In the early stages of starting a business, everything had to be done by increasing revenue and cutting costs. Zhao Mingyue was the boss, the salesperson, the accountant, and the designer all at the same time. She was so busy that she was spinning like a top and wished she had three heads and six arms.

After a busy winter, when spring arrived, Zhao Mingyue's factory also ushered in its first spring. In this era, what was lacking was not money, but materials. Making money required boldness and courage. Anyone who ventured into business could strike it rich, even if they were blind, let alone someone as forward-thinking as Zhao Mingyue.

The clothes produced in Zhao Mingyue's factory are unique in style and of good quality. They are also cheaper than clothes of the same quality that come from the south. Business people are always looking for the best deal, so why wouldn't they want to buy the cheapest option?

So by March, orders were piling up at Zhao Mingyue's factory, and the dozen or so workers simply couldn't keep up. Zhao Mingyue quickly recruited workers, introduced equipment, and expanded the scale of operations. She had anticipated this situation when she rented the premises, so she specifically rented a large courtyard. While busy fulfilling orders, she was also busy training workers, and soon the number of workers reached more than thirty.

Zhao Mingyue never intended to lead fashion trends or challenge the aesthetic sensibilities of people in the 1980s with 21st-century clothing styles. She simply wanted to keep up with fashion trends, seize opportunities as soon as they emerged, and make slight modifications to them, which would allow her to make a fortune. In the past two years, leggings and batwing shirts had become popular, but they weren't common in the northern market. As soon as spring arrived, Zhao Mingyue began mass-producing leggings and batwing shirts, and orders poured in like snowflakes; business was booming.

The factory started making a profit in less than six months. While rushing to fulfill orders, Zhao Mingyue actively expanded the scale of operations, buying a lot of equipment and recruiting many workers from the labor market. By the middle of the year, the factory had forty machines and more than sixty workers. Zhao Mingyue also hired two salespersons to handle market development, an accountant to manage the books, and a small truck and driver to deliver goods, freeing herself up. The factory finally began to get on the right track.

On weekends, Zhao Mingyue finally didn't have to work overtime doing accounts and deliveries, and could go home to be with her son and husband. Shen Xuyue also didn't have to bring his son to accompany his wife to work overtime every weekend. On Saturday evening, Zhao Mingyue returned home and saw her son playing with his two older brothers. The three boys were catching dragonflies by the wall. Jingjing led the way, crouching low and tiptoeing towards the night-blooming jasmine bushes in the corner. Zhuangzhuang and Liangliang followed their older brothers' example, bending over, hunching their necks, and peeking at the base of the wall.

Afraid of disturbing the children, Zhao Mingyue quietly stepped into the yard. Watching their movements, Liangliang turned his head, saw his mother, and, forgetting about the dragonfly, ran over with a joyful cry: "Mom!"

His shout naturally startled the dragonflies that were resting there, and they flew away. The two older boys turned around and looked: "Auntie (Second Aunt)."

Zhao Mingyue reached out and hugged her son who was running towards her, picking him up and kissing him: "Baby, did you miss Mommy?"

Liangliang nodded vigorously: "Yes! I've thought about it."

Zhao Mingyue asked, "Is Daddy back?"

"Not yet," Liangliang answered crisply.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Mom has a day off tomorrow, how about taking Liangliang to Beihai Park for boating?"

“Okay, I want to go to the zoo too.” Liangliang played with the ends of his mother’s hair.

"Okay, let's go to the zoo in the morning and go boating in the afternoon, how about that?"

"good."

It's summer vacation now, and none of the children are in school. Jingjing spends almost every day playing at her maternal grandmother's house because there are several children her age next door, along with two little followers. Jingjing and Zhuangzhuang also said, "We want to go too."

"Okay, go ahead!" Zhao Mingyue carried her son home. "Zhuangzhuang, is your mother back yet?"

"I'm back," Zhuangzhuang replied.

Just then, Fang Zhen appeared at the kitchen door, holding a plate of watermelon cut into triangles: "Mingyue is back? Come and eat some watermelon."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and nodded: "Sister-in-law, I'm taking the kids to the zoo tomorrow, are you coming?"

Fang Zhen hesitated for a moment: "It's so hot, are you taking them to the zoo?"

Zhao Mingyue smiled apologetically: "I haven't had a break in a long time. We had planned to take the child out to play, but he ended up working overtime with me at the factory every weekend."

Fang Zhen laughed at her: "You strong woman, if you were a teacher, you'd be on summer vacation right now, how carefree would that be?"

Zhao Mingyue coughed and laughed, "I can't stand being idle. Now it's great, I can rest on weekends just like you guys."

Fang Zhen asked, "Have you found the accountant?"

"Yes. I came to work this week." Zhao Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief.

Fang Zhen handed her the watermelon, and Liangliang reached out to take it. Zhao Mingyue looked at his little hands, which were covered in mud and dust, and said, "Liangliang, go wash your hands first before you eat, so you won't have a stomachache."

Fang Zhen also told her son, "Go wash your hands before you eat."

Zhuangzhuang looked up at his mother and said, "Mom, help me wash."

"Let your second aunt wash it for you while she's at it."

Zhao Mingyue turned to Zhuangzhuang and said, "Zhuangzhuang, come here."

Jingjing is already a middle school student, so naturally he can wash his hands by himself.

Hearing the commotion outside, Mr. Shen came out with his transistor radio. Looking at the lively courtyard, a smile appeared in his eyes. In the past few years since the old man retired, Mrs. Shen had taken meticulous care of him. His children had no worries, and with a house full of children and grandchildren, he was in a good mood and his health had improved significantly. He had not suffered another stroke.

Mother Shen has changed a lot in the past two years. Although she still nags, she no longer deliberately makes things difficult or harsh, and the family gets along fairly well.

A family is generally harmonious if there are no conflicts of interest, the parents are kind and the children are filial, and the siblings have good relationships. The Shen family is like that right now. Shen Fuyu's family is not short of money. Shen Qixue and his wife don't run a business, so they don't have much money, but their monthly income is over two hundred yuan, which is enough for their whole family's expenses. Zhao Mingyue's side seems to be the richest, but they are actually the most strapped for cash because Zhao Mingyue has invested all her money. The family's food, clothing, and daily necessities are all covered by Shen Xuyue's salary. In fact, Shen Xuyue is currently Zhao Mingyue's strong support.

After the children washed their hands, they ran into the house to eat watermelon. Chen's mother called from inside, "Be quiet, don't tear the screen on the door." In the summer, screen doors and windows were installed to keep out mosquitoes.

Zhao Mingyue followed her into the house: "Mom, I'm back."

Mother Chen was folding clothes: "You're back just in time. The water's already boiled. You can give Liangliang a bath. That rascal, he keeps asking his mom to bathe him. I told him, 'Can't Grandma bathe you?' and he said, 'Grandma doesn't smell as good as Mom.'"

Zhao Mingyue couldn't help but laugh out loud and pinched her son's little cheek.

Liangliang was eating a slice of watermelon, watermelon juice dripping from the corner of his mouth onto his clothes. Luckily, he wasn't wearing white clothes, so the watermelon juice stains weren't noticeable. Zhao Mingyue put down her bag, went over, wiped her son's chin with a handkerchief, and then took a slice of watermelon to eat.

Fang Zhen reached out and wiped the sweat from her son's forehead: "Jingjing, why didn't your mother come today?"

Jingjing has already finished one slice of watermelon and is now eating the second. Children are growing and have a big appetite: "My mom went to get her hair permed today and said she'll come back after she's done."

Zhao Mingyue asked, "Where's your dad?"

Jingjing said, "My dad went to Guangdong."

Zhao Mingyue asked in surprise, "What's your dad doing in Guangdong?"

"It seems like someone asked him to go into business together."

Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, "Why haven't I heard them mention this before? But I figure Jingjing wouldn't be able to say anything either. I'll ask my older sister later."

Fang Zhen said with a smile, "My eldest sister really knows how to enjoy life."

Zhao Mingyue said, "You can do it too."

Fang Zhen said, "I don't need to get my hair permed. I wear a hat every day, so I don't know who I'd show it to if I got it permed."

"Of course it's for my older brother to see."

"Haha, him? You know what he said about Chunmei's hair back then, saying it looked like a bird's nest. He's an old-fashioned guy, he can't accept new things, I think we should just forget about it." Fang Zhen said with a grin.

Zhao Mingyue couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Big brother, are you talking about Chunmei's hair like that?"

"Don't tell Chunmei that. She's cut her hair short now, and she looks very neat," Fang Zhen said.

Zhao Mingyue suddenly realized that she hadn't seen everyone for a long time, as she had been so busy that she was completely out of it: "I haven't had a get-together with everyone in so long, I've been so busy that I've lost track of time."

Fang Zhen said, "Yes, we're all saying you're the Thatcher of the business world, the Iron Lady."

Zhao Mingyue felt extremely embarrassed: "It's not that exaggerated. I won't be so busy in the future, and I'll have more time to play with everyone."

"Mom, I want to go too!" Liangliang interrupted as soon as he heard the word "play".

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Okay, my son will go too."

Liangliang's personality is like Zhao Mingyue's—very cheerful and talkative, always chattering away, which is quite amusing. Zhuangzhuang, on the other hand, is more introverted, doesn't talk much, and often sits quietly playing by himself, lost in thought. Fang Zhen said this wasn't good for her son, but Zhao Mingyue said it wasn't bad at all; silence is golden, especially for men, a quiet demeanor suggests composure. As long as the child has a good personality and upright character, it doesn't matter whether they talk a lot or a little.

After her son finished eating the watermelon, Zhao Mingyue spent some time drawing with him. Liangliang's favorite character to draw is Nezha, with big eyes, a round face, lotus-root-colored arms and legs, and a golden circle. While drawing, Liangliang kept chattering, telling Zhao Mingyue about what happened that day: his older brother Jingjing made him a little windmill, and Zhuangzhuang snatched it from him. When two children of similar age get along, there are always many arguments because neither knows how to give way.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Zhuangzhuang wants that paper windmill too, so let's give it to Zhuangzhuang and let Brother Jingjing make another one for you."

“But he already has one,” Liangliang said. “His spin isn’t fast.”

“Then you can let him play with you for a while, the two of you can play together. Good children should share their toys with everyone,” Zhao Mingyue instructed him.

"All right."

The mother and son played for a while, then the mother gave Liangliang a bath. Liangliang sat in the tub in the yard, excitedly splashing around in the water. His mother hadn't given him a good bath in a long time, and he was so excited! He played with a ball in the tub, making "cheep cheep cheep" noises, seemingly happy about something. After washing his hair, Zhao Mingyue lathered his body with soap, teasing him, "Liangliang, doesn't Grandma's bath smell nice?"

"It smells good too. But not as good as when Mom washes it." This little rascal, he has such a sweet tongue. Zhao Mingyue is really worried that this kid will turn into a slick, cunning Beijinger in the future.

Shen Xuyue stepped in from outside the courtyard gate, carrying a briefcase: "Son, you're almost as talkative as Wei Zuizi."

Liangliang jumped up from the basin: "Dad! Twisted dough sticks!"

Zhao Mingyue turned to look at her husband: "You're back?"

"Why are you back so early today?" Shen Xuyue said with surprise.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Now that we've found an accountant and a driver, I don't have to do the accounting or deliver the goods anymore. I also won't have to work overtime on weekends anymore."

Shen Xuyue strode over and said, "That's great! Then my son and I won't have to go to work overtime with you." He happily kissed his son on the cheek and then couldn't help but kiss Zhao Mingyue as well.

Liangliang covered her eyes with her hands and giggled, "You're so embarrassing."

Zhao Mingyue scolded, "You old man, you're being indecent, right in front of the children."

“Dad loves Mom, that’s the best education in love.” Shen Xuyue said proudly. “Liangliang, the twisted dough sticks are here. Take a bath before you eat them.”

Jingjing ran out: "Uncle, Tianjin fried dough twists!"

Shen Xuyue said, "Here, take it yourself."

Zhuangzhuang followed closely behind Jingjing, also wanting a big twisted dough stick. Chen's mother called out from the side, "You can't eat it now. We'll eat dinner soon. Put it aside for now and eat it after dinner."

The courtyard was bustling with activity, filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere. Shen Xuyue put down his bag, washed his hands, and sat down on a small stool to watch his wife and son. He felt truly happy; this was what life should be like.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Tomorrow I'll take the kids to the zoo, and if we still have energy in the afternoon, we'll go boating at Beihai Park."

"Okay." Shen Xuyue readily agreed; his family hadn't gone out for fun in a long time.

Zhao Mingyue rinsed all the soap suds off her son, dried him off, and held him in Shen Xuyue's arms. The little guy, completely naked, rolled around in his parents' arms, overjoyed that his mom and dad were back. How small a child's heart is! As long as his mom and dad are there, the world is complete.

As darkness fell, Shen Fuyu returned, her hair now styled in neat curls, looking much more fashionable. At her age, a perm suited her perfectly.

During the meal, Zhao Mingyue asked, "Big sister, what kind of business does your brother-in-law do?"

Shen Fuyu said, "Someone asked him to partner with someone to go to the south to buy electrical appliances to sell."

"Oh, is there a trick to it?"

"Yes, I think so. That person also frequently travels to the south," Shen Fuyu said.

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "As long as it's reliable."

Shen Fuyu didn't say anything more. She didn't know if the man was reliable or not. She had met him when Yang Maolin was driving a taxi. She had ridden in his car several times, and when they chatted, they learned that they had both been to Guangdong. Yang Maolin had always been thinking about going to Guangdong to seek his fortune. Even though Zhao Mingyue didn't go anymore, he had never given up on the idea. Now that he had the chance, he was tempted and drove off with her.

Liangliang was especially excited tonight, and didn't want to sleep even at his usual bedtime. The three of them lay in bed, fanning themselves and chatting. Liangliang was chewing on his toes, chatting idly with his parents. Zhao Mingyue reached out and pinched the chubby little arm of her son: "Liangliang, why are you chewing on your toes? Aren't you full?"

Liangliang said, "Wang Xuan chews like that too." Wang Xuan is a child in kindergarten.

"You're so dirty! Your toes are smelly, don't gnaw on them." Zhao Mingyue tickled her son's armpits, and Liangliang was amused and giggled, losing all energy to gnaw on his toes.

Shen Xuyue comes home once a week, wanting to be intimate with his wife, but his son refuses to go to sleep, which is a real hassle. So he says, "Liangliang, why aren't you asleep yet? Go to sleep quickly."

Liangliang yawned: "I want to hear Mom sing."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Okay, lie down, Mommy will sing you. The moon travels through clouds like white lotus flowers, the evening breeze carries joyful songs, we sit beside the tall haystack, listening to Mommy tell stories of the past..." She patted her son's belly gently as she sang the song. Liangliang loved this song the most because it featured his mother. Zhao Mingyue sang this song to him every time, and he would fall asleep while listening to it.

When Zhao Mingyue sang this song, she felt as if she had returned to her hometown, where she would sit with her parents and brothers in the evening by the haystacks on the threshing ground, listening to the croaking of frogs and the chirping of insects, watching fireflies fly by, and feeling the fragrance of grass and trees carried by the night breeze.

As Shen Xuyue listened to her singing, his thoughts drifted to that distant village, and he suddenly said, "When Liangliang is a little older, we'll send him to his maternal and paternal grandparents' house for summer vacation."

“That’s what I’m planning to do too. Children who haven’t lived in the countryside will always have a missing piece in their childhood,” Zhao Mingyue said.

Shen Xuyue looked at his son: "The brat is finally asleep, right?" He carefully carried his sleeping son to the corner of the bed, turned around and hugged his wife, muttering, "With these conditions, it's not easy to even get intimate."

Zhao Mingyue chuckled and said, "Once my factory is fully settled, we'll go back home. I plan to buy you a car first, and then we'll buy a house..." Before she could finish her plans, Shen Xuyue silenced her with a kiss.

The next day, the family of three, along with Jingjing and Zhuangzhuang, embarked on a trip to the zoo. Fang Zhen and Shen Fuyu weren't very interested in the zoo and also found it too hot, so they didn't come along. Children always love all kinds of animals. Jingjing comes to the zoo almost every spring or autumn outing, and he's always very interested. This child especially loves horses. Every time they go to the zoo, he just squats there watching the horses, letting the others go and explore. After they're done, they just need to call him to come along.

Shen Xuyue joked, "Since you love horses so much, ask your dad to buy you one."

“There are horses in my hometown, and I’ve even ridden them. But my mom won’t take me back for summer vacation. I’ll wait two years until I’m in high school, then I’ll go back to my hometown by myself for summer vacation,” Jingjing said. The child is thirteen years old and already as tall as Zhao Mingyue.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Let's take some time sometime to visit Jingjing's hometown and bring Liangliang along."

Shen Xuyue said, "Okay, let's wait until Liangliang is a little older." He's too young to remember things, it would be a pity to send him away.

That day, they were exhausted from playing. Zhao Mingyue and her husband each carried a child who had fallen asleep during play back home, only to find that the atmosphere at home was a bit off. Shen Fuyu burst into tears when she saw them, and Shen Xuyue quickly asked, "What's wrong, sister?" Fang Zhen hurriedly came over and took Zhuangzhuang from his arms.

Shen Fuyu said, "Your brother-in-law is in trouble."

Shen Xuyue panicked: "Ah, what happened?"

“The car was robbed on the road, your brother-in-law was injured, and all the goods were lost,” Shen Fuyu said, wiping away her tears.

"How badly are you injured? Where are you?"

Shen Fuyu said, "They said he was cut on the back, but there's no danger to his life. He's in the hospital in Xinyang, on the border of Hubei and Henan provinces."

Shen Xuyue said, "When I go to Xinyang, do I need to bring money with me? Is there anything else going on with the others?"

Shen Fuyu shook her head with red eyes: "The driver, Xiao Feng, wasn't injured. He called me and told me to send the money over. I'll go to Xinyang with you."

"Have you called the police?" Shen Xuyue asked.

"I don't know about that," Shen Fuyu shook her head. Shen Xuyue quickly made a phone call to ask someone to buy a ticket for the earliest train to Xinyang.

Zhao Mingyue noticed that her parents were extremely worried, especially her father, who sat there without saying a word. Worried that her father might be upset, Zhao Mingyue said, "Dad, don't worry, my brother-in-law will be alright."

After a long pause, Shen's father said, "Isn't the country cracking down hard? How come these beasts are still so rampant? Why haven't they been arrested and executed yet? I'm going to make a phone call."

Seeing that the old man was truly angry, Zhao Mingyue was afraid that his blood vessels might burst if he got angry, so she quickly whispered to Chen's mother, "Mom, please go and persuade Dad, be careful of his blood vessels."

Shen's mother hurried off to persuade the old man. Meanwhile, Shen Xuyue had already booked a train ticket through a friend for 11 p.m. that night, so he would arrive the next day.

That night, the whole family was shrouded in gloom. Zhao Mingyue didn't dare to say much. She was the one who initiated the business trip to the south. If she hadn't taken the lead, Yang Maolin wouldn't have had this idea, so she felt she also bore some responsibility. "I'm sorry, sister. If it weren't for me, brother-in-law wouldn't have thought of going to the south to do business." What she feared most was an accident on the road. Fortunately, she was fine the two times she went, but this time, he went with someone else and something happened, showing that the risk was extremely high.

Shen Fuyu shook her head: "What does this have to do with you? It was just an accident."

Shen Xuyue said, "Nobody knows what happened yet. We'll find out when we get there. Don't worry, I'm relieved that my sister-in-law is alright. If the goods are lost, we'll try to find them. If we can't, we'll just consider it a loss to avoid further trouble."

After dinner, Shen Xuyue and his older sister Shen Fuyu went to the train station. Shen Xuyue had originally planned to return to Tianjin that night, but it seemed he would have to ask for leave from work as well.

The next afternoon, Shen Xuyue arrived in Xinyang. After learning what had happened, he called Zhao Mingyue back: "Brother-in-law has probably been scammed. The business partner he was with ran away, and the entire truckload of goods was taken. Those people were probably all arranged by that guy. 40,000 yuan worth of goods, all gone."

Zhao Mingyue was taken aback: "All 40,000 yuan is my brother-in-law's?"

“No, half of it was his,” Shen Xuyue said. “The guy he did business with was a customer he met while driving a taxi. The other guy rode in his car a few times, they got to know each other, and that’s how they hit it off. He heard that the other guy had connections installing appliances in the south, so he went with him. He was too trusting of the other guy, sigh!” In the end, it all came down to greed.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Comfort your brother-in-law. It's good that he's alright. Money is just an external thing. Don't worry, you'll earn it back."

“That’s what I told him too. Dad called his former subordinate and asked him to help investigate the matter. The local police station is also investigating it. I don’t know if they can solve the case. My brother-in-law’s injuries aren’t too serious. He’ll be discharged in a couple of days. I’ll stay here for two days, and then Xiao Feng and I will drive the car back. My older sister will accompany my brother-in-law on the train back.”

Zhao Mingyue said, "Okay, please be careful on your way. Have you already asked for leave from work?"

"Thank you. I'm hanging up now. Don't worry, everything will be alright."