I faced a tight budget when I was nine. On November Ist, I used up most of the money I saved. With a small amount of pocket money left before Christmas I didn't have enough to buy presents for the family.
I was seriously considering going to my dad and asking for an advance on the next year's pocket money, so I could at least buy gifts for my family members. But then, one evening, I was sitting in my room reading advertisements in the back of a magazine. Several greeting-card companies were telling us how people could make money by selling their cards and stationery (文具). Normally, I would have passed right over the ads, but this time my situation was so difficult that I felt I had nothing to lose.
The ad that attracted me most was one by a well-known greeting-card company in my nation, whose products were of high quality. With my parents' help, I contacted the company, although they preferred adults or older kids to advertise their products. After my sincere request, they agreed to give me, a nine-year-old boy, a chance.
My sales materials arrived within the week. I had expected something small and neat, but the package looked like a dinosaur's shoebox it was close to three feet long and nearly a foot wide, full of stuff. There was a thick binder (活页夹) containing a complete selection of the cards and some writing paper, which I would be selling for around $3 per box.
Although my parents supported my try to make money by myself, they had little confidence in my success; after all, instead of an outgoing kid, I was somewhat shy. However, I was determined to have a try to challenge myself.
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Wasting no time, I set off and knocked on doors in my neighborhood.
Eventually, I earned over $20, a large sum of money for a 9-year-old kid in 1954.
