The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later-Chapter 228 - 227: The Opportunity of 1980

"Maybe I should think about it some more. I just ran out like that the other day. If I go back just like this, my sister-in-law will laugh at me."

Xue Xingzhou snorted. "So you *do* know it was wrong to run out like that? Your sister-in-law won’t laugh at you. Think about it—your sister’s father-in-law and mother-in-law live there too. You’ve been staying with them, and not just for a day or two. What do you think they’ll make of it?"

Xue Xingjun said with surprise, "But I’m not freeloading. I help out with work."

Xue Xingzhou sighed. "I’m just giving you an example. It’s not that they actually dislike you, but we need to know our place. It’s different at my house. From now on, you can go work with your brother-in-law, then come back to my place afterward. We’ll save dinner for you."

Xue Xingjun nodded. "All right, then. Let’s go in and tell them we’re leaving."

Xue Xingjun ran in from outside. The moment he saw Xue Yue, he said, "Sis, I think I’ll go back and stay with Big Brother after all. I miss Tun Tun."

Xue Xingzhou, who had followed him in, smiled. ’This kid is actually pretty sharp.’

Xue Yue glanced at Xue Xingzhou, and he nodded back at her.

"Okay, it’s up to you. You can stay wherever you want. If you’re still going with your brother-in-law tomorrow, come over around the same time as you have been these past couple of days. You can find the way, right?"

Xue Xingjun nodded. "I can. I got it. I’ll head back now, then."

"Okay."

"Brother-in-law, Uncle, Auntie, I’m leaving with my brother now."

"Ah, alright."

Xue Xingjun followed his brother into the courtyard, his gaze sweeping around.

’Hmm, looks like that person really isn’t here.’

"What are you looking at? Didn’t you say you were so tired you wanted to sleep? Then get going," Xue Xingzhou said, watching him.

Xue Xingjun said, "Big Brother, I want to see Tun Tun. I kind of miss him."

He really did miss him.

Xue Xingzhou smiled. "Then wait a moment. I’ll go inside and see if he’s asleep."

Zhang Qian heard the voices in the courtyard and saw Xue Xingzhou come in.

"You brought Xing Jun back? Did he give you any trouble?"

Xue Xingzhou said with a smile, "No, he’s just standing in the courtyard and won’t come in. Says he wants to see Tun Tun."

Tun Tun was already lying down, playing with his own feet.

Zhang Qian got out of bed and draped a piece of clothing over her shoulders. "Then let him come in."

Xue Xingzhou called out the door.

Xue Xingjun tiptoed inside. "Sister-in-law."

Zhang Qian nodded. "Go on and see him. He’ll be getting sleepy soon."

Xue Xingjun walked to the bedside, stared at Tun Tun on the bed for a few moments, then started to head out.

"I’m good now. Big Brother, Sister-in-law, you two should get to sleep. I’m going to bed too."

As he left, he gently closed the door behind him.

Zhang Qian got back into bed and lay down.

"Your brother is a very polite kid."

Xue Xingzhou stood by the bed, taking off his clothes. "He’s not bad. When he was little, he always used to stick to me. My sister used to secretly give him a hard time because of his mother, but he never tattled. He’s just a bit of a glutton, which makes him quite endearing."

Zhang Qian looked at him. "I can tell you’re quite fond of him too."

Xue Xingzhou smiled. "He’s alright. He’s just a kid, doesn’t have any bad habits. And he’s my brother, so it’s only right that I look out for him."

"That’s true."

「Time flew by, and soon it was April.」

Suddenly, banks began issuing foreign exchange certificates to solve the problems caused by a shortage of foreign currency and to segregate the domestic and international consumer markets.

He Lang immediately smelled a business opportunity. Unexpectedly, Xue Xingzhou had the exact same idea.

Before anyone else could react, they ran to every bank in Beijing City and each bought 100 US Dollars’ worth of foreign exchange certificates.

This was because each bank had a monthly limit of 100 US Dollars per person. They would then take the certificates to the black market or sell them to scalpers.

A price difference emerged between the US Dollar and the RMB. Buying one US Dollar could get you a return of 1.5 to 2.5 RMB.

In essence, their initial investment doubled or tripled within a single day.

A price gap also appeared for imported and exported goods.

Xue Xingzhou used the equivalent of eight US Dollars to buy a bottle of Maotai, stocking up on several bottles at home.

He Lang had gotten a taste of success.

He had every adult in the family go and do the same, and soon everyone had made some money.

But the opportunity was gone for the month; they could only wait for the next one.

He Lang thought it over. An opportunity like this was rare and might disappear soon. So, he took an overnight train to the surrounding cities.

He bought tens of thousands of yuan worth, brought them back to Beijing City to exchange for RMB, and instantly doubled his money.

He Lang and the others had indeed made a lot of money. By this time, many people had caught on and also began frantically buying up the foreign exchange certificates.

Soon, the authorities issued restrictions: the maximum exchange was now 30 US Dollars per person per month, and it had to be linked to someone entering the country.

He Lang used this money to fund the construction of his building and quit the business entirely.

Originally, Xue Yue had been cutting back on household expenses due to a tight budget. She never expected such a sudden turnaround; now they had money.

The others were fine, but Mrs. He was ecstatic, holding the thousand-plus RMB she and Mr. He had earned.

"Third Son, do you think there will be another chance? This money came way too fast."

He Lang said with a smile, "Mom, we were lucky to get even one chance. Besides, we need to know when to pull back. While it’s not exactly ill-gotten gains, we did take a shortcut. And the authorities are starting to regulate it."

Mr. He nodded. "Third Son is right. Know when to stop."

But the market soon fell into some chaos. Prices began to rise, especially for gold.

Some people rushed to buy gold, but their family already had some, so they didn’t buy any.

The family went to the market and bought extra daily necessities. They bought several sacks of rice and white flour to stock up at home.

Of course, some people didn’t believe it.

For example, Xue Yue’s neighbor, Niu Hongjun.

Li Lanying went out and saw many people buying things to take home. After asking around, she found out that prices were supposedly about to skyrocket.

She ran back to tell Niu Hongjun.

Niu Hongjun completely dismissed it, even scoffing, "That’s something uneducated people would do. Prices can’t just shoot up whenever they want. It’s not up to them. It’s probably just insiders from the department stores and markets spreading rumors to sell more products and create a panic. Listen to me, don’t worry about it. In a couple of days, when they come to their senses, they’ll realize they’ve been duped. Buying so much stuff to store at home? It’s not worth it if it all spoils."

Li Lanying was still hesitant. "Hongjun, everyone is rushing to buy things. Why don’t I just buy a little? If prices really do go up, we won’t be able to afford anything with the money we have. It’s one thing if we go hungry, but we have a child."

Niu Hongjun looked at her with displeasure. "I’ve said so much, don’t you understand? Between the two of us, who’s the college student? Who understands politics, you or me? I said not to buy anything, so why are you still asking? You’re just a simple-minded woman. We have nothing in common."

With that, he went back into the room, slamming the door with a BANG. Li Lanying stood stunned outside for a long time before finally deciding to listen to her husband.

Next door, Mrs. He was taking inventory in the storeroom. "I bought a few extra tubes of toothpaste since we go through it quickly. And soap, can’t do laundry without it."

Then she asked Xue Yue, "Yue’er, should we go buy more?"

Xue Yue looked at the storeroom, which was piled high with goods. "This should last us a while. Let’s not buy any more for now. If we think of something we’re missing another day, we can buy it then."