Rebirth: Seven Years in a Great Dream

Chapter 8: One Million

Mu Dong, of course, had plenty of reasons. He explained that it wasn’t about dredging sand from the river, but rather stockpiling it. A big boss in Quancheng saw potential in this business (this big boss was, of course, Han Yong), and the sand could be shipped to other regions where prices were higher. Furthermore, the big boss was prepared to invest 500,000 into this venture. 500,000! The people around him gasped and stared at Mu Dong in astonishment. In an ordinary rural village like Mu Village, most families made a living through farming and odd jobs; 500,000 was a colossal sum for any household. Of course, even by today’s standards, it remains a colossal sum. Mu Dong continued, “I’m bringing this up now mainly to discuss it with everyone. Those of us with money should contribute money, and those with labor should contribute labor—let’s all work together on this.” Mu’s father said, “Isn’t a big boss putting up the money? Why should we chip in?” Mu Dong replied, “Their investment is their own. We can ride this wave and invest a little ourselves. When we make a profit, we’ll share it among everyone.” The group fell silent, each weighing the matter in their own minds. Zhong Guodong, Mu Dong’s brother-in-law, said to his sister, “Xiaoxia, since Dongzi wants to do this, let’s support him a little. What do you think?” Mu Xiaoxia replied, “Our brother’s business is our business too. I think he’s capable. Besides, since someone else is taking the lion’s share, we’re just tagging along for the ride.” Mu’s father asked, “If you get into this business, what about your job in the city?” Mu Dong replied, “I’ll juggle both. After all, we’ll still be shipping the sand to other places, won’t we?” Mu Dong didn’t mention quitting his job. He planned to get the business up and running first; once they started making money, he’d explain the situation to his parents, and they’d be more likely to accept it. As for shipping the sand out of town, that was just a cover story. Mu Dong couldn’t very well say, “We’ll stockpile it for a few months, and the price of sand will go up.” Who would believe that? As for the price increase later on, he could simply say that selling it locally was already profitable, so the big boss didn’t want to ship it out anymore—that would make perfect sense. What Mu Dong hadn’t anticipated was that, in the end, most of the sand would actually be shipped out of town. Mu’s father said, “We’ve got a little money at home—go ahead and give it a shot.” Second Uncle and Second Aunt were both honest, hardworking farmers; seeing that their eldest son had committed to the venture, they also expressed a willingness to join in. Auntie No. 3 said, “We’d love to join in too, but we’ve got two kids in school to support. We really don’t have the money, so we’ll have to sit this one out.” Uncle No. 3 frowned but said nothing, just silently smoking his cigarette. Mu Dong thought to himself: Just as I expected! Among Dad Mu’s five siblings, the only ones who were relatively well-off were Uncle Mu San and Aunt Mu Da. Aunt Mu and her husband ran a restaurant in the county seat, and their business was going very well. Uncle Mu had spent his early years selling vegetables in other towns, building up a nest egg early on. Later, as he got older and didn’t want to keep traveling around, he returned to the village and opened a general store, which has since gradually expanded into a supermarket. When Uncle Mu III was young and selling vegetables, his father-in-law’s family provided a great deal of support. As a result, Aunt Mu III has always been quite assertive and has consistently held the upper hand over Uncle Mu III. Even after all these years, Aunt Mu III is still the one who calls the shots in Uncle Mu III’s household. Aunt Mu didn’t have high hopes for this business from the bottom of her heart. In all these years, she’d never heard of anyone striking it rich selling sand. That big boss in the provincial capital was so desperate to make money that he actually put up 500,000 yuan for that kid Mu Dong to mess around with. And as for Mu Dong himself—he went to college and got a job in the provincial capital, and his wife praises him to the skies every day—what’s so great about that? Mu Dong said, “It’s fine, Uncle and Aunt Mu. I’m just letting you all know. If I end up making a fortune someday and don’t tell you, wouldn’t you hold it against me?” Aunt Mu No. 3 pursed her lips and said, “I’m not jealous if you make a fortune. I’m still busy at the supermarket, so I’ll head out first.” With that, she stood up to leave. Just as she reached the door, she turned back to Uncle Mu No. 3 and said, “You should go home early, too, and don’t drink too much.” Then she turned and walked away. As she walked, she thought to herself: That sounds nice, but inviting us to dinner—it’s really just an excuse to ask for money. Uncle Mu San didn’t say a word; he stayed behind to keep drinking. Although there was a brief lull, after a few more drinks, the atmosphere gradually livened up again. Mu Dong said, “There are two things we need to figure out right now. One is the venue, and the other is—I want to take out a loan.” Dad Mu said, “What loan are you talking about? A big boss has stepped in—we just need to chip in a little and keep things small-scale. What if we lose money?” For ordinary farmers, taking out a loan means owing money to the bank—it’s a serious matter. Mu Dong said, “Dad, don’t worry. Since a big investor is willing to put in 500,000, this business must be profitable. Right now, I’m not worried about making or losing money—I’m worried about getting the loan. I’ve heard that loan regulations are very strict these days.” At that moment, Uncle Mu San, who had been silent until then, spoke up: “The site is easy to sort out. Our village has a patch of wasteland along the East River. I know the people at the village committee well; I’ll take you to ask them tomorrow. There are two sand pits right near that plot, so transporting the sand there won’t be a problem. As for the loan, you should go ask your eldest aunt about it—she lives in the county seat and knows a lot of people.” Uncle Mu San expressed his support in this way, and Mu Dong was deeply touched. Originally, Mu Dong had planned to use the land belonging to his family and his second and third uncles to store the sand; the three plots were right next to each other and totaled ten mu. Now that there was a better option, he could put his own land on hold for the time being. After all, it was all prime farmland, and it would be a shame to let it go to waste. As for the loan, he would have to ask his eldest aunt about it. In any case, Mu Dong had already planned to pay her a visit in the next couple of days. After that, they continued drinking. Once everyone had had their fill of food and drink, they gradually went their separate ways. Early the next morning, Uncle Mu San took Mu Dong to the village committee chairman’s house. Naturally, they couldn’t go empty-handed, so Mu Dong picked up some cigarettes and liquor from his uncle’s store and paid for them. The village chief’s name was Mu Huafeng, and he was of the same generation as Mu Dong’s father. The village was small; everyone pitched in for weddings and funerals, so they all knew each other well. Upon seeing Uncle Mu and Mu Dong, Director Mu hurried out to greet them. “Third Brother, you’re here! Little Dong, you’re here too! Don’t worry about the gifts—come on in and have a seat.” As he spoke, he quickly fetched a pack of cigarettes and handed one to Uncle Mu, then offered one to Mu Dong. Mu Dong took it, casually tucked it behind his ear, and pulled out his own pack, saying, “Uncle, have one of mine.” The three of them sat down, and Director Mu brewed some tea. Uncle Mu III asked, “Hua Feng, is that wasteland by the Donghe River still lying idle?” Director Mu replied, “Third Brother, it’s still lying fallow. Why, are you thinking of leasing it?” Uncle Mu: “Little Dong wants to start a business—trading sand out of town. Doesn’t he need a plot of land to stockpile the sand?” Director Mu replied, “Sure.” Then, turning to Mu Dong, he added, “Dongzi, I’ve heard you’ve made a fortune. What made you decide to get into the sand business?” Mu Dong replied, “Uncle, I’m partnering with a businessman from Quancheng—just making a little money. As for the land, I’d appreciate your help with that.” Director Mu said, “This plot is about 35 mu. How many mu do you plan to lease, and for how many years?” Mu Dong thought to himself, I just want to lease it for one year—if I say that, will you hit me? Out loud, he said, “Uncle, why don’t we go take a look at the land first? I’m not quite sure yet.” Director Mu said, “Alright, let’s go take a look at the land first. Come on.” It was about two or three li away, and the three of them rode their electric scooters there in no time. From a distance, Mu Dong saw a low earthen embankment along the outer edge of the riverbed, and his heart skipped a beat. No matter what, he had to lease this plot of land. The three of them climbed over the earthen embankment and came to a patch of wasteland. It was a gently sloping plot located on the inner side of the earthen embankment. The embankment had been built after the great flood of 1974. The plot was square and regular; although it had a slight slope and some pits of varying sizes, with a little tidying up, it would be quite suitable as a storage yard. The land in this area had been formed by silt deposited during floods over the years; it was sandy with little soil and strewn with pebbles. A few years back, people had sporadically planted sweet potatoes, peanuts, and the like here. In recent years, however, with the widespread adoption of large-scale agricultural machinery, this plot had been completely abandoned. Although it was the height of summer, the vast expanse was dotted only with scattered weeds and wildflowers, giving it a rather desolate appearance. Apart from Mu Dong, it’s unlikely anyone else would take on a lease for land like this. Director Mu seemed very enthusiastic: “Dongzi, don’t let the fact that this land isn’t good for growing crops fool you—it’s perfect for stockpiling sand. There’s plenty of space. Look, over there and over there—those are all sand pits. If you want to stockpile sand, just have them deliver it right here.” Mu Dong was overjoyed inside, but he furrowed his brow: “Uncle, this land is all bumpy and uneven. It’ll be a lot of work to level it out, won’t it? Are there any other plots in our village? Why don’t we go take a look at those?” Director Mu replied, “We do have a few other plots, but they’re all farmland and not nearly this big. Leveling it isn’t a big deal—just get a backhoe, and it’ll be leveled in a few days.” Seeing that Mu Dong was still frowning, Director Mu added, “It’s wasteland, after all. Don’t worry about the price—we’ll discuss it at the village committee meeting. We’ll set it at 200 yuan per mu per year. There are 35 mu of this land, but we’ll count it as 30 mu for you. What do you think?” Mu Dong thought to himself, That’s really cheap. But he said aloud, “Uncle, even if it were 100 yuan per mu—let alone 200—who would want land like this? I’m just using it to store sand. If I were to grow crops here, I wouldn’t even recoup the cost of the seeds.” Director Mu replied, “You have a point. I’ll go back and discuss it with the committee. As you know, I can’t make this decision on my own.” Mu Dong thought to himself, “Whether I have the final say or not, it’s just a formality.” He smiled and said, “Uncle, thank you for your trouble. If your nephew makes any money, I’ll be sure to take good care of you.” Director Mu burst out laughing. “Dongzi, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. All right, let’s head back. The village committee will meet tonight to discuss this. By the way, how many years do you want to lease it for?” Mu Dong had originally planned to take on the contract for three years. But when he saw that low earthen embankment just now, he immediately changed his mind. He had to hold onto this plot of land for at least five years; to be on the safe side, he’d take on a ten-year contract. So Mu Dong replied, “Uncle, if you can lower the price, I’ll take it on for a few more years—let’s make it ten years.” Director Mu was instantly delighted. Ten years—even at 100 yuan per mu, that’s 30,000 yuan. The village was already strapped for cash, but now things were looking up; this kid really knew what he was doing. With that in mind, Director Mu said, “Dongzi, this has to be paid in cash. No matter how many years you lease it for, you’ll have to pay the entire amount up front.” Mu Dong said, “Uncle, that’s no problem—you can rest assured. Also, Uncle, I hope the village can offer a bit of a discount on the price. As for the area, just measure it—whatever the total is, that’s what I’ll pay. I don’t want to be too unreasonable and give people something to gossip about.” Director Mu was absolutely delighted with Mu Dong. He chuckled and said to Uncle Mu San, “Third Brother, having gone to college really makes a difference. Your Dongzi is a real credit to the Mu family.” Then, turning to Mu Dong, he added, “Dongzi, don’t worry. I’ll handle this perfectly for you. Just wait and see.” Uncle Mu III glanced at Mu Dong with a hint of confusion, sensing something was off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He shook his head and let it go. The three of them left the wasteland and went their separate ways to tend to their own business. Mu Dong went home and explained the situation to his parents. Then he rode his electric scooter to his second aunt’s house. His second aunt’s house was in another town, about 20 kilometers from Mu Dong’s home. Second Aunt Mu was 41 years old. Her family were ordinary farmers, and she had a son named Xie Donglin, who was 17 this year. Xie Donglin had graduated from junior high school last year with average grades; he didn’t get into high school, and he wasn’t too keen on attending a vocational school either. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, he’d been hanging around at home doing nothing. Mu Dong explained the details of the sand business to his second aunt and her husband and extended a sincere invitation. Although his second aunt’s family was of modest means, upon hearing that a major investor was involved, they expressed a willingness to give it a try. At the same time, his second aunt suggested that Xie Donglin help out at the sand quarry, and Mu Dong naturally agreed. That afternoon, Mu Dong took the rural-urban bus to his eldest aunt’s home in the county seat. His eldest aunt’s restaurant, located on a bustling street on the west side of the county seat, was called the Jin Yu Yuan Restaurant—a name signifying a “golden and jade-like union”—and primarily catered to wedding banquets. The restaurant had two floors: the first floor housed the main hall, with a simple stage at the far end where wedding ceremonies were held; the second floor consisted of private dining rooms, which, aside from wedding banquets, also served regular diners. By the time Mu Dong arrived at the restaurant, it was already 2:00 p. m. Aunt Mu was in the main hall, directing the waitstaff as they cleaned up. Hearing Mu Dong call out “Aunt Mu” from behind her, she spun around instantly. A smile bloomed across her round face. Aunt Mu looked almost exactly as he remembered her, though perhaps a little plumper. But the doting look in her eyes had not changed one bit. Aunt Mu’s name was Mu Hong. Mu Dong was 20 years younger than her. When Mu Dong was just born, aside from his mother, it was Mu Hong who took care of him the most—right up until he was a little over three years old, when she got married. That’s why Mu Dong and Mu Hong were extremely close. Aunt Mu asked Mu Dong if he’d eaten yet. When she learned he hadn’t, she quickly had the kitchen prepare a meal. She also told Mu Dong that she hadn’t had time for lunch herself—she’d just finished up with some work—and that they’d eat together later. Mu Dong asked, “Aunt Mu, I thought today was an odd-numbered day. Is there a wedding banquet today?” Mu Hong replied, “It’s not a wedding banquet—it’s a full-moon celebration for a baby. A friend referred us to it.” Soon the meal was ready, and Mu Hong and her husband, Wang Shaoqiang, joined Mu Dong for dinner. During the meal, Mu Dong repeated the same story he’d told the night before. True to her business acumen, Mu Hong asked, “Your boss has invested so much—is there some news?” Mu Dong, of course, wouldn’t make things up. “Nothing specific, really. He’s probably eyeing the price differential in the area. Besides, even if there were any inside information, he wouldn’t say so outright. Anyway, he’s agreed to let us invest and go into business together. Aunt Mu, Uncle Wang, if you’re willing, you could invest some money too. Also, I’m thinking of taking out a loan—do you know anyone at a bank?” Mu Hong and Wang Shaoqiang exchanged a smile. Mu Hong said, “Yes, we do. He’ll be here in a moment.” Mu Dong was a bit surprised. What? He’ll be here in a moment? What kind of relationship is this—that he’s available on a moment’s notice? Noticing Mu Dong’s expression, Mu Hong explained, “The person celebrating the baby’s one-month birthday here today is the office director at the county Agricultural Bank. He’ll be over shortly to settle the bill. Although he doesn’t oversee lending, he can still offer some advice.” Mu Dong felt relieved. Just then, a heavyset man in his thirties called out “Sister Mu” from a distance as he walked over. Mu Hong said, “Speak of the devil.” She stood up to greet him, and Wang Shaoqiang and Mu Dong stood up as well. The portly man said politely, “Sister Mu, Brother Wang, I’ve been so busy with my own affairs that I didn’t get to eat lunch until so late. I’m sorry to have put you through this trouble—I’m truly sorry.” Mu Hong replied, “Director Zhang, you’re too kind. It’s our honor that you chose our restaurant to host your son’s special day! So, how did you like the food?” Director Zhang replied, “Very satisfied, very satisfied. Thank you, thank you.” Mu Hong said, “Director Zhang, you’re being too formal. Actually, I have a favor to ask of you as well.” With that, she pulled Mu Dong over and introduced him: “This is my nephew, Mu Dong. He runs a river sand business back home and is looking to secure a loan. Could you offer some advice?” Mu Dong quickly said, “Director Zhang, hello. I’m Mu Dong. Sorry to trouble you.” Director Zhang said, “You’re a sharp-looking young man—you don’t look like someone in the river sand business. Those guys who spend all day driving boats on the river aren’t nearly as neat and tidy as you are.” Mu Hong gestured for everyone to sit down, and they began talking. Mu Dong briefly explained the situation to Director Zhang. Director Zhang was slightly surprised to hear that it was simply a business involving stockpiling sand for sale to other regions, that he already had over 500,000 in personal funds, and yet still needed a loan. After listening to Mu Dong’s explanation, Director Zhang pondered for a moment before offering his advice: “In your situation, it would be very difficult to get a loan directly, since you have almost no fixed assets to use as collateral. I suggest you try a different approach. Right now, our Agricultural Bank offers a type of agricultural loan called the ‘Five-Household Joint Guarantee Loan,’ where five rural households guarantee each other to secure an agricultural loan. You can apply for the loan under the guise of a farming or livestock project, then find four other households to co-sign as guarantors. Generally, you can get a loan of 200,000. As for the loan’s intended use, everyone knows the score—you don’t have to actually use it for farming or livestock, and usually no one will quibble over it. Just make sure to repay it on time.” After a brief pause, Director Zhang continued, “For this loan, in addition to the five farming households guaranteeing each other, you’ll also need two current employees from public institutions or government agencies to act as guarantors before it can be approved.” Mu Dong had been quite pleased at first—finding five farmers would be a breeze. But as soon as he heard he’d need additional guarantors, he started to get a little anxious. After thinking it over, he asked, “My girlfriend teaches in Quancheng and is a tenured teacher. Can she act as a guarantor?” Director Zhang replied, “Sure, as long as you provide a proof of income stamped by the school.” With one guarantor still needed, Mu Hong said, “I’ll figure out the other one. I have a friend who’s a head nurse at the county hospital; I’ll ask her—I should be able to sort it out.” Director Zhang continued, “If you can secure both the farmer and the guarantors, I have another suggestion. Rural credit cooperatives now offer a similar service. With this documentation, you could also get a 200,000 loan from the credit cooperative.” That was indeed good news. Mu Dong thought to himself, if he could secure this 400,000, add Han Yong’s 500,000, and have a few other family members chip in another 100,000 or so, that would come to nearly a million—which wasn’t a small sum.