Lu Feng went out and drove straight to the town's supply and marketing cooperative, one of the few small shops in the town with a telephone.
I called Secretary Li using the phone number listed above.
"Hello, is this Secretary Li?" Lu Feng said, holding the phone aside.
"Yes, it's me, Mr. Lu. Happy New Year! Am I bothering you?" The voice on the other end of the phone sounded very relaxed, as if the person was at home.
“I’m in the village. Happy New Year to you too. Is there something wrong with the factory?” Lu Feng asked.
"No, don't worry, I just wanted to say hello for the New Year. You're from Lijia Town, Heping County, right?"
Lu Feng really didn't know what this place was called, so he looked up and asked, "Hey sis, can I ask you something? Is this Lijia Town in Heping County?"
The auntie selling goods looked up at Lu Feng and said, "This is the official name. If he comes, tell him it's south of Erligou."
"It's Lijia Town, what's wrong?"
"A classmate of mine works in the county, as the deputy director of some office. He wants to meet you, make connections, and get to know your local leaders. That's the gist of it. It seems like he needs to put on a show of respect at this crucial time, you understand?" Secretary Li had already made it very clear.
Lu Feng frowned secretly. He was afraid he couldn't keep up this facade. What could he do? Attract investment, of course, and use money.
"Meeting is easy to talk about, but what do you mean by 'saving face'?" Lu Feng asked directly.
"He's currently being evaluated and wants to make a name for himself, but he doesn't know anyone and can't attract investment. He told me that he means you don't need to put any money in; he'll take care of it!"
"That works!"
"Then I'll page him. You two can contact each other if anything comes up. Thanks, Mr. Lu!"
"It's alright, please take care of me from now on." Lu Feng said politely for a while before hanging up the phone.
After paying the bill, I also bought a carton of cigarettes. Standing at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, I felt a bit confused. People, once you have money, you'll be ripped off no matter where you go.
In the previous life, how could those wealthy businessmen not donate hundreds of millions when they went home?
It was already noon when they got back. The whole family went up to the house and set up two tables to eat. Jiang Xiaohong sat between her eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law. The three of them were very close. Anyone who didn't know them would think they were best friends.
Little did they know, the relationship between the three had been quite tense a few years earlier.
After dinner, Jiang Xiaoyan started to get busy. Her sister-in-law pulled Jiang Xiaohong to play mahjong, while Jiang Fuqiao sat there drinking with Jiang Ergou. Of the whole family, only Jiang Xiaoyan was busy.
"Xiaoyan, feed the dog, chickens, and ducks in a bit," Song Xuemei said, directing Jiang Xiaohong beside her. "Play three rounds!"
"Go pack your things with her, what are you doing bothering me here?"
"You're in for a tough time this round, you're not getting any good cards."
...
Lu Feng sighed inwardly, looking at Jiang Xiaoyan with indescribable feelings. She was a woman whose life and death were never cared about by anyone; perhaps she had grown up with this.
Lu Feng walked up to her, looked at her thin figure carrying a large bucket of swill, and said, "Let me do it!"
"Can you lift it?"
"At least he's still a man." Lu Feng took the swill.
It must be said that she is very diligent, so diligent that one doesn't pity her. Everything is done with ease in her hands, and she never complains. She always keeps her head down and does her work, just like the "oxen" in Lu Xun's words.
In the side room, Lu Feng lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) looking at her. Jiang Xiaoyan seemed to sense his gaze, turned her head to look at him, and said, "You're just messing around. You're not allowed to do it tonight. Otherwise, my sister will laugh at you."
"Does it still hurt?" Lu Feng asked with a smile.
"I moved around a bit, and it doesn't hurt anymore, but it still hurt so much! We were halfway through last night, if it had really broken, wouldn't it have been excruciating?" Jiang Xiaoyan pouted, somewhat frightened.
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Go back on the second or third day of the Lunar New Year. Isn't it better for you to stay at home and be a rich lady? They're having so much fun, and no one is helping you out."
“It’s always like this during Chinese New Year, so I’ll do anything since I married you!” Jiang Xiaoyan looked at him with a hint of helplessness and said, “Are you in such a hurry to go back?”
Just as Lu Feng was about to open his mouth, Duo Duo's loud wailing suddenly rang out in the courtyard. Lu Feng and Jiang Xiaoyan stood up almost simultaneously and walked out the door.
Once outside the yard, I was somewhat relieved to see that the children hadn't gone to the doghouse. But then I saw Duoduo sitting in the snowdrift, with snow still on her head, as if someone had hit her.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Xiaoyan hurried over and asked with some concern.
"They threw snow at me." Duoduo cried, pointing at Jiang Fuqiao's youngest son, "I said my clothes cost two hundred yuan, and they said I was a liar."
Jiang Xiaoyan picked up Duoduo and wiped the snow off her head. Lu Feng walked over with a grim expression. Looking at the children, he said, "Can't you talk things out? Duoduo is your little sister too. Is this how your parents raised you?"
Jiang Fuqiao's eldest son, who was already a teenager, looked at Lu Feng with a face full of anger and stubbornly said, "She's lying and bragging. Where can you find a piece of clothing for two hundred yuan? A jacket is at most ten yuan."
"Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. You're not allowed to bully your sister, understand?" Lu Feng said in a deep voice.
The eldest son was fine, but the younger son suddenly burst into tears, turned around and ran home, calling for his mother as he ran. Jiang Xiaoyan turned around and said, "Alright, you didn't comfort this one, and now you've made another one cry."
The eldest sister-in-law was playing mahjong when she suddenly opened the window and yelled at Lu Feng in the yard, "Are you two crazy? Why are you bullying a child for no reason?"
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