Reborn in 1994: Starting from the Autumn Harvest

Upon seeing that Chen Hongguo had only been there a short while and was about to leave, everyone exchanged glances and nodded knowingly.

He gave a perfunctory reply, but didn't move an inch. He simply gestured for two young men in their early twenties to get up and see them off.

Liang Chuncheng, however, had a different idea. Although selling cotton was an open secret, there was still a month before the cotton harvest, and if word got out, it would definitely have an impact.

Moreover, the more people there are, the more cotton he collects, and his channels become his poor relatives in Anping Village.

He immediately went over and stopped Chen Hongguo, pressing him back into his chair and reassuring him that his worries were nothing to worry about, and that he could make money while lying down by working with him.

He then steered the conversation toward Chen Mian. He had learned from chatting with Chen Tiejun's family that Chen Hongguo's circumstances were not good; he had three sons and one daughter, and currently only his eldest daughter was married to his eldest son.

The second son, Chen Mian, is almost 20 years old. He hasn't even built a three-room house yet, let alone found a girlfriend. The third son, Chen Shu, is only 13 years old and just started sixth grade. These two boys are going to be fed by Chen Hongguo and his wife.

Liang Chuncheng guided the conversation with emotional appeal, his words striking a chord with Chen Hongguo and also touching the hearts of the others.

"Think about it yourselves. If you're going to rely on farming like crazy, with just a few dozen acres, how many years would it take to save up enough to build three rooms, how many years to buy a four-wheeled tractor? And what about the renovations? And the bride price?"

As he spoke, he grabbed the motorcycle keys again, tossed them in his hand, and said, "If we had one of these at home, would we even need to find someone to help us find a wife? Matchmakers would be kicking our doorstep to pieces."

These words struck at the heart of the Chen family, shattering their last shred of principle. Chen Hongguo lowered his head and sighed.

Subsequently, the two elderly men, Chen Tiejun and Chen Tiejun, nodded in agreement, thus finalizing the matter.

But just then, Chen Mian spoke up again.

"Um... Uncle."

Liang Chuncheng's smug expression froze for a moment, and he immediately turned his head back to see what kind of trouble this kid was up to now.

But I still had to save face: "What's wrong, nephew?"

Chen Mian smiled naturally and slowly massaged her father's shoulders. Her father was a man who couldn't sit still and probably would have to get out of bed again soon.

"My grandparents are both gone. Actually, our family can't help much with the cotton harvest in the village. We have to rely on my uncles to keep in touch."

"You all know my dad. He's not talkative or sociable, but he's good at physical labor. My older brother just got married this spring, and we haven't even harvested the cotton and watermelons yet. We don't have any spare money to do anything, and we still have debts to the wholesale store."

"How about we stop trading cotton and just sell it directly to my uncle after we buy it? He can then offer a higher price depending on the situation."

Chen Mian's words were reasonable and well-founded, which surprised the Chen family members. When did this kid become so eloquent? He spoke more fluently than the teachers at school.

Even Chen Hongguo, the father, couldn't help but look back. He felt a sense of unfamiliarity, but also a great sense of pride.

He didn't even stutter in front of so many elders; that's truly impressive.

Liang Chuncheng was also scrutinizing Chen Mian, completely baffled. She was dressed in very ordinary rural clothes and had an average appearance, yet she exuded an inexplicable confidence.

He put the motorcycle keys in his pocket, repeatedly clenching and unclenching them, and after a few seconds of contemplation, he made a decision.

He didn't have a good impression of Chen Mian, but he had to admit that what the kid said made sense and was an angle he hadn't considered.

Since Chen Hongguo can't contribute money or connections, the only use for his family's cotton fields is the few dozen acres of land, so there's no need to worry too much about it.

Afterwards, Liang Chuncheng gave Chen Hongguo a few more instructions and then said nothing more. When Chen Hongguo and his son left, he even saw them off to the door, giving them plenty of face.

The Chen Tiejun and Chen Tietian families were also beaming with joy. If they had known it was going to be a money-making opportunity, they wouldn't have named their son Chen Hongguo.

……

After leaving Chen Tiejun's house, Chen Hongguo deliberately slowed down and took the opportunity to observe Chen Mian with curiosity.

He remembered that his son used to walk with a swagger, but now his steps were smaller, more disciplined and steady, and the resentment in his body was gone.

Moreover, no matter what you ask, Chen Mian's answers always have a strange sense of maturity and composure, but thinking about it is always a good thing. Perhaps it's because she's matured, so she doesn't dwell on it too much.

Seeing that it was still early, only a little past 1 p.m., Chen Hongguo couldn't stand the thought of working in the fields and immediately gave instructions in every aspect:

"I'm going to Xiwa to meet up with your mother and cut up some rotten peaches."

"Take this to your eldest sister's house in a bit. There's fifty yuan under the mat on the kang (heated brick bed), so don't go empty-handed. On your way back, stop by the agricultural supply store in the township and buy some more pesticides. Take advantage of the good weather these days and spray them again in rotation."

Chen Mian nodded, but her eyes involuntarily reddened.

In the 90s, rural educational resources were extremely scarce. Anping Village only had one primary school, from the first year of primary school to the third grade. Students in the fourth to sixth grades had to go to Daokou Village nearby to attend school, either as boarders or day students.

Fortunately, his eldest sister, Chen Jiahua, married into Daokou Village and was able to take care of Chen Shu's food and lodging, only needing to pick him up once a week on Fridays.

However, her mother-in-law was a nitpicker. She wouldn't say anything to her face, but she would grumble about it to her brother-in-law behind his back.

Chen Mian went to jail in her previous life and her family's fortune was wiped out by the fines, and her younger brother almost had to drop out of school because of it.

During the darkest period, my eldest sister and her husband spent a lot of money and effort on her, and my eldest sister suffered a lot of mistreatment from her mother-in-law because of this, and dared not utter a single word in rebuttal.

It wasn't until her younger brother got into university and became successful that the eldest sister finally gained respect in her husband's family and her own family was able to turn their lives around.

Now that everything is starting over, Chen Mian will never let her eldest sister suffer any more grievances from her in-laws.

He let out a heavy sigh, looked up at the clear blue sky, and already had a plan in mind: "Dad, don't rush the spraying. Let's talk about it together when my older brother comes back."

Chen Hongguo turned his tricycle around, thinking that it wouldn't make a difference to spray pesticides for another half day, so he didn't think much of it.

After seeing her father off, Chen Mian didn't go inside to get the money. Instead, she turned around and went into the side room, where she found the net, bamboo pole, and small bucket piled up in the corner.

The fishing rod was just an ordinary straight bamboo rod. When Chen Mian saw that others were upgrading and no longer needed it, he said a few nice words and asked for it.

The fishing line was the same one used for flying kites, the sinker was a small screw, and the fishhook was something someone else didn't want.

All in all, I didn't spend a penny.

I wiped the fishing rod and straightened the fishing line; everything seemed normal and there were no problems.

He then went to the other side of the house and opened a yellow wooden box, which contained the old man's tattered cloth and worn-out shoes.

My grandparents only have one son and one daughter. My aunt isn't interested in these junk items, but my dad thinks they're a keepsake and he can't bear to throw them away, so they've been piling up here.

Chen Mian took out a pair of worn-out yellow rubber shoes and then cut a strip off the sole with scissors.

Then he went back into the house to get a lit candle and carefully shaped it into the shape of a loach, which was only a few centimeters long.

Finally, I made two cuts at the tail of the small loach to split it into two branches, then heated it a bit before threading it onto the fishhook.

These days, the fish in the river are extremely abundant, the types of fishing rods are limited, and most importantly, the fish haven't evolved yet and haven't seen a colorful world, so artificial lures should be able to create surprises.

……