Chapter Fifty-Five: Backing

Ler busied himself for a while longer, scrubbing the village committee office until it gleamed.
“Director Tao, is there anything else that needs doing?”
“No, nothing more,” Tao Wen replied, seething with anger. “You can go home now. Just come back every day to clean.”
“So this is the job of an assistant?” Ler grinned. “Great, that’s wonderful. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s spotless every day.”
With that, Ler turned and left the office, not looking back. Inside, he was sneering. Tao Wen thought he could make trouble for him, but in the end, who would have the last laugh? Ler thought of Secretary Huang and was certain that man wouldn’t play such tricks; there was no way he would’ve assigned him to sweep floors.
With Secretary Huang behind him, what did he have to fear? Treated unfairly, sweaty after half a day’s toil, he nonetheless sang a mountain song cheerfully. His happiness seemed to be contagious, for Tao Wen also started humming a tune.
“You seem quite pleased, Director Tao,” said Tian Sihua as she entered, her tone cool and indifferent.
“Of course I’m happy,” Tao Wen made no effort to hide his pleasure. “If Sha Ler wants to establish himself here, I’ll work him to death.”
“Don’t you think you’re going a bit too far?” Tian Sihua looked at the pristine office and spoke coldly. “The cleaning here is done by your wife. She gets two hundred yuan a month for it.”
“Nonsense.” Tao Wen shot her a dark look. “Why are you siding with outsiders? That Sha boy—does he really belong in the committee? A mere assistant is nothing but a lump of dog dirt, useless in every way. If he’s not cleaning, what else is he good for?”
Tian Sihua didn’t want to argue. She shook her head, ready to leave. There was nothing to do in the committee anyway, and sitting around with Tao Wen only made her more frustrated. Better to go home, watch the dog, and mind the child. She was just about to leave when Secretary Tao came in, followed by two villagers carrying a desk inside.
“Sihua, where are you off to?”
“Uncle, there’s nothing to do here. I’m heading home.”
“What about Sha Ler? Isn’t he here yet?” Secretary Tao looked around, not seeing Ler anywhere.
“He was here earlier, cleaned up, and Director Tao sent him home. Told him to come back tomorrow to clean again.”
Secretary Tao glared at Tao Wen, his eyes blazing.
“Uncle—”
“Tao Wen, what are you up to?” Secretary Tao’s voice was low, but his eyes were cold and hard, like embers. “Are you tired of being committee director?”
Though Tao Wen held the title of director, in front of Secretary Tao, he was a junior, and nothing more. If Secretary Tao told him to get lost, he wouldn’t dare utter a word of protest.
“Uncle… A Sha in the committee—how could I not give him a hard time? You don’t know what he did to Gao Long in Guangzhou… I—”
“I think you’re nothing but a big pile of cow dung—looks impressive, but even dog shit is better.” Secretary Tao was truly furious now. “Do you even know what kind of person Gao Long is? He’s good for nothing—eats like a man but shits like a dog. It’s a wonder he hasn’t been dealt with already. Why would Sha Ler target him? If you want to mess with Sha Ler for your cousin’s sake, you should at least consider the situation. He’s got Secretary Huang backing him. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“He’s not even related to Secretary Huang…”
“You’re going to be the death of me! What’s in that head of yours—bean curd, not even dog shit? Does the village have an assistant position? Why did Secretary Huang insist on making him an assistant? And why did he come here to our village in person? Is it because our wine is so good? Why did your third uncle rush back from the county? Do you think he came just to see my old bones?”
Secretary Tao fired off question after question, leaving Tao Wen’s head spinning. Just then, the phone rang beside Tao Wen. He picked it up, his face instantly changing.
He covered the receiver.
“Uncle, it’s Secretary Chen. Secretary Huang wants Sha Ler on the phone.”
Secretary Tao’s expression darkened. Tian Sihua’s face filled with a gloating satisfaction—retribution came swiftly. Secretary Tao took the phone, his face breaking into a smile as he exchanged a few words with Secretary Chen and offered an excuse. When he hung up, he fixed Tao Wen with another icy glare.
“Good for nothing—always making a mess. Let’s see how you clean this one up.” Secretary Tao slumped into his chair. Seeing Tao Wen still sitting there, he raised his voice, “What are you waiting for? Are you dead? Go fetch Sha Ler back!”
“I…” Tao Wen could only stand. Spotting Tian Sihua, he forced a smile. “Sister-in-law Sihua, could you go call Sha Ler for me? I…”
“My boy Long isn’t being watched—I have to get home,” Tian Sihua replied coldly, then smiled at Secretary Tao. “Uncle, I’m off—call me if you need anything.”
With that, she sashayed out of the office, not sparing Tao Wen a glance. Tao Wen watched her leave, seething, cursing under his breath as he resigned himself to fetching Sha Ler himself.
By this time, Sha Ler was already home. The yellow dog greeted him, tail wagging.
Old Carpenter Luo was preparing a big wooden tub for his bath.
“Back so early, Ler?”
“Nothing left to do, so I came home,” Ler laughed, handing the carpenter a cigarette.
He headed upstairs to check on the bamboo workers. On the unfinished floor above, the craftsmen were hard at work. In their hands, ordinary bamboo quickly became elegant wares: bamboo sand trays, dining tables, high-backed chairs, tea tables…
Luo Yinxing came out of the kitchen when she saw him, carrying a tea jar.
She set the tea jar on the table in the courtyard and brought out the dishes as well. Ler watched the workers for a while, then came down to the courtyard and sat to drink tea. Luo Yinxing looked at him, her gaze soft and full of tenderness.
“What did they have you doing in the village?”
“Nothing at all,” Ler said with a smile, his eyes darting to her full bosom and her sun-browned arms. “Such a tiny village—what could there be to do?”
Luo Yinxing blushed under his gaze. It had been days since they’d been together. She snuck a glance at his body, desire flickering in her heart, and quickly lowered her head.
“The village is small—do you think you’ll be mayor or county chief one day?”
“As if. I’m not even head of my own household yet. Once I find a wife, I’ll just be a happy family man, and that’ll do.”
“No ambition.”
“Says you…”
Just then, the yellow dog barked. Tao Wen had arrived, pushing open the gate and walking in.

“Well, Director Tao, what wind blows you here?” Ler set down his tea, pulled out a cigarette. “Sit, you’re an honored guest.”
“No time to sit, I’m busy,” Tao Wen said awkwardly. “You’d better hurry back to the office—Secretary Chen called, said Secretary Huang wants to speak with you.”
“What could he want with me? I’m just the assistant—only good for sweeping up. What business could he have with me?” This time, Ler didn’t bother to be polite to Tao Wen. “You’re the director, that’s your job. Take the call yourself.”
He knew perfectly well Tao Wen had been trying to make things hard for him at the office. He’d turned the tables with a little trick, and seeing Tao Wen’s white shirt soiled was amusing enough. Now that Secretary Huang had called for him, he intended to make Tao Wen squirm.
“Brother Ler, just take the call, will you? Otherwise… otherwise Secretary Huang will say I’m not doing my job. Please, I’m begging you.”
Tao Wen had no choice but to humble himself. Ler found it all rather funny, though he didn’t want to fight to the bitter end—after all, in a small village, they would see each other every day.
“Director Tao, you can go back. I have a phone here. I’ll call Secretary Huang myself in a moment.”
Ler pulled out his mobile. He had hardly used it since coming back to the countryside; at this time, mobile phones were rare in rural areas, and his Motorola was a prized possession. Tao Wen had never even seen one before, and now eyed it with undisguised jealousy.
“Then I’ll be off.”
“Hey, Director Tao, stay for lunch—we’re cooking,” Ler offered.
“No, I still have things to do.”
Ler didn’t see him out, and once he’d left the courtyard, Ler dialed Secretary Huang. As soon as the call connected, Secretary Huang burst out laughing before asking about his work.
“Work? There’s no real work,” Ler replied, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. “Tao Wen put me in charge of cleaning. The cleaning contract is actually his wife’s, and she gets two hundred yuan a month for it. Now she gets the money without lifting a finger.”
“Damn him! Tao Wen thinks he can pull tricks on me? He must have a death wish,” Secretary Huang exploded, swearing freely. “Don’t pay him any mind—let his wife clean her own damn mess. Just wait till I deal with him.”
“Secretary Huang, there’s no need to make too much of it. If you come down on him, he’ll only resent me more.”
“Who cares what he thinks? Does he matter? With me backing you, go head-to-head if you need to—let’s see him try anything.”
In public, Secretary Huang appeared stern and dignified, but in private, he was even more of a roughneck than the local hooligans, his language coarse and unrestrained. This only proved how much he considered Ler one of his own, and Ler understood the implication, laughing along.
“I just think, since we’re all neighbors, there’s no need to make things too ugly. If he needs to be taught a lesson, there’s no hurry. I’m not afraid of him—he’s not even worth worrying about.”
Secretary Huang laughed heartily.
“Smart—your head works better than his. He can’t outfox you, so take your time. It’s more fun that way.”
Ler broke out in a cold sweat. Secretary Huang was a master at playing people—he enjoyed the process as much as the result. Thank goodness he was on his side; otherwise, he’d be terrifying.
Just then, someone came running to tell Luo Yinxing that her mother had arrived at the house and was quarreling with her parents-in-law.