That evening, when Su Minzhi walked through the door, she set her cloth bag on the back of the chair. Surprisingly, her brows held none of the gloom from her recent divorce—there was even a trace of excitement.
“At work today,” she began, “everyone was talking. A sound equipment company in Jing’an is issuing stocks. Fifty yuan per share.”
Yun Shu blinked. “Stocks? Isn’t that something foreign countries have? We can buy them here now?”
Su Minzhi nodded and pulled out a chair to sit.
In her office, there were two main opinions:
A few young, bold coworkers were eager—thinking this was a new, state-supported innovation. Buying a share was “testing the waters,” an investment in the future.
But more cautious coworkers waved their hands in dismissal. To them, buying stocks was like throwing money into a well—no sound, no return.
You couldn’t trade them. They just sat in a drawer like worthless paper. Dividends? Probably tiny. Better to put money in the bank. Buying stocks was purely chasing novelty.
At the table, little Su Niannian was bent over her homework, pencil scratching busily. But the moment she heard the word “stocks,” her head shot up, eyes sparkling.
“Mama, buy!”
The sudden outburst stunned the room. Both Su Minzhi and Yun Shu turned to stare at her, surprised.
Su Minzhi looked at her daughter with amused curiosity.
“Hm? I was actually still debating—maybe buy one share just to join the fun and show some support. Niannian, you also think we should buy?”
Niannian nodded vigorously. “Mm! Buy!”
Beside them, Yun Shu—ever cautious—voiced her concerns:
“Minzhi, stocks aren’t like treasury bonds—you can redeem those at maturity. They’re not like savings either; there’s no guaranteed interest. Once you buy this, it just sits there waiting for dividends. If the factory does poorly, you might get nothing.
“And most importantly, you can’t just sell it whenever you need money. It’s not liquid.”
Su Minzhi thought for a moment, then shared her reasoning.
“Mom, I know the risks. Stocks are new here, but abroad, they’ve been common for many years.”
She paused, her tone more certain.
“I think the inability to trade is just a temporary gap in regulations. It doesn’t mean it will always be like this. Who knows—maybe next year there will be a system. The market will definitely grow more complete over time.”
Yun Shu looked at her daughter, then glanced at her granddaughter’s shining eyes—and quietly wavered.
Niannian suddenly climbed into her grandmother’s lap and whispered:
“Grandma, what if it does go up later? Then we’ll get rich!”
The innocent remark blew away the tension in the air. The three exchanged smiles, and the atmosphere grew light and warm.
Yun Shu sighed softly.
“Alright… then let’s join in the excitement.”
The next morning, after sending Niannian to school, Su Minzhi and her mother headed to the subscription site in Jing’an.
It was just the front gate of an ordinary factory, with a black-and-white notice pasted on it: “Stock Subscription Office.”
By the time they arrived, a long line had already formed. People of all ages stood waiting—some with folding stools, some holding enamel mugs—chatting in small clusters.
“Tell me, money stuck in there, can’t sell it… I don’t know if it’s worth it or not.”
“Aiya, it’s something new. Buy one and put it away. At least you can brag about it.”
“What if it really rises later? Maybe we’ll get rich!”
The buzz of nervous excitement filled the air.
The line inched forward. People signed their names, staff counted bills on the spot, then handed over the thick, watermark-glossed stock certificates—complete with shareholder names, quantity, serial numbers, and a bold red seal. Most recipients tucked them into their bags as if holding treasure.
Finally, it was Su Minzhi’s turn. She took out a stack of cash—one thousand yuan, the hard-earned savings she had accumulated over years.
Her palms sweat slightly, but her movements were steady. After counting the cash, staff handed her twenty stock certificates. Her heart thumped. Her monthly salary was only 120 yuan; she’d just spent nearly eight or nine months’ pay.
Yun Shu followed, pulling out five hundred yuan—enough for ten shares, just to try it out.
That evening, when Niannian came home from school, she saw her mother and grandmother spreading the stock certificates across the table.
Her little face tilted upward, eyes shining—calculating in her head:
Next year Mama might become a “ten-thousand-yuan household!”
Right then, a slow, deliberate knock sounded at the door.
Yun Shu stiffened and hurried to gather the stock certificates, stuffing them into a drawer. Su Minzhi stood up to open the door.
As soon as she pulled it open, she froze.
Standing outside were Fang Yuming—and his parents.
The narrow entryway instantly grew heavy.
“Minzhi,” Father Fang greeted her first, his voice carrying a forced politeness. A smile sat on his face, though no warmth reached the corners of his eyes. He lifted several neatly packaged gift boxes.
“We heard your mother came to visit, so we came to take a look, take a look.”
Mother Fang quickly leaned forward from behind him, her voice rising with exaggerated enthusiasm.
“Yes, yes! We came especially! Where’s Niannian? Is our precious granddaughter doing well?”
Her gaze was already darting past Su Minzhi, eagerly scanning the room.
Su Minzhi tightened her grip on the cold metal doorknob, expression frosty. She held her ground, blocking the doorway without any intention of letting them in.
Inside, Yun Shu and Niannian had heard the commotion and came forward. Seeing the familiar, unwelcome faces, Yun Shu felt fire surge into her chest, her fingers clenching into fists.
Mother Fang instantly spotted Niannian. Her eyes brightened, and she bent down with a syrupy smile:
“Aiya, my sweet granddaughter! Did you miss Grandma these past days? Come let Grandma see—you look a bit thinner!”
Fang Yuming also spoke, tone warm and pretending nothing had happened.
“Niannian, are you adjusting well at the new school after transferring? Do you like it there?”
Yun Shu glared at them icily, itching to throw them out on the spot. The words of scolding reached her lips—but she forced herself to swallow them.
She glanced down at her granddaughter’s pure, clear eyes and pushed the anger deep into her chest.
Seeing none of them respond, Fang Yuming tried again, softening his tone and nudging forward the things in his hands.
“We brought some things for Mom and Niannian. Just a small token.”
Su Minzhi lowered her gaze to her daughter. Her heart tightened, and after a long sigh, she stepped aside just half a pace.
“Come in.”