Chapter 192: Courageous Words
Seeing the curiosity in her sisters' eyes, Zhang Xiuping didn't keep them in suspense and directly shared what her father-in-law had told her: "My father-in-law said that in business, there will always be gains and losses. Our country is in the early stages of reform and opening up. It's a time when opportunities are everywhere—like gold just waiting to be discovered. It's the best era in history.
So, you young people shouldn't be afraid of failure. If you fall, get back up and try again. Keep pushing forward, and one day, you'll succeed."
Ou Guohua sighed in admiration. "Uncle Jiu is truly Uncle Jiu. His vision is far beyond ours. While we see the outside world as uncertain and dark, Uncle Jiu sees it as a land of endless opportunities. The gap between us is just too big!"
Ou Guofang, thinking about her own situation, said, "Ah Ping, Uncle Jiu supports you and your brother-in-law so much. You can venture out without worry. But we don't have the same conditions as you. If we fail, we might not have the chance to recover."
Zhang Xiuping smiled reassuringly. "Businesses come in all sizes. You don't have to start with something that requires all your savings. Begin with a small business to gain experience. Even if it fails, the loss will be manageable.
If one business doesn't work out, switch to another. There's always something out there that can help you make money.
Besides, I'm not asking you to move to the county town right now. I'm just giving you a heads-up so you can start thinking about it."
The Ou sisters felt a sense of relief after hearing this. They no longer had to worry about the challenges of starting a business or the possibility of only seeing Ah Ping a few times a year if she moved to the county town.
As the saying goes, things will work out when the time comes. When the right opportunity arises in the county, the problems they're worried about now might no longer matter.
At this point in the conversation, Xiaodong'er, who had been lying quietly, began to cry. Zhang Xiuping, having gained some experience in caring for the little one over the past few days, guessed she must be hungry. She immediately picked her up, opened her blouse, and let the baby nurse in front of her sisters.
The Ou sisters didn't find this strange at all.
For rural women of this era, breastfeeding in public was completely normal. Even in later generations, some rural women still did this, and people were generally used to it, not finding it odd.
Ou Guofang remarked enviously, "Xiaodong'er's food supply is really growing!"
Ou Guohua added, "Yes, it's so plentiful. If your brother-in-law weren't helping out, Xiaodong'er would never be able to finish it all by herself."
"Ahua, you've learned to say such naughty things now!"
"What naughty things? Wait… could it be that your brother-in-law really helps out?"
"…"
…
Aside from the Ou sisters, other women from the village, such as Guan Yongying, Dai Fanglan, Chen Xiaohua (Deng Changping's wife, who cultivated Deng Shirong's family's land), and others, also came to visit one after another. Soon, nearly all the women in the village had stopped by.
In less than three hours after Zhang Xiuping returned from Bobai, almost every woman in the village had come to see her. Her popularity was so impressive that even Mrs. Zhang was amazed.
Of course, Mrs. Zhang knew this wasn't solely for her daughter's sake but also due to the respect her in-laws commanded in the village.
After all the visitors had left, Deng Yunzhu arrived with a letter and announced some good news: "Dad, my second brother sent a letter a few days ago. Here, take a look."
Her second son was studying far away in the capital, and communication was difficult in those days. Even though they knew he was safe at school, as parents, they still worried. Receiving a letter was naturally a joyous occasion.
Deng Shirong took the letter and opened it to read.
In the letter, Deng Yunheng first expressed his longing for his family, then asked about the birth of his nephew (or niece), and finally shared updates about his life at school, including some interesting experiences. He particularly mentioned making many "like-minded" friends.
Though the letter wasn't long, Deng Shirong read every word carefully, taking several minutes to finish. When he reached the end, knowing it was written specifically for him, he couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
In his previous life, his second son, the smartest of his seven children, had gone astray. Though he lived comfortably, Deng Shirong had always felt a deep sense of regret.
In this life, thanks to his intervention, his second son had taken a completely different path and was starting from a much better position. Whether he chose business or politics in the future, Deng Shirong believed he would achieve great things. This thought filled him with pride.
…
Mrs. Zhang stayed in Thatchfield Village for about another week. Seeing that her granddaughter's aunt had learned how to bathe the baby, she realized her help wasn't as necessary anymore. Besides, she had been away from home for almost a month and wanted to check on things there.
So, during dinner that evening, Mrs. Zhang mentioned her plan to leave the next day.
Deng Shirong politely tried to persuade her to stay longer.
Her son-in-law, Deng Yuntai, and daughter, Zhang Xiuping, also urged her to stay.
Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, "There's no need. I'll be back in half a month for my granddaughter's full moon celebration."
Deng Shirong stopped insisting and said, "In that case, Yuntai, you should escort your mother-in-law back tomorrow. And let's invite all the relatives to come on November 17 to celebrate your daughter's full moon."
Deng Yuntai nodded. "Okay."
…
The next day, Deng Shirong prepared a cart full of gifts. Some were wine and meat for the "Baojiang Wine" celebration, while the rest were tokens of gratitude for Mrs. Zhang's help in caring for the baby over the past two weeks.
The gifts included high-end items like sandworms and squid, as well as everyday staples like sesame beans. There was no shortage of braised pork, and there were also nourishing items like brown sugar and dried longan.
A special mention should be made of the dried longan. Bobai County is a major producer of longan and is known as the "Hometown of Longan." As early as the Tang Dynasty, the processing of longan had become popular among the locals.
This is one of Bobai's most famous local specialties.
Today, Bobai's dried longan is sold in large quantities to provinces like Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Hubei. It's particularly in demand in Shaoxing and Shanghai. The product is also exported to Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, and even European markets, where it's highly sought after.
Seeing the abundance of gifts prepared by her in-laws, Mrs. Zhang was naturally delighted.
After some polite refusals, Mrs. Zhang smiled and set off with her son-in-law, each riding a bicycle toward New Dock Village.
(End of this chapter)