When Shen Xuyue returned from Qinhuangdao, he discovered the huge changes that had happened in his family. He was extremely grateful to Zhao Mingyue: "Thank you, Mingyue. I really don't know how to thank you enough. You've worked so hard."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and shook her head: "Don't be so polite. If something like this happened in my house and you happened to be there, you certainly wouldn't turn a blind eye."

Shen Xuyue looked at Zhao Mingyue, feeling incredibly fortunate to have found her as his partner: "You've lost weight. Are you tired from taking care of my mom lately?"

Zhao Mingyue reached out and touched her face: "Have you lost weight? It's okay, we young people can make up for it with more sleep and food. But you, you really have lost weight. Is life tough over there?"

Shen Xuyue looked at her with a smile and remained silent, which made Zhao Mingyue a little embarrassed. After a long while, he said, "My mother invites you to my house for dinner on New Year's Day."

Zhao Mingyue looked surprised: "Oh, your mom invited me to dinner?"

Shen Xuyue tried to be serious, but his white teeth still showed in a smile: "It's true, she even asked me what kind of food you like to eat."

Zhao Mingyue shrank her neck, unable to contain her excitement. Her mother had actually invited her to dinner! It was truly a case of perseverance paying off. Shen Xuyue was also happy and reached out to pat her head: "You've finally made it through. I knew my mom would see your good qualities. Time will tell."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "I'm afraid true friendship is revealed in times of trouble. Isn't New Year's Day tomorrow? Oh dear, I need to go prepare some gifts."

Shen Xuyue said, "No need for gifts, just go in person. My mom probably wants to express her gratitude to you."

"Is she better now?" Zhao Mingyue asked.

Shen Xuyue said, "She can get out of bed and move around now, but she can't stand for long periods of time. She's getting old and her recovery ability is relatively poor, so it will probably take quite a while. My mother's health is not good, so she has already taken medical retirement. That's good, she's already too old to do strenuous work."

Zhao Mingyue asked, "How old is your mother?"

Shen Xuyue said, "She's 64 years old. If it weren't for the Cultural Revolution, she should have retired long ago. After she resumed work, there was a shortage of manpower, so she was allowed to continue working."

"It's time to retire and get some rest. Come with me to the market to buy some things."

Shen Xuyue said indulgently, "Okay."

The next day, Zhao Mingyue and Shen Xuyue went to the Shen family home. Shen Fuyu's whole family had already arrived. Jingjing ran over to greet Zhao Mingyue with great joy: "Auntie!"

Mother Shen sat in the courtyard basking in the sun. When she heard Jingjing call out like that, she didn't say anything. Looking at Zhao Mingyue, she had a faint smile on her face: "You're here?"

"Auntie, are you feeling better?" Zhao Mingyue handed the cod liver oil she had bought to Chen's mother. "I bought this for you. Take one capsule every day to promote calcium absorption, and your back will heal faster."

Mother Shen took the bottle and looked at it from a distance: "Rich in vitamins A and D..."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Yes, vitamins A and D both promote calcium absorption. You can also buy some bones every day to make soup, which can help supplement calcium."

"Okay, thank you!" Mother Shen said with a smile.

Jingjing watched the adults talk from the side. Zhao Mingyue said, "Jingjing can also eat cod liver oil and drink bone broth, and then grow tall and strong."

Shen Xuyue said, "Our Jingjing will definitely grow tall in the future, and she'll bump into the door frame every time she comes in!"

Jingjing jumped up: "I want to grow taller than my uncle when I grow up."

Shen Xuyue said, "Take it easy, don't grow to two meters tall, or you'll have a hard time finding a wife later."

Jingjing shook his head vigorously: "I'm not looking for a wife." He was just beginning to develop a sense of gender, so the mention of a wife made him feel incredibly embarrassed.

Mother Shen laughed heartily and patted her grandson's head: "Alright, I won't look for him."

Sister Shen and Yang Maolin were busy in the kitchen, while Father Shen was reading the newspaper at home. Hearing their voices, he came out to greet them. Zhao Mingyue felt that this was what it meant to be a guest; she had never felt this way before. When the host didn't respect you, of course you didn't feel the dignity of being a guest.

The atmosphere during this visit was more harmonious and joyful than ever before. Grandma Shen isn't stubborn or domineering; she's actually a very caring mother.

The happiest person that day was Shen Xuyue. The weight on his heart was finally lifted. His mother had finally accepted Mingyue, and the two of them no longer had to feel resentful. He couldn't help but think of his elder brother's situation and felt quite regretful. He had indeed acted rashly in arranging the marriage without careful consideration, and he felt sorry for his elder brother and Mao Jianlan, causing them both so much pain.

After New Year's Day, winter vacation will begin soon. Shen Xuyue plans to travel with Zhao Mingyue again and take her home. When he told his parents, they surprisingly agreed. Before winter, Zhao Mingyue had confirmed that the commune in her hometown would not be buying tea next year, so she asked her family to send her some good tea and also got a letter of introduction from the village. She planned to stop by the provincial capital or other regional cities on her way back to look for tea purchasing points. She considered going to Shanghai, but it was too far and the travel expenses would be much higher. If the quantity of tea was not large, she should be able to sell it in the provincial capital, which would save some travel expenses. Of course, the price in Shanghai might be better.

When Shen Xuyue heard about Zhao Mingyue's plan, he naturally agreed wholeheartedly. Moon Bay was like his hometown, and soon it would be his maternal home, so he was willing to help if he could.

This trip will take us to central China, including the Taihang Mountains, Luoyang and Songshan in Henan, Huangshan in Anhui, Poyang Lake and Lushan in Jiangxi, mainly to visit famous mountains. We'll stick to a budget travel approach, saving money wherever possible, staying with local families, giving them some money for food and drinks.

They didn't invite anyone else; it was just the two of them and Yu Youqing. Yu Youqing came along because he wanted to go and have some fun. He definitely wouldn't have the courage to go alone, so he went with company. Although he was poor, he could still save a few yuan from his monthly allowance of ten-odd yuan. Over the course of a semester, he could save about twenty yuan. Student tickets were half price, so he didn't spend much money; his main expense was food.

Shen Xuyue said that at their rate of travel, they could probably travel all over China on a budget of 100 yuan. However, this kind of budget travel takes a lot of time. They originally planned to go to Shanxi, but later found that time was a bit tight, so after coming down from Huangshan, they prepared to head back home.

Shen Xuyue said with a hint of regret, "We can't go to Lushan this time. Next time, we'll find some time to go to Wuhan, Dongting Lake, and Poyang Lake together. I also want to visit Sichuan, the land of abundance, and I especially want to see Du Fu Thatched Cottage."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Yes, there will be opportunities to go in the future."

Yu Youqing was already very satisfied: "I feel that following you guys has really broadened my horizons. Otherwise, how could I dare to travel to so many places by myself?"

Shen Xuyue said, "Would you like to go on a trip to the three northeastern provinces?"

Yu Youqing nodded and said, "Okay, let's go see Changbai Mountain and the Greater Khingan Mountains. Actually, I also really want to go to the grasslands and the desert, to see the scene of lone smoke rising straight from the desert and the setting sun over the long river." These years of university life have not been for nothing; Yu Youqing is now a romantic and artistic young man.

Shen Xuyue laughed heartily: "If you have any ideas, you should go."

Zhao Mingyue was also very proud of Yu Youqing. Environment and circumstances can really change a person. Yu Youqing is now a confident young man.

When the three arrived in the provincial capital, Shen Xuyue asked, "Are we just going to look for a shopping mall like this?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "Let's find a place to stay first, store our luggage, and tidy up properly. We can't just go and do business with people like this. There are still quite a few people who treat others differently based on their status."

The three found an inn, washed up properly, and changed into their best clothes. Zhao Mingyue took out the tea she had been carrying all the way; the tea was in an exquisite tin box, which she then used to carry the tea in a bag. "Let's go, watch how I talk business with people."

Shen Xuyue asked expectantly, "Are you going to talk to them?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "Let's go together. If you see anything I said that wasn't good, just add to it."

Tea is not considered expired as long as it is stored properly and doesn't get moldy. Some black teas, like Pu'er, get better with age, but green tea is best when it's fresh; fresh green tea from the current year is ideal. The hot and humid climate in the south makes preservation difficult, so if you really want to sell your own tea, you must do a good job with packaging. Good packaging elevates the product's perceived quality, and naturally, the price will follow.

It was early 1981. The market economy was beginning to recover, and the variety of goods available in the market was gradually increasing. People were starting to have some money and could afford things beyond necessities. Zhao Mingyue and her two companions first strolled around a grocery store and found that there were a lot of people buying things. People were particularly interested in new items, such as bottled beer, which had to be purchased in limited quantities.

Zhao Mingyue went to the sales clerk and asked, "Excuse me, do you sell tea here?"

"Tea leaves? No." The other person shook their head.

Shen Xuyue tugged at Zhao Mingyue's arm and asked in a low voice, "Weren't you here to sell tea? Why are you buying tea here?"

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "This is called market research. If there are no other sellers, then my product will sell better."

Zhao Mingyue looked around and saw an older man with two pens clipped to his shirt pocket. He was leisurely looking at the market with his hands behind his back, like a king inspecting his territory.

Zhao Mingyue took the initiative to strike up a conversation with him: "Hello, comrade!"

The man glanced at Zhao Mingyue and asked arrogantly, "What is it?" That's how people in positions of power are.

Zhao Mingyue asked with a smile, "Are you the person in charge of the food market?"

The other person arrogantly asked, "What is it?"

Zhao Mingyue smiled very politely: "It's like this, I'm from Yue Liang Wan, Nan'ao Commune, Yunwu County, Jinnan Region. My name is Zhao Mingyue. I study at Beijing Normal University. This is my student ID."

Upon hearing that she was a university student in Beijing, the other person glanced at her student ID. Zhao Mingyue then introduced Shen Xuyue and Yu Youqing to him to ensure they weren't scammers. The other person asked, "What can I do for you?"

Zhao Mingyue asked, "May I ask your name?"

The other person said, "I am the director of the marketing department, and my surname is also Zhao."

“What a coincidence! We’re from the same hometown. Hello, Director Zhao!” Zhao Mingyue extended her hand to shake his. Her attitude was graceful and poised, neither making him feel inferior nor arrogant. She struck the perfect balance. “It’s like this, Director Zhao. My hometown is a famous green tea-producing area. You should know that.”

Director Zhao nodded: "I've heard of it."

Zhao Mingyue said, "In previous years, the tea produced in our hometown was purchased by the commune for the tea factory and distributed to all parts of the country, or even exported abroad to earn foreign exchange, in accordance with the policy. It rarely circulated in the market. I just asked at your market, and there is no tea for sale here."

Director Zhao nodded: "I haven't sold tea here for many years." Tea is not a necessity. In an era when people couldn't even get enough to eat, these things were naturally dispensable.

Zhao Mingyue knew that the revival of tea culture began in the 1980s, and people were starting to drink tea again. She smiled and said, "I see that the beer over there is selling very well. This shows that people's living standards are higher now, their incomes have increased, and they have higher demands for the quality of life. Director Zhao, would you like to introduce some green tea to your market?"

Director Zhao was taken aback for a moment, then realized: "You're here to sell tea?"

Zhao Mingyue laughed. She was beautiful, and her smile seemed to brighten the whole room. "Director Zhao, you're a wise person. Here's the thing: starting this year, our commune will no longer buy tea. The tea farmers in my hometown will have to find their own markets. I'm away at university, and when I heard that the tea in my hometown wouldn't be able to sell, I felt worried for everyone. I thought about how so many people outside can't afford tea, while the tea in my hometown is just sitting there getting moldy. Isn't that a waste? So I wanted to help my fellow villagers by taking advantage of my winter break to find a market and do my part for everyone."

Director Zhao blinked, looked at the three people, and Shen Xuyue took out a letter of introduction from the village and showed it to Director Zhao: "Director Zhao, this is a letter of authorization from our brigade. I was a sent-down youth who lived in Moon Bay for almost ten years and served as the village party secretary for four years. This time, I heard that the people in my hometown needed help, so I came along to help find a way out, hoping to help the people in my hometown get out of poverty and become rich as soon as possible. We can't sell our tea there, and you don't have any tea to sell here. Would you consider cooperating with us?"

Zhao Mingyue took out tea leaves from her pocket: "Director Zhao, look, this is our new green tea this year. Smell it, isn't it fragrant?"

Director Zhao leaned over and smelled it, then picked up a tea leaf to examine it. Zhao Mingyue said, "Look how beautiful the color of the tea leaves is, and how uniform their shape is. I can brew you a cup to try."

Director Zhao waved his hand: "No need to brew it. I drink tea regularly and know this is good tea. However, I need to discuss this tea purchase with the other leaders and cadres in our market. I can't give you an answer right now."

Zhao Mingyue took out a small packet of tea wrapped in a plastic bag: "Director Zhao, this is for you to try. We came from our hometown and won't be staying here for long. Can we come back tomorrow to ask about the results?"

Director Zhao nodded: "Okay."

Zhao Mingyue said, "This is a win-win situation for us. I hope Director Zhao will consider it carefully and look forward to your reply." She smiled and bowed to the other party, "Thank you for taking the time to listen to my details, goodbye!"

"Goodbye, take care." Director Zhao had never seen anyone so proactive in coming to his door to sell things. Watching the three people's backs, he couldn't help but shake his head with a sigh.

After leaving the food market, Yu Youqing let out a long sigh: "This feels so awkward."

Zhao Mingyue laughed. This was probably a common feeling among people of this generation—that doing business was something to be ashamed of, even embarrassing. But what was so shameful about it? Transactions were voluntary, not forced, and involved neither theft nor robbery. There was nothing shameful about it. The first to overcome this sense of shame were the first to become wealthy.

Shen Xuyue looked at Zhao Mingyue and said admiringly, "Mingyue, you're getting bolder and bolder."

Zhao Mingyue smiled at him, revealing her teeth: "Isn't it good?"

Shen Xuyue nodded: "Shall we go to the next one?" He didn't feel awkward at all when Zhao Mingyue was chatting with people. Her speech was confident and elegant, and her eloquent and persuasive manner was infectious and convincing. He was moved by her.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Okay, let's cast a wide net today. I don't believe that in such a large provincial capital, no one will be willing to buy our tea. We're bound to catch a couple of fish."

That day, they visited all the major food markets and two shopping malls, and one of them immediately reached an agreement with them. Zhao Mingyue didn't currently have any tea, but after finalizing the cooperation, they agreed that when the new tea was available, she would have her fellow villagers deliver the tea. As for the price, they would discuss it based on the market price at that time.

Shen Xuyue said, "Why didn't we agree on a price?"

Zhao Mingyue shook her head: "We don't even have the goods, how can we discuss prices? The market in our country is not what it used to be. Haven't you noticed? Commodity prices change every day now. The city's daily newspapers have retail price guidelines for commodities. Although our tea is sold at wholesale prices and the price fluctuations are small, the food market will definitely haggle. Besides, I'm worried that if we agree on a price now, the tea price will rise later, and we'll suffer losses." The market is changing every day now, unlike before when prices wouldn't change for eight or ten years.

Yu Youqing said, "I'm actually a little worried that if you don't negotiate a price, the goods will arrive at a price that isn't reasonable. Wouldn't we have made a wasted trip?"

Zhao Mingyue sighed: "There's nothing we can do about it. It all depends on whether the people our village sent can negotiate. Don't worry, since they want tea, we'll definitely guarantee the lowest price. If they try to lower the price maliciously, we can report them to the supervisory department."

Shen Xuyue said, "If you were here negotiating with them, I wouldn't be worried at all about them trying to lower the price, but it's hard to say about the villagers."

Zhao Mingyue rolled her eyes at him: "Don't underestimate people. Are there no capable people in our village?"

Shen Xuyue laughed and said, "You're the most capable person in our village. No one else dares to claim to be number one. You agree, Qing?"

Zhao Mingyue reached out and slapped his arm, scolding him, "Nonsense."

Yu Youqing also laughed and said, "What Old Shen said is actually right."

The next day, Zhao Mingyue went to inquire as promised and received the reply that two companies were willing to try buying tea. Zhao Mingyue said, "See? I told you there would be no trouble selling." She wrote down the details of these three companies: their addresses, contact persons, needs, and even the personality traits of the people in charge. This is what is meant by knowing yourself and your enemy, and you will win every battle.

Shen Xuyue said, "Can we go back now?"

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay, let's go and find out more when we get to Jinnan."

"Yes, Jinnan is closer and more convenient. It can save some travel expenses."

Zhao Mingyue shook her head: "I'm afraid the situation in Jinan is not as ideal as in the provincial capital. There are many tea growers in our area, so many people in Jinan should be able to get tea. At that time, the price and demand for tea will definitely not be as high as in the provincial capital."

When they went back and asked, sure enough, it was similar to what Zhao Mingyue had expected. Even if they were willing to buy tea, the quantity they required was not much.

Back home, Zhao Mingyue told the village officials about the sales channels she had found. Everyone was full of confidence, and the village head said, "Is this how we set up a factory?"

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "We can start by cleaning up the venue and preparing all the necessary tools. We can also start selecting people to make and sell tea. We should find capable people with good skills and try to ensure fairness and impartiality so as not to cause gossip."

The village chief nodded: "We'll think it all through, so don't worry. You young people really have ideas; you just do what you say, and now we all have something to look forward to."

Last year, after the farmland was divided up, everyone worked hard all year, and the harvest was indeed much better than working collectively. They no longer had to go hungry. Every time Shen Xuyue came over, he found that everyone's lives had improved. Knowing that Zhao Mingyue had contributed to this, he couldn't help but feel extremely proud. His Mingyue had so many ideas in her little head, which always surprised people. She worked hard to improve everyone's lives on her own. This kind of dedication is something that not all capable people are willing to do.

When Zhao Shunsheng and Hu Nianchun saw their prospective son-in-law arrive, they were exceptionally hospitable and prepared to have him stay at their home for the New Year. Shen Xuyue said, "Uncle, Aunt, I still can't spend the New Year here. I've already discussed it with Mingyue. I'm going to visit my older brother at the army base. He was seriously injured recently, and I haven't been to see him yet."

When the two elders heard that his brother was injured, they asked with concern, "Is it serious?"

Shen Xuyue said, "It was quite serious at the time, but I'm fine now."

“Since that’s the case, we won’t insist you stay. You can rest at my house for the next couple of days,” the two elders said.

Shen Xuyue was going to visit Shen Qixue, something they had agreed upon before leaving Beijing. Shen Qixue had been in the hospital for two months before fully recovering, saying that he had missed too much training and needed to catch up quickly, so he wouldn't be coming home for the New Year. Shen Xuyue thought about how he and his older brother had almost been separated by death, and he hadn't visited him then. Now that he had just sent Zhao Mingyue back and was closer to the south, he decided to go see his brother, who would probably be spending the New Year there. His parents had agreed.

Zhao Mingyue also supported his decision to go, so he stayed at Zhao Mingyue's house for two days before setting off for Guangdong.

Zhao Minglang returned home close to the Chinese New Year. He's a junior in college and will graduate this fall. He's currently interning at the county's TCM hospital: "Little sister, guess who my mentor is?"

Zhao Mingyue thought for a moment: "Is it the old doctor I saw when I had angina that year? What was his last name again?"

Zhao Minglang gave a thumbs up: "Yes, that's him, Doctor Xie."

"What a coincidence! Study hard, brother, and become a famous doctor someday."

"Okay, I will definitely try my best."

Zhao Minglang expressed some regret that he couldn't go to the market with you: "I should have gone with you guys."

Zhao Mingyue said, "We'll need you a lot more in the future. You'll probably be assigned to the county's TCM hospital then, right?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I guess that's how it is. I heard that you'll be assigned to a place where you do your internship," Zhao Minglang said.

“Yes, you live close to home, so if anything happens here in the future, I’ll need you to take good care of things,” Zhao Mingyue said.

Zhao Minglang readily agreed: "No problem, I'll take care of it."