Chapter 88: Unintentional Willow (Part 10)

Chapter 88: Unintentional Willow (10)

Xiao Qiao was in high spirits today. With the strong support of his readers, the monthly votes for Official Road Romance continued to climb. The book had reached 51 votes, ranking 44th among all VIP titles—a commendable achievement. Xiao Qiao smiled broadly, genuinely pleased.

He was curious to see how far the monthly votes would go and whether the book could achieve even better results. Let us wait and see together.

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Jiang Dali, far away in Guangzhou, proved to be a man of his word. The money arrived in Hou Weidong’s account quickly—and it wasn’t just twenty thousand yuan, but thirty thousand.

Jiang Dali had been blunt about it: his daily routine involved hanging out in bars and entertainment venues, keeping company with hospital executives as they indulged in lavish pleasures. Aside from drugs, he partook in all four vices—eating, drinking, visiting prostitutes, and gambling. Money came fast and went faster. To him, thirty thousand yuan was pocket change, a gesture of support for a good brother starting a business.

For Hou Weidong, however, this sum was a lifeline in a time of crisis. With the thirty thousand yuan in hand, he breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, he did not immediately deploy the entire amount. The Yinggang Quarry was a partnership; Hou Weidong and Zeng Xiangang held equal rights and obligations. In Hou Weidong’s view, profits should be split evenly, and Zeng Xiangang must bear corresponding responsibilities. Difficulties did not justify reducing one’s share of the burden.

Perhaps this was the meticulous, cold logic instilled by his legal studies.

Hou Weidong gave Zeng Xiangang a factual account of the situation in the township. “I couldn’t secure a loan. I borrowed ten thousand yuan from home, but my family has no more money. You need to find a solution. The foundation’s mission is to serve the local villagers. Go directly to Mayor Su and ask him to help you secure a loan.”

Zeng Xiangang had been counting on Hou Weidong to find another twenty thousand yuan to stabilize the situation. He hadn’t expected Hou Weidong to return empty-handed. With so much already invested in the early stages, there was no turning back. He gritted his teeth and said, “I’ve already put all my family’s assets into opening this mine. Now, I have no choice but to fight. I have some rapport with Station Master Huang; I’ll go to him directly.”

It was his first time running a business, and the massive initial investment left him deeply uncertain. However, he trusted that Hou Weidong would find a way to make the quarry viable, so he went all in.

Zeng Xiangang’s attempt to secure a loan from Station Master Huang took a full week, despite their familiarity. Hou Weidong even lent Zeng Xiangang five hundred yuan to cover the costs of treating guests to meals. In the end, they secured a loan of ten thousand yuan, but the actual amount received was only nine thousand. The remaining one thousand served as a kickback for Station Master Huang.

The fact that Station Master Huang dared to take a one-thousand-yuan kickback on a ten-thousand-yuan loan opened Hou Weidong’s eyes. It also explained why his second sister, Hou Xiaoying, had been so confident about securing loans, and why, among government staff, most could only afford leather shoes costing sixty or seventy yuan, while those in the foundation could wear shoes costing three hundred yuan.

They worked in the same township government, within the same small building, yet lived vastly different lives. There was an old saying: “In revolution, there is only a division of labor, no distinction between high and low, noble and humble.” Hou Weidong had believed this to some extent during his university years. Now, the stark reality before him made him realize clearly: it was precisely because of the division of labor that distinctions of status and privilege arose.

Under Hou Weidong’s insistence, the quarry paid the wages of twenty-three villagers on time. Receiving their pay promptly brought unexpected joy to the villagers. Since the promotion of hybrid rice, rural households generally lacked cash rather than grain. Although the monthly wage was only four hundred and fifty yuan, it was a considerable income for a rural family. One couple, both working at the quarry, received nine hundred yuan at once. Delighted, they bought a pig’s head, caught several fish from their own pond, and cooked a meal at the quarry to treat Hou Weidong and Zeng Xiangang to drinks.

At the quarry’s dam area, Zeng Xiangang’s brother-in-law set up two large square tables. More than twenty people gathered around, eating meat and drinking wine, the atmosphere extremely lively. Seeing the villagers’ happiness, Hou Weidong felt a thread of satisfaction.

Being able to alleviate the villagers’ difficulties and bring them joy was a pleasing thing in itself.

When the engineering team from the Transportation Bureau arrived, the Yinggang Quarry had already prepared over seven thousand cubic meters of materials. Liang Bifa, the project manager of the engineering team, had initially been reluctant to come and build the Shangqinglin Highway. Such a small project was troublesome and offered little profit; he had only led the team up the mountain as a political task. However, upon arriving at the site, the conditions exceeded his expectations:

First, the rough grading of the Shangqinglin Highway was excellent, only slightly inferior to that of a professional construction team. Given that rural areas lacked construction instruments, achieving this level of quality was truly commendable.

Second, the materials were fully prepared. Rubble and crushed stone were piled into small mountains, meaning the construction schedule could be accelerated.

Third, the quality of the rubble and crushed stone was superior and largely met specifications, making them easy to use.

The favorable site conditions meant the project could be completed quickly, and Liang Bifa finally smiled.

Liang Bifa’s father was from Shandong and had been a member of the Liu-Deng Army’s Southwest Service Corps. After liberation, he stayed in Yiyang and served as the deputy county magistrate of Yiyang County. Liang Bifa possessed the characteristics of a Shandong man: tall, burly, and fond of wearing denim jackets. He spoke directly and bluntly, which suited Hou Weidong’s temperament well.

Every day on the construction site, Hou Weidong would brew a large cup of Yiyang tea for him and accompany him as he walked around the site, whether there was business to attend to or not. Hou Weidong was familiar with every section of the highway, and he could usually answer Liang Bifa’s questions off the top of his head.

Construction proceeded smoothly, and the project was completed by early May.

By the time construction ended, Hou Weidong and Liang Bifa had become like brothers. Even the members of the engineering team jokingly referred to Hou Weidong as “Deputy Manager Hou.”

On May 15th, reportedly an auspicious day, the official opening ceremony for the Shangqinglin Highway was held. Hou Weidong’s position as Deputy Head of the Working Group had been revoked, but his role as Director of the Office of the Shangqinglin Road Construction Leading Group remained. Insisting on his participation, Mayor Qin Feiyue had Office Director Yang Feng notify him to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

At eleven o’clock, accompanied by County Magistrate Ma Youcai, Deputy County Magistrate Li Bing, and Transportation Bureau Director Zeng Zhaoqiang, Gao Zhiyuan, Director of the Shazhou Municipal People’s Congress, arrived at the junction of the Xiaqinglin and Shangqinglin highways. Colorful flags fluttered, and two large banners hung beneath giant balloons. One read, “Thanks to the County Party Committee and County Government for their care for the people of Qinglin,” and the other, “Thanks to all sectors of society for their care for the people of Qinglin.” A group of primary school students, dressed in uniform and holding small flags, welcomed the leaders.

As soon as the motorcade arrived, gongs and drums sounded loudly. Under the teachers’ direction, the students waved their flags and shouted in unison, “Welcome, welcome, warm welcome!”

Zhao Yongsheng and Feng Feiyue stood side by side, smiling broadly and chatting occasionally. Behind them stood Su Ming, Jiang Youcai, and other members of the leadership team, along with several retired veterans like Township Head Gao. Further back were Tang Shugang, Ouyang Lin, Hou Weidong, Qin Dajiang, Zeng Xiantong, Jiang Shangshan, and others.

Gao Zhiyuan stepped out of his car. Seeing the scene, his eyes grew moist. No matter how high his official rank, he never forgot Shangqinglin—the place that had given him life, where he had sweated, cried, and even bled.

The entire ribbon-cutting ceremony was highly formalized and concluded in less than half an hour. Afterwards, the motorcade drove up the newly built road to inspect the Shangqinglin Highway.

Zhao Yongsheng’s car led the way, followed closely by seven other cars carrying Gao Zhiyuan, Ma Youcai, Li Bing, and others. At the rear was a public bus, where Hou Weidong and the others sat. The locals of Shangqinglin had never seen so many vehicles near their homes. Everywhere they went, elderly people leaned against their doorframes to watch, young people crowded to the roadside, and children and dogs ran about.

The entire highway became a sea of joy.

Ma Youcai sat in Gao Zhiyuan’s car, accompanying the leader in conversation.

Gao Zhiyuan was full of emotion. “County Magistrate Ma, I once served as the Director of the Revolutionary Committee in Shangqinglin Township, and later as Secretary and Township Head. Back then, I wanted to build a highway, but due to various reasons, it wasn’t completed. It has been a deep regret. Now, under your leadership, County Magistrate Ma, my dream has finally been realized. On behalf of the seven thousand people of Qinglin, I thank the Yiyang County Party Committee and County Government.”

Ma Youcai had once been Gao Zhiyuan’s subordinate and held great respect for this leader, who was strict yet humane. He reported, “1994 is the year of transportation construction. This year’s key tasks are building the Shayi Road and the Yiwu Road. Once these two roads are open, the transportation conditions in Yiyang will be greatly improved. A key goal for 1995 is to connect Lishan Town and Qinglin Town, fully revitalizing the resources of Shangqinglin.”

Gao Zhiyuan nodded continuously.

The Shangqinglin Highway had a mud-bound stone surface. Since it had just been completed, the road surface was very smooth. The twenty-kilometer journey took the motorcade less than forty minutes.

The town square was covered in debris from fireworks and firecrackers. Although it wasn’t market day, the place was packed with people. Almost everyone in the Qinglin town square had come out. Many elderly people recognized Gao Zhiyuan, calling him “Secretary Gao,” “Township Head Gao,” or “Director Gao.” One elderly man even called out, “Gao Sanwa!”

Gao Zhiyuan walked up to the old man who had called him “Gao Sanwa,” took his hand, and said respectfully, “Second Aunt, your health is still so good. Can you hear me well?”

The old man was Gao Zhiyuan’s second aunt from a collateral branch of the family. They had once lived in the same courtyard. She was more than ten years older than Gao Zhiyuan. Gao Zhiyuan was fifty-four years old, and she had already passed seventy. When Gao Zhiyuan was Township Head, Second Aunt had served as a women’s cadre in the village, a female militia company commander who embodied the spirit of “heroic posture with a five-foot gun, preferring military attire over red makeup.”

Gao Zhiyuan had a deep impression of her wearing a belt and carrying a rifle.

Time was merciless. The once heroic female militia commander had become an elderly woman with gray hair and half her teeth missing. She held Gao Zhiyuan’s hand and chattered about family matters. Seeing that the county leaders were standing nearby, Gao Zhiyuan did not stay long. He patted Second Aunt’s hand and said, “Second Aunt, take good care of your health. I will come back to see you during the Spring Festival.”

Seeing Gao Zhiyuan about to leave, Second Aunt said, “The people who built the road are crazy. Gao Sanwa, you must promote him to an official position.” Gao Zhiyuan didn’t understand. He looked up at the middle-aged man behind Second Aunt and asked, “Are you Xiao Hei?” Xiao Hei smiled shyly and said, “Third Brother, I am Heiwa.” Gao Zhiyuan asked, “What did Second Aunt mean?” Xiao Hei explained, “Hou Daxue from the working group put in a lot of effort to build this road. Second Aunt means you should promote Hou Daxue.”

Gao Zhiyuan remembered the young man Hou Weidong, whom he had met once. He asked, “Then why call him ‘Crazy’?”

Xiao Hei said, “That’s Hou Daxue’s nickname. He spends every day on the highway, so everyone calls him Hou Fengzi (Hou the Crazy).”

Second Aunt said seriously, “Fengzi lost his official position because of building the road. Sanwa is a big official; you must clear his name.” Hou Weidong had previously served as Deputy Head of the Working Group before being dismissed. This news had spread throughout Shangqinglin, and everyone felt it was unfair. Second Aunt seized this opportunity, hoping Gao Zhiyuan would uphold justice and restore Hou Weidong to his former position.

Gao Zhiyuan was cautious in his dealings. He did not make a statement but only nodded and said, “I will inquire about this matter.”

The motorcade then drove down the Shangqinglin Highway to Qinglin Town for a meal. Naturally, those on the public bus did not follow. They booked two tables at a restaurant next to the foundation and enjoyed a hearty, lively feast.

Under the pressure of the village cadres, Hou Weidong inevitably got drunk and was carried back to his dormitory by Qin Dajiang.

After dark, all the festivities faded into the darkness. Tomorrow, life would continue as usual.

Life in Qinglin