I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

In the early summer nights in the countryside, the daytime heat has subsided, and a cool breeze carries the fragrance of the earth.

The night was quiet, yet bustling with activity. The chirping of crickets, their fighting, and the croaking of frogs created a symphony of summer.

A small dining table, a pot of tea, a few roasted sweet potatoes and potatoes, a bamboo bed, a few stools—the family gathers around, talking about this year's harvest and dreaming of a bright future.

Good days, these are good days. We are well-fed and clothed, the whole family is together, and the old man looks at the noisy younger generation and smiles for no reason. He smiles with great satisfaction.

"Qiaoqiao's mother, are you home...?"

The courtyard gate rang, and Qiaoqiao's mother quickly got up to open it.

"Third Aunt, have you eaten? Come in and sit down."

"I just ate. I heard my in-laws are here, so I came to check on them."

My aunt was carrying a basket with a dozen or so eggs inside.

"We don't have anything good at home. My in-laws and Qiaoqiao saved my Fenglin, so we should thank them." Auntie San smiled awkwardly.

"Auntie, please sit down and have some tea."

Qiaoqiao stood up to offer her a seat, and Qiaoqiao's mother accepted the eggs.

"Auntie, Fenglin is doing quite well in the provincial capital; he's already got a job at a garment factory."

Qiaoqiao was afraid that her aunt would worry about Fenglin, so she quickly reported on Fenglin's situation.

"That child has been gone for more than half a month without sending a single letter. I'm so worried."

"Don't worry, Brother Jintao treats him very well."

"I believe in Jin Tao. Without his mother, the world will be at peace. I heard that Jin Tao's mother even extorted five hundred yuan from you?"

"Auntie, this matter is over, please don't mention it again."

"Shameless woman! My daughter suffers all the hardship, while she reaps all the benefits. Now, Fenglin and Jintao aren't home, and there's no one to help us. We haven't even paid our grain taxes yet. I'm so worried!"

After finishing her words, Auntie looked at Zhou Zhonghai with a sorrowful expression.

"Xiao Gu, get up early tomorrow and deliver the public grain from Fenglin's family to the grain station." Zhou Zhonghai instructed Gu Quan without hesitation.

"yes!"

"Oh dear, I just said I'd come and ask, but Fenglin's father wasn't willing."

"Auntie, if you have any difficulties, just say the word. Fenglin isn't here, but I'm still your daughter," Qiaoqiao said sincerely.

"How could I? You've helped Fenglin so much. I wouldn't ask for help unless it was really difficult. Everyone says it's better to raise a son, but I think daughters are just as good. Qiaoqiao is married so well. She has such a big house, and she even has a jeep to deliver grain. My Fenglin has suffered. If it weren't for Zhao Jintao being such a good kid, I wouldn't have agreed to it."

"Auntie, Fenglin's life is getting better. Once Brother Jintao graduates, he'll become an official. You can just wait to enjoy your life."

Qiaoqiao felt heartbroken whenever Fenglin was mentioned.

"I'm just a mother-in-law, I don't deserve any special treatment. As long as they're both doing well, I'm content. Qiaoqiao's mother, I'm going back now. Get some sleep, I have to get up early tomorrow. Minister Zhou, thank you."

"It's nothing, it's nothing, no need to be so polite. Take care of yourself too."

"They're all such good people, such high-ranking officials, yet they have no airs at all. My Fenglin..."

Qiaoqiao's mother accepted the eggs, put a small bowl of ribbonfish in the basket, and saw her third aunt out.

"We've accepted the eggs. There's nothing good at home, but Qiaoqiao brought back a bowl of ribbonfish. Take it back and try it. Now go home, and deliver the grain to the government early tomorrow."

"Hey, hey, Qiaoqiao's mom, thank you, thank you Minister Zhou."

"Go back quickly. Go back."

After closing the courtyard gate, Qiaoqiao's mother sat quietly beside Xiaowei, picked up a palm-leaf fan, and fanned her grandson to keep away mosquitoes.

"Besides Fenglin's family, there must be many other people in the village who haven't paid their grain tax, right?" Zhou Zhonghai asked.

Qiaoqiao's father said, "That's right. There are only two carts in the village, and each cart can carry two or three hundred catties. They have to give priority to the elderly who don't have strong laborers at home, and to some families without men. In our family, the only strong laborer can carry at most two hundred catties. It's more than ten miles round trip, and it takes one or two hours each way. It takes a whole day to carry 1,200 catties of grain."

"My dear in-law, ask Zhao Gui tomorrow if he has any real difficulties at home. He can come to Xiao Gu. I'll be in Dashui Village these few days. I'll help him out if I can."

"That's great, but it'll be tough on Xiao Gu."

"It's no trouble at all, just a step on the gas." Xiao Gu readily agreed.

The official car of the provincial Minister of Agriculture was turned into a cart for transporting grain, much to the delight of the villagers of Dashui Village.

The next day, Gu Quan delivered a cartload of grain to his aunt's family and brought Gao Bing and Wang Jiakun back to Dashui Village.

Gao Bing was uneasy. With such a big incident at the grain station yesterday, he was sure to be scolded today.

Only Grandma and Zhou Zhonghai were at home in the Yang family; Xiao Wei and the others had all gone to the fields to plant soybeans.

The three sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed) in the west room, and Gao Bing timidly offered him a cigarette.

"More than half of the households in Dashui Village have not yet paid their grain tax. Last night, someone came to me to see if my car could help transport it. This morning, Xiao Gu went to help deliver the grain tax."

The common people are honest; if they don't pay their grain tax, they can't sleep or eat well. Once they pay the tax, they've accomplished a great task. Then look at our public officials, who, for personal gain, try every means to squeeze every last penny out of the farmers for their hard-earned money. Gao Bing, it's truly disheartening.

"Minister Zhou, it's my responsibility," Gao Bing said, bowing his head.

"Once a problem is discovered, it must be solved and dealt with to prevent it from happening again."

Zhou Zhonghai steered the conversation to the main point: "About seven days after the soybeans are planted, we'll start digging up the potatoes. Your commune will send people down to collect them. They'll pay six cents per pound. After they're collected, they'll be transported to the warehouse to dry. Next month, I'll be sending these potatoes to Beijing and Shanghai. If anyone again tries to exploit the farmers or extort money from them, those employees at the grain station will suffer the same fate."

"Yes, Minister Zhou, I guarantee there won't be any more problems," Gao Bing solemnly assured him.

"Gao Bing, I believe in you. As the commune secretary, you have certain powers. Some people were promoted by Zhang Wei, and their style is similar to his. They are arrogant and domineering, even asking farmers for an eggplant peel. It's an insult to the Party's honor."

You've been in this position for two years now, haven't you? Those who need to be dealt with should be dealt with, and those who deserve promotion should be promoted. You don't have your own people; no one is on your side. How can you get the work done?

Zhou Zhonghai's words brought Gao Bing to tears: "Minister Zhou, thank you for understanding me."

"This time I've opened a crack, and those bastards at the grain station will definitely be fired. Take advantage of this momentum and conduct a thorough investigation. Don't be afraid; if anyone dares to threaten you, just say it was my order."

"Minister Zhou..."

Gao Bing wanted to shout, "Minister Zhou, you're like my own father!"

"Alright, to be a leader, you have to have guts. Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up."

After speaking with Gao Bing, Zhou Zhonghai looked at Wang Jiakun and said, "That tea plantation is planted in Dashui Village. It's actually your brigade's property. You need to send someone to water it and weed it. In three to five years, it might be a considerable income."

"Yes, Minister Zhou."

"Wang Jiakun, I heard that Maojia Village next door used to fire kilns before the Cultural Revolution?"

"Yes, when the movement started, all the kilns were smashed."

What kinds of things do they burn?

"Water tanks, jars, bowls, kettles, they can all be boiled."

"If the county allocates some funds to you, can you get the kiln up and running again?"

"Yes, of course you can."

Wang Jiakun was excited but also felt it was a difficult situation, so he stammered, "Minister Zhou, wouldn't it be illegal for us to fire kilns privately?"

"Previously, private kiln firing was not allowed, but starting today, it is permitted. These days, I've been thinking that farmers cannot get rich by farming alone; they must rely on side businesses. Farming in the summer and firing kilns in the winter doesn't interfere with the crops and can generate extra income."

"Minister Zhou, if we can fire kilns, the able-bodied young men in our brigade won't have to gamble in the winter anymore; they can all come and earn money."

Wang Jiakun was overjoyed; he had caught a lucky break.