"Finally, my father came to a decision and decided to find a son-in-law to live with us after I grew up,"

“When I reached the appropriate age, I was still young and didn’t understand things. My father sent a matchmaker to our house and told me to ring the bell whenever I saw someone I liked.”

“I didn’t take it seriously, I didn’t even look at it, I was dozing off when I bumped into the bell and chose your grandfather.”

Grandma's eyes were full of nostalgia as she rambled on and on about what happened next.

The moonlight poured down, covering the courtyard with a white veil, and the shadows of several people were embedded in it.

Grandma recounted the past in fits and starts...

Lin Ziyan rested her chin on her hand, her thoughts wandering.

Looking back, it seems as if everything was preordained.

Sometimes, Ah Tai would pause, as if she were thinking or reminiscing.

…

With the help of the chubby girl, Lin Ziyan had more time to stay at home the following week.

She meticulously recorded the data of the shrimp species, while eagerly anticipating the first batch of shrimp larvae she cultivated.

At this time, a shrimp plague broke out in the neighboring fishing village.

The previous shrimp disease outbreak was only localized, but now almost all shrimp farms have been affected.

The shrimp larvae in the shrimp farm that Uncle Chen and other villagers invested in suddenly became infected and died overnight.

They didn't even have a chance to be saved.

The atmosphere in the Chen family was extremely somber. Uncle Chen squatted in the courtyard, constantly smoking his pipe.

His rough, dark hands trembled, his eyes were moist, and his face was pale.

Only now did he understand the despair his friend had felt in that instant.

"Old Chen, you have to hold on. Money can be earned back, but once you're gone, it's really over."

Aunt Chen tried to comfort him from the side, but she was panicking inside, afraid that her husband might suddenly collapse like the Lin family's son-in-law next door.

Shrimp farms aren't that easy to run.

With just a few acres of land, the villagers of the fishing village couldn't support their families, and if they didn't find other ways to make a living, they would go hungry.

"Don't worry, I'm just feeling a bit down." Uncle Chen exhaled a smoke ring and swallowed the bitter taste in his throat.

The family emptied their pockets to start a shrimp farm together.

Now, they barely make ends meet by selling seafood through Aunt Chen's business.

If you can eat meat once a month, that's considered a good life.

In the past, only the Lin family in the entire village had enough to eat and drink.

The Lin family's son-in-law is a seasoned businessman. He goes to the port every day to resell seafood or other imported fabrics, which allows him to make a good living.

Life goes on.

“It’s not just your shrimp farms; the scope is too wide this time, and it has already attracted the attention of higher-ups.”

Aunt Chen continued to comfort her.

Indeed, none of the surrounding fishing villages and shrimp farms were spared.

This shrimp plague has made things even harder for the already struggling villagers.

"How's Fatty doing lately?" Uncle Chen asked casually, thinking of his daughter.

Aunt Chen frowned. "She goes to the Lin family's house for meals all the time, saying it's for work meals."

"I worked for a week, and last night he told me I was going to get my wages today."

Uncle Chen nodded, thinking to himself, how much money could two girls make from such a small squabble?

Ten yuan a week, that's the most I can earn.

Aunt Chen never expected her daughter to earn money; she just thought it was because she was bored and wanted to keep Ayan company.

That evening, the chubby girl brought back a black plastic bag and handed it to Aunt Chen.

She opened it and was stunned for a long time.

"Mom, I only took 10 yuan, the rest is for you, don't be stingy with the meat." After saying that, the chubby girl prepared to go back to her room.

Aunt Chen realized what was happening, grabbed her, closed the door, and then asked in a low voice,

How much is your weekly wage?

"200," the chubby girl replied perfunctorily.

Uncle Chen sat up in bed and lowered his voice, "How much?"

“200,” the chubby girl said blankly.

The two realized what had happened, looked at each other in shock, and quickly pulled their daughter down to sit.

The chubby girl is only interested in food and has no concept of money.

She ate in the factory canteen and sent her wages directly home.

Once I got home, I hardly needed to buy anything, I just ate.

At that time, there were not many snacks on the street, and she only kept money in her pocket to buy meat buns.

"Tell us, how did you make so much money?"

"Could it be that she did something..." Aunt Chen asked worriedly.

The chubby girl briefly explained that besides lemon tea, they also sold ice cubes.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Aunt Chen and Uncle Chen were still in a daze until the chubby girl left.

"Old Chen, we have to help keep Ayan's business a secret." Aunt Chen's heart was racing as she looked at the money in the black bag and pursed her lips tightly.

Uncle Chen nodded. Of course, they had to keep it a secret.

He understood the principle that possessing a treasure is a crime.

He only graduated from primary school, but influenced by Ayan's father, he has always insisted on reading.

"Reading more books is always a good thing."

"Look at Ayan, she dropped out of university and came back, and her earning power is stronger than anyone else's."

Uncle Chen sighed, feeling much of the anger he had been holding back over the shrimp farm issue dissipate.

They were all relieved that their daughter could earn money.

"Who can argue with that?"

“Ayan’s father has always been a leader in the fishing village. He has a long-term vision and is very bold.”

"These days, the bold get rich, and the timid starve."

Aunt Chen counted the money and sighed.

…

the next day,

Lin Ziyan made the edible ice cubes, tested them with a self-made instrument, and only put them into the box after they passed the test.

She has her own principles regarding the consumption of ice.

We strictly control quality; we will never sell anything that does not meet our standards.

She once went to the ice factory in town to ask, and they said that they currently do not have the testing equipment to make edible ice.

Lin Ziyan also applied for a business license from the relevant authorities, just in case.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!