Chapter 11: A Warm Welcome

“Auntie Lu, please rest assured, I have absolutely no interest in your daughter. I never had, I don’t now, and I never will. Your ideas about a match between us are entirely your own wishful thinking. Neither my dad nor I ever agreed to it. Demanding the gifts back is already quite impolite. Let’s just end this conversation here.”

“…” Lu Qingxiu was shocked speechless. How dare this previously meek child speak to her like this? Stunned, she turned to Zhang Guodong, pointing at him, expecting him to scold his son and apologize to save her face.

But to her surprise, Zhang Guodong just nodded and said, “Yifu is right. Let’s end it here.”

“…Well… I’ll be going then.” A stifled anger swelled in Lu Qingxiu’s chest, but she couldn’t say anything more and left.

After closing the door, Zhang Yifu sighed and said, “Dad, sorry for the trouble.”

“No, I’m the one who caused you trouble by accepting those gifts.” Zhang Guodong smiled, pulling his son back onto the sofa. “Don’t dwell on it. Come, tell your dad about school, about your job assignment.”

“There’s a lot to tell! So this year, a Director Liu came to the Ministry…”

Zhang Yifu began chatting excitedly with his old man.

He knew that going to work at the Power Plant would likely disappoint his parents in the short term, causing them embarrassment. They would naturally not tell him of their worries, not wanting to add pressure on him. His father’s own life was filled with regrets, yet he never burdened Zhang Yifu with them, letting him follow his own path.

Zhang Yifu secretly made a vow. On the day he stood at the peak, he would bring his father up with him to see the view below, and roar out all that pent-up frustration in their chests.

But for now, for the sake of his father’s work environment, he would swallow this grievance. He could deal with the petty people later when he was in a stronger position. As a Scorpio man, Zhang Yifu’s talent for holding a grudge was unmatched. A mark was already made in the little book in his heart.

That evening, the whole family enjoyed a lavish dinner with plenty of meat and fish. Zhang Yifu even had a proper drink with his old man. Men tend to talk more after drinking, and Zhang Guodong was no exception. He started telling his son, over and over, about his time working at the Electric Power Management Bureau. Drunken words are truthful words; that period was indeed the most glorious and cherished time of his father’s career. He usually didn’t speak much, afraid of affecting his son’s mood, but the alcohol finally loosened his tongue.

Zhang Yifu became a patient listener, finding even the repetitive stories quite interesting.

In the end, the old man was thoroughly drunk, mumbling the same phrase over and over.

“Safety… safety is most important. Don’t suffer the same losses as your dad. You must value safety… safety is most important… safety…”

Having worked in a Power Plant for so many years, Zhang Yifu naturally knew this.

Electricity generation is a production activity, but unlike producing other goods. Simply put, electricity production must never stop. Excess electricity cannot be stored; you must generate exactly what the users consume. Therefore, all Power Plants must obey the commands of the Dispatching Center. In such work, normal, uninterrupted production is considered the baseline, not a major achievement. You could run smoothly for many years, and no one would carve your name on an honor roll. But make just one mistake, bear responsibility for one power accident, and it could ruin your entire career.

Safety First. This simple phrase is the eternal, fundamental truth of the industry.

Zhang Guodong eventually staggered to bed on his own and fell into a deep sleep.

Zhang Yifu helped his mother, Ning Lan, clean up the table. Ning Lan sighed with a smile, “Your sister never helps me clean up. After four years at university, you’ve become much more sensible than her.”

It was only then that Zhang Yifu realized someone seemed missing from the household. Not a biological sister, but some distant cousin who had been fostered here, then disappeared without a trace. He had had a little sister, and all these years had passed in a blur.

“Huh? I almost forgot, where’s little sister?”

“Oh, she ran off to Northeast China again to trade furs. Russia has plenty of those.”

“She’s already operating at that level?” Zhang Yifu exclaimed in surprise.

“Just small-time hustling, barely making do. She didn’t even finish technical school, getting into all this… We’re not her biological parents, we can’t really control her,” Ning Lan sighed. “Are those jeans she got for you still good?”

“They’re good…” Zhang Yifu finally understood those trendy denim clothes were actually gifts from his little sister.

It was a shame he wouldn’t get to see her during this visit home. Otherwise, he definitely would have snagged a few leather jackets and shoes to show off.

Over the next few days, Zhang Yifu kept his promise and basically stayed indoors. Naturally, he didn’t exchange a single word with his childhood playmate Song Xiaoni. As for the neighbors, he couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries either.

Zhang Yifu made good use of his little break, reading through news publications and the Electric Power News to better acclimate to the times.

When it was time to leave, Zhang Yifu simply said goodbye to his parents. Without greeting a single neighbor, he boarded the green train bound for Jibei alone, feeling somewhat like the only sober person in a room full of drunkards.

Outside the train window, Hao Shuai waved farewell with tears.

Zhang Yifu felt this was a flaw in life’s script. How much better if it had been a girl outside the window shouting “I’ll wait for you!” But instead, it was a burly guy saying it!

“I’ll be back,” Zhang Yifu answered him.

…

Jibei City, located about 400 kilometers from Jijing city proper, wasn’t a particularly notable place in the early days of the nation’s founding—just a small agricultural town. But ever since the Jibei Power Plant was built there in the mid-60s, the entire region began developing rapidly. By now, it was a sizable city within the province.

The Jibei Power Plant was the second largest in the North China Region, with a capacity of 900,000 kilowatts, just a step away from being a million-kilowatt giant. With nearly 5,000 employees, it was a massive collective in any era.

After several hours of a bumpy ride, Zhang Yifu disembarked the green train with the crowd. He stepped onto the simple platform, looked around, and took a deep breath. The scenery wasn’t much, but at least the air was fresh.

He hadn’t walked two steps before he spotted a young man with side-parted hair and brown plastic-framed glasses, holding a sign high above the oncoming crowd. The sign clearly bore Zhang Yifu’s name. A graduate reporting for duty at his unit usually didn’t warrant special reception; the young fellow should just find the plant area himself. Yet here was someone specifically sent to meet him. Zhang Yifu felt unexpectedly honored.

Carrying his luggage, he hurried over and locked eyes with the young man. Most people coming and going at Jibei Railway Station were workers and farmers. Among them, Zhang Yifu, dressed in neat formal wear, stood out noticeably.

“You must be fellow student Zhang Yifu?” the young man greeted with a smile, clearly confident in his guess.

Zhang Yifu quickly put down his luggage and shook hands. “Yes, yes, thank you for your trouble. I didn’t expect a special pick-up at the station. I’m flattered.”

“Heh, it’s our duty. Our Factory Director specifically instructed it,” the young man said, introducing himself while shaking hands. “I’m Wen Tianming from the Jibei Power Plant Administrative Office. Pleased to meet you.”

“Thank you… Wen…” For a moment, Zhang Yifu truly couldn’t figure out how to address this new acquaintance.