The military was also paying close attention to Yang Yufen and Qin Nian’s situation.
After all, Qin Nian held a special position. If conflict arose between her and Yang Yufen, the military would inevitably be involved.
“Comrade Yang Yufen is selling roasted sweet potatoes outside the textile factory?”
The leadership had been relieved to learn that Qin Nian was still working as usual. But when they heard that Yang Yufen, already past fifty, was setting up a street stall in the middle of winter, they could not help feeling guilty.
“Yes. Business is quite good. The country is encouraging economic development now. Comrade Yang Yufen is supporting herself through her own efforts instead of giving up on life. That’s an excellent example to others. Many military families are still waiting for job assignments, but such opportunities aren’t easy to come by.”
Political Commissar Zhao genuinely admired Yang Yufen.
“My concern is that some people may become jealous. Comrade Yang Yufen is no longer young, and this isn’t her home commune.”
His words were tactful but clear.
“She belongs to our military district. Contact the local police station in that area. Public safety is extremely important, especially around a state-owned factory like the textile mill.”
“Yes, sir.”
After a few days of selling sweet potatoes, people had been watching Yang Yufen for just as many days.
Seeing her make money, some became envious.
A few local hooligans wanted money without doing any work, and naturally began entertaining certain ideas.
Seeing that Yang Yufen was elderly and alone, they decided to collect some “protection money.”
The local police station near the textile factory had never expected the military district to call specifically about neighborhood security.
As a result, they had no choice but to assign more officers and increase patrols.
Ironically, they had barely completed the arrangements when they arrested three troublemakers.
The police chief drew in a sharp breath.
If he had delayed the increased patrols by even a little, something serious might have happened.
No wonder the military district had called.
The area’s public security really did have problems.
Yang Yufen had already expected that someone would become jealous of her success.
So when three young hooligans approached her stall, she wasn’t nervous at all.
She quietly picked up her fire tongs.
These three punks were hardly enough to scare her.
Truth be told, she was still carrying around the anger she hadn’t fully vented on her own wayward son. If she could have found him, she would have given him a proper beating.
“Who gave you permission to set up a stall here?”
One of the hooligans immediately reached for a roasted sweet potato displayed on top of the stove.
Yang Yufen had been waiting for them to make the first move.
“And which regulation says I can’t sell here?”
The fire tongs in her hand came down with a sharp smack.
“Hiss! You old woman actually hit me! Do you know who I am? I’ll smash your whole stall! Do you know who runs this area?”
The young man bared his teeth in pain, jerking his hand back and shaking it furiously.
Originally, he had only intended to collect protection money.
Now he wanted to beat up the old woman.
“You don’t even know who you are yourself—you should go home and ask your father! As for who’s protecting this place? The Party and the country are!”
Yang Yufen’s powerful response instantly changed the mood of the crowd.
People who had planned to mind their own business suddenly felt differently.
“Exactly! Just a few street thugs trying to cause trouble. Aunt Yang, I’ll help you!”
A young textile factory worker shouted.
Immediately, others began echoing him.
“Protection money? Who gave you that right?”
A group of patrol officers, hearing the commotion, rushed over.
Yang Yufen had been preparing to continue fighting, but when she spotted the police, she calmly put down the fire tongs.
“I’m just an old woman. My son is a soldier who was injured during a mission. My daughter-in-law is pregnant. I’m only selling roasted sweet potatoes to help support the family. It’s freezing outside, and every cent I earn comes from hard work. Yet these people open their mouths and demand protection money, threaten to overturn my stall, and even try to hit me. How are ordinary people supposed to survive?”
“Aunt Yang, don’t be upset. This is all their fault!”
The young worker quickly pointed toward the officers.
“The police are here! These three hooligans are causing trouble. Everyone help hold them down so they can’t run away!”
The young man had sharp eyes.
He had spotted the police—and at the same time noticed the hooligans trying to escape.
The officers themselves broke into a cold sweat.
When they had first been assigned extra patrol duty, some of them thought their superiors simply believed they had too much free time.
Who would have guessed trouble would really appear?
“Take them away.”
Since Yang Yufen had not suffered any actual losses and the factory workers would soon be getting off work, the officers simply arrested the three hooligans.
Later, there would be lectures, punishments, and compensation as appropriate.
Yang Yufen took some of her smaller sweet potatoes and offered them to the people who had helped her.
After hearing her story, however, no one was willing to accept them for free.
When she insisted, they simply paid for them instead.
No one wanted Yang Yufen to lose money because of their kindness.
“There really are more good people than bad ones.”
Yang Yufen sighed.
Just then, the factory bell rang.
The workers were getting off work.
The rush of business left no room for brooding.
After the evening rush ended, however, Yang Yufen found waiting around too boring.
So she climbed onto her tricycle and began calling out as she rode through the streets.
By the time she returned to the research institute, every last sweet potato had been sold.
There were even customers who still wanted some but couldn’t get any.
Unfortunately, a tricycle could only carry so much.
During her rounds that day, Yang Yufen had already identified two promising locations:
the entrance to a school and the entrance to a cinema.
She certainly couldn’t manage multiple locations by herself.
But these sweet potatoes were unique.
She could easily become a wholesaler and supply others.
Making money was important.
Still, her main purpose for coming here was to take care of her daughter-in-law.
After skipping lunch deliveries for several days, she felt Qin Nian had become thinner again.
By now, Yang Yufen’s roasted sweet potatoes had become famous.
Everyone knew there was an incredibly delicious sweet potato stall outside the textile factory.
People were even traveling from other districts just to try them.
Since Yang Yufen had thought of expanding, naturally others had thought of it too.
Many people wanted to buy sweet potatoes from her and resell them.
The capital city was enormous.
Different sellers wouldn’t affect each other’s business much.
Roasted sweet potato vendors already existed, but Yang Yufen’s golden, honey-sweet variety was unique.
People had searched everywhere and couldn’t find another source.
After preparing dinner and leaving it warming in the pot, Yang Yufen tidied up the house.
She cleaned every day, so it didn’t take much effort.
At this point, she transported two hundred jin of sweet potatoes at a time and sold around three hundred jin daily.
Some customers even bought them raw from her since roasting them at home was cheaper.
The moment Yang Yufen arrived at her stall the next day, someone approached her.
“Big Sister Yang, I’m Xiao Zhang.”
To her surprise, it was the young man from that morning.
“Young man, Auntie remembers you. Thank you for helping earlier.”
As for being called “Big Sister,” Yang Yufen absolutely refused to accept that title.
The generation gap was all wrong.
“Auntie has a great memory.”
Xiao Zhang grinned shamelessly and immediately corrected himself.
“I’d like to discuss a business opportunity with you.”
“A business opportunity? Don’t you work at the textile factory?”
His factory uniform made him easy to recognize.
“I might not be working there much longer. I was only a temporary worker anyway, and the pay is too low. My father broke his leg and is lying in the hospital. There are too many expenses. I’ve seen how well your roasted sweet potatoes are selling, but you’re only operating here. So I was hoping to buy sweet potatoes from you and set up a stall somewhere else.”
He paused.
“I’d like to work with you.”