Although Liu Weimin's personality wasn't quite so low as to be so rude, his words, though rough, were true. At this time, the village chief was the leader, issuing letters of introduction, assigning tasks, distributing grain, and handling all matters, big and small, which were all manifestations of human relationships and social interactions.
When you need something, it's different when someone helps you readily than when they drag their feet, or when they reluctantly do it out of politeness or something.
The saying "a local official is more powerful than a distant one" means this.
In the North, interpersonal relationships are highly valued, and people with high emotional intelligence will certainly thrive in this environment.
"That's true. Even the neighbors in the village usually give a share, right?"
"Yes, let's go together then, and we can even sit at the same table."
"Yes, haha, it's almost the end of the year. Judging from what the village chief's wife said, they're going to prepare a lot of meat and vegetables."
Just then, Lin Dongfang pushed open the door and came in, bringing with him a blast of cool air. He stamped his feet, and upon entering the room, he chuckled and turned around, saying...
"I knew it would be here."
Several girls turned around and saw Cheng Chao following Lin Dongfang in, also exuding a chill. They paused for a moment, then quickly got off the kang (heated brick bed).
"Brother, what brings you here?"
Cheng Chao smiled but didn't answer. Instead, he said,
"It's really not easy to see you!"
"Oh? You came over a couple of days ago?"
Seeing that Lin Dongfang had returned, Tan Yajun got out of bed, put on her shoes, and prepared to go back.
The lively atmosphere in the room suddenly quieted down; no one was playing anymore. Little Huizhou, lying on the kang (heated brick bed), was still protesting with "ah ah" sounds, trying hard to lift her little head to look for someone.
Ah~
Lin Dongfang was also lying down beside him.
Ah~
"Brother, you came over a few days ago?"
"It wasn't me. The regimental commander led the team on a training exercise and came by on the way. But when he got back, he found out you weren't home."
"Hehe, I'm going up the mountain to walk the dog,"
Fearing that Cheng Chao would start nagging again, I quickly changed the subject.
"Are you on vacation today? How come you have time to come over?"
"I'll bring the little rascal over for you to see; she's been talking about missing you for ages."
A simple surprise—it's been about two months since I last saw my child, before my trip to the Northwest.
"Xin Xin is back? Uncle Jian, how could you bear to leave her? How many days will she stay this time?"
Since Jian Wenxiu was discharged from the hospital, he has had far fewer missions. Jian Xin has been mostly taken care of by him personally, and Jian Xin has gotten used to it.
Even though she was mentally prepared, she was still startled when she saw it.
"My God, what's going on? How did you train like this? Why are you getting so tanned?"
Cheng Chao's lips twitched. How could this be explained?
Can you say this kid is wilder than those greenhorns?
The girl in front of me was much taller and noticeably stronger than before. As she walked, the distinct lines on her clothes were very familiar; I had grown up in the same way.
The most obvious thing was her little face. It no longer looked like a soft, chubby dumpling. Her whole face was tanned, and to put it bluntly, it was shiny black.
Looking at her from top to bottom, not only her face, but all the exposed skin was the same color.
The only thing that gave her some comfort was that, while running and jumping, the child had already shown a hint of sharpness, and even when he had a stern face and wasn't smiling, he could still intimidate people.
No matter what, it's always a pleasant surprise. Even if it's dark, it's still our own child, isn't it?
Upon seeing Jian Dan, she immediately pounced on him, revealing her small, untanned white teeth.
"elder sister!"
Jian Dan quickly reached out and caught it.
"Hey, slow down, slow down, ouch!"
Upon contact, Jian Dan could clearly feel that the momentum was much greater than before. If she hadn't had a stable stance, she would have been pushed back several steps.
"Great job, Xin Xin! You've gained weight and become stronger. Did you miss your older sister?"
"I've been thinking about it, sister. You never come to see me, and I miss you so much I'm about to cry."
"Really?"
Cheng Chao coughed twice helplessly.
"Stop getting sentimental, there are still two people left."
The little girl clung tightly to Jian Dan, not wanting to let go, and immediately became puffed up with anger.
"Sister, don't look at them, look at me, look at me, don't look at them, don't look at them,"
"Who are they? Are they our guests?"
Isn't it very impolite of you not to greet the guests?
The little girl hesitated for a moment, loosened her arms around his neck, and asked sullenly,
"Really? Is that impolite?"
Simply coax her in a soft voice.
"We are the hosts, and others are the guests, right?"
"Xin Xin is the little hostess, aren't you going to help your sister entertain the guests?"
Children have limited brain capacity, but she understood what the host and guests were saying, and immediately her anger subsided, and her little arms loosened.
"Okay, Xin Xin, go and greet the guests too."
Jian Dan finally had a chance to look up and was immediately met with two aggrieved little faces. She was stunned for a moment, looking at the half-grown children on the verge of tears, before she suddenly realized what was happening and rushed over.
"Hey, Xiao Rui and Xiao An, what brings you here?"
She was hoping they might come, but she knew in her heart that the chances were really slim.
Firstly, although they are older than their parents, they are only ten years old and still children. They have never left their parents' side, traveling from the Northwest to the Northeast, crossing most of the country. Tang Sumei would definitely be reluctant to part with them.
Besides, unless there's an emergency, who would travel by train at this time? It's far, tiring, and there's also a safety concern.
Upon seeing the child, Jian Dan was initially surprised, but this was quickly followed by overwhelming joy.
"When did you arrive? Are you cold? Are you hungry? Come in and rest for a while."
Xin Xin, take your brother to the west room to rest.
After opening the courtyard gate, Jian Dan led the two children inside with practiced ease, while Cheng Chao followed leisurely behind with his long legs.
Once inside, the girl realized something was wrong and, disregarding the guests, rushed out again.
"Sister, where are the auspicious and lucky ones? Were they stolen?"
I went into the doghouse to check, but couldn't find it. When I came out, I stood with my hands on my hips, looking very unhappy.
The little boy, as dark as charcoal, stood with his hands on his hips, looking like he was about to settle scores. The two adults shook their heads, amused.
"Don't worry, no one can steal it. It'll be back soon."
The little girl still didn't believe it and asked again and again.
Really? Really?
"It's really real, even more real than real gold."
"You, go ask your two older brothers what they want to eat, and what you want to eat. Take them to the cellar to get something, and I'll cook it for you in a bit, okay?"
If she isn't given some work to do, she'll definitely keep agonizing over this forever.
"Can you complete this task?"
The little girl's attention immediately shifted to the food, and she ran off to her little vegetable garden.
"Sister, where's my food?"
“Cheng Chao has stored them all away in the cellar for you. The watermelons you grew are all waiting for you. Do you want to eat them? Do you want your brothers to have some too? Go ask them if they know how.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
