Two hours later, the car drove into Chang Family Village.
On both sides of the village road, every household had put up Spring Festival couplets.
Young people who had returned from working in the coastal areas gathered in groups of threes and fours in the yards, smoking and playing cards;
Children chewed on various snacks, gathering in front of the houses to set off firecrackers together.
The air was filled with a strong festive atmosphere.
During this New Year period, Chang Family Village seemed very lively.
Chang Xueqin and Tan Xiaoya rolled down the car windows, greeting the elders in the village along the way and introducing them to Chang Le.
Chang Family Village was passed down from ancestors, some closer in proximity, some separated by several generations.
When they arrived at the ancestral home of Chang Le's branch, Chang Le's uncle and cousin had already arrived.
Both of Chang Le's uncle and cousin worked in Renhe County, closer to Chang Family Village.
After seeing the car drive up, the two families came out to greet them.
"Happy New Year! Big Brother."
"Happy New Year. Xueqin."
"Xueqin, was the road congested?" Chang Le's uncle, Chang Xue Dun, asked.
"It's okay, there aren't too many people on the road now, but it might be different by the fourth day." Chang Xueqin said.
"Le is driving now?" Chang Le's uncle, Chang Xueyi, asked.
"Yeah, during the summer vacation, he spent more than a month getting his driver's license. Let him practice, he's doing pretty well." Chang Xueqin said.
"Come in and warm up by the fire, it's so cold outside, what are you doing crowding out there?" Auntie He Shufen stood at the threshold of the ancestral home, beckoning them in.
Entering the main hall, the three families sat on the long wooden benches, roasting charcoal fires while watching TV.
The three sisters-in-law went into the side room, which was the kitchen.
In the kitchen, the three sisters-in-law worked together, chatting as they worked.
"Xiaoya, Le is about to take the college entrance examination, how's his performance?" Auntie He asked.
"He's caught up this semester, he's in the top 100 of his grade now." Tan Xiaoya replied, sounding slightly proud.
He Shufen was very surprised but still smiled and said, "This is a good thing, Le is really promising. In a family, nothing else matters, the most important thing is that the children do well."
She then asked Chang Le's aunt, Li Xiuling, "Xiuling, how's your son, Xiaoyu?"
"Xiaoyu is alright. He's been more sensible in this aspect since he was young, didn't give us much trouble. His grades were okay last semester, there shouldn't be any problem getting into the county's first high school." Li Xiuling said with a smile.
"That's good. Our family is clearly not doing well. He wasn't diligent in his studies in the past, only knew how to play every day, now he's suffering a loss." He Shufen sighed and said, "He recently attended a high school classmate gathering, and all his classmates are making big money in big cities, earning tens of thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan a month..."
"Sister-in-law, you can't compare like that. Although salaries are high in big cities, expenses are also high. Clearly, even though he works in the county hospital's logistics department, his salary may not be as high as those in big cities, but it's stable, and he's not tired. I think it's pretty good." Li Xiuling said.
"Ah, Xiuling, you don't understand. Outwardly, he's in charge of logistics at the hospital, but in reality, he's just a handyman. Clearly, his monthly salary is only half of those medical staff, and bonuses are even less. He's 25 years old, and he doesn't even have a girlfriend." He Shufen said.
"Sister-in-law, I remember Xiaoyu had a girlfriend, right? A primary school teacher." Tan Xiaoya asked.
"What kind of girlfriend? I made it up for him. Clearly, he was sulking because of this matter and didn't speak to me for half a month. He's young and doesn't understand, he'll understand later." He Shufen said.
"Sister-in-law, why? Is it because they don't get along?" Tan Xiaoya asked.
"What does it have to do with personality? Mainly, after my investigation, this female teacher comes from a poor family. Her parents are farmers, extremely poor. How can that work? Isn't that a burden?" He Shufen explained.
Tan Xiaoya: "..."
Li Xiuling: "..."
"But now it's different. Xueqin is really capable. After so many years of hard work, he finally became the county mayor. I mentioned to Xueqin that I wanted Mingming to drive for him..." He Shufen continued.
"... Sister-in-law, Mingming has a formal job with a salary." Tan Xiaoya said.
"Yeah, sister-in-law, a formal job is something others can't easily find, it shouldn't be abandoned." Li Xiuling also didn't understand.
"Xiuling, in our eyes, it's difficult to find a formal job. But in Xueqin's eyes, it's just a matter of a word. As long as Xueqin agrees, getting a formal job is just a matter of a word, right? Xueqin wouldn't let his own nephew suffer, would he?" He Shufen said.
Tan Xiaoya: "..."
Li Xiuling: "..."
"Xiaoya, I mentioned it to Xueqin, and he hasn't agreed temporarily, I understand. He's always been principled and cares about his reputation. It's indeed necessary to pay attention to some influence just after taking office. So I'm not in a hurry, I'll wait a while before mentioning it again."
"After a while, when he's adapted to his job, he still needs to take care of his nephew. Isn't that right?" He Shufen said.
Tan Xiaoya: "..."
"So, Xiaoya, you should also help in this matter, talk to him more." He Shufen said.
"Sister-in-law... you should know Xueqin's temper." Tan Xiaoya said.
"Of course I know, I didn't expect you to accomplish everything at once. Good things take time. Mention it every now and then, and the work will eventually be done. I'll also talk to your big brother about it. Your big brother, he's so traditional, he doesn't care about his own son's matters." He Shufen complained.
Tan Xiaoya: "..."
"Xiaoya, Xiuling, you both are university students, you have more education than me. But in terms of social knowledge, you still lack. So today I'll make it clear why I arranged things like this." He Shufen said.
Tan Xiaoya: "..."
Li Xiuling: "..."
"You see, whether it's Le or Xiaoyu from Xiuling's family, they're both doing well in their studies. They'll definitely be able to get into prestigious universities and stay in big cities in the future. They won't come back to Linyu County, this small place..."
"But Xueqin can't be an official forever, there will be a time when he retires. I've seen Xueqin's hard work over the years, from being a village official to now being the county mayor, it's not easy at all. After half a lifetime of hard work, once he retires, who will recognize him? He won't be able to get anything done. So, the resources and connections Xueqin has accumulated must be passed on to someone. I think our family's Mingming is very suitable, passed down by his grandfather, with the same surname as us, a nephew..."
Li Xiuling: "Sister-in-law, you really think far ahead."
"That's right, I've been thinking about it for a long time. Look at all the officials, big and small, in Linyu County now, who doesn't have connections? Mingming can start by driving over, from the village to the county, with Xueqin's support, he might even go to the city. This is the passing of the torch, the later generation surpassing the former." He Shufen said.
In the main hall.
Chang Xue Dun: "Xueqin, did your sister-in-law mention the matter about Mingming to you?"
Chang Xueqin nodded.
"Don't mind her, she has this annoying habit, always wanting to get involved in these crooked ways." Chang Xue Dun said indignantly.
"He's your wife, don't you control her?" Chang Xueqin smiled and said.
"Forget it. If she's reasonable, I don't need to control her. If she's unreasonable, I can't control her either. Her ability to make trouble, you've seen it over the years, making the whole yard restless..." Chang Xue Dun shook his head and said:
"Let me tell you another thing, Mingming's girlfriend, who was doing well, she forced them to break up, despising her rural background. Herself, our family, aren't we all from the countryside? She hasn't learned good social manners, but she's learned to despise the poor and love the rich very well."
"Brother, sister-in-law is actually pretty good most of the time, taking care of everything inside and outside the house properly." Chang Xueyi said.
"She's indeed very capable at managing the household, this point deserves recognition." Chang Xue Dun said.
...
"They really broke up?" Chang Le asked Chang Mingming under the eaves.
"Shh... how is that possible, just fooling my mom, don't tell her." Chang Mingming said.
"How long can you fool her? Eventually, you have to pass her test when you get married."
"Take it one step at a time, I hope she'll come around by then."
"How old is the girl?"
"She graduated from a normal university, just started working."
"That's good, you, a high school student, marrying a university student."
"The main reason is that I'm handsome, right."
"..."
"My mom said the girl's family is poor. What does that matter? Who hasn't been poor before? I think, with our combined salaries, we have enough to live on. Our family has a five-story house, no need to buy one."
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