1950s: After transmigrating into a capitalist, I relied on military industry to achieve a comeback.

"Build a brick house?!"

Lin Hongsheng's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his voice cracked: "Jiaojiao, are you running a fever? We're practically 'poor' right now, and you still want to build a brick house? Isn't that... like protesting too much?"

Su Wanqing was also anxious, twisting her handkerchief and holding onto her daughter tightly: "Yes, Jiaojiao, this is too conspicuous. The villagers are already watching us, and it will be difficult to explain to Secretary Li."

Lin Jiaoyue calmly peeled a walnut from her spatial storage, watching her parents pacing anxiously. The crisp sound of the peeling eased the tension in the room.

"Dad, Mom, this is what you don't understand. This is called 'the darkest place under the lamp,' or 'going along with what others think.'"

She brushed the debris off her hands, her eyes clear and bright, as if she weren't discussing building a house, but rather carefully planning with her family:

"The more we hide it, the more guilty we seem. If we pretend to be poor today, what about tomorrow? We're like a thorn in the side of Lijia Village, something that makes everyone uncomfortable. But if we build a house, things will change."

Lin Jiaoyue held up one finger: "First, building houses is like paying a 'pledge of allegiance.' It tells Secretary Li and the villagers that we are determined to settle down in this poor and remote place, not just a bunch of migrants who move from place to place. This will make everyone completely let down their guard and treat us as family."

She raised a second finger: "Secondly, with a fixed place, the things in our space will have a place to 'pass through openly.' Most importantly, when Dad goes to the city to make a living in the future, when he fills out his resume, he can't write 'a dilapidated wooden house at the foot of the mountain' as his home address, can he? That would make him a vagrant, not a down-on-his-luck merchant."

Lin Hongsheng fell silent.

He fumbled for the jade thumb ring on his hand—oh wait, the ring had been put away long ago, now only the rough knuckles remained. As a cunning old fox who had once dominated the business world, he instantly understood the meaning behind his daughter's words.

Fixed assets can sometimes provide more reassurance than gold bars hidden in your belt. This "turning the tables" tactic is brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

"I understand the logic, but where's the start-up capital?" Lin Hongsheng pointed to the bare walls of the house. "How are we going to explain where this money came from? Did it just fall from the sky?"

"I have the money. And I've already come up with an excuse."

Lin Jiaoyue twitched the corners of her mouth, leaned close to her parents' ears, and whispered the plan to them.

After hearing the plan, Lin Hongsheng and Su Wanqing exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. This was no sixteen-year-old girl; she was clearly a strategist, a female Zhuge Liang! The meticulous logic, with each step linked to the next, was simply amazing.

"Alright! Let's do it this way!" Lin Hongsheng slapped his thigh, his eyes regaining the shrewdness he had when he was the head manager. "It's just... Wanqing, you'll have to suffer."

Su Wanqing smiled gently without hesitation. She turned her back and carefully took out a handkerchief pouch from the lining of her underwear.

Layer by layer, a pair of vibrant green earrings were revealed. Their luster was exquisite, appearing as if they held a pool of spring water even in the dim wooden house. These were her dowry items, her most prized possessions.

"It's just an inanimate object, it's not as important as people." She stuffed the earring into her husband's hand, her eyes resolute. "As long as the family is together, I'd be happy to trade it for bricks."

……

The next day, Lin Hongsheng, carrying the priceless jade earrings, knocked on Li Shouyi's door again.

I didn't go to the village committee this time; this kind of "private matter" has to be discussed privately.

"Auntie, are you busy?"

Li Shouyi's wife was feeding the chickens in the yard. When she saw Lin Hongsheng, she was taken aback for a moment before greeting him warmly: "Oh, Hongsheng, come in and sit down. Your uncle is smoking."

Upon entering the room, it was filled with smoke. Li Shouyi sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), puffing on his pipe with barely lifting his eyelids.

"Uncle," Lin Hongsheng greeted him respectfully, adopting a very humble posture.

"Yes, sit down." Li Shouyi tapped his pipe. "The township has given its approval regarding the household registration. The certificates should be ready in a couple of days. You can finally relax."

"Thank you so much, Uncle! Thank you so much!" Lin Hongsheng's face was streaked with gratitude, a genuine performance from the bottom of his heart. "If it weren't for you, my family of three would still be struggling in the wind and rain. Our Lin family will remember this kindness for a lifetime!"

After a few rounds of pleasantries, the timing was right.

Lin Hongsheng rubbed his hands together, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face. "Uncle, actually... there's something else I'd like to ask you for advice on."

"Just say it. We're still relatives even if we're not five degrees of kinship, so why be so polite?"

Lin Hongsheng gritted his teeth, as if he had made a huge decision, and tremblingly pulled out the handkerchief pouch from his pocket, handing it over: "Uncle, you're so knowledgeable, please take a look... how much is this thing worth?"

Li Shouyi casually took it and lifted a corner.

The next second, his eyes widened.

Although he lived a secluded life in the mountains, he had worked as a smuggler in his youth. These earrings, so green they were almost blinding, and so clear they looked like glass—they were clearly high-quality items from a wealthy family!

"This..." Li Shouyi suddenly looked up, his eyes scanning Lin Hongsheng's face.

Lin Hongsheng gave a wry smile, his face full of helplessness: "This is my wife's most treasured possession, originally intended as Jiaojiao's dowry. But look at my Jiaojiao, she's frail, and that wooden house is drafty and damp. My husband and I discussed it and decided we couldn't let the child suffer too..."

He paused for a moment, then said earnestly, "So I want to sell this thing, get some money, and build two brick houses in the village. I don't need anything fancy, just something to keep out the wind and rain."

Li Shouyi held the pair of earrings in his hand, remaining silent for a long time.

His internal scales were swaying wildly. He had long suspected that this family, though weakened, was still wealthy and had definitely hidden some savings. The fact that they were willing to sell this family heirloom to build a house meant what? It meant they genuinely wanted to settle down and live a peaceful life here!

This is a good thing for him.

Once this family has a house and land, they're tied to Lijia Village. If the authorities investigate later, this will serve as evidence of their "law-abiding behavior."

"Have you thought it through?" Li Shouyi asked in a deep voice, pushing the earring back.

"I've made up my mind." Lin Hongsheng nodded emphatically. "From now on, we'll settle down here and not go anywhere else."

"This stuff is too precious; nobody in our poor, remote area can afford it." Li Shouyi pointed out the window. "You'll have to go to town, or Harbin, and find one of those big pawnshops. But... this needs to be done discreetly; don't flaunt your wealth, understand?"

"Understood! I'll do whatever you say, Uncle!" Lin Hongsheng was overjoyed; the deal was done!

"I'll help you find craftsmen to build the house. They're all honest men from the village, skilled, and discreet," Li Shouyi added. "As for the materials, you'll have to figure it out yourself in town. Just say you got them from someone else—they're cheap and won't attract attention."

"Oh! Oh! Uncle, you've thought of everything!"

……

That evening, in the Lin family's dilapidated wooden house, the family of three huddled together to carefully discuss their next steps.

"Dad, you have a big task tomorrow." Lin Jiaoyue, like a commander giving orders, flipped her hand and conjured a heavy little yellow croaker out of thin air, wrapped it in a rag, and stuffed it into her father's hand.

"Dad, when you go to town tomorrow, remember to scout it out first. Take this 'big yellow croaker' in pieces and exchange it. Go to several gold shops and pawnshops, just in case anyone gets their eyes on it."

Lin Hongsheng weighed the matter in his hand, and his heart skipped a beat. Only his daughter was capable; who else would dare to do something like this?

Then, Lin Jiaoyue took out another piece of paper with a simple map and a list of supplies drawn on it, covered with dense writing.

"The money we get will be distributed in this proportion: the majority will be used to buy bricks, tiles, timber, and lime. I've already inquired and found out there's a used materials market at the east end of town. You can go there to buy it; it fits our image as 'used materials collectors.'"

"With the remaining money, we'll buy seeds, farm tools, some coarse grains, and salt. To make it a complete show, we'll build houses while simultaneously clearing land, making it seem like we're desperately digging for food from the soil."

Seeing his daughter's well-organized arrangements, Lin Hongsheng was filled with boundless pride. He, a father who had been a manager for decades, had now become a "soldier" following orders.

"Yes, Commander Lin, mission accomplished!"

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Lin Hongsheng, carrying a patched and tattered cloth bag, greeted Li Shouyi and said he was going to town to "try his luck" selling jewelry before hurriedly setting off.

No sooner had he left than Lin Jiaoyue and Su Wanqing shouldered their hoes and headed up the mountain.

On the sunny slope of the wooden house, the mother and daughter began their "land reclamation performance".

Su Wanqing used to find even embroidery needles heavy, let alone such heavy work. After only a few swings of the hoe, her clothes were soaked with sweat.

"Mom, have some water."

Lin Jiaoyue handed over the military water bottle, which contained a "functional drink" she had specially mixed with spiritual spring water. Su Wanqing took a few sips and felt a cool sensation flow down her throat and throughout her body, instantly restoring strength to her previously sore arms.

"This water is so sweet," Su Wanqing exclaimed in surprise.

"The mountain spring water is good for you." Lin Jiaoyue blinked, keeping her accomplishments hidden.

The mother and daughter were working hard, which naturally did not escape the eyes of the village's "intelligence center".

Aunt Wang, cracking sunflower seeds, led a group of gossipy women to stand at a distance, pointing and whispering: "See that? That man went to town to sell his savings, while this mother and daughter are at home pretending to dig in the ground."

"Who knows if it's true or not? That Su woman has such delicate skin, how could she grow crops? Don't break the seedlings!"

"Just wait and see, I don't believe they can pull off anything. Build a house? Dream on!"

The rumors drifted over on the wind, but Lin Jiaoyue didn't even lift her eyelids.

The harsher the mockery now, the louder the slap in the face will be later. Once the big brick houses are built and super vegetables irrigated by the magic spring grow in the fields, their expressions will be priceless.

Two days later, at dusk.

Lin Hongsheng is back.

He was covered in dust and looked exhausted, but his eyes were frighteningly bright. As soon as he entered the house, he bolted the door shut, then pulled out a large wad of tightly wrapped banknotes from his pocket and slapped them onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Jiaojiao! This old woman! I have not failed you!"

Lin Hongsheng lowered his voice, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement: "The gold has been exchanged for silver dollars, and the materials have all been ordered! Tomorrow, as soon as it gets dark, the first batch of 'old bricks' will be transported to the foot of the mountain!"

Looking at the thick stack of banknotes, Su Wanqing's eyes instantly reddened.

From the bustling city of Suzhou to the frigid Northeast, their vast wealth had to be hidden away. Now, with this hard-won first public display of their riches, they are finally going to have a home that truly belongs to them on this black soil.

It was late at night.

Lin Jiaoyue lay on the hard kang (a heated brick bed), listening to her parents' breathing gradually become steady, but her mind was still racing.

Having money, a house, and a local household registration is only the first step in survival.

In this turbulent era, these alone are not enough to ensure safety. She touched the jade pendant on her chest, her consciousness sinking into her spatial dimension, looking at the "big guys" in the warehouse that had not yet been put to use, a playful smile on her lips.

Late the next night, with a creaking sound of wheels, the first wagon carrying supplies came to a stop at the foot of the mountain like a ghost…