After stirring things up, Ji Xia rode his bike back to the brigade feeling refreshed.
Upon seeing her, the villagers shouted to her, "The college student is back! Sister Chen, your college student is back!"
Ji Xia spotted Chen's mother and quickly stopped her bicycle, asking, "Mom, do you have the admission notice?"
Chen's mother wiped the sweat from her face: "No, the pass was signed for by your father and it's at your parents' house."
"Then I'll go home and come back for dinner tonight."
"Okay, go ahead!"
Chen's mother smiled and agreed, watching Ji Xia ride away on her bicycle before bending down to continue her farm work.
Someone nearby whispered a reminder: "Your daughter-in-law is leaving soon. You should have your third son keep a close eye on her, lest she fly away and leave you with nothing."
"You're overthinking it. This time, not only is Xia going to the capital, but the third brother is going too."
Chen's mother chuckled dismissively, much to the surprise of the village women nearby.
"Is your third son also coming to the capital?"
"Ji Xia is going to study, what's your son doing there? Going to the capital for fun?"
"Studying takes several years; you can't just stop working and play around in the capital for years, can you?"
Everyone looked on with suspicion, but Chen's mother relaxed and explained happily, "He found a way in the capital several months ago, and I heard that he will have work to do this time."
“Not only will A-Jing accompany me, but I also plan to bring a few companions along to Beijing to find connections. A-Xia also has friends in Beijing.”
Before long, Ji Xia and Chen Jing discovered that many young men from the brigade were specifically seeking them out, wanting to go to the capital with them to make a living.
Ji Xia and Chen Jing were puzzled by the questions posed by the villagers who came one after another. After several rounds of questioning, they finally learned that Chen's mother had let the cat out of the bag.
The two did not completely refuse, only saying that they could not give an answer for the time being, and that they would send a telegram back when they had the chance, so that Ah Hu or Chen Song could inform them.
After discussing it, the two realized that if they were to set up a workshop in the capital, they would need to recruit workers, and if the brigade had any suitable ones, they could consider it.
Ji Xia paid special attention to them, picked out a few girls who knew how to use sewing machines and were good at sewing, inquired about their intentions, and wrote them down in her notebook.
A few days later, the Chen family held another banquet, inviting all the villagers to a celebration for their children's academic success.
Chen Jing even went to a small private restaurant on the outskirts of the county town to invite the grandfather and grandson to host the event.
They ordered ten geese, ten ducks, and ten chickens from their home, bought dozens of large fish weighing three or four kilograms each, and also bought half a pig from the slaughterhouse, setting up a total of fifty tables.
The grandfather and grandson chefs showcased their skills, putting on a beautifully presented banquet. The food was not only delicious, but the plating was also exquisite, making it a very high-class event.
The entire brigade of four or five hundred people came. Lin Haodong and his mother not only came to eat at the banquet, but also brought his fiancée Yu Qiongyu with them.
Last time, Lin Haodong and Yu Qiongyu were sown apart by Ji Xia. Yu Qiongyu carefully recalled the course of their relationship and even threw a tantrum at Lin Haodong.
After two failed attempts, Lin Haodong learned his lesson and dared not be arrogant again. He humbled himself and coaxed Yu Qiongyu for several days before he finally managed to win her back.
This time, Granny Lin didn't dare to act arrogantly anymore. The mother and son adopted a very humble attitude and managed to appease the Yu family.
The mother and son secretly hated Ji Xia to the core, and this time at the banquet, they wanted to give him a good beating and make the Chen family angry.
Besides the villagers of the brigade, the workers of the Sansheng workshop also had a half-day off. A group of girls dressed up in their prettiest clothes, carrying the gifts they bought in the afternoon, and returned to the brigade to congratulate Ji Xia and Chen Jing.
Ji Xiangjun and Sun Xiaoyu also rushed back in their truck at the last minute.
After being away for more than half a year, Sun Xiaoyu's temperament and image have changed a lot. Wearing a silk dress and with her hair tied in a high ponytail, she is elegant with a touch of competence. She and Ji Zhijun look quite well-matched from a distance.
Chen Qiuyu cheerfully linked arms with her, while on the other side, Zhang Lan smiled gently, her demeanor graceful and poised, showing no trace of her former rural girl appearance.
She stood beside Sun Xiaoyu with a smile, and soon saw Zhang Hong holding two children. She whispered a few words to Sun Xiaoyu before walking over to Zhang Hong.
After not seeing her for half a year, Zhang Lan's skin had become fairer, her figure had become more curvy, and her image and temperament had changed drastically. Zhang Hong could hardly believe that this was her sister.
Sun Xiaoyu led several employees to Ji Xia and handed her a beautiful bag with both hands.
"Xia, your brother and I brought you a small gift. We wish you a bright future and boundless success."
Chen Qiuyu and the others also presented the gift they had bought together: "Sister Xia, this is a gift that a group of us sisters picked out for you. We hope you like it!"
"Thank you, thank you!"
Ji Xia smiled broadly, took the gift bags from Sun Xiaoyu and Chen Qiuyu, and arranged for them to sit at two empty tables in the courtyard.
She put her arm around Sun Xiaoyu's shoulder and chuckled, "Second sister-in-law, there are many guests today, please make yourself at home, we can chat again tonight."
"I understand, don't worry, we're family, there's no need for such formalities."
Hearing this, Ji Xia felt relieved and went to the front to greet the guests, while Sun Xiaoyu went over to greet Ji's mother and Zhang Hong.
Chen Jing then led Ji Xiangjun to a table with Village Secretary Ji, Accountant Lin, and other village cadres, and arranged for him to sit next to Ji Zhijun.
Once everyone was seated, Xu Yufen and several kitchen helpers began serving the dishes.
Countless delicacies were served like a flowing stream.
The roast goose with its thin, crispy skin and glossy, dark brown color; the braised pork belly that melts in your mouth; and a whole mandarin fish drizzled with sweet and sour sauce and pine nuts…
Before long, the table was filled with a dazzling array of dishes, their aromas irresistible and tempting.
The villagers beamed with joy. This feast was even more lavish than their wedding banquet last year. They heard that a table like this, including drinks, would cost at least twenty yuan. They had never eaten such a sumptuous feast in their lives.
From another perspective, the fact that a graduation banquet costs over a thousand yuan shows that Chen Jing has made a lot of money in the past six months.
When the villagers talked about Chen Jing, they inevitably mentioned Ji Xia, talking about her good fortune and ability to bring good luck to her husband, while subtly observing Lin Haodong and his mother standing to the side.
Lin Haodong and his mother, who were eating and drinking voraciously at the table, were so angry that their faces darkened. Whenever Chen Jing and Ji Xia were around, they were the object of ridicule.
Chen Jing, holding a wine glass in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other, walked up to the table of village officials, including Secretary Ji, and offered them a toast.
Ji Xia stood beside him, holding a wine glass and smiling faintly.
She wore light makeup, her eyebrows were drawn thin and long, and her lips were coated with lipstick, making them pink and moist like cherries, sweet like cherry blossoms blooming on branches in early summer.
The women's director stood up, holding her wine glass and jokingly said with a smile, "Ji Xia is getting more and more beautiful, and she has such an air about her; she's clearly a cultured person!"
Ji Xia smiled slightly, and Accountant Lin raised his glass to Chen Jing, saying, "Jing and Xia, you've made a fortune outside this small place, but don't forget your fellow villagers!"
"Definitely, definitely. Once I've settled down out there, anyone who wants to come with me can come find me!"
Chen Jing raised his glass with great enthusiasm, and the room erupted in cheers.
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