Reborn in a small mountain village in 1991

Chapter 124 I Rely on Myself

Hearing the roar coming from inside the house, Mr. and Mrs. Cheng's hearts tightened. They exchanged a glance and hurriedly went inside to check the situation.

"What's wrong? Shushu, what did you do to make Xiao Han angry?"

Upon entering the room, one could see that Xiao Han's face was flushed and she was full of anger, while Cheng Runshu stood opposite Xiao Han with eyes full of hostility and defensiveness.

Cheng's mother pulled her daughter aside and asked anxiously in a low voice.

"I don't want to go to the city."

Cheng Runshu answered with a slightly aggrieved expression.

Cheng's mother patted her hand and asked softly, "Why don't you want to go? Your brother is there too, and Xiao Han is on a business trip in the county town. He made a special detour to come to our house. He's just trying to be kind, why don't you want to go?"

When Xiao Han saw the two arrive, he seemed to have found someone to take charge. He immediately straightened his back and said loudly, "Uncle and Aunt, I'm not trying to be mean to Runshu, but the accounting position in the state-owned factory in the city is so sought after that many people try to get it through connections. I had to pull strings so many times to finally get this job."

"Besides, Runshu can work in the city with a stable salary and much better benefits than in this town. It's such a hard-to-find opportunity, and I came all the way here to tell you in person, but she rejected it so easily, without considering my feelings at all."

Mr. Cheng sighed, a hint of confusion in his eyes as he looked at his daughter: "Shushu, what Xiao Han said is true. This opportunity is so rare..."

"Alright, don't be stubborn and miss this opportunity. Isn't working in an office in the city much more respectable than working in the town? Besides, your brother is there too. We'll feel more at ease at home if you two are together."

Cheng Runshu held his mother's hand, took two steps back to distance himself from Xiao Han, and said indifferently, "No matter how well you explain it, I don't want it. Don't bother worrying about it."

"Besides, I've never asked you to do these things for me. So what if you come to my house? It's a complete waste of your time. You know what you're up to. I can't accept your kindness."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Han, who was about to speak, was silenced. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, she felt that Cheng Runshu was targeting her, and couldn't help but raise her voice: "Cheng Runshu! Listen to what you're saying!"

"I specifically dropped everything to come all the way here to tell you, do you really look down on this job? While everyone else has decent jobs, you'll still be dawdling around in this town. Don't blame me for not helping you then!"

"You don't need to arrange my future."

Cheng Runshu didn't tolerate Xiao Han's arrogant attitude that was both condescending and condescending.

Cheng's mother was still patiently advising, "Shushu, Han's family is so well-off, the job he introduces to you must be pretty good too. So many people would kill for it—"

Cheng Runshu interrupted his mother: "Mom, I have my own plans, so I don't need others to be so kind."

"If it weren't for—because—humph! If you don't agree, let's see what you'll do in the future. Are you going to rely on that peasant outside?"

Xiao Han was very annoyed. He didn't understand why Cheng Runshu wouldn't accept his good intentions. The repeated rejections made him feel ashamed.

"Mind your own business!"

"Brother Chunsheng is so much better than you! He can build a pig farm and open a distillery on his own. What can you do besides rely on your family?"

Cheng's mother hurriedly patted her daughter's hand, afraid that her words would offend Xiao Han.

Xu Chunsheng stood under the eaves, and he could hear the argument inside clearly. He could also tell that Xiao Han had a respectable job in the city and wanted to control Cheng Runshu.

He was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to go in or leave, and was just wondering if he should just stay and avoid trouble when he heard Xiao Han's voice from inside: "Heh, he wants to rely on someone, but does he even have anyone to rely on?"

Xiao Han couldn't hold back any longer, her tone brimming with undisguised superiority: "I think that guy's all talk and no action, only picking on young girls like you. He'll just spout empty promises, but in the end, you'll get nothing!"

"See the car I parked outside? That's a company car! Even if he raised a few pigs and worked himself to the bone farming his whole life, he still couldn't afford it!"

Outside, Xu Chunsheng stood there, suddenly feeling as if a huge pot had been dumped on his head. He never expected that he would have anything to do with this.

Inside the house, Mr. and Mrs. Cheng looked a little stiff. Although Xiao Han's words were unpleasant, they did not refute them. They obviously thought he was right and felt that no matter how capable Xu Chunsheng was, he was still just a countryman. No matter how well he did, he could not compare to Xiao Han in terms of respectability.

Cheng Runshu's eyes reddened with anger. Looking at his parents' silent demeanor, a wave of grievance welled up in his heart.

It wasn't that she felt wronged, but rather that she felt wronged for Xu Chunsheng. He was clearly a very earnest and hardworking person, yet he was deliberately belittled, and even his parents didn't stand by his side. An indescribable bitterness welled up in her eyes.

Others may not know the effort he put in, but she watched him build his pig farm step by step with his own hands, and he even gained a foothold in the town with his skills. Every achievement of his was something that others envied.

Moreover, Xu Chunsheng never thought he was superior and was always polite to everyone. He had a much broader perspective than that arrogant Han!

Cheng Runshu, her eyes red and her breathing rapid, was about to retort when she heard Xu Chunsheng's voice: "I really didn't buy the car."

Xu Chunsheng walked in slowly, his face grim as he glanced at Xiao Han. His words were calm and unhurried, each one clear and forceful: "But the Santana you parked outside, the one Guangwo uses, cost less than 6 yuan new, and it was even a company-issued car."

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"It's not yours personally; you only have the right to use it, not ownership. Besides, can you bear the responsibility for misusing a public vehicle?"

Xiao Han's face darkened when he was called out, and he retorted defiantly, "So what if it's not private property? Who wouldn't feel respectable driving it around? You're just a pig farmer, how can you compare to me?"

Xu Chunsheng was too lazy to argue with him, so he simply laid out his assets: "In the village, I have a pig farm with dozens of pigs, which are assets. I also have a winery in town, which does good business every day."

"I earned everything myself, without relying on anyone else, but with the support of my family who worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk."

Xiao Han was already embarrassed after being exposed for using a company vehicle for personal purposes, as it wasn't actually his own car. After hearing Xu Chunsheng's explanation, it was as if Xu had hit a nerve: "No matter how eloquently you speak, you're just a self-employed individual, without any connections or support, relying entirely on your own reckless actions. You're lucky you haven't run into any trouble yet. If you really did get into trouble, everything would be over! You wouldn't even have anyone to back you up!"

Xiao Han's momentum grew stronger as he spoke, as if he had regained the upper hand: "Uncle and Aunt, you must know, doing business depends on luck."

"No, nothing beats a stable and respectable government job! Plus, if something goes wrong, someone will take the blame. That's the proper way out! And it's much more suitable for a young girl like Runshu!"

That last sentence struck a chord with the elderly couple in the Cheng family.

Although everyone envies the money that self-employed individuals can make, in most people's eyes, a business cannot compare to a government-owned enterprise; self-employed individuals are not as stable and can collapse at any time.

Mr. and Mrs. Cheng frowned again, but their hearts began to relax.

Only Cheng Runshu still thought Xu Chunsheng was the best. Looking at Xiao Han trying to remain calm, he couldn't help but find it laughable.

After hearing this, Xu Chunsheng didn't feel provoked at all and remained calm and composed: "Stability cannot be given by others, and you can never rely on others. Only what you hold in your own hands is true ability."

"You eat the government's food and rely on your work unit. You have to do whatever others tell you to do. If the economy is bad and the company lays off employees, this knife will eventually be hanging over your throat."

"My business has been built step by step with solid work, without relying on luck or blind attempts. The real things are there for all to see."

"But what about you? If you make a mistake at work, there will be plenty of people wanting to take your place. You have neither skills nor business, so you truly have no safety net!"

One sentence ripped away the smugness on Xiao Han's face, leaving him speechless for a long time.

He has lived for over 20 years, relying on his family for resources his entire life. His family also told him that government jobs are the most stable, and he had long been accustomed to this kind of life. He was used to his family arranging everything for him, and he was also used to doing whatever work the government assigned him.

Just as Xu Chunsheng said, he didn't have the courage to venture out on his own, and those words were also his most unacknowledged shortcomings.

Xu Chunsheng glanced indifferently at his embarrassed face: "A business built on luck won't last long, but a business built on hard work and conscience can last a lifetime."

The main room was deathly silent.

Mr. and Mrs. Cheng stood there in a daze, their hesitation fading away. They couldn't disregard their daughter's feelings just because others said government jobs were good.

Xu Chunsheng has only taken a little over a year to get to where he is now, and everyone in the entire brigade says he is capable.

Standing there alone, Xiao Han's face flushed red and then turned pale. The dignity he had always been proud of had been completely shattered by Xu Chunsheng's few words.

But the young man never took off his mask, stubbornly maintaining his composure. He glanced at the people around him out of the corner of his eye, then glared fiercely at Xu Chunsheng, and began to utter threats: "Fine! You're all talk and no action, I can't argue with you!"

"I'm putting my words here today: your success today doesn't guarantee future glory. If things go wrong in the future, I hope you'll remember your arrogance today!"

This is hardly a warning; it's clearly a weak attempt to cover up the truth.

Mr. and Mrs. Cheng felt extremely uncomfortable listening to Xiao Han's sarcastic remarks.

They had previously thought that Xiao Han had a government job and decent conditions, and they wanted to bring the two children together. They also wanted their daughter to have a decent job in the city.

But now, in front of everyone, Xiao Han keeps saying that individual business owners rely on luck, and even goes so far as to say that other people's businesses will eventually fail.

Moreover, Xu Chunsheng was related to their family, and Xiao Han's words showed no mercy, making Cheng's parents feel extremely embarrassed.

Cheng Runshu stood there, his eyes filled with admiration for Xu Chunsheng, not sparing Xiao Han a single glance.

Xu Chunsheng gave him a disdainful smile, glanced at him indifferently, and gestured for him to enter.

The four people's indifference made Xiao Han even more embarrassed, and he couldn't stay any longer.

"I can't be bothered to talk to you! You don't know how to cherish what you have! I will never mention your job again!"

He left those words behind, flicked his sleeves, and strode out the door. As he passed Xu Chunsheng, he deliberately bumped into his arm: "Get out of the way! A good dog doesn't block the way!"

"pound!"

Xiao Han slammed the door shut, and soon his furious voice came from outside: "You pig farmer, get your beat-up tricycle away right now!"

"Xiao Han, it's still early, have some dinner before you leave."

Although the work matter hadn't been settled, Cheng's mother felt that since the other person had gone to such lengths to come all this way, it was a token of their good intentions, and she didn't want her to leave so easily. So she stood by the car, wanting to invite her to stay for dinner.

Xiao Han sat in the car, rolled down the window, and said, "Auntie, I made this special trip because I'm close to Da Jun (Cheng Runshu's brother), but I'm afraid I won't be able to eat at your house today."

After saying that, without waiting for Cheng's parents' reaction, Xu Chunsheng drove off after moving the tricycle.

Watching the car drive away, Cheng's mother sighed, "Oh, Chunsheng, look at what happened today, you've suffered so much. Stay for dinner before you go home."

Xu Chunsheng shook his head: "I'm not eating. It gets dark early in winter. I need to go back to the pig farm while it's still light. You guys should go back inside too. It's windy outside, don't catch a cold."

Cheng Runshu stood by the roadside, urging the two to go inside: "Mom and Dad, you go in first, I need to say a few words to Brother Chunsheng."

"I'm sorry—brother, I didn't expect that after all the trouble you went through to bring me back, you would encounter such an unhappy thing."

Xu Chunsheng reached out and adjusted her hat, then patted her head like a younger sister: "What's the big deal? I'm your brother, it's my duty to support you. Didn't he say there aren't any good jobs in town? How about I hire you as a professional accountant after I finish repairing the winery?"

After saying that, fearing that Cheng Runshu might feel disappointed, he added, "The salary certainly can't compare to what's available in the city right now. But once the pig farm and winery expand, I'll hire a couple more people to help you. How about that?"

These few simple words are practical and reliable, a hundred times more genuine than Xiao Han's so-called connections with the government.

Cheng Runshu, who had been holding back her tears, finally broke down in front of Xu Chunsheng.

"Okay—yes. I trust my brother."

Cheng Runshu bent his palm and gently wiped the tears from his face with the back of his fingers, answering with a wronged expression.

Xu Chunsheng comforted her for a while, and only after she had completely calmed down did he say, "Come inside quickly, don't stand in the wind outside. Come back to 'work' in a few days when you're filtering wine, and I'll pay you!"

"Pfft—"

Cheng Runshu burst out laughing and lightly patted Xu Chunsheng's arm: "Who wants your wages?"

"Brother, go back quickly. The road is wet. Be careful. I'm fine now."

"Okay. You go inside first, and I'll come back after you're inside."

Xu Chunsheng was still a little worried that his younger sister had a falling out with her family and refused to come inside, especially since her parents had been trying to persuade her to go to work in the city.

Cheng Runshu agreed, took a few steps into the courtyard, turned around and waved to Xu Chunsheng: "Then I'll come to see you again in a couple of days."