Chapter 7: The Water Flows, But the Canal Remains Unfinished (Part 3)
Zhang Yuanzheng glanced up at Hou Weidong. The boy was sturdy, and from his appearance to his manner of speaking, he was actually quite presentable—not as bad as Zhang had imagined. The only flaw was that he was from Wu Hai. For that reason alone, he could never become the ideal son-in-law.
Xiaojia was their only daughter. The couple had already arranged for her to be assigned to the Landscape Institute under the Construction Commission. Although the institute was a public institution dealing with flowers and plants, its financial situation was decent. More importantly, it belonged to the Construction Commission system. After working there for a few years, she could find an opportunity to transfer to the commission’s headquarters.
With a good job and a good husband, the family could live comfortably in the economically developed city of Shazhou. That was the picture of harmony they had envisioned. But Hou Weidong’s sudden arrival had disrupted the perfect plan the couple had woven.
Both Zhang Yuanzheng and his wife were mid-level cadres at the factory. Although they had some acquaintances in Shazhou, they were not people who held real power. Getting things done required asking favors at every turn. They had already exhausted all their connections to secure Xiaojia’s job assignment, leaving them physically and mentally drained. They simply did not have the capacity to arrange another transfer for someone from Yiyang to Shazhou.
This plain, practical reasoning had been explained to Xiaojia two years ago, back when they discovered her love letters. At that time, Xiaojia had promised to break up with Hou Weidong. But two years had passed. Zhang Yuanzheng and his wife had assumed their daughter had cut ties with that Wu Hai native. Who would have thought that Xiaojia would launch a surprise attack, bringing home Hou Weidong—the Wu Hai boy known for fighting and causing trouble?
Moreover, from Xiaojia’s brief introduction, they learned that Hou Weidong had confirmed his work assignment in Yiyang County.
Zhang Yuanzheng was a heavy smoker. He watched as Hou Weidong offered him a cigarette. Leaning back on the sofa, he glanced at the brand. It was Hongtashan. This kid smokes better cigarettes than I do, he thought with a hint of disdain. These students, hmph. He turned to look at his wife, Chen Qingrong. She was staring at the television, neither objecting nor approving. Seeing his daughter’s eager gaze, he accepted the Hongtashan cigarette Hou Weidong offered.
Hou Weidong had prepared for this moment. He took out a disposable lighter. In 1993, disposable lighters were not yet common; this one had been brought back by a high school classmate from Guangdong. With a crisp click, he lit it and respectfully held the flame to Zhang Yuanzheng’s cigarette. During his time at Shazhou College, Hou Weidong had served as a student cadre and was highly appreciated by the department head. It was through his interactions with the department head that he had learned the subtle art of lighting a cigarette for someone else.
These small gestures slightly improved Zhang Yuanzheng’s initial impression of Hou Weidong. However, marrying someone who worked in Yiyang was absolutely out of the question. This was a matter of principle, and principles were not open for negotiation.
Most workers at the factory smoked cigarettes that cost two yuan a pack, saving the ten-yuan Hongtashan for occasional treats during holidays. Zhang Yuanzheng took the cigarette, inhaled deeply, and immediately detected a strange taste at the entrance of his mouth.
“Fake cigarettes,” he said, tossing the butt into the ashtray.
Hou Weidong occasionally smoked a cigarette or two, but he had no addiction. To be honest, he couldn’t easily distinguish between good and fake cigarettes. This pack of Hongtashan had been bought in Lianchi as a gift for his future father-in-law. He hadn’t expected to buy fakes. Remembering the shopkeeper’s enthusiastic smile, Hou Weidong cursed silently in his heart: Knowing I was leaving school, he sold me fake cigarettes. Truly, no profit without deceit.
“My Hongshan smokes much better,” Zhang Yuanzheng said, lighting his own cigarette. It was the first sentence he had spoken since Hou Weidong entered the room.
Hou Weidong felt as if he had been caught doing something wrong. He sat there, unsure of what to say.
Suddenly, Chen Qingrong stood up. She walked to the window and threw it open with heavy, forceful movements, the noise echoing through the room. “Smoke, smoke, smoke. You’re going to cough up blood, and you still smoke. You’ll smoke yourself to death sooner or later.” After opening the window, she sat back down on the sofa and said to Zhang Yuanzheng, “No smoking inside. If you want to smoke, go outside.”
Chen Qingrong was only in her forties, but time had left some marks on her face, making her appear sharp and capable. Like her husband, her impression of Hou Weidong in person was not bad. However, she could not accept her daughter marrying someone from Yiyang. A significant reason for this stemmed from her own experiences.
In her youth, Chen Qingrong and Zhang Yuanzheng had lived apart for twelve years. Those twelve years of separation had left indelible painful memories for the couple. They used their own life experiences as the criterion for judging a son-in-law, aiming to protect their daughter, who had not yet been tempered by society, from making a wrong choice that would leave her with irreparable pain.
Xiaojia looked exactly like Chen Qingrong—a younger version of her. The difference lay in their personalities. Chen Qingrong was strong-willed and her words were often sharp and aggressive. Xiaojia was gentler, but deep down, she was also a proud and sensitive girl. It was precisely because of her stubbornness that she had withstood her parents’ pressure to continue her relationship with Hou Weidong.
Seeing her parents speak coldly to Hou Weidong, tears welled up in Xiaojia’s eyes. She was about to speak, but seeing Hou Weidong’s gaze, she held back. “Dad, Mom, what are we having for lunch? I’ll go prepare the vegetables.” She stood up and said to Hou Weidong, “Let’s go prepare the vegetables together.”
As Hou Weidong rose, Chen Qingrong also stood up from the sofa. “You stay seated. We don’t need you to prepare vegetables.” She walked straight to the kitchen and slammed the door shut with a loud bang. A rich aroma of chicken soup drifted out from the kitchen. Knowing her daughter was coming home, Chen Qingrong had taken leave early and bought a free-range chicken from the market, simmering it over low heat until the fragrance was intoxicating.
Seeing the pot emitting such a delicious smell, Chen Qingrong’s anger flared up. She snapped off the stove and kicked the vegetable basket on the floor. Standing in the kitchen, she began to wipe away her tears. After a while, Zhang Yuanzheng entered the kitchen. Seeing his wife with teary eyes, he said angrily, “Xiaojia is too thoughtless. She didn’t even say a word before bringing someone home.” Seeing that Chen Qingrong was still upset, he tried to comfort her, “The person is already here. Let’s have lunch and talk to him properly. This young man seems okay, quite polite.”
Chen Qingrong replied dissatisfiedly, “You handed him a cigarette and your stance changed. If this were before liberation, you would definitely be a traitor.” She continued, “Thinking back to those ten or so years of living apart, I still feel afraid. We cannot let our daughter walk our old path. She hasn’t entered society yet; she doesn’t know that the pot is cast iron.”
Seeing that both her parents had gone into the kitchen, Xiaojia took Hou Weidong’s hand. “I’m sorry,” she said. A month ago, Xiaojia had met Hou Weidong’s parents. His father was the former chief of the Wu Hai County police station, and his mother was a primary school teacher. They were very satisfied with Xiaojia and had treated her with great warmth. The contrast in treatment between the two families made Xiaojia feel deeply guilty.
On the way to Shazhou, Hou Weidong had made ample mental preparations. Seeing Xiaojia’s guilt, he gently comforted her instead. “This is already much better than I imagined. I can understand their feelings. Don’t worry, no matter what, I won’t be angry.”
When Xiaojia first met Hou Weidong, he was quite flamboyant, hanging out with the most mischievous boys in the Law and Politics Department and getting into several fights outside. Who would have thought that after four years of university life, the once flamboyant Hou Weidong had transformed into a person with a steady and calm personality? Perhaps, as Hou Weidong said, this was a return to his true nature.
Hearing footsteps from the kitchen, Hou Weidong withdrew his hand from Xiaojia’s and sat quietly, watching the inexplicable men and women on television chatting and laughing. It was a talk show, but although Hou Weidong understood every word, he couldn’t figure out what topic they were discussing.
Zhang Yuanzheng came in carrying a large basin. An enticing aroma wafted from it. Hou Weidong had been on the bus for three hours, and his stomach had long since started singing the “Empty City Stratagem.” The smell instantly stirred his appetite. When Zhang Yuanzheng turned back into the kitchen, Hou Weidong couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.
A moment later, Zhang Yuanzheng brought out a plate of fried small fish, crispy and golden. These were small fish caught from the river, fried until fragrant. They were Xiaojia’s favorite. Xiaojia knew in her heart that this was prepared by her parents for her. Thinking of this, she felt a bit guilty, lacking the righteous confidence she had when she first arrived home.
Chen Qingrong finally returned to the living room. She placed a basin of braised fish heavily on the dining table, took the rice bowl Xiaojia handed her, and without inviting anyone else, began to eat continuously. Zhang Yuanzheng then walked out of the kitchen, pulled the table hard, and sat down with a thud.
Hou Weidong sat on the sofa. It felt wrong to come over to eat, but it also felt wrong not to. Xiaojia brought two bowls from the kitchen and said, “Hou Weidong, come eat.”