守诚信身负巨债
Good faith for great debts
天色阴霾。看样子又要下雨了吧？
The sky was cloudy. It seemed it's going to rain again?
周兴和强打精神，送走了来谈业务的几个客人后，一下就瘫倒在了藤椅上，一动也不想动——几个月来没日没夜的工作，十几天以来在高原的奔波，他太疲惫了，真想一头倒下睡上几天。
After Zhou Xinghe saw off the business guests, he immediately collapsed on the rattan chair and did not want to move a toe - he had been working day and night for several months and had been travelling on the plateau for more than ten days. He was so tired that he really wanted to fall down and sleep for a few days.
但他还睡不着，脑际里还有许多事在盘旋。
But he could not sleep, and there were many things circling in his mind.
就在这年春天，周兴和来到成都，参加了和平建材加工厂的承包竞争。令人感到意外的是，在3个承包人激烈竞争中，条件逊人一筹的周兴和，却被厂家选中了！
In the spring of that year, Zhou Xinghe came to Chengdu and participated in the contract competition of Heping Building Materials Processing Plant. Surprisingly, in the fierce competition among the three contractor candidates, Zhou Xinghe, who was less qualified than others, was chosen by the factory!
这固然有周兴和业务熟悉、口才出众等原因，但围绕这场竞争，更显露出他的精明睿智。
This had the reason that Zhou Xinghe was familiar with the business, and had outstanding eloquence, but in this competition, it showed his cleverness and wisdom.
在厂方召开评审会前，周兴和仔细分析了其他两个竞争对手的情况。这两个对手，一个姓王，一个姓贾。姓王的人是文革中的造反派头目，神通广大，能说会道，且趾高气扬，这是他主要的竞争对手；而另一个姓贾的人，诚实憨厚但略显呆板木讷，周兴和对他倒不担心。
Before the factory held the review meeting, Zhou Xinghe carefully analyzed the situation of the other two competitors. The two rivals, one named Wang and the other named Jia. As the chief rebel in the Cultural Revolution, Wang was powerful, eloquent and arrogant. He was the chief rival. Zhou Xinghe was not worried about Jia, an honest but somewhat wooden man.
面对这样的境地，该怎么办呢？周兴和苦苦地思索着。
Faced with such a situation, how to do? Zhou Xinghe thought hard.
在竞争评审会的头一天，机会来了，周兴和突然看见和王姓同来的那个保镖，他不由得灵机一动。这个保镖身高1.8米，人长得剽悍发达，但头脑却很简单。周兴和上前对这个保镖说：这回承包，你们老板当这个厂长已经确定无疑，但还需要你助他一臂之力！保镖问：我怎么助他一臂之力？周兴和说：这个问题简单，你就把前次在三台第二建筑公司收款时，把他们财务科长打得钻办公桌的经过，讲给那些评审的领导听就行了，这些领导看见王老板有你这么铁杆的兄弟帮忙，自然就更放心让他当这个厂长了！
On the day before the review meeting, Zhou Xinghe had an idea when he saw the bodyguard with Wang. The bodyguard was 1.8 meters tall, strong and agile, but his mind was very simple. Zhou Xinghe came forward and said to the bodyguard: "This time for the contract, your boss as the factory director has been determined, but you still need to help him!" The bodyguard asked: "How can I help him?" Zhou Xinghe said, "This problem is easy to solve. Just tell the story that how the chief financial officer of Santai No. 2 Construction Company was beaten to get under his desk when you were collecting money last time. Tell it to these leaders, and when they knew that Boss Wang had such a die-hard brother to help him, they naturally trusted him to be the factory director."
第二天评审会上，这个保镖果然不负众望，按照周兴和的指点，他绘声绘色地自我表演了一番——结果，会还没开完，领导们就宣布：经过评审，和平建材加工厂由周兴和承包！如此结果，让王老板和他的保镖面面相觑，不知道问题出在哪里，半天也没回过神来！
The next day on the review meeting, the bodyguard did not live up to expectations, according to Zhou Xinghe’s tips, he gave himself a vivid performance - as the results, when the meeting had not finished, the leaders announced: after the review, Heping Building Materials Processing Plant shall be contracted by Zhou Xinghe! Such result made Boss Wang and his bodyguard looking at each other, did not know what the problem was, along while also did not come back to earth!
其实，从某种意义上讲，周兴和也是在替这个厂解围：如果让王姓这个人来承包，由于此人胆大自私，这个厂肯定不但不能扭亏，说不定还会陷入更深的危机啊！
Actually, in a sense, Zhou Xinghe was also trying to relieve the situation of the factory: if Wang had been the contractor, the factory would surely not have been able to turn around and might even have been plunged into a deeper crisis because of his audacity and selfishness.
披星戴月，夜以继日。周兴和承包建材加工厂后，没有辜负全厂职工的期望，调动了他的全部智慧和精力，仅仅用了4个月时间，就扭亏为盈，不但填补了该厂90多万元的亏损，还盈利60余万元。周兴和企业管理的才华，在这里已逐渐显露出来。
Working day and night, after Zhou Xinghe contracted the building materials processing plant, he did not live up to the expectations of the entire factory staff, mobilized all his wisdom and energy, only used 4 months to turn a loss into a profit, not only filled the factory loss of more than 900 thousand yuan, but also made a profit of more than 600 thousand yuan. Zhou Xinghe's talent in business management had been gradually revealed here.
按照承包合同规定，此时周兴和应该分得盈利的40%。或许是该厂想留住周兴和，他们提出合同要修改，改为一年分一次盈利。正在周兴和与厂方尚未统一意见时，周兴和得知三台县电站需要一批木材，他拿上工厂介绍信，就去了小金县林业局。连续十几天，他长途奔波，终于把这批木材从小金县深山运了出来，送到了三台电站。
According to the contract, Zhou Xinghe should get 40 percent of the profits. Perhaps the factory wanted to keep Zhou Xinghe, so they offered to revise the contract to share the profit once a year. When Zhou Xinghe and the factory had not reached a consensus, Zhou Xinghe heard that Santai County Power Station needed a batch of timber, so he took the letter of introduction, went to Xiaojin County Forestry Bureau. For more than ten days, he rushed about for long distance, and finally took the batch of wood from Xiaojin County and transported out of the mountains, to Santai Power Station.
可周兴和没想到，就是这批木材，又让他结结实实栽了个跟斗！
But Zhou Xinghe did not expect that it was this batch of wood that made him stumbled again.
唉，确实太累了。此时，从高原回来的周兴和躺在藤椅上，刚合上眼睛，却觉得两只眼睛越来越痛，越来越胀。他揉了揉眼睛，眼泪却不由自主地流了下来。或许是高原的风沙吹进了眼睛，或许是夜以继日太劳累，两天前就开始发作的急性结膜炎，此时已叫他疼痛难忍了。
Well, he was really tired. At that moment, Zhou Xinghe, who had come back from the plateau, was lying on a rattan chair. Just as he closed his eyes, he felt that his eyes were becoming more and more painful and swollen. He rubbed his eyes, but the tears came uncontrollably. Perhaps some sands had been blown into his eyes by the wind from the plateau, or perhaps he had been too tired to work day and night. The acute conjunctivitis, which was started two days before, had made him extremely painful.
不行，得回家进医院去看看，顺便休息两天。他捂着眼睛走出办公室，突然又想起了什么，又回过身来，挂通了成都犀浦储木场赵场长的电话：“喂，赵场长吗？木材已经运回来全部交给电站了，总货款是87000元。我得了急性结膜炎，要回家休息几天，你抓紧时间到三台电站收款！”
No, he had to go home and go to the hospital and have a rest for several days. He put his hands over his eyes and went out of the office. Suddenly, he remembered something and turned around again. He called Manager Zhao of Xipu Wood Storage Yard in Chengdu by phone: "Hello, Manager Zhao? The timber has been transported back to the power station, and the total payment is 87,000 yuan. I have the acute conjunctivitis and want to go home and rest for a few days. Please collect the money at Santai Power Station as soon as possible!"
“哦，知道了知道了。”赵场长答道，“我马上就去办。”
"Oh, OK, I see." Manager Zhao replied, "I'll do it right away."
这个赵场长，和周兴和是多年生意上的合作伙伴了。多年来，周兴和经常在他们那里先销木材后付款，付款从来没有延过期。当周兴和拿着加工厂介绍信去找他时，他说：我信任的是你这个人，而不是你这介绍信。周兴和说：现在这个厂我承包，你的信任我和这介绍信都一样。当时，周兴和从铁二局调了13台汽车，运输这批木材，除去运费净赚了12000余元——好了，现在事情办妥了，周兴和该去治眼睛了。
This Manager Zhao and Zhou Xinghe had been business partners for many years. Over the years, Zhou Xinghe used to sell the wood at their place and then pay for it. But the payment was never overdue. When Zhou Xinghe came to him with the letter of introduction, Zhao said, "I trust you, not this letter of introduction." Zhou Xinghe said, "Now I am a contractor for this factory. Your trust me or this letter of introduction is the same." At that time, Zhou Xinghe transferred 13 trucks from the Second Railway Bureau to transport the wood, which netted him more than 12,000 yuan after the freight - well, now the matter was settled, Zhou Xinghe had to go to have his eyes treated.
“喂，兴和，你这回怎么不守信用了，到现在都还没把货款打到我账上来。”谁知，15天后，赵场长突然给周兴和打来电话，催要货款。
"Hey, Xinghe, how come you didn't keep your word this time? Up to now, you haven't remitted the payment to my account." But 15 days later, Manager Zhao called Zhou Xinghe suddenly, urging him to pay for the goods.
“我回盐亭以前，不是早叫你到三台电站收款么！”
"Before I went back to Yanting, I had asked you to collect the money at Santai Power Station!"
“当时我没太在意。”赵场长答道，“从来都是你把款打到我账上呀！”
"I didn't take it too seriously." Zhao replied, "You always pay the money to my account!"
周兴和有点急了，连忙邀约赵场长赶到三台电站——经查询，款早在12天前，就被和平建材厂副厂长王某转到邛崃一家公司账上，把货款全部分掉了！
Zhou Xinghe was in a hurry and invited Manager Zhao to Santai Power Station. Upon inquiry, the money was transferred to a company account in Qionglai 12 days ago by Wang, a deputy director of Heping Building Materials Factory. As a result, the whole amount of money had been splited.
见此情形，赵场长捶胸顿足，着急了：“兴和，我是相信你才把木材赊给你的，这个事该由你来负责！”
Seeing this, Manager Zhao beat his breast and felt anxious: "Xinghe, I trusted you so I gave you the timber on credit. You should be responsible for it!"
周兴和也很着急：“可我半个月前就叫你收款，这不该怨我呀！”
Zhou Xinghe was also worried, "But I asked you to collect the money half a month ago. It's not my fault!"
“兴和，这件事我固然有错……”赵场长口气软了下来，他有些悲切地说道，“可，这么多年来，我都是那么信任你，你总不能为这么一件事，把我的饭碗都打脱吧……”
"Well, it's my fault..." Manager Zhao’s tone was softened, and he said sadly, "But, for so many years, I have always trusted you so much; you can't break my bowl for such a thing..."
就这一句话，一下把周兴和的心说得软了下来，他沉默了——是呀，尽管这事是他的错，可这些年来他是那么信任我，不能就这件事把他的饭碗打脱啊！尽管周兴和在商场上滚了这多年，但他对有些生意人中那种尔虞我诈、相互算计的伎俩是深恶痛绝的。但，自己也是腰无半文的一个穷光蛋，家里老婆孩子还等着他拿钱回去买米买盐呀！这5万多块钱对他来说，简直就是一笔巨款啊！该怎么办、怎么办呢？……
This sentence softened Zhou Xinghe's heart, and he was silent - though it was Zhao’s fault, he had trusted me so much all these years that he could not lose his job for it! Although Zhou Xinghe had been in business for years, he had a deep dislike for the cheating and calculating tactics of some businessmen. But he also had no money, and his wife and children still waited for him to take money to buy the rice and salt! 50,000 yuan, that's a lot of money for him. What to do, what to do? ...
“老赵，这样吧，你也不要太着急。”周兴和想了一阵，“你在这里喝喝茶，等我一下，我去想想办法。”
"Well, Zhao, don't be too anxious." Zhou Xinghe thought for a while, "You can have some tea here. Wait for me for a while and I'll try to do something about it."
“兴和，你别……”赵场长欲言又止。
"Xinghe, don't..." Zhao wanted to speak but stopped on a second.
“老赵，你想到哪里去了！”周兴和认真对他说道，“你放心，两个小时之内，我保证把货款借来给你垫上！”
"Zhao, what are you thinking?" Zhou Xinghe said to him earnestly, "Don't worry, I promise to borrow some money and pay you within two hours!"
就在赵场长将信将疑忐忑不安的等待中，周兴和跑遍了三台所有朋友处，他汗流满面地回来，将筹集到的5万多块钱货款交到了他手里。
In Manager Zhao's incredulous wait, Zhou Xinghe ran through all his friends in Santai, and came back in sweat, to pay the 50,000 yuan for goods in his hand.
“兴和，这、这……”赵场长真真被感动了，他拿着钱的手在微微有些颤动，“生意人中，像你这样守诚信的，实在太少了、太少了……我回去后马上起诉到法院，一定要把这笔钱要回来！”
"Xinghe, this is..." Manager Zhao was really touched, and his hand holding the money quivered slightly, "There are few businessmen to keep good faith like you, too few... When I get back, I'll sue the court and get the money back!"
周兴和的这一举动，有一段时间，还被传为三台、盐亭一带生意场上的佳话。
Zhou Xinghe's this action, for a time, was known as the story on everybody’s lips in Santai and Yanting area in the business market.
“表面看，周兴和是亏了，实际上他是赢了。”一位在大学教经济学的朋友听完笔者给他讲了这个事例，他评价道，“他赢得了道义，赢得了信誉，进而赢得了市场。他的这种行为，这表明了他能够成就大事，为他以后事业大的发展，奠定了社会基础。”
"On the surface, Zhou Xinghe lost, but in fact he won." A friend who teaching economics at a university heard this story and commented, "He won the morality, won the good reputation, and won the market. This kind of behavior shows that he can achieve great things and lays a social foundation for his future career."
此话真是太精辟了！周兴和的一系列举动，首先感动了当地目睹这个事件全过程的一个领导者。这个领导者虽官位不高，但他可不是一个平庸之辈，而是个全国知名的风云人物！这个人叫陶远林，当年全国第二个人民公社的创建者——成都平原郫县“红光公社”的党委书记。人们耳熟能详的那首“麦苗儿青来菜花儿黄，毛主席来到咱们农庄，千家万户齐欢笑，就像那春雷响四方……”的歌儿，就是为这个人民公社而创作的。毛泽东主席、周恩来总理和朱德委员长、以及邓小平总书记等中央领导都多次接见过他，十大元帅中除罗荣桓外，他接待过9人。毛泽东主席的秘书田家英1960年在四川调研期间，在近一个月时间里，就是和他抵足而眠的。
What a pithy remark! Zhou Xinghe's actions firstly moved a local leader who witnessed the whole process of the incident. This leader was not a dignitary, but a national celebrity. This man was Tao Yuanlin, the Party Secretary of the Second People's Commune in the country, Pixian Hongguang Commune in Chengdu Plain. The well-known song of "When the wheat seedlings were green and the rape flowers were yellow, Chairman Mao came to our farm. Thousands of families laughed together, like the spring thunder ringing aloud..." was written for this people's commune. Central leaders such as Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai and Chairman Zhu De, as well as General Secretary Deng Xiaoping had met Tao Yuanlin many times. He had received nine of the Ten Marshals except Luo Ronghuan. Tian Jiaying, Secretary of Chairman Mao Zedong, had slept with him for nearly a month during his investigation in Sichuan Province in 1960.
就是这个陶远林，通过周兴和讲诚信负巨债这件事，他看中了他的人品，感佩他的诚信和义气，所以在周兴和创业最艰难最关键的时候，向他伸出了援助的友谊之手，使他度过难关——当然此是后话了。
It was this Tao Yuanlin, who took a look at Zhou Xinghe’s character, and admired his good faith and loyalty through Zhou Xinghe’s event of good faith with great debt, so in the most difficult and most critical time in Zhou Xinghe business, he extended his hand of friendship to aid him, and made him through the difficulties - of course, this was a later story.
但，打官司的结果，却令人沮丧而愤怒。赵场长回犀浦后，起诉了和平木材加工厂，当地法院两次判决他胜诉，可成都市中院却两次发回重审。官司拖到最后，成了一场跑不到尽头的马拉松。周兴和不但没讨要回来一分钱，连承包企业应该获得的钱，也一分钱没有拿到——这让周兴和第一次体会到了在中国这块土地上，打官司的特殊性和复杂性。
However, the result of the lawsuit was frustrating and angry. After Manager Zhao got back to Xipu, he sued Heping Wood Processing Plant, and the local court twice ruled in his favor, while Chengdu Intermediate People's Court had twice remanded. The lawsuit dragged on and turned into a marathon. Not only did Zhou Xinghe not get any money back, but also did not receive any profit that he contracting the enterprise should share - which made Zhou Xinghe realized the particularity and complexity of litigation in China for the first time.
《当今奇人周兴和》一书，目前已被收藏于中国当代作家图书珍藏馆、北京中国作家图书收藏馆、北京图书馆、北京外国语大学图书馆、湖南大学图书馆、重庆图书馆、江津图书馆、江津聂帅陈列馆、重庆渝州大学图书馆、重庆理工大学图书馆、重庆大学图书馆、重庆文理学院、北京师范大学图书馆、中国科学院成都分院图书馆、重庆三峡博物馆、重庆巴渝文化会馆、中国三线建设历史陈列馆、成都大邑三线建设陈列馆、江津文创中心、江津陈独秀旧居、江津中学图书馆、江津尚融学校图书馆、四川作家图书收藏馆、巴蜀文化博物馆。
2021年9月5日《廉政内参》第4期的第38页“人民心声”栏目刊登标题“我国建筑和建材领域一场颠覆性的革命”，其中第三节（第42页）小标题“愿星河新型材料的伟大发明得到国家大力推广，造福人类”的第七行摘要：“在当今中国，利用自己研发的高新科技成果走向世界的有两个人和两个项目：一个是袁隆平先生和他的杂交水稻，正在解决人们的吃饭问题；一个是周兴和先生和他的秸秆建材，正在解决人们的住房问题”。合乎科技兴国的伟大战略。
