Chapter 25.2

The next two days, Chu Wuwen took his brothers and sister to explore the most attractive places in the city.

At that time, there weren’t many special entertainment venues, but for those who had lived in a small mountain village for so long, the city was still quite appealing. Even Chen Nongmo had a great time.

However, the most exciting event was yet to come.

Just when Chen Nongmo had forgotten about the fabric conversation from a few days ago, Big Brother took her directly to the warehouse of flawed fabric at the textile factory.

Chen Nongmo had heard Mother Qiuhua talk about flawed fabrics before, but usually, these never made it to the market and were processed internally by the factory workers.

Even if a small portion was sent to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, it rarely reached ordinary people.

This was also why salespeople at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative were so highly regarded during those years.

Chen Nongmo never imagined that she would have such an opportunity. No, she was even luckier—she was allowed to pick from the factory’s own stock.

It was only then that Chen Nongmo learned that the director of the textile factory was Big Brother’s comrade-in-arms’ father.

The young man, Wang Dajun, had been discharged from the army several years ago and was now in charge of managing the flawed fabric section.

At first, Chen Nongmo felt a bit embarrassed to take too much, worried that it would make things difficult for Wang Dajun. She only picked out a small roll of fabric in each color, one for men and one for women.

In the end, Wang Dajun couldn’t stand seeing her hesitation and stepped in to help personally.

As Wang Dajun put it, these fabrics were going to be sold cheaply anyway, and it didn’t matter who they were sold to within the factory.

Anyone not naïve would realize that this was a generous offer, and Chen Nongmo understood that these fabrics were inaccessible to most people.

Even if the price was the same as what they sold to others, it was still a huge favor.

In the end, Wang Dajun and Big Brother worked together, managing to get two or three dozen rolls.

The smallest pieces were a few meters, and the largest were up to twenty or thirty meters. In an era where fabric was measured by meters, looking at that small pile of fabric, Chen Nongmo suddenly had the feeling that she had struck it rich.

How long would it take to use all of this?

And besides, they couldn’t even take it all home!

Chen Nongmo’s concerns didn’t seem to matter to the others.

This was because Chu Wuwen, always cautious and well-prepared, had already arranged for transportation.

It was a small truck from the transportation team.

Not only could it carry the fabric, but it could also take all of them back to Shanshun Village.

The driver was also a comrade of Big Brother’s, and strictly speaking, he had once been one of his subordinates.

When he was discharged from the army, it was Chu Wuwen who used connections to help arrange his assignment to the logistics team.

Now, he was clearly here to work, yet he was smiling so broadly that his eyes disappeared, clearly overjoyed.

Chen Nongmo thought to himself that the bond between comrades in arms was truly a mysterious thing.

Though he had said he would be away for three days, with the round trip, it had actually been a full four days.

Upon returning home, Chen Nongmo barely had time to explain the source of the fabric and the bargain price to Mother Qiuhua before she spoke first, “Oldest, Xiao Shao called at noon. He didn’t say much, just that you should call him when you’re back.”

Chu Wuwen furrowed his brow, trying to think about the purpose of Old Shao’s call as he walked into the yard. “Mom, I’m going to the Village Committee.”

Cao Qiuhua had already started inspecting the fabric that had been unloaded into the main hall. Without lifting her head, she replied, “Go ahead.”

Once he left, her movements slowly came to a halt.

“Mother Qiuhua?” Chen Nongmo called out in worry.

Cao Qiuhua smiled at her daughter. “It’s nothing.”

After saying this, she pinched the girl’s cheek and playfully scolded, “A little girl like you shouldn’t worry so much.”

She then turned to the twins and the third son. “Fourth, Fifth Brother Yi, you go tell Old Secretary’s families that the fabric should be distributed a little more evenly to everyone. Third, go call your dad back for dinner at Uncle Shangen’s.”

After the three brothers left, Chen Nongmo purposely picked up two rolls of fabric. “Then I’ll have to hide the prettiest ones first.”

In fact, the reason for buying so much fabric had already been explained by Big Brother.

It was a rare opportunity, and with the favor from his comrade in arms already used, he thought he might as well take the chance to provide some benefits to the villagers as well.

It wasn’t a gift, but rather the fabric was being sold to them at the original price.

Therefore, the small, petty actions she was taking at the moment were completely intended to make Mother Qiuhua happy.

Sure enough, Cao Qiuhua, who had been worried that the eldest might be ending his break early, immediately broke into a smile. After laughing, she became serious and bent down to help carry the fabric. “You’re right, let’s hide the best ones first… those two patterned pieces of cloth, we’ll save them for Yuyu to make dresses.”

“……”

Worried there might be an issue at the Military Unit, Chu Wuwen rushed to the Village Committee.

At six o’clock in the evening, the Village Committee was empty, so he went to Old Secretary’s house to get the keys.

Instead of calling the communications office, he called the Colonel’s office.

Colonel Zhou Cheng was a bit surprised when he answered the phone. After a few words of reassurance, he explained that there was nothing urgent at the Military Unit, then went to notify the person.

Sensing that it was likely a personal matter, Zhou Cheng didn’t return to his office after notifying the person. Instead, he went to the regiment headquarters with his hands behind his back.

“It’s not an issue from the Military Unit, it’s about your father, Colonel Chen…” Knowing his brothers would surely be anxious because of his phone call, Shao Zheng got straight to the point after the connection was made.

Chu Wuwen quickly asked, “What happened to the old man?”

Shao Zheng answered, “Let me finish, it’s not bad news. Colonel Chen has been reassigned from the Artillery Academy. He no longer has to undergo re-education.”

This was indeed good news. Chu Wuwen, who had been holding his breath since leaving home, finally relaxed, a smile even appearing on his face. “Where did you hear this? Is it reliable?”

Shao Zheng, happy for his good brother, laughed and confirmed, “Master Zhi knows about our relationship and has been keeping an eye on Colonel Chen. This news came directly from his personal call to me… it must have been General Han’s doing.”

General Han was Chen Demao’s former Chief, holding a position similar to Master Zhi’s.

A few months ago, he had been too busy to act, but now that things had improved, he had immediately started rescuing several subordinates who had been falsely accused and were in the most difficult positions.

“…The higher-ups are still unsettled, and no one knows what will happen next. So, Colonel Chen wasn’t reassigned to his original position but was sent to a Military Unit on the border. His new role isn’t high—seems like he’s a battalion instructor—but at least his position is clean. Once the situation improves in a few years, he should be able to return to a better role… Don’t worry, actually, this is the best arrangement right now. It’s better than staying at the Artillery Academy. Re-education is still re-education… General Han considered all aspects, and Master Zhi said that right now, staying away is the best choice…”

Chu Wuwen furrowed his brow, listening to his friend’s analysis on the phone, his mind quickly weighing the pros and cons.

He had to admit that sending his father and mother to the border was indeed the best option at the moment.

Aside from the harsh weather and environment, it was actually a good place.

After sorting through his thoughts, Chu Wuwen stopped dwelling on the matter and asked, “Has he already left?”

“He left, the day before yesterday. But Master Zhi only received the news today.”

Even though they were close friends, Chu Wuwen was filled with gratitude at the moment. “Thanks, brother! I’ll send that old ginseng I got to General Shao later.”

Shao Zheng, knowing his good friend’s character, didn’t refuse but instead teased, “What about me?”

“You don’t get one!” Chu Wuwen replied confidently.

“Tch… I’ll call Little Sister Yuyu… Beep beep beep…”

After hanging up the phone, Chu Wuwen laughed and cursed under his breath. He locked up the house and went next door to return the keys.

As he made his way home, with the evening light rapidly fading, something suddenly came to mind…

Yuyu had told him just a few days ago that she wanted to visit the old man during the summer break.

At the time, he had agreed.

But now… the distance between them was over three thousand kilometers.

…How was she supposed to get there?

And now that the old man was fine, should Yuyu also go to the border?

By the time Chu Wuwen returned home, the sky had already darkened, with only a faint trace of light left at the horizon.

However, the Chen family house at the foot of the mountain was brightly lit.

Of course, it wasn’t electric lights. Getting electricity was a huge project, and currently, only a few families near the Village Committee had power.

This was thanks to Old Secretary’s connections, who had pulled some strings to get the village a chance to join the electricity queue. The entire village wanted electricity, but they’d probably have to wait another two to three years, maybe even longer.

The defective fabric was simply too attractive. Once the news reached the villagers, they couldn’t wait for the next day. They hurriedly lit torches and rushed over, afraid that someone else would get the good fabric before them.

Defects also came in big and small, after all.

To ensure that every household could get at least a couple of pieces of fabric for clothing, Cao Qiuhua and her daughter only brought back one-fifth of the fabric to the room. The rest was stacked in the main hall.

The rolls of fabric weren’t very big—there were plenty of small scraps and pieces.

But stacked together, it was definitely an impressive sight. Everyone was amazed, saying that even the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in the town hadn’t displayed so many pieces of fabric all at once.

Especially after the women started handling the fabric, their joy was even more evident. To them, the flaws on the fabric were nearly negligible.

Even the bigger flaws were only two small patches; after all, this was all new fabric.

Moreover, this fabric was much softer than the rough cloth they wove at home. Who would notice any uneven dyeing or loose threads when worn underneath?

The most important thing right now was choosing the fabric that was the best deal.

While the women were whispering and discussing, the men, holding their torches, began to chatter as well, each looking forward to going home for a drink. It was rare for their wives to be so happy, and such an opportunity was too precious to miss.

“Hey! Look who’s back! Our Wuwen’s back! You’re quite the guy!”

“That’s right! This kid has been tough since he was young, and he’s even better now.”

“Better? He’s a top-notch kid! Otherwise, why would so many matchmakers be knocking on the door?”

“Exactly! I heard there are even several girls with steady jobs in the city.”

“Young Wuwen, what kind of girl are you looking for? Tell your uncle.”

“……”

The moment Chu Wuwen stepped into the yard and the villagers saw him, they surrounded him in no time.

Listening to the chatter around him, he wasn’t annoyed and patiently listened to their voices.

As for why he didn’t respond, the reason was simple: he couldn’t get a word in.

Chen Nongmo and the other three brothers had already hidden themselves before the villagers had entered the house.

It wasn’t that they were being rude, but in the past six months, every time they encountered villagers, they would be pulled into all kinds of compliments.

This included matchmaking.

It wasn’t malicious—after all, in the aunts’ eyes, he was at the right age to consider marriage. A couple of years after finishing high school, and it would be perfect timing.

In the end, Chu Wuwen, who had been surrounded, was rescued by Old Secretary. “Alright, alright, go home. First, take all this fabric to the public storage, and we’ll distribute it tomorrow.”

The distribution of the fabric was an important matter. As soon as Old Secretary mentioned it, the villagers stopped focusing on Chu Wuwen.

Although everyone had hoped to distribute the fabric that very day, no one dared to voice any objections with Old Secretary’s commanding presence.

Dinner was served.

Before Chu Wuwen could explain the purpose of Little Shao’s phone call, Cao Qiuhua asked herself, adding, “If it’s something that needs to be kept secret, just pretend I didn’t ask.”

Chu Wuwen shook his head. “It’s not a secret; it’s good news. The old man’s situation has been cleared up.”

This announcement was good news for both Chen Nongmo and the rest of the Chen family.

Chen Zong patted his wife’s trembling hand to calm her and asked in a deep voice, “What exactly happened?”

Chen Nongmo, also anxious, looked at him. Her understanding of the historical period was only superficial; she knew there would be a reversal of past judgments, but she had always thought it would happen when the college entrance exams were reinstated.

Why had it happened so suddenly?

And what about the future?

Would they be falsely accused of something again?

While Chen Nongmo was lost in her thoughts, Chu Wuwen had already carefully relayed everything that Old Shao had told him.

Once the entire family absorbed the news, their expressions became serious. Only then did Chu Wuwen turn to his Little Sister Yuyu, his expression a little complicated as he asked, “Yuyu, do you want to go to the border and live with the old man and them?”