C6 Right and Wrong

Yang Xiuyuan still felt his son's decision was too impulsive, thinking buying equipment was too risky: "Chenxuan, have you considered that if others lower their prices, and with the sand and gravel plant in Hongfeng Village, can we really sell our equipment?"

Yang Chenxuan thought his father was being too conservative: "Dad, are there many people coming to our village to sell river sand?"

Yang Xiuyuan stayed silent because there were indeed quite a few.

Zhang Yuehua, siding with her son, quickly added, "We've roughly calculated that the village can sell at least thirty to fifty truckloads a day."

With this estimate, Yang Chenxuan did some quick math and said, "Even if it's just thirty truckloads a day, if we buy the equipment, we can hire people to work for us. We can pay them three dollars a day and include lunch!"

Yang Xiuyuan was skeptical: "Three dollars a day? Wouldn't it be more profitable for them to dig sand themselves?"

Currently, Yang Xiuyuan and Zhang Yuehua were earning about ten to twelve dollars a day by digging sand themselves. Three dollars? He wasn't willing to help someone else for that.

Yang Chenxuan realized his dad wasn't seeing the bigger picture, so he explained, "Dad, we won't target those with good business. We'll find those struggling to make even three dollars a day."

"We'll also do pre-sales. Even if others try to undercut us, it won't matter because we've already collected the money. We'll just deliver the agreed amount of river sand, no refunds."

Zhang Yuehua quickly tried to calm her husband. "Xiuyuan, listen to our son. I think he's right. If it weren't for him today, who knows how things would have turned out!"

Yang Xiuyuan, still holding onto some of his pride, felt a bit uneasy. He thought his son's actions today made him lose face, so his words came out a bit harsh. "If you think he makes sense, why don't you go talk to them? See if they're willing to pay upfront."

"Are you as stubborn as a mule?" Zhang Yuehua was getting frustrated. This was clearly for the good of the family, a way to earn more money, so why was he being so difficult?

Yang Chenxuan could see right away that his father was concerned about his pride. Smiling, he said, "Dad, aren't you the backbone of our family? We can only offer suggestions, but the decision is yours to make."

"Besides, when it comes to negotiating pre-sales, you're the one who can do it. We don't have your connections, right?"

"You know the contractors, the cement workers, but Mom and I don't know any of them!"

Yang Chenxuan's flattery worked wonders, and Yang Xiuyuan, feeling like the key player in this situation, relaxed a bit, his tone softening with a hint of pride. "Without me, you couldn't get this done! We can buy the equipment, but let's not go too big. There's always some risk involved."

Chenxuan nodded repeatedly, full of agreement. "Dad, you're right. How about this: tomorrow, Mom and I will go check out the machinery, and you can talk to some builders and contractors to see if we can pre-sell a few houses. We won't hire any workers yet; we'll start the work ourselves. What do you think, Dad?"

Xiuyuan felt quite pleased with this plan. Chenxuan's suggestion seemed reasonable. Continuing as they had been would only lead to more conflicts and make business increasingly difficult. So, he agreed. "Alright, that's a pretty good idea!"

Yuehua rolled her eyes, unimpressed with her husband's authoritative demeanor. "You always act like you're in charge. Go buy some groceries!"

In Yuehua's view, all these ideas were her son's doing, and he deserved the credit.

Xiuyuan, feeling a bit miffed, was about to retort when Chenxuan chimed in, "Dad, don't argue with Mom. You're a big-hearted person, right? Go on, get the groceries!"

Xiuyuan brushed the sand off his clothes. "The kid's right. I'm big-hearted and won't bicker with you."

Chenxuan quickly nudged his father toward the street. "Dad, go get the groceries and buy plenty. Let's invite everyone here for a meal. Whether they come or not is up to them, but it's our gesture."

As Xiuyuan headed out for groceries, Yuehua watched him leave and couldn't help but murmur to her son, "Your dad is just like that, always wanting to be the boss. Your ideas are better than his."

Chenxuan glanced at his father's retreating figure. Maybe he was a bit old-fashioned, but his love for the family was genuine. In the past, when his mother passed away, his father cried like a child, filled with sorrow, despair, and helplessness. After handling the funeral arrangements, he silently threw himself into work. Even after returning from the construction site late at night, he would hunch over in the moonlight, weeding the garden, careful not to uproot a single seedling.

During tough times, his father sold the vegetables they grew and survived on wild greens for three months straight. Despite these hardships, he managed to put both Chenxuan and his sister through college. The strain took a toll on his health, and during his illness, he often said, "You've both turned out well. If I go to join your mom sooner, at least I can face her with some pride."

Thinking back, Chenxuan felt his eyes grow misty. "Actually, my dad's a pretty great guy."

"Great, my foot! I still can't figure out what I saw in him back then," Zhang Yuehua said, hoisting a hoe over her shoulder. "Let's head back."

Chenxuan chuckled and caught up, calling out to his sister, who had just run back, panting. "Come on, let's go home!"

The news spread quickly through Lower Bay Village: Chenxuan had single-handedly stood up to dozens of local toughs, warning them that anyone who dared to make a move would face serious consequences.

In the village, opinions about Chenxuan's actions today were mixed. Some thought Chenxuan was too harsh, especially since Zhou Jun was his uncle. They believed Chenxuan showed no respect and would be seen as cold-hearted and unreliable in the future. Others admired his boldness, noting that he managed to silence dozens of people with just a few stones, something even the village chief couldn't achieve. They believed he was destined for great things.

Regardless of what others thought, Chenxuan's family spent the entire afternoon preparing a feast. They had chicken, duck, fish, and more, with over sixteen dishes spread across three tables. The food overflowed, so they had to stack dishes on top of each other. Everyone involved in the earlier conflict showed up.

As the meal began, Chenxuan nudged his father. "Dad, say a few words."

Xiuyuan stood up immediately. "Dear friends and neighbors, I was wrong today. I hope you can forgive me."

Everyone responded politely, "We all have our tempers."

"There's no right or wrong here; we're all from the same village."

Wu Daxiang, with his head bandaged, sat in a place of honor, feeling quite satisfied with the respect shown to him.

After the pleasantries, Chenxuan stood up and said, "Uncles and elders, my dad did nothing wrong today."

In Chenxuan's view, his father truly hadn't done anything wrong, and he refused to admit fault where there was none.

Setting up these tables was Yang Chenxuan's way of keeping things from getting too tense. He also wanted to use this opportunity to discuss the rules of sand digging. As their business grew, conflicts of interest could easily arise, and without any rules in place, resolving them would be a hassle.

More importantly, with everyone currently involved in sand digging, how would they allocate space once their own business expanded? It could become a real headache if not addressed now.

Yang Chenxuan intended to iron out all potential issues this time around.

As soon as Yang Chenxuan spoke, everyone fell silent, all eyes on him. Was the son causing trouble right after his father had just apologized?

Yang Xiuyuan and Zhang Yuehua quickly tried to pull Yang Chenxuan back. To them, tonight was about making amends, and while people might say they were okay, some were surely still harboring resentment.

Ignoring his parents, Yang Chenxuan continued, "Mr. Daxiang and his group shouldn't have blocked our truck. That's just common sense, and it should be the rule!"

Everyone anxiously glanced at Wu Daxiang. Known for his temper, being called out in front of everyone might lead him to smash a bowl, and others would surely join in the commotion.

Wu Daxiang's expression darkened. "Chenxuan, what are you getting at?"

Yang Chenxuan replied, "No hidden agenda, just laying down some logic and setting some rules! Mr. Daxiang, if my dad blocked your truck, wouldn't you be upset?"

Daxiang pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Alright, that's my mistake!"

No one expected Daxiang to actually admit he was wrong!

He took a drag, his voice low. "Alright, tell me the reasoning and rules today. If I'm not satisfied, I'll make sure this whole feast is ruined!"

As he spoke, his tone grew louder, and by the time he said "ruined," he was practically shouting.