Summer vacation came in a blink of an eye, and this was the first summer vacation Li Wei had spent.
On the third day of summer vacation, she saw the list of semi-finalists in the newspaper, and her name was clearly listed. Li Wei let out a long breath, but what followed was the registration fee, and the transportation fare. Li Jianbo said that he would have to stay outside for two nights, and he would need money for food and drink for two days.
Li Wei is worried about money. Now that she is young, she has basically no way to make money. She wanted to help out, but there weren't many shops in town that wanted a girl like her who had just turned fourteen, and she couldn't do hard work like her father and brother. Her strength was limited, and she knew she couldn't do the work in the brick and tile factory.
The heat in July is unbearable, and the scorching sun is almost drying out the earth. She and Wang Yulan were shopping, and Li Wei was busy looking for business opportunities. They were both hot and thirsty. Wang Yulan came out with a dime and said to Li Wei: "Let's go, I'll treat you to ice cream."
Wang Yulan took the money to a canteen and bought two popsicles. Wang Yulan asked for apple flavor and Li Wei chose orange flavor. Li Wei opened the wrapping paper, revealing orange-red rectangular ice cubes.
Li Wei took a lick gently. It was cold and indeed had a faint orange smell.
The two of them walked and ate together. Drinking ice is a luxury in Daqi summer. At the beginning, the ice allocated to the palace was different according to the size of the positions. It is not easy to eat an ice bowl. I didn’t expect that in this day and age you could buy one for just five cents. As long as you have money in your pocket, that's enough!
"Is there a big ice cellar dug here to store the ice in winter and use it in summer?"
Wang Yulan smiled and said: "No, no. Besides, we don't have that much ice in Yongning in winter. We are not in the Northeast."
"That's true, but where did this ice come from? Is it so cheap?" Li Wei couldn't understand.
Wang Yulan smiled even more happily: "You really don't know, isn't there an ice cream factory over the Baisha River? The ice cream sold on the street is wholesaled from there."
Wang Yulan's words made Li Wei's eyes light up. Yes, this season is the season for eating ice. Why not wholesale some ice cream for her to sell? There is no need to set up a stall. You can imitate those who do small business from village to house.
"Yulan, can you go with me to the ice cream factory in Baisha River and ask?"
"What are you asking? How do they make sorbet?"
Li Wei shook his head and said: "No, I don't do it myself. I also want to wholesale some for sale. Ask about the price and what equipment is needed."
Wang Yulan looked at Li Wei blankly, her eyes vividly saying: You are really crazy about money.
"It must be very hard to do this on such a hot day. Do you need money? I'll see if I can lend you some money if you need it."
Li smiled and said: "Thank you for your kindness. I have to pay it back even if I borrow it. It is better to earn it with my own hands. Please go with me."
Who said she was Li Wei's good friend? Wang Yulan had no choice but to agree to her trip.
Fortunately, it's not too far from Baisha River. Some people come here to sell ice cream wholesale. Li Wei saw a man pushing a bicycle with a wooden box tied to the back seat. The ice cream should be put in it, right? How can we ensure that the ice does not melt
When she saw the prankster coming to buy goods, she tried her best to see what mechanism in the wooden box could prevent the ice from melting. The young man asked: "Little sister, do you want to buy ice cream?"
"No, I just want to ask you why the sorbet won't melt in the small box here?"
The young man looked at Li Wei and Wang Yulan and wondered what they were going to do, but he didn't tell Li Wei the reason and ran away quickly on his bicycle. After riding all the way, the bike bell rang loudly. He kept shouting: "sorbet, sorbet!"
The inquiry was fruitless, so Li Wei had no choice but to ask the people at the ice cream factory: "What mechanism is there in that wooden box to ensure that the ice does not melt?"
"Does my little sister also want to buy ice cream and sell it?"
Li Wei nodded and said, "Yes, that's what I have in mind."
Seeing that Li Wei didn't look like he was joking, the man patiently told Li Wei the principle of thermal insulation. It turned out that there was no mysterious mechanism, it was just a thick quilt inside.
Li Wei then asked about the wholesale price, and she planned to buy a batch to sell.
After finding a business opportunity, the first thing that had to be solved was not the problem of capital, but that Li Wei had to learn to ride a bicycle.
Fortunately, after Li Minghua stopped working in the brick and tile factory, the only bicycle at home became idle. The bicycle was so heavy that Li Weidi couldn't even lift it, and the bike was high. She tried to sit on the seat but couldn't reach the pedals.
"You want to ride a bike?" Li Minghua just woke up from his nap and saw his daughter playing with the car.
Li Wei said: "Yes, I want to ride it, but the legs seem a bit short. Can you make it shorter?"
"This is easy. Just wait." Li Minghua said and went into the room to get the tools. In a few moments, he made the seat slightly lower. Li Wei tried again, and seemed to be able to barely press the pedals. She also imitated her father and brother to press the pedals, but her hands and feet were not coordinated well. When the car swerved, she fell to the ground, and it hurt a little from the pressure on her.
"Looking at your clumsiness, it's better not to learn it."
"No, I have to learn it. And I have to be able to ride it in two days."
"Two days?" Li Minghua thought to herself, why is her daughter in such a hurry? Isn't there still a summer vacation? No one is rushing her: "You can take your time. You don't have to be so anxious."
However, time is already very tight for Li Wei. The rematch is getting closer and closer, and she must raise enough money.
Li Minghua expressed his willingness to teach his daughter. He taught his daughter to get on the moving cart by pushing on the pedal and sliding it a few times. When it was stable, he stepped on it and sat down so that her two feet could be coordinated. This technique is easy once you master it.
However, after he taught him several times, Li Wei still failed to master the trick. What Li Wei is used to is getting on the car, that is, sitting on the car and then pedaling to make the car run. This method is clumsy, but easier.
Li Minghua first steered the car for Li Wei, but then stopped, letting Li Wei control the balance by himself.
"You should keep your eyes on the front, hold the handlebars in place with your hands, and know how to use the bell and brakes."
When Li Weigang was still learning, he couldn't master the balance at all. He fell down because he didn't coordinate well. However, such setbacks were not enough to make Li Wei give up.
She was riding her bike, remembering how she had asked her third brother to teach her how to ride a horse. At that time, she had to tame the horse, but the iron frame under her body was much more difficult to tame. At least the iron frame would not get angry at her or give her a leg. Kick. Not running around like crazy. Dead things are still harder to deal with than living things.
(End of chapter)