Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 7 Old Xia

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The middle-aged man exhaled a smoke ring, his gaze lingering on Xiao Wei as he said, "We were just talking about this. Old Li wants to go south, but that's all rice paddies there. How are we going to manage that? The costs would be exorbitant. Besides, we only have this much flat land here; have we already taken it all? In my opinion, we should go west or north. The west isn't flat, but it's not some big mountain or hill, just a barren ridge with hardly any trees. Isn't that perfect? ​​The north only has a few hills; we can level them and build some steps. It won't cost much more."

Station Master Wang asked, "Is it feasible?"

The middle-aged man nodded and said, "Alright, it's settled. I'll build a few buildings for the county over there, and the grain depot here will be mine. That's about right. What more could I possibly want? I have to bribe you with cigarettes when I need to buy farm tools from you. What am I doing here? It's alright, I guess. We're from the same village. Old Li is alright. Is this the kid you're talking about?"

Station Master Wang turned to look at Xiao Wei, patted him on the shoulder, and said to the middle-aged man, "Yes, his name is Xiao Wei, he's my nephew. Xiao Wei, this is your Uncle Xia. To be honest, Old Xia, I treat him like my son-in-law. You'd better keep an eye on him. It's okay to be a little tired, just don't let anyone bully him."

Old Xia looked at Station Chief Wang seriously, nodded, and said, "Okay, I've got it in mind. Tell me, what do you want?"

Xiao Wei smiled, called out "Uncle," and said, "This is my first time in the city, I don't know anything. I'll do whatever you tell me, and I'll learn what I don't know. I definitely won't let you down."

Old Xia nodded, took a puff of his cigarette, and asked again, "Did you go to school?"

Xiao Wei scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "I only went to school for seven years. There was a lot of work to do at home, and I wasn't as good at studying as my younger brother, so I dropped out. My dad's back is killing him, and he can't handle the work anymore."

Station Chief Wang said, "His father used to work in the team, and he injured his back while working too hard. No one took care of him, and the family didn't have the money to see a doctor. It's been like this for over ten years, and now it's getting worse. It's unavoidable that Xiaowei can't go to school and has to work at home. His older brother joined the army, and his younger brother is still young."

Old Xia nodded again and said, "I was originally planning that if he had gone to school, he could help me manage the materials accounts, keep track of work hours, and be a little foreman. He wouldn't have to do any work, just run errands every day. Xiao Wei, this is the first time we've met, but since you're Old Wang's nephew, you're my nephew too. Remember what I'm saying, you have to study. Even if you don't go to school, you have to grit your teeth and learn something, or you'll suffer in the future."

Xiao Wei nodded.

Station Master Wang said, "I wasn't thinking of taking advantage of you. Just find him some work. This kid is capable. Don't let his thin appearance fool you, he's got some strength. I just wanted him to get out here, broaden his horizons, and learn something. He can't stay stuck farming for the rest of his life, can he?"

Old Xia thought for a moment and said, "Alright, then I'll take you on as an apprentice. No need to say anything more, just like I did, start as a laborer. First, serve the bricklayers, and once you're proficient in that, then you can move bricks. Xiao Wei, keep your eyes peeled and see how bricks are moved. Get along well with people. Moving bricks and laying mortar to build walls are the most tiring jobs on the construction site. They look simple, but there's a lot to learn, and they're the foundation of the entire site. Observe more, listen more, and do more. Don't find it tedious, young man."

Xiao Wei agreed and said, "Okay, Uncle, I'll do whatever you ask me to do. If I don't know how, I can learn. I'm not afraid of being tired; it's still easier than farming."

Old Xia nodded and said, "That's fine then. I'll take you there tomorrow morning and arrange a reliable job for you."

As soon as the door opened, Aunt Xia walked in, wiping her hands as she said, "What are you chatting about? Are you all done? Want to drink here?"

Old Xia nodded, pushed the things on the coffee table aside, and said, "Let's just keep doing this. There are no outsiders here. When you're done tidying up, come and have a drink. This wine is hard to prepare; every drink we have is one less we can have."

Aunt Xia agreed and turned to leave. Station Chief Wang asked, "Where's your daughter? Wasn't she supposed to be off school today?"

Old Xia stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and said, "He's out having a wild time. How can he possibly come home? He won't be back until it's dark. He's grown up, I can't control him anymore. He pouts as soon as I mention it. If he were a kid, I would have smacked him already. He's never disciplined."

Station Master Wang laughed and said, "We're about the same. Mine is the same too. I can't out-argue her even with two mouths."

Aunt Xia came in carrying a basin the size of a washbasin and said, "Please put something under your feet, it's a bit hot."

Old Xia reached under the coffee table and pulled out two copies of "Popular Cinema" magazine, laying them out on the table. Aunt Xia put down the basin, folded the rag she had used as a hand mat, and placed it under the coffee table, asking, "Want some garlic? Xiao Wei, do you want some vinegar?"

Old Xia shoved the things off the coffee table, saying, "Bring a few over here, whoever wants to eat can peel them. Bring in the vinegar bottle, pour it yourself if you want to eat, why all the formalities? Did you leave any for Xiao Xiu?"

Aunt Xia picked up a rag and walked out, saying, "Keep it, don't worry, she won't suffer any losses." She came back in a little while later with bowls and chopsticks. She set the bowls and chopsticks in front of everyone and said, "Let's get started, no need to be polite." As she spoke, she took a few cloves of garlic from her pocket and placed them on the coffee table, then took a bottle of white vinegar from her trouser pocket and placed it on the coffee table as well. She then turned around, pulled up a small stool, and sat down herself.

Old Xia picked up his chopsticks, tapped the edge of the bowl, and said, "Come on, eat. Has Xiao Wei tried some? It's a roe deer, just reached adulthood. These days, it's not easy to catch one of these; they've all gone to the mountains."

Station Master Wang picked up his chopsticks, wiped them with his hand, reached into the bowl and rummaged around, saying, "Hmm, it's been years since I've had this. You've been in the mountains?" He then picked out a piece of meat and put it in Xiao Wei's bowl.

Old Xia took out a few small wine cups from the small table next to the sofa and placed one in front of each person. He then took out a bottle of unlabeled liquor from the cabinet under the table, shook it, opened the cap with a bottle opener, poured a cup for each person, and put down the bottle, saying, "I don't have time to go into the mountains, and my health isn't good anymore. This was sent by the construction team down below. Come on, have a drink and try this liquor."

Everyone raised their wine cups and clinked them together. Each cup was worth five coins. They smelled it under their noses and then downed it in one gulp.

As soon as the liquor entered their throats, it felt like boiling water, scalding them all the way down to their stomachs. Then, the smell of alcohol came back out through their noses, and everyone couldn't help but open their mouths and exhale, sweat beading on their foreheads.

After picking up a piece of mushroom, chewing it a few times, Station Chief Wang said, "Good wine, refreshing."

Old Xia picked up a bone and started gnawing on it, then tapped the wine bottle with his chopsticks and said, "Pour it yourself."

Station Master Wang picked up the bottle, filled Aunt Xia's glass first, then Old Xia's, and then poured himself a cup. He put the bottle down and said, "Xiao Xiu, what grade are you in? Second year? You seem to be a year older than my Xiao Hong, right? Are you planning to take the entrance exam for higher education? Or are you going straight to work?"

High school students in 88 were not the same as high school students in later years. In those days, graduating from a vocational high school meant you were definitely a cadre, high school was considered a high level of education, and university students were the cream of the crop, considered as talent introduced to the government, and could choose their positions.

University students today are not even as well-regarded as vocational school students were back then.