With Principal He present, the other teachers in the office had been occupied with their own tasks and didn’t interrupt. But when Yan Xue mentioned skipping straight to second grade, a round-faced, round-eyed female teacher in her forties glanced over.
Just then, Principal He also looked at her. "Teacher Yuan, do you still have last semester’s exam papers?"
"I do," Teacher Yuan replied immediately, rummaging through her desk drawers. "But there aren’t any blank ones left. Let me copy a few questions for him."
Hearing this, the other teachers turned their attention toward them.
In this era, it wasn’t uncommon for children to start first grade at ten or eleven years old, but skipping grades outright was unheard of.
While Teacher Yuan copied the questions, Yan Xue crouched down to meet Yan Jigang at eye level. "How about we take a little test? Didn’t you learn all this from your sister and brother-in-law?"
Yan Jigang fidgeted with his fingers, clearly still nervous, his voice barely above a whisper. "Y-yes, I did."
He was probably afraid others would hear and mock him for his stutter.
Yan Xue felt both pity and frustration. She reached out to ruffle his hair, keeping her voice low. "Then prove it to them, okay?"
This time, Yan Jigang looked at the boy, then at Teacher Liu, and finally at the others in the office before nodding. "Okay."
Once the questions were ready, Teacher Yuan cleared a space on her desk for Yan Jigang to work. She even pulled out a pencil from a jar of miscellaneous items and handed it to him. Yan Jigang thanked her softly, his politeness earning him a warm smile.
"You’re welcome," Teacher Yuan said, fetching a stool for him to sit on.
Flustered by the kindness, Yan Jigang thanked her again before lowering his head to focus on the test.
His pencil grip was precise—clearly corrected by someone—and though his strokes were still childlike, each character was written neatly.
Teacher Yuan, who knew the answers by heart, only needed a glance to confirm he had indeed mastered the material. Principal He saw it too, as did Teacher Liu, who watched skeptically from the side.
Soon, Yan Jigang finished the math section without a single mistake. When tested on Chinese, his vocabulary also surpassed expectations.
Teacher Yuan softened her voice and asked, "What grade have you studied up to?"
Yan Jigang held up three fingers, forcing his words out carefully. "Th-third grade."
"Wait here, then. I’ll prepare a few more questions."
This time, not just Principal He and Teacher Liu, but the other teachers also gathered around.
At just ten years old (by traditional counting), Yan Jigang should have been in first or second grade at most. Yet he claimed to have already covered third-grade material.
And when Teacher Yuan gave him second-grade problems, he solved them all—albeit more slowly, with one mistake. But in an era where most students struggled to even pass, his performance was remarkable.
Teacher Yuan turned to Yan Xue. "Why not have him start in third grade? I teach that class."
What a twist. Teacher Liu, who had assumed Yan Jigang would be her student, now looked displeased to learn he had already surpassed first and second grade.
Principal He, however, smiled approvingly at Yan Jigang. "Your family’s boy is bright, and he’s been taught well."
"He’s always been a good kid," Yan Xue said, patting her brother’s shoulder. Noticing the small smile tugging at his lips, she told Teacher Yuan, "Second grade is fine. I’d like him to stay in the forestry settlement for another year."
Starting third grade now would mean he’d have to move to the town’s boarding middle school in three years—something she wasn’t comfortable with yet.
Besides, under the current education system—five years of elementary, two of middle school, and two of high school—students could graduate in just nine years. Starting second grade now would align his graduation with 1977, just in time for the first college entrance exams. Third grade would push him ahead of schedule.
As parents themselves, the teachers understood her concerns. So it was settled: Yan Jigang would skip first grade and enroll directly in second grade.
Since the second graders had already collected their textbooks, Teacher Yuan personally escorted the siblings to the supply office to get Yan Jigang’s set.
After they left, Teacher Liu couldn’t resist pinching her son’s arm. "Look at him—self-studied up to third grade! And then there’s you!"
Yan Xue and Yan Jigang hadn’t gone far when they heard a wail behind them. "What’s his grade got to do with me?!"
That teacher had quite the temper. Yan Jigang’s small shoulders trembled, and he instinctively pressed closer to Yan Xue.
Teacher Yuan noticed and apologized. "One of our teachers is retiring soon. Teacher Liu just transitioned to teaching and might lack experience."
No wonder Liu Weibin had never mentioned her.
"Do you know any children in the class? If not, I can assign someone to help him adjust," Teacher Yuan offered.
It was a kind gesture—having a guide would make it easier for Yan Jigang to integrate into the unfamiliar group.
Yan Xue thanked her before answering. "A friend’s younger brother, Liu Weibin, is starting second grade too."
Teacher Yuan, familiar with every student in her class, nodded. "I’ll seat them together."
Books and notebooks in this era were modest—32-page editions—but Yan Jigang insisted on carrying them himself the whole way home.
As soon as they entered, he rushed to Second Old Lady. "Grandma!" Proudly presenting his new supplies.
The elderly woman, though illiterate, understood. "You’re enrolled?"
"Mm." Yan Jigang, who had warmed up to Teacher Yuan, nodded. Then he held up two fingers. "S-second grade."
"Second grade?" Second Old Lady glanced at Yan Xue in surprise. Seeing her confirmation, she pulled Yan Jigang into a hug. "Our Jigang is so clever, starting right in second grade!"
When Qi Fang returned that afternoon, Yan Xue immediately shared the news. The man gave a rare nod of approval. "Not bad."
Coming from someone as reserved and sparing with words as Qi Fang, "not bad" was high praise. Yan Jigang’s lips curled into another small smile.
With unanimous encouragement from his family and a kind homeroom teacher, his fear of school had noticeably eased.
"Did you skip grades when you were little?" Yan Xue asked Qi Fang curiously.
To have taken college entrance exams at fourteen, he must have either started school early or skipped grades.
Qi Fang had just set down the items he’d brought back. At her question, he lifted his peach-blossom eyes. "Want to know?"
Suddenly, Yan Xue wasn’t so sure she did. But even without her answering, as he passed her to wash his hands, he murmured, "I’ll tell you tonight."
She refused to take the bait, instead teasing, "How much did you earn? You bought so much."
Indeed, Qi Fang had returned with an abundance of purchases—multiple sets of ready-made clothes for each of them, so many that Yan Xue wondered if he’d bought every wearable item in the department store.
Along with the clothes were shoes—sturdy sneakers for everyone, and even a pair of reading glasses for Second Old Lady.
In those days, reading glasses weren’t custom-fitted—people just bought whatever was available in stores. The prescription was never accurate, but it was still better than nothing. The Second Old Lady’s eyesight had started failing long ago, and every time she did needlework, she’d spend ages threading the needle under the sunlight. She just hadn’t been able to find a pair in town until now.
This time, even the Second Old Lady felt a pang of guilt. "Buying all these things must’ve cost a fortune."
"Not much," Qi Fang said, handing the remaining money to Yan Xue. "Three five-grade leaves and five four-grade leaves—sold for 768 in total."
The valuable ones were the three five-grade leaves. As for the two-grade one, the couple kept it for themselves to stew with chicken during the New Year.
Hearing the sum of over seven hundred, even the Second Old Lady, who had seen her share of life’s ups and downs, couldn’t help but suck in a breath. "They’re worth that much?"
When Yan Jigang had returned earlier, he’d only told her they’d dug up some impressively large ginseng roots. She hadn’t even opened the bundle to look, assuming her grandson was exaggerating.
Yan Jigang’s jaw dropped. "S-seven hundred? We sh-should’ve stayed in the mountains longer."
That last remark nearly made Yan Xue laugh. "You’re really that greedy, huh?"
Yan Jigang clutched the glass marbles his brother-in-law had bought him, grinning. Then he pressed Yan Xue’s hand holding the money. "H-hide it quick." As if afraid someone might find out.
This kid was definitely the type to quietly rake in wealth. Yan Xue didn’t count the money right away, taking it back to her room first so the Second Old Lady wouldn’t know how much Qi Fang had spent.
Before they could even step out, the Second Old Lady remembered something and asked Qi Fang, "With so much money, no one followed you, did they?"
Having lived through turbulent times, the old woman knew well the dangers of flaunting wealth.
Back then, people didn’t dare use new quilts for fear of bandits stealing them, and young women hardly ever left their homes.
Yan Xue also recalled the incident from before and turned to Qi Fang. "Are those men from last time still around?"
"Didn’t see them," Qi Fang said. Noticing the worried looks from the family, he added, "No one else followed either."
It was unclear whether reporting them had made a difference, but avoiding danger was always a relief. The whole family finally relaxed.
True to his word, Qi Fang finished making Yan Jigang’s toy car within a couple of days.
The little tin car was no bigger than a palm, with a simple design—but the doors could open, and the wheels were wrapped with rubber cut from an old tire.
Yan Jigang pushed it around, making "vroom" noises, utterly delighted. He even teased the two puppies with it.
Since he’d already gotten his gifts, he didn’t put up much resistance when it was time to start school.
Early in the morning, the Second Old Lady dressed him in the new clothes Qi Fang had bought from the county. Carrying his own backpack, he followed Yan Xue to school.
Teacher Yuan was as kind as ever, first reassuring Yan Jigang not to be nervous and to take his time speaking, then leading him to the classroom to introduce the new student.
Liu Weibin, who had been whispering to the classmate behind him, turned at the noise and gaped.
When Teacher Yuan assigned Yan Jigang to sit beside him, he couldn’t help but ask, "Didn’t you not go to school? How’d you skip to second grade?"
Yan Jigang just smiled sheepishly. "Sister said… I had to take a test. I… I passed."
"You two know each other?" other kids asked Liu Weibin.
Liu Weibin nodded eagerly. "Yeah, his brother-in-law is good friends with my older brother. He even stayed at my place before."
Then he added, "He moved here later. His hometown dialect’s a bit odd, so talk slow when you speak to him. But his brother-in-law’s amazing—he’s got this little toy gun that looks just like the real thing."
"No way!"
Boys were only ever interested in guns, glass marbles, and folded paper cards. That very afternoon after school, a group followed Yan Jigang and Liu Weibin to see the toy gun.
They soon discovered Yan Jigang didn’t just have the gun—he also had the little car. The boys played at Yan Xue’s place for hours before finally heading home for dinner.
It was a good start, but Yan Xue still worried. Later, she sneaked back to the school to check.
Seeing Yan Jigang had his own little group and wasn’t being bullied, she was about to leave when she ran into the Second Old Lady, who had also come to spy.
Remembering how the Second Old Lady had first met Shan Qiufang, Yan Xue smiled and accompanied her for another look before heading back.
Not long after Yan Jigang started school, Yan Xue’s family began harvesting mushrooms from their log cultivation.
Generally, when the edges of the wood ear mushrooms curled upward, the flesh thickened, the stems shrank and thinned, the color darkened from black to brown, and they became soft and droopy with poor elasticity, they were ready for picking.
Harvesting had to be done promptly—otherwise, the mushrooms would rot, and the decay could spread to others.
Timing was crucial. The best moments were after rain when the sun first emerged, while the caps were slightly dry but the stems still damp, or early in the morning when dew hadn’t yet evaporated.
At these times, the mushrooms were pliable and less likely to break, and picking wouldn’t damage nearby buds or the mycelium beneath the stems.
For days, Yan Xue’s family was busy harvesting and drying the mushrooms.
Going to town from the forest farm was troublesome and cost bus fare, so to save money, Yan Xue decided against selling them fresh—she’d dry them all.
But she had strict standards for drying. Based on the wrinkles on the caps, she sorted them into three categories: heavily veined, semi-veined, and veinless.
Heavily veined ones were dried immediately after picking, spread in a single layer without piling, and left untouched until completely dry to avoid curling.
Semi-veined ones couldn’t be spread too thickly either. Once shaped, they were moved to a well-ventilated shaded area to finish drying.
The veinless ones were the most troublesome—after quick air-drying, they needed reshaping.
Guo Chang'an’s family had harvested mushrooms before, but they’d just tossed them on bamboo trays to dry haphazardly. Watching Yan Xue rehydrate the veinless mushrooms slightly, then roll them into strips by hand, he couldn’t help asking, "Drying mushrooms needs this much effort?"
"Of course," Yan Xue replied with a laugh. "When you’re shopping, do you pick the ugly-but-delicious ones first, or the pretty ones that might not taste as good?"
Everyone went for the visually appealing ones first—after all, taste was something you had to try, but looks were obvious at a glance.
Guo Chang'an realized he really could learn a lot from Yan Xue. He stopped questioning and went back to gathering the already dried mushrooms into baskets.
In the middle of the work, Zhou Wenhui arrived, stepping in with an apologetic smile. "Am I interrupting?"
Noticing she was alone—without Liu Weiguo—Yan Xue guessed she had something to discuss. "Give me a second, I’ll finish this up."
Zhou Wenhui nodded. "Take your time, I’m in no hurry."
But Yan Xue quickly wrapped up and led her inside. "So? How’s married life treating you?"
The question turned Zhou Wenhui’s cheeks pink, but it also bridged the distance between them.
Zhou Wenhui nodded and said, "It's been good." Then she looked at her sincerely, "And thank you for your help, along with Qi Fang's. Without you two, Weiguo and I might have fallen apart."
Yan Xue had some understanding of this girl's temperament. "You didn’t come here just to thank us, did you?"
That would be too formal. Zhou Wenhui shook her head, "Not entirely. I actually wanted to ask if you’ve found buyers for all these wood ear mushrooms?"
Surprisingly, she was here to bring business. Yan Xue was a little taken aback. "Do you have any connections?"
"My uncle works in the logistics department of the town’s forestry bureau," Zhou Wenhui explained. "Their cafeteria stocks up on food for autumn, and I asked him to check. If the price is right, they’re willing to buy. Also, I can reach out to my former classmates and friends’ families if you need more buyers."
Yan Xue had almost forgotten the girl had such connections. She thought carefully, "Is the forestry bureau cafeteria really okay with this?"
She remembered that such institutions usually procured supplies from stores or supply cooperatives, then reimbursed with receipts.
Zhou Wenhui knew this too. "I asked carefully. If the stores don’t carry certain items, they can purchase them from the market."
And wood ear mushrooms happened to be something stores and cooperatives didn’t sell. Yan Xue didn’t press further. "How much do they want?"
"About ten to twenty catties," Zhou Wenhui said, a little embarrassed. "They’re hesitant to buy too much without knowing the quality."
Compared to radishes, cabbage, or potatoes, wood ear mushrooms were indeed pricier, costing three to four yuan per catty when dried.
But it took seven or eight catties of fresh mushrooms to produce one catty of dried ones, and they expanded significantly when soaked.
"That’s still helping me out," Yan Xue said. "How about this? I’ll sell them to you at three yuan and four mao per catty. You can take as much as you can sell, and whatever price you set is up to you. If there’s any left, consider it your commission for the effort."
Zhou Wenhui hadn’t expected her to offer a commission and was momentarily stunned. "I was just making the connection. I didn’t expect payment."
"But isn’t running around for connections exhausting? Don’t you need money for transportation?" Yan Xue had never been one to let someone lose money helping her.
Zhou Wenhui couldn’t argue with Yan Xue and finally took twenty catties cautiously.
Given how close their families were, Yan Xue didn’t ask for payment upfront. "We’ll settle the accounts later. You can return any unsold stock."
Zhou Wenhui felt too awkward to take advantage and went home to fetch thirty yuan as a deposit.
With plenty left from the first harvest, Yan Xue decided to carry some herself—first to deliver to Shan Qiufang, then sell the rest at the small market.
While waiting for the small train, Old Man Wang arrived, carrying a basket on his back, clearly also heading to town to sell goods.
Yan Xue didn’t know what kind of fate tied them together—they never crossed paths when she wasn’t selling, but the moment she was, there he was.
Old Man Wang’s expression darkened immediately. He’d already had two sales ruined by Yan Xue—once with frozen mushrooms and once with wood ear mushrooms.
Who knew what this troublesome girl was carrying in her basket? What if she was competing with him again?
Old Man Wang peeked into Yan Xue’s basket once, then again, finally catching a glimpse of the dried wood ear mushrooms when she set it down to rest.
What an unfortunate coincidence—he was also heading to town to sell wood ear mushrooms today.
His face darkened further, and without hesitation, he turned around and walked back home.
His sudden retreat surprised Yan Xue.
Was he giving up on selling?
Or had he remembered something urgent?
When Old Man Wang returned, his family was confused. "Dad, did you forget something? Or is there no train today?"
"No. I didn’t check the almanac before leaving. Today’s not a good day for business."
He set down his basket, took a moment to catch his breath, then lit a pipe and took a deep drag.
It wasn’t that he was afraid of that girl—he just thought it was bad luck, and business was all about avoiding misfortune.
When Yan Xue arrived at Shan Qiufang’s place, she didn’t see her at first.
Assuming she wasn’t home, she was about to leave when Shan Qiufang’s youngest son, playing with mud by the door, said, "Someone came selling wood ear mushrooms. Mom went to check."
Just as she was about to deliver some, Shan Qiufang was already looking to buy. Yan Xue quickly asked for directions and hurried over.
When she arrived, Shan Qiufang was indeed haggling. "The small market sells them for three yuan and eight mao per catty. Yours are the same price. Can’t you give a neighbor a discount?"
"My parents gathered these from the mountains themselves. It’s hard work. How about buying two catties? I’ll knock off one mao."
The seller clearly wasn’t willing to budge—a one-mao discount for two catties? Who would buy that much just for a tiny reduction?
Shan Qiufang was about to say more when Yan Xue tugged at her sleeve and gave her a meaningful look.
Understanding, Shan Qiufang immediately said, "Someone’s at my house. I need to go back."
"Wait, you’re not buying?" The seller, caught off guard, called after her.
Shan Qiufang didn’t even turn back. "Not now." Once they turned into her alley, she whispered, "What’s up? Something wrong?"
Yan Xue didn’t answer immediately, glancing down at her belly instead.
"Oh, another one. Five months along. Last time you visited, it wasn’t showing yet."
Though Shan Qiufang was older in seniority, she was only in her early thirties and didn’t mind the pregnancy. She pressed, "What’s the matter with that look earlier?"
"Then I came at the perfect time." Yan Xue smiled, pulling out a wrapped package of wood ear mushrooms from her basket. "A little gift for the new baby."
Shan Qiufang immediately scolded her, "You shouldn’t bring anything when you visit!"
Then she added, "This one’s probably a girl. Our family’s pattern is either a boy and a girl or a girl and a boy."
Shan Qiufang already had three children—son, daughter, son. Yan Xue insisted on handing her the package. "Then it’s for the future little sister. Make sure to tell her it’s from Sister Xue."
Only when the package was in her arms did Shan Qiufang realize what it was. "Why are you giving something so expensive?"
"I told you, it’s all homemade." Yan Xue showed her the basket. "I came down to sell these, and thought I’d bring you some."
"That much?" Before Shan Qiufang could respond, someone else cut in.
They turned to see the neighbor who’d been selling wood ear mushrooms earlier.
Clearly suspicious, the woman had followed them and warned Shan Qiufang, "Don’t just buy anything. What if she’s reselling these from who-knows-where?"
The small market allowed individuals to sell surplus farm products or foraged goods, but buying to resell was different—straight-up speculation and profiteering.
The public housing area was densely populated, and gossip spread fast. Shan Qiufang wasn’t about to let such an accusation stick to Yan Xue. Her expression turned stern. "Don’t you dare spread nonsense!"
Yan Xue, however, remained calm. She even smiled, pulling her basket forward for the woman to inspect.
"Then tell me, where else can you find wood ear mushrooms that all dry to the same perfect quality? The ones from my family are one-of-a-kind—you won’t find this grade anywhere else in Chengshui."
Qi Fang: Come here, sweetheart. What else do you want to know? I’ll whisper it to you under the covers~
