Rebirth, end of the world, time travel, escape famine, make money!

After dinner that evening, Lin Weizhong and Liu Caixia got together to settle accounts as usual.

"You don't need to go to the front counter recently. We have saved a lot of money during this period. Go buy two more people tomorrow to train them. We will plan to open two more branches in a while. I have investigated and found that three branches in the county are enough. It would not be cost-effective to open more than that."

Liu Caixia counted the money and said, "Let those rumors settle for a while. But I think it's just a temporary solution. We should think about what to do if we encounter such a thing. It's okay for you as a man, but if it was me or other women here, it would be even more difficult."

Lin Weizhong was keeping accounts while looking at the nagging woman sitting across the table counting money seriously. Under the dim light of the oil lamp, he seemed to have gotten used to such a stable life, working from sunrise to sunset every day, just like he used to go to work and go home.

"Well, I've thought about it. If it doesn't work out, I'll go back to the village. Zhang Hu is already able to handle things on his own. We also have a general understanding of the daily receivables, plus we have to control the costs of raw materials, so there won't be too many problems if we're not here. I'll buy someone back tomorrow and teach him for two months, which will be just the right time to open a branch. As for the waiter in the store, we can hire someone, but it's better to use our own people as the chef in the kitchen."

Liu Caixia packed up the money and said, "Today is about the same as yesterday, 18.7 taels plus 6.8 taels. Currently, every day is around this amount, with a difference of about 5 cents."

"Liu Hao came here today to talk about Uncle Luo's exams, and bought them some pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, spending more than twenty taels. Studying is really too expensive, and we have to find someone to be a guarantor later, and the series of expenses for the exams must be high. The current savings are still too little. It will take at least two months to open a new store."

"Almost. I'll go to the pawnshop tomorrow and ask for fifty taels. I also need to set aside fifty taels to buy piglets and pay for chicks every month. We only have a little over a hundred taels left to spend now, and we'll have to save all of it for their exams in mid-April. The rest of the money can basically be saved for opening a new store later."

Lin Weizhong nodded and closed the account book. "It's time to make money. After Uncle Luo and the others finish their exams, they will definitely come to the county to continue their studies if they pass. The expenses will definitely be higher. We also need to plan to buy a house."

"If we don't have enough money to buy a house, we can rent it. I decided to buy the two shops for the branch. Nowadays, buying is more secure. If we sign an agreement for a rented shop and the other party wants to breach the agreement, even if they compensate us for the liquidated damages according to the agreement, it will still be a loss for us."

"Yes, if you have nothing to do recently, you can start looking for a shop. It would be best if it is the same as ours, with two shops in the front and a house in the back where people can live. Where are the other two shops you plan to build?"

"One is on East Street, and the other is on South Street. North Street is not very suitable because that is where the county government office is located, and the people who live there are all powerful families in the city. First, it is difficult to find a suitable shop, and second, those people are not our main consumer group. It would be even better if there was a suitable shop near the county school on South Street. It doesn't matter if it is not too far away, because the people who live there are all young people, or families with people studying in the county school. Our store will definitely be more popular with young people."

"Your plan is very reasonable. I have also thought about the county school before. Even if I can't open a spicy hot pot restaurant near the county school, I can open a snack bar. There are so many snacks nowadays, and any one of them should be very popular."

"Yes, that's right. So don't stare at the counter these days. Go around the city and ask around at some dental shops."

Liu Caixia packed her things as usual. Lin Weizhong looked at the busy woman in front of him and thought that if he really wanted to find another one, why couldn't he find this woman. He felt very comfortable and natural with her. He thought Liu Caixia should feel the same way.

"Caixia, let's start a new family!"

Liu Caixia seemed to be a little bit unconvinced of what she heard. Mu Ran raised her head and looked at Lin Weizhong, who had already stood up, staring at her with an upright posture. His clenched hands revealed that Lin Weizhong was still a little nervous.

Liu Caixia couldn't help but fall into deep thought. She thought she was dating a man for love, but it turned out to be all exploitation and deception. A man like Lin Weizhong is really a suitable marriage partner, even though there is no passionate love between them. But being with him makes her feel inexplicably safe, just like being with family.

"I know what I said was rather abrupt. You can think about it. Although it was something that happened recently that made me have such an idea. I didn't say it on impulse. I said it after thinking it over again and again. We get along well and know each other's backgrounds very well. I always feel at ease when I am with you. I have a sense of home. I don't completely want to use you as a shield!"

Lin Weizhong said it all in one breath. He seemed a little impulsive. In fact, the way they got along with each other still had the thinking of modern people. If these people were not husband and wife at that time, they could not work in a store like this.

Liu Caixia suddenly felt that it was not impossible to have such a husband to rely on. She was not that kind of woman, otherwise she would not have returned home to be a full-time wife after marriage. It was just that she had not found a man with good character before.

"Weizhong, let's give it a try. I'm mainly afraid that if we have conflicts, we won't be able to be friends in the future. We are now a community of interests, and I cherish you very much."

"I understand. You can rest assured. We will continue to get along like this. The current conditions are not suitable for us to get married right away. Besides, both of us are considered second marriages. I don't know what the procedures are here. We will get along for a while, and when conditions allow, we will get married and live together. I will be filial to my parents, take care of you and the two children, and also take care of Big Sister and Xiaomei. We will form a family like this, which is also a strong combination."

Liu Caixia nodded. "Yes, my elder sister and I are both daughters, so it's good that you said that. When my parents are gone, there will be no man in charge of our family. Although we won't be bullied, it will still be inconvenient."

Lin Weizhong must have known her concerns when he said this. Since Liu Caixia didn't need to change anything at the moment, she didn't have to worry about sleeping in the same room with him as a real couple. It also gave her time to adapt. The more she thought about it, the more she felt it was okay. "Okay, Weizhong, let's give it a try. Just treat it as a relationship for half a year. If we get along well after half a year, then we can get married and live together."

When Lin Weizhong heard her talk about living together, he knew that she was indeed worried about that aspect. What he just said was right, "Okay, let's treat each other as if we were dating. From blind dating to marriage, it takes time to adapt and observe. I will work hard, and you can tell me directly if you have anything."

"Sure, we can just get along with each other openly like before."

"Okay!" The two smiled at each other, as if something was slowly changing.