Chapter 192: Bold Words
Chapter 192: Bold Words
Seeing the two young ladies curious about how her father-in-law had responded, Zhang Xiuping didn’t keep them in suspense and recounted what her father-in-law had said: "My father-in-law said that in business, there are always losses and gains. Our country is currently in the early stages of reform and opening up, and it’s a golden age with opportunities everywhere. It’s the best time in history.
So, young people, don’t be afraid of losses. You should boldly go out and explore. If you fall, get back up and keep trying. Success will come eventually."
Ou Guohua sincerely admired, "Grandpa Jiu is truly remarkable. His vision is something we can’t even dream of. We see the outside world as a complete mystery, while he sees it as a land of gold. The difference is immense!"
Ou Guofang reflected on her own situation and said, "Sister Ping, with Grandpa Jiu’s support for you and Brother-in-Law, you two can indeed go out and explore with confidence. But we don’t have the same conditions. If we fall, we might not have the chance to get back up."
Zhang Xiuping smiled warmly and replied, "Businesses come in all sizes. You don’t have to choose one that risks everything you own. You can start with a small business to gain experience. Even if you fail, you can handle the loss.
If one business doesn’t work out, we can try another. There will always be a business that can make you money.
Besides, I’m not asking you to go to the county right now. I’m just giving you a heads-up so you can be prepared."
Hearing this, the Ou sisters felt a weight lifted from their hearts. They no longer had to worry about starting a business or the infrequent visits with Sister Ping once she moved to the county.
As the saying goes, 'When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten out.' By the time a suitable business opportunity arises in the county, their current concerns might no longer be issues.
Just then, the baby Dong'er, who had been lying quietly, started to cry. Zhang Xiuping, who had gained some experience over the past few days, guessed that she was probably hungry. She picked her up and, in front of the two sisters, opened the baby’s ‘pantry’ to feed her.
The Ou sisters didn’t find this unusual at all.
In the rural areas of that era, it was completely normal for women to breastfeed in public. Even in later times, some rural women still did this, and people were generally used to it, without giving it a second glance.
Ou Guofang said enviously, "Our little Dong'er’s pantry is really getting bigger and bigger!"
Ou Guohua also said with envy, "Yes, it’s so big, and it looks like there’s plenty of food. If Brother-in-Law doesn’t help, little Dong'er would never finish it all by herself."
"Ai, Hua, you’re becoming quite bold yourself, saying such things so easily."
"What’s so bold about it? Huh, could it be that… Brother-in-Law really does help!?"
"..."
...
Apart from the Ou sisters, Guan Yongying, Dai Fanglan, and Chen Xiaohua (Deng Changping’s wife, who farmed the Deng family’s land) also came to visit. Then, other women from the village followed one by one.
In less than three hours after Zhang Xiuping returned from Bobai, almost all the women in the village had come to visit. Zhang’s mother was amazed by her daughter’s popularity.
Of course, Zhang’s mother knew that this wasn’t due to her daughter’s standing but to her in-laws’ influence.
After the village women who had come to visit had all left, Deng Yunzhu brought a letter over with a smile. "Father, Second Brother sent a letter a few days ago. Take a look."
Their second son was far away in the capital, and communication was difficult in those times. Even though his parents knew he was studying at school, they still worried. Receiving a letter was always a cause for joy.
Deng Shirong took the letter and began to read it.
In the letter, Deng Yunheng first expressed his longing for his family, then asked if his niece (or nephew) had been born yet. Finally, he described his current situation at school and some interesting events, especially mentioning that he had made many "like-minded" friends.
Although the content of the letter was not extensive, Deng Shirong read it word by word, taking several minutes to finish it. Especially when he read the part where it was clear that his second son had written it specifically for him, he couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
In his previous life, his second son, the smartest among his seven children, had taken a wrong path. Although his living conditions were good, it had always pained Deng Shirong. In this life, with his intervention, his second son had changed so much, starting from a completely different place. Whether he chose to go into business or politics, Deng Shirong believed he would achieve great things, which made him very happy.
...
Zhang's mother stayed in Yayevillage for about a week. Seeing that her granddaughter's elder aunt already knew how to bathe her, and with almost a month away from home, she wanted to return to check on things.
So, during dinner one day, Zhang's mother mentioned that she would be leaving the next day.
Deng Shirong, of course, politely tried to persuade her to stay longer.
Deng Yuntai, as the son-in-law, and Zhang Xiuping, as the daughter, also joined in the plea.
Zhang's mother smiled and said, "No, I won't stay. I'll be back in half a month to celebrate my granddaughter's full moon."
Hearing this, Deng Shirong stopped trying to persuade her and said, "Alright, if that's the case, Yuntai, you'll take your mother-in-law back tomorrow and also 'report the ginger wine,' inviting the relatives to come on November 17th for your daughter's full moon celebration."
Deng Yuntai nodded. "Sure."
...
The next day.
Deng Shirong prepared a basket full of gifts. Some were for the "ginger wine" celebration, including wine and meat, while the rest were to thank Zhang's mother for her care of the child over the past half month.
There were high-end items like sandworms and squid, as well as common items like sesame seeds and beans. Roast pork and regular pork were also included, along with red sugar and longan meat.
A special mention must be made of the longan meat. Bobai County is a major producer of longan meat, known as the "Land of Longan." Since the early Tang Dynasty, the processing of longan meat has been popular in Bobai.
This is one of Bobai's most famous local specialties.
Now, Bobai longan meat is sold in large quantities to provinces like Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Hubei every year.
Especially in Shaoxing and Shanghai, the demand is the highest, and it is also exported to Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia, and European markets, where it is very popular and in high demand.
Seeing so many gifts prepared by her in-law, Zhang's mother was naturally very pleased.
After a few polite refusals, Zhang's mother finally smiled and set off with her son-in-law, each riding a bicycle toward Poxin Village.
(End of Chapter)
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