Chapter 625

Su Xinghui said, "Brother Yin, you can rest easy. Just make this batch of machinery a bit better. As long as Yezhugou Village finds them useful, your orders will be endless. After the New Year, I'll be starting work at Meng Hu Ling. If any of the factories there need to expand production or require machinery, I'll have them contact you!"

Yin Zuogang was overjoyed and said, "That would be wonderful! Don't you forget about this!"

Su Xinghui replied, "I won't forget. Factories like our Yongfeng Beverage Factory and Quanjie Pharmaceutical Factory are both likely to expand their scale this year. Their investment scale is quite significant, and the machinery equipment they install often costs over a million. If there are any newly invested enterprises, I will also suggest they contact you."

Yin Zuogang nodded repeatedly and said, "That's great, that's great! Thank you!"

Yin Zuogang knew of the prestige Su Xinghui currently held in Meng Hu Ling Township. Since he had said this, the matter was quite reliable.

Su Xinghui accompanied Yin Zuogang for a while longer. Seeing that Yin Zuogang was becoming a bit fatigued, he said to him, "Brother Yin, you should get some good rest. I'll be heading back now."

Yin Zuogang nodded and said, "Thank you for coming to see me, Xinghui!"

This year's New Year's Eve fell on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, so it was only two days away. During these two days, Su Xinghui helped his family buy New Year goods like melon seeds and peanuts. He also insisted on taking his parents to buy a new set of clothes each, saying that they had to have a new outfit for every New Year.

On the second day after Su Xinghui returned, the village cadres from Yezhugou Village came to pay him an early New Year's visit. Xia Zhu came along with them. Although Su Xinghui had told them last year not to bring gifts anymore, they still brought a pheasant and a bamboo rat each this year.

Su Xinghui couldn't help but complain and asked them to take the items back, but Zhao Zhongfu laughed and said, "We only brought one of each this year. These are things we raised ourselves; they aren't worth much and don't count as bribery. If you don't accept them, Township Head Su, it means you look down on us."

Zhao Zhongfu carried the cages directly into the Su family's kitchen. Su Xinghui had no other choice but to accept them.

When Guo Suhua saw Xia Zhu, she couldn't help but beam with joy. She truly liked this pure and beautiful girl. She said to Xia Zhu, "Little Xia, don't leave yet. Stay and eat here today."

Xia Zhu nodded and said to Guo Suhua, "Auntie, then let me help you cook."

Guo Suhua nodded and said, "Alright, let's cook together."

After the meal was finished and the guests had left, Guo Suhua said to Su Xinghui, "Xinghui, this girl Xia Zhu is really excellent. She's pretty, has a good personality, likes you, is clever and capable of earning money, and is very efficient with housework. Do you really not like her?"

Su Xinghui said, "Mom, haven't I told you already? I need to think about it more."

Guo Suhua muttered, "What is there to think about? I just don't understand."

As Guo Suhua muttered while clearing the table, Su Xinghui shook his head. To say he had absolutely no feelings for Xia Zhu would certainly be untrue, but those feelings were more like the ones he had for a younger sister.

On the day before New Year's Eve, Su Xinghui called Lu Xiaoya and arranged to visit her home for the New Year on the fifth day of the first lunar month. Afterward, he went to Zhang Kaishan's house to tell him the news. Zhang Kaishan would still accompany him to visit Lu Zhenghong's home for the New Year.

This year, the Su family spent the Spring Festival very happily and lively. The Su family's life was getting better year by year, thriving and prosperous—how could they not be happy?

On the morning of the first day of the New Year, Su Xinghui went out early to pay New Year visits. However, before leaving, he instructed Guo Suhua that if anyone came to the house to pay him a New Year visit, they were absolutely not to accept overly valuable gifts. If the value exceeded one hundred yuan, they were not to accept it, and they must record the visitor's name, unit, and position.

Su Xinghui wasn't being self-important; given his current status in Shangjun County, there would certainly be no shortage of people coming to pay him New Year visits, because in China, there were too many people like Sun Si.

Sure enough, when Su Xinghui returned at noon, he saw the living room filled with gifts of all kinds, mostly pastries and fruits. He asked Guo Suhua, "Mom, who has been here today?"

Guo Suhua took out a notebook and said, "I've recorded them all: the son of Director Cai from the Water Conservancy Bureau, the daughter of Deputy Director Sun from the Planning Commission, the son of Deputy Director Du from the Forestry Bureau..."

Guo Suhua read out over twenty names in one breath and then said, "Xinghui, I've blocked quite a few gifts for you today; it took a lot of effort."

Su Xinghui asked, "Tell me, what kind of gifts did you block?"

Guo Suhua said, "Director Cai had his son bring two cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes, two bottles of Wuliangye, and some pastries and fruits. I let him leave the pastries and fruits but took back the cigarettes and alcohol. Deputy Director Sun had his daughter bring two cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes, two bottles of Moutai, and pastries and fruits. I similarly had her take back the cigarettes and alcohol and kept the pastries and fruits..."

Hearing about the items Guo Suhua mentioned made Su Xinghui secretly shocked. These people were really willing to spend a fortune. If he had accepted all these things, the value would likely exceed ten thousand yuan. It was no wonder there were so many corrupt officials if one could receive so many gifts just by passing the New Year.

Su Xinghui said, "Mom, thank you. You did very well."

Su Xinghui knew that for Guo Suhua to refuse so many people, she must have spent a great deal of effort and words.

Guo Suhua said, "Mom has worked in finance all her life, so of course I wouldn't make such a mistake. If you accepted all these, you'd be guilty of bribery. Besides, our family isn't short of money, and even if we were, we couldn't do such things. You must always do this in the future."

Su Xinghui said, "Mom, rest assured, I will never make such a mistake."

Guo Suhua looked at the pastries and fruits on the floor and said, "With so many pastries and fruits, we can't finish them all. It's really quite a headache."

Su Xinghui said, "How about this, Mom? Give me the list, and I'll take these things and go pay them a New Year visit one by one to return them. That will solve it."

Guo Suhua nodded and said, "That's a good idea, to avoid owing others favors. Favor debts are the hardest to repay."

Su Xinghui then called Xu Xiaoguang and asked him to drive over. Xu Xiaoguang arrived in less than ten minutes. Su Xinghui ran up and down the stairs several times with Xu Xiaoguang to get all these things downstairs and into the car. Since the trunk couldn't hold them all, they put them on the back seat.

After getting everything downstairs, Su Xinghui had Xu Xiaoguang drive, following the list Guo Suhua had recorded, and went to each house to pay a New Year visit to everyone on the list, returning all the items.

He returned all these things, which inevitably made the atmosphere a bit awkward. However, at Sun Si's house, Sun Si didn't show any awkward expression at all. He even intended to keep Su Xinghui for a meal, but Su Xinghui refused, saying he had many more houses to visit, and then quickly went out and downstairs.

After returning all these things, Su Xinghui felt a sense of relief throughout his body. It was a kind of spiritual relief—the relief of not having done anything wrong and thus not fearing a knock at the door in the middle of the night. He hoped he would always have such relief.