Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting-Chapter 111: Startup Capital

Back then, she had been preparing for a historical film.

To make her character feel more authentic to the era, she often ran over to Grandpa Yuan’s house to ask for his guidance.

She remembered Grandpa Yuan saying that he had served in the army for many years when he was young and had even been the personal bodyguard for a high-ranking official.

At the time, she was just in her early twenties, while the old man was already in his seventies.

Calculating that back to the current time period...

’If the timeline is correct, Grandpa Yuan would only be around twenty-two or twenty-three this year, right?’

’In other words, he’s in his second or third year of military service right now.’

’He might still be serving, not yet discharged.’

With her always excellent memory, she immediately recalled the address she had heard from Grandpa Yuan all those years ago.

He had told her back then that she was welcome to visit his home when she had the chance.

That home was on "Gourd Lane."

Thinking back on it now, although "Gourd Lane" was as ordinary a street name as could be, it was located in an old district of the Capital City at the time.

She walked out of the hospital’s main entrance.

Song Qingya had a light spring in her step.

This sudden change was a surprise even to her.

A moment ago, she had been worrying about Fei Jin’s situation, but in a flash, she saw a new possibility.

Fei Jin smiled as he looked at her.

"What’s made you so happy?"

His gaze was full of concern.

"I am pretty happy."

’At least I finally thought of a way to help you!’

Song Qingya’s eyes sparkled as she gave him a sweet smile.

Then she raised her arm and gently looped it through his.

"I don’t want to eat at home. Can we find a restaurant around here and get something good to eat?"

"Whatever you want."

Fei Jin replied with a smile.

’What’s the point of earning money if not for my wife to spend?’

Fei Jin received a considerable stipend every month.

He handed all of this money over to Song Qingya to manage.

No matter where they ate or what they did, he let Song Qingya arrange everything.

The two of them were sitting at a window seat in a state-run restaurant.

Four fragrant dishes were laid out before them.

Perhaps it was because she had been drinking from the Spiritual Spring every day lately.

Ever since getting past the worst phase of morning sickness, Song Qingya’s appetite had become surprisingly good. The amount of food she ate was almost on par with the tall and well-built Fei Jin.

This made sense, of course. After all, though only one person was eating, she had to supply nutrients for two.

There was nothing wrong with eating a little more.

Song Qingya had just shoveled the last of the rice into her mouth with her chopsticks, chewed a couple of times, and swallowed.

As she ate, she thought about making another trip to the market before they left Qi City.

She needed to buy some crop seeds and plenty of dry rations to store in her special space for later use.

The small patch of fertile black soil she possessed was quite magical.

The crops grown there, in terms of both quality and yield, were a huge step above those grown by ordinary farmers. If she sold them at the market, she could even get several times the price of normal produce.

The profit margin was substantial.

By using this clever method to earn a profit, combined with the stock she already had on hand, her income had been quite impressive recently.

A rough calculation showed that her net profit during this period had already exceeded three hundred yuan.

Although this money-making method seemed viable, it came with significant troubles.

She couldn’t frequent a place like that too often, as it would easily attract unwanted attention.

The past few times she went to the market, she had deliberately worn a hat to hide her face.

Moreover, the baby in her belly was growing bigger by the day, and her bump was becoming more and more obvious.

Moving around would definitely become more difficult in the future.

At that point, it would be even more impossible to risk going to the market.

Time waits for no one. The best strategy was to seize this opportunity and make a killing.

Song Qingya thought this over as she looked down and did some mental calculations.

There was only about a year left until the economic reforms she knew were coming.

Her sights were set high, and her goal was crystal clear.

She just had to save up a full twenty thousand yuan.

In this unique era, that would be her life’s first real pot of seed money.

...

At that moment, the rich aroma of food filled the small room in the Sun Family’s tenement building.

Sun Zhenhai was so hungry his stomach was growling. Curled up on his stool, he looked rather pathetic.

He stared eagerly at the steaming, delicious dishes on the table, but he couldn’t pick up his chopsticks to take even a single bite.

"Mom, Dad, can we eat yet? I don’t even know how long I’ve been starving! Look at me, I’m about to die of hunger, and you won’t even let me have one bite. This is inhumane!"

"No! We have to wait for your sister and brother-in-law to get back before we can eat."

"We still have to wait for Song Qingya?"

Just hearing that name made Sun Zhenhai inexplicably irritated, and his tone immediately soured.

"What’s so great about her anyway? Why are you all so polite to her? She’s part of our family now. She should be doing what the family asks her to do. Why even ask if she’s willing? Isn’t that just making things complicated? Can’t you just tell her to do it?"

His parents’ attitude infuriated him, and he flared up in a fit of anger.

He snatched a pair of chopsticks from the table and slammed them down in the center, making the teacups rattle.

"It’s not as simple as you think!"

His father, Sun Qiang, who was sitting to the side, retorted with a deep voice and a frown.

"She’s living a good life right now. Her husband dotes on her and yields to her in almost everything. If she doesn’t agree to help, with how much her husband indulges her, do you think he’d let you order her around? Do you think she’d be able to help you?"

"That’s right, Zhenhai. Your father’s right. You can’t rush this kind of thing. It’s better to discuss it."

"Mom, Dad, didn’t I already bring it up with her last night before bed? But guess how she responded? She was just playing dumb! She’s deliberately not giving an answer because, deep down, she doesn’t want to help!"

Not to be outdone, Sun Zhenhai continued to grumble.

"Alright, that’s enough. Arguing won’t help."

His mother finally couldn’t help but cut him off.

"They should be back soon. It’s not too late to talk to her face-to-face when she gets here."

Just a few seconds after she said that, a CLICK suddenly came from the lock on the door.

The door then swung open, and in walked Song Qingya, looking sharp and carrying her bag.

Her gaze swept across the living room, and the first thing she noticed was the pair of chopsticks scattered on the floor.

Then she saw Sun Zhenhai, who was glaring at her.

"Oh dear, Zhenhai, how could you be so clumsy? Dropping your chopsticks on the floor while eating, just like a little kid."

"Who said I dropped them?"

Sun Zhenhai shot his head up to look at her.

"I haven’t even eaten!"

he said, his face a mask of indignation and anger.

"You haven’t eaten? Then what are you doing just sitting there?"

Song Qingya tilted her head as she looked at him.

Playing dumb, Song Qingya raised her wrist and glanced at her watch.

Then, she looked over at her mother, Yang Yunhua, and Sun Qiang with a grin and said cheerfully, "Mom, Uncle Sun, it’s already nine o’clock. Why haven’t we started eating yet?"

"Weren’t we waiting for you and Xiao Fei to eat with us?"

Yang Yunhua replied gently.