Chapter 119

So, the matter was settled by Qiao Wei and the village party secretary.

As for Yan Lei’s parents and elder brother… they didn’t have the right to express their opinions. They could only follow the arrangements.

The village party secretary told them, “We’ll depart in the afternoon. Bring a few changes of clothes, and tell your sister-in-law to make some extra pancakes for the journey.”

After some thought, he added, “Bring towels and plenty of toilet paper.”

“Since it’s August, summer, we don’t need much in terms of clothes,” the village party secretary said. “I’ve been to the provincial capital when I was younger, but that was ten years ago. I’m not entirely sure. Qiao Wei, do we need to bring anything else? Do we need bedding?”

“No need, guesthouses provide everything,” Qiao Wei said. “That should be enough. If you have prescriptions for previous medications, bring them along.”

The village party secretary slapped his thigh. “Right!”

Then he said to the three people, “What are you waiting for? Zhu, go pack your things. Zhu’s mother, tell your daughters-in-law to prepare lunch.”

“Qiao Wei, about what you were saying earlier, can you go into more detail?” the village party secretary asked again.

As a figure of authority in the village, whatever the village party secretary arranged, Yan Lei’s parents hurriedly followed suit.

Yan Lei’s father sat there, not knowing what to do. He looked around and hesitated to drink water from the bowl, afraid of the pain when urinating, so he refrained from doing so.

Only then did Qiao Wei continue, “The current situation started from the Eighth Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee last May…”

Due to the lack of information at that time, many people were in a state of confusion. They knew that incidents were happening here and there, but they were uncertain about the overall situation in the country.

Many just followed the trend. If something happened in the province, the city followed suit, and if something happened in the city, the county followed suit. If something happened in Beijing or Shanghai, the whole country followed suit.

Qiao Wei had gained the support of the village party secretary, so she no longer used complicated and incomprehensible terms. Instead, she used simple and easy-to-understand language to objectively describe the national situation as she understood it.

At this point, many people only saw the tip of the iceberg. However, the few village cadres in Yanzhuang had the privilege of glimpsing the whole picture from the time traveler.

Many of the confusing things they had encountered in the county this year were explained by Qiao Wei.

The village party secretary, who had been a revolutionary for many years and once carried a gun, now felt a sense of insignificance in the face of the surging tide.

He sighed deeply.

Someone wanted to speak, but Qiao Wei waved her hand, saying, “We won’t discuss these matters. As long as everyone knows what’s going on, that’s enough. The direction of progress is not up to us to decide. Just remember, we follow the orders of our superiors, and they follow the orders of their superiors.”

She didn’t make any comments. She just recounted the origins, trends, and major events of the movement in a concise manner, connecting the timeline for everyone to understand why the county suddenly became like that.

It was just an information summary.

The village party secretary nodded in agreement.

Qiao Wei continued, “Uncle, while everyone is here, shall we discuss that matter?”

The village party secretary’s spirit lifted. “Of course!”

Qiao Wei took out an envelope from her military-style bag.

“Yan Lei left home at the age of fourteen, and it has been more than ten years now. He has shed blood and sweat outside, but he has never forgotten our Yanzhuang for a day. Although he is not here, his roots are still in Yanzhuang.”

“You mentioned that the farm tools in our brigade are old and damaged, but because the brigade’s production efficiency is poor, we dare not accept the procurement quota given by the commune. He can’t even sleep properly.”

“Here is one hundred yuan. Every penny was earned by Yan Lei through bloodshed and sacrifice on the battlefield. He asked me to give this money to you, Uncle. This money is to be donated to our brigade for the purchase of farm tools.”

Qiao Wei bowed and handed the envelope to the party secretary.

The party secretary, who had also carried a gun in the past, empathized when he heard about the bloodshed and sacrifice. It wasn’t easy for a man to serve as a soldier outside, facing the risk of death at any moment. Some people in the village only envied Yan Lei for being a cadre outside, without considering that he had achieved this position through risking his life.

He felt his eyes moisten as he accepted the envelope and promised, “You can rest assured, Lei Zi. Not a single penny will be wasted. It will definitely be used for the production of the brigade!”

He took the envelope and handed it over to another person. “Accountant, you hold onto this.”

The accountant opened it on the spot, took out ten ten-yuan bills, and confirmed, “It’s one hundred yuan. I’ll record it later.”

Yan Lei’s father watched as the one hundred yuan passed from his daughter-in-law’s hands to the village committee’s hands, his lips moving slightly. But it seemed that he had no say in this matter at all.

Son, daughter-in-law, and village leader, none of these three seem to think that such a large sum of money should be asked about by the father.

The son is not here, and the village leader doesn’t even dare to speak up. The daughter-in-law’s demeanor is even more imposing than the village leader’s; he can only nod repeatedly in front of her.

Yan Lei’s father moved his lips, but ultimately didn’t dare to say anything.

There’s a crowd outside the door and in the courtyard making a commotion.

One hundred yuan!

What a large sum of money!

Rural areas and cities are very different. In urban areas, everyone has a job with a steady income every month.

But in rural areas, it’s different. They have to work hard all year round, and only get paid at the end of the year. Their income can’t even compare to those in the city.

In some poorer families, they might not even have one hundred yuan in savings.

With so much money, Yan Lei said he would donate it.

Qiao Wei took a sip of water from her bowl.

Donating money isn’t just for this time. This is something Yan Lei has wanted to do for a long time.

Almost every man who comes from rural China has this dream — to return to his hometown in glory, to build roads and bridges, to leave his mark, and to have a family shrine.

Any man who doesn’t fulfill these dreams after leaving the countryside lacks the ability to do so, not the desire.

The depth of attachment rural men have to their homeland is something city dwellers can hardly imagine.

This news quickly spread to the kitchen.

Qiao Wei’s three sisters-in-law were stunned, “What? One hundred yuan? She said she’d donate it?”

Yan Zhu’s wife felt like her heart, liver, and lungs were hurting.

One hundred yuan!

“Sister-in-law, how could she do this!”

“Sister-in-law, you’re the eldest sister-in-law! You have to say something!”

The two younger sisters-in-law urged Yan Zhu’s wife. After all, she was the eldest daughter-in-law, the eldest sister-in-law.

But Yan Zhu’s wife wasn’t a fool either. Just now, when she went to the main hall to deliver water, her second younger sister-in-law was talking about something she couldn’t understand at all, but the village leader and the director were all listening attentively.

There was no room for her to interject.

She held back her anger. “We’ll settle the score with her after she finishes taking care of Dad!”

Surprisingly, lunch was quite good.

It must be said that if there’s anything stronger in the countryside than in the city, it’s the food. Compared to the limited rationing and planned supply in the city, people in rural areas are self-sufficient in their food.

There was only Qiao Wei, a woman, at the dining table.

She asked, “Where’s my mother…”

Yan Lei’s father interrupted, “Don’t mind her, she’s eating in the kitchen.”

The sisters-in-law couldn’t see each other, they should all be eating in the kitchen.

Even Qiao Lei’s two younger brothers couldn’t get a seat at the table. There were only seats for Yan Lei’s father and Yan Zhu at the table.

Qiao Wei was the guest of honor, and the others, represented by the village leader, were all prominent figures in the village.

At the table, Yan Xiang’s eating manners and politeness impressed them.

“I’ve never seen such a clean child.”

“Very refined.”

A sister-in-law came over with a smiling face, wanting to take Yan Xiang to the kitchen to eat, “Come, go eat with your older brothers and sisters.”

Without Qiao Wei saying a word, a group of men at the table waved their hands and said, “No, let him stay here, let him stay here!”

That sister-in-law could only leave with a stiff smile.

Qiao Wei stroked Yan Xiang’s head.

With the village leader arranging things, Qiao Wei didn’t need to worry about anything here.

After lunch, the car was ready, with a sturdy mule harnessed.

Qiao Wei was very relieved that Yan Lei’s father could still walk freely now. If he couldn’t, that would be a real problem.

She remembered watching movies from this era before. For patients who couldn’t walk, a dozen strong young men from the village had to carry them on boards on their shoulders, taking turns to carry them tens of miles to the county town for medical treatment.

And those were the ones willing to seek medical help.

There were even more who were sick but didn’t seek treatment and just waited to die.

Yan Lei’s father, Yan Lei’s mother, and Yan Zhu all got on the car.

Yan Lei’s mother was particularly anxious, “Should I go too? Do I have to go?”

Hearing they were going to the provincial capital, she was very nervous. The farthest she had ever been in her life was to the county town once.

She went there with her husband to see a doctor. The county town prescribed some medicine, but it didn’t work. They just wasted money.

Going to the provincial capital was something she had never even thought about.

Originally, she had hoped that Yan Lei would come back and take her husband to the city.

But she didn’t expect that when this daughter-in-law came back, she was so impressive. She ordered around the village leader and the director with ease, and with just a word from her, they were going to the provincial capital.

Not to mention her, even Yan Lei’s father and eldest son didn’t dare to refute her, allowing her to make arrangements as she pleased.

The village leader also wanted to go along. Qiao Wei said, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of your father and mother. Keep the money and the introduction letter safe.”

The village leader instructed, “Take good care of your parents, and keep the money and the introduction letter safe.”

They also shouted at Yan Zhu, “You have to be diligent, carrying things and running errands are all on you, don’t tire out Qiao Wei.”

Yan Zhu hurriedly said, “I know, I know.”

Yan Lei’s mother suddenly looked up and saw her eldest daughter-in-law gesturing at her from a distance behind the elders, and she knew what she meant.

At noon, several daughters-in-law had talked to her, asking her to speak up and persuade Yan Lei to stay.

Yan Lei’s mother hesitated, looking at Yan Xiang.

Yan Xiang happened to raise his head and smiled at her. His eyes were curved, his face like an apple, and there wasn’t a single spot on his clean white shirt.

Yan Lei’s mother melted.

With such a delicate child, how could the few daughters-in-law at home take care of him? If they went to the provincial capital for a few days and returned to find him injured or bruised, how could she explain to Qiao Wei?

She avoided the gaze of her daughters-in-law and didn’t say anything.

The mule cart set off amidst the crowd’s send-off.

Many children ran after it for a long distance, lively and bustling.

Someone sighed, “The Yan family is really fortunate. They have to go to the provincial capital even for a minor illness.”

Everyone happily discussed the one hundred yuan donated by Yan Lei and Qiao Wei.

“Now, they can buy two new millstones with this.”

“That’s great!”

“She just casually donated one hundred yuan, so generous!”

Because the one hundred yuan had brought such a big impact to everyone, and because Qiao Wei had been surrounded by prominent figures in the village talking about serious matters the whole time, other things were only noticed after everyone dispersed.

After everyone left, the sisters-in-law of the Yan family realized that Qiao Wei had taken back everything she had brought with her in a box and a bag.

“What? She didn’t leave anything?”

The three women were all baffled.

She didn’t leave anything, so how did she bring it, and how did she take it away?

Cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, snacks, new clothes, new shoes, and various gifts brought back by distant relatives for family members or even villagers… not a single one was seen.

But Yan Lei wouldn’t have sent his wife back to their hometown without preparing these things.

Summer clothes are so thin, there’s no need for a box and a handbag. She must have brought something back.

But how did she bring it, and how did she take it away?

Qiao Wei didn’t even leave a piece of candy.