Ethan Franklin brought Lucas Franklin inside, and after sitting down on the bamboo chairs in the living room, he solemnly began introducing his younger brother.

When Ethan Franklin graduated from middle school, he was not yet fourteen. According to policy, he was directly assigned to work as a sent-down youth in a place called Qingdong County under Nanjiang Province. His grandfather, William Franklin, was still considered a reactionary academic authority at the time and was under surveillance and forced labor. His father, Liam Franklin, taught in the countryside and was regarded as a low-status intellectual, and since Ethan Franklin himself was so young and couldn’t even win a fight, he was often bullied at the sent-down youth site.

The young woman in front of him was named Hannah Brooks, about eight or nine years older than Ethan Franklin, and was already a veteran at the site. Since only she and Ethan Franklin came from the provincial capital Xinling, she treated the newly arrived Ethan Franklin as her own younger brother, looking after him in every way. Whenever someone bullied Ethan Franklin, Hannah Brooks would lash out like a mother lion protecting her cub. Life as a sent-down youth was hard, and Hannah Brooks often saved the good food she brought from home for Ethan Franklin. When Ethan Franklin first arrived in the countryside, he didn’t know how to do any farm work, so Hannah Brooks taught him everything step by step and often helped him complete tasks he couldn’t manage on his own.

After the movement ended, the sent-down youth site was disbanded, and a million sent-down youths returned to the cities. Hannah Brooks and Ethan Franklin returned to Xinling together. However, their situations after returning were very different.

Because William Franklin was politically rehabilitated, the Feng family’s fortunes turned around overnight. Liam Franklin was transferred back to work in Xinling and joined the well-known No. 2 Middle School. Ethan Franklin, benefiting from his grandfather’s status, entered the Metallurgical Bureau. Although he was only a temporary worker, at least he had a job.

Hannah Brooks’s situation was different. Her father had died of illness the year before last, and her eldest younger brother had taken his place at the factory as a permanent employee. The temporary worker position reserved for employees’ children had already been taken by her youngest brother. Since she returned late, there were no positions left for her, so like many other returned sent-down youths, she was left indefinitely unemployed at home.

Both younger brothers got married one after another. In order to buy the popular “forty-eight legs” furniture, all the family’s savings were used up, and they even owed a lot of money to the factory’s mutual aid society. Both new families had a lot of basic household setup to do, and appliances like the “three rounds and one press” were not yet complete, so neither brother could contribute their wages to the family. As for repaying debts and supporting their elder sister, that responsibility fell entirely on Hannah Brooks’s mother.

One brother managed to get a dormitory at the factory and moved out with his wife. The other brother and his wife took over Hannah Brooks’s old room at home, so Hannah Brooks could only share a room with her mother, Shirley Lawson. The younger sister-in-law living at home was already pregnant and was planning to have the baby raised by the elders after it was born. She was quite unhappy about her sister-in-law taking up space at home, and her words were often barbed, frequently mentioning that the elder sister-in-law was getting old and had become a spinster. If things didn’t work out, she should just find a divorced or widowed man to marry quickly, so as not to be an eyesore—well, so that their mother-in-law wouldn’t have to worry, right?

Back at the sent-down youth site, Ethan Franklin had already heard that Hannah Brooks had once experienced a deeply moving romance. After that, she seemed heartbroken and was indifferent to many suitors, which was why she remained single at her age. Ethan Franklin was also very aware of her situation after returning to the city. Although he wasn’t particularly ambitious, he still had a conscience, and he always felt grateful to this big sister who had cared for him like a real sister—or even a mother.

Now, this Ethan Franklin had inherited the body of the previous Ethan Franklin, along with some of his feelings. When he saw Hannah Brooks, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of warmth. In the past, he had limited ability and could barely take care of himself, let alone help Hannah Brooks. Now that he had been reborn as a new person, before leaving for the capital, he decided to help his predecessor fulfill a long-cherished wish.

“Xiaocheng, what brings you here? Aren’t you working at the Metallurgical Bureau? Oh, right… um, let me get you both some water…”

Hannah Brooks instinctively wanted to invite the Feng brothers to stay for a meal, but the words caught in her throat. She had no income now and was living off her family, so she had no right to invite guests for dinner. If it were just her and her mother at home, she might barely be able to make the decision, but that penny-pinching younger sister-in-law would never tolerate such generosity. If she saw the Feng brothers eating at their house, she might very well find an excuse to drive them out.

With the experience of two lifetimes, Ethan Franklin could easily tell what Hannah Brooks had left unsaid, and he could see the fleeting sadness in her eyes. He waved his hand and said, “Sis, don’t worry. I brought Xiaoyu here today because I have something important to discuss with you. Let’s put it this way—I’d like to ask you for a favor.”

“A favor? What could I possibly help you with?” Hannah Brooks asked in surprise, then sat down on the chair next to them, waiting for Ethan Franklin to speak.

“I’ve gotten an individual business license and want Xiaoyu to open a small restaurant. Sis, could you help us out?” Ethan Franklin said directly.