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In all honesty, Wang Qian truly didn’t want Zhang Lan to undergo the surgery. After all, it was an operation—how could it not be painful?
Despite their hopes, both Wang Qian and Geng Lianhua couldn’t avoid the inevitable. Zhang Lan eventually underwent the sterilization procedure along with other women of eligible age. Geng Lianhua personally cared for her during the surgery. Three days later, she was discharged. The women who underwent the procedure were granted leave by the team during this period. Zhang Lan stayed in the city for recuperation, sleeping directly in the space at night. Consequently, her recovery was quicker compared to others.
Now, Zhang Lan had to drink Honey water every day for her recovery. She hadn’t brought it out in the summer due to storage issues, so only those close to her could enjoy it.
Today, Zhang Wanyou came by with some seafood, coinciding with Zhang Lan’s inquiry about the progress of the new house.
Talking about the newly constructed house, the grandfather beamed with pride. “It’s almost ready. The house is roofed, and we just need to finish plastering the interior. It’s a grand house, unlike any seen in our village. There are plenty of rooms. Once the autumn harvest is done, we can move in.”
“Father, any news from Elder Brother’s side?” Zhang Lan expressed her concern about any potential trouble from Zhang Wei’s family.
Taking a sip of honey water, the grandfather looked content. “They’ve been much quieter lately. My nerves are finally at peace. Even if they curse, it’s directed at their pigs and chickens. As long as they don’t stand at our doorstep yelling, I’ll just pretend not to hear.”
Zhang Lan suspected that troublemakers like Zhang Wei’s family wouldn’t change easily. However, one incident still puzzled her. “Father, when she threw ammonium sulfate into your room last time, why did you stay inside? You should have thrown it out; it was so dangerous. It could have been fatal.”
When discussing the incident, Zhang Wanyou sighed deeply. “Daughter, you think I didn’t want to act? That day, I had a fever and felt weak all over. Zhou Ping threw things in and cursed at the door. I didn’t have the strength to go out. Besides, I was afraid of the embarrassment if word got out. Ah, who could have foreseen it turning out that way? It’s a family tragedy, having a son and daughter-in-law like that. I really haven’t lived my life well.”
Geng Lianhua now understood the situation better and felt a sense of relief. She couldn’t bear the thought of something happening if she had been at home.
“Husband, why don’t I go back with you this time? Since Zhou Ping has calmed down a bit and things are manageable here, there’s no need for me to stay. We can’t be apart at our age,” Geng Lianhua suggested.
Zhang Wanyou nodded with a smile. “I think that’s a good idea, but what about our daughter here?”
Seeing her father’s concern, Zhang Lan reassured him, “Dad, we still have me and Zhenhe here. I’ve thought about it. I could sell goods here; working in the team doesn’t earn as many public points as here. Zhenhe can come over occasionally to deliver items, and you can help with the procurement. That way, we’ll have everything we need in the future.”
Helping his daughter deliver goods was no problem for the elder Zhang. With time on his hands, he agreed, “Daughter, just be careful. Don’t work yourself to death. You still have four children to look after. Take it easy.”
In the afternoon, the elderly couple returned home. Upon hearing that their mother would stay in the city to sell goods, the siblings felt elated. “Mom, that’s great! Now, with just the two of us, we won’t be lonely here.”
Zhang Lan playfully ruffled her son’s hair, “Even though we’re adults, we still feel lonely sometimes. What will we do when you go to college? I won’t be able to accompany you there.”
Seeing his mother’s teasing tone, Mingyuan grinned, “Mom, by then I’ll be grown up. I won’t need you to accompany me. Besides, I’ll have Elder Brother and Elder Sister there.”
When Wang Zhenhe visited during a break, Wang Qian mentioned the idea of having Ming Lin and Qu Kai learn motorcycle and car repair. “Dad, could you ask Uncle Cong and Uncle Yang if they know anyone in this field? Each factory should have their own fleet, so they likely have technicians who understand repair. Let both of them learn; it could be useful in the future.”
The Wang family’s repair shop was now running smoothly. While it didn’t earn as much as their goods sales, it outpaced their earnings in the production team. Wang Zhenhe considered his daughter’s suggestion. He noticed more cars on the streets, realizing that her idea was forward-thinking. He agreed with Wang Qian’s proposal.
“Alright, I’ll talk to them tonight and have both your brothers learn. Maybe we can start repairing cars in the future,” Wang Zhenhe replied.
Relieved that her father agreed, Wang Qian expressed, “Dad, who knows, maybe you’ll be driving a car yourself in the future. Anything could happen, right?”
Driving a car was a distant thought for Wang Zhenhe. It would cost a lot of money, perhaps beyond what their family could afford. “Haha, Qian Qian, I’ve never thought about that. I’ll leave it to you to drive in the future. Even a tractor is fast enough.”
Wang Zhenhe’s modest wish was to have a tractor in the future. However, even a tractor was out of their reach, as they weren’t sold to private individuals.
Wang Qian couldn’t help but smile at her father’s changing expression, “Dad, remember, where there’s milk, there will be bread too. Everything will be fine in the future.”
These words resonated with Wang Zhenhe. Their family’s life had changed day by day. A few years ago, he never dreamt they could eat white flour steamed buns daily. Now, this wish had come true. Sending both children to college was another dream turned reality. Perhaps, as his daughter said, everything would indeed work out in the future.
“Daughter, I’ve been waiting for that day. When we have a car, I’ll take your mom to visit the capital,” Wang Zhenhe said, envisioning the honor of driving his wife to the capital in a car.
The idea of driving a car to the capital with his wife filled him with pride and joy.
At that moment, Zhang Lan entered the room, “Dreaming of cars and the capital? Wake up, it’s time for dinner.”
With Wang Minglin and Qu Kai back home, they ate quickly as the boys had to return to the shop afterwards. Wang Zhenhe took the opportunity to mention their plans for learning new repair techniques. The boys were delighted at the suggestion.
“Uncle, Qu Kai and I have been thinking about this. Our shop needs more than just bicycles for development. It’s great you thought of this. Since we can stagger our learning, it won’t affect our business, and we can acquire new skills. Uncle, if we pursue this, we’ll need to secure a source for spare parts. We should plan ahead to stay ahead of the competition,” Wang Minglin explained enthusiastically.
Wang Zhenhe nodded approvingly as the two young men shared their ideas. “Alright, I’ll start connecting you with that. In a while, I’ll look into sourcing spare parts. Let’s get ready to make some big moves.”
After dinner, Wang Zhenhe took his wife, carrying seafood and fruits, to visit the Yang and Cong families. Since the children had started school, the three brothers hadn’t had a chance to sit together properly.
Yang Mingxuan and Cong Wei, along with their families, gathered in the courtyard after dinner. When they saw Wang Zhenhe and his wife approaching, they welcomed them enthusiastically. “No wonder I’ve been sneezing all day. Look who’s here!”
Zhang Lan handed over the gifts to the respective mistresses of the households, and soon the three women were engrossed in conversation.
Impressed by Wang Zhenhe’s plans, Cong Wei and Yang Mingxuan offered their full support and appreciation. “Zhen He, we have a motorcycle repair master at the police station. We also have a scrap motorcycle there. Let the boys start learning with that. As for cars, my uncle’s cousin used to work in a machinery factory specializing in car repairs. Let me arrange that. It seems your small repair shop has a bright future.”
Cong Wei chimed in, “This is our responsibility. We’ll take care of it. By the way, Zhen He, did you receive a letter from your children? My son wrote, saying the school is good. Mingcheng even took them to visit a relative of yours. The rascal mentioned they visit and dine with Xuan’er every now and then to improve their relations.”
Speaking of this, Cong Wei and Yang Mingxuan were both delighted. It was the first time their children went out, and neither of them had visited. It was Mingcheng who took them and helped arrange everything. Both families felt relieved this time. Otherwise, with no one to look after the children, as parents, they would naturally be worried.
Wang Zhenhe also smiled happily upon hearing this, “Brothers, you can rest assured about the children in the capital. I think Yang Nuo and Cong Tao are quite smart and capable. Moreover, with Uncle Chen looking out for them there, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”
Wang Zhenhe also mentioned the connection between Uncle Chen and their family to the two. They both nodded in agreement. “Zhenhe, you’re truly remarkable. Back then, you were willing to lend a hand. Not everyone can do what you did. Good deeds will be repaid. We remember how people avoided us like the plague back in the countryside. We wish we had been allocated to your family’s area to suffer less.”
Reflecting on the past experiences of both families during the labor reform, Yang Mingxuan couldn’t help but sigh. It was an unforgettable period in their lives. Although some things had passed, the scars remained in their hearts.
Fortunately, they had Wang Zhenhe, a kind person who helped take care of things back then. Without his assistance, their children could have turned into street ruffians by the time they returned. They would have regretted it for the rest of their lives.
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