Chapter Fifteen: Candlelight Night Talk

  "Acute appendicitis perforation, fortunately sent in time, now nothing serious."

  Director Qi walked out of the operating room with a hint of fatigue and announced the good news to everyone.

  Liu Jun couldn't help but secretly laugh when he thought of the scenes from his past life in movies and TV shows. He usually laughed at directors for lacking creativity, always giving doctors lines like this cliché. But now it seems that's actually where they come from - real life! As soon as Director Qi came out, he opened his mouth and said exactly the same thing?

  Just as Xiao Qing was having surgery, Director Yan and Liu Jincai had already asked about the situation in general.

  Liu Jincai was a thorough atheist, who dared to go alone in the dark and messy graveyards. He hated people who pretended to be gods or ghosts the most. When he listened to Liu Ye's vivid description of his son and Shifu fighting against each other, he couldn't help but look delighted.

  Director Yan's expression was even more exaggerated, and he even applauded: "Great, great, Jin Cai, I'm so envious that you have such an awesome son!"

  Liu Jincan smiled and said: "Director, it's not good to praise a child like this, or he'll be spoiled."

  Come on, Dad!

  Liu Jun said in his heart.

  It's only been a few days since he became an administrative cadre, and his speaking skills have improved again. According to Liu Jincai's personality, in the past, he would definitely make a joke about Yan Yucheng's topic. At that time, they belonged to different units, so making jokes was harmless. Now, however, they are in a superior-subordinate relationship, and Yan Yucheng has shown him kindness, so it's not suitable for him to make jokes without restraint. Appropriate humility is necessary.

  In officialdom at home, this hierarchy has always been taken extremely seriously.

  Liu Jincai addressed Yan Yu as "Director" instead of "Director Yan", which is also very particular. It conveys both closeness and respect. The difference of one word, yet it's full of subtlety. These meticulous considerations, I suppose no one would have discussed with him, should be Liu Jincai's own thoughts.

  It seems that Liu Jincai from his previous life was just lacking such an opportunity. Once the opportunity arrived, Liu Jincai's performance was quite impressive.

  Director Qi announced that Xiao Qing was out of danger, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Seventh Sister immediately grabbed Liu Jun's hand and wiped away her tears. Liu Jun couldn't take it and suddenly felt uncomfortable all over his body.

  Liu Jinping, being a man after all, knew to save face and repeatedly thanked Director Qi, then bowed to Yan Yucheng. As for Liu Jinchang, he was from the same family branch, so it would be redundant to say thank you. However, Liu Jinping felt embarrassed to thank Liu Jinchang, so he shifted this intention onto Liu Jun's head.

  "It's really thanks to Xiao Jun this time... If it wasn't for him, our Xiaqing would have been done for..."

  Good grief! Qī Niáng's tearful eyes had already made him feel miserable, and now Qī Bó was coming at him with another move - wasn't he going to let people live?! In an instant, Liǔ Jùnzhēn felt an overwhelming urge to go berserk.

  Alas, this show-off hero also has to pay a price.

  Yan Jian saw Qi Ba's garrulousness and was about to continue boasting, but Liu Jun couldn't help but look at Yan Yu Cheng for help.

  It's unclear whether Yan Yucheng didn't understand his meaning or was intentionally teasing him, but he ignored Liu Jun's plea for help and instead intensified the joke, laughing and saying: "That's right, Little Jun has really made a great achievement this time. They say saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I think we should give you a big award!"

  Liu Jun suddenly felt a strong hatred for this future Taoyang County magistrate.

  Fine, fine, fine! Since you're so eager, just wait and see what I'll do to you.

  "Uncle is so petty, such a big achievement and he just gives out a certificate, it's like coaxing a child!"

  "Huh?"

  Yan Yucheng's mouth was wide open and couldn't be closed.

  "So what do you want as a reward?"

  "I want a bonus!"

  "Xiao Jun, don't talk nonsense."

  Liu Jincai's face suddenly fell. Children being lively and mischievous is nothing, but when the timing is right, they can be quite likable. But once they get a whiff of copper smell, it's completely different.

  Yan Yucheng waved his hand to stop Liu Jinchai, a smile still on his face: "Then how much bonus do you want?"

  "This, I haven't calculated carefully, having an appendectomy isn't a major surgery, the hospitalization fees and medical expenses for the next few days will add up to around 40 yuan or so."

  To change the subject, Director Qi wouldn't even give a second glance to a little brat like Liu Jun. In front of the two directors, it's not good to make a big deal out of it.

  "Alright, Uncle Yan, I want a 40 yuan bonus."

  "Haha, Jin Cai, your son is really something else. Little guy, are you trying to get us to waive the medical fees for your Seventh Uncle?"

  Liu Jincai just laughed along with him. As for this matter, he couldn't express his attitude clearly, after all, he had to avoid suspicion.

  "Yes, Uncle Yan, the Seventh Master's family doesn't have money to treat Little Qing's illness. If they had money, they wouldn't have called that what's-his-name shaman to catch ghosts either."

  Yan Yucheng stopped smiling and looked at Liu Jun very seriously, nodding his head before turning to Liu Jincai and saying: "Jincai, I think we should take this matter seriously. It's been so many years since the destruction of the four olds, but rural commune members are still so superstitious, it's unbearable."

  This remark was exactly what Liu Jinchai wanted to hear, and he immediately nodded: "Good. Director, I think it's better to have a big cleanup, arrest all these fake masters and witches, send them to the reservoir construction site to do some labor, also give them a lesson, and thoroughly publicize the necessity of destroying the four olds throughout the commune."

  "En en, this method is good, let's do it like this."

  Liu Jun was stunned, thinking to himself that Yan Yucheng was indeed born to be an official, and with just one sentence, he had diverted the 40 yuan prize money issue and vented his anger on Shi Gong's wife. It wasn't unreasonable of him, after all, 40 yuan was not a small amount, equivalent to his monthly salary. Moreover, there was no specific provision for it, and it couldn't be given out casually. If every member of the commune who fell ill were to have their medical expenses waived, he, as the commune director, would be in trouble.

  It's just a pity for those masters and witches who are going to be caught and sent to repair the reservoir for no reason.

  At that time, the repair of water conservancy was led by the government, and each big team contributed labor. The calculation of work points did not include cash rewards. This was still normal work, but if it were those problematic people with bad records from each big team (landlords, rich peasants, counter-revolutionaries, and bad elements), every time during this period, they would be caught and sent to a study class, forced to work without even calculating their work points. They had to bring their own food.

  This dictatorial means is really formidable. A commune's revolutionary committee director, a minor official from the army, unexpectedly has the prestige of a "Marquis of a Hundred Miles", to put it in a very common way, "stomping one foot can shake the mountain". These powerful dictatorial means are not insignificant.

  Jian Yu saw Liu Jun pouting, looking very upset. Yan Yucheng laughed and said: "Little guy, you opened your mouth too wide, but Uncle won't give in to you. Not only is there no prize money, but the certificate is also gone. Haha, miscalculated, didn't you?"

  At this time, Liu Jun didn't say anything and turned to Director Qi saying: "Old Qi, since the patient's family is having a hard life, your hospital should try to be more considerate and give them some discounts or exemptions if possible."

  Lao Qi was also a very perceptive person and immediately burst out laughing, saying: "Director Yan has given instructions, Lao Qi will naturally follow them, you can rest assured."

  ……

  Arrange accommodation for everyone. Qiuniang stays in the clinic to take care of Xiaoqing, Liu Jinping and Ruan Chenglin return to Liujia Mountain overnight. The commune only has a three-room guest house, but they don't want to spend that money either. Anyway, it's not far, about 10 miles or so. As for Liu Jun and the three children, they can't rush back on the night road, so they stay in the commune.

  Liu Hua studied at the commune middle school, and after Liu Jincai was transferred to the commune, he also arranged a dormitory for her. Liu Ye and Liu Yan squeezed onto one bed with Liu Hua. Fortunately, the weather wasn't too cold, so they could make do for one night.

  Liu Jun lives in his father's house.

  Just as he lay down on the bed, Yan Yucheng pushed open the door and walked in.

  "Director, you've been working all night and must be exhausted, why don't you take a rest?"

  Liu Jincai was slightly surprised.

  "Can't sleep. Might as well chat with you."

  "Alright alright, I couldn't sleep either... Director, please sit down."

  Director Yan sat down, glanced at Liu Jun and smiled: "Forget it, little Jun is also tired, should have a good rest."

  Liu Junyi sat up and said, "Uncle, I'm not sleepy."

  Liu Jinchai said: "You still have to study tomorrow."

  Liu Jun pouted: "I'm tired of reading books every day, I want to have a day off and play."

  Thinking of Mr. Zhou's schedule, Liu Jincai suddenly felt extremely sympathetic towards his son and nodded: "Okay, okay, just play for a day. You go to sleep first."

  "Uh-huh."

  Liu Jiong just closed his eyes, and Liu Jincai took out a cigarette: "Director, smoke."

  Dad, aren't you doing this on purpose?

  Liu Jun shouted again in his heart.

  He used to be a heavy smoker in his past life, smoking more than two packs of cigarettes every day. After reincarnation, his body no longer had the addiction to nicotine, but the wonderful smell of tobacco still made him feel itchy and hard to bear.

  I was originally prepared to pretend to sleep and eavesdrop on their conversation. Now I'll just close my eyes even tighter, out of sight, out of mind.

  Alas, Heaven is also teasing me, can't I just travel back a few years? Even if it's only three to five years, arriving in the early 80s, I would be around ten years old, and many things would be much more convenient! Even if I still couldn't openly smoke, at least I could eat meat a few more times a month. A guy who has been craving meat and cigarettes since '76 is really pitiful!

  Huh? Weren't we supposed to be chatting? Why has it been so quiet for a while now?

  Liu Jun opened his eyes curiously and saw Yan Yuchen's serious expression, seemingly with deep worry, Liu Jincai's expression was also not light.

  "Alas...haven't these four been crushed? Why isn't there any adjustment in the central policy?"

  Yan Yucheng took a deep drag on his cigarette, exhaling heavily with a sigh. Liu Jinchai didn't know what Yan Yucheng was getting at and didn't dare to ask questions, so he just nodded.

  "Let's just talk about what happened tonight. There are probably many members like your seventh brother who don't have the money to take their kids to see a doctor. This can't keep going on."

  "Yes, year after year of hard work and poverty, without great efforts to develop production, will ultimately not solve the fundamental problem."

  "Yes, large-scale collective production, eating from the same big pot, going out to work and returning together, everyone loafing on the job. The collective has no savings at all, can't invest, the land's fertility is getting poorer year by year, and yields will only get lower and lower!"

  "This is a dead knot, as long as the central policy doesn't change, this dead knot can't be untied."

  Liu Jun secretly sighed. At that time, many grassroots cadres and even ordinary members of the commune realized the harm of "big pot rice", but were powerless to do anything about it. He knew that it would not be until two years later, at the end of 1978, that eighteen peasants in Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County, Anhui Province, dared to take a risk and secretly implement household contract responsibility system, thus opening the curtain for rural reform and opening up across the country. However, now was still too early. For such a fundamental policy direction, it was far beyond what grassroots cadres like Yan Yuchen and Liu Jun could shake off. Arbitrarily inciting them to tread on this minefield would absolutely bring harm without any benefit. By the time history proved they were right, it's likely that there would be no chance for them to make a comeback.

  Liu Jun thought anxiously, was there any way to increase production and harvest without offending the current central government policy, and change the poor and backward face of his hometown? However, he was completely helpless in this matter, even though he had traveled back from the future.

  "Let's wait a little longer, maybe there will be changes in central policy soon."

  Liu Jinchai comforted Yan Yucheng and also comforted himself.

  "Hmm... Winter is approaching, and several large teams in the north of the mountain are likely to run out of food... In that case, I'll go there tomorrow to take a look. This year we must not let people starve to death again."

  The area under the jurisdiction of Hongqi Commune is relatively large, and most of it is barren mountainous areas, especially in the north. It's truly a poor and barren land with many people but little arable land, where locals have to eke out a living by farming on rocky terrain. Even into the 21st century, the poverty in several villages in the northern part of the commune remains shocking, barely scraping together enough food for survival.

  Listening to Yan Yucheng's words, it seems that several large teams in Shanbei had starved to death in previous years.

  "I'll go with you."

  "No need. Someone has to take care of things at home too."

  Liu Jincan smiled: "Isn't there still Director Zhang? He's the second-in-command."

  "Hey, he..."

  Yan Yucheng shook his head and stopped talking. Although he was on good terms with Liu Jinchao, after all, he didn't want to belittle his deputy in person.

  Liu Jincai didn't say much more and smiled: "Don't worry, go ahead, I'll take care of things at home."

  According to the internal division of labor under the leadership of the Revolutionary Committee, Liu Jincan was ranked after Director Zhang and was the third in command. However, everyone knew that Liu Jincan was close to Director Yan and was a native of Hongqi Commune, with prestige surpassing that of Director Zhang.

  "With you at home, I can rest assured. Go to bed early."

  Yan Yucheng patted Liu Jinchai's shoulder, stood up and prepared to leave. He glanced at Liu Jun's sly appearance and knew he was eavesdropping. He couldn't help but stretch out his hand and slap him, laughing and scolding: "Little guy, big devil!"