Zhao Mingyue herself was also somewhat surprised. She never expected to earn so much. She originally thought that earning 10,000 or 20,000 would be good enough, but the result far exceeded her expectations.

After everyone had taken out their costs, Zhao Mingyue took 20,000 yuan from the profits: "Thanks to my brother-in-law and eldest sister this time, I'll take 20,000 yuan, and the rest is yours."

Shen Fuyu said, "That won't do. We already agreed to split it in half."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "It's okay, this has already exceeded my expectations. Twenty thousand is enough." Zhao Mingyue knew the principle that suffering a loss is a blessing. She didn't need to be so calculating with her family, so that they wouldn't hold a grudge against her for being too calculating.

“We can’t just take that much money, it’s several thousand.” Shen Fuyu looked at the money. Although it was a small amount compared to what she had earned, for an ordinary person, four thousand yuan was several years’ income. She couldn’t just take it.

Zhao Mingyue said with a smile, "Take it, big sister. If I ever need money again, I'll borrow from you again."

Shen Fuyu said, "You can borrow money, that's one thing, we'll definitely help. But I can't take this money, how about giving it to my parents, it's like a dividend from their investment."

Mr. and Mrs. Shen were stunned by their daughter and daughter-in-law's generosity. Mrs. Shen quickly waved her hand and said, "No, no, what do I need this money for? We have enough money of our own. You can take it; you will definitely need it."

Father Shen said, "If you ask me, it would be better if you split it equally."

Shen Fuyu counted out another two thousand yuan and handed it to Zhao Mingyue: "Sister-in-law, take this two thousand. We'll give the extra change to Mom and Dad as a token of our filial piety. Use it to buy them something nice to eat." She then gave the remaining nine hundred yuan to Shen's parents. This time, Shen's parents did not refuse and accepted the money.

When dividing the money, Yang Maolin remained silent. His wife was always the one in charge at home; her word was law. After dividing the money, Yang Maolin asked, "Sister-in-law, shall we go again?"

Zhao Mingyue thought for a moment and said, "I can go again. I'll place an order with them first, and then I'll go over." Zhao Mingyue also wanted to go to Guangdong, mainly to buy a batch of electric sewing machines there. "If you want to do a good job, you must first have the right tools." In the industrial age, treadle sewing machines are no longer up to par. Without electric sewing machines, there is no efficiency, and naturally, no money can be made.

"Are we still driving there?" Yang Maolin asked.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Go ahead and open it. Besides packing clothes, I also want to buy a few sewing machines. Could you bring them back for me while you're at it?"

Shen Fuyu said, "A sewing machine? Don't you already have one? Why do you need to buy another one? We sell them here too. Are they cheaper over there?"

Zhao Mingyue thought for a moment and said, "It's like this, Dad, Mom, eldest sister, I actually want to open my own garment factory and sell clothes in Beijing. Our northern textile industry is relatively weak; most of our clothes are shipped from the south. If we make them right here in our own backyard, the costs will be lower, giving us a price advantage. If the quality of the clothes is good, sales won't be a problem at all. When I visited their garment factories in Shenzhen this time, I found that they don't use our treadle sewing machines; they use industrial sewing machines, which are electrically powered. They can sew through any fabric, no matter how thick, and they're fast and efficient. So I'm thinking of going there to buy a few electric sewing machines."

Everyone looked at Zhao Mingyue in surprise: "You're planning to open a factory?"

Zhao Mingyue smiled and nodded: "Now that I've gone into business, I want to make it bigger so that I can provide some job opportunities for others. That would be my way of contributing to society."

Mr. Shen nodded upon hearing this: "Not bad, that's an idea."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Dad."

Shen Fuyu gave a thumbs up: "Great job!" This sister-in-law is truly a heroine, amazing.

Zhao Mingyue said, "I'll contact the manufacturer there first and order another batch of goods from them, and then we'll go over. I might need to go and check out the sewing machines first, and then you two can drive over, brother-in-law."

Looking at her daughter-in-law, Chen's mother was filled with mixed emotions. This girl really had a big heart; she was even planning to open a factory and become a boss. She sighed, "You've only been home for two days, and you're leaving again soon. Liangliang will miss you."

Zhao Mingyue smiled apologetically: "Mom, I'm sorry, you've worked so hard. This is how it is when you start a business. It's a bit tough and busy at the beginning, but once my factory is up and running, I won't have to go out much anymore except to get fabric from the south."

"We have to go to Guangdong to get fabric?"

Zhao Mingyue shook her head: "No need, no need, we can go to Jiangsu or Shandong then."

Upon hearing that she was going to Shandong, which was very close, Chen's mother nodded and asked, "Does Xiaoxu know you're going to open a factory?"

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "He knows, I've already discussed this with him."

When Shen's mother heard that her son knew, she fell silent. Her daughter-in-law was too capable, and she was worried that the relationship between her son and daughter-in-law would become unbalanced.

Zhao Mingyue called the manufacturer in Shenzhen that same day and ordered another 10,000 pairs of jeans and 1,000 pairs of denim shorts. She figured she wouldn't be going there anymore, so she might as well buy more. These days, without fax machines or bank transfers, signing a contract was quite inconvenient. Zhao Mingyue's order was only a verbal agreement; both the contract and the deposit needed to be paid in person. The manufacturer's previous cooperation with her had been quite pleasant, and with a relative acting as guarantor, they promised to start production immediately if the deposit arrived within a week. Zhao Mingyue sighed. She'd have to go and sign the contract and pay the deposit herself. Oh well, another trip. She'd have to stay there for another two weeks.

After resting at home for a day, Zhao Mingyue immediately headed to Guangdong, another two-day, one-night journey. Traveling alone, she didn't dare carry much money, only five thousand yuan with her. She asked Yang Maolin to bring the rest. There were over ten thousand pieces of clothing, which would cost more than twenty thousand yuan, and she also had to buy a sewing machine, with a budget of around ten thousand yuan. She dared not travel around alone with tens of thousands of yuan in her pocket.

Zhao Mingyue went directly to Shenzhen to sign the contract and pay the deposit. The manufacturer rushed to deliver the goods, which would still be ready in ten days. After finishing her business, she thought about it and decided to visit Yu Youfen. Yu Youfen worked at a children's clothing factory in Shenzhen. She wondered how Yu Youfen was doing. Last time she came, she was too busy to visit her, so she decided to go and see her this time.

Shenzhen in the 1980s was shrouded in mystery. Entering customs required checking ID cards and border passes. Trying to cross without a border pass was illegal. If someone was found without a border pass inside the customs area, they would be sent to Zhangmutou in Dongguan for detention and education, and their family would have to pay a ransom. Zhao Mingyue, of course, was well aware of this and had already obtained a border pass.

Yu Youfen's garment factory was located in Bagualing, Luohu District, Shenzhen. That area was full of garment factories. In the 1980s, Shenzhen's factories were concentrated in the Special Economic Zone. Later, with the deepening of development, factories gradually moved to the outside of the Special Economic Zone, and factories inside the Special Economic Zone became extremely rare.

When Zhao Mingyue went to find Yu Youfen, she hadn't finished work yet, and the security guard at the gate wouldn't let her in; she had to wait outside. As soon as the end-of-work bell rang, the factory's female workers surged out like a tide. They were all young, in their teens and twenties; someone like Yu Youfen was considered older. They wore ill-fitting factory uniforms, their young faces beaming with smiles. For them, this kind of life was a kind of improvement.

Zhao Mingyue stood at the factory gate, staring intently for a long time, but couldn't spot Yu Youfen. They were all wearing the same clothes; finding someone among thousands by face was no easy task. Yu Youfen, however, noticed Zhao Mingyue. Because her clothes were different from everyone else's and she was standing taller, she was very conspicuous. Yu Youfen was initially incredulous upon seeing Zhao Mingyue, but after looking her over several times, she was finally certain: "Mingyue? Zhao Mingyue!"

Zhao Mingyue heard Yu Youfen call her and finally saw her in the crowd. She waved to her and said, "Sister Youfen."

Yu Youfen ran over, grabbed her hand, and said excitedly, "Why are you here?"

Zhao Mingyue hugged her happily: "I came to Shenzhen to take care of some business, and I thought I'd drop by to see you."

Yu Youfen said, "What a coincidence, what business do you have in Shenzhen?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "I'm here to do business. Come on, Sister Youfen, I'll treat you to dinner."

Yu Youfen took her hand and said, "It's my treat, it's my treat. You've come all this way, how can I let you treat me to a meal?"

Zhao Mingyue laughed and said, "It's okay, I'm here for Sister Fen. I'm doing business now and I have money. How about I treat you to a meal? Are you working overtime tonight? How much rest time do you have?"

Yu Youfen said, "I start work at 6:30, it takes about an hour. Where are you staying tonight? Why don't you come and squeeze into my dorm for the night?"

Zhao Mingyue thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let's talk."

Yu Youfen said happily, "That's great! I'll go find our supervisor to sign a note later. It also requires approval to let friends stay overnight." Yu Youfen stuck out her tongue.

"It's okay, let's go eat first." Zhao Mingyue knew that the management of this factory was very strict.

While eating, the two chatted about Zhao Mingyue's business. When Yu Youfen heard that she had taken a leave of absence to start her own business, she sighed and shook her head: "It's such a pity that you quit such a good job."

Zhao Mingyue laughed and said, "I'm thinking about making a lot of money. Being a teacher is so poor. How much do you earn in a month?"

"That's still much better than us, and university professors are so respected," Yu Youfen said with regret.

Zhao Mingyue asked, "Sister Youfen, what kind of work do you do at the factory?"

Yu Youfen said, "I only started doing sewing this year. The wages for sewing are high. Before, I did handicrafts, like sewing buttons and buttonholes. Sewing is considered a skilled job, and the wages are half as much as handicrafts. So after the New Year, I spent money to go to an outside sewing class for half a month and then passed the exam to become a sewing technician."

Zhao Mingyue looked at her and said, "Okay then, a tram, right?"

"Yes, it's a tram."

Zhao Mingyue looked at Yu Youfen with a heart full of joy, as if someone had delivered a pillow to her when she was sleepy: "Sister Youfen, let me tell you, after this business trip is over, I plan to open a garment factory in Beijing and buy a few trams first. But I don't have any skilled sewing machine operators right now. Would you be willing to come to Beijing to help me?"

Yu Youfen looked at Zhao Mingyue in surprise, dropping the food she had picked up: "You want to open a factory?"

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Yes, that's what I plan to do."

Yu Youfen said, "If you really want to open it, then I'm definitely willing to help you."

Zhao Mingyue laughed: "It's not completely settled yet. Once everything is arranged on my end, I'll write to you and let you know. Your salary will definitely not be less than what you get here, so don't worry."

Yu Youfen sniffed and nodded vigorously: "Okay." Working for Zhao Mingyue would definitely not be a loss, and her younger brother would be there too, so Zhao Mingyue could be considered a younger sister, and they could take care of each other. Wasn't that much better than being alone in Shenzhen?

Zhao Mingyue said, "If things go smoothly on my end, Sister Youfen can bring both of her nieces over to Beijing and settle them down." Yu Youfen is a skilled tram operator. If we hire her, she can become a master, which is much faster than learning to ride a tram on her own and then teaching others.

Yu Youfen smiled through her tears and said, "If that were really possible, that would be wonderful." In their factory, almost all the women were unmarried young girls. Generally, those who were married and had children would not be willing to leave their children at home. They were only forced to come out because they had no other choice.

After dinner, Yu Youfen went to the factory to get a note from the manager and took Zhao Mingyue back to her dormitory. The room was on the second floor, and outside were tall Bauhinia trees with dense canopies that made the room very dark. Yu Youfen said, "The dormitory conditions are very poor, please make do."

Sixteen people shared a room; the cramped conditions were unimaginable. Beds lined all four sides, with only a narrow aisle a little over a meter wide in the middle. Each bed had a curtain, and the floor was littered with buckets, basins, and shoes. Some people sat cross-legged on their beds, eating and talking, mostly in Cantonese, suggesting that most were locals from Guangdong. Although it was summer, the room was still dark, damp, noisy, and stuffy. Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, "Making a living away from home is really tough."

Yu Youfen pointed to a bed on the upper bunk and said, "Mingyue, I'll take this bed. Go take a shower where I told you earlier, then go back to the dormitory and wait for me. I have to go to work, and I get off at 9:30. It's the off-season now, so it's not that busy yet. In the peak season, I wouldn't get off work until at least 11." In Guangdong, taking a shower is called "chongliang."

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay, you go ahead and do your thing, I can handle it myself."

Yu Youfen gave her the key and instructed her: "Take your money and valuables with you when you go out, it's dangerous with so many people around."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Okay, go ahead."

After explaining everything, Yu Youfen went to work. Some people in the office were also absent, indicating that not all departments were working overtime. The people in the office looked at Zhao Mingyue, and someone asked her, "Are you new here?" Their accent was clearly Cantonese.

Zhao Mingyue said, "I came to see my sister."

"Where are you from?"

"From Beijing."

"Wow, Beijing! You've come all the way here? Are you looking for work or just having fun?"

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Come and play."

“I knew it,” the girl said. “How could people from Beijing possibly need to work?”

Zhao Mingyue smiled. So, in everyone's mind, Beijingers are all considered wealthy?

Zhao Mingyue spent an unforgettable night at Yu Youfen's place. The experience was so unique; even in her two lifetimes, Zhao Mingyue had never worked or spent time with female migrant workers. Listening to their chatter, she realized that although these women worked hard and were exhausted, they were full of hope and love for life. They looked forward to payday, sending money to their parents, keeping a small portion for themselves to buy a favorite piece of clothing, shoes, or hair accessory, or planning to buy small things for their younger siblings. These simple things would make them happy for a long time.

That night, the two sisters talked for a long time, about their children, their relatives, and their future plans. They didn't fall asleep until late into the night. Zhao Mingyue felt a little apologetic, as Yu Youfen had to work a full day the next day. The next morning, Yu Youfen went to work, while Zhao Mingyue said goodbye and headed to Guangzhou.

Upon arriving in Guangzhou, Zhao Mingyue first visited Fang Zhen's parents, then went to find the uncles who had previously helped her, as she needed their assistance in purchasing an electric sewing machine. Coincidentally, there was an electromechanical factory in Guangzhou that manufactured electric sewing machines, and her uncles accompanied her there. Electric sewing machines were several times more expensive than ordinary sewing machines; an ordinary sewing machine cost only a little over a hundred yuan, while an electric one cost five or six hundred. Aside from industrial use, who would use such an expensive machine at home? Zhao Mingyue knew this was something she couldn't avoid; she had to buy it—it was an initial investment.

A few days later, Yang Maolin drove his truck to Guangzhou with his goods. This time, he brought a truckload of green apples. Since apples were not available in the south, their scarcity drove up the price, and he naturally made a small profit. After selling the apples, Zhao Mingyue bought ten sewing machines before going to a garment factory to pick up jeans, filling her truck to the brim before heading back.

By the time I got back to Beijing, it was already mid-August. Summer wasn't completely over yet, and this time the denim shorts were selling like hotcakes. I bought them for one yuan a pair and sold them for six yuan. Although I didn't make as much money as with jeans, it was a good way to test the market.

This time, they had a larger quantity of goods, and it took them a week to sell out. The price was also lower than last time; the wholesale price was eight yuan per pair, and the retail price remained at ten yuan. After selling out, they made a net profit of 75,000 yuan, of which Zhao Mingyue received over 30,000 yuan. Yang Maolin, having tasted success, wanted to go to Guangdong, but Zhao Mingyue said, "Brother-in-law, the jeans market probably won't be as good for the time being. This time, the price won't be as high as last time. If someone sees that we've made money, they'll definitely try to import goods from the south, and the market will gradually become saturated."

Seeing that she wasn't planning to go back, and knowing he'd never directly contacted manufacturers in Shenzhen before, Yang Maolin figured it wouldn't be a good business, so he gave up the idea and went back to driving a taxi. However, after making so much money, returning to driving a taxi felt a bit unsatisfying; the money was too little. A year's worth of driving there didn't even equal a single trip to Guangdong, and he still longed to make a fortune there. It's true what they say: it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go back.

Zhao Mingyue had no time to think about making money in Guangdong. She was busy setting up her factory. Setting up a factory involved a lot of work: renting space, getting licenses, buying raw materials, and recruiting workers. By the time everything was in place, it was already October. Zhao Mingyue had also invited Youfen from Shenzhen to give the recruited female workers trolley training.

Upon arriving in Beijing, Yu Youfen was immediately entrusted with an important task, leaving her somewhat at a loss: "Mingyue, I'm not exactly a skilled worker, I can't be a mentor." She had been a lathe operator for less than a year, how could she possibly be a mentor?

Zhao Mingyue said with a smile, "If you can't do it, then no one else can. None of us know how. Don't worry, we'll figure it out ourselves. I'll learn it myself too."

Yu Youfen then took office with trepidation.

The workers are all young women recruited from Beijing. Ideally, they should have sewing experience. If not, it depends on their aptitude. Those who can learn will learn sewing, and those who can't will do handicrafts.

The style of the clothes was designed by Zhao Mingyue herself. The weather was already getting cold, and by the time the workers learned how to operate the tram and officially started work, it would probably be November. Winters in Beijing are long, and this first batch of clothes would have to be made into winter clothing. In the south, spring clothing would have to be made by now, because by the time they were finished, winter would be over, and the clothes would be unsaleable.

With the factory up and running, Zhao Mingyue became busy as well. Besides overseeing garment production, she also had to go out and market. Every day, she took her clothes to various clothing wholesale markets and department stores in Beijing to promote them. She and Shen Xuyue personally modeled the clothes, wore the samples, took color photos, enlarged and printed them, pasted them into a large notebook, made a brochure, and took it out to promote the clothes to people.

The models were great, the clothes were beautiful, and good things will always find their value. The initial orders were tentative, a dozen or twenty pieces to start with. If they sold well, they'd add more. Every beginning is difficult, but Zhao Mingyue was patient and willing to take on even the smallest orders. Once she established a foothold, businesses would come knocking on her door, making things much easier.

For the first few months, Zhao Mingyue was busy almost day and night. When there were no orders, she had to go out and find them; when there were orders, she had to worry about whether she could ship them on time. Once she had the goods, she had to deliver them herself. She was so busy that she lost a lot of weight.

Seeing how hard his wife was working, Shen Xuyue felt extremely sorry for her: "Why don't we stop doing this? It's too tiring."

Zhao Mingyue knew he was talking nonsense: "I'm like an arrow that's been released from a bow. Once it's shot out, it can't be taken back. It has to reach its destination."

Shen Xuyue said, "I feel sorry for you, you're working so hard."

Zhao Mingyue said, “Everyone faces difficulties in the early stages of starting a business. You might think that reselling can make money, but the risks are huge. Those two times my brother-in-law drove to Guangzhou, I was so afraid that something might happen to him on the road. If he got into a car accident or was robbed, all his efforts would be in vain, and his life would be threatened. I was worried about him every day. And each time he was gone for half a month, without seeing you and our son. The hardship was probably not much worse than that. Once things are on track here, things will gradually get better.”

Shen Xuyue said, "Wife, if you feel it's difficult, just tell your man. My shoulders and chest are always open for you. You can cry or yell if you want, I'll be your punching bag."

Zhao Mingyue smiled, pursing her lips. "No need, I won't cry. There's no need to scold anyone. Although I'm tired, I feel fulfilled and happy. Really, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I just feel sorry for Mom and Liangliang. I'm sorry for her hard work, and Liangliang is quite pitiful too." At this point, her smile faded.

She's currently living with her in-laws. Every day when she gets home, her son is already asleep. Zhao Mingyue can only kiss her son's little face. Sometimes she hears him talking in his sleep, mumbling "Mommy." At these times, Zhao Mingyue can't help but tear up. So every morning, no matter how sleepy she is, she makes sure to get up, dress her son, and have breakfast with him.

Liangliang said, "Mom is a fairy; she appears whenever I want her to."

Zhao Mingyue asked, "When does Liangliang miss his mother?"

Liangliang tilted his little head up and looked at her: "Every time I go to sleep, I want to see my mom. Grandma told me that if you think of your mom in your heart, you can see her when you open your eyes tomorrow morning."

Zhao Mingyue's nose suddenly felt a little sore: "Liangliang is so good. Mommy is a fairy, and Liangliang is a little god."

"Is it like Nezha?" Liangliang asked excitedly. He loved watching the animated film "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King" the most, and he would stare at it intently every time it was broadcast on TV.

"Yes, even more powerful than Nezha." Zhao Mingyue kissed her son's little face.

Liangliang was overjoyed, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons as she smiled: "What about Zhuangzhuang?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "Zhuangzhuang is also a little fairy."

"Are you better than me?"

Zhao Mingyue glanced at the doorway and whispered in her son's ear, "Of course Liangliang is better."

Liangliang giggled with joy, his little face beaming with pride.

Looking at her son's smiling face, Zhao Mingyue felt full of confidence and strength. She was determined to work hard, settle down as soon as possible, and give her son a stable environment.