PCJ – Chapter 320 Zhang Shicai Returns to His Hometown

On the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhang Shicai and Ma Yinxiu returned from Guangdong with a lot of goods.

Meizi’ao Primary School was already on break, and the mute ran over to the horticultural field to inform Zhang Jiaohua about this news.

“Jiaohua, Jiaohua, the One-Eyed Dragon is back! The One-Eyed Dragon is back!” Before the mute even entered the horticultural field, he started shouting. Zhang Shicai had lost an eye from a firecracker incident, and he didn’t expect the village kids to be calling him the One-Eyed Dragon.

“Mute, stop shouting! Be careful or I’ll beat you up!” Zhang Jiaohua had already heard the nickname the kids were using for Zhang Shicai. The relationship between Zhang Jiaohua’s family and Zhang Shicai’s family was close; Zhang Youlian and Zhang Shicai were very good friends. Previously, Zhang Jiaohua had been closer to Zhang Shicai than to Zhang Youlian, but over the past year, he had slowly started to bond more with his uncle Zhang Youlian.

The mute scratched his head and said, “I was just shouting casually. Yes, it’s that Zhang Shicai and his wife who have returned. They brought back a lot of tasty treats. Lagen and the others have already gone to Zhang Shicai’s house. Zhang Shicai distributed a lot of paper-wrapped candies, all from Guangdong, wrapped in gold foil.”

Zhang Jiaohua was stunned. How come Zhang Shicai and his wife were back, but his own parents were still missing? He suddenly had a bad feeling. Perhaps his parents wouldn’t come back this year. Ever since the day they left on the bus, he had been waiting for them to return every day, and now he was faced with the news that they might not come back. How could Zhang Jiaohua accept that? However, he quickly pushed aside this worry. His parents were not in the same factory as Zhang Shicai and his wife; maybe their holiday schedules were different. Zhang Shicai returned first, and perhaps his parents would return soon as well. After all, the New Year was only a few days away. His parents wouldn’t let him spend the New Year alone at home.

Zhang Yuanbao was afraid of the cold. After breakfast, he had been curled up in the fire cabinet in his room, watching TV. As soon as he heard that Zhang Shicai was back and had brought back a lot of candy, he immediately felt warmer, hurriedly lifted the quilt off his feet, and jumped out of the fire cabinet. “Mute, you said Zhang Shicai and his wife are back? Why haven’t my uncle and aunt come back yet, since they went to Guangdong with them?”

“How would I know?” the mute scratched his head.

“Jiaohua, let’s go ask Zhang Shicai when my uncle and aunt will be back.” Zhang Yuanbao pulled Zhang Jiaohua to leave.

“Yuanbao, change your shoes first! If you get your cloth shoes wet, I’ll beat you to death!” Zhang Youlian shouted. He was also listening closely and felt annoyed with his younger brother and sister-in-law. Everyone else knew they had returned, but they didn’t care to come back early. Zhang Youlian could tell that even if Zhang Jiaohua didn’t say much, he must be longing for his parents more than anyone else. If Youping and Qiaoye didn’t come back for the New Year, Zhang Youlian really didn’t know how heartbroken Jiaohua would be. He didn’t want Yuanbao and Jiaohua to go to Zhang Shicai’s house. If they received any bad news, he truly didn’t know how Zhang Jiaohua would react.

Zhang Yuanbao quickly ran to change into a pair of boots. “Jiaohua, why haven’t you changed your shoes yet?”

“I’m not going. Anyway, my parents will be home soon. They will definitely bring me a lot of candy.” Zhang Jiaohua was trying to avoid facing some realities he didn’t want to confront. He was somewhat afraid to face Zhang Shicai, fearing that he would hear news he didn’t want to accept from him.

Zhang Youlian felt a lump in his throat and a moist sensation in his eyes. This child!

Upon hearing that Zhang Shicai was back, Zhang Manyin immediately ran over.

“Shicai, you’re back! You must have made a lot of money, right?” Zhang Manyin asked with a smile.

“Uncle Manyin is here! Have a cigarette.” Zhang Shicai held out a pack of good cigarettes with a hard shell and filter. In the village, very few people had cigarettes with filters. Taking them out definitely raised his status. “Yinxiu and I just earned some hard-earned money in the factory. Brother Youping and his wife are the real deal; they’re in a good factory, with a high salary. Brother Youping is still dissatisfied and wants to go out on his own. I don’t have the ambition he does, but he’s doing well.”

“Shicai, you all went out together, so how come you and your wife came back but Brother Youping and his wife didn’t?” Zhang Manyin took the cigarette, examined it for a while, and then tucked it behind his ear.

“They are a bit far from us. But before coming back, I did visit them. Sister Qiaoye’s factory received an order from Hong Kong before the New Year, and they have to work overtime until the 26th to see if they can finish it. Brother Youping wants to make some extra money during this period because once the New Year is over, the opportunity might be gone for a year or two. He originally wanted me to start a recycling station like him, but I don’t have his capability. Earning a bit of stable money is enough for me,” Zhang Shicai shook his head.

“Is Brother Youping not planning to come home for the New Year?” Zhang Manyin began to piece things together.

Zhang Shicai nodded, “Brother Youping said that during the New Year, every factory has a large amount of waste to clear out, and this is the perfect time to make money. He plans to buy a small truck after the New Year to expand his business into the industrial park area. Actually, Brother Youping has a good vision. If he keeps this up, he’ll definitely become a big boss.”

“Big deal! He can’t compare to our own kid. He doesn’t want to lose; he’s just a boss of trash collection. I thought he was doing something big in Guangdong, but he’s just recycling. If he comes back and helps Jiaohua get into the tea business, wouldn’t that be better than his recycling station? Don’t think I haven’t been out; I know what a recycling company is like. No matter how big your business is, you’re just a scrap collector,” Zhang Manyin became angry upon hearing that Zhang Youping wasn’t planning to come home for the New Year. Jiaohua had been waiting for his parents to return for a year; if they didn’t come back, Zhang Manyin really didn’t know how heartbroken this grandson would be. This child was so sensible and capable but lacked parental love.

Zhang Shicai didn’t know what to say, “I also know that if Jiaohua asks me about this, how should I explain it to him?”

“What else can you say? Can this matter be hidden from Jiaohua? Even if you manage to hide it for a moment, can you hide it until New Year? Sooner or later, Jiaohua will find out,” Zhang Manyin said angrily.

Zhang Shicai and his wife hadn’t gone to Yinxiu’s family or anyone else’s house in the village; they first went to the horticultural field. Zhang Shicai’s life was saved by Zhang Jiaohua. Their marriage continued because of Zhang Jiaohua. Therefore, they had to see Zhang Jiaohua first.

Zhang Shicai and his wife specially bought a fashionable outfit for Zhang Jiaohua in Guangdong, thinking it would look handsome on him. They also bought a lot of delicious food. When village kids came to play at their house, the couple wanted to give some candy to the village kids, but most of these high-end candies were bought for Jiaohua. Brother Youping and his wife also bought two new outfits and some treats for Zhang Jiaohua, just in case they couldn’t come back. They wanted to ensure that Jiaohua would have new clothes to wear during the New Year. Did Jiaohua only need beautiful new clothes and delicious candies?

While other kids ran to Zhang Shicai’s house to play, Jiaohua was nowhere to be seen, and Zhang Shicai knew the reason for his absence. This child must be angry. Although Zhang Shicai couldn’t know what Jiaohua was feeling at that moment, he knew that Jiaohua had been longing for his parents’ return all year long, from the beginning of the year to the end, from spring to winter.

“Jiaohua, you’re really amazing! You’ve built such a big business in just a year,” Zhang Shicai’s first words upon seeing Zhang Jiaohua were about the horticultural field.

“Uncle Shicai, Aunt, you’re back from Guangdong!” Zhang Jiaohua replied flatly.

“Yeah. Jiaohua, your aunt bought you a new outfit. Do you want to try it on?” Ma Yinxiu took out a transparent plastic bag with a new outfit inside.

“Did you buy it for me?” Zhang Jiaohua looked up at her, feeling a bit surprised.

“Of course! If we didn’t think of you, we wouldn’t have bought it. You should wear it during the New Year. It’s not easy to wear clothes like this in the village.” Ma Yinxiu smiled gently.

“I’m not wearing it.” Zhang Jiaohua turned and left, feeling a bit displeased.

“Why not wear it? Is it because it’s too small?” Ma Yinxiu frowned, feeling a little embarrassed.

“No, it’s just not suitable for me. I’ll wait for my parents to come back and buy me clothes. They’ll definitely bring me a lot of candy and treats!” Zhang Jiaohua replied with disappointment.

“Young man, your parents won’t be back. You should stop daydreaming. We’ve already heard that your uncle and aunt are not coming back for the New Year. Brother Youping wants to make money.” Zhang Shicai couldn’t help but remind him.

Zhang Jiaohua clenched his fists, feeling very upset. The candy they brought back was intended for other kids in the village. His heart sank even further.