Ma Qingsheng had been silent since he got out of bed, his movements waking his wife, Zhao Chunhua. Zhao Chunhua also lay in bed with a sullen face. It was already February, and the factories were about to resume full operations. Ma Qingsheng was a demobilized soldier and currently served as the Security Section Chief of the Fengtai County Silk Reeling Factory, which was considered a "career establishment" position. Logically, there was no reason for him to be in such low spirits.

"I want you to come back home with me to farm the land," Zhao Chunhua said suddenly after lying there for a while.

Ma Qingsheng said nothing. He first brushed his teeth, washed his face, and tidied his personal hygiene, then nimbly prepared breakfast. This was a habit formed in the army, where everyone had to learn to manage their own personal life. Even cooking was done in rotation. The field cooking squad was a specialty, with comrades who performed exceptionally well in cooking being selected for it. Ma Qingsheng had neither the desire to join the cooking squad nor the talent for it. However, he was more than capable of making breakfast for the two of them.

"Did you hear me?" Zhao Chunhua shouted again.

"If you want to go back to farm, go back yourself. I'm not going back," Ma Qingsheng replied coldly.

"You... you have the nerve to be tough with me, but why aren't you this tough with others?" Zhao Chunhua suddenly yelled.

Ma Qingsheng was suddenly enraged; he clenched his fists and stood up.

"You want to hit me, don't you? Then hit me! Just kill me and be done with it!" Zhao Chunhua showed no fear at all; she screamed shrilly.

Ma Qingsheng suppressed his anger and sat back down on the stool. He had hit his wife before, only to be visited and criticized several times by comrades from the Women's Federation. He also felt it was no longer appropriate to hit his wife. Finally, Ma Qingsheng let out a long sigh and sat back in the room. "You go home yourself; I am absolutely not going back."

"I... I don't want to go home either."

"If you can't go home, then find a job you can do and work honestly," Ma Qingsheng forced these words out of his throat.

Zhao Chunhua had followed Ma Qingsheng into the city after he was demobilized. In recent years, jobs in the base areas had become increasingly difficult to find. In the beginning, the base areas recruited workers extensively, especially in the old base area of Fengtai County, where various factories were established early and many people were hired. But within two years, those who performed well either became regular workers or signed short-term contracts. During the slack farming season, they would work in the factories. Many who were not suited for factory work were gradually weeded out.

Ma Qingsheng, naturally, was competent enough for his job in the Security Department of the silk reeling factory. Zhao Chunhua wasn't stupid, but she loved to show off. She had changed jobs several times; while being outcompeted by others was part of the reason, recruitment in the factories also had to pass through the labor union. In every anonymous vote by the union, Zhao Chunhua failed to be selected. She could never pass the formal recruitment process.

Ma Qingsheng had personal experience with Zhao Chunhua's performance. During his months at the silk reeling factory, everyone knew who Zhao Chunhua was. In the countryside, one might say "a person's name is like the shadow of a tree," but in the factory, every mistake Zhao Chunhua made was seen as Ma Qingsheng's mistake. Ma Qingsheng simply could not bear such heavy pressure.

It's easier to change rivers and mountains than a person's nature. Zhao Chunhua changed several units; she might start off more restrained, but before long, she would suffer a "relapse." Once she started showing off, it was all over.

In the Fengtai County Silk Reeling Factory, there were already high-level silk reeling workers with a monthly income of eight yuan. Ma Qingsheng's monthly salary was also only eight yuan. Being busy all day, his total income including bonuses was no more than twelve yuan.

The workload of a high-level silk reeling worker was slightly less than Ma Qingsheng's. He had seen them work while patrolling the workshop. Their hands were so fast, and their eyesight so sharp. These workers were completely focused during labor. After finishing work, they would prepare their tools, pack their equipment, and seize the time to rest. From daily chats, Ma Qingsheng couldn't learn much about these workers. He knew the basic situation, but for more detailed family information, he would have to go to the Personnel Department to check.

His own wife earned only two yuan a month, yet her "reputation preceded her." There was indeed a vast difference between them.

"I'm just stupid, okay? I can't do these jobs!" Zhao Chunhua suddenly began to sob and cry.

"You, stupid?! You just love to show off too much! Everywhere you go, you're afraid people won't know where you came from. Which family's wife acts like you when she goes out?" Ma Qingsheng roared.

Roared at by Ma Qingsheng, Zhao Chunhua was not to be outdone. "How are you even an official of the People's Party? Other people become officials to bring honor to their ancestors, but as a People's Party official, nothing you say counts for anything. And they even talk about liberating women! What exactly has been liberated?"

Ma Qingsheng's voice had been low and depressed, but hearing this, his face immediately became stern. His voice even trembled. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"When you're an official, you have to be some kind of role model! Risking your life for the People's Party only to be executed—is that what a role model is?" Zhao Chunhua seemed to have a strong opinion on this.

Ma Qingsheng felt a surge of trepidation; he was almost numbed by these words. In the past two years, many people had been arrested in Anhui, tried, sentenced, and many had been shot. However, quite a few of them were People's Party cadres. The judicial departments and the People's Internal Affairs Committee were strictly enforcing discipline and working hard to perfect the system. As a cadre in the Security Department, Ma Qingsheng personally participated in the construction of this system.

"Any link operated by people will inevitably have management loopholes!" This was said to be a quote from Chairman Chen. In study sessions on system construction, this theory was discussed repeatedly.

Those responsible for ideological work certainly had a way with words. They didn't say they didn't trust others, but rather used the concept of "what is protection": "It's about not giving others the opportunity to make mistakes. Without a management system, no one can withstand temptation. To protect everyone's interests, we must improve the management system."

Ma Qingsheng had caught people stealing raw silk, stealing money, and stealing meal coupons. As a security department, their job was to struggle against these people. Among the People's Party cadres, those who embezzled or misappropriated public funds were certainly not just one or two. As the scale of state-owned factories grew larger, there were more and more such people.

It wasn't until many people were executed that Ma Qingsheng felt "not giving people the opportunity to make mistakes is protection" made quite a lot of sense. If management was strict, those people could at most get away with small things and would only be sentenced to a few years if caught. But without management, once they embezzled too much, there would only be a dead end.

Zhao Chunhua actually dared to question anti-corruption! This absolutely terrified Ma Qingsheng.

"What are you talking about?" Ma Qingsheng asked with a trembling voice.

Zhao Chunhua was also just speaking out of anger. How could she not know that saying such things would do her no good? There were also workers in the factories who questioned the People's Party. Without the People's Party having to lift a finger, the workers themselves would spontaneously drag these people out. Having stayed in several factories, the labor union met every Thursday afternoon to discuss various issues with the workers. If someone cursed the People's Party, the union would discuss the reasons behind these incidents. They didn't necessarily think the workers were wrong; sometimes they would even adjust some factory practices.

However, in Zhao Chunhua's view, as long as the factory refused to recognize the status of officials' families, there must be something wrong with these systems. Unfortunately, the People's Party here just happened to refuse to recognize the status of officials' families.

Seeing that Ma Qingsheng was scared half to death, Zhao Chunhua also felt she shouldn't have been so direct. She quickly said, "I was just joking!"

Ma Qingsheng didn't respond. He stood up, put on his coat, and strode out of the house.

The cold air outside made Ma Qingsheng feel refreshed, and the troubles at home seemed a bit better. As long as he escaped the annoying domestic chores, he felt much better. These days, he no longer wanted to go home. Zhao Chunhua made his life miserable every day. Whenever he suggested she return to their hometown, she insisted he go with her. And any attempt to forcibly send her home was rejected by both Ma Qingsheng's family and Zhao Chunhua's family.

In the village, Ma Qingsheng was already a figure of importance. Having been a soldier and now working in the city, eating from the "public pot" was an absolutely respectable thing. His family all felt that Ma Qingsheng was someone who gave orders and had no worries. Ma Qingsheng should be the one solving other people's problems.

This attitude from his family made him even more frustrated.

As soon as he entered the factory and saw the busy crowds, Ma Qingsheng felt his worries recede significantly. In the factory, all work was about learning to cooperate and solve problems together, very similar to the military's command system.

Just as work began, the factory manager called a meeting of all departments. "Comrades, the organization wants to draw a group of people from Anhui to work elsewhere. Is anyone in our factory willing to work in another province?"

"Where to?" Most of the attendees were men, and they immediately became interested.

"To Jiangxi, to prepare for a silk reeling factory there," the manager replied.

"Where is Jiangxi?" someone asked.

The manager was also originally a political commissar. The map of China in his room was spread out on the table according to the directions, and a group of people gathered around to find Jiangxi's location. The manager measured the approximate distance with a ruler and calculated it based on the scale of the base area map. A straight-line distance of nearly a thousand *li* made the comrades looking south catch their breath. Being a thousand *li* away from Fengtai County—just the thought of it brought an indescribable sense of excitement.

"Chairman Chen just returned from Jiangxi. It seems the work there has been arranged. You don't need to worry," the manager said.

"Chairman Chen is back in Anhui?" This news was quite fresh.

"Yes, he has already returned to Fengtai County. But how long he can stay here isn't clear."

"Is the Party Central Committee really going to move away from Fengtai?"

"This was decided long ago. But don't worry, our factory will certainly not be moved," the manager laughed.

Hearing this, the cadres fell silent. Whether Fengtai County was the capital or not didn't affect the work of the silk reeling factory, but losing its status as the capital of the base area made every comrade feel a strong sense of loss.

Breaking the silence was Ma Qingsheng. "I want to go to Jiangxi."

Everyone's eyes fell on Ma Qingsheng's face. The manager asked doubtfully, "Section Chief Ma, are you really willing to go to Jiangxi?"

"Yes, I am," Ma Qingsheng answered bluntly. Finding a good opportunity to escape his family troubles, Ma Qingsheng felt this was not a bad thing.

During the meeting, two comrades eventually signed up to work in Jiangxi. Other comrades either directly expressed their unwillingness to leave their hometown or said they would think about it.

The People's Party acted with great efficiency. Three days later, the organization issued a formal transfer order. Ma Qingsheng first used the excuse of going home to visit and took his wife back to the village. When he announced publicly that he was to obey the organization's orders and go to Jiangxi for work, the Ma family was not too surprised. When Ma Qingsheng was a soldier, he had been to other provinces. Furthermore, the arrangements made by the organization were not something these people living in the countryside could fully comprehend.

"Then what about your wife?" Ma Qingsheng's father asked.

"She'll stay home and farm," this was the best way Ma Qingsheng could think of to get rid of his wife's pestering. He truly didn't dare keep a troublemaker like her by his side.

"Is this a promotion?" Ma Qingsheng's father asked excitedly.

"It's not a promotion. In Jiangxi, I'll still have the same position as now," Ma Qingsheng replied.

"Then why go to Jiangxi?" Ma Qingsheng's father questioned.

"The organization arranges the work, and we just obey orders and follow commands," Ma Qingsheng felt a headache coming on. Many people around him were hoping that once he was promoted, he would look after his own family. Ma Qingsheng wasn't unwilling to do so, but this indeed involved the issue of the "clan."

The People's Party had always opposed clans, at least that was the propaganda in the army. "The China of the future is a China where everyone is equal; clan oppression will absolutely not be allowed to exist." This was constantly promoted in the military. There were many government workers in Fengtai County, all of whom were young and held an opposing attitude towards clans.

This opposition hadn't been elevated to a political level, but after the land reform, although the economic foundation for the clans' existence had been eliminated, the old clan system showed no signs of being completely wiped out. At most, after the land was divided, the contradictions between the "major branch and minor branches" were eliminated. Everyone lived their own lives, and the major branch no longer had the opportunity to oppress the minor ones. But young people like Ma Qingsheng still didn't have a place to speak within the clan.

The old-fashioned clan elders still felt they were the leaders of the clan and took it for granted that they should give orders on everything. For example, they demanded that Ma Qingsheng arrange several jobs in the factory for family members every year, and specifically specified they wanted the type of workers with the highest income.

This demand was quite absurd. The wages for People's Party workers were based on technical assessments and production evaluations. And for some industries, graduation certificates from specialized schools were required. For someone with a military background like Ma Qingsheng, this was perfectly normal. Before retiring, Ma Qingsheng was a deputy platoon leader. The army emphasized professional division of labor, and every specialty had specialized training. For instance, for the position of machine gunner, unless there was absolutely no one else available, it was impossible to just grab someone and have them operate the machine gun. If you did that, heaven knows how many machine gun bullets would actually be effective.

But the clan was such an unreasonable thing. After Ma Qingsheng refused the clan's demands, his family members had already subtly told him that some people in the clan were discussing whether to strip him of his status to enter the ancestral hall in the future.

This news was even more ridiculous. Ma Qingsheng now wanted to get rid of even his annoying wife. According to the rules, entering the ancestral hall required donating money. By not going to the ancestral hall, Ma Qingsheng could save quite a bit of money. The clan patriarch had told Ma Qingsheng before that if he wanted to participate in discussions at the ancestral hall, he had to donate twenty yuan every year. This was equal to two months of Ma Qingsheng's salary. Ma Qingsheng immediately declined. As a result, he earned the evaluation of being "ungrateful for the honor." If being "ungrateful" could save money and eliminate trouble, Ma Qingsheng felt it would be quite good not to deal with the clan for the rest of his life.

Zhao Chunhua understood Ma Qingsheng's thoughts even better. Hearing him say he would go to Jiangxi alone, her eyes first went wide, and then she shouted, "You... you're getting tired of me!"

"This is the organization's arrangement!" Ma Qingsheng explained.

"The organization's arrangement? With so many people, why did they arrange it for you?" Zhao Chunhua wailed.

"I perform well at work, so naturally they arranged it for me!"

"You just think I don't perform well!" Zhao Chunhua pulled at Ma Qingsheng, wailing relentlessly.

Ma Qingsheng's head was spinning. Other people's wives didn't make such a fuss; why was his wife such a scoundrel? Ma Qingsheng had joined the army quite early. Back then, while on guard duty, he had seen Chairman Chen Ke's wife, and after returning to the base area, he had seen many other cadres' wives. Other people's wives were all quiet and well-behaved. Where had he ever seen such an arrogant person who didn't know the heights of the heavens or the depths of the earth like his own wife?

"If you think you perform well, then since the organization arranged for me to go to Jiangxi, you should support my work and stay home to farm honestly. You making this scene for me—is that performing well?" Ma Qingsheng shouted.

"You're acting like you're in the right! Tell me, who in the People's Party is like you, wandering all over and never staying home?" Zhao Chunhua wailed.

Ma Qingsheng shouted: "From Chairman Chen at the top down to the cadres and soldiers in the army, who doesn't travel all over? Chairman Chen's wife stayed in Fengtai County; you've even seen her go out to buy vegetables. Chairman Chen has been away for over a year and hasn't come back. If he wanted to bring his wife along, who would dare say anything? There are so many cadres in the army—who takes their family along when they go out? Who do you think I am? I, Ma Qingsheng, am nothing special!"

After giving his wife a thorough scolding, Ma Qingsheng left his sobbing wife at home and went to the local government to complete the paperwork, leaving his wife's work household registration in the village. Being a cadre had this one advantage: the comrades in the village all remembered Ma Qingsheng. The person in charge of household registration was also a demobilized military cadre and an old comrade-in-arms from the same unit as Ma Qingsheng. "Qingsheng, are you coming back to work?"

"I'm being transferred to Jiangxi and can't take my wife along," Ma Qingsheng explained.

"Are you going back to the army?" the old comrade asked in surprise.

"Not back to the army, still the silk reeling factory. A lot of cadres from Anhui are being transferred to other provinces for work recently. The organization arranged for me, so I'm going," Ma Qingsheng replied with a smile. "My wife loves to make trouble. She'll be farming at home; you'll have to look after her more."

"No need for such formal talk between us. By the way, the locality is organizing its own production teams for cooperative production. Which production team do you plan to have your wife join?" the old comrade asked.

"From what you're saying, there's a difference between these production teams?"

"Some production teams are doing well, but they're very hard to get into. The ones that are easy to enter aren't doing quite as well. You'll have to choose carefully."