Chapter 108
The train slowly pulled into the small county town, and the platform was still bustling with people.
Chen Lanjun reached out and patted Feng Jun gently. After staring at the scenery outside the car window for a long time, Feng Jun came back to her senses and smiled at Chen Lanjun.
“It doesn’t look like much has changed.”
"Yes, I do."
Amid the station announcements and noisy voices, Chen Lanjun held her sister's hand and said, "Welcome home."
On the platform, my parents and younger sister were already waiting. Ever since they received Chen Lanjun's telegram, they had bought platform tickets and rushed to the city a day early, just to be the first to welcome their daughter who had been away from home for many years.
Mother Zheng Mei was holding a bunch of old green pomelo leaves in her hand, and she brushed them over Feng Jun with a smile on her face.
"Okay, okay, everything is fine."
The family gathered together, got on the modified tricycle that they had arranged in advance, and headed towards the village.
This type of modified tricycle has just become popular. It is actually just an iron shed built on the rear compartment, with wooden boards placed on three sides. People sit on it, and the engine hums forward.
It was the first time for Xixi to ride on such a modified tricycle. Her eyes were wide open and she smiled every time she felt a little bumpy.
"Mom, it's so fun."
Zheng Mei was originally afraid that she would be frightened, but when she saw that the little girl was not afraid at all, she smiled and said, "This is the courage of our girl."
She held Sissi in her arms affectionately and said, "The road ahead is not very good. It will be quite bumpy, just like what the song says, rocking and rocking until we reach Grandma's Bridge."
When we got to that section of road, it was really bumpy for a while, just like taking a boat. We finally got through it, and in a few minutes it was time to get off.
The Chen family's old house was bustling with activity. As soon as the family appeared on the path, firecrackers were lit. Sparks crackled in the white smoke. The house was filled with relatives and villagers from near and far, all of whom came forward to greet them with a smile on their faces.
"Ah, our big boss from Hong Kong is back!"
This time when returning home, Feng Jun was the undisputed protagonist. Chen Lanjun was happy to keep quiet and followed from a distance with her younger sister Zhujun to watch the fun.
"We have so many relatives in our family?" she asked her younger sister with a low smile.
The younger sister was also confused: "I don't know, I don't even know some of them."
Chen Lanjun smiled, knowing what was going on. They all came for the title of "Hong Kong's Big Boss".
With so many guests, it was impossible to hide away. She had to take out brown sugar to make brown sugar water, chat with the guests, and so on. Chen Lanjun had no choice but to pretend to entertain them.
At lunch time, the village party secretary also came. He was considered the most important person in the village. After some politeness, he sat in the seat of honor - a single chair.
"Oh, many years have passed. Our eldest sister has made a career outside and has returned with glory." The village party secretary smiled and did not mention a word about how Feng Jun violated the rules and escaped that year.
After some pleasantries, the village party secretary casually mentioned: "Speaking of which, the development of our village is still not sufficient. Look at the road at the entrance of the village. It is very bumpy and has seriously hindered the development of our village enterprises."
Chen Lanjun, who was eating meat nearby, stopped eating. The tone of her voice was... very subtle.
I guess the next step is to ask for money.
As expected, the next moment, the village party secretary said: "We have also communicated with the higher-level leaders, and they have allowed us to build the road, but the village must raise funds on its own. Ah Feng, your mother is the leader of the village factory, and you are the boss of Xiangjiang, can't you set an example?"
Zheng Mei's face looked a little unhappy. She wanted to say that the development of village enterprises was restricted by county policies. What was the point of talking about the road? Just as she was about to speak, she saw Chen Lanjun glanced at her and shook her head slightly.
I still endured it.
Feng Jun has also been exercising recently and said a few vague words, but did not say how much money he would donate.
After dinner, Zheng Mei complained to Feng Jun and Chen Lan Jun: "As soon as he came back, he came to our house to tell us all this. If my second sister hadn't stopped me just now, I would have questioned him. Now the factories in the village are almost shut down!"
Chen Lanjun handed over a bowl of brown sugar water: "Okay, calm down. It's not worth it to hurt yourself over this."
After Zheng Mei calmed down a bit, Chen Lanjun explained, "After all, he is the village party secretary, and we are all from the same village. This is not a personal matter, but a public matter. Besides, you and your parents will be living here for a long time. If you talk back in front of so many people, and it's Chinese New Year, you will just create a grudge."
Feng Jun also agreed: "Yes, I came back after such a long time, it's not easy to refuse right away."
If we really want to be serious, when Feng Jun fled to Hong Kong, the news was only possible thanks to the help of the village party secretary.
Zheng Mei was silent for a long time, and suddenly sighed: "Oh, forget it, you guys go and have a rest."
The New Year's Eve passed in great excitement, with firecrackers blasting all night long.
At dawn, Zheng Mei urged: "Get up quickly, people will be here to pay New Year's greetings soon."
Chen Lanjun had no choice but to change her clothes and wash up while half asleep.
Feng Jun has children, and according to local customs he has to give red envelopes to his younger generations. Relatives come to visit one after another, and the red envelopes are distributed like water.
Even though there was a return gift for Xixi, the red envelope only had five cents when it was opened, while Feng Jun's red envelope was at least fifty cents.
It is truly the experience of a boy who gives away money.
Chen Lanjun doesn't usually interact with her relatives much, but this time she met all of them, and her smile was a little stiff.
Just as I was thinking about how to sneak out, I suddenly heard an excited female voice outside the door: "Is Alan there? Happy New Year!"
Turning around, Chen Lanjun breathed a sigh of relief and immediately went to meet him.
"Wow, you guys are finally here."
The visitors were high school friends Liu Li and Cao Hongyao.
When old friends meet, they are bound to be happy.
Liu Li punched Chen Lanjun and said, "You are the first to complain. I didn't see you come back last year."
"Haha, it's my fault. I've prepared some apology for you. Here."
Leading them to the bedroom at the back, Chen Lanjun took out a large bag of snacks from the cupboard: "Eat whatever you want. These are snacks exported to Hong Kong. That one is chocolate imported from abroad. I brought it especially for you two."
The radio was turned on, and the three of them sat or lay down, eating and chatting, accompanied by the song "Sweet, your smile is so sweet, like flowers blooming in the spring breeze".
They have kept in touch through letters over the past two years, but because they each have their own lives, their relationship has actually become a little distant.
Eating snacks and chatting together at this moment, it feels like we are back in high school.
"How are your academic performance?" asked Cao Hongyao.
"Tsk, class monitor, can you change the subject to something lighter?" Liu Li said, "When you start talking, I feel like I'm back to the college entrance examination."
Cao Hongyao glared at her: "I said one thing, and you said a lot. Actually, I want to ask, do you want to go abroad?"
"As for me, I don't really want it, but it wouldn't be bad to have it." Liu Li asked Chen Lanjun, "What about you?"
Chen Lanjun shook her head: "I don't have that plan for now."
Cao Hongyao said: "Actually... I'm already trying for it now."
"Eh, really?" Liu Li came over, "Then you should be able to go. After all, you are still very good, just a little bit worse than me."
"screw you."
After joking around, Liu Li asked with a sly smile, "Let me ask you a common question. Do you have... that one person you like? I have to admit that I don't have one."
Cao Hongyao was both angry and amused: "No, you're the only one who likes to gossip."
It was Chen Lanjun's turn to speak, but she didn't say anything for two seconds.
Liu Li's eyes lit up immediately: "Tell me the truth, do you have any situation?"
"No way, Sister Lan, what's wrong?"
Chen Lanjun cleared her throat and said, "Nothing much, just that there is probably a reserve player."
"What kind of person is he? Do we know each other? Is he also a college student?" Liu Li asked a series of questions.
"No, you ask too many questions." Chen Lanjun said with a smile, "He's not bad, a handsome guy."
Cao Hongyao's expression was somewhat serious. She said, "Alan, it's okay to find a revolutionary partner, but you can't let someone hinder your future."
Chen Lanjun laughed out loud: "Don't worry."
"That's right. Don't you see who our Sister Lan is?" Liu Li said with a smile.
…
They laughed and joked until late at night, when Cao Hongyao and Liu Li reluctantly left.
After watching the two people go away, Chen Lanjun returned to her room and wrote a letter to Shao Qinghe by candlelight.
I briefly talked about the New Year's celebrations in my hometown and expressed my greetings.
Seal the envelope and prepare to mail it in two days when you go to town to pay New Year's greetings.
What Chen Lanjun didn't expect was that on the third day of the New Year, Zheng Mei came to find her with a stern face.
"Second sister, I've thought it through. Let's go to Pengcheng. There are still a few days before the New Year, so let's go and see the house you bought first."
This change was a bit unexpected, and Chen Lanjun asked: "Did something happen?"
Zheng Mei just sneered: "Nothing, I just think people tend to move to higher places, bigger places, where it's easier to develop."
She went out to pay New Year's greetings in the morning, and someone actually wanted to be a matchmaker for Chen Lanjun?
He also said, "I know your second sister is a college student, but she is a girl after all. This family also has a household registration in Suicheng, and there are cadres in the family, so she will definitely not be bad."
A face that shows the emperor's grace.
Zheng Mei simply couldn't understand how this man had the nerve to casually talk about her outstanding daughter to someone else and act as if he was marrying above his station.
After Zheng Mei flatly refused, the man couldn't hold back his face and said, "Oh, don't be so arrogant. I don't really want to introduce you to someone else. After all, your family only has three daughters. No matter how much money you make, it will be given to other families. Let's see what you will do in the future!"
…
It’s New Year’s Day, you should just curse!
The words were so harsh that Zheng Mei scolded him harshly.
She didn't want to tell Chen Lanjun about all this nonsense, so she just said, "I'll go see if there are any train tickets while we still have a few days off. Let's go and investigate, mainly to see if my little sister can find a school that will accept her."
Since Zheng Mei had thought it through, Chen Lanjun naturally had no objection.
As for the train ticket, of course I couldn't buy it. Fortunately, I had an acquaintance who worked at the railway, so I asked him to take me to the train and then buy the ticket, and we went straight to Pengcheng City.
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