The Li family men, hearing that their wives and children might soon belong to others, erupted in a chorus of panicked outrage. They unanimously pointed fingers, identifying the true mastermind.
“He asked us to do this!” they cried, desperate. “We just wanted to steal a few fish from your village. Brother Shengzi said that Captain Xu’s family was rich. He told us your daughter had cozy relations with the county factory director and carried bags of money. He said you didn’t care if we lived or died, that even with all your wealth, you’d fight us over a few fish and wouldn’t let us live in peace. That’s why we were so blinded by greed, we thought about setting your house on fire, so you wouldn’t get a penny!”
The bachelor, Shengzi, who had been promised a bride, immediately crumbled when everyone turned on him. He fell to his knees with a thud, frantically kowtowing to Xu’s mother. Xu’s mother, startled, quickly jumped back. To have someone neither kin nor friend kowtow like that outside of Chinese New Year was a grave omen, a threat to one’s very life!
“Hurry stand up and wait until our meal is ready! You have to compensate for the money our family has lost!” Xu’s mother demanded, her voice firm. “But we will not let off the mastermind. The rest of you will rebuild our house and then compensate us the five hundred yuan that was inside.”
Building a house, and then an additional five hundred yuan? How could they, mere laborers without steady jobs, earn such a fortune? This was surely a death sentence! Several burly men suddenly broke down into tears. “Auntie, we don’t have that much money!”
“No? Then you can discuss it in prison!” Xu’s mother snapped, her patience worn thin. Did they truly think she was easily swayed? They had dared to burn down her home; now they must bear the consequences. If she let them off easy with no repercussions, they would likely resort to murder next time. If it weren’t for the fact that these men had been instigated by someone else, she might not have been so lenient.
The men, clinging to a sliver of hope that a bribe might make her forget, instantly grew anxious when faced with the threat of jail. “No, no, Auntie, we will give you the money! Even if you have to lend it to us, we’ll pay you back!”
“It’s fine if you don’t pay. We’ll report it to the police. Second brother, go to these people’s houses and find someone to bring money to settle this.” At his mother’s command, Xu Laoer sprinted towards Lijiacun.
Not long after, several people were brought back, all from Lijia Village, led by the stern-faced Captain of Lijiacun. His face was red with anger, these men had brought shame upon his village. He glared at the kneeling Lijia villagers and delivered a swift kick to the youngest one. “You people have families! Why would you do such a thing? I think I should send you to jail to truly reflect on your actions!”
At the Captain of Lijiacun’s words, the expressions of the kneeling juniors twisted in panic. They scurried to him, weeping and pleading. “Captain, we know we were wrong, please forgive us! We have young and old at home, Captain, we can’t go to jail!”
Seeing that his point had been made, the Captain of Lijiacun turned to Xu’s mother, a guilty look on his face. “Sister-in-law, look at them. They realize their mistake. We will do as you say: build the house for you and compensate you for the money lost. But sister-in-law, you know we’re all country folk. How can our families have so much money? Perhaps I can ask them to write you an IOU, and I’ll ensure they’ve paid you back once the money is collected.”
Xu’s mother’s expression hardened. An IOU? What if they kept defaulting on the payments? Sister-in-law Xu offered a suggestion from the side. “Mom, I think if their family members come to work for us, you could directly deduct their wages.”
Xu’s mother’s eyes lit up. “That’s acceptable, but the character of these people isn’t very good. So, let these people do the most arduous work, without any technical content.” Having made up her mind, Xu’s mother smiled. “Since Captain Li has spoken, I must grant him some face. So, we’ll sign an IOU, and they will work with us to repay the debt. Once it’s paid off, they can leave.”
Captain Li immediately agreed. Everyone knew Xujiacun was recruiting workers, but their selection process was notoriously strict. These men were lucky to even be considered. Little did Captain Li know that Xu’s mother, far from being an easy touch, was a cunning woman with a strong desire for retaliation. When these men entered her employ, they would truly learn the consequences of offending her.
Xu Ying and Uncle Xu secured several more large orders on the train, finally returning home three days before the New Year. As they arrived at Yuxian Station, the festive spirit of the New Year enveloped them. The station was adorned with couplets and red lanterns, and every house they passed was similarly decorated, their front doors glowing with crimson light.
Xu Ying and Uncle Xu first headed to the factory. The workers at both the food and textile factories had been incredibly busy this year, laboring even through the New Year. The pay, however, was exceptionally high. Those who wished to return home for the New Year were, of course, permitted to rest, but most chose the enticing high salary, viewing this holiday as just another ordinary day. Consequently, almost no one took a break. However, the directors of both factories, being considerate of their workers, allowed them to take turns resting.
Xu Ying and Uncle Xu hadn’t even reached the factory gates when they found themselves greeted personally by both directors. Director Sun and Director Niu arrived almost simultaneously, their faces beaming as they looked at Xu Ying and Uncle Xu as if they were priceless treasures. “Oh, Xiao Xu, Lao Xu—bah, Jianshe, you’re back!” Director Sun chuckled, completely unashamed.
Director Niu’s mouth twitched. This old man was as shameless as ever. Naturally, he couldn’t be outdone. “Xiao Xu, Jianshe, the factory has prepared New Year’s benefits for you, as well as your salary for this period. Go back and get it! It just so happens that I also have something I want to talk to you two about. How exactly do we get foreign orders?”
Director Sun hadn’t expected Old Niu to launch such a direct attack, and he immediately grew anxious, stopping him abruptly. “Old Niu, you’re not playing by the rules anymore! Everything must be done on a first-come, first-served basis. Xiao Xu now works for our factory. So, naturally, you’ll come to our factory to collect your things first. Xiao Xu, Jianshe, everything is ready for you. Let’s go back and get it.”
Xu Ying and Uncle Xu exchanged bewildered glances, their confidence swelling with the attention. They were positively glowing.
“Director Sun, Director Niu, I’m in a bit of a dilemma,” Xu Ying said, feigning confusion. “I want to go to both of your factories, but I can’t be in two places at once.”
Director Sun puffed out his chest. “Come to my place first! You’ll come to my factory first. We were here first, so we should be served first!”
Director Niu, not to be outdone, grumbled, “No! I have something important to tell Xiao Xu!”
“I have something important too!” Old Sun retorted.
“Stop!” Xu Ying interjected, blinking innocently. “What’s the matter? Why don’t you just talk about it here?”
Director Niu glared at Director Sun, then turned back to Xu Ying with a wide smile. “Xiao Xu, how did you manage to get orders from foreigners?”
Director Sun immediately pricked up his ears. This was precisely what he wanted to ask as well.