Chapter 78: Earning Money Through Expertise

Inside the room, Grandpa Qin studied his little granddaughter, sharing the same thoughts as the fifth daughter-in-law: the girl was surely plotting something, trying to hoodwink them, and was afraid that too many people present would see through her. He wondered, when her scheme was exposed, whether he should scold her or try to reason with her. As he mulled this over, he said, “Your aunt and uncle have stepped out. Just now, you said you didn’t accept your cousin’s goodwill for nothing—what did you mean by that?”

Qin Hongfei spoke plainly, “Grandpa, you’re a clever man, and my cousin is an adult—not a fool. Do you really think that, without any consideration, if I suggested he open an internet café, he would just listen to me and do it?”

Grandpa Qin hesitated. “Well, who can say for sure? After all, your cousin could throw a million into the stock market; what wouldn’t he try? Only your mother, that great fool, would agree to play along with him—two fools finding comfort in each other.” In his eyes, Xia Shangxu was a good-for-nothing, no different from his eldest son.

Qin Hongfei wanted to defend her mother and cousin, but thought better of it—too much trouble. She simply said, “The only reason my cousin is willing to open a computer shop is because I have the skills to build computers.”

“Skills to build computers?” Grandpa Qin, unfamiliar with such things, didn’t let it show. He put on a wise air.

Qin Hongfei wasn’t fooled. “Yes. With a pile of parts, a computer might be worth seven thousand. If I assemble it and sell it, it might go for nine thousand. Do you understand now?”

“So you’re earning money with your skills! Just like your father did with excavators!” Grandpa Qin finally understood, his brows furrowing more deeply. “How did you learn? Did your father teach you? But he’s been gone for so many years—you were just a child then!”

“That’s not important,” Qin Hongfei replied. “What matters is that I have the skills and my cousin has the money. That’s why our families are working together to open an internet café.” Seeing his teacup empty, she poured him another cup. “It’s not as reckless as you think. With all the debt my mother owes, I need to come up with at least a hundred and fifty thousand in three months. My cousin offered to help me pay it, but I refused. Because, as you said, Grandpa, you can’t just accept favors endlessly. My cousin has his own life; he’ll need money to marry and start his own family someday.”

“So I want to earn it myself.”

“The internet café is the way I’ve thought of to make money.”

“No matter how you dress it up, I don’t approve of opening an internet café.” For the first time, Grandma Qin spoke up sternly. “Is that something decent people should be involved with? Get mixed up with computers and you ruin your whole life. It does harm, not good. If your family opens an internet café, what will relatives and neighbors think? Their words alone would be enough to drown you!”

So you make money—what of it?

A person must have moral boundaries.

“Grandma…” Qin Hongfei hadn’t expected to persuade them with a few words. Calmly, she replied, “I will open the internet café, no matter who objects. I know you both are prejudiced against it, but it’s because you care about us, and that’s why I’m willing to explain. You say internet cafés are harmful, but there are no fewer than five of them on Qinhuai Street, all with proper licenses. The authorities know they exist and haven’t shut them down. If the state doesn’t ban something, then it’s legal! What you call harmful is just your prejudice… Just like with television. You say children shouldn’t watch too much because it will harm their studies. But is television bad? Isn’t television how you get most of your news? The computer is no different.”