Chapter Sixteen: The First Journey Back to the Countryside

After dispelling the doubts of Secretary Yu and the others, Chen Xin began to consider the matter herself. Her plan was to have her brother-in-law’s elder brother come out and help with the business, but she hadn’t given much thought to anything beyond that. In retrospect, she realized now that her initial idea was rather naive.

Money is a powerful temptation. Perhaps this doesn’t apply to everyone, but under its influence, people can change—this Chen Xin believed without a doubt. If it were only the original breakfast stall, her brother-in-law’s elder brother helping out would be simple enough; after all, there was not much cash flow, just enough to live a bit better than most. But now, with the opening of the café, things became more complicated. Would others start to think she was misusing her brother-in-law’s money? Even if she handed over the accounts for someone else to manage, she couldn’t completely silence the idle gossip of bystanders.

With this in mind, Chen Xin decided to visit Grandpa Liu again to seek his advice.

“You’re saying you plan to split the money your brother-in-law left behind into two parts—one to be given to his parents to manage, the other to be deposited in the bank under Zhang Zhang’s name?”

“Yes. It’s not a huge sum, but for my brother-in-law’s parents, it’s already a considerable amount. Besides, I’ve heard that his elder brother has a bad leg, and that even marriage proposals are difficult for him, so one of my reasons for returning home this time is to find him some way of making a living in the county town, so he can save a little money for himself.”

“That’s a good idea,” Grandpa Liu nodded after a moment’s thought. “But have you decided what kind of business he should do?”

“I really haven’t figured that out yet,” Chen Xin admitted, troubled. “My strength lies in making specialty foods, but my brother-in-law’s elder brother doesn’t seem to be good at that. Besides, I don’t know much about my brother-in-law’s hometown—what people there like, what they enjoy eating, I have no idea.”

“How about this: when you go back, talk things over with him first, see what he thinks. If he doesn’t want to come out and work, staying home to farm isn’t bad either.”

Grandpa Liu got up, went to his study, and brought back a book and a stack of old newspapers.

“I remember your brother-in-law is from Banan. That area is mountainous and sparsely populated, with a good climate but rather remote. However, there is a cash crop there that’s quite popular on the market. If your brother-in-law’s elder brother is willing, I can help find someone to pull some strings and get him into the agricultural school for practical training—not for a diploma, just to follow the teachers and work in the experimental fields. There might be a small fee, but I imagine you wouldn’t mind paying that.”

Of course, money was no problem. If her brother-in-law’s elder brother was willing to study, she could cover his tuition and other expenses.

Grandpa Liu showed Chen Xin the materials he had collected, even giving her a notebook as a reference. By the time all work and study had ceased for the year, it was around the twentieth day of the last lunar month. Chen Xin went to bid farewell to Tie Lei and his wife, asking them to look after the house, and then took Zhang Zhang, the little chubby boy, and their luggage to the train station.

She had already made arrangements with Secretary Yu, who found a unit car in her hometown and gave the driver a red envelope, asking him to take aunt and nephew to the village and pick them up again after the New Year. The driver was a retired soldier; upon hearing that he’d be taking the orphaned child of a fallen hero home to visit his grandparents, he agreed at once and personally came to meet Chen Xin and the plump little boy at the station.

“There’s only one bus a day to the village, and during the New Year it’s not even certain you’d get a seat. Without Old Yu’s help, you’d either be overcharged or have to walk back,” said Lei Bang, a tall man of over six feet. He grabbed all of Chen Xin’s luggage in his hands, letting her just hold on to the little one.

“This place is crowded and full of pickpockets. Keep a close watch on the child, or if he gets lost, you’ll never forgive yourself.” Lei Bang was from the northeast. His parents had come to support local development, put down roots, and even after retirement had no plans to return north. At home, Lei Bang spoke the northeastern dialect and did things in a bold, boisterous way, but when it came to details, he could be more meticulous than any woman.

The vehicle Lei Bang drove was a Beijing Jeep from their power bureau.

“Your brother-in-law’s village is up in the mountains, and the roads are rough; only a jeep can get through. The regular bus stops at the foot of the mountain, and with a child in tow, you’d still have to walk over an hour uphill. The road is bumpy, so hold the little one tight and don’t let him get hurt.”

On the way, they took a detour to the market, buying all sorts of goods for the New Year, including two sets of clothes for the elderly couple. Fortunately, she had photos of her brother-in-law’s parents and could roughly guess their sizes, but she had no idea about the elder brother’s measurements, and besides, in this area, it wasn’t customary for an unmarried woman to buy clothes for an unmarried man unless they were family.

Chen Xin only stopped her shopping spree when she noticed the trunk was nearly full.

“Are you planning to keep your uncle and aunt eating until midsummer?” Lei Bang laughed heartily, warming even more toward Chen Xin.

Despite his imposing stature, Lei Bang’s heart was sensitive and thoughtful. At first, he had taken good care of Chen Xin and Zhang Zhang out of respect for Secretary Yu and because Zhang Zhang’s father was a martyr. But now, seeing how Chen Xin unhesitatingly bought all sorts of New Year’s goods for her brother-in-law’s parents, even including clothing and shoes, he realized she was truly kind and upright.

“My uncle and aunt have suffered a lot. They finally managed to raise a son, hoping for a better life, but my brother-in-law passed away so suddenly, and now the family relies solely on his elder brother, who has trouble walking. Life hasn’t been easy for them. I’ll help as much as I can, but if they’re to have a better life in the long run, it’ll depend on Zhang Zhang.”

What she said was entirely true. After all, she was just the sister-in-law, not related to the Zhangs by blood. Even if she didn’t visit, no one could blame her. But she came, bringing the child and plenty of goods, making it clear she had no intention of severing Zhang Zhang’s ties with the Zhang family. In the future, when Zhang Zhang grew up and made something of himself, he would naturally have to shoulder the responsibilities his father could not fulfill.

Before leaving, Chen Xin had gotten the phone number of the village chief from Secretary Yu—she had to let them know she’d be bringing the child home for the New Year.

But Chen Xin never expected the welcome she received would surpass anything she’d imagined.

The Zhangs’ village was nestled halfway up the mountainside, once a place where clans lived together. Every family was related in some way, and tracing back generations, they all shared a common ancestor. Zhang Zhang’s father had once been the village’s brightest hope, but that hope had been extinguished too soon. The villagers couldn’t place their expectations on the still-young, timid Zhang Zhang, so over the past two years, they had done their best to support the children of two other families, hoping at least one of them would succeed and give back to the village in the future.

When Chen Xin called to say she was bringing Zhang Zhang home for the New Year, the village chief was immediately impressed with her and wanted her to think well of the Zhang family. So, upon learning the date of her arrival, he discussed it with the party secretary, and together they decided to hold a pig-slaughter feast right at the village square.

So, when Chen Xin got out of the car with Zhang Zhang in her arms, she was greeted by a bustling crowd in the square, the festive atmosphere of the New Year in full swing—a scene so vibrant and lively that it was worlds apart from the bleak, desolate reception she had imagined.