However, the words spoken by his one-and-a-half-year-old son were truly thought-provoking. After exchanging a knowing glance, Henry Faulkner and his wife finally reached a conclusion: their youngest son, Edward Faulkner, was probably “possessed by a ghost.”

“Possessed by a ghost!” Grace Bolton nodded vigorously at Henry Faulkner.

This phenomenon of being possessed by a ghost seemed to be quite common in the countryside. It was not unusual for someone to be possessed by the spirit of a deceased person—sometimes resulting in hysterical madness, or in the possessed person brazenly revealing old secrets that only the dead would know. Because this was so common, people didn’t find it strange; they would simply call for a Taoist priest to drive the spirit away, or ask a respected village elder to give a stern lecture. This would naturally scare off the mischievous ghost and restore clarity to the possessed.

Given Edward Faulkner’s abnormal behavior tonight, the couple naturally categorized him as “possessed by a ghost.”

“Nonsense! Possessed by a ghost!” Edward Faulkner was utterly deflated by his parents’ reaction.

He had gone to great lengths to give them guidance, only to be met with this kind of understanding—it was truly a blow to his self-esteem.

“Should we get a priest to take a look?” Henry Faulkner asked Grace Bolton, a bit uncertain.

“Where would we even find one?” Grace Bolton clearly didn’t object, but was worried about who to choose.

Strictly speaking, both of them were key staff members at their workplaces, and both were Party members. To openly discuss superstitious matters at home seemed a bit inappropriate. But then again, it was understandable—after all, it concerned their own son. How could parents possibly remain indifferent?

“Oh, come on! Can’t you use your brains? If your son were really possessed, would he be so thoughtful about your future? Don’t mention priests or anything like that again. Anyway, I’ve made myself very clear about this! If you take the director position, our family’s future will be smooth sailing. Otherwise, it’ll be full of obstacles. How you choose is up to you. I’m done talking, so you won’t treat me like a monster!” Edward Faulkner felt quite aggrieved. Communicating with parents from this era was really a thankless task.

No wonder—after all, a thirty-year gap in thinking was like a world apart. Expecting his parents to adapt to his way of thinking would take a lot of work. Edward Faulkner couldn’t help but feel pessimistic about it.

Edward Faulkner went to sleep, leaving Henry Faulkner and Grace Bolton awake all night.

Chapter 8: A Wise Decision

The next morning, both Henry Faulkner and Grace Bolton had red eyes from staying up all night.

To take care of Edward Faulkner, Grace Bolton had taken a two-year leave of absence, with about half a year left before she was due back. In fact, teachers at the school for employees’ children had much more flexibility, since many were family members of factory workers. The intention was to make it easier for teachers to care for their students, so they wouldn’t have to recklessly chase after material things.

Olivia Faulkner and William Faulkner had gone off to school. Grace Bolton asked Henry Faulkner, “So, what should we do? Are we still looking for a priest?”

“Let’s see how things go,” Henry Faulkner replied, feeling a headache coming on. He glanced at the still-sleeping Edward Faulkner and saw that his complexion was rosy and healthy.

“So, what about that matter at the factory?” Grace Bolton continued.

Henry Faulkner naturally knew what she was referring to. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Actually, Edward Faulkner has a point. Even if I don’t take the director position, won’t all the work still fall on my shoulders? Since I’m already doing the job, why should I care about the title?”

“Alright, do as you see fit. I just hope there won’t be any trouble,” Grace Bolton said, seeing that her husband had made up his mind, and didn’t say anything more.

As soon as he arrived at work in the morning, Henry Faulkner went to see the old director, Charles Brooks, who hadn’t left his post yet, and briefly shared his thoughts, seeking his opinion.

“I think it’s a good idea!” Charles Brooks nodded happily. “Actually, among the three team leaders in our workshop, you’re the main force! Last time we were rushing to meet a deadline, it was all thanks to you that we finished on time! The factory director and the others all know this. In fact, the Party committee is quite optimistic about you—they were just worried that if you didn’t want the job, it might affect your work as a team leader. Since you’re not opposed, I think this can be settled!”

Charles Brooks had been Henry Faulkner’s mentor when he first started working, so the two spoke frankly, without beating around the bush. Besides, the relationship between workers and management back then was simply incomparable to today.

As for the previous incident, it happened when Henry Faulkner was recuperating at home due to illness, and the assembly task was urgent. They wanted the horse to run but didn’t feed it—naturally, the workers were upset, and the work couldn’t proceed, nor could the task be completed. In the end, the factory leaders had to personally visit Henry Faulkner at home to ask him to come back and take charge. They even set up a camp bed in the workshop for him to lie on.

Strangely enough, as soon as Henry Faulkner showed up and said a few words, the work was done.

That’s why the factory placed great importance on matters concerning Henry Faulkner—for one simple reason: he could keep things under control.