14. Raise a glass to celebrate their long-awaited reunion and wish Xitang Village a bright future.

Cui Sitong had a high-speed train ticket for around 5 PM the next day, which took him to the city. The drive from the city to Xitang Village would take about an hour and 20 minutes. Because he had too much stuff to carry, it was inconvenient, so Cui Sitong asked Fang Shuning to pick him up by car.

Song Jiuchen insisted on going with Fang Shuning, no matter how shameless he was. As the village secretary, he had to go pick her up. Fang Shuning had been out with Cui Sitong many times and naturally knew the "entourage" this big internet celebrity always brought. Her personal necessities, like clothes and cosmetics, were obvious. Most importantly, she also needed to bring a camera, microphone, and tripod—of course, given her status as a big internet celebrity, this was understandable. But she also needed to bring lights: ring lights, soft lights, portable lights… she wouldn't use them, but she couldn't leave them out.

Thinking about this, Fang Shuning felt extremely troubled.

Bringing Song Jiuchen along would be like bringing free labor. But there was a concern that with Cui Sitong bringing both people and equipment, the car wouldn't be able to fit them all. Then again, Cui Sitong had returned to collaborate with Song Jiuchen, and meeting them immediately would better demonstrate their sincerity. After much deliberation...

In the end, Song Jiuchen got into Fang Shuning's car.

Song Jiuchen was overjoyed. On one hand, the problem that had troubled him for so long was about to be solved; on the other hand, he would now be alone with Fang Shuning for the rest of his journey. Reflecting on the events of the past few days, Song Jiuchen felt a renewed sense of meaning in life for the first time, outside of his work building his hometown.

Fang Shuning's sudden appearance brought such good things. Life's encounters are a magical thing, and Song Jiuchen had a strong premonition that his bland life was beginning to have a richer flavor.

Fang Shuning had no idea what Song Jiuchen was thinking, but she would glance at him every now and then. Song Jiuchen always had a strange expression on his face, a bit like a silly grin, but not quite. She rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking, "Is it really that big of a deal?" Then she turned the music up louder and louder.

The impact was so great that it jolted Song Jiuchen back from his wandering thoughts.

The grand scene of "talking under the stars" that Song Jiuchen had imagined did not materialize.

Fang Shuning was a good driver and arrived a little earlier than planned. The two parked the car and went to the exit to wait for someone. Fang Shuning casually squatted on the curb, and Song Jiuchen squatted down next to her when he saw this.

Fang Shuning took out a cigarette and asked Song Jiuchen if he wanted one. Song Jiuchen waved his hand and said he didn't.

"Then stay away from me. Secondhand smoke is more harmful than firsthand smoke." Fang Shuning is quite caring.

Song Jiuchen silently took a small step to the side. He wanted to be obedient, but he also wanted to be close to her.

Stealing another glance at Fang Shuning, Song Jiuchen wasn't sure what he felt for her, but when they met again years later, he recognized her at a glance. Fang Shuning was different from others in Song Jiuchen's eyes.

However, Song Jiuchen chose to hide this difference. Because he knew that she would eventually leave. Even if he could bear to, even if he couldn't.

A crowd surged at the exit. A quick glance at the time revealed Cui Sitong had arrived. However, even after the crowd dispersed, Cui Sitong remained nowhere to be seen. Fang Shuning was about to take out her phone to ask when she looked up and spotted Cui Sitong pushing three suitcases. He was wearing sunglasses and a mask, completely covered up despite the 38-degree weather. A young woman with several bags was accompanying him; the two had arrived rather late.

"Aaaaaah, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm so tired, aaaaaah!" Although her face wasn't visible, Cui Sitong's shouting could be heard. Dressed like that, he was practically a public figure, yet he was shouting in public. Fang Shuning silently cursed his lack of manners before hurrying to take the luggage.

Cui Sitong: ? Are you alright? Do you have any manners? Fang Shuning, you're the one with the least manners, don't you know that?

Fang Shuning: Hehe, I know.

Song Jiuchen quickly stepped forward to help with the luggage, and Fang Shuning hurriedly introduced them. Cui Sitong immediately put on airs, not wanting to treat the Party Secretary as a subordinate. After a few polite greetings, he dragged his luggage toward the car.

However, we're all elementary school classmates, so why do we need to introduce each other?

After finally managing to pile up the suitcases, they argued over who should sit where. Fang Shuning, on the other hand, got into the car early, not caring how long they pretended to be polite; she was just the driver anyway. It was nearing evening, hot and sunny outside, and Liu Yi was still waiting for them to go back for dinner. What was the point of these two putting on this show?

Fang Shuning finally couldn't help but beep twice.

Finally, Song Jiuchen got into the passenger seat, while Cui Sitong and the little girl sat in the back. Fang Shuning stepped on the gas and sped off towards Xitang Village.

Fang Shuning didn't play any music, and the atmosphere in the car was a little awkward. Everyone wanted to say something, but no one knew what to say first.

"Why did this big internet celebrity only bring one person with her today? This isn't enough. Is she losing her popularity?" Fang Shuning and Cui Sitong's interactions usually consist of playful banter.

"I'm so red, even cooked crabs aren't as red as me."

After a series of nonsensical remarks and jokes, the atmosphere became quite lively. Cui Sitong then asked Song Jiuchen his first question, "Logically speaking, we were elementary school classmates, so I shouldn't have no memory of each other at all. Why can't I remember?"

Sigh, Song Jiuchen is already used to not having this incident remembered.

The difference between Song Jiuchen as a child and the Song Jiuchen as an adult is like night and day. As a child, Song Jiuchen was dark-skinned and thin, quiet, obedient, and mediocre in his studies, with a very low profile. You could even say he was a bit dull. Until he graduated from elementary school, he was the shortest child in his class. It seems like every class has someone like that.

One day, as if suddenly enlightened, Song Jiuchen transformed completely, growing from a child into an adult overnight. Apart from still being relatively quiet, he was practically a different person.

Song Jiuchen didn't know how to answer Cui Sitong's question, because he also wanted to know why he was never remembered. So he just gave a vague answer: "Maybe it's because we haven't had much contact."

Fang Shuning noticed that Song Jiuchen in the passenger seat seemed a little awkward, so she casually changed the subject, asking Cui Sitong if he had made any plans for the filming before coming. Cui Sitong perked up at this and began to talk non-stop. Fang Shuning listened briefly, while Song Jiuchen listened intently, practically wanting to pull out his notebook and take notes.

Cui Sitong's studio, including herself, has a total of seven people: photographer, editor, screenwriter, operations manager, business liaison, and live-streaming assistant, each with their own role. And all seven are women. It's not that they hadn't considered hiring male staff, but in the process of figuring things out, they discovered that four-fifths of Cui Sitong's audience are women, and of the remaining one-fifth, even half are gay. Only women can truly understand what women want to see.

Like some male celebrities in the entertainment industry whose careers have collapsed, the male celebrity you love actually has a female soul.

The photographer, Xiaomin, accompanied me back to Xitang.

Before returning, they had held a long meeting at the studio. Everyone took this matter very seriously, but time was short, and after referring to some successful cases and engaging in intense discussions, they still hadn't reached a definite filming direction. This was because they didn't know the current situation in Xitang Village, not even Cui Sitong.

Therefore, they decided to return as soon as possible, with the photographer first taking pictures in Xitang Village. After Cui Sitong learned about the current situation in Xitang Village, they would then determine the final shooting direction.

Cui Sitong made it clear that her trip wasn't for making money, but simply to try a different development direction. She hadn't tried helping farmers before, and it would require joint effort from both sides to explore this path. She also promised that, no matter what, she would help Song Jiuchen build up his account.

Cui Sitong also wanted to do something for the people of his hometown.

Song Jiuchen was so moved he wanted to cry; he really wanted to cry.

Soon, before I knew it, I was home.

Summer nights always come a little later. It was almost 7:30, and although it wasn't completely dark yet, there were hardly any pedestrians on the road. After putting his things down at home, Cui Sitong briefly said goodbye to his grandmother, and then the group headed to the village committee, where Liu Yi was waiting for them to have dinner together.

Liu Yi somehow acquired a jar of plum wine, feeling that today was a good day and he should celebrate.

Fang Shuning was a bit of a drinker, and the aroma of plum wine wafted towards her, refreshing and delightful. It smelled much better than perfume. Fang Shuning hesitated for a moment, then decided that drinking a little wouldn't be a big deal. She remembered the doctor's orders, but only one thing.

Each person poured themselves a full cup.

Fang Shuning was overjoyed, Song Jiuchen looked troubled, and Cui Sitong mentally calculated the calories of the meal, thinking that if he drank it tonight, he would have to fast for a day tomorrow. Female internet celebrities are just like female stars; there's no such thing as someone who can eat without gaining weight. They all work hard behind the scenes.

Xiaomin wanted to get up early the next day to go for a stroll and see if she could take some photos, so she ate a few bites and went back to rest.

It was still under the same eaves, only now the night breeze blew, and the whirring of the electric fan was less noticeable. The night stretched endlessly. The stars twinkled, and in the vastness of heaven and earth, humans always seemed so insignificant.

Raise a glass to celebrate their long-awaited reunion and wish Xitang Village a bright future.

Three women make a drama. A few sips of plum wine awakened their taste buds and opened their floodgates of conversation. The three chattered away, drowning out the chirping of insects and birds. Song Jiuchen rested his chin on his hand, listening quietly, occasionally chuckling.

Song Jiuchen rarely drinks, but today's plum wine is sweet, and he can't help but take sip after sip. One sip, cool and sharp sweetness; three sips, a lukewarm light rises in his veins, and laughter grows with fuzzy edges; seven sips, the glass is almost empty, the tables and chairs begin to float like jellyfish, and there's an itchy feeling, like planting someone's name in your palm and watching it sprout.

At first, no one noticed that something was wrong with Song Jiuchen until he suddenly stood up. He stood up, but was unsteady.