After breakfast, the three of them set off. Grandmother Zhang Guifen carried a basket containing twenty eggs; in these times, bringing twenty eggs when visiting relatives was considered quite a respectful gesture. Li Xiulan also carried a basket, filled with vegetables, which were meant for her sister-in-law’s family.
The walk to the sister-in-law’s place took less than half an hour. By the time they arrived, Feng Xinghua’s husband had already left for work, and she was at home feeding her children breakfast.
Xinghua had three sons: Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu. Dahu, the eldest, was eight years old and already in primary school, while the younger two were playing at home. Hearing the knock at the door, Xinghua hurriedly told Erhu to open it, as she was busy tending to a fussing Xiaohu.
"Great-grandmother, Grandmother, Auntie, Mom! My grandmother and the others are here!" Erhu shouted happily upon opening the door.
"Grandma, Mom, Xiulan, why are you here? Come in, come in! Xiaohu is being fussy again, and I haven't had a moment to open the door," Xinghua said, carrying Xiaohu over to greet them.
"Erhu is such a good boy. Xiaohu, come here, let Grandmother hold you. Why are you crying? There, there," Zhang Guifen said, patting Erhu’s head before quickly stepping forward to take Xiaohu from Xinghua’s arms to soothe him.
Seeing the baskets of goods they had brought, Xinghua chided them gently: "Grandma, why did you bring so many things? You should take these back home later. We have everything we need here; it’s just a bit cramped. Please, sit down. Erhu, why haven't you brought a stool for your aunt?"
As she bustled about tidying up, she managed to clear a small space. With three children in the house, a bit of clutter was normal, but she wanted to make room for her guests.
"This is the only drawback to living in town—the place is so cramped. If we were back in the village, you’d have a large courtyard. It will be better when the children are older. I’ll have your father ask the village about getting you a plot of land. With three boys, this place will be far too small when they grow up and get married," Zhang Guifen said while rocking Xiaohu. This was only the second time she had visited since her second daughter had moved out, and she couldn't help but inwardly curse her daughter's biased mother-in-law.
"Even though it's small, it’s in a prime location. Don't listen to Mom, Xinghua. If you're going to buy a place in the future, buy in town. I've heard they have those multi-story buildings now. Or, if you make enough money, you can just add a few more floors. But if you really want to move back to the village, Grandma has land that we can divide among you sisters," Grandma added. She often felt annoyed that her daughter-in-law complained about the space whenever they visited but never dared to stand up to the in-laws.
"That's right, Second Sister. You’re in the heart of town. Later on, you could start a small business; you'd be making money just sitting there," Li Xiulan said. Before entering, she had observed the surroundings; this was a house in the center of town. If it were her, she would sell something to make money while staying home with the children.
"Xiulan, you're not kidding—I have thought about doing business. It’s just that this place is so cramped that I can barely turn around, let alone sell anything."
Xinghua was a woman of action. In the short time they had been there, she had already organized the room. Li Xiulan noticed that while the house had been cluttered, it wasn't dirty, which showed that Xinghua was a woman who valued cleanliness.
"We came today because we wanted to ask you about the business idea. Xiulan shared something with us last night," Zhang Guifen said. Now that Xiaohu was quiet, they finally had a chance to talk, and she explained the plan to Xinghua.
"Xiulan, I never expected you to have such ideas. I think it’s a great one! Your brother-in-law told me that the canteen at the mine is nothing special—the same few dishes over and over again. They don't taste like much, and there’s hardly any fat in the food. If I weren't tied down with these two, I would have set up a stall there myself," Xinghua said, nodding. She realized that her sister-in-law, whom she had always thought of as quiet and mousy, was actually quite bright. Like her parents, she had assumed that after her brother passed away, Xiulan would eventually remarry; she was young, after all. Yet, even if she had left, they would have had no reason to stop her—especially given the history between their family and Chen Jinhua’s family, which had cost Xiulan the chance to have another child.
"Xinghua, do you think the people at the mine would be willing to spend money? And if we do private business, will we get in trouble?" Zhang Guifen asked, finally letting out a sigh of relief now that she knew Xinghua supported the idea.
"Mom, nobody cares about that anymore. I heard that they're actually encouraging private trade now. Ever since the sent-down youth returned and couldn't find work, some people resorted to petty theft. But after the crackdowns last year—I heard many of those old hoodlums were executed—it’s actually safe to do business now. Didn’t you see people selling things on your way into town? I’ve been observing lately, and people are willing to spend. Especially the miners; they eat out all the time. I'm very interested, but with these two little ones, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it alone."
"Second Sister, I think you could set up a stall right here in your doorway. If you’re worried that cooking will make the kids cry, you could sell other things. Vegetables, stationery, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, pots, pans, or batteries and flashlights—things that are easy to store and that everyone needs. You could even use the floor space on the second level," Li Xiulan suggested.
Xinghua’s eyes lit up. "Xiulan, your mind is so sharp! Why didn't I think of that? Let’s wait until your brother-in-law has a day off, and we can all go to the city together. If we can get a good supplier, those things would be perfect to sell."
Xinghua was thoroughly impressed. She had intended to go with her husband, but she realized that having Xiulan’s sharp mind with them would be much better.
"That works. We were planning on selling food, so we need to buy supplies anyway. I’ll discuss the list with Mom and Grandma when we get home, and we can buy everything in the county town—it’ll be cheaper," Li Xiulan said. She had been wondering how to go about purchasing everything, and with her sister-in-law and her husband involved, she wouldn't have to worry about safety.
"Don't wait a few days then. I remember Youcai has his day off the day after tomorrow. Bring the children to our place tomorrow night, and the three of you can go the day after. Maybe have your mother go with you, too, in case you buy too much to carry," Grandma suggested.
Xinghua agreed. With the children taken care of, she could finally make this happen. She had heard that her sister-in-law on her husband's side was also planning to start a business. That sister-in-law was notoriously shrewd; seeing that Xinghua had three sons while she only had one, she had goaded her husband and mother-in-law into splitting the family assets. Now, the mother-in-law, who was still young and strong, lived with them.
Xinghua’s family of five had been allocated only two tiny rooms—one for living, one for guests. As the children grew, they couldn't keep sleeping with the adults, and eventually, they would have to sleep on the second-floor loft. She knew her sister-in-law well; if she started a business, she would surely come to borrow money. With the mother-in-law’s backing, her husband, Youcai, would find it hard to refuse. This was the perfect opportunity to get things moving before that became an issue.