RIRW – Chapter 145

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Of course! Both his son and daughter are college students. He watched them grow up with his own eyes—what’s that got to do with him?

Zuo Dacheng rubbed his head and said humbly, “Honestly, it’s all because the kids were motivated themselves.”

Secretary Zhang laughed, “Whether it’s the kids’ own efforts or not, it still counts as an achievement from when you were managing the production team. Now that the national college entrance exam has been reinstated, education will become increasingly important in the future. That’s a very commendable record. Comrade Dacheng, you don’t need to be so modest.”

“Well, as long as the organization trusts me, I’m willing to do the job. I’m just worried that my qualifications might not convince everyone.” By now, Zuo Dacheng wasn’t trying to decline anymore. After being the team leader for so long, he had gradually aligned himself with the organization. If the organization wanted to promote him, it just meant switching to another position to continue serving the people.

Secretary Zhang said, “Then let everyone present their own achievements and see who isn’t convinced. The commune will organize a vote, but the formal appointment will still come in writing from the higher authorities.”

Only then did Zuo Dacheng feel at ease. As long as no one objected, he was willing to take on the job. He wasn’t afraid of not knowing how to do it—he could always learn.

After finishing the conversation, Secretary Zhang invited them to stay for a meal at the commune.

But since the Zuo family was still busy with New Year preparations, and didn’t want to take advantage of the commune, Zuo Dacheng politely declined the invitation.

As Secretary Zhang saw them off, he pulled Shen Yiming aside for a few words. “Yiming, make sure to come back and visit often if you have the chance.”

He wasn’t someone who lacked awareness of social dynamics. A young man like Shen Yiming going to university in the capital—once he graduated, he’d have the whole sky to fly in. The stage was vast. Now he was just a regular young man, but next time they met, he could very well be a leader Zhang would have to look up to.

Shen Yiming smiled and said, “My dad’s still working in the commune. No matter what, I’ll definitely come back. But I do hope you’ll give my dad some guidance at work. He’s just a very earnest person.”

“Being earnest is good. That’s exactly what a cadre should be.” Secretary Zhang laughed heartily.

On the way back, they again had two carts full of people.

Once they returned to Zuo Village, Zuo Dacheng’s face was beaming with joy.

Youyou was playing with his fingers in Li Hui’s arms. When he saw his parents return, he happily reached out for his mom to carry him.

Before Zuo Dan could go over, Shen Yiming had already picked the child up. Seeing that he was still reaching for his mom, Shen Yiming frowned and said sternly, “Your mom’s tired. She’ll hold you later.”

Youyou frowned at Shen Yiming but kept reaching out.

Shen Yiming grabbed his little hands and said again, “Later.”

Youyou pouted and turned toward Li Hui, reaching out again, looking utterly wronged with his lips still quivering.

Li Hui’s heart softened at once, and she quickly took the child into her arms.

“Oh my dear little Youyou, what’s wrong? Grandma will hold you.”

Youyou snuggled into her arms silently, looking pitiful and aggrieved, prompting Li Hui to comfort him again. She even scolded Shen Yiming, “Don’t be so strict with the child. He’s still little.”

“Mom, he’s over six months old now,” Shen Yiming replied.

Zuo Dan shot a glance at Shen Youyou and didn’t bother with him. What could she do? This kid just loved pulling that act. Who knew if he really took after Shen Yiming—he had a keen sense for reading the room. He knew that in this family, neither she nor Shen Yiming would spoil him endlessly. So he always sought out those who would—playing pitiful to get what he wanted. When they were in the provincial city, it was Zuo Cong and his grandmother. Now that they were back here, he clung to Li Hui.

She herself had been fooled by him before.

Li Hui didn’t care what the child was thinking. In her eyes, he was still just a baby. Dandan and Yiming were too strict with him.

So she stood up, gently rocking the child.

Zuo Dacheng sighed, “After the New Year, Dandan and Yiming will take Youyou to Beijing for school. Who knows when we’ll see him next?”

Just thinking that the next time he saw his grandson, the child might not even recognize him made his heart ache with sadness. “Sigh. Now all of you are leaving, and it’s just me and your mom left at home.”

Hearing this, Li Hui’s expression flickered briefly before she smiled, “What’s wrong with that? Just the two of us—aren’t we enough company for each other?”

“…It’s not that,” Zuo Dacheng said a little awkwardly.

Watching their exchange, Zuo Dan had a feeling her mom had probably made up her mind—not to leave Zuo Village.

Sure enough, after lunch, when Zuo Dacheng went out, Li Hui pulled her, Shen Yiming, and Zuo Cong into a room for a chat.

“I’ve thought it through. I’m not taking that job. I’m quite happy here. I want to stay here and live a good life with your dad. We’ve made it through all these years already, and I’ve gotten used to this way of life. If I suddenly moved to the provincial city, I wouldn’t even know how to adjust.”

The three of them weren’t surprised—if anything, it felt like something they had expected. Especially after seeing the emotional bond between her and Zuo Dacheng today.

Zuo Dan asked, “Mom, are you really sure about this? It’s a rare opportunity.”

“I’m already at this age. What I want now is just to spend my days with your dad. I don’t have any other desires.”

Zuo Dan nodded, “Alright then. We’ll make other arrangements for that job. Let Yiming handle it—we won’t let it go to waste.”

She knew that any position Shen Yiming offered out could bring back a lot of benefits in return.

Just as Li Hui was about to nod, the door suddenly opened.

Zuo Dacheng walked in with a serious expression on his face.

“Dacheng…” Li Hui was surprised. “Weren’t you out?”

“I was going to take the documents Dandan gave me and circulate them among the others…” Zuo Dacheng said in a low voice. “But I heard everything just now. Hui, I don’t agree with your decision. That’s a really good job. Why wouldn’t you take it?”

His face looked like he was holding back strong emotions.

Li Hui said, “What good job? Work is work, no matter where it is. Why should I leave here for that?”

“It’s different. That’s the provincial capital. I know—you’ve always wanted to go back there…” Zuo Dacheng’s eyes were red.

Seeing the situation, Zuo Dan quickly left the room with Shen Yiming and Zuo Cong, giving the couple some private space.

Li Hui smiled softly, “I think this place is fine. Dacheng, isn’t it good that we live our lives here together?”

Zuo Dacheng was silent for a moment, then shook his head. Tears welled up in his eyes, but his expression was resolute.

“Hui, go to the provincial city. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to the commune soon anyway—even if you stayed here, I wouldn’t be around much. I’ve always wanted to improve myself, to be worthy of you. But I don’t want to hold you back. If you have a chance to move forward, why give it up? I know you’ve had many dreams over the years, and I haven’t been able to help you realize them. Now that you’ve got the opportunity, don’t give it up because of me. Or else I’ll never be at peace. Just agree this once, alright? I, Zuo Dacheng, am a man who wants to give you a good life—not one who drags you down!”

“Dacheng…” Li Hui’s lips trembled.

“Go. We’re not young anymore. After we retire, we’ll have plenty of time to be together. And besides, it’s not that far. When I’m not busy, I’ll take time off to visit you. You can come back and see me, too. We’ll grow together—how great is that? Go to the provincial city and strive to improve yourself. When I talk about it to others, I’ll feel proud too.” Zuo Dacheng smiled.

Li Hui looked at him for a long moment before she finally nodded gently.

Zuo Dan hadn’t expected her father to be willing to let Li Hui go—and that he would be the one to persuade her.

“Dad, actually, we also hoped you’d come to the provincial city,” Shen Yiming said. “I can arrange a job for you there.”

Zuo Dacheng waved his hand with a smile. “What would I go for? I just told your mom—we’re going to grow together. I’m doing well here. How could I leave now? Don’t worry about me. Look at your third uncle and third aunt—one’s in the provincial city, the other’s in the county. They don’t see each other every day either, and they’re still newlyweds. Your mom and I are old married folks now. We’re not that weak.”

Zuo Dan laughed. “Dad, stop bragging. You and Mom both had red eyes. Watching you two made me feel guilty!”

Zuo Dacheng and Li Hui both felt a little embarrassed. Zuo Dacheng wiped his eyes and said, “What’s there to feel guilty about? This is a good thing. If it were someone else’s family, they’d be begging for this kind of opportunity.”

Then he turned to Li Hui beside him and said, “Hui, we have to fight for some dignity too. We can’t let these kids look down on us. Just because they’ve improved doesn’t mean we have to lag behind. Maybe we can catch up too.”

Li Hui smiled and said, “Saying such unserious things in front of the kids.”

After this matter was settled, the Zuo family finally returned to its previous lively atmosphere. But when Grandma Zuo heard that Li Hui was going to the provincial capital, she was a bit unhappy.

First, she was worried Li Hui wouldn’t come back once she left. Second, if Li Hui left, who would serve her meals? She didn’t do anything all day now, just eating and drinking well. Life was too good. If her second daughter-in-law left, she’d have to start doing her own laundry and cooking again.

“At this age, what’s the point of going to the provincial capital? Just stay here in the village and teach,” Grandma Zuo said with a long face.

Zuo Dan sighed dramatically, “If my mom doesn’t go, Xiao Cong’s job at the Education Bureau will be gone… someone else will take it, and later even if we want to work there, we won’t get the chance. That’s a government job! A real iron rice bowl! A cadre-level position in the province, just given away like that? It’s heartbreaking…”

Hearing that, Grandma Zuo also felt heartache.

Such a good job, given away for nothing?

No way! How could it go to another family? For all these years, the Zuo family has held onto this iron rice bowl. If it gets handed off to someone else, the ancestors of the Zuo family would surely come back to demand answers.

“Can’t we give it to Chengcai instead?”

Zuo Chengcai rolled his eyes. “Mom, you’re giving me too much credit. With my level of education, even if I wanted to be a gatekeeper, they wouldn’t want me.”

“… Then let the second daughter-in-law go and hold the position first. Later, when Xiao Cong returns, we can hand it over to him.”

Grandma Zuo thought it was a beautiful plan. No one had the heart to burst her bubble. Anyway, as long as things were settled, that was enough.

Zuo Chengcai was still thinking of taking Grandma Zuo to the city to live with him. But since she had chosen to live with him when the family split, he had to take responsibility. However, the old lady was adamantly against it.

“With such a big house to live in, who wouldn’t envy me? I’m not going to the city with you. I heard that even though those factory workers in the county sound impressive, their living spaces aren’t even as big as our kitchen. Sounds miserable. Besides, I’m in great health—much better than your third aunt. Her eyes are half-blind, yet she’s lived alone for years. Am I worse than her?”

Grandma Zuo said with great confidence.

Zuo Chengcai quickly said, “Alright, alright, as long as you’re happy. I’ll come back a few times a month to see you and bring you meat and refined grains.”

This made the old lady grin from ear to ear.

The next day, Shen Yiming drove back home with Grandma Shen, Zuo Dan, and Shen Youyou. Zuo Cong stayed behind for the New Year, planning to go to the provincial capital afterward for the job handover.

After a few days of preparations at home, it was New Year’s Eve.

This year’s celebration was especially joyful because of Shen Youyou. Grandma Shen was overjoyed. She even set a separate bowl and spoon for Shen Youyou at the table and made milk-cooked oatmeal just for him.

Youyou held the spoon and studied it for a long time. Realizing this was the kind of food Great-Grandma usually fed him, he started trying to feed himself. His hands were unsteady, and he ended up smearing food all over himself and Zuo Dan, who was holding him. She was immediately exasperated.

Before Zuo Dan could even say anything, Youyou was already pouting. Since it was the New Year, no one wanted to see the child cry, so she fed him a spoonful. After one bite, he grinned happily.

Looking at the lively dinner table, Grandma Shen couldn’t stop smiling and asked, “Yiming, what are your plans? Are you going ahead to settle things before bringing us over? I’m fine, but I’m worried Youyou won’t get used to being away from you.”

Shen Yiming smiled, “No, I’ve contacted some friends over there and arranged a place. We’ll all go together as a family.”

Zuo Dan also smiled, “We’re a family, we won’t be separated no matter where we go.” Then she held Youyou on her lap and said, “Isn’t that right, Youyou?”

Youyou thought she was playing the leg-bouncing game with him and started bouncing excitedly. His little legs stomped on Zuo Dan’s thighs until she could barely take it.

“This little rascal!”

During the New Year, Shen Yiming began visiting relatives and friends to pay his respects and say goodbye. He couldn’t just leave without a word.

Soon after, Zuo Dongshan also arrived in the provincial capital. He was now serving as the deputy director of the public security bureau and was planning to settle down there. He even wanted to bring Third Aunt over to take care of her.

When Shen Yiming heard he was back, he invited him for a meal.

Since they were all from Zuo Village, Zuo Dan went too. When Zuo Dongshan saw the couple, he laughed heartily, “I remember when I left, Dandan was just a little girl, so timid. I didn’t expect her to grow up so capable—she even tamed Yiming!”

Shen Yiming laughed, “She’s really amazing now.”

Zuo Dongshan teased, “What, does she bully you?”

Zuo Dan replied, “Uncle Dongshan, you’re my uncle, how can you side with Shen Yiming?”

Zuo Dongshan laughed, “Of course I’m your uncle. Tell you what, if Yiming bullies you in the future, I’ll definitely back you up. Deal?”

“That’s more like it.” Zuo Dan laughed cheerfully. Then she asked, “Uncle Dongshan, weren’t you doing well in the army? Why did you come back? Being a soldier is so impressive.”

Zuo Dongshan smiled and clinked glasses with Shen Yiming. “Honestly, I came back because of my mom. She’s been alone for so many years, and I couldn’t take care of her properly. I’ve felt guilty all this time. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have returned. The situation across the border is tense—those monkeys next door are getting restless. This is the time to earn merits and make a name for myself. But I just couldn’t make up my mind. The army leadership understood and didn’t let me go to the front line. So I figured I might as well take the opportunity to come back. Actually, Yiming helped me out a lot.”

Shen Yiming clinked glasses with him again. “Uncle Dongshan, you can’t say that. I don’t deserve the credit.”

“Alright, then I won’t be polite with you. If you need anything in the future, just let me know,” Zuo Dongshan said generously.

He felt that helping Shen Yiming back then had really paid off. At the time, he only helped because of Shen Yiming’s mother, but now the return was huge.

This was someone worth staying close with.

Since they had been drinking, Shen Yiming and Zuo Dan walked home together. The cold wind sobered them up. Shen Yiming asked, “Dandan, did you catch what he was hinting at just now?”

“War’s coming?” Zuo Dan remembered there was such a battle in the past. Unfortunately, she hadn’t paid attention to the details before and didn’t remember much.

Shen Yiming said, “It probably won’t happen too soon, but there might be some internal changes. Maybe Uncle Liu and the others at the farm will be released soon.”

Zuo Dan’s eyes lit up. She vaguely remembered from TV that because of certain political issues, their group was among the last to be released.

“When we get to Beijing, we’ll be busy,” Shen Yiming said with a smile.

After the New Year, the family started packing for the move to Beijing. Li Hui and Zuo Cong also came to handle the job handover.

Because Li Hui had the right qualifications and was already part of the education system, the education bureau didn’t put up any resistance, and the transfer went smoothly.

They also had a farewell meal with Li Hui’s parents.

Knowing the three young people were about to head north, the elder couple felt proud but also a bit sad.

In the end, they just raised their glasses silently and said, “Never forget why you started. No matter what happens in Beijing, always remember why you pursued your studies.”

Zuo Dan and the others nodded seriously.

When Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming were about to leave, Grandmother Li secretly pulled her aside to talk.

“Dandan, no matter what happens in the future, don’t forget who raised you. You must remember kindness. Don’t ever forget.”

“Grandma, I remember. Why are you still worried?” Zuo Dan smiled.

Grandmother Li looked at her for a moment, then said warmly, “It’s nothing. I just wanted to remind you. Go on now.”

Zuo Dan felt a little suspicious as she left the room. She couldn’t help but guess at her grandma’s words. After thinking it over, she figured maybe her grandparents had heard something about the return of overseas Chinese in Beijing and were worried.

She thought they were worrying for nothing. She really didn’t have any feelings for that person anymore.