Time does not stop because of people's hesitation; it continues to flow forward, and another Lunar New Year has arrived.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year that year, Fang Meili did not return to her parents' home; she gave birth in the hospital.

“It’s good to be born on the second day of the Lunar New Year, so you can celebrate your birthday at your parents’ home every year.” Fang Meixiang’s mother held Fang Meili’s newborn daughter.

When only Fang Meili and her mother were in the room, Fang Meili quietly asked her mother, "Mom, do you think Xinkang and his mother might have some thoughts about this? I can understand how you and Dad felt back then. I really like Tingting and Xiaonan, but I do have an indescribable feeling about not having a son."

“Meili,” Fang Meixiang’s mother stroked Fang Meili’s face, “Look, aren’t your father and I doing well now? You’re even better off than the sons of other families. Shengli’s family at the east end of the village has three sons and three wives who are always arguing. His mother couldn’t even get anything good to eat during the New Year. In our family, the three sisters get along so well. The things you and Meihao bring over are better than what the neighbors eat. Don’t worry too much. Living a comfortable life is more important than anything else.”

"Okay!" Fang Meili nodded, feeling much more at ease.

Fang Meili's wholesale business was getting busier and busier, and with the arrival of her newborn daughter, Fang Damiao did not go to other places that year. Instead, he came to the county town to help Fang Meili with loading, unloading, delivery, and other odd jobs.

Taking advantage of the fact that he can go home often, he also demolished and rebuilt his old house.

Fang Meili also agreed with him that he would send his monthly salary home, and Fang Meixiang's parents would help him build a house at home.

After the Lantern Festival, many villagers packed their bags and went out to work. Little did they know that this year's situation was different from previous years.

Starting in the second half of 1988, in order to cope with the overheated economy, the state implemented a "rectification and consolidation" policy, which reduced the scale of basic construction and controlled the expansion of township and village enterprises. This led to some labor-intensive enterprises in some coastal areas and cities reducing production or shutting down, resulting in a temporary decrease in demand for migrant workers.

On the other hand, the number of migrant workers going out to work has grown rapidly, while the supply of jobs has decreased after policy adjustments. At the same time, some regions have strengthened the management of the floating population. These two factors have led to increased job competition and greater difficulty in going out to work again in the short term.

Fang Shugen and a fellow villager boarded a green train together.

There were more people at the station than in previous years. Under the gray sky, the square in front of the station was crowded with people, men, women and children, carrying bulging snakeskin bags, surging like a tide in every corner, even squeezing people into the cracks between the steps.

A complex smell filled the air: the greasy odor wafting from nearby food stalls, the smell of sweat. Some people had laid out mats on the ground, damp with dust. The loudspeaker repeatedly announced, "Passengers are requested to leave the station as soon as possible and not linger in the square."

"Why are there so many more people this year?"

Fang Shugen went to his old workplace, only to be told that they had enough staff this year and would not be hiring anymore.

"There are many factories; let's go take a look at other places."

They followed the crowd to the job posting board, which was already surrounded by layers of people. Some people stood on tiptoe to read the words on it, and when they read "No new hires" or "All positions are full," a sigh would come from the crowd.

A man in blue overalls squeezed out, crumpled the job posting in his hand into a ball, threw it on the ground, and cursed, "Damn it, they were recruiting everywhere last year, what happened this year?"

Someone nearby chimed in, "I heard there's a crackdown going on, and many factories have stopped production. They don't need any more people."

Squatting in a corner, a group of people were complaining, “I went to three industrial parks yesterday, but either the gates were closed or the security guards said ‘we don’t hire migrant workers.’ If I can’t find work soon, I’ll run out of money.”

Another person chimed in, "I slept under the bridge last night and was shivering from the cold. If I had known it would be like this, I would have preferred to stay home and farm."

The young man who came out with Fang Shugen was a first-timer and timidly asked from the side, "Brother Shugen, what do we do?"

"If I can't find a job, I'll just go back home this year!"

They then tried heading to the nearby industrial area, walking for most of the day along dusty roads. They saw many factories with their iron gates tightly shut, and the red "Job Posting" signs on the walls were blurred by the rain. Occasionally, they would find a factory with its gates open, but there were always groups of people looking for work gathered around the entrance, and it was never their turn.

With the money he brought almost gone, Fang Shugen decided to take advantage of the fact that he still had enough for a train ticket home and go back to his hometown this year. They still had land there, so at least they wouldn't go hungry.

Fang Shugen returned home and said he wouldn't go out this year; he would stay home and farm. When Hua Mei saw her return, her eyes relaxed, revealing a hint of unconcealed joy.

Fang Shugen's mother rolled her eyes at her. "You're happy even though you can't make money? Do you think you'll have enough to eat if you're with me every day? Why did things change so drastically this year? This Fang Damiao, how come he's so lucky? I heard he went to the county town to help Mei Li, and then this happened." Fang Shugen's mother said through gritted teeth and furrowed brows.

Those villagers who hadn't left the village were somewhat gloating, saying, "Farmers should just honestly farm the land; money isn't so easy to make outside."

Of course, some people still find work in other places, or those who are unwilling to return to farming find small businesses to do elsewhere.