CHAPTER 280: CHAPTER 272: THE TRAGEDY OF NIU GUIYUAN

arrived belatedly. Since the New Year passed, Sisi had been as if injected with chicken blood, constantly in an excited state, which puzzled the Old Man and He Xuewen. They asked what was up with Sisi, but each time she just smiled without saying a word.

Since finding Mu Xiulan, He Xuewen had turned back into that workaholic. Under Sisi’s suggestion, he went to buy quite a few old houses and plots of land in that small fishing village in Shenzhen, and he even pulled Yang Wenbin along with him.

However, Yang Wenbin felt that the dilapidated village had no prospects at all. Unable to refuse his old friend’s face, he bought a few houses, unlike He Xuewen who purchased a large plot and quite a few ramshackle houses.

Along with He Xuewen who went to Shenzhen to buy land was Wang Shishi, the future richest man in China. Wang Shishi had already graduated from university and was working as an engineer in a state-owned factory in Shanghai, with boundless prospects. His good friend Zhang Li was teaching in a high school in Shanghai. They both had become very good friends with He Xuewen.

Wang Shishi indeed had a keen eye. Sisi knew from her past life memories that Shenzhen would surely prosper, but Wang Shishi merely relied on his deductions to bravely buy land there. Bold, intelligent, and proactive, it’s no wonder Wang Shishi later became so successful!

Wang Shishi didn’t have enough money, only enough for three houses. This had already used up all his savings. He originally wanted to pull Zhang Li to buy together with him, but Zhang Li had too heavy a family burden. His own monthly salary was barely enough for himself, let alone any savings.

Reluctantly gazing at the shabby fishing village, Wang Shishi decided to save more money. While there was still a chance, he was determined to buy more. Later, these houses would be his foundation to wealth.

When He Xuewen learned Wang Shishi was short of money, he lent him some—1000 yuan—not much, just enough for Wang Shishi to buy a small plot of land, which he did not refuse and immediately went to buy the previously considered plot.

However, he was quite righteous. He split that plot with Zhang Li. To get Zhang Li to accept his half, Wang Shishi even concocted a reason, claiming he couldn’t pay back so much money alone and asked Zhang Li to help repay half, thus giving half of the plot to Zhang Li.

Zhang Li was also sincere. Seeing his good friend in trouble, he reduced his monthly living expense from 10 yuan to 5, managing with extreme frugality. Already frail, his condition grew even weaker, leaving Wang Shishi constantly tormented by conscience, and in the end, he couldn’t stand it and confessed the truth, pleading with Zhang Li not to mistreat his own body anymore.

But Zhang Li didn’t buy it. He said he didn’t want the land and would help Wang Shishi repay the money, remaining at 5 yuan a month. Wang Shishi regretted it deeply; if he had known it would burden his friend, why had he ever mentioned borrowing money!

Unable to do otherwise, Wang Shishi followed Zhang Li in subsisting on 5 yuan. Though he claimed that friends should share weal and woe, within a few days, he was so famished that he saw stars when walking, and moved like floating on water, forcing Zhang Li finally to relent and return his living expense to 10 yuan.

He Xuewen treated this as a joke, and Sisi laughed heartily when hearing it. After laughing, however, she felt moved. No wonder later on Wang Shishi and Zhang Li could always look out for each other, unmoved by wealth or fame. The friendship between them was probably something not even an atomic bomb could sever.

He Xuewen also felt these two were worth befriending; loyal and righteous friends were all too rare nowadays. Meeting two such individuals was surely a reason to make friends, and from then on, He Xuewen’s contact with these two men became more frequent.

Naturally, Sisi was pleased to see this; the more good friends Daddy had, the smoother his path in business would be.

In 1976, the Tian Family also underwent many changes. Military officers Tian Guanghua and Tian Chaohua not only had smooth career paths but also resolved the long-standing marital issues in the Tian Family’s hearts, marrying girls from Sui City, upon strong insistence from Li Yuedi.

Since meeting Xu Qianwen, that trouble-making daughter-in-law from Shanghai, Li Yuedi and Tian Bajin issued the highest alert to their two grandsons: they must find wives from their hometown, or else they would not be allowed to enter the home.

Both grandsons were very obedient, returning home for arranged marriages and marrying good girls from the town with solid family backgrounds, beautiful looks, high school education, and capable virtues; Tian Bajin and Li Yuedi were very satisfied.

Tian Shouhua and Mo Xiaomi also got married this January. Their wedding was grand, and the dowry that the Tian Family gave to the Mo Family made the Mo relatives green with envy; just the cash gift was 300 yuan, not to mention the bicycle, sewing machine, recorder, watch, and other goods. These generous dowry gifts made Mo Xiaomi’s parents extremely happy.

Of course, these cash gifts and dowry still served as the bride’s trousseau when Xiaomi was married into the Tian Family, who were also very satisfied and held a high opinion of their granddaughter-in-law Mo Xiaomi.

The Tian Family was full of auspicious joy, each person wore a satisfied and joyous smile, and Sisi also felt happy, but happiness is not contagious; when some are happy, naturally, there are others who are sad.

The sad one was Niu Guiyuan, who still worked as a waitress in a restaurant, but having given birth, she had become much thinner, almost unrecognizable from before.

The slimmed-down Niu Guiyuan had become a beautiful young woman, and because she sold buns at the restaurant every day, the passing customers jokingly called her "Mantou Xishi" (Sui City people refer to buns as mantou). Of course, this nickname wasn’t meant to be malicious, and Niu Guiyuan herself would just laugh it off.

Becoming a mother, Niu Guiyuan matured a lot; her temperament wasn’t as impetuous as before, she had become much more gentle, making Niu Sanxian very relieved and feeling that his daughter had finally grown up.

Niu Guiyuan’s son, Junjun, was two years old this year, a very adorable boy, chubby and white, looking just like a big meat bun, making everyone in the Niu family happy.

Niu Guiyuan often brought her son to the restaurant when working; Sisi would play with the little guy whenever she scrounged meals there, listening to him call her "Da Da," just like Niu Niu used to do—no matter how she taught him, he wouldn’t call her "Auntie." Sisi let it be, Da Da then!

Perhaps even the heavens were jealous of these happy people. Not long before Qingming, as usual, Niu Guiyuan dressed her son, thinking that with Qingming approaching, the streets would be crowded. It’s better not to bring the son to the restaurant, and thus, Junjun was left in the care of his grandmother.

The restaurant was indeed very busy, Niu Guiyuan was on her feet non-stop, but she felt uneasy all day, as if something was about to happen.

"What’s going on? Why does my heart feel so empty?"

After drinking a glass of water, Niu Guiyuan felt a bit better, went out again to the bun stall to serve customers and collect money.

In the afternoon, when there were fewer customers, Niu Guiyuan decided to go home and check on her son, her heart had felt empty all day—could something have happened to her son?

But before she could even step out of the restaurant, a madly rushing elderly woman from next door came shouting: "Guiyuan, hurry home, your Junjun has been kidnapped!"