The Space-Time Boss: 1970s Revolution

Chapter 4: The Fu Family

Fu Xiao read through her grandfather's letter, which outlined the situation in her ancestral home.

The Fu family's ancestral home was a village in Anyang County, Henan Province. Fu Xiao's great-uncle, who was two years older than her grandfather and now sixty, lived there. They had maintained a good relationship, and a few years ago, when the village faced a food shortage, her grandfather had sent grain to save their lives.

The Fu family was a prominent surname in the village; almost everyone there had the surname Fu. Although the village had grown and now had a variety of surnames, the Fu family still formed the majority.

Great-uncle Fu Qinli had three sons. The eldest, Fu Weibao, was the village's leader, married, and had three sons. The second son, Fu Weihao, was a soldier, married, and had two sons. The youngest, Fu Weilun, was the county secretary and remained unmarried.

Fu Xiao remembered meeting her uncle Fu Weilun when she was very young, but her memories were unclear due to the passage of time and her young age. She decided to contact him, as dealing with the relocation of the grave was not something she could handle alone.

Fu Weilun, as a county secretary, could be a valuable connection if he was a good uncle.

She found her grandfather's letter, which included the office phone number for her third uncle. Jotting it down, she prepared to leave and find a public phone.

After making a call to the office, she was told that Fu Weilun was in a meeting and to call back in half an hour. Fu Xiao noted the time, paid for the call, and went to a nearby state-run restaurant. She ordered a bowl of vegetable noodles and a plate of braised tofu, finishing her meal in about half an hour.

When she called back, a steady male voice answered.

"Hello, who's speaking?"

"Hello, I called earlier. Is Secretary Fu available?"

"This is Fu Weilun. Who is this?"

Hearing his voice, Fu Xiao felt a sudden wave of emotion and her nose began to sting. She fought back tears and said with a trembling voice, "Uncle Weilun, this is Fu Xiao. Something happened to Grandfather and Grandmother."

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a deep and slightly hoarse voice. "Xiao Xiao, don't be afraid. Lock your doors at home. I'll come over tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

Fu Weilun's tone was gentle and reassuring. After the call ended, Fu Xiao felt a sense of relief, realizing that her situation might not be as dire as she had feared.

In the Anyang County Committee Office

After hanging up, Fu Weilun's hands trembled slightly. The news had clearly affected him deeply. His usual calm demeanor was replaced by solemnity, his lips pressed tightly together as he recalled the last time he saw his younger uncle. It was during the incident with Jing Shu, when his uncle, deeply devoted to medicine, had shed tears.

He remembered comforting his uncle, saying, "Xiao Lun, I'm not a good father," as the man had aged overnight, his hair turning gray.

Later...

When Fu Weilun was a child, he had fallen into an ice river during winter and developed pneumonia. His uncle had taken him to Shanghai and cared for him for a year until he recovered. Fu Weilun had admired his uncle for his medical skills and refined demeanor.

Now, it seemed that his uncle was gone as well.

Lost in thought, Fu Weilun picked up the phone and dialed another number.

When the call connected, he said, "County Committee Office, I need to speak with the village leader."

After a brief wait, a familiar voice answered, "Hello? Third Brother, what's up?"

Fu Weilun's tone was grave. "Brother, we need to talk. Get away from everyone for a moment."

Fu Weibao, puzzled but compliant, dismissed the office staff and closed the door. "What's going on, Third Brother?"

"Brother, something happened to Uncle and Aunt," Fu Weilun said, repeating Fu Xiao's message.

"Xiao Xiao just called me. I'll be going to Shanghai tomorrow."

Fu Weibao, startled by the bad news, abruptly stood up, dropping the receiver on the desk.

He composed himself, picked up the receiver, and, upon hearing that Fu Weilun was going to Shanghai, offered, "I'll go with you."

"If you come along, it will be hard to keep it from Father," Fu Weilun said, removing his glasses and folding them carefully on the desk. He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes in pain. "Father's health isn't great. It's better to keep this from him for now."

"Can we really keep it from him? He'll be furious with us afterwards," Fu Weibao said urgently, pacing with the receiver. His voice cracked with emotion. "Besides, Dad has always been closest to Uncle. How can we not tell him?"

Fu Weilun considered this, tapping his fingers on the desk thoughtfully. After a moment, he nodded. "You're right. We can't let Father have regrets."

In Dazhan Village, Anyang County

It was still working hours, and everyone was out in the fields.

After hanging up, Fu Weibao paced anxiously in his office. Although his father had been in good health in recent years, he was getting old, and Fu Weibao worried about how he would handle such a shock.

He knew his father had always been concerned about his younger brother in Shanghai, but hiding this from him wasn't practical. Eventually, he would find out.

As Fu Weibao approached his home, he imagined his father was likely outside smoking. He hesitated at the door, anxious, and paced back and forth.

He didn't notice the door opening, and his six-year-old son peeked out. "Dad, what are you doing?"

"None of your business," Fu Weibao snapped.

He took his son inside, where he saw his father napping in a recliner. "Dad, are you asleep?"

He waved his hand in front of his father's face but got no response. Relieved that he could delay the news, he planned to organize his thoughts before breaking the news.

Just as he turned away, his father's voice spoke up.

"What are you pacing around for? Did Third Brother call you about something?"

Fu Weibao turned back to see his father awake and looking at him. "Dad, how did you know I was at the door?"

His father looked at him with a hint of exasperation. "If I couldn't hear your footsteps, I'd have been long gone from the battlefield."

He pointed to his ears. "I was a scout back in the day. This hearing saved an entire team."

"Back then......"

Seeing his father about to reminisce, Fu Weibao crouched down and took his father's hand. "Dad, Third Brother just called with some news."

Seeing the serious expression on his eldest son's face, Fu's father straightened up. "Something happened to Third Brother?"

"No, it's not Third Brother. It's... it's Uncle..."

Seeing his elder son struggling with his words, Fu's father smacked him on the head. "Speak up! What happened to Uncle?"