Chapter 36.1: Director Zhao’s Ideological Progress

In the evening, Yu Xiulan indulged herself by lighting the only candle in the house.

Then, she removed the key hanging around her neck, unlocked the kang cabinet, and took out an old wooden box.

Zhao Jianguo brought in a basin of hot water, and the sound of the door opening startled Yu Xiulan so much that she quickly threw a quilt over the wooden box.

“What are you sneaking around for?”

Yu Xiulan’s heart was pounding. She retorted irritably, “Who’s sneaking around? Why didn’t you make any noise when you came in?”

Zhao Jianguo put down the basin of hot water and didn’t argue with her. “It’s all my fault. Hurry up and wash your feet and go to sleep.”

“You wash first.” Yu Xiulan uncovered the quilt again.

Zhao Jianguo sighed helplessly. “In a bit, you’ll complain the water’s too cold or that my feet are dirty.”

In this house, Yu Xiulan was the boss. She had to wash her feet first, and then Zhao Jianguo would wash his. The water would be at the perfect temperature, and after he was done, it could be poured out directly.

Yu Xiulan scooted to the edge of the kang with the wooden box, dipped her feet into the basin, and turned her upper body to the side, her attention focused entirely on the wooden box.

Zhao Jianguo asked, “Why are you bringing out the money box again?”

Yu Xiulan said gleefully, “A few years ago, I wouldn’t have even dreamed that our family could have this much money now.”

“How much money could we possibly have? I’d rather not have Xiao Mian’s compensation.”

“Who said anything about compensation?” Yu Xiulan shot him a glance and smugly took out Zhao Ke’s money pouch along with the money she had saved earlier, deliberately lifting it up to count.

“Where did you get so much money?” Zhao Jianguo was surprised. “This must be two or three hundred yuan, right?”

Yu Xiulan grinned from ear to ear. “Two hundred twenty-five yuan and eighty-eight cents.”

With Zhao Mian’s compensation added, they had over five hundred yuan!

Zhao Jianguo reached out to take it, but Yu Xiulan slapped his hand away and withdrew it. “How much did you get back from Lao Er?”

“One hundred seventy.”

Zhao Ke had been working at the factory for just over a year, saving ten yuan a month. That would only be one hundred twenty yuan in a year. With her expenses, it was surprising she had saved so much.

Zhao Jianguo was even more astonished. “She’s always buying meat and other things for the house. How does she still have so much money?”

Yu Xiulan said, “She said it herself—she picks up a bit of extra money helping people at the factory carry things. Knowing her, she’s probably flipping ration coupons for others. Otherwise, how did we get enough tickets for the bicycle so easily?”

Zhao Jianguo was worried. “Is it safe?”

“She’s lazy by nature. She wouldn’t risk her life reselling anything.”

So, while Yu Xiulan knew how Zhao Ke got the money, she didn’t say much.

Zhao Ke wasn’t greedy. If she wasn’t greedy, she wouldn’t take big risks, and if she didn’t take risks, there wasn’t much danger.

Yu Xiulan took out a clean handkerchief.

Zhao Ke’s money was Zhao Ke’s, and Zhao Mian’s money was Zhao Mian’s. They all had to be saved separately.

As Yu Xiulan rolled up the money neatly, she kept muttering, “Xiao Mian got three hundred yuan in compensation, plus the twenty-odd yuan she saved while working as a teacher at school—all of it went into buying the bicycle. I’ll have to make that up for her.”

“I wonder if she’s met any suitable young men at the factory. When the time comes, we’ll have to prepare some dowry for her, something grand. What do you think—fifty or a hundred yuan?”

Zhao Jianguo said, “A hundred. It’s not like she’ll get married right away. She’s still giving part of her salary to the family every month, so it shouldn’t be hard to save up fifty more.”

Yu Xiulan nodded, “Alright.”

The money was put back into the money box. Yu Xiulan suddenly had an idea, “How about selling one of the bicycles? Keeping two bicycles at home isn’t much use and attracts attention.”

Zhao Jianguo hesitated, “Industrial tickets are hard to save up. If we sell it, it won’t be easy to buy another one. We could save it as a dowry for Xiao Mian…”

Yu Xiulan couldn’t help rolling her eyes, “Doesn’t that make you uncomfortable? Even if it’s for a dowry, we can think of a way to buy another one. If worse comes to worst, just give her the money to take with her.”

Saying it like this… it really was uncomfortable.

The couple exchanged a look, and Zhao Jianguo agreed, “Then sell it.”

They weren’t particularly reluctant. Apart from their son being a bit of a disappointment, their daughters made them very satisfied. Life would only get better and better, with more to look forward to.

Yu Xiulan placed the wooden box on the kang, planning to put it back in the cabinet after washing her feet.

Zhao Jianguo asked her, “When you came back, your temper was so bad. What’s wrong, did you get upset outside again?”

At this, Yu Xiulan became angry, “Who else could it be? Tian Guizhi, of course. Now that I’m not the Women’s Director, she really doesn’t take me seriously. What an attitude, even slammed the door on me!”

“Calm down, she’s not as forward-thinking as you. Don’t stoop to her level.”

“If not for the kids, I wouldn’t bother with her!”

Zhao Jianguo handed her a cloth to dry her feet before putting his own feet into the basin. He suggested, “Why don’t you ask Lao Er if she has any ideas?”

Yu Xiulan looked reluctant, her reasoning clear, “If I go to her, she’ll definitely get full of herself.”

“I think you just can’t put down your pride.”

Yu Xiulan didn’t want to continue this topic and climbed onto the kang to lock the wooden box.

In the sisters’ room—

Zhao Ke was also asking if there was anything happening around her sister.

Zhao Mian shook her head, “No.”

Zhao Ke didn’t believe her and lay on her side, staring, “Jie, you’re both pretty and gentle. How could there not be any male coworkers showing you extra attention?”

“I’m not thinking about relationships for now. I just want to earn more money.”

Making money was important, of course, but if someone really tried hard to make a move, it might not be so easy to resist.

Zhao Ke’s eyes glinted with thought. Suddenly, someone came to mind, and she asked, “Has Master Yu’s son been to the commune recently? The meat sauce he brought last time—our parents said it was delicious. They might want to give some mountain goods in return.”

Zhao Mian nodded, “He came by a few days ago. If you want to return the favor, you can give it to Master Yu.”

Zhao Ke leaned in a little closer. She couldn’t make out her sister’s expression clearly but thought her tone sounded normal.

She hadn’t paid attention to how often Master Yu’s son came before, but once a month didn’t seem that frequent, right?

Zhao Ke continued to appear curious, “I wonder what Master Yu’s son does for work…”

“I think he’s a researcher at some factory. His unit is in a pretty remote place, and transportation isn’t convenient. He has to wait for the company shuttle and then transfer to get to our commune, which takes an entire day. So he has to cover for his coworkers and adjust his shifts to come over.”

Zhao Ke felt a bit sour, “You’ve only met him once. How do you know so much?”

“Last time, when Fang Ge came over, Master Yu invited me to her dorm to eat, and we talked about it.”

Her tone seemed fine. Zhao Ke worried that if she pressed further, it might make her sister suspicious, so she changed the subject, “I told you Master Yu definitely likes you better than me.”

“How could that be? I often talk about you with Master Yu; she also wants to know how you’re doing.”

Zhao Ke leaned on her shoulder, speaking in a sticky tone, “You must have been praising me nonstop.”

“You really are great.”

Zhao Mian also leaned her head against hers. The sisters chatted a bit more and, maintaining this close posture, fell asleep.

—————-

The next day, at the Team Committee—

“Team Leader, you were looking for me?”

Liu Guangzhi walked into the team office, slightly hunched over.

Zhao Xinshan’s expression was stern, even somewhat severe. “Do you know why I’m looking for you?”

Liu Guangzhi visibly fidgeted, his eyes darting around. “I don’t know…”

“Bang!”

Zhao Xinshan slammed the table hard, causing the lid of his tea mug to jump.

Liu Guangzhi was startled, looking at him in fear.

“Look at what you’ve done!” Zhao Xinshan pointed at him angrily. “You nearly got yourself into big trouble!”

Liu Guangzhi’s face stiffened, and he stammered, “T-Team Leader, don’t scare me. I don’t even know what’s going on…”

At this point, he could still feign ignorance—his nerves were truly remarkable.

Zhao Xinshan didn’t beat around the bush, getting straight to the point. “Who else could have written that report letter if not you? What were you thinking? Can you justify the things you and your wife have done?”

Cold sweat dripped from Liu Guangzhi, but he still wanted to deny it. “Team Leader, I…”

Zhao Xinshan raised his hand to stop him from speaking. “Zhao Ke hasn’t made any mistakes at work. After explaining things to the commune, it was nothing at all. But you, if I hadn’t stepped in, Zhao Ke would’ve reported you and Zheng Guangmei on the spot for child abuse.”

Rural folks, ignorant and fearless, but they were terrified of authority and discipline. Especially Liu Guangzhi, who could read a few words. Upon hearing that Zhao Ke might report him, his courage shrank to the size of a needle’s eye. His face turned as pale as paper. “Team Leader, I won’t be arrested, right…”

He was clearly too panicked to remember Zhao Xinshan had said he had “stepped in.”

“I stopped her and didn’t let her say anything,” Zhao Xinshan frowned. “Young people are impulsive and reckless. As the Team Leader, I can’t stand by and watch the Production Team members cause an uproar that can’t be resolved.”

Liu Guangzhi’s heart eased slightly, and he couldn’t hold back anymore, his eyes reddening as he repeatedly thanked him.

“Look at you now. Why didn’t you think about this when you mistreated Shu Gen’er? Zhao Ke didn’t even go to the police station to report you; how could you be arrested? This isn’t even a matter for the same department.”

Liu Guangzhi didn’t understand the ins and outs of departments; he just thought he could be arrested for anything.

Now that he knew reporting him would require going to the police station, he didn’t relax one bit. Instead, he kept begging Zhao Xinshan to say a few good words for him and stop Zhao Ke.

“I stopped Zhao Ke for the sake of unity in our Production Team. Do you know why I called you here?”

Liu Guangzhi’s brain worked slowly. He tentatively asked, “You don’t want me to look for Shu Gen’er anymore?”

He was still unwilling to give up. “But Shu Gen’er is my son…”

Zhao Xinshan slammed the table again, scolding, “You still know he’s your son? Is that how you treat your own child?”

Liu Guangzhi didn’t dare talk back and hung his head.

Zhao Xinshan softened his tone, picked up his tea mug, and took a sip of water. “What I mean is that this matter needs a resolution. Both sides take a step back. You sign an agreement, and from now on, Shu Gen’er will be under the care of the team. I’ll use this to shut Zhao Ke up.”

Liu Guangzhi’s head shot up. “Isn’t Shu Gen’er supposed to go with Principal Gu and Teacher Wu?”

“Shu Gen’er is the team’s child. Even if he’s at school, they’re just taking care of him.”

Zhao Xinshan trusted Principal Gu and Teacher Wu’s character. But they were zhiqing, and no one could guarantee they wouldn’t return to the city in the future.

As long as Liu Guangzhi didn’t stir up trouble anymore, the current arrangement could stay as it was.

Liu Guangzhi lowered his head, thinking, unconsciously rubbing his hands.

Zhao Xinshan interrupted him, “Don’t get any unnecessary ideas, and don’t think about taking advantage of Shu Gen’er. The team is watching. If you truly want to repent, give Shu Gen’er more food, clothing, and supplies in the future. Shu Gen’er may be simple-minded, but I think he has more conscience than some overly calculating people.”

His words were a thinly veiled criticism. Liu Guangzhi didn’t dare respond and said with a bitter face, “With Guangmei’s temper, how could I spare anything for Shu Gen’er…”

“If you’re willing, the team can directly allocate a portion of the autumn harvest dividends to Shu Gen’er.”

Liu Guangzhi said nothing.

Seeing through his selfishness, Zhao Xinshan said coldly, “Then let’s just sign the agreement and save everyone some trouble.”

…

Before 8 o’clock, Zhao Ke arrived at the team committee office.

Zhao Xinshan handed her the agreement to review.

“Agreed so easily?”

Looking at the signature and handprint on the agreement, Zhao Ke was momentarily speechless.

The Team Leader resolved the issue so effortlessly, making her efforts feel like a waste.

If he could be so assertive, then why hadn’t he managed it earlier?

What should be handled and what shouldn’t be?

Was it possible she should just stay out of everything, watch from the sidelines, and save herself the trouble?

Clearly, resolving the matter was a good thing, but Zhao Ke couldn’t muster any satisfaction.

Zhao Xinshan took the agreement back, locked it in the cabinet, and reminded her, “This matter ends here. When dealing with problems in the future, think more and don’t act too emotionally.”

Was she being emotional?

Zhao Ke remained silent. She felt she had already been passive, avoiding involvement unless approached.

“Oh, by the way,” Zhao Xinshan added, “the adobe bricks for Fu Zhiqing’s house are completely dry. Even if the team earns labor fees, it can’t let the members take advantage of newcomers. Since the work in your field isn’t progressing, don’t bother going there. Take charge of inspecting the adobe bricks for Fu Zhiqing, negotiate the labor fees with him, and organize the members to work fairly. Don’t let too many people swarm in unnecessarily—it doesn’t look good.”

Zhao Ke agreed and noted everything down in her notebook.

At noon, Zhao Ke brought her notebook to the educated youth point to wait for Fu Zhiqing.

Fu Hang and Lin Haiyang returned to the educated youth point together. When Fu Hang saw Zhao Ke there, he instinctively tugged at his collar and sniffed.

As expected, there was a sweat smell.

He looked down at himself, noticing dirt and dust on his clothes—not clean enough.

Maybe she was here to see Zhuang Zhiqing… They seemed closer.

But Zhao Ke clearly waved at him, “Fu Zhiqing!”

Fu Hang’s expression became even tenser. He stopped two meters away from her. “Director Zhao.”

Lin Haiyang also greeted Zhao Ke. Before heading inside, he glanced at Fu Hang’s unapproachable face and shook his head. Tsk, acting so distant toward a female comrade—he’s bound to end up lonely for life.

Completely ignoring the fact that Fu Zhiqing’s face alone was plenty attractive to female comrades.

Zhao Ke didn’t care about Fu Hang’s expression. Sticking to public matters, she got straight to the point. “The Team Leader asked me to handle the team members helping you build your house. How big a house does Fu Zhiqing want? What layout? You can tell me everything. I’ll also discuss the labor fees with you.”

“I have blueprints. Please wait a moment.” Fu Hang saw her nod and strode into the house.