I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

Tao Dongdong nodded repeatedly. "I know, Dad. Don’t worry. Brother Dong is so good to me now, how could I possibly go against him? Besides, it’s not like I have the ability to!"

"Get lost, get lost. Stop bothering me."

The old secretary waved his hand impatiently. His son had been scared witless by that man, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. At least he had backed down. If Tao Dongdong had continued to act so recklessly, it was only a matter of time before he got into trouble. Besides, as long as Zhao Wendong remembered the favor he owed, the old secretary wouldn’t have to worry about his son being bullied or starving to death after he was gone.

In the large truck, Zhao Wendong asked Niu Yuesheng, "Brother Niu, is there anyone in your family who wants to work at the silk factory?"

At his words, Niu Yuesheng’s hand on the steering wheel trembled. ’A factory job! Is Zhao Wendong just going to give one to me?’ Although his younger brother was the right age and didn’t have a steady job, he planned to have him drive trucks in the future. Life as a driver in the transport fleet was much more comfortable than that of an ordinary worker. But the fact that Zhao Wendong was thinking of him at a time like this meant he truly saw him as family. Moved, Niu Yuesheng shook his head.

"No, there’s no one suitable. Guizhi would be a good fit, but she’s engaged now. She’s going to build a life with Er Gou."

"Mm, don’t worry, Brother Niu. Once Guizhi is married into the family, she’ll definitely have a good life. In a year or two at most, she’ll be much better off than a factory worker. That’s my promise."

"That settles it. Now I can rest easy."

A satisfied smile appeared on Niu Yuesheng’s face. This promise was exactly why he’d let his sister marry Zhao Ergou. Meanwhile, Zhao Wendong started finalizing the three slots for the silk factory. ’One for Zhao Xiaoyan. Then Guan Yongguang’s second-oldest sister can have one. She looks about eighteen or nineteen, perfect for factory work. And if she gets a job, her family will not only have one less mouth to feed, but she’ll also be able to earn money to help them out.’

’As for the other spot, Baozhu’s Sister is a good choice. In my past life, I couldn’t clearly remember where she married off to. She left not long after Baozhu’s Mother died. After Third Master got into trouble, Granny Liu’s health collapsed. In the end, only Baozhu was left in their family. Before I was reborn, Baozhu, like me, was still in Dragon King Pond, and he would come to me for handouts whenever he was free. Granny Liu’s family had always relied on her folk healing to get by. Her income from shamanism used to be pretty good, but it has been harshly criticized lately, so she can only practice occasionally within the village.’

"Brother, I’m truly in awe of you. You’re the real deal!"

Niu Yuesheng kept one hand on the steering wheel while raising the other to give Zhao Wendong a thumbs-up. Zhao Wendong’s heart leaped into his throat. He wanted to remind him to drive carefully and watch the road, but then he noticed they were the only vehicle on the wide road, and pedestrians were keeping their distance. He swallowed his words. ’Sometimes, you just have to accept reality. And the reality now is that people think driving’s no fun without a drink, so why watch out for other cars when there aren’t any?’

"These are factory jobs! At the silk factory, no less—the one place in the whole county everyone is dying to get into! And you managed to get three slots all at once! Only you could pull something like this off; anyone else would be helpless. But this is a huge favor. I’m just worried it’ll be hard to repay."

Hearing Niu Yuesheng’s warning, Zhao Wendong just chuckled, a roguish look on his face.

"If it’s within my power and doesn’t go against my conscience or the law, I’ll help them out. If it’s more than that, then my hands are tied. It’s not like I was the one who asked for so much, right?"

Seeing Zhao Wendong’s attitude, Niu Yuesheng relaxed. He had been genuinely afraid that Zhao Wendong would get carried away and put himself in danger to repay the favor. "Hahaha, you’re absolutely right!"

After sharing a few laughs, they arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative. Zhao Wendong got out of the truck with him to go find their families. The moment he stepped inside, he saw the co-op’s director was personally attending to his family. When the director saw Zhao Wendong, his face lit up, and he hurried over to greet him.

"Captain Zhao, allow me to wish you an early Happy New Year! Happy New Year! I just heard you’re getting married on the third day of the lunar new year, Captain Zhao. This Old Zhang is inviting himself, hoping to get a cup of your wedding wine!"

"It would be my honor to have you, Director Zhang! Thank you so much!"

One hand washes the other, so Zhao Wendong responded with enthusiasm. Soon, the two were acting like the best of friends. The supply and marketing cooperative was the most important and coveted department around, so befriending Director Zhang had only upsides and no downsides. Director Zhang smiled so broadly his eyes nearly disappeared, and he was inwardly ecstatic. ’This is the hard-hitter who finished off Li Guangming and then put Tao Dongdong in his place. What’s more, he’s in the good graces of the new secretary, Jiang Weimin. To hold onto my position, I have to be able to play all sides. Otherwise, my seat won’t be warm for long.’

Watching Zhao Wendong act like sworn brothers with the director, Lin Zhiyin felt a swell of pride. ’That’s my husband,’ she thought. ’He looks like an ordinary farmer, but he’s not ordinary at all. The longer I’m with him, the more of an enigma Zhao Wendong seems. Sometimes he’s a grinning jokester, other times he’s like a street punk or a scoundrel, but then he gives me the feeling of an eighty-year-old man who has seen through everything, a wise sage with great foresight. I’m becoming more and more reliant on him, and my heart feels more and more content.’

"How is it? Did you get everything?"

Zhao Wendong asked Lin Zhiyin and the women with her. The group started telling him what they’d bought—mostly things for the New Year and the weddings, like red cloth, red paper, candles, firecrackers, and all sorts of other odds and ends. For many items, they’d bought enough for three households. Zhao Ergou and Niu Guizhi had also picked out some new pots, pans, and other household items, and they insisted on paying themselves. Zhao Wendong didn’t fight them on it. ’A young couple needs to build their own life.’ The same principle applied to his second brother and second sister-in-law.