Cen Zhengnian patted his head, “I know you have big ambitions. Looks like I guessed right.”

Chu Xia looked at the two of them with a puzzled expression, not understanding their cryptic conversation. “What are you two talking about?”

Cen Zhengnian knew that Cen Huaian hadn’t fully solidified his thoughts yet, so he turned and smiled warmly. “Nothing. An’an, come and cut the cake.”

After dinner, Chu Xia asked Cen Zhengnian, “Has your leave been approved?”

“It has,” he replied.

Chu Xia’s face immediately lit up with joy. “I’ve also gotten my leave approved, so we can leave tomorrow!”

Cen Huaian looked at them both, confusion evident in his eyes. “Mom, where are we going?”

“We’re going to Yangcheng.”

Cen Huaian looked even more puzzled.

Why were they suddenly going to Yangcheng?

Chu Xia slapped her forehead, realizing she had forgotten to mention it to Cen Huaian.

She explained, “Since your dad has time off, and you’re on break too, we’re planning to take you out to see the world.”

In this era, Cen Huaian had already been to several places—Gan Province, Liang Province, and the capital—so he had traveled quite a bit.

Some people spent their entire lives never leaving their hometown, never even seeing a city outside of their county.

At this news, Cen Huaian felt a surge of excitement, a thrill bubbling up inside him.

“Is Uncle coming with us?” Cen Huaian asked, knowing that Jiang Zhida often went to Yangcheng.

“It’s just the three of us,” Cen Zhengnian said, revealing that he had already arranged the family’s travel plans.

Since they weren’t familiar with Yangcheng, Cen Zhengnian had asked Jiang Zhida to find them a guide in advance.

When they arrived, Jiang Zhiyi and Qian Ran would meet them.

---

In the early 1990s, Guangzhou was already bustling and vibrant.

Skyscrapers coexisted with dilapidated, low-rise houses.

The most common forms of transportation were still buses and bicycles, but motorcycles and cars had started appearing in significant numbers.

As soon as they stepped out of the airport, Chu Xia and her family spotted Qian Ran and Jiang Zhiyi waiting for them.

Jiang Zhiyi was dressed in a shirt and trousers, while Qian Ran wore a T-shirt and shorts.

It was as if Jiang Zhiyi was a boss from a high-end venue, while Qian Ran looked like an ordinary person.

“Brother! Sister-in-law! An’an!” Jiang Zhiyi waved excitedly at them, her face lit up with a genuine, radiant smile. “This weather is unbearable—it’s so hot!”

Jiang Zhiyi wiped the sweat from her face with a handkerchief and said with a laugh, “Sister-in-law, your timing isn’t ideal. You’ve come at the hottest time of the year in Yangcheng.”

Yangcheng’s winters were mild compared to the capital, so Jiang Zhiyi didn’t find them cold at all.

She never even needed to wear a heavy coat.

Spring and autumn barely existed here—it transitioned straight into summer, and the hot season lasted a very long time.

During the height of summer, it was almost impossible to stay outdoors in Yangcheng for long.

Chu Xia had considered changing the timing of their trip, but if they waited until winter break, who knew what might happen? If Cen Zhengnian got busy again, their family wouldn’t have a chance to travel together.

Qian Ran suggested, “We’ve got air conditioning at home, so why don’t you guys stay at Da Zi’s place?”

Jiang Zhida’s house was next door to Qian Ran’s, and both houses were cleaned once a week, so they were in good condition.

Jiang Zhiyi also stayed at Jiang Zhida’s house.

Before Chu Xia and her family left for the trip, Jiang Zhida had already given them the keys to his place.

“I usually stay in the bedroom on the first floor, and Zhiyi stays in the guest room downstairs. The second-floor rooms are simply furnished, with just beds and cabinets, but they’re comfortable. You can stay upstairs—it’s safer than a hotel.”

Yangcheng was developing rapidly, but it was also a time of great disorder.

On the way over, Jiang Zhiyi had warned Chu Xia’s family, “When walking on the streets, it’s best not to wear any jewelry, especially gold or silver. There are a lot of thieves and motorbike gangs.”

Many people in Yangcheng had their earrings or necklaces snatched by these bike gangs.

Some even had their earlobes torn because of the force used to rip the earrings off, leaving them bleeding profusely.

Jiang Zhiyi had reported on many such incidents.

While she witnessed the rapid development of Yangcheng, she also saw the chaos that came with it.

There was a lot of darkness growing underneath the surface.

When speaking of this, Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes darkened.

Her job now was dedicated to exposing these dark aspects of the city’s development.

Because her job was dangerous, she continuously practiced self-defense with Qian Ran’s bodyguards and always carried a knife and other protective tools.

Qian Ran supported her career but was constantly worried about her safety.

The reason Jiang Zhiyi and Qian Ran could be in a relationship was due to his attitude toward her work.

He deeply cared for her and wished she wouldn’t pursue her career as a journalist. However, he never stopped her from doing it.

Instead, he focused on finding ways to ensure she could stay safe while doing her job.

Chu Xia noticed Jiang Zhiyi’s unusual mood and quickly realized it was related to her work.

She reached out and held her hand.

Jiang Zhiyi’s face softened with emotion. Her family had never supported her being a journalist, but now, with Chu Xia and the others’ understanding, she felt she wasn’t fighting alone anymore.

Since Chu Xia and her family had a long holiday, they weren’t in a rush to go out for any trips.

It was currently the hottest time of the year, but with air conditioning in Jiang Zhida’s house, they stayed comfortable while preparing the sleeping arrangements.

Just like Jiang Zhida had said, the upper floor had nothing but beds, cabinets, tables, and chairs—there were no blankets or other bedding.

Luckily, the building was a high-end residence, and the nearby facilities were quite complete.

Without going too far, Chu Xia and the others were able to purchase everything they needed.

Qian Ran, Cen Zhengnian, and Cen Huai’an carried the large items, while Chu Xia and Jiang Zhiyi took care of the smaller ones.

After returning home, Qian Ran said, “We don’t need thick blankets in the summer. There’s a washing machine, so if we wash the blankets, sheets, and bed covers, they’ll dry by tonight.”

Jiang Zhiyi had to work that afternoon, so after having lunch with Chu Xia and the others, she left to get busy.

Qian Ran mentioned he needed to visit the factory, and Cen Huai’an paused while packing his things, glancing at him before quickly looking down.

Noticing his reaction, Qian Ran smiled and asked, “An’an, would you like to come with me?”

With everything at home already cleaned and hung out to dry, and since Chu Xia had shares in the factory, she stood up and said, “We don’t have any plans this afternoon, so let’s all go take a look.”

Cen Huai’an’s eyes subtly lit up with joy, though Chu Xia could sense how pleased he was.

The factory wasn’t in Yangcheng but in Shenzhen, not too far from their home.

It was about an hour’s drive.

Qian Ran didn’t visit the factory daily, but he usually went twice a week to check on things.

The factory had a manager in charge of the daily operations, while Qian Ran’s job was to liaise with various business partners and handle other tasks.

In addition to this factory, Jiang Zhida and Qian Ran had established other businesses.

As their ventures grew, so did their confidence and ambition.

The factory manager worked in shifts, and the machines operated every day.

When they arrived, the factory was bustling with workers busy with production.

Along the way, Chu Xia observed a vibrancy and energy in Yangcheng and Shenzhen that was different from Beijing.

These cities were rapidly developing, lacking the deep imperial history of Beijing but possessing their own culture, charm, and a fresh sense of excitement.

On both sides of the road, there were people selling their goods at street stalls—a rare sight in Beijing.

You could find all sorts of trendy items here, from clothes and household goods to various audio-visual products and electronics.

Cen Huai’an held a pager in his hand, something that was commonly seen in Yangcheng and Shenzhen.

In addition, Chu Xia saw someone holding a large mobile phone and shouting loudly into it, as if afraid no one would notice it.

“Mom, what is that?” Cen Huai’an asked, still looking back at the man with the large phone, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Qian Ran laughed and explained, “That’s a ‘Big Brother’ phone. It works like a regular phone, but while regular phones need to be connected to a phone line, the Big Brother phone doesn’t. You can make calls anywhere.”

Cen Huai’an’s eyes sparkled with interest as he turned back to watch the man with the phone, only stopping when the car had driven out of sight.

“Do you like the Big Brother phone?” Chu Xia asked, sensing Cen Huai’an’s excitement.

Cen Huai’an hesitated briefly before nodding. “I think it’s similar to the pager.”

“It is, in a way. Both use wireless signals,” Cen Zhengnian chimed in from the front, explaining the differences between the two devices to Cen Huai’an.

The pager was a wireless beeper, while the Big Brother phone allowed wireless calls.

The pager used analog or digital signals, while the Big Brother phone only used analog signals.

However, analog signals were prone to interference and were unstable.

Due to technological limitations, the Big Brother phone could only support 30 minutes of talk time on a single battery charge.

Qian Ran then told Cen Huai’an about the price of the Big Brother phone and the monthly call fees.

A Big Brother phone cost more than 10,000 yuan, and there was a 120-yuan monthly service fee—far beyond what the average person could afford.

No wonder the man with the phone was showing off; he certainly had something to brag about.

Upon hearing how expensive the Big Brother phone was, Cen Huai’an calculated his savings and realized he couldn’t afford it, giving up the idea of buying one.

At the factory, Chu Xia, Cen Huai’an, and Cen Zhengnian followed Qian Ran as he showed them around the workshop.