1970s: My childhood sweetheart ran away, and I turned around and married the wildest chief.

The two children hadn't seen their mother for six months, and they were very happy to see her again.

"Mom, we're all doing great. Summer vacation is coming up soon, and I'm already thinking of going back to see you! You don't need to worry about my studies. I'm already considering which department I should apply to. It's just that my brother hasn't come back yet. I'm thinking that when he comes back, I'll have to discuss it with him. Also, the teachers at school like me a lot, and they'll give me some advice."

"Don't worry, I'm a student from Tsinghua University. I'll be a cadre as soon as I graduate, and my future is definitely bright."

The speaker was Lu Mingyue. She was always quite lively and had a good relationship with her mother. With just a few words, she made Miao Cuiying laugh heartily.

Miao Cuiying cupped her daughter's face and rubbed it hard. "Oh, you're such a good daughter of mine! You're amazing! I'm waiting for the day you bring glory to the family... no, the day you get into Tsinghua University, that will already be the day you bring glory to the family, hahaha..."

Miao Cuiying burst into laughter again. Lu Mingyu, who was standing next to her, looked a little reserved. His mother was here, and he probably couldn't hide his girlfriend anymore. He wondered how his mother would beat him when she found out.

Upon entering, Lu Mingyue and Lu Mingyu were both stunned. The house was enormous, and even with only their second brother's family living there, the courtyard felt somewhat empty.

Qiao Wanqing saw through their thoughts and said with a smile, "We've reserved rooms for you here. You can come and visit during your holidays."

Lu Mingyue's eyes lit up. "I have a room too?"

Qiao Wanqing: "Yes, my second brother and sister-in-law will probably be doing business here in the future. When you have free time, you can come and help out, so you won't have to spend money to hire people."

Lu Mingyue: "..."

The house had been cleaned beforehand and was quite clean, but after the furniture was moved in, it wasn't cleaned again. Everyone worked together to wipe all the furniture down. Miao Cuiying had very little luggage, since she was only staying for a few days and would be going back to her hometown.

The second son's family had more luggage. Qiao Wanqing bought them new bedding and other items, but they couldn't use them immediately. They needed to be washed and dried. There was well water in the yard and tap water in the house, which was very convenient. The second son was strong, so washing the sheets and blankets was his job.

After cleaning the furniture and packing the luggage, Qiao Wanqing led Miao Cuiying and her second sister-in-law to the shop in front.

"Mom, Second Sister-in-law, this is the back building, it's quite spacious, and there's a bus stop not far from the entrance. People going to work pass by here every morning. This place is perfect for a shop. You don't have much experience yet, so why not make breakfast? There are a lot of people working here, so even if you just sell some steamed buns or mantou, you won't have to worry about sales."

Miao Cuiying looked around and nodded, saying, "It is indeed a good place. Your second sister-in-law is very skilled and works very efficiently. In the past, when we were at home, she was the one who made the most steamed buns for the New Year."

Qiao Wanqing also knew that Li Dongmei was very capable and quick-witted. She hadn't thought of doing any other work for them yet. For individual businesses, making breakfast was the most suitable job for ordinary people without experience. As long as they were diligent, it didn't require much skill.

Even if they were given a big business at this time, they might not be able to handle it. Clothing and home appliances are profitable, but they are obviously not suitable for them.

It's only 1981 now, it's too early to start a business. Let them do it for two years to get used to it and accumulate some capital before thinking about other things.

Li Dongmei was very excited. The location was indeed excellent. It was the first shop at the intersection, right in front of the intersection, and there was a bus stop right outside. With such a large storefront and so many people coming and going, it should be no problem to make some breakfast.

She held Qiao Wanqing's hand, too excited to speak, "Sister-in-law, thank you so much, really..."

Qiao Wanqing patted her hand with a smile, "Sister-in-law, don't be so polite. Second brother and Mingzhou are brothers. We are definitely willing to help you if we have the ability. You and second brother are both very capable. Second brother listens to you. If you two work hard here, you will be able to buy your own house in Beijing in a few years."

"This is the capital city. More and more people will come here to make a living, and business will definitely get better and better. In the future, you can send all your children to develop in Beijing. Your days of enjoying life are yet to come!"

Thinking about this made Li Dongmei extremely excited.

She was an ordinary rural woman, unwanted by her own family and with nowhere to go. In the end, she entered the Lu family, but married the second son who was not very bright. Who would have thought that one day she would be able to come to the capital to develop her career?

She will work hard to keep her children in Beijing, so that they will be city dwellers and will never have to go back to the countryside to toil in the fields like she does.

The second son took Lu Mingyu home to wash the sheets and blankets, while Lu Mingyue stayed home to look after the children. Qiao Wanqing took Li Dongmei and Miao Cuiying out to familiarize themselves with the surroundings.

"There are supply and marketing cooperatives and grocery stores nearby, so it's very convenient to buy groceries. There's also a small free market on that street. Every morning or evening, some people from the surrounding rural areas come to town to sell things, such as vegetables, chickens, and ducks. If you go early, you can buy them."

"The department store is a bit far; you have to take a bus there. It's right at the intersection near our house."

After walking around, Miao Cuiying became increasingly satisfied with the place.

The area is densely populated and has convenient transportation. The road in front of their house is a small street, and their house is the first one there. The bus stop at the intersection is a major stop, with several bus routes passing through. Many people in the surrounding area work in large factories and have good purchasing power. The supply and marketing cooperative and the free market are very close by, and even the street office and police station are not far away. The location is quite good.

"This is a good place. Let's start with breakfast. Breakfast should be simple and not complicated. The second son's family still has children, so we can't make anything complicated for now. Just make sure you can support yourselves for the time being. Come on, let's go buy some tools."

Qiao Wanqing drove Miao Cuiying and Li Dongmei to buy the things they needed to open a shop. It was actually very simple. At this time, there were few individual businesses, so there was no need to prepare too much. Buying some steamers, flour, and a stove would be enough.

Since they already had a pot and a stove at home, Miao Cuiying bought more than a dozen large steamers, a large pot, and a stove to save money. This stove was placed at the entrance so that it could keep the buns warm and let everyone know that they sell buns here.

Normally, we cook it in the back kitchen first, and then move the steamer to the front of the store.

I bought two more large tables, and that settled things.

Qiao Wanqing had plenty of grain coupons, and Miao Cuiying had also prepared some. They bought two bags of flour, which they kept for making steamed buns. In addition, they had brought some with them when they came, so it was enough for the time being.

Miao Cuiying refused to let Qiao Wanqing pay for these things; she paid for them herself.