Chapter 38 A Roaring Thunder of Spring

Suddenly, Chai Mingguo’s expression turned extremely grim. After a long pause, he furrowed his brow and said, “Forget it. Like I said, the factory belongs to my son. I can’t make his decisions for him.”

“If he agrees, then I have nothing against it. Go talk to him yourself.”

Remembering the past, Chai Jinguo gloomily lifted the cup on the table and took a swig. The workers beside him tried to console him, urging him to let it go.

After getting an answer from Chai Mingguo, Liu Yujiang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He made his way to the pond, where Chai Jin and Liu Qingwen were chatting about the coming year.

Seeing the village chief approach, Liu Qingwen quickly stood up. “Oh, Brother Jiang is here!”

“Is there something you need, Brother Jiang?”

Liu Yujiang’s mustache bristled with irritation at the greeting. The old man was fond of drinking. During a wedding banquet in the village, he and Liu Qingwen had drunk too much, and Liu Yujiang claimed he’d checked the family register. He said that Liu Qingwen’s family and his shared an ancestor, and, slurred with drink, asserted that by generation, they were peers.

From then on, no matter where he was, Liu Qingwen would call out from afar upon seeing Village Chief Liu, “Hello, Brother!” Each time, it left Liu Yujiang speechless for ages.

He kicked Liu Qingwen in the backside. “Get lost. I’m not in the mood for your nonsense today.”

Thick-skinned, Liu Qingwen chuckled and stepped aside. Chai Jin looked at Liu Yujiang, a bit puzzled. “You’re looking for me?”

“Yes,” Liu Yujiang replied. “Uncle Liu wants to discuss something with you.” He squatted beside Chai Jin, gazing at the ducks struggling to flap their wings on the water for a while, before speaking again.

He said, “Jin, do you still resent the people in the village?”

The smile that had lingered on Chai Jin’s face vanished instantly. “I wouldn’t say I like them. Why do you ask?”

Liu Yujiang took a drag of his cigarette and sighed deeply. “I really don’t want to get involved in these messy affairs. If the crowds hadn’t worn out my doorstep this New Year, I wouldn’t have come to you with this thick face.”

“They have no sense of shame. When they forced your family onto the brink, did they ever think about today?”

His expression was bleak.

Chai Jin’s face grew even darker. “Tell me what it is.”

Liu Yujiang said, “What else could it be? They see others earning money working at the factory, some even transferred to the county town, and now they’re jealous. They want me to represent them and plead with you, see if you’d give them a chance.”

“See if you can let them in.”

Chai Jin had already guessed the reason for the visit. Over the past days, as they moved about the village, those who had once considered his family enemies—who’d wished nothing more than to stomp them into the ground forever—had started smiling at him. He hadn’t bothered to respond.

It wasn’t that Chai Jin was heartless, but after experiencing the destruction of his family and the pain that lingered in his heart, how could he ever forget?

He replied bluntly, “Sorry, I’m not a philanthropist.”

“Tell them to give up. I will never let them into the factory.”

Liu Yujiang, exhausted from scolding, calmed down and sighed. “Jin, poverty is the root of all this.”

“What they did to your family before was indeed excessive, but so much time has passed. Try to let it go.”

“Otherwise, people will say your family looks down on others now that you’re wealthy.”

“Looks down on others?” Chai Jin shook his head, a cold smile on his lips. “Village chief, when our family was being cursed as dogs and bastards, how did we endure?”

“Did we collapse? Were we not insulted enough? Would we care if they talk behind our backs now?”

“How they view us is their business. How I act is mine.”

“If I accept them just like that, I’d be letting my father down!”

“Ask them how many times they forced my father to kneel in the fields?”

“Sorry, my principles cannot be shaken.”

With that, Chai Jin got up and left.

Liu Yujiang wanted to stand and persuade him again, but Chai Jin’s words left him without a retort.

He thought about it: treated like a dog, and now that things have turned around, they want favors. If it were him, he wouldn’t accept it either.

In the end, he could only sigh, hands behind his back, and leave the Chai family in disappointment.

At the table, Chai Mingguo asked his son about it.

Chai Jin replied, “My heart isn’t so big. Even if those people enter the factory, they are no good.”

“Character flaws are the greatest obstacle.”

Chai Mingguo nodded silently.

…

With money, staying in the village only brought more trouble—Chai Jin understood that better than anyone.

His sister Chai Xiaoshan was now old enough for school, and the city’s education was far superior.

So, on the fourth and fifth days of the new year, he sought out Zhang Ruilong.

Zhang Ruilong was worried about how to mend the relationship with Chai Jin, so he took the request seriously.

Using his extensive connections, he found a property of over 140 square meters. It was a workplace apartment, nicely renovated.

The owner was a laid-off worker, but their son was developing well elsewhere, so the couple planned to sell the apartment and live with him.

Chai Jin purchased the property for thirty thousand.

His family moved in immediately.

On the sixth day of the New Year, Feng Haodong came to the Chai family’s new home to pay his respects.

He arrived abruptly, without any notice.

Chai Jin personally cooked a few dishes to go with the drinks, which Feng Haodong greatly enjoyed.

After arranging the meal in the living room, Feng Haodong laughed, “I’ve traveled far and wide, and every time I drink, I crave the taste of home-cured meat.”

“But you just can’t find it anywhere, no matter how wealthy you are.”

A color TV in the living room was playing the news.

Chai Jin brought out the last dish from the kitchen, smiling. “If you ever want some, let me know. I’ll have my family mail it to you.”

Feng Haodong didn’t stand on ceremony. “That’s good. No problem.”

The two sat at the table.

Feng Haodong was about to speak, but suddenly, a scene on the TV caught his attention.

An elder of the era stood before the media, delivering a speech.

This man, already in his eighties, had spent the past year traveling the beloved length and breadth of his homeland.

His final stop was the city of Shen. On camera, he radiated visionary confidence.

He spoke loudly and clearly: “China must resolutely stay on this path—comprehensive reform and opening up, unwavering development of a socialist economy with Chinese characteristics.”

“Only then will ordinary people have food to eat.”

…

The speech was long, with much said in front of the television.

Feng Haodong stared intently at the screen, his breathing quickening.

By contrast, Chai Jin remained calm, eating steadily, not disturbing Feng Haodong’s viewing.

When the great leader finally finished, Feng Haodong took a deep breath. “The South has set the tone!”

“A thunderous tide of change is about to sweep through the land!”