Chapter 417: Husband, are you kidding me?
Afternoon.
A village in Songwang Town.
At the doorstep of a brick house, Li Xiaoyan was picking water spinach with her mother-in-law.
In the entire Bobai area, the most eaten vegetable from March to October every year is water spinach. No other vegetable can compare with water spinach.
Of course, although it is the same Bobai County, the varieties of water spinach we eat are different. The world-famous Bobai water spinach is only grown in the county seat. The water spinach grown in other towns are all other varieties, and the taste naturally cannot be compared with that of Bobai water spinach.
While picking vegetables, Li Xiaoyan looked towards the village entrance from time to time and frowned, "Mom, what's going on? Aaron went to a classmate reunion yesterday morning. It's been more than a day now. Why hasn't he come back yet?"
"It's really strange. He should have returned yesterday afternoon. How come I haven't seen him yet?"
Mother Zhu was also a little confused and said, "Let's wait and see. If he doesn't come back by dinner time, I'll ask Ah Hu to go to Songshan High School to ask about the situation."
Li Xiaoyan comforted her, "Don't worry, Mom. Nothing can go wrong at this class reunion. I guess it's because these classmates haven't seen each other for ten years. Everyone was having a good time chatting, so the reunion lasted a little longer."
Mother Zhu nodded and said, "That should be the case. Speaking of A-Long's high school classmates, two of them were admitted to college, and one of them who had a very good relationship with A-Long was admitted to Peking University. I don't know how they are doing now. They should all be high-ranking officials, right?"
Li Xiaoyan said: "I heard that Peking University is one of the best universities. Graduates from such a school should be able to become high-ranking officials. Maybe now they have become important figures like the secretary and mayor of our Songwang Town."
Zhu's mother sighed, "Aaron used to get along well with him, but it's been ten years, and I'm afraid there isn't much left of that friendship. If they had kept in touch, maybe he could have helped Aaron, but it's probably a bit difficult now."
Li Xiaoyan was about to answer when she saw her husband walking back from a distance carrying something. She quickly stood up and said, "Mom, A-Long is back!"
Zhu's mother turned around and saw that it was indeed her eldest son who had returned. She squinted her eyes and asked, "Did A-Long go to the class reunion without taking his luggage?"
“No.”
"What's he holding in his hand?"
"I don't know either. Maybe he bought something?"
While the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were talking, Zhu Chenglong had already walked over with something in his hand.
At this time, Li Xiaoyan also saw clearly what her husband was holding. She widened her eyes and said, "Ah Long, what are you crazy about? You bought a box of eight-treasure porridge and a box of instant noodles? You have too much money and don't know where to spend it, right?"
Mother Zhu also complained: "That's right, A'long, why are you spending money so lavishly now?"
Zhu Chenglong put the things down and said with a smile: "Mom, Xiaoyan, this is not bought by me, but given by my classmates. All the teachers and classmates who attend the party have one."
Li Xiaoyan was shocked and said, "Ah Long, are you kidding? This box of eight-treasure porridge and a box of instant noodles cost at least dozens of yuan. Even if there are only a dozen classmates attending the party, plus school leaders and teachers, it will cost at least a thousand yuan. Which of your classmates is so rich?"
Zhu's mother was also shocked: "Oh my god, thousands of dollars worth of things are given away just like that, which classmate is so rich?"
Zhu Chenglong laughed and said, "It's far from just over a thousand. This time, our class 34's 10th anniversary reunion has 36 classmates in total, plus school leaders and teachers, a total of more than 40 people. Just a box of eight-treasure porridge and instant noodles per person will cost more than 2,000 yuan."
Hearing this, Zhu's mother and Li Xiaoyan were even more shocked.
"Besides, this is nothing."
Zhu Chenglong then said, "Mom, Xiaoyan, do you know where our class 34 reunion is held?"
Li Xiaoyan said, "My mom and I are wondering, didn't you go back to your alma mater to have a reunion, have a meal, and then come back? Why did you get together for so long?"
"That was our original plan, but it turned out that my best classmate had already made plans for this reunion..."
Next, Zhu Chenglong told his mother and wife everything about yesterday's class reunion. They were so shocked that they couldn't stop talking. Whether it was Deng Yunheng's arrangements for the class reunion or his current rank, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were shocked.
"Oh my god, A'long, your classmate is so amazing. I thought that even if he became an official, he was already very impressive if he could be compared with the secretary and mayor of our Songwang Town. I didn't expect that he is already an official higher than the county magistrate. This is really scary!"
“Yeah, that’s really amazing!”
"It's really amazing. We were all shocked at the time. We never thought his level would be so high."
Zhu Chenglong sighed, and then continued: "I have already asked my brother about doing business, and his idea is to let me do midnight snacks."
Li Xiaoyan asked in surprise: "For midnight snack?"
"Yes, for a midnight snack."
Zhu Chenglong repeated what Deng Yunheng had said to his mother and wife, and finally said, "I think what Brother Heng said makes sense, so I plan to make a midnight snack. What do you think, Xiaoyan?"
Li Xiaoyan nodded and said, "Since your classmate said so, let's have a midnight snack. He is a graduate of Peking University and a high-ranking official. His vision is definitely not comparable to ours. If he said this midnight snack, then it must be right."
…
at the same time.
The other classmates who attended the party also returned home one after another, and each of them shared the details of the reunion with their families eloquently, which undoubtedly attracted countless exclamations, and everyone who heard it was shocked.
That evening, Chen Wenfeng took a bus back to the staff quarters of the Agricultural Machinery Bureau in Cangwu County, Wuzhou.
Because he had called in advance when he came back, when Chen Wenfeng got home, his wife Pang Xueling was still awake and waiting for him!
Seeing Chen Wenfeng coming back with a box of eight-treasure porridge and a box of instant noodles, Pang Xueling asked in surprise, "Honey, did your parents buy this for you to bring back?"
Chen Wenfeng shook his head and said, "No, this was given to me by a classmate."
Pang Xueling couldn't help but laugh when she heard this and said, "It seems that Director Chen has become quite popular at the class reunion. Some classmates even gave you gifts to build good relationships with you."
Chen Wenfeng sighed and said, "Wife, you guessed wrong. I didn't stand out at this class reunion. Besides, this classmate didn't just give me a gift. All the teachers and classmates who attended the reunion got a gift."
Pang Xueling was surprised when she heard this: "Husband, which of your classmates has made a fortune? But this shouldn't be the case. Even if your classmates have made a fortune, you are the head of the Agricultural Machinery Bureau and a section-level cadre. You shouldn't let others steal the limelight, right?"
Chen Wenfeng did not answer his wife's question, but said with emotion: "Wife, I was right to go to the reunion of the 10th anniversary of graduation. You will never guess what happened. If I tell you, it will definitely scare you."
Pang Xueling asked in confusion: "What happened?"
Chen Wenfeng said: "Do you remember the classmate who was admitted to Peking University that I told you about?"
Pang Xueling's heart moved, and she asked, "Husband, is his development better than yours?"
Chen Wenfeng nodded and said, "You guessed right. He has indeed developed much better than me. Guess what position and level he is now?"
Pang Xueling guessed, "From the tone of your voice, his position is at least a regular deputy county magistrate, and his rank should be deputy director, right?"
Chen Wenfeng shook his head and said, "Wife, make another bold guess."
Pang Xueling was a little shocked when she heard this and said, "Impossible? Could it be that he has become the county magistrate? Has he reached the rank of director?"
Chen Wenfeng shook his head again and said, "Wife, you can guess a little more boldly."
Pang Xueling stood up suddenly and said in shock: "Husband, are you kidding me?"
Chen Wenfeng understood his wife's reaction very well and said with a wry smile: "Wife, how could I joke with you about this? You don't know that when we heard about his position and rank, we were all shocked!"
"So, what is his position and rank?"
"The position is the top leader of a county-level city, and the rank is already deputy director."
When these words were spoken, Pang Xueling's chest heaved with shock. She and her husband were high school classmates, which meant that she had only been working for a few years, but his level was higher than her father's. This was simply outrageous.
If someone else said this, she would never believe it.
Deputy director, that’s a deputy director, a level her father struggled for decades but couldn’t reach, but her husband’s classmate achieved it in just a few years. It’s simply incredible.
Comparing yourself to others will really make you angry!
After a while, Pang Xueling swallowed hard and asked, "Husband, how did he do it?"
Chen Wenfeng then told his wife about Deng Yunheng's resume, and finally said: "Although his promotion to deputy director was a bit of luck, whether it was luck or not, he was promoted to this level, saving several years of time, which is really enviable."
Pang Xueling also said with envy: "His luck is really good. But even if he doesn't have this luck, he is still a county magistrate, a director-level official, which is still quite remarkable."
Chen Wenfeng nodded and said, "It's really amazing. I am completely convinced."
Pang Xueling said, "Husband, such a big leader is your classmate, so you must seize the opportunity and make good use of this relationship. Who knows one day, your classmate may say a few words for you, and you will be able to cross that critical threshold and move towards a broader world."
"I understand."
Chen Wenfeng responded, and then said with some regret: "It's a pity that I didn't get along well with him in high school. Now that I know his status and position, it's still a bit lacking to try to get closer to him."
Pang Xueling also understood this truth and sighed, "Nowadays, the connections are indeed not as good as they were in high school, but there is still a certain degree of friendship among classmates."
Chen Wenfeng said: "Now, he and I are from two different worlds, and we are thousands of miles apart. There is no chance to get closer. I can only let nature take its course."
When Pang Xueling heard this, she remembered that when her husband went back to attend a class reunion, she had said the same thing, saying that her husband and those classmates were from two different worlds. This was indeed true, they were truly from two different worlds.
…
Wuyue Square luxury residence.
Xiao Dong'er took the report card and put it in his grandfather's hand, saying proudly, "Grandpa, this is the final grade, take a look."
Deng Shirong saw her proud look and knew that she must be the top student in the grade. He glanced at her report card and found that it was true. He couldn't help but praise her: "Not bad, your grades didn't disappoint Grandpa. Wherever you want to go this summer, Grandpa will take you there."
Dongzi, who was standing nearby, heard this and quickly jumped out and said, "Grandpa, please look at my report card."
Deng Shirong took Dongzi's report card and looked at it. He looked at him with some surprise and said, "Hey, Dongzi, your grades this semester are actually ranked 19th in the class. It's really amazing and deserves praise."
Dongzi smiled proudly and said, "Grandpa, then can you take me wherever I want to go to play?"
Deng Shirong nodded and smiled, "Yes, since Grandpa has promised you, he must keep his word. Now you two are eligible to go out and play. You can discuss where you want to go first, and I will take you out in two days."
Dongzi looked at her sister excitedly and said, "Sister, where do you want to go?"
"Shanghai!"
Xiao Dong'er blurted out: "Grandpa, I want to go to Shanghai to play."
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Sure, Dongzi, what about you? Where do you want to go?"
Dongzi said: "Grandpa, I want to go to Shanghai to play, too."
Deng Shirong decided: "Okay, then grandpa will take you to Shanghai for fun."
Xiao Dong'er looked at her parents and said, "Mom and Dad, you guys should come too!"
Deng Yuntai looked at his wife and said with a smile, "Okay, then mom and dad will go with you."
"Very good!"
The brother and sister cheered with joy when they heard this.
Dongzi even asked, "Aunt, do you want to go with us?"
Deng Yunzhu shook her head and smiled, "Dongzi, you can just go with grandpa, dad and mom. Auntie has something else to do, so she won't go with you."
Xiao Dong'er also looked at Fourth Uncle and asked, "Fourth Uncle, are you going?"
Deng Yunhua smiled and said, "Fourth Uncle also has things to do, you guys can just go."
Xiao Dong'er said, "Oh," and looked at his grandfather and said, "Grandpa, how many days can we have in Shanghai this time?"
Deng Shirong said with a smile: "You still need to come back to learn something, so you can't be gone for too long, just play for a week!"
…
afternoon.
Zhoubei Village, Songwang Town.
Li Shuqin packed her luggage and returned to her home after four years away.
Yes, after four years, she has been staying in school since she went to college and has never come back once.
It's not that she is cruel, but she was really heartbroken by her own brother. It was a critical time for her in high school, and her useless brother actually lost her to someone else in the casino because of a loss of mind.
Fortunately, her parents still felt sorry for her and did not really "sell" her to her useless brother to pay off his debts. Instead, they chose to sell everything they had to pay off her brother's gambling debts. With the help of her good friend Sister Zhu, she was able to take the college entrance examination smoothly and was admitted to her ideal university.
Because there has always been a thorn in her heart, Li Shuqin never came back after going to college. She just didn't want to see her useless brother and avoid making him angry.
Of course, the person did not come back, but letters were definitely indispensable.
When communicating with her parents through letters, Li Shuqin also learned that her good-for-nothing brother had changed a lot in the past four years, and even got married last year.
However, no matter how my brother changes, the knot left behind is not so easy to untie.
There is still a long way to go before the relationship between the brother and sister can be restored to its original state.
As the first person from Zhoubei Village to be admitted to a key university, Li Shuqin's fame in the village is beyond words. On her way home, the villagers who saw her greeted her one after another. After she walked away, the villagers began to talk about her.
"Shuqin is a very stubborn child. She has never returned home since she went to college."
"It's not a question of being stubborn or not. If I had a brother like that, I'm afraid I wouldn't want to come back after I leave."
"That's true. That bastard Li Minghai lost her as his sister. Fortunately, her parents loved her and would rather sell everything they had to pay off the debt than push their daughter into this fire pit. Otherwise, her life would be ruined."
"Indeed, Li Minghai is a piece of shit. He was so angry that he even sold out his own sister."
(To avoid arguments, this does not mean that the brother has the right to sell his sister. It means that when a family encounters such a thing, the parents cannot watch their son being beaten to death or disabled by the debt collectors, so they can only let their daughter marry to pay off the debt. In the 1980s, parents in Bobai really had the power to dominate their children's marriages.) "However, after experiencing that incident, Li Minghai has changed a lot. He seems much more reliable than before."
"The lesson from that incident was too profound. Usually, when faced with such a situation, the person either turns over a new leaf or becomes completely corrupt. Li Minghai is probably the one who turned over a new leaf."
"Even if Li Minghai has turned over a new leaf, it's probably hard for the relationship between him and his sister to return to normal. I think Shuqin still holds a grudge against her brother!"
"It's normal to hold a grudge. After all, she was almost ruined by her brother back then."
"After graduating from university, the government will assign jobs to you. I don't know where Shuqin will be assigned to work."
"Shuqin was admitted to a key university, so the unit she was assigned to must be very good."
"I will be able to eat the emperor's food soon. I am so envious!"
“…”
When Li Shuqin returned home, her father was sitting at the door smoking a hookah.
"Dad, I'm back!"
From a distance, Li Shuqin greeted them.
Li Guangchang looked in the direction of the voice and found that it was his little daughter who he hadn't seen for four years. He was so excited that he clenched the hookah in his hand. He had so many things to say to his little daughter, but when the words came to his lips, he simply responded, "I'm glad you're back."
Li Shuqin looked at her father, who was now gray-haired. Compared to four years ago, he looked much older. Her nose was sore and she asked in a disguising manner, "Dad, where is my mom?"
Li Guangchang said, "Your mother is picking vegetables in the backyard, please take your luggage back to your room and put it away first."
Li Shuqin responded and walked into her room.
Although she hadn't been back for four years, her room was still clean. Obviously her mother must have been helping her clean it. Moreover, the furnishings in the room had basically not changed. It was the same as when she left.
Li Shuqin sighed quietly and began to reflect on whether it was a bit too much for her to not go home for four years.
…
Half an hour later.
Li Shuqin not only saw her mother, but her good-for-nothing brother and sister-in-law whom she met for the first time also came back.
Li Shuqin was angry with her brother, but not with her sister-in-law, so when she saw her sister-in-law, she still spoke up and said hello.
As for her brother Li Minghai, Li Shuqin pretended not to see him.
Li Minghai obviously knew his own business. He did not go near his sister, but took his hookah to the door and smoked it. While smoking, he pricked up his ears to listen to his sister chatting with her family.
Mother Li's wrinkled face was covered with a smile. She asked, "Shuqin, now that you have graduated, what unit have you been assigned to?"
Li Shuqin said: "Originally I was supposed to be assigned to work at the County Finance Bureau, but I have already quit this job."
Mother Li was surprised and asked, "Shuqin, isn't this job at the Finance Bureau a good one? Why did you quit it?"
Upon hearing this, Li Guangchang couldn't help but interrupt and said, "Yes, Shuqin, I heard that the Finance Bureau is a well-paid unit in the county. This is a job that pays the emperor. Others can't even beg for it. How can you quit?"
The sister-in-law also looked at her sister-in-law in surprise, totally not understanding her actions.
Li Minghai, who was sitting at the door and eavesdropping, also couldn't understand why his sister quit such a good job.
Li Shuqin smiled and said, "Dad, Mom, this job at the Finance Bureau is good, but I already have a better job, so I have no choice but to quit this job."
Li's mother was surprised and asked, "You got a better job? What job?"
Li Shuqin smiled and said, "My best classmate in high school has opened hot pot restaurants in Nanning, Liuzhou, Guangzhou and other places, and she asked me to be the general manager!"
Li Guangchang asked in bewilderment, "What is this hot pot restaurant? What does it sell?"
The others also looked confused. In rural areas at that time, not everyone knew about hot pot. It was obvious that the Li family didn't know what hot pot was.
Li Shuqin explained simply: "You can think of this hot pot restaurant as a restaurant, but the way of eating is different."
Mother Li nodded as if she understood, then asked, "Shuqin, which high school classmate of yours is so amazing that he opened hot pot restaurants in so many places?"
Li Shuqin said, "It's my best friend in high school, Deng Yunzhu. She's now very successful in her career and has a net worth of over a million. I have such a good relationship with her, and working with her is definitely much better than working in the Finance Bureau."
When these words came out, the Li family was stunned.
For rural people of that era, a net worth of millions is no less influential than that of billionaires in later generations.
It might be better for my daughter to work for such a rich man than to work in the Finance Bureau.
…
PS: Thank you for your monthly votes. In the past six months, I have been updating 6,000 words a day. It is not like what some people said that the updates are getting less and less. It is really not a small amount to be able to update 6,000 words a day stably. (End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
