I am not Ximen Qing.

Old Jin's helplessness and pain, the departure of Huang Yupei, seemed to have aged him considerably in an instant. She was someone else's wife, a lady! The moment Zhang Sirui's children finished burying Huang Yupei was precisely the moment Old Jin was in unbearable agony. He didn't know if it was regret or something else. Yes, people are the most fickle. Although Old Jin's education was shallow, and he hadn't read many books, he still loved reading comic books. Because Jin Suocai was enthusiastic about comic books, he bought him countless comic books. Jin Suocai was his last hope and glory. Jin Suocai's mischief was no less than Li Xian's boundless exuberance, but Old Jin actually liked Li Xian, this city boy who loved to steal liquor, because Li Xian could teach his uncle culture and knowledge. Jin Suocai was a notorious troublemaker at Linhai Middle School, skipping grades and playing pranks. Old Jin's face was tarnished. Couldn't the Jin family produce a college student? A college student visiting a grave will certainly bring more honor to the family than an unemployed youth. The bureau values ​​official lineage and family background, and it also matters whose child gets into university, junior college, vocational school, or even a technical school. Old Jin is satisfied with that. It's a pity, though, that Jin Suocai insisted on dropping out to work and earn money.

Jin Suocai is currently very rebellious, wanting to break free from Lao Jin's love and control, and to drink freely with Li Xian. Lao Jin is starting to miss Li Jingshan, and he's giving Lao Jin face, not looking down on him. It's been a while since Zhang Hongyu has seen Li Jingshan. Actually, since Huang Yupei's death, many things have changed. Li Jingshan has stomach cancer because he's overly obsessed with the pure, green taste of vegetables. He won't allow any vegetable to be cooked thoroughly, because according to his theory, overcooking means losing its original flavor and taste. Zhang Hongyu is helpless. She thinks Li Jingshan shouldn't have been born in China; he should have been born in France, Germany, Italy, or America, becoming a Western white person. Those white people, whether it's steak or other meat, are just as obsessed with pure taste and nutrition as Li Jingshan. A medium-rare steak with French red wine or Russian vodka is the best.

Poor Li Jingshan, his fondness for the pure, green flavor of undercooked food had ruined his stomach. The results came back: cancer had spread throughout his body. Zhang Hongyu, however, was determined to sell the house to save this genius who collected all sorts of appliances. Was this genius destined to follow in his father Zhang Sirui's footsteps and die young? They went to Shanghai instead of Beijing, and stayed in the best hospital there—yet it was their first honeymoon. Li Jingshan often sighed, regretting his usual harshness and chauvinism towards Zhang Hongyu. Of course, he also repented for his heartlessness towards his son, Li Xian, but this didn't mean he approved of his son's future; he always sensed a strange, tragic undertone about him.

Li Jingshan, an art enthusiast, often remarked that Honglin was "locked up" by a formidable woman. Honglin was an artist, but an artistic career isn't something every talented artist experiences; it's a rare and precious opportunity. Honglin was truly a Prometheus bound by fate. Li Jingshan was worried about his two beloved daughters, Li Ping and Li Feng, who were constantly weeping because they knew their father had cancer. Zhang Hongying, Zhang Honghua, Zhang Honglin, Zhang Hongqi, Zhang Hongli, and Zhang Hongmei were all heartbroken by their brother-in-law's illness, unable to believe that a perfectly healthy person could suddenly become ill. The more advanced human society becomes, the more bizarre and strange diseases seem to appear. People in the past lived more freely without these strange illnesses. That was in the era of Zhang Zhongjing, Sun Simiao, and Hua Tuo—the ancient Chinese medical system of observation, listening, questioning, and palpation. Western medicine's theories differ, but the biggest difference is that people in the past lived shorter lives. For example, Africans today typically live to thirty or forty, so there weren't many strange and intractable diseases.

The longer a person lives, the higher the probability of developing cancer. Li Jingshan was actually a purely arrogant man, with a touch of otherworldly narcissism in his bones, a narcissistic beauty who, after death, would become a daffodil. He was still somewhat unwilling to accept that his son, Li Xian, didn't follow in the footsteps of Fu Shi De, the scholar in Fu Shi De's study. Even his great-uncle, Huang Yumin, had more integrity than Li Xian. However, his stomach cancer did stir Li Xian's heart; at least he could be a bookworm, only concerned with studying itself, and oblivious to the outside world. In his third year of high school, his studies progressed rapidly, but at the same time, Li Jingshan was almost exhausting the last bit of energy his parents had given him. Just when we thought Li Jingshan's death was incredibly tragic, glorious, and noble, about a month later, Zhang Hongyu started dating the charming and refined Old Chen. There was no way around it; the family expenses were too high. The son needed to go to university, and the daughter needed to continue her studies. Li Ping chose to work instead of continuing her studies, because Li Feng was more suited to studying, proving that as long as there are women, there is a family.

Huang Yupei's lavish funeral, on the surface, reflected the children's love for their mother, but it also carried a deeper meaning: venting their pent-up anger towards Lao Jin. No matter how much Lao Jin dedicated himself, he could never win the true hearts of his children—a fact he understood perfectly well. Hongqi and Hongli had already chosen their own homes, and Hongmei, now living in the factory's single dormitory, had become a full-time employee at the plywood factory after graduating high school with excellent grades. Hongmei was a true beauty; her beauty was classical, gentle, reserved, and graceful—a timeless and enduring beauty.

The Forestry Bureau treated Lao Jin very well, allocating him a bungalow in the neighborhood. But Lao Jin's beloved wife was no longer there; she was buried with her husband in the distant mountains. Every day, Lao Jin felt inexplicably sad whenever he looked at the distant mountains. After the notice came, he and Jin Suocai moved to the bungalow very close to the school—Linhai School was just a few dozen meters away. That way, their disobedient son, Jin Suocai, could have more time to study peacefully. Just as Zhao Yonghui and Li Xian were diligently preparing for university entrance exams, Lao Jin's precious son complained that studying was too tiring and insisted on working at a plywood factory to earn money. He even became stubborn, saying he didn't feel comfortable spending Lao Jin's money. This almost drove Lao Jin half to death! "Son, don't you want to experience the joy of not studying? Then go experience it!" Although Lao Jin didn't have the heart of a Bodhisattva, he truly felt both heartache and helplessness towards his precious son, as if he were afraid he would melt away. Whatever Jin Suocai said, he did; how could he dare to contradict him? Jin Suocai now dares to act arrogantly in front of Lao Jin, who still has to give him wine and pork knuckles, fearing that Jin Suocai might run away from home and abandon him. Lao Jin, on the other hand, is angry with Zhang Honglin, Zhang Honghua, Zhang Hongying, Zhang Hongqi, and Zhang Hongli. None of these siblings are good; they use him and then discard him, never bringing their children to visit him during holidays. Is Lao Jin's stepfather not a father? He's angry, but after his son Jin Suocai worked at the plywood factory for only one day, he came back and lay at home for seven or eight days, saying to Lao Jin, "Dad, I'd rather go to school." Without a word, Lao Jin took gifts and went to Li Yuqing and Li Liwen's house to plead for Jin Suocai, saying he had to let his son enter the graduating class of this model couple. According to Jin Suocai's grades—zero in English, 80 in math, 40 in Chinese, 60 in politics, and passing physics and chemistry—"Uncle, Jin Suocai has no hope of going to university."

"How is it hopeless?"

"I can't go to high school because my English is too poor."

"Jin Suocai has no hope? I, Old Jin, don't want Suocai to go to a vocational school."

"Uncle, Jin Suocai is capable of taking the entrance exam for a vocational school. He can become a cadre after graduating from a vocational school in Changchun."

Old Jin was overjoyed and rushed home to buy his son wine and pork head meat. The two were moved to tears! From then on, Jin Suo called him "Dad, Dad, Dad" all the time. Old Jin, delighted, quickly arranged for his son to live in an apartment building—this was truly his son! Old Jin, being senior, was allocated one of the first batch of apartment buildings in the Forestry Bureau, and now he lived in an apartment building again. However, Jin Suo was far behind his two nephews, Li Xian and Zhao Yonghui, who were preparing for university entrance exams, while he, their uncle, was preparing for a vocational school entrance exam. But Jin Suo didn't care about college or university; he just wanted to get into a vocational school, become a cadre, and satisfy his vanity. A strange thing happened: Jin Suo was about to face challenges from his niece and nephew Bao Yu, which was too embarrassing. So, following Li Yuqing and Li Liwen's advice, he scrambled to get all the points in his political science exam, as well as math, physics, and chemistry. He barely managed to get points in Chinese and English—basically, he was a typical science-oriented guy. This was his last chance for redemption, though his memory was inherited from his deceased father, Yuanshan. Having two fathers was lucky, after all. The political science teacher adored this student; he proved that politics wasn't so abstract, and that philosophy could be learned well, since high school philosophy classes were limited to politics itself.

The Jin father and son, who had been living in the old tenement building, were finally in good health. Their home on Datai Mountain was now just a memory. After moving into the building, they suddenly had an epiphany. Why had they suffered so much living in that thatched hut in the valley for so many years? This building was so much better! The waste heat from the plywood factory provided heating; it was so warm you could wear just a vest. Even when it was hot and you were sweating, their son could finally study diligently in this warm and comfortable place. Just thinking about the pain of carrying heavy bags gave Jin Suo boundless motivation to study. The difference between having been through hell and not was truly immense. Hell was terrifying; the hell on earth was far more horrible than the hell described in the Ksitigarbha Sutra. Jin Suo secretly rejoiced that if it weren't for his father's choice, he might have ended up as a laborer. He had also visited the Dahe Forest Farm a few times and seen the movie theater built by the labor camp inmates. Why did people have to give up their good jobs as painters in the bureau to drive tractors in the freezing cold of the forest farm, like his older brother? Because of his good math skills, he even participated in the provincial math competition and won a second prize, which brought him honor and pride. However, he always gets zero in English, while he can now pass Chinese. His teachers sigh for him, saying that if his English wasn't a blank slate, he could have gone to high school.

However, Jin Suocai also noticed that Lao Jin's health was not as good as before. He needed to hurry up and pass the entrance exam for a vocational school so that Lao Jin could become a staff member or cadre in the bureau after graduation and live a comfortable life for a few days.

"Son, don't worry, Dad's fine. Just focus on your studies and don't worry about anything else."

Old Jin was afraid that his precious son would make another foolish mistake and give up halfway. In Old Jin's view, it was absurd to have such a son so late in life. Old Jin was not afraid of anything except Jin Suocai. "Dad, what are you saying? If your son gets into a vocational school and becomes a cadre in the bureau, you and I will live a life of luxury."

"Son, your words are better than bird's nest and shark fin soup."

"Dad, don't try anything funny with me."

"Son, your father truly loves you."

"What do you mean, real or fake, Dad? I'm your son."

"Okay, you are my son."

Living in a tenement building was no easy feat. There were only a few hundred spots available across the entire organization, and Old Jin was one of them – a blessing from heaven. Over the years, Old Jin had worried a great deal about his children. Apart from his own son, he'd argued and quarreled with all the others. It's a strange thing about their nature; their father, living far away in the mountains, was worshipped like a god by his children. Old Jin's beloved second wife, Huang Yupei, was now obediently buried in her ex-husband's grave. Is this what Chinese marriage is like? Old Jin and Huang Yupei had a marriage certificate, after all. It seems these heartless children breathed a sigh of relief at Huang Yupei's death, as if it were the best way to get back at Old Jin.

Recently, Lao Jin has been frequently arguing with Zhang Hongying and Zhao Mengji. He's been keeping a close watch on them, as he needs to think about Jin Suocai's future. Lao Jin has noticed that his children all covet the apartment building in the bureau, especially his second daughter. The second son has his own place after getting married, but the third son has nothing and lives with Li Xiao'e in the bureau's apartment. Li Xiao'e cries to her second sister every day, begging her to find a way to move into the apartment building too. Li Xiao'e just wants to live in an apartment building. The second sister, unable to bear Li Xiao'e's nagging any longer, casually said, "Lao Jin's health isn't good either; he won't live much longer. He can outlive you and get into the apartment building, right?" This was just the second sister comforting Li Xiao'e. The second sister had a very good plan: Jin Suocai's grades would easily get him into a vocational school, and Lao Jin's health seemed to be declining. Her younger brother was going to study in Changchun and would live at school most of the time, only staying home for less than two months a year. Wouldn't that solve the problem? Now, the second sister feels sorry for Li Xiao'e and her third brother, both of whom have health problems. She won't mind if her youngest brother lives alone in the bureau's bungalow, as she understands his personality. While Lao Jin was hospitalized, Li Jingshan also passed away there. Zhang Hongyu seemed reluctant for her younger siblings to participate in Li Jingshan's funeral, keeping it extremely low-key, with Li Xian's fifth uncle handling the arrangements. Zhang Hongying was busy taking care of Uncle Jin at the hospital, and at home, she was also looking after her irresponsible father-in-law, Zhao Mengji's father. Zhao Mengji's father was a big gambler, insisting on drinking a pot of grain liquor with every meal, which Zhang Honglin had gotten through connections at the forest farm's brewery—it was indeed delicious and didn't cause headaches. He also got rooster meat once a week, also from the forest farm, from Zhang Honglin. Otherwise, the second sister wouldn't be able to live like this, given her father-in-law's antics. However, the old man still gave face to his eldest grandson, Zhao Yonghui, and also to his youngest grandson, Baoyu. Zhang Hongying cried and wiped away tears for Zhao Mengji; this was her secret weapon in subduing him, at least allowing him to find a balance between Uncle Jin and her father-in-law. Because Zhao Mengji was no longer the same Zhao Mengji; since Director Ma took office, Zhao Mengji's luck had improved significantly. Director Ma, who had been heavily criticized during the Cultural Revolution, was now the head of the Forestry Bureau. He had a high opinion of Zhao Mengji, giving him a nominal, powerless position as deputy director of the plywood factory. In reality, he was waiting for an opportunity, looking for vacancies in the forest farms to gain experience before taking on a real job. The factory directors and secretaries in the forest farms were very motivated. Director Ma, a visionary leader, saw that the Linhai Forestry Bureau's industries were too backward. He imported advanced technology and equipment from Germany and Japan, aiming to completely transform and upgrade the outdated processes. He also organized overseas training trips for employees and invited foreign experts to conduct research at the factories.