During winter break, Shen Xuyue didn't go on a trip with Zhao Mingyue, nor did he take her home. He was very busy; their department was preparing to publish a collection of translations, which included several of his works. The professor asked Shen Xuyue to help with editing and proofreading, which was an excellent opportunity for him to gain experience. Zhao Mingyue also felt it was a rare opportunity and strongly supported him staying at the school to help. She and Yu Youqing went back to their hometown together.

Before the holiday, the fellow villagers from the hometown association organized everyone to buy tickets together. Zhao Mingyue thought it would be more lively with more people, so she agreed to buy tickets together. After boarding the bus, everyone's seats were basically next to each other. Zhao Mingyue didn't usually interact much with the fellow villagers, so she wanted to sit with Yu Youqing, who of course readily agreed.

Zhao Mingyue sat down first. Her seat was by the window, and Yu Youqing was sitting next to her. Originally, there was a fellow villager next to Yu Youqing, but then Bian Hongyu came over and said, "Old Zhang, let's switch seats. You can sit in my seat."

The man from the same village didn't say anything and just agreed.

Zhao Mingyue looked at Bian Hongyu and noticed that she looked very unwell, extremely thin, with a yellowish complexion and even age spots on her face. Zhao Mingyue frowned. She remembered the first time she saw Bian Hongyu, her skin was quite good; although not flawless, it was fair and rosy, clearly showing she had lived a pampered life and had never experienced hardship. Now, she looked like a woman who had given birth.

Yu Youqing greeted Bian Hongyu naturally. Zhao Mingyue frowned. Were they very familiar? Bian Hongyu took out a lake-blue printed silk bag, took out some red berries from it, held them in her palm and asked Yu Youqing, "Youqing, do you want some hawthorns?" She addressed him very intimately.

"Okay, thank you." Yu Youqing smiled, took one from her hand, then another, and handed one to Zhao Mingyue. Zhao Mingyue took it, and Bian Hongyu glanced at her without greeting her.

Zhao Mingyue had always had a bad impression of Bian Hongyu, but she couldn't understand why such a materialistic woman would treat Yu Youqing differently. Yu Youqing was not only dirt poor, but also rather introverted. In the past two years, he had become more confident and slightly more outgoing since starting university, but overall he was still an introverted boy. He was thin, with a merely decent appearance, wearing large black-rimmed glasses, and looked like a kind and honest but dull person. He had almost no outstanding talents or interests.

In today's university campuses where there are more men than women, a guy like Yu Youqing is almost never noticed by any girl, especially a materialistic woman like Bian Hongyu. What made her change her mind and discover Yu Youqing's good qualities?

Yu Youqing and Bian Hongyu chatted quite congenially, and the two seemed to know each other quite well. In front of Bian Hongyu, Zhao Mingyue didn't want to ask Yu Youqing any questions, so she picked up a book and started reading. At first, she was eavesdropping on their conversation, but she gradually became attracted by the book's contents and was completely immersed in its world.

When she came to her senses again, she found that Bian Hongyu had replaced her, and Yu Youqing was sitting in the seat at the very edge. Bian Hongyu had taken off her shoes and placed her stockinged feet on the opposite seat, with a garment covering her legs. Zhao Mingyue thought the garment looked familiar; wasn't it Yu Youqing's coat?

Zhao Mingyue turned to look at them. Yu Youqing was sitting quietly, while Bian Hongyu seemed to be asleep, leaning to the left against Yu Youqing. Yu Youqing's ears were slightly red. Zhao Mingyue's heart pounded with alarm. Could Yu Youqing and Bian Hongyu be dating? How come there wasn't a single sign?

Zhao Mingyue stood up and nudged Bian Hongyu: "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

Bian Hongyu got up from Yu Youqing and pulled her legs back. Zhao Mingyue glanced at Yu Youqing, and Yu Youqing's face immediately turned red.

When Zhao Mingyue returned, Yu Youqing and Bian Hongyu were talking quietly. Zhao Mingyue said to Bian Hongyu, "If you want to sleep, go sit inside. You can sleep on the table."

Bian Hongyu looked up at Zhao Mingyue, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Thank you then." She then moved inside.

Zhao Mingyue sat down between Yu Youqing and Bian Hongyu. Zhao Mingyue started chatting with Yu Youqing in their hometown dialect. She wasn't worried that Bian Hongyu would understand because their dialect system was complex, and the accents of neighboring villages were quite different. So, Bian Hongyu definitely wouldn't understand the dialect.

Zhao Mingyue, of course, wouldn't ask Yu Youqing about their affairs in front of Bian Hongyu. She simply chatted with Yu Youqing about everyday things and school. Zhao Mingyue was then surprised to realize that she knew very little about Yu Youqing's recent situation. He seemed to have rarely come to see her lately. She wondered why. Could it be that he was dating someone?

As they chatted, Zhao Mingyue noticed that Yu Youqing had become quite talkative and knowledgeable, showing he had been actively enriching himself. Zhao Mingyue felt a sense of unease, like a boy next door who had grown up; she had always sheltered Yu Youqing under her wing, but now he had matured into a powerful eagle. Perhaps she had been too anxious about Bian Hongyu and Yu Youqing's relationship; Youqing himself should be able to discern the truth. Perhaps Bian Hongyu had also discovered Yu Youqing's potential, which was why she was paying him special attention.

The two chatted until late at night. Zhao Mingyue couldn't stay awake any longer and started to doze off. Bian Hongyu woke up at some point and called Zhao Mingyue over, asking her to sit inside. Yu Youqing also insisted that she go in. After thinking about it, Zhao Mingyue went in and lay down to sleep.

The car didn't arrive until the afternoon of the next day, and there were no more buses back to Jinnan that day, so they had to stay overnight in the provincial capital. When they got off the car, Bian Hongyu insisted on inviting them to her home. Zhao Mingyue almost doubted whether the Bian Hongyu she knew before was a figment of her imagination. Had she really become so warm and hospitable, or had she really taken a liking to Yu Youqing?

Zhao Mingyue, of course, wouldn't accept. She wasn't familiar with Bian Hongyu, so what would she do at her house? Yu Youqing was also a bit embarrassed to go, so he politely declined as well. Seeing that Bian Hongyu had moved away a little, Zhao Mingyue quietly asked Yu Youqing, "Are you two dating?"

Yu Youqing's face flushed red: "No, no, we just went out together a few times and got along quite well. I think she's pretty easy to get along with."

Zhao Mingyue gave him a suspicious look, and Yu Youqing scratched his head. After exiting the station, someone came to pick up Bian Hongyu. Zhao Mingyue recognized the middle-aged man in the blue hat; he was Uncle Bian who had taken her daughter to Beijing for school years ago. After meeting up with her father, Bian Hongyu didn't leave immediately but waited for Yu Youqing and Zhao Mingyue to arrive. She then warmly introduced Yu Youqing to her father: "Dad, this is my schoolmate, Yu Youqing, a top student in the physics department. He's from Jinan University and came back with me. He took good care of me at school."

Yu Youqing blushed as red as a boiled shrimp after Bian Hongyu's words: "Hello, Uncle Bian!"

Zhao Mingyue also greeted him. Uncle Bian glanced at Zhao Mingyue before turning his attention to Yu Youqing. His daughter had specifically introduced him to someone of the opposite sex; he definitely needed to observe him carefully. However, Uncle Bian didn't show much enthusiasm, merely nodding politely as a greeting.

Bian Hongyu said, "Dad, my two fellow villagers can't go back to Jinnan today. They'll be staying here tonight. I'd like to invite them to stay at our house for the night."

Zhao Mingyue quickly waved her hand: "No need, thank you. We'll stay at a hotel near the station and be able to go back first thing tomorrow morning. Don't trouble yourself, goodbye!"

Uncle Bian whispered something to his daughter, then waved and pushed the cart forward. Bian Hongyu glanced at her father, stomped her foot, and then said to Yu Youqing, "Youqing, let's walk together when we go back to school. You know where I live, so come find me then. We agreed."

Yu Youqing nodded hesitantly: "Okay. Goodbye!"

Bian Hongyu kept turning back to look at him as she walked, until her father called her, at which point she finally caught up with him.

Zhao Mingyue looked at Bian Hongyu, then turned to Yu Youqing and laughed at him, "Youqing, you're something else! You've already got a city girl looking at you so quickly."

Yu Youqing smiled awkwardly: "No, she just wanted to go to Beijing with us, saying that she was too lonely traveling alone."

Zhao Mingyue asked, "Didn't Bian Hongyu have a boyfriend at school?"

Yu Youqing shook his head: "I don't know."

Zhao Mingyue glanced at Yu Youqing, then stopped talking, turned and walked towards the station to buy a ticket so she could go home first thing tomorrow morning.

When I got home, I noticed something was off. I asked around and found out that my second sister-in-law had given birth to another daughter. The family planning officials came to fine her 200 yuan, but my second brother couldn't afford it, so he came to my parents to borrow the money.

The parents don't have much money either. There are only two able-bodied people in the family: the father works in the fields, and the mother raises pigs. Their combined annual income is less than 100 yuan. Although the tea plantation provides some income, it requires manual labor to harvest the tea, and the family's biggest shortage of labor is precisely that, hence the low income.

Hu Nianchun, wanting to prepare wedding items for her youngest son and daughter, bought quilts and sheets every year, leaving her with practically no spare money. So when her second brother came to borrow money, Hu Nianchun took out the only hundred yuan she had hidden away. And when she took out this money, her sister-in-law saw it. Her sister-in-law was more straightforward than her second brother's, not as clever, but that didn't mean she wasn't thinking things through.

Confucius said, "It's not scarcity that's worrisome, but inequality," which is why my sister-in-law and mother have been arguing about this for the past two days. Hu Nianchun looked at her daughter and wiped away her tears, feeling wronged: "Minghui and his wife have no choice. They don't have the money to pay the fine, and their belongings are about to be taken away. Your sister-in-law said your nephews are growing up and they need to buy a new bed, but they're short thirty yuan. She asked me to lend her some, but I don't have any money. She feels that I'm favoring your second brother, and she's unhappy about it, so she's arguing with me."

Zhao Mingyue knew that even a good mother-in-law like her mother could have problems with her daughter-in-law. When her eldest brother got married, the family bought him a bicycle. When her second brother got married, his wife asked for a sewing machine, so the family didn't buy her a bicycle but instead bought her a sewing machine. However, the bicycle was twenty yuan cheaper than the sewing machine, and this price difference became the root of the rift between the sister-in-law and the mother-in-law. The eldest sister-in-law felt she was too stupid and not as good at pleasing her in-laws as her second sister-in-law, so she always suffered losses and harbored resentment towards her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. The only thing that comforted the eldest sister-in-law was that she had given birth to two sons. The pressure on the second sister-in-law to have a son also stemmed from this.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Mom, my sister-in-law said how much money is still needed?"

Hu Nianchun said, “She’s not short of money. She and her husband didn’t go out to avoid the one-child policy. They work in the fields and pick tea every day. Their income is higher than your father’s and mine. She just saw that I lent money to your second brother and felt that I was favoring him, so she came to me to borrow money.”

"Oh, I understand. Go tell your sister-in-law that you have money to lend her; it's money I brought back to support my parents."

Hu Nianchun held his daughter's hand and said, "Don't lend it. Why lend it? Will it ever be returned?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "Mom, my sister-in-law is upset about this, which is why she came to you to borrow money. You are the elder, so if you treat everyone equally, nothing will be spilled. You should lend the money to her. Go to your second brother to get an IOU, and also ask your sister-in-law for an IOU. You'll have to ask her for it later. You can keep the money."

Hu Nianchun looked at his daughter: "Is this okay?"

Zhao Shunsheng puffed on his cigarette: "I think it's fine, let's do it this way. I'm going to find Minghui to get the IOU." He then walked away with his hands behind his back.

Hu Nianchun sighed and said, "Mingyue, there's news from the team that the commune might not buy tea next year. We'll have to sell the tea we pick ourselves. What do you think we should do? Where are we going to sell our tea?"

Upon hearing her mother's words, Zhao Mingyue's heart stirred: "Mom, are we not accepting them next year?"

Hu Nianchun nodded: "They probably won't accept it anymore. I heard the commune say that when the team delivered tea this year. Oh dear, what are we going to do? Should we still pick the tea leaves? If we pick them but can't sell them, won't it be a waste of time?"

Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, "There's no reason not to buy tea. The country has already started reform and opening up; the economy will recover quickly. What we'll lack then won't be money, but goods and supplies." "Mom, don't worry about that. Just focus on picking and processing your tea. It'll sell eventually." If all else fails, she'll sell it herself. She had traded tea in her past life and still had some resources. She could look for them; she wasn't worried about selling it. Zhao Mingyue wondered if this meant her path to wealth was about to accelerate.

However, this matter needs careful consideration. Zhao Mingyue realized that it wouldn't be easy to actually do; she had to go to school and couldn't manage it herself. Even if she could find someone to do it, she would first need to establish the necessary connections. Furthermore, the tea packaging was also a problem; it would be best to register a trademark. Packaged tea would be worth several times more than loose tea.

My eldest and second eldest brothers are both farmers. If we really have to do this, I'll take them with me and let them get out into business as soon as possible. Once we're out there, I won't interfere anymore. But whether they're willing to do it is another question. Business opportunities were limitless in the 1980s, but only a minority of people actually did business. Many were forced into it by desperation. So, there was a strange phenomenon in the 1980s: those who got rich first were mostly unemployed people or even ex-convicts.

Moreover, doing business in the 1980s involved considerable risk. One term that always accompanied business people was "speculation and profiteering," and there was even a crime of "speculation and profiteering." Once this label was attached to you, it was like a bucket of cold water poured over you in the dead of winter, chilling you to the bone. Therefore, this balance had to be carefully maintained.

After thinking it over, Zhao Mingyue decided to be conservative for now and not try to make huge profits. If the commune didn't buy the tea, the village could set up its own factory to collectively process and package the tea, and then contact merchants. This would be a collective undertaking for the farmers, so there would be no speculation or profiteering.

Zhao Shunsheng returned from Zhao Minghui's house with an IOU in his hand, and then took the thirty yuan given to him by Zhao Mingyue to Zhao Mingliang's house. Zhao Mingyue looked at her father's slightly hunched back and felt very sad. He had raised so many children with great difficulty, and arranged for them to get married and have children, only to be blamed in the end. This is the Chinese parent, who dedicates their whole life to their children.

Zhao Mingyue looked at Zhao Minglang and said, "Third brother, our family is penniless. When you get married, your parents won't be able to help you."

Zhao Minglang said, "I don't plan to ask them for help. I'll earn my own money to get married in the future."

Zhao Mingyue said with a smile, "It's not easy to find a wife in the city. They want a house and a dowry. It's not cheap."

"Then I'll find someone who doesn't want a house or a dowry," Zhao Minglang said confidently.

Zhao Mingyue said, "It's normal for a girl to ask for a house and a dowry when she gets married. Don't worry about the house; once you're assigned a job, your workplace will provide you with a dormitory. It's just that you might need things like a watch, a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a radio, and a complete set of wooden furniture, including a bed, table, chairs, and various cabinets."

Zhao Minglang looked at his sister and said, "Isn't this demand too high? Those who can afford the 'three turns and one sound' (referring to a radio, sewing machine, and a watch) are already well-off. Can't we take our time to celebrate after the wedding?"

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "I hope you can find a reasonable and understanding sister-in-law who will agree to the wedding after we get married."

"That's a must, I don't want anything else," Zhao Minglang said with great confidence.

"Then I'll wait and see, and I won't make things difficult for our parents. Mom, you heard that, right? My brother won't ask the family for a bride price in the future," Zhao Mingyue said to her mother with a smile.

Hu Nianchun laughed and said, "If that's really the case, then your father and I will be relieved of our worries. But I won't treat your third brother unfairly. We can't afford the three turns and one sound, just like your eldest and second brothers. They can only choose one of the three turns, and we can't afford the others."

Every unmarried man is full of ambition, dreaming of finding a filial and understanding wife, and how she will listen to him. But when they finally find a wife, they all become henpecked husbands, completely forgetting their parents.

Zhao Mingyue knew that her third brother also wanted to find the most ideal partner, but in fact, whether he could find the ideal one depended on luck.

Zhao Mingyue called Zhao Minglang over: "Third brother, come here for a moment, I want to talk to you about something."

Zhao Minglang followed Zhao Mingyue into the inner room: "What is it?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "Did you hear what Mom said just now? The commune will no longer buy tea leaves. We'll have to sell our own tea leaves."

Zhao Minglang nodded: "I heard about it after I came back, but it's not decided yet. I estimate we'll still accept it next year."

Zhao Mingyue sighed: "We've only just started contracting out the tea gardens, and everyone's enthusiasm has just been ignited. If the commune stops buying tea, it will be a huge blow to their morale."

“Yes. Didn’t you say you were planning to suggest subcontracting farmland this year? I think with this suggestion, everyone’s enthusiasm will probably drop.” Zhao Minglang said.

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "That is indeed a problem. I have an idea, but I don't know if it's feasible."

Zhao Minglang had always known that his younger sister was bold, meticulous, and farsighted. Hearing her say this, he knew she had a new idea, so he opened his eyes wide and said, "Go ahead."

Zhao Mingyue said, "I don't think that the commune not buying tea means that people have stopped drinking tea, right? There is definitely still a market for tea. There are so many people in China, and there are still many places that don't produce tea. The commune doesn't buy it, but the people still want to drink tea. So the problem isn't that tea can't be sold, but rather who to sell it to and how to sell it."

Zhao Minglang raised an eyebrow: "And then?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "Now our country's policy is already reform and opening up, the economy is recovering rapidly, and the market will gradually expand, no longer as limited as before. At that time, we can explore the market ourselves."

"What's the meaning?"

Zhao Mingyue looked at her brother and said, "Let's find buyers ourselves."

"How do we find it? Where do we look?" Zhao Minglang posed the question.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Provincial capitals, Shanghai, Beijing, big cities, they have shopping malls and markets, so they definitely need to sell things and make purchases. We can directly connect with them."

Zhao Minglang said, "You mean we should go look for it?"

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "We'll discuss the specifics later. First, we need to focus on the tea issue. We need to ensure we have tea and that it's of good quality. Only after we have those can we talk about the market. If the market develops, our village's tea supply might not be enough to sell. Besides, the commune isn't buying tea, so it's not just our village that's struggling to sell. We can buy it all together and then sell it together."

Zhao Minglang thought his sister was really ambitious. Not only did she sell her own family's tea, but she also wanted to sell the whole village's tea, and not only the whole village's tea, but the whole commune's tea. Was his sister a heroine? She was so full of ideas!

Zhao Mingyue continued, "Just having tea isn't enough; we need packaging, a brand, and ideally, standardized tea production to guarantee quality. What do you think about setting up a tea processing plant in our village?"

Zhao Minglang's mouth was agape: "You mean, you want to set up a factory?" His sister's idea was far too audacious.

Zhao Mingyue looked at her brother with a smile: "Do you think it's feasible?"

Zhao Minglang said, "You have to let me think about it, let me digest it."