A Chance to Enter the City
This letter was written by the editor-in-chief of the Provincial Daily Newspaper Office.
Who could have a broader information network than a newspaper office? This was precisely why Fan Minghua had submitted articles to the newspaper—first, to earn money and enrich his small family, and second, to inquire about the situation of his biological parents.
After all, apart from knowing their surname, he knew nothing else.
He didn’t know their specific positions, where they were now, or whether they had encountered any misfortunes during the past decade.
This was like searching for a needle in a haystack. For a mere rural farmer like him, it was indeed even more difficult to accomplish.
He had never truly believed he could find them.
After all, twenty-six years had passed since the Gu family came to take the child away. In twenty-six years, countless things could have happened.
Especially during the past decade, with the sweeping movements, how many people had been sent down? Not to mention other places, even in their Jiangtaiba cowshed, there were two or three experts who had been sent down from Yanjing.
They were all top experts in physics and chemistry.
Yet, because of their overseas study backgrounds and some other reasons, they were sent down to Jiangtaiba.
It had been over twenty years since then. After so long, whether that family still existed was an unknown.
Therefore, he didn’t pin all his hopes on that—it was just an additional possibility.
If he couldn’t find them, it didn’t matter. After so many years, apart from that faint blood tie, little remained between him and his biological parents.
If they felt guilty, his family might live a better life. But how much could mere guilt sustain?
Fan Minghua was very calm. He had considered many things and naturally planned for many scenarios.
Finding his parents would naturally be the best outcome, as it would allow him to justifiably leave the Fan Family, those bloodsuckers. But what if he couldn’t find them?
He still had to find a way to break away.
After such a terrible incident, he and the Fan Family had already torn off all pretenses.
Breaking away was inevitable—and it wasn’t just about dividing the family.
Dividing the family was useless. In rural areas nowadays, everyone worked in the same brigade. Due to national conditions, many households in the countryside, unless absolutely necessary, remained under the same household registration, which facilitated brigade management.
In many families, when the children grew up and developed their own ideas, they had no choice but to divide the family, but it was a division of assets, not of household registration.
This was not what Fan Minghua needed.
Even if the family and household were divided, as long as he didn’t sever ties with the Fan Family, the entanglement would be endless.
What he wanted was to break away—truly break away, the kind of break that meant cutting off all relations with the Fan Family.
Only then could a truly new life begin.
Fan Minghua had been preparing for this, not just for a year or two.
Ever since he confirmed he was not a member of the Fan Family, he had been secretly preparing.
He never acted impulsively or made decisions on a whim. He always planned carefully, considering the worst possible scenarios.
He had thought about the worst-case possibility—that Fan Jian, the milk brother he had grown up with, who was eventually taken back in his place, would stand in his way.
After all, his existence was tied to the other’s interests.
He didn’t know what Fan Jian’s situation was now, but with the connections of his high-ranking father, how could he be an ordinary person? Even if he was useless, those connections could pave a glorious path for him.
Fan Minghua dared not risk being secretly plotted against before even confirming his family ties.
It wasn’t that he thought people were inherently wicked, nor was he prone to conspiracy theories—he simply considered every worst-case scenario.
After all, greed could corrupt anyone. Who knew what illegal acts someone might commit for the sake of profit?
Moreover, he was no longer a man with only himself to feed. He had a wife and children, and their family deserved a happy life, free from the schemes of petty individuals.
Even if he never reunited with his biological family, he had to ensure the safety of his own household.
The fact that he was not a member of the Fan Family was something he had only confided in his wife. She was the person he would spend his life with, so naturally, he kept no secrets from her.
The editor-in-chief of the Provincial Daily Newspaper Office was surnamed Liu. Coincidentally, he was also from their Shun County.
Due to their shared hometown, Editor Liu held Fan Minghua in particularly high regard.
When Fan Minghua inquired about this Gu Shouzhang, Editor Liu was more than willing to help.
It wasn’t much trouble—just a small favor.
In his letter, Editor Liu explained everything clearly, providing a detailed account of Gu Shouzhang’s situation.
This Gu Shouzhang was named Gu Changchun, originally from Changchun, Jilin. He joined the military in his early years, moved south with the troops, and after liberation, was assigned to the Provincial Public Security Department in Jiangcheng. He had two sons and one daughter. The Gu Mingjian that Fan Minghua inquired about was Gu Shouzhang’s eldest son, now thirty-two years old, serving as the director of the Provincial Prison.
The letter also mentioned other members of Gu Shouzhang’s family—his wife and his other children—providing a comprehensive overview.
Fan Minghua felt a surge of excitement.
He recalled that back then, Old Woman Fan had wanted to follow the pattern of his name when naming her own son, intending to change Fan Jian’s name to Fan Mingjian. However, the matter was eventually dropped for unknown reasons, though it seemed vaguely related to his biological mother’s opposition.
Now, according to Editor Liu’s letter, everything matched: the age, the similar name, and even Gu Shouzhang’s position. After all, his biological father had already been a division commander before liberation, so it made sense that he could now hold a leading position in the Provincial Public Security Department.
Ning Zhi asked, “Is it him?”
Fan Minghua shook his head.
He wasn’t naive enough to think that a single letter could confirm everything.
It wasn’t impossible for two people to share the same name. Although the family background and age seemed to align, Fan Minghua wouldn’t rashly decide to go and reunite with them.
What if it wasn’t them?
He merely kept it in mind.
As for whether it was truly them, he needed to investigate further.
In fact, seeing for oneself was better than hearing a hundred accounts. The best approach would be to go to the provincial capital and learn more about this family.
Although he and Fan Jian had separated when he was six years old—twenty-six years had passed since then—people’s appearances changed significantly over time. Still, there might be some traces to uncover. A trip to the provincial capital was definitely necessary.
But how to go and under what pretext posed another problem.
After all, travel now required introduction letters. One couldn’t simply pack a bag and go anywhere freely. They needed an introduction letter issued locally and an accepting unit at the destination. Otherwise, they couldn’t even board a train, let alone stay there or search for someone.
There was no rush for now. A solution would surely present itself.
Just as he was pondering how to find a reasonable opportunity to go to the provincial capital, an opportunity was delivered right to his doorstep.
Here’s how it happened.
That day, Jiang Youliang suddenly came to see Fan Minghua.
Since Ning Zhi had been rushed to the hospital due to difficult labor, Fan Minghua had already taken many days off and hadn’t returned to the village.
He had no idea that because of Jiangtaiba’s outstanding performance in disaster relief and the bumper harvest, the story had already spread throughout the Gongshe.
In the face of the severe drought, other brigades had almost no harvest at all, while Jiangtaiba, due to timely and proper handling, achieved a bumper harvest. In this era where agriculture was the foundation, wasn’t this big news?
Other brigades were extremely curious and were all inquiring about this matter.
Because of this, Jiang Youliang felt immensely proud.
During meetings at the Gongshe, he stood tall and straight, walked with his head held high, and strode with an air of confidence that seemed to disregard everyone else. These past few days, he had been basking in the glory.
But the one who deserved the most credit for this was Fan Minghua.
Jiang Youliang wasn’t the kind of person who would forget about someone once he had gained benefits.
He had long decided to recommend Fan Minghua to the Gongshe.
Then, the matter came to the attention of the county.
The county leaders were also very curious about Fan Minghua.
They had never heard of such a remarkable person who could predict a major disaster before it even arrived.
The county leaders wanted to meet him.
The notice was issued to the Gongshe and then passed down level by level to the brigade.
As soon as Jiang Youliang learned of this, he rushed to the county without delay to inform Fan Minghua.
Was Fan Minghua happy?
Naturally, he was happy. He had worked so hard to solve difficulties for his fellow villagers, not only for the obvious reasons but also out of a genuine desire to contribute to his hometown.
He also had a personal motive.
He didn’t want to spend his whole life in the countryside; he wanted to move to the city.
Only by entering the city and making a name for himself could he provide a stable and prosperous life for his wife and children.
Only then could he truly break away from the Fan Family.
When Ning Zhi heard this, her eyes immediately lit up.
“Is it true, Da Duizhang? The county leaders really want to meet Minghua?”
Jiang Youliang: “The notice has already been sent to the Da Dui Bu, but only the Da Dui Bu knows about it for now. The commune members still don’t know.”
Fan Minghua lowered his head in thought and said to Jiang Youliang, “Brother Youliang, please help me keep this a secret, at least from the Fan Family.”
Jiang Youliang raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and understood.
Was Iron Head afraid the Fan Family would obstruct him?
But that seemed impossible. The Fan Family were his parents—how could they obstruct his future?
What parents don’t hope for their children to succeed? Who wouldn’t want their children to have a bright future?
But Fan Minghua shook his head and didn’t explain why.
Seeing that he was unwilling to say, Jiang Youliang naturally didn’t press for details.
He told him about the county’s arrangements—which leader wanted to meet him and when.
Since Fan Minghua was already in the county, it would be convenient for him to go. The scheduled time was nine o’clock the next day.
Jiang Youliang said, “I’ll also come over tomorrow, and we can go together. The leader from the Agriculture Bureau wants to meet you, and the leader from the Agricultural Technology Station at the Gongshe will also be there.”
Fan Minghua nodded.
His gaze drifted into the distance, as if he were looking at something far away.
Jiang Youliang had already left.
Ning Zhi looked at her husband’s back. How long had he been waiting for this opportunity?
Finally, it had arrived.
[Author’s Note]
Hmm, I’ll be giving out some red envelopes.