“Why don’t you suggest opening a shoe factory?”
“Not such a good idea.”
“Think about it — why do shoe factories always cluster near big cities?
First, transportation is convenient. Shoes are made to meet quality standards, so clients often come to inspect production. Who would want to travel all the way into these remote hills?”
“Second, shoemaking is a fashion industry. It doesn’t fit the image of a village. We’re not making straw sandals, so it would be hard to market properly.”
“But products made from bamboo and wood are natural goods. The deeper you are in the mountains and forests, the more authentic they feel — just like milk tastes better when it comes from vast grasslands, right?”
“If we set up the factory right here in the village, we can source materials on the spot. And because of what we make, clients won’t need to come all the way here; samples will be enough for them to judge quality.”
“What we can do instead is rent an office in the county town to serve as our showroom. We’ll display samples there. When clients come, we can negotiate business right in town. Later, once we grow bigger, we can even open a proper exhibition hall in a major city.”
“You certainly think ahead. Not like the usual village girls. This one seems to have quite a bit of vision — what she says actually makes sense.”
She had considered opening a shoe factory herself, and also felt it wasn’t quite suitable.
“Lin Hui, aren’t you out of work now?”
First a broken heart, then losing her job — what terrible luck this girl had.
A faint smile touched her lips; she was about to point Lin Hui toward a better path. But just as she opened her mouth, she heard a soft thud. Glancing over, she saw Lin Hui collapse onto a stack of straw bales less than ten meters from her own doorway.
And here I thought she was going to see me off properly.
The straw pile wasn’t very high. Lin Hui lay flat on her back, her dark hair and skirt spreading out around her like a large mushroom growing from the ground.
Zhou Chiye stepped closer and pressed two fingers to her philtrum. He felt a faint breath — she was still alive.
As he pulled his hand back, his fingers brushed lightly against her cheek. It was soft and warm to the touch. He quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened. Should I just be the gentleman and carry her inside myself?
Just then, Liang Fengjiao — who had been swaying on her feet, almost ready to fall over — saw her daughter lying there. Instantly sobering up, she rushed over.
“Ugh, you silly, troublesome girl! You didn’t inherit a single ounce of my good sense!”
Scolding all the while, she hoisted Lin Hui onto her back and carried her inside.
Zhou Chiye stood there for two seconds, then smiled. He swung onto his beloved motorcycle, revved the engine, and roared away.
Not far off, beside the small window of the house, Old Mrs. Lin leaned on her waist and asked, “Think there’s any chance?”
Old Mr. Lin quickly ducked his head back out of sight.
“Tch! You’re dreaming! A toad craving the taste of a swan?”
“That Secretary Zhou is clearly no ordinary man. Just look at that motorcycle he rides — such a fine machine. It’s such a waste for him to be around here, only to end up with one of those good-for-nothings from the neighboring village.”
Old Mr. Lin sat back down and continued weaving his bamboo baskets.
“He may be a swan, but our Lin Sui is no toad.”
Lin Sui had been raised by her grandmother, and in her eyes, her granddaughter was the finest girl in the world — naturally, she deserved a fine husband.
“Tonight, you’re not sleeping next to me!” Old Mrs. Lin glared at her husband.
“Who’d want to sleep next to you anyway? Nothing but loose skin to grab hold of.”
“Hah! Don’t act innocent — who was it last night creaking the bed so loud? That’s exactly why I’ve twisted my lower back today!”
Elsewhere, in Gu Village on the northern outskirts of the county town, Gu Shaonan brought Chen Qinghe home to meet his mother, Ma Qiurong.
This wasn’t the first time Ma Qiurong had seen Chen Qinghe; they had met two years before.
Back then, the two had just started dating. Chen Qinghe was graceful, dignified, gentle, and well-mannered, and she had arrived carrying a whole pile of gifts. Ma Qiurong had been very pleased, and all the neighbors had looked on with envy.
Gu Shaonan’s father had passed away early, leaving Ma Qiurong to raise their children alone. Their eldest son had moved out and set up his own household while they were still young, and the family had lived in real poverty.
A few years earlier, the village had been relocated, and new houses were built with government subsidies covering half the cost. Most families had built homes of over a hundred square meters. But the Gu family had scraped together every penny they could manage, and only managed to put up a place just over sixty square meters.
Everyone had thought Ma Qiurong would remain poor for the rest of her life. But no one expected Gu Shaonan to work hard, pass the entrance exam for a technical college, and get assigned a job at a shoe factory. Before long, his supervisors noticed his talent and promoted him to team leader. And now here he was, bringing home a girlfriend who was not only beautiful but also a college graduate.
The neighbors had completely changed their tune. Now they said that Ma Qiurong, the widow, was finally about to enjoy some good days.
“What? Your father’s in the hospital?”
“What’s wrong with him?”
Ma Qiurong had been beaming with happiness just moments before, but now her brows drew together in concern. He’d been perfectly fine just a short while ago — how could he suddenly be hospitalized?
No wonder Chen Qinghe looked a little weary and worn out.
Chen Qinghe explained that it was stomach cancer, but still in its early stages. The doctors said it was treatable.
“Thank goodness — but that must cost a lot of money, right? This time, we really have Shaonan to thank.”
She looked over at Gu Shaonan and gave him a gentle smile.
Ma Qiurong was confused. Gu Shaonan hadn’t told his mother yet that he had already covered the hospital fees. “I’ll explain it to you later, Mom. Why don’t you start cooking? I’m starving. Orders at the factory have been piling up lately, and today we even had inspectors coming around. I got off work late, then went to pick up Qinghe, and stopped to buy groceries on the way. It’s already nearly eight o’clock by the time we got home.”
Chen Qinghe’s maternal grandmother lived in Nanfeng County, and her aunt had also married and settled in town. So while she was there, she’d also taken the chance to visit her aunt and ask for news about her own mother.
Gu Shaonan had bought two pounds of pork ribs and a pound of roast goose. They had plenty of vegetables growing in their own garden, so he didn’t need to buy those. For that time period, this was quite a lavish meal.
As he handed the food over, Ma Qiurong thought to herself — they do say widows are the most careful with money, and it’s true. She had raised her children through years of hardship, so she was naturally thrifty. Seeing such expensive ingredients made her wince a little inside, but since her son had brought his girlfriend home, she couldn’t very well say anything.
Just as she reached out to take the bags, she suddenly heard the loud wail of a baby crying. She hurried inside the house.
“Look at this — wetting the bed again!”
Chen Qinghe followed her in. “He’s my sister’s son.”
Gu Shaonan frowned slightly. “Where’s Gu Yan?”
Gu Yan was his younger sister. While Ma Qiurong changed the baby’s diaper, she replied, “How should I know? Haven’t seen her all day. Don’t tell me she’s off playing mahjong again?”
The village was only about five kilometers from the county town. Many people there had fallen into gambling, and Gu Yan had made friends with that crowd. She went to play mahjong so often, it was practically her full-time job.
Gu Shaonan asked next, “And Li Weixuan?”
Li Weixuan was Gu Yan’s partner — though not her legal husband. Back in his hometown, he already had a wife who refused to divorce him, and his own family never recognized their relationship.
After things went wrong for Li Weixuan, they didn’t even have a place to live. So Gu Yan had brought her baby back to her mother’s home.
“Last I heard, he went to Guangcheng to chase up unpaid payments,” Ma Qiurong said. “He used to do business there, saying clients owed him money, but I’ve never seen a single cent come back.”
Gu Shaonan’s expression darkened. “She needs to break up with him — right away.”
“What?”
Ma Qiurong couldn’t believe her son would say such a thing. Of all her children, Gu Shaonan was her favorite, followed closely by her youngest daughter. Besides, before Li Weixuan’s business collapsed, he had treated her well enough — even if he never bought her fine clothes or pearl necklaces, he still took her on trips, something her own son had never done.
So telling her daughter to end the relationship was something Ma Qiurong just couldn’t bring herself to do.
“He’s just going through a rough patch. Things will get better for him later.”
But Gu Shaonan knew what would happen in the years ahead — that Li Weixuan would only sink deeper into hardship, and eventually even raise his hand against his sister. That was why he spoke so firmly. Still, with Chen Qinghe present, he didn’t go into details.
“I’ll handle this matter. Why don’t you start cooking? I’ll watch the baby. Go on, please.”
Ma Qiurong picked up the eight-month-old infant, rocking him gently and cooing softly. “My cooking isn’t very good, you know!”