Chapter 24: To Return Home Without Wealth Is Like Walking in Silk Robes in the Dark

Li Dongshan finished cleaning a fish and wiped his hands, offering a simple, honest smile. "I’m in no rush. Dongyue hasn't even started university yet!"

Hearing this, Li Zhenlin cast a glance at the three-room tile house he had built himself, his brows knitting together. The current Li family residence consisted of those three rooms: Li Zhenlin and his wife, Wang Xiulan, slept in one; Li Dongling and Li Dongshan shared another; and their younger sister, Li Dongyue, occupied the third, which also served as storage.

If Li Dongshan were to marry and have children, these rooms would clearly be insufficient. Li Dongling’s earlier remark had struck a nerve, leaving the old man deeply worried. In truth, Li Zhenlin felt a profound sense of debt toward Li Dongshan. Having never attended university or even vocational school, Li Dongshan had used almost his entire salary to support the family since he began working. If his marriage were to be delayed as well, it would weigh heavily on the old man's heart.

The saying goes that returning home without wealth is like walking in silk robes in the dark. It is not just the Chinese who cherish the idea of returning to one’s roots; the sentiment exists globally. There are even ethnic groups that have fought for centuries for the sake of returning to their ancestral lands.

Successful figures like Mr. Liu from JD.com have renovated their ancestral homes. Even when their entire families have moved to the big cities, they still return annually to pay respects to their ancestors or visit old acquaintances. No matter where one is, the hometown remains a special presence.

In his previous life, after moving to the provincial capital, Li Dongling rarely returned home. The family house was never renovated, and after Li Dongshan married and moved to Pingyang City, the siblings would only visit for a few hurried days during the New Year, as the living conditions were indeed inconvenient.

"You old man, other families are building new houses, why are you still grumbling here? Who stops anyone from building a new home?" Wang Xiulan approached Li Zhenlin, then turned to Li Dongling. "Where did all these home appliances come from?"

"Second Brother, these must have cost a fortune. And this pager—I don't even have a use for it right now!" Li Dongyue pulled out a pager. Li Dongling had equipped the whole family with them. At school, Li Dongyue had seen school leaders and wealthy students using them, and she had heard that a single pager could cost two thousand yuan—enough to buy a color television.

Even if pagers weren't the most convenient tools, they were among the few available means of instant communication in the country. By installing a phone line for the house, he would ensure they could stay in touch with their parents at any time.

Li Zhenlin pricked up his ears. He had been mentally tallying the value of the items Li Dongling brought home, and it came to tens of thousands of yuan. He hadn't asked earlier, but he had been wondering: how could Li Dongling have earned so much money in the short time since returning from the provincial capital to work in Pingyang?

As parents, they wanted their children to succeed, but they feared them getting into trouble. The newspapers were full of stories about people who struck it rich overnight, but also about those who engaged in shady dealings only to end up in prison or even facing the firing squad. Naturally, Li Zhenlin was anxious.

Seeing their concerned gazes, Li Dongling smiled. "I partnered with the Shangguan Town Component Factory on a project called the 'Satellite Dish.' I receive a dividend every month, and I bought these things with that money."

"You were the one who came up with the satellite dish?" Wang Xiulan asked, unable to hide her delight.

In their village, people had begun installing them. These dishes were a hot commodity in both towns and rural areas; once they started trending, there was no stopping them.

Hearing that the satellite dish was Li Dongling’s creation, Li Zhenlin and Wang Xiulan stopped doubting. They knew how popular the device was. Li Zhenlin’s old friends, who usually agonized over buying a pack of decent cigarettes or a few pounds of meat, didn't blink an eye when spending three or four hundred yuan on a satellite dish.

Thinking of those old friends effectively paying into the Li family coffers, Li Zhenlin took a deep drag from his pipe, and the gloom he had felt about Li Dongling returning to Pingyang dissipated.

"Hanxi Jiaotong University wasn't a waste of time after all," the old man muttered, attributing the success to his son's education. He turned to Li Dongyue, who was fiddling with her new school supplies and some skincare products. "You’d better study hard! Try to become the next college student in the Li family next year!"

"I know, I know!" Li Dongyue drawled. She had heard this so many times her ears had developed calluses; it felt like a curse every time she came home.

"I’ve left the Xicheng No. 1 Wireless Factory. From now on, I’m working for myself," Li Dongling announced during dinner. This time, his parents and sister didn't react with much alarm. Although still slightly worried, they offered only a few words of advice.

After dinner, the parents and Li Dongyue watched the color TV, which received its signal from the satellite dish, while Li Dongling and Li Dongshan went outside.

Li Dongshan sat in the courtyard, the glow of his cigarette illuminating his face. Although simple, he could tell that Li Dongling had brought him back from the steel mill for a reason.

"Brother, I’ve started a company, and I’m short-handed. I want you to come and help me."

Li Dongling didn't want Li Dongshan to spend decades in the steel mill like in his past life, only to end up with a body full of ailments. Li Dongshan wasn't the type to be overly clever or cunning, but he was a man of his word. Since they were children, he had never once broken a promise to Li Dongling.

"Alright."

Li Dongshan agreed immediately, without asking about the position, the salary, or the benefits.

Li Dongling looked at his brother. They sat in the courtyard smoking, looking up at the stars, just as they had during summer nights in their youth.

Li Dongling planned to hire a professional designer for the new house, ensuring the interior could accommodate modern furniture. He wanted to build it right the first time so they wouldn't have to renovate it again in a few years.

At 25 Changqing Road in Pingyang City, the two-story marble building now sported a sign: "Dongling High-Tech."

Gao Peng’s construction crew had been split into two teams: one to renovate the office building, and the other to refurbish the structures in the back.

"Old Qiao, listen to me. This client is different from others. I’ve vouched for you, telling them your craftsmanship is just as good as the crews in Shanghai or Beijing!" Gao Peng said to Qiao Zhiqing. "The money is guaranteed. The client pays according to the schedule, and he never defaults. If you mess this up, don't blame me for turning my back on you."

Qiao Zhiqing smiled and handed Gao Peng a cigarette. "Don't worry. My guys are all master craftsmen. Back in the provincial capital, we were quite well-known. Those big companies always wanted us on their projects. If it weren't for the bad debts and late payments over there, I wouldn't have brought them back."

Gao Peng glanced at him. "That’s exactly why I brought you on. Just remember, this job has to be done perfectly. It matters to you, and it matters to me."

Li Dongling arrived at the Shangguan Town Component Factory. It was as busy as ever, with a long line of distributors' trucks waiting to load up.

The factory was now on track, with new production lines in full operation. It had attracted workers from the stalled Xicheng No. 1 Wireless Factory and other local plants, as they were currently idle and unpaid.

Production of the satellite dishes had ramped up to over four thousand units a day, and they were selling as fast as they could be made. The factory was bringing in vast amounts of cash, making it the most impressive state-owned enterprise in Pingyang for the second half of the year.

"We’ve finalized deals with distributors in Henan, Hubei, and Shanxi. The first batch of orders is for eighty thousand satellite dishes!" Zhang Ao announced upon his return. The conference room erupted in applause.

Eighty thousand units meant a sales volume of over twenty-four million yuan. Li Dongling clapped as well; Zhang Ao’s sales department would make a fortune, but the biggest winners would be the Component Factory and Dongling High-Tech. From this single order alone, Li Dongling would clear over 3.2 million yuan.

"Our capacity still isn't enough," Zhang Ao said, entering the office and downing a cup of tea. "Otherwise, we could have taken even more orders."