Chapter 120
As the Spring Festival was approaching, Grandpa Han learned from others that a group of intellectuals were allowed to return home.
There is a difference between being allowed to return home and being rehabilitated. The former can only stay at home, while the latter can get sympathy and compensation from the whole society. But no matter which one it is, it’s good to be able to come back. Being able to come back means that good days are not far away for them.
Ever since Grandpa Han learned about this, he has had people keeping an eye on Qingzhu Village. As soon as he heard that Deng Guoyuan and others had returned, Grandpa Han asked Han Shengyi and Secretary Lin to go to the train station to pick them up.
People are forgotten when they leave. After leaving the capital city for so many years, when they came back, their family members didn't know what happened, and their friends knew but didn't dare to get too close. In the end, only the old friends who were sent down with them still remembered them.
Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao have been in the military area recently, so only Han Shengyi went there. Deng Guoyuan and Fang Weiping remained the same, only Xiao Ning had some more white hair on his head.
Upon returning to the capital, Xiao Ning knelt down and burst into tears at the train station. Everyone tried to persuade her, but after a long time, she finally stood up. Han Shengyi had originally wanted to take all three of them back to the Han family. Grandma Han had prepared a table of dishes to welcome them, but Xiao Ning was worried about her parents and daughter, so she had no intention of eating at someone else's house. In the end, only Fang Weiping, who was alone, returned with Han Shengyi.
Although they both returned to their hometown, Fang Weiping was not as excited as Xiao Ning and Deng Guoyuan. He was quite calm. He only sighed after not seeing his favorite disciple Chu Jiujiu.
Later, he learned that his favorite disciple not only did not study literature in depth, but instead devoted himself to history. He was so angry that he couldn't eat his third bowl of rice.
…
At the dinner table, the three members of the Han family and Fang Weiping sat together, and Grandpa Han asked about the recent situation of the people in Qingzhu Village.
"You three are back, but where's Old Song? Why can't I see him?"
Fang Weiping explained as he ate his rice, "Uncle Song was taken away last December. Just like when you left, many soldiers came."
Hearing this, Grandpa Han and Grandma Han couldn't help but look at each other.
The fact that the People's Liberation Army was dispatched shows that Song Chaoxin was an extraordinary figure. However, Grandpa Han has been in officialdom for such a long time and has never heard of the name Song Chaoxin. What did he do before?
Grandpa Han has been troubled by this question for a long time. He doesn't know, and neither does Grandma Han. They thought Fang Weiping should know the answer since they live in the same house together. But when they asked him, they found out that he was just like the old couple, and knew nothing about anything.
This is interesting.
It turned out that they had lived together in a cowshed for several years, and had never even found out what the other did.
Seeing how eager he was to eat, Grandma Han picked up a piece of food for him with her chopsticks and said, "Eat slowly. No one's trying to snatch it from you. So, Xiao Fang, where are you staying this time when you come back? I heard from Xiao Ning that you used to live in the school dormitory, but now... you can't go back to school for a while. Have you decided where to stay?"
Fang Weiping was at a loss for a moment, then said, "I'll stay at my brother's house for a few days. I'll move in once I find a place to live."
Grandpa Han asked again: "You have a good relationship with your brother?"
Fang Weiping nodded. "My brother and sister-in-law are also teachers. When I was sent down to the countryside, my brother tried to pay money to get me out, but he failed."
Upon hearing this, everyone understood. Even though they were brothers after many years of separation, the emotional foundation was still there, so there shouldn't be any problems.
Despite this, Grandma Han still said, "If you have any difficulties, just come to Old Han. I may not be able to help you with other things, but I can definitely find you a place to stay temporarily."
Fang Weiping nodded and said nothing more.
Han Shengyi was sitting across from Fang Weiping. After seeing his grandparents finish their questions, he started asking, "How are everyone in the village doing?"
Fang Weiping: "I don't know."
"Has anything changed in the village?"
Fang Weiping: "I don't know."
“…”
"Teacher Fang, you must know one or two of the major events that have happened recently, right?"
This time, Fang Weiping didn't answer that he didn't know. He thought about it and found two things that he had heard of but was not sure whether they were big deals or not.
"Well... the captain led his men to build a few boiler rooms in the village, but he did it in secret. I never heard what they were going to be used for after they were built."
The three members of the Han family: "..."
It's the same as not saying anything.
The boiler room is where power is provided. The captain is a very just man. He has his own reasons for everything he does.
Grandma Han hasn't seen the people from Qingzhu Village for two years, and she really misses them a little. However, if she is asked to go back, it would be better to kill her.
Grandma Han asked, "What else? Is the harvest good this year?"
"It's okay. There was too much rain in the summer, so the harvest was partially poor," Fang Weiping said. "The town refused to reduce the grain tax. Later, Comrade Li Yan went to the town and argued for it, and only then did everyone get more food."
I haven't heard the name Li Yan for a long time.
After being used by Chen Sanzhu, Li Yan never mentioned returning to the city or leaving the village. When the Han and Chu families were still staying in Qingzhu Village, she had become extremely low-key and just worked hard every day. Some people in the village changed their views on her, but some still hated her. Li Yan didn't care at all, and she really seemed to be able to see through life.
I thought she would remain unknown, but unexpectedly, after they left Qingzhu Village, Li Yan actually started to think about the villagers and do things for them.
It’s true... girls change a lot when they grow up.
This adjective is not quite appropriate, but in the short term, Grandma Han can't think of any other adjective that better describes Li Yan's situation.
…
After Fang Weiping finished his meal, he said goodbye to the Han family. Han Shengyi then sent him to his brother's house. After seeing the two brothers excitedly meet and hug each other, Han Shengyi returned to his own home.
When he came back, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening. Grandpa Han and Grandma Han were in the living room. Han Shengyi did not avoid them and sat next to the coffee table. He picked up the phone and dialed Nie Bai's home number.
It was difficult to answer the phone in the military district, as it had to go through several hands. Finally, Liu Yuzhen picked up the phone. When she heard it was Han Shengyi, she turned around and shouted to Chu Jiujiu outside the yard without waiting for Han Shengyi to say anything next.
"Jiujiu! Shengyi's call!"
Han Shengyi: “…”
After not seeing her for a few months, Liu Yuzhen's voice became even louder.
Chu Jiujiu is playing skipping rope with Erbao. In the era when there were no games, Chu Jiujiu finally understood why people could develop so many different skipping rope tricks. It was all because they had free time.
She usually runs, and Erbao also runs. Originally, Chu Jiujiu thought she was flexible enough and should be able to beat Erbao, but she stayed at the Nie family for two days and she never beat Erbao once.
Not to mention winning, even bringing the score to the same level is impossible.
Hearing Liu Yuzhen's shout, Chu Jiujiu slammed on the brakes, threw the rope to Erbao, and ran into the house panting.
Chu Jiujiu took the phone from Liu Yuzhen, still out of breath, "Hello, Brother Shengyi, what's the matter?"
Han Shengyi listened to her obviously abnormal breathing rhythm and paused, "Are you competing with Erbao in skipping rope again?"
Chu Jiujiu was so tired that she sat down on the ground. Liu Yuzhen, who was next to her, saw this, patted her butt, and then stuffed a cushion underneath her.
"Well," Chu Jiujiu replied while raising her body, "I can't compare. No matter how I compare, I can't. Sigh, I guess I can only face reality."
Han Shengyi: "When we lost seven games in a row yesterday, you should have faced reality."
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
She stopped talking. Han Shengyi continued, "It's so late, and you're still dancing outside. It's so cold. Do you have a coat?"
He had brought up this issue yesterday and was caught red-handed, leading to a three-minute lecture. Thinking back to the lecture yesterday, Chu Jiujiu held the receiver unhappily, "Of course I wore it. It's not like I don't remember."
Han Shengyi chuckled, "I know your memory is selective."
Chu Jiujiu: "If you insult me again, I will ignore you."
Han Shengyi changed his words in a second, "I was wrong."
It was so refreshing that Chu Jiujiu didn't feel any sense of victory at all.
When Grandma Han heard Han Shengyi say these three words, she couldn't help but shift her gaze from the TV to Han Shengyi.
It is deep winter now and the weather is very cold. It is okay indoors, but you still have to wear a sweater. Han Shengyi took off his coat when he came in just now. Now he is wearing a brown sweater knitted by Grandma Han and a contrasting scarf knitted for him by Chu Jiujiu.
Chu Jiujiu's craftsmanship is getting better and better every year. Knitting scarves has become her compulsory course every winter. The colors and patterns are different every year. This year, Chu Jiujiu learned a new skill from somewhere and even weaved plaids of different colors on the scarf.
A long scarf, which she knitted with four kinds of wool, blue, gray, black and white, in pairs of squares. A row of tassels was woven at the end. Chu Jiujiu said that this was a popular pattern in foreign countries, called... Eight Treasures Brand Color.
Grandma Han didn't understand what she was saying, and she couldn't understand how Eight Treasure Porridge could be related to blue-gray, but it was undeniable that the scarf was really beautiful.
When Chu Shao came back from the military region, he asked Chu Jiujiu for it when he saw it, but Chu Jiujiu glanced at him and said that this was Han Shengyi's exclusive scarf. If he wanted it, he could either knit it himself or ask someone else to knit it for him.
No matter how dumb one is, he should have noticed something after hearing this. Chu Shao knew that she was hinting at him to go to Wen Xiuwei to ask for it. He was a little unsure whether Chu Jiujiu knew about their relationship, but now, he no longer had to doubt it.
Their current situation is that Chu Shao knows that Chu Jiujiu and the others already know about his relationship with Wen Xiuwei, but they pretend not to know. Chu Jiujiu and the others also know that Chu Shao knows that these people already know about his relationship with Wen Xiuwei, but they also pretend not to know.
…
Fortunately, this is not a TV series and there are not many dramatic plots. Otherwise, if it were repeated a few times, even the parties involved would be confused.
Logically speaking, there was no need to keep it secret any longer, but they couldn't find the right time to break the window paper. Moreover, everyone felt comfortable in the current atmosphere, so no one wanted to be the first to make things public.
As a result, poor Grandma Han is still kept in the dark by everyone.
She didn't know that the two people over there were already secretly in love, and her attention was still on her own grandson.
Han Shengyi told Chu Jiujiu that Xiao Ning and the others had returned, and repeated to her what Fang Weiping had said. Chu Jiujiu was surprised, and the two of them talked back and forth for half an hour while holding the phone.
If the person who made such a call was Erbao, Liu Yuzhen would have started scolding her long ago, but this was Chu Jiujiu, and Liu Yuzhen was embarrassed to say anything to her. She could only watch her family's communication bill rise rapidly.
No matter how much it increases, it's only a few dollars a month, Nie Bai can afford it, and Liu Yuzhen knows this, but she is a typical mother image, kind and frugal. When she meets Chu Jiujiu, who doesn't manage the household and doesn't know how expensive firewood and rice are, she feels both surprised and heartbroken.
Chu Jiujiu would never stop talking once she started, so every time, Han Shengyi would watch the time and stop her when it was time, telling her that it was time to go to bed, take a shower, close the doors and windows, lie down on the bed after showering, cover herself with a quilt, and don't catch a cold at night.
Grandma Han was far away, so she couldn't hear what Chu Jiujiu said on the other end. She could only see the smile on Han Shengyi's face gradually grow wider. After waiting patiently for a while, he hummed softly, "I know. Go to sleep. I'll take you there when you come back."
After a few more words, Han Shengyi put down the receiver and stood up. He said to Grandpa Han and Grandma Han: "Grandpa and grandma, I'm going upstairs."
Grandpa Han's eyes were glued to the newspaper. He nodded and said, "Go ahead, go to bed early and don't stay up late."
Han Shengyi: "I know, don't worry."
After saying that, he smiled at Grandma Han again, then turned and walked up the stairs.
Grandma Han watched him go upstairs. When she heard the door close, she was silent for a while, then slowly stood up, walked to the seat closest to Grandpa Han, and sat down.
With her arms propped up on the armrest, Grandma Han asked Grandpa Han, "Old Han, have you noticed that Shengyi is getting more and more involved in Jiujiu?"
Grandpa Han didn't even look up. After two seconds, he replied absentmindedly, "Keep it. I'll eat it tomorrow morning."
Grandma Han: “…”
With a rustle, Grandma Han snatched the newspaper from Grandpa Han's hand. Grandpa Han was startled and looked quite innocent. "What's wrong?"
Grandma Han suddenly had the urge to ignore him, but if she ignored him, she couldn't tell anyone else about this.
After repeating her question, Grandma Han looked at Grandpa Han sinisterly, as if she was going to cut off his ears and eat them if he heard it wrong again.
Grandpa Han: "...Really? They've always had a good relationship. It seems to me that they're still the same as before."
Grandma Han: "Are your eyes just for decoration?"
Grandpa Han: “…”
Grandma Han continued, "You're always busy outside, and you never even look after the house. How can things be the same as before? Right now, Chu Shao and Xiu Wei have a better relationship in our family. Ever since Jiujiu got older, Chu Shao doesn't really care about her, unless it involves safety or matters of principle. But Shengyi, on the other hand, does the opposite of Chu Shao. I think he's getting more hands-on every year, and Jiujiu hasn't gotten angry with him, so he's a good-tempered person."
Seeing that Grandma Han was speaking so seriously, Grandpa Han couldn't help but recall. It seemed... it seemed like that. There really wasn't much change before. It was starting last year. Han Shengyi, apart from going to work, kept an eye on Chu Jiujiu. He took better care of her than Chu Liqiang.
Thinking about it this way, Grandpa Han also felt strange. Han Shengyi was not the kind of person who liked to meddle in other people's affairs. When Chu Jiujiu was a child, it was because he was very easy-going and only listened but not talked. He was a particularly good listener. But now the listener has become a manager. Chu Jiujiu herself has not realized it yet because she is used to being with Han Shengyi. When she realizes it, it is estimated that a personal awakening movement will be launched at home.
…
Thinking of this, Grandpa Han became calm again.
He snorted, "Who cares? It'll just be a couple of days. Shengyi's working now, and the people he interacts with have changed. It's normal for his personality to change a little. It's okay. It's normal for children to make a fuss. Don't think too much about it. It's nothing."
Grandma Han looked at him with dismay, "Why don't you just stand and talk without any pain in your back?"
She and Grandpa Han had completely different priorities. Grandpa Han was concerned about whether Chu Jiujiu would be angry, while Grandma Han was focused on why Han Shengyi had suddenly changed. One's own grandson knew Han Shengyi well. He looked like his father, practically cut from the same mold, but he hadn't inherited his father's gentle and kind nature at all. Instead, he inherited more of Ruan Mengru.
She hated Ruan Mengru, but she had to admit that this woman was so scheming and very tolerant. Before she reported it, Grandma Han never knew that she was so ruthless and ungrateful to her own family, and she had no feelings at all for her husband and son.
She is good at pretending, and Han Shengyi is also particularly good at pretending. She will never give up to achieve her goal, and Han Shengyi will also never give up to achieve his goal. The only difference is that Han Shengyi is still principled deep in his bones, while Ruan Mengru has no principles or bottom line.
Therefore, Grandma Han knew that Han Shengyi always had his own purpose in doing things. Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu both had their own hobbies, but Han Shengyi did not. He would not do things based on his interests, but only based on his purpose and the results after repeated calculations and analysis.
So the question is, what is his purpose in controlling Chu Jiujiu so much? Could it be that he wants to control Chu Jiujiu and make her listen to him?
Grandma Han was only half right.
He really wanted Chu Jiujiu to listen to him more, but he never thought of controlling her.
No longer attending school together, the time they spent together was greatly reduced. Chu Shao didn't mind this because they were family. Even if they were thousands of miles apart and hadn't seen each other for decades, they were still family, and their feelings for each other wouldn't diminish at all. But Han Shengyi was different. He was just Chu Jiujiu's friend and nominally a neighbor's brother. If the two of them were apart for too long, he would feel unhappy that he was being replaced.
Two years ago, Chu Jiujiu had had the same thought. Her response was to act like a spoiled child with Han Shengyi, telling him what she was thinking. Once she did, everything was fine. Han Shengyi's response was to secretly spend more time with her, chatting with her more, and intervening in every little detail of her life, trying to get her used to his presence and make her listen to him, and only him.
This should be the first time that Han Shengyi's desire for control and possessiveness took over. He was not a good person, nor was he a generous person. He was easy-going on some issues, but extremely strong on others. Otherwise, he would not have been able to reach that position in his previous life.
After all, he is still young. Although he looks experienced in doing things, he is still reckless. He forgot that Chu Jiujiu is not the person he wants to use, and he also forgot that he cannot afford the backlash after failure against Chu Jiujiu.
——
Wen Xiuwei had been staying at her teacher's house these days, saying she wouldn't be back until the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. Chu Shao wouldn't be on holiday until around that time either. Chu Jiujiu had been off long ago, but she'd stayed in the military area for several days before returning to the city. When she came back, she brought Dabao and Erbao with her. She'd come back today because she'd made an appointment with Qi Baozhu to go shopping at the department store and buy some New Year's items. Erbao had agreed to come along, and Liu Yuzhen had kicked Dabao over to protect Erbao.
I don’t know if it’s because of her age or because Chu Jiujiu appears frequently, but Qi Baozhu is not as resistant to strangers as before. When she is with Erbao, she can even say a few words.
Erbao is a very likable little girl. In her eyes, everyone is the same, which makes Qi Baozhu feel less stressed. To be fair, she likes Erbao very much. The only difference is that Erbao's brother looks fierce. When he appears, Qi Baozhu dare not speak.
Chu Jiujiu was also a little helpless. After they shopped for the whole morning, Chu Jiujiu sent Dabao home on the pretext that he had bought too many things.
Apart from looking fierce, Dabao has all the other advantages. He cares for his younger sister and respects his older sister. He carries bags when he should and pays when he should. He is a particularly obedient little brother when shopping.
Now that people didn't want to take him with them, he didn't complain at all. He took all kinds of cakes and snacks and went back to the Chu family.
After he left, the three of them smiled at each other. Chu Jiujiu asked Erbao, "Why is Aunt Nie still so protective of you?"
You're already fourteen, so you should be able to relax a little.
Erbao pouted and complained, "It's all because of that person. I get bullied at school, and my mom is worried. She always thinks I'll get bullied outside too."
That person refers specifically to the person who bullied Erbao when he first entered school. In their class, except for this classmate, everyone else was very nice to Erbao.
Chu Jiujiu had heard this many times, but Qi Baozhu heard it for the first time, "Who is that person?"
Chu Jiujiu turned around and explained to her, "There was a bully in Erbao's class. He started by pulling her braids and playing pranks on her. Later, he was beaten up by Dabao, but he still wouldn't stop."
Qi Baozhu was a little stunned, "Is there no one in charge?"
It's so lawless.
Chu Jiujiu touched her nose. "This... there's nothing I can do about it. After that guy got beaten up, he stopped playing pranks. He just made some sarcastic remarks, like saying she wasn't dressed well, had yellow hair, or was a yellow-haired girl. Whenever he said that, Dabao would beat him up. If the incident got out of hand, that guy's father would beat him up too. Over the years, Dabao has beaten him so much that he has lost his temper. Now he can say whatever he wants, and Dabao doesn't even want to pay attention to him."
Qi Baozhu: “…”
She was puzzled. "Is there something wrong with this guy's brain?"
Chu Jiujiu felt like she had found a soulmate. "That's exactly what I thought. I was born to be indebted."
Erbao: "Actually, I can fight back now, and the whole class is on my side. He hardly talks to me anymore. Before the final exam, someone stole my pencil, and he helped me find the thief and returned it to me."
"But my mom still thinks I'm someone who's easily bullied, so she always asks my brother to follow me. It's unnecessary. If there's real danger, I can beat up a few people."
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
Qi Baozhu: “…”
They believed this, after all, Erbao's roundhouse kick had been practiced to perfection.
The three of them were wandering around the street. When lunch time came, they didn't know where to go. Qi Baozhu seldom went out, and Erbao was not a local. The only guide they could rely on was Chu Jiujiu.
But Chu Jiujiu didn’t know where to go for dinner, so she could only go wherever the opportunity presented itself.
Arriving outside a state-owned restaurant with carved beams and painted buildings, Erbao looked at the imposing plaque and sighed, "This must be very expensive. We can't afford it."
Chu Jiujiu also looked up and said sadly, "You are right."
Qi Baozhu also raised her head and turned her gaze slightly. She was stunned for a moment, then called Chu Jiujiu: "Um, is that Han Shengyi?"
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