Chapter 338 The Orphanage's Lies: The Handsome Flower Boy 38
Having arranged everything, Shen Ci decided on the date to return to her parents' home and began preparations, as it wouldn't be good to go back empty-handed.
She took Lu Jinnian to the department store and the Overseas Chinese Store to pick out gifts to take back to her parents' home in Shenjia Village.
I bought some local specialties, including the "Eight Treasures of Beijing"—essential for visiting relatives! Also, I bought a box of pastries, poria cocos cakes, candied fruit, and other similar items.
With elderly people and children at home, I also bought some high-quality, sturdy, and thick cotton cloth, which is more suitable for the village, as well as flashlights, candy, etc. I can buy other things when I get there and see what the situation is.
As Shen Ci picked out the items, Lu Jinnian, who had been notified suddenly, was still somewhat bewildered. He didn't have many memories of his maternal grandparents' house.
"Xiao Nian, do you still remember Shenjia Village where you lived when you were a child? Do you still have any impression of it?"
Lu Jinnian thought about it carefully. His memory was quite good, but it was too far back.
He shook his head, then nodded.
"I don't remember very clearly, it's very blurry."
I think I was being held by my mother, and there were fields everywhere, all green and lush. That's about it; I can't remember anything else.
He was too young then, taken away when he was three years old, so it's good that he can remember something vague.
Although I can't remember the specifics, I do remember the feeling—it was comfortable and warm.
Shen Ci patted his shoulder understandingly.
"It's alright, we'll take a good look around when we get back this time."
There were a lot of snacks sold in the mall, but most of them were things like cookies and candies. It was a pity that there were no spicy strips, and they tasted bland.
Where there is demand, there is a market. Shen Ci immediately took note of this and made a mental note of it, intending to produce spicy strips in the future.
Business opportunities are often found in everyday life.
Shenjia Village is also in Hebei Province. Driving from Beijing to the countryside in Hebei Province is convenient, but impractical. It would definitely cause a sensation, and the whole way would be a sensation.
Moreover, the roads at that time were not wide or smooth. Many roads were still bumpy dirt roads. Even if you rode a bicycle for a long time, let alone a car, your butt would be swollen from the bumps.
A car can easily get stuck if it drives in.
If you were to fly, the civil aviation industry was very underdeveloped at that time, with very few routes and expensive tickets, but price wasn't the main issue.
The main problem is that you can't get to Shenjia Village by plane. Shenjia Village is located in the village, and it's even more troublesome to get around after getting off the plane, resulting in a lot of unnecessary trouble.
The only reliable and most widely used mode of transportation in this era is the train.
She bought two soft sleeper train tickets from Beijing to the county seat. She would get to the county seat first and then figure out what to do next. There were plenty of ways to get from the county seat to the village; she could hire a tractor to get back.
The train journey was relatively smooth, without any major incidents. There wasn't much entertainment on the train, and I didn't have my phone to play with, so I could only lie down and sleep soundly.
Now that things have improved, Shen Ci and Lu Jinnian, after a bumpy journey and spending some money, finally arrived in town.
The car couldn't go any further.
Eleven years have passed, and the scenery outside the window is now vastly different from the original owner's memories in the system data.
Previously, the roads were all bumpy, muddy dirt roads, but now they have been widened and many brick houses have appeared on both sides.
There's a strange feeling of longing for home mixed with a sense of unfamiliarity.
Shen Ci booked a room at the town's guesthouse, where he stored most of the valuable gifts and only took a few packets of the most ordinary snacks.
"Mom, why didn't we take those things with us?"
The town is not prosperous, and there are villages everywhere. It is very close to Shenjia Village.
"Let's go back and take a look first."
If your family members are still the family you remember, then these are all surprises for them.
If they've changed, or this home no longer welcomes us, why waste these things on the dogs?
We'll take it home and eat it ourselves.
She may be rich, but she's also frugal; she makes sure to spend her money wisely.
Shenjia Village is not far from the town. Since they couldn't find a suitable car, perhaps Lu Jinnian's protagonist halo had stopped working, Shen Ci and Lu Jinnian walked to Shenjia Village.
It looked very different from the pictures in the documents; Shen Ci almost didn't recognize it.
In 1979, although rural reforms had not yet been fully implemented, some areas had already begun to implement the household responsibility system, and the changes were still very significant.
Although it was still a dirt road, it was much smoother than before. There were some people working in the fields, dressed simply, but their spirits were much better than I remembered.
At least now, everyone is happy and working much more diligently than before.
Shen Ci followed her memory to find the original owner's home, but after walking for a while, she couldn't find the exact location. The village had undergone quite a few changes.
She had no choice but to stop a middle-aged man who was weeding in the field to ask for directions.
"Brother, could you please tell me how to get to Shen Dashan's house?"
Shen Dashan is the name of the original owner's biological father.
The man straightened up and looked at the two people in front of him, who were well-dressed, fair-skinned, and clearly not from the village.
Filled with curiosity, he asked.
"Shen Dashan?"
Are you his relatives? I've never heard of him having any relatives in the city.
"Yes, they are distant relatives. We haven't been in touch for many years."
Shen Ci gave a vague answer.
The man pointed out the way, muttering to himself as he did so.
"That's strange. The Shen family has suffered enough these past few years, so how come they still have such a well-off relative?"
Following his directions, Shen Ci and Lu Jinnian arrived at an old-looking farmhouse.
The courtyard was still the same courtyard, but the color of the earthen walls had deepened, and there were many new marks on the door, a mix of old and new.
Unlike what I remembered, the courtyard was very quiet, with only a few children doing their homework on small stools in the yard, none of whom Shen Ci recognized.
It evokes a feeling of leaving home young and returning old.
As soon as Shen Ci stepped into the courtyard, she smelled a faint, bitter herbal scent wafting from the house. Her heart skipped a beat; was someone in the family sick?
Lu Jinnian stood at the gate of the courtyard, looking at the unfamiliar courtyard, his brows furrowed as he carefully recalled what he had seen.
"Mom, I think I remember now."
When I was little, I think I played in this yard. I can't remember exactly what we played, but it felt very comfortable and happy.
He smiled faintly, saying that the feeling was like soaking in warm water, feeling comfortable and happy all over. This was his childhood, a place where he was carefree.
It was also the beginning of everything, and for him it was complicated.
The children in the yard also noticed the two strangers standing at their doorstep. One of the older children stood in the yard and asked.
"Who are you looking for? Who are you? Where are you from?"
Children meet but do not recognize each other, laughing and asking, "Where do you come from, guest?"
Shen Ci had no time to feel sad and quickly asked.
"Excuse me, is this Shen Dashan's house?"
The children looked at each other, then all rushed into the house, shouting as they ran.
"Grandpa! Grandfather! Grandfather! Someone's looking for you!"
Soon, after hearing the shouts, an old man came out of the house.
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