Reborn in the 1980s: Nine Stunning Beauties Get Pregnant Before Marriage

Chen Yongqiang stared at the motionless nylon rope, knowing that this kind of waiting couldn't be rushed.

"Just staying here like this isn't a solution," he muttered to himself.

He picked up an ice chisel and carved a new ice hole next to the first one.

He baited the fishing rod with ordinary bait and put it into the newly opened ice hole.

He sat on a small stool, finding a spot between the two, so that he could keep an eye on the movement of the pole while keeping a close eye on the nylon rope tied to the iron ring.

The float on the rod bobbed occasionally, and small crucian carp were pulled up one after another. Although they were not big, the frequency was stable.

Occasionally, they might catch a carp weighing seven or eight pounds. Roughly calculated, they could catch dozens of pounds of fish a day, earning over ten yuan, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

As dusk settled, the light on the ice surface dimmed.

By the time they packed up their lines in the evening, the giant fish they had anticipated had not taken the bait.

Chen Yongqiang was not discouraged; this was expected. He retrieved the carp he had used as bait from the deep water. It was still alive, though much weaker.

"At least there's no air force." He looked at the frozen fish on the ground.

It was freezing cold outside, and the fish quickly stiffened up after being taken out of the water.

They can be temporarily kept in the space, but these common fish species are not worth the effort to raise.

He tossed his catch into a large sack on the sled and began packing his belongings in the tent.

The ice surface was deserted; the Zhang brothers had left sometime earlier.

Chen Yongqiang pulled the sled home, thinking that he could have a hot meal when he got home, which made him most happy.

After spending the past few months with Lin Xiulian, she has gradually adapted to the change in her role from sister-in-law to wife, and has managed the household very well.

The villagers went from initial gossip to eventually getting used to it, and now they have all accepted her new identity with equanimity.

This sense of security gave Chen Yongqiang a sense of peace and security whenever he was away from home.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, I could see light shining from inside the house and the faint sound of a television.

The kitchen was bustling as usual, with several neighbors engrossed in watching a small television. They all greeted him with smiles as he returned.

A short while later, Liang Meie entered the yard with her two children.

Liang Meie looked into the yard: "Yongqiang, did you catch that big fish today?"

As she spoke, she casually lifted the tarpaulin covering the sled and glanced inside; the sack contained only common catches of fish.

"No, those big guys are too clever for their own good, they're not that easy to catch." Chen Yongqiang slurped up the hot noodles Lin Xiulian had made for him.

Liang Meie clicked her tongue: "That's true. If it were that easy, wouldn't it have been brought up already? Take your time, you have plenty of patience." She kept her eyes on the TV, but chatted with Chen Yongqiang about everyday things.

"Fish are getting harder and harder to sell lately, what can we do? We used to be able to go door-to-door and exchange them for some cash, but now far fewer people are asking about them."

Chen Yongqiang finished the noodles in his bowl in a few bites, put down his chopsticks, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

He had anticipated this situation. "No rush, freeze all the fish and store them. We'll sell them near the Spring Festival, when we go to the big market."

For ordinary families, eating fish once or twice is a novelty, but they get tired of it quickly. Nobody thinks about buying fish to eat every day.

These days, there aren't many households in the village who can afford to regularly buy fish to eat. Those who used to be able to consume a lot of fish mostly relied on the state-run restaurants in town that would buy some regularly.

It seems that demand from restaurants is now almost saturated.

Lin Xiulian quietly cleared away the dishes: "There's still room in the cellar; we can store them until the New Year." She was always like this—not much of a talker, but always able to think of practical solutions.

Upon hearing this, Liang Meie's face showed some relief: "Okay, then I won't rush to sell the fish for a while, I'll just store them for now."

Chen Yongqiang watched the TV, silently calculating in his mind: the market in town is only so big.

An idea gradually became clear in his mind: next spring, he had to find a way to buy a tractor. With a tractor, he could haul his goods to the county town to sell.

With a large population and numerous factories in the county, people have the financial resources to spend money, so they probably won't have to worry about selling any amount of mountain products.

The thought stirred something within him, but he quickly calmed down.

Buying a tractor is no small expense, so the original plans to build a new house and get a motorcycle for the family will probably have to be postponed.

Around seven o'clock, Ms. Gao Yuanyuan, a teacher at the school, arrived.

She's a regular here now, mainly because she wants to watch the news broadcast.

The people in the room were very welcoming to her and quickly made room for her near the TV.

As Gao Yuanyuan took off her scarf, she smiled at Liang Meie and said, "Sister-in-law Meie, it's perfect that you're here. There's something I'd like to talk to you about. Your son is quite lively at school, but sometimes... he can't sit still in class and likes to talk to the students next to him."

Upon hearing this, Liang Meie immediately felt embarrassed. She turned and glared at her son, who was huddled in the corner, before quickly forcing a smile at Teacher Gao.

"Teacher Gao, I'm really sorry to trouble you! You don't know, this child's father passed away early, and I'm the only able-bodied person in the family. I'm busy making money all day long, and I really can't take care of everything."

"He usually spends most of his time with his grandparents, and since they're older, they tend to spoil him a bit, so he's become quite unruly..."

Chen Yongqiang listened without interrupting, while Lin Xiulian poured Teacher Gao a cup of hot water.

Gao Yuanyuan took the water, nodded her thanks, and said, "I understand, I understand. The child isn't bad by nature, he's just very energetic and needs someone to keep him in check."

Liang Meie nodded repeatedly, then pulled her son over and made him promise to the teacher that he would be obedient in the future.

The topic quickly drew everyone's attention again as the news on TV began to air.

The news anchor on CCTV's evening news program reported a new policy: a nationwide campaign to rigorously promote family planning is underway, with the issue of "fines for having more children than allowed" in rural areas becoming a prominent point of contention.

Qin Shan, who had been leaning against the wall, sat up almost imperceptibly. He stared at the television screen, his face expressionless.

He originally had a pretty good job in the county, with a government-subsidized grain ration.

But he already has two daughters, and he wants a son.

In order to evade the strict family planning scrutiny in the city, he took advantage of the policy of building a reservoir in his hometown and encouraging some residents to relocate, and applied for a place to settle down in the relatively remote Shimen Village with his wife and children.

I thought that since the emperor was far away, I could wait a few years and quietly get the matter of having a son settled.

Unexpectedly, the wind kept getting closer and closer, and it looked like it was about to blow into this mountain valley.

The news footage flashed by some propaganda slogans and scenes of officials visiting households.

Chen Yongqiang remained calm, but in his heart he was thinking: it will be difficult for the children he has with Xiulian to get registered in the future, but there are always more solutions than problems, so he will deal with it when the time comes.

Qin Shan stood up, abandoning the television: "Yongqiang, I'm going back now."

He said goodbye and headed out, eager to go back and tell his wife about it.

Liang Meie hugged her two children tightly. She had no plans to have any more children, so this policy had little impact on her.