Chapter 07: The Determination to Become Stronger

Over the years, my father has held a position of moderate authority, leaving the majority of household responsibilities on my mother alone. Now, as my mother gradually ages, her hair has turned completely gray. Upon returning home, Cheng Xu sees his mother busy with her tasks, and he can't help but feel a pang of emotion. He rolls up his sleeves as soon as he enters, eager to assist her.

My father serves as the village party branch secretary and receives a salary of 300 yuan per month, which is only enough to cover his monthly cigarette expenses

Mother quickly stopped Cheng Xu, pretending to scold him: "Stop it, go rest over there; this isn't much work. By the way, the pomelo trees we planted last year have matured, and we picked a basket from the barn. Go break a couple to taste the freshness."

Cheng Xu's father, Cheng Jianguo, is the village branch secretary of Shiban Village in Chengguan Town. During this time period when Cheng Xu returns home, he is either attending a meeting in the town or staying at the village branch.

At exactly 6:00 PM, Father appeared at the door on time. Upon seeing Cheng Xu, he greeted him with a hearty laugh, saying, "My son has returned."

Overall, although Cheng Xu's family faced some economic difficulties, it was very harmonious. Cheng Xu had never seen his parents argue. His father managed external affairs while his mother took care of internal matters, both being capable individuals well-known in the village. From a young age, Cheng Xu did not have to worry much about his living conditions, essentially growing up in a sheltered environment. This contributed to his carefree personality, leaving the officials in Sanxi Town with the impression that he was "not easy to manage".

Cheng Xu knew that his mother was a strong woman; once she made a decision, even ten oxen could not pull her back. It was only for this reason that his mother was willing to accept the money.

Mother knew that Cheng Xu was coming home today, and at this moment, she had already begun to prepare seriously at home

Just like that, the hard-earned family fortune accumulated over decades was reduced to nothing overnight

After dinner, my mother went to wash the dishes, and my father began to discuss "politics" with Cheng Xu. Now that Cheng Xu is also a civil servant, my father believes that Cheng Xu should understand these policy-related issues better than he does, which is why he brought up these matters with him. In the past, my father would have kept such thoughts to himself, and no one in the family would have spoken about them.

On the morning of the second day, when the bookstore opened, Cheng Xu was the first to rush into the store

Mother always manages things so methodically. Although Cheng Xu comes from a rural background, he is fully focused on his studies and rarely engages in household chores. He truly does not know where to start with the books and feels that he cannot be of any help, so he reluctantly sets aside the thought of assisting. He takes out the first one and a half months' salary, which he received all at once on Monday, totaling one thousand five hundred yuan. He keeps five hundred for himself and hands the remaining one thousand to his mother

The mother suddenly saw a stack of money, her eyes lit up, and she happily took the money, saying: "Goodness, it's salary time, over 1,000 yuan, which is even higher than your deceased father's quarterly salary. I told you my son is capable. I'll keep this money for you; you can take it whenever you need it."

The father took out a pack of Hongmei cigarettes, priced at five yuan per pack, pulled one out, and handed it to Cheng Xu. Cheng Xu waved his hand, and the father then placed the cigarette in his mouth, lit it with a lighter, exhaled a puff of smoke, and continued speaking: "In the past, when we had land, our food, clothing, and daily necessities all came from the land, and we even had surplus grain that could be sold for some money to supplement the household expenses. But after the land was requisitioned, the living conditions changed completely. Take the resettlement compensation as an example; it is said to be calculated at thirty times the average income from grain produced per mu of land. However, what will the tens of thousands of yuan we receive now be worth in thirty years? Last year, rice was only one yuan per jin, but this year it has risen to one yuan and fifty cents per jin. Who can say how much rice will cost in thirty years?"

After accepting He Jie’s hospitality, Cheng Xu returned home with the lingering aroma of fried chicken legs. The memory of He Jie’s scowling face while settling the bill made Cheng Xu chuckle, especially her remark at the moment of parting, "You are really not gentlemanly enough," which left Cheng Xu with endless afterthoughts, as if he had just won a great victory

It is said this way

The suffering of land acquisition is profound, especially for us vegetable farmers on the outskirts of towns

Upon hearing this, Mother handed the money back to Cheng Xu, shaking her head and saying, "No, no, you have just started your job, and there will be many expenses. Besides, I am still hoping that you will bring a girl home someday. Today's girls are quite practical; without money, how can there be any romance?"

What is even more concerning is that the compensation for the rural ancestral home of Sanbo was calculated according to rural housing standards, while the resettlement housing for the land acquisition was priced according to urban housing rates. Although there were some concessions, after purchasing the house, the tens of thousands in compensation were entirely invested back into it, and an additional tens of thousands from their original capital were also spent on renovations

That works as well

Mother finally stopped refusing, putting the money into her pocket, her face full of happiness

Cheng Xu's home is not far from the county town of Nanjian, located within the jurisdiction of Hetushu Town. It takes about half an hour to walk from the county's Party and government building to his home. One only needs to walk to the end of the newly constructed main road, which is forty meters long, and then take a small path for about ten minutes to arrive. The family's economic source mainly relies on growing and selling vegetables, yielding an annual gross income of around 10,000 yuan. Although life is tough, they manage to get by. However, in recent years, the high cost of university tuition has drained their financial resources.

The only thing that can be done now is to make oneself stronger, to gain sufficient influence, even if it is just in a corner of the world, or merely in a small space.

Seeing his mother's joy, Cheng Xu felt a sweet warmth in his heart. After all, his parents had toiled for twenty years, selflessly giving without ever asking for anything in return. Now that he finally had the opportunity to repay them, he was determined to do so wholeheartedly

Father is the highest official in the village, usually commanding great respect and authority. However, at home, he always yields to Mother, making him quite the agreeable person. Aside from the rare occasions when he smokes a few cigarettes in a bad mood, he is cheerful and extremely open-hearted at all other times

After a long conversation with his father, Cheng Xu realized the severity of rural issues. While cities are rapidly developing, they are also gradually encroaching upon and consuming the wealth of rural areas. The economy has developed, and prices have soared, but what about vulnerable groups like farmers? They are forced to passively bear the costs of the cities' rapid development, with no room for choice.

Isn't it said that the state must ensure that the living standards of farmers whose land is expropriated do not decline

Cheng Xu previously had some emotional understanding of land acquisition issues, but after hearing his father's words, he realized that this problem is indeed very serious

Father's words were immediately understood by Cheng Xu. Cheng Xu's third uncle was a farmer who lost his land due to expropriation. The place where his third uncle used to live was close to the city, and the land had been expropriated for nearly two years. Two years ago, his third uncle and aunt, both vegetable farmers, were quite capable, managing the land to supply vegetables to the residents of the county town, and their income throughout the year was decent, allowing their family to barely be considered moderately well-off. However, after the land was expropriated, both his third uncle and aunt fell into the category of "4050" personnel, making employment very difficult. Their son was not very ambitious, and after the expropriation, they only received a one-time compensation of several tens of thousands of yuan, after which their source of livelihood was cut off. Two years ago, his third uncle and aunt, both vegetable farmers, were quite capable, managing the land to supply vegetables to the residents of the county town, and their income throughout the year was decent, allowing their family to barely be considered moderately well-off. However, after the land was expropriated, both his third uncle and aunt fell into the category of "4050" personnel, making employment very difficult. Their son was not very ambitious, and after the expropriation, they only received a one-time compensation of several tens of thousands of yuan, after which their source of livelihood was cut off

Son, I heard that the county is going to requisition land again

Mother, this money is to show my filial piety to you

Mom, why don't you just keep it for me

Cheng Xu feels it is necessary to take some action, yet he cannot grasp the key points and the implications involved

Even in the face of hardships and thorns, there is no resentment or regret