Reborn in the 80s: My Whole Family Secretly Hears My Thoughts and Goes Wild with Success! - Chapter 106

“Xiao Ye!”

Ling Chao spotted Ye Jiawen from afar and leaned out of his car window, waving energetically and calling out to her.

Ye Jiawen stopped and waited for Ling Chao’s car to pull up beside her before stepping forward to greet him. “Hello, Uncle Ling.”

“Ah, hello to you too.”

Ling Chao chuckled warmly. “Xiao Ye, are you heading to Old Yue’s place?”

Ye Jiawen nodded and glanced at her watch. “Uncle Yue invited our family over today, but I got held up at school. I’m running a bit late.”

“Not at all—studies come first.”

Ling Chao shifted aside, making room near the car door. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride. I need to discuss something with Old Yue anyway—it’s on the way.”

Ye Jiawen didn’t stand on ceremony and climbed into the car cheerfully. “Thank you, Uncle Ling.”

“Don’t mention it.”

When they arrived at the Yue family’s courtyard gate, Ling Chao and Ye Jiawen stepped out of the car to find the other children playing a game of sandbag toss. Huo Jiusi and Qin Feng stood guard on either side of Yaya’s stroller.

Huo Jiusi was weaving a small grass rabbit between his fingers, while Qin Feng fanned Yaya with a large palm-leaf fan.

“Yaya!”

Ling Chao walked over and scooped Yaya into his arms, tilting his chin playfully. “Do you still remember Grandpa Ling?”

Yaya’s eyes curved into crescents as she waved her tiny fist—her way of saying she did.

Ling Chao burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Oh, Yaya still remembers Grandpa Ling? That makes me so happy!”

“Look what Grandpa Ling brought you.” He pulled a small cloth kitten from his pocket and dangled it in front of her. “Do you like it?”

Yaya’s eyes lit up, and she shook her little fist excitedly.

Ling Chao placed the kitten in her arms, and Yaya hugged it tightly, giggling with delight.

“Yaya’s so clever.” He gently tapped her tiny nose.

The more he looked at her, the more he adored her—and the more envious he grew.

Yue Guohuai had been promoted again, but Ling Chao didn’t begrudge him that—the man had earned it.

But how did he end up with such a wonderful child?

Ling Chao had three grandsons and two grandsons from his daughters—but not a single granddaughter.

He wanted one just like Yaya—sweet, smart, and utterly precious.

Lost in thought, he suddenly turned to Ye Jiawen beside him.

Ye Jiawen, puzzled by his stare, touched her face self-consciously. “Uncle Ling, is there something on my face?”

“No, no.”

Ling Chao waved awkwardly and shifted his attention back to Yaya. “Yaya, if you like this little toy, Grandpa Ling will bring you another one next time, okay?”

Yaya grabbed his finger and shook it, melting his heart so thoroughly he could barely think straight. Even as he stepped inside, he was still grinning ear to ear.

“Old Ling, what’s got you so cheerful? Did you swallow a magpie’s egg?” Huo Yingnian teased.

“Shut it, you old fox. If anyone’s eaten a magpie’s egg, it’s you.”

Ling Chao shot back with a laugh before turning to Ye Yunlin beside him and nodding at Yue Guohuai to make introductions. “Old Yue, who’s this gentleman?”

“This is Jiawen’s father—Zhiqiu’s second uncle, Ye Yunlin. He was one of the first educated youth from the capital to volunteer for land reclamation up north. He settled down there and stayed in the Great Northern Wilderness.”

Yue Guohuai knew Ling Chao had made a special trip to meet Ye Yunlin and Li Shuying. If things worked out between Ling Hang and Ye Jiawen, their families would be in-laws someday. It was best to lay the groundwork early.

So he went out of his way to smooth the way for Ling Chao. “Yunlin, this is my old comrade Ling Chao. We live in the same compound now—practically neighbors. His son, Ling Hang, grew up with Mingyuan and serves in the same squadron.”

“Brother Ye, pleasure to meet you.”

Ling Chao stepped forward and extended his hand. Ye Yunlin quickly stood and shook it. “Brother Ling.”

“Ah!”

Ling Chao responded heartily before settling into the seat beside Ye Yunlin.

Ye Yunlin couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Ling, are you from Heilongjiang? Your accent sounds just like ours.”

Ling Chao’s face lit up. “You bet! That’s exactly where I’m from. I was just hoping to chat with you about home.”

“I’m from Jilouzi Village—ever heard of it?”

“How could I not? My wife’s from Jilouzi Village!”

Ye Yunlin was stunned—not only had he met a fellow villager, but one from the very same hamlet. He immediately called out to Li Shuying. “Shuying, come quick! This Brother Ling is also from Jilouzi!”

But then he caught himself. Jilouzi wasn’t a big place—he knew everyone there, and no one had the surname Ling.

Li Shuying walked over and studied Ling Chao before cutting straight to the point. “Brother Ling, which family are you related to?”

“I was from Jilouzi once, but there’s no one left there who’d know me now.”

Ling Chao sighed. “Back then, the Japs slaughtered our entire village. I was lucky to survive—crawled out of a pile of corpses and joined the army. Never went back after that.”

His words cast a heavy silence over the room.

“Dinner’s ready! An army marches on its stomach—catch up or discuss business after we eat,” Wan Jiayin called out, breaking the tension.

After the meal, Ling Chao chatted a while longer with Ye Yunlin and Li Shuying. It didn’t take long for them to realize Ling Chao had taken a liking to their daughter and hoped to match her with his son, Ling Hang.

They were open to the idea but made it clear they wouldn’t force Ye Jiawen—her own wishes came first.

Ling Chao excused himself for another engagement, leaving the others to continue their conversation in the study.

Ye Yunlin brought up Yue Mingyuan’s suggestion about transitioning his factory to produce milk powder.

Huo Yingnian shared his thoughts. “Xiao Ye, Mingyuan’s proposal is solid. State-owned enterprises will soon have to be self-sustaining. We’re no longer under a planned economy but a market one—that means we’ll have to withstand market competition.”

“Survival of the fittest, plain and simple. Only those that adapt to market demands will last.”

“If private enterprises thrive, they’ll dominate. If state-owned ones can’t keep up, they’ll die out.”

“We were too closed off before. The planned economy didn’t work—if we want to strengthen our nation, we have to reform.”

Huo Yingnian’s words strengthened Ye Yunlin’s resolve. He shared some of Yue Mingyuan and Shen Zhiqiu’s insights, along with ideas of his own after reading up on the subject.

“I think we can’t just copy foreign milk powder formulas. We need to develop ones suited to our own people’s constitution. Blindly following others would make us no better than parrots—we need real innovation.”

“Xiao Ye, that’s an excellent perspective.”