All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

The two elderly people nodded, clearly not wanting to keep the guests. Seeing this, Lei Dongbao smiled and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he secretly glanced at Song Yunping. Unexpectedly, Song Yunping was also looking at him. Song Yunping quickly lowered her head shyly.

Seeing the shyness in Song Yunping's eyes, Lei Dongbao immediately understood. He realized that his efforts today had not been in vain; he had secured a place for her in his heart. Now, all that remained was for the right moment to take care of everything.

Thinking of this, he didn't linger any longer, got on his bicycle which was parked in the corner of the yard, and sped away.

Song Yunping stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching Lei Dongbao's figure slowly disappear into the mountain path, her eyes shining, a special kind of brilliance slowly growing in her heart.

For a young girl who had never been in love before, Lei Dongbao's actions and words today stirred up a lot of emotions in Song Yunping. This was the first time in her life that a man had entered her heart. She had a lot to say to Lei Dongbao, but she didn't know how to say it. Just then, she heard her father's voice from behind.

"Pingping, come here for a second!"

Song Yunping quickly regained her senses, touched her still slightly flushed cheeks, and hurriedly ran into the house.

As soon as they entered the house, Song's father sat in a chair with a pipe in his mouth, silent. Song's mother was taking out the food that Song Yunping had left for them from the pot.

On Song's father's face, there was always a trace of unresolved sorrow, which stemmed from his life experiences. On the eve of liberation, he was forcibly conscripted by the Nationalist army. Although it only lasted for two months, his unit was defeated and he was eventually released and returned home.

However, his experience of joining the National Revolutionary Army at the end of 49 ruined his life. His family background also caused him to lose his innocence.

His life was completely ruined by those two months. He didn't get married until he was over thirty. His relatives avoided him, and his children suffered discrimination because of his problems. In the end, his two children finally got into university, but only one of them got a place.

All his life experiences have made this man, who is only just over fifty, look more than ten years older than the average person, like he is in his sixties or seventies. His body is always hunched over, as if he is always half a step lower than others, and he is timid and hesitant in his daily life.

As someone who had been through it all, Song's father could tell at a glance that his daughter had developed feelings for Lei Dongbao. He took a puff of his pipe, sighed, raised his head, and slowly spoke to Song Yunping.

"Pingping, you and Lei Dongbao are not a good match!"

Chapter 6: Start Making Plans

Upon hearing her father's words, Song Yunping's expression of surprise flashed across her face. She looked up at her father, but didn't say a word; she just stood there, stunned.

Mr. Song tapped his pipe and sighed deeply.

“I’ve heard of Lei Dongbao from Xiao Lei’s family. He just returned from military service this year. He comes from a good family and is a Party member. He’s recently been appointed as the deputy secretary of the brigade by their commune. Pingping, Lei Dongbao is destined to be someone who will never be on the same path as our family. If you stay with him, it will definitely not end well. You’ll also be disliked by the people around you. Your reputation won’t be good either!”

After saying all this, the sorrow on Song's father's face deepened. His experiences in his youth made him cautious and prudent throughout his life, afraid that others would find fault with him or that even the slightest disturbance would bring utter disaster to his family.

People often say that fathers and sons are of one mind, and Song's father's cautious nature was passed on to his son, Song Yunhui. When Song Yunhui was young, he deeply resented his father for giving birth to him in such a family.

So he vowed from a young age to change his family's fate. He studied hard and tried to be the best in everything. His belief was that as long as he didn't make mistakes, no one could criticize him. Only by doing everything right in his life could he move forward without hesitation.

This personality trait was later transferred to his work. No matter how small the problem was, he would strive to do his best and adopt the most correct solution. Unfortunately, it was only many years later that Song Yunhui realized that life is not just about right and wrong, and that people's hearts are often more important than right and wrong.

It was precisely because of this personality that he offended many people at work and suffered countless losses. All his lessons were accumulated from these repeated setbacks.

Song Yunping did not inherit this personality trait; she only inherited her mother's indomitable spirit. After listening to her father's words, the flush on Song Yunping's face slowly faded, and a resolute look appeared. She raised her head, looked at her father, and spoke in a confessional tone.

“Dad, I believe Lei Dongbao is a good man. He has a different kind of charm than other men, and his excellence is very attractive to me. I will think it over carefully before I agree to our relationship. It’s too early for us to talk about these things now. I will take my life’s most important matter very seriously. I hope you can make the choice for me, Dad!”

Mr. Song glanced at Song Yunping and said nothing more. It was unclear whether he agreed with Song Yunping or wanted to protest silently. At this moment, the mother walked up to the father and daughter with a bowl of dishes. She glanced at the father and daughter, placed the fish and tofu stew made by Lei Dongbao in front of Mr. Song, and then said.

“Honey, Pingping has read so many books, she can make her own judgments. Xiaohui is in college now, and our family is no worse off than others. Didn’t you hear what Xiaohui said in his letter last time? The issue of our family being removed from the poverty list will be resolved soon. When that time comes, our family will be clean and honest. Pingping is so outstanding, why can’t she find an outstanding man? The children’s happiness is what we parents care about most. The children should choose their own happiness, aren’t you happy?”

Mr. Song sighed, put down his pipe, which was tantamount to acknowledging the matter. He picked up his bowl and chopsticks and began to eat. He had just picked up a piece of tofu and put it in his mouth. After chewing it a few times, Mr. Song was stunned. He looked down at the plate of fish and tofu, remained silent for two seconds, and then continued to chew.

Seeing Mr. Song's expression, Mrs. Song asked in confusion.

"What's wrong? Isn't it fresh anymore?"

Mr. Song shook his head, glanced at Song Yunping, and pointed to the plate.

"Pingping, this dish was also made by Lei Dongbao."

Song Yunping was still lost in her thoughts when her father asked her a question. She quickly snapped out of it, nodded, and said.

"Dad, does this taste to your liking? I really like this dish!"

Mr. Song nodded, a rare smile appearing on his face.

"This Lei Dongbao is indeed very talented. With his cooking skills alone, he could be a head chef in a restaurant. This simple fish and tofu stew is fresher than what others make. It's extraordinary! There's even a faint sweet aroma in it. It's truly exceptional!"

Song Yunping was finally happy after her father's praise, and she quickly smiled and asked her mother to try it too.

Moved by what she was said, Song's mother picked up a piece of fish, gently put it in her mouth, and slowly chewed it. After a while, she nodded, looked at Song Yunping, and asked.

“Pingping, Lei Dongbao is a good man. Mom supports you. Such a capable man should be seized by our Pingping. I just saw that the table in the inner room was also repaired by Lei Dongbao, right?”

Encouraged by her mother, Song Yunping nodded and began to chatter on and on about everything Lei Dongbao had done that day. Of course, she didn't dare to mention that Lei Dongbao had hugged her at the end.

After hearing their daughter describe Lei Dongbao's radiant appearance, Mr. and Mrs. Song exchanged a glance, each seeing a mixture of emotions in each other's eyes. It seemed that their daughter had clearly fallen for him.

After the meal, Song's mother cleared the table and started washing the dishes. Song's father glanced at the door, finally sighed inwardly, and slowly spoke to Song Yunping.

"Pingping, when you have time, invite Lei Dongbao over for a meal. Let's meet up!"

When her father said this, it was clear that he was beginning to soften his stance, and Song Yunping nodded happily.

Lei Dongbao returned to Xiaolei Village, returned the bicycle to the Party Secretary, and then went home to tidy up the house, doing some repairs and maintenance.

This house can truly be described as bare. The ground is uneven and pitted, and years of trampling have turned the soil a dark, unsightly color. There are several rat holes the size of bowls in the surrounding mud walls. In the dead of winter, it is drafty everywhere, and there is no heat in the house at night.

I will definitely settle things with Song Yunping as soon as possible and marry her. I'm too ashamed to show my face in this situation. Although we can make do for now, I can't let Pingping come into the house and freeze!

Lei Dongbao didn't want to tell his mother about his affair with Song Yunping. He figured if he did, the whole village would know by tomorrow. His mother couldn't stand not talking about it for a day, so he decided to keep it a secret for now.

The next day, Lei Dongbao went directly to the brigade headquarters at the village entrance. The old Party Secretary had been in charge of Xiao Lei Village for decades. The old Party Secretary had an inescapable responsibility for how Xiao Lei Village had developed into what it is today, but could he really be blamed?

No, the old Party Secretary has seen more people and things in his life than Lei Dongbao has ever tasted salt. He once wanted to lead the villagers to prosperity, including building brick kilns and doing a series of other things.

However, within a few years, the repeated ups and downs left the old Party Secretary exhausted. Ten years ago, he took the lead in sealing off the brick kiln. The idea that doing less or not doing anything was the only way to avoid making mistakes was a common belief in this era.

However, seeing that the surrounding villages and brigades were gradually developing while Xiaolei Village was stagnating or even regressing, the old Party Secretary, who was also the brigade's Party Secretary, was anxious.

After Lei Dongbao returned from military service, the old Party Secretary immediately went to the commune to submit a report, requesting that Lei Dongbao be appointed as the deputy secretary so that he could take over the position later. The old secretary knew that only a fearless and hardworking young man like Lei Dongbao could lead Xiao Lei Village to prosperity.

Lei Dongbao entered the brigade headquarters and saw only a bespectacled man writing something. He frowned, didn't waste any words, walked directly to the loudspeaker, turned on the loudspeaker, and spoke.

"I am Lei Dongbao. I hereby request that all unmarried men over the age of twenty in the village brigade come to the brigade headquarters for a meeting as soon as possible. I will only say this once. Those who do not come will bear the consequences themselves!"

After saying that, Lei Dongbao turned off the radio. He looked up and saw that the four-eyed man across from him was looking at him curiously. Lei Dongbao thought about it and still felt a little uneasy, so he walked over to the four-eyed man and said something.

"I'm having a meeting soon. Gather everyone here now and call all the bachelors over twenty years old in the village to the brigade headquarters for a meeting!"

Four-Eyes was the brigade accountant, and usually wielded considerable power in the village. He was a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. He looked up at the somewhat unfamiliar deputy secretary in front of him, intending to give him a perfunctory response and first establish his authority, since he, Four-Eyes, was in charge of the brigade's finances.

Before he could even speak, Lei Dongbao on the other end said something.

"Four-Eyes, you have half an hour. If you haven't gotten this done by then, you're fired, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Four-Eyes' expression immediately changed. He adjusted his glasses, smiled and bowed, and ran out in a flash.

Lei Dongbao snorted, poured himself a cup of tea, found a chair to sit down, and began to study the village map.

Besides running the brick kiln, the old Party Secretary also asked him to do something else, which was about the "household contract responsibility system" that the country had been talking about recently!

This year marks the end of 7, and the policy of distributing land to individual households has been implemented nationwide with great fanfare. However, due to various issues, local administrators are hesitant to promote the policy openly. As a result, many local administrators have the policy documents but are unsure how to implement them, fearing that they might overstep their bounds and cause trouble later.

The Xiao Lei family had also received the document long ago. The old Party Secretary couldn't understand what it meant, so he wanted to pass the burden to Lei Dongbao. After all, Lei Dongbao was young and daring. Letting Lei Dongbao handle this matter while he oversaw it from behind was the best solution.

When Lei Dongbao received the document, he didn't rush to measure the land and distribute the produce to individual households as he did in the original story. He decided to wait a few months until the policy was clarified and then proceed accordingly. There was no need to make a scene now.

There are many ways for Xiao Lei to get rich, so there's no need to rush. In the original story, Lei Dongbao led everyone to build a brick factory, a precast concrete factory, a construction team, and later, despite opposition, he established a wire factory. Lei Dongbao could have followed the same path as in the original story, but he had some doubts.

Building brick factories, precast concrete plants, and construction teams are all viable options, given the existing brick kilns. The other projects are not technically difficult and can be easily managed; the only issues are cement, which are addressed in the original text.

As for the more technologically advanced wire factory, Lei Dongbao hasn't considered that much yet. He'll see when the time comes. Rather than running a wire factory, he should focus on more practical businesses.

In rural areas during that era, starting a business meant starting something simple and low-tech. Many of the most famous companies in later generations grew from small township enterprises.

First, build some small factories with little technological content to lay a solid foundation, earn some money to solve the immediate difficulties of Xiaolei Village, and then develop other industries.

Chapter 7: Human Nature

Lei Dongbao sorted out his thoughts and decided to start with the brick kiln. With more than a month left before the Lunar New Year, he would first measure the land and then distribute the land to individual households after the New Year.

He also learned how to raise Angora rabbits while simultaneously pursuing and winning over Song Yunping.

Speaking of raising Angora rabbits, this has actually been done in China for many years, and it has been practiced locally for more than ten years. Locally, raising Angora rabbits is generally encouraged and even vigorously promoted. The reason for this encouragement is that rabbit fur is very popular in the international market and can be exchanged for foreign exchange.

I'll be 79 soon, and these are the best years for Angora rabbit farming. The whole country is encouraging Angora rabbit farming, including the introduction of high-quality rabbit breeds from abroad.

In those years, many farmers made a small fortune by raising Angora rabbits, and some even became millionaires. The purchase price of rabbit fur increased year by year. In this situation, the government even encouraged everyone to raise rabbits by giving rewards. After all, in the 1980s, there were only a few industries that could earn foreign exchange for the country.

Five years later, due to changes in the international trade situation, rabbit fur suddenly became unsellable, and prices dropped rapidly, causing the trend of raising Angora rabbits to gradually fade away.

Lei Dongbao thought this was a promising business opportunity. He decided to quickly raise a batch of rabbits while there weren't many other rabbit breeders around. He couldn't rely solely on rabbit fur to make money, as that would be too slow.

Taking advantage of the rising trend of raising Angora rabbits, I must sell rabbit breeds. Once I make money from rabbit breeds, everyone around me will be raising Angora rabbits, and I can buy rabbit fur and make a profit from the price difference. When rabbit fur becomes worthless, I can switch to other industries.

Of course, this cannot be their main business. If Xiao Lei wants to get rich, they need to find a lucrative industry to develop. Starting the brick kiln is just to give these old bachelors something to do temporarily.

Just then, a steady stream of young people began to walk toward the brigade headquarters. These young people were mostly like-minded people who had grown up with Lei Dongbao and knew what kind of personality he had. When they arrived at the brigade headquarters, each of them greeted Lei Dongbao with a smile before finding a place to sit down.

Lei Dongbao looked at the listless faces and felt angry. He kept a cold face as he watched these people chatting and shaking their legs at the brigade headquarters.

In less than half an hour, several of Lei Dongbao's close childhood friends arrived and began to help maintain order. At this time, the entire brigade headquarters was packed with people. Everyone knew Lei Dongbao's temper; a new brigade leader always makes a big splash, and no one dared to provoke him. Almost everyone had arrived.

The bespectacled accountant bowed and scraped to Lei Dongbao's side, reporting that he had successfully completed the task assigned by the secretary. Lei Dongbao waved his hand, telling him to stand aside and wait for instructions.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Lei Dongbao stood up, waved his hand, and asked everyone to quiet down.

Once everyone had quieted down, he cleared his throat and roared with a serious face.

"I called everyone here today to announce three things. First, I've decided to reopen the brick kiln that the old Party Secretary sealed off ten years ago, and try to produce the first batch of bricks before the end of the year. I plan to contract out the two brick kilns separately from the brigade, with separate expenses and separate cost and profit accounting, to establish a brick factory. We need thirty people here. If you're willing to work for me, just grab your tools and head out!"

The second thing is that I've recently researched some breeding experience, and I've decided to establish a cooperative for raising Angora rabbits in our Xiaoleijia brigade. Families willing to raise Angora rabbits can contribute their own money for the breeding stock, and I will handle the procurement of the breeding stock. I will also organize everyone to learn the techniques and experience of raising Angora rabbits. This part will mainly be handled by the women. You can go home and discuss this with your mothers, brothers, sisters, and sisters. In short, if you're willing to raise them, come to Siyan's place to register later!

After Lei Dongbao finished talking about these two things, he found that everyone wasn't very enthusiastic. Lei Dongbao wasn't surprised. That's how it is in Xiaolei Village. Every household is used to being poor. If you say you want to change, many of them really won't get used to it.

But there's no rush. When it comes to making money, once someone takes the lead, the others will eventually be begging to join. It's just a matter of time!

Lei Dongbao took a sip of tea, pondered for a moment, and continued.

"There's another matter, which concerns the joint production contract system for farmland. The general idea is that in the future, all the farmland of the village brigade will be distributed to each of you according to the population. The higher-ups' intentions on this matter are not yet clear. My suggestion is that we measure the land first and then proceed with this matter when the time is right!"

Lei Dongbao's topic piqued everyone's interest, and they started chattering about it. That's how people are. Before, whether it was brick kilns or raising Angora rabbits, the reason why people didn't care was because they weren't sure that as long as they didn't do it, their own families wouldn't suffer any losses.

The news of distributing land to individual households was a major event for every family, and everyone discussed how to distribute it reasonably.

Lei Dongbao slowly sipped his tea, and after they had finished arguing, he slammed his hand on the table and sternly scolded them.

"Look at the state you've all become! Even if you were given land, could your families support themselves on that little bit of land? Would any girls from other villages marry into your families? You're all brainless idiots. Once you've made money, built new houses, and are well-fed, matchmakers will naturally come to your door to arrange marriages. Look at yourselves now! If you were women, would you choose cowards like yourselves as husbands?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances, all looking insecure. Clearly, if they put themselves in their shoes, they would know that with their circumstances, no girl would be willing to marry into their family.