Chapter 195

In the remote and isolated Honghe Township, the name "Thunder Army" has stirred up quite a whirlwind.

Old Cui, the person in charge of the brick factory, remembered that more than ten years ago, a young man surnamed Lei had visited the home of Old Zhang, with whom he used to work in the coal mine.

Taking advantage of a free day, Lao Cui went to the pig farm to find Lao Zhang.

The pig farm smelled terrible; you could smell the pungent odor from afar, even before you got close.

People who work here have to wear masks every day.

"Old Zhang! Old Zhang!" Old Cui called out as he walked.

Old Zhang was feeding the pigs in the pigpen, and several plump piglets were circling around him, sniffing at the black high-top rain boots at his feet.

Hearing Old Cui's voice, Old Zhang put down his broom, came out of the pigsty, and called out, "Who is it?"

Old Cui, with a black leather wallet tucked under his arm, walked over. Seeing that he had just come out of the pigsty and smelled terrible, he couldn't help but cover his nose and said, "I need to ask you something. Why don't you go wash your hands first? I'll wait for you over there."

Old Zhang scoffed, "Dislike it? If you dislike it, then don't come."

"Alright, alright, hurry up and get ready. I really have something to ask you," Old Cui said.

A short while later, Old Zhang took off his apron and arm sleeves, came out of the pigsty, walked to an open space next to the pig farm, and said irritably, "What's up?"

Old Cui didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Ten years ago, did your family take in a boy from a distant relative's family in the countryside, who stayed at your house to study?"

Old Zhang said dismissively, "That's true, so what?"

Old Cui asked again, "What's that boy's name?"

"Why are you asking this?" Old Zhang immediately became alert.

Old Cui's eyes lit up: "Just answer me, is his name Lei Tingjun? Is he from Xiahe Village?"

Old Zhang frowned: "Why are you suddenly asking about him? What did he do wrong?"

In Old Zhang's memory, Lei Tingjun was not an obedient and sensible child. Even at a young age, he had a fierce look in his eyes, like a wolf.

I had heard about his family before, but since his grandmother died, the Zhang family and the Lei family have stopped having contact.

Over the years, there has been no news of Lei Tingjun returning.

I heard he's gone off to mingle in the underworld somewhere, and I doubt anyone would even know if he died out there.

Old Cui waved his hand and said excitedly, "If it really is the same person, Old Zhang, you really did me a great favor back then."

“Not long ago, someone came to our brick factory and said he wanted to buy it. As you know, our brick factory is not doing well right now. We are selling bricks at a loss. We are almost unable to continue operating. The wages of several old workers in the second half of the year are still owed to us.”

"The township cooperative had wanted to shut it down for a long time, but then someone came to buy the brick factory. Our township director asked me to find out more about this person and see if he was a swindler!"

"The person who wants to acquire the brick factory is named Lei Tingjun, from Xiahe Village, Honghe Township."

Upon hearing this, Old Zhang from the pig farm laughed dismissively: "Him? That Lei Tingjun? If he has the ability to acquire the Red Brick Factory, I, Zhang Zhendong, will write my name backwards for him!"

This middle-aged man named Zhang Zhendong is of the same generation as Lei Tingjun's father.

The distant kinship between their two families is as follows:

Lei Tingjun's grandfather had a younger sister who married into the Zhang family.

Zhang Zhendong is the son of Lei Tingjun's grandfather's sister. Zhang Zhendong's mother is the one Lei Tingjun calls his great-aunt.

Lei Tingjun's grandmother was actually Zhang Zhendong's aunt.

However, by the time it came to Lei Tingjun's generation, the relationship had changed by a generation, and it wasn't as close anymore.

Moreover, those years were not peaceful. Lei Tingjun's grandfather died very early, and his grandmother raised his two sons.

Back then, the Zhang family was considered wealthy farmers in the rural market, better off than Lei Tingjun's grandmother's family, who were poor farmers struggling to raise two children on their own. After Grandma Lei died, Zhang Zhendong and his generation didn't associate with Lei Tingjun's family much anymore.

The relationship, in reality, isn't that far apart.

It is said that relationships become distant after three generations, and this is particularly evident in the Lei and Zhang families.

Moreover, Lei Tingjun's grandmother has been dead for many years now, so the relationship between the two families has become even more distant.

Lei Tingjun also has an uncle, and their family would visit the Zhang family during holidays.

When Lao Cui heard Lao Zhang's words, he said, "Don't you believe me? I went to Xiahe Village to inquire the day before yesterday. The day he came to our brick factory, Lei Tingjun did drive back to check on the old house."

Old Cui, stroking his chin, said, "I think his demeanor is quite different from when he was a child."

Old Zhang frowned: "Is it really Lei Tingjun? What's he doing now?"

“He has a transport team in Pingdong City, and they’ve been coming to our brick factory to pick up bricks these past few days, but he hasn’t come,” Old Cui said.

Old Zhang felt extremely resentful: "With his meager abilities, how did he even manage to start a transport team?"

Old Cui chuckled and turned around with his hands behind his back: "Alright, I've made my questions clear. If you don't believe me, just find out for yourself sometime and you'll know soon enough."

After Lao Cui had walked away, Lao Zhang returned to the pig farm with a sullen face.

When he got home from work that evening, he told his wife about it during dinner.

Mrs. Zhang immediately exclaimed, "Pshaw, what a joke! It's that Lei boy who used to steal our steamed buns all the time? What kind of future could he have, buying up a brick factory! I think Old Cui has been fooled!"

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