Chapter 51: Seeking the Birth of a New Life (1/3)

Five-thirty in the afternoon.

Wang Qiang set out for the banquet, riding his bicycle out the door.

Halfway there, a sudden gale erupted, whipping up dust from the ground like a savage beast, fiercely assaulting the frail little town. The abrupt onslaught swept through without warning, plunging the once-bright world into a sudden realm of terror and darkness.

Startled, Wang Qiang realized he hadn’t brought his raincoat. He summoned all his strength, pedaling his heavy bicycle with determination, and finally managed to reach the Golden Sea Restaurant just before the rain began to fall.

He had barely parked his bicycle under the shed when, with a crash, the world was instantly drenched by a torrential downpour.

Wang Qiang felt relieved that he’d hurried, and walked along the eaves toward the restaurant’s main entrance.

Though called a restaurant, it was much like any country building. Yet in this era, in a small town, it was considered rather upscale.

He pushed open the door.

Inside the hall were four or five round tables, filled with people both young and old, the air lively with laughter and the sound of toasts.

A chubby, middle-aged man approached, “Young man, did you reserve a table?”

Wang Qiang, tidying his clothes, replied, “Table reserved under Boss Lu.”

“Lu Dahai? Oh, upstairs, the large private room.” The man led the way.

Wang Qiang followed him up the stairs to the second floor, heading west. Through the window, he could see that the world outside was already drenched in rain.

The man opened the door and called inside, “Dahai, your guest has arrived.”

A hearty voice rang out, “Little Wang’s here? Come in!”

Wang Qiang stepped inside and saw two tables laid out. Lu Dahai and his wife, Secretary Li, Mayor Zhang, and Liao Wenfeng were at one table, several workshop supervisors at another, along with a few unfamiliar leaders from the Jin Gong Machinery Factory.

As soon as he entered, Lu Dahai beckoned him over, “Little Wang, come, sit with us.”

Smiling, Wang Qiang greeted everyone as he walked over, all the while thinking about how he would find a chance to return the watch to Lu Dahai.

After some polite conversation, the dishes began to arrive. Lu Dahai personally poured wine for Secretary Li, Mayor Zhang, and Wang Qiang, then raised his glass, “Secretary Li, Mayor Zhang, for the first toast tonight, rather than to you, I’d like to toast Little Wang.”

Wang Qiang immediately stood up, waving his hands, “I couldn’t possibly accept—let me toast everyone instead.” He drained his glass of yellow wine in one gulp.

Across the table, Mayor Zhang laughed, “Little Wang, you’re refreshingly straightforward. Secretary Wangliang and I were talked into coming here by Dahai. He said if we missed this dinner with you, we’d never get another chance.”

Secretary Li smiled with narrowed eyes, “That’s right, Little Wang. We submitted the 7s, and the higher-ups are very satisfied. Let me toast you.”

Wang Qiang hurriedly returned the toast, somewhat flustered.

He hadn’t expected things to move so quickly—just last week they’d submitted it, and this week it had already been approved? No wonder Secretary Li and Mayor Zhang had come; perhaps it was to thank him.

The group drank and laughed, chatting about family matters, occasionally picking at the dishes.

After several rounds, the atmosphere mellowed, and everyone began discussing their own affairs.

Wang Qiang hesitated for a long while before finally turning to Zhang Aiguo, “Mayor, I have something I’d like to trouble you with. I went to the town office this afternoon to find you but you weren’t in. I was planning to go again tomorrow morning.”

Everyone looked at him, and the room quieted for a moment.

“Oh, Secretary and I were at a county meeting this afternoon,” Zhang Aiguo said, setting down his glass. “What is it? Go ahead and say.”

Qin Xiaohui chimed in, “Mayor Zhang is very capable—it’s just a matter of a word, isn’t it?”

Zhang Aiguo laughed, “Don’t flatter me, you’ll embarrass me.”

Everyone chuckled.

Wang Qiang carefully chose his words, “The new school term is starting soon, but for certain reasons I’d like to study at home. I’m afraid the administration at Fourth Class High might not approve, so I was hoping you could put in a word for me.”

“That’s all?” Zhang Aiguo slapped his chest, promising, “No problem.”

Wang Qiang added, “I won’t go to school for the next three years.”

Lu Dahai couldn’t help but ask, “Not going to school? Then what will you do?”

“Why do you care what Qiangzi does?” Qin Xiaohui shot him a look, then turned to Zhang Aiguo, “Mayor, is this difficult for you? If it is, Dahai and I can help out with some money to smooth things over with the school.”

Lu Dahai nodded at this, clearly agreeing.

Wang Qiang felt a little embarrassed—the couple was being too good to him. He was about to say it wasn’t necessary, but the mayor spoke first.

“I’ll have Old Fu say a word,” Mayor Zhang agreed, then asked with curiosity, “But what will you do if you don’t go to school?”

Seeing everyone watching him, Wang Qiang didn’t hide anything. He answered honestly, “I want to go to Guangzhou and Shenzhen to earn some money. My family is poor—I have no other choice.”

Lu Dahai, thinking he meant to work as a laborer, clicked his tongue, “If you’re going to work outside, you might as well come work at my factory. Like I said before, at least a thousand a month.”

“No, no,” Wang Qiang explained, “I want to go there to buy goods and come back to do some business.”

Secretary Li, who hadn’t said much before, suddenly spoke up, “Going to Guangzhou and Shenzhen to buy goods?” He frowned, “Guangzhou isn’t a problem, but if you’re going to Shenzhen, you’ll have trouble getting in without a border permit.”

A border permit?

What on earth was that?

Wang Qiang truly didn’t know, so he asked, “Can’t I go to Shenzhen without a border permit?”

Secretary Li nodded, speaking unhurriedly, “The state established a boundary between the Special Economic Zone and the rest of the country to cushion the impact of reform and ease mainland concerns. Goods approved for import to the SEZ enjoy low or zero tariffs. The management line of the zone stretches from Beizai Point by Dapeng Bay in the east to Anle Village by the Pearl River estuary in the west, a full 90.2 kilometers. There are six checkpoints at Nantou, Shawan, Buji, Baimang, Yantian, and Beizai Point. These are managed by the border police and customs. Without a border permit, you can’t get in.”

Mayor Zhang nodded emphatically.

Wang Qiang humbly inquired, “If I want to get a border permit, which department do I go to?”

“If you’re with a work unit, they have to approve you first, but you don’t have one, so that doesn’t apply,” Secretary Li replied carefully. “For your situation, you need to get a political background check from your village, then the town, then take it to the police station for further review, and finally go to the county public security bureau to get the permit.”

Wang Qiang let out a disappointed sigh—clearly, getting a border permit was a complicated affair. It would probably take at least ten days, maybe half a month, to get approved.

Qin Xiaohui noticed his disappointment and smiled, “Secretary Li, can’t you help Qiangzi out?”

Secretary Li said nothing, picking up his glass and looking at Wang Qiang with interest.

Wang Qiang gave a wry smile—he understood. Secretary Li was waiting for this—for Wang Qiang to ask, so the favor owed could be repaid. “Secretary Li?”

With a sip of wine, Secretary Li replied, “Alright, I’ll have someone take care of it for you tomorrow morning. Come pick it up at noon.”

“Thank you, thank you, Secretary,” Wang Qiang said gratefully, pouring himself a full glass, “This toast is for you.” He downed it in one go.

If he hadn’t come to the banquet today, he might have hurried to catch a train only to be stopped halfway, and he’d have nowhere to turn.

Truth be told, it was fortunate that the secretary and mayor owed him a favor from last time. Otherwise, neither the school nor the border permit would have been so easy to arrange.

All in all, Wang Qiang was quite satisfied with the day. If there was one regret, it was that Lu Dahai never gave him a chance to return the watch, sticking close to Qin Xiaohui the whole time. Naturally, Wang Qiang couldn’t do anything to cause a quarrel between husband and wife, so he could only keep that favor for now.

...

The next day.

Wang Qiang steeled himself and bought two packs of Red Pagoda Mountain cigarettes, one each for Mayor Zhang and Secretary Li. Though they had owed him a favor, he couldn’t possibly show up empty-handed.

In those days, Red Pagoda Mountain was a luxury brand, on par with the later Chunghwa and Su Yan—something presentable.

After picking up the border permit from the town office, Wang Qiang had lunch with his mother and then set off with his prepared change of clothes.

By the roadside.

Tears streamed down his mother’s cheeks as she lamented, “You’ve never been away from me before, and now... now...”

Seeing her like this, Wang Qiang’s memory flashed back to his first year leaving home for university, when his mother was equally reluctant to let him go.

A pang of sadness hit him, but he knew he couldn’t let himself linger in it. He forced a smile, “Just think of it as me going on a trip.”

Sobbing, his mother said, “Qiangzi, remember—safety first, always. Even if you don’t make money, all I want is for you to come back safe and sound.”

Wang Qiang nodded hard, his eyes already wet. He knew his mother had a thousand things to say, but in the end, she said only, “Come back safe”—the one thing a mother wishes most for her child.

She didn’t pray for his success.

She didn’t hope he’d make a fortune.

Safety and health—those were her greatest wishes.

The bus arrived.

His mother bargained the fare down to eighteen yuan.

As Wang Qiang stepped onto the bus, his mother couldn’t hold back anymore and began to sob, choking out, “When you get there, find a way to call the village and let us know you’re safe.”

Wang Qiang could no longer hold back either—a tear slipped down his cheek. Afraid his mother would see, he hurried to wipe it away, then turned and gave her a reassuring smile. “I will.”

The bus pulled away.

Carrying Wang Qiang’s dreams and his mother’s longing, it headed south, crossing the mighty Yangtze, rolling on toward Shanghai, the economic center of the Far East.

Sitting by the window in the third row from the back, Wang Qiang watched the old era speeding by outside, and a wave of nostalgia welled up in him. It was just like the first time he left home for Suzhou to study, except this time, he wasn’t seeking education, but the birth of a new life, a new future.