Chapter 8 : Three Strategies for Making Money

After her shower, Su Mo sat at her room’s doorstep, towel-drying her hair while contemplating her plans.  

Although the original owner had substantial wealth, much of it was not immediately usable.  

The money in the two passbooks was practically inaccessible. Not only was it impossible to withdraw money across provinces in this era, but even if it were possible, Su Mo had no intention of using it.  

The 80,000 yuan left by Su Zhongli belonged to Su Tingqian and Su Tingde, the original owner’s uncles. Similarly, the 3,000 yuan saved by the original owner’s parents was meant for them and would be returned once they came back to the city.  

What the original owner had left for personal use was 1,030 yuan. While that amount seemed significant, it would quickly dwindle when buying necessities, especially without ration tickets. Many items would have to be purchased on the black market, where prices were significantly higher.  

On top of this, Su Mo needed to save capital for her long-term goals: waiting for the reinstatement of the college entrance examination, acing it, and realizing her dream of studying at Tsinghua University. Afterward, she planned to buy property, start a business, and seize the opportunities presented by the reform era.  

To achieve all this, income was essential. Possible Income Sources : 1. Selling Fruits and Vegetables Using Her Space Abilities: Fruits and vegetables were cheap in this era and wouldn’t fetch high prices unless she focused on out-of-season produce or rare varieties. Thus, selling fruits and vegetables could only serve as a supplementary income source. Small, occasional sales on the black market were still worth considering for extra cash. 2. Growing and Selling High-Value Products: Su Mo recalled that wild ginseng was abundant in the Northeast. If she could find some, she could cultivate and sell them.  

3. Leveraging the Original Owner’s Writing Skills: The original owner had a talent for writing and often submitted articles to newspapers while working as a propaganda officer at a textile factory in Hai City. Many of these articles were accepted.  

Writing articles seemed like the most sustainable and public income source. She could use it to maintain an appearance of legitimacy while quietly pursuing more lucrative opportunities.  

Historical Context on Royalties: In 1966, the Ministry of Culture established unified standards for manuscript payments: 2–8 yuan per 1,000 words for original works. 1–5 yuan per 1,000 words for translations.  

However, during the Cultural Revolution, direct payments were halted in favor of sample copies, ration tickets, or other items. Direct monetary compensation only resumed in 1977.  

With these considerations in mind, Su Mo began to draft a plan that balanced immediate survival with long-term success. Living well, eating meat regularly, and thriving without arousing suspicion were her new goals.

Su Mo remembered seeing several copies of People’s Daily Quotes in the pile of books and thought of many inspirational songs from later generations. She realized that she could use them as material. As a top student, it shouldn’t be too difficult to create articles or submissions after careful study and effort.  

With this plan, she now had a visible and respectable source of income.  

In this era, having one’s contributions accepted by a newspaper was prestigious and could elevate her status within the team. Such recognition might also make it easier for her to secure positions like that of a teacher if any opportunities arose.  

Neither the original owner nor Su Mo herself enjoyed farm work, just the thought of it made her eyes water.  

Su Mo also recalled a key historical event: in 1972, U.S. President Nixon would visit China. At that time, official media outlets, known for their sensitivity to shifts in policy, would likely serialize some American novels to signal changing attitudes. This could provide Su Mo with another opportunity, she could apply to translate manuscripts for newspapers, creating an additional income stream.  

Her bilingual education gave her a solid foundation in English, and the original owner also knew some English, so there was no risk of her being exposed.   

The original owner’s family had accumulated many overseas remittance coupons thanks to her great uncle, Su Zhongqing, who immigrated abroad shortly after the founding of the People’s Republic of China.  

In 1955, when the country started using coupons, Su Zhongli had written to his brother abroad. It was unclear what arrangement they had made, but since then, Su Zhongqing had been sending money annually. With these overseas remittance coupons, the original owner’s family never experienced a financial shortage. Occasionally, they also received English books and other items, and Su Mo’s father, Su Tingqian, who had studied abroad, taught her some English.   

Now Su Mo had three ways to generate income: Writing articles for newspapers. Selling wild ginseng privately. Occasional sales of fruits and vegetables from her space.  

For now, these methods would suffice. She could explore additional opportunities as they arose.   

With income sorted, her next priority was to buy necessary supplies.  

In the story, the original owner’s parents would be sent to the cowshed of the neighboring brigade in just two weeks. Since the original owner hadn’t brought any winter supplies and her parents likely didn’t have any either, Su Mo needed to prepare for them in advance.  

The original owner had brought many cotton coupons, but they weren’t enough for everything she needed. Su Mo would have to acquire more cotton from the black market.  

She also needed to learn how to sew cotton-padded clothes. Without this skill, she’d have to rely on others to make them, which might not be ideal. As for quilts and mattresses, she could commission someone to make them and claim they were part of her “dowry” if anyone asked.  

In addition, other daily necessities had to be purchased soon to avoid inconvenience.  

The autumn harvest was ending, and the original owner had a reputation for working slowly. If Su Mo was bold enough, she might manage to take a day off.  

She decided to request leave the next day and head to the county town to make her purchases.  

Before that, she drafted a letter to Su Tingde, mentioning indirectly that she had heard her parents were being sent to the neighboring brigade and that she would find a way to care for them. She warned her uncle to stay put and avoid unnecessary risks that others might exploit.  

She also reminded him that the overseas remittance from her great uncle should arrive soon and that he must arrange for someone to sign for it to prevent any mishaps.  

Even during this tumultuous period, normal remittances were possible as the country was in dire need of foreign exchange.  

With her plan laid out, Su Mo felt more at ease about her next steps.