Chapter 78:

Zhao Qiaoniang and Ding Minxiu had no idea that the owner of this restaurant was Yu Xiang’an. Sitting there, they fantasized about how, if they had participated in the lottery back then, that bicycle might have been theirs. The thought filled them with regret, but what was done was done. There were no such opportunities now, and they had no choice but to work hard to earn their living.

Honestly, if they had other options, neither of them would have chosen to come here. After all, this was still a foreign land. Every time Ding Minxiu thought of home, she was overwhelmed with regret.

The value of a permanent job became painfully clear at times like this. Temporary workers could be dismissed at any moment, but try firing a permanent employee—just see what happens.

Originally, she should have had a permanent position, but an unexpected discovery ruined everything. Yu Xiang’an snatched it away, and not only that—she didn’t even cherish it. After getting into university, she sold the job for money.

Now, they couldn’t even track her down, and Ding Minxiu didn’t want to try. Her own life wasn’t terrible, but compared to Yu Xiang’an’s, it paled in comparison. Yu Xiang’an had gone to Qincheng, then got into university, and later secured a stable job.

Who wouldn’t praise such a life?

When news of Yu Xiang’an’s university admission spread, even Zhou Boyang gave Ding Minxiu a hard time.

And her mother-in-law? Forget about it.

In her mother-in-law’s eyes, if not for Ding Minxiu, her daughter-in-law would have been a university graduate.

Her mother-in-law had never treated her kindly, and Ding Minxiu had grown used to it. But Zhou Boyang had never been like this before.

Was he regretting his choice?

Ding Minxiu could only lower her head further, working harder alongside her mother to avoid giving them any reason to criticize her.

Later, Yu Xiangju also got into university. Ding Minxiu even considered whether they could leverage his connections, but Yu Qingshan ruined that plan too.

Now, he was still a student with no income, but his future was bright.

Ding Minxiu knew she could never pass the university entrance exam herself, so she pinned her hopes on her son.

But her son’s grades were poor. To improve, he needed tutoring—and tutoring cost money.

For money, the two of them had come south.

If they ever found out that this bustling restaurant belonged to Yu Xiang’an, Ding Minxiu would probably be furious enough to cough up blood.

What, was Yu Xiang’an destined to overshadow her forever?

—

After returning home, Yu Qingshan threw himself into his work with renewed dedication. His daughter owed a massive debt, and while he couldn’t shoulder it all, he could at least help a little. If she could resolve it herself, that would be best. But if not, he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

When he felt down, he would visit his father-in-law’s place, his eldest son’s home, or simply return to his hometown to sit and reflect.

Now, everyone’s lives were looking brighter.

Even his second brother-in-law, who had retired, had started a small business. People who were used to being busy couldn’t stand idleness. He rented a place and began selling breakfast. The operation might seem small, but it was surprisingly profitable.

Then there was Sheng Song, who had once worked at a recycling station—a job no one envied. But he had taught himself how to repair and refurbish broken appliances, and now he had his own stall, fixing electronics for customers.

With more and more households owning the “Four Big Items” (bicycle, sewing machine, radio, and wristwatch), his business was thriving.

At the end of the day, it all came down to entrepreneurship. Yu Qingshan had no prejudice against business, but quitting a stable, well-paying job to start one was undeniably risky. His brother-in-law had retired, and Sheng Song’s recycling station job hadn’t been great to begin with. But if they had been in his daughter’s position—a coveted permanent job—they might not have made the same choice.

And his daughter was burdened with a massive debt. Sure, being a factory director sounded impressive, but beneath the surface, it was all liabilities.

Qin Qiang and Yang Cuizhen had retired early. Without the need to work, they lived comfortably, relying on their filial children. Cooking at home and looking after the grandchildren, their days were peaceful. Happiness slowed the aging process, and the elderly couple still had many good years ahead.

Back in Hongxing Brigade, Zhang Chahua was still in good health. She had always been sturdy—that was why she had been chosen as a bride in the first place.

Her maiden family had been dirt poor. When she married into the Yu family, she hadn’t even asked for a dowry—just five pounds of sweet potato starch.

They had survived those difficult times, and now life was only getting better.

On his day off, Yu Qingshan bought a few pounds of white flour and two pounds of pork before boarding the bus back to Hongxing Brigade.

In the past, rice and white flour were luxuries, reserved only for festivals. Now, they were everyday staples. Pork was still expensive, but they could afford to buy it once or twice a month.

With no restrictions on raising livestock, families could keep as many pigs, chickens, ducks, and geese as they wanted.

Eggs were no longer a rare treat. Zhang Chahua now kept over a dozen chickens, fed by the children who foraged for wild greens, insects, and small fish from the streams. The family ate eggs daily, and the children, once skinny as sticks, had filled out.

Such a good life had been unimaginable before.

Was this what “common prosperity” meant?

Yu Qingshan thought about national policies. They must be right—otherwise, how could life be this good?

Did that mean his daughter’s choices were also right?

Seeing her second son arrive with gifts, Zhang Chahua happily poured him a bowl of sugar water.

Her life was comfortable now. Besides eggs, her grandchildren often sent her other delicacies. Her days were so enviable that her old friends couldn’t help but admire her. After all, her descendants were successful and filial.

All her children were good to her. Since her eldest uncle and aunt took care of her daily needs, the others, living far away, sent gifts to nourish her health.

Her second son was no exception. Among the grandchildren: Xiangyan sent her malted milk powder, Xiangqing sent local rice and specialties, Xiao’an sent powdered milk and dried meat, Manwu sent new clothes and biscuits, Mansheng sent new shoes…

Because of this, Zhang Chahua was now a respected figure in the village. People greeted her warmly, eager to build connections.

If there was anything still troubling her, it was three things.

First, her second son lived alone. Why? She had suggested he move in with his eldest son, but he refused. Eating at the factory canteen instead of home-cooked meals—what kind of life was that?

He was just stubborn, unwilling to listen.

Second, Manwu and Mansheng were both of marriageable age but showed no interest in settling down. Manwu seemed to be coming around, but there was still no progress. Mansheng, on the other hand, seemed completely uninterested. Did he plan to wait until he was thirty?

Lastly, there was the newspaper ad searching for their long-lost relatives. So far, there had been no leads. It weighed on her heart. Had something happened to them?

If she passed away without finding them, she would feel like she had failed her late husband.

He had spent his whole life wondering. If possible, Zhang Chahua still hoped to uncover some clues.

After chatting with Zhang Chahua, Yu Qingshan took a walk around the village. Much had changed.

The fields on both sides were meticulously tended. Since the land had been divided, everyone’s enthusiasm had soared. After breakfast, they would head straight to the fields and stay there until mealtime. Even during storms or floods, they would brave the rain at midnight to check on their crops.

Back during collective farming, no one had been this motivated. The team leader had to personally round people up to get them to work. Now, they weeded and fertilized without complaint, all for a better harvest.

As he walked, he reached the house Yu Xiangyan had built here. He stepped inside for a look. Now that Xiangyan lived in the capital, the house stood empty. Whenever Yu Qingshan visited, he would check the doors and windows. The place still held some heavy furniture and miscellaneous items—nothing particularly valuable, but not worthless either. If some petty thief took a fancy to it, they might try their luck.

It was a shame to leave the house unused for so long, just like Xiao’an and her husband’s place. Without occupants, buildings deteriorated quickly.

After his walk, he returned to find Zhang Chahua squatting on the ground, chopping wild greens. She mixed them with sweet potato shreds, sweet potato leaves, and rice bran to cook as pig feed. This helped the pigs grow faster.

The family raised three fat pigs, and preparing their feed was no small task. Yu Qingshan took over the job while Zhang Chahua picked up a broom to sweep.

“These pigs are growing fast. By the end of the year, they’ll be huge.”

Now that they didn’t have to sell pigs to meet quotas, the animals were entirely their own. At New Year’s, they would keep half a pig for themselves and sell the rest.

It was a significant source of income. For families without wage earners, pig-raising could be their biggest annual profit.

Weddings, funerals, births, and illnesses—all relied on this income.

The importance of pigs was undeniable, but their family wasn’t in such dire straits.

Yu Qingbao worked at a paper factory, which had expanded over the years. As a veteran employee, he earned nearly forty yuan a month.

His nephew Yu Manchang worked at the village’s brick factory. His monthly earnings weren’t as high, but factoring in year-end bonuses, his annual income surpassed his father’s.

Now, work points were a thing of the past. Profits from the brick factory, after covering fixed expenses and necessary reserves, were distributed per capita among registered villagers. Larger families received substantial sums.

This made it easy for men in the village to find wives. They married young, had children early, and the population flourished.

Watching the pigs eat, Yu Qingshan sighed inwardly. Life in his hometown was peaceful. He had once planned to retire here, living in his second son’s house.

His house in the county town could remain vacant until his youngest son settled into a stable job.

Back in the village, he would have his mother, brothers, and nephews. He could even tend a small plot of land, growing vegetables and raising a few chickens.

The leisurely life he envisioned was tempting. If he missed his children, he could always visit his eldest son and grandchildren in town.

That was the only child he could see regularly. The others had all made something of themselves, working far away.

They had their own skies to soar in.

But now, his plans had been overtaken by events.

Even if he couldn’t help his youngest daughter in other ways after retirement, his presence alone would shield her from gossip.

Some people just loved assuming the worst.

At his age, early retirement was an option. But compared to him, his eldest son wasn’t quite ready. He would have to wait a little longer…

—

Lin Chuanbai was on the phone with Yu Xiang’an.

While Yu Xiang’an had been busy, Lin Chuanbai hadn’t been idle either.

He had already produced some results—small innovations, perhaps, but these everyday items had great potential. If developed properly, they could be quite profitable.

He updated her on his recent work and mentioned the missing persons notice.

“Someone wrote to inquire, but after checking with Second Brother, it turned out to be a false lead. Just a fleeting hope.”

Yu Xiang’an: “I’ve had those too. We’ll just have to be patient.”

Lin Chuanbai hummed in agreement. “Your classmate, Liu Mingyue, came over for dinner and brought gifts for the kids. She asked me when you’d be back. You’ve been gone so long.”

Yu Xiang’an chuckled. “I did leave her my number. Fine, I’ll call her in the next couple of days.”

She wanted to achieve something noteworthy before reuniting with old friends. Otherwise, she’d feel too embarrassed to show her face.

Lowering her voice, she added, “I’ll definitely be back before the New Year. Wait for me.”

Lin Chuanbai laughed on the other end. “Alright, I’ll wait.”

—

At the end of 1983, an unexpected reply arrived in the Special Economic Zone.

It was news about Yu Chang’s third brother, Yu Changkai. For some unknown reason, he had ended up in Hong Kong, where he married and had children. The person who responded to the newspaper ad was his second son.

This third uncle had passed away in his fifties, over a decade ago.

Life in Hong Kong hadn’t been easy at first, but he eventually owned a home and held a steady job.

After arriving in Hong Kong, he and his wife opened a massage parlor—her family’s traditional trade. This skill allowed them to settle down and raise two sons and two daughters.

Though he was gone, his widow and children had established themselves, marrying and starting families of their own.

Yu Yegui was the third child among his siblings, with an older brother and sister above him and a younger sister below.

He came across the newspaper while accompanying a client on a business trip, which led him to contact Yu Mansheng. Prior to this, he had been working in the UK.

This man was a cousin of Yu Mansheng and Yu Xiang’an, and the blood relation wasn’t distant. His name, “Yegui” (meaning “leaves returning to roots”), reflected the sentiment of the person who named him—a longing to return home.

Yu Yegui sighed with emotion: “My father gave me this name because he wanted to return to his hometown.”

Yu Xiang’an observed him carefully—dressed in a suit, wearing a tie and glasses, he appeared refined and well-educated. He was a lawyer, a profession that required substantial academic qualifications to enter.

As for his appearance, there was some resemblance to their grandfather.

Yu Yegui continued: “My father once said that after his passing, he wished to be buried in his hometown. He had wanted to return when he fell ill, but as you know, circumstances made it impossible at the time. So, he set the matter aside for a while. It’s a coincidence that I’m here now. I originally planned to inquire whether there were still relatives in my father’s hometown. If there were, I wanted to inform the elders—if he could hear it in the afterlife, it would bring him peace.”

Every person seeks their roots—knowing who their parents were, where their hometown was, and what relatives they had.

Yu Yegui: “When my father first arrived in Hong Kong, he was very young and had no identification. It was hard for him to even earn a meal. Later, he met my mother. She had arrived earlier but was also struggling. They supported each other. My maternal family had a skill in massage therapy, which my mother learned. Relying on this family craft, they managed to settle in Hong Kong.”

Just listening to this, one could imagine how difficult life had been.

“They often spoke of how tough things were back then, but eventually, life improved. However, because of the hardships in their early years, my father developed many health issues as he aged and frequently had to visit the hospital. When I accompanied him, he often reminisced about his hometown—he had two older brothers, an older sister, and a younger brother and sister…”

He mentioned the address of Hongxing Brigade and the names of his grandparents—Yu Xiang’an and Yu Mansheng’s great-grandparents—as well as where the four brothers had gone to make a living and for whom they had worked. Everything matched.

It couldn’t be a fabrication, could it?

An outsider wouldn’t know such details.

Yu Xiang’an and Yu Mansheng listened with growing excitement.

Finally, they had news.

They also shared stories about their side of the family—how they were the grandchildren of Yu Changyou, who had passed away while still worrying about his missing younger siblings. That was why they had placed the newspaper ad.

Yu Mansheng described Hongxing Brigade in greater detail, and as Yu Yegui listened, he connected it with his father’s memories of home.

It had to be them. He found it incredible—before he could even begin searching, someone was already looking for them. According to his father, life back then had been extremely difficult. Their parents had died young, and the eldest brother was still just a boy. The siblings had no choice but to leave home to survive. Fortunately, they managed to find work and support themselves, though his father had once been implicated in trouble and only escaped by sheer wit.

He had assumed that even if relatives remained, their lives would still be hard. But now, hearing about their thriving family and seeing how well-dressed these two were, it was clear they were doing well. Placing newspaper ads wasn’t cheap, especially over time.

Curious about their professions, he asked and was surprised to learn that many in their family had become university graduates—even in Hong Kong, that wasn’t common.

Among his own siblings, he was the most educated, having become a lawyer. His eldest brother had inherited their mother’s massage skills and her surname, now running the family clinic. His eldest sister had married a policeman and was a homemaker, while his younger sister had married a teacher and worked as an accountant in a factory.

Hearing all this, he felt happy. Even if they hadn’t grown up together, they were still bound by blood. His father would have been overjoyed to know that his older brothers had never forgotten him.

Yu Yegui considered the next steps. Logically, these relatives were undoubtedly genuine. His great-aunt and second uncle were still alive—he ought to visit them.

His father had always spoken of returning to his roots, so he needed to arrange a trip to verify the feasibility of bringing his ashes back.

With both sides confirming the details, the likelihood of error was minimal. Yu Yegui suggested returning to Hong Kong to retrieve old photos before visiting Hongxing Brigade, ensuring everything was accurate.

His father had taken photos in his youth, and they were still preserved.

After Yu Yegui left, Yu Xiang’an and Yu Mansheng exchanged glances, feeling a sense of wonder.

They hadn’t expected to find the right person so quickly. However… “It’s a shame Third Uncle passed away so early,” Yu Mansheng sighed. “Grandmother would have been so happy. If only Grandfather were still here…” Knowing about his younger brother would have given him peace.

Yu Xiang’an shook her head: “Who would have thought he’d gone to Hong Kong?”

They hadn’t anticipated this outcome. Their hometown wasn’t near the coast—how had Third Uncle ended up there?

As for their missing aunt, could she have gone abroad? Maybe that was why the domestic newspaper ads hadn’t worked.

But according to accounts, the family that took her in as a child bride had only been slightly better off. They had chosen her because she was pretty, and their son liked her. Going abroad back then required connections—it seemed unlikely.

Then Yu Mansheng raised a concern: “When we meet, how will you explain things?”

Yu Xiang’an had been vague about her profession earlier, but since Yu Yegui was staying locally, he’d eventually find out. If word got back, the fallout would be awkward.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

She exhaled, forcing herself to relax. “It’s fine. My father knows and has probably smoothed things over. Even if they find out about my business, it’s not a big deal.”

She had been here nearly a year, with six branch stores now. Due to equipment limitations, her factory operated in three shifts, running nonstop—proof of booming business.

Why was this the best time to do business? Because the market was wide open, unlike in later years. Minimal effort could yield impressive results.

Her new house was under construction too. With property and business here, what was there to worry about?

Yu Mansheng nodded: “Sis, remember to explain things clearly for me. I didn’t mean to hide anything.”

Yu Xiang’an: “I’ve already mentioned it. Don’t worry—my father knows.”

Hong Kong… Yu Xiang’an’s eyes gleamed. Coincidentally, she had been planning to buy property there. Prices were currently low but would rebound next year—selling later could easily double her investment.

Prime central properties, if held onto, would appreciate yearly.

Through connections with Hong Kong acquaintances, she might even gather more information about Third Uncle’s family.