Volume Two [708] Returning to the Village
【7o8】Returning to the Village
In fact, Xu Xiaoya and the others knew that Zhao Qiang was going to land in Hong Kong and originally wanted to come to pick him up. However, Zhao Qiang considered that the world situation was unstable at present, and there was important medicine in the box he was carrying. It was still unknown whether this medicine would cause infection or harm to ordinary people. Under these circumstances, he tried his best to keep them away from the airport. Better safe than sorry.
Of course, Zhao Qiang wasn't afraid that these state security officers would dare to cause trouble. After the confrontation with those old guys some time ago, Zhao Qiang believed that there was no one in the country who would dare to go against him.
The disinfection and quarantine ended two days later, and Zhao Qiang returned to Beijing safely with Yang Shiyun. The medicine was handed over to the state. This was not a matter that Zhao Qiang was suited to handle personally. After all, viral infection was a major issue that he could not control on his own. The massive state apparatus could handle it better.
Upon returning to Beijing, Zhao Qiang received an invitation from the Central Committee. For several days in a row, Zhao Qiang had to go to the General Office of the Central Committee to meet with various leaders. This time, they finally adopted a proper attitude. Zhao Qiang's domineering presence made these people dare not covet him. He was an almost invincible figure. Even if he threatened the rule of the country, there was nothing that could be done because he was too important to the country. So important that even if these people had opinions in their hearts, they had to suppress them and show respect to Zhao Qiang on the surface.
The daily meetings were driving Zhao Qiang crazy. He realized he wasn't cut out to be a leader. He couldn't handle the long meetings, not to mention the numerous trivial matters. He had to listen to dozens of reports every day. If Zhao Qiang were in his fifties or sixties, it would be manageable, but he was still a young man in his twenties. How could he possibly sit for an entire day? So, the next day, Zhao Qiang turned off his phone and quietly left Beijing.
In fact, Zhao Qiang could see that the country intended to groom him to become a high-ranking official, but that was not the life Zhao Qiang wanted. If he really entered the Beijing palace and became a high-ranking official, Zhao Qiang knew that his life for the rest of his life would be changed, and such a change would not be a good thing for Zhao Qiang's character. What he wanted was a free life, not to be locked in a cage.
Unable to find Zhao Qiang, Yang Zhaoxi, Hu Weimin, and others called Xu Xiaoya, only to learn that Zhao Qiang had returned to his hometown. From Xu Xiaoya, they learned that Zhao Qiang had decided to abandon his political career. The two old men, Yang and Hu, sighed. That young man was truly unpredictable, but he already held an extremely important position in the country. Even if he didn't want to go into politics, they should give him more responsibilities. However, it was indeed inappropriate to put such a young person in the public eye of the government. After discussing it, the two old men decided to give Zhao Qiang a military identity. After all, few people outside the military knew about things, and soldiers' duty was to obey orders. Even if the soldiers below had any ideas, it would be easy to suppress them.
Zhao Qiang didn't drive himself; he took the bus all the way back to his hometown. He missed his parents. Some time ago, due to the tense situation, Zhao Qiang's parents had stayed in Beijing. However, after Zhao Qiang went abroad, the national security department cracked down on a large number of enemy agents. The Wang family members dared not make any moves now, and the safety of the Zhao family was guaranteed. Zhao Weidong and Liu Huilan felt there was no need to stay in Beijing any longer, so the family returned to Shantou Village.
Zhao Qiang got off the bus in Zaolin Town and walked home step by step. Seeing the bustling crowds in the town, Zhao Qiang knew that the factories he had built in the surrounding area had played a significant role in promoting the local economy. After walking a few steps, a tricycle came up to him to solicit passengers.
"Hey buddy, where are you going? I'll give you a ride, it'll only cost five yuan. Get in, walking is too tiring," an old woman called out to Zhao Qiang from behind in her electric tricycle.
Zhao Qiang ignored her and quickened his pace. The old woman twisted the accelerator and sped up. "Young man, don't go! You don't even have five yuan? Looking at your clothes, you're not poor. Don't be so stingy. Saving money is useless. I heard that a virus outbreak happened in America recently, and such a prosperous metropolis was wiped out. I don't know how many tens of millions of people were affected. Life is a tragedy. You never know when disaster will strike. Why are you so stingy?" The old woman was quite eloquent, managing to connect whether or not he rode in her car with the virus outbreak in America.
Zhao Qiang smiled and said, "Auntie, you go ahead and do your work. I just like to walk around and enjoy the scenery. Don't worry about me."
The old woman was still not giving up: "Young man, if you want to see scenery, you can go on a trip. There's not much scenery to see in Zaolin Town. How about I take you to visit the park in Hedian District? That's where the real beauty is."
The Hedian District Park was a decent green space, but for Zhao Qiang, who had seen a lot in the world, such man-made landscapes were nothing. Besides, he knew Hedian District like the back of his hand. Afraid of being bothered any longer, Zhao Qiang took out five yuan and gave it to the old woman. "Auntie, here's the money, please go."
The old lady was overjoyed to receive the five yuan. "What? You're getting money even if you're not taking the bus?"
Zhao Qiang said, "If you say another word to me, I'll return the money."
With a whoosh, the old lady twisted the accelerator and disappeared into the crowd. Zhao Qiang shook his head. The people of Zaolin Town had become rich, but ideological work seemed to have made little progress. This matter needed to be brought up with the town. The Five Stresses, Four Beauties, and Three Loves still needed to be learned. Economic development could not lag behind spiritual civilization construction, otherwise everyone would be obsessed with money.
Zhao Qiang's home wasn't far from the town. Looking at the lush green fields, Zhao Qiang was in high spirits, humming a tune as he entered the house. The yard gate wasn't locked, but the main door was locked. Zhao Qiang was taken aback. Had they gone to work in the fields? Luckily, Zhao Weidong had a cell phone; after all, he was the village leader, how could he work without one? Zhao Qiang called his father. It turned out it was harvest season, and the whole family was busy harvesting peanuts in the fields. Zhao Qiang asked for the location of the peanut field and headed straight there.
Along the way, farmers in the fields kept greeting Zhao Qiang. Although they didn't know Zhao Qiang's true identity, he was considered a wealthy man in the village, and his father was the village committee secretary, so everyone had to give him some face.
There was an SUV parked on Zhao Qiang's land. Zhao Qiang was stunned. "Wow, when did Dad suddenly become so clever and buy a car? And judging from the color, style, and interior decoration, it's definitely for women. He's trying to please Mom."
However, when Zhao Qiang saw a girl bending over and harvesting peanuts at the edge of the field, he was stunned. Su Su? What's she doing here? Doesn't she have to go to a performance?
Su Su, who plays Zhao Qiang, was the first to straighten up and greet him cheerfully. It would be shocking headlines if the paparazzi caught a female star, now famous in the Chinese-speaking world, working in the fields covered in mud.
Zhao Qiang walked up to Su Su and said, "How did you get into my house without me even noticing?"
Su Su said, "I don't have any plans these two days. I'm going home to see my parents, and I'll stop by to see my uncle and aunt on the way."
Liu Huilan walked over from the middle of the field, and Zhao Qiang called out to his mother, "Didn't I tell you to hire people to do it? Why are you making my dad and grandpa go to the field again? Picking peanuts is too tiring for their backs."
Liu Huilan glared at her son: "If we hire people to do everything, won't we become landlords? Didn't you say you went abroad? When are you coming back?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Just now, I'm going home right away to see you, my dad, and my grandpa."
Zhao Weidong also came out of the field. "Qiang, everything in Beijing is done well."
Zhao Qiang nodded: "It's alright, where's my grandpa?"
Zhao Weidong said, "Some of the corn is almost ripe. Your grandfather will go and cut some to take home."
Zhao Qiang said, "Then I'll go help Grandpa."
Zhao Weidong said, "Okay, you cut the corn and go home. I'll have your mother go home and cook now. We can't neglect Su when she arrives."
Su Su's eyes lit up. She hadn't expected Zhao Qiang to secretly go home. She had originally planned to go to Beijing to see Zhao Qiang, but thinking that Zhao Qiang had too many girls around him, she was worried that even if she went to Beijing, she might not be able to have him all to herself. So she came back to her hometown. But she didn't expect that Zhao Qiang would also go back to his hometown afterward. This meant that Zhao Qiang would belong to her alone.
Zhao Qiang noticed the look in Su Su's eyes and beckoned to her, "Let's go together."
Su Su dropped what she was doing and followed behind Zhao Qiang, her joy barely concealed. "Want a ride?"
Zhao Qiang said, "No need, the roads in the mountains are difficult to travel."
Ignoring the mud on her hands, Su Su grabbed Zhao Qiang's hand and said, "Okay, let's just enjoy the scenery. The air in the fields is really nice, with birds chirping and insects buzzing. It's quite poetic."
Liu Huilan watched Zhao Qiang lead Su Su away with his hand and a knowing smile appeared on her face. She knew that Su Su was a big star, but Liu Huilan knew even better about her son's abilities. He was definitely a good match for Su Su.
Zhao Weidong sighed, "Sigh, who exactly is Qiang planning to marry?"
Liu Huilan glared at Zhao Weidong: "Why do you care about these things? As long as you can hold your grandson, that's enough."
Zhao Weidong retorted to his wife, "Qiang spends every day with a bunch of girls. It's been years, and you've had a grandson yet? So I think we should make him settle down and get married as soon as possible."
Liu Huilan said, "Maybe the young people don't want it. Anyway, you can't say this in front of the children. You saw it when you went to Beijing last time. No girl is easy to deal with. If you offend them, I'm telling you, you'll be in big trouble."
Zhao Weidong straightened his back and said, "What else can they do? They can't come and scold me."
Liu Huilan said, "That's definitely not the case. I see that they are very obedient to Zhao Qiang, but as you can see, each of them is a good helper to Zhao Qiang. If they were to abandon him, he would be completely helpless."
Zhao Weidong said, "We can't let this delay the marriage of other people's daughters."
Liu Huilan said, "You don't understand, do you? I can see it. None of them will give up Qiang. It's just that our country's laws are holding them back. Otherwise, Qiang would have already brought us a bunch of wives."
Zhao Qiang and Su Su took out their earplugs. These earplugs were quite special; they could receive signals from a specific area within a range of 100 to 200 meters, and even further if there were no obstructions. They had clearly heard Liu Huilan and Zhao Weidong's conversation. Su Su blushed, and Zhao Qiang took her hand, asking, "If I could marry a bunch of wives, Su, would you marry me?"
Su Su lowered her head and said, "What are you talking about? There's no such regulation in our country."
Zhao Qiang deliberately sighed: "So you don't agree."
Su Su got anxious: "When did I say that?"
Zhao Qiang chuckled: "So that means you agree?"
Su Su said, "What's the use of asking me? This matter can only be discussed after Sister Xiaoya speaks up. She's your class monitor."
Zhao Qiang stared at the cornfield by the roadside and said, "Such tall cornfields."
Su Su didn't understand the meaning behind Zhao Qiang's sudden question. "What?"
Zhao Qiang asked, "Have you ever crawled through a cornfield?"
Su Su shook her head: "You'll get scratched if you go into the cornfield."
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't worry, you can put on your armor to protect your hands and face. How about I take you through the cornfield?"
Su Su suddenly thought of something, her face flushed red, but she couldn't refuse Zhao Qiang's request, so she could only lower her head and express herself in silence.
(Thanks to CatCat and Demon for their monthly ticket support)
Volume 2 [709] Happy Times
【7o9】Happy Time
The corn leaves have barbs on the edges that scratch the skin, and because they are planted so densely, it is difficult to walk through them. Zhao Qiang pulled Su Su towards the cornfield, but Su Su shyly stopped him, saying, "Zhao Qiang, don't go in. It's not good if someone sees us."
Zhao Qiang chuckled: "You really think you can just go in and do whatever you want? I just want to take a shortcut, cross this cornfield and I'll be in my family's cornfield."
Su Su blushed even more: "Oh, I see. I thought..."
Zhao Qiang said, "Do you think I wanted to sneak into the cornfield and molest you?"
Su Su whispered, "What do you mean by 'molestation'? It's not like you haven't done it before. I'm just worried that it's not appropriate for you to do it in broad daylight..."
Zhao Qiang led the way, bending over and keeping his head down so that the corn leaves wouldn't scratch his face. Su Su followed behind Zhao Qiang into the cornfield. After walking about ten meters deep, they couldn't see anything outside anymore. In the seemingly quiet cornfield, there were actually various insects chirping and rustling sounds. Su Su was a little scared and held Zhao Qiang's hand tightly.
Zhao Qiang suddenly pulled hard, and Su Su lost her balance and fell into his arms. Zhao Qiang grabbed Su Su's face and kissed her. Su Su exclaimed, "Oh, you lied to me, you still wanted that..."
Zhao Qiang said, "We've already gone into the cornfield, wouldn't it be a huge loss if we didn't do that?"
Su Su asked shyly, "Won't people outside hear us?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Just stop calling me."
Su Su hugged Zhao Qiang and lowered her head, saying, "Oh." She still listened to Zhao Qiang and generally didn't go against his wishes. In the past, she might have been more lively and active, but being a celebrity for the past two years had changed her personality a lot. In front of Zhao Qiang, she often acted like a gentle and ladylike girl, which Zhao Qiang found hard to adapt to. He still preferred the Su Su from before.
"Um, take off your clothes and let me see. You've gotten a lot fuller lately, haven't you? Your cup size has gone up, right?" Zhao Qiang said to Su Su.
Su Su was in a dilemma: "I'm a girl, it would be so embarrassing for me to take it off myself, especially since we're outdoors."
Zhao Qiang, drooling, said, "It's only exciting in the wild..."
Seemingly seeing through Zhao Qiang's scheming to flirt with her, Su Su suddenly realized what was going on and tapped Zhao Qiang on the head: "What are you trying to provoke? You're pushing your luck, aren't you? If you want to play around, I'll play with you, but this is the wild, and you're making me strip naked. I'm a girl, give me some decency, okay?"
Zhao Qiang chuckled even more heartily, and Su Su bit Zhao Qiang's arm: "I'm telling you to laugh. You're just messing with me on purpose. You're only happy when you see me make a fool of myself, right?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, I like seeing you like this now, so energetic, unlike before when you were so rigid."
Su Su said, "No, if I'm too crazy, my fans won't be able to accept it, so I have to be a lady."
Zhao Qiang said, "You can't bring it to me, or I'll rape you in the cornfield."
Su Su chuckled: "Okay, come on, tear my clothes to shreds and see what your parents say when you get home."
Zhao Qiang reached out and pushed aside the corn leaves in front of him: "Let's go, let's go, my grandpa is right ahead. If we do anything here, my parents won't even say anything before my grandpa punishes me. It's indecent, and that's a big taboo in our village."
After Zhao Qiang's actions, Su Su relaxed a lot. She took Zhao Qiang's hand and walked behind him. "Let's roast some corn," Su Su said, looking at the tempting big corn cobs.
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, but we can't grill this place's corn. Our cornfield is in front, so we'll pick some and grill them later."
They quickly left the cornfield. It was so hot and stuffy inside that both of their clothes were soaked. Su Su stared in disbelief at the clear outlines of her underwear: "Look at you, it's all your fault. Why did you have to walk through the cornfield? Now I'm like this. How can I face anyone?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It's alright, we'll walk behind and wait for the clothes to dry before entering the village."
Su Su said, "Alright, that's the only way."
Zhao Qiang called out "Grandpa," and Zhao Tiancheng came out of his cornfield. "It's Qiang! When did you get back?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I just got back, Grandpa, let me help you."
Zhao Tiancheng, carrying a sickle, said to Su Su, "Su girl, you're here too? How can I let you do this work? Go to the field and cool off for a bit."
Su Su said, "Grandpa, I didn't do anything. I just played with Zhao Qiang. You're getting old and need to rest. Let me and Zhao Qiang do the work. You can rest at the field."
Zhao Tiancheng handed the sickle to Zhao Qiang and said, "Alright, you help Grandpa cut down the corn stalks. I've already picked all the corn cobs, and I'll use the hand tractor to take them home this afternoon."
Zhao Qiang picked up the sickle and tested it out. He loved doing this kind of hard work. He bent down and the sickle flew, cutting several meters in no time. Zhao Tiancheng nodded repeatedly as he watched: "Qiang has become much stronger. Well done. You are in charge of cutting all these corn stalks. I will go home and find bags to pack the corn. Otherwise, we will have to pack them into bags when we transport them by truck this afternoon."
Zhao Tiancheng went home smoking his pipe. Zhao Qiang, not bothering to hide it from Su Su, immediately sped up and chopped down all the corn stalks in no time. Then he picked out a few tender ears of corn from the broken ears, went to the nearby ditch to collect some firewood, and started a fire on the ground. He and Su Su roasted the corn ears with twigs. Su Su loved doing this and was beaming with joy. The two of them, ignoring the heat, kept adding firewood to the fire. Zhao Qiang threw down the roasted corn in his hand and said, "Wait here, I'll go get some peanuts to roast too."