Chapter 0060: Conning Dad

Children of the poor grow up fast. Zhao Fusheng's family wasn't well-off, so he naturally understood what one thousand eight hundred yuan meant in 1999.

That was equivalent to three months' living expenses for most students. For context, high school tuition was only three hundred yuan a year, and university fees, including miscellaneous and dormitory costs, were five thousand a year.

For Fan Baobao, this was undoubtedly a huge sum.

She couldn't bear to buy herself a dress, yet she remembered to buy gifts for Uncle Zhao and Aunt Zhao. Zhao Fusheng was delighted.

In the end, she was still the sensible Fan Baobao.

Of course, when it came to herself, she seemed to fall a little short.

"Brother, the popsicle is so sweet." Fan Beibei ate the popsicle her sister had bought, laughing happily.

Zhao Fusheng nodded and glanced at Fan Baobao, noticing that he and Fan Beibei were eating the fifty-cent "Big Foot" popsicles, while she was eating a ten-cent ice lolly.

"I need to make money!"

The thought flashed through his mind. Zhao Fusheng gently patted Fan Beibei's head. "Sweet is good."

"Don't work too hard."

On the way back to the hospital, Fan Baobao said to Zhao Fusheng, "Once my commercial airs, I'll get more work. I'll repay your family then."

Zhao Fusheng laughed. "Sure, I'll be your agent then, how about that?"

Fan Baobao's eyes lit up. "Great, it's a deal. You'll be my agent."

"What's an agent?"

Little Fan Beibei clearly didn't understand what they were talking about and asked curiously.

"An agent means if you need anything, you can come to me," Zhao Fusheng explained to the little girl with a smile.

"That good? Then I want Brother to be my agent too." Fan Beibei clapped her little hands and laughed loudly.

Zhao Fusheng patted her head. "You, grow up first before talking."

"Oh..." Fan Beibei sighed in disappointment, clearly deflated. She remained sulky all the way back to the ward.

Li Yuan's surgery was scheduled for two days later. Since it was a mastectomy, it was inconvenient for Zhao Fusheng and his father to stay, so the two of them went home first.

"Don't push yourself too hard at school." Sitting on the bus, Father Zhao spoke earnestly to his son.

Zhao Fusheng nodded. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"Mm, I've already picked a spot for our fruit shop. Once Aunt Li is discharged, we can get it going." Father Zhao said confidently. Funds had been tight, but with the Han Family Alley group gone, the fifty thousand yuan saved had eased their finances considerably.

Zhao Fusheng smiled. He liked seeing his father like this—full of confidence and hope for the future.

Actually, Zhao Fusheng had wanted to tell his father that he had started an advertising studio with someone at school, but seeing his father now, he decided to say nothing.

Perhaps his father was enjoying his current life, the life of being the head of the household. If Zhao Fusheng took that away, the old man might feel lost.

More importantly, Zhao Fusheng didn't want to reveal the truth until he had achieved something that could truly make his parents worry-free.

This was just a son's stubbornness. After all, every parent hopes their child will succeed, and every child wants their parents to be proud.

"Dad, if you're setting up a fruit shop, why not rent a bigger space and make it a small supermarket? I saw in online movies that they do that in many foreign places."

Zhao Fusheng blinked and offered his father a suggestion.

"Supermarket? Like a grocery store?"

Clearly, Father Zhao was a bit surprised and didn't quite understand what Zhao Fusheng meant.

After all, in those days, the word "supermarket" was still new, and many people had no idea about the concept of a self-service store.

"Yes, it's a store where customers pick their own items and pay all at once when they leave. We can put all kinds of goods on shelves with prices marked—food, daily necessities, household items, everything." Zhao Fusheng patiently explained the concept of a supermarket to his father and finally said, "I think you and Aunt Li have time anyway. Hire a few people. Didn't you say some of your comrades were laid off? Ask if they'd like to work. We can hire them to mind the store and stock shelves. They're all our people, so we can trust them."

Actually, the idea of having his father run a supermarket came to Zhao Fusheng in a flash. Knowing his father well, he knew convincing him wouldn't be easy, so he pulled out all the stops, using every reason he could think of.

It was like persuading an advertising client in his past life.

Sure enough, hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Father Zhao hesitated.

If it were just the earlier reasons, he might have dismissed his son's words, but the last reason—the one about his comrades—touched the loyal and sentimental Father Zhao.

Zhao Fusheng had learned over most of his past life that those who always claim to be right and accuse others of being completely wrong are often the wrong ones themselves.

He didn't want to be that kind of person, so instead of suggesting that his father go into partnership with his comrades, he directly proposed hiring them. That way, even if the supermarket failed, the loss would be borne by the family alone.

But it was precisely this reason that moved Father Zhao.

People born after the 1990s find it hard to understand how much those born between the 1950s and 1980s value classmate and comrade bonds.

But for Father Zhao, those comrades were his brothers in life and death.

That was why he could call them to guard Han Family Alley for his own matter, ready to rush in and fight the thugs if things went wrong.

And likewise, those uncles Zhao Fusheng rarely saw agreed without a second thought to follow Father Zhao.

The word "friend" was never about clinking glasses and calling each other brothers at the dinner table; it was about entrusting one's family and standing by each other through thick and thin.

"Let me think about it. I'll discuss it with your mother and Aunt Li." Father Zhao was silent for a moment, then glanced at Zhao Fusheng. "Don't worry about family matters. I'll handle everything."

"Okay."

Zhao Fusheng nodded in agreement and gave his father a deep look.

The seed had been planted. When it would take root, sprout, and eventually grow into a towering tree depended on fate and opportunity.

But Zhao Fusheng was confident, because from childhood to adulthood, his father had been like a mountain sheltering him from wind and rain, never letting him down.