frightfiction Chapter 324 Collecting Scrap Metal
Chapter 324 Collecting Scrap Metal
Song Wanli ignored his youngest son and said to his brother, "Wanxing, now that you've confessed everything, there's no need to live in constant fear. Face what needs to be faced, and hopefully the police there can investigate the facts."
"Big brother, I know I was wrong, I will never do it again, you believe me."
"I believe you, but you should know that admitting your mistakes is the most useless thing to do. It can neither change the facts nor take responsibility for your errors. There's no point in saying anything more now; we can only wait. But you can't just wait all the time, can you?"
"Brother, what should I do?" Song Wanxing asked, as confused as a child.
"You...you didn't take care of your mother while she was alive, and now that she's gone, do you still want to make her feel uneasy? Your mother has always been worried about you. She hopes that you can mature, become successful, and become a useful member of society, a person who stands tall, upright, responsible, and conscientious!"
Let's set our sights low for now. At the very least, you need to find a way to survive and support yourself, right? You have children; you don't want me to support you, do you? And you don't want your children to continue being ridiculed because of you, do you?
"Big brother!" Song Wanxing lowered his head.
Song Wanli bluntly stated, "Back then, when I suggested you become a traveling merchant like Tingnan, you felt ashamed. I suggested it again last time, but you didn't respond. Are you still unwilling now? Do you think being a traveling merchant is shameful? But that's how our family got where it is." This younger brother is much harder to discipline than his son. Children are like blank slates; you can discipline them and set rules for them. But this middle-aged man has nowhere to begin; you have to save face for him and can't hit or scold him.
“Brother, I said I wouldn’t mind. It’s just that I’ve found that the things sell quite well even when they’re just displayed at home. This is your and sister-in-law’s business, and she’s doing a great job. I’m too embarrassed to accept something that’s already been handed to me.” Before Song Wanli could answer, Song Wanxing continued, “Brother, I… I’m thinking of starting my own small business.”
"Oh? What kind of small business? Tell me about it, and I'll give you some advice." Song Wanli was worried that he was being unreliable and impractical, but his mother had said that he was just the older brother, not his father. It was a good thing that he had ideas, so Song Wanli forced himself to listen patiently.
"Well... on my way back... I was picking up trash and found a lot of recyclables that could actually be sold for money. Broken copper, scrap iron, waste paper, and some broken cans from home... Could I use my handcart? I... I want to go door-to-door to collect them and then haul them to the county town, where there are people who specialize in collecting recyclables."
"Collecting junk door-to-door? Like those scrap collectors? Aren't you afraid of losing face?" Song Wanli was somewhat surprised; this change was a bit too drastic.
"Brother, I've seen people buying them outside, and sometimes they even manage to snag a bargain." Song Wanxing was a little excited.
"Find a bargain? Find what bargain? You don't mean stealing, do you?"
"No, it's not stealing, brother, don't misunderstand. It's just some broken pottery and tiles that might be antiques, but farmers don't know their value. I... I'll collect them and make a profit by reselling them."
"Such a good thing? I've never heard of it before. Is this considered opportunistic?" Song Wanli looked at his younger brother again and again, worried about him.
Song Mingcheng chimed in, "Uncle, I've heard of this. It's a legitimate business transaction, but such opportunities are rare, and truly large antiques are even rarer. If you find any, they're usually damaged. Um... do you know anything about antiques? Don't get scammed!"
“When your grandfather was alive, he took me to recognize quite a few things, and some of them are recorded and illustrated in ancient books. I know that such opportunities are rare and hard to come by, so, brother, don’t worry. I mainly collect scrap and take it to the county town to sell, making a profit from the difference.” Song Wanxing knew what his family was worried about, because his image as someone who was afraid of hardship and liked to play tricks was deeply ingrained.
"Alright then, you can give it a try. It's not an easy job, though; I hope you can stick with it." Song Wanli was still a little worried. Song Wanxing was literate and good at accounting, so this kind of back-and-forth business was good for him, but most people wouldn't collect scrap. He…
Song Wanli instructed, "Mingfu, you and Mingli, help each other sort out the unwanted junk at home and make a sale for your uncle."
"Big brother, shall we start now?"
“Of course, you still need to choose an auspicious day? Let’s get started! I suggest you get some goods from our small market. You can collect scrap and sell other goods at the same time. You don’t have to pay for anything you collect; you can use the goods as payment.” Song Wanli was really worried that his younger brother wouldn’t be able to keep going if he didn’t earn much money each day.