Two weeks later, golden autumn arrived in October.

Su Li finally returned from the sea.

About a hundred kilometers away from Xiaoba Village, there was a bay where the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea met, rich in Spanish mackerel and oysters.

Su Li came back with a bunch of half-dead Spanish mackerel and dragged along a sack full of red sea snails and oysters.

These days, Su Rui first hung the Spanish mackerel up to dry, then took the time to dig out the meat from the sea snails and oysters, slicing some and drying the rest.

For a while, the small courtyard was filled with the strong scent of seafood.

It wasn’t just her house. Nearly a third of the families in Xiaoba Village were doing the same.

By November, they would begin storing winter vegetables. These seafood items, along with potatoes, cabbage, various dried vegetables, and pickles, would become the staple of their monotonous winter diet.

Su Li had worked hard for three months, and the money he earned was handed over in full to Su Yuqin. Su Yuqin, keeping up appearances, called her three daughters over and, in front of Su Li, handed each of them two yuan.

Back in the west room, the air was still fresh from a recent bath.

After a long day’s work, getting two yuan for free was still something to be happy about.

Su Rui took the key from around her neck and unlocked the drawer. Inside was a metal box, and inside the box was thirteen yuan and forty cents.

That’s right—she was broke, and she accepted it with pride. This money was meant to save up to marry a husband.

Lately, she had been writing to Ye Chifang frequently. At first, their letters were full of pleasantries, but gradually, they started discussing the local customs and traditions. Everything seemed to be going well.

However, Ye Chifang seemed to have a lot of questions. Sometimes, he asked about Xiaoba Village. Other times, he asked about Sihua Township. Occasionally, he even asked about some local dialects.

Su Rui tried asking him questions in return, but he always gave vague answers, making her feel suspicious.

She was an impatient person. The fact that she had played along with him for this long was already impressive. She decided to write him a letter that night, demanding to know what exactly he did. If he still refused to give a straight answer, she would simply cut ties with him.

Anyway, now that her father was back, fighting the madman alone was risky, but with her and her father together, what was there to fear?

Just as she was thinking about this, she heard Su Li coughing outside. Then, his voice called out, “Ruirui, are you asleep?”

How could she be asleep at six-thirty? Even Eldest Sister hadn’t returned yet.

She closed the drawer and opened the door. Su Li’s dark-skinned face appeared in the doorway, his tired but kind smile showing.

Then, without stepping inside, he quickly tossed two yuan onto Su Rui’s desk. Coughing twice, he said, “Since you’re already lying down, I won’t go in.” With that, he turned and left.

Su Rui watched her father’s departing figure and sighed. A live-in son-in-law who wanted to care for his burden—it was truly heartbreaking.

She knew this money was her father’s way of preparing a dowry for the husband she would bring home.

She put the money together and counted it again and again. Every single bill had its own purpose.

After learning about her grand ambition, her father was completely on board, as if he had found a comrade-in-arms for their shared cause.

Father and daughter united—their strength could cut through gold!

Su Rui was more determined than ever to find a good man like her father—gentle, virtuous, and loyal. And since her father had no family of his own, he was practically the ideal father-in-law for a future live-in son-in-law.

Locking her drawer, she lay in bed and calculated—seventeen yuan and forty cents. Just what kind of man could she afford to bring home?

No matter where you were, times were tough. Money was hard to earn, and husbands were even harder to find.

Half-asleep, Su Rui failed to notice Su Hongpei quietly entering the room, her eyes red. Just like when they were children, she tucked the blanket around Su Rui, wiped away her tears, and went to sleep.

The next day, Xiaoba Village mobilized for the fruit harvest. The villagers were divided into two groups—a large group went up Peach Mountain, while a smaller group went to Orange Mountain.

The mule carts, used to transport goods, were already at the educated youth station, grazing on grass. A group of newly arrived educated youths, unfamiliar with farm work, surrounded the mules in fascination.

Su Rui, seeing a mule for the first time, excitedly ran around it several times. This was, after all, the offspring of a horse and a donkey. It was said to be infertile due to reproductive isolation. She hadn’t even examined it closely before an even more curious mule ended up chasing her two miles away.

Because of this, Su Chang’e laughed at her for an entire year.

Now, Su Rui had completely forgotten about her own ridiculous antics from two years ago. Carrying a water bottle, she scoffed at the others for making such a big fuss. She grabbed a handful of dried grass and fed it to the mule. Once it finished eating, she took hold of the reins and led it down the mountain to load the “Beauty Peaches.”

Yes, Xiaoba Village was once famous for producing beautiful women, and their peaches were also called Beauty Peaches—meaning they were pretty, juicy, and sweet!

After the flood disaster, the township government had specially allocated land on the back mountains for three villages to grow cash crops as a way to support their struggling families.

The women didn’t understand what economic crops were. All they knew was that the peaches grown from the land were sweet and juicy. They had no money, but they had plenty of strength.

The people of Qingnan Village laughed at them, calling them delusional. They sneered, “What can grow on a rocky mountain?” They refused to help and stood by, waiting to see the women make fools of themselves.

But the women didn’t have the energy to laugh. They shed tears and sweat. They couldn’t afford peach trees, so they bought cheap peach saplings instead. Carrying them on their backs, they planted them with their own hands. With hard work and perseverance, they planted four thousand inexpensive saplings on the mountain.

The land was barren. They spent two years clearing the wasteland, five years nurturing the peach saplings, and another two years waiting for them to bear fruit. The young beauties became widows, and the widows became elderly women.

This year, the trees finally bore fruit. They counted and found that 3,600 peach trees had survived. The mountains were covered in peach trees, just like the 3,600 trees in the legendary Peach Garden of the Monkey King. They were just as sacred and just as precious.

The young boys, agile and quick, climbed the trees to pick peaches. The strong women carried heavy baskets down the mountain. The elderly and the children wove straw baskets to hold the peaches. As always, Xiaoba Village worked together as one. Though it was exhausting, everyone’s face was filled with joy.

Time and hard work had wiped away their tears, leaving behind wrinkles and traces of hardship. But in return, they gained resilience and a steady confidence in life. Their years of labor had finally paid off.

Director Zhao gently turned away the Qingnan villagers who came offering to help. She tightly guarded the earnings from their peach orchard.

When she saw Su Rui, she carefully instructed her on delivering peaches to the county before hurrying off to handle other matters.

Su Rui and the other delivery workers each drove mule carts. Her delivery partners were Silly Si’er and Wanzi.

Although Si’er might have been slow-witted, but she was obedient. Su Rui used her as a bodyguard.

If they ran into anyone trying to snatch a peach, Si’er would bite and scratch, yelling first, “Even a fool’s peaches you dare to steal? Shame on you! Give it back!” The bystanders who heard this would start pointing and whispering, forcing the thief to flee in embarrassment.

Wanzi was small but sharp as a tack. Not only could she help Su Rui keep track of accounts, but she could also watch the scales.

If someone tried to shortchange them on weight, before Su Rui could even say a word, Wanzi would plop down on the ground, kicking her legs and wailing, “You even cheat a child? Shame on you! Give me my money back!” The crowd would start pointing fingers again, making the cheater squirm with shame.

With these two by her side, Su Rui felt at ease as she drove the mule cart, the clip-clop of hooves echoing as they headed for the county.

The county was only ten miles away. Her delivery stops were the Industrial and Agricultural Department Store, the People’s Building, and the supply and marketing cooperative across from the Women’s Health Clinic.

She could make four or five trips a day. When she and her partners got hungry, they ate peaches. When they got thirsty, they ate peaches. When the peach fuzz made their faces itch, the three of them would sit in the mule cart, scratching like little monkeys from the Peach Garden, drawing laughter from the people around them.

After a few days of delivering peaches, the three “monkeys” couldn’t take it anymore and requested to switch to delivering oranges from the neighboring hill.

Three or four days later, their faces had turned yellowish, and they scurried back to deliver peaches again. It turned out that peaches were more nourishing. If they had kept eating oranges, they would have turned into little yellow-skinned minions.

Su Rui and the mule cart team delivered peaches for half a month until most of them were sold. Director Zhao then announced that while there were still some misshapen or blemished peaches left on the trees, they couldn’t be sold but could be taken home to eat.

There was only one rule—they were not to be sold to outsiders.

Su Rui had eaten her fill of peaches over the past few days. After discussing it with Su Hongpei, they decided to pick some and make canned peaches to enjoy during the winter.

Su Hongpei handed Su Rui a basket. “You take five hundred jin, and I’ll take five hundred jin.”

Su Rui staggered and exclaimed in shock, “F-Five hundred jin?”

Su Hongpei, wearing a red headband, shouted a slogan with the others before turning back to ask, “Can’t handle it?”

Su Rui closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “It’s just five hundred jin.”

Su Hongpei nodded in satisfaction. “That’s the spirit! That’s a woman of Xiaoba Village!”

Su Rui: ……

By the end of the day, Su Rui felt like she was soaked in the scent of peaches.

Worried that things might change overnight, Director Zhao collected all the earnings and distributed the money to each household in the office.

Su Yuqin was the head of the Su family and held onto their money tightly. But Su Rui was no longer the timid girl she used to be. She was Su Rui—the woman who was going to marry a livein son-in-law.

She squatted outside the office on the cement platform, eyes fixed on Su Yuqin as she walked out.

Su Yuqin received a peach subsidy of 113 yuan. Each person got 23 yuan, and each household contributed 2 yuan for fertilizer.

Just as Su Yuqin smiled, she turned to see Su Rui holding out her hand, waiting for her share. Su Yuqin didn’t want to give it, but last year, Su Rui had shamelessly made a fuss about money in front of Director Zhao. Director Zhao had declared that once Su Rui became an adult, she had the right to keep her own wages.

Last year, Su Rui was underage, so Su Yuqin got away with pocketing her earnings, which frustrated her so much that she lost her appetite for days. This year was different. Now an adult, Su Rui had already opened an account at the Farmers’ Credit Union, ready to deposit her earnings and year-end dividends.

“You eat and live at home. Why do you still need money?” Su Yuqin couldn’t openly argue with her in front of the others, so she tried taking the moral high ground. “Other girls your age save their earnings for their families.”

Su Rui grinned and said, “That’s because their mothers help them marry husbands. If you’re willing to pay my bride price, I won’t save money either.”

Su Yuqin immediately shut her mouth. She still had to save money for Su Chang’e. The eldest daughter was getting married, but if the second one couldn’t, she’d have to bring in a husband instead.

Su Rui waved her hand and pointed to the office door, signaling that if she didn’t get her money, she would go straight to Director Zhao.

After hesitating for a long time, Su Yuqin reluctantly pulled out 5 yuan and handed it to her. “I have to deduct some for household expenses.”

Su Rui said, “No need. I already contribute to that.”

Su Yuqin clenched the money. “How much do you want?”

Su Rui said firmly, “Twenty-three yuan, not a cent less.”

Su Yuqin protested, “But the household already paid two yuan!”

Su Rui, just as stingy, said, “Then you can keep forty cents. Give me twenty-two yuan and sixty cents.” Her father was a live-in son-in-law, so the money could go to Su Yuqin. But she was not.

Before she turned eighteen, she considered her wages as rent. Now that she was an adult, she had to take control of her earnings.

Su Yuqin cared about her reputation in the village, which was exactly why Su Rui confronted her in public.

Having no choice, Su Yuqin gave her the full amount and snapped, “Take your money! If you get sick or die in the future, I won’t care about you, and I won’t expect you to care for me either.”

Su Rui put away the money, patted her pocket, and said, “I know. You have Su Chang’e, so what are you afraid of?”

Su Yuqin snorted, thinking that her second daughter would surely have a promising future and let her live a good life.

They didn’t speak on the way back home. As soon as they arrived, Su Hongpei called Su Rui over in a hurry and said, “Your letter is here. Second Sister wanted to open it, but I didn’t let her.”

Under the bare jujube tree, Su Chang’e was admiring a paper-crafted rose. The bright red color looked strikingly vivid.

Su Hongpei whispered, “It was tucked into her letter by that person. Looks like good news will come soon. What about yours? Hurry up and check.”

Su Rui felt something hard inside the envelope and was curious about what it was.

Meanwhile, Su Yuqin went inside to sulk. Su Chang’e, still holding the rose, came over, also curious about what Su Rui had received.

She tilted her head and said to Su Hongpei, “Braid it into my hair for me.”

Su Rui took a closer look at the strikingly red paper rose and felt a bit uncomfortable. She simply lowered her head and focused on opening the envelope.

Ding—

A metal object fell out of the envelope. There was no letter inside. Su Rui bent down to pick it up.

She picked up the bullet casing, examined it, and said, “Why is it a bullet casing?” Was the sender trying to prove that they were in the military? But shouldn’t it be a bullet pendant or a miniature tank instead?

Su Chang’e blurted out, “A bullet casing? How unlucky! Did they pick it up from an execution ground?!” She spoke without thinking.

“Execution ground?” Su Rui quickly asked, “What execution ground?”

Realizing her slip, Su Chang’e immediately covered her mouth and refused to say another word.

Su Rui put her hands on her hips, gripping the bullet casing, and pressed, “An execution ground bullet casing? How do you know where it came from?”

Su Chang’e thought, Does it even need an explanation? They execute criminals there all the time, and the bodies are hauled away by prisoners from the labor camp.

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything.”

Su Rui’s temper flared up instantly. She wanted to eat Su Chang’e alive.

Fearing they would start fighting, Su Hongpei dragged Su Rui into the west room and locked the door from the inside. “Calm down first. Let’s think of a solution.”

Su Rui sat down angrily. The bullet casing lay on the table, looking bloody no matter how she saw it.

Labor camp prisoners…

I knew it.

I just knew it!!!

No wonder there was no photo.

No wonder he kept asking about life outside.

Just how many years was he sentenced to?!

Outside, Su Chang’e’s voice sounded. She spoke with glee, “He has your photo and address. I advise you to get along with him. Otherwise, once he’s released, you won’t be able to deal with him.”

Su Hongpei stood by the window, scolding, “Second Sister, how could you introduce someone like that to Little Sister?” She had been on edge, afraid she had mixed up the two deputy company commanders’ letters.

But now, it seemed that even if she had, it would have been better than this.

“I was just guessing. It has nothing to do with me. Besides, isn’t she eager to find a live-in husband? A guy like this might not even ask for a bride price. Shouldn’t she be happy to save money?”

Su Chang’e didn’t care what her sister said. Pleased with herself, she went to find their mother to ask for money to buy fabric. She had been getting along well with the military officer in her letters and had some things to discuss with her mother.

Su Rui’s mind buzzed. Just a moment ago, she had been thrilled to have some savings. Now, those savings seemed useless—she might as well carve her name into a rock on the mountain.