The two chatted until dawn, but Wang Fushun became more and more excited as they talked.

"Brother Heng, I can't say anymore, I have to rush to deliver the goods. Let's go together."

It just so happened that Wang Fushun was on his way to Shili Village to collect the pastries made by Bai Shiqing and Deng Min, so the two of them rode away on their bicycles.

"Brother Heng, if it really works out like you say, I'd be more than willing. I've saved up quite a bit over the years, and I trust you. This time, I'm putting all my savings into it!"

Wang Fushun rubbed his hands together and continued, "Perfect, it saves my mom the trouble of introducing me to someone."

Seeing that this man was destined to be a bachelor for life, Shen Heng was too lazy to persuade him. After all, one had to experience it firsthand to know how good it was. Besides, not all girls were as adorable as his Jiaojiao.

Now, after Deng Min finishes making the pastries at Bai Shiqing's house, she leaves them there, and Wang Fushun comes over to collect them from both families.

Wang Fushun and Shen Heng arrived at the foot of the mountain together. Wang Fushun knocked on Bai Shiqing's door, while Shen Heng went back to his own home.

As soon as Shen Heng entered the room, he heard Bai Jiaojiao turning over and realized that she was awake.

"Awake so early?"

"I haven't been sleeping soundly, Heng-ge, come and sleep with me."

Bai Jiaojiao wasn't exactly awake; she was in a half-dreaming, half-awake state. Her eyes weren't open; she was only moving her mouth.

Shen Heng, being soft-hearted, quickly stripped himself naked and crawled into Bai Jiaojiao's bed.

"Can't sleep without Heng-ge?"

"..." Bai Jiaojiao buried her head in Shen Heng's arms, but did not answer.

"Still shy? Why are you shy about thinking about your man?"

Shen Heng's two sentences brought Bai Jiaojiao to her senses.

She yawned: "What time is it?"

"It's already past five o'clock." Luckily it's winter; when it's warm, it's already bright outside at this time.

Bai Jiaojiao went to bed around 10 p.m. last night: "No wonder I woke up, haha..."

She was still yawning: "You should go to sleep. I didn't sleep a wink last night."

"Then you can hold me while I sleep." Shen Heng put one arm around Bai Jiaojiao and changed to a more comfortable lying position.

"Sleep or don't sleep, I have to sleep with you?"

"Isn't the point of marrying a wife to sleep with her? How can you be such a wife if you don't even know that?"

Seeing that Shen Heng wasn't sleepy either, Bai Jiaojiao ignored his lewd behavior and asked, "What did you say to Wang Fushun? Why are you only coming back now?"

"Checking up on him?" Shen Heng rubbed Bai Jiaojiao's skin, tilted his head, and took a deep breath of her fragrance. "I'll ask him if he wants to come with me to the south after the New Year. Although the beginning is the most difficult, it's definitely the sooner we start, the more money we'll make. In the summer, you wanted a refrigerator, right? We'll buy one for our family."

"We don't need a refrigerator right away; it's fine without one." Instead of spending money on a refrigerator, we'd rather buy a few more small houses in the south.

Shen Heng continued, "Your older brother and sister probably saved up some money this year. When I leave, I'll ask them if they want to invest, and how much they invest. I'll give them 10% of the profits. It'll only take a month or two for the whole thing to happen."

The problem now is the principal. After buying two courtyards, they only have a little over a thousand yuan left. If they could raise more money, then this trip would be worthwhile.

"I'll go ask them, but my brother and sister are used to working the land, so they might not be so optimistic."

Shen Heng said, "I think you're wrong. Your brother and sister are much bolder than ordinary old farmers. They still dare to do speculation and profiteering."

There was another reason Shen Heng didn't mention. The reason these two families were able to earn so much money was that one relied on the skills Bai Jiaojiao taught them, and the other relied on his brother's connections. If they had any conscience, they would definitely be willing to help with money.

But Shen Heng didn't want Bai Jiaojiao to think he was scheming against her family, so he kept it to himself.

"You're always slandering my family! Before we met you, we were all law-abiding citizens!"

Shen Heng laughed and said, "Alright, alright, you're all law-abiding citizens. Just go and ask. I'll contact my old buddies again and see if they have any spare money."

The reason for setting the date after the new year was that Shen Heng wanted to raise as much money as possible.

The two agreed that each would take charge of their own tasks the next day.

Bai Jiaojiao discussed it with Bai Shiqing first, and Bai Shiqing agreed without hesitation: "You two college students have more experience than us. If you think it can be done, then it definitely can be done."

Bai Shiqing, with a blind trust in her younger sister that she didn't know where it came from, pulled out eight hundred yuan: "You can take this money and use it. You don't need to share any interest. Anyway, I won't have any babies if I just leave it at home."

"Second sister, there's no such thing as investing without expecting a return." Investing only 10% is indeed a bit too much, but Shen Heng is in dire need of money right now and doesn't want others to suffer losses.

"What is this? Investment? That's so high-level, what is it?" Bai Shiqing didn't understand what investment was. They were sisters and supported each other. Bai Jiaojiao used to help her, and now that her younger sister needed money to do business, it was normal for her, as the older sister, to give her some money.

Bai Shiqing was born in the new society and had no experience with these things, so Bai Jiaojiao explained it to her carefully. Looking at the stack of money that Bai Shiqing gave her directly, she asked, "Why don't you discuss it with your brother-in-law?"

“I earned all this money. He just helped out. After a year of good living, what else does he want?” Bai Shiqing’s words revealed who was in charge at home. “Look at your brother-in-law. When I first got together with him, his belly was still quite full. Now it’s almost turned into a big belly.”

When Bai Jiaojiao returned this time, she noticed that Li Shuxian's face had gotten fuller and was quite sturdy, much more robust than a year ago.

“No matter what, you are husband and wife. Even if your brother-in-law is willing, he must be upset if you make the decision without consulting him.”

Bai Shiqing was a little older than Li Shuxian, and Li Shuxian was a stubborn and headstrong man by nature, so Bai Shiqing was used to making the decisions.

When Bai Jiaojiao said that Li Shuxian would be sad, Bai Shiqing recalled how Li Shuxian usually sulked and wouldn't say a word when he was wronged; he really looked pitiful.

She smiled and said, "Okay, I'll ask him after you leave, and I'll come to your house tonight to talk to you about it."

Bai Jiaojiao was relieved. She didn't want to cause trouble for others because of her family's affairs.

With that matter settled, Bai Jiaojiao started thinking about some random things.

"By the way, sis, are you and your husband planning to have children?"

Suddenly brought up this, Bai Shiqing shook her head: "Aren't these two kids enough for us to take care of? I'm really fed up with those who have seven or eight children. Even if I wanted another one, it would be several years later, and there would be no one to take care of it."

Bai Jiaojiao couldn't remember either. She guessed that the one-child policy would be implemented sometime after the New Year or the year after. If Bai Shiqing didn't make any plans in the next two years, she probably wouldn't have the chance again.