Tercer matrimonio

Capítulo 6

The Enlightenment of Banknotes

As usual, meals were served at two tables. The men ate at the large table, while the women and children sat around a small table in the room, creating a lively and intimate atmosphere. It's true, even after so many years since liberation, many old customs in the countryside haven't changed. Women don't eat at the table—this was the way things were in the old society, and it remains unchanged in the new. Shanglin sighed inwardly, wondering when true equality and the elimination of gender discrimination would finally be achieved!

She was merely expressing her feelings, not resentment. Let alone not being able to eat with her maternal grandfather and uncles, even if she could, she wouldn't want to go! Men drinking and chatting involve many rules and troubles, especially with her maternal grandfather at the head of the table; she had to be extremely careful with her words.

The patriarch of the Zhang family was not a local. According to Zhang Hongwei, her hometown was a plain a hundred miles away. Her grandfather was an orphan from a young age, raised on the charity of many families. When the Anti-Japanese War broke out, a guerrilla force was formed in the area, and he joined the army, fighting his entire life. When the unit moved to the back mountains, he was wounded in the leg by a stray bullet. He struggled to crawl to a populated area, but by the time he recovered, the army had long since left. The local authorities arranged for him to do some logistical work. After the victory, he settled down here, married a woman from the same village, and lived a peaceful life. The old man had the style of a soldier; he didn't talk much, but every word he said was law. He also served as the village's top leader for many years, repairing irrigation systems, leveling fields, and promoting production. He was highly respected and loved by the local people. His tragic background, military career, and leadership position created an authority within the family comparable to that of an "emperor."

Zhang Hongwei has five siblings. Her eldest brother graduated from junior high school and holds a sinecure in the village committee. Her second brother didn't like studying and refused to continue his education after finishing primary school. He stayed at home to farm and contracted eight acres of mountain land to grow fruit trees. Her third sister got married at the beginning of the year, and her family lives only two villages apart. Her youngest brother is still studying at a teacher's college and is considered the most successful among his siblings.

They all inherited the old man's temperament, being quite domineering, but there was a most domineering one suppressing them, so it didn't show.

Xia Lin and his two cousins were running around playing outside and lost track of time. His aunt had to search for them twice before finally catching them by the pond. Although Zhang Hongwei was the eldest child in the family, Shang Lin was a year younger than his uncle's eldest son and the same age as the second son. This meant Xia Lin had two older cousins and a younger cousin who was still an infant and could only giggle. Boys bond quickly, and although they only visited once a year, it didn't hinder their friendship. After playing and splashing in the mud for a short while, they were inseparable, calling each other brothers. Xia Lin secretly told his sister that they had set up an altar and sworn brotherhood, vowing to share both joy and sorrow from then on.

Shang Lin slapped him across the face: "Go wash your hands!"

Become sworn brothers? If you do, you're cousins; if not, you're still blood relatives!

This child is captivated by storytelling!

While eating, I listened to the adults chatting. My second aunt lamented that this year's peach harvest was bountiful, but unfortunately, due to inconvenient transportation and lack of sales channels, by the time they were picked and transported out, they would have already rotted from the bumpy mountain roads. The locals didn't care for them, and even if they sold a few dozen kilograms at the market, most of them would rot and be used as fertilizer. Fortunately, the family hadn't planted all eight acres of hillside land with peaches; they had planted apples, pears, and quite a few walnut trees in between. They planned to harvest the walnuts in the fall and sell them in town, which would be worth some money.

Zhang Hongwei sighed with regret, mentioning that her husband's family was in the same situation. Fortunately, it was a vegetable-growing area, so most of their income was invested in growing vegetables. Occasionally, a few families would contract hillside land to grow fruit trees, which they would sell at the market or give away to relatives and neighbors. Anything more was either fed to pigs or dumped in the ditch.

Shang Lin absentmindedly picked at his food. Who said that resources were scarce in the 1990s? This little bit is not enough.

It's still a typical small-scale peasant economy, a self-sufficient production model. There's no food in the city, and the countryside can't eat it all. It's such a pity.

Xia Lin tugged at her sleeve and cried out, "Sister, sister, I want soup! Dumpling soup!"

He responded with an "Oh," and got up to ladle some soup for him. The dumplings had all been scooped out of the pot; a few chive leaves and oil floated on the surface of the broth, making it quite murky. A sudden thought struck Shanglin—he remembered the freshly squeezed juice he often drank in his later life!

It's the height of summer now, and selling refreshing, iced freshly squeezed juice at the market would be perfect... You could use ripe, inexpensive fruit, it doesn't require much skill, takes up little space, and when people get hot and thirsty on their way to the market, a refreshing glass of juice would quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger...

As for the juicing tools… she had once DIY'd a small, manual juicer, all made of plastic. When she was in college and there were no juicers available, the girls in her dorm even made their own using mortars and pestles, and the results were surprisingly good. She remembered that in the late 1980s, factories in southern cities like Guangzhou were already producing juicers, but because she lived in a remote inland area, it wouldn't really become popular for another seven or eight years. She decided to try making one herself first to see what the market was like. If it worked, she might ask someone to buy one. Then there were the ice cream machines that became popular in the 1990s; they were basically just food coloring, water, and ice, creating the most basic drinks—lacking in nutrition and flavor, but kids craved novelty and coolness, and they still sold for five cents!

Starting with fruit juice, I thought of popsicles, then frozen dumplings, glutinous rice balls... No, no, I'm thinking too much!

But Shanglin was already excited. As long as she had a plan, she wouldn't have to worry about making money. She had been worried about what she could do to change her family's financial situation. The management concepts she learned in her previous life were too advanced and not suitable for the current society. Although she knew that stocks and real estate could make money, she didn't have the start-up capital. It seemed that she could only take it one step at a time, first completing the initial accumulation of capital before she could take the next step!

In the short time it takes to eat a meal, while others chatted and laughed about everyday matters, Shanglin had already gone through hundreds of ideas in his mind, and a preliminary plan had taken shape. He had a general plan for how to purchase fruit, how to process it, and how to sell it, assuming there was a market. But all of this depended on having buyers!

Her only concern is that people's living standards are not high at present. Even though her home is right next to a small town with several large enterprises, the overall consumption level is still what it is. Will anyone buy freshly squeezed juice?

Even if people buy and sales are good, wouldn't others do it too? What if competitors emerge? What if there's no fruit left after the season? And then there's the issue of staffing; I'm only four years old. Will a four-year-old get into trouble running a business?

These are all problems right in front of us, and we're completely clueless about them, with no way to solve them.

But how do you know if it will work if you don't try?

Shanglin decided to try it as soon as he got home! Change isn't something you can easily achieve by just talking; only practice will bring results!

Ugly duckling? Wild child?

After the meal, she helped the adults clear the table and made tea for the men. She then sat to the side with a smile, scribbling on a scrap of paper she carried with her grandfather, using his pen. She needed a clear plan, but she couldn't write it openly, so she could only write a few words intermittently to avoid forgetting.

The adults chatted over tea, discussing the year's harvest, national policies, and other matters. Their minds were always on the big picture, but their actions needed to be grounded in reality.

Sniffing the air, I caught a unique aroma. The adults were holding teacups, steam rising gently—the fragrance of their tea. I had eaten something salty at lunch and was thirsty. My eyes reddened, and I went to the table to pour myself a cup, but Zhang Hongwei stopped me.

"Shanglin! Children shouldn't drink tea!"

Grandma smiled, took out a jar, skillfully picked out a few leaves, poured water over them, and handed it to her: "Good child, drink this, it's good for cooling down!"

It smells bad; it tastes bad; it's bitter!

The woman, wrinkling her nose and gazing at her grandmother with a mournful expression, laughed as she chatted and observed the situation. "She only looks like a child now!"

"Indeed, he looks like a little adult, he speaks and acts with such composure!"

"I don't know how my older sister raised her children. Shanglin looks several years older than my two little brats!"

A jolt went through her, and she suddenly realized that she had been too mature these past two days. Would they suspect something? She glanced over nervously, but no one looked strange. They just laughed it off as a joke. Even Zhang Hongwei didn't think his daughter's maturity was something to be doubted. That's right, children grow up right before your eyes. They are constantly growing and changing. Even if she is a little too mature, you should be happy rather than suspicious and sad.

Shang Lin patted his chest, thank goodness, there haven't been any time-travel novels yet!

Grandma kept urging, "Drink it all! I specially went up the mountain to pick these leaves; they're great for reducing internal heat!"

Shang Lin stared at the cup with a worried expression, lamenting in his heart: I don't need to cool down! My arms and legs are thin and my hair is yellow. I look like I'm underdeveloped and malnourished. I might even be anemic and calcium deficient. I need to replenish my energy, not cool down!

Worried under her grandmother's watchful eye, she finally managed to cool the water down a bit and was about to pinch her nose and gulp it down when her cousin rushed in, panting. He glanced at the adults in the room, said nothing, and slipped over to Shanglin, pulling her aside.

"Come on, come on, let's go out and play!" The voice was very urgent.

Normally, she wouldn't want to go out; the midday sun is scorching, and her dark, thin skin hasn't recovered yet. But in this situation, his invitation is like a godsend. Shanglin quickly put down her teacup, told Zhang Hongwei, and ran outside. Zhang Hongwei chased after her, calling out:

"Keep an eye on your brother and don't let him get naughty!"

As for whether Shanglin would be mischievous, Zhang Hongwei was absolutely certain: absolutely not!

His cousin dragged him hurriedly out the door, and he started running at top speed, explaining as he ran, "Quickly, save Lin! Quickly, save him!"

Shanglin was stunned. Save him?

Remembering that she had found them at the pond before dinner, her expression immediately turned serious, and she tried to break free from his grasp: "I can't swim, go back and get an adult!"

Only one terrifying thought occupied her mind: falling into the water!

Although she knew Xia Lin wouldn't be in mortal danger—despite being injured and hospitalized multiple times throughout his life of misdeeds—she didn't remember him ever falling into the water, let alone dying. But who knew? What if her rebirth created a butterfly effect… God, she didn't want to be an indirect culprit in harming Xia Lin!

Thinking of this, goosebumps rose all over my body, and I struggled desperately, insisting on calling for help.

Zhang Lesheng was only five years old. Although he was a head taller than Shang Lin, he wasn't much stronger. While he held her tightly to prevent her from breaking free, he explained, "She didn't fall into the water. She was fighting with someone!"

Shang Lin was taken aback, and the heart that had almost jumped into his throat gradually returned to its place.

She glared at him angrily, "You child, why didn't you say so earlier!"

Having figured this out, he stopped rushing and started jogging forward, trying to entice Zhang Lesheng to reveal the situation.

To put it simply, it's a bloodbath caused by a single origami crane—every village has many children who are too young to go to school and whose families are too busy to supervise them. They gather in groups and run around playing wildly. Our village is no exception; they are divided into two factions, with the village pond as the boundary. They often bicker and fight. The adults just watch the show and don't take it seriously. They've been through that era themselves!

Today, Zhang Lesheng and his younger brother took Xia Lin to play at the pond. Xia Lin showed off his origami cranes and the paper airplanes his sister folded for him. Another group of children were envious, and they exchanged a few words. The three of them combined were no match for Qiu Xia Lin, who had been glib since childhood and had been influenced by storytelling for a long time. Later, their aunt invited them home for dinner, and the matter was over. However, not long after they returned home from dinner, that group actually gathered a few older children to cause trouble.

First, they wanted Xia Lin's paper airplane. Xia Lin, quick-witted, didn't care for the paper airplane and gave it to them. It flew into the pond in a few seconds. Then they wanted the origami cranes, but this time Xia Lin wasn't happy. His sister had said beforehand that the origami cranes were made of many colorful papers, to be strung together into a curtain to hang in the house. He had eight and wanted to see the curtains as soon as possible, so he wasn't going to give them away so easily. Immediately, the two sides started arguing, and the argument escalated into a fight. Xia Lin's side consisted of only five or six-year-old children, so he was bound to be at a disadvantage. If Xia Lin had given in and given the origami cranes, it would have been fine. But Xia Lin was stubborn, protecting the origami cranes under his body and refusing to give them up. As the saying goes, even a novice can defeat a master with a flurry of punches, let alone a mere child.

At Xia Lin's suggestion, Zhang Lesheng went home to get help—but he dared not tell the adults the truth. He thought all the way home and could only think of his cousin, who looked like an adult and was very dignified!

After he finished explaining in a few words, we arrived at our destination.

Shanglin was panting heavily from running when he looked closely and exclaimed, "Wow, the world's upside down!"

Two older children, one holding his hand and the other his foot, pinned Xia Lin to the ground, while a smaller child, even shorter than Xia Lin, rode on top of him and was punching him repeatedly!

Zhang Lesheng and his group were either pulled back or pinned to the ground, all glaring angrily, their little faces flushed red. In particular, his cousin Zhang Lezhu, who was only three months younger than him, kicked and cursed, hurling filthy insults at the other's parents and ancestors. The person being cursed wasn't angry; instead, he laughed and watched the spectacle.

An eight- or nine-year-old boy sat on a relatively high wooden stake, his expression arrogant and domineering. Shang Lin glanced at him and recognized that his clothes and demeanor didn't belong to this village. Zhang Lesheng whispered, "That's him, he's the leader! He's not from our village, he's just here to stay! Everyone says he's a stepmother's son!"

Regardless of whether he was born to her biological mother or not, Shang Lin wouldn't stand idly by and watch her younger brother get beaten up. Qiu Xia Lin was her private property. If Qiu Xia Lin was outmatched in a one-on-one fight, she wouldn't say anything. But the current situation clearly showed that the other side was taking advantage of their numbers and attacking her all at once!

With a quick glance, he grabbed a large tree branch from the ground and rushed over, branch and all. He swept the branch across the ground with a few quick, powerful strokes, but the branch split into many forks. The children, afraid of being scratched, dodged out of inertia. Shanglin pulled Xialin up, dropped the branch, and looked at his injuries with concern.

Thankfully, they were just kids, and they didn't hit hard enough; they only got a few scrapes and bruises.

His gaze swept coldly over them: "Bullying others with your power, you have quite the nerve!"

The children didn't understand what bullying meant, but they could see the cold expression on the young girl's face and the familiar condemnation flashing in her eyes.

She's not very old, but she reminds me of the expressions on my parents' faces when they're angry.

Several children backed down. This was probably what it meant to subdue the enemy without fighting. The authority honed in a later-life company was more than enough to deal with a few unsophisticated, wild children from a mountain village.

Yin Yeyao stood up from the wooden stake, his face grim.

Although he was only eight or nine years old, the energy he possessed was not to be underestimated. At least Shang Lin recognized him at a glance. He came from a wealthy family, was well-mannered, and had an elegant and proper demeanor. Only the violence on his face betrayed his true thoughts.

He scoffed, "Whose ugly daughter is this, running wild here!"

The children who had already stood behind him sneered and laughed loudly, mocking Qiu Shanglin.

Shang Lin was initially angry, but quickly calmed down. He was just a brat; at twenty-seven years old, should he stoop to his level? Though he thought this, he couldn't afford to be rude, so he retorted:

"Whose wild child is this? Doesn't he know any common sense at all!"

The decline of origami cranes

Shang Lin's comment about her being a "wild child" enraged the sensitive Yin Yeyao. His gaze, dark and brooding, was almost dripping with water—no, not water, but sulfuric acid, corroding her completely!

She was horrified by the child's violence, yet she had no choice but to confront the pressure he exerted on everyone. The reason was simple: when someone stepped forward, the children in her group all hid behind her, biting their nails. After all, they were just children—yes, they were all children. Even this violent, sinister man, who had stepped down from the wooden stake and was a head taller than her, was only eight or nine years old. Could she, a twenty-seven-year-old adult, not even handle children?

Thinking about this, I felt much more at ease. Ignoring the pressure he put on me, I said frankly:

"You are a guest, and so are we. We are all strangers in a foreign land, so why fight each other when we meet? This is common sense! Second, you are the host, and it would be ridiculous for a guest to bully the host. People would laugh at us to death if they found out! Third, you are older than us. Adults should be considerate of children. This is the proper way to conduct oneself. Not only do you not follow this, but you also bully children. Isn't that going too far?"