Chapter 5: Don't Negotiate with the Organization

Wu Qian's voice wasn't loud, but it pierced my eardrums like a sharp awl: "It's my money that's buying the house, and I don't like living with old people."

I couldn't control my voice: "They are my parents!"

"Don't they have a place to live? Why do they have to live with us?"

"But they only have me as a son." My voice rose much higher: "Raising a son to guard against old age, storing grain to guard against famine. Don't you know this saying?"

Wu Qian looked at me with a smile, teasingly: "I didn't realize you were such a filial son."

I was so angry I laughed: "For Chinese people, supporting parents is a virtue. Even lambs kneel to suckle; you tell me, now that I'm living a good life, can I let my parents suffer?"

"They have a place to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear; they are living very well." Wu Qian knew my family; she was my aunt's best friend. My aunt had lived in my house until she was thirteen, and even now, she went to see my parents every few days.

"But they are old. If they get sick or hurt, who will be there to serve them?" I sighed: "Old people don't want anything; all they want is family affection."

Wu Qian frowned. She seemed to loathe my words. She pondered for a moment and said: "If you must insist, then it's better if we don't get married!"

"If we don't get married, then we don't!" I stood up: "I didn't expect you to be this kind of woman!" I said to her: "I'm sorry! I'll be leaving first."

I walked out of the hotel lobby without looking back. Wu Qian stood up and followed behind me, whispering: "Can't you just compromise for me once?"

"Anything else is fine, but this is impossible!" I said resolutely: "If a person doesn't even want their parents, I can't imagine living with them."

"I'm just not used to it. I left my parents when I was ten. For all these years, I've lived alone. Apart from this, I can agree to anything else!" Wu Qian explained her meaning.

"Forget it!" I said: "Let's talk after you've thought it through!"

I walked out of the Civil Aviation Hotel with my head held high. I thought I was going home!

It wasn't until I got into a taxi that I suddenly realized I hadn't taken the twenty thousand yuan Wu Qian had given me. I wouldn't go back to get it. I took all the money out of my pocket and counted it; there was still some money, enough for me to get home.

Three days after I got home, Wu Qian returned too.

My aunt came to my unit to find me and gave me a paper package. I took it and, without asking her, stuffed it directly into the drawer. This time, I had been absent from work for three days for the Beijing trip, but the leader hadn't talked to me. I was just rejoicing when misfortune struck.

In the afternoon, after I got off work and hadn't yet left the gate, my leader stood by a window on the second floor and called me: "Little Chen, come up here for a moment."

I had no choice but to turn back and go upstairs. As I climbed, I cursed the leader's ancestors for eighteen generations in my heart. This leader of mine was a typical worker-peasant-soldier leader; anything that reached his mouth could be elevated to a programmatic level. Because he was particularly bored, he went around looking for ways to make life difficult for others.

The leader looked at me with a laugh: "Young people must have a spirit of not fearing hardship or fatigue. The great leader Chairman Mao once said..."

I interrupted him: "Leader, do you have something to see me about?"

"Don't be in such a hurry!" The leader was very displeased with my interruption: "You young people, you're just too rash! I haven't finished speaking yet; what are you in such a hurry for?"

I smiled ingratiatingly: "I always keep the leader's teachings in mind. If you have any instructions, just say them directly."

"Good! I just like straightforward young people." The leader poured me a glass of water, and I was a bit flattered as I took it with both hands.

"Recently, there's been a spirit from above requiring agency cadres to go to the grassroots to engage in social education work. I've fought for a spot for you; you must cherish it well! You should know that this batch of people doing social education will all be in the third echelon in the future. Grasp this well, young man." The leader patted my shoulder, his earnest look making me want to laugh.

I said: "Where am I going?"

"You're going to Suxi Township to serve as the social education work group leader and concurrently as the township government secretary."

Suxi Township? My head grew large as soon as I heard it. I knew that place. In our area, it was the most remote, the poorest, and the place with the most unique folk customs. It was said that it took a whole day to travel by car from the township to the county, and at least half a day from the county to the city. It was a place where Han and Miao people lived together, and even now, there were no electric lights. In these days when kerosene was already a scarce resource, Suxi Township was still enjoying the treatment of a special approval from the mayor.

"Why am I the one going?" I asked: "I'm so young; I can't do a major political task like social education well."

"Of course you're going! You're the youngest in the unit, have the highest education, and have the most potential. Such a good opportunity—could I give it to someone else?"

Damn it! I cursed: "Can I not go?"

"I am talking to you on behalf of the organization today!" The leader began to show his authority: "No one is allowed to negotiate with the organization."

"When do I leave?" I knew that saying anything more would be useless. Besides, there was an official position here—township government secretary—which counted as being a ranked person.

"The sooner the better!" The leader said: "The unit is preparing to hold a banquet to see you off. Don't mention the matter of your absence last time; I've already spoken for you with the Secretary. We old cadres must think about you young people everywhere. If you're in a bad mood and want to go out for a walk, that's fine, but not letting us know is inappropriate. I hope you will pay attention to yourself in your new unit and bring glory to our unit. You represent the image of our city's leading cadres; I don't think you'll let us down, right?"

I smiled bitterly: "It's going to rain!"

Saying this, I walked out of the unit gate. Standing by the gate, I wanted to cry. I had only been here for a few days, and they were sweeping me out the door. When would I be able to come back? This was almost a fairy tale. I had no one above to promote me, no one below to push me; once I went, I would die there. Social education, secretary—it was actually just exiling me.

Thinking and thinking, I remembered Lin Chong being exiled on a snowy night. If I had a long spear, the first thing I'd do is skewer him. ===== CHAPTER 6 =====