Chapter 17: Next Year’s Plans

Old Man Wang’s bicycle was a hand-me-down from his son, completely dilapidated. It rattled and clattered with every ride, enduring bumps and scrapes without a care. He certainly wouldn’t lend it out if it were new. The bike might fall apart any day; he didn’t care about it.

Hua Youcai spent an afternoon learning to ride from his son and finally managed it. He started by pushing it around to get a feel, then coasting, gradually building up to riding. The two of them helped each other, steadying the handlebars, and soon he was riding. When he almost fell, he’d put his leg down to brace himself, preventing a fall.

That afternoon, Hua Yuanyuan wasn’t idle at home. Besides working in her space, she planned the days leading up to the New Year. She would take her father and brother to the city to broaden their horizons, buy some necessities, and definitely get bicycles and watches.

They went shopping from the 25th to the 28th of the twelfth lunar month—four days in a row. They woke up early each morning, had breakfast, and took the bus to the city. Hua Yuanyuan was in charge of everything: which bus to take, where to get off, where to transfer, and where to shop. Hua Youcai and Hua Fangfang each carried a large cloth bag as backup. Hua Yuanyuan also had a sizable cloth bag over her shoulder, containing more backup bags.

At the Tianqiao Department Store, the first floor sold bicycles: Flying Pigeon, Phoenix, and Forever brands. Unfortunately, even with money, Hua Yuanyuan couldn’t buy one without coupons.

Perhaps their expressions were too exaggerated—the three of them stared at the bicycles, their eyes practically watering with longing. A kind, pretty saleswoman pointed to a few bicycles nearby, saying they were Beijing-made Yan brand bikes, didn’t require coupons, and cost 160 yuan each.

Without hesitation, Hua Yuanyuan immediately bought two. They also bought two secondhand watches at the nearby Tianqiao Trust Store. The Trust Store was a great place; it didn’t require coupons, and the secondhand goods weren’t bad. With careful searching, you could find some good things. Hua Yuanyuan fell in love with the Trust Store, spending hours there. She really found quite a few treasures. For a long time afterward, whenever the family needed something from the city, the Trust Store was the first place they thought of.

They bought army-issue cotton boots for four yuan a pair. Despite the warehouse dust, they were incredibly warm. They bought several pairs—three pairs each for the three of them, totaling nine pairs. They also bought high-top and low-top liberation shoes for work, three pairs each. They bought five pairs of scissors for fifty cents each—one for cutting fabric, one for the kitchen, and three for fieldwork. They even found leather-lined jackets for 25 yuan each, much warmer than cotton-padded jackets.

…

Hua Fangfang was ecstatic about Hua Yuanyuan’s shopping spree; money was good. Hua Youcai felt the pinch in his wallet, but his daughter’s happiness was paramount. He noticed that his daughter loved shopping, even if she only looked and didn’t buy. When the money ran out, she stopped buying.

They also bought a Xinhua Dictionary and a pile of picture books at the bookstore—for Hua Fangfang, whose own book choices were quite eclectic. She bought a variety of used books from secondhand stalls and new publications from Xinhua Bookstore. She read widely and indiscriminately, just to pass the time, not for serious research.

She also took her father and brother to the state-run agricultural market in Beijing. It was crowded, with long queues for everything. The city’s supplies were quite abundant before the New Year, with specially supplied fruits from the south and fresh vegetables from Shandong Province—rare commodities.

On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, Hua Yuanyuan finally declared that they were done shopping. At noon, taking advantage of the warm weather, they pasted up Spring Festival couplets and hung red lanterns, creating a festive atmosphere. In the afternoon, the family steamed buns: the daughter mixed the dough, the father kneaded and shaped the buns, and the son watched the fire. The firewood was cotton stalks, unlike the wood from their hometown. A few pieces of wood could burn for a long time, but these stalks burned quickly. They steamed a pot of wheat flour buns and some with two kinds of ginseng. A mix of coarse and fine grains was healthier.

“Dad, Xiaofang, what are we going to do after the New Year? Have you thought about it?”

During their shopping trips, their daughter had suggested they look around, open their minds, and find something they could do. Hua Youcai and his son had already discussed what they could and couldn’t do, and they had a general idea. Everything seemed difficult. They were hesitant to start anything. They were afraid of losing money in ventures requiring capital, and there were no ventures that didn’t require capital. They could consider finding some odd jobs. There were many flatbed trucks in the city, and the two of them could do some manual labor to earn some money. That was one option.

“Hmm, that’s a good idea, we can try that.”

Hua Yuanyuan encouraged her father and brother to try it; if it worked, they could continue; if not, they could think of something else.

“Sis, that job’s worth a try, but let’s not buy a flatbed truck yet, okay?”

“Daughter, a truck costs a lot of money. Let’s not buy one until we’ve earned some money.”

“Wouldn’t it be inconvenient using bicycles?”

“Two people, two bicycles. We can tie wooden planks to the back of the seats; it can hold quite a bit, and we can use ropes to secure the load.”

“Sis, I wish we’d bought used bicycles.”

Hua Fangfang treated the bicycles like treasures, polishing them whenever she had free time. She felt bad about using the new bicycles for hauling goods.

“Used bicycles aren’t cheap either.”

“Dad, while you two are out working, I’ll be tending the vegetable garden…”

Hua Yuanyuan explained her plan: build two large greenhouses in the spacious yard and build a chicken coop and pigsty next to the south wall.

In the early 1980s, riding the wave of reform and opening up, it was a time of great opportunity to get rich. It was said that those who dared to work independently at this time generally made a lot of money. There were many profitable businesses. After considering her family’s resources and capabilities, Hua Yuanyuan decided on her plan. She would utilize the space, using her family’s vegetable greenhouses to sell the produce from her space. She would secretly use the water and soil from her space, which had amazing effects, on her own vegetable patch. The resulting produce would be incredibly nutritious.

She had developed a habit of working in her space every night for three hours, from 8 pm to 10 pm. Sometimes she would work during the day if she had free time. The first batch of vegetables in her space was about to mature; it had only been ten days, and they had grown rapidly. No wonder it took decades for wild ginseng to mature outside, while it only took a year in her space. The growth rate was incredible. At a growth rate of fifteen days per cycle, six rooms might not be enough for her to work in.

Once she started selling vegetables, flatbed trucks or three-wheeled bicycles might not be convenient; pedaling would be too tiring. A tractor or motorized three-wheeled vehicle would be more convenient, even if it consumed more fuel.

“Daughter, how much will the greenhouses cost?”

Hua Youcai felt that his daughter was almost depleting their family’s savings.

“Hehe, Dad, I’m not sure. I heard it from the saleswoman when we were in the city.”

“Sis, when was that?” Hua Fangfang added more firewood and quickly ran inside to listen.

“When you and Dad were watching the bicycles outside.”

Hua Fangfang glanced at her father and said nothing. On the day they bought the new bicycles, he and his father had stayed outside to guard them while his sister shopped.

Hua Youcai glared at his son. “What are you looking at me for? Weren’t you also outside?”

Hmph! Let’s not blame each other!

Hua Yuanyuan ignored their squabble and continued.

“There’s a mountain fair after the sixth day of the New Year. Let’s go to the fair and buy what we need.”

“The saleswoman said you just need poles to support and secure the plastic sheeting. It’s very simple…”