Chapter 87: Entrance Banquet (Changed Date) I, I, you can’t even hear it…
Chapter 87: Admission Banquet (Changed Date)
"Brother?"
"Get in the car~" Yan Jiuru leaned over and opened the car door.
Little Ruyue smiled brightly, scrambling onto her seat and smugly waving at the quarreling children. "I'm taking the bus home now. I'll come back tomorrow!"
Yan Jiuru couldn't help but shake his head. He was really impressed by how someone could take a break during a fight.
"Why aren't you home so late? What are you arguing about?"
As the little girl chattered on, the jeep slowly stopped at the back door.
Yan Jiuru opened the gate himself and parked the car in the backyard.
Only then did Ruyue get out of the car and run to the front yard to report the news.
"Ga, ga, ga~"
"Quack, quack, stupid goose, it's been so long and you still don't recognize me?"
"Who told you not to stay home so often?"
His father was holding a flashlight and was in a hurry, not having time to put on his shoes. His mother and his second and third brothers were following behind him.
Seeing her son looking back, his mother hurriedly said, "Your wife is pregnant, and you didn't let her out in the dark. Your grandparents were a little tired from working around the yard today and just rested, so they didn't ask anyone to call her."
"Well, I'm glad everything is alright."
Yan Jiuru first handed the roast duck to his mother, "Mom, make me some food."
"Oh, it's so late and you haven't eaten yet? Why didn't you tell me earlier? You must be starving..." His mother hurriedly took the roast duck and went back to make food for her eldest son.
Yan Jiuru opened the trunk and moved things downstairs under the light of the car lights.
Dad Yan picked up a basket of pineapples and said, "This thing is quite heavy."
"Put it on the ground first. I'll come later. Don't hurt your back."
"That's not possible. Your father is not old enough to sprain his back easily." Yan's father was not happy to hear this, as if he was in his seventies or eighties.
"Where do you put them, big brother?" Rushan has grown a lot taller this year and has more strength. He can easily lift a basket of green dates.
"Move everything to the front room first, and we'll deal with it tomorrow."
There are many people in the family and they are strong, so we can finish the job in just a few trips.
Yan Jiuru glanced at the dark backyard and said, "The backyard needs some light. I'll find some wiring materials to connect the lights tomorrow."
Yan's father asked hurriedly, "You won't be working starting tomorrow, right?
School is about to start in a few days, and your mother and I were thinking about setting up two tables for the neighbors as a token of our appreciation."
"Let Yinyin and I discuss whether to separate our colleagues, relatives, and neighbors or make some other arrangements."
That means he can show off, and Yan's father is very happy.
***
Yan Jiuru has a huge appetite, and the leftovers at home are not enough for him to fill his stomach.
Since cooking is not so quick, Yan Jiuru asked his two younger brothers to go to a nearby bathhouse to take a bath.
When I came back after washing, the food was already ready.
"Home-cooked food is still delicious~" Yan Jiuru put a large chopstick of scrambled eggs with green onions into his mouth. They were all produced at home and were fragrant.
I've been living at the seaside lately, eating fish, shrimp, crabs and other things every day. It's really enough.
"I didn't know you were coming back in advance, so we didn't prepare anything at home." Grandma Yan got up specially to see her eldest grandson. Seeing that he was eating with relish, she felt sorry that her daughter-in-law didn't kill chickens or ducks or anything.
"Mom, the weather is getting warmer soon, and the chickens, ducks, and geese have all started laying eggs. How can we just kill them? I was thinking of waiting for the hens to start brooding and then hatching some chicks. That would be perfect for Yinyin to eat during her confinement period."
"That's right, it's okay to raise two more litters."
***
Have a good night's sleep.
It was rare for Yan Jiuru to sleep until he woke up naturally.
Physical exertion is a small matter. The main thing is that I am always on edge while doing the task, and I can only completely relax when I get home.
This is only because I am young and energetic, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to handle it.
His father went to queue up early in the morning to buy half a lamb chop, three pounds of pork belly, and a chicken.
The neighbors were all shopping at a grocery store. Seeing him like this, they were curious and asked, "Uncle Yan, are you celebrating the festival or have guests? Why are you buying so much?"
Father Yan said cheerfully: "Isn't this my eldest son who has returned? He hasn't been eating or sleeping well while on a mission outside, so I'm going to give him some nourishment."
"Oh, hey, your eldest brother is back? Didn't he get into college?"
"Yes, I got admitted to Yancheng University. I got the admission letter back. Hahaha, let's talk about it another day. I have to hurry back to cook meat for the kids..."
Everyone looked at Yan Dad's hurriedly departing figure and sighed, "There's really no comparison. When they first moved here, they were farmers, but in the past two years, they've become a family of scholars."
Isn't it a change of venue?
If any family has two college graduates from top universities, it can be said that they are a family of scholars.
Although scholarly families have suffered in recent years, in the eyes of many families with some financial resources, scholarly families are still superior.
***
Yan Jiuru first discussed the dinner invitation with Chen Yin.
Chen Yin was worried.
"It's better for us to keep a low profile, but our leaders and colleagues all know about it. If we don't show our support, they might think we're no longer in the spotlight now that we've been admitted to university. But if we hold a banquet, won't people say we're too high-profile?"
Yan Jiuru stretched out his long arm, half-embracing her and said with a smile, "This matter is suitable for high-profile publicity. The higher-ups have already seen the huge flaw and crisis of the talent gap and are trying to cultivate a trend of valuing education throughout society. We can follow their lead."
It’s just that higher education has been neglected for so many years, it’s easy to recruit students but difficult to find teachers.
In the past few years, many experts, scholars, and professors were persecuted. Although they have been working to rehabilitate and restore their reputation, treatment, and status in the past year, it is not easy to expect people who have been severely traumatized and whose dignity has been trampled upon to forgive the past and come when they are called or dismissed at will.
Many mistakes have already happened, and correcting them does not mean that the harm has gone away.
Chen Yin also sighed softly, "I've also heard that it's normal to harbor resentment. As long as you're willing to teach students, even if it's just what's in the textbook, it's fine."
As for educating people, you don’t have to think too much about it.
When teachers and professors are criticized, beaten and harmed by students, etiquette and music are doomed to collapse, and trust will inevitably break down.
No one will deliver sincerity again.
Anyone who has been backstabbed understands.
On the contrary, those who have been treated like this but still have no resentment, are still polite and work hard, they are either sincere and honest people rarely seen in a thousand years, or they are the kind of people who endure hardships and work hard to achieve their goals because "it is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge".
As the saying goes, it is better to destroy a person's heart than to kill him. Let's wait and see in ten or twenty years. Without using knives or guns, perhaps we can destroy a generation or even two or three generations!
It’s terrifying when you think about it!
Yan Jiuru pulled his thoughts back to normal and returned to the matter of treating everyone to a meal.
"I think we should combine forces and invite a group of people from our two units to a restaurant, and then we can get some from our neighbors and acquaintances. What do you think?"
Chen Yin thought for a moment and suggested, "Why not find a big restaurant and entertain guests on two floors? One floor is for colleagues from work, and the other floor is for neighbors and friends. They can all serve the same dishes, so people won't say we're being discriminatory."
"Alright, you're worthy of being a secretary to a big boss, you're so thoughtful. I'm ashamed of myself~"
Yan Jiuru stood up and bowed to his wife.
Chen Yin laughed and scolded him: "Go, don't let the child learn bad things."
"That's impossible. If they could really learn even a fraction of my skill in coaxing my wife, it would be a blessing."
***
Having decided to treat guests, Yan Jiuru hurried out to find a place.
It was probably because they arranged the dinner too late, so most restaurants were empty.
After Yan Jiuru studied the menus of several large restaurants, he took Chen Yin to try the dishes, and finally the two agreed to set the venue at Yancheng Hotel.
Although the food here is more expensive, the portions are good. There is an ample supply of chicken, duck, fish, shrimp and crab. The chefs are all national-level and the taste is very good. It is no big deal to entertain more than ten tables at a time.
"It's a pity that we got married too early. Otherwise, it would be so nice and grand to hold it here."
When Yan Jiuru saw a couple holding their wedding here, he couldn't help but feel envious and wished he could hold another wedding banquet with his wife.
"...why don't you just think of our treat as another round of drinking?"
Chen Yin was speechless.
She didn't say anything, but he, a grown man, was envious.
Yan Jiuru defended herself, "I'm just envious. I feel sorry for you. If you wore that dress, you would be a hundred times more beautiful than the bride!"
"You mean, I'm not beautiful now?" Chen Yin smiled.
Yan Jiuru was full of desire to survive, "That's not it, I mean you are already beautiful, and wearing this wedding dress makes you even more beautiful."
"Hmph!" Chen Yin touched her visibly bulging belly and secretly took note of this.
***
After booking a restaurant, Yan Jiuru chose the date himself and chose Sunday the 22nd for the dinner party at noon.
Today is the 17th.
Grandpa Yan made a request: "This is a big deal. We must notify your second uncle and your father-in-law to come."
Their family has moved here for two years and has never been back to their hometown. It is impossible for them to say that they don't miss it.
It’s a good opportunity to meet with relatives.
"Okay, just call and ask Ruchun's family to come along. Once the statistics are collected, please let me know and I'll find someone to buy the tickets."
Their brigade had electricity last year, and a telephone was installed at the brigade headquarters at the beginning of this year.
Long-distance calls are a bit expensive, but since you only make one once in a while, it's not a big deal.
As a result, both his father and grandfather wanted to go.
Yan Jiuru waved his hand and said, "Then let's go together."
He drove with his grandparents and his parents.
He first dropped off a few elderly people at the telegraph building, arranged them to wait for the call, and instructed his parents, "Someone come get some paper and write it down so I can buy the tickets. Oh, and remember to ask them for a letter of introduction."
"Go and do your own thing. Your father-in-law doesn't know any better than you do."
Yan's father drove the man away in disgust.
After all, he has been in Yancheng for two years, and he can't handle such a small thing?
Who are you looking down on?!
Yan Jiuru was indeed busy, so he drove Chen Yin to the Municipal Party Committee Office Building, arranged a time to pick her up, and then drove to Institute 107 to ask for help.
***
"There are twelve people in my unit, and most of them bring their families. I estimate there are seven or eight children, including ours. How about yours?"
Chen Yin took out a list and said, "The two old leaders might give me some face. After all, they still remember the time when we saved people from the Red Guards. There are five other secretarial groups, and I think four of them have families with them. There are five or six children."
Nowadays, most families have more than one child, so many families are willing to bring their children to college banquets to add a touch of culture.
"Then, arrange two more tables for the children. There are quite a few children in this alley. Remember to ask the restaurant to prepare half of the seats for children in advance, and adjust the dishes for the children."
***
Xinghua Brigade now has not only electricity but also telephones.
I didn't catch the excitement of applying to university last year, but I did catch the exam results and admission letters.
This phone has never been idle.
People from all over the world were fighting with each other, some passed the exam and some didn’t, some were crying and some were laughing, it really shows the different aspects of life.
Secretary Chen has always been thinking about his daughter and son-in-law. He knows that both of them have applied for the exam, but there has been no news.
I didn't dare to ask.
Today, the team leader took the members to work in the fields, and Secretary Chen was sitting by the phone thinking about this matter.
“Ring, ring, ring—”
The phone suddenly rang, startling Secretary Chen.
He stared at the phone for a moment before picking it up. "Hello, this is the Xinghua Brigade. Where are you from?"
"I'm talking about in-laws. It's me. Can't you hear me?"
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