That year, the twelfth lunar month didn't have a thirtieth day. The New Year arrived the day after Zhao Mingyue returned home. Her third brother, Zhao Minglang, returned with his wife and children. Their daughter, Beibei, was only a little over a year old and very cute. Guidan was also very good at dressing her up, and the little girl looked absolutely adorable. Liangliang took a liking to the little girl as soon as he saw her, giving her his toys and candy. A love of beauty is innate, and Liangliang had mastered it by the age of four.

Zhao Minglang knew his sister was coming home for the Chinese New Year, but he couldn't leave work and only got a holiday during the holiday. The siblings had endless things to talk about once they met. When he heard that Zhao Mingyue was planning to fund his clinic, Zhao Minglang waved his hand and said, "No need, I don't plan to go it alone for now. My skills aren't up to par."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Then we'll do it later. I'll give you the money first; you can use it to buy a house or land."

Zhao Minglang shook his head: "I don't want your money. Your sister-in-law and I can earn enough; we don't lack money. It's not easy for you to earn money, so keep it for yourself. If I really need money, then I'll borrow from you."

Zhao Mingyue looked at him and said, "Third brother, you can keep this money. I originally wanted to get you some shares in the tea factory so you could just sit back and wait for the dividends every year. But my eldest and second brothers weren't too keen on it, so I guess I'll have to let you start your own business. I divided the money into three parts, and this part is for you."

Zhao Minglang said with a smile, "It wouldn't be appropriate for me to give you shares if I didn't contribute any money or effort, and I wouldn't accept them even if they were given to me. I can't just take your money for no reason either."

Zhao Mingyue looked at Zhao Minglang and said, "Brother, just think of it as your little sister having too much money and helping you improve your financial situation, okay?"

Zhao Minglang looked at his younger sister and said that he had received the most kindness from her in his life. Although she hadn't done anything directly for him, she had prevented him from going to the coal mine and encouraged him to study for university—all of that was thanks to her. Now that she was financially better off, she was still selflessly helping her brothers start their own businesses, which made him, as the older brother, feel ashamed. "Little sister," he said, "our family's situation is reversed. In other families, the older brothers take care of the younger ones, but in our family, we brothers are all being taken care of by you. I know you have the ability and want to help everyone live a better life. But really, this isn't something you have to do. We brothers can all live our own lives. It's already very kind of you to lend us money for starting our own businesses. There's no reason for you to give us money for nothing. Really, little sister, thank you, but you don't need to give me money. If I ever need money to start my own business someday, I'll borrow from you then."

Zhao Mingyue looked at her third brother and knew that he was the best. He refused to take her money, but since her eldest and second brothers had given it to her, there was no reason not to give it to her third brother. She said, "Third brother, if you don't want it now, I'll keep it for you. If you want to start a business someday, you can ask me for it. When my niece grows up and goes to university or studies abroad, I will also support her, just like my other nieces, by providing her with study funds and start-up funds."

Zhao Minglang patted Zhao Mingyue on the shoulder: "I'm telling you, you're just a worrywart. You've thought about things so far in the future. We don't even know if Beibei will go to university or go abroad. If that day ever comes, then thank you."

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "No need to be so polite with me. I have the ability to help everyone improve their lives, so it's only right that I do it, so please don't stand on ceremony."

"Don't work too hard. Women shouldn't be too strong-willed. Don't just focus on your career and forget about your family. Put more effort into your husband and children."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and nodded: "I know, Third Brother."

Liangliang poked his head in from outside the door and shouted, "Mommy, Mommy, Daddy said he's going to take me to catch rabbits! Come quick!"

Zhao Mingyue stood up: "Where are we going to catch rabbits?"

Shen Xuyue stood outside the door with a flintlock pistol in his hand: "Let's go check out Songziao. My eldest and second brothers are planning to lease some land there to grow tea. Let's go take a look too."

"Then why are you carrying a gun?" Zhao Mingyue asked, noticing that Shen Xuyue looked like an old hunter. "Where did you get it?"

Shen Xuyue said, "My brother bought it from someone. He'll take it to check it out, and if there's any wild game, he'll shoot one." Back then, there was no gun ban, and many people still owned hunting rifles.

“That’s too dangerous,” Zhao Mingyue said.

Shen Xuyue looked at her: "Don't you trust me? Do you think I'd do something reckless?"

Zhao Mingyue laughed: "So, how good is your marksmanship?"

Shen Xuyue patted his chest confidently: "Don't worry, it's a sure thing." Back then, the kids in their military compound all underwent live-fire training, and Shen Xuyue's marksmanship was quite good.

Zhao Mingyue said, "I'll change my shoes and go with you to take a look. Third Brother, are you coming?"

Zhao Minglang said, "Of course we should go take a look. Let's go." He went over to discuss the musket and the game with Shen Xuyue.

Liangliang was in high spirits the whole way. Hunting! Is there anything more fun than this? Dad is carrying a gun on his shoulder. It's a real gun! He looks so majestic and cool!

Zhao Mingyue carried Liangliang, trudging through the muddy path. It had rained a few days ago, and the ground hadn't cleared up, making it very slippery. After carrying her son for a few minutes, Zhao Mingyue was already panting: "Liangliang, can you get down and walk by yourself? Mommy can't carry you anymore."

Before Liangliang could speak, Zhao Minglang turned around and said, "Mingyue, let me help you carry Yangyang."

Zhao Mingyue said, "Liangliang, how about letting your third uncle hold you?"

Liangliang turned to look at his third uncle: "Okay."

Zhao Minglang took Liangliang from Zhao Minglang, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and made Liangliang giggle. Finally, Zhao Minglang put Liangliang on his neck and rode him like a horse. Liangliang held his uncle's head and said, "Riding a horse, giddy up, giddy up!"

Looking at her son's excited little face, Zhao Mingyue was also infected by his joy and couldn't help but feel gratified. Shen Xuyue walked ahead, carrying a gun, along with his two older brothers, discussing something as they walked. Several nephews and nieces followed beside them, laughing and joking all the way.

Songzi'ao is located behind the village's original tea plantation, which is now overgrown with weeds and shrubs. Clearing it won't be easy; it will take at least two or three years to cultivate. The possibility of harvesting tea within three years is very small, and even if it is possible, the quantity will be limited. However, precisely because of this, the price is cheap. 1,200 mu of land only costs 5,000 yuan a year, and the lease term is fifty years. If this were offered to an ordinary person, no one would want it. What use would it be? People's annual income is only a few hundred yuan; who would spend thousands of yuan to buy a piece of wasteland? They must be burning money.

But it's different if they buy tea to grow. Although the initial investment is large, the profits will be much greater later. So, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer—that's the principle. Faced with equal opportunities, the rich can afford the capital, while the poor, no matter how much they want, can only watch.

After crossing the tea mountain, we arrived at Songzi'ao. Before us stretched a vast expanse of withered, yellow reeds, with few shrubs. The north wind howled across the grassland, grinding across it in ripples, creating a desolate and forlorn atmosphere. The thought that this place would one day be a lush tea garden filled me with a sense of pride. This area is rather remote, rarely visited. If tea trees were planted here, I imagine we'd have to build a road to get here.

My nieces and nephews who had come with me ran into the bushes, shouting as they ran, "Rabbit, rabbit, come out quickly!"

Liangliang eagerly got off Zhao Minglang and ran into the bushes, chanting, "Rabbit, rabbit! Little rabbit, open the door..." He started singing as he spoke.

The adults examined the terrain and soil, discussing how to proceed. Shen Xuyue said, "This can't be done by manpower alone. Let's get a bulldozer over here. First, burn all the thatch, then have the bulldozer clear it once. That should be enough to plant tea. If we rely on manpower, it'll take forever to dig."

Zhao Minglang nodded: "Yes, we need to call a car."

Zhao Mingliang said excitedly, "If we had bulldozers, it would be much faster; they could flip it all over in no time."

Zhao Mingyue said, "We'll take it one step at a time. We'll cultivate as many acres as we can. If we cultivate too many, we won't be able to keep up and the grass will grow too."

"Yes, that makes sense."

While the adults chatted, the children were having a blast. Liangliang was playing and rolling around in the thick, dry grass with his older siblings, screaming and laughing like a wild horse let loose. He was so happy.

Suddenly, something flew out of the grass, flapping its wings and fleeing into the distance. Liangliang shouted, "Big bird! What a big bird! Mom, did you see it?"

Several children also chased after it frantically, trying to drive the thing out again.

Zhao Mingyue said, "I saw it, it's a pheasant."

"Dad, hurry up and shoot! It's a pheasant!" Liangliang suddenly remembered the purpose of their trip and became extremely excited.

Shen Xuyue said, "Alright, they're coming. Children, come back. Don't chase after them. They'll fly even farther and you won't be able to hit them." He took his hunting rifle and headed off to hunt.

For safety reasons, they called the children back. Zhao Minglang volunteered to chase the pheasant, while Shen Xuyue was responsible for lying in wait and firing. Soon, they caught a pheasant, a rooster with colorful plumage and a long, beautiful brown and white tail. Liangliang had already taken the pheasant's long tail feathers; it was so majestic and beautiful, like the crown on Sun Wukong's head.

These days, there are still quite a few wild animals. Shen Xuyue later hunted another rabbit. The children were still not satisfied and wanted to continue hunting, but Shen Xuyue insisted on not hunting anymore. As someone who studied environmental engineering, he naturally knew the importance of environmental sustainability. Hunting was something to do on a whim, not for survival, so there was no need to kill them all.

The children were overjoyed and took their prey home, adding two more dishes to today's New Year's Eve dinner.

When they got home, their mother, eldest sister-in-law, and second sister-in-law were all busy in the kitchen, while third sister-in-law was helping to tend the fire with her daughter in the stove. When Zhao Mingyue came back, she quickly came over to help: "Third sister-in-law, let me tend the fire. You take Beibei to rest for a while."

"Okay." Gui Dan smiled at Zhao Mingyue, then carried her daughter out.

The kitchen was filled with chicken, duck, fish, meat, and a lot of dried seafood, showcasing the abundance of the New Year. The firewood in the stove was burning fiercely, the coal stove was glowing red, and the pot was bubbling, emitting steam and a fragrant aroma of meat.

Shen Xuyue and his older brothers were busy plucking and gutting the wild rabbit. Hu Nianchun also helped process the pheasant. Liangliang followed his grandmother, vying for the pheasant tail feathers. He wanted to take them back to Beijing to show Jingjing and Zhuangzhuang that his father had made the pheasant feathers.

The crackling of firecrackers echoed outside, and the air above the village was filled with the mingled aromas of meat and sulfur, creating a festive atmosphere. People's lives were getting better and better. Zhao Mingyue gazed wistfully at the stove, the firewood roaring, the red flames licking the bottom of the pot, looking incredibly soft, just like people's lives now—thriving and prosperous. This was the life she longed for: long life, abundant harvests, harmony, and love.

Zhao Mingyue was staring blankly at the fire in the stove when she heard her sister-in-law call her: "Mingyue, Mingxiu is calling you."

Zhao Mingyue suddenly looked up and saw her cousin Zhao Mingxiu standing at the kitchen door: "Sister Mingyue."

Zhao Mingyue quickly came out: "Xiuer, you're back? I thought you were going to spend the New Year there." Zhao Mingxiu is 23 years old this year, and has been out of school for two or three years. She teaches at a primary school in the town and is dating someone who works for the town government. He's from the county town, and I heard she went to his parents' house to meet them. The young man had come to their house before; everyone saw him, but Zhao Mingyue missed him. Everyone said he was a very handsome young man.

Zhao Mingxiu grasped Zhao Mingyue's hand: "Sister, please don't make fun of me." Mingxiu became shy, just smiling at Zhao Mingyue without saying much.

Zhao Mingyue pulled her into the house to talk: "How have you been lately?" She looked at her cousin, who, although not as tall as herself, was a graceful young woman with delicate features and was very beautiful. The stability of her life made her seem content and confident, which was wonderful.

Zhao Mingxiu nodded: "Yes, everything's fine. Sister, how are you all?"

"Yes, everything is fine. When is your boyfriend coming to your house again? Let me introduce him to you," Zhao Mingyue said with a smile.

Zhao Mingxiu smiled shyly: "I will come to pay my respects on the second day of the Lunar New Year."

"Really? I'll have to take a good look then. Is it good for you?"

Zhao Mingxiu nodded: "Yeah, it's alright."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "It's good that he's good to you. Tell me about him, who introduced you to him?"

Zhao Mingxiu said, "He was introduced by our principal, who is his cousin's husband. He also went to a vocational school, is two years older than me, not very tall, about 1.72 meters, and is of average appearance. He has an older sister and a younger brother, his father is a cadre in the county, and his mother is a teacher. Anyway, his family has been very nice to me."

"That's good. He's the eldest son in the family, so he should be quite responsible. Both his parents are civil servants, so you won't need to support them in their old age. What's his personality like? Is he outgoing or introverted?"

"She's quite cheerful and has a good tongue," Zhao Mingxiu said shyly.

Zhao Mingyue didn't have a very good impression of men who were too eloquent; they seemed a bit slick. However, since the man had taken a liking to Zhao Mingxiu, who came from a rural background, besides appreciating her character and appearance, he was probably also interested in the Zhao family's background. At least her cousins ​​were all well-off and presentable, especially Shen Xuyue, whose status seemed quite influential. "The key is that he's good to you, and his character must be reliable. He can't be too frivolous or fickle. Spend more time with him and get to know him better."

Zhao Mingxiu nodded vigorously: "Okay."

"When are you planning to get married?" Zhao Mingyue knew that all her questions were pointless; they had already met each other's parents, so it was definitely time to get married.

"May Day next year."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Come visit Beijing sometime!"

"Sister, I also want to tell you that we plan to go to Beijing for a trip after our wedding next May Day."

“It’s time to go and have some fun. We made a promise years ago that we’d come to Beijing after I got into vocational school, but it’s been several years since we graduated and we still haven’t been able to go. Come on, I’ll show you all around Beijing then,” Zhao Mingyue said.

Zhao Mingxiu smiled happily: "Thank you, sister."

My aunt's family is doing quite well now; at least they're not as poor as they used to be, unable to afford a wife. Mingxiu has started working, and my uncle and Minggang help out at Zhao Mingliang's tea factory. The family's finances are much better now, and they're considered upper-middle class in the village. Zhao Minggang also has two children, a boy and a girl, and they have a very happy family.

Zhao Mingyue was so envious of people who had daughters. She wished she had a sweet little girl too. When she was lying in bed that night, she talked to Shen Xuyue about this regret. Shen Xuyue touched her shoulder and said, "It's okay. You can treat our daughter-in-law like your own daughter."

Zhao Mingyue found it amusing. No matter how good her daughter-in-law was, she could never be the same as her daughter, so this regret could not be made up for. Shen Xuyue was still working at his unit, so she should just honestly abide by the rules and perform her duties, and enjoy watching other people's daughters.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Zhao Mingxiu's boyfriend indeed came to pay his respects. Although not tall, he wasn't thin either. He always had a smile on his face and handed out cigarettes and candy to everyone he met; he was quite adept at handling social situations. He was especially polite and respectful to Zhao Mingyue and her husband, almost to the point of fawning. This made Zhao Mingyue a little uncomfortable. It seemed a bit too obvious, and his ambition was quite strong. So, she began to have a less favorable impression of him.

Zhao Mingxiu seemed to notice this as well, occasionally reaching out to tug at her partner's sleeve. He seemed to realize his lapse in decorum and would restrain himself slightly, but after a while, he would revert to his old ways, as if he couldn't control himself. He seemed born to be an official.

Shen Xuyue also didn't have a good impression of this guy, but who would bother with this broken-down thing during the New Year? Besides, the marriage was already arranged, and it was introduced by Zhao Mingxiu's boss, so he would have to think carefully before canceling the engagement.

Zhao Mingyue said, "This guy is too impetuous."

“Yes, he’s too calculating. If it’s good for Mingxiu, then forget it,” Shen Xuyue said.

Zhao Mingyue knew that, despite this, people generally found it difficult to feel close to or like this type of person, and she wondered what Zhao Mingxiu herself thought. This was the nature of life; different people have different tastes. "Mingxiu realized it herself today, and she'll definitely have her own thoughts. We won't say anything; let her decide for herself." Even though she felt sorry for her younger sister, she was still just a cousin, and she couldn't take over her entire life.

Shen Xuyue said, "Yes, let her be."