Chapter 11: Purchasing Monkey Head Mushrooms

"Chat about what?" Hongyan said: "We country people might not be able to chat with you." She giggled: "Don't say we don't have a common language."

I waved my hand: "What are you saying? My ancestors were country people too. Which school did you graduate from?" I asked.

"Home-Squat University!" Hongyan teased me.

"Ah?" I didn't understand for a moment, "You even went abroad to study?"

Hongyan burst into giggles: "You fool!"

This sentence she suddenly blurted out brought our relationship much closer.

"I didn't finish high school. The township needed people, but no one from above was willing to come. My dad insisted I come. I was about to take the college entrance exam that year; maybe if I had, my fate would have changed. But now, I can only stay in Suxi Township for the rest of my life." Hongyan became melancholy as she spoke. Looking at her lonely expression, my heart also felt desolate.

I said: "That's not necessarily true! Look at me, didn't I come too?"

"You came to gild yourself; once the time is up, you'll fly away."

"Is that so? No one in the Chen family is an official, and no one has money. What am I gilding? It's more like gold is gilding me." I laughed and lit a cigarette, taking a fierce drag.

"Then it looks like you're going to stay in Suxi for the rest of your life?" Hongyan didn't seem to believe me at all: "I've seen several cadres like you; they all had this tone, but in the end, not one of them stayed!"

"I really have no choice!" I said sincerely: "You'll know later."

"Then keep that key; you have many phone calls." Hongyan changed the subject.

I hurriedly handed the key to her and said: "How can I do that?"

Hongyan looked at me and said: "It's fine, I don't stay here at night anyway." She didn't take my key and walked out the door. I lay alone in the empty room, a small oil lamp on the table flashing with a dim yellow light, loneliness spreading over my body like water.

I thought about things aimlessly, thinking of my aunt curled up in a small quilt, thinking of Wu Qian curled up in a small quilt, thinking of Hongyan curled up in a small quilt, and my tears flowed out very inappropriately...

Three days later, the Suxi Township government issued information: The township government is purchasing monkey head mushrooms in large quantities. The price ranges from three yuan to five yuan per pound. They must be fresh. The purchase location is the township government cafeteria. Special note: Cash on delivery.

In one day, the floor of the cafeteria was piled high with monkey head mushrooms. Hongyan was busy weighing them for the villagers, and Old Li from the township finance office was all smiles, with a cigarette in his mouth, paying the villagers. The township government was bustling with noise and excitement, and the small place was blocked by people from all directions.

Liu Quan came to see a few times but left without saying a word. Township Head Zheng also came, greeting the villagers, distributing cigarettes, and nodding to everyone with his hands behind his back. Zheng Gang only came in the afternoon; as soon as he arrived, he took off his police uniform and helped Hongyan.

I sat in Liu Hongyan's room, smoking and making phone calls.

I asked: "Aunt, where are you?"

My aunt said: "Why are you rushing me? I'll definitely arrive tonight. I brought you that money; you don't need that much, right?"

I said: "A gentleman travels with heavy provisions."

After hanging up my aunt's phone, I went out and saw an endless stream of people carrying various baskets, filled with the mushrooms I was purchasing, coming with happy smiles on their faces.

Every young girl and young wife knew that I was the one who started this. I was the new secretary from the township government, from the big city. Everyone who passed by me looked at me with awe and admiration. The young girls' eyes were shy and flirtatious, the young wives stared straight at me, and the old men were busy handing me cigarettes, laughing with their mouths wide open.

The most gratifying sentence I heard was: "Don't look at Secretary Chen's young age, he's thinking of the Suxi people!"

The money for purchasing the monkey head mushrooms came from the township finance. I signed a contract with the township government; this money was borrowed, and the purchasing act was my personal act, having nothing to do with the township government. The township government gave me manpower support and all the help they could provide.

I established a company in the name of the township government, full name "Suxi Township Agricultural Products Trading Company," which was actually a "three-no" shell company.

Around three in the morning, I heard the sound of a car horn outside. I rushed out and saw my aunt getting out of the car, exhausted. I ran over, hugged her shoulder, and said: "Comrade Jiang Xiaoyue, you've worked hard. The people of Suxi Township welcome you!"

My aunt smiled weakly and said: "This place of yours is really far. Luckily the driver knew the way; I was lost in the clouds and mist all the way." The sound of the car horn also woke up Liu Hongyan. She was bleary-eyed, and seeing my aunt, her expression was a bit unnatural.

Immediately, many rooms lit up. People walked out from all corners; they were my villagers. They hadn't gone back; they knew I was loading the car tonight. They had endured the cold wind for a night, waiting silently for the truck to arrive. No one asked them to load the car, and no one asked them to sit and wait in the cold night wind, but they did it anyway.

This action of theirs moved me, who hadn't been moved for a long time, to tears.

I brought my aunt into my room, poured her a glass of hot water, and said: "Aunt, no problem, right?"

My aunt said: "Don't worry!" My aunt took the money out of her bag for me: "How much did you collect in total?"

I hadn't checked with Hongyan yet, so I really didn't know the specific number, so I had to tell the truth: "I don't know."

My aunt tapped my forehead with her small, soft hand and chided: "You, what kind of business is this?"

Just then, Old Wang knocked on my door and asked: "Secretary Chen, snacks are ready, please invite the guest to eat."

I smiled at my aunt with relief and said: "I'll treat you to a delicious meal today. Authentic wild game from the countryside, authentic healthy food." My aunt teased me: "What wild game, eating wild things, and the person is also wild; I'm afraid the wild game in the countryside has confused your heart!"

I didn't explain. My aunt's words were full of teasing, and I could hear it. For a woman's teasing, the best choice for a man is to play deaf and dumb. ===== CHAPTER 12 =====