Chapter 1297: Return

In August, the train slowly came to a stop at the platform.

The people on the train were still crowding on and off as usual, and Song Yunhui followed the flow of the crowd as he squeezed out.

He pushed up his glasses, let out a long breath, and thought that there were simply too many people on the train to Jin Ling...

He looked at the scene in the station; it was already different from when he had gone home the year before last. The platform had been expanded and redecorated, making him feel like a stranger.

Railway police in uniform were maintaining order, and there were people chasing and running through the crowd; someone tripped the person running in front, and together with the people around them, they pinned the person down—it turned out to be plainclothes detectives catching a pickpocket.

There were no pickpockets in Jin Ling now; they were all thieves from out of town who knew that this place was wealthy and crowded. Whether on the trains coming here or in the county town of Jin Ling, the pickpockets could all make a fortune.

However, their challenges were also great. Because there were many police in Jin Ling—both uniformed and plainclothes—they were everywhere. Small police stations that could seat two people were also scattered everywhere. In crowded and bustling markets, there were patrols on duty twenty-four hours a day.

From 1980 until now, in the two-plus years that had passed, all the demobilized soldiers from Jin Ling had become police officers. Coupled with the original security personnel from various factories, as well as the Jin Ling County militia who were often dispatched to participate in maintaining order, it was a massive police force.

Every day was spent catching thieves, catching human traffickers, and handling vicious criminal cases in the county.

Although the overall situation in Jin Ling was stable and the people lived in prosperity, various problems always emerged. Some production accidents required rigorous investigation to determine if they were truly man-made disasters, and there were also occasional crimes of passion resulting from extramarital relationships. The most typical case was sleeping with someone else's wife, getting caught, and then being hacked to death.

These were problems hidden beneath development, and they were difficult to solve because they were problems of human nature. No Jin Ling person lacked ideological education, but there was no way to deal with such issues...

Song Yunhui carried his luggage, braving the sun, and walked along the road at a steady pace.

The changes in Jin Ling were even greater, not just reflected in the expansion of the train station.

There were more people walking on the streets, more motorcycles, and he even saw buses, with people packed inside.

On both sides of the road, there was a lamppost every ten meters. Along the street, there were more shops, but most of them were restaurants. There were Chongqing hot pot, Beijing hot pot, Shandong cuisine restaurants, Cantonese restaurants, fried skewers, barbecue, and so on.

On the street, some people were pushing bicycles with boxes installed on the back, selling all kinds of miscellaneous things, and some were riding tricycles, also selling things.

What was more eye-catching was that the older people walking on the street wore work uniforms, while the young people mostly wore trendy clothes, giving people the feeling that this was not Jin Ling, but a big city.

It could even be said that Jin Ling was a place more fashionable than big cities...

Just looking at the newly opened restaurants and the more varied clothes worn by the young people, the prosperity of today's Jin Ling was fully reflected.

When he headed toward his home and saw the countless buildings, he was even more stunned. Not only were there countless completed buildings, but there were also countless buildings under construction, making clanging noises...

He still remembered that the last time he went home, Jin Ling only had a little over a hundred staff apartment buildings.

He found his home based on his memory and saw his mother alone at home, wearing a straw hat and clearing the grass in the yard. Seeing him return, she was exceptionally happy; she didn't fuss about cooking but took him to a nearby state-run restaurant and ate a boxed meal.

"I remember this wasn't here the year before last?"

"You haven't been home for two years. The county has changed a lot; it's all because your brother-in-law is capable..."

Listening to his mother chatter about the changes in the county over the past two years, Song Yunhui ate a delicious boxed meal and drank a bottle of soda.

Mother Song felt a bit sorry for her child: "You must have suffered a lot outside; you look so thin. Xiao Hui, don't worry about home; treat yourself better when you're outside."

"I'm doing quite well, Mom. It's just that although Jinzhou is big, it's not as bustling as our Jin Ling; it's not as prosperous or lively as here."

"That's for sure. Who do you think is as capable as your brother-in-law?" Mother Song said, "Now all the people in our county are living well. There's hardly anyone left in the countryside; they're all in the county town. The establishment of our Hongwei Town has been canceled; now it's called the Hongwei Production Area. That place is just for farming; I heard that less than a thousand people are still left there, farming tens of thousands of acres of land..."

After eating, Mother Song took Song Yunhui to a fruit and vegetable store.

"This used to be in the state-run store, right?" Song Yunhui asked again.

"Yes, there weren't many varieties before. Now the factory concentrates on growing vegetables and fruits, and at the same time, the factory also buys from other places, so the variety has increased a lot, and it was separated from the store to open a dedicated fruit and vegetable store."

"This has more things than Jinzhou."

"Normal. At the end of last year, your brother-in-law sent people to Beijing and Shanghai to take pictures; they don't live as well as our county. We have quite a few people from Beijing and Shanghai coming here to do business."

Mother Song patted and tapped to pick a big watermelon, "Put it in the refrigerator when we get back, and you can eat it in the afternoon; it'll be very refreshing."

When settling the bill, Song Yunhui wanted to pay, but Mother Song didn't let him. She said that Song Yunhui had just started working and it wasn't easy, and that Song Yunhui didn't have as much money as she did.

This was the truth; Song Yunhui's salary was a little over sixty, while Father Song could earn over eighty. This wasn't Wang Yan giving Father Song extra, but the normal salary for medical personnel in Jin Ling.

In Jin Ling, the salaries of police, medical personnel, and teachers were higher than those of factory workers. Because of the shortage of manpower, they were all very hardworking and bore great responsibilities...

Father Song and Mother Song didn't spend much money either; they just cooked some meals every day and were still very frugal on weekdays. The old couple had truly saved a lot of money over the past few years.

Song Yunhui was speechless...

Back home, Mother Song called Father Song and Wang Yan respectively to tell them the news of Song Yunhui's return, asking them to come back early for dinner, and then she cleaned up the vegetables with Song Yunhui.

Later in the evening, Father Song and Wang Yan returned home one after another.

The old couple was cooking in the house, while Wang Yan and Song Yunhui were sitting on chairs in the yard to enjoy the cool air.

"You didn't give a heads-up before coming back." Wang Yan greeted his brother-in-law.

"Do you need to pick me up? It's not like I can't find my way home." Song Yunhui shook his head.

Wang Yan laughed: "The old couple has no other worries; they just miss you, their good son. If you had said you were coming back earlier, they would have been looking forward to it and could have been happy."

"I wanted to come back suddenly to give them a surprise."

"It's hard to say which one makes people happier."

Wang Yan picked up a cigarette, lit one, and gestured with the cigarette case toward Song Yunhui.

The latter naturally took it and struck a match to light it.

"Not bad, brother-in-law, you're now good with both cigarettes and alcohol?"

Song Yunhui let out a long breath: "No choice. Once I went to the factory, eight out of ten men bought cigarettes to smoke, and two sponged off others. My roommate is a heavy drinker, and he drinks every day. Our leaders occasionally ask us out for meals, and we definitely have to smoke and drink. After going back and forth, I learned it all in half a year."

"Are you convinced now?"

Song Yunhui didn't speak, because everything Wang Yan had told him before was coming true.

Wang Yan laughed out loud: "Still haven't figured out why Yu Shanqing was in the office while you were sent to the grassroots as a worker?"

"I like the grassroots, because I discovered that the things I learned in university can't be used directly; I have to relearn. I've done quite well in the past few months; I've already become a team leader, and my salary has increased by three yuan."

"Stubborn!"

Looking at Song Yunhui's stubborn appearance, Wang Yan laughed and took a puff of his cigarette, blowing the smoke in his direction.

"Brother-in-law will clear things up for you." He flicked the ash and said, "Because Yu Shanqing wasn't the most suitable person, but he was recruited by the person sent by Jinzhou Chemical to recruit students. There were only twenty-some people in your chemistry department; do you think this person could not know the real situation?

If you hadn't gone to Jinzhou Chemical, then no one would have known about this, and it would have been left unsettled. But you went, and your grades were better than Yu Shanqing's, so the matter was exposed. The leader in charge of related affairs was a bit passive. Although it was nothing, this little matter couldn't affect them, but they felt uncomfortable inside.

You were sent under their command with such great ability; they exercised the power in their hands to make things a little difficult for you to vent their anger. Is there any problem with that?"

Song Yunhui frowned: "It's that simple?"

"You don't really think they were training you, do you? Not to mention far away, just look at our Jin Ling County government. When you first start working, you're first arranged to run errands in the County Committee office. After working for a year or a year and a half, you're then sent down to the townships below; that's called training.

Being sent down to work as soon as you arrive can't be called being picked on; it can only be said that you were unlucky. After all, whether it's in the county or the townships below, someone has to do the work, right? Why couldn't you go down? You're right, aren't you?"

Letting out a long breath, Song Yunhui said: "Anyway, I'm doing quite well now; I improved our..."

He pushed up his glasses and rattled off professional terms to Wang Yan, talking about his contributions to the factory in the past few months.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Yes, your future is limitless, and you'll be promoted sooner or later. The work is still very good. Look, it's only been a few months, and your temper has softened a lot."

Rolling his eyes, Song Yunhui said: "Brother-in-law, did you really report to the superiors?"

"You think I'm joking with you?"

"Our school leaders even called me, saying they had dealt with the leader in charge at the time, expressed their apologies to me, and said that our Anyun University students are all good students, and that since someone like Yu Shanqing appeared, they would deal with him too. I quickly refused."

"I understand now. If it weren't for this matter, you wouldn't have planned to come back, right?"

Song Yunhui was a bit embarrassed: "I just started working, there are many things to do, and it's not easy to ask for leave when I just arrived. I originally planned to come back for the New Year."

"When the New Year comes, you'll have to arrange for people to be on duty, and you'll definitely volunteer, showing spirit, letting other comrades go home to rest while you stand guard for the New Year. By the time you finish the work at the beginning of the year, it'll be spring again. You want to come back, but you keep putting it off; where is the end? Aren't you usually quite decisive?"

"Yes, yes, yes, brother-in-law, you're right."

Song Yunhui changed the subject, "Then Anyun University..."

"I've already submitted the report; what's done is done. They must have been scolded, and since they've already been scolded, what's the point of saying so much? This matter will be left unsettled. When the time comes, they'll be assigned as they should be, and Jin Ling will just accept them normally."

In terms of assigning university students to employment, the province has an advantage, and the quota of Anyun University students assigned to Jin Ling is relatively larger.

Having experienced the assignment at the beginning of the year, as well as the self-selection of employment fooled by Wang Yan, in the few short months that followed, the good treatment of university students in Jin Ling was already known to everyone.

There were no reports, no hype; it was just spread by word of mouth among university students. After the university students who came to Jin Ling were stunned, they wrote letters to their families, friends, and classmates. Not to mention that the whole country knew, at least all the university students in the country basically knew.

Jin Ling now can be said to be the best choice for those who can't go abroad. The quota is just that much, and there are three hundred quotas for junior college students, all of which are fixed.

But this did not stop the university students' yearning for Jin Ling, and quite a few people wrote letters to the Jin Ling Group to recommend themselves. However, these people were next year's graduates; they expressed that they wanted to choose their own employment, expounding on their excellence...

"Then I can be considered to have an explanation." Song Yunhui nodded.

"Do you feel the power?"

"Although you've done a great job, I have to say you're a bureaucrat."

"You kid are still not bad; you even scold yourself when you get anxious. Didn't you enjoy the benefits? Look at your clothes; they're all Jin Ling brands. Do you think everyone can afford to wear them?"

"At least I have to self-reflect." Song Yunhui quibbled, "Speaking of this, brother-in-law, don't send me clothes in the future; I can't wear them. In the factory, there are work uniforms, and I usually wear shirts and trousers. I see that no one in the factory wears clothes as flashy as mine; it's not good to be too conspicuous."

"They don't want to wear flashy clothes; they just can't bear to spend the money."

Wang Yan waved his hand with a smile, "It doesn't matter. You can wear shirts, suits, ties, and leather shoes. Our factory now also makes ready-to-wear suits, jackets, and everything. Just right, I'll give you two sets when you leave. Look at what I'm wearing—shirts, trousers, leather shoes, including underwear, are all produced by our factory; they're very comfortable. By the way, there's something I haven't given you yet."

As he spoke, he got up and went into the house, and after a while, he walked out with a box.

"This is an electronic watch produced by the factory, which draws on the style of the little Japanese Casio. It looks quite good. Take it and wear it."

"You keep it; the one you gave me is quite good." Song Yunhui showed the watch on his wrist.

"Wear them interchangeably. This isn't considered abusing power for personal gain. After mass production, they haven't been sold yet; the leaders and staff representatives in the factory were each issued one. I don't like wearing this kind of watch; you take it and wear it interchangeably. Or just give it to someone. Didn't you say in your letter that a roommate takes good care of you? Giving it to him is fine too."

"Brother-in-law, you know so many people, don't you need to give it away?"

Wang Yan shook his head: "That's not doing things for myself; it's all borne by the factory. Not only did I give them away, but I also engraved the production batch on the watch. Just like some people collect stamps, it's because it will definitely become more valuable after it becomes scarce.

When our electronic watches go on sale, there won't be the first batch, but starting from the second batch. As long as our watches sell well and can continue to sell, then the watches we produced in the first batch will be out of print and can be used as money in the future. After all, some people like to collect stamps, and some people like to collect watches. It's just that it's unknown how many can be kept until that time.

But I can tell you for sure that as long as Jin Ling starts doing it, it will definitely be able to continue doing it. So this watch will definitely be more valuable in the future."

"How far in the future?"

"Ten or twenty years." Wang Yan smiled, "Do you have a girlfriend? You can also give it to your girlfriend to wear. The positioning of this watch is not that clear; both men and women can wear it."

"No, no." Song Yunhui waved his hands repeatedly.

"That means there's someone you like. What is the girl's attitude?"

"Brother-in-law, there really isn't."

"I understand; it's the girl who doesn't like you, and you're having unrequited love."

"It's not me..."

"I understand." Wang Yan waved his hand, "It doesn't matter, keep working hard. But I suggest you say what you have to say. If you have a good feeling, you should express it, and you should also ask for a clear attitude from the other person. Don't let it be your own unrequited love, winking at a blind person."

Song Yunhui was speechless; he didn't expect his good brother-in-law to see it so accurately; it was simply too terrifying...

The girl he liked was, of course, the daughter of the chief engineer of Jinzhou Chemical. That girl had an ambiguous relationship with Yu Shanqing, and he, a silly boy, bumped into it. Only after that did he get together with the daughter of the Jinzhou Chemical factory director...

Just at this moment, someone greeted enthusiastically: "Brother-in-law! Brother Xiao Hui!"

Wang Yan and Song Yunhui looked toward the sound and saw Yang Xun walking over carrying things.

"Yang Xun?" Song Yunhui stood up in surprise, "Why are you here?"

"I thought I'd come to see Uncle and Aunt, and see Brother-in-law. I didn't expect you to be back, Brother Xiao Hui. When did you get back?"

"Just got back today. You, you even brought things when coming to my house?" Song Yunhui also started talking nonsense.

"These are things I brought back from the Northeast; they're all good things to nourish Uncle and Aunt's bodies."

"You have a heart, sit down." Wang Yan nodded with a smile and pulled out a cigarette to pass around.

"Brother-in-law, you're really too amazing." Yang Xun exclaimed, "It's only been half a year, and Jin Ling has completely changed."

"Normal development. It's mainly because our county was too backward. If it changes a little, it feels like a huge change. We still have a lot to do; the road is long and the burden is heavy..."

Wang Yan waved his hand and asked instead, "You're doing well in the Northeast? It looks like you've made money."

"It's okay, I haven't made much."

Song Yunhui was stunned for a moment, then reacted: "Yang Xun, you're not working in the factory anymore?"

"Yes, I'm doing business outside by myself. I went to the Northeast at the beginning of this year."

"How is Director Yang?" Song Yunhui was still very humane; he didn't care about Yang Xun's affairs at all, but was concerned about Yang Xun's mother.

"Brother-in-law helped and changed us into a big house of seventy square meters. Our whole family moved into the city, and he arranged for my mom to work in the shoe and clothing factory, earning over sixty a month."

"Don't say I helped." Wang Yan shook his head with a smile, "It sounds like I opened a back door for you. It's because you occupied a staff quota yourself and were already allocated a house; this is an important prerequisite. Your whole family moved into the city, and it's still one house and one staff quota. The schooling problem for the three younger siblings is not a difficult matter either.

If you were still queuing for housing, then at most I could only let your family live in a board house, but I would still give your mother a staff quota. Housing is a big deal. Weren't you there when housing was reserved for university students? What did you not see?"

"Yes, but no matter what, I still have to thank Brother-in-law for his help." Yang Xun smiled brightly.

Song Yunhui said: "Then I'll go to your house with you tomorrow to see Director Yang. Is she doing well?"

"Very well. The work is easy, the pay is higher, seeing a doctor doesn't cost money, and the younger siblings' schooling doesn't cost money either. She earns enough for our whole family to eat. There are no worries, so everything is good. I also heard that it seems my mom is going to be promoted to team leader, and there's also an ideological study class monitor?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "I know about this; I approved the list myself, and she'll be promoted next month. Your mother is a strong person; she works seriously, studies actively, and unites with comrades. Everyone who works with her has a very good opinion of her. Maybe when the staff representative election comes at the end of the year, your mother will also become a representative."

"Even if she isn't elected as a staff representative, based on her hardworking work attitude and active and serious study attitude, she can also be rated as an advanced worker. Her salary will increase next year, and she can earn at least seventy."

"It's all because the factory's system is good." Yang Xun still flattered, "This is what allowed us farmers to move into the city and eat our fill. Otherwise, who would have dared to think about it before?"

"It's all the result of the people's collective labor." Wang Yan never stopped talking about the people and the collective...