Jiang Lin said, “Mom, let my older brother and second brother buy more parts and assemble radios. Radios are in high demand in the countryside right now.”

In the 1980s, radios, bicycles, and sewing machines were very sought after in rural areas.

Even repairing bicycles could support a whole family.

Xu Aimei asked, “Is that feasible?” It was one thing to assemble radios for the family, but if they were to sell them, wouldn’t that be problematic?

She was worried about losing the job of temporary workers.

Although she had mentioned seeing many people making quick money and no one really caring, and she was somewhat envious, deep down, she still looked down on such speculation.

After all, people generally disapproved of opportunistic schemes, and while it was fine to talk about it, actually doing it was another matter.

Jiang Lin understood her concerns. It wasn’t just Xu Aimei; most people were like this in the 1980s.

Those who hadn’t made money would often close their doors and criticize those who had, accusing them of improper means and disgrace.

“It will definitely work. If you’re worried, just give it to me first. I’ll have Shanshen take it back and store it at our supply and marketing cooperative. That should be legal, right?”

Seeing her daughter speak so frankly and seemingly without wrongdoing, Xu Aimei smiled, “Then let’s give it a try.”

Buying parts from the factory was more convenient and cheaper than buying from outside.

It would be done in the name of the second brother since the eldest brother’s formal job shouldn’t be affected.

In the evening, Qin Qin, Xiao Ke, and Xiao Luo came home from school.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao quickly had playmates and gathered to play together.

Jiang Lin helped Xu Aimei prepare dinner.

Soon, Jiang Dongjian and Song Lijuan returned one after the other.

Seeing Jiang Lin and the children, they were very happy, and Song Lijuan quickly went to grab a fish.

As they were talking, Cheng Rushan, Lu Hang, Qian Bo, and Jiang Xinglei arrived.

They carried meat, fish, eggs, and flour, and as soon as they entered, they said, “Aunt Xu, we’re here to join the meal.”

Whenever Cheng Rushan came over, Lu Hang and Qian Bo would look for him, which Jiang Xinglei found strange, as Qian Bo was clearly terrified of Cheng Rushan! Lu Hang, on the other hand, was a bit foolish, constantly asking about Jiang Lin.

Jiang Xinglei wanted to smack him, but Cheng Rushan wasn’t angry and answered his questions seriously.

Lu Hang saw Jiang Lin and excitedly called out, “Mei Linlin, long time no see! Miss me?”

Jiang Lin replied, “Miss your showiness? What kind of pants are you wearing?” Lu Hang was actually wearing bell-bottoms, a style that would soon become popular everywhere.

They were in flashy colors like bright red, pink, and burgundy, and he had his hair styled and was wearing large sunglasses, making him look extremely trendy (or rather, eye-catching).

Lu Hang was quite pleased with himself. “Aren’t they cool? I got a pair for Shanshen too—imported goods!”

Jiang Lin’s expression changed. “Stop that! Don’t call him Shanshen!”

That was her exclusive name for him.

She glanced at Cheng Rushan, thankfully he wasn’t wearing the trendy bell-bottoms that Lu Hang was sporting.

Cheng Rushan smiled at her, signaling that she didn’t need to worry.

Qian Bo was more reserved.

He had given up on Jiang Lin and had started dating through arranged introductions.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t help but compare the girls he met with Jiang Lin, finding flaws here and there.

He had been on quite a few dates, which had frustrated his parents to no end.

They warned him that if he continued like this, they wouldn’t interfere anymore.

He seemed a bit disheartened.

For those who had gone to university, meetings like these were filled with conversation.

Jiang Lin didn’t have a job assigned yet; after graduation, she would be re-assigned to a job.

The others who had jobs before their studies were essentially continuing to receive their salaries and ration tickets from their workplaces, and would return to their previous positions after graduation.

Of course, going to university meant that when they returned, they would be considered as cadres!

Finally, Jiang Dage and Jiang Erge came back together, carrying a large number of parts.

Jiang Erge was beaming with happiness, and although Jiang Dage remained as calm as ever, his eyes were noticeably brighter.

They were especially happy to see Jiang Lin’s family.

Jiang Dage said, “I brought back a lot of discarded parts. Even though they’re out of date, with a bit of selection, they can still be used. We can assemble several four-tube radios.”

In the countryside, having a few radio stations is sufficient.

Foreign stations aren’t needed, and four triodes are already quite good.

Jiang Erge (Second Brother Jiang) said with a smile, “Da Bao and Xiao Bao are real little lucky stars. They’ve brought good news. Your uncle’s salary has increased.”

Song Lijuan was so surprised that she nearly dropped the fish she was holding.

She quickly asked, “How much is it now?”

Jiang Dage (Elder Brother Jiang) smiled and said, “Not much, 86.5 yuan.”

Jiang Xinglei and the others were very envious. “Brother, you’re now at level ten? 86.5 yuan? I only get 30 yuan!”

A level ten worker is the highest level of technical worker.

If he gets one more promotion, he’ll be an engineer.

Since he graduated from a top provincial university, becoming an engineer is well within his capability.

Xu Aimei and Jiang Dongjian were also very happy.

Their eldest son used to just muddle through life, but in the past two years, he’s suddenly woken up.

He started thinking about the family and working hard.

Especially after Lin Lin’s university issue, he seemed to be more motivated.

Not only did he help actively, but he also reconnected with teachers and classmates.

They were grateful to Cheng Rushan, who would always chat with their eldest son whenever he had time.

Although they didn’t know what they talked about, they could see that their son’s mood improved after these chats.

He now had more energy, and although he still wasn’t very talkative, he smiled more.

Jiang Dage’s newfound drive and energy made Song Lijuan the happiest.

Although he had always treated her well, she felt there was a barrier before.

Now, he responds to her more often and even initiates conversations.

So she became even closer to Jiang Lin and the little ones, making sure her daughter and son properly entertained the young guests.

Jiang Lin mentioned the issue with the radios, “Brother, can’t you increase your production speed? The demand is high not only in the cities but also in the countryside now.”

Jiang Dage considered it and admitted that their factory’s production line couldn’t keep up.

The supply wasn’t enough even for the city, let alone the countryside.

“Our technology is too outdated. We need to introduce foreign technology, but we don’t have enough foreign exchange.”

This is a very realistic problem: there are very few high-quality products available domestically, which can’t even earn foreign exchange.

Even when enough money is saved up to introduce a new production line, it’s often a problem.

They only offer outdated, obsolete technology from the 1930s or 40s, not the advanced, good technology.

Jiang Lin said, “Big Brother, you are the technicians. You might not be able to reform the whole production line, but you can address specific practical issues. I believe in you.”

Domestic technicians and researchers are no worse than foreign ones; it’s just that they have had less accumulation and their theoretical foundation has been damaged.

However, the wisdom of the working people is limitless, and improvements made in production and daily life can lead to significant changes in many areas.

Jiang Eldest Brother’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

The factory’s policy is changing: previously, only politics was emphasized, with little regard for production technology.

Now, the focus is shifting towards production.

Even without active campaigning, just seeing an increase in his salary is a sign of this shift.

He smiled and said, “Don’t worry, we will work hard.”

Jiang Lin encouraged them to keep up the effort.

If they don’t work hard, they will be eliminated sooner or later.

In a few years, foreign electronic products coming from open ports like Shenzhen will quickly dominate the domestic market, potentially ruining some factories and causing a series of problems.

Although the trend is inevitable, effort is still necessary.

Maybe putting in the effort now will lead to a different outcome.

They discussed setting up a joint sales point to expand the sale of Jiang Lin’s embroidered goods and the special products brought by Cheng Rushan, along with radios, glass, hardware parts, and more.

Lv Hang spends all day on trivial matters, but he’s willing to hustle.

Since joining Cheng Rushan, he is eager to follow him on trips. For him, transporting cloth and cotton to the south and bringing back good things like tea is incredibly exciting.

He even doesn’t want to go to vocational school anymore.

Unfortunately, Cheng Rushan refused to let him come along. Cheng Rushan felt that Lv Hang was too unpredictable.

It’s fine for him to play around and do trivial things, but for important tasks, any mistake would be too risky.

Transporting goods isn’t child’s play.

While Duan Chang’an and Zhu Junjie are capable, Lü Hang isn’t.

Setting up a resale point now suits Lu Hang perfectly, keeping him occupied.

After dinner and some chatting, they left and returned to the military district compound.

Xu Aimei was worried that their children, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, might be bullied by the children of the district’s officials since they were new.

She wanted to find a way for them to attend school in the area.

Cheng Rushan reassured her that it was fine.

Although he appeared to spoil the children and always granted their requests, he wouldn’t easily compromise on certain matters.

For instance, some issues need to be resolved by the children themselves, and they must face their growth challenges independently.

From his own life experience, Cheng Rushan knew that life is never smooth sailing.

No matter how well you do, there will always be people who look down on you or dislike you.

How you respond to different people—whether they treat you well or badly—is something you must figure out on your own.

These lessons are not just about hearing from others or being protected by parents; they require personal exploration and learning through experience.

Only by making mistakes will one remember and develop useful principles for dealing with situations.

That evening, when they returned to their dormitory, Cheng Rushan noticed that the neighboring room was dark and empty, with the door slightly ajar.

Cheng Rushan started heating water on the stove, quickly warming up the room.

Jiang Lin organized the items from her family, which were mostly daily necessities and food, including a few pounds of noodles and eggs.

Da Bao said to Xiao Bao, “Let’s go up and sleep.”

Cheng Rushan had already added extra height to the bunk bed’s railing, and Da Bao slept soundly, so there was no risk of falling.

Xiao Bao thought climbing up and down was fun, so he agreed.

The two brothers climbed to the top bunk, leaving the bottom bunk for their parents.

Remembering something, Da Bao took out a black ceramic jar they had bought and placed it under a tree root opposite.

If they needed to go to the bathroom during the night, they could use it.

After tidying up, he ran back to sleep.

The children, having played hard during the day, quickly fell asleep as soon as they hit the pillow.

Jiang Lin and Cheng Rushan tidied up and went to bed early.

If they couldn’t sleep, they would chat about their plans.

When the night grew quiet, Jiang Lin could hear various noises from the neighboring rooms: snoring, loud talking, footsteps, and even the sound of someone smashing garlic.

It was late at night, and people were still busy.

Jiang Lin snuggled into Cheng Rushan’s arms, feeling mischievous and nudged him.

Cheng Rushan: “…”

Jiang Lin whispered in his ear, teasing him with a sultry voice, “Are you tempted?”

Cheng Rushan: “Even when you speak normally, I’m tempted. With you teasing like this, you’re really something.”

After teasing him for a while and seeing he was clearly trying to stay composed but still didn’t make a move, Jiang Lin was impressed.

She laughed and said, “My dear Shan Ge, your will is as strong as iron. Let’s sleep.” She was just playfully teasing him, but she was too shy to act on it since the walls were thin.

As soon as she finished speaking, Cheng Rushan kissed her deeply, making her go weak and start making soft noises.

Cheng Rushan kissed her lips to silence her sounds.

Jiang Lin whispered, “We might be heard!”

The dormitory walls were so thin that even a sneeze from the other end could be heard.

Cheng Rushan’s voice was low and husky, “Want to continue teasing?”

Jiang Lin: … No, thanks.

She noticed that the noises from the neighboring rooms had suddenly stopped.

Earlier, there had been all sorts of noises—smashing garlic, footsteps, sneezing, talking, yawning, and more.

Now, there was complete silence.

Had everyone fallen asleep instantly? That was strange!

Cheng Rushan, who had been teasing her, stopped and, after a quick kiss, got out of bed and went to the door.

It was dark outside as the moon hadn’t risen, and all the dormitory lights were off.

Yet Cheng Rushan saw a group of men crouching and peeking outside their dorm room, as if eavesdropping on their private moments.

Apparently, no one had expected him to suddenly open the door.

They were startled and quickly pretended to be out for a walk, stretching, yawning, and greeting each other, saying things like, “Oh, what a coincidence, you’re out for a pee too?”

Earlier that morning, they had heard from He Liang that a young couple had moved in, a handsome pair with two good-looking sons.

The gossip was that the couple was very affectionate.