"Building a shed sounds great, that’s not too difficult. Aunt Wang mentioned providing lunch—could we also add a stove for people to cook dinner?"
"It’s a small thing, of course it’s no problem. Originally, we didn’t have much time to cook anyway—we ordered staple food from the canteen in the compound. If that’s the case, we could hire two people specifically to handle cooking. This job will last quite a while."
Aunt Wang thought for a moment.
"Should we discuss this with Aunt Yang too?"
"We’ll definitely have to mention it, but knowing Aunt Yang’s temperament, she’ll agree without hesitation."
Aunt Wang waved her hand dismissively.
Shen Xianjun stared at the two mountains for a long time. His mother truly refused to act her age—she’d just casually taken on such massive mountains, and his wife was surprisingly calm about it, not raising any objections.
Gui Xiang returned, and seeing that she hadn’t gotten stuck in her usual stubbornness, Yang Yufen felt a bit relieved and threw herself wholeheartedly into reclaiming the land.
Little Zhang arrived with his luggage, expecting to have to build the shed himself. He’d even brought his own tools, but to his surprise, the wooden shed was nearly finished, and there were more workers than he’d imagined.
Next to the shed, a burly man with a limp lifted a large iron pot onto the makeshift earthen stove, then swiftly chopped cabbage and potatoes into chunks.
"Young man, you’re here! Don’t just stand there—go settle in. We’ll eat soon. This is the first proper meal today. Eat up, then we’ll all head up the mountain to work."
The burly cook’s voice snapped Little Zhang out of his daze.
"Oh, right."
Little Zhang nodded and hurried to find a spot to put his things. Everyone here seemed to know each other well.
"Young man, come stay here. There’s an empty spot."
A tall, thin man with severe burn scars on his face spoke up, startling Little Zhang.
"Did I scare you? Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it after seeing me a few times."
The man spoke casually, even offering reassurance.
When it was time to eat, Little Zhang noticed how orderly everyone was—no shouting was needed as they lined up efficiently, and the food was served quickly.
Aunt Wang and Yang Yufen were discussing fruit tree planting.
"Planting just one type of fruit tree is too monotonous. I think we could grow grapes around the perimeter. The main fruit trees we have now are pears, apples, and dates.
Dates can be planted everywhere, but apples and pears shouldn’t be mixed. Let’s each pick one to plant, with date trees separating them to prevent cross-contamination of diseases."
"That works."
Yang Yufen had no objections—both fruits sold well and stored easily.
"My side faces east, so apples would suit it better. Both apples and pears like sunlight, but pears don’t need as much light in autumn and winter."
"Fine by me. I prefer pears anyway. We’ll plant dates and peaches here—peach trees don’t grow as tall. Oh, and Director Zhao mentioned this spot between the two mountains would be good for some medicinal herbs, didn’t he?"
Yang Yufen pointed to the gap between the two hills.
The two women meticulously planned every inch of the mountains.
"He mentioned several options, but those can wait. I think beekeeping would be ideal—we can introduce bees next year. After a few years, the bee population will grow, just in time for the fruit trees to bloom."
"Absolutely."
"Still discussing? I’ve got good news for you—look, the loan’s been approved! And I’ve secured some agricultural machinery with subsidies."
Deputy Director Zhao happily pulled documents from his bag.
Good news kept coming—with funding and the right equipment, things couldn’t be better.
Yang Yufen hopped on a tricycle with her friend to check out the machinery.
Fan Juan suddenly received a call from overseas—at this hour, it was nighttime on the other side of the ocean.
"Miss Fan, it’s Girard. Did you already predict the gold market would crash?"
The blunt question caught Fan Juan off guard. If gold had fallen, the stock market must have plummeted too—she hadn’t had time to check today.
"Thank you for helping me cut my losses in time. You mentioned needing machinery before—I can arrange it, but you’ll have to handle customs clearance."
Girard’s tone had lost its earlier arrogance.
"I thought you wouldn’t trust my prediction. Customs won’t be a problem—I’ll be waiting for that shipment. Payment will be transferred to your account."
Fan Juan calmly hung up, then cheered.
Perfect! The most critical machines for the factory expansion were secured—everything else would fall into place.
The sudden good news left her breathless. After steadying herself, she called Qin Nian.
"Really? That’s fantastic! Can you get me some chips too?"
"Should be possible."
Fan Juan hesitated.
"Are you sure about making computers? Not many people can afford them yet."
"I’m certain. They’re expensive now, but we’ll work hard to make them affordable and practical—so everyone can use them someday."
Qin Nian’s determination made Fan Juan nod slightly.
"Alright."
The gold crash didn’t just affect overseas markets—it sent ripples through the mainland too.
But the two elderly women knew nothing of this, wholly absorbed in their two barren mountains.
"This excavator isn’t so hard to operate!"
Yang Yufen sat at the controls, maneuvering the machine.
"Auntie, you’re incredible—stronger than most young folks! I’ve had several apprentices too scared to even try, but you picked it up after just a few days of watching. Amazing!"
The excavator driver gave her a thumbs-up, delighting Yang Yufen as she used the machine to dig out tree roots—far easier than doing it by hand.
After getting her fill, she returned the excavator to the driver, who was equally pleased—he’d gotten an hour’s break while the old woman did his job, and he’d still be paid.
"Auntie, you’re seriously impressive—just hopping on that giant machine like it’s nothing."
Little Zhang couldn’t hide his admiration.
"It’s not hard. If you want to learn, buy the teacher a pack of cigarettes. Young man, more skills mean more security."
Yang Yufen’s advice carried warmth—Little Zhang, alone in the world, tugged at her heartstrings.
Hearing this, Little Zhang glanced at the excavator, patted his pocket, and made up his mind—he’d buy cigarettes tonight. If Aunt Yang said it was useful, it must be.
Aunt Wang had been watching for a while. As her friend climbed down, she rushed over with praise.
"Old friend, you’re unbelievable! You drive tractors, ride tricycles, cook delicious meals, work efficiently, and now even operate excavators—is there anything you can’t learn?"
"That excavator’s high up—you can see everything! Next time, I’ll take you for a ride. It’s fantastic—goes anywhere!"
Yang Yufen chattered excitedly.
"This place is wonderful. Not only do we earn three hundred a month, but we eat well and have good company."
No one here let physical imperfections weigh them down. After facing rejection elsewhere, they’d found a new sense of belonging—everyone loved their life here.
