Chapter 34: Slogans

Liang Guizhen was already beaming with joy inside, but she still remarked, "Why did you bring so much stuff again? It took us two days just to finish the vegetables you brought last time."

*Took two days to finish...*

*What does that mean? Is she implying I didn't bring enough?*

Chen Ling felt quite speechless.

Little did he know, Wang Jusheng, standing behind him, felt even more speechless upon hearing this. He felt a bit uncomfortable, too, because he knew that the vegetables Chen Ling had brought last time had all been sent by his mother to his younger brother’s house.

"Oh, it’s nothing valuable anyway. If you and Uncle Five enjoy them, I’ll bring more next time," Chen Ling said with a smile.

If Wang Jusheng hadn't been standing right there, he wouldn't have bothered with such insincere words.

"Oh, you child. You’re always running off to the county seat; your standards are higher than ours in the village. You call these greenhouse vegetables worthless—what exactly counts as valuable then? Must we feast on fish and meat every single day? Even the county magistrate doesn't live like that," Liang Guizhen said, taking the vegetables from Chen Ling with a delighted grin.

Chen Ling and Wang Jusheng didn't react much to this, but the villagers standing nearby exploded in a buzz of conversation.

*Good heavens, so that’s why there are fresh vegetables early in the spring—they’re greenhouse-grown.*

Everyone knew about greenhouses. They had been heavily supported by government policy for the past two years, with the village loudspeakers broadcasting about them daily; they were considered high-end goods.

*This lazy bum is more reckless with his family’s wealth than anyone. Eating greenhouse vegetables every day and even giving them away as gifts. Just how much of a fortune did his old man leave him to squander?*

"Aunt Guizhen is right. By the way, there are a lot of people in the courtyard; where should I tie the donkey?" Chen Ling asked, glancing at the small yard.

"Leave it to me, Fugui. If it’s a problem, I’ll just take the donkey to my place," Wang Jusheng said, leaning his bicycle against the wall.

"Oh, right, Eldest, I almost forgot about you!" Liang Guizhen suddenly said. "Don't worry about the donkey for now. Director Qin from the township family planning office is looking for you; she’s been waiting at the house for a while. You’d better go inside and see her."

"Director Qin from the family planning office? What could she want with me?" Wang Jusheng felt quite puzzled as he headed toward his house.

As it happened, Qin Qiumei and Wang Xiuhua, the women’s director of Chenwang Village, were just walking out, and they met head-on.

"I recognized your voice—you’re back, college student! Director Qin and I have been waiting for ages. If you hadn't come back, we were about to head to the fields to find you!" Wang Xiuhua said with a smile as soon as they met.

"Is it urgent, Director Qin? What did you need me for?" Wang Jusheng asked.

"It’s not exactly urgent, but the township leaders have spoken. They said this year’s family planning slogans are subpar and are just the same old tropes. The public sees them, but they don't have any promotional impact, so they asked us to come up with something new..." Qin Qiumei began. "Comrade Jusheng, you are highly educated, so we wanted to ask for your help in brainstorming some ideas."

The young woman looked striking today. She wore a black women’s suit, slacks, a white shirt underneath, and black high heels—a typical civil servant’s attire. This slightly androgynous look set off her naturally cold, elegant, and beautiful face, making her look exceptionally bright and moving.

In particular, her jet-black hair was tied back into a lively ponytail, highlighting her graceful, snow-white neck and two round earlobes. This outfit gave her a sense of nobility that was rare for people in the countryside.

The men in the village were instantly stunned.

*Damn it, this family planning woman is gorgeous. I heard she’s Dongmei’s own sister—how can they look so different? If Dongmei looked like that, Wang Chunyuan wouldn't be living in the township and refusing to come home.*

Wang Jusheng was also momentarily dazzled by the director, but he gave a self-deprecating smile. "I’m just a junior college graduate. It’s been nearly ten years since I graduated; I’ve forgotten most of what I learned. I don’t think I can be of much help to Director Qin."

"Comrade Jusheng is too modest. I heard from the village head that your grades in Chinese were top-notch back then, and you were a member of the literature club in college. If you can’t help, who can?" Qin Qiumei said with a faint, appreciative smile. "You probably don't know, but the township leaders were the ones who recommended we come to you. They said that in the entire Changle Township, you, Comrade Jusheng, are the most cultured. We were told we couldn't go wrong if we found you."

"Oh, the leaders are too kind. I really don't have that much ink in my belly; it’s nothing worth showing off," Wang Jusheng waved his hands, though he couldn't help but let a brilliant smile spread across his face.

*Good stuff, the township leaders are actually praising me. It looks like I have to show them what I’ve got today.*

"Don't be modest, Jusheng. I think if you can't do it, no one can. Hurry up and help us think of a few slogans," Wang Xiuhua urged with a smile, patting Wang Jusheng on the arm.

"Alright, fine. I’ll come up with a few, though I don’t know if they’ll meet your requirements..." Wang Jusheng chuckled. He felt quite proud, but as he finished speaking, he realized someone was missing behind him. He turned around to see Chen Ling already outside the gate, clearly preparing to head home.

"Fugui, you aren't allowed to leave! We agreed you’d cook a meal at my place tonight so your sister-in-law could taste your skills. Why are you trying to sneak off without a word?" Wang Jusheng called out. "It’s no big deal if you leave, but I’m going to be in trouble! Your sister-in-law still remembers the day I got drunk. If you don't show off your skills, she’ll definitely think I was lying to her and start a scene!"

Chen Ling stopped helplessly and turned around. "Why don't you help them with the slogans first? If I’m going to your place tonight, I at least need to go home and tell my wife."

"No, you can’t leave!" Wang Jusheng walked over, grabbed Chen Ling, and pressed him onto a small stool in the courtyard. "I’ve been mooching meals at your place for days; today you have to eat at mine. Just sit here and wait a while; we can go call Susu later."

The onlookers were astonished by this scene, wondering when the two had become so close. Wang Jusheng had never even been this warm with his own brother, Juxiang.

Qin Qiumei stood to the side, her eyes filled with surprise. She lived at her sister’s house and rarely went out, but she knew Chen Ling’s family lived nearby and that her sister was always complaining about them. She knew there were outsiders staying at Chen Ling’s place, but she hadn't expected it to be Wang Jusheng. She couldn't fathom how these two had become friends.

"Director Qin, I’m going inside to get some paper and a pen. Please wait a moment," Wang Jusheng said. While he was distracted, he fetched the supplies and began to write.

Wang Jusheng did indeed have some literary talent, and before long, he had written a dozen family planning slogans. Qin Qiumei took them and read:

1. Controlling population size benefits the country and the people; improving population quality strengthens the nation and enriches the family.
2. Value family planning to seek development; focus on people’s livelihoods to seek harmony.
3. Family planning improves population quality and is a basic national policy concerning the happiness of thousands of households.
4. For the happiness of future generations, persist in family planning without wavering.

...

After reading the slogans, Qin Qiumei couldn't help but knit her brows slightly.

"Comrade Jusheng, could you revise these? These slogans are new and well-written, but they feel a bit awkward when read aloud..."

"Ah? Awkward?" Wang Jusheng scratched his head, puzzled. "I didn't feel anything awkward when I read them!"

"You don't feel it because you’re highly educated. How can us simple folks compare to a college student like you?" Wang Xiuhua said with a smile.

"Then I’ll think of a few more..." Wang Jusheng gnawed on his pen and wrote a few more. But Qin Qiumei still found them less than ideal. To spare Wang Jusheng’s feelings, she was very tactful.

"The slogans Comrade Jusheng wrote are absolutely top-tier if you put them in a big city like the provincial capital. But in our countryside, they aren't quite right. The educational level of the masses isn't high enough to understand these; they won't have any promotional effect."

This put Wang Jusheng, who had wanted to show off, in a difficult position. He thought and thought, but couldn't come up with any good ideas.

Seeing that it was getting dark and the guests at Wang Laishun’s were leaving one by one, only Chen Ling remained, sitting on a small stool under a tree, boredly teasing the tabby cat.

Wang Jusheng was frustrated and, seeing Chen Ling leisurely playing with the cat, shouted indignantly, "Fugui, hurry up and help me think of something! My head is about to burst, and you’re just sitting there playing with a cat—that’s not very loyal of you."

"Forget it. I’m not as educated as you; I can’t handle these high-level, policy-heavy things," Chen Ling stood up, stretched, and said.

Wang Xiuhua stepped in to mediate. "Maybe Jusheng can think about it another day. You and Fugui should go home and eat. It’s not urgent, and it’s getting late. I need to take Director Qin back..."

"Wait!" Qin Qiumei suddenly reached out, interrupting Wang Xiuhua. "High-level... I was just trying to say that, but I couldn't describe it. Chen Fugui hit the nail on the head. The slogans Comrade Jusheng wrote are good, but they are too elevated. The common people won't listen to that; it won't achieve the desired propaganda effect. We need something simple that the common people can understand."

Wang Jusheng was stunned and smiled bitterly. "This has stumped me. I really only excel at writing policy-based slogans."

"What do you mean? You don't want them to be too 'high-level'?" Chen Ling asked from the side. "So you want slogans that are easy to understand and grounded in reality?"

"Yes, exactly!" Qin Qiumei’s eyes lit up. "Simple and easy to understand—and that word you used, 'grounded in reality,' that’s the perfect way to describe it!"

Qin Qiumei was surprised. She hadn't expected that this "lazy bum" with the worst reputation in Chenwang Village would hit the mark every single time. She looked at him with new eyes and asked, "Since you understand the requirements, can you help us think of a couple?"

"That’s right, Fugui. Since you understand, help Director Qin and the others out. My brain is a total mess right now; I can’t think of anything!" Wang Jusheng added.

"Alright, I’ll say a few, and you can see if they work," Chen Ling nodded, recalling some memorable family planning slogans from his previous life—he had seen these everywhere when he was a child.

"How about something like, 'Fewer births, better births, a happy life for a lifetime'?"

"Fewer births, better births, a happy life for a lifetime..." Qin Qiumei whispered to herself, her round eyes widening. "Yes! That’s perfect! It meets the requirements exactly. Comrade Fugui, can you think of a few more?"

*Good heavens, I’m "Comrade Fugui" now?* Chen Ling chuckled and continued, "People in mountainous areas want wealth, so have fewer children and plant more trees... If you don't tie the tubes when you’re supposed to, your house will be torn down; if you don't terminate the pregnancy when you’re supposed to, we’ll tear down your house and seize your cattle..."

"When crops are too dense, the stalks are thin; when there are too many children, it’s hard to raise them well."

"Newlywed couples entering the bridal chamber, don't forget family planning."

"..."

Chen Ling reeled off a dozen in a row before stopping. "How about these? Can they be used? If not, I can think of a few more."

The others were stunned. Qin Qiumei, in particular, was both shocked and delighted, nodding excitedly until a flush appeared on her pale face. "They can be used—all of them! Not only can they be used, but they are unexpectedly good. They couldn't be better!"

What Chen Ling had said was not only novel but catchy and easy to recite. Compared to Wang Jusheng’s slogans, they were much better suited for the countryside. They could even be promoted county-wide—this would be a massive help to her work.

"Comrade Fugui, thank you so much. You’ve been a huge help to us." Qin Qiumei was completely won over. She even took the initiative to reach out with her slender, fair hand to shake his.

"It’s nothing. Family planning is a basic national policy, so it’s only right that we do our part," Chen Ling said with a polite smile. He felt that the young woman’s hand was ice-cold, as if it had no temperature at all, so he quickly let go.

Wang Xiuhua, the women’s director, watched from the side, quite shocked. *I never realized this lazy bum had such talent. Jusheng couldn't think of any slogans, but he could—this is incredible.*

"Good for you, Fugui! You had all these ideas, but you didn't help me earlier; you were just watching me make a fool of myself," Wang Jusheng stood up, playfully punched Chen Ling, and laughed.

Chen Ling glanced at him. "Who was watching you make a fool of yourself? I saw the new village slogans were all about 'implementing policies' and 'concepts of childbearing,' so I thought you had to write those high-level things. How was I supposed to do that? It’s getting late. Didn't you say you wanted to cook at your place? Are we still going?"

"We are! Let me get my bike, and we’ll go to your place to pick up Susu," Wang Jusheng said. "Director Qin, Sister-in-law Xiuhua, you two should come too. Fugui’s cooking is excellent; one meal will make you never forget it."

"No, no. It’s dark, and I need to go home and cook for my husband," Wang Xiuhua waved her hand.

Qin Qiumei also declined, though as she did so, she couldn't help but recall the fragrant smells she had caught whiffs of every day while staying at her sister’s house. She felt a bit hungry, but she left with Wang Xiuhua.

"Alright, they’re gone. You ride my bike to pick up Susu, and I’ll go home and get everything ready for you," Wang Jusheng said, pushing his bicycle toward Chen Ling.

"No need to call Susu; let’s just go to your place. You’ve got two little ones at home, one of whom is still breastfeeding. It’s fine to go during the day, but it’s inconvenient for guests to show up at night," Chen Ling shook his head.

"That makes sense. Next time you’re free, I’ll invite you during the day," Wang Jusheng said with a smile. He took the peanuts his mother, Liang Guizhen, had left behind the door, put them on the back of the bike, and walked out with Chen Ling.

Seeing Chen Ling looking at him with a strange expression, Wang Jusheng laughed self-deprecatingly. "My mom and dad don't like peanuts. In our big family, we’re the only ones who eat them. Don't mind that."

Chen Ling smiled, realizing that Liang Guizhen had thought the peanuts weren't "valuable" enough.

*But I really should buy a donkey or an ox,* Chen Ling thought to himself. *Otherwise, I have to keep borrowing from Uncle Five, and I end up having to give gifts to Jusheng’s mother, which makes me feel disgusted.*

The two arrived at Wang Jusheng’s house. As soon as they opened the door and stepped inside, a loud "BANG!" erupted from within, startling them both. They rushed inside to see what had happened.