RIRW – Chapter 88

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To save time, Zuo Shuisheng originally planned to go straight to find Zuo Dacheng. However, he thought that going at mealtime might make it seem like he was just there for a free meal. So, when he got home, he had his wife serve him a big bowl of corn rice with some pickled vegetables and cabbage before heading to Zuo Dacheng’s house.

The weather was gradually getting colder. At noon, Li Hui had cooked a big pot of cabbage and pork skin soup. When she saw the old team leader enter the house, she quickly invited him to join them for a meal.

“I’m not here to freeload; I’m here to discuss an important matter,” Zuo Shuisheng declared righteously.

Zuo Dan served him some soup. “Yes, yes, you’re here to discuss an important matter. But let’s have some soup first—it’ll help warm up your throat before you talk.”

Zuo Shuisheng took a sip of the soup and immediately felt warmth spread through his body. He wasn’t in a hurry to discuss the important matter anymore.

Grandma Zuo asked curiously, “Shuisheng, what’s the matter?”

Zuo Shuisheng cleared his throat. “Today, a commune officer came to inform us that the county post office is going to install a telephone for our production team! You know, that box that lets you talk to people from far away. Our village is getting one of those telephones!”

Even though he had prepared himself for this news, Zuo Shuisheng couldn’t help but feel excited as he spoke. He had never imagined that his village would have a telephone in his lifetime.

Grandma Zuo didn’t understand what a telephone was. She had never heard of such a thing and felt it had nothing to do with her, so she simply continued eating.

Zuo Dacheng and Li Hui, however, had seen a little more of the world and knew that a telephone was a great thing—far better than sending telegrams. The entire commune only had one telephone, and unless it was an urgent matter, ordinary people weren’t even allowed to use it.

Zuo Dacheng asked, “Why is the county being so generous? Are they installing telephones for all production teams?”

“Of course not. We’re the first and only production team to get one. The other teams haven’t even thought about it,” Zuo Shuisheng said smugly. “That’s because they don’t have a son-in-law like Shen Yiming. Not only are we getting a telephone, but it’s going to be installed in your house.”

Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng were both stunned. Why would it be installed in their home?

“Do you know why?” Zuo Shuisheng chuckled. “Your son-in-law got it for us. He practically had it arranged specifically for your house. Haha! Dacheng, how did you end up with such good fortune?”

“Yiming arranged it? How did he manage that?” Zuo Dacheng was shocked and turned to look at Zuo Dan.

Zuo Dan shrugged. “He mentioned it to me before, but I don’t know how he pulled it off. He probably has some connections. Anyway, it’s a good thing, so let’s not overthink it.” Some things were better left unsaid. Honest people couldn’t keep secrets.

Li Hui smiled. “Yiming is really capable! Having a telephone will be so convenient. Before, whenever we needed to contact someone, we had to write a letter, and even then, it was difficult to send and receive mail. It could take ten days or even half a month to get a reply. But now, with a telephone, life in our village will be much easier.”

Zuo Dacheng nodded repeatedly. His admiration for Shen Yiming had reached new heights. “That’s right! Yiming is truly a sentimental person. Even though he’s left the village, he still thinks about his fellow villagers. He’s such a good person.”

Hearing their praises, Zuo Dan felt a little guilty. Shen Yiming had indeed done something good for the village, but his motives weren’t as noble as they imagined. He was never one to act selflessly like a true altruist. Still, to reward him for his efficiency, she decided that the first phone call from the village should go to Shen Yiming.

Zuo Shuisheng was very pleased to hear them praising Shen Yiming. He loved listening to people compliment this son-in-law. “Ahem, Dacheng, as long as you guys know the truth, that’s enough. We can’t have people saying that Yiming pulled strings to get this done. I think we should make it look like this was your effort. After all, you’re about to run for election, right? I plan to tell the village that you reported our struggles to the higher-ups, and they were so moved by your sincerity that they decided to install a telephone for us. That way, when the time comes to vote, everyone will definitely choose you.”

Before Zuo Dacheng could react, Grandma Zuo was already excited. She put down her bowl and chopsticks and asked, “Shuisheng, are you serious? Our Dacheng is going to be the team leader?”

“Of course! Dacheng is dependable, knows how to drive a tractor, can read and write, and has been to the provincial capital—he has experience. His daughter is a village official, and his son-in-law is in the provincial capital helping our village. If he doesn’t become the team leader, who else in the village could possibly deserve it?”

“Well said! That’s absolutely right!” Grandma Zuo’s face lit up with joy. She never imagined that after her eldest son lost his position as team leader, the role would eventually land on her second son.

But then she hesitated. “But what about his wife…?”

Li Hui looked nervously at Zuo Shuisheng.

Zuo Shuisheng waved his hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Dacheng’s wife has always behaved well and never caused trouble. No one will hold that against her.”

Zuo Dacheng said guiltily, “But this telephone has nothing to do with me. If I take credit for it, I’ll feel guilty.”

Hearing this, Zuo Dan immediately became excited. “Dad, that’s not right! You’re treating Shen Yiming like an outsider. If he heard you say that, how bad would he feel? Besides, pulling strings isn’t exactly something to brag about. If you don’t take credit, then the old team leader will have to. But he wants you to take over smoothly, and he’s been worrying about you so much. How can you not accept his good intentions?”

Zuo Shuisheng nodded, looking at Zuo Dacheng with a deep expression. “Dacheng, don’t let me down.”

Grandma Zuo slammed the table. “Dacheng, Yiming is your son-in-law. What he does is your business too! That’s settled—I’ll go spread the word that you made it happen.”

Zuo Dacheng: “…”

And so, under the unanimous decision of Zuo Shuisheng and the entire Zuo family, the telephone installation was credited to Zuo Dacheng.

That afternoon, during the telephone installation meeting, Zuo Shuisheng declared to all the villagers of Zuo Family Village:

“Dacheng worked hard, always thinking about the difficulties of our fellow villagers. In the past, if we needed to send a message, we had to rely on letters. But now, we have a telephone! From now on, even if we need to call the capital, we can do it right here in the village. All of this is thanks to Dacheng. Let’s give a round of applause to Comrade Dacheng!”

Thunderous applause erupted. Of course, they had to clap—telephones were magical things! Most of them had only seen one at the commune and wouldn’t dare touch it since it was for the leaders. Now, their village could have one too! Dacheng was truly capable. Clapping? They would slap their own faces if it meant getting a telephone!

Zuo Dacheng gave an awkward smile. “…It was my duty, my duty.”

Zuo Hongjun was dumbfounded, staring at his brother. When had his little brother become so capable?

Beside him, Xu Fengxia snorted coldly. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a telephone, not a big hen you can eat.”

Zuo Hongjun: Why did he marry such an ignorant wife?

After announcing the telephone installation, Zuo Shuisheng continued, stating that the county had decided to install the phone in the house closest to the main road. In the entire village, Zuo Dacheng’s house was the closest, so there was no need for discussion. What? Objections? What objections could there be? Resources were scarce, and to save on phone lines, this was the only way. Unless someone wanted to build a house on the main road.

Finally, Zuo Shuisheng made another major announcement for the village—he was retiring. The commune had suggested that Zuo Dacheng take his place. He personally had no objections, so now it was up to the villagers. In a few days, commune officials would come to oversee the voting for the official village leader election, and everyone should prepare themselves.

“You all know how Dacheng has treated the village. He’s dependable, knows how to drive a tractor, is literate, and has been to the provincial capital—he’s knowledgeable. His daughter is a cadre in our village, and his son-in-law is in the provincial capital securing benefits for us. If he doesn’t become the team leader, then who else is qualified?”

Zuo Shuisheng’s words were powerful, and the villagers, though initially surprised, found them reasonable upon reflection.

He had gotten a telephone for the village, which meant he had connections. He could drive, and many young men had learned from him. His house was built well and respectable. He was a good person—just like the old team leader, a kind and honest man. Yes, yes, Dacheng as team leader made sense. Besides, even if he didn’t take the role, none of them were in a position to do so.

So, people started shouting that they had no objections and agreed that Dacheng should be the leader.

Zuo Hongjun’s face turned as black as coal, sweat beading on his forehead.

Xu Fengxia tugged at his sleeve. “Hongjun, didn’t you hear? They’re making Dacheng the leader. That’s fine, right?”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” someone beside them echoed.

Xu Fengxia: It’s NOT fine!

She stretched out her arm and shouted, “I object! I have an issue with this! Why should Zuo Dacheng be the leader? His wife’s background isn’t good—I disagree! I object!”

Hearing this, Zuo Shuisheng responded, “Alright, you can cast your opposing vote on election day.” Then he dismissed the crowd, telling everyone to go about their business. When the phone was installed, they could all go to Dacheng’s house to see what a real telephone looked like.

With two major events happening at once, Zuo Family Village became lively again. Fortunately, both events revolved around Zuo Dacheng, so there was no confusion in the discussions. The most frequently heard phrases in the village became: “We’re getting a telephone—Dacheng got it for us. He’s capable and is going to be the team leader.” Or, “Dacheng is becoming the team leader, and his house is getting a phone. We can go there to make calls in the future.”

As for objections… even if someone wanted to stir up trouble, it was pointless. In the eyes of the villagers, the person who brought benefits to the village should be the leader. If you couldn’t do that, no amount of arguing would help.

Reality was harsh, and the villagers were just being practical.

Xu Fengxia tried to gather some outspoken women to cause a scene, but when they returned home, their husbands and elders scolded them.

“What are you fussing about? Do you still want to use the phone or not? Even if you make a scene, your husband won’t become team leader. What’s the point? Foolish woman!”

With no one willing to make trouble with her, Xu Fengxia could only fume at home. “Hongjun, let’s go to Dacheng’s house and raise hell! How can he have the audacity to take the role? He made sure you couldn’t be the leader, and now he’s taking the position for himself! Doesn’t he have any shame?”

Zuo Hongjun sat there sulking, smoking his cigarette. Hearing Xu Fengxia’s words, he turned and slapped her. “If you want to go, go by yourself! Don’t drag me into this! I’m not making a fool of myself!”

Xu Fengxia clutched her face, feeling wronged. “You hit me? Do you have no conscience? I’m doing all this for you, and you hit me!”

Zuo Hongjun remained silent, his face dark. He felt terrible. He had lost his chance to be team leader, and now Dacheng was getting the position instead. It was humiliating. Truly humiliating. Why did Dacheng have to take the role? Did he not think of his older brother at all?

Of course, he didn’t dare say this out loud—people would only laugh at him. So, he kept his bitterness to himself.

Xu Fengxia sobbed for a while but then decided she needed to go to Zuo Dacheng’s house anyway. Just then, Zuo Huan came rushing in.

She had heard about the telephone installation and, after discussing it with Yang Wenxin, suspected that Shen Yiming had something to do with it. Otherwise, why would the telephone be installed in their village? So Yang Wenxin urged her to go to her parents’ house and ask Zuo Dacheng for help, hoping Shen Yiming could get him back into the city.

Hearing about her daughter’s important matter, Xu Fengxia put aside her anger, afraid that making a fuss would ruin their chances. She had to hold it in. “Just wait—once the phone is installed, you and Wenxin won’t even need to go to the provincial capital. You can just talk over the phone. How convenient!”

Zuo Huan nodded and advised her mother, “Mom, please don’t cause trouble now. Wait until the return-to-the-city matter is settled first.”

Xu Fengxia gritted her teeth and nodded, feeling so angry that her chest hurt.

The next day, workers from the county post office came to install the telephone.

Zuo Shuisheng was so preoccupied with the telephone that he didn’t even bother tending to the fields. Since it wasn’t a particularly busy season, he simply stopped supervising and went to watch the installation.

As soon as he arrived, other villagers followed suit, quickly filling up the courtyard of Zuo Dan’s house.

Two workers came from the county—an experienced older technician and a younger apprentice. The older one was responsible for setting up the wiring, while the younger one assisted.

Worried that they might be short on hands, Zuo Shuisheng said, “We have plenty of people in our village. If you need help, just say the word.”

The senior technician glanced at the crowd of onlookers and said, “Just clear some space for us to work. That’s really all we need.”

Zuo Shuisheng scanned the surroundings and sternly ordered, “Move aside, move aside! What’s there to see? Don’t get in the way of important work!”

The villagers quickly backed away, watching from a distance.

The technician worked efficiently, pulling the telephone lines all the way from the commune and connecting them to Zuo Shuisheng’s house. The telephone was placed in the main hall, making it accessible for everyone.

Once everything was set up, the young apprentice stepped forward to teach the villagers how to use the phone. But no one dared to touch the device.

Zuo Dan stepped up immediately, picked up the receiver, and dialed Shen Yiming.

“Hello?” Shen Yiming’s voice soon came through.

Zuo Dan excitedly said, “Our village got a telephone today! I’m testing it—this is the very first call!”

Zuo Shuisheng quickly asked, “Can you hear him?”

“Yes! Old Captain, come talk—it’s Shen Yiming,” Zuo Dan eagerly handed over the receiver.

Zuo Shuisheng took it, his voice trembling with excitement. “Yiming, we have a telephone now! I can’t tell you how happy I am.” As he spoke, he choked up. The village had struggled for so many years, relying on two worn-out horse carts. But now they had a tractor and even a telephone. It was truly a dream come true.

Overcome with emotion, the old captain handed the phone to the next person, who nervously blurted out a few words before hurriedly passing it on.

Eventually, nearly everyone, whether they knew Shen Yiming well or not, took a turn speaking to him.

When the call finally ended, the senior technician looked exasperated. “You know talking on the phone costs money, right?”

“What? You have to pay for talking on the phone?!” The villagers were stunned.

Zuo Dan quickly reassured everyone, “It’s fine, it’s a special day—this call was free. But in the future, anyone who wants to make a call will have to pay. We’ll announce the rates later —probably one or two cents per minute.”

Hearing this, the villagers finally relaxed.

With the excitement over and the phone call made, everyone dispersed.

Once the crowd was gone, Grandma Zuo sneakily picked up the phone and placed it against her ear. A low buzzing sound startled her, and she quickly put it down, muttering, “It’s all fake! What kind of sound is that? I didn’t hear a thing!”

The village used funds to prepare a nice meal, with Zuo Shuisheng’s wife and Li Hui cooking a feast. Then, Zuo Dacheng and Zuo Shuisheng hosted the two telephone technicians for a meal before sending them off happily.

Zuo Dan didn’t join in the celebration—she was busy figuring out if she could install an extension line. She wanted one in her own room so she could have private conversations with Shen Yiming. That way, if Shen Yiming said anything embarrassing, her parents wouldn’t hear it. Although she was eager to call him again, she reminded herself that he was at work. With so many people already having talked to him that morning, she didn’t want to disturb him any further. She decided to wait until after work to call.

However, before she could make her call in the afternoon, Xu Fengxia and Zuo Huan showed up.

Both Zuo Dacheng and his wife were home. Seeing the two visitors, they were surprised. But when they heard their reason for coming, their faces darkened.

“Yiming really agreed to help?” Zuo Dacheng asked.

Zuo Huan immediately responded, “Of course! Wenxin and I went to the provincial capital to find him in person. He said that as long as we get married, he’ll treat us like family and help.”

“You two went to his workplace? How could he not agree under that pressure?” Zuo Dan said coldly.

Zuo Dacheng and his wife’s expressions grew even grimmer. Yiming had already done so much for the village and likely owed many favors. And now, this niece of theirs had dragged a mere elementary school teacher all the way to the city to pressure him.

This was just—

Zuo Dan said, “Since you claim Yiming agreed, I’ll call him now.”

Then, right in front of Xu Fengxia, she dialed Shen Yiming’s number.

As soon as Shen Yiming answered, she got straight to the point. “Shen Yiming, I heard you agreed to help Comrade Zuo Huan and Comrade Yang Wenxin return to the city?”

“I said that if they got married, I would try to help,” Shen Yiming replied in a low voice.

Because the phone was on speaker, everyone could hear him. Xu Fengxia and Zuo Huan were thrilled.

Then, Shen Yiming continued, “But after reaching out to my contacts, I found out that it’s impossible. They said that once a ‘sent-down youth’ gets married, they are no longer allowed to return to the city. The only way back is to get divorced. This is a strict policy from the top, and even high-ranking officials can’t make exceptions. So, I need to ask Comrade Zuo Huan and Yang Wenxin how they want to proceed. Do they still want to return to the city? If they do, they’ll have to divorce first. Then I can see if there’s anything I can do. But they need to think carefully—once they divorce, Yang Wenxin won’t have any guarantees. If he goes back to the city and leaves her behind, she’ll be left with nothing. And frankly, I’m not very eager to help, because once they divorce, Yang Wenxin will have no connection to the Zuo family anymore.”

Xu Fengxia and Zuo Huan were instantly dumbfounded. Xu Fengxia rushed to the phone and shouted, “How can that be? I thought marriage would secure city residency!”

Shen Yiming hesitated before replying, “You can check with the commune or the county office. I’ve run around to multiple places for this already, and there’s no way around it—divorce is the only option.”

“…” Xu Fengxia was left speechless. Getting married just to get divorced? And if Yang Wenxin abandoned her daughter after returning to the city, wouldn’t that be a huge loss?

Zuo Dan said, “Comrade Shen Yiming, we’ll discuss this. You get back to work.” Then, she promptly hung up the phone.

She didn’t want to waste phone charges. Hehehe, now it was time for her performance.

“Aunt, even though we split households, I still have to call you that. Honestly speaking, Zuo Huan has married quite well. If Yang Wenxin doesn’t return to the city, it’s actually better than if he did. At least he’s a primary school teacher, earning a salary, having a respectable job, and more importantly, he’s nearby and can take care of you and Uncle.”

Zuo Huan huffed angrily, “I can take care of my parents even if I go back to the city.”

“That’s only if you can actually go back. You know that us rural folks don’t get rationed food if we enter the city. Your future children wouldn’t either. Do you really think Yang Wenxin’s single salary could support your entire family? In the end, wouldn’t Aunt and Uncle still have to support all of you?”

Xu Fengxia immediately disliked the sound of that. She wanted Zuo Huan to marry well so that she could benefit and live a better life.

Zuo Dan looked at Xu Fengxia and continued, “Besides, what if after the divorce, Yang Wenxin decides not to take responsibility for Zuo Huan? What will you do then? Causing a fuss won’t work—going to the city requires an introduction letter. If you stir up too much trouble and the authorities order the village not to give you one, you’ll be stuck here suffering. On the other hand, if Yang Wenxin doesn’t return to the city, there’s no need for a divorce. Zuo Huan also wouldn’t need to take care of his parents, and with only you and Uncle as elders, he’d practically be like a live-in son-in-law. You farm to earn food, he earns money—how great would that be?”

Although Zuo Huan felt that Zuo Dan’s words made sense, she was suspicious of her intentions. “As if you’d be so kind to help me.”

“What kind of talk is that? Our Dandan is making a lot of sense,” Zuo Dacheng said angrily. “That Yang Wenxin isn’t reliable. He wouldn’t marry Zuo Huan before because he wanted to return to the city, right? It was only when Yiming intervened that he agreed to marry her. He didn’t actually want to.”

Zuo Dan nodded, “So you should be grateful to Yiming. Otherwise, this marriage wouldn’t have happened. From what I know, quite a few people have their eyes on Teacher Yang.”

Zuo Huan bit her lip. She knew exactly how popular Yang Wenxin was. Back when they were dating, women even came to the school to seek him out. Many female educated youths were more refined than she was.

Seeing the hesitation on Xu Fengxia and Zuo Huan’s faces, Zuo Dan made her final point, “There are only two choices: Get divorced and risk ending up with nothing, or stay married and have someone provide for Uncle and Aunt. Plus, since this is our territory, Yang Wenxin wouldn’t dare treat Zuo Huan badly. She could still live in town. Isn’t this exactly what Aunt hoped for when finding Zuo Huan a husband? Aunt, you’ve been clever your whole life—don’t let some educated man lead you around by the nose.”

That’s right! Zuo Dan’s words snapped Xu Fengxia out of it. Hadn’t this been her original goal? How had she ended up following Yang Wenxin’s lead instead?

Zuo Dacheng wasn’t in the mood to entertain them anymore. “Go back and think it over. But don’t come running back to make a fuss if you get divorced, go to the city, and then Yang Wenxin abandons Zuo Huan!”

Xu Fengxia gritted her teeth and pulled her daughter away from the Zuo family house.

But just as they stepped out the door, they ran into the old lady, who had come over for dinner and to inspect the new telephone.

As soon as their eyes met, the old lady got fired up, rushing forward to slap Xu Fengxia. “Are you here to stir up trouble again? You wretched woman! How did our Zuo family end up with a daughter-in-law like you? I must have been blind back then! Xu Fengxia, what more do you want? Do you want our family to fall apart? Do you want your second brother-in-law to lose his position as team leader? You jinx! Back then, our Red Army’s team leader position was lost because of you, and now you’re at it again! I’ll fight you!”

Xu Fengxia was completely stunned by the old lady’s aggression, standing frozen as she got slapped several times before coming to her senses and dashing away with Zuo Huan.

Zuo Dan: “…This one’s got nothing to do with me this time.”

During dinner, Grandma Zuo even instructed Zuo Dan, “If Xu Fengxia comes back to make trouble, just yell next door. I won’t let anyone ruin the Zuo family’s hard-earned happiness.”

Of course, that was just the official reason. Deep down, she was even more resentful that Xu Fengxia’s previous report had prevented her from making money by selling smoked meat. As an old lady who had just discovered the joys of earning money, this was even worse than someone being unfilial to her.

After Grandma left, Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng went to clean up the dishes while Zuo Dan watered the fruit trees in the yard. She was now convinced these trees weren’t ordinary—they were growing at an unbelievable speed, almost reaching the size of those in an orchard. She was sure they would bear fruit next year.

Once they bore fruit, her parents could try them, and then they could test-plant them around the village. Farming alone wasn’t sustainable; they had to find ways to prosper.

Just as she was happily making plans, the house phone rang.

Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng rushed out of the kitchen. “What’s going on? What happened?”

“The phone’s ringing. I’ll get it—you guys continue with your work,” Zuo Dan quickly ran inside. There was only one person who would call at this hour—Shen Yiming.

Sure enough, as soon as she answered, she heard Shen Yiming’s voice.

“Shen Yiming, I’ve taken care of it. Don’t worry.”

Shen Yiming chuckled warmly, “I wasn’t worried. I knew you’d handle it. I mean, you’ve already handled me—how could they be a problem for you?”

Zuo Dan curled her lips. “Speak properly, or my parents might hear and change their minds about letting me date a little scoundrel like you.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll listen to Accountant Zuo.” Shen Yiming said in a soft, teasing tone.

Zuo Dan felt a shiver down her spine. “I’m serious—how did you get this telephone installed? Did you trade a work position for it? How did you manage to swap two positions from Du Juan? Was she really that obedient to you?”

Knowing how curious she was, Shen Yiming didn’t keep it a secret. He briefly explained what had happened.

Zuo Dan listened with wide eyes. Shen Yiming’s maneuver was truly impressive… If Du Juan ever found out that not only had she lost two return-to-city permits, but she had also paid an extra 2,000 yuan to help Shen Yiming gain favors, she would probably cough up blood.

Just thinking about it made Zuo Dan grin.

Hearing her laughter, Shen Yiming laughed along and then asked seriously, “Accountant Zuo, when are you coming to inspect my work? I wait for you every day—so much that I can’t even sleep at night. Last time, you promised that once the phone was installed, you’d come and tickle me…”

Zuo Dan’s face twitched. “Shen Yiming, you little rascal, are you just waiting for me to pinch your little green beans?”

Zuo Dacheng walked in from outside just in time to hear that and asked, “Green beans? What green beans?”

Zuo Dan’s face burned. “…Shen Yiming says he wants to drink green bean soup.”

On the other end of the line, Shen Yiming burst out laughing.