Silly Zhu's Moving: The Old Neighbor's Nightmare

Chapter 195 Negotiation

When Director Wang came out of the rain-soaked house, Sha Zhu seemed to be asleep on the recliner.

If you didn't know Sha Zhu's background, he would just be a cook in a factory.

Then dress this lying fellow in fine silks and satins, making him look exactly like a landlord, someone who has been overthrown.

This woman lives a more comfortable life than I, the director of the neighborhood committee, with clear, bright glass windows and a small courtyard where she lives alone.

Those who know the family say it's a brother and sister without parents to take care of them, but those who don't know would definitely think they're the foolish sons of some landlord.

Compared to the neighboring houses near the street office, there's simply no comparison.

Most other families had four or five members crammed into one room, but Sha Zhu even partitioned off a small room in his three main rooms to use as a bathroom.

Most of the neighbors in the neighborhood wore clothes patched upon patched. The two siblings, Sha Zhu and his sister, no, along with his second uncle who came over, wore ordinary clothes, but all three of them had clean clothes without patches.

This kid doesn't seem like someone his age should be. Sometimes even I, the director of the neighborhood office, get fooled by him.

I always felt that this kid lacked a sense of urgency in life.

Other families are working themselves to the bone to find jobs to earn more money to supplement their income. I heard that this kid now goes fishing or collects scraps to take to the recycling station after get off work.

Could it be that he squandered all the money his master and father gave him? Otherwise, why would he take on catering jobs on weekends?

Sha Zhu wasn't asleep; he was just feeling particularly comfortable in the afterglow of the setting sun, and he was a little sleepy.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Sha Zhu hurriedly opened his half-closed eyes.

Director Wang stopped in his tracks. He had been planning to wake Sha Zhu with the sole of his shoe, but it turned out that Sha Zhu was just pretending to be asleep.

Looking at the ill-intentioned Director Wang, Sha Zhu was a little confused. He hadn't done anything bad recently, nor had he caused Director Wang any trouble.

Someone like Jia Zhangshi, who was stung by a bee and ended up in the hospital, would probably die, and everyone would just laugh it off and say she deserved it.

Nobody took it seriously. At most, the government would try to get rid of the stinging bees. Nobody knew why Director Wang was giving him that malicious look.

Sha Zhu quickly stood up, picked up the teapot on the stone table, poured tea for the two of them, and invited them to sit down.

Director Wang sat down on the granite bench, picked up the wooden chess set placed next to the stone table, looked at it, and said, "Did you make these chess sets yourself?"

Sha Zhu nodded. "Yes, I only made this one set. It was very troublesome. Several neighbors and Teacher Yan wanted me to make a set for them, but I didn't have the time."

"I think you just don't want to make it for them. You have time to go fishing, but not time to make another set," Director Wang said, putting the chess set back in its original place.

Sha Zhu smiled and nodded, "That's right. I wouldn't get anything out of making them a set, so why should I make it for them?"

Liu Qian, who was sitting down next to him drinking tea, looked up at Sha Zhu in surprise. He really spoke very bluntly.

Director Wang pointed to the rocking horse the child was riding in the yard and said, "You made this rocking horse and all the wooden toys in your sister's room."

Sha Zhu continued to nod.

Director Wang picked up his teacup, took a sip, thought for a moment, and asked Sha Zhu, "Do you think it's possible to open a toy factory with these toys you make?"

Opening a toy factory? Are you kidding me? Director Wang is trying to increase employment for people near the street office. He must be crazy.

People can't even get enough to eat, so how many people are thinking about buying toys for their children? There are so many shops on Qianmen Street, and they sell toys, but business isn't great.

Those children's toys are inedible and inedible, and they're incredibly expensive.

Unless the price is driven down to near cost, perhaps ordinary people will buy one to play with their grandchildren.

Alternatively, you could lower the price and sell to other provinces, but shipping costs are also an expense. As for overseas sales, that depends on luck.

Moreover, it must be creative and not easily imitated; otherwise, it's all made of wood. Wouldn't it be more convenient to make it using local materials after returning home?

Currently, many toys produced in China rely on hand tools, such as saws, planes, and chisels, for cutting, polishing, and carving wood.

Some factories may be equipped with simple machining equipment, such as small saws and sanders, to improve the efficiency of wood processing.

Even these simple machining equipment are not something Director Wang can easily obtain. How can he run a factory by relying solely on carpenters?

Does this mean the carpenters in Nanluoguxiang will also be under the jurisdiction of the subdistrict office? Director Wang is thinking of finding a way out for them.

The best way out for these scattered carpenters now is to join state-owned or collective enterprises, but joining them is not that easy.

So, after hearing about his family affairs, Director Wang set his sights on him?

"Director Wang, with all the toys I have at home, it would take at least ten days to half a month to make a complete set," Sha Zhu said, speaking the truth.

Without the will to use it, even making a chess set with current tools is quite troublesome, unless...

"Or Director Wang, you could get some small saws and sanders. Even if we can't set up a small workshop in Nanluoguxiang, it's possible to open a factory."

"A small saw and a sander?" Director Wang asked doubtfully. Director Wang was a complete novice, knowing absolutely nothing, yet he was thinking of opening a toy factory—wasn't that a joke?

"Yes, take my chess set for example. It takes me ten days to half a month to make a set by hand."

With those two machines, we could mass-produce toys. All the toys I have at home are made by referencing those in stores.

I asked the shopkeepers and clerks, and they said that to mass-produce toys in a factory, you need machinery.

Otherwise, relying on manual labor would be too slow. If Director Wang could purchase some processing equipment, such as furniture manufacturing equipment like tables, chairs, and benches, it would be much better.

Construction timber processing, such as wooden beams and pillars, as well as wood carvings, wooden toys and handicrafts, can all be easily made.

Sha Zhu attributed all the information to the store staff, which made it seem less abrupt.

"If Director Wang needs it, I can visit timber stores, furniture markets, and toy stores more often and draw up some blueprints for Director Wang's reference."

However, Director Wang will have to figure out the machinery and equipment himself. There should be state-owned machinery and equipment manufacturing plants in Beijing that can manufacture these wood processing equipment.

"I suggest that Director Wang visit and inspect the timber processing plant and toy manufacturing plant before discussing opening a factory," Sha Zhu gave Director Wang some practical advice.