As life gradually improved, she had the idea of opening a workshop. Back then, life in the commune was very difficult; having a dish with meat was a luxury. She seized this opportunity, using her savings to rent an unused mud house in the village and start a pickle workshop. Her pickles were made with high-quality ingredients and had a delicious flavor, perfect for pairing with porridge or rice. Soon, the reputation of "Lin's Pickles" spread far and wide. Orders poured in like snowflakes; she was incredibly busy, but beaming with joy. Shen Tingzhou became her capable assistant, helping her source raw materials, deliver goods, and fend off malicious harassment.
Zhao Jianjun's obstruction was a major obstacle on her entrepreneurial path. That scoundrel, who abused his father's position as the brigade secretary and acted arrogantly, had long harbored ill intentions towards her. After being rejected, he held a grudge even more. He constantly sabotaged her, first spreading rumors that her pickles used unclean ingredients, then stirring up trouble in the commune to force her workshop to close down. But Lin Wanqiu wasn't so easily defeated. She demonstrated the pickle-making process in front of the entire village, silencing everyone with her clean and hygienic methods. Shen Tingzhou even went directly to Zhao Jianjun, using his military-style iron fist to ensure that the scoundrel would never dare to try anything with her again.
After the storm comes the rainbow. Her workshop grew larger and larger, expanding from the initial pickles to pastries and cooked foods, with an increasingly diverse range of products and booming business. She didn't forget her fellow villagers, actively teaching her techniques to those struggling to make ends meet, leading the entire village to prosperity. Gradually, she became the respected "Boss Lin" of the Hongqi Production Brigade, and a renowned "leader in getting rich" in the commune.
Later, as the reform and opening-up policy swept across the country, she keenly sensed the business opportunity and decisively upgraded her workshop into a food factory, registering the trademark "Wanqiu Foods." Shen Nian'an had also grown up; the once thin and timid little boy had become a tall and handsome young man. He inherited her intelligence and displayed astonishing mathematical talent. After graduating from university, he returned to his hometown without hesitation to help her manage the food factory business. He used advanced management concepts to make "Wanqiu Foods" famous throughout the province and even internationally.
The birth of Shen Nianxi was the most precious gift to this family. This exquisitely beautiful little girl loved to sing and dance from a young age, and her features were strikingly similar to Lin Wanqiu's. Lin Wanqiu showered this daughter with all her love, supporting her in learning dance and pursuing her dreams. Watching her daughter grow step by step from a little dance enthusiast into an excellent dancer, and then to owning her own dance studio, Lin Wanqiu's heart was filled with pride.
Time flies like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, decades have passed. The thatched cottage has become a spacious and bright villa, the tattered clothes have become exquisite gowns, and the once unfortunate widow has become a successful entrepreneur with a large family.
Lin Wanqiu looked down at her hands. These hands had once held modern woks and cleavers, as well as hoes and sickles from the 1960s. These hands had argued with people to protect her child, and had signed countless contracts to negotiate business deals. Now, these hands were marked by the passage of time, yet they remained warm and strong.
"What are you thinking about?" Shen Tingzhou's voice rang in my ears, tinged with concern.
Lin Wanqiu raised her head and looked at the man beside her. Time had etched wrinkles on his face, and his temples were already gray, but his eyes remained as gentle and firm as they had always been. For so many years, he had been by her side, through thick and thin, never abandoning her. He was her husband, her support, and the luckiest person she had ever met in her life.
"Thinking about the old days." Lin Wanqiu smiled, a thin layer of moisture welling up in her eyes. "When I first transmigrated here, Nian'an was as thin as a kitten. Those people from the Shen family wished they could eat my son and me alive. At that time, I really thought that this was the end of my life."
Shen Tingzhou took her hand in his, the warmth of his palm soothing her heart. "It's all over now," he said softly. "The bitterness, the hardship, are all behind us now."
“Yes, it’s all in the past.” Lin Wanqiu repeated the words, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She turned her head and looked at the windows of the villa. The lights were on inside, and she could vaguely hear the voices of Shen Nian’an and Su Yue’e, the laughter of Shen Nianxi and the children, and the clear babbling of her great-grandson. That was her home, a warm harbor that she had built with half a lifetime of hard work.
She recalled how, a few days ago, Shen Nian'an excitedly told her, holding a thick business plan, "Mom, our green food base has reached cooperation agreements with several supermarkets abroad. 'Late Autumn Foods' will soon be going global."
She remembered Shen Nianxi hugging her and saying in a coquettish tone, "Mom, my studio has recently recruited a new batch of students, all of whom are talented kids. Once they've finished their studies, I'll take them to participate in the national dance competition and bring them back a big prize to show you."
She recalled Shen Nianzu holding his great-grandson, saying with a proud look, "Great-Grandma, don't worry, when I grow up, I will definitely carry forward 'Late Autumn Foods' and 'Fanghua Dance Studio' and let everyone know that this is the pride of our Shen family."
Those words, like warm currents, flowed through her entire body.
The moonlight grew stronger, and the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms intensified. Lin Wanqiu leaned on Shen Tingzhou's shoulder, a happy smile playing on her lips.
Her life has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, filled with hardships and setbacks. She has endured hardships others cannot, and enjoyed blessings others cannot. From a penniless, unfortunate widow, she has risen step by step to become a respected entrepreneur. She has protected her children, supported her family, and led the local people to prosperity.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com