As Liang Feifan and Shi Meihua resolved their differences, Chen Yang turned to slip away from the crowd.
"Benefactor, thank you for waking me up. Otherwise, I would have committed a great sin. Even if I return to the city, I wouldn't be happy for the rest of my life."
Chen Yang had intended to leave unnoticed, but Liang Feifan spotted him. He immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed respectfully to Chen Yang.
"Thank you, benefactor!"
Shi Meihua was about to have the children kowtow as well. She was not ungrateful. If Chen Yang hadn't enlightened her just now, their family would have fallen apart.
"This is a new era, and we don't adhere to such customs. Live your lives well, work hard together, and raise the children properly. That will be the greatest reward for what I've done today."
Chen Yang quickly stopped them. He truly disliked being showered with gratitude. He helped Liang Feifan up, said a few words to the couple, and then departed.
"Brother-in-law, you really have that air of leaving a great deed unfinished and disappearing without a trace."
"Rongrong, you're so lucky. Brother-in-law is truly amazing, daring to speak up for strangers."
Wang Ling watched Chen Yang, a man determined to abandon his wife and children for a divorce, being persuaded by Chen Yang to turn back from his wrongdoings in just a few sentences. Wang Ling had to admit, in her eyes, Chen Yang was a genius. It was a pity he was already Shen Rong's brother-in-law.
"Only after losing something do you understand its value."
"Moreover, the current social climate is not good. Many educated youths who went to the countryside are developing selfish thoughts as they see others returning to the city."
"Perhaps they are truly greedy for vanity, but more often, they are disgusted with the harsh living conditions in the countryside and want to cast off their rural burdens to live a life superior to others in the city."
"This is an act of extreme irresponsibility, and I find it very distasteful. While I may not be able to do much, I will do my best to save one couple at a time. Not everyone lacks feelings and responsibility."
"For those who truly have no sense of responsibility or affection, my words will be in vain, but they will have to pay a price. They cannot just abandon their wives and daughters so easily."
"For those who have a sense of responsibility and affection, perhaps by helping them overcome their inner turmoil, I can save a family. Why not?"
Chen Yang shook his head. He understood the preciousness of what he possessed because he had experienced the pain of loss. Shen Rong had also finished her registration and settled into her dormitory. Chen Yang and Shen Futang's mission was successfully completed. It was already afternoon, and it was too late to rush home. Chen Yang decided to take his father-in-law to a branch of the radio store in Fei City.
While inspecting the account books and business operations at the Fei City Department Store, the new manager of the department store quickly came to greet Chen Yang. How could he not? His predecessor was demoted to nothing for making things difficult for the radio store. Meng Hui Radio Store was now a provincial chain and the largest client of the entire industrial and commercial system. Not only were the leaders of the industrial and commercial bureaus in various prefectures highly valuing Meng Hui Radio, but even the Industrial and Commercial Department of An Province paid great attention to it. As the first private enterprise in the country, Meng Hui Radio not only opened branches throughout the province but also appeared in newspapers, catching the attention of high-ranking officials who praised it. With this alone, no leader in An Province dared to ignore Meng Hui Radio. Furthermore, Meng Hui Radio's monthly tax payments were solid cash delivered to the government. For a nation that was poor and blank like the country was then, every penny was a valuable one! Originally, the state paid its people's salaries, but who would have thought that one day, businesses run by ordinary citizens could continuously increase state revenue through taxation. Shen Futang was utterly amazed to see so many leaders, whom he had once viewed as aloof, showing such respect to his son-in-law. Of course, he knew better than anyone that their politeness had nothing to do with him personally; they were all showing respect because of his elder son-in-law. Nevertheless, Shen Futang felt proud. His son-in-law's prestige was his own prestige as a father-in-law. That evening, the manager of the department store and the heads of Meng Hui Radio stores in several nearby counties invited Chen Yang to a state-run grand restaurant in Fei City for dinner. Shen Futang felt even more honored. He felt as if he saw in Chen Yang a reflection of his own father before the family fortune was squandered. Back then, when his father went out to negotiate business, he had his entourage, and people from all over the country would beg the old man to first let them have some liquor. The line of horse-drawn carriages would stretch from the front door to the Tongbei Archway. Now, he felt that his son-in-law had similar capabilities, which proved that Shen Futang had good judgment. His father had ruined the family fortune, but perhaps his son-in-law could help him reclaim it. Shen Futang drank merrily, gulp after gulp. It was true that no one present could match his drinking capacity; they were all completely drunk. Chen Yang looked at his composed father-in-law and wondered if he should bring the old man along when he went out to negotiate business in the future. However, the thought was fleeting. What a sin, what a sin. His father-in-law was getting old. Even with his good tolerance for alcohol, how could his body withstand such drinking? They stayed at the guesthouse of the department store that night. Indeed, it was the provincial capital. The guesthouse in Fei City was much better than the one in Qinghe City. The next morning, the department store manager, despite being drunk the night before, still arrived early to prepare breakfast. After breakfast, he arranged for a truck from the department store to take Chen Yang to the train station. A four-wheeled vehicle! Even if it was just a tractor, it was still a symbol of status in those times. Chen Yang thought that in a couple of years, when FAW and Dongfeng increased their production, he would have to find a way to get a car. At least he wouldn't have to ride a donkey cart in the city where there were roads. It was close, it was close. The era of surging changes was quietly arriving, and rapid developments were happening all around. The journey back was much more comfortable than the journey there. There weren't many people on the train, so the father and son each occupied a row of seats and simply lay down to catch up on sleep. After noon, they traveled from Qinghe to Liuhe, and then went to their elder aunt's place to pick up the donkey cart and head home. Neither Chen Yang nor his father-in-law had the appetite to have lunch at their elder aunt's. They saved their stomachs for home. Seeing the father and son return, dusty and travel-worn, Liu Chunmei scolded them for not eating on the road. How could this father and son endure hunger until they got home without eating a bite along the way? Although Liu Chunmei grumbled, she nimbly started a fire and cooked. It was fine for the old man to go hungry for a meal, but she couldn't let her son-in-law go hungry. Time passed quickly. In a few more days, it would be time for the elder son-in-law to go to school. Liu Chunmei looked at Shen Xue, who was basking in the sun with her little grandson in the courtyard. She felt a pang of worry. With the elder son-in-law away at school, what would happen to her daughter? If the family was separated, it wouldn't feel like a family anymore.