Chapter Twenty-Seven: Third Uncle

The second day of the lunar new year was the day for the Zhou family’s reunion, as it had always been in past years. Today, Zhou Xuan’s second uncle, youngest uncle, aunt and uncle-in-law, as well as Second Grandfather and Third Grandfather would all come over. The whole family would gather around for a festive meal, chatting and playing cards together.

Compared to last year, this year was especially lively. Not only were the dishes far more abundant, but almost everyone was present. Even Third Uncle and Uncle-in-law, who usually worked away from home, had returned.

Zhou Xuan watched his family eating and drinking, the whole clan enveloped in a warm, bustling atmosphere. It felt wonderful, and he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, thinking that scenes like this would become rare in another ten years.

In his previous life, after 2005, as they all grew up—some going off to study, others working elsewhere—the family gatherings during the new year were never as complete.

For children in the countryside, if their grades weren’t good enough for university, working away from home was the only alternative to farming. Farming didn’t earn much, but at least working outside could support oneself and even allow for sending some money back home.

But that was all it amounted to; life still felt tight and constrained. Ever since Zhou Xuan started his studies, he’d lost touch with his childhood friends from the village. Sometimes, he didn’t even know when they got married.

Now, having been reborn, Zhou Xuan understood that as his family’s fortunes improved, their circumstances would change fundamentally.

What comforted him was that all these families were honest folk; there was no one lacking in virtue, neglecting their parents, embroiled in extramarital affairs, or divorcing. But he did wonder if this would remain true once wealth arrived—would their characters hold steady? Time alone would tell.

To be honest, Zhou Xuan’s village had no industry, only agriculture, so incomes were low. Even the dirt road was built with some funds from the county and the villagers’ collective labor.

Only years later did a concrete road connect the whole township, and even then, only parts were covered. Zhou Xuan’s home was still reached by a dirt road, with a kilometer or two to go before hitting the concrete stretch.

The saying goes, “To get rich, build a road first,” and it’s no empty phrase. That concrete road was only built because the township’s watermelons were especially prized, prompting the county to act. Later, tourism developed, a reservoir was built, and people took up farming and rural homestays.

As Zhou Xuan pondered how to lift everyone out of poverty, he saw Third Uncle approaching.

Third Uncle was Second Grandfather’s son. Second Grandfather and Zhou Xuan’s grandfather were brothers, though Second Grandfather was several years younger and married even later. So Third Uncle was only in his early twenties, just seven or eight years older than Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan greeted him: “Happy New Year, Third Uncle!”

Third Uncle grinned, showing his white teeth. “What are you doing here, kid? Why aren’t you out playing cards?”

The truth was, children in the countryside learned to play cards at a young age, often joining the adults if they had spare change. Win or lose, it was all just fun, but sometimes they really did win. Don’t underestimate the youngsters; some of them were so sharp that even seasoned adult players couldn’t beat them.

Zhou Xuan sighed, “I just don’t like playing cards. So I’m stuck here, bored.”

He was sitting in the bedroom watching TV, with several other children gathered around on the floor.

Since there were so many people today, plenty of hands were available to help; Zhou Xuan didn’t need to tend the fire, so he could enjoy some leisure.

“In the countryside, what kid doesn’t play cards? Never seen one like you,” Third Uncle teased.

Indeed, maybe it was because he always lost when he played, or simply didn’t enjoy it, so he rarely joined in.

Zhou Xuan looked at Third Uncle and thought he wouldn’t have come just to chat—he must have something in mind.

He recalled that the family had opened a clothing store in the county last month and made quite a profit. Everyone knew about it now, so perhaps Third Uncle was here for that.

Zhou Xuan guessed right. Third Uncle had heard about the money the family made in town and wanted to see if there was a job opportunity for him.

The families all knew each other thoroughly; while the exact sums were a mystery, everyone had a rough idea of each other’s means.

Zhou Xuan’s family suddenly came up with a large sum to open a clothing store, and business was booming—they’d truly turned things around, which was almost hard to believe.

Besides, Zhou Xuan’s parents weren’t exactly tight-lipped. With such an outstanding son earning money through writing, what parent wouldn’t boast? They were proud to spread the word.

So the families knew, more or less, that it was Zhou Xuan’s doing. From then on, they no longer regarded him as just a child. In recent days, the elders had smiled at him with extra warmth and affection—something Zhou Xuan noticed well enough.

During the new year, the red envelopes from Second Grandfather, Third Grandfather, Second Uncle, and Youngest Uncle were all much heftier than before. Zhou Xuan fully understood the meaning behind it.

But that’s human nature—after all, they’d always been close, and Zhou Xuan’s admission to the top secondary school was a first for the Zhou clan.

With a half-smile, Zhou Xuan looked at Third Uncle and said, “You’re not playing cards yourself—did you just come here to drag me out to play?”

Third Uncle looked at Zhou Xuan, the words he wanted to say caught in his throat, and he mumbled, “No, just wanted to see if you’d come play cards.”

“Cards, huh? Looks like Third Uncle has struck it rich. How much did you make last year after expenses and travel costs?” Zhou Xuan’s teasing brought a flush to Third Uncle’s face.

Seeing his reaction, Zhou Xuan knew he hadn’t made much. Ordinary factory workers in the Pearl River area only earned a few hundred yuan a month, often with overtime and poor conditions. A year brought in maybe eight or nine thousand, ten thousand if lucky, with food and lodging covered. But there were always things to buy, trips home, gifts for the new year, so only three or four thousand was left at best.

When Third Uncle didn’t answer, Zhou Xuan laughed. In truth, he’d planned to ask Third Uncle for help anyway, but hadn’t expected him to come first.

In Zhou Xuan’s memory, Third Uncle was clever and good-natured—a capable man if properly cultivated.

Now that Zhou Xuan was planning to promote an internet cafe management system, Third Uncle was the perfect candidate to work under Wei Lian, gaining experience and later managing other ventures independently.

“Third Uncle, why don’t you come help me out? I’ll be opening a company after the new year. You’ve been working outside for several years—you should be up for it.”

Hearing Zhou Xuan’s words, Third Uncle asked in surprise, “Really?”

“Of course. Why would I lie to you? But the job might be a bit tough—you’ll need to travel a lot,” Zhou Xuan explained, giving him an idea of the work ahead.

“No problem. No matter how hard it is, it can’t be worse than working in a factory down in the Pearl River. Zhou Xuan, I’m in.” Third Uncle had wanted to work with Zhou Xuan anyway, so he agreed without hesitation.