*Chapter 5: The Water Flows, But the Canal Remains Unfinished (Part 1)*
Outside the volleyball court, Hou Weidong and Xiaojia finally stood together in the open. For Xiaojia, a wish held for over three years had finally come true on this last day. For most students, as long as their romantic relationships did not involve extreme behavior, they did not shy away from the college teachers. However, for Hou Weidong—a student cadre striving for Party membership and personal advancement—dating was a major liability. The previous Student Union President of the Class of ’92 had been exposed by a rival for dating, causing him to lose the golden opportunity to join the Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee.
Hou Weidong’s drive to join the Party and enter the college Student Union was tied to his personal history.
During high school, Hou Weidong had become obsessed with the triple jump. Although he was only 1.75 meters tall, he possessed exceptional explosive power and flexibility. His best time in the 100-meter dash was 11.36 seconds, breaking the middle school record in Shazhou City. He was a star athlete on the school track team. Throughout high school, he was intoxicated by his sporting glory, and his academic grades gradually slipped. Unwilling to attend a sports institute, he faced a dilemma during the college entrance examination. The admission cutoff was 480 points; he scored 472. He gave up an opportunity to be recruited as a cadre by the Wu Hai County Public Security Bureau and joined the ranks of repeaters.
In his second attempt at the exam, his score exceeded the key university line by more than ten points. Hou Weidong believed he had no problem getting into a prestigious university. However, because he had agreed to accept assignment to any institution, he inexplicably received an admission letter from Shazhou College, an ordinary undergraduate institution. This result left him dispirited for the entire summer vacation.
Before enrollment, Hou Weidong adjusted his mindset. He arrived at Shazhou College carrying two bags. Having endured setbacks and maintained long-term physical training, his appearance and demeanor seemed more mature than those of his peers. Upon arrival, he was noticed by the grade counselor and appointed as a temporary class leader. This accidental decision ultimately set the trajectory of Hou Weidong’s life.
Hou Weidong could not ignore the cautionary tale of the former Student Union President. His relationship with Xiaojia had always been conducted in secret, which frustrated Xiaojia, who possessed a somewhat bourgeois sensibility. Now, having obtained his graduation certificate, Hou Weidong could finally stand openly with Xiaojia.
Hou Weidong wore a clean white T-shirt, a wide leather belt, and grayish-white jeans. At 1.75 meters tall, with a sturdy and well-proportioned build, his short, upright hair gave his square face a spirited look. Xiaojia wore a pale red long dress. She proudly held Hou Weidong’s hand, watching the girls passing by. Some were from the Political Science and Law Department. Seeing Hou Weidong and Xiaojia holding hands while waiting for the school bus, their eyes widened in shock.
Slogans such as “Brothers, go well,” “Come home often,” and “Safe travels” hung from the trees, fluttering in the wind with a rustling sound. College leaders waited by the roadside for the buses to depart. The college broadcast room played Zheng Zhihua’s song Sailor: “The bitter wind hurts the feeling at the horizon, making the father’s scolding and the mother’s tears unforgettable. In my youth, I was always alone by the sea, barefoot, toes curled, stepping on the sand, searching, searching, but unable to find proof of life. The asphalt roads in the city are too hard to leave footprints.”
This familiar melody drifted across the campus of Shazhou College. After graduation, karaoke songs would be heard everywhere across the land, and Sailor would become one of Hou Weidong’s favorite tracks.
When the first bus leaving the campus started its engine, cries of varying pitches and volumes erupted from inside and outside the vehicle. Like grasshoppers in the grass suddenly startled by a smelly foot, they “fluttered” upward toward the blue sky.
For Hou Weidong, parting was not the main concern. What worried him most was the trip to Shazhou. Thinking about this nerve-wracking journey to meet his future parents-in-law, he felt a vague unease that his classmates did not share. This anxiety diluted the sorrow of parting.
Xiaojia seemed to sense Hou Weidong’s unease. “Weidong, don’t worry. This is something that happens naturally when conditions are right,” she said. Hou Weidong repeated a rough local saying in his mind: If I die, my eggs face the sky; what is there to fear? Out loud, he said, “I’m not worried. An ugly daughter-in-law must eventually meet her parents-in-law, and a big-footed son-in-law must meet his father- and mother-in-law.”
Once on the bus, sitting in the spacious school vehicle, Hou Weidong knew parting was imminent. He stood up, leaning his head toward the window, searching for familiar friends. The figures that had moved around him every day suddenly vanished from sight. He only saw scattered, familiar faces boarding large buses marked with the names of different cities.
When the bus in front started its engine, accompanied by the dull roar of the motor, the large vehicle shuddered violently and then slowly slid forward.
As the bus exited the college gate, Xiaojia reached out and linked her arm with Hou Weidong’s. Having acted as an underground worker for so long, Hou Weidong was unaccustomed to such affection displayed in the sunlight. He instinctively looked left and right, but quickly realized: once outside the gate, he was no longer a student of Shazhou College. There would be no department heads following couples with looks of disappointed expectation, nor would the retired dean’s famous quote—“You may walk side by side, but you are not allowed to hold hands”—follow them. It remained forever within the walls of Shazhou College.
The two sat openly on the bus, arms linked. Xiaojia even rested her cheek on Hou Weidong’s shoulder. The bus was filled with boxes and various luggage, occupying much of the space. Hou Weidong took a moment to scan the entire vehicle. Aside from two students from other departments whose faces were familiar but whose names he could not recall, there were no students from the Political Science and Law Department, nor any of Xiaojia’s classmates.
Although everyone frequently passed through the college gate, the atmosphere today was distinctly different. The ugly college gate served as a dividing line. Crossing this line, the identity of everyone on the bus shifted from student to member of society. Male students became men, comrades, masters, or bosses. Female students became women, comrades, young ladies, or wives.
For many who were unprepared, the shock of reality would come quickly.
The distance from Yiyang County to Shazhou City was not far; the bus ride took about three hours. The route passed through a small town called Donghong. From Yiyang to Donghong, the road was a wide first-class highway. But after passing Donghong, a somewhat dilapidated market town, the road became a dirt track with many curves, narrow lanes, and poor surface conditions.
As the bus bounced along the dirt road, Hou Weidong said to Xiaojia, who was resting on his shoulder, “Shazhou is an industrial powerhouse and the superior authority for four counties: Yiyang, Wu Hai, Linjiang, and Chengjin. With such a developed economy, why is this road in such a terrible state?” Xiaojia, a biology student, knew little about such matters. In a low mood, she replied, “Donghong is just a small town. Building a road there isn’t very useful.”
“This is a manifestation of the arrogance of the people of Shazhou, and also their narrow-mindedness.”
Shazhou City was a regional central city. Facing the four counties that surrounded it, it always looked down upon them with a condescending gaze. When Hou Weidong first pursued Xiaojia, he had initially encountered her arrogant look. Only after breaking the ice did the two become inseparable.
Hou Weidong observed the road with interest. Before leaving the college, Vice President Ji Daolin had gathered the graduating student union cadres for a talk, offering words of encouragement. Ji Daolin had said, “Focus on doing your work, do not play tricks. You may suffer losses in the short term, but with accumulated strength, you will eventually produce unexpected results at unexpected times.”
These words were extremely ordinary. Perhaps Ji Daolin had said them in many occasions. Hou Weidong had received four years of university education and served as a student union cadre at the college and department levels for three years. He had heard countless speeches and teachings, and similar words were not new to him. Yet, when Ji Daolin spoke these words, Hou Weidong strangely remembered them clearly. He did not understand why, but during the time leading up to his departure, he often recalled these two sentences from Ji Daolin.
Sitting on the bus leaving the college, Hou Weidong unconsciously began to think about issues he usually did not care about. “Why is the road between Shahe and Donghong so dilapidated? To get rich, build roads. Does the Shazhou municipal government not know this principle?” This question lingered in his mind, actually suppressing his fear of meeting his parents-in-law.
Three hours later, when the five golden characters “Shazhou Welcomes You” appeared outside the window, Hou Weidong felt a vague emotion surge within him. He silently repeated in his heart: If I die, my eggs face the sky; what is there to fear? Then he jumped off the bus and stepped onto the land of Shazhou City.