"Oh, my little darlings! You've finally arrived."
"Grandpa, Uncle, we miss you so much."
The two little ones put on a show of grandfatherly affection at the train station, and while they were being affectionate, Xiao Yuheng had already loaded the luggage onto the train.
"Alright, alright, let's talk about this when we get home. Don't let Da Bao and Er Bao get cold."
I haven't been back for two years, and the changes in Hongqi Commune are quite significant. Compared to the previous two years, there are more newly built houses, and the roads are wider and cleaner than before.
"The Party Secretary is a man of action. Our area has developed very well in the past two years. He is also willing to spend money. He has not only repaired roads, but also built more public toilets in places where it was inconvenient to use the toilet. The people remember this."
Although the commune at present cannot be compared with that of later generations, Gu An'an was still very happy to see this change. It was like a flower blooming on a withered branch. After many years of silence, things had finally changed here.
"The Party Secretary is indeed a person who cares about the people. Our village has not encountered any major problems since it started to develop, and he has helped to smooth out a lot of relationships behind the scenes."
When the car arrived at the Xiao family's alley, the house was packed with people, just like last time. They all rushed out when they heard the car, shouting, "The provincial champion is back! The provincial champion is back!"
Gu An'an was about to get out of the car when she heard this and almost lost her footing. Egg and Ball had grown taller than they had two years ago, but the words made them seem just like they had been two years ago, still very childish.
The children's voices were clear and bright; with each of them speaking, it was impossible for the neighbors not to hear them.
"Eggball, come and have some candy."
Gu An'an tried to shut the two children up with candy, but after they took the candy, their voices were several decibels louder than before, "Thank you, Auntie Top Scholar."
Gu An'an: "...Just call me Auntie."
"No! We want to call her 'Scholar Auntie,' because no other family has a Scholar Auntie, only we do."
"Yes, Auntie, don't be shy. Everyone knows you're the top scholar. They'll only be envious."
After saying those two sentences, Dandan and Qiuqiu shifted their attention to Dabao and Erbao, who had just gotten off the bus. "Wow! No wonder they are the children of the top scholar's aunt. They are even cuter than when we last saw them. They look just like those New Year picture dolls."
Gu An'an felt that if the two children stayed at the door any longer, not only the neighbors but even the people on the next street could hear them, so she quickly brought the children inside.
"It's too cold outside, let's hurry home and talk."
"Auntie Zhuangyuan is right, we can't let Dabao and Erbao get cold."
After saying that, she quickly led her younger brother and sister into the house.
Seeing the children enter, Gu An'an let out a deep breath.
"Are you having trouble adjusting?"
Gu An'an nodded.
"You can't blame us for this, your wife and I didn't teach them. Those two boys heard you got the top score in the province, and that's what they called you, and besides..."
"And what?"
Zhang Cuicui laughed, "The two of them would ask everyone they met if they knew who the provincial champion was, and then they would take out a newspaper with your picture on it and tell people that the provincial champion was their aunt."
Gu An'an didn't expect the two boys to be so exaggerated, but she could understand their thoughts. When she was a child, she also wanted to have something to show off, but unfortunately, she didn't have anything to show off back then.
"I'm not going out starting tomorrow."
Of course, she was joking when she said that.
The Xiao family was making such a racket that the Liang family next door could certainly hear it.
"They're back?"
Mother Liang sighed, "That's right, the daughter-in-law of the Xiao family got into university this year, and she's the top scorer in our H province."
At first, she felt that the girl, a sent-down youth, was not good enough for the Xiao family, but she never expected that in just a few years, the girl would not only give the Xiao family a pair of twins, but also become a college student.
People are like that! Fortune changes every thirty years.
"Xiao Qiu, don't overthink it. You're married now, so focus on having a child first. Once you have a child, live a good life together."
Although she felt a little reluctant, Liang Qiu had already let it go.
The family entered the house, where the kitchen was filled with warmth, as the village chief's wife and her two daughters-in-law had already begun preparing.
"Let's eat and chat at the same time, so the two kids don't go hungry."
As soon as the food was served, Da Bao and Er Bao seemed to have entered a praise group. They would take a bite of the food and then say a compliment, making the three women extremely happy. They hugged the two children and called them their precious darlings.
"An'an, did you get your acceptance letter?"
If I get it, I can stay at home for a few days after the New Year; otherwise, I'll have to make another trip.
"Got it."
Gu An'an returned to the house and pretended to take the admission notice from her package, but actually took it out of her spatial storage.
"This is the University of Washington's admission letter? My God! I never thought I'd get to touch a University of Washington admission letter in my life! Egg and Ball, come and take a look! We don't expect you to bring back your University of Washington admission letters, but you still have to get into a university, you hear me?"
Dandan and Qiuqiu had never really thought about this before, after all, the older brothers and sisters around them who were in school, and even many adults, said that studying was useless.
But ever since Gu An'an became the top scholar in the imperial examination, it seems to have planted a seed in their hearts.
"Okay, we will try our best."
"An'an, how exactly do you study? Talk to these two rascals. The teacher says they're smart and energetic, but they just can't concentrate."
"Learning also requires interest and a conducive atmosphere. The best way to get children to settle down and study is for parents to set a good example. At the same time, we can also adopt incentive mechanisms, such as allowing them to fulfill a wish based on how much progress they make. This can greatly motivate children."
"Also, the learning resources here are relatively scarce. Compared with children in big cities, there is still a gap. Here's what I'll do! When I go to Beijing, I'll collect some learning materials and send them back so they can do more practice questions. They'll definitely be able to answer similar questions in the future."
The parents were naturally very happy. "An'an, you're so wonderful. We'll definitely make sure they learn from you."
"Mom, if you say that, I feel like we're doomed to have no good days ahead."
Zhang Cuicui slapped her son, "Pah! Pah! What are you saying about not having a good day during the New Year? Didn't you say you were going to study hard and get into a university in Beijing to find Aunt An'an and Da Bao and Er Bao? You've already forgotten what you just said?"
What else could Egg and Ball say? The boast they made in a moment of enthusiasm had finally come back to haunt them.
The notice passed through everyone's hands before returning intact to Gu An'an. "An'an, take this and keep it safe, don't lose it."
Good food and good wine, and by the time it was over it was already two o'clock in the afternoon. As Gu An'an saw them off, a voice rang in her ears, "I'm sorry."
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