New Year he felt completely defeated, and he was often ashamed to meet family and friends. Although he was a graduate of an average university and could count as an educated person in the village, he was muddling his way through life so badly that he couldn't bear telling anyone.
"I want to fly high with the sun by my side. The world is waiting for my hand…" Chu Xian sang along happily to the music, admiring the scenery of the river along the highway in a great mood.
Chu Xian's village was considered part of Yinan City and was a little under 2.5km away from Chang Jiang River. When he passed the riverside road to get home, it was already in the afternoon.
The June weather was heating up and people in the village enjoyed walking outside in the cool of the trees along the road. With a thin mat covering the ground, some people sat and played cards or Chinese chess, and some played music or struck up conversations. The whole atmosphere was bustling and communal.
Chu Xian's parents knew he would arrive that afternoon and had been waiting for him at the crossroads. Beside them was a similar looking woman in her late twenties, holding a baby.
Chu Xian's elder sister was married and her child was almost two years old this year! Most people in the village wanted at least two children, and the best combination would be one boy and one girl.
His sister and his sister's husband's family didn't have a great relationship, so after Chu Xian's brother-in-law went to work, she usually stayed at the Chu house, so today she accompanied her parents to wait for her brother's arrival.
Chu Xian drove up to the crossing and saw his parents and sisters chatting happily with some other people. He recognized all the familiar faces.
As he drove over, the sound of his car turned many heads, and a young man pointed out the black rover to his wife and said in admiration, "This car is at least one or two million RMB."
"So expensive? You could use that money to buy a decent house in the city!" a middle-aged woman said with astonishment. "If I had the money to buy such an expensive car, I would rather buy a house."
"Hehe, they have money. If they can drive this car, who knows, they might live in a villa." A middle-aged man laughed, turning to Chu Xian's father with a teasing look. "Didn't you say your son is making money? In the future, make him bring back a car like this, haha! That'd be impressive!"
"Hehe, I think he can just forget about this kind of car. It's already good if he can buy a house in the city," Chu Xian's old man said, shaking his head. Although his son told him he was making some money, he still couldn't imagine his son buying this kind of car.
"Mom, dad! Sis!" Chu Xian called out, his familiar figure stepping out of the luxury car.
Everyone was stunned, and all the surrounding people looked over in astonishment.
"Xiao Xian, you're back! Why did you drive? Where did you get this car?" Chu Xian's father stood up and called out with surprise.
"I bought it." Chu Xian smiled as he fished out a carton of cigarettes from his car. "I bought the thing a couple days ago. Come, uncles, grandpas, let's smoke!"
As he spoke, Chu Xian opened the carton and handed out a pack of cigarettes to each person.
The people received the packs with surprised and astonished expressions. "Chunghwa, tsk tsk. It's the 65-RMB-per-pack soft Chunghwa!" One of the young men exclaimed. (2)
The old uncles who smoked for years looked from the pack to the car and turned to Chu Xian's father and exclaimed,"Old Chu, your son didn't just make a bit! Old codger, you can enjoy a happy life from now on!"
Chu Xian smiled and said to his family. "Mom, dad. Sis. Let's go home first, hop in!"
"Xiao Xian, how much did the car cost?" Chu Xian's father asked when he recovered from the shock, looking at his son with pride and excitement.
"Not expensive, just two million RMB," Chu Xian said calmly, his face covered with a smile.
"This child! Why did you spend so much on a car? You haven't even bought a house yet - why did you buy a car first?!" His mother interjected from the side with some heartache. She rubbed the car - two million RMB! They hadn't seen that much money their whole lives.
"Hehe, there's no problem. I can buy a house anytime I want; I just haven't decided where I'm going to live yet. Let's go! Let's go home."
"Good, good. Good son!" Chu Xian's father said excitedly, patting his son's shoulder before getting in the car.