I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

He hadn’t expected the incident to become the talk of the town in just two short days. That made this trip all the more necessary; otherwise, he couldn’t be sure what Former Secretary Tao might be thinking. When they arrived at the former secretary’s home, he pushed open the courtyard gate and walked inside. A wolfhound immediately started barking, baring its teeth ferociously at Zhao Wendong and Niu Yuesheng as if to pounce.

’They’ll get scared off again for sure.’

The wolfhound’s thought had barely formed when it was stunned to see that instead of retreating, the visitor advanced. He took two quick steps to its side, lowered his head, and stared directly into its eyes. The killing intent in his gaze made the wolfhound shudder, tuck its tail between its legs, and bolt back into its doghouse.

"Who is it?" an impatient voice called out. Tao Dongdong, his face bruised and swollen with his head wrapped in gauze, opened the door and stepped out. Before he could get a clear look at who had come, his eyes fell on Niu Yuesheng carrying a fish.

"Well now, look at this. People are still bringing gifts even though my dad’s retired. Good on you, kid, for being so thoughtful. I..."

"Aaaah!"

He hadn’t finished his sentence when he met Zhao Wendong’s gaze as he turned around. The killing intent from intimidating the dog had not yet faded from his eyes. Tao Dongdong shuddered violently, his legs gave way, and he fell to the ground in terror. Then, scrambling on all fours, he crawled and stumbled back into the house, screaming his head off.

"Dad, save me! Dad! Zhao Wendong’s here! He’s come to kill me! I don’t want to die!"

Seeing the local bully scared witless by Zhao Wendong, Niu Yuesheng couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. It seemed Zhao Wendong had dealt with Tao Dongdong even more harshly than the rumors suggested. A dark look crossed Zhao Wendong’s face. ’What is this nonsense about me coming to kill him? Am I some kind of homicidal maniac? This Tao Dongdong is just straight-up ruining my reputation.’

The two men entered the house and saw an elderly man standing inside, looking anxiously toward the door. Though Zhao Wendong had never met him, he guessed this was Former Secretary Tao. He quickly strode forward and straightened his posture.

"Greetings, Secretary Tao. I am Zhao Wendong, Civilian Militia Captain for Dragon King Pond Village of the Qianjin Commune."

"Oh, Captain Zhao. And what business might that be?"

Even a saint has his limits. Seeing his son trembling in the corner, a wave of displeasure washed over the old secretary. ’No matter how capable a farmer you are, Zhao Wendong, you can’t just make a habit of coming here to bully us officials.’

"Hehe, I’ve taken the liberty of visiting today to apologize. There was a little misunderstanding with Dongdong at the market last time, and I only found out later that he’s your son, Former Secretary Tao. So, since I was in the county today, I wanted to make a special trip to apologize in person."

Huh?

In the corner, Tao Dongdong instantly stopped trembling. Hearing Zhao Wendong’s words, the stern expression on Former Secretary Tao’s face immediately dissolved into a benevolent smile. He quickly patted Zhao Wendong’s hand.

"Come, come, Comrade Zhao Wendong! Please, sit down and have some water. This wasn’t your fault, I’ve heard all about what happened. What is there to apologize for? He’s the one who’s always idle and getting into trouble. I ought to thank you! You taught him a good lesson. Look how obedient he is now."

"Have a seat, don’t be a stranger. You too, Comrade," he said to the other man. "Sit down. Have some hot water to warm yourselves up."

The old secretary’s attitude was amiable and his words were eloquent, giving Zhao Wendong more than enough face. He even warmly invited Niu Yuesheng to sit. Zhao Wendong observed him closely, concluding that his sincerity was likely genuine, which eased most of his worries. He wasn’t afraid of trouble, but he didn’t want to be constantly bogged down by it either. This was an era for battling the heavens; who had time for battling other people?

At these words, a woman in her forties or fifties in the room quickly began pouring hot water. Over on the floor, Tao Dongdong suddenly found the strength in his legs again. He scrambled to his feet, his face plastered with a humble smile.

"Brother Dong, can I call you Brother Dong, just like everyone else? You don’t need to apologize; it was all my fault. My dad chewed me out when I got home, and I’ve thought it over. You were right. I shouldn’t bully ordinary people. I was a real piece of work before. From now on, I’ll turn over a new leaf, learn from you, Brother Dong, and become a decent person."

Zhao Wendong glanced at him. The kid’s tone and demeanor seemed completely sincere. While he might still harbor some caution toward Former Secretary Tao, he didn’t believe Tao Dongdong could also be such a seasoned actor. With that, he finally let his guard down and offered him an amiable smile.

"Alright. If you can say that, then I respect you as a man. From now on, you do good work, you hear? Don’t let me down. But if you start causing trouble again, don’t blame your Brother Dong for giving you another tune-up!"

"Hehe, don’t you worry, Brother Dong! I definitely won’t. Brother Dong, let me go get you some oranges."

Tao Dongdong remembered his father had just received a crate of oranges from the south, and he scurried away. Watching his son’s bootlicking behavior, Former Secretary Tao felt both gratified and exasperated. ’It’s like he’s gone from one extreme to the other,’ he thought. ’Just like those damn Japanese who are now sucking up to the Americans.’

Soon enough, Tao Dongdong returned with a plate of oranges. In the ice-and-snow-covered north, this was a rare delicacy. He even peeled one and offered it to Zhao Wendong.

"Brother Dong, try one. It’s super sweet. Just spit the seeds on the floor."

It was hard to refuse such an enthusiastic offer, so Zhao Wendong had no choice but to take it. ’Oranges these days have so many large seeds,’ he thought. ’They’re nothing like the Shatang mandarins of the future.’ Having been reborn, his cravings for such delicacies were far less intense than those of the people of this era. Nearby, Former Secretary Tao was so vexed he almost laughed. ’I’ve raised Tao Dongdong all these years, and he’s never once been this devoted to me. It takes one good beating for him to act like this. It seems I was the one who was wrong. I should have beaten him half to death ages ago!’

They chatted idly for a while longer. The old secretary was sharp as a tack, a man who had seen it all over his many years. How could he fail to notice that Zhao Wendong had something on his mind? This was Zhao Wendong, after all—a man who feared neither heaven nor earth, the man who had even dealt with Li Guangming. Was it really possible that someone like him would come all this way to apologize just for hitting his son?