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

Back in the small courtyard, Yao Sixi felt a pang of sadness again. What kind of home was this?

There aren't even two houses like this in Xiaowanzi Village.

"Dad, I bought the yard. It's dilapidated, but I like it. I've been living here ever since I graduated from school," Yao Xing said casually.

"You rest, Dad will go cook for you."

Yao Sixi felt an indescribable sadness; this child had suffered so much.

"Can you cook?"

Secretary Yao, who is bossy and domineering both outside and at home, can cook?

"I...I'll learn," Yao Sixi stammered.

"You rest, I'll go cook, and we'll have a drink together."

"Okay, but I'm full, so I'll just have a drink with you."

I could still eat; I ate four ounces of rice and was only half full.

Soon, Yao Xing cooked four dishes.

Stir-fried eggs with chili peppers, shredded potatoes, braised pork belly with cabbage, and peanuts.

The father and son climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), with a small quilt covering their legs. The kang wasn't heated, and the room was very cold.

"Look at you, what kind of life are you living? The kang (heated brick bed) is ice cold." Yao Sixi couldn't help but scold.

"Dad, have a drink of wine, it'll warm you up right away. I'll come back to sleep tonight; heating the kang (heated brick bed) is a waste of coal."

"You, aren't you the factory manager? The factory manager doesn't even have the money to buy coal?"

"Dad, we have some money. We should spend it where necessary and save where we can."

"Xing'er, tell your father properly, how did you become the factory manager? I'm not at ease with this, don't be fooled."

Yao Sixi squinted and took a bite of the egg. "Huh, what kind of chili is this? It's not spicy or fragrant. It's not as good as the chili from Xiaowanzi Village."

"Dad, it was luck. The disinfection plant was the first state-owned plant in the city to be contracted out to an individual, simply because it had been losing money all along."

"Aren't there designated disinfection units with fixed quotas? How could they possibly lose money?"

"Yes, even with fixed-point and fixed-quantity operations, we were still losing money. When the municipal leaders got angry, they contracted out the disinfection plant to an individual. The annual rent is 30,000 yuan, which also covers the cost of supporting the plant's regular employees."

Yao Sixi's hand trembled, and he couldn't eat anymore: "Thirty thousand? Son, do you know how much thirty thousand is? In our village, an ordinary family with two able-bodied men can only save two hundred a year. Now that the land has been distributed to individual households and the economy has improved, even if we save five hundred a year, it would take sixty years to save thirty thousand. Your father will die before you can pay off your debts. I told you there's no such thing as a free lunch; you've been cheated."

Yao Sixi was so angry that he searched everywhere for something, determined to beat her up first.

"Dad, you only see the rent, not the profit. The traditional disinfection business is enough to cover the rent and employee salaries."

"Then why do you still go out and do the sales yourself?"

"Dad, you're the brigade secretary, after all. Others have given you this opportunity, don't you want to make the most of it? I can't just stay here at the disinfection plant and barely make ends meet, can I? A leader has to lead everyone to a better life."

I went to the municipal party committee today. The party secretary assigned all the disinfection work for all government units in the city to our disinfection plant. Roughly calculated, it'll cost at least ten or twenty thousand yuan. A few days ago, I also visited some schools and small factories and got some business. Dad, don't worry, we can earn at least that much a year.

Yao Xing held up one finger.

"one thousand?"

"Dad, it's ten thousand. But even if I earn ten thousand, I have to use it to pay off my debts first. My principal of thirty thousand was borrowed from friends, and I have to pay interest."

"How much is the interest rate?"

"Borrow 30,000 and repay 60,000."

Yao Sixi is going to find something to beat the child again. That brat! Even Zhou Bapi wouldn't charge interest like this!

Children are easily deceived when their parents are not around.

"Dad, the 30,000 yuan principal was borrowed from the municipal party secretary and the provincial governor. They are honest officials and would not accept gifts, so I added my gratitude to the interest. Without them, I, Yao Xing, would never have become the factory director in my life. I will never forget their kindness."

Yao Sixi was stunned. His son, who looked simple-minded, was actually much more sensible than his father.

The disinfection plant earns 10,000 yuan a year. This profit doesn't belong to him alone; it comes from the leaders and friends who helped him.

My son is honest and knows how to repay kindness; that's why his future path will be wider and wider.

"Xing'er, your father is too shallow; he can't see even half a mile ahead. You're a good boy; you see far ahead. Come, have a drink with your father."

The father and son raised their glasses and drank half a glass of wine in one gulp.

Setting down his wine glass, Yao Sixi made a major decision: "Xing'er, you've taken over the disinfection plant, and the pressure is immense. I've decided that next year your mother and I will move to the city to help you."

Yao Xing hurriedly shook his head: "No need, there's no brigade secretary in the city. Besides, would Mother really abandon her pigs and chickens?"

"What brigade secretary? Your father is just an ordinary citizen now. When he was in office, people would call him Secretary Yao. Now, they'll avoid him."

"You... your Party Secretary got dismissed?"

"What's all this talk about 'land distribution'? Land has been allocated to individual households, and the brigade secretary position is now just a figurehead. Son, don't underestimate your father; I can handle business too," Yao Sixi said, patting his chest.

"Father, you can come, but I have a condition."

"you say!"

"First of all, you can't hit me."

"No, you're the factory manager. How can I hit the factory manager? You may be shameless, but I still have my pride."

"Secondly, I'm in charge of everything in the factory, and you're not allowed to interfere."

"OK!"

"Third, you do the sales, I'll give you a commission, there's no salary."

"Deal. Dad won't be going back before the New Year. Dad will cook and heat the kang for you. After the New Year, I'll bring your mother over, and I'll go out and do business."

Yao Sixi has only two children: his daughter is married, and he has this son.

Wherever their son goes, the parents must go too, otherwise they've raised their son for nothing.

Yao Xing thought to himself, it would be good if his parents came to the city. His mother could take care of the family, and his father could run some business. Whether they succeeded or not, they would both have something to do.

My father was obsessed with officialdom. Now that he's been dismissed, he can't hold his head up in the village anymore. He's depressed and might develop some kind of illness from holding it all in.

The father and son drank half a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor), but Yao Xing, unable to hold his liquor, fell asleep on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Yao Sixi didn't stop. He first went to poke the chimney. There were still some coal ash in the yard, so he started to heat the kang (a heated brick bed).

Tomorrow I need to buy coal, buy vegetables, and learn how to cook.

I brought more than 300 yuan with me before I came, but my son was under a lot of pressure, so I told him not to contribute any more money.

The kang (heated brick bed) was lit, and the room became much warmer. Yao Sixi opened the yellow bag and asked the old woman what she had brought to pack her change of clothes.

Smoked and dried pork, dried fish, dried bamboo shoots, chili pepper skins, eggplant skins, and dried green beans. There was also a dried rabbit that Yao Sixi couldn't bear to eat.

There was only a little meat in the house, and we brought it all for our son.

Parents' hearts are always full of worry; even when their child travels a hundred miles, the mother is still concerned.

Perfect timing! I'll make some stir-fried cured pork with dried bamboo shoots tonight; it'll be perfect with rice.

Yao Xing slept warmer and warmer, his cheeks flushed. Yao Sixi helped him take off his cotton-padded coat, scolding, "You brat, who sleeps in a cotton-padded coat?"

Yao Xing obediently took off her cotton-padded coat and murmured, "Mother!"

Sigh, it's not easy for this kid. He was expelled from school, went out to make his own way in the world, and even became a factory manager.

Who says that only studying leads to a future? My son will have a future even if he doesn't go to university.