Yang Yufen had just come down from the mountain. This year, the fruit trees were growing rapidly, their branches shooting up in just a few days. She needed to select the right branches to keep, some for layering and others for pruning, while also fertilizing and weeding. It was exhausting work.
"Yufen, I think these nearby mountains are quite good too. Director Zhou mentioned that we could lease them for planting more fruit trees. Most of the young villagers have gone off to work, leaving the fields untended. The land was originally allocated to the Agricultural Academy, but without proper cultivation, it’s all going to waste."
"What about the rent?"
Yang Yufen’s eyes lit up. Money wasn’t an issue—with so many major construction projects in the capital this year, the chickens from their farm were selling well.
"Director Zhou said they’d charge us the same rate as before. The mountainous land is ours to use, but they’d prefer to reserve the farmland for the academy’s students and teachers."
"Sounds good. Can we still get a loan?"
Yang Yufen had come to appreciate the benefits of loans. With connections in agricultural financing, they didn’t have to pay exorbitant interest rates and could afford all the necessary equipment in one go. Now that they had experience, failure wasn’t a concern.
"Yes. Since the area is larger now and we already have two chicken farms, we can secure an even bigger loan."
The thrill of making money was addictive. The two elderly women put their heads together, consulted their accountant, and went straight to the Agricultural Academy to see Director Zhou.
"This tricycle feels too small—it’s not enough for hauling fertilizer. Let’s see if we can get a bigger truck. Lianxiang’s in-laws might have connections."
Yang Yufen suddenly spoke up as she rode the bike.
"We definitely need a bigger truck. Once the loan comes through, we’ll buy one. Little Zhang is a good driver—he can handle excavators too, so learning to drive a truck shouldn’t be hard for him."
"That works. He’s been taking good care of Old Yang. Who would’ve thought Old Yang could move around on his own now, even pushing his wheelchair? Little Zhang even padded the edges for him—very thoughtful."
"Here you are! It’s really our generation that has the boldness to dream big and take action."
Director Zhou greeted them warmly, pouring tea.
"Young people have their own ambitions. Look at how our country is developing now—things we never dared imagine before. Those skyscrapers are taller than mountains!"
Aunt Wang took a sip of tea.
"Absolutely. Even the trains are faster now. Trips that used to take forever are shortened by at least an hour or two."
Yang Yufen recalled what the younger folks from the village had told her during their visits.
Deputy Director Zhao brought over the contracts. Aunt Wang and the accountant carefully reviewed them while Yang Yufen chatted with Director Zhou.
Turns out, others had their eyes on the Agricultural Academy’s land too. Nearby villagers had been lured away to work, convinced that farming was too hard and unprofitable. Some troublemakers were stirring them up, and the younger generation, easily swayed by money, were tempted.
The older generation cherished the land, but the youngsters saw no value in it—selling off their ancestors’ fields without a second thought, dismissing the hardships their elders endured.
"These kids have forgotten the struggles of the past as soon as they’ve had a full stomach. Too much TV has addled their brains."
Director Zhou frowned at the thought of the troublemakers.
"Not all of them are like that. Some just need a reality check—they’ve had it too easy."
Yang Yufen remembered what Gui Xiang had said: the noodle shop’s leftover broth and noodles had increased significantly lately. It wasn’t because business was slow—people were just wasting more.
The shop wasn’t suitable for raising chickens, so the scraps were taken to the outskirts to feed a few chickens. Even then, there was too much, so they’d started raising two pigs.
Seeing this, Gui Xiang’s husband visited other restaurants and found food waste was a widespread issue. To prevent waste, he arranged to collect their leftovers and bought over a dozen piglets to raise.
Ershun, who had once loved farming, now took a liking to raising pigs. Even when hauling water, he made sure the pigs were kept clean.
Liu Ping came to see Ershun, suggesting he marry into her family. But though Ershun cherished her as a friend, he couldn’t bear to leave his own home.
When Gui Xiang learned of the Liu family’s intentions, any lingering thoughts she had were completely dismissed. No matter how well-off the Lius were or how wonderful Liu Ping might be, they weren’t the right fit for their family.
Liu Ping was heartbroken. Though she didn’t stop eating, she visibly lost weight.
"Little sister, is he really the only one for you? Is he that special?"
Her brothers were at a loss. They had been pleased when the other family declined, but their sister’s despair made things difficult.
Mother Liu, seeing her daughter like this, was on the verge of giving in.
Finally, she went behind her husband’s back to visit Gui Xiang.
Watching the bustling noodle shop, Mother Liu—herself a cook—ordered a bowl. The flavors were hearty, and after estimating the business, she realized it was thriving.
Gui Xiang didn’t recognize Mother Liu. The Lius had made their disapproval clear last time when Liu Ping’s father sent his sons to bring her home.
"Grandma, here’s my award from the monthly exam! Jiabao improved a lot too!"
Qingqing arrived with Jiabao in tow.
"Oh, wonderful! Take it inside—Grandma will make you some noodles."
Gui Xiang beamed, patting Qingqing’s cheek before ushering the children to the back to avoid any accidents.
Mother Liu noticed the bowls were packed with meat and eggs, the noodles modest but the vegetables generous—clear proof of their grandmother’s love.
"Mom, I brought the vegetables. I’ll take the slop back too."
Ershun arrived on his tricycle, carrying a basket of neatly cleaned vegetables.
"Good, be careful. Have you and your dad eaten?"
"Yeah, Mom. I’m off."
Ershun came and went in a hurry. After dropping off the vegetables and spotting his daughter’s award, he happily handed Qingqing all his pocket money, completely unaware of the eyes watching him.
The young man had grown so tall.
Mother Liu was taken aback. No wonder her daughter was smitten—his smile was so genuine, it was hard not to like him.
What could they do? This family was happy as they were. Asking their son to marry into another household would disrupt their harmony—it felt like they’d be intruding.
Gui Xiang only noticed Mother Liu after the children had left for school. The woman had been sitting quietly in the corner since ordering her noodles.
"Miss, is something troubling you?"
Gui Xiang wiped the table as she spoke.
"I’m Liu Ping’s mother."
Mother Liu’s words made Gui Xiang pause. After finishing cleaning, she sat down to talk.
"Hello. Is there something you’d like to discuss? I noticed you’ve been here for a while."
"My daughter… she’s lost a lot of weight lately."
Once she started, Mother Liu couldn’t stop, pouring out her worries about her daughter.
"Liu Ping is a wonderful girl, but she and Ershun aren’t suited. We don’t know what the future holds for him, but right now, he’s happy. Marriage is a lifelong commitment, and they’re still young—they don’t fully grasp what lies ahead. She’ll move on in time."
