Chapter 51

At 6:30 in the morning, just as the roosters crowed for the first time, Gu Shanhe woke up.

Mornings in the countryside are different from the city; there is no sound of traffic, no hum of air conditioning units, only the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs from near and far.

He lay on the hard bed he slept on as a child, staring at the ceiling pasted with old newspapers, stunned for a few seconds before realizing where he was.

His hometown, Qinghe Village, his own room.

He turned over and sat up, put on his clothes, and stepped out of the bedroom on tiptoe.

His parents' room was still quiet, with the sound of even snoring coming through the door crack.

Gu Shanhe walked into the courtyard; the sky was just beginning to brighten, the eastern horizon tinged with a fish-belly white, and the air filled with the crisp scent of grass and trees.

He stretched, loosened his muscles and bones, and then ducked into the kitchen.

The stove was an old-fashioned brick stove that burned firewood.

He skillfully started the fire and added wood, watching the flames "whoosh" up, making his cheeks feel hot.

There was water in the vat, which his father had fetched from the village well yesterday, clear to the bottom.

He scooped a few ladles into the large iron wok, covered it with the wooden lid, and while waiting for the water to boil, took a few eggs from the bamboo basket in the corner and found flour in the cupboard.

Today, he would cook breakfast for his parents.

Mixing the dough, kneading it, rolling it into thin sheets, and then cutting it into fine noodles.

This was a craft his mother taught him; when he was little, he always watched from the side, his mother's hands fast and steady, the noodles she cut uniform in thickness, as if pressed by a machine.

Later, he went away to school and worked, never touching these things again, until he met Liu Ruyan.

That girl whose eyes curved into crescents when she smiled said she liked boys who could cook the most.

Gu Shanhe foolishly went to learn, signing up for cooking classes, watching videos, and practicing over and over.

He learned to make Western food, desserts, and could prepare a table of exquisite French cuisine, but in the end, Liu Ruyan took someone else's arm and said, "Shanhe, you are very good, but we are not suitable."

Thinking about it now, it's truly ridiculous.

The water boiled, the steam making the lid rattle "pfft-pfft." Gu Shanhe dropped the noodles in and stirred them gently with chopsticks.

He set a small pan on the other burner, heated oil, and fried eggs.

The eggs cracked into the hot oil with a "sizzle," the edges quickly turning a golden, crispy brown.

He fried three, each one runny, the yolks trembling like little suns.

He scooped out the noodles and rinsed them in cold water to make them chewier.

He put lard, soy sauce, and chopped scallions in the bowls, poured in a ladle of boiling noodle soup, and the fragrance "boom" exploded.

Finally, he topped them with the noodles, laid the fried eggs on top, and blanched a few greens; three bowls of plain noodles, simple but steaming hot.

Gu Shanhe walked out of the kitchen and called into the house:

"Dad, Mom, time to eat."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to his parents' room opened, and Su Qingyin walked out while putting on her coat.

"You child, why get up so early? Mom can just do it..."

"Mom, I've made it, come and taste it."

Gu Shanhe placed the noodles on the table.

Gu Huaijin also came out, saw the noodles on the table, paused, said nothing, sat down, and picked up his chopsticks.

He took a sip of the soup first, then picked up a mouthful of noodles, put them in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

He picked up the fried egg and took a bite; the runny yolk flowed out, and he hurriedly lowered his head to slurp it up.

"Dad, how is it?" Gu Shanhe asked.

"It's alright."

Gu Huaijin said, not raising his head, and picked up another mouthful of noodles.

Su Qingyin tasted a bite, and her eyes turned red.

"It tastes the same as what I make... You child, when did you learn this?"

"I learned it a long time ago."

Gu Shanhe smiled, sat down, and picked up his own bowl.

The family of three sat around the square table eating noodles, no one speaking, only the sound of slurping.

After the meal, Gu Shanhe scrambled to wash the dishes.

Gu Huaijin sat on the threshold smoking, looking at the black Rolls-Royce in the courtyard, his eyes complex amidst the swirling smoke.

After washing the dishes, Gu Shanhe said he was going to town to buy some things.

Su Qingyin urged him to come back early, as leaders were coming at noon.

Gu Shanhe agreed and drove out.

Just as he reached the village entrance, he saw two black sedans driving in, one after the other, not fast, but kicking up a cloud of dust.

Gu Shanhe pulled over to let them pass, but those two cars stopped beside him.

The rear window of the front car rolled down, revealing the face of a middle-aged man wearing glasses, looking very scholarly.

"Is this Comrade Gu Shanhe?" the man asked.

"I am."

"I'm from the township, surnamed Li, the Deputy Secretary." The man pushed open the car door and stepped out, reaching out his hand enthusiastically. "Party Branch Secretary Wang reported your investment to us, and we came specifically to talk to you in person."

Gu Shanhe shook his hand: "Hello, Secretary Li."

"Don't call me Secretary, just call me Old Li."

Deputy Secretary Li laughed heartily.

"President Gu is young and promising, having made a name for yourself outside, yet you don't forget your hometown; this sentiment is worth us learning from."

Several people also got out of the car behind, including the Township Head, the Deputy Township Head in charge of education, and several staff members.

Wang Jianjun climbed out of the passenger seat and gave Gu Shanhe a wink, meaning "this is quite a lineup."

The group turned around and drove toward the town.

Gu Shanhe followed in the Rolls-Royce, passing the old locust tree at the village entrance, where the elderly stood up to watch, pointing and gesturing.

Some children chased after the cars, only to be dragged back by adults.

Arriving in town, the cars stopped in front of a restaurant.

The restaurant wasn't large, three stories high, with "Juxian Tower" written on the sign; it was considered the best eatery in town.

The owner had been waiting at the door, and seeing the leaders' cars, he hurriedly welcomed them, nodding and bowing.

Entering the private room, there was a round table that could seat twelve people.

Deputy Secretary Li asked Gu Shanhe to take the main seat; Gu Shanhe couldn't refuse and had to sit down.

The dishes were served quickly.

At the table, the leaders took turns proposing toasts, saying all sorts of high-sounding words.

Gu Shanhe used tea instead of wine and responded to each one.

After three rounds of drinks and five flavors of dishes, Deputy Secretary Li finally got to the point.

"President Gu, Party Branch Secretary Wang has told us about your investment. Repairing the road and building a school are great deeds, and we fully support them."

Deputy Secretary Li put down his wine glass, his expression becoming serious.

"However, there are some procedures we need to report to you. For the road repair, it needs approval from the County Transportation Bureau; we have already submitted the report, and it shouldn't be a problem."

"Building the school needs approval from the Education Bureau, which has also been reported. The key is the funding..."

"I have already prepared the funds."

Gu Shanhe said, "Eighty million, it can be transferred at any time."

The table went quiet for a moment.

The Township Head coughed.

"President Gu, it's not that we don't believe you, it's just that this amount is too large, and we need to confirm..."

Gu Shanhe took out his phone, opened the bank app, brought up the balance page, placed it on the lazy Susan, and gave it a gentle spin.

The phone slid half a circle on the glass turntable and stopped in front of Deputy Secretary Li.

Deputy Secretary Li picked up the phone and squinted to look.

After a few seconds, his hand shook.

He handed it to the Township Head next to him, who looked at it and then handed it to the Deputy Township Head.

As it passed around the circle, everyone's expression changed; there was shock, disbelief, and more than anything, excitement.

"President Gu, you are... you have truly solved our township's urgent need!"

Deputy Secretary Li's voice was a bit shaky.

"To be honest with you, our township is a poverty-stricken one, and the finances have always been tight; we've wanted to repair the road for so many years, but just didn't have the money. Now it's great, now it's great..."

"Money is not a problem."

Gu Shanhe took back his phone. "But I have a few conditions."

"Please speak!"

"First, the project must be publicly bid; I want to see the qualifications and past cases."

"Second, I will send people to supervise the construction process; every cent spent must be itemized and publicized regularly."

"Third, after the school is built, I want a say in the faculty and management."

Gu Shanhe paused, looking at the people present.

"I don't distrust you all, it's just that this money is my heart for my hometown, and I don't want it wasted, let alone squandered."

The words were blunt, but no one felt they were harsh.

Deputy Secretary Li nodded heavily.

"That's only right, that's only right! President Gu, rest assured, we will strictly control it and ensure every cent is spent where it counts!"

"That's good."

Gu Shanhe raised his teacup.

"Using tea instead of wine, I toast you all. I hope this road and this school can truly change Qinghe Village and change our township."

"Definitely!"

The teacups clinked together, making a crisp sound.