The Analects of Righteous Father's Collapse Chapter 7

Chapter 6: Unquestioning Filial Piety 7

Author: 打字机N号

T /N: This is a MTL work. I tried to edit as best as I could, any mistake plz do put your comment and I will edit it ASAP. This is my first attempt on chinese novel so please cheer me up! I hope you will find this novel as interesting as I do.

It's already 1 a/m at my side of globe, so I will post the remaining two chapters tomorrow or the next day. Well I am aiming for 10 chapters max per month. Fighting!

In the following days, Jiang Liu gradually put focus of on making money. Everything that he brought to the market was immediately sold out. Soon, the people from the same commune began to take notice of this matter. From the initial sympathy, gradually, different voices began to emerge. 
　　
“Have you heard that?” 
　　
That night, Wang Xuemei could not fall asleep as she kept thinking of the rumours that she heard from others during the day. She simply shook her sleeping husband awake to talk to her. 

“Heard what?” 
　　
Jiang Hai who was awakened from a good sleep was naturally unhappy. But his wife's identity was special. His current job was also arranged by her father. Therefore, no matter how angry he was, he could only suppressed it. 
　　
Wang Xuemei's family conditions could be considerably well-off. Her father was the principal of the only primary school in the commune. The truth is, he was not elected to become the principal due to his high academic qualifications. Instead, it was due to the fact that Wang Xuemei's uncle was the deputy director of the commune.

During the early years of Cultural Revolution, there were many professional who had been severely victimised. Anyone who really had the ability had been sent to the farm to be re-educated. This included the previous principal of the school. Looking at this, Wang Xuemei's father, Wang Duoyu decided to take advantage of the situation. Because of that, their family condition was getting better and better. Since then, many others intellectuals had been continuously sent to work at farm. Therefore, their family status continued to strive. 
　　
According to her family background, Wang Xuemei should be able to marry into the family living in town or even in the county. Yet, she was infatuated with the fair and handsome Jiang Hai. Thus, she determined to marry him no matter the opposition from her family. 
　　
At that time, the high school had been suspended. As for Jiang Hai who was still in high school, his qualification was those of a junior high school diploma. The family conditions were also ordinary. Yet, because of his identity as the third generation of poor farmers, he could be regarded as someone with a political capital. (T/N: During cultural revolution, the farmer were regarded in higher position compared to the intellectual.)
　　
Yet, there were too many poor farmers in the country, therefore it was not such a rare thing. 
　　
But who made Wang Xuemei's attitude so firm. This couple even provoked unmarried pregnancy which became a huge scandals at that time. The Wang family couldn't do anything but recognized their relationship. The Wang family also helped to arrange a teacher's job for Jiang Hai in the commune primary school. 
　　
In conclusion, the reason for Jiang Hai to be able to work as a teacher was all relying on the support of Wang's family. Therefore, at home, his wife had become more and more compliant, and even dared not to give him any face

“It's your big brother. These days, I heard that he kept making some fresh things to be exchange with stuff at the market. It was said that the business was very good, and all the things that he brought to the market can always be sold quickly. ” 
　　
When Wang Xuemei first saw those couple moving the thatch into the house, she was still waiting to see a joke. After all, what kind of money can be made from the thatch grass which was like a weed? She even gave hers away since it had been occupying the space at home. 
　　
In her opinion, Jiang Liu was stupid to the extreme to even contemplating on weaving those weed. 
　　
“From what I listen from other people, they said that your older brother earned this much for one day.” 
　　
Wang Xuemei made a five figure with her hand. When she caught someone talking about it, she heard that Jiang Liu earned up to seven or eight yuans per trip. Yet, Wang Xuemei believed that it might due to the exaggeration from others. She believed that the amount should be slightly reduced. But she did not know that the real amount of money that Jiang Liu earned, far exceeded the number circulating on the team. 
　　
This was also the general idea of ​​everyone. In their view, the things that were made from thatch could not worth that much. Even if you can sell six or seven baskets, the price should not be topping the sky. 
　　
“You think about it. Big brother went to the market twice a month. Therefore, in one month he can get up to ten yuans. For one year, there will be one hundred and twenty yuans. He basically made a fortune for himself.” 
　　
Jiang Hai was a teacher in the commune primary school. The wage was 10 yuans for each month. However, in reality, the annual income of Jiang Hai was actually far higher than what Wang Xuemei knew. Jiang Hai was actually a shrewd person. He only claimed that the commune gave him a salary of ten yuan a month. He actually kept 5 yuans every month to himself. As for the money in the house, from time to time, he also take some from the old lady with varying of excuses. If they were really to make an honest calculation, the money that the second house has was already a big number. 
　　
According to the speed of money that they thought Jiang Liu earned, it was still far from catching up to them. 
　　
But Wang Xuemei didn't think so. She was so proud of her family achievement. She couldn't bear looking at others getting better than her. Now that she knows that the other person's life was enriched, she was getting disgruntled.
　　
Especially when she thought of the past. Whenever the Jiang Liu's couple made money, it was all handed over to the public fund. All the money handed over to the in-laws of course will directly handed over to them, the second household. So why should there be any difference now? Now, as she watched the first household are getting better, for Wang Xuemei, it hurt her like someone cutting off her own meat.
　　
“It is okay for him to do the business in the right way, especially now, when no one is managing the market. But I think that he need to be careful since there are people have been caught selling things at the market in the past few years.” 
　　
Jiang Hai and his wife were not the same. When heard his big brother was doing this kind of business, he could not help but felt that his action was not correct.

“You talk with Da Jie tomorrow, let the big brother to exercise some restraint. If the policy were to change, he might suffer from it. Even though we are now separated, but after all, we are still a family. If he were to do something wrong, we might be implicated by it."
　　
Jiang Hai was not worried about his big-headed big brother. But he was worried that the other party's capitalist road will affect his political composition and undermined his future. 
　　
“There was nothing to worry about. So many people in our commune are rushing to the big market. They are even people in the patrol team joining them. You still don't understand what I wanted to say. You think about it. When we yet to separate the family, how much did your big brother earned? If he knew how to do the thatch handicraft, why did he still toiling in the field to earn mere work points every day? He said he wanted to live a good life, but since he was so capable, why did he owed the hospital at the beginning? At this rates, he should be able to pay off the debt in half a year. Yet, he hide this matter and still pursued mother-in-law to preside over the separation. He let us having the bad reputation while he maintaining his dignity as a big brother. You said that your big brother is a pig. But he was a tiger for deliberately doing this kind of things.” 
　　
The more Wang Xuemei thought about it, the more she felt that Jiang Liu was no longer honest and foolish. It seemed that he was nothing but an insidious and cunning villain who step by step trapping them in his ploy. 
　　
“Why do you think so? If he can have that brain and know how to calculate, do you think that my mother will be partial to me now?” 
　　
The identity of the eldest son was like a trump card in the country. If Jiang Liu was naturally a savvy person, then his mother would naturally be bias towards him. But it was because he was too stupid and too honest that Jiang Hai managed to have a good day. 
　　
So for his big brother foolish nature, Jiang Hai had never doubted it. 
　　
“You are too good-hearted, always thinking about your big brother. Anyway, I feel that the couple had never been sincere."

Wang Xuemei muttered unhappily.

“I am not willing. I am not reconciled. After we separated, we still need to take care of the elderly. The pressure is all on us. But now that Jiang Liu able to earn money, he should shoulder at least half of the responsibility to support the house. I have to find time to talk to mother-in-law about this.”
　　
Anyway, Wang Xuemei felt that she had suffered a loss. How can she be reconciled to let others free? 
　　
After listening to Wang Xuemei, Jiang Hai turned silent. 

He also felt that he had been suffering needlessly during this time. In other family, it was usually the eldest son who need to take responsibility over the household. How come when it was his family, he was the one who had to do it? If mother was to seek his older brother as what his wife had been saying, according to the filial piety nature of the big brother, he doubt that his brother will refused them. 
　　
He still has two sons, and the family was also burdened by it. It was also understandable that he wanted his big brother to support the family. 
　　
The night talks of the couple end, yet the discussion on Jiang Liu among the team members had become more and more intense. 
　　
Humanity was indeed like this. When you are in trouble, no one will feel jealous and everyone is willing to help you. However when your life is getting better than others, the number of people who pity you was smaller compared to the people who wanted you to go down.

It was the selfish nature of human being. Since human move according to their own self-interest., there was no way to distinct others by being pure black or pure white. 
　　
Living in the same circle, Jiang Liu also knew that after the spread of the news of him earning money, his days will definitely fall into uncertainty again. But he had long thought of a way to deal with it. 
　　
For him, the range of business that he could do in the market was still too limited. For this kind of business, one person is enough to complete all the weaving tasks independently. The items that can be woven every day was also limited. How can he legally and reasonably expand the production scale and increase the sales market? This was the most important thing to ponder about. 

***** 
　　
“Comrade, may I know who is the person-in-charge here?” 
　　
Jiang Liu asked the captain to issues him a pass, and then came to the city with his most proud masterpieces. 
　　
He inquired around for the city's largest department store and then went to the counter that specialized in selling daily necessities. He then tighten up his face give himself a tense look before shyly and timidly asked the salesperson at the counter. 
　　
“Why are you looking for our manager?”

The young salesperson was very friendly and didn't look down on him even though Jiang Liu's cloth was full of patches.
　　
"I am a member of the Red Star production team in Taifeng County. We are a poor villagers who worked on the field. After we spent our wage on food, we left with nothing to pay back to the commune. The members of our team feel that the country and the party had given their immense support to help us the farmers. Therefore, we decided to turn this plant called thatch into a treasure. By creating possible income for the commune, we believe that we will be able to generate profits for the country.”

When Jiang Liu first talk, he had a hopeless expression as if he do not know where to place his hand and feet at this seemingly clean, neat and big shopping mall. However, when he started talking about their aspiration to help the country, his eyes suddenly turned brighter and eager that it almost blinded the salesperson's eyes. 

“You see, this is the work compiled by the members of our team. This items were made beautiful and strong, therefore it can be used to store small objects such as cream. As for the bigger basket, it can be used to store large things such as clothes. The captain of our team asked me to come over and ask if you are interested in this. If it is so, our production team can sign a long-term supply contract with you.” 
　　
Jiang Liu's attitude was too sincere that it made the young salesperson felt overwhelmed. 
　　
“You wait here, I will go and ask our manager.” 
　　
The salesperson was just an ordinary and insignificant worker who couldn't made any decision. Therefore, that salesperson proposes the idea of finding the manager so that Jiang Liu can personally met the person-in-charge. 
　　
“Thank you, comrade. You are really a good-hearted comrade.” 
　　
Jiang Liu continued to thank the young salesperson who could not help but become ashamed and decided to walk even faster. 
　　
“Hey, this country comrade, can you show me the thing in your hand?” 
　　
After the young salesperson left, some customers who had come to the counter to buy things looked at the pieces that Jiang Liu brought over. Looking at the item, the people around him began to ask for the price. 

When the manager of the department store came over, those scene were the things that greeted his eyes.

Chapter end