This year, Xie Sui could truly be considered to have returned home in glory, giving back to his hometown. Last year, he had only achieved modest success, just enough to support his own small family.
Because Xie Sui was sponsoring impoverished students, those in the village who had planned for their children to drop out of school were reconsidering. If someone was helping their children with their education, why not send them?
Driven by the idea of "not taking advantage of free things is foolish," some also approached the village chief to apply for their children to be sponsored.
However, Xie Sui was not foolish. He believed in giving resources to those who truly needed them, not being taken advantage of. He explicitly set academic performance as a requirement, with sponsorships only for those who excelled and came from genuinely difficult backgrounds. The village chief would select candidates, and Xie Sui would also send people for on-site inspections.
This immediately filtered out more than half of the unqualified applicants, which naturally displeased some. They argued that if they were going to offer sponsorship, why shouldn't their children have the opportunity?
The village chief was furious. What was meant to be a good deed was being ruined by these people. If Xie Sui became angry and decided not to provide any funding at all, these troublemakers would have truly ruined everything.
Xie Sui, listening to his aunt's gossiping, remained unfazed. This was exactly what he had expected.
He had seen too many news reports in his previous life, like female celebrities building roads in their villages, only for the villagers to complain that the roads weren't built far enough, questioning why they didn't extend all the way to the county town.
"If you're so rich, why not build more?"
It was as if having money was a crime. Some even borrowed money and felt entitled not to repay it, simply because the lender was wealthy.
Xie Sui was prepared. As long as the trouble didn't reach him directly, he wasn't afraid. Could his money be used to morally blackmail him into giving it away?
He hadn't endured such indignities when he was a stranger in Hong Kong. To be manipulated in his own hometown would have been a life wasted.
With the village chief holding them back, the villagers ultimately did not confront Xie Sui. There was also the matter of road construction. Education was only one aspect, and they were not foolish enough to risk losing everything.
Xie Sui had experienced the grandeur of Hong Kong and seen how Lin Wanwan had transformed after her trip – her hair, her clothes, instantly setting her apart from the villagers, looking like a celebrity from a painting.
If not for Xie Grandma and his parents being accustomed to village life, Xie Sui would have moved his entire family to a big city by now, where they would have been beyond comparison.
And so, on New Year's Eve, Xie Chen finally returned. Seeing Xie Sui's family, he felt a little embarrassed, having done so many wrong things in the past.
Xie Sui also met his new wife. She was pretty and educated, a good match for him.
The new bride's name was Wu Linlin. Her father was a section chief in the county's urban construction bureau, a well-connected figure within the system.
Xie Chen was now the town mayor in a neighboring town. He had matured significantly after leaving his familiar surroundings and starting anew.
Strictly speaking, Xie Chen had married up. However, with Xie Sui, his cousin, around, the Wu family also highly valued Xie Chen. Being part of the Xie family, how could Xie Sui truly neglect his cousin?
Section Chief Wu was aware of Xie Sui's influence. The newly appointed Party Secretary had even invited Xie Sui to his home for a meal, a clear attempt to cultivate a relationship.
If it weren't for concerns about saving face, Section Chief Wu would have personally visited the Xie family.
Wu Linlin initially had a sense of superiority. But upon seeing Lin Wanwan wearing clothes she had only seen in magazines, Xie Lan's gold bracelet, and Xie Dad's watch, her arrogance crumbled. She knew Xie Sui had made money, but she hadn't expected him to be so wealthy.
Her attitude changed drastically. She diligently helped prepare the New Year's Eve dinner, much to the surprise of her aunt-in-law. This new bride, usually so haughty, had previously even looked down on the Xie family's new house in the village, with its independent bathroom and flush toilet. Now, she was proactively working, as if she had taken the wrong medicine.
Lin Wanwan, having navigated complex social dynamics for a while, had developed keen observational skills. She saw the admiration in Wu Linlin's eyes as they lingered on the gold bracelet, watch, and clothes, and understood her thoughts.
However, as they were merely sisters-in-law, Lin Wanwan didn't dwell on it. They would only meet once a year anyway.
"Sister-in-law, I really envy you for having four sons! But now it's not possible with family planning. You can only have one child. With your situation, you'll have to undergo sterilization."
Xie Sui suddenly remembered that family planning had begun and was about to enter its strictest phase. Pregnant women were afraid to leave their homes.
Upon hearing "sterilization," Xie Sui's heart ached. "We won't do any of that. Cutting open your stomach is too painful. If anyone dares to come and force my wife to be sterilized, don't blame me for falling out with them. We have enough children, and we won't be having any more. Next year, I'll have a word with the family planning officials and tell them not to bother you with this matter."
Lin Wanwan said, "Don't get so worked up, whether anyone comes for me or not. Sterilization is nothing. It's good that we won't have to have more children, saving me from constant worry."
She was already exhausted from having children, two at a time. Since Xie Sui returned, he had been very attentive to her, fearing another pregnancy. Raising children to be successful required constant effort throughout their lives.
"No, sterilization is bad for your health. If anyone has to go, it'll be me. You don't need to worry about it."
"Can men also get sterilized?"
Lin Wanwan had never heard of it before. She was also apprehensive about sterilization, as it involved an incision in the abdomen.
Wu Linlin said enviously, "They say my cousin-in-law dotes on his wife the most, and now I've seen it for myself. I only mentioned it casually; it's not like we have to do it."
"Thank you for reminding us. This is indeed something that needs attention."
Xie Sui knew the nature of some officials; they were driven by targets and would do anything to achieve them.
The smaller the place, the more power was concentrated in the hands of a few. If they encountered someone stubborn and dared to force Lin Wanwan into sterilization, she, being so timid, would surely be traumatized.
Xie Min said, "Let's not talk about this, it's scary. It's the New Year; let's talk about something happy."
Xie Sui said, "Second sister, don't be careless. You're also under family planning. You and your husband can only have this one child."
Xie Min said, "Ah, only one child? I wanted to have two more, preferably sons. Brothers have each other's backs. If my son is alone, he'll be a bit lonely."
Lin Wanwan said, "Aren't Qingqing and Wenwen your children? Second sister, you're favoring sons over daughters."
Xie Min rolled her eyes. "You're having sons one after another, so it's easy for you to say. I don't want to favor sons, but if I don't have a son, I'm constantly being talked about, almost drowned in a sea of saliva. I can't help it. When I was with my ex-mother-in-law, she gave me so much grief just because I had a daughter. If you don't have two sons, would our Grandma treat you this well?"
Xie Grandma immediately said, "I'm not that kind of person. I like great-grandsons and great-granddaughters equally. As long as they're born to Wanwan, that's fine."
Lin Wanwan smiled. "See? It depends on the person, not the gender. Don't bring up your old ways of thinking, it will make Qingqing and Wenwen sad."
Qingqing said, "Thank you, Auntie, for speaking up for me. I won't be sad; I'm used to it. Besides, Uncle and Auntie dote on us now. If Mom doesn't care about us, we'll just live with Uncle."
"Alright, Auntie dotes on you. In the future, when your Uncle builds a new house, I'll reserve a couple of rooms for you. If your mother doesn't care about you, you can come and live with Auntie."
Xie Min said angrily, "You two troublemakers! Haven't I doted on you enough? Your dad is practically picking stars for you. You deserve a spanking!"
Qingqing said, "You said 'Dad,' so you're not as good as Dad. You only care about your younger brother."
Wenwen came out holding her younger brother and said, "Brother pooped. Mom, come quickly and change his diaper."
The two girls were very fond of their younger brother. Qingqing was gradually becoming more cheerful and was more willing to speak her mind, which was good. Expressing dissatisfaction was better than keeping it bottled up.
This was also a credit to Chen Weimin. He truly doted on his two daughters. Only children who are truly loved can be innocent and happy; it was evident at a glance.
Wu Linlin envied their good relationship. Thinking of her own sister-in-law, her expression soured. She always seemed to be looking for trouble.
The New Year's Eve dinner was lively. Xie Sui set off fireworks, which lasted for a full half hour. The entire village peered out their windows, wondering how much money that would cost. It was a waste just for the spectacle.
After dinner, they watched the Spring Festival Gala. Xie Sui was already dozing off. He had been very busy these past few days and was exhausted.
Du Feiyang and Doudou Dingding played with firecrackers and also taught them English, becoming the children's foreign language teachers.
According to tradition, they were supposed to stay up until dawn. However, Xie Sui didn't want the children to stay up late. He fell asleep at twelve o'clock and was awakened by the sound of firecrackers outside. The Spring Festival Gala had also ended. He rubbed his eyes open.
He pulled Du Feiyang to stay up with him, letting the children go to rest. They chatted about their plans for the coming year, drinking wine and eating snacks, and felt no drowsiness.
After dawn, before breakfast, they had to set off firecrackers again. Mother Xie got up early to make dumplings; they had to eat dumplings on the first day of the New Year.
The cooked meat prepared before the festival was sliced and served. After eating dumplings, it was time to pay New Year's visits.
The children were the first to pay their respects to the elders. Lin Wanwan had prepared thick red envelopes and distributed them to the children one by one.
Wu Linlin, as the new bride, also had to give red envelopes. Mother Xie gave her a thousand yuan. Wu Linlin squeezed the thickness of the envelope, and her smile became even brighter.
Lin Wanwan, as the sister-in-law, didn't have to give red envelopes, which made Wu Linlin a little regretful.
The children surrounded her to pay their New Year's respects. Wu Linlin took out the red envelopes she had prepared and gave them to them, each containing one yuan.
In the village, this was not a small amount, but compared to what Mother Xie had given, it was indeed not much.
Xie Sui's family went to visit their neighbors and elders in the village. The children were left at home under Mother Xie's care. As they went around the village, people greeted him, and he gave red envelopes to any child he saw. He had no idea how many he had given out.
Each red envelope contained ten yuan, and he gave one to almost every child in the village. It was the New Year, after all, and it was about happiness, not caring about a little money.
Some were grateful and praised Xie Sui for his generosity. Others thought he was showing off, but of course, they didn't dare say it to his face.
After paying their New Year's visits, they returned home for lunch. The afternoon was relatively free, involving playing cards and drinking tea. The young people in the village gathered to liven things up.
Xie Chen pulled Xie Sui aside to talk about the development of the town and leading the villagers out of poverty. This was now the primary task of every cadre.
Xie Sui was not familiar with the situation and offered no advice. Economic development in the village was not realistic.
However, their village had plenty of land. With the responsibility system in place, as long as people weren't lazy, they could eat their fill and send their children to school.
Furthermore, with Xie Sui's factory buying the large cabbages planted in the autumn at a high price, there were no absolutely impoverished villages, so Xie Chen didn't need to put too much effort into it. He was simply not satisfied and wanted more achievements.
As they were talking, a guest arrived. It was the young people who had previously followed Xie Sui to harvest peaches and make canned goods and dried fruit. They were the young leaders of the surrounding villages. Xie Sui greeted them warmly, just as he had before.