Chapter 1 Leaving Home (Part 1)

  In the late afternoon, Zhang Youcai, the old owner of Hanyuan Warehouse, held a lotus leaf package in his hand and walked home with three shakes per step.

  The lotus leaf package contained a piece of pork hind waist, half a foot wide and three inches thick. Despite being wrapped in two layers of thick lotus leaves, it still exuded a warm oil glow. Zhang Youcai's heart was like the lotus leaf package in his hand, full and soft, with a warm feeling emanating from inside out.

  "Uncle Zhang, you're cutting meat again?!" Li the blacksmith, who had a sharp nose, caught the scent of meat from afar and hurried over, greeting him with a smile.

  "Ah, ah!" Zhang Youcai weighed the meat in his hand with force, fearing that the old neighbors wouldn't hear clearly, and responded in a drawn-out voice, "Good fellow, it's just this big piece of bone, yet he dares to ask me for two and a half pieces. This butcher Wei Laosi is ruthless, as if he's going to cut people with his knife! Is there something going on tonight? No? Then take it home to eat?"

  "No, no!!" Ironsmith Li Lianlian waved his hand, but swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva in his throat. People from Lu City attach great importance to their reputation, and Zhang Youcai's enthusiastic invitation was not something he could accept lightly. Otherwise, if he couldn't match the status of the other guests tonight, it would be difficult for him to pick up his chopsticks at the table, let alone face the ridicule of his neighbors for several days afterwards.

  "Hey, no outsiders!" Zhang Youcai stopped in his tracks and continued to enthusiastically pat the bundle up and down, "slap" "slap" "slap", enticing the eyes of the neighbors. "Just you, my big nephew, third nephew, and our three uncles."

  "Third Master is back?!" Li Tiejiang's physique was tall and large, his voice was also loud, even when speaking softly it was like thunder. "When did he come back this year, why so early?!"

  "I'm finally graduated! So I get to take a break early." Zhang Youcai glanced at the other person and responded with feigned nonchalance.

  "What! Graduated. Junior high school graduation?!" Li Tiejiang was seemingly frightened, taking two steps back, and in an instant the news spread throughout the entire alley, "It's really fast, when he went to catch the train that year, it was..."

  He made a gesture with his hand towards his waist, trying to recall the appearance of Zhang Jia's third master in those years. But suddenly felt that this action is no longer suitable now, and hurriedly put away his thick big hands, rubbing on the apron to make up for it, "I mean, I'm saying, time really flies by quickly. In a flash, Third Master, Third Master has grown up!"

  The elderly neighbors around had already listened to the conversation between the two clearly, and they all put down their work, surrounded them, and congratulated Zhang Youcai, "Third Master graduated?!"

  "Old money, will San Er be back home tonight?!"

  "Uncle Cai has finally made it through this time. Eldest brother is the best accountant in our Lu County, and second brother is also a master craftsman. This time, third brother has graduated from high school, and no matter what job he finds, he'll be bringing home 50 or 100 yuan every month..."

  "Go, go, go, you can see the money in your eyes! The Third Master is a material for reading books, why not go to Tsinghua University or Peking University? Even if it's late, at least he'll be a county head..."

  Among the sounds of envy and jealous blessings, Zhang Youcai's waist slowly straightened up. His face, which had been weathered by wind and rain, was filled with pride as a father. "His second brother has found him a job at a foreign firm in the provincial city through connections, but it hasn't been finalized yet. I want to ask about his own thoughts. If he still wants to continue studying, then we'll close down the shop and I'll scrape together some money to send him to Beiping!"

  "Look at you, old man!" The crowd shook their heads and teased with a smile, "The university in Beiping is not like those money-grabbing government offices in the provincial capital! I've heard that it's only twenty or so yuan a year, even lower than the middle school in the provincial capital!"

  "It even comes with meals!"

  "It seems that they also send clothes. One set for winter and one set for summer. Wearing them makes you look spirited. Two years ago, I saw in Nanjing, each person dressed up neatly and cleanly, looking refined and elegant!"

  "That is Nanjing's Central University, not Beiping!"

  The crowd was again a flurry of chatter, piecing together the rumors they had heard. Zhang Youcai smiled and listened, neither correcting the errors in their words nor hurrying to reveal his true plans. He simply savored this moment, basking in the rare glory.

  There's a saying that the first twenty years, one looks up to their parents and respects them, while in the next twenty years, they look down on their children and are respected by them. Zhang Youcai has lived a life that can be considered worthy of his ancestors and deserving of his descendants. Before he was twenty, he began supporting a family, relying on his clever mind and two strong hands to turn the small peddler's pack left behind by his father into one of the largest general merchandise stores in Lu County Town. Inside, you could find everything from all corners of the world, as long as it was something that the government allowed to be sold. Even if a certain item was temporarily scarce and hard to find, as long as Zhang Youcai wrote a letter and entrusted someone to send it out, people would proactively bring goods to his doorstep, from Chahar in the north to Fuzhou in the south.

  Outside, business is booming, and at home, the three sons are also making a name for themselves. The eldest, who was apprenticed to the county grain store at the age of 14, has been traveling with him all over the country and can now support half of the family business. The second son went to the provincial capital to learn car repair after graduating from high school and is now able to take on apprentices himself. The third son was clearly destined for academic success from a young age, skipping two grades in elementary school and one grade in middle school, and has already received his graduation certificate from Provincial First Middle School at the tender age of 17. If he goes to Beiping to attend university and polishes himself for a few more years, by the time he graduates, he will be a high-ranking executive in a foreign company! Not only can he earn over 200 yuan per month, but he will also wear a crisp Western suit, and even when dealing with Japanese people, he won't have to bow down to them.

  From the beginning of spring, Zhang Lao had already figured everything out. The family business he had worked hard to build over the years would be handed over to his eldest son, Shouling, to manage from now on. With the extensive network and cleverness that Zhang Lao had left behind, even if the business couldn't continue to expand, at least maintaining its current scale wouldn't be a problem. As for his second son, Yanling, with his skilled car repair skills, he would do well in the provincial capital. And as for his third son, Songling, his path was either in Nanjing or Beiping. Wherever he went, Zhang Lao would put aside his own business and take his wife to accompany him. The couple would watch over him, urging him to focus on his studies rather than being like those idle students at the provincial university who spent their days distributing flyers, shouting slogans, and yelling about "the country and nation!" What's the hurry when even Chiang Kai-shek and President Han aren't in a rush? You're just a poor student who can't even hold up a knife, what are you shouting about every day?! Besides, this slogan of "country and nation" has been shouted since Yuan Shikai was in power, have you ever seen anyone take it seriously?!

  Since those who hold guns and cannons are not in a hurry, the people of Lucheng County, who can't afford to eat a few meat dishes throughout the year, especially businessmen like Zhang Youcai, will not follow the poor students' commotion. Last time I went to the provincial capital to visit my two sons, it happened that the poor students were demonstrating on the street, and flyers were scattered all over the sky. Zhang Youcai was suddenly stuffed with several of them in his arms. It said that the Japanese are greedy and will occupy Hebei and Shandong after occupying Chahar. If the Chinese people do not rise up to resist again, they will become slaves of a lost country like during the Qing conquest.

  These words sound intimidating, but after careful consideration, they may not be that scary. It's just a change of dynasty, what's there to be afraid of? Whoever takes the throne will still let the common people wear clothes and eat food. As long as the common people still need to wear clothes and eat food, the Hanyuan warehouse in Lu City will still have business to do. The Hanyuan warehouse has business to do and money to make, so it's not worth Zhang Youcai risking his life and property by putting them in the hands of a group of unreliable guys who don't keep their promises.

  "No!" Not only can't I, but my three sons also can't! I want to see them get married and have children, carry on the family line. When I'm old and can't walk or speak, lying in my armchair, surrounded by a group of daughters-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters, wiping away tears and calling me "Dad", "Grandpa". At that time, the old neighbors and friends who come to visit will be wiping away their tears, with envy on their faces, saying, "Uncle Cai has lived a worthwhile life! He's lived a fulfilling life!"

  "No way!" Just thinking about the future, Zhang Youcai inadvertently blurted out what was on his mind. The surrounding neighbors who had just started reminiscing about how hardworking the third young master of the Zhang family was were shocked and quickly closed their mouths, staring at his face.

  Zhang Youcai's old face flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly tried to make amends. "I mean, we can't let Xiao Sanzi walk back from the train station. It's too hot, and his body is weak since childhood. If he gets heatstroke, it will definitely delay his studies!"

  "Look at that rich uncle, his mouth doesn't match what's going on in his heart, he's secretly delighted!" The neighbors suddenly realized and teased him with a smile.

  "Heh heh!" Zhang Youcai smiled wryly and nodded in agreement with the neighbors' words.

  "Uncle Cai, let's treat ourselves. Let's also stick to Third Young Master San's good fortune!" Li Tiejun had been staring at the pork in the lotus leaf package for a long time and finally waited for an opportunity to bring up the old topic again.

  "Come on, come on!" Old Zhang readily agreed. "Everyone's coming to my place for dinner tonight, and I'll get the kids' mother to cook a few more dishes."

  "It's not right to let Uncle Cai spend all the money alone!" Zhao, who ran a woodworking business, sympathized with his old partner's hard-earned money and said with a smile, "Since it's a celebration for Sanzi, everyone should chip in! I have two big roosters at home, and I'll slaughter them later and bring them over!"

  "My relatives just sent over a big salted fish, and I was worried about how to finish it!"

  "I've just received a shipment of Langshan White Dry wine at my store, I'll have the staff send over a few jars later!"

  "I have some excellent mushrooms, just brought from the north! Just soak them in water and you can make a delicious dish!"

  "Me, me..." Li Tiejiang turned around and looked, couldn't find a suitable gift, so he took a deep breath and shouted loudly towards the ironwork shop: "Little Liu, bring out that white copper hot pot I just made yesterday! My third nephew is going to school outside, he should at least have something from his hometown!"

  "That won't do, that won't do!" Zhang Youcai heard and hurriedly loudly refused. In these times of soaring prices, a white copper pot alone would cost more than five big dollars just for the capital. If he really accepted this gift, Li Tiejiang and his two apprentices would be working for nothing this month!

  "Take it, take it, take it!" Although he was very reluctant in his heart, Li Tiejiang would never pretend to be humble in front of others. "My three nephews have loved eating hot pot since they were young. Even if they can buy a pot elsewhere, they may not be able to find ingredients as generous as mine!"

  "No, no!"

  "It's not for you! Old moneybags, if you let him again, I'll be annoyed!"

  Just then, a sudden sound of footsteps came from the entrance of the alley. Zhao Renyi, the nephew of Zhao Laoban, the owner of the wooden shop, and a young apprentice at Hanyuan Warehouse, ran over with a sweaty face and panting breath. Seeing his uncle and master in the distance, he stumbled forward a few steps, crying out with a twisted mouth: "Uncle Cai, Uncle Cai, hurry up and chase after him! Third Master, Third Master has been kidnapped!"

  "What?!" Zhang Youcai was stunned, his body went limp, and the pork package in his hand fell heavily to the ground.

  Note 1: Bone Ding, dialect, describes extremely small blocks.

  Note 2: High elementary school, higher primary school. During the Republic of China period, primary schools were divided into junior and senior levels. The junior level lasted four years, while the senior level lasted two years, totaling six years.

  Note 3: Han Zong, Chairman of the Shandong Provincial Government Han Fuqu. During his tenure, he vigorously developed local education and economy, promoted honest government construction, and was well-received by the people. Later, because of the abandonment of Jinan without a fight, he was lured and executed by the Nationalist Central Government.