Chapter 218
As soon as I returned to my hometown, the festive atmosphere of the approaching Lunar New Year became intense.
Red lanterns were hung all over the streets and alleys. Elderly people, wearing thick cotton-padded coats, sat in front of their houses and under the eaves, holding charcoal stoves and basking in the sun. Kind wrinkles covered their faces.
Children with pigtails were skipping rope and playing shuttlecock, jumping and clapping their hands. These were childhood games that Ji Wanmei had also played when she was a child.
Adults rode bicycles through the narrow alleys, the crisp sound of bells ringing, and the bicycle baskets on the back were filled with fresh vegetables and meat.
Everyone is filled with heartfelt anticipation and joy for the arrival of the new year.
People in small towns are more likely to have a higher sense of happiness, filled with laughter and contentment in the present moment.
Ji Wanmei discovered that deep down, she still preferred the tranquility and harmony of small towns.
In big cities, there are indeed many opportunities, but it is precisely because of the environment where interests and opportunities are intertwined that people's hearts become more complicated, and there are relatively more opportunities to see the ugly side of human nature.
Having lived two lives, Ji Wanmei gradually discovers the true meaning and significance of life.
That is—to live your life the way you like is happiness.
Back in the compound, Ji Wanmei was surprised to find that her father was not home and the door was locked.
She called her dad a day in advance to say she would be taking the bus back this morning, but why isn't he home today?
Ji Wanmei thought that perhaps something had happened at the factory and Ji Xingguo had gone to handle it.
Fortunately, Ji Wanmei had her own house key. She opened the door and saw that everything in the yard was clean and tidy. There was a sofa cover hanging on the clothesline outside the yard, which looked like it had just been washed yesterday.
After entering the house, Ji Wanmei put her things down, walked around the living room for a while, and then went back to her room.
The bed sheets and duvet covers were all newly changed; they're the thick winter kind.
It must have been Ji Xingguo who knew she was coming back, so he changed into it specially.
Ji Wanmei smiled, opened her suitcase, and put all the summer clothes she had brought back back into the closet. She didn't plan to bring them with her when school started next semester.
I'll come back and get it during the May Day holiday.
She tidied up inside the house for a while before hearing the sound coming from outside the yard.
It was Ji Xingguo talking to someone.
Ji Wanmei went out of the room and saw Ji Xingguo carrying two lively white geese as he walked back from outside.
Upon seeing Ji Wanmei, Ji Xingguo became happy: "Meimei, why did you come back by yourself first! Look what Dad brought back? Two big white geese, bought from your Grandpa Wang's house. Dad will stew goose in an iron pot for you tonight."
Ji Wanmei saw the two geese still flapping their wings: "Dad, why didn't you kill them at the market? It's too much trouble to kill them at home."
Ji Xingguo chuckled and said, "It's alright, Dad will take care of it. You just need to eat."
Ji Wanmei went over and took the groceries from her father's hands: "Dad, aren't you off today?"
"It's a break, but something came up at the factory. The machine malfunctioned, and Lao Cao couldn't figure out what was wrong, so he had to call me over to take a look," Ji Xingguo said as he walked into the house.
Who would have thought that Ji Xingguo was also a graduate of engineering and technology?
He tied the feet of the two large white geese with straw, threw them in the yard and let them flap their wings, then walked into the living room with Ji Wanmei.
"You took the bus back? You must be tired. How long is your holiday this time?"
“Winter break is a month long, so I can stay home and spend the New Year with you.” Ji Wanmei glanced at her father a few times. “Dad, I feel like you’ve gotten much thinner in the two months I haven’t seen you. Have you been eating properly at home by yourself? Did you take any of the supplements I bought for you last time?”
"Oh, I've eaten, I've eaten. How much can a 40 or 50-year-old like me eat by myself? If I eat too much at night, I have to go out for a walk to digest. My body isn't what it used to be," Ji Xingguo said nonchalantly. "The doctors who came to our factory for a physical exam not long ago all said that Lao Yang and a few others already have high cholesterol and are prone to fatty liver."
Mentioning Deputy Factory Director Yang, Ji Wanmei's expression was not pleasant: "He spends all his time taking those people from the export department out to eat and drink at public expense. They eat all sorts of lavish meals, how could they not have fatty liver? I think he deserves it."
Ji Xingguo said, "Don't worry, Dad has now trained two young cadres in the export department. Old Yang's influence is not as great as before. Also, at the last meeting of the factory's leadership team, I improved the signing process for warehouse entry and exit. Now, the export department needs the signatures of several departments at the same time for both warehouse entry and exit and for picking up goods."
“Every signature confirms that responsibility is assigned to a specific person, so their subordinates won’t dare to slack off.” Ji Xingguo’s expression turned serious as he talked about the factory.
"Has that Yang Zhiping been behaving himself lately?" Ji Wanmei didn't want to bring up this person.
As long as the Yang father and son remain in the factory, she needs to constantly remind her father to be vigilant and wary of them.
Ji Xingguo frowned slightly: "This Yang Zhiping..."
Ji Xingguo seemed unsure how to give a precise assessment, and said with a furrowed brow, "This person is indeed shrewd and cunning, very good with words, and has secured several orders from other regions for the factory. You could say he's exceptionally capable, but that's about it. You could also say he's completely incompetent, yet he gets along quite well with people outside the factory."
At this point, Ji Xingguo felt a surge of relief, thankful that he hadn't let his daughter get engaged to Yang Zhiping.
If Ji Xingguo had known he was this kind of person, he would never have had that thought.
Fortunately, his daughter rejected him herself. Ji Xingguo thought to himself, "My daughter has good judgment."
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