Chapter 36
The jeep slowly drove into the densely packed residential area. The houses were single-story and very close together, so the car couldn't drive in and had to park outside the alley.
Uncle Sun was driving. He was the same age as Cheng Surin's father. He was transferred to He He's maternal grandfather's place when he was in his twenties. He listened to Chen Jingbai, who was sitting in the passenger seat, for directions. The alley was difficult to navigate, so he drove very slowly.
Chen Jingbai: "Uncle Sun, let's stop here. It'll be harder to turn around later."
He He leaned out from the back seat, "Can't we drive in? Is it far from your house?"
Chen Jingbai: "It's not far, just a few steps away."
After parking the car, Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi opened the car door to get out. He He also wanted to get out and go to Chen Jingbai's house for a visit.
She didn't have their contact information, and now that they were separated, she didn't know when she would be able to get in touch with them again.
"Where do you live? Let me walk with you for a while."
It's not good to stay stuck here for too long, with people coming and going. Chen Jingbai thought for a moment and said, "It's not good to park the car here. Why don't you come to my house for a visit next time? You've had a long day, so you should go home and rest. Your family is also eager to see you. How about we meet at the Xinhua Bookstore on Wenchang Road at 2 pm the day after tomorrow?"
He had just passed by Wenchang Road and saw that the Xinhua Bookstore, which he had been in since elementary school, was still open. Chen Jingbai thought it would be nice to meet at the bookstore.
He remembered He He saying that her maternal grandparents lived in a military compound, and she would stay at her grandparents' house when she came back. This Xinhua Bookstore was also very close to the military compound.
He arranged to meet the day after tomorrow because he thought He He would be very busy tomorrow, seeing her family and relatives, and would also need time to rest. So setting the date for the day after tomorrow was the best option.
He He's eyes lit up, thinking Chen Jingbai's suggestion was excellent. "Sure, see you the day after tomorrow."
Chen Jingbai closed the car door. "Drive carefully. Go back now. See you the day after tomorrow."
Cheng Surin waved to Chen Jingyi and called out through the window, "See you the day after tomorrow, Xiaoyi. Come to my house for dinner after we finish shopping at the bookstore."
Chen Jingyi hesitated for a moment, "Let's talk about it later."
After the four said their goodbyes, Uncle Sun drove away from the alley.
As soon as Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi got out of the car, neighbors spotted them. Their birth was a sensation; they were the only twins in the entire neighborhood. They looked so alike and were so cute when they were little that everyone knew them.
A few years ago, these two went to the countryside, and everyone thought they would never come back. Who knew that only five years later, they were brought back in a military jeep. What a grand entrance!
Some of the nearby residents worked for the municipal government back then, while others were employees of the nearby Hongxing Steel Factory. When the Chen family suffered their misfortune, many neighbors avoided them like the plague.
Now that the Chen family has been exonerated, the Chen couple has returned to work in the county government, and even their two children, who were sent to the countryside years ago, have returned without a word. How can this not be shocking?
The Chen family's luck has truly turned around.
The neighbors only gathered around them after the car drove away.
Today is Saturday, and the employees have the day off, so there are quite a few people at the entrance of the alley. The men are playing chess and the women are chatting.
The first to speak was a plump middle-aged woman. "Oh my, are these the Chen family's twins? Auntie is not mistaken, is she? You're back! You look so much grown up, I almost didn't recognize you. When you left back then, you were so young and innocent. I even went with your mother to see you off."
Chen Jingyi and Chen Jingbai both smiled and said, "Aunt Li, it's us. We got into university and our household registration can be transferred back to the city, so we came back."
The middle-aged man playing chess next to him looked up in surprise, "You got into university? That's amazing, you're all so promising."
His child took the exam twice, and couldn't even get into a junior college. He failed this year and is even thinking of retaking it for another year.
Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi remained humble and composed.
Chen Jingyi: "It's alright, it's alright. Uncle and Aunt, you two chat first. My parents don't know we're coming back today, so they'll go back first."
They wrote in their letter that they had been accepted into university and would be back in a few days, but they didn't tell their families the specific date.
After exchanging greetings, the two hurriedly left with their luggage.
Li Shuanghua didn't expect the two to leave so quickly. "Hey, these two kids left so fast, I haven't even asked them which university they got into."
“The kid is eager to go home to see his parents. Shuanghua, you’re such a gossip. Why don’t you just go to his house and ask him?”
"You know, their family was in such a state before, it's unbelievable that they can get back on their feet. I thought their life was over, but who would have thought the world would change again."
Li Shuanghua was not happy to hear this and looked at her coldly, "Pockmarked mother, what you said is wrong. I think you are just jealous of their family. You said such nasty things. You will get your retribution sooner or later for the sins your family has committed."
Li Shuanghua had a good relationship with the Chen family, unlike other neighbors who took advantage of the Chen family's misfortune. Back when the Red Armbanders were keeping a close eye on the Chen family, Ma Zi's family did a lot of work. Ma Zi himself was a Red Armbander, and he led that group of people to raid the Chen family's place several times.
What Ma Zi's family is most afraid of right now is that the Chen family has risen to prominence, and they are afraid that the Chen family will hold a grudge against the wicked things their family did back then.
Li Shuanghua disliked Ma Zi's family the most. In those years, everyone was in a state of panic. Ma Zi's family, relying on their son being a "red armband" (a term of respect for a neighbor), committed many evil deeds and did not care about the neighborly relationship of more than ten or twenty years. If anyone said anything wrong, Ma Zi would bring his men over that very night.
Ma Zi's mother hated nothing more than people mentioning their family's past. She remembered how glamorous they were when they were working as female escorts, and how even the neighbors had to curry favor with them and watch how they lived.
But things are different these past two years. The red-armbands have all been sent back to school, and his son, Ma Zi, hasn't had a proper job in the past few years. Now he's just a loafer who wanders the streets and alleys making a living. Because of what happened back then, the neighbors don't associate with his family anymore.
She still shamelessly went to visit these old neighbors, not daring to argue, afraid that others would chase her away, and she lowered her head timidly, not daring to say anything more.
Li Shuanghua snorted coldly, "What has your pockmarked son been doing lately? I saw him wandering the streets the day before yesterday. Tell me, why doesn't he find a job? If he keeps drifting like this, what girl will like him?"
Ma Zi's mother's eyes gleamed. "He has his own work to do. The child is grown up, and I can't control him anymore."
She wanted to manage him but had no one to do so. Ma Zi was always out early and back late, and had a terrible temper. She, as his mother, couldn't say a word to him.
Besides, jobs are hard to find these days. A large number of educated youth have returned to the city, and there are a lot of educated youth waiting for job assignments among the high school students. How could it be her son, who didn't finish elementary school and just followed those red armbands around?
Fortunately, during the years when Ma Zi was a popular armband holder, he amassed a lot of good stuff, which he hid well enough for his family to eat and drink for several years.
After chatting happily, Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi returned home.
Chen Hongsheng and Qian Wenya were both at home. The municipal government was closed today, and when Chen Jingbai knocked on the door, the couple thought it was someone else.
To everyone's surprise, when Qian Huilan opened the door, she saw Chen Jingbai, who had been working in the countryside for many years, and Chen Jingyi standing next to him. She immediately burst into tears.
“Xiao Bai.” Qian Huilan turned her gaze to Chen Jingyi again. “Xiao Yi, you’re back. You’ve all lost weight, you’ve all lost weight.”
Hearing the commotion, Chen Hongsheng came over and said, "Let the children come in first, don't block the doorway."
Qian Huilan and Chen Hongsheng had aged considerably, their temples were gray, and their faces looked much older. Their families must have suffered a lot after they went to the countryside.
After putting away their luggage, Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi sat around in the living room, and they had so much to talk about.
Chen Jingyi sat next to Qian Huilan, close to her, holding Qian Huilan's arm. No matter how strong a girl is, she had tears in her eyes after not going home for five years.
She said with a hint of grievance, "Mom, I miss you so much."
The scent of her mother made her feel at ease.
Qian Huilan gently patted her shoulder, "Xiaoyi, you've all suffered. Isn't life in the countryside worse than in the provincial capital?"
Chen Jingyi choked up and said, "It's okay, it's not too hard. We can all persevere. And there are many good people over there. Xiao Bai and I have met some really nice people."
Chen Jingyi told them that the brigade leader and the grandparents were old acquaintances, and Qian Huilan and Chen Hongsheng were very interested and listened attentively.
Qian Huilan and Chen Hongsheng looked at each other and said, "It's all thanks to the good deeds of my parents that Xiaoyi and Xiaobai have been able to benefit from them. We really owe them a lot. If we ever have the chance to meet them, we must thank their family properly."
Chen Hongsheng agreed with his wife. Over the years, he and his wife had not been able to return to their jobs, thanks to the money that Xiao Bai and Xiao Yi sent from the countryside. They had a hard life in the countryside, but they still thought about their home.
Chen Hongsheng felt guilty towards his wife and children.
Chen Jingbai was a man of few words, and he would basically agree with whatever they said. Chen Hongsheng looked at the taciturn Chen Jingbai and, thinking of his ears, became worried again.
"Xiao Bai, is anyone bullying you over there because of your hearing problem?" This was Chen Hongsheng's biggest worry about Chen Jingbai when he went to the countryside. He was afraid that Chen Jingbai would be discriminated against by others in the countryside because of his hearing impairment.
Chen Jingyi glanced at Chen Jingbai. She knew it was true. When they first arrived, those people discovered that Xiaobai had hearing problems and scolded him quite a bit.
Chen Jingbai gave Chen Jingyi a reassuring look. "No, everyone is fine. Besides, I've learned lip reading, so I can understand what people are saying. I can basically tell what they're saying just by reading their lips. Very few people have noticed that I have hearing problems."
He didn't tell the truth because he didn't want his parents to worry, and he handled those people very well.
Qian Huilan: "Really? Our Xiaobai is so amazing."
Qian Huilan knew he might not be telling the truth. How could no one bully them? Back home, those naughty boys had bullied them quite a bit because of their family situation.
But since Chen Jingbai said so, she couldn't just ignore her son's good intentions. She would believe whatever her son said.
Chen Hongsheng shared the same idea as Qian Huilan.
Chen Jingyi changed the subject, "Xiao Bai and I are taking good care of ourselves in the countryside, so you don't need to worry. Besides, Xiao Bai and I are dating in the countryside."
Qian Huilan was stunned, and asked nervously, "Are you dating? Is he a local? Or a former educated youth?"
It's fine to date, but if the person you're dating is a local, and they've now gone back to university, won't they have to break up?
Chen Jingyi said, "No, they are both educated youth. They both got into university and were sent to the countryside from the provincial capital. I'll introduce them to you another day."
Qian Huilan was overjoyed. "Really? Then I must meet you. It's not easy for you two to support each other in the countryside. You're both good kids."
Chen Hongsheng nodded in agreement. He hadn't expected his son to be so successful in the countryside, managing to settle down on such an important life event so quietly.
Chen Jingyi then brought up the scene when she got off the bus, trying to liven up the atmosphere: "You all don't know, just now at the alley entrance, Xiao Bai's girlfriend called out that she wanted to come over to our house for a visit. She was halfway down, but Xiao Bai told her to go back and rest first, and that he would invite her over another day when they were ready."
Qian Huilan was pleased to hear that the girl sounded lively and likable, but she still didn't quite understand why the girl had followed her to the alley entrance. "Really? But why did that girl come over? Since she's already here, why don't you let her in for a cup of tea before she leaves?"
Chen Jingyi explained that they had come in He He's family car, and that He He was also her boyfriend's aunt.
Qian Huilan and Chen Hongsheng were both stunned. What a coincidence! And having a car at home, that must be quite extraordinary. These days, people who own cars are usually high-ranking officials.
Given their family's circumstances, could they even afford to date someone else?
As soon as Qian Huilan voiced her concerns, Chen Jingyi immediately said, "Mom, don't worry, they're not like that."
Qian Huilan was thinking further ahead than they were, "What about their parents? Would their parents agree?"
Chen Jingbai disliked Qian Huilan and Chen Hongyuan's inferior attitude. Over the years, their family had been inferior to others in many ways. His parents had also gone from being high-spirited to being humble. They shouldn't be like this, and their family shouldn't be like this.
The Chairman said that everyone is equal in this era.
"Mom and Dad, don't think like that. Our family is not bad either. You've both gone back to work for the municipal government, and my sister and I have both been admitted to university. Xiaohe and Su Lin are very good people. If they can raise such people, their family members must be good too. Mom and Dad, don't worry."
Chen Jingbai's words enlightened Qian Huilan. She really shouldn't have thought that way. "Your mother is wrong. You two talk to your father and me again, and tell us about your life in the countryside. You didn't tell us much before to save on stamps, but now that you're back, tell us properly."
Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi took turns talking for a long time until their mouths were dry. When they talked about how Qian Huilan remembered that she needed to buy some meat and vegetables, since the children had just returned, she wanted to cook a good meal for them so that they could have a good meal as their first meal back home.
There's no meat at home, and the meat processing plant has run out of meat at this hour; it was all snapped up early this morning.
Qian Huilan suggested, "Why don't we go to a state-run restaurant to eat? We didn't buy any meat at home, and we can't let you eat vegetarian food right after you got back."
Both Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi refused.
Chen Jingyi: "Mom, Xiaobai and I both want to eat your cooking. We don't want to go to the state-run restaurants anymore. We can eat at home. We can eat vegetarian dishes. We're not that precious. We don't have to eat meat."
Chen Jingbai: "Yes, we all miss your cooking, Mom."
They preferred vegetarian food, but Qian Huilan didn't want to. However, since the children wanted to eat at home, she couldn't go against their wishes.
"I'll go see who bought meat today, and I'll borrow some or buy some. I also have some cured meat at home, so I'll stir-fry it together later."
After their family was exonerated this year, the old neighbors who were previously unwilling to talk to them started to get closer to them.
Qian Huilan borrowed the meat and returned quickly, cooking three dishes and a soup.
The family was reunited and sat down for a meal together again after five years.
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