7. Visiting Director

  On Sunday evening after dinner, Jiang Zhihan and his mother took two boxes of gifts and boarded a public bus to visit his mother's old friend, Qi Chuzhang, who had been to the countryside during the Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside Movement.

  Dad has never liked socializing, so he used the excuse of having to write a plan book and said he couldn't go. Mom didn't force him either.

  On the bus, Li Ruoruo started talking about her experiences of going to the countryside when she was young. At that time, she had just graduated from junior high school and responded to the call to go to a county in a neighboring province. Fortunately, her maternal grandfather managed to find an old comrade-in-arms in the countryside who took care of her mother. Thinking about it now, as a 14 or 15-year-old girl, going so far away for the first time and staying for several years, how could her parents be at ease? Her maternal grandfather's comrade was a righteous person, and during those years, he really treated her mother like family, often inviting her to dinner, sending her food, and taking care of her through his connections in the local area. Her mother said that she was one of the ones who suffered the least during the period of going to the countryside.

  Qī Chùzhǎng's full name was Qī Zhènhuá. He and his mother were in the same production team. Among the male educated youths, he belonged to the honest and kind type, never stealing chickens from the local villagers or getting into fights with them, so he wasn't very popular.

  The mother is a generous person, from childhood to adulthood. Whenever she gets something delicious, she shares it with everyone. When she goes to town, she also brings back mail and goods for everyone, so her relationship with them is quite good.

  Later, most of the educated youth were recruited or replaced their parents in factories, while Qi Zhenhua worked for a year and then took the university entrance exam. After graduating, he entered government agencies and spent many years studying and working abroad before returning to his hometown as a director, making him one of the best among that group of educated youth.

  "Back then, your mom was also one of the top students when she was in junior high. After returning from the countryside, she still thought it was safest to work at her father's factory. She fell behind on her studies for a few years and never made up her mind to take the college entrance exams. Actually, the first few batches of college entrance exams were relatively simple. But back then, people thought that even if you went to university and became an intellectual, it wasn't necessarily a good thing. And so she ended up working at the factory for nearly 20 years, without any prospects."

  Jiang Zhihan knew that her mother had been working in the factory for many years, without any qualifications or backing. Despite more than a decade of hard work, she was still just barely able to escape the fate of being a frontline worker. She too had once been proud and strong-willed, but sometimes when she looked back, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at her own lack of good fortune.

  Thinking of this, Jiang Zhihan grasped his mother's hand tightly and said: "Your dreams have brought me here to help you achieve them."

  Li Ruoxi smiled with satisfaction, stroking her son's hand and saying: "In the past month, I feel that you have changed a lot, becoming more sensible and mature. Mom believes that you can accomplish what you want to do."

  The bus moved forward slowly, one stop at a time, under the warm glow of the setting sun. Li Rongrong was happily chatting with her son: "In the past, everyone said you looked like your dad, both in appearance and personality. But this summer vacation, I think you're becoming more and more like me. It's great to be like me, a son who resembles his mother is blessed."

  The river's chill made him laugh silently, without saying a word.

  Li Ruo said, "You know my middle school classmate Yang Auntie's husband, Wen Uncle, right? He was in a car accident two years ago and lost a lot of blood. They say he replaced one-third of his body's blood. Before, he was a man who couldn't even make a sound with three kicks, but these past two years, he became a chatterbox and likes to go shopping for clothes. Everyone says it's because he got a woman's blood and his personality changed too. Looking at you, after sleeping, you woke up more outgoing and capable. You should sleep some more when you have the chance."

  Jiang Zhan rolled his eyes and was speechless towards his mother. For the past few weeks, he had been thinking of bringing back that dream from that day, but it never succeeded.

  Qipu Chang is a tall, middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses, exuding a somewhat literary air. The Science and Education Department isn't actually a powerful or lucrative department, so it's easier for someone like him without any background to rise to the top. But once he reached a certain level, his benefits and income were far beyond what ordinary working-class people could compare to - just look at the decoration of his home. Although it can't be said to be luxurious, it's much better than Jiang Zhihan's family.

  Qipu Chang was very polite and enthusiastic. As soon as he entered the door, he invited us to eat fruit and peanuts, then naturally wanted to talk about the past, recalling the days of being a young intellectual in the countryside, and talking about people they both knew back then and what had become of them today.

  His wife and son were also sitting beside him, keeping him company. In the past, Jiang Zhihan was quite tired of this kind of conversation, and it wasn't something that a 15 or 16-year-old middle school student would be interested in either. But now, Jiang Zhihan was actually very interested in their conversation, after all, going up to the mountains and down to the countryside was something that young people of this generation had not experienced and would not experience. When they enthusiastically talked about how they encountered wolves on the mountain, stole chickens from the fields, and struggled to get back to the city, Jiang Zhihan would occasionally interrupt to ask a few questions.

  Qipu Chang was a man who had been grinding in the government for over a decade, and observing people's words and expressions was his strong suit. Li Ruo Ruo's son appeared far more mature than his age, and spoke to him with neither arrogance nor humility. Having been an official for several years, even when chatting casually, he would inevitably carry a hint of officialese, and it had to be said that ordinary worker Li Ruo Ruo also showed a slightly deferential attitude in front of him, but her son was very composed and calm.

  Adults chatting, complimenting each other's kids is a common courtesy, even if the speaker isn't entirely sincere, the listener often takes it to heart, after all, most parents think their own child is the best in the world.

  Qipu Chang said to Jiang Zhihan, "You study hard and you'll definitely get into a good university later on. Your mom was really smart when she was in school, so the genes will definitely be passed down to you."

  "This is just a common courtesy, Jiang Zhihan smiled and replied: "Uncle Qi, may I ask a question?"

  Qipu Chang said of course.

  Jiang Zhan asked, "You may not have been the top student in middle school, but ten years later you became the most successful one in your class. Nowadays parents all hope their children study well. While good grades are important for getting into college, there must be something more important than that. Can you share your secret to success?"

  Qipu was taken aback, this little kid's question is quite sharp, and the implied flattery also made him feel good. He couldn't help but take another look at Jiang Zhihan, and instead of using empty phrases, he spoke a few words from his heart: "I don't dare say I'm the most successful uncle, but I can share some experiences with you. I think there are three main points: study hard, work hard, seize opportunities, and make friends. It's very important to learn new things and do your own thing in a down-to-earth way. Some things may seem dull and useless, but who knows if they will be useful for your career in the future, or if just having the right attitude can earn you your leader's appreciation. Seizing opportunities is also crucial. When I took the college entrance exam, my foundation wasn't among the best of my classmates, but my determination was the strongest. At that time, I felt that the country would eventually take the path of revitalizing the nation through science and education, which turned out to be a correct prediction. When I graduated, it happened to coincide with the government starting to attach importance to absorbing intellectuals, and I seized this opportunity. In one's life, there aren't many opportunities that determine one's fate. Losing one may result in heavy losses. The last point is to make more friends and interact with people more. Our country is especially a society of interpersonal networks, no matter how capable you are, without someone backing you up, you can't go far."

  Jiang Zhan felt that Qi Chulang's words were sincere and heartfelt, and he nodded in agreement. Hard work with one's feet on the ground, having many friends and a strong interpersonal network, plus unique foresight, are indeed the essential elements of grasping opportunities and achieving success.

  Qī Chùlǎng enthusiastically took out photos from his recent trips to Japan and the US, Jiang Zhàn Hán looked at them and they had a long conversation about American aircraft carriers and new generation fighter jets, which happened to be Qī Chùlǎng's favorite topics. They hit it off immediately, and Qī Chùlǎng was surprised that he could connect so well with someone as young as his own son.

  Before she knew it, more than two hours had passed, and afraid of disturbing her rest, Li Ruoxi stood up to bid farewell.

  Qipu Chang patted Jiang Zihan's shoulder and said to Lishuang Rong: "Your son is very good, with a broad knowledge base, quick reaction, and most importantly, a good character." Turning his head to Jiang Zihan, he said: "Feng Auntie works at the city library. They're currently undergoing reforms and have set up several pilot projects - a foreign language reading room, an audio-visual room, and a carefully selected reading room. Are you interested in getting a card to take a look?"

  Jiang Zhi Han naturally agreed and was overjoyed about it.

  "That's it, let your mom send a photo over, and I'll get my sister to help with the internal staff discount. She can get two cards done at 20% off. I'll also get one for my son, so you have more chances to take him to see some useful books, don't just play around all day."

  Jiang Zhan promised repeatedly and thanked Qi Shu and Feng Auntie again, making an appointment with Qi Shu's son to go to the library together before taking his leave.