Rebirth: Seven Years in a Great Dream

Chapter 13: That’s the Rule

Mu Dong called his second aunt and told her exactly what had happened to Xie Donglin. After consulting with her, he decided to send Xie Donglin home to recover. Then, Mu Dong called Mu Daguo and told him to rent a car to take Xie Donglin home once he woke up. He also asked Mu Daguo to tell Xie Donglin to take good care of his injuries and return to work as soon as possible. He reminded Mu Daguo to come back before the end of his shift to settle up with the driver. Next, Mu Dong made a trip to the county seat to purchase 200 hard hats. He selected high-quality ones, each costing over thirty yuan. This purchase set him back over six thousand yuan. He then contacted a screen-printing advertising company, which worked through the night to print the words “Mu Family Yard” on every hard hat. The hats were delivered back to the yard early the next morning. The next day, at the entrance to Mu’s Yard, every driver entering the premises received a hard hat. They were also asked to look at a large red notice posted at the entrance. It listed the following points First, every driver entering the yard is entitled to one free safety helmet Second, drivers entering the yard must wear the safety helmet issued by Mu’s Yard Third, any driver found not wearing a Mu Family Yard safety helmet will be denied entry Fourth, if a driver is caught removing their safety helmet without authorization for the first time after entering the yard, payment for that day’s sand delivery will not be processed Fifth, if a driver is caught removing their helmet without authorization for a second time after entering the site, payment for sand transport will not be processed for one week Sixth, drivers caught removing their safety helmets three times after entering the site will have their eligibility to transport sand revoked Seventh, Mu Family Stockyard management personnel and operators must also wear safety helmets. Drivers are encouraged to monitor compliance and report violations. Upon verification of a report, the driver will receive a reward of 100 yuan per incident. These seven rules were drafted in a hurry by Mu Dong this morning. Mu Dong has no intention of imposing fines on the drivers—they earn their living through hard work, and fining them would serve no purpose—but he will delay payment until their eligibility to transport sand is revoked. Yesterday’s incident involving Xie Donglin made Mu Dong suddenly realize that no matter how much profit this yard might generate in the future, it all hinges on safe operations. With so many vehicles coming and going every day, there are still some risks regarding safety at the yard. Should a safety accident occur, the consequences would be unimaginable. As for the safety helmets: first, they do indeed protect the head in the event of a fall or collision. Second, Mu Dong hoped that by requiring these helmets, everyone entering the yard would stay vigilant about safety, heighten their safety awareness, and proactively avoid risks. Mu Dong distributed safety helmets to all yard staff and required everyone to wear them upon entering the yard. Anyone caught without one would receive a warning the first time and be fired the second time. As the workers scattered to get to work, Mu Dong gathered the Mu family members for a meeting. First, he addressed the issue of safety helmets, asking his family members to cooperate—especially his mother and his second aunt. Since they were already in charge of cooking and spent their days in a smoky, hot kitchen, having to wear a helmet on top of that was indeed a hassle. However, having witnessed what happened to Xie Donglin yesterday, they expressed their understanding. Second, Mu Dong proposed purchasing and installing a large conveyor belt system, which would allow the sand piles to be stacked higher and increase the storage capacity of the yard Third, Mu Dong proposed changing the current unloading method. Currently, unloading is done by first unloading into a central pile and then gradually expanding outward. In the future, unloading will take place at two points, with the piles slowly converging. The advantage of this approach is that unloading will be faster, increasing the volume of sand brought into the yard. The disadvantage is that it will slow down the loader’s work in organizing the sand piles. Mu Dong’s proposed solution is a cyclical, crisscross organization method. Previously, the piles were leveled after every truck was unloaded, which actually resulted in low loader utilization. Now, the piles are leveled for just a few minutes after every few trucks are unloaded, greatly improving loader utilization. Fourth, Mu Dong informed everyone about new investments and the loan situation. He asked family members to be ready to sign the documents on Monday and asked his father to notify the other two farming households in the village. After saying all this, Mu Dong called Director Sun at the Agricultural Bank to discuss his sister’s family situation. His brother-in-law is learning to operate a loader in Quancheng, so Mu Dong asked if his sister could sign the documents instead. Director Sun confirmed that the spouse of the head of the household could sign, which put Mu Dong’s mind at ease. Mu Xiaoxia was also at the yard today. On weekdays, she’s too busy taking her two children to and from school to come by. On weekends, she drops the children off at her mother-in-law’s house and comes to the yard to help Mu’s mother and her second aunt with cooking. Thinking of the children, Mu Dong also gave his sister a word of advice: since there were so many vehicles at the yard, she should try not to bring the two kids along. If she did bring them occasionally, they must wear safety helmets and stay in the office. His sister understood Mu Dong’s concerns and naturally nodded in agreement. Mu Dong then called his eldest aunt, Mu Hong, to discuss the loan paperwork for Monday. That afternoon, Mu Dong made a trip to Lunan City. First, he went to the market to order a large conveyor belt, paid a deposit, and scheduled installation for a week later. Then he paid a second visit to the Lunan Used Machinery Market to check out the used loaders available. His brother-in-law would be back in a few days, so he needed to finalize the purchase of the used loader as soon as possible. After looking around for quite a while—not really knowing much about them—Mu Dong simply inquired about their condition and price. He’d leave the details to his brother-in-law when the time came. In the evening, Mu Dong returned to the yard, where Mu Daguo told him that two men had been waiting for him. When he entered the office, he saw that one was the village director, Mu Huafeng, and the other was a bit older than Mu Huafeng—a man Mu Dong didn’t recognize. When they saw Mu Dong return, both men stood up. Mu Huafeng introduced them; it turned out the other man was Tan Lianfu, the village committee director of Tan Zhuang Village in the town. After introducing themselves, Mu Dong took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one for each of them, and then they all sat down to smoke. Mu Dong rarely smoked; he would only reluctantly have a few cigarettes on rare occasions when the situation called for it. Tan Lianfu explained the purpose of their visit—it turned out they were there to make a sales pitch. The product he was selling was—a tractor! It turned out that back in the 1990s, when a reservoir was being built downstream, Tan Zhuang Town had purchased a Dongfanghong crawler tractor to assist with the construction. After the reservoir was completed, the tractor eventually ended up in Tan Zhuang Village. Although the village had used the tractor every year to plow fields for farmers and perform other tasks, the crawler-type tractor was slow and inefficient, so it had hardly been used in recent years. As a result, Tan Zhuang Village decided to sell it. The village inquired about the price and found it was basically scrap metal value. For a machine weighing nearly two metric tons, many people were offering only a few thousand yuan. Later, they heard that a young man in Mu Village had built a large storage yard. Realizing that this tractor had a push blade and could be used to move sand, they decided to try their luck. After asking around, they found Mu Huafeng to act as a middleman. Mu Dong was at a loss for words. A machine from the ’90s—it’s been over a decade now—isn’t it just a pile of scrap metal? Seeing that Mu Dong wasn’t saying anything, Tan Lianfu hurriedly added, “Mr. Mu, although this machine is old, it’s been maintained very well. We have a former tank soldier in our village who’s particularly fond of this tractor; he’s had it serviced regularly every year. If it’s convenient, please take some time to go check it out. As for the price, don’t worry—we’re open to negotiation.” Tan Lianfu was really something. Not only was this tractor worthless, but it required annual maintenance—which would cost at least a few hundred yuan no matter how you looked at it. He might as well just sell it and be done with it. Mu Dong thought about it and agreed—whether he bought it or not, he couldn’t lose face in front of Director Tan right now. So he agreed to go take a look on Monday. Mu Dong then invited two people to stay and have a drink. Mu Huafeng didn’t mind, but Tan Lianfu didn’t want to impose, so he dragged Mu Huafeng away. Seeing that evening was approaching, Mu Dong called his brother-in-law, Zhong Guodong. He mentioned the tracked tractor and asked for his brother-in-law’s opinion. Zhong Guodong said, “The advantage of a wheeled loader is its maneuverability and mobility; the downside is its poor hill-climbing ability. A crawler tractor is the exact opposite—it’s bulky but climbs hills well. If the sand pile isn’t too high, you can use a wheeled loader to level it out. If you want to pile it higher, the crawler tractor has the edge. What made you think to ask about tractors?” Mu Dong replied, “Isn’t there an old tractor in Tan Zhuang Village that they want to get rid of? They asked me if I wanted it.” Zhong Guodong actually knew about that tractor and said, “The one in Tan Zhuang Village? If the price isn’t too high, I’d definitely take it. The fall before last, because of all the rain, the fields were soggy, and regular tractors couldn’t get into the fields—but this one actually came out and plowed them. The driver is a man with a limp; I heard he used to be a tank soldier who was injured and retired. He keeps this tractor in great shape, and the engine’s got plenty of power.” Hearing Zhong Guodong’s words, Mu Dong suddenly felt a sense of anticipation. Perhaps this tractor really could come in handy. On Sunday, Mu Dong spent the entire day at the yard, checking to make sure drivers were wearing their hard hats. Mu Dong himself was wearing a red hard hat, which looked quite dashing on him. Mu’s father and another worker were directing the unloading. With unloading now taking place at two locations, the flow of vehicles coming and going had picked up considerably. Toward the end of the workday, Mu Dong met with a few business owners who had come to discuss deals. Since the office was busy with accounting at the moment and there were too many people around, Mu Dong brought out a few stools, and the group chatted outside for a while. These men didn’t really look like business owners; instead, they seemed a bit shady. They couldn’t even say where their own sand quarries were located—they just claimed to be there to ask about prices. Mu Dong sensed something was off. That’s not how business is conducted—discussions should be specific, covering prices, settlements, daily delivery capacity, and so on. These men kept glancing around while they talked; they didn’t seem like upstanding citizens. Besides, business meetings usually take place in the morning—who comes to discuss business right before closing time? Mu Dong’s heart skipped a beat—could he be under surveillance? Just as he was thinking this, Mu Dong’s phone rang. He saw it was a call from his aunt, Mu Hong. He assumed it was about signing the contract tomorrow, so he suddenly had a thought and answered the call. On the phone, Mu Hong said, “Xiao Dong, are you busy at the yard?” Mu Dong replied, “Yeah, Auntie, I’m still busy. What did you say? Deputy Director Fu from the Public Security Bureau? I know—his last name is Fu, and he’s the director, the top guy. Deputy Director Fu’s brother-in-law wants to buy a stake? Sure, a partnership is a partnership, no matter who it’s with. Since they’ve come to you, of course we have to agree. Don’t worry, the big boss in Jinan will approve…” Mu Hong: … Mu Dong: “Everything’s fine here—what could possibly go wrong? The surveillance equipment will arrive in a few days. Mm-hmm, don’t worry, Auntie.” With that, Mu Dong hung up the phone. Mu Hong, on the other end of the line, was completely baffled. Mu Dong’s hunch was correct—they had indeed been targeted. The news that the Mu family’s stockpile yard settled accounts in cash every day had attracted some envious eyes. The people who came today were there to check out the yard. But upon hearing that the police chief’s brother-in-law was planning to take a stake in the business and that the sandyard owner intended to install surveillance cameras, things seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. He’d have to find out if the police chief’s top aide went by the surname Fu. With their own agendas in mind, the group took their leave. Mu Dong quietly memorized the men’s appearances, intending to find someone to ask about them. He asked a few truck drivers who had just settled their bills nearby, and it turned out that one of them actually recognized the man with the crew cut. The driver said, “That guy with the crew cut is Huang Zhanping. He’s the fourth son, so everyone calls him Huang Si. He used to run a sand quarry, but it went under. Now he just loafs around all day, hanging out with a bunch of good-for-nothing friends in the county seat.” Mu Dong then asked about Huang Si’s hometown. The driver only knew that Huang Si was from Huang Village in Yushan Town but didn’t know his exact address. That was already quite a bit of information. Mu Dong pulled out his cell phone, called his aunt back, told her what had just happened, and asked her to ask around in the county seat for more information on Huang Si. Mu Hong ran a restaurant in the county seat and dealt with all sorts of people, so this wouldn’t be difficult for her; she agreed right away. The two also discussed the loan arrangements for the next day before hanging up. On Monday morning, everyone who needed to go to the Agricultural Bank in town to sign the paperwork gathered at Mu Dong’s house. Mu’s father, Uncle Mu Er, Mu Xiaoxia, Mu Huafeng, and a farmer named Mu Huahai were all present. Including Mu Dong, there were six people in total, and they went together to the Agricultural Bank in town. Mu Dong was the loan applicant. Since he hadn’t transferred his household registration when he went to college—it was still registered in the village—he was eligible to apply for an agricultural loan. They arrived in town quickly. A short while later, Mu Hong and Wang Shaoqiang also arrived with two guarantors. Wang Shaoqiang had driven a Volkswagen Santana. As Mu Dong looked at the car, he thought of his own brand-new Santana from another timeline, and then of Xiner, feeling a pang of loneliness. The bank was very efficient. First, they issued Mu Dong a savings card; then the group signed various forms; finally, they all posed for a group photo. In about an hour, 200,000 yuan had been deposited into Mu Dong’s newly opened savings account. The group then headed to the town’s rural credit cooperative. Mu Dong had originally intended to try his luck there, figuring he’d fall back on his connections if all else failed. To his surprise, things turned out exactly as Director Zhang from the Agricultural Bank had described. Mu Dong presented the paperwork he’d just completed at the Agricultural Bank and explained his purpose. The staff at the rural credit cooperative were incredibly welcoming and immediately assured him they could process the application right away. The process was similar: filling out forms, signing documents, and taking a group photo. Before the noon break, Mu Dong had another Rural Credit Cooperative savings card with 200,000 yuan in his hands. Of course, Mu Dong didn’t forget to take care of some behind-the-scenes arrangements. Seizing a moment, he slipped a gift card to the Rural Credit Cooperative’s credit director. At noon, Mu Dong led the group to the storage yard and set up a lavish spread in the break room. He had already told his mother and his aunt that he would be treating everyone to lunch that day, so by the time everyone arrived, the meal was all ready. The reason he didn’t host the meal at a restaurant in town was that Mu Dong wanted the guarantors to see the scale and operations of the storage yard for themselves. After all, providing a guarantee entails taking on significant risk. After seeing the bustling yard, the guarantors felt much more at ease. Mu Hong and Wang Shaoqiang were also very pleased; their nephew had done them proud, and they felt they’d saved face in front of their friends. The liquor was pure grain liquor, and the dishes were simple country fare; the entire group enjoyed the meal immensely. Speaking of this pure grain liquor, Mu Dong felt a great sense of pride. In 1978, when his older sister Mu Xiaoxia was born, Mu’s father heard on the radio that wealthy families in the south would brew some liquor upon the birth of a child, store it in earthenware jars, and bury them underground. When the child grew up—and if it was a girl, upon her marriage—they would dig up the liquor to serve guests; this was called “Daughter’s Red.” If a boy won the top prize in the imperial examinations, they would dig up the liquor to host a banquet for guests; this was called “Top Scholar’s Red.” Mu’s father, caught up in the moment, decided he wanted to make some “Daughter’s Red” too. So he hauled a cartload of dried sweet potatoes to the county seat and traded them for over a dozen jars of liquor brewed from the sweet potatoes. The sweet potato wine tasted a bit bitter and had an average flavor, but in those days, it was considered very inexpensive. Several jars were served at Mu Xiaoxia’s full-moon banquet, and the remaining ten jars were sealed with yellow clay and stored in the family’s cellar. By the time Mu Dong was born in 1985, the wine served at his full-moon banquet was the very same wine that had been stored in the cellar for five years. After brushing away the yellow clay and opening the jars, the intoxicating aroma of the wine left the guests spellbound. A single sip revealed that the bitterness had completely vanished, replaced by a sweet, rich flavor that filled the mouth. That day, five jars—fifty jin—were enough to leave many guests completely drunk. Mu’s father realized that storing the wine for a few years had made it so much better. So, after Mu Dong’s full-moon celebration, he once again pulled his handcart and made two trips to the distillery in the county seat, exchanging two full cartloads of dried sweet potatoes for twenty jars of sweet potato wine, which he stored in the cellar. In 1999, when Mu Xiaoxia got married, although the Mu family’s dowry was modest, the two jars of sweet potato wine—aged for 22 years—caught everyone’s attention. Today, the Mu family still has about twenty jars of cellar-aged liquor, which the whole family treasures dearly. The cellar was filled in several years ago. Most of the liquor jars are buried in other parts of the courtyard. Mu’s father carefully hides a small amount of the liquor under his bed. Except for a small amount consumed at home each Chinese New Year, the wine is rarely brought out. But today, Mu’s father suddenly brought out three jin of the cellar-aged liquor, which had been rebottled—truly stunning everyone. Wang Shaoqiang had originally planned to drive back that afternoon, but after discussing it with Mu Hong, he decided to stay the night and join in the drinking. Everyone at the table started drinking, and even the women poured themselves a small glass. Several men from the village had heard that the Mu family had fine wine, but none of them had ever tasted it. Now that they had the chance to try it, they all felt that their endorsement had been well worth it! The three bottles of wine were quickly polished off! Mu Hua Feng clamored for Mu Dad to bring out some more, but Mu Dad remained unflappable; no matter what Mu Hua Feng said, he wouldn’t budge. No one else was willing to try any other liquor either—given the stark contrast, nobody wanted to risk the experience. After finishing their meal, the group prepared to leave. Wang Shaoqiang had had a bit too much to drink. Having run a hotel for so many years, he’d tasted plenty of fine wine, but this was his first time trying a wine that had been cellared for so many years—and he’d gotten a little carried away. After lunch, he went to the dormitory in the west wing of the yard and fell fast asleep. Mu Hong rented a car in town to see off the two guarantors who had come from the county seat. Just before they left, Mu Dong quietly slipped them a red envelope containing 2,000 yuan. Mu Dong also gave red envelopes containing 1,000 yuan each to Mu Huafeng and another farmer acting as a guarantor. He even gave one to Mu’s father, Uncle Mu Er, and Mu Xiaoxia; though all three initially refused, Mu Dong persuaded them to accept them. Mu Dong said, “That’s the custom.”