Chapter Summaries

As bicycle parts rose in price and the new year exposed tensions in the Zhuang family, Zhou Cheng watched the adults navigate money, family obligations, and work. After Lin Wufeng advised Li Yiming and Song Xiangyang to try selling goods at a stall, Zhou Cheng offered to invest and share the risk, surprising Li Yiming with the scale of his proposed backing.

• Bicycle repair stalls returned, and Wang Chaoyuan, Wang Yong, and Zhang Amei regretted losing parts that had become far more valuable.
• Zhang Amei proposed exchanging New Year red envelopes, but Huang Ling and Song Ying refused, and Huang Ling challenged the Old Zhuang family’s hints that Zhuang Chaoying should give them more money.
• Zhuang Chaoying kept his stencil-cutting allowance for his own household instead of secretly passing it to the Old Zhuang family.
• Li Yiming and Song Xiangyang visited Zhuang Chaoying and Lin Wufeng for advice about selling small goods at stalls, and Lin Wufeng urged them to start with small, frequent purchases.
• Zhou Cheng followed Li Yiming and Song Xiangyang outside and offered to invest in a stall, saying he could provide five hundred yuan or even find five thousand.

Zhou Cheng tried to invest his writing fees in Li Yiming’s business, but Li refused to accept the money without Zhuang Chaoying’s involvement. As educated youths returned to the cities, they faced a shortage of jobs, income, and housing.

• Zhou Cheng showed Li Yiming and Song Xiangyang three bankbooks holding 1,500 yuan, explaining that the money came from his writing.
• Zhou Cheng offered Li Yiming 500 yuan to start a business, but Li refused and asked for Teacher Zhuang to discuss the investment.
• Zhou Cheng urged Li Yiming to consider selling small appliances and watches once he gained experience, and the two men left unsure whether to tell Zhuang Chaoying.
• Educated youths returned to the cities and struggled to find jobs, income, and places to live.

Zhou Cheng won both titles at the National Junior Table Tennis Championships in the Capital and returned home to great acclaim. That night, Zhuang Chaoying worried about his younger sister Zhuang Hualin, who remained unable to return from Gui Province because she was married and had a state-assigned job.

• Li Yiming asked Zhou Cheng to invest one thousand yuan in a bigger business, and Zhou Cheng agreed to share profits and losses.
• Zhuang Xiaoting celebrated her birthday with Song Ying and Huang Ling at a noodle shop, while Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Tunan followed her and discovered the outing.
• Zhou Cheng gave Zhuang Xiaoting a combination-lock notebook for her birthday, and Lin Dongzhe begged for one too.
• Zhou Cheng traveled to the Capital for the National Junior Table Tennis Championships, won both titles, and received a thousand-yuan bonus.
• Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling discussed Zhou Cheng's trip and worried that Zhuang Hualin could not return from Gui Province under the policy's restrictions.

Zhuang Chaoying brought his nephew Xiang Pengfei home after his parents pressured him to take the boy in, despite Huang Ling’s anger over being kept in the dark. Huang Ling’s hostility softened when she saw Pengfei’s timid manner, but she planned to demand that the Old Zhuang family pay his living expenses.

• Zhuang Chaoying told Huang Ling that Xiang Pengfei was on his way to live with them, prompting her to recall Granny Zhuang’s past neglect and confront her husband.
• Zhuang Chaoying asked Zhuang Tunan, Zhuang Xiaoting, and Zhou Cheng to visit the grandparents, but Zhou Cheng refused to go.
• Zhuang Chaoying returned from the Old Zhuang family’s home with Xiang Pengfei after Father Zhuang and Granny Zhuang pressured him to take the boy in.
• Zhuang Chaoying introduced Xiang Pengfei to Zhou Cheng and Huang Ling, whose initial displeasure softened when she saw how frightened he was.
• Huang Ling asked Zhuang Xiaoting to serve watermelon and decided to seek living expenses for Xiang Pengfei from the Old Zhuang family.

Xiang Pengfei spent his first evening in Suzhou discovering watermelon, a refrigerator, ice cream, and television, and he began dreaming of giving his mother a better life. The next morning, Huang Ling took Zhuang Chaoying to ask the Old Zhuang family for Pengfei’s living expenses, while Zhou Cheng left to check on his watch business at Xuanmiao Temple.

• Zhou Cheng gave Xiang Pengfei watermelon, and Xiang Pengfei was amazed by its cold sweetness and learned that it had been chilled in the family’s refrigerator.
• Zhuang Xiaoting showed Xiang Pengfei the refrigerator and ice pops, while Lin Dongzhe befriended him and brought him to watch television at the Lin family home.
• Song Ying lent the Zhuang family a bamboo bed, and Xiang Pengfei went to sleep grateful for the family’s kindness and resolved to buy his mother a refrigerator and television someday.
• Huang Ling insisted that Zhuang Chaoying accompany her to the Old Zhuang family to ask for Pengfei’s living expenses, and she stopped Zhou Cheng from going with them.
• Lin Dongzhe invited the children to watch television, and Zhou Cheng went to Xuanmiao Temple to check sales of the digital watches he and Li Yiming had brought in.

Zhuang Tunan and the other children welcomed Xiang Pengfei into their circle, while Huang Ling secured money for his expenses and treated him as part of the household. As Xiang Pengfei settled in and grew increasingly impressed by Zhou Cheng, Zhou Cheng spoke to him late one night, leaving their conversation to come.

• Zhuang Tunan and the children took Xiang Pengfei to a shop, where they bought snacks and gave him a plastic ruler while Lin Dongzhe told him Zhou Cheng had won a thousand yuan.
• Huang Ling argued with Granny Zhuang and obtained thirty yuan to cover Xiang Pengfei's living expenses.
• Huang Ling brought the children home and cooked red-braised pork, making sure Xiang Pengfei had his own portion.
• Xiang Pengfei settled into the household, made friends, and admired Zhou Cheng more as he learned about him.
• After Xiang Pengfei returned late from watching television, Zhou Cheng spoke to him from the upper bunk.

Zhou Cheng helped Xiang Pengfei recognize that he had been imposing on the Lin family, and Xiang began leaving their television gatherings early. As summer ended, Xiang returned to Gui Province with a letter from Zhuang Chaoying for his mother, while the schools prepared to reopen.

• Zhou Cheng warned Xiang Pengfei to leave the Lin family’s house when the others did, and Zhuang Tunan explained Lin Dongzhe’s embarrassing past to show why the reminder mattered.
• Xiang Pengfei began returning to the Zhuang family before nine, easing the Lin family’s evenings and leaving Lin Dongzhe with less time to watch television.
• The Zhuang and Lin families renovated their shared toilet into separate toilet and bathing compartments after Xiang Pengfei’s arrival made queues worse.
• Before Xiang Pengfei left, he gave Huang Ling an envelope of money and grain coupons meant for the family hosting him, but she returned the money and gave him a letter from Zhuang Chaoying for his mother.
• Xiang Pengfei returned to Gui Province, and the schools began their new terms a few days later.

Zhou Cheng began middle school at the Affiliated Middle School while Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting advanced to third grade, where Lin Dongzhe’s summer tutoring led to a chance to skip a grade. After both children entered fourth grade, Lin Dongzhe was caught copying Zhuang Tunan’s essay, and Zhang Amei ended the chapter by asking Wu Shanshan whether she could skip a grade too.

• Zhou Cheng and Wu Shanshan started middle school at the Affiliated Middle School, while Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting entered third grade.
• Lin Dongzhe corrected his teacher’s mistake, scored well on a test, and earned the chance to skip a grade.
• Song Ying agreed to Lin Dongzhe skipping a grade, and Zhuang Chaoying arranged for him and Zhuang Xiaoting to enter fourth grade in October.
• Lin Dongzhe copied an old essay by Zhuang Tunan, was caught by his teacher, and was beaten by Lin Wufeng after his parents were called in.
• Lin Dongzhe blamed his parents for not helping him with his homework, leaving Lin Wufeng and Song Ying embarrassed.
• Zhang Amei urged Wu Shanshan to study harder and asked whether she felt confident about skipping a grade.

Zhou Cheng helped Lin Dongzhe improve his essay writing, skipped ahead to junior high’s second year, and spent the next two years watching the families around the alley adapt to changing times. In 1981, Li Yiming opened a licensed shop, ending his business partnership with Zhou Cheng.

• Zhou Cheng taught Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting essay templates, and Zhuang Tunan listened in and learned from the method.
• Zhuang Chaoying arranged for Zhou Cheng to skip a grade, and Zhou Cheng advanced to the second year of junior high after only a few months.
• Zhou Cheng gave Lin Dongzhe a four-by-four Rubik’s Cube for his birthday, while Li Yiming and Song Xiangyang were briefly caught selling goods and Lin Wufeng helped secure their release.
• In 1980, the three families shared plentiful meat for Spring Festival as ration-free pork became available, and old-established businesses began reopening in Suzhou.
• In 1981, Li Yiming obtained an individual business license and opened a shop at the alley entrance, ending his partnership with Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Cheng turned down a classmate’s confession, left competitive table tennis to focus on school, and watched the adults around him cling to factory jobs as the Cotton Mill struggled. Li Yiming’s foreign-trade knitting orders then spread through the alley, and Huang Ling and Song Ying finished work with time and energy to spare.

• Zhou Cheng told Wu Shanshan that he would date a girl while remaining open to other relationships, leaving her troubled by his views on love.
• Zhou Cheng entered No. 1 Middle School, while Zhuang Xiaoting and Lin Dongzhe also gained admission there after Lin worked hard for the entrance exams.
• Zhou Cheng firmly refused officials’ efforts to recruit him for the National Youth Team and chose to pursue his education instead.
• Huang Ling and Song Ying discussed their worries about the Cotton Mill and defended the security of factory jobs as Zhou Cheng listened without intervening.
• Li Yiming brought home foreign-trade knitting orders from Shanghai, and the work spread among families in the alley.
• Huang Ling and Song Ying finished work early and, no longer tired from their reduced workload, found themselves restless.

Song Ying and Huang Ling asked Li Yiming for handicraft orders and learned that Zhou Cheng had secretly partnered with him in business. Zhou Cheng admitted he had earned thirty thousand yuan and explained that he had invested part of his manuscript fees, leaving Huang Ling stunned by how much he had kept from the family.

• Song Ying and Huang Ling went to Li Yiming’s shop to ask for handicraft orders, and he promised to find suitable work when he went to Shanghai.
• Li Yiming explained that he had avoided offering them orders because he thought Huang Ling’s family did not need the money, then revealed that Zhou Cheng had invested in his business.
• Huang Ling and Song Ying confronted Zhou Cheng, who admitted he had received thirty thousand yuan from the partnership.
• Huang Ling asked where Zhou Cheng had gotten his investment money, and he said he had saved part of his manuscript fees and put it into business with Li Yiming.

Huang Ling and Song Ying learned that Zhou Cheng had earned over thirty thousand yuan by investing in Li Yiming’s business, and Huang Ling asked them to keep his wealth secret from Zhuang Chaoying. Inspired by Zhou Cheng’s success but wary of leaving his factory job, Lin Wufeng considered earning extra money through private engineering work, while Song Ying began planning how to spend it.

• Huang Ling learned that Zhou Cheng had about thirty thousand yuan and decided his investment earnings should remain secret from Zhuang Chaoying.
• Huang Ling asked Song Ying and Lin Wufeng to keep Zhou Cheng’s fortune confidential, and Song Ying promised to do so.
• Song Ying told Lin Wufeng that Zhou Cheng had invested in Li Yiming’s business and earned a large return.
• Lin Wufeng considered leaving his state-owned factory job but decided against risking his family’s security.
• Lin Wufeng proposed taking private engineering jobs on weekends, saying a township enterprise had offered to pay him about a hundred yuan per day for technical guidance.
• Song Ying encouraged Lin Wufeng and imagined using his future earnings for a hair appointment and a wool coat.

Zhou Cheng studied chemical engineering at No. 1 Middle School while the schools struggled to enforce mixed classes and ban student romances. Huang Ling grew suspicious that Zhou Cheng and Wu Shanshan were growing close, and Zhuang Chaoying went to sound out the Wu family.

• Zhou Cheng regained his place in the privileged class and spent his time studying machinery and chemical engineering.
• Zhuang Chaoying helped arrange mixed-gender classes while patrolling the campus to discourage teenage romances.
• Song Ying and Huang Ling shared books and poetry, while Wu Shanshan repeatedly visited to borrow books from Zhou Cheng.
• Huang Ling told Zhuang Chaoying she suspected Zhou Cheng and Wu Shanshan were dating, and he advised them not to confront the youngsters directly.
• At Huang Ling's request, Zhuang Chaoying visited the Wu family to sound them out.

Huang Ling and Zhuang Chaoying visited the Wu family to learn where Wu Shanshan might study next, but discovered Zhang Amei planned to use the family’s only job quota for Zhang Min and steer Shanshan toward vocational school. After Wu Shanshan overheard the adults’ conversation and fled in tears, Zhou Cheng found her outside and encouraged her to ask for help, leaving her on the verge of speaking.

• Zhuang Chaoying asked about Wu Shanshan’s school plans, and Zhang Amei explained that she wanted Zhang Min to use the Wu family’s job quota to secure work at the Cotton Mill.
• Huang Ling and Zhuang Chaoying advised that teacher training might suit Zhang Min better than textile work, while Zhang Amei favored textiles and planned to send Wu Shanshan to vocational school instead of No. 1 Middle School.
• The adults’ discussion revealed their class prejudices and favoritism, while Wu Shanshan listened from the west wing and cried after hearing Zhang Amei discuss her future and potential marriage.
• Wu Shanshan left the house saying she was going to watch television, and Huang Ling went to the Lin home before returning to the Zhuang home with Song Ying and Lin Wufeng.
• Zhou Cheng found Wu Shanshan crying in the lane, reassured her that her book could be replaced, and told her to speak up and seek help when she could not solve a problem alone.
• Wu Shanshan looked up at Zhou Cheng and began to respond.

Wu Shanshan decided to take the high school entrance exam after Zhou Cheng explained why her family opposed it and urged her to ask for help. As New Year approached, Li Yiming’s new shop telephone impressed the alley, while Wang Fang and Zhou Qing’s return sparked a bitter family dispute that left Zhuang Xiaoting considering the cost of taking them in.

• Wu Shanshan told Zhou Cheng that her family wanted her to attend vocational school, and he advised her to pursue high school despite the difficulty.
• Wu Shanshan resolved to take the high school entrance exam, and Zhou Cheng reminded her to speak up when seeking help.
• Li Yiming installed a telephone in his shop for a large sum, and neighbors admired his success as a self-employed businessman.
• Wang Fang and Zhou Qing returned to Suzhou without household registration, and Wang Yong repeatedly fought with them and tried to drive them out.
• Zhuang Xiaoting sympathized with Zhou Qing, but Zhou Cheng pointed out that Wang Fang and her daughter could not work or attend school locally and would depend on the Wang family for support.

Zhou Cheng explained why Wang Yong had been justified in protecting his own household, then predicted that officials would intervene in Wang Fang and Zhou Qing’s dispute. After Zhou Qing found a place to live and entered school, Zhou Cheng sent Wu Zhu toward Hong Kong Island, while Zhuang Chaoying’s family faced pressure to take in Xiang Pengfei; the chapter ended with the relatives arriving uninvited at their door.

• Zhou Cheng reassured Zhuang Xiaoting that he would always be able to support her and predicted that the Cotton Mill would mediate Wang Fang’s dispute with Wang Yong.
• Wang Fang cut her own wrist during another fight with Wang Yong, prompting the Cotton Mill and Educated Youth Office to arrange a small house for her and Zhou Qing on the Zhuang and Lin families’ courtyards.
• Wang Fang’s father asked Zhuang Chaoying to help Zhou Qing enter the Affiliated Middle School, and Zhou Qing began attending despite being bullied by classmates.
• Zhou Cheng passed up the first stock offering and secretly sent Wu Zhu to Hong Kong Island after preparing him for the journey.
• Zhuang Chaoying returned with news that Xiang Pengfei’s transfer back to Suzhou had been approved, but Huang Ling refused to let him stay with them long-term.
• Zhuang Chaoying brought his parents, younger sister, and Xiang Pengfei to the house and told the children to greet their aunt.

Huang Ling refused to let Xiang Pengfei move into her cramped home before Zhuang Tunan and Zhou Cheng took their university entrance exams, confronting the Zhuang family over years of unfair treatment. She offered Xiang Pengfei a temporary place with Zhuang Hualin’s family and left the dispute unresolved beyond that compromise.

• Zhuang Hualin warmly greeted Huang Ling and the children, and Xiang Pengfei happily reunited with his uncle and cousins.
• Huang Ling sent Xiang Pengfei to find Lin Dongzhe, then told the family she would not let him move in before Zhuang Tunan and Zhou Cheng took their entrance exams.
• Huang Ling explained that the Cotton Mill had provided her home and threatened to divorce Zhuang Chaoying if he insisted on taking Xiang Pengfei in.
• Huang Ling confronted the Zhuang elders about keeping Zhuang Chaoying’s wages and expecting him and his children to sacrifice for the younger branch of the family.
• Zhuang Hualin cried as she explained that she wanted Xiang Pengfei to escape a life in the countryside, but Huang Ling told her he could stay with their third brother’s family for now.

Zhuang Hualin begged Huang Ling to let Xiang Pengfei stay, but Huang Ling refused because she feared the strain on her household. Granny Zhuang proposed a family vote, and Huang Ling was left shaken when both her sons supported it.

• Zhuang Tunan promised Huang Ling he would keep himself in line, but Huang Ling remained worried about letting Xiang Pengfei stay.
• Granny Zhuang proposed that the family vote on whether Xiang Pengfei could stay, while Zhen Dong and Zhen Bei remained at her home.
• Zhuang Chaoying and Zhuang Tunan supported the vote, and Huang Ling refused, fearing the children would sacrifice their own interests.
• Huang Ling turned to Zhou Cheng for support, but he sincerely agreed that voting was a good idea.
• Huang Ling felt drained and feared that Zhou Cheng shared Zhuang Tunan's view.

Zhuang Cheng and Zhuang Xiaoting joined Huang Ling in opposing Xiang Pengfei moving in, defeating the family’s vote. When Father Zhuang tried to slap Xiaoting, Zhou Cheng seized his wrist and stopped him.

• Zhuang Chaoying, Zhuang Tunan, Zhou Cheng, and Zhuang Xiaoting were asked to vote on whether Xiang Pengfei could stay, while Huang Ling argued that the extended family would take advantage of her sons.
• Zhou Cheng told the family he had always opposed Pengfei staying because he would not let an outsider make his mother unhappy.
• Zhuang Xiaoting said she agreed with Huang Ling and Zhou Cheng and did not want Cousin Pengfei to move in.
• Father Zhuang flew into a rage and raised his hand to slap Xiaoting.
• Zhou Cheng grabbed Father Zhuang’s wrist before the blow landed, then released him as the others intervened.

Zhou Cheng defended Zhuang Xiaoting and Huang Ling when Father Zhuang and Zhuang Chaoying tried to punish him, then used his strength to deter them without striking either man. Father Zhuang left after slapping Zhuang Chaoying, who fled in humiliation, while Zhou Cheng's family and neighbors remained at the house.

• Zhou Cheng confronted Zhuang Chaoying for excusing Father Zhuang's attempt to hit Zhuang Xiaoting, and Huang Ling stepped between them when Zhuang Chaoying tried to strike Zhou Cheng.
• Zhou Cheng caught Zhuang Chaoying's raised hand and released him, causing him to crash into Father Zhuang; both men then accused Zhou Cheng of attacking them.
• Zhou Cheng crushed a porcelain teacup to demonstrate his strength and warned Father Zhuang and Zhuang Chaoying not to lay hands on Huang Ling or Zhuang Xiaoting.
• Father Zhuang slapped and berated Zhuang Chaoying before leaving, and Granny Zhuang followed him.
• Zhuang Chaoying rushed out in humiliation, Zhuang Hualin left in a daze, and Zhuang Xiaoting swept up the broken cup as Song Ying checked on Huang Ling.