Chapter Forty: Leadership Directives Bought with Money

The next day, Liu Weidong returned to the second team carrying the cigarettes and alcohol he had bought. He handed the receipt to Accountant Xu for accounting, and the village issued him an IOU.

“Weidong, come with me to the commune. If I meet Secretary Li and Director Ma, I can find out what the village has been up to lately, and you won’t have to make the trip back and forth.”

Liu Weidong could only agree.

He wasn’t keen on going to the commune—not only because he wanted to avoid Director Ma, but also because he did not want to see Li Hong.

A grown woman being seen naked by a man creates an indescribable awkwardness upon meeting again. Although Li Hong appeared quite natural, Liu Weidong was not used to it.

When the horse cart neared the commune, Liu Weidong asked Sun Wang to stop.

“Uncle Jianguo, you go to the commune by yourself. Sun Wang and I will wait here on the cart. I don’t want to see Director Ma, and I definitely don’t want to see Li Baotian.”

Wang Jianguo nodded, grabbed his things, and hurried off to the commune.

Sun Wang pulled the cart closer to the roadside and squatted down with Liu Weidong under a big tree to smoke.

“Weidong, you keep putting money into the team, but there’s no end to it, huh? Whatever we do, the commune knows about it. Li Baotian must be gossiping behind our backs.”

Liu Weidong sighed. “Knowing doesn’t help. Li Baotian’s family is from the second team—you can’t just chase him out. I don’t mind advancing money to the team, but I’m no bank. There will be times I can’t cover it. If the second team wants to get rich, aside from policies, the members themselves have to work harder. Relying on those few work points won’t get us anywhere.”

As they were talking, Sun Wang suddenly got up. Liu Weidong looked up and felt a pang in his heart—Li Hong was riding a bicycle towards them.

“What a coincidence, Weidong. I always see you when I go to the commune. Why are you squatting here? Didn’t you go in?”

“Weidong, you two keep talking. I’m going to the latrine.”

Sun Wang didn’t finish speaking before running off.

“I’m here accompanying our secretary. I have no business at the commune. Have you finished your paperwork?”

Li Hong nodded. “After the educated youth made a fuss, Secretary Li called your team directly and told Li Baotian that if he kept playing the invalid, he wouldn’t have to come to work anymore. The next day, that bastard went back to work. His legs look fine now; he’s not limping anymore.

When I went, he didn’t dare make trouble for me and stamped the papers quickly. I’m worried about how to find work back in the city now. After my father died, my mother remarried. I have no support in the city.”

Her eyes grew a little red at this, and Liu Weidong didn’t know how to comfort her.

Even though he sympathized with Li Hong’s plight, they were not related, so he had no reason to help her find a job.

Seeing Liu Weidong remain silent, Li Hong gave a bitter smile. “I’m just venting to you to feel a little lighter. Don’t be afraid—I’m not asking you for anything. Okay, I’m leaving now. Next time I go back to the city, I’ll find you and Yanru to hang out.”

After speaking, Li Hong rode off on her bicycle.

Liu Weidong muttered to himself as he watched her retreating figure.

What does she mean by coming back to the city to hang out with me and Yanru? Isn’t my home in the countryside?

“That girl is really pretty, just a little less so than Lou Yanru. She seems a bit unstable. I think she might be interested in you, huh?”

Liu Weidong was daydreaming while watching Li Hong’s back when Sun Wang unexpectedly said this.

“Damn, Sun, you scared me! Don’t talk nonsense. She’s just Yanru’s classmate. When did she ever have feelings for me? If anyone heard that, I wouldn’t be able to explain.”

Sun Wang looked at Li Hong’s back and licked his lips. Liu Weidong fought hard to suppress a laugh.

That gesture fully expressed an old bachelor’s love for a widow and his yearning for a happy married life.

Not to mention Li Hong was going back to the city, even if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be interested in Sun Wang. People like her look for the wealthy and powerful.

After waiting more than an hour, Wang Jianguo finally came out of the commune, his face conflicted. He walked up to Liu Weidong and grabbed his cigarette, taking a few puffs.

“What’s wrong, Uncle Jianguo? Was the talk with the leaders not ideal?”

Wang Jianguo sighed. “What kind of leaders are these? Secretary Li supports our village doing side businesses, but Director Ma is firmly opposed. He says the whole commune is starving except our village where members can eat their fill. He says we’re up to crooked schemes and that if we keep going, we’ll fall into the abyss of the bourgeoisie.”

Liu Weidong chuckled bitterly. “It’s hard when the two leaders in the commune have opposing views. So, did Director Ma just take your gifts and feel justified?”

Wang Jianguo snorted. “Director Ma said the past is past and it won’t happen again. So I gave the gifts and got that much in return. Weidong, forget Director Ma—do whatever we need to do. Besides, Secretary Li supports us. He’s the real boss of the commune.”

Seeing Wang Jianguo so righteously indignant, Liu Weidong didn’t want to dampen his spirits.

Secretary Li the boss? All power in the commune’s departments ultimately belonged to Director Ma. Even if he was the boss, what use is a punch with empty hands?

Underforest planting was relatively hidden and wouldn’t be harvested until the following year. Liu Weidong could only pin his hopes on the loosening of policies next year.

“Uncle Jianguo, we can do it, but the agricultural research institute won’t give us seedlings on credit. Don’t expect that from me again. Yanru is about to take her college entrance exam—I can’t have a single penny left in my hands.”

Wang Jianguo patted Liu Weidong on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ve figured it out. We’re going to cut trees, right? This time I’ll sell the timber, not buy grain. I’ll tell outsiders the seedlings are for replanting trees. I’ll plant all the trees with the money without sharing the profits. What can the leaders do to me if they find out?”

Liu Weidong gave a thumbs-up. “Brilliant, truly brilliant. The older the ginger, the spicier it gets.”

On the way back to the city, Liu Weidong kept thinking about planting.

Growing medicinal herbs isn’t like growing mung beans. Herbs can be harvested intermittently and replanted, with low investment and easy management. No other production team could compare since only the second team was adjacent to the Great Green Mountain, enjoying naturally favorable conditions.

Once back in the city, he immediately called the agricultural research institute to confirm the seedling prices. Next, they just had to wait for Wang Jianguo’s timber to come down the mountain.

He hadn’t been to the machinery factory for several days. Liu Weidong went home, grabbed his bike, and headed to East Gate. Without a phone or pager, and with Song Yi not knowing where he lived, no one could reach him.

Upon entering the first workshop, many workers had gathered in a crowd, even standing on iron frames.

As soon as Liu Weidong entered, someone spotted him.

“Engineer Liu, Engineer Liu is here! Make way so he can see what’s going on!”

The workers hurriedly parted a path. Liu Weidong immediately sensed something was wrong.

On the operation platform, Song Yi and Master Liu were sweating profusely, fiddling with several polished parts.

“Weidong, you finally came! Master Liu and I have been trying all day but can’t assemble this. I measured several times and found nothing wrong.”

Seeing Liu Weidong approach, Song Yi finally relaxed.

Liu Weidong said nothing but carefully measured the parts with calipers. After measuring, he smiled.

“Worker Song, Master Liu, our machine is basically a copy of foreign equipment. I only made improvements. The foreign designs already account for patent security. If you dismantle it, you can’t put it back together. Otherwise, why would we need foreign experts for repairs?

Take these parts—they show no issues no matter how you measure them, but they just won’t fit together. The reason is simple: thermal expansion and contraction. Find someone at the chemical company to get a few cans of liquid nitrogen.”