Reborn in 1981, the first to get rich start with dairy cows.

"Comrade Shen Dong, please have a seat. There's nothing fancy to eat, but please don't mind."

Shen Dong quickly waved his hand to indicate, "No, my family usually eats these things too. I really like them, and they smell delicious. Xiaojun said your cooking is very good, so I must try them later."

Inside the room, a low wooden table was neatly arranged, with a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes, a dish of pickled radishes, a bowl of scrambled eggs with scallions, and freshly made cornbread, steaming hot.

The only meat dish on the table was a small bowl of stir-fried shredded pork.

"Thank goodness, otherwise I would have felt even more guilty if I had eaten something nice."

"Xiaojun, call your mother out, dinner's ready." Qiu Xiaoqin knew that Shen Dong was aware of her family situation, so she didn't hide anything from him.

Qiu Xiaojun hesitated for a second, but still called his mother out.

"Mom, dinner's ready." He said, helping a middle-aged woman with gray hair out of the room.

"Is it time to eat? Dad, Xiaoqin is still doing her homework, don't forget to call her!" the woman said, patting Qiu Xiaojun's hand.

"Okay, got it."

After her mother sat down, Qiu Xiaoqin explained, "After my father died that year, my mother also fell ill. After she recovered, she became mentally impaired..." As she spoke, she gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and continued, "Sometimes she mistakes my younger brother for my father, and her memories are stuck in the years before my father passed away."

"Brother Shen, my sister is amazing. Without her, our family would have fallen apart long ago," Qiu Xiaojun added from the side.

Being praised by her younger brother in front of outsiders made Qiu Xiaoqin a little embarrassed, and she said softly, "Let's eat first, it'll get cold soon."

At the dinner table, Qiu Xiaojun's mother, Wang Li, ate quietly to the side, her face always expressionless, which made Shen Dong feel a little sad.

Qiu Xiaojun, once he started talking, would tell stories about the interesting things he encountered while he was out there, and then ask Shen Dong to talk about the dairy factory.

At his repeated requests, Shen Dong briefly recounted his recent "glorious deeds," which gave Qiu Xiaojun a complete understanding, and he exclaimed in admiration from the side.

Qiu Xiaoqin listened quietly, only occasionally answering a few questions when her younger brother asked one.

Having lived for decades longer than others, Shen Dong knew exactly what Qiu Xiaojun was thinking. He realized that today's meal was clearly a setup by Qiu Xiaojun.

It wasn't his sister who invited him; it was clearly this kid using his sister's name as an excuse.

However, he didn't feel disgusted. In his previous life, he didn't dare to hope for love in the first half of his life because he was timid and aloof. In the second half of his life, he wanted to but never had the chance.

Actually, when it comes to relationships, I guess I'm a complete novice...

Now that there's an opportunity, and Qiu Xiaoqin has a strong personality and is quick and efficient—she's definitely a good girl for settling down—it's just a matter of not knowing what the other person is thinking. We can't let it end up being just wishful thinking on his part...

Shen Dong thought for a moment, then secretly glanced at it a couple more times.

Qiu Xiaojun secretly observed from the side, and after catching Shen Dong's little trick, he chuckled to himself.

The setting sun cast dappled light and shadows on the table through the window. Shen Dong and Qiu Xiaojun chatted happily, and Qiu Xiaoqin occasionally smiled. They enjoyed the meal in a relaxed and pleasant manner.

"Xiaojun, what are you thinking? Are you still going to continue this charade?"

"Hey, Brother Shen, what else can we do but keep going? Besides, I think things are changing a bit now, so I'm thinking of going around and learning from other people's business practices."

Shen Dong also disagreed, asking, "Can't you continue your studies?"

"I'm not going anymore. My grades aren't good, so it's better not to go and avoid adding to my family's burden."

"Nonsense, you clearly got full marks on all your sixth-grade final exams..." Before Qiu Xiaojun could finish speaking, Qiu Xiaoqin whispered the revelation from the side.

"Hehe..." Qiu Xiaojun chuckled awkwardly, then, as if he had thought of something, asked, "Brother Shen, now that you're in charge of the dairy factory, do you think my sister could get a job there?"

"Xiaojun!" Qiu Xiaoqin called out angrily.

"What's wrong? What's wrong with Xiaojun?" Wang Li asked疑惑地.

"It's okay, Mom, Xiaojun just got the question wrong." Qiu Xiaoqin quickly reassured him, then glared at her younger brother, clearly displeased with his question.

Qiu Xiaojun didn't care what his sister thought. He only knew that as long as his sister entered the factory and interacted with Brother Shen every day, sparks of love would surely fly, and then he would have a factory manager as his brother-in-law.

Shen Dong glanced at the young man, pretending not to notice Qiu Xiaoqin's anger, and replied, "Of course, we hired five a few days ago, so now we only have 18 people including myself. We're going to add more production lines later, so we're short-staffed."

"Really?!" Qiu Xiaojun jumped up excitedly. "Sis, did you hear that? Brother Shen said you can work at the dairy factory too!"

Before Qiu Xiaoqin could speak, Shen Dong continued, "Yes, as long as Comrade Qiu Xiaoqin is willing, she can come to report tomorrow."

Qiu Xiaojun stared intently at his sister, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Qiu Xiaoqin felt a little awkward under their gazes and said shyly, "I'll think about it some more..." Then she shyly put down her bowl and temporarily hid in the kitchen.

Seeing that it was almost time and that he had helped Qiu Xiaojun achieve his goal, Shen Dong prepared to leave.

Qiu Xiaoqin came out of the kitchen, carrying a bag of dried sweet potato chips: "Comrade Shen Dong, you brought so many valuable things, but we don't have anything to give in return. Take this, I made it myself, and you and your sister can try it when you get home."

Shen Dong did not refuse and accepted it with a smile: "Thank you, Comrade Qiu Xiaoqin, thank you for your help today."

"It's no trouble at all; we're the ones troubling you."

Shen Dong hung the dried sweet potatoes on the handlebars, got on his bicycle, and waved goodbye to the two men.

The evening breeze, carrying the sweet aroma of dried sweet potatoes, made Shen Dong pedal with even more energy.

As soon as he arrived home, he saw Tang Yue's family, Shen Changping, and Liu Xiuying all sitting around the table. When they saw Shen Dong walk in, everyone's eyes lit up.

Upon seeing the dried sweet potatoes in Shen Dong's hand, Tang Yue was the first to ask, "Dongzi, where did you get these dried sweet potatoes?"

"Oh, this was a gift from Qiu Xiaojun's family."

"Was it posted by his sister, Qiu Xiaoqin?"

"Yes, I think so..." Shen Dong replied, forcing a smile.

Tang Yue, Shen Min, and Shen Hong exchanged a meaningful glance and said, "Oh~~~"

"You guys, stop fooling around," Liu Xiuying said with a smile, patting Tang Yue on the shoulder before asking, "Dongzi, you met her, how was it?"

Shen Dong scratched his head, pretending not to understand: "What? How was it? The food? It was alright, but not as good as Grandma's and Aunt's."

"You're just being cheeky!"

"But you'll be 18 after the New Year, so you're old enough to go on blind dates. Get to know the people you meet properly. They come from tough families, so you have to be serious."

It was obvious that Tang Yue had already told her family what she knew before Shen Dong went home. Since everyone was honest and law-abiding, she still had to remind them of what needed to be reminded.

"Okay, you guys go home now, I'm going to sleep too!"

"Haha, Dongzi's even blushing..."