Chapter 397: Objections

In early 1985, on the last day of the twelfth lunar month, snow fell as the family celebrated New Year's Eve.

The Zhou family's three generations, including Wang Yan's son, totaled seven members. The eldest was about to enter middle school, the youngest still wobbled when walking—of course, the New Year was extremely lively. Even though Zhou Bingyi's two children had returned home, the remaining five got along well. With heavy snow falling, a group of boys and girls built snowmen over here, while others mischievously ran and slid, tumbling and rolling in the snow—all of them tough and spirited.

Inside the house, a terrible Spring Festival Gala played on TV; some family members sat on the kang, others on the floor, some rolled out dough, others stuffed dumplings.

The reason this Gala was considered terrible was that its stage had been moved from the studio to the Workers' Stadium. The conditions at the time couldn't support such a large-scale event, resulting in poor lighting, chaotic coordination, no heating, and dim lighting—making the viewing experience extremely poor. After the holiday, sack after sack of viewer letters flooded CCTV, filled with angry complaints; in response, CCTV broadcast a live apology to the entire nation on the News Broadcast. Later, an investigation team was dispatched, and the Gala's director secluded himself to reflect.

"Oh dear, I wonder how that old man is spending New Year's alone down south," Li Suhua sat cross-legged watching TV, thinking of her husband.

Zhou Bingyi chuckled: "Mom, Dad's doing fine over there. They celebrate with coworkers, get visits from leaders, have cultural performances—it's all very lively."

Hao Dongmei stayed home with the two children to keep Jin Yueji company—he didn't leave this New Year's Eve. Maybe he'd had a change of heart after years of not spending it at home, or maybe it was because his father-in-law had passed away… Either way, the atmosphere was quite good, and Li Suhua was happy.

"No matter how nice it is outside, it's no match for home," Li Suhua sighed. "Your father's sixty now—he's spent his whole life away, hardly ever coming home."

Zhou Bingkun leaned against the wall by the kang, cracking sunflower seeds with a grin as he watched his mother: "Wait till he comes back and stays a couple days—you'll get tired of him already, and you're still missing him now."

"How can that be the same? If you can't speak properly, don't speak."

Zhou Bingkun sighed: "Mom, how about after the Lantern Festival, I take you to see where Dad works?"

Zhou Rong nodded: "That's a good idea, Mom. Traveling by train is easy now—you can sleep the whole way, see how southern scenery differs from ours, it'd be wonderful."

"You come up with an idea and run with it," Li Suhua gave her youngest son a look, waving her hand with a smile. "My old arms and legs can't handle all that fuss. Besides, there are still kids at home and plenty of things to do—I've got to help Juan with everything."

"Mom, I can manage on my own. The kids are grown, no need to worry—they'll be fine. Besides, Brother, Yan Ge, and Second Sister are all in Jichun—nothing will happen at home. I think Bingkun's suggestion is great. Go see where Dad works. If you wait a few more years and get older, you won't be able to go at all. Yan Ge, what do you think? Can my mom handle a long trip?"

Wang Yan, who was rolling dumpling wrappers, nodded: "Auntie's in excellent health—she can go anywhere. I say, since you're going out anyway, after staying a while in Shancheng, head straight to Shenzhen, see Bingkun's business there, then come back. No rush."

Zhou Bingkun nodded eagerly: "My brother's right—it's settled. Brother, tomorrow at work, call Dad and tell him. Wait, no, don't call. I'll take Mom there directly and give him a surprise."

Li Suhua waved her hands frantically: "A surprise? Are you afraid it'll turn into a shock? Did I even agree to this? Let me tell you—I'm not going."

"Oh come on, now you're being shy," Zhou Rong hugged her mother. "Mom, just go. You've spent half your life here without ever traveling. It's only because Bingkun has succeeded that you even have this chance—others would kill to go. Besides, Dad hasn't come home in four years. He says he's delaying retirement, but who knows how many more years? This is the perfect opportunity—go see for yourself."

Everyone chimed in, urging Li Suhua—it was a good thing, her health was fine, the family was well-off, the journey might be tiring but wouldn't be unbearable—what was there to argue?

Under everyone's persuasion, Li Suhua agreed. The date was set: they'd leave on the sixteenth. She stopped muttering about her husband far away, smiled happily at the TV, probably already imagining meeting her husband in Shancheng—delighted.

With the plan settled, Zhou Bingkun began promising Zheng Juan that during the children's summer vacation, they'd take them south and even visit Hong Kong. It was indeed a real matter—the children had been nagging for years, including Wang Jianye, who, if not for photos, had completely forgotten he'd once been to the great capital.

Wang Yan noticed Feng Huacheng, sitting on the floor and on the sofa, merely smiled at the Gala, rarely speaking, detached from the joy, serene and uninvolved.

This state was dangerous—he ignored his wife's family, felt none of the holiday's happiness. In the noise, he reveled in the peace of no more endless arguments. This condition, simply put, was three words: he'd had enough.

It was understandable. From mid-1978 to early 1985, they'd argued for over six years. Crucially, both were intellectuals. In rural villages, most couples might fight bloody but still endure a lifetime—but they were different. Precisely because they were educated, they had more ideas and were less willing to compromise. Besides, even rural couples sometimes couldn't take it and ran away…

"Grandma, Uncle, can I come too?"

After playing outside awhile, Feng Yueyue pulled back the curtain and came in, hearing the conversation, chimed in.

Zhou Rong shook her head: "You still have school—you can't go."

"But Uncle said we're going in summer—why can't I?" Feng Yueyue glared at her mother.

Having raised her for over two years, Zhou Bingkun and Zheng Juan still liked Feng Yueyue. Zheng Juan waved her hand: "Sister, it's fine. The kid's just sitting around anyway—going out and seeing the world won't hurt."

Zhou Rong shook her head: "You can't spoil her too much. This girl's got a terrible temper—say one thing to her, she retorts three. She's no peace."

The group continued laughing and stuffing dumplings, chatting idly. Feng Yueyue sat on the kang eating tangerines, quietly asking: "Uncle, is your business really big?"

"It's okay," Zhou Bingkun smiled and shook his head. "Why? Want something? Tell me—I'll buy it for you."

"Can you lend me some money for my family?"

"Lend money to your family? For what?"

"For a house."

"A house?"

"Yes, Uncle. My parents always fight. I thought if we had a house, maybe they wouldn't fight anymore. And I want my own room. Our neighbors have two kids—they scream all day, I can't even do my homework. It's so annoying." Feng Yueyue whispered: "If you don't have enough money, can you ask Big Uncle or Uncle Wang? Big Uncle's an official, Uncle Wang knows lots of people—they must have ways."

Zhou Bingkun looked at Zhou Rong, then at Feng Huacheng, and rubbed her head: "Alright, Uncle understands. Eat your tangerine."

Wang Yan, with sharp hearing, heard clearly despite the noise and their hushed tones. Children are deeply affected by their parents. Feng Huacheng and Zhou Rong argued daily, and Zhou Rong was selfish and self-centered—she couldn't have left no mark on the child. But Feng Yueyue still thought this way—trying to resolve her parents' conflict and solve her own problem—she hadn't gone off track.

He believed the main influence came from Feng Huacheng. Zhou Rong wouldn't care how the child turned out. After all, in the original story, she was always "I'm your mother, you must obey me, you must respect me." Even now that she'd taken her back, she'd fulfilled her duty but never changed her attitude. If she had changed, she and Feng Huacheng wouldn't have fought for so many years. Feng Huacheng, by contrast, was thoughtful, cared for his daughter's growth, tried to minimize the damage of their arguments, and maintained a healthy, normal mindset.

Zhou Bingkun had always known Zhou Rong and Feng Huacheng were incompatible, but he held resentment toward Zhou Rong—Zhou Bingyi did too. So after he prospered, he never initiated help. After all, no one should have to beg for help—even between siblings. If Zhou Rong didn't ask, he wouldn't act. But now the child was speaking up—he'd probably have to help.

But Wang Yan knew Zhou Rong and Feng Huacheng's conflict was no longer about a house. Zhou Bingkun's help might become the final straw that triggered their full-blown explosion…

The family stuffed dumplings merrily, didn't set off firecrackers or eat until midnight. The children had long since fallen asleep; only the adults ate until past one in the morning. After hastily clearing the dishes, they crawled into bed and slept.

Chen Jing and Zheng Juan slept with the children in Wang Yan's house; Zhou Rong's family of three slept in the west room. Zhou Bingyi and Zhou Bingkun slept with Li Suhua in the east room of the old Zhou house; Wang Yan slept on the bed in the west room with Zheng Guangming.

"Guangming."

"Yan Ge?"

"After setting you up with so many girls, none caught your eye?"

"Nope. None clicked."

Wang Yan, hands behind his head, asked calmly: "Think they're uneducated? No shared interests?"

Zheng Guangming thought a while: "Hmm… a bit, but not entirely—just no feeling."

"Actually, life together is…" Wang Yan gave him a long lecture on relationships between men and women: "You're not young anymore—pay attention. When housing is allocated this year, I'll get you one. With a house, the quality of girls you meet will improve. I'll also ask people at the hospital—they might have someone suitable to introduce. Your sister-in-law was introduced by old Liu from our hospital—still reliable."

"Yan Ge, did my sister say something to you?"

"You're twenty-two. She's your only blood relative—how could she not be anxious? Not just your sister, your mother, Bingkun—everyone's mentioned it to me. But though everyone's anxious, you can't rush. Marriage is a big deal—don't just pick someone to ease our minds. You're the one living it, not us—be careful. But don't be too careful either. You're young—sometimes you've got to act boldly. Aim to marry this year, have a child next."

"Yeah, I understand."

As the two talked in the west room, the east room wasn't quiet either—Zhou Bingkun brought up Zhou Rong's matter.

"Brother, you know what Yueyue told me tonight?"

"What?"

"She said she wants me to lend money to their family to buy a house—so her parents won't fight, and so she can have her own room."

Zhou Bingyi sighed involuntarily: "This child is surprisingly sensible."

"She also said if I didn't have enough, I should ask you and Yan Ge—you're an official, Yan Ge knows lots of people, you'd surely find a way." Seeing his brother remained silent, Zhou Bingkun continued: "So what's your take, Brother? My sister hasn't asked for anything all these years. Yan Ge still has a big empty courtyard in Jingcheng. If she'd asked, she could've moved back to Jichun already. She's been waiting three years for housing and still hasn't gotten any. If she wanted to borrow money, why didn't she ask sooner? I can't just rush to give her money. But now the child's spoken up—what's going to happen if we don't help?"

"Zhou Rong is a strong-willed woman…" Zhou Bingyi fell silent for a while, then said: "Bingkun, I can't help with this. You know me—I'm not high-ranking, but I've got a thousand things on my plate, and everyone's watching. I…"

I can't help—not because I'm unable, but because I won't.

"I know, brother," Zhou Bingkun cut in. "Think of a way. See how you can help properly. I just want to borrow money from her—but they have to be willing. It's hard enough to buy a house now, and I bet my sister and her family wouldn't even look at our little flat. Buying an apartment is out of the question; lending her money won't help."

"Let Yan Ge figure it out—he's far more capable than I am."

Zhou Bingkun exhaled deeply: "If Yan Ge helps, he can't do something without a reason. Besides, what reason does Yan Ge have to help my sister? If we're talking about debt of favor, he doesn't owe us—we owe him. You and my sister haven't lifted a finger for this family all these years. And ever since childhood, he never got along with her. Except when he came to our house, he barely had contact with her. Even Jing's wife, who was her classmate, never got close. How can he help?"

"I understand," Zhou Bingyi said. "Bingkun, you're holding a grudge against me and Zhou Rong." "Yes, over the years, my sister and I truly failed as children. It's our fault."

"Fine, I just said it out loud. Knowing you're wrong changes what? Knowing you're wrong doesn't make you live here forever." Zhou Bingkun shook his head. "Here's what I'll do: I'll go to Jiangda and find out who handles housing assignments. I'll bring them gifts, slip them some money, see if it works. If it doesn't, I'll go to Yan Ge."

"That's all we can do…"

"Sleep." Zhou Bingkun shifted his body, turning his face toward the wall.

Zhou Bingyi exhaled deeply. For the first time, his younger brother had criticized him—and the guilt he had long suppressed surged into his heart. But he also knew his brother was right: knowing you're wrong changes nothing. He'd still be the same as before. He drifted into a drowsy sleep, tangled in these chaotic thoughts, the dumplings and wine still heavy in his belly.

Hearing the steady, even breathing of her two sons, confirming they were asleep, Li Suhua sighed, turned over, and went back to sleep…

On the second day of the New Year, Jin Yueji invited the entire Zhou family over for dinner—it was still lively. Wang Yan, of course, took his wife and children back to his in-laws' home. Over the years, he had visited the Hao family only three times: once when Zhou Bingyi begged him, and Li Suhua looked at him with pleading eyes, so he came to treat their health; again when Hao Jinlong was near death and sought him, the Seeing Shen Bing, to see if he could prolong his life; the third time was to pay respects after Hao Jinlong's death, and to give medicine to the heartbroken Jin Yueji for recovery.

On the third day, it was time again for Zhou Bingkun and his friends to gather. This time, Tang Xiangyang came too—something vastly different from the original story. Zhou Bingkun knew why: he'd become successful, grown even more powerful, and now his friends were coming to him.

As expected, this gathering was just like the others: a group fawning, pouring out their troubles. Wu Qian and Yu Hong both said they wanted to work in a factory; Yu Hong also mentioned Sun Ganchao's younger sister, Sun Xiaoning, who hadn't passed college entrance exams, had no job, and had been idle at home for a year. Zhou Bingkun was straightforward: after speaking with Wang Yan last year, he'd opened a small factory in Jichun, and it was just now getting on track.

He arranged jobs for all three of them as workers—it was up to them whether to go or not, but he'd done his part. As for their talk of wanting leadership roles or managing people, Zhou Bingkun ignored them.

Cao Debao's soy sauce factory was growing harder to run. Even as a workshop supervisor, his earnings were far behind those of Xiao Guoqing and Sun Ganchao. He again proposed working with Zhou Bingkun. Zhou Bingkun said: if you want to work, be a worker—no leadership positions. He added that both Xiao Guoqing and Sun Ganchao had worked their way up from the bottom. But Cao Debao wouldn't listen. He saw that Xiao Guoqing was a minor supervisor over product quality, and Sun Ganchao was a small-group sales leader—and he didn't want that. His face twisted with bitterness.

Qiao Chunyan eased the tension… and the gathering ended on a sour note.

Xiao Guoqing and Sun Ganchao supported Zhou Bingkun in this matter. One, because they themselves had risen from the bottom; two, because they earned their money from Zhou Bingkun.

This time, he didn't complain to Wang Yan or seek comfort—he had grown much, and naturally understood people to a certain degree. He could comprehend.

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, early in the morning, Li Suhua, dressed in new clothes and smiling broadly, carried a large bundle of goods as her younger son followed. Amid farewells from Zhou Bingyi, Zhou Rong, and others, they boarded a train heading south—to find her husband, whom she hadn't seen in four years, to give him a "shock," to see the place he'd spent half his life, and to witness the world her accomplished son had built in the south…

————————Extra Notes————————

Thank you, Brother Changshengon1, for the 1000-coin reward.

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