Gu An'an asked while slurping her noodles, "Why do you ask that? Comrade Zhao has been good to you enough. Don't take your good fortune for granted."

Zhou Yue chewed her noodles, her mouth full. "He was really good to me, but everyone used to say how good Xie Yuan was to me, but..."

"Besides, I can't stay here forever. What will he do if we actually end up together? What will I choose then?"

Gu An'an could roughly guess her thoughts. People who fall in love enjoy the pleasure brought by ambiguity, but they are also afraid that this pleasure will be short-lived.

Gu An'an quickly finished a bowl of noodles, took out a handkerchief to wipe the grease from her mouth, and then slowly said, "Why can't you all leave here together?"

Zhou Yue was stunned by the question. Did she have to ask her family to find a way to bring them both back? It wasn't impossible, but it would be hard on her father.

"You mentioned before that your grades weren't very good?"

Zhou Yue was even more discouraged. "You can't blame me. The school environment is like that. You're always on edge. Who can study like that?"

"So, assuming the college entrance exam is reinstated someday, will you be able to pass it?"

Zhou Yue wanted to laugh at Gu An'an's naivety; the college entrance examination had been suspended for so many years, how could it possibly be reinstated?

But looking at Gu An'an's serious and earnest face, he swallowed all those words back.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Yue honestly shook her head, "I definitely won't pass the exam, but will the college entrance exam really be reinstated?"

Gu An'an certainly wouldn't specify which day, since there were still three years to go. "Who can say for sure? But my mom said that opportunities are for those who are prepared. Our parents' generation will get old. If all the young people go to the countryside to farm, who will take over the older generation's jobs? If no one takes over, how can the country develop?"

"So, as long as the country is going to develop, we will eventually be remembered one day. Of course, if on that day you can only farm, or don't even know how to farm, then the opportunity will definitely pass you by."

Zhou Yue listened intently without realizing it. Her father had said the same thing before, but she hadn't paid attention to it before. Now, however, she began to consider the possibility of it.

Undoubtedly, her father and An'an are both capable people, so it's normal that they can think of things that others haven't thought of yet.

"So you mean you want me to pick up the books?"

Gu An'an nodded, "You can also ask Comrade Zhao what he thinks. If he is willing to work hard with you, I think you two are a good match. Maybe you can even take the college entrance exam together and go back to the city. Then, two college students in one family, your family won't say anything."

"As for the fact that the two families are not in the same city, there are so many good universities in your hometown. If he gets in, you can decide where he stays on weekdays. Even if the college entrance examination is not reinstated, we still have other ways to go back. Can a living person be killed by holding back their pee?"

After Gu An'an said that, Zhou Yue felt completely enlightened.

“Okay, we’ll do it your way. I’ve got nothing else to do anyway, so I’ll pick up my books again. Not for the college entrance exam to be reinstated, but for the job recruitment exam after I go back to the city, I have to study. I don’t want people pointing at me and saying I got in through connections.”

Seeing that she had regained her energy, Gu An'an patted her shoulder and said, "Not bad, even rotten wood can be carved."

Zhou Yue: "...You're the one who's hopeless!"

After washing the dishes, Gu An'an went back to her room for a short rest. Then she went into her space and stored all the ripe fruits and vegetables in the warehouse. It was impossible for her not to visit the black market after finally going back.

Once everything was settled, Gu An'an headed to the village committee with the schedule; the other three had already arrived.

"What's the most basic thing if you want to sell something?"

Wang Xiaojuan thought for a moment and said, "Attitude?"

Gu An'an shook her head. "You did speak up. This morning, you performed quite well in front of the familiar faces in the village, but once you go outside and encounter different people, will you still dare to speak up?"

Not to mention Wang Xiaojuan and Wang Wende, even Chen Jianguo was a little apprehensive.

The three of them shook their heads in unison, "Now that you mention it, we're actually a little hesitant. What should we do then?"

"What can we do? Just speak up! City folks have two eyes and one mouth, what's there to be afraid of? If we can reach an agreement, we'll make a deal; if not, we'll just leave. We have the resources now, so even if we don't have the advantage, we're on equal footing. We need to firmly establish this idea in our minds first."

"As for starting a business, you can try selling whatever you want to the villagers these next few days. Don't be afraid!"

"The second thing is to grasp everyone's psychology. Children's money is the easiest to earn. Just like our pine nuts, they can fill your stomach, taste delicious, and most importantly, children who eat pine nuts will become smarter."

Wang Wende immediately raised his hand and said, "Isn't this a lie?"

Gu An'an rolled her eyes. "Where did you lie? Are you not smart, or is Xiao Juan not smart?"

Wang Wende: ...Can you put it that way?

"Don't be so sure. Pine nuts are rich in phosphorus and manganese, which are indeed beneficial to the brain and nerves. They can also relieve constipation and soften blood vessels, among other things."

Sure enough, after she said that, Wang Xiaojuan asked again, "What are phosphorus and manganese?"

Gu An'an: "...a substance. You just need to know that I'm not lying. If you really can't say it, just say that's what the old folks in the village said, understand?"

Wang Xiaojuan nodded as if she understood, "I know, An'an, did you read all of this in a book? You're so clever!"

They had already prepared all the excuses for her, and Gu An'an simply nodded in agreement.

"The last point, and the most crucial one, is that we need to take advantage of the competitive mentality among factories. Now that the machinery factory has ordered pine nuts from us as a holiday bonus, do the other factories want to be outdone?"

Chen Jianguo immediately understood and shook his head, "No leader wants to be outdone; it's a matter of their pride."

"Yes, so let's start from this point. When we get there, we'll first promote the benefits of the machinery factory, and then take the time to visit them one by one."

Seeing Gu An'an's fox-like smile, the group suddenly felt more confident.

"Okay, let's practice hard these next few days."

Gu An'an looked at the village chief, "Can I see Brother Dahai?"