The provincial party committee proposed "allowing individual businesses" a few years ago.

Furthermore, on February 27, 1984, the State Council issued the "Several Provisions on Rural Individual Industry and Commerce," which clearly stated that rural residents could engage in numerous industries suitable for individual operation, such as commerce, catering, and transportation.

Yuan Xinkang and Fang Meili's department store was also ready and opened for business with great fanfare.

Fang Meili ran her fingertip across a row of brand-new enamel mugs. The word "Shanghai" printed on the mugs reminded her of the days when she used to queue at the supply and marketing cooperative, and how much she envied the sales clerks in their clean blue overalls.

Now, although her counter is not as big as the supply and marketing cooperative's, it displays brighter floral fabrics. Fang Meili imitates the sales clerks, standing on tiptoe, holding the edge of the shelf firmly with one hand, and stretching out the other hand to push the fabrics neatly.

Fang Meili turned around with a smile, bringing with her the fresh scent of fabric.

Yuan Xinkang caught a glimpse of her smile and casually asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Fang Meili blushed slightly and lowered her head to get a towel to wipe the glass counter. This was a gesture she had once admired, and now she did it every day.

The glass counter was sparkling clean, and Fang Meili sorted the goods into categories. Soap, laundry detergent, toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels, washbasins, thermos flasks, matches, handkerchiefs printed with animal and floral patterns, needles and thread, and other daily necessities, as well as stationery, toys, and small hardware items.

On the other side were food items: salt, sugar, biscuits, candy, and pastries.

In the corner stood several large vats filled with soy sauce and rice wine, with a string hanging from them to scoop the soy sauce and rice wine from the vats into bottles brought by customers.

The store has almost everything that every household needs.

Fang Damiao has been away from home for several months now.

After marrying Fang Meixiang, Fang Meixiang's parents often told him to work hard. When he first arrived in another city, he felt free, but when it came to actually getting paid, it wasn't so easy.

The cranes on the construction site rumbled and spun all day long. Fang Damiao was doing the work of tying steel bars. He bent over and tied the wire until his eyes were seeing stars. The blisters on his hands broke and scabbed over again. At night, he lay on a communal bed made of wooden planks, feeling as if his bones had been disassembled and reassembled.

He only worked when the sun was setting, and when the foreman called him a "lazybones," he would just smile and offer him cigarettes. If he was really being pressured, he would squat in the toilet for half an hour and come out with the excuse, "I had an upset stomach, there was nothing I could do."

On payday, Fang Damiao received eighty yuan in wages, the first time in his life he had ever had so much money at once.

He scurried into the alleys near the construction site with money in his pocket. The small shops with "beauty and hair salon" signs were lit up with pink lights, and heavily made-up women would peek out and wink at him.

Fang Damiao swallowed hard, hesitated for a moment, and touched the money in his pocket. He thought, "I've been suffering through these tough times. It would be a waste not to treat myself to some fun!"

Fang Damiao still stepped into the store. The seductive moans of the women were something Fang Meixiang never did, and Fang Damiao felt that the money was well spent.

When he came out, two buckles on his belt were loose. He felt the money missing from his pocket and felt a little heartache. This was the last time. He wouldn't come again.

On the way back to the construction site, he looked up at the moon hanging above the telephone poles and missed his son. He gently slapped himself, realizing what he had just done.

After the golden rapeseed flowers faded, clusters of green pods swelled on the branches.

When the wind blows, it is no longer the gentle fluttering of petals, but the crisp sound of pods colliding.

In just a few days, the green pods turned light yellow, plump as if they were about to burst open, revealing heavy rapeseed inside, ready for harvest.

Keep some for pressing oil at home, and take the rest to town to sell.

While selling rapeseed in town, Yu Jihong noticed that occasionally a few women wearing skirts would appear on the street, their skirts swaying in the wind, much like the rapeseed flowers that had just finished blooming along the field ridges.

Yu Jihong's feet seemed to be nailed to the ground. Her skirt, when the wind blew, clung to her legs and then fluttered gently, making her feel as if something was scratching at her heart.

Fang Sandi followed her gaze and chuckled, "Want to wear it?"

"Mmm!" Yu Jihong's eyes were glued to the flowing skirt.

"Sell the rapeseed and buy a piece of cloth. Meili from the village opened a shop in town. Let's go visit her."

Yu Jihong couldn't help but smile, glancing tremblingly at Fang Sandi, "You're so kind!"

Fang San Di chuckled again.

After selling the rapeseed, he took the money to Fang Meili's shop. Fang Meili's shop was small, but had a lot of things.

Upon entering the store, you're greeted by a faint, refreshing scent of soap, the aroma of new fabrics, and a slightly fishy smell from enamelware, all mixed with the rich, salty, and sweet aroma of soy sauce.

On market days, business is better than usual in the shop. People are picking out enamel basins, holding sugar cubes and asking the price. Fang Meili's mother-in-law is also helping out in the shop, sticking grapes into the jar to buy soy sauce.

Seeing her fellow villagers come in, Fang Meili smiled at them and said, "You've come to the market today too? What do you need? Take a look first."

"Show Jihong the fabric," Fang San Di said.

"Okay, these colors are the most popular in the county right now. Take a look and see which one you like, then I'll get it."

Fang Meili quickly walked over after handing the customer the items, "Sister Jihong, which one have you taken a liking to?"

Yu Jihong was also taken aback. She had been living in this village for more than two years, and this was the first time someone had called her "sister."

Yu Jihong smiled at Fang Meili, "I want to buy one to make a skirt."

"Making a skirt? You're the most fashionable one in our village!"

"A piece of cloth can be made into clothes, pants, or a skirt, so why not make it into a skirt to make it look prettier?"

Fang Meili was taken aback, her lips slightly parted as if she hadn't fully reacted. With a look of inquiry and re-examination, her eyebrows subtly rose slightly. "Yes, your ideas are ahead of others. When I went to buy goods, I saw that all the women who love to look pretty were wearing skirts."

“This one,” Yu Jihong pointed to the blue-based, floral-patterned Dacron fabric.

"Okay, this piece of fabric would look great as a dress, and it would make you look like a little girl."

"I've always considered myself a young girl," Yu Jihong said with a smile.

"Yes, that's how it should be. I like you just the way you are, even after having a child, you still dress yourself up beautifully."

"Yes, I feel happy when I look in the mirror after dressing up and seeing myself looking good."

This was the first time Fang Meili had spoken to Yu Jihong, and they hit it off quite well.

Fang Meili pulled a roll of cloth from the shelf and spread it out on the counter.

She picked up a bamboo ruler, measured the fabric along the edge, held the fabric with her left hand, and pinched the scissors in her right hand. With a "snip," she cut the fabric, the sound of it tearing crisp and clear.

Fang Meili folded the cloth, tied it in a cross shape with thin hemp rope, and handed it over, saying, "Sister Jihong, I don't think you're like what they say."

"A madman?" Yu Jihong said without any hesitation.

"Oh, no, not exactly," Fang Meili said, embarrassed to say those words. "You're different from my sister and the others."

Yu Jihong smiled slightly, the corners of her mouth turning up.

A customer was urging him to pick up his things, and Fang Sandi paid for them.

As Fang Meili was handing things to customers, she said to Yu Jihong, who was walking towards the door, "Sister Jihong, come over and take a look when you're done. I'll make one too."

"Okay, I'll wear it and show it to you when it's finished." Yu Jihong was in a good mood today. She was about to have a new dress to wear and had met someone she could chat with.

As the market was closing, the number of people in the store decreased.

Fang Meixiang's parents brought Fang Dongqiang in carrying a bucket of oil.

As soon as Fang Dongqiang entered, he took a deep sniff and exclaimed, "My second aunt's shop smells wonderful."

"Greedy cat, do you want something to eat?" Fang Meili took out a handful of candy from the transparent glass jar, peeled off a piece and gave it to Fang Dongqiang, then handed the candy in her hand to Fang Meixiang's mother.

"No, no, you can keep it and it will sell better." Fang Meixiang's mother put the sugar back in the glass jar. "This oil was just made. Bring a bucket with you when you come."

"My dear in-law, you're always so kind. Have lunch here, I'll go cook." Fang Meili's mother-in-law said.

"No, no, you've been busy all morning, we'll head back now, Meixiang is still at home."

"Second Aunt, it's been so long since I slept with you." Fang Dongqiang tugged at Fang Meili's clothes.

"Then let's ask Grandpa and Grandma to go back. You can stay here, okay?"

"Okay." Fang Dongqiang said and hid behind the counter.

"Haha, he doesn't want to leave now that he's here. He was brought over in a cart this morning, and he knew the way, so he said he was going to his second aunt's house. Dongqiang, come out quickly, Mom is home alone." Fang Meixiang's mother went to the counter and pulled him out.

"Mother, let him stay here for a few days."

"No, no, you're so busy, you can't leave him here. Just bring him over for a visit."

"Dongqiang, what do you want? Go and choose for yourself." Fang Meili rubbed his head.

"Grandma, does this count?" Dongqiang ran up to Fang Meixiang's mother and pointed to the candy in his mouth.

"What counts or doesn't count?" Fang Meili asked.

"Grandma said we can only take one thing at a time," Fang Dongqiang said earnestly, holding up one finger.

Fang Meixiang's mother explained somewhat embarrassedly, "After the last visit, he kept asking to go to my second aunt's house. I told him not to take too much, but I didn't expect him to remember it so well."

"Haha, this candy doesn't count. I'll bring you a toy to take home." Fang Meili pulled Fang Dongqiang to choose a toy.

Fang Dongqiang frowned, looking conflicted, as if he were making an extremely difficult choice in his mind.

"Dongqiang, you can't choose well. Grandpa already bought you this little frog last time. This is a kaleidoscope. Let me show you."

Fang Meili took out a kaleidoscope and held it with Fang Dongqiang. "Put this small hole in front of your eye, and then slowly rotate it."

Fang Dongqiang did as instructed, and the moment he looked through the small hole into the tube, his eyes widened in surprise, and the doubt on his face was instantly replaced by delight.

Inside the tube, it seemed as if a mysterious dreamland was hidden, with colorful patterns constantly changing, sometimes like blooming flowers; sometimes like dazzling stars, shining brightly; and sometimes a small animal would emerge.

The patterns danced and intertwined inside the tube, presenting a completely different scene with each rotation, leaving Fang Dongqiang dazzled.

"Wow!" Fang Dongqiang couldn't help but exclaim, spinning the kaleidoscope in his hand even more frequently, as if he wanted to see every corner of this wonderful world.

Seeing her nephew's delighted expression, Fang Meili smiled and asked with amusement, "Would you like this?"

"Hmm~," Fang Dongqiang's eyes darted between the marbles and the tangram puzzle.

"Second Aunt, let me take a look at this." Fang Dongqiang handed the kaleidoscope back to Fang Meili.

"You're little devils, take what you can play with, and come and look at what you can see." Fang Meili said as she took out the marbles and tangrams. "They're all yours."

Fang Dongqiang looked up at Fang Meixiang's mother, who turned her face away and gently shook her head.

Fang Dongqiang took the marbles from Fang Meixiang and held them in his arms.

"Mom, take this with him too. Playing with this will help develop his intelligence." Fang Meili handed the tangram to Fang Meixiang's mother.

Fang Dongqiang pulled Fang Meili behind the counter, "Second Aunt, take one item at a time, come back tomorrow."

“Okay, come tomorrow.” Fang Meili replied with a smile, then went to the shelf to get soap. “Mom, take some soap, salt and stuff with you.”

Fang Meili put the tangram back and went to the nearby shelf to get soap.

“Yes, yes, there are still plenty.” Fang Meixiang’s mother pulled Fang Meili back.

"Meili, how much is this marble? You can take your money back." Fang Meixiang's mother took out some money from her pocket.

"Mom, what are you doing? Dongqiang is my nephew too. What's wrong with giving him some things?"

"They all want you to give them things."

“I can afford to give him a toy.” Fang Meili looked at Fang Dongqiang, her eyes suddenly turning a little red. “If we don’t give it to him, who else can?”

"I'll go cook. Mother-in-law, you all eat here, please have whatever you like," said Fang Meili's mother-in-law as she brought the food to the customers.

"No, no, we're going back. Meixiang is waiting for us at home." Fang Meixiang's mother pulled Fang Dongqiang towards the door.

"Goodbye, Second Aunt!" Fang Dongqiang waved his little hand.

"Goodbye, Dongqiang. Be good to your grandparents at home." Fang Meili saw them to the door.

As soon as Fang Dongqiang got home, he put the marbles in front of Fang Meixiang. "Mom, my second aunt gave them to me. They're from my second aunt's shop." Fang Dongqiang closed his eyes and took a deep sniff, as if recalling the smell and the delicious and fun things in the shop. "It smells so good."

Fang Meixiang watched Fang Dongqiang quietly, her lips occasionally twitching slightly, her eyes shining.