Chapter One: Father's Entrustment

  "I am a spring, as long as you don't crush me, the greater the pressure I withstand, the greater the force of my rebound."

  Xu Shaojie's insight

  In the scorching summer of 1988, Xu Shaojie would never forget that this summer was particularly hot, but his originally fragile heart was frozen like solid ice at this time. His father passed away in this scorching summer.

  Xu Shaojie's father was an old university student who graduated from a prestigious domestic university, with great talent, but unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time and suffered oppression during a special period, falling to the bottom. Xu Shaojie rarely saw his father smile since he was a child, his father was always silent and rarely spoke, Xu Shaojie had some respect for his father.

  Xu Shaojie had an older brother Xu Yijie and a younger sister Xu Lan. His older brother Xu Yijie is still in prison, during the severe crackdown period, he was sentenced to heavy imprisonment for hooliganism. Xu Shaojie remembered that his father cried several times because of this.

  His older brother Xu Yijie wasn't involved in anything big, but got into a fight and was charged with picking quarrels and provoking trouble and hooliganism. The other party was lightly injured, and among the participants were children of county leaders, so Xu Yijie became the so-called "organizer" under the severe and swift circumstances, and was quickly sentenced to 10 years in prison.

  After that, his father became even more silent, his mother often cried and blamed his father for being incompetent and unable to help their children. Yijie was wrongly accused and imprisoned, he wasn't an organizer at all. His father didn't explain himself, silently enduring it. Xu Shaojie knew this incident had a huge impact on his father.

  His father often told him to study hard, take the university entrance exam, and make money by relying on his own abilities.

  Another thing that left a deep impression on Xu Shaojie was when his family returned to their hometown. After graduating from university, his father had been assigned to work in a small town and had always wanted to return home after the special period ended, but due to financial constraints, they were unable to do so for a long time until 1981 when an opportunity finally arose. His father worked at the county committee's compound and was helped by the deputy head of the organization department to find a jeep going to the provincial city. The jeep belonged to the commercial bureau, and its director was traveling to the provincial city on business. As a result, the family split into two groups: Xu Shaojie, his brother Xu Yijie, and their father took the jeep, while their mother and sister Xu Lan took a passenger car to meet up in the provincial city, which would save them some money. Unexpectedly, the commercial bureau director was very arrogant and looked down on Xu Shaojie and his family, constantly saying unpleasant things. At that time, the jeep had already traveled a considerable distance when it stopped halfway, and Xu Shaojie saw his father arguing with the director from afar, although he kept his voice low, Xu Shaojie saw his father's face turn red. Xu Shaojie always thought that his brother Xu Yijie's tendency to fight might have something to do with this experience, because he saw anger and hatred in his brother's eyes.

  The allocation of housing also made my father and mother very unhappy. The county committee built a new dormitory building, according to the standard, my father could have been allocated one, it was a three-bedroom house with a living room, which was rare in this era. However, when the final list was announced, my father's name was not on it. My father couldn't bear it anymore and found the county committee secretary. As a result, the county committee secretary sympathized with my father being an out-of-town university student and helped solve the problem. Our family finally moved into the new house.

  There were many things that Xu Shaojie couldn't remember, in short, his father's body was getting worse and worse, he and his sister Xu Lan had to go to school, which required expenses, his brother Xu Yijie was in prison, and in order to suffer less, they also needed money to bribe people, the family conditions were very poor.

  Xu Shaojie's mother, Han Qing'e, is a local resident. She has a strong personality and isn't very easy-going, but she is extremely kind-hearted. She worked hard to raise her family. There were many relatives on her side of the family, but after Xu Yijie got into trouble, they rarely visited each other anymore. His mother gritted her teeth and refused to back down, except for during holidays when they would exchange pleasantries, otherwise, the relatives treated each other like strangers.

  Father fell down so quickly because of Xu Shaojie's admission notice.

  Xu Shaojie grew up in such an environment, and at a young age, he saw through many things and had his own unique views on power. Therefore, Xu Shaojie studied hard, almost to the point of being oblivious to everything outside, with only the classics in mind. In school, his grades were always among the top, and his parents had high expectations for him, hoping that their younger son Xu Shaojie would follow in the footsteps of their elder son Xu Yijie.

  Before the college entrance examination, Xu Shaojie's parents eliminated all distractions for him. His sister, Xu Lan, who was in junior high school at the time, was not allowed to disturb Xu Shaojie. At mealtimes, the best dishes were always given to Xu Shaojie, but he was very considerate and would secretly give the good food to his sister when their parents weren't looking. This was a time for growing up, and eating well was beneficial for their health. Seeing Xu Shaojie being so thoughtful made his father extremely happy.

  Two days before the college entrance examination, school had already been dismissed for summer break. Xu Shaojie suddenly suggested that he wanted to go see his older brother in the city. His father took him to the city, where they visited his brother, Xu Yijie, who was still serving his sentence. Xu Yijie tightly hugged his younger brother and urged him to do well on the exam, make their family proud, get into a prestigious university, and have a bright future.

  Xu Shaojie was admitted to Xilin University with the sixth highest score in the county, Xilin University is the best university in Xishan Province and one of the top 10 universities in the country, although it is not as famous as Peking University and Tsinghua University, but also one of the most famous universities.

  The admission notice was sent directly to my father's workplace by the post office. On that day, when my father saw the envelope with Xilin University's stamp on it, his face showed a strange expression, and he hastily opened the envelope. The red admission notice appeared before his eyes, and my father burst out laughing, even shedding tears of joy. His colleagues saw the admission notice and congratulated him one after another.

  His father took the notice and went home directly. At this moment, Xu Shaojie was helping his sister with her summer homework.

  Seeing his father with a smile, Xu Shaojie and Xu Lan were both surprised. They rarely saw their father like this. Their mother, Han Qing'e, was still at work and hadn't returned home yet. His father held the admission notice in his hand and kept smiling at Xu Shaojie. Xu Shaojie knew that his admission notice had arrived, so he excitedly jumped up to get it.

  A sudden change occurred at this time, and Father's face suddenly changed, instantly turning pale, as if in great pain. Father leaned against the wall, trying to steady himself, but it was hard to hold on. He stretched out his hand, handed the admission notice to Xu Yijie, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fell down.

  Xu Shaojie and Xu Lan were shocked, Xu Shaojie was already 18 years old and very sensible. Seeing this situation, he quickly helped his father up and asked Xu Lan to hurry to their father's workplace for help, sending a car to take him to the hospital. As soon as Xu Lan left home, Xu Yijie carried his father on his back and headed downstairs. The fresh blood from his father's mouth dripped onto Xu Shaojie's clothes. Xu Shaojie had reacted and was heartbroken, with tears in his eyes. A jeep quickly arrived at the bottom of the building, and colleagues from their father's workplace also came. Xu Lan followed behind, crying, while Xu Shaojie wiped away his tears - now was not the time for crying.

  The hospital's test results made Han Qing'e unbearable, her father was in the late stage of lung cancer. It turned out that her father had suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis before and although he had been cured, he needed to rest and recuperate quietly. However, many things had hit him one after another, suppressing him for many years, and the already-cured pulmonary tuberculosis had quietly become the culprit in such an environment.

  Xu Shaojie knew what his father's illness meant, and the hardships of his childhood and adolescence had made him mature too early. Now, with his father in the hospital and his brother still in prison, he was the only man left in the family. So Xu Shaojie played the role of an adult every day, comforting his mother Han Qing'e and sister Xu Lan. During his father's stay in the hospital, except for a visit from his father's colleagues, almost no one else came to see him, and Xu Shaojie remembered all this. Later, his uncle and aunt from their hometown came, and upon seeing his father's condition, they burst into tears.

  My father could have been transferred to a large hospital for treatment, with all medical expenses reimbursed, but he refused. Medical expenses can be reimbursed, but living expenses and nursing fees cannot be reimbursed, which is unbearable for our family. My father soon entered the terminal stage, muttering the names of his family members and parents every day. My brother Xu Yijie was allowed to come back once, knelt in front of my father's hospital bed, crying bitterly, and didn't get up for a long time.

  On a scorching hot day, Father's spirit suddenly improved. He looked at the family members waiting by his bedside and slowly said many words that brought tears to Xu Yijie's eyes. Father entrusted Mother to take good care of their children and make sure they become self-sufficient. Father said that with his lost income, the family would face even greater difficulties in the future. However, he emphasized that the children's education must not be neglected. No matter how difficult it is, they should support their children's studies until they can't afford it anymore, even if it means selling all their belongings. Han Qing'e nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down her face. Then, Father asked Xu Shaojie to stay behind alone, as he had some words to say to him.

  "Shao Jie, from childhood to adulthood, I have always wanted you to study hard and get into university, so that you can be self-sufficient. Now that you've been admitted to university, I know you will definitely make a good life for yourself. As the saying goes, 'the children of poor families must grow up early', you have endured too many things that you shouldn't have had to endure, and your character is stronger than other children's. Even though I'm leaving now, my spirit in heaven will always be watching over you."

  Xu Shaojie couldn't help but shed tears, and his father stroked his hair.

  "Shaojie, don't cry anymore. People are bound to die. You've grown up now. Today, I want to tell you some things that I should have said when you first entered society, but I couldn't wait any longer. Shaojie, it's good to study hard, but just studying blindly is useless. You've seen the ups and downs of my life, and I want you to know that society is complicated. Whatever you do, you need to adapt to this society. Don't be too proud or look down on yourself. Others won't care about your feelings unless they're related to you. Only say three-tenths of what's on your mind when meeting people, don't pour out your whole heart. At any time, you must learn to protect yourself, and your own interests are the most important. The only people who will truly care for you are your family members, and they won't ask for anything in return. In society, these things don't exist. I know you have a strong desire for power, but you don't understand what true power is or what it means to be a real official. To gain power, you'll have to pay a lot, even with some unexpected costs. But I support you, do whatever you want. Shaojie, you're the hope of our family. From now on, remember to take care of your mother and sister well. Your older brother will be released from prison in two years, don't forget about him. He has a lot of resentment in his heart, and I'm afraid he'll cause more trouble in the future. It's all up to you."

  After saying so much in one breath, Father couldn't help but start coughing. Xu Shaojie hurriedly patted his father's back gently. The weather was very hot and Father's clothes were all drenched with sweat.

  "Alright, Shaojie, I didn't want to say this, but I have to. If you insist on entering politics, remember that in the official circle, there are no eternal friends or enemies, everything is based on interests. Your best friend may become your opponent or enemy, and those you dislike may become your friends at critical moments. When you're poor, nobody cares about you, but when you're rich, you'll have distant relatives coming out of nowhere. Once you have power, you'll face many temptations. You need to learn to be calm and not be blinded by temporary gains. Don't lose yourself, this is the hardest part. People all have flaws and want to enjoy a good life. Without a background or connections, relying solely on your abilities in the official circle will bring many unexpected difficulties. So, I still hope you can focus on technical work, that's my sincere wish for you, Shaojie. My generation has failed, I hope you can succeed. The Xu family doesn't produce weaklings, we all have achievements."

  His father closed his eyes, and Xu Shaojie knew that he still had something to say to his mother and sister. He quietly left the hospital room to call out to his mother outside. His father's last words, Xu Shaojie remembered very clearly, and in the early stages of entering society, he always followed his father's teachings to view this world. Although later, his own experiences showed that his father's words were not absolute truth, but overall, his father's understanding was correct. These words and understandings helped Xu Shaojie take the first step into politics, and later experiences allowed him to fully appreciate his father's good intentions.

  When the cries of his mother and sister came, Xu Shaojie rushed into the ward. His father stared at the door of the ward, Xu Shaojie rushed to the bedside, and his father put his mother's and sister's hands in his with all his might.

  The funeral of my father was very simple and quiet, he was an outsider, a ordinary civil servant with no power or influence.

  Xu Yijie returned to attend the funeral with red eyes, knelt down as soon as he entered, and let out a hoarse voice from his throat. His tears had already dried up. Xu Yijie was four years older than Xu Shaojie, but at this moment, Xu Shaojie was like an elder brother. He tightly hugged Xu Yijie and whispered their father's last words in his ear. Xu Yijie finally burst into loud sobs and shed tears.

  The day Father went up the mountain, Xu Yijie and Xu Shaojie waited until the end. The two knelt in front of their father's grave for a long time without speaking. Xu Yijie looked at Xu Shaojie, knowing that his younger brother had something to say.

  "Dad, I've remembered all your instructions. Today, I swear that I will make a name for myself and take good care of my family. Whoever stands in the way of my success is my enemy. Dad, those who humiliated you, I remember them all. In the future, I'll make them regret it. Big brother is by my side, so don't worry, I'll take good care of big brother, mom and little sister. You can rest assured and go in peace."

  The two brothers did not shed tears this time, their hands tightly clasped together.

  Xu Yijie quickly returned to the city prison, and before parting, Xu Shaojie repeatedly entrusted Xu Yijie to endure what should be endured, not to act impulsively, and strive to get out of prison early.