Chapter 165: The Ordinary Life of Ordinary People

When he opened the door, sure enough, it was Village Party Secretary Tian Dongfu, accompanied by Village Head Zhao Xiancheng and the village clerk, Li Wen.

“Come on in, let’s talk inside,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“Sure,” Tian Dongfu nodded, and the group followed Lin Heng into the house.

It was the first time the Village Head and the clerk had been inside Lin Heng’s home, and they looked around curiously.

“We made some pickled vegetable noodles this morning—want to try a bit?” Lin Heng offered with a grin.

“No need, let’s get down to business,” Tian Dongfu replied, shaking his head.

“Right. We’ve agreed to start collecting the electricity connection fees from your household first. Then you’ll come with us to visit the others,” Zhao Xiancheng said with a smile.

“Alright. So does our household count as three separate ones?” Lin Heng nodded and asked.

“Yes, three. Your dad already split the household registration, and we can’t go against the rules,” Tian Dongfu replied with a nod.

“Exactly. We told your dad not to rush splitting the registration, but he didn’t listen,” Zhao Xiancheng added, a bit sheepishly.

Lin Heng waved it off casually. “No problem. I’ll go call my dad. You guys have some tea and wait a bit.”

“No need, no need. You eat your food—I’ll go call him,” Li Wen said quickly, then turned and headed out.

“Thanks, then,” Lin Heng said without standing on ceremony.

From their tone and behavior, Lin Heng could clearly sense the deference—especially from the Village Head and the clerk.

And the reason was simple: he had money now.

As someone with tens of thousands in savings, who had dug a fish pond and hired many workers, his influence in the village was no less than theirs.

Lin Heng knew they were afraid he might run for Village Head. Given his current standing, he’d likely win. That fear made both Zhao Xiancheng and Li Wen tread carefully around him.

That’s the power of money. When you have enough of it, even those who once looked down on you have to bow their heads.

The rumors about him being a good-for-nothing had completely vanished from the village. Even if people still whispered it in private, no one dared say it out loud anymore.

Before long, Father Lin, Mother Lin, Lin Heng’s older brother, and sister-in-law all arrived.

Tian Dongfu and Zhao Xiancheng explained the electricity connection fees to them.

“If Lin Heng’s decided, then we’ve got no objections. Having electricity is a good thing—no more eye-straining oil lamps,” Father Lin said, nodding as he pulled out fifteen yuan.

He fully supported Lin Heng’s decision, and he knew the fish pond project would need electricity—getting connected would benefit their household.

“We’ve got no objections either,” Lin Yue added with a smile, while Liu Juan handed over fifteen yuan.

“Alright, I’ll write you a receipt,” Zhao Xiancheng said, taking the money.

Li Wen pulled out pen and paper, wrote up a receipt, and handed it to Father Lin with a smile.

Father Lin beamed with satisfaction. The respect from the Village Head and others gave him a sense of pride.

Xiulan had just finished eating and also brought over fifteen yuan.

Li Wen wrote out her receipt and handed it to her with a smile.

“So, shall we head out now?” Tian Dongfu turned to Lin Heng.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Lin Heng nodded, put on his coat, grabbed an umbrella, and gave Xiulan a quick word before heading out with the others.

“Where to next?” Lin Heng asked as they stepped outside.

“Li Family or Jin Family—either’s fine. Let’s start with the wealthier households,” Tian Dongfu said.

The village cadres had already paid their fees. Now they were starting with the easier households.

“Let’s go to the Li Family first, then the Jin Family. They live nearby—it’s all the same,” Zhao Xiancheng added.

With the plan set, the group headed to the Li Family.

Red Maple Village had about two hundred households, with a hundred and twenty clustered around the massive ginkgo tree at the village center.

The terrain there was relatively flat, nestled between mountains and water—an ideal place to live.

The rest of the households were more scattered, mostly up in the hills.

When Lin Heng and the others arrived, the Li Family was in the middle of breakfast. They quickly invited everyone inside.

Tian Dongfu and Zhao Xiancheng did most of the talking. After explaining the purpose of their visit, Li Baigen didn’t hesitate. “I’ll go get the money right now,” he said.

After that, they headed straight to the Jin Family.

The Jin Family had just finished breakfast. They had no objections to the electricity connection and could easily afford the fifteen yuan.

Still, they seemed a bit uncomfortable seeing Lin Heng. Jin Yan took one look at him and ducked into the bedroom. Her parents looked awkward too.

It’s hard to swallow when someone you once looked down on suddenly strikes it rich.

Lin Heng remained calm and indifferent. He hadn’t come to settle scores and didn’t care much about them.

As they left the Jin Family, Lin Heng suddenly remembered something and turned to Tian Dongfu. “Uncle Tian, honestly, even if I hadn’t come today, things would’ve gone smoothly, right?”

“What makes you say that?” Tian Dongfu played dumb.

Lin Heng smiled at him. “Most of the wealthier families in the village would pay up with just a bit of persuasion. And the really poor ones—haven’t they all been working on my fish pond lately? They’ve earned some money, so they wouldn’t have much reason to refuse either.”

He had just pieced it together and was a bit surprised—Tian Dongfu had planned this all along.

“Haha, that’s thanks to you. But still, it might not have gone so smoothly without you. We needed you to come along,” Tian Dongfu laughed, no longer hiding the truth.

Most of the workers he’d arranged were from poor families. They worked hard, earned some money, and were now in a better position to pay the fee. That made it easier to get the village connected.

“Exactly. Lin Heng, your role is important. Having you with us speeds things up,” Zhao Xiancheng added with a smile.

“Alright, let’s keep going,” Lin Heng nodded. He didn’t mind—he wanted the electricity hooked up as soon as possible too.

And just as they’d expected, everything went smoothly. There were no real obstacles.

Fifteen yuan was a lot, but most families could manage it.

Once the village area was done, they headed up into the hills, spending most of the day on the move.

In the end, they collected fees from 201 households. Five households refused outright, saying they didn’t need electricity and showing no regard for Lin Heng or the others.

No matter how they explained, those five wouldn’t listen or pay.

“Uncle Tian, what do we do in cases like this?” Lin Heng asked curiously.

Tian Dongfu gave a bitter smile. “Nothing we can do. For now, we just leave them be. If they change their minds later, we’ll deal with it then.

Still, this was a success. So many households agreed. I’ll report it to the Electricity Management Station. I’d say we’ll have the lines up and power flowing within a month.”

“Yeah, with everyone on board, we can’t let a few holdouts ruin it for the rest,” Zhao Xiancheng added with a smile.

“Good. As long as we get electricity, that’s all that matters,” Lin Heng said, smiling.

He’d spent most of the day running around and persuading people—he didn’t want all that effort to go to waste.

“Lin Heng, you’ve worked hard today. Come over to my place for a meal and a drink,” Tian Dongfu said warmly.

“I’ll pass. I should head home—my family’s waiting,” Lin Heng replied with a smile, shaking his head.

After a bit of back and forth, Lin Heng politely took his leave.

On the way home, the rain was still falling, tapping softly against his umbrella.

The sky was shrouded in mist. Though it was only five in the afternoon, it already looked like night was falling. The rain had stripped the last yellow leaves from the branches in the mountains.

Lin Heng’s coat and pants were soaked through. The muddy ground was slick and heavy beneath his feet, and his shoes were caked with thick yellow mud, which annoyed him to no end.

On his way back, he ran into Yang Zhaotao, who was carrying a bundle of straw on his back. Seeing Lin Heng, he grinned and asked, “Hey Lin Heng, any idea when we’ll finally get electricity?” He was clearly envious that Lin Heng had gone around collecting fees with the Village Cadre, looking all important.

“Probably a month or two, not too sure,” Lin Heng replied with a smile, keeping things vague.

“Well, that’s great news,” Yang Zhaotao said happily.

Lin Heng didn’t chat long and headed home to tell his parents and older brother.

“They invited you to eat, and you just turned them down? That’s not very polite,” Father Lin said, thinking Lin Heng should maintain good relations with the village. Refusing like that seemed a bit rude.

Lin Heng waved it off with a smile. “It’s fine, Dad. A good relationship isn’t built through meals alone.”

With that, he headed back to his own place, feeling his father still didn’t quite grasp the heart of the matter.

When he opened the courtyard gate, Xiulan and Xiao Xia were sitting by the fire in the main room, waiting for him. Xiong Ba, their dog, wagged his tail excitedly.

“Daddy~” Xiao Xia squealed, trying to run to him, but Xiulan held her back.

“Wait till your dad changes his clothes and shoes before he picks you up.”

Xiulan brought out his sandals and placed them under the eaves. “Hurry and change, or you’ll catch a cold,” she said, looking at him with concern.

Seeing his wife and daughter, Lin Heng felt a deep sense of peace and contentment.

No matter how late he came home, Xiulan was always there waiting, always thinking of him. She didn’t say much, but every gesture, every glance, was filled with love.

In this world, finding someone who gives you their whole heart without reservation is rare. She was worth every ounce of love and tenderness he had to give.

Lin Heng grinned and nodded. “Okay.”

He stepped inside, sat on the bench, and changed out of his wet clothes.

As soon as he was done, Xiao Xia climbed into his lap, babbling away in her baby voice—some words made sense, others were just adorable nonsense.

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll go make something,” Xiulan said with a smile, watching the two of them.

“No rush. Let’s warm up by the fire a bit, then I’ll go with you,” Lin Heng said, pulling her gently to sit with him.

“Alright,” Xiulan nodded and sat across from him. The weather was chilly, so she stoked the charcoal fire.

“Your hand’s okay now?” Lin Heng asked, picking up her hand to check.

“It’s fine. Look, the scab’s almost all gone,” Xiulan said, shaking her head gently.

“That’s good.” Lin Heng nodded, then began telling her about everything he’d done that day, going over it bit by bit.

He didn’t mind talking, and Xiulan never got tired of listening.

“A month and we’ll have electricity? That’s amazing!” Xiulan said, clearly delighted.

Who wouldn’t want their home to be as bright at night as the town?

Without electric lights, dinner had to be made early, and if you got hungry later, you just had to bear it. Cooking in the dark was too hard. And kerosene lamps made your eyes sting.

“Once we’ve got electricity and start making money, we can get a TV, a fridge. Life won’t be so boring then,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

His desire to earn more was growing stronger. He wanted to buy all kinds of appliances for the house, get a car, build a villa—he was determined to raise their standard of living.

“Just having electricity is already great. No need to rush the rest,” Xiulan said, shaking her head. She didn’t want her husband to wear himself out chasing after those things. Life was already good as it was.

“Yeah,” Lin Heng nodded, though deep down he was even more driven to earn enough for all of it.

Back then, even a freezer cost over two thousand yuan, and a fridge could go for four or five thousand. Not cheap at all.

And demand far outstripped supply—wealthy folks were scrambling to buy them.

If he wanted one, he’d have to work hard. Being a “ten-thousand-yuan household” was just the beginning.

Xiao Xia stayed in Lin Heng’s arms for a while before wriggling down to run around and play.

Lin Heng, meanwhile, sat on the bench, gazing dreamily at Xiulan, completely content.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Xiulan blinked at him. Ever since he got home, his eyes hadn’t left her.

“Nothing. You’re just beautiful,” Lin Heng grinned. Watching his wife like this was a pleasure in itself.

“Dummy!” Xiulan poked his hand with her finger, then asked, “What do you want to eat? I’ll make it.”

“Whatever’s simple, but nothing with corn,” Lin Heng replied.

“Alright, I’ll make sour soup noodles. You watch Xiao Xia, I’ll go cook,” she said, getting up and heading to the kitchen.

Not long after, three bowls of sour soup noodles were ready. Xiulan had added a dash of sesame oil and shrimp paste, and made a fried egg each for Lin Heng and Xiao Xia.

“Here, let’s split it,” Lin Heng said, tearing his egg in half and feeding a piece to his wife, not taking no for an answer.

“Okay, thank you, hubby.” Xiulan blinked sweetly and took a bite, then slowly began eating with her chopsticks.

She knew Lin Heng would insist on sharing his egg with her, so she’d only made two on purpose. That way, not only did they save an egg, but she also got to enjoy being fed by him.

Her little plan worked, and she happily slurped her noodles.

Sour soup noodles were made with chopped scallions, minced garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and hot water. It looked simple, but the aroma of scallions and sesame oil made it surprisingly delicious.

Lin Heng ate quickly—he finished his bowl in just a few minutes. After drinking half the broth, he took over feeding Xiao Xia.

After dinner, he washed his face, then brought over a basin of hot water to soak their feet together.

By seven o’clock, the three of them had put out the charcoal fire and gone to bed. With no electric lights, there wasn’t much else to do once it got dark.

The high birth rate in the countryside probably had something to do with this too. When it gets dark, you go to bed. If you can’t sleep, well, there’s only one thing left to do. And with no birth control, babies just kept coming.

Lin Heng was relatively educated. He lit two candles by the bed and read stories to his wife and daughter—a small way to pass the time.

Many farmers couldn’t even read, let alone enjoy books. Their only nighttime activity was making babies.

After two cups of water and over an hour of reading, Xiao Xia finally stopped rolling around and fell asleep to the sound of his voice.

Once she was out, Lin Heng finished the chapter for Xiulan before stopping. He took a sip of water, took off his shirt, and slipped under the covers, wrapping his arms around his soft, fragrant wife.

Xiulan snuggled up to him, giving all her tenderness to Lin Heng like flowing water.

They made love, slow and deep. Lin Heng had bought protection, and if things got too intense, he used it. Otherwise, he preferred to go without and take his time.

Tonight, their love was especially tender. Exhausted, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The next morning, Lin Heng woke up first. He looked at Xiulan’s sleeping face resting on his arm and kissed her gently to wake her.

“Mm… don’t, gege~” Xiulan murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck, pleading for mercy. She was too tired.

“Scared you, huh?” Lin Heng chuckled and pulled her into his arms, watching the rain with her.

“I’m just afraid I won’t be able to get up,” Xiulan said sweetly. Lin Heng had been getting stronger over the past six months, and she was starting to feel the strain.

But she was happy—truly happy.

Autumn rain was like that—either it didn’t come at all, or it poured for days on end.

This morning it was still a gentle drizzle. Not heavy, but it showed no sign of stopping.

On days like this, there was no difference between getting up and staying in bed. The blankets were far warmer.

It wasn’t until nine o’clock, when Xiao Xia woke up on her own, that the three of them finally got up.

When they opened the back door, the whole family stood there, momentarily stunned.

(End of chapter)