Chapter 9: Zhang Lihua's Return Of Heart

In this era, the drive of money was no less than in later times; the freight department of Ertai Town’s train immediately sprang into full operation. Large quantities of pine nuts were moved into the goods depot, packed into boxes and placed at the front, just waiting to be loaded onto the train as soon as it arrived.

Because Li Zhiyu underestimated Su Pingnan’s shipment volume, he watched the scattered sacks piled on the ground that had to go by passenger train with a pain he couldn’t express.

That’s all money! He vowed to himself to schedule everything properly the next time.

Su Pingnan had already set off back to the city, since he had already put everyone in place. Su Wenwen and Guo Guangyao would take turns staying in Ertai Town to keep the pine nuts operation running at full strength.

Returning to the factory and seeing it newly restored and tidy, Su Pingnan was startled by Yang Qianli and the others’ enthusiasm and efficiency.

Although to the experienced Su Pingnan the factory still seemed somewhat simple, in Guo Guangyao and the others’ eyes it was extraordinarily luxurious — the way money flowed out made the two of them wince.

1600 yuan — the accounts were clear, but the handwriting was as messy as a child’s scrawls, which puzzled Su Pingnan and immediately made him think of hiring an accountant.

Zhang Lihua hadn’t slept all night. Her child’s illness had flared up again. She dragged her tired body and repeatedly wiped her son’s stiffness from pain with hot water.

She could now only collect half of her monthly wage — a mere 45 yuan was barely enough to sustain the basic needs of mother and son. After a night of toil, she had to go out early to find odd jobs to earn money. Only then could she barely afford medicine for her son to prevent his condition from worsening.

The doorway was blocked by heaps of trash piled by the neighbors — the warm welcome these neighbors gave to her as an immoral woman. At first she bothered to clean it up, but the next morning it was piled up again. After a while she stopped caring and simply crawled over it with some effort.

“Shameless woman! You’re off to get yourself laid so early?”

“Slut, your son is in this state because of what you’ve done.”

As soon as she stepped outside, a few punk kids from the nearby factory’s family compound saw her and immediately began viciously shouting and sneering at her.

Zhang Lihua straightened her back with pride. This woman possessed a strength that even men couldn’t match.

But today was different from usual.

Zhang Lihua had barely taken a few steps when a young man in a black trench coat with very short hair blocked her path directly.

The young man was tall, and seven or eight toughs followed behind him.

She forced herself to look up and glared at the man, trying to use that gaze to drive off this hulking man.

Su Pingnan looked at the woman before him: stubborn eyes, shabby clothes, with none of the later aura that would dominate Tiannan Province’s financial circles.

“Are you Zhang Lihua?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know accounting?”

“Not just know it — I’m very good at it.” The tone in Zhang Lihua’s voice revealed pride. Despite how life treated her, she studied every day — it was her persistence.

Su Pingnan laughed happily. He admired this woman.

“I’m hiring you.”

“For accounting?”

“For accounting. I’m not joking.” Su Pingnan said earnestly.

“Okay.” Zhang Lihua agreed plainly and crisply, then added, “I won’t do fake books.”

“Of course.”

“Then I have no problem, I’ll do a great job for you.”

Su Pingnan smiled with a hint of mischief. “I have one question — how can I hire you for life?”

Zhang Lihua looked at the ambitious man before her and answered seriously, “I’m expensive.”

Su Pingnan didn’t answer immediately. He threw his head back and laughed heartily, then turning to Yang Qianli and Zhang Tong, with a calm tone he said, “Their mouths are too foul — knock their teeth out for me.” Then he pointed at the few punks whispering nearby.

Yang Qianli nodded silently.

Screams and cries broke out. Yang Qianli wiped blood and saliva from his hands and said softly to Su Pingnan, “I was a bit heavy-handed — the one who cursed the worst I knocked out.”

Zhang Lihua had been standing stunned for a long time. Seeing the usual vicious punks in such a sorry state, she felt no sympathy. Instead, a rare satisfaction rose in her.

“Which households were stuffing trash at your door?” Su Pingnan ignored Zhang Lihua’s state and asked coldly.

Zhang Lihua was also a decisive and ruthless woman. She had none of that foolish kindness that many working class people possessed. She pointed without hesitation to three households around her home.

Su Pingnan nodded, “Put it back on them.”

The seven or eight men sprang into action, swift and rough. They scooped up the trash from Zhang Lihua’s door, violently forced open several houses, and without regard for the cries inside, threw it back into them.

Su Pingnan walked over to the punks cowering and crying on the ground and squatted by the leader, the blond-haired kid. “Keep your mouth clean from now on. Go get your teeth checked.” He reached into his pocket, grabbed a few 100-yuan bills, and disdainfully tossed them onto the blond’s chest.

They rose and stood. The blond and the others had already recognized Su Pingnan and meekly agreed.

Su Pingnan clapped his hands, paid no attention to the onlookers, and called to the dazed Zhang Lihua. “Let’s go — to work.”

Zhang Lihua felt an immense relief. A gentle breeze brushed her overheated cheeks and her face suddenly broke into a radiant smile she hadn’t made in years. She hurried to catch up.

A bit of dialogue floated on the breeze.

“Well, my lifetime fee isn’t that expensive.”

“Don’t worry — I can afford it.”

“Then I’ll follow you.”

“All right.”

From then on for the rest of her life, Zhang Lihua loyally followed Su Pingnan. As her reputation rose, no company’s offer could sway her. When her best friend, curious, asked her why, Zhang Lihua replied calmly: “What others give me is just money. But what President Su gives me, they cannot give, and cannot afford to give.”