1979: Reopening Wenhao Road from the Village

"Who's here?"

A slightly aged voice came from outside.

"Grandpa, it's me."

Chen Weidong got off the kang (a heated brick bed), opened the door, and Old Man Chen slowly walked in, leaning on a cane.

"Weidong! When did you get back? Are you hungry? I'll ask your grandma to make you some noodles and boil an egg."

"I just got back. I had lunch out. Where did you go for a walk?"

"You played chess with Old Wu at the alley entrance. You're not leaving again this time, are you? Where are your wife and children?"

"They're still in Yangjiatun. I came back this time because one of my articles was accepted by 'October' magazine. They asked me to come back and revise it. I have to go back in a few days."

"We have to go back!?"

Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Chen hurriedly grasped Chen Weidong's hand and asked again to confirm.

Seeing Chen Weidong nod, the smile on Old Mrs. Chen's face instantly faded, and she began to mutter about Chen's father.

"It's all your father's fault for being incompetent. Look how worn out you are. He should have been sent to the countryside in the first place. He didn't come back for years, and now that he's finally back, he has to leave again."

"Grandma, I'm fine. I'm doing well in the village. I have enough to eat and drink. My granddaughter-in-law even gave birth to a great-grandson for you recently."

"I heard from your dad that you're really something. Otherwise, you could have let your dad retire. There's someone to take his place now. I saw Old Wu's grandson take over his dad's job and came back from the countryside."

Old Man Chen said to Chen Weidong.

"No need, no need. I'll be back in a while. Let my dad keep working."

Chen Weidong immediately refused, saying that in his previous life he had taken over his father's job at the urging of Old Man Chen and Old Lady Chen, but he didn't want to do it for long.

Unlike his father, who learned the skills of a barber, Mr. Chen's father, under Mr. Chen's arrangement, went to work at a street motor repair shop near the back gate bridge at the west entrance of the alley.

Nearby residents would go there to get their motors and small machinery repaired. Later, the business shrank and it was converted into a hardware store, which operated until the 1990s when it was demolished. Many educated youth who returned to the city started working there as their first job.

In his previous life, Chen Weidong felt that the job was too dull and restrictive, and the pay was too low, which is why he chose to quit.

His older brother, Chen Jianguo, worked his way up from a laborer to a master craftsman, but not long after, the motor repair shop at the entrance closed down.

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Chen Jianguo lost his job in middle age, but later found another job in the factory using his skills, which he worked there until retirement.

"If all else fails, why don't you go and find Director Wang and ask him to come up with a solution? Staying in the village all the time isn't going to work. I still want to see my great-grandson."

Old Mrs. Chen said to Old Mr. Chen.

"Okay, I'll go ask about it tomorrow."

"Director Wang? Who is that?"

Chen Weidong asked curiously.

"That's Wang Liming, the deputy director of our subdistrict office."

Old Mrs. Chen replied.

"Deputy Director?! We have this connection in our family?"

Chen Weidong was truly surprised; he had never heard of this person in his previous life.

"When we first met him, he was just a clerk. His wife was giving birth and he had no one to help him, so your grandfather and I helped him out. We've kept in touch over the years, but we've never asked him for anything. We were planning to ask him to help you find a job when you come back, but we'll transfer you back first."

As Grandma Chen spoke, Chen Weidong also remembered that in his previous life he had gotten into a fight with someone, which was quite serious at first, but his family used their connections to get it over with. It seemed that the person they used was this Director Wang.

"Grandpa and Grandma, don't worry. The village where we went to work is currently processing applications for people to return home. I'll see if I can be selected. If I'm not selected, then you can ask someone else for help."

Chen Weidong felt that since he already had such a connection, using it here was a bit of a waste of talent. It would be better to wait and see, since such a favor would probably only be used once.

However, he admired Old Man Chen and Old Lady Chen from the bottom of his heart. Despite having such a relationship, they were able to keep it a secret for so many years.

Are you confident?

Old Chen took out his pipe and stuffed some tobacco into it.

"There are some. I'm not back to revise the manuscript this time. Once the article is published, if the response is good, the brigade and the county will definitely give it serious consideration."

"Will your article really get published?"

When Old Man Chen heard his grandson say this again, he was somewhat skeptical. Although he doted on Chen Weidong, the latter had indeed not been very literate. This was why he hadn't responded after Chen Weidong's first statement—he was afraid of embarrassing the child by asking questions.

"Old man, how can you talk like that? Since Wei Dong has said so, it will definitely be in the newspapers."

Old Mrs. Chen was a little unwilling and complained to Old Mr. Chen.

"Grandpa, this is a reply from the editorial department."

Chen Weidong knew perfectly well that probably only Old Mrs. Chen in the whole family could unconditionally believe what he said.

"October!? It really is written by a magazine."

Old Chen looked at the official seal on the back and said with some surprise. Although he wasn't very literate, he could still recognize an official seal.

"Of course, Weidong has been smart since he was a child. Let alone writing an article, he would be more than capable of being a street office official."

Grandma Chen moved closer to Grandpa Chen. Although she was illiterate, she still wanted to see her grandson's masterpiece.

Chen Weidong gave a wry smile. He wasn't cut out to be an official. Despite having lived two lives and knowing a lot, with his limited skills, he probably wouldn't even be able to get a deputy section chief position.

Someone of Wang Liming's rank would at least be a Party Secretary or County Head in Lin'an County.

"That's true. Compared to Jianguo and Aihua, Weidong is the smartest child in our Chen family."

Old Chen agreed with this point.

The three were chatting happily when they heard the door being pushed open.

"Father, Mother, what are you saying? Why are you so happy?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a middle-aged woman walked in. She was wearing a gray cotton-padded jacket on her upper body, black trousers on her lower body, a square cloth wrapped around her head, and her own handmade cotton shoes with "thousand layers" of cloth soles.

Behind them was a woman in her thirties, holding several pieces of homespun cloth, and behind her were two little boys, one tall and one short, with rosy cheeks, each holding a wooden stick, and shouting incoherently.

"Mother, sister-in-law."

The people who came in were Chen Weidong's mother, Wang Xiulan, and his sister-in-law, Zhu Xiaorong.

"Weidong! Why are you back?"

When Chen's mother saw Chen Weidong, she was first happy but then shocked. This was so unexpected; he had just written a letter a while ago without mentioning that he was coming back. Now he had suddenly returned, and she was afraid that she would hear some bad news.

A hint of surprise flashed in Sister-in-law Chen's eyes. Not long after she and Brother Chen got married, her brother-in-law Chen Weidong went to the countryside.

Chen's sister-in-law had heard some stories about the other party from her neighbors and family members.

"I have some business to attend to here. I'll stay at home for a few days, then I have to go back."

Chen Weidong gave a simple reply.

Grandma Chen immediately added happily, "This time Weidong's return is exactly what... what's it called?"

"October Magazine Publishing House"

"Yes, it was an invitation from the October magazine to come back and revise the manuscript. You'll be able to see Weidong's articles in the newspaper in a while."

The manuscript!?

Magazine?

Chen's mother and sister-in-law both looked at Chen Weidong, their eyes filled with doubt and disbelief.