Chapter 11: Absolutely So

"Wu Ya, I've helped you persuade your parents. What happens next is up to you! Don't mess this up and make them hold a grudge against me!" As soon as they stepped out the door, Liu Qian spoke to Wu Ya in a serious tone.

His parents were such kind people, always so considerate towards her. Deceiving them was already weighing on her conscience. If she ruined the tailor shop completely, losing all fifteen thousand yuan of Wu Ya's money in the process, how could she ever explain herself to them?

"Don't worry, you'll witness a miracle! Now, come with me to find Huang Silu. His father is the manager at our hardware company, and I want to ask him to help me buy a few sewing machines."

With that, Wu Ya hailed a rickshaw, pulling Liu Qian aboard. Soon, they were lost in a cloud of yellow dust.

In those days, under the planned economy, large items like sewing machines, bicycles, tape recorders, and televisions were all distributed by ticket. If you had money but no ticket, too bad—the cash in your hand was as worthless as scrap paper for a sewing machine. You simply couldn't buy one.

So, you had to know the right people.

Soon enough, the bell of the rickshaw jingled, and it came to a steady stop. Along the roadside stood more than a dozen newly built houses, all red brick and gray tile. Back then, with material shortages, the hardware company was a sought-after employer—people there had money. Housing was also built by the company and distributed to employees as a welfare benefit. People like the Huang family, with a parent holding a position at the company, often occupied several apartments or moved frequently, always settling into new homes whenever the company built another block. For half their lives, they lived only in new houses.

Wu Ya knocked on the door—knock, knock, knock.

With a creak, a chubby, round face appeared. Behind his thick glasses, a pair of narrow, slitted eyes peered out—so small they were almost just lines, barely open or closed.

"Wu Ya, Liu Qian? What brings you two here together?" At the sight of them, Huang Silu's slit eyes suddenly widened with interest. Rumors in their class swirled about something ambiguous between the two, but in his observation, he'd never found any evidence. Aside from the brief, calm glances they exchanged face to face, there was nothing between them.

But now, with the college entrance exam barely over, their true colors were revealed! So there really was something going on in secret.

"Cut the nonsense! I'm here for business," Wu Ya cut him off, not giving him a chance to pry further. At school, this kid relied on his parents' influence and wasn't exactly a model student. Wu Ya, being a poor student, was his friend—quite a close one, in fact.

"What serious business could you have? Who's giving you trouble now? I can sort it out for you in no time!" Huang Silu swaggered out the door, looking at Wu Ya with his chest puffed up. His eyes, in his moment of pride, were as flat as pancakes—you'd hardly know he had eyes at all, if not for the fringe of eyelashes.

"Heh, you always see me as nothing but trouble, don't you? But today, I'm here on serious business! I want your father to help me buy a few sewing machines."

Wu Ya smiled faintly. Looking at chubby Huang, he felt a wave of warmth. Though they usually got into mischief together, Wu Ya was always more cautious, afraid of causing trouble his family couldn't afford. But Huang Silu had no such worries—they had money. If Wu Ya ever wanted to do anything, he'd always bring Huang along. After all, if anything happened, Huang's father, the hardware company's manager, could settle it with a word. Whether it was the school or other parents, as soon as they heard his father's title, everything would be smoothed over.

And to top it off, despite his wild ways, Huang was exceptionally loyal. He'd help Wu Ya without question, though he'd refuse others.

"Sewing machines? Several at once? Wu Ya, have you lost your mind? Your family's tailor shop is about to go under, and you still want to buy sewing machines?"

Huang's first reaction was surprise. The shop was failing; the old sewing machines were barely worth selling off at a loss, yet now Wu Ya wanted to buy new ones? What was he up to?

"You know nothing! Stop nagging. I'm now the boss of the family tailor shop, understand? The boss! I'm about to make my mark, expand the business, and ride the winds of fortune!"

Wu Ya shook his head, boasting shamelessly. Huang Silu was stunned.

"Your parents gave you the shop?" His face was full of disbelief. But soon, he nodded knowingly. "Oh, I get it! Since the shop's already a mess, they might as well dump it on you, let you make a mess of things."

His words dripped with scorn. Wu Ya, doing business? That house of his would soon be a headache. Would his parents end up on the street?

"You—" Wu Ya's face darkened, just as he was about to retort, Liu Qian interrupted.

"Huang Silu, he's telling the truth! It was only after my parents evaluated the situation that his parents agreed. And my parents even invested fifteen thousand yuan!"

Her parents' evaluation and heavy investment—those two facts, coming from Liu Qian, hit like a bombshell. Huang Silu was stunned, his narrow eyes suddenly as round as broad beans.

Everyone in their class knew what kind of people Liu Qian’s parents were—highly capable individuals. Their evaluation was as reliable as it got. And to invest fifteen thousand yuan? In those days, that was more than a wealthy household's fortune! Why? They must have seen the potential in Wu Ya's tailor shop.

Potential? No, that couldn't be it. There had to be something unspoken between these two. Liu Qian’s parents must have been left with no choice, helping Wu Ya start a business for her sake. Yes, that must be it.

As he pondered, a lewd smile crept onto Huang Silu's face.

"Heh heh..."

"Clear the filth out of your head, or I’ll break your legs!" Wu Ya snapped before Huang could speak his mind. He knew exactly what was going through that dog’s head.

"Alright, alright. Since you want to do something big... As your best and most awesome friend, of course I’ll help. How many do you need?"

Huang realized Wu Ya was serious, and with Liu Qian present, some words were best left unsaid. He nodded and asked Wu Ya for specifics.

"Thirty," Wu Ya replied.

"Thirty?" Huang Silu was struck dumb on the spot.