Back at school, Shen Xuyue brought Zhao Mingyue some shocking news: it seemed that Shen Qixue had started dating someone.

Zhao Mingyue was taken aback: "So fast? Who is that girl, and what does she do?"

Shen Xuyue said, "Actually, my older brother hasn't admitted to me yet that I wasn't with him during the Spring Festival. He took five days off, saying he was going to spend the holiday with me, and took me to Guangzhou. I thought he was just going for a follow-up check-up, but it seems he was going to visit someone."

Zhao Mingyue asked, "Who are you looking at?"

“There’s a female doctor at Nanfang Hospital, from Guangzhou. My brother told me he met her when he was hospitalized there, and she took good care of him. I can tell she really likes my brother, and he said she’s pursuing him, but he hasn’t decided yet whether he wants to date her,” Shen Xuyue said.

Zhao Mingyue laughed: "Does this mean that Big Brother wants to find a Cantonese person?" She thought of how most Cantonese people speak Mandarin. Because of the pronunciation of their language, their tongues seem to never be straight when they speak Mandarin. What a scene it would be if she were to talk to a Mandarin speaker who speaks with a Northern accent.

Shen Xuyue said, "My brother didn't admit it. I think it's pretty much true. Why would he go looking for someone if he wasn't sure? That's not his style. I've met that girl. She's a bit dark-skinned, but she's very gentle and has a great personality. She's nice."

Zhao Mingyue nodded in agreement: "Guangdong girls are great, they're all so gentle, the epitome of a virtuous wife and loving mother. But they generally don't marry outside the region, so will my older brother stay in the Guangzhou Military Region?"

"This is also a problem. My dad wants my brother to come back to Beijing before he retires."

Zhao Mingyue blinked: "Isn't he in the navy? But Beijing doesn't have a sea, does it?"

Shen Xuyue tapped her forehead with his finger: "Haha, how can Beijing not have a sea? Shichahai, Zhongnanhai, Beihai, Houhai, they're all seas. Just kidding, Beijing is the General Military Region, every branch of the military is here. Is the Navy Headquarters just a figurehead?"

"I see." Zhao Mingyue nodded, knowing very little about military matters.

Shen Xuyue said, "My older brother was commended for saving people during a military exercise last year, and he should be promoted to battalion commander this year. He wants to gain more experience in civilian life for a few more years, but my parents still want him to come back to Beijing."

"If he comes back, won't his chances with that girl from Guangdong be over again?"

“If they can confirm that they are together, it doesn’t matter. After they get married, my sister-in-law can be transferred back to Beijing.”

Zhao Mingyue nodded, but then wondered if the girl from Guangdong, who had come all the way from the warm south to the freezing cold of Beijing, could handle it.

Shen Xuyue added, "These things are uncertain for now. I haven't told my mom about my brother finding a girlfriend. I'll let him explain it himself."

Thinking of Mao Jianlan, Zhao Mingyue felt a pang of regret; after all, they were not meant to be. She wondered if her mother's attitude would improve now that her brother Shen had found someone from out of town with whom she had no connection whatsoever.

When Zhao Mingyue saw Mao Jianlan again, she felt a pang of guilt. Mao Jianlan seemed unable to recover; she was never particularly cheerful to begin with, and now she was even more withdrawn. Men are generally more open-minded about relationships than women. Look at Shen Qixue, he quickly started a new relationship. But Mao Jianlan remained unmoved. She had rejected all the male classmates who pursued her. Her roommates had advised her that the best way to forget someone is to accept someone else, but Mao Jianlan said she didn't want to date for now; she wanted to focus on her studies and think about it after graduation.

Zhao Mingyue realized that they would be graduating soon, with only a little over a year left. After graduation, they would probably stay in Beijing, and then they would likely get married and have children. Thinking about marriage and children, Zhao Mingyue felt a sense of anticipation. She wanted a child of her own, as mischievous and adorable as Jingjing, someone she could witness growing up little by little, carefully observing every change in him. This was probably the happiest thing in the world.

During the May Day holiday, Zhao Mingyue went back to visit Shen Xuyue's parents. Shen Fuyu's whole family was at her parents' home. Since her mother's fall and injury, the relationship between mother and daughter had improved. No matter what, family is the best. When you are lonely and helpless, your family will give you the most selfless care and attention.

When they arrived, everyone was discussing Yang Maolin's decision to quit his job and start his own business. Yang Maolin wanted to drive, and he happened to know someone who was hiring drivers, so he wanted to quit his job and become a driver.

Everyone shared their opinions. Mr. Shen said, "If you quit your job, you'll be self-employed. Self-employed individuals are responsible for their own profits and losses, and you won't be able to go back to work in a company later."

Yang Maolin said, "I've thought it through very clearly. I work in a factory and earn 23 yuan a month, which isn't even enough to support my wife and children. We can't keep renting other people's houses. I have to buy my own house and give Fuyu and Jingjing a home. I work as a driver for someone. When I first started, he paid me 40 yuan a month, and it will go up later. Once I earn money, I'll buy my own truck and run a transportation business."

Chen's mother said, "You can earn more by being a self-employed person, but driving is unsafe and puts your life at risk. You're always out on the road, leaving your wife and children at home. If something happens to you, you won't have anyone to rely on."

Shen Fuyu was absolutely supportive of Yang Maolin. She knew her husband had been holding back for a long time, and now that he finally had the chance to do what he loved, how could she not support him? "Mom, it's nothing for me. Jingjing is with me at school, and I can take care of her. Besides, we still have you all. Let Maolin go. As long as he's careful, nothing will happen."

Yang Maolin looked at his wife with intense passion, his face flushed with excitement: "Yes, Mom and Dad, don't worry, I will be very careful."

Shen Xuyue and Zhao Mingyue sat quietly to the side, listening to their conversation. Shen Xuyue asked, "Brother-in-law, what do you mainly transport when you drive for people?"

Yang Maolin said, "I help drive big trucks, often going to places in Shandong and Hebei to transport agricultural products to Beijing, and then transporting goods produced in Beijing factories to other places."

Shen Xuyue asked in surprise, "Is that car a private vehicle, or a vehicle belonging to a state-owned enterprise?"

Yang Maolin nodded and said, "It's a private business. He used to work for a company, but later he raised money to buy a truck and started his own transportation business. At first, he drove with his brother-in-law, but after a few months, his brother-in-law raised money to buy his own truck. It was too hard and unsafe for him to drive alone, so he wanted to hire a driver to accompany him. I thought, his brother-in-law went solo so quickly, if I work for him for two years, I'm sure I can go solo too, buy my own truck and start my own business. Then I can buy a house in Beijing." As he said this, his eyes shone with hope.

Zhao Mingyue discovered that quite a few people shared this idea. Shen's father said, "If you want to drive, we'll think of a way for you. We'll see which company is hiring drivers and recommend you for a job."

Yang Maolin shook his head: "Dad, my goal is to start my own business in the future, not just to drive a car."

Shen Fuyu twisted her hands and said, "Actually, I was thinking about whether we could raise money for Maolin to buy a car. We can make one for ourselves from the beginning, and then pay back the money to our family when we make it later."

Shen Xuyue waved his hand and said, "Actually, it's good for my brother-in-law to go with others to drive cars. At least he can get familiar with the routes and operating modes first, accumulate experience, and then he can work on his own later."

Only Chen's mother sighed, "Now that you've left your job, what will you do after you retire? The government won't take care of you anymore."

Yang Maolin said, "Mom, you don't need to worry about that. I can earn money myself, so I can save money for my retirement."

Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, there's no need to worry about that at all. Her employer can pay her pension contributions on her behalf, but she'll have to pay for everything herself.

"Nobody knows what the future holds. You say you're going to do business to make money, but who knows if you'll even be able to?" Mother Shen was still worried.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Auntie, my brother-in-law can apply for a leave of absence without pay. That means he won't go to work or receive a salary, but he can still have his seniority recorded and pay for various insurances himself. When he reaches retirement age, he can still receive a pension." She actually quite supported Yang Maolin's idea; he was bold and enterprising.

The leave-without-pay policy that Zhao Mingyue mentioned is a type of labor contract that emerged in the 1980s, and people are still not very familiar with it. When Shen's mother heard Zhao Mingyue say this, she asked, "Really? There's such a policy?" and turned to her husband.

Father Shen said, "I don't handle industrial matters. You can investigate it yourselves. If it can be done this way, that would be the best outcome."

Shen Xuyue looked at Zhao Mingyue: "How did you know about this?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "I heard it from my classmate."

Yang Maolin and Shen Fuyu were overjoyed to hear about this policy. If it really worked, they wouldn't have to worry about the future.

Finally, Father Shen said, "Now that the country's policies have been relaxed and the economy is booming, there are more opportunities to make money. But remember not to be impatient for quick success and instant benefits, and especially not to speculate or profit at the expense of others. Avoid taking detours." This was tantamount to agreeing.

Shen Fuyu quickly gave her husband a push, and the couple said in unison, "Thank you for your support, Dad."

Shen Xuyue asked Zhao Mingyue, "What do you think of my brother-in-law's idea?"

"It's fine," Zhao Mingyue said.

"I think so too. Our country's transportation system is quite weak. Many things from the south can't get to the north, and things from the north can't get to the south. Last time we went to the Taihang Mountains, the locals there had never seen what an orange looked like in their entire lives."

Zhao Mingyue nodded and said, "Don't even mention it, how many people in our village have never seen what an apple looks like?"

Shen Xuyue sighed and said, "The country's development still has a long way to go. I heard that in the United States, almost every household has a car now, while here we rarely even see a tractor. The gap is huge, and we must catch up quickly."

"We've already started reform and opening up, and we'll develop very quickly," Zhao Mingyue said.

Time flies like an arrow, and summer vacation is just around the corner. Zhao Mingyue still has one year left before graduation, while her third brother, Zhao Minglang, who studied at a vocational college, has already graduated and been assigned to the county's Central Hospital, making him the first in their family to receive a government job.

Zhao Mingyue's parents breathed a sigh of relief, their furrowed brows smoothing out. They felt a renewed sense of hope for the future and were filled with energy every day. The two mu of their contracted farmland were tended meticulously. They couldn't manage the tea garden themselves, so they kept only one mu and divided the rest equally between their two eldest sons.

The village's tea processing factory was doing quite well, and Zhao Mingliang was assigned to sales. He had a junior high school education, was agile, and young and strong—exactly the kind of man the village needed. This made Zhao Mingyue's sister-in-law feel incredibly proud; the family had gained an extra source of income, and such a respectable one at that—it was truly the envy of everyone.

The second sister-in-law already felt oppressed by her eldest brother and sister-in-law, and now she felt even more powerless, feeling incredibly aggrieved. She went to her in-laws, hoping they could arrange for her husband to work at the tea factory; he might not be able to do anything else, but he certainly knew how to make tea.

Zhao Shunsheng and Hu Nianchun felt particularly awkward. This matter was arranged by the village. To ensure fairness, each family was to select one person. The tea factory had limited workload, and only so many people were needed. It was impossible to guarantee that everyone could get in. The second sister-in-law felt that her parents-in-law must be favoring her eldest brother. Otherwise, why would they insist on having Zhao Mingliang handle sales instead of arranging for her son, Minghui, to make tea?

Zhao Shunsheng was caught in a dilemma, so he went to the village head to ask if Minghui could also be arranged to work at the tea factory. The village head was a straightforward and principled man: "This matter cannot be an exception. Our village committee tries its best to be fair and impartial when selecting people. If you want Minghui to work at the tea factory, then Mingliang cannot come. Your Mingyue has already said that fairness is essential, and I am trying my best to be fair."

Zhao Shunsheng said, "You didn't even ask us before you made the decision. Now the two brothers are having a conflict. If you had told us earlier and let them compete fairly, there would have been far less gossip."

The village head said, "We chose Mingliang because the village needs someone like him. There are very few people like him who are eloquent, quick-witted, and educated. There's nothing we can do about it."

Zhao Shunsheng sighed: "Then what do you suggest? Can't you make an exception a little more?"

The village head said, "This is the only way for now. We'll see if we can expand our sales channels next year. Then we can buy tea leaves from other villages. That way, there will be more people who need to make tea, and we'll make arrangements for them then."

When Zhao Mingyue heard about this arrangement, she knew that conflicts would definitely arise in the family. Although they were both her own brothers, they were no longer the close-knit brothers they once were. There were two women and two separate families between them, and each of them was looking out for themselves. Zhao Mingyue knew that they were both her flesh and blood, and she couldn't favor one over the other; she had to treat them equally.

So as soon as summer vacation started, she went straight home. She had no choice but to find a way to resolve the conflicts in her family. As soon as her second sister-in-law saw Zhao Mingyue, she grabbed her and started crying, complaining that her family was already worse off than her eldest brother's. Now, when the village officials were selecting people, they only chose her eldest brother, without considering her family's actual situation at all. Wasn't this just making the good better and the bad worse?

Zhao Mingyue also felt very conflicted. She hadn't shown favoritism by asking the village officials to assign her two brothers to the tea factory in order to ensure fairness. They had indeed acted fairly in their arrangements, and it was understandable that some people were dissatisfied. But this was the initial stage of development, and everyone had to accept this process.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Second sister-in-law, I really can't help with second brother's matter, so I can't make any new arrangements. How about I arrange a job for you? It might not pay much, but at least you'll have some income. See if you're willing to do it."

When the second sister-in-law heard that her younger sister wanted to assign her some work, she quickly wiped away her tears and said, "Okay, you tell me, I'll definitely do it."

"I learned to make several new styles of dresses in Beijing, the kind I made for Mingxiu before, did you see them?"

Second Sister-in-law thought for a moment and nodded: "I saw it."

Zhao Mingyue said, "Second sister-in-law, you taught me tailoring, but there are some styles I know that you might not be able to make. I doubt anyone in the whole county has ever made them before. I'll teach you how to make skirts like these. You can rent a house in town and make clothes for people. Would you like that? But I don't think the business will be as good as it is in Beijing. After all, people in Beijing have higher incomes and are more willing to spend money on new clothes. There are too few people in our town. If you're a little bolder, we can rent a house in the county town to make clothes. There are quite a few people in the county, and there are more wealthy people there too."

The second sister-in-law looked at Zhao Mingyue and asked, "How much can you earn in a month?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "I estimate that I can earn at least ten or twenty yuan a month. That's pure profit."

The second sister-in-law was somewhat skeptical: "Can you really earn that much?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "I charge one yuan for making a set of clothes for someone, such as a top and pants or a skirt. If you can get two orders a day, you can make at least one yuan in profit after deducting the cost. That way, you can earn thirty yuan a month."

The second sister-in-law listened and then said, "Does it really cost one yuan to make a set of clothes? Isn't that a bit expensive?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "If you think it's too expensive, you can charge a lower price, like 50 or 80 cents, as long as you think it's worth it. But I think my clothes mainly sell on style. If the style is nice, people will be willing to spend money."

The second sister-in-law bit her lower lip: "Then I'm willing to give it a try." She thought that even if she couldn't earn thirty yuan a month, a dozen or so yuan would be good. Those people who worked in the tea factory only earned a dozen or so yuan a month.

Zhao Mingyue knew that her second sister-in-law was restless at heart, wanting to get ahead and live a better life than others. She said, "If you agree, then we'll go to the county town to find a house and open a shop. But what about the family's farmland and tea garden? Will we leave them to my second brother?"

Second Sister-in-law said, "Leave everything to your Second Brother. I'll take Daya and Sanya to open the shop. Daya can also help me look after Sanya." Although Daya was only five years old, in this era, who wasn't a poor child who had to take on responsibilities early? She started doing housework and taking care of her younger siblings very early.

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Alright then. Let's discuss it with my second brother and parents. If they all agree, then we'll go to the city to find a house." Zhao Mingyue thought that going to the county town would be good, at least her third brother worked there, and if her second sister-in-law had any problems, her third brother could take care of her.

Zhao Mingyue's family was quite surprised that she was opening a clothing store with her second sister-in-law, wondering if it would work. Zhao Mingyue said, "Now that everyone has more money, they are more interested in quality products. I think if the clothes are nice, I won't have to worry about business. I'm doing this in Beijing, and business is booming; I'm always busy. I'm sure I'll have business back home too. It's human nature to love beauty. Anyway, the costs aren't high, so why not give it a try?"

So the two sisters-in-law went to the county town. Zhao Minglang was a little surprised when he heard that his sister was going to help his sister-in-law open a shop in the town, but he still expressed his support. He had been in the county town for quite a while, from his internship to his job, almost a year, and he was quite familiar with the environment. He had also put in a lot of effort in finding a place to live.

The apartment was located on a street not far from the hospital. Zhao Mingyue specifically chose one diagonally opposite the police station for safety. The rent was much cheaper than in Beijing, only five yuan a month. The apartment was spacious, and the back could be partitioned for cooking and sleeping.

Zhao Minghui managed to move her sewing machine to the county town, found two stools and some planks to make a makeshift bed, and hung a burlap mosquito net over it, making it almost impossible to see anything inside. Zhao Mingyue also used a coarse cloth to block off the back of the bed; it wasn't very safe for two women with a child to be there. The reform and opening up brought not only ideological liberation but also the breeding of various criminal thoughts, which led to the nationwide crackdown in 1983. Therefore, Zhao Mingyue chose a house very close to the police station, but even so, she still needed to be extra vigilant.

The sewing machine was set up, and the sign Zhao Mingyue had personally written, "Beijing Ready-to-Wear Garment Manufacturing," was hung up; the shop was officially open. Why use the word "Beijing"? Of course, it was for advertising. People from small towns yearn for bigger places, believing that things from faraway, larger cities are of higher quality, especially the most revered capital city. Zhao Mingyue had indeed returned from Beijing, and the style of these clothes was currently only available in Beijing; calling it "Beijing ready-to-wear" was not an exaggeration.

Zhao Mingyue and her second sister-in-law went to the department store and bought two pieces of floral fabric. They made two pretty dresses and hung them in the store to attract customers. The extra fabric was used to make a pretty little dress for each of her two nieces, who then modeled them. The beautiful dresses and the large Beijing-style display attracted a lot of attention. On the first day, many people came to see what was going on, and quite a few inquired about prices, but no one came to have clothes made, probably because they thought it was too expensive. Her second sister-in-law anxiously asked Zhao Mingyue, "Sister, isn't it too expensive?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "No rush, let's wait and see."

The next day, Zhao Minglang brought several female colleagues over. They looked at the clothes Zhao Mingyue had made and thought they were very beautiful. Two of them decided to have a set of clothes made to try, and that's how the business started.

Zhao Mingyue didn't plan to spend the entire summer making clothes at home. She was just teaching her second sister-in-law how to do it. Her sister-in-law was already skilled, but her clothes were cut very plainly and lacked character. Zhao Mingyue told her what to pay attention to, how to cinch the waist, and how to add embellishments. Her sister-in-law was also a very clever person and quickly learned by analogy.

After the business opened, things became much easier. They usually had one or two customers a day, sometimes none, but on weekends there were more than one or two, so they were more than able to meet Zhao Mingyue's expectations. Her sister-in-law was overjoyed.

Zhao Mingyue stayed in the county town for more than a week, and after confirming that her second sister-in-law had learned everything, she decided to return to Beijing. Her second sister-in-law was a little reluctant to let her go: "Sister, if you leave, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it well."

"It's alright, Second Sister-in-law, just do it the way you always do, there won't be any problems. I also have a shop open in Beijing, my classmate is managing it alone, but he's too busy, so I have to go over there. I told Third Brother to come over and visit you whenever he has time. Second Brother comes over often too, so tell him to come over and keep you company if he's not too busy at home. Things aren't very safe outside lately, there are a lot of thugs and gangsters, so close the shop early at night and don't get up too early in the morning." Zhao Mingyue carefully instructed her Second Sister-in-law, since she was the one who encouraged her to open the shop, and it would be troublesome if there were any safety issues.

Second sister-in-law nodded: "Okay, I'll be careful."

Actually, Zhao Mingyue didn't need to worry too much. Zhao Minghui was going to the county town every few days to deliver vegetables and rice to his wife and children.

The eldest sister-in-law was unhappy again about Zhao Mingyue helping the second sister-in-law open a shop. She heard that the shop could earn twenty or thirty yuan a month, while her own husband only earned a few times a year selling tea. It was obvious that the family was siding with the second sister-in-law's family.

Zhao Mingyue was speechless when she heard her sister-in-law's complaints from her mother. People are always dissatisfied. Even ten fingers are not all the same length. Why compare yourself to others? Just be content.