Chapter 181

This year's New Year's Eve was simple and warm. There was a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner on the table, with several different flavors of dumplings. The elders chatted and laughed constantly, and there was also the innocent jokes of Jiaping and Jiaan. The meal didn't end until nine o'clock.

In previous years, we would stay up all night to celebrate the New Year, but this year, we were all tired from traveling, so we decided to skip it and everyone prepared to go back to the guesthouse to rest.

Jiang Xinfeng was not allowed to go back with them. Jiaping and Jiaan did not want to leave either, but Zhou Jiani's bed could not accommodate two adults and two children. Yu Huifang coaxed the two little ones away with new clothes for tomorrow.

Zhou Jiani handed them the flashlight, gave them some serious instructions, and watched her parents turn the corner before lowering the curtain.

The dumplings made in the afternoon were not all cooked, so they were left outside to freeze under two covers. Zhou Jiani brought them to the kitchen, covered them with something, and cooked them the next morning.

Sleeping in the same bed with grandma at night, the two of them were chatting quietly, but soon Jiang Xinfeng began to snore softly.

After all, he is old. He is fine when there are many people around, but he can't stand it when it's quiet.

Zhou Jiani was awakened by the sound of firecrackers outside in the morning. She opened her eyes in a daze and did not feel the coldness she felt when she woke up in the mornings as usual. Then she listened to the subtle noises outside and realized that her grandmother had gotten up and lit the stove. Zhou Jiani squinted her eyes and looked at the watch. It was half past five.

It was still early, but her parents would be over for breakfast soon, and she couldn't wait until they arrived to get up, so she struggled to sit up.

When Jiang Xinfeng saw her granddaughter coming out, she smiled and said, "There's no rush for you to sleep a little longer."

Zhou Jiani yawned and said, "I can't sleep any more, or my mom will nag me when she gets back."

It was fine when she was at home, as no one cared what time she slept. But when there were guests, Comrade Yu Huifang still hoped that her daughter would pay attention to etiquette.

After Zhou Jiani finished cleaning up, she went to the kitchen to get a few cucumbers and a handful of spinach, and soaked some black fungus in warm water.

Jiang Xinfeng: "Two more dishes?"

Zhou Jiani shook her head: "Mix two small cold dishes to whet your appetite."

Although last night’s New Year’s Eve dinner was sumptuous, the staple food was also dumplings, and she would have another meal in the morning... Anyway, she had to order some side dishes to go with the meal.

Blanch the spinach, squeeze it dry and set it aside. Then heat up a pan and fry some dried peanuts. Take out the fried peanuts and set them aside to cool. Zhou Jiani beat two eggs and made an omelet.

It would be best to use a flat non-stick pan, but it was difficult to take it out since my grandma was watching over me, so I had to use a large wok.

Make three thin egg pancakes, roll them up and cut them into shreds, then mix them with spinach.

When my parents and Aunt Du came over, Zhou Jiani had already mixed a garlic cucumber with freshly fried peanuts and blanched black fungus.

Peanuts, black fungus and shredded eggs are also added to the spinach.

The family members greeted each other during the New Year. Zhou Jiani took the twins out to set off firecrackers, and when they came back into the house, they received six big red envelopes.

Why six? Du Yunxin brought the two portions for Qiu Dongshu and the old man, and did the same for Jiaping and Jiaan.

Zhou Jiani hesitated and said, "I already earn a salary."

Zhou Wanli smiled and said, "How much you earn is your business. What the elders give is a token of their care."

Zhou Jiani smiled and thanked everyone, then said to Du Yunxin, "Aunt Du, please thank Grandpa Qiu and Uncle Qiu for me."

Jiaping and Jiaan also imitated their sister's speech, which made Du Yunxin very amused.

The family had breakfast and talked for a while around the stove in the house. Seeing that it was almost time, they went to catch the bus.

When they arrived, Li Jingdang was already there. Zhou Jiani introduced him to Aunt Du and the others. They politely greeted each other and the family got in the car.

There weren't many people on the bus on New Year's Day, and everyone had a seat.

Zhou Jiani asked Li Jingdang, "Are you going back to the Qianjin Brigade?"

Li Jingdang: "I'll go to Captain Zhang and the others to wish them a happy new year this afternoon, and then I'll come back with you."

Work will start at the construction site tomorrow.

Zhou Wanli was interested in the things happening on the construction site and chatted animatedly with Li Jingdang along the way.

When they arrived at Xihe Commune, Zhou Jiani had only promised Zhang Baosheng that day and had not promised to come back, but she did not expect to see the mule cart and Uncle Zhang parked there as soon as she got off the car.

"Uncle Zhang—" Zhou Jiani exclaimed in surprise, "Happy New Year, Uncle Zhang."

Uncle Zhang grinned when he saw Zhou Jiani. "Happy New Year! Happy New Year! The captain asked me to come over and wait. He said you'd be back today. Are all your family members here?"

"Here they are!" Zhou Jiani hurriedly introduced them to her parents, especially Du Yunxin. "Uncle Zhang, this is Ze Ming's mother."

"Hello, Grandma Jiani, and Jiani's parents, you have raised a good daughter; hello, Mom Zeming, you have also raised a good son. These two children have changed the fate of our Qianjin Brigade." Uncle Zhang usually doesn't talk much, but at this moment he was truly grateful from the bottom of his heart.

Although he doesn't work in the factory, the money his family received this year is actually in his hands.

It’s the same job, but the money I earn is several times more.

The village said at its annual meeting that work points will increase this year.

Zhou Wanli said a few polite words and handed a cigarette to Uncle Zhang.

Li Jingdang greeted Uncle Zhang during the New Year, made an appointment with Zhou Jiani and the others to meet up, and then left.

Uncle Zhang drove them back to the Qianjin Brigade.

When we arrived at the village entrance, Zhang Baosheng, Liu Tong and Liu Yan were already waiting there.

Zhang Baosheng knew Zhou Jiani's family, and they had hosted him last time. He felt a sense of familiarity when they met again, but it was his first time meeting Du Yunxin, so he was inevitably reserved. However, he tried his best to maintain a proper attitude and greeted her, "Hello, Comrade Du."

Du Yunxin smiled and said, "Hello, Captain Zhang. I've often heard Ze Ming praise you on the phone, saying that you're a good captain and a good cadre for the people. The two children are comfortable here, and it's all thanks to having good leaders like you in the village."

Zhang Baosheng's face flushed red from the praise: "No, no, it's the two children who are good."

After Liu Tong and Liu Yan finished greeting the Zhou family, they came over to say hello to Du Yunxin.

"You must be freezing after riding in the mule cart, right?" Zhang Baosheng greeted them warmly. "Warm up at home first."

The weather is pretty good today, the sun is shining and it’s not that cold.

Zhang Baosheng was talking to Zhou Wanli, while Liu Tong was taking care of Jiang Xinfeng and praising her granddaughter. Later, when he was talking to Du Yunxin, he started praising Qiu Zeming again.

Du Yunxin has been accustomed to hearing all kinds of praise since her son was a child, and she can handle it with ease.

When they met the members who were out for New Year's greetings on the road, they smiled with surprise when they saw Zhou Jiani coming and greeted her from afar: "Jiani, you didn't go home for the New Year?"

Zhang Baosheng and others definitely did not publicize the fact that Zhou Jiani did not go home for the New Year and would come to the Qianjin Brigade. What if Jiani and others had other arrangements and did not come back?

Zhou Jiani smiled and called out to everyone in a circle, asking about their New Year's greetings. Then she said, "I didn't go back this year. My parents came to spend the New Year with me. So today I brought my family to visit our village."

Those who came to visit and wished a happy new year stopped wishing and gathered around to greet Zhou Wanli and the others with warm smiles. When they learned that Qiu Zeming's mother had also come, they were surprised and very enthusiastic.

Everyone can see that Ze Ming's family values Zhou Jiani as their daughter-in-law.

I felt relieved. With such a capable daughter-in-law like Jiani, no one would not take good care of her.

Yes, in the eyes of fellow villagers, Zhou Jiani is already a very capable and talented person. In just two or three years, she has transformed the entire village and driven the development of the entire commune. With her own ability, she has restored her urban household registration and has now become a county cadre.

If this isn't called ability, then what is?

Yu Huifang was almost overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the villagers.

There were many people visiting relatives and friends to wish them a happy new year at this time. Seeing such a large group of people coming, I couldn't help but stop and take a look. As a result, I heard that it was Zhou Jiani and Qiu Zeming's family coming to visit, so I went to greet them.

Before Zhou Wanli and his friends could recover from the previous wave of enthusiasm, they were greeted by another wave of people who greeted them enthusiastically.

I knew my child was popular, but I didn't expect him to be so popular.

Du Yunxin also smiled from ear to ear, keeping her eyes and ears open as she greeted everyone.

The enthusiastic villagers surrounded Zhou Wanli and his family and went to Zhang Baosheng's house. The Zhang family was shocked, but then they felt it was reasonable. Jiani should have such a face.

But the room couldn't hold so many people, so everyone greeted them and warmly invited them to their homes for dinner...

Zhou Wanli had used up all the cigarettes in his pocket. He really hadn't expected this scene. If he had known earlier, he would have brought a few more packs of cigarettes.

In fact, Zhou Jiani didn't expect this. She had just come back once before the New Year, and there was no such scene. She felt very hot in her heart, and was a little amused and helpless. She tactfully persuaded everyone to go back.

Aunt Baosheng grabbed candies for Jiaping and Jiaan, and invited Yu Huifang and the others to eat melon seeds. The younger generations in the family were busy pouring tea, and the atmosphere was lively.

After a while, other fellow villagers who heard the news came running over to see and greet Zhou Wanli and the others.

Zhao Mei brought Zhang Kaishan and Zhang Huihui to pay New Year's greetings to the elders of the Zhou family.

When Zhang Kaishan was in the hospital, Jiani's family took great care of her, and she has always been grateful for that kindness.

Yu Huifang naturally remembered Zhao Mei. Seeing Zhang Kaishan, she smiled and said, "You look really good. You've recovered really well."

Zhang Kaishan thanked him gratefully.

People of Zhang Laosi's age usually sit at home waiting for the younger generations to come and pay New Year's greetings. After the younger generation has come around, they will go out to pay New Year's greetings to those older than them. While they were puffing on their pipes at home and enjoying the festive atmosphere brought by the younger generations, they heard that Zhou Jiani came to the village today with her parents and Qiu Zeming's mother.

Zhang Laosi thought he had misheard, so he confirmed it and said hurriedly, "I'll go take a look."

Zhou Wanli had just seen off some of the enthusiastic fellow villagers when he immediately welcomed a new wave. After two hours of busy work, Master Zhou was finally able to sit down and drink some hot tea and have a serious conversation with Zhang Laosi, Sheng Manliang and others who came over.

Jiang Xinfeng's old face was frozen with smile.

Yu Huifang's eyes widened. She wanted to ask her daughter, was this a meeting with the entire village?

Du Yunxin was still thinking about the call her son would make back, and was thinking that she would have to tell her son about the situation when she answered the phone later.

She quietly asked Jiani: "What time did you arrange to call Zeming?"

Zhou Jiani was secretly thankful they hadn't made the morning appointment. She figured it would take her a short walk to the village. After a few pleasantries, she'd visit the greenhouses and the weaving factory. By the time she got back, it would be almost lunchtime. She couldn't leave them busy while they answered the phone, could she? So she made an appointment with Qiu Zeming for 1:30 p.m.

Now that we've finished our small talk, it's almost time to make lunch.

Zhang Baosheng looked at his watch and didn't have time to chat anymore. He suggested taking everyone to see the greenhouse first, and then to the village to take a tour of the weaving.

The group went to the plastic greenhouse in a mighty procession.

Although I have mentioned the development of plastic greenhouses to my family members on both sides, it is more touching to hear about the development process in person...

Zhou Jiani pointed at the earliest shed and said to Du Yunxin and the others with a smile, "This was the earliest shed. At the time, no one knew if it would be successful, so they just cleared half an acre of land to try it out. Zeming worked with other uncles and uncles in the village to make adobe bricks and built it bit by bit..."

The success of that half acre of land was not due to luck or coincidence, but was the result of real effort. The combination of information and practical experience, as well as remote help and guidance, added a different kind of green to that winter.

Du Yunxin was a little moved, and her eyes were slightly wet.

"I was away when county leaders came to visit. But when the second phase of the project started, we invited them to a harvest ceremony, took photos, and published them in the newspaper..."

You won’t know how much effort they have made for rural development unless you see it with your own eyes.

Du Yunxin looked at the lush and diverse vegetables in the greenhouse, and felt more proud and understood the enthusiasm of the villagers.

After taking a tour of the greenhouses, they also experienced the fun of picking.

Jiang Xinfeng didn't go down. She stood at the head of the ground and watched happily, with Zhang Baosheng supporting her.

Jiaping and Jiaan's little faces were full of curiosity. They found picking vegetables interesting and novel. Yu Huifang followed them, fearing that they would damage the seedlings.

After visiting the greenhouse, the group went to the weaving factory.

The knitting factory is a little deserted during the holidays, and the □□reputation wall records every detail of the knitting factory's development.

You don't have to see the hustle and bustle with your own eyes. Just by listening to their export volume, you will know how much value this small factory has created.

Zhang Baosheng has told this story countless times, but he still feels deeply moved when he mentions it now: "I didn't even know that Jiani asked Zhang Laosi to weave a basket for me back then. This girl gave me a surprise."

Zhang Laosi next to him was moved.

It all started with that blue hollow lace, but who could have imagined the situation today?

The photos on the wall of honor included not only Zhou Jiani but also Qiu Zeming. Du Yunxin looked at them with gentle eyes. When she saw one of the photos of the two of them with Zhang Baosheng, for some reason, she seemed to see her son's little tricks in this photo.

I guess he was thinking about Jiani by then, right? Du Yunxin hummed in her heart and thought, next time she sees her son, she will ask him for this photo.

Although she didn't see this photo among the ones she brought home, she was sure her son must have it.

After experiencing it firsthand, even though he didn't see the bustling production process, Zhou Wanli finally understood why his fellow villagers welcomed them so much.

When Zhang Baosheng returned home from the factory, he saw several more women who had volunteered to help with cooking. They also brought in fried food, vegetables, steamed buns, eggs, and more.

Zhou Wanli felt warm in his heart, as this was all the face earned for them by their daughter.

Feeling a little embarrassed for a moment, Yu Huifang and the others hurried over to help, but were pushed into the house to sit down by everyone.

"We don't have much to offer Jiani in return. It's a rare opportunity for you to come here, so what if we ask you to work?"

"You guys came this time, and we don't know when you'll come back next time..."

Everyone was talking at once, with a strong local accent, yet with an indescribable intimacy.

At noon, Zhang Laosi and his friends did not go home, but had a lively meal with the families of Comrade Xiao Zhou and Comrade Xiao Qiu.

Du Yunxin and the others knew that they would be invited to dinner if they came here, so they brought various tickets. When they gave them to Zhang Baosheng, he refused to take them. Seeing that he was about to get angry, Zhou Jiani did not force him back.

Zhang Laosi and the others also blushed and said, "Jia Ni, do you still regard us as your family?"

Zhou Jiani had no choice but to beg for mercy, thinking about making up for it from another place next time.

Hearing that Qiu Zeming would call here, Zhang Baosheng took them to the brigade headquarters.

Comrade Xiao Qiu is not very punctual and called five minutes in advance.

The elders were all very conscious and sat in the hall without moving their seats, motioning Zhou Jiani to answer the phone. Zhou Jiani did not hesitate and went into the house to answer the phone.