Road to Revival

On the afternoon of the 3rd, Tao Jin learned that Tao Tang had returned to the factory. Wang Guanglin, the director of the third workshop of the sixth branch factory, came to visit, saying that he had unintentionally offended General Manager Tao at noon and asked Tao Jin to "mediate" on his behalf.

Wang Guanglin brought two bottles of liquor and two cartons of cigarettes, and briefly explained what had happened. Wang Guanglin's drunkenness had long since dissipated; once he confirmed that Tao Tang was indeed outside the restaurant, his liquor immediately turned into sweat. He was indeed bragging; he was merely a section-level official, far inferior to Quan Jianhe in terms of rank, power, and influence. Quan Jianhe was dismissed with a mere word, wasn't he? For Tao Tang, dismissing him as workshop director was like crushing an ant.

"Brother Tao, I wouldn't dare to offend Boss Tao even if you gave me the guts. It all happened in the heat of the moment... My foul mouth... You should ask Boss Tao to find out when Workshop Three has ever failed to complete its tasks. Besides, I really didn't have any complaints against Boss Tao..."

Tao Youdao was at home at the time, lying quietly in his room listening to Wang Guanglin and his father talking. In a sense, Wang Guanglin was not bragging. Workshop No. 3 really couldn't do without him. Without him, Zhu Yu and Gao Jiming really couldn't keep those old men in Workshop No. 3 in check.

But because he said something offensive to his second uncle, he scared Director Wang, who was extremely powerful in the branch factory, into a cowardly state. Second uncle is back? Didn't he go to Binjiang? Why did he go to the commercial street? Tao Youdao was pondering this alone in the room when he heard his father was about to relapse into his old ways, so he hurriedly jumped out.

"Director Wang, I don't know if my dad will comply with your request, but we can't accept this. My second uncle criticized my dad in front of me before. I know you and my dad are old friends, and cigarettes and alcohol are nothing to you, but I'm afraid it might ruin your plans..."

"Yes, yes, my second son did say that you can take the things back. I can talk to him, but I can't accept the things," Tao Jin said.

"Director Wang, I think you shouldn't take it to heart. My second uncle won't take your drunken words to heart. If you're still worried, it would be better if you explained it to him yourself."

Tao Youdao worked as a statistician at the Sixth Factory, so Wang Guanglin naturally recognized him. "Nephew, that's what I meant, but I'm afraid Mr. Tao might misunderstand..."

"If you're afraid of misunderstandings, just explain directly."

"You're right. However, I'll keep the things; it's really nothing. I'll personally go to Mr. Tao to apologize." Wang Guanglin made his decision. Before Tao Jin and his son could react, he had already rushed out the door and left.

"Hey, that's good, those were some good points," Tao Jin praised his son.

"Dad, since Uncle said that, could you please not accept these things? Or, I can return them to him for you. You see, if Uncle doesn't mind, he'll appreciate our kindness. If we accept his gifts, the value of our relationship will be diminished."

"Alright. You're at the Sixth Factory, so it's good that Wang Guanglin, that braying donkey, owes you a favor." Tao Jin felt that his son had really grown up. "However, I'm afraid no one will dare to bully you anymore."

"Dad, why did Uncle come back so quickly? Is something wrong?"

"Then ask him."

"You'll know if you just call my grandma," Tao Youdao said, somewhat dissatisfied with his parents. They rarely called their grandparents who lived far away in Binjiang; in terms of filial piety, his parents were probably doing a terrible job. Tao Youdao vaguely sensed that this was the root of the rift between his second uncle and his father.

"Go ahead and make the call," Tao Jin said, still unwilling to do so.

Before the holiday, Tao Youdao took Wang Xiaojuan to see Tao Tang. After returning, he truthfully reported to his parents, which earned him a furious outburst from Bai Shuxian. She felt wronged, believing that her son had betrayed her. However, Tao Jin's attitude changed.

"If you've really made up your mind, then I'm done with it," Tao Jin said to his son.

Bai Shuxian confronted Tao Jin again, launching into a tirade against her husband. This May Day holiday was quiet and uneventful for Tao Jin's family. Because of his mother's attitude, Tao Youdao cancelled his original plan to take wedding photos in the provincial capital, hoping to have a proper talk with his mother. But Bai Shuxian wouldn't give him that chance; when Wang Guanglin came to visit, Bai Shuxian didn't even show her face.

Helpless, Tao Youdao made a phone call to Binjiang using the landline, and then told his father, "Dad, Xiaohe has secretly come here, and Second Uncle chased after her and came back from Yanjing..."

Bai Shuxian rushed out of her bedroom, "Xiaohe is back? Youdao, you should contact your second uncle right away and ask Xiaohe to come over for a meal."

Tao Youdao was pleased with his mother's attitude. So he called again to tell his parents that his second uncle, Xiaohe, and aunt's family were now in their new house in Golden Olive.

Bai Shuxian and Tao Jin exchanged glances. Actually, Tao Youdao had already told them, but they hadn't had a chance to verify it; they didn't have many opportunities to see Tao Tang. Bai Shuxian was a little anxious and, forgetting her anger towards Tao Jin and his son, pulled Tao Jin and Tao Youdao along, and they took a taxi to Golden Olive. Taking advantage of her mother's complaint about the expensive taxi fare, Tao Youdao suggested buying a car.

"Was it the Wang family who proposed it? They're the ones who should buy it." Bai Shuxian flatly refused. "That's the rule: the man buys the house, the woman buys the car. If they manage the house, I'll buy you a nice car."

Tao Youdao felt wronged and wanted to argue with his mother, but he was afraid of ruining the newly eased atmosphere. Besides, his mother's words indicated that she was no longer critical of Wang Xiaojuan, so he held back. But he had a lot on his mind. The problem was, they hadn't bought a house yet! Originally, the Wang family had suggested that the groom buy an apartment in the city, but after his second uncle returned, the Wang family stopped mentioning it. Instead, they were pressing for a wedding date. A wedding needs a place to live, right? But the family still hadn't made any plans, and they hadn't even taken back the apartment they'd rented out. Even if they brought Wang Xiaojuan into their current home, wouldn't they need to tidy up? He'd tried talking to Wang Xiaojuan about it, and surprisingly, she hadn't objected. Under these circumstances, buying a car wasn't unreasonable, was it? Many young people in the factory bought cars; they didn't care so much. That's just how society is; the groom's family always spends more on the wedding than the bride's…

They found their second uncle's new house in Golden Olive. Tao Tang immediately said to Tao Jin and Bai Shuxian, "Brother, sister-in-law, this house was originally bought for Mom and Dad to live in during their retirement. Shi'an and Meiling suggested that since Youdao's wedding is approaching and they still don't have a house, they suggest giving this house to Youdao as his new home..."

Tao Jin and Bai Shuxian were overjoyed. They hadn't even had time to appreciate the layout of the house, and had just experienced the spaciousness of the enormous living room, which was a full forty square meters. Tao Tang's sudden good news almost knocked the couple unconscious.

"However, there's something I need to clarify," Tao Tang said, looking at his brother and sister-in-law. "I have a condition to make clear: Mom and Dad need to come back. If they're willing to stay at the factory after they return, they can only stay with you two. You two will be primarily responsible for taking care of them, with Meiling and Shi'an helping out. I'm afraid I won't have the time."

"Okay, no problem." Bai Shuxian agreed without hesitation.

"I haven't finished speaking. As the saying goes, the house can be used for you to get married, but if your grandparents want to come and live here, you'll be responsible for taking care of their daily lives. Let me be clear: I bought the house to settle your grandparents. There's enough space, but the bedroom with the ensuite bathroom is for your grandparents. Don't agree yet; go back and ask your boyfriend first."

Tao Youdao originally wanted to express his opinion, but his aunt's words stopped him from doing so.

Tao Meiling smiled and said, "Youdao, don't worry. If your grandparents become unable to take care of themselves one day, the primary responsibility will fall on the three of us, not you, and certainly not Xiaohe and Xiaowei. However, since your second uncle has solved your current problem, you should also show him filial piety, shouldn't you?"

"Don't worry, Auntie, I know what to do," Tao Youdao quickly assured her.

"How about this, I'll put up another 30 yuan for renovations, a lump sum payment. Youdao, you're not young anymore, so I'll leave the renovations to you. Get them done quickly. Just a reminder, don't just think about yourself during the renovations; consider the two elderly people too... Of course, if your grandparents don't want to live here, the house is yours."

After finishing their discussion, Tao Jin and his wife greeted Xiao He and Fang Ke. They had heard of Fang Ke but were meeting her for the first time and insisted on inviting her to their home, which Fang Ke politely declined. Xiao He was even less willing to go. Tao Tang said, "Let's forget it, we'll eat out later, the whole family will be here."

The Tao family, accompanied by Tao Meiling, happily toured their new house. Tao Tang and Wu Shi'an were chatting in the living room when Tao Xiaohe pulled Fang Ke aside. "Auntie, you see, that's just how my uncle's family is. If they weren't like this, they wouldn't have agreed to take care of my grandma. Grandpa and Grandma are also biased; they're still thinking about them all the time in Binjiang... They're so biased. My dad is the same; why did he say it was Auntie's opinion? He spent money and didn't even get any credit."

"Don't be so petty. Your dad did the right thing. I think he changed his mind after listening to your aunt. How could he have time to care for your grandparents? Now that they have someone to take care of them, isn't he relieved?"

"In my family, my dad has always been the sucker."

"Xiaohe, let me tell you, there's never been any fairness in this world. It's precisely because fairness is so severely lacking that everyone yearns for it. To give to those who have more than enough is the way of Heaven." Fang Ke rarely used his scholarly knowledge. "You just heard about your aunt and uncle's income. Tell me, if your dad doesn't pay, who will?"

"How could they possibly work as hard as my dad?"

"I just said there's no fairness, but it's all for nothing. Your dad earns in one year what they would earn in ten or twenty years. If you split that evenly, do you think it's reasonable?" Fang Ke knew that although Tao Xiaohe was young, she was much more mature than her peers, perhaps because her mother had passed away early.

"Hmph, if they treat my grandma well, I won't say anything..."

"It's still a matter of ability. We're a family, so naturally the more capable one should contribute more. Don't be childish. This really has nothing to do with you. Didn't you brag to me that you'd definitely be independent and self-reliant in the future?"

"I just can't stand them... They're all so sneaky... Anyway, I'm not going back to Pingquan..."

"Don't say that, they're all your elders. At least your aunt is nice... Actually, Pingquan is nice too..."

"You're not really coming to Pingquan, are you?" Tao Xiaohe perked up again, looking at Fang Ke with a grin.

"I don't care. What's so great about Yanjing? You can't even see the stars anymore."

"We really should argue with them. It would be nice to leave this house for you to use as your new home."

"You have no manners, you've really spoiled me..." Fang Ke glanced at Tao Meiling guiltily, then glared fiercely at Tao Xiaohe.

"I'm only thinking of you, aren't I?" Tao Xiaohe saw Fang Ke glaring at her and immediately looked away. In a short while, her previous frustration seemed to have dissipated.

Tao Jin and his family of three carefully inspected the house, becoming increasingly satisfied with it. Bai Shuxian was overjoyed; truly, blessed people don't have to work hard, and sometimes good things really do fall from the sky. The biggest problem for Youdao's marriage had been solved in a completely unexpected way. Of course, she wouldn't be foolish enough to ask whose name was on the property certificate. Since the second son had said the house belonged to Youdao, there was no rush.

This is a large three-bedroom apartment. The living room window faces south, and two of the three bedrooms also face south, one of which has an ensuite bathroom. The kitchen and dining room are spacious, connected to a storage room of less than ten square meters. The bedroom on the shady side even has a small balcony. This place is absolutely perfect for Youdao's wedding. And the renovation is all set; the second son immediately gave 30 yuan… that should be enough.

"Youdao, you must remember how good your second uncle was to you, and take good care of him in the future..." Bai Shuxian said loudly.

Tao Tang was having a serious conversation with her brother-in-law Wu Shi'an. Tao Tang, looking grave, seemed not to have heard her. Bai Shuxian leaned closer, "Shi'an, such a nice house can't be decorated haphazardly. Do you know anything about the industry?"

"No need to pull any strings," Tao Tang chimed in. "Golden Olive has its own renovation company. Just sign a contract and hand it over to them. Everyone's busy; no one has time to keep an eye on this."

"That won't do. I've heard that renovation companies are too shady and unreliable. We should do it ourselves... Don't worry, Second Brother, come and see the plan after it's finalized. If you're satisfied, we'll start construction. Your wife knows you're very busy, so just leave it to us."

"Sister-in-law, it's rare for the whole family to get together, so let's not go home for dinner tonight. Let's go to the city and find a restaurant. It's my treat. Xiaohe is going home, and Fangke is visiting for the first time, so we can't neglect her." Wu Shi'an interrupted Bai Shuxian.

Around noon, the astute Wu Shi'an noticed something amiss. Fang Ke's status suddenly seemed more important. He quietly told Meiling, and Meiling realized it too. His second brother was still young and needed to settle down again. Fang Ke was the most suitable in terms of status, and his talent and qualifications were undeniable, naturally making Wu Shi'an and his wife very happy.

"No need for you to treat us. We've already been invited. Don't argue with me, tonight it's definitely your brother and me treating." Bai Shuxian subconsciously touched her pocket. She never carried a lot of money on her, and Tao Jin was no exception. She just hoped that Youdao had some money with him, so as not to embarrass her.