Chapter 45: Accusations of Profiteering and Speculation

Under the old locust tree by the entrance of the pharmaceutical factory, a few villagers huddled together, whispering. Even though they kept their voices low, a few fragments still drifted into Su Yao’s ears:
"I heard someone reported Yuxuan, saying that running a business as a mere teenager is speculation and profiteering..."
"You said it! Selling pencil cases for so much profit—what if the commune investigates?"

Su Yao’s heart tightened. Just as she was about to step forward to ask, she saw a commune jeep pull up at the gate, and Secretary Liu stepped out accompanied by two officials. She hurried over, forcing a calm expression: "Secretary Liu, what brings you here? Please come inside and sit down."

Secretary Liu nodded, his expression rather serious. "Comrade Su, someone reported that Lu Yuxuan is doing business as a minor, suspected of speculation and profiteering. We are here to verify the situation."

As soon as these words were spoken, the air in the courtyard instantly froze. Lu Yuxuan had just returned from the stationery factory, still clutching a newly designed notebook sample in his hand. Hearing this, his face turned pale, and the sample almost dropped to the ground.

"Secretary Liu, I am not engaging in speculation and profiteering!" Lu Yuxuan cried out, his voice cracking with anxiety. "My pencil case sales are part of a formal, legitimate partnership with the stationery factory, and I’ve paid my taxes!"

"Don't panic. Let's go inside and talk things over slowly." Secretary Liu patted him on the shoulder and followed Su Yao indoors.

Once inside, Secretary Liu sat down at the table and got straight to the point: "Lu Yuxuan, someone reported that you sell pencil cases at high prices, run a business while underage, and violate regulations. Tell me the situation."

Lu Yuxuan took a deep breath, turned around to fetch the ledger from the inner room, placed it on the table, and opened it. "Secretary Liu, please look. This is my ledger, and every single income and expense is recorded here. In partnership with the stationery factory, each pencil case costs 0.5 yuan to make and sells for 1.2 yuan. Part of the profit goes toward taxes—so far, I’ve paid 120 yuan. Another part goes toward wages for Aunt Li, Auntie Wang, and three others from the village—five people in total, each receiving 20 yuan a month. They help me sort stationery and pack orders, and they’ve earned every penny."

Secretary Liu took the ledger and flipped through it carefully. Everything was recorded with utmost clarity: income written in black ink, expenses marked in red, tax payments and wage disbursements clearly documented, right down to the few cents spent on wrapping paper.

"Did you keep all these records yourself?" Secretary Liu asked.

"Yes. Every night I log the day's accounts, and Mom helps me cross-check them," Lu Yuxuan nodded. "I know that doing business requires following the rules—no arbitrary pricing, no tax evasion. My dad taught me all of this."

Su Yao added from the side, "Secretary Liu, the cost of Yuxuan's pencil cases is indeed not low. Iron plating, printing, labor—it all adds up to 0.5 yuan each. Selling them at 1.2 yuan was vetted and approved by the stationery factory and the department store, complying with national pricing standards without exceeding permitted profit margins. Besides, part of the money he earns goes to pay the villagers' wages, and the rest is invested directly into Xingchen's space-breeding project to buy seeds and experimental supplies. Not a single cent is wasted."

Secretary Liu looked up at Su Yao, then back at Lu Yuxuan, the severity on his face gradually fading. He put down the ledger, picked up a pencil case sample from the table, and examined it closely. "This design is quite good—an aerospace theme. Children love it, and it spreads knowledge. It's a fine thing."

"Yet someone said I was speculating and profiteering..." Lu Yuxuan said softly, a trace of grievance still in his eyes.

Secretary Liu smiled. "This is by no means speculation and profiteering! Speculation and profiteering mean profiteering through extortionate prices, hoarding, and driving up market rates. You have entered into a legitimate partnership, paid taxes according to the law, provided employment for the villagers, and supported scientific research. This is youth entrepreneurship, and it deserves to be encouraged!"

Hearing this, the boulder lifted from Lu Yuxuan’s heart, and a smile broke across his face. Su Yao also relaxed, picked up a cup of tea from the table, and handed it over. "Thank you, Secretary Liu, for your clear judgment. With your words, we can finally set our minds at ease."

"However, things must still be done with greater standardization in the future," Secretary Liu said, taking a sip of tea. "Your starting point is good, but you are young and might not be entirely clear on certain policies and regulations. In the future, communicate more with the commune when you encounter issues instead of struggling blindly on your own."

"I understand. Thank you, Secretary Liu!" Lu Yuxuan nodded eagerly. "From now on, I will keep my accounts even more detailed, pay my taxes on time, and never cause trouble for the commune."

Seeing his earnest expression, Secretary Liu felt a warmth in his heart. "You are a boy with vision and a sense of responsibility, better than quite a few adults. How about this: write an experience-sharing essay. Talk about how you came up with the aerospace-themed stationery, how you manage accounts, and how you follow the rules. We'll post it on the commune's publicity bulletin board so other young people can learn from it and be encouraged to start businesses and increase their income through legitimate means."

"Me? Write an experience-sharing essay?" Lu Yuxuan was somewhat surprised yet excited. "Can I write it well?"

"Of course you can!" Secretary Liu encouraged him. "Just write down your genuine thoughts and practices. No need to be too complex; keep it clear and accessible. This is not only an affirmation of you, but also sets a good example for other young people."

After seeing Secretary Liu off, Lu Yuxuan jumped for joy. He hugged his ledger, ran out into the courtyard, and found Lu Xingchen and Lu Shihan who were playing nearby. "Big brother is fine!" he announced loudly. "Secretary Liu said I'm not a profiteer, and even asked me to write an experience-sharing article!"

Lu Xingchen put down his experimental logbook and said happily, "I knew brother would be fine. You've been doing everything so strictly by the book—how could it ever be considered profiteering?"

Lu Shihan ran over as well and tugged at his hand. "Brother is amazing! When I grow up, I want to be just like you—doing useful things and never bringing trouble to the family."

Looking at the happy children, Su Yao’s heart was filled with warmth. She knew that while this storm had caused a brief moment of tension, it had also served to temper Lu Yuxuan and let the villagers witness the honest truth of his entrepreneurial venture, which would surely win him even more support in the future.

Over the next few days, Lu Yuxuan diligently worked on his article. Sitting at his desk, he recalled the entire process of designing the aerospace-themed pencil cases—from the initial spark of an idea to partnering with the stationery factory, and onward to sales and bookkeeping—writing down every single detail with accuracy and truthfulness. Whenever he encountered something he didn't quite understand, he consulted Su Yao and Lu Zhanye to ensure the content was precise.

After finishing, he revised it several times until he was fully satisfied. Su Yao read it through and found it excellent, as it not only showcased his hard work but also emphasized the importance of abiding by rules, making it deeply educational.

Once Lu Yuxuan handed his piece over to Secretary Liu, it was pinned up on the commune's publicity board within a few days. Passersby among the villagers gathered around to read it, some even reciting the words aloud.

"I never imagined a young lad like Yuxuan could be this capable—knowing how to do business while respecting the rules," Widow Li said with a smile. "I was worried something might happen to him earlier; looks like I was overthinking."

"Ain't that the truth? The money he earns even helps pay our wages and supports Xingchen's research. He's a good boy," Auntie Wang chimed in. "From now on, I'm going to help him pack and deliver goods and back him up properly."

Passing by the publicity board and seeing the villagers gathered around reading what he had written, Lu Yuxuan felt a swelling sense of pride. He knew this was not only validation of himself, but also a strong endorsement of his entrepreneurial journey. He resolved to work even harder to make his aerospace-themed stationery a success, living up to everyone's expectations.

That evening, when Lu Zhanye returned home and heard about the report and the published article, he proudly clapped Lu Yuxuan on the shoulder. "Good lad, you've got backbone! Unflustered in the face of trouble, and able to bring forth evidence to prove yourself—you acted like a real man. Keep up the good work; your dad supports you all the way!"

"Thanks, Dad!" Lu Yuxuan looked at his father, his eyes shining with gratitude. "I'll work even harder from now on. Not only will I run the stationery business well, but I'll also help Xingchen make a success of the space-breeding project, contributing more to our family and our village."

Su Yao watched the father and son, her heart overflowing with happiness. She knew the children were slowly growing up, learning resilience and accountability through life's trials, which mattered more than anything else. And this home, fueled by the children's hard work and the villagers' support, was growing ever warmer and full of hope.

In the days that followed, Lu Yuxuan's aerospace-themed stationery sold even better. It became a hot commodity not only within the county and neighboring counties but also reached farther destinations through the supply and marketing cooperative. Director Wang of the stationery factory made a special trip to see him, hoping to collaborate on developing more new products, such as aerospace-themed schoolbags and pencil boxes, to further expand production scale.

Lu Yuxuan readily agreed and began researching new design concepts, incorporating more fun elements tailored to children's preferences. Lu Xingchen and Lu Shihan joined in to help as well: Xingchen provided aerospace knowledge, while Shihan took charge of artwork. Working together as a family, they soon designed several new product samples.

Once the new samples were delivered to the department store, they sparked another wave of enthusiastic purchasing. Parents remarked that such stationery was not only attractive and practical, but also allowed children to learn knowledge—vastly superior to ordinary stationery.

With the money he earned, Lu Yuxuan not only continued to fund Xingchen's space-breeding project, but also established a small reading room in the village, purchasing numerous books on aerospace, agriculture, and science so that the local children could read during their free time. The villagers all praised him, saying that Yuxuan was a boy who had achieved success yet still cared for the village children—a truly kind-hearted and loving young man.

Watching Lu Yuxuan's growth, Su Yao felt a deep sense of peace and fulfillment. She knew that although he was young, his heart held his family, his fellow villagers, and hopes for the future. That hope would guide him ever forward, shaping him into a person truly useful to society.

Deep into the night, the lights of the pharmaceutical factory remained brightly lit. Lu Yuxuan sat at his desk, gazing at the steadily growing sales figures in his ledger, a smile blooming on his face. He picked up his pen and wrote on the final page of the ledger: "Encountering difficulties is nothing to fear. As long as you hold fast to your original aspiration, abide by the rules, and put in diligent effort, you will surely win recognition and support. In the future, I will keep striving to make greater contributions to my family, my village, and our country, and grow into a person of responsibility and substance."

Outside the window, moonlight spilled into the room, casting a gentle glow over the words in the ledger and illuminating Lu Yuxuan’s face, which radiated hope. He knew the road ahead remained long and fraught with challenges, but as long as he had the support of his family, the encouragement of the villagers, and his own perseverance, no difficulty was insurmountable. He would surely realize his dreams and create even greater value through collective effort and hard work.