Along with a group of villagers, Sister-in-law Yu, Aunt Lian, and others were also weeding in the fields. They also saw Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli.
Sister-in-law Yu rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
"Am I seeing things? Am I hallucinating? How can I see Xiao Ci and Zhou Lao Er here!"
"I'm not mistaken! It's them! It really is them!" Aunt Lian beamed with joy. "Quickly, let's go take a look!"
In a swarm, the villagers immediately surrounded Zhou Mingli and Jiang Ci, who were riding bicycles.
There's nothing we can do; the village, nestled against the mountain, has practically no entertainment. The amusement that Chunhua's husband and Widow Wang got up to last year is still talked about today.
Moreover, with such big news as Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli returning from Beijing, of course, everyone wants to join in the fun!
"Second brother! Why are you back!"
"Didn't you go to Beijing? Why are you still riding bicycles? You didn't actually go to Beijing, but to some other village!"
"Hey! Second brother, where have you been making your fortune? You're even wearing polyester now!"
"Jiang Zhiqing looks even better now! You guys didn't really go to Beijing, did you?!"
Everyone chimed in, asking each other questions.
Even Jiang Ci, who is extremely good at communicating with people, couldn't find a chance to interject for a while.
Thankfully, Aunt Lian and Sister-in-law Yu came over.
Two shrewish women, hands on their hips, yelled, "What are you doing? What are you doing?!"
"Look at how little work you've done and you're already gossiping! You don't care about your work points! You don't care about the brigade's quota! Get back to work!"
Aunt Lian's husband was the brigade leader, so his words carried some weight.
Sister-in-law Yu chimed in, "That's right, look at how you've surrounded Xiao Ci and Lao Er! What business is it of yours where they went or what they did when they came back? Why are you asking them? You're just being nosy!"
Aunt Lian and Sister-in-law Yu urged everyone to continue working.
The crowd was unwilling to disperse at this moment, saying, "We're just asking. Look at you all, acting like everyone knows that the second brother's family is on good terms with you. You're so protective of them, but we haven't seen them take you to Beijing!"
"Exactly! What's so great about going to Beijing? Does she think she's some kind of virgin? They won't even give her a second glance!"
Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli listened and that was it; they wouldn't stay there long, and naturally, they wouldn't take the villagers' words to heart.
Jiang Ci stopped Aunt Yu and Aunt Lian, who were about to go up and argue with her, saying, "Alright, Aunt Lian, Aunt Yu, we just got back too, don't get angry."
"Xiao Ci, don't bother with these people, they're just being sour."
Jiang Ci smiled and shook her head, glancing around before precisely meeting the gazes of those who were secretly watching them. Seeing them quickly avert their eyes, Jiang Ci's smile deepened. "Let's find another place to talk."
“Okay, let’s go to my house!” Sister-in-law Yu immediately agreed.
Jiang Ci readily got off the bicycle and let Zhou Mingli push it while she talked to Sister-in-law Yu and Aunt Lian.
"Aren't you in Beijing? Why are you back?" Aunt Lian asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
Jiang Ci said, "We have some things to take care of when we came back. There are other people who came back with us. No one has lived in our house for a year, so we probably can't stay there anymore. We're staying at the guesthouse in town. We have to rush back tonight."
"No wonder you rode your bicycles back." Sister-in-law Yu nodded, not asking what they came back for, but looking at Jiang Ci, she sighed and said, "Xiao Ci, a year has passed, and you suddenly came back. I almost didn't recognize you."
"What's there to be afraid of? Am I not myself?" Jiang Ci asked, tilting her head.
"The changes are tremendous!"
Sister-in-law Yu couldn't quite put her finger on what was different, but she just felt that the current Jiang Ci was different from the Jiang Ci she knew in Shanding Brigade.
It looks better... better, and more imposing!
This is naturally normal.
Before, when Jiang Ci was in the Shanding Brigade, no one listened to her commands, so she could only argue with others and occasionally gossip.
Now that she has a formal job in Beijing and is used to the working style of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jiang Ci has regained the spirit she had when she was working before. She has become more capable and energetic, which is naturally different from when she was in the mountain team.
Jiang Ci waved her hand and said, "No matter what changes, I am who I am."
Sister-in-law Yu laughed, "That's right. By the way, where are Yangyang and Miaomiao? Why haven't they come back?"
Jiang Ci was both amused and exasperated, saying, "Sister-in-law, Beijing is quite far from the mountaintop brigade. How could I bring them with me when I came back to handle some business? I asked a friend to help take care of them, but they haven't come back yet."
Sister-in-law Yu's face flushed slightly, and she chuckled sheepishly.
They encountered other villagers on the road, who were also shocked to see Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli.
Although they were told not to come along, a group of people still gathered outside Sister-in-law Yu's house when they arrived.
Most of them were children who came to take a look.
When it comes to Jiang porcelain, look to Zhou Mingli.
Zhou Mingli immediately understood, took out a bag of fruit candies from his pocket, and gave one to each child.
The children received the fruit candies and ran off happily.
The candy is only for children, not for adults.
When the other villagers saw this, they realized that this wouldn't do, since their child hadn't come and they hadn't gotten any benefit from it!
So they left and called their own children over.
Before long, a group of more than a dozen children, ranging from fifteen years old to toddlers who had just learned to walk, gathered in front of Sister-in-law Yu's door!
Zhou Mingli was speechless. He gave each child a piece of candy and then ruthlessly kicked out any children who kept asking for candy.
"You've already taken the candy, why do you want more? Does your butt itch?"
Zhou Mingli's cold demeanor was quite intimidating, and the children who wanted more candy slunk home.
After distributing the candy, Zhou Mingli sent the children back home, saying, "Tell your parents not to come over after they've accepted the candy. Let them think about how I dealt with Boss Zhou back then, and how my wife dealt with Boss Zhou back then."
The children couldn't understand, but they could learn by imitation. When they went back, they learned Zhou Mingli's words from their parents.
Upon hearing this, the villagers immediately recalled the events of last year when Zhou Mingli beat up Zhou Laoda and refused to collect his body, Zhou Laoda went to Zhou Laoer's house and smashed it up, and Jiang Zhiqing came to the house and smashed it up in return.
They shuddered and abandoned their desire to continue taking advantage of others.
Jiang Ci finally had a space to talk with Sister-in-law Yu, Aunt Lian, and the brigade leader who had rushed over.
Jiang Ci told them, "My second son and I have both found jobs in Beijing, and Yangyang and Miaomiao are also studying in Beijing."
Zhou Mingli sat on the bench and nodded in agreement with Jiang Ci's words.
The brigade leader said, "You've finally settled down in Beijing. Beijing is great, the national capital, much better than our little production team!"
Zhou Mingli instructed the brigade leader, "The higher-ups may reinstate the college entrance examination. I don't know how many educated youths in the team will leave. Maybe even married educated youths will choose to leave for the college entrance examination. Brother, you have to be mentally prepared."
"What?!" The captain was dumbfounded.
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