Chapter 32 Homecoming
Xiufengshan Farm was opened to traffic. The news spread quickly to the villagers on the north and south slopes. Everyone came to the farm beating gongs and drums and hung a plaque in the farm manager's office facing north.
The contribution will last for generations.
When Xiangbei saw these four words, he was speechless for a long time, with a strong sense of responsibility surging in his heart. As long as you truly care about everyone, someone will see every step you take.
Taking advantage of the winter break, he convened a meeting of educated youth representatives from Jiangcheng at the site and put phosphate mining on the agenda.
Everyone nominated Qiao Yadong as the chief of the newly established mining department, responsible for mining management, Chen Zhilu as the deputy chief of the mining department, responsible for unified purchase and sale according to the national plan, and Guo Junzhi as the director of the finance office, responsible for accounting expenses.
Taking into account that the road construction team's current work has shifted to road maintenance, the original team was divided into three. One part remained under the Infrastructure Section, responsible for road maintenance; one part was newly established as the Transportation Management Section, responsible for vehicle entry and exit management and dispatch; and one part was sent out to learn driving in order to train future car drivers.
All the work is arranged in an orderly manner. The current priority is not mining, but to contact the planning department and clarify the management process.
The phosphate mine in Xiufeng Mountain is an open-pit mine. Mining is simple, but how to solve the transportation problem? Even with a mining license, you still need to contact the provincial industrial bureau. How much do you plan to mine each year? How many models should I choose? All of these must be made clear before mining.
Xiangbei is not omnipotent. He can get a mining license through his personal connections, but this detail requires someone to handle it.
Chen Zhilu stood up, his young face full of energy: "I will be in charge of this route. Give me some time, and I will ensure that the phosphate mine can be officially mined after the beginning of spring in March."
Qiao Yadong jumped up excitedly: "Okay! Chen Zhilu, your family is next to the fertilizer factory, so you must be familiar with this area. Then you can go back."
Tao Nanfeng said slowly: "I will go back to Jiangcheng with him."
Xiao Aiyun's eyes widened. "It's so cold now, and it's about to snow. Why are you working so hard with Chen Zhilu? We can spend the winter together in the mountains and eat pig-killing meals."
Although Jiao Liang has stepped down, the tradition of slaughtering pigs when it snows has not been lost. The temperature on the mountain has been getting lower and lower in the past few days, and the air is filled with the scent of ice and snow. It is about to snow. When Xiao Aiyun heard that Tao Nanfeng was going down the mountain, he felt reluctant to let him go.
Tao Nanfeng pursed his lips and looked calm: "I'll take a leave and go home."
Qiao Yadong hesitated: "There are still 20 days before the New Year, you are going back so early..." How could it make sense for educated youth to take such a long leave to visit their families? But facing Tao Nanfeng's cold face, Qiao Yadong couldn't say these words.
Chen Zhilu rolled his eyes and smiled: "Tao Nanfeng is very strong, it's better for him to work with me. We are not asking for leave, we are just on a business trip. As for whether we should go back home by the way, we will talk about it when the time comes."
To put it another way, everyone seems to be able to accept it.
Xiangbei made the decision on the spot: "Starting tomorrow, Chen Zhilu and Tao Nanfeng will go on a business trip. Go to the office to get a letter of introduction. The travel expenses will be fully covered, and a subsidy of three yuan per day will be given for food and lodging."
Tao Nanfeng had never taken advantage of the government before, so he opened his mouth to refuse, but Chen Zhilu said, "You are stupid. I was on a business trip and visiting my family."
Xiao Aiyun's eyes lit up as well: "Yes, you can help Chen Zhilu too. Although the Jiangcheng Fertilizer Plant is large, it is still separated from the farm by a province. You will have to travel to many places on this trip."
Wei Min glanced at Chen Zhilu and said, "Look at his small body. He might get robbed in the car. It is indeed safer to have Tao Nanfeng with him."
The educated youth all supported Tao Nanfeng and Chen Zhilu to go together, and agreed that this was an official business trip.
After spending time together, everyone knows that Tao Nanfeng is an upright person. She is such an honest person that she must think that this visit to her relatives is a private matter and she has to pay for her own travel, food and accommodation. But now that her leader supports her business trip, of course she has to save this money.
Tao Nanfeng smiled bitterly: "Well, I have money."
Xiao Aiyun covered her mouth with her hand and rolled her eyes at her: "Nonsense, you don't have any money at all now, you are very poor!"
Xiangbei looked at these lively and united educated youth in front of him, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously with a faint smile on his face: "Okay, it's settled."
When Xiangbei left, Chen Zhilu and Tao Nanfeng took their letters of introduction back to the educated youth point to pack their luggage, and the whole dormitory became lively.
Ye Qin: "Tao Nanfeng, remember to help me deliver this letter to my parents. I also put a maple leaf bookmark I made this year in the letter. Please don't tell them that I'm in a relationship."
Xiao Aiyun: "Tao Nanfeng, I have ten yuan here. When you get to the towel factory, give eight to my mother and quietly give two to my little sister. Also give her the two handkerchiefs I embroidered. Don't let my two sisters see them. They are very powerful and want to take advantage of everything."
Li Huilan: "Tao Nanfeng, please take this bag of pine nuts to my dad. I peeled them myself... Tell him that I am doing well here and that I can come home to see him if I have time next year."
When talking about going home, tears welled up in every girl's eyes.
They were all only eighteen or nineteen years old, the blooming age. How could I not miss home when I left my family for the first time and came to Xiufeng Mountain, thousands of miles away?
After numerous warnings and instructions, Tao Nanfeng and Chen Zhilu set out on the journey back home.
I took a bus to Quping Town early in the morning, then took a long-distance bus to De County. I rested for a night and took a boat to the provincial capital. I stayed there for another night. On the third day, I took a green train to Jiangcheng.
Because it crosses provinces and there are few trains, it is impossible to buy a sleeper berth without connections. I finally managed to grab two standing tickets. By the time we got on the bus, the crowd was so crowded that we couldn't even get to the door.
Chen Zhilu was so anxious that he kept jumping up and down. Fortunately, Tao Nanfeng was very strong. He put the luggage on his back and put one hand on Chen Zhilu's back and pushed him forward.
The crowd dispersed and the two of them successfully squeezed into the train car.
There were no seats for the two of them, so they had to roll up their luggage and find a seat in the aisle. At night, I had to slumber on the edge of my seat and sleep in various positions.
Sitting, lying down, curling up, standing...
The carriage was packed with people. The conductor was pushing a cart selling melon seeds and hot water and walking forward with great difficulty. Chen Zhilu held the seat back with one hand, stood behind Tao Nanfeng, and motioned for her to lean on his calves and close her eyes.
The narrow space closed the distance between the two of them. Tao Nanfeng did not refuse. He sat on the luggage bag, leaned back and closed his eyes.
The lights were dim and all kinds of smells filled the carriage. When the toilet door was opened, the smell was so pungent that it made people shiver. This made the clean Tao Nanfeng feel a little uncomfortable. She frowned slightly, and her pretty face looked more timid.
An old lady on the opposite side couldn't bear to watch, so she moved her butt left and right, squeezed out a small space, and called out to Chen Zhilu: "Let your sister sit here."
Chen Zhilu bent down and called Tao Nanfeng, and they both thanked him repeatedly.
The old lady looked at Tao Nanfeng. Her face was as white as jade, which made the light blue shadow under her eyelids more conspicuous. She kindly asked, "Looking at you, I'm afraid you haven't slept well in a few days. Why are you traveling so far at this time? It must be tiring."
Tao Nanfeng raised his hand to cover his mouth tiredly and yawned quietly. Chen Zhilu saw that the old lady was kind-hearted, so he cheered up and responded: "We are going home."
The old lady asked a few more questions, and Chen Zhilu answered them politely one by one.
Tao Nanfeng nodded his head, listening to the conversation between the two people. The voices were getting farther and farther away...
A dreamless night.
It was a rare time when Tao Nanfeng didn’t have any dreams to distract him, and he slept soundly. When I was awakened by Chen Zhilu's shaking, I looked up in confusion, not knowing where I was.
Chen Zhilu's voice was filled with uncontrollable joy: "Just now the radio said that the next stop is Jiangcheng! We are here, and we will be home soon!"
Tao Nanfeng shuddered, his mind became clear, and he turned to look out the window.
The train began to slow down. Telegraph poles, tracks, and freight cars flashed before my eyes. Dusty oleanders, red corrugated tile roofs, and a gray sky…
This is my hometown, Jiangcheng.
Tao Nanfeng stood up suddenly, holding his luggage bag, his eyes shining brightly. Arrived home? Are we almost home?
As he got off the train with the crowded crowd and heard the familiar accent of his hometown, Tao Nanfeng was eager to return home.
Jiangcheng is a nationally famous industrial city with a large scale. The Yangtze River divides the city into two parts. The south of the river is a center of culture and education, while the north of the river is a center of industry and commerce.
Tao Nanfeng's home is near Jiangcheng University of Architecture, which belongs to the south of the Yangtze River; Chen Zhilu's home is at the fertilizer factory, which belongs to the north of the Yangtze River. After the two exchanged their home addresses and agreed on a meeting time, they went to the bus stop together and took the bus home.
I first took tram No. 1 and then transferred to bus No. 25. After an hour and a half, I finally returned to Jiangcheng University of Architecture after an absence of a year and a half.
Jiangcheng Jianzhu University was founded in the 1950s through the merger of five civil engineering colleges: Jiangcheng Higher Engineering School, Jiangbei Engineering School, Jiangcheng Civil Engineering Technical School, Yangtze River Higher Engineering School, and E City Municipal Engineering School. It is surrounded by the majestic Guishan Mountain in the north, Tangshan Park in the east, and Lanhu Lake, the largest lake in Jiangcheng, in the west. It has beautiful scenery and a strong school atmosphere.
Walking in from the east gate of the school, you will see a long, quiet and peaceful camphor road.
Tao Nanfeng was carrying a blue-gray luggage bag in his right hand, slung a large army green shoulder bag across his body, and wearing a navy blue cotton jacket. He was walking very quickly. Walk along this camphor road and turn left along a small road, and you will find the teachers’ dormitory area of Jiangcheng University of Architecture.
Tao Nanfeng's heartbeat gradually quickened as he saw a two-story building with red brick walls and a red tiled sloping roof in the distance.
A familiar figure appeared at the end of the road.
He had a thin and upright figure, and was wearing an old-fashioned blue cotton jacket that went below the knees, a pure white scarf around his neck, black-framed glasses, an elegant face, tears in his eyes, and his lips trembling slightly.
"south wind!"
Tao Nanfeng couldn't believe his eyes. He stood still for a second and suddenly ran: "Dad——"
During the winter vacation, the campus is a bit deserted. The neighbors who stayed in the family quarters heard the noise and poked their heads out of their houses. They were a little surprised to see Tao Nanfeng, who looked exhausted.
"It's the second son of the Tao family. Why is Nanfeng back?"
"I heard that you went to the countryside as an educated youth. Are you going home to visit your family this time?"
"I haven't seen you for so long, you're getting more and more beautiful."
Tao Shouxin couldn't hear anything at the moment. Tears were flashing in his eyes behind his glasses. He looked at his daughter standing in front of him seriously, raised his hand and gently stroked her head, his voice trembling:
"Nanfeng is back."
The author has something to say:
After being away from home for a year and a half, Tao Nanfeng finally came back~
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