Chapter 124: The Decision

After feeding the bamboo rats, Yan Chunhua sat to one side and watched Zhang Debing clean the breeding farm. The other two hired hands had gone to the bamboo grove behind the hill to gather fresh feed, leaving only the husband and wife on the farm.

“What is it? Go ahead and tell me. I’m listening.”

Ever since Yan Chunhua became pregnant, Zhang Debing had forbidden her from entering the breeding farm to clean, afraid she might slip and fall. So he now handled the sanitation in the young-rat section alone. The other two workers only cleaned the adult-rat section in the evening and disinfected the floors and equipment.

“After setting aside what we have to keep for loan repayments, do you think we should send Chen Xin some money for living expenses? All these years, she’s been paying for Zhang Zhang’s needs, while our family has hardly covered any of his living or school expenses. I’ve heard that education in the city is very expensive. Chen Xin is still studying herself, and if she has to shoulder all those costs alone, I don’t think that’s fair. We don’t need to send much—perhaps two or three thousand yuan to start with. It would at least show our sincerity.”

Zhang Debing had actually been thinking about this for a long time. But their family’s circumstances were limited, and Yan Chunhua was a new bride who was now carrying his child. He was afraid that if he brought it up himself, she might feel resentful.

Now that she had raised the matter first, however, Zhang Debing thought it best to take the opportunity to speak openly. That way, they could have a clear understanding of how to handle things in the future.

“This is how I see it. No matter what, Zhang Zhang is a child of our Zhang family. As you said, Chen Xin isn’t married yet, so she can still look after and help support him. But once she marries and has children of her own, it wouldn’t be right to expect her to keep supporting Zhang Zhang. So besides sending his monthly living expenses, I want to follow the example of people in the city and set up an education savings account for him. We’re still young. If we work a little harder and suffer a little more now, we can save enough for all the children’s school and living expenses. No matter how difficult things become, we mustn’t shortchange the children.”

What Zhang Debing said was not only about Zhang Zhang. It also included the child Yan Chunhua was carrying. Even more subtly, he was referring to Second Sister Zhang’s child as well; if necessary, they could offer some help there too.

But Zhang Debing had also heard the young men in the village say that if a man gave too much to his brothers and sisters, his wife might not be pleased. So he changed the subject.

“I don’t know how things are going at your brother’s place. Once our circumstances improve, I think we should take you and the children back to your parents’ home for a visit. There are no parents in this world who aren’t good to their children. Whatever happened, they gave birth to you and raised you. You can’t simply cut them off. We can’t afford it right now, but things will get better eventually. When that day comes, we’ll return in style. We absolutely won’t let you lose face in front of your family.”

Yan Chunhua smiled and gave her husband an exasperated glare. “What face? You can’t eat it or drink it. As long as we live well ourselves, that’s enough. Still, you’re right about one thing. My parents are getting old, and at present they depend on my brother and sister-in-law to care for them. Once our circumstances improve, we should at least send them some money for living expenses every month. Compared with the other girls in our village, my parents really have treated me very well.”

Zhang Debing gave a simple, honest smile. It was still a little early to talk about such things. But after speaking openly with his wife, he felt as if his whole body had filled with energy. As long as he was willing to work, life would improve sooner or later. When that day came, he would take his wife back to her family in triumph and make sure no one ever again said that she had married a cripple.

His body might be disabled, but his spirit was not. He had the ability—and the determination—to give his family the best life possible.

Second Sister Zhang learned the news from a close female friend in the village, who called to tell her about it. She had taken her child to stay with the child’s paternal grandparents for a while and had originally planned to return to the mountain at the beginning of the following month. But after hearing the news, she hurriedly packed her things, picked up her child, and rushed straight to her parents’ home.

“Why are you back?” her mother asked when she saw her daughter arrive, dusty and travel-weary, carrying her grandchild. She assumed something terrible had happened and was so startled that she nearly dropped the rice bowl in her hand.

“I heard someone tried to poison our breeding farm. Is that true?”

“It was only an attempt. You didn’t even call to ask what happened—you just grabbed the child and came home. Where’s your husband? Why didn’t he come back with you?” Second Sister Zhang’s father looked toward the doorway. He saw only his daughter and grandson, not his son-in-law, and his expression immediately darkened.

“I left in such a hurry that I haven’t even called to tell him. He went to the county seat recently. There’s some kind of training course, and he has to study full-time for more than half a month. He probably won’t be back until the end of the month.”

Second Sister Zhang did not notice her father’s displeasure. As carefree as ever, she placed the child on the bed and went to fetch water to wash her face. She had been traveling all day and felt as though she were covered in a layer of mud.

During the meal, Zhang Debing told his family what he and Yan Chunhua had decided and asked his parents what they thought.

“Do you really have to give the money now? I thought you should use it to expand the breeding operation a little. The more you raise, the more you earn.”

“We can’t expand any further.” Yan Chunhua helped bring the dishes and rice to the table. Hearing Second Sister Zhang, she explained softly, “Our farm occupies only a limited area. If we increase the number of animals, the density will become too high. If a disease breaks out, it will spread extremely quickly, and we won’t have time to isolate the infected animals. Besides, judging from the current situation, we still haven’t opened up enough sales channels. Relying on a single buyer means the price is still too low.”

Second Sister Zhang glanced at Yan Chunhua and clicked her tongue. “That price is low? You made a full twenty thousand yuan.”

“It really is low. At the farm where I used to work, the owner earned at least one hundred to one hundred and fifty thousand yuan a year. His operation wasn’t much larger than ours. But he had already entered a stable production period, so even if his prices were about the same as ours, his overall income was much higher. We haven’t reached stable production yet. That’s why I think we should find another sales channel while we still can. Next year and the year after, our output will reach its peak. If our buyer starts causing trouble, we’ll be completely at his mercy, with no choice but to accept whatever price he names.”

Seeing her family stare at her in confusion, Yan Chunhua poured out all the concerns she had been turning over in her mind. Her family might have little experience with animal breeding, but they had far more experience of life than she did. There were things she might not think of that they could very well notice.

“You mean we could supply restaurants directly?” Her father thought it was a good idea, but they did not know anyone who ran a restaurant. They would have to ask around, one establishment at a time. Ordinary restaurants certainly would not sell bamboo-rat meat. Only upscale restaurants, or those specializing in game and wild mountain produce, might need such a supply.

“I remember you once mentioning a Mr. Lei in the county town who seems to be very fond of wild mountain products. He sounds like someone who knows a great deal about food. Could we contact him and ask whether he knows anywhere that buys bamboo rats?”