Chapter 13 The New Factory
He took me to a newly built food plant nearby.
The grounds were new, clean and tidy.
“This is the trading company we put up this year. It mainly does deep processing of farm goods, supplies city supermarkets, and takes some foreign trade orders.”
“We’ve hired quite a few college graduates for management and tech lately,”
He paused, his tone a little helpless.
“But most of them still don’t want to stay long in the village.”
Yeah. Young people all chased the bright lights of the city.
“Lu Jingchuan.”
I turned to his sweat-damp profile and thought of what the aunties had said at the village gate.
“Do you regret it? Not going to college back then, staying in the village?”
His steps faltered a little. His gaze went out to the distant fields. He was quiet for a few seconds.
“No regrets. It was tiring and hard then, but it let my mom live two more years. Worth it.”
Then he turned to me and smiled.
“And now I’ve married you and brought you home. I’m content.”
He tightened his grip on my hand. His palm was hot and rough.
“Mianmian, I’ll treat you well. You… don’t divorce me…”
There was even a thread of pleading in his voice.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Why would I divorce you?”
What did this big silly guy think about all day?
“I… I’m afraid you won’t get used to village life, that you’ll find it dull. In a few days I’ll look at houses in the city. We can live there. I can run both ends.”
“No need!”
I shook my head at once and swung his hand.
“I actually like it here! My work is free, the environment is good, and the food is healthy and fresh…”
My original family had never been whole. My parents divorced early. Materially I wasn’t short, but they both had new children. I was like a weed on the roadside.
Here, I felt the solid warmth of home I had missed for so long.
Lu Jingchuan showed me around the plant. Most of the workers were nearby villagers.
These past days, I had heard plenty about him.
He contracted land and built the plant so the villagers wouldn’t have to leave home to sell hard labor in the city.
Everyone called him a big boss, a capable man.
But he didn’t own a single brand-name piece, no luxury car. Every day he went into the fields covered in mud and sweat.
Came home, cooked, handed over the money, clumsily learning how to care for his Wife.