Chronicle of the 70s-Chapter 366 - 347: Eat, Eat, Eat (Double - )

By the time everyone gathered around the table again, it was already 8 p.m. Chen Zhong and Hu Zi, as well as the driver, had all changed their clothes and sat around the heated brick bed.

Men at one table, women and children at another, the dishes were simple, but abundant and tasty.

Li Xianglu took out two bottles of liquor from the car. Everyone except the driver had a drink, while Liu Huahua was curious how the men became acquainted with these well-off individuals. As Chen Zhong told his story, Liu Huahua’s face turned bright red.

Seeing Liu Huahua’s embarrassed look, Li Xianglu chuckled, "Sister-in-law, when you’re out and about, this is all pretty normal."

Liu Huahua remained shy, but the old master curiously asked, "Chen Zhong, what did you go to the county for?"

Chen Zhong sighed upon hearing the old master’s question, put down his western porcelain bowl, took a sip of liquor and said, "Old master, you might not be aware, but near our Guizi Port, there is only our Zhuangzi. The land around us is inexplicably high in alkali, so both rice and wheat yields are poor. Sorghum yields are high though, but sorghum isn’t valuable. A few of us youngsters have been thinking about turning our sorghum into liquor to sell, and just when things started looking up, the money issue cropped up. The quality of liquor produced by traditional methods isn’t good, and we need to buy big machinery to make better liquor. However, after running around for half a year, first to the township government and then the county, we’ve taken many trips but have heard nothing."

The old master was taken aback upon hearing this and looked toward Li Xianglu.

Li Xianglu had finished eating and was gently rocking Ba Yi, asleep in her arms. Wrinkling her brow upon hearing Chen Zhong’s words, she looked back at the old master and asked, "Can’t you get a loan from a bank in the county?"

Chen Zhong was startled: "A bank in the county?"

Li Xianglu nodded and said, "Brother Chen, I haven’t mentioned it before, but I work at a bank, although it’s the one in Huai County. Banks do offer loans. If you need, you can fill out an application and, if the bank verifies your repayment ability, they will release the funds."

Chen Zhong’s eyes widened in disbelief as he blinked, "Are you serious, little sister?"

Li Xianglu nodded earnestly, "Is this something to joke about? Didn’t anyone in the county tell you?"

Chen Zhong shook his head, "No one has ever mentioned it."

Li Xianglu frowned. Chen Zhong didn’t seem like he would lie, but promoting the development loan service was supposed to be a national initiative. Why wasn’t it happening in this county? It was strange.

Su Yan, having finished the soup in her bowl and wiping her mouth, spoke languidly, "Either the county government officials are unaware of the banking loan services, or someone doesn’t want to issue loans."

Li Xianglu shook her head: "Grandma, this is a task for the entire banking system. Your second assumption doesn’t stand."

Su Yan leaned back and replied, "Why not? If someone doesn’t want to issue loans, then that money is being directed elsewhere."

Li Xianglu paused, and it made sense. The implication being that the bank must offer loans, but the funds were being diverted for other uses. But what could that be? Chen Zhong’s project aimed to benefit the villagers, and if the village itself could be transformed – with its own factory – it would be a great achievement for the County Government. Yet the lack of support was indeed baffling.

Everyone stayed overnight at Chen Zhong’s home, with the women sleeping in the room to the west, and the men in the east; the heated brick bed was so warm that no one felt cold.

The next morning was sunny, and the car, already cleaned the previous day, had been fired up and filled with fuel. Early in the morning, Liu Huahua started cooking, steaming four tiers of pork and cabbage buns with the dough she had prepared the night before, and she boiled a big pot of red bean and millet porridge – the kids devoured it with gusto. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Before leaving, Li Xianglu left behind the phone numbers for her home in the county and her office landline, informing Chen Zhong that she would be back that day and suggesting that when he was free, he should bring his sister-in-law to visit.

Liu Huahua, who really liked the twins, kept holding them until the last moment. Ba Yi was alright, but Ba’er started crying at the thought of parting, which made Liu Huahua tear up as well. Li Xianglu felt exceedingly awkward, as if she had kidnapped someone else’s child.

Chen Zhong was just as helpless and didn’t return until after escorting Li Xianglu onto the national highway.

Fifteen minutes down the road, Li Xianglu glanced at Ba’er cavorting happily by the window and was struck speechless: this little guy already knew how to manipulate women’s tears. Would he grow up to be a playboy?