Volume 1, Chapter 12: Too Much Cargo, Registering Mom and Dad

Day had broken.

Qin Fan stretched his limbs. Early in the morning, he had already received calls from several merchants he was collaborating with, informing him that all the goods were prepared and waiting for him to inspect and collect.

Going there himself to haul such a massive amount of goods seemed impractical. Moreover, he couldn't just conjure the items into his livestream studio right in front of them—that would surely scare the life out of people! Since the volume was too large to move all at once, he would need to transport them to the large warehouse he had rented.

Qin Fan pondered the logistics. Hiring transport drivers would cost him thousands; rather than lining the pockets of strangers, it would be better to keep the money within the family. His parents, who spent their days toiling in the fields with nothing better to do than listen to his grandmother’s constant nagging, might as well earn some extra cash by handling the transport.

Yes, that was the plan.

"Xiaofan! Come have breakfast!" Qin Yong called out as soon as Qin Fan emerged.

"Coming!"

"Xiaofan, making money is important, but you shouldn't stay up so late! It's bad for your health," said Li Ping, looking at her son with concern, having noticed the lights in his room staying on until two or three in the morning every night.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll take care of myself," Qin Fan replied, feeling a warmth in his heart.

"Li Ping! That’s not the right way to ask. Where are there any easy jobs for young people these days? Look at your eldest brother's son; he works overtime every day and only takes home three thousand yuan a month. Qin Fan doesn't have to cook or wash dishes at home, so staying up late to make money is fine!"

Li Ping wanted to retort, but Qin Yong quickly pulled her aside. Qin Fan couldn't be bothered to argue with the old woman.

"By the way, Dad, Mom, have you two been quite free lately?" Qin Fan asked.

"Oh! The crops are all planted, and now it's just a matter of daily fertilizing. We certainly have plenty of time!" Qin Yong laughed.

"That's right! Xiaofan, why do you ask?" Li Ping inquired.

"Mom, Dad, remember how I told you that a friend of mine has been buying up vegetables? And fruits and flour products, too?"

"Yes, I remember that. You mentioned it before," Qin Yong replied.

The old woman nearby also perked up her ears, leaning in to listen closely.

"Dad, Mom, my friend is in a bit of a bind and needs some help," Qin Fan said.

"Oh? What kind of help? That friend of yours bought our fruit and really helped us out a lot. If there's anything we can do to help, we certainly should," Qin Yong said, tapping the table. "Even though we aren't rich, we must return favors."

"Qin Yong! That person bought your fruit because they needed it; it was a fair trade. You want to go help them for free? What about the crops?" the old woman scolded immediately.

"Mom, this person helped us. Regardless of the profit, our fruit would have otherwise gone to waste. Helping them out is the right thing to do," Qin Yong insisted.

"You're willing to help them for free, but why did you charge your own brother for help?" the old woman snapped angrily.

"That's not the same thing! Besides, I didn't even ask for money; he insisted on giving it to me. And when I asked him for help in the past, didn't he charge me?" Qin Yong replied, feeling irritated.

"Hmph! Can your brother's family be compared to yours? He has three children, and you only have one. The burden is different—can't you show some understanding?" the old woman pressed on.

"Alright, enough! It's not actually free help this time," Qin Fan interrupted. "My friend said that if the work is done well, they can become permanent employees with a starting salary of three thousand yuan."

"That high?" Qin Yong was shocked. "Even university graduates in the city center only make two thousand-something. What kind of job pays three thousand?"

"Exactly! Xiaofan, what kind of work has such high pay?" Li Ping was also puzzled. Jobs with such high salaries usually required an education, and they were all illiterate.

"Dad, Mom, it's simple—simpler than the work those educated people do."

"Hmph, Qin Fan, don't tell me your friend is a scammer! There's no such thing as an easy job with high pay; it's a total lie," the old woman sneered. "There's no such thing as a free lunch."

Qin Fan ignored her and continued speaking to his parents. "Dad, Mom, it's very simple. He needs drivers to transport the goods he purchases. You'd only need to work when there are goods to be moved."

"Transporting goods? Only working when there are goods?" Qin Yong was still confused.

"Exactly. My friend will notify me when he has a shipment, and I'll take you two to transport it. At most, it's about fifteen trips a month. You just need to know how to drive."

"Drive? But we don't know how to drive!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Qin Fan, your father doesn't know how to drive, but your uncle does!" the old woman nudged him.

"Dad, it doesn't matter if you don't know how yet. The professional drivers on the road charge too much, so my friend decided to train a few drivers himself, and then they can start working immediately."

"Train drivers?"

"Yes. He'll pay for your driving school enrollment. Once you pass, you can start transporting the goods."

"He'll pay for the driving school?" Qin Yong hesitated. "Is... is that really appropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it? Dad, if you and Mom learn, it'll be convenient for our family to go anywhere. Plus, if we ever decide to buy a car in the future, we'll all know how to drive. How convenient would that be?"

"That's true, but wouldn't we be taking advantage of him?" Qin Yong, an honest man, felt uneasy.

"Don't worry about that, Dad. This friend is very wealthy, and we have a very good relationship."

"I see! In that case, I’d like to give it a try. I’ve always wanted to get my license but never had the money," Qin Yong said, beaming.

"Mom, you and Dad should go together. I'll head to the driving school in the city shortly." Qin Yong went upstairs to get his ID card.

"Xiaofan, since your friend is so rich, could one more person get a driving license?"

Qin Fan scoffed inwardly; the old woman was always looking for a handout. "Sure."

"Then have your uncle's second son learn too! Get him enrolled!"

"I can do it, but what does my uncle's son have to do with me? When I didn't have money for school, they were nowhere to be found. When my parents were sick, they didn't even come to check on them."

"Your uncle was busy, he forgot! Just hurry up and sign your cousin up."

"I can't. Besides, it's only two thousand yuan. Didn't my dad give them three thousand before? Just use that for the enrollment fee," Qin Fan said, having no patience for the old woman.

"So unfilial! Can't brothers help each other out?" the old woman shouted, slamming the table as Qin Fan walked away.