Chronicles of the Pig Gelder: Chapter Three, Reminiscences Part 02

The current Party Secretary, Liu, is an outsider. He was chosen for the position solely because of the existence of the Liu Ancestral Hall in the village. As for Liu Mazi, he shares no blood relation with Secretary Liu, yet he was appointed captain of the militia simply because he also carries the surname Liu. The only exception to this local arrangement is the young Director of the Women’s Federation, an intellectual dispatched by the township government.

Secretary Liu understands well that in their long-declining village, the presence of a Women’s Federation Director is intended as a check on the work of the Party Secretary and the militia captain.

Consequently, in his efforts to lead the relocated villagers in developing Xiangtang Village, Secretary Liu places great importance on cultural knowledge, especially regarding economic matters. He has invested immense effort into the education of the next generation, even naming his own son Liu Xiucai—a gesture that signals his devotion to academic learning while simultaneously serving as a retort to the surveillance of Director Hao.

Unfortunately, Liu Mazi is a bit naive. His confidence stems entirely from the fact that he is an orphan with the surname Liu; without parents, no one can trace his roots, and without roots, no one can challenge his claim to the name. Since the orphanages of that bygone era have long since vanished, there is no way to verify his origins. Liu Mazi was brought to this village by a county official to "seek his roots and pay respects to ancestors," so no one dares to question him—not even Director Hao.

Thus, the first leadership team of the resurrected, albeit destitute, Xiangtang Village was formed: Village Chief and Party Secretary Old Liu, Militia Captain Liu Mazi, and Women’s Director Hao Ren.

To revitalize the village economy, Director Hao, the only intellectual among them, firmly ruled out crop farming. Secretary Liu immediately had a flash of inspiration: pig farming. Since the land and forests of Xiangtang Village had long since changed beyond recognition, Director Hao agreed with the idea. The militia captain, understanding nothing of the matter, simply followed suit; since Director Hao agreed, he had to take the right side.

In their first meeting, the new leadership team decided to develop the livestock industry. Director Hao reported this to the township, which in turn reported it to the town. The town leaders had long forgotten the village, asking, "Haven't the people of Xiangtang Village all relocated? Does that village even exist anymore?" The township leaders immediately grasped the subtext and relayed a response to Director Hao.

Upon returning to the village, Director Hao was deeply discouraged. "The township supports our idea, but we have to find the funding ourselves."

"That means they’re offering policy support but not a single cent!" Secretary Liu fumed.

Director Hao felt utterly helpless. She understood clearly that the township’s attitude was deliberately ambiguous: they were free to do as they pleased, but they were certainly not getting any money.

Following a second leadership meeting—which was essentially a discussion between Secretary Liu and Director Hao—they decided to purchase a stud boar. They planned to charge fees for mating with sows from neighboring villages to generate capital or acquire piglets, gradually expanding their operation.

During this period, all the able-bodied young men in the village, excluding the leadership team, headed to the city to work and support the village. To manage these young men, Secretary Liu and Director Hao decided to form a union-like organization. Income was to be held by the union president, with the leadership team retaining control over how the funds were spent.

To groom his son, Secretary Liu appointed Liu Xiucai as the union president, tasking him with leading the village’s few idle young men to the city. Militia Captain Liu Mazi had originally wanted to go, but upon hearing that the union president was the Secretary’s son, he lost interest. In the village, he was at least a leader, but out there, he would be a nobody. He preferred to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big one.

Xiao Guo, a member of the militia, also wanted to join the union and head to the city, but under the pressure of Captain Liu Mazi, he remained in the village. Liu Mazi knew that in his militia, Xiao Guo was his most capable subordinate—clever and efficient. If he left, the others would surely follow, leaving Mazi a commander with no troops. By keeping Xiao Guo in check, he ensured the rest of the ragtag group stayed put. Director Hao merely offered suggestions on these matters; she couldn't be bothered with the logistics.

It is said that to welcome the Japanese experts, Liu Xiucai led the young union workers in slipping back from the city without permission. For this, Secretary Liu berated his son for five or six days straight.