Time Travel: Conditional Wealth

The change began in a special winter.

The market economy, which once seemed so far away from everyone, now seems to be closer.

People miss its beauty, crave its feeling, and are eager to get more. He Xi and He Fei are also moved by it and change their usual secretive mask.

The two sisters were in the room, chatting freely about their next plans. They could finally speak out their ideas that were unknown to outsiders. He Xi had been here for more than two years, and she had finally waited for this day.

On December 1978, 12, the country officially began reform and opening up, and at the same time established a socialist market economic system. Private economy and small traders were finally able to return to the historical stage, and He Xi's investment in He Fei's clothing industry was also beginning to emerge.

When the market changes, the first thing people change is their clothing. Maybe they can be bolder.

He Xi took out a stack of papers from the bedside table, which were all drafts of clothing designs.

She has no experience of life in the 70s, and there is no more relevant knowledge on the Internet, so she can only design clothes based on the fragmented memories of others: "Look at how many of them conform to the current aesthetic characteristics?"

Holding He Xi's draft in his hand, He Fei smiled bitterly and said, "Your draft is more detailed than my final draft. No wonder my teacher said that I was fighting with passion."

He Xi held a pencil in her hand and handed it to her, saying, "If it doesn't look good, just change it. My aesthetic has always been bold, and many of my clothes are covered in dust. He doesn't want me to wear them."

"I don't know either. I just don't know what will be popular next. I originally had a lot of ideas, but after seeing yours, I feel that mine are too conservative." He Fei looked through the design drafts one by one, and made new discoveries in each one.

He Xi invested in He Fei's clothing industry not just out of debt to the original owner, she also had her own considerations. After opening up, it was a stage of bold attempts. Every attempt is one step closer to success. It can be exaggerated to say that your boldness is destined to succeed.

This is a historical process of development in which the brave ones will die of overeating, while the timid ones will die of starvation.

He Xi had no inside information. She only had a fleeting memory of lines from TV dramas, "Nowadays, whatever you do is profitable."

He Xi smiled and said, "Every piece of clothing designed by a designer has its target audience. All you have to do now is believe that we are the first wave of people to get rich."

"Ah." He Fei bit her tongue anxiously, her face full of pain, "What about Dad?"

He Xi lay down on the bed and said, "Come whenever you want. Lu Jinan lives in the school, so lock his room. Isn't it good for us to focus on our own careers and have someone cook for us?"

He Fei was lying with He Xi holding the design draft, with a smug smile on her face: "Oh, no, Dad can't come. We have greenhouses this winter. What should we do with the vegetables if he comes? I was stupid and let him scare me."

After thinking for a while, He Fei's face suddenly fell: "I still don't have the capital. For me, opening our clothing store is just like taking advantage of your money. Men are really not reliable at all. I regret getting married so early now."

"You asked for it. You ruined my engagement party. It's not too late to get married after you both have settled down. Dating is a process of testing whether you are suitable for marriage. But you stepped into the grave of love just after you got to know each other a little bit better."

"A grave? Your description is so accurate."

"What should we do next?" He Fei grabbed He Xi's hand, especially afraid that He Xi would not take her with him.

"It's already been done before the renovation. Now it's about the soft furnishings, the hangers and display cabinets, the production and packaging. You can also ask your classmates. Aren't they all designers? They should all know how to operate a sewing machine."

He Fei's hesitation was obvious. She was not afraid that her classmates would surpass her, but that they would not keep their mouths shut. Although reform and opening up had generally been implemented, her classmates told her that things were still the same over there. People with red armbands were catching speculators every day and sentencing them to prison.

They selected two locations for the opening of stores. Of course, it was definitely not a grand opening. They could choose to open for business on weekends. The most important thing was to leave a back door for their escape.

Having made up her mind not to go home, He Fei wrote a letter to her father. Unexpectedly, the phone at home rang that afternoon just after she received the letter. In fact, the phone at He Xi's home only rang a few times, and most of them were Lu Jinan calling He Xi. Today's phone ringing was very unexpected.

Only He Xi and He Fei were at home now. They happened to have just watched a movie, which was similar to "The Ring". The unusually sudden ringing of the phone scared the two sisters so much that they "ran away in panic" and huddled together, and no one dared to answer the phone.

The phone rang for a long time, and it was obvious that the other party was persistent and not so scared. He Xi just remembered and said, "I'll go answer the phone. Not many people know the number. What if there is an emergency in Beijing?"

"Hey." He Fei pulled He Xi back to her feet. "Why don't we just forget it? If it's really a call from Beijing, it's also for Lu Jinan. He's busy with the competition. He's been working hard for so long. I'm afraid..."

One ringtone disappeared, and another one started. He Xi pulled He Fei to the location of the phone and carefully picked up the phone. He didn't dare to speak. As a result, the other party's full-throated voice came: "He Xi, you are determined to choose love over family, right?"

He Xi opened his mouth, but still didn't speak. Only the other party's voice was heard: "Speak? Don't think that I don't know what you are thinking if you don't speak. In this case, you should prepare to welcome me."

The two sisters who were listening to the phone suddenly felt relieved and exhaled at the same time. He Xi's voice was filled with a sense of powerlessness after being frightened: "Okay, I'll wait."

"It just so happens that no one cooks for my sister and I. We are all busy, so we just need someone to cook. You don't have to do anything. Just prepare three meals a day and clean the public spaces."

Father He: “…”

He's father coughed heavily and glanced at the post office staff: "I'm sick, just tell me whether you will come back or not."

He Xi refuted him weakly: "It's inconvenient for us as lesbians. Lu Jinan is busy with the provincial competition. Xiao Yan, yes, my brother-in-law will go back."

He Fei took the phone and said, "Yes, I will let him go back tomorrow. A son-in-law and half a son can finally be used."

He's father: He glared at me. He ate too much and both of his little cotton-padded jackets were leaking air.

On the other end, He's father's face was filled with desolation, and his voice became smaller and smaller: "Forget it, he won't come back, you guys go about your business, and let me fend for myself."

The phone was hung up. They should be thinking the same thing. The phone number must have been given by Xiao Yan. Lu Jinan absolutely respected He Xi.

She didn't plan to hide it from He's father, thinking that it would be impossible for him to go to the town to make a special phone call to ask how they were doing. Which older generation doesn't care about money?

The next morning, He Fei twisted Xiao Yan's ear and went downstairs, throwing her luggage at the door: "Go back to my house, see my dad, and then go back to your Beijing. You are a married man, don't always think about going home to nurse."

"Breastfeeding?" Xiao Yan turned his head and said, "He Fei, watch your attitude. You need something from me now."

"Yes, I need your help." He Fei said impatiently, "I will never choose you again."