When they reached the foot of the mountain, Shen Jianan pulled up a handful of grass, rolled it into a wad, and placed it on his shoulder. Only then did he stoop down, hoist the bicycle onto his shoulder, and carefully make his way up the rugged mountain path.
In truth, he could easily have waited until tomorrow to get his official letter of introduction and borrow the bicycle, which would have saved him a lot of effort. But in the countryside, borrowing things from people early in the morning was not only awkward, but there was also no telling how Zhao Qiancheng might give him a hard time.
As the people at the Educated Youth Point had shown, they were a cautionary tale: every time they went to Zhao Qiancheng for a letter of introduction, they were put through the wringer.
It wasn't that he refused to issue the letters altogether; rather, he judged people by their status and dragged his feet. If the gift you brought was a bit too meager, he might stall you for ten days or half a month.
Yet no matter how angry everyone got, nobody dared to say much. After all, the man always brushed them off with the excuse of being busy with official duties—who would be crazy enough to claim that personal business was more important than public service?
Therefore, to avoid being tormented, Shen Jianan had chosen to go to Zhao Qiancheng at this exact time.
After all, it wasn't the busy harvest season right now, so there was no evening labor. Besides, although it was dark, it was still early, and a round trip between the Zhao family and the production brigade took only a few minutes, making it impossible for the man to use busyness as an excuse to brush him off.
And even if he did try to brush him off, it didn't matter—he had a whole night to wear Zhao Qiancheng down.
Still, he had lucked out by running into Zhao Hongjun. The other's timely push had allowed him to smoothly obtain the letter of introduction and borrow the bicycle, which saved him a tremendous amount of trouble.
From the bottom of his heart, Shen Jianan felt grateful to him and resolved to find an opportunity later to show his appreciation to Zhao Hongjun.
"Hah... hah..."
Panting heavily, the young man successfully climbed the halfway path up the mountain. Guided by the moonlight, he looked up at the courtyard gate right before him, a smile breaking across his face. He carefully set the bicycle down and wheeled it into his bedroom for storage.
Just as he straightened up, raising a hand to beat at his aching shoulder, he walked over to the table to write a letter to his parents, intending to ask his family to help brainstorm ways to find study materials for both him and Gu Yu.
After all, the original owner's home was in Haishi, and his aunt was a backbone of the local education system; finding such materials would be far easier for her than for him in a small county town. After sealing the letter and slipping it into his satchel, he began to write an article.
He had mentioned before that he wanted to go into business, but since he didn't have that much capital, he wanted to rely on his pen first to earn some seed money. If he succeeded, it would also help build his reputation, providing a boost later when he went to college or entered the workforce.
Even if it didn't work out, it didn't matter; he could just treat it as practice and figure out other ways later.
Only, in this era, there were many taboos surrounding creative writing, so he had to strike the right balance. After a moment's thought, he decided to write an article about educated youth going down to the countryside.
Drawing on the period romance novels he had read in modern times and combining them with the current general environment, he would trace the emotional development of the male protagonist, Gu Hongxing, and the female protagonist, Shen Xiufang, woven through a backdrop of passionate struggle, writing a short story that was both lighthearted and inspiring.
He planned to submit it first to the Haishi General Publishing House of Literature and Art. After all, his family was local, so he knew the place quite well; established for over twenty years, the publishing house had a broad scope of book publishing and a rich variety of titles, making it a large-scale state-level publishing house.
The style of his writing leaned toward fiction, making a submission here the most fitting choice possible.
Shen Jianan scribbled away for several hours, finally churning out over 8,000 words. He left the plot hanging at the point where the male protagonist braved a heavy downpour to rescue a child who had fallen into the water, only to be swept away by a flash flood, leaving his fate unknown.
Then he copied the whole thing over again, checked it carefully to make sure there were no typos or awkward sentences, and carefully folded it up. He tucked it into an envelope, affixed a stamp, and placed it alongside the letter to his family.
Only then did he stretch his aching wrists, walk out to the courtyard to wash up, and return to his room to blow out the lamp and go to sleep. He had to wake up early tomorrow, so he couldn't afford to stay up late again.
Yet he had barely been asleep for long when he heard a commotion outside. He instantly opened his eyes and looked toward the door just in time to see a familiar figure gently push it open and walk in.Shen Jianan quickly sat up and called out, "Brother Gu, you're back."
Gu Yu paused, then walked over to the bedside in the dark and sat down, reaching out to pat his head. "I'm sorry, I woke you up."
"It's fine, I only just fell asleep myself."
Shen Jianan reached out and tugged at him. "Brother, I’m going to town tomorrow. Is there anything you need me to pick up for you?"
"What are you going to town for?"
"To mail some letters, and have my family help us find some study materials."
Shen Jianan explained with a smile, "Brother Gu, I feel like the overall situation is getting better and better. It’s possible that the college entrance examination will be reinstated in a couple of years. When that happens, we can study together, pass the exams, and get out of this godforsaken place for good. Then, we can find a way to get your family back to the city, too. What do you think?"
Gu Yu fell into deep thought at his words. Hearing no response, Shen Jianan assumed Gu Yu was overthinking again. He quickly knelt up, took Gu Yu’s face in his hands, and made him look at him, speaking solemnly, "Brother Gu, you have to be optimistic, and you have to believe in me as well as yourself."
Gu Yu silently felt the warmth and softness against his face, his expression gradually softening. "Hm. Okay."
"That’s more like it!"
The young man shook Gu Yu’s head with a smile before letting go. Gu Yu felt a sense of loss and unconsciously rubbed his fingers together.
Shen Jianan, unaware of his reaction, continued, "Brother Gu, once my aunt helps me get those study materials, we'll study hard. If we get stuck on anything, we can go to the cowshed and ask for help. After all, those old gentlemen are all professors... Once we get into university, we'll go to the capital together and rent a place... and in the future, when we’re earning money..."
The boy chattered on endlessly, and Gu Yu listened with delight, for Shen Jianan’s vision of the future included him in every part. Thinking of this, Gu Yu secretly made a decision to get things sorted out as soon as possible. Their future belonged to both of them; he could not let the other handle everything on his own.
At this moment, he had yet to realize that his own thoughts had already begun to veer from their original course, moving rapidly toward the boy.
Before dawn had fully broken, Shen Jianan rode off toward town, guided by Gu Yu’s parting instructions.
Gu Yu watched the thin figure pedaling the bicycle so fast and felt a mix of bitterness and amusement. Yet, he also felt inspired, his body full of drive. Unconsciously, he spread his arms wide, felt the morning breeze on his face, and silently cheered himself on: "Gu Yu! You can definitely do this."
***
By the time Shen Jianan reached town, it was already past eight in the morning. He first went to the post office to mail his two letters, then bought some envelopes, stationery, and stamps to tuck into his messenger bag before heading to the supply and marketing cooperative.
Although he had inherited the memories of the original owner and was fully familiar with this era, he still needed to see and hear things for himself to truly understand how everything worked. Otherwise, once he had money, he might dive in blindly; it would be fine if he succeeded, but if he lost everything, he’d have to start over from scratch, which wouldn't be worth it.
With these thoughts, he quickened his pace along the main road toward the cooperative. As soon as he arrived, he saw the impressive storefront, which stood out prominently against the surrounding buildings.
Entering the main door, he was met with a long row of waist-high glass counters filled with high-end goods like Shanghai watches, radios, and cassette players. Above the counters, there were bright red washbasins, enamelware, thermoses, and lunch boxes on display. The shelves behind were likewise packed with various goods, such as fabrics and clothing.Every item on the shelves, from the packaging to the style of the goods, bore the unique markings of the era. Much like the quotes plastered on the walls, they were evocative of the times.
Gao Xiaofen, the sales clerk, finished serving the previous customer with a blank expression. Looking up, she spotted Shen Jianan standing alone in the corner, scanning the shop. Seeing that the boy was dressed quite neatly, she forced a faint smile and asked, "What can I get for you, young man?"
Shen Jianan immediately stepped forward, rested his hands naturally on the counter, and spoke with a bright, curving smile, "Could you please weigh half a jin of milk candies for me, sister?"
When Gao Xiaofen heard him call her "sister," her eyes lit up, and she beamed. In this day and age, most people addressed each other as "comrade," or simply by their rank or seniority. It wasn't like the era Shen Jianan came from, where terms like "handsome" or "beauty" were tossed around so casually that people had become numb to them. To a woman in her early forties, being called "sister" by a boy of sixteen or seventeen was a genuine delight.
Instantly, Gao Xiaofen’s impression of Shen Jianan improved significantly. Looking closer, she noticed the boy was fair-skinned and handsome, with eyes as dark as polished lacquer, looking as if they had stepped out of a painting. She grew even fonder of him and replied gently, "Of course! I’ll weigh them for you. Just give me the ration coupons and the money first. Milk candies are two yuan and fifty cents a jin, so half a jin will be one yuan and twenty-five cents."
A fellow clerk nearby couldn't help but roll her eyes, silently cursing her for being shameless. *She’s old enough to be his mother, yet she has the gall to call herself 'sister.'*
Shen Jianan kept his eyes down and a subtle smile on his lips, ignoring the silent friction between the clerks. He took the coupons and money from his pocket and handed them over. While Gao Xiaofen was weighing the candy, he carefully scrutinized the "high-priced goods" in the shop.
When he first entered, the sight of these somewhat dated, monotonous products had sparked a few ideas in his mind, but everything would have to wait until he had sufficient capital and had scouted the path ahead.
He spoke up again, "Sister, could you also get me a sewing kit, ten pairs of steel hairpins, twenty rubber bands, a pair of scissors, a tape measure, and a few pieces of tailor’s chalk?"
Hearing he wanted more, Gao Xiaofen smiled and answered, "Alright, just a moment."
Soon, she gathered the items, carefully wrapped them in kraft paper, and placed them before him along with the candy. Shen Jianan, feeling grateful, smiled and thanked her, "Thank you, sister."
"You're welcome!"
Lost once again in the warmth of being called "sister," Gao Xiaofen leaned in and whispered, "My name is Gao Xiaofen. If you need anything else in the future, just come find me!"
Shen Jianan was thrilled—excellent, he had just developed his first contact. He nodded with a smile, "Thank you, Sister Gao. My name is Shen Jianan; I’m an educated youth at the Hongqi Commune. You can just call me Jianan."
Lowering his voice, he asked, "Sister, do you know where I could buy fabric scraps? I’m looking for something a bit different, but I couldn't find anything here."
As he spoke, he caught her off guard. While handing over the money and coupons for his purchase, he tucked an extra yuan into her hand with a swift, subtle motion.
Gao Xiaofen’s eyelids twitched, and she quickly clamped her hand shut. She shot a nervous glance around the room, and seeing that no one was watching, she pulled out the extra yuan, crumpled it in her palm, and tucked it into her sleeve.
Shen Jianan raised an eyebrow. He picked up his things, left the supply and marketing cooperative amidst her enthusiastic farewell, and waited patiently under the old locust tree at the edge of the street.
About half an hour later, he saw her hurrying toward him. She got straight to the point, telling him to go to the garment factory and look for an accountant named Bai Yun.
"She’s my cousin. If you want to buy fabric, you can go to her. It’s cheaper than at the cooperative." Gao Xiaofen hesitated, looking a bit uncomfortable. "However, those fabrics are factory offcuts. You have to buy them by the heap, and some might have defects."
When Shen Jianan heard this, he saw her nervously pressing her hand against her pocket and found it amusing, though he kept a neutral expression. "It’s no problem. As long as the price is low and the variety is good, the rest doesn't matter."
Hearing this, Gao Xiaofen let out a long sigh of relief. "Alright, then you should get going! If you’re lucky, you might even find some nice material."
"Understood, thank you, Sister Gao."
Shen Jianan nodded, thanked her, and rode off on his bicycle. Gao Xiaofen watched him go, happily took out the yuan bill to stroke it, folded it carefully, tucked it into her pocket, and returned to the shop, feeling satisfied.
It was no wonder she was so nervous; the burden on her family was heavy. Although she and her husband, Tian Jun, both earned decent wages, they had three children in school, and her youngest son’s poor health meant frequent hospital visits. Add to that the need to support two elderly parents, and life was a struggle.
While a single yuan wouldn't solve all their problems, it was enough to buy several jin of rice. If she had her mother-in-law mix it with more coarse grains, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, it would last for quite a while. That was why she had been so afraid Shen Jianan might ask for the money back. What she didn't know was that the moment he walked into the store, he had already set his sights on her.
The reason was simple: working as a sales clerk was a desirable position with a stable salary, but everything about Gao Xiaofen’s appearance suggested her family was not well off. Her hands were far too rough—not due to her age, but from years of hard labor without the luxury of hand cream. Yet, her clothing was brighter and more fashionable than the other clerks, though it didn't quite fit her. It was clear these clothes were gifts from a well-off relative who cared for her.
That was why Shen Jianan had deliberately buttered her up and flaunted his wealth. Otherwise, would he have been crazy enough to buy so much candy? It wasn't as if he didn't have any at home.
All things considered, the money had been well spent. At the very least, he had gained another contact and found a source for fabric.
When Shen Jianan reached the garment factory, it was just in time for the end of the shift. Workers were streaming out of the main gate, some walking and others on bicycles. He pursed his lips, pushed his bike over to a stylishly dressed woman, and, amidst her puzzled look, spoke up.
"Excuse me, could you tell me which one is Accountant Bai Yun? I was sent here by her cousin, Gao Xiaofen."
"I am Bai Yun." The woman covered her mouth and laughed. "You certainly know how to ask—you found the right person on the first try."
"I knew it!" Shen Jianan’s eyes widened with excitement, and he said with genuine admiration, "Someone with such a beautiful name must be beautiful herself. Look, I found the right person, didn't I?"
Bai Yun laughed even more delightedly. Had anyone else said that, she would have rolled her eyes and called him a flirt, but coming from this young man, it was different. It wasn't just that he was handsome and years younger than her; it was his eyes—shimmering, clear, and full of innocence, as if they held the stars and the sea. How could anyone find him frivolous?
However, she still had her dignity and was too embarrassed to agree with him, so she asked, "Is there something you need my help with?"
"Yes, indeed!" Shen Jianan inwardly praised her for being so straightforward. He glanced left and right, and seeing that most of the workers had left, he lowered his voice. "I’d like to buy some fabric offcuts to make clothes at home."
"Oh?" Bai Yun’s eyes narrowed slightly, her smile fading considerably. Her voice was no longer as gentle, carrying a hint of coldness.