Chapter 77:

Facing Yu Qingshan’s trembling hands, Yu Xiang’an gave a dry laugh. “Dad, it’s exactly what you heard. I’m the factory manager here, and the owner too.”

Yu Qingshan took a deep breath, lowered his hands, stuffed them into his pockets, and narrowed his eyes as he looked at Yu Xiang’an. “Weren’t you just here on a business trip? How did this become yours?”

Yu Xiang’an tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trying to hide her guilt and unease.

“Dad, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kept it from you.” She obediently apologized first, pouring him a fresh cup of hot tea. Sitting in the factory manager’s office, Yu Qingshan watched his youngest daughter’s guilty expression and snorted coldly.

He had been puzzled when they arrived—why were they not only touring the factory but also disturbing the manager? And then he was hit with this bombshell.

Yu Xiang’an spoke earnestly, “Dad, I resigned last year to start my own business. At the time, I was afraid it would upset you, so I kept it a secret. I knew if I told you, you’d worry and think I was being impulsive. But this was a carefully considered decision. I understand that in the current environment, you and everyone else would find this unbelievable. That’s why I delayed telling you until now. I thought no amount of words would mean anything without tangible results. I wanted to show you with my achievements that I’ve already made progress on this new path. Please don’t worry about me. Though this road isn’t as stable or smooth as the one before, it’s the one I want to take. I hope you can support me, Dad, and be proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

Yu Qingshan’s initial anger gradually subsided as he listened.

Her factory.

Dozens of people depended on her for their livelihoods. Was this achievement easy? No. She had started from scratch. Should he be proud of her?

If she were a son, Yu Qingshan might have even supported her.

Boys were meant to venture out into the world. But girls were different.

Girls inherently had fewer opportunities. They were expected to marry and raise children at a certain age. If they stepped out of line, they’d be criticized. If they ventured out, they’d face even more malice.

If his youngest daughter had told him from the start, he would have opposed it.

But now, looking at what she had built, could he still oppose her?

Opposing her would break her heart.

Opposing her wouldn’t turn back time to before she resigned.

Opposing her—what would happen to all these workers now?

Yu Qingshan thought about all this, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself further.

But the problems remained.

“Does Chuanbai know about your resignation? Does your in-law’s family know? Did they oppose it?”

“This factory isn’t small. How did you afford the construction, equipment, and materials?”

“Are you negotiating business deals alone? Have you considered safety?”

Yu Xiang’an could sense Yu Qingshan’s growing composure. Whether she could pass this hurdle depended on her answers now.

She steeled herself and answered one by one.

“Chuanbai knows, and he supports me. As for my in-laws, Grandpa supports me, and the others eventually came around too.”

“I opened two restaurants in the capital and made a good profit. There are two here as well, and I’m preparing to open a third. Of course, while I’ve made money, I also took out loans for equipment and such. Given the current situation, the loans aren’t a major concern.”

“I’m not alone. I have an assistant who’s always with me. I’m also careful about where I conduct business—I don’t put myself in risky situations.”

Hearing this, Yu Qingshan’s expression remained unreadable. “You’ve been apart from Chuanbai and the kids for so long—they don’t mind? Long separations aren’t sustainable. Have you thought of a solution?”

“You opened restaurants in the capital—so your second brother knew? How much exactly did you borrow?”

“You have an assistant—is she a woman? Two young women could still be in danger if the other party has more people. Have you considered that?”

Yu Xiang’an replied, “About the long-distance separation, I’ve thought about it. In the early stages, when laying the foundation is critical, it’s unavoidable. We’re working hard now so our children won’t have to worry about their futures later. To put it bluntly, with me and their father, they could stay at home their whole lives without worrying about food. At most, in two years, I’ll change this arrangement and spend more time with them.”

“Second Brother knew. Don’t blame him—I asked him to keep it from the family. With elderly relatives at home, I didn’t want to upset them. In their view, a stable job is everything.” Here, Yu Xiang’an made it clear to Yu Qingshan that she hadn’t dragged Yu Xiangyan into this.

“As for the loan, I can repay it.”

“My assistant and I both carry self-defense tools in our bags. We only conduct business in public places where there are plenty of people around. Plus, Mansheng is here—he’s short on everything except able-bodied young men. Safety isn’t a major concern.”

Yu Qingshan chuckled dryly. “So, apart from your second brother, Mansheng also knew.” His expression was deceptively friendly.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

Looking at that “friendly” smile, she felt a toothache coming on.

It seemed… some of her father’s anger had shifted onto those two who knew but didn’t tell.

But…

Yu Xiang’an: *Cough!*

It might be a bit shameless, but she felt the heat on her had lessened!

Yu Qingshan didn’t take her words at face value—after all, he’d already been deceived once. He listened to her explanations without saying much. Instead, he visited the two operating restaurants, inspected the third under renovation, and then went to see Yu Mansheng.

When Yu Mansheng saw Yu Qingshan, he immediately straightened his back, bracing himself.

Before the confession, Yu Xiang’an had warned him, and he’d prepared what to say. But now, faced with Yu Qingshan, most of his prepared speech flew out of his head, leaving him sweating profusely.

He was afraid his uncle would scold him.

Though Yu Qingshan had never actually scolded him before, in his mind, his uncle wasn’t exactly the forgiving type.

Now, with Yu Qingshan’s stern face before him, he was on his best behavior.

He answered every question truthfully. After all, his uncle wasn’t a child who could be easily fooled.

As the elders often said, he’d eaten more salt than Yu Mansheng had eaten rice.

Could he really deceive him?

If caught, the consequences would be worse.

His account matched Yu Xiang’an’s, and Yu Qingshan’s expression softened slightly. But since Yu Xiang’an hadn’t mentioned the exact loan amount earlier, Yu Qingshan pressed further.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

She had a feeling that once she said it, he’d be under immense pressure.

In the end, Yu Qingshan found out. When he heard the number, it felt like Mount Tai had been dropped on his back, nearly crushing him. Looking at his daughter, his previously calmed emotions flared up again.

This—this was far too reckless!

If it were him, he’d never be able to repay it in his lifetime!

He downed several cups of cold tea to keep from losing his temper. “Does your husband know?”

As husband and wife, this debt wasn’t just hers to bear.

Yu Xiang’an: “Of course he knows.”

Now that Yu Qingshan knew the amount, he couldn’t sit still. Without paying it off quickly, he wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully. Owing money to the bank was still owing money—just to a different creditor. The debt was real. Even if his daughter’s factory and restaurants were profitable, it would take a long time to repay.

Living with such a massive debt…

Yu Qingshan paced back and forth, searching for a solution.

Yu Mansheng: “…”

If his uncle reacted like this, his own parents would probably break his legs if they found out.

He’d considered taking out a small loan himself, but now he thought better of it. If his family knew, they’d lose their appetites.

He’d just have to work harder.

Yu Qingshan carefully considered ways to resolve the debt but dismissed them one by one.

The most feasible solution was still for his daughter to expand and strengthen her business to repay the debt.

He also worried—if her husband knew, did his family?

Even if they were separate households, blood ties remained. If she defaulted, they’d likely be approached for help.

Would their family ever have peace then?

A blister formed in Yu Qingshan’s mouth from the stress.

This was exactly why Yu Xiang’an had wanted to keep it a secret.

Even in later generations, many people disliked living with debt. Now, attitudes were even more conservative.

“Dad, please don’t tell the rest of the family. No need to make them worry too.”

Yu Qingshan scoffed. “How considerate of you.”

Yu Xiang’an: “…Dad, don’t be like this. Have a little faith in me. When have I ever done anything unreliable?”

Yu Qingshan: “Right now is extremely unreliable! Forget it—I have a headache. Leave me alone for a while.” He really did have a headache.

Yu Xiang’an and Yu Mansheng left the room, exchanging uneasy glances outside.

Yu Xiang’an mouthed: “What now?”

Yu Mansheng: “We’re doomed!”

He was just as nervous.

Yu Qingshan calculated his salary. With his recent promotion and subsidies, he now earned over sixty a month—more than seven hundred a year. His expenses were minimal.

All his children were independent now, even his youngest son, who’d started university last year. With the university’s subsidies, he only needed to send occasional food and supplies, costing little.

He ate at the factory canteen. Aside from supporting his parents, he had no fixed expenses and could save most of his income.

Assuming he worked another twenty years, that’d be fourteen thousand.

Fourteen thousand—an astronomical sum. A “ten-thousand-yuan household” was newsworthy.

But it was far from enough to cover his daughter’s debt.

And he wouldn’t be working for twenty more years—he’d retire long before then. The loan wouldn’t wait that long either.

Yu Qingshan felt powerless.

Apart from trusting his daughter to resolve it, there was no other way.

He also didn’t want her in-laws to find out.

Yu Mansheng asked Yu Xiang’an, “Have you considered asking Uncle to help? Managing everything alone is tough—you need someone reliable to oversee things. Uncle doesn’t have many years left before retirement anyway.”

He was already in his fifties.

Yu Xiang’an fell silent. She had thought about it.

“…But you know how attached Dad is to the hardware factory. He’s practically lived there half his life. Asking him to retire early and leave—I think he’d be reluctant.”

Her father had always been a frontline worker. He could manage, but she felt he was better suited as a supervisor.

“For now, let’s get through this hurdle.” Yu Xiang’an wasn’t in a hurry.

Yu Qingshan spent two hours alone in quiet reflection before emerging. When he did, Yu Xiang’an noticed his eyes were slightly red. Had he been crying?

Yu Mansheng was equally shocked—he couldn’t imagine his uncle crying.

Yu Qingshan’s face was expressionless. “I understand your situation now. I can’t solve this for you, but fortunately, I don’t have many expenses these days. From now on, I’ll save my salary to help you repay the loan.”

Yu Xiang’an quickly shook her head. “Dad, what are you saying? That’s not necessary.” She studied him—his eyes were only red on one side. Had he really been crying alone in the room?

If so, she couldn’t ask—it’d embarrass him.

“Dad, you’ve seen the factory. Everyone’s working hard. I hope you can have a little more faith in me.”

Even if she earned enough to repay the loan, she wouldn’t do so immediately—she’d reinvest the money to expand.

Yu Qingshan’s cheek twitched. “How can I not worry?”

Yu Xiang’an gave examples—she wasn’t the first to do this, nor would she be the last.

Why were people doing this? Why was the state allowing it? It was about letting some prosper first to eventually lift others—policy support. The fact that she’d been approved for such a large loan meant she had potential.

She was confident. She owed it to her workers and herself.

After much persuasion, Yu Qingshan’s expression finally eased—though whether he’d truly let go of his concerns, only he knew.

To reassure him further, Yu Xiang’an showed him the orders. Besides Krait, she’d secured other deals—the current batch was bound for Hong Kong, a sizable order. With these, repaying the loan wasn’t a concern.

The numbers spoke for themselves. Seeing them, Yu Qingshan felt somewhat relieved.

The situation was better than he’d imagined.

With his anxiety lessened, Yu Xiang’an took him around the special economic zone. Since he’d come all this way, she wanted him to leave with positive impressions of this rapidly developing city.

Three days later, Yu Qingshan boarded the train home. In a fleeting moment, he thought he saw two familiar figures—Ding Minxiu and Zhao Qiaoniang, mother and daughter.

What are they doing in the Special Economic Zone?

Seeing Zhao Qiaoniang and Ding Minxiu, Yu Qingshan was reminded of some unpleasant memories, and his brows immediately furrowed.

Yu Xiangju was a year older than Yu Mingjie and had started school a year earlier. Therefore, when it came time for the college entrance exams, Yu Xiangju should have taken them a year ahead of Yu Mingjie. Yet, in the end, they both got into university at the same time. Why?

Because he had to repeat a year.

Given Yu Xiangju’s consistent academic performance, he shouldn’t have failed the exam, but he did. The reason was frustrating.

During his first attempt at the college entrance exam, he ate a bowl of “Zhuangyuan Porridge” (a symbolic dish for good luck, essentially eight-treasure porridge) cooked by a classmate’s mother. Shortly after eating it, he started vomiting and suffering from diarrhea.

Before the exam even officially began, he was already at a disadvantage. Who would have thought that the porridge would have such an effect?

Given the timing, he even had the porridge tested, but the results showed no signs of tampering—just spoiled ingredients that caused his reaction.

Yu Xiangju struggled through the exam in poor condition and, unsurprisingly, failed. He had no choice but to repeat the year.

It was a lamentable situation, but the incident didn’t spread widely. His classmate, who had eaten more of the porridge, suffered even worse symptoms and missed the exam entirely. Later, the family came to apologize, even kneeling in remorse, their sincerity overwhelming.

What more could be done? It wasn’t intentional—their own child had suffered too, and his grades had been good.

So, Yu Xiangju repeated the year and became classmates with Yu Mingjie. The following year, both performed well in the exams. When filling out their university preferences, they didn’t choose the capital but instead opted for Yangcheng—a prestigious university closer to home, making it easier to visit family.

After learning that Yu Xiangju had gotten into university, Zhao Qiaoniang began visiting more frequently.

Before, she hadn’t been completely absent—she occasionally went to his school to express her “concern” and “longing” for him. But after his admission, her visits suddenly doubled. She often asked about university life, confirming that he not only didn’t need to spend money but even received subsidies that covered his expenses.

Then, she started bringing Ding Minxiu and her grandson along, reminiscing about his childhood—clearly trying to guilt-trip him with the “debt of upbringing.”

Her intentions were too obvious.

Seeing this as a problem, Yu Qingshan sent Yu Xiangju back to their hometown in Hongxing Brigade to avoid Zhao Qiaoniang’s constant emotional manipulation. He planned to send him directly to the train station when the semester began.

Zhao Qiaoniang didn’t dare go to Hongxing Brigade—she was too guilty.

But she didn’t give up. She even tracked Yu Xiangju down at his university, showing up as his “mother” and bringing Ding Minxiu along, which disgusted Yu Qingshan.

It was unclear how they found out which university he attended since he hadn’t publicized it.

Their actions were clearly an attempt to latch onto him. Yu Qingshan couldn’t let that happen, but while he could handle things temporarily, the real solution lay in Yu Xiangju standing firm himself.

Now, seeing them here again, who were they looking for?

Could it be Yu Xiang’an?

But logically, they shouldn’t know she was here.

Preoccupied with this, Yu Qingshan’s worries about the loan were somewhat overshadowed. If Yu Xiang’an knew, she might even thank them.

Zhao Qiaoniang and Ding Minxiu had no idea Yu Xiang’an was in the Special Economic Zone. Their reason for coming was simple: they couldn’t find work in Baishi County. After hearing rumors about job opportunities in the SEZ, they decided to try their luck.

Ding Minxiu’s son wasn’t young anymore. She hoped he could get into university, but his grades were mediocre, so she planned to hire tutors. After the exams, he’d be of marriageable age, but weddings were expensive. With rising expectations, a decent match required a substantial dowry.

They needed to start preparing early.

Arriving in the SEZ, they were cautious—everything was unfamiliar. Fortunately, they had fellow villagers to rely on. They found work at a garment factory, sewing collars—a simple, piece-rate job. If they worked fast, they could earn 40-50 yuan a month; slower workers made 20-30.

Ding Minxiu was quick, and though Zhao Qiaoniang was older, her experience kept her efficient. Both were hired.

Pleased with their luck, they planned to work for half a year, save up, and return home for the New Year. Their son/grandson’s tuition, tutoring fees, and wedding expenses would then be covered.

While they worked, Yu Xiang’an was also busy—her third restaurant was now fully renovated and operational.

With the new location opening, she needed to oversee things closely, so she transferred experienced staff from her other restaurants.

Though their experience wasn’t extensive, they were far more skilled than complete newcomers.

Coincidentally, this third restaurant happened to be near the garment factory where Ding Minxiu and Zhao Qiaoniang worked. After receiving their first month’s wages, their fellow villager suggested celebrating with a meal out—and chose this place.

Unaware that it was Yu Xiang’an’s restaurant, they hesitated. “Won’t this be expensive?” They couldn’t afford to waste money on food—every penny was for their child’s future.

The villager reassured them, “No, no! I know we’re all frugal, but this place looks fancy yet is quite affordable. The portions are generous too.”

“I’ve been to one of their other branches before—it’s the same chain.”

“See how crowded it is? If the food wasn’t good, there wouldn’t be so many people.”

“And let me tell you—a friend introduced me to this place. During their opening lottery, he won a fountain pen! Worth at least a few yuan, and he only spent two mao! We were all so jealous. I’ve been twice but only got free soup.”

The villager chattered on excitedly.

“You know what the grand prize was?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “A brand-new bicycle! Worth over a hundred yuan, and you could enter the draw for just one mao. Someone actually won it—now she rides it to work every day!”

Ding Minxiu and Zhao Qiaoniang were stunned. “How could the owner be so foolish? They must be losing money!”

The villager shrugged. “Who knows? But since they’re opening more branches, they must be doing fine.”

“If only they still had that lottery now…”

Ding Minxiu smiled inwardly. *I’d love such luck too.*

The villager sighed. “If they did, I’d eat here regularly just to enter. I refuse to believe I’d never win big!”

Zhao Qiaoniang nodded confidently. “That’s right, Minxiu. We’ve got good luck—if we went, we’d definitely win something!”