Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 855 New Year’s Eve
"Chirp..."

Several large birds circled overhead, getting closer and closer to the city, startling other flocks of birds into scattering and desperately trying to escape.

But whether it was a pigeon or a sparrow, a black stork or a egret, the large bird ignored it, its eyes fixed on a small green jeep driving on the road.

Holding the baby monkey in her arms, Zhou Yali tilted her head and looked at the gyrfalcon in the sky, laughing like a fool, "So gyrfalcons can fly tens of kilometers?"

Chen Fan was driving and didn't want to pay attention to her.

Jiang Lili, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around to look at her and said with a smile, "You've been raising a gyrfalcon for two years now, haven't you learned anything about it?"

The gyrfalcon can fly at speeds of up to 150 kilometers per hour, with a dive speed between 200 and 240 kilometers per hour. Its flight altitude can reach over 5000 meters, and its hunting radius is at least 100 to 150 kilometers, sometimes even reaching over 200 kilometers.

It catches swans and geese above, and wolves and foxes below, which is why it is called the God of All Eagles.

Although the road distance from Lujiawan to Yunhu is over 100 kilometers, the straight-line distance is only 5 or 60 kilometers, far below the hunting radius limit of the gyrfalcon. It's perfectly normal for them to fly over there.

It's just that Lujiawan is too far from Shanghai; otherwise, the gyrfalcon could even travel directly between the two places.

Zhou Yali grinned without any shame, "After I brought them back to the United States, I handed them over to professional falconers for training. Apart from recognizing me as their master, I didn't really take care of them. I don't know anything about what you're talking about."

Zhou Zhengdong, who was listening nearby, twitched his eyes. What did she mean by recognizing her as his master? These two gyrfalcons had been tamed by his nephew from the very beginning; she was the real master.

She was at most a second mistress; as long as her eldest nephew gave the order, those two birds would even dare to peck at her.

Of course, my nephew would never do that. This girl insists on playing with birds, so let her never find out.

A short while later, the car drove into the courtyard of the Chen family's old house. It must be said that the cleaning staff arranged by the machinery factory were quite responsible; the house remained clean and tidy despite not being lived in for so long.

Not only that, the snow in the yard was also cleared away, and Spring Festival couplets were pasted on the gate of the yard and the door of the house.

It was at this moment that Chen Fan realized the benefits of having several consultant titles.

It really saves you a lot of trouble.

As soon as the car stopped, the small hawk in the lead chirped twice and swooped down first.

Following closely behind were five gyrfalcons of similar size. The three white "prodigies" were a little closer, while the two mottled "later birds" lagged behind.

The two tan birds were naturally the ones Zhou Yali took to the United States. Birds also have their own sense of closeness and distance, and they don't have the concept of "guests from afar are guests." In the eyes of the Eurasian Hobby, the three white birds were naturally closer.

The two grizzly-colored birds barked unhappily, as if they were the ones who arrived first.

This one arrived earlier than the three little white birds, but much later than the Eurasian Hobby.

Well, the main problem is that the other side has more birds, and my two pairs of claws can't beat their four pairs of claws.

So he could only vent his anger on other birds.

As they landed, they each grabbed a pigeon that had flown by from who-knows-where, tightened its claws, snapped its neck, and threw it into the yard, while they themselves landed on the roof.

As soon as Zhou Yali got out of the car, she saw two pigeons fall from the sky and land in front of her with a thud. Looking up at the two birds that had just landed on the roof and were preening their feathers, she immediately beamed with joy, "Brother, my birds have brought me dinner!"

Chen Fan glanced at it and said, "Okay, let's add a dish tonight."

Looking at the roof again, two griffins suddenly hid their heads in their wings, while four other birds glanced at them from the side.

There are internal conflicts here.

However, he was too lazy to care. Competition was a good thing, but he couldn't neglect his duties and forget to hone his hunting skills, or he would end up as a pet bird.

That kind of gyrfalcon is unqualified.

As soon as they opened the door and put down their luggage, the group quickly got to work.

Zhao Wanru washed her hands and then took out bedding from the wardrobe to make the bed; Jiang Lili went to the kitchen to prepare dinner; Zhou Yali carried her little brother from the front of the house to the back; the two little monkeys sat obediently on the octagonal table in the main room, and even though no one was paying attention, they insisted on fulfilling their cuteness duties.

Beside him was Zhou Zhengdong, smoking and drinking tea; two wildcats pretended to be on guard in the yard, but when they saw the six birds resting on the roof, they couldn't help but tremble.

When Jiang Lili's guardian cat, Banjin, saw this scene, it curled its lip in disdain, then leaped onto the wall, calmly walked onto the roof, and lay down next to the falcon.

The falcon glanced at the mistress's personal guard but made no move.

After enjoying the shocked looks from the two wildcats for a few seconds, Banjin jumped over the roof and into the backyard.

It wasn't because the snow on the roof hadn't been cleared and it was too cold to lie in the snow; it was simply because it missed its owner and needed to rush over to protect it in case of an accident.

Chen Fan sat in the study, phone in hand, a slightly frivolous smile on his face. "Yes, yes, tomorrow at noon, Lili and I will both come over for lunch, a family reunion. Uncle and the others?"
I also invited him, but he said it wasn't appropriate. He's right, it's Chinese New Year after all, and even if we're very close, it's not suitable for him to visit our home during the New Year.

They stayed at home. Before they left, Lili and I would arrange their lunch, and then we would have a family reunion dinner with them in the evening.

Okay, okay, see you tomorrow. Wait,..."

He turned to look at the doorway, covered the microphone with his hand, and whispered, "Give me a kiss. Oh my, that's great. Okay, see you tomorrow."

After hanging up the phone, Teacher Chen rubbed his hands together, reverting to his sanctimonious demeanor.

Then he stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked outside. "Lili, when can we eat?"

……

The next morning, Chen Fan prepared a few simple dishes and kept them warm in a steamer. They could serve them directly to the table for lunch.

After finishing, he took the gifts and accompanied his wife back to her parents' home.

Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi's ancestral home is in Jiangsu, but their parents have passed away and they don't have many relatives. After living in Yunhu for so many years, they have lost contact with their hometown. So for many years, they have spent New Year's Eve together as a family.

Since meeting Chen Fan, she realized that there were families even worse off than her own. In order to keep this son-in-law close to her, she "indulged" her two daughters to go and spend the Chinese New Year with him for the past two years.

This year was much better; their youngest daughter got married and came back with her husband for a family reunion. The couple was overjoyed and set off several strings of firecrackers.

When the son-in-law arrived home, a banner was set off. In less than five minutes, the entire staff dormitory area of ​​the cotton mill knew that the Jiang family's good son-in-law had arrived, and the news was spreading rapidly.

When we eat, we put down a banner to tell everyone that the son-in-law is here for the New Year's Eve reunion, and that our Jiang family, after Old Jiang, now has a pillar of support.

They set off another string of them when they left. This time, there was no other meaning; it was just for the sake of celebration.

Watching the jeep drive away, Deputy Factory Director Xiong from next door came out with his hands in his pockets and called out to Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi, who were still looking into the distance, "Old Jiang, has your son-in-law left?"

Jiang Heng turned around, grinned, and said, "Let's go to Qingshan Garden to deliver the light to his parents."

Deputy Factory Director Xiong walked up and asked curiously, "I saw your sweetie got on the bus too?"

Jiang Heng laughed and said, "Yes, we went together. This girl achieved some success last year, all thanks to Xiao Fan's help out because we're family. Otherwise, how could a college student like her have published an article in 'Harvest' and had it adapted into a movie by Jiang Film Studio?"

Also, another of her novels was picked up by the Shanghai Film Studio. She had just signed a contract before returning home, and filming was scheduled to begin after the New Year. It was also published in Harvest magazine, and it was called "Where the Flowers Bloom." Xiao Fan helped her negotiate with the studio from beginning to end.

He even wrote a song specifically for this movie.

You know, Xiaofan has gone to such lengths, how could she not go with her parents to send off the New Year's Eve lanterns?
In the end, we're still family.

After listening, Deputy Factory Director Xiong fell into a deep silence.

I was just out gossiping for a bit, and you've launched a barrage of attacks? Yeah, so your family has found a great son-in-law, and your daughter is outstanding too, making all the other kids in our workplace seem inferior, right?

He really wanted a cigarette, but he hadn't brought any with him, so he could only take a deep breath, exhale a puff of white smoke, smack his lips, and say, "Old Jiang, you're really lucky. Your youngest daughter married well, and your eldest daughter is doing well too, but..."

He looked up at Jiang Heng with a concerned expression, "With a brother-in-law like Consultant Chen as a benchmark, your Tian Tian... I'm afraid it will be even harder to find someone, right? What child can compare to Consultant Chen?!"

Jiang Heng's face stiffened slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Shen Xueyi, who had been silent all along, smiled and said, "It's really troubled Deputy Factory Director Xiong. My sweetie has already made up her mind to dedicate her limited life to the boundless revolutionary work. Personal feelings are trivial matters and not worth mentioning."

Besides, now that Lili is married and has a brother-in-law like Xiaofan, even if she doesn't get married, she doesn't have to worry about being isolated and helpless or having no one to take care of her when she gets old. In any case, Xiaofan and Lili will definitely take care of her.

This is still better than finding a man who's all show and no substance, someone who looks good on the outside but is actually a complete idiot. And that's not even the worst part.

It's one thing to have a glamorous appearance, but if they have a bad temper and hit people at the drop of a hat, oh dear..."

沈雪怡捂着胸口，一副难以忍受的样子，“我要是想到女儿嫁给这种人，还不如一生与革命工作相伴呢，最少不用伺候人、还挨揍，是吧。”

The first half was alright, but as he heard the latter part, Deputy Factory Director Xiong's old face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he nodded perfunctorily, "Uh-huh, yes, yes, yes..."

Then he waved his hand and said, "My family is having a reunion dinner soon, let's talk later."

After saying that, he turned around and went home.

After Deputy Factory Director Xiong entered the house and closed the door, Jiang Heng suppressed a laugh and said to Shen Xueyi, "Why did you poke at his lungs? It's the New Year."

Shen Xueyi snorted and turned to walk back. "I only bother them during the New Year. I don't usually bother with them. They're all so idle, always bringing up Tian Tian every now and then."

So what if he doesn't get married? He's not eating their rice. At least it's a hundred times better than his daughter marrying a donkey dung.

Why bring this up today? Isn't it just to arrange a marriage for his good-for-nothing nephew? Does his nephew even deserve her? Even if Tian Tian never marries, I'll support her, and Xiao Fan and her sister will take care of her. Why do they need to gossip?

I wish he'd be so angry he couldn't eat his family reunion dinner. Pshaw!

……

Chen Fan and his companions were unaware that a covert battle was brewing after they left.

He drove off happily, glanced in the rearview mirror, and said to Jiang Tiantian, "After dropping Liang off, I'll go home for dinner. I might as well stay at home tonight. Anyway, with my uncle and the others there, I don't have to worry about people gossiping."

Jiang Tiantian glared at him irritably, "Even with your uncle and the others around, you can't do anything, so why do you insist that I stay overnight? It's a waste of time and just invites gossip."

I won't stay. We can have dinner, but after dinner you have to take me home, otherwise I'll walk back myself.

Jiang Lili didn't sit in the front, but sat with her in the back row. After she finished speaking, she immediately took her arm and chuckled, "So you're saying that if your uncle and the others aren't here, you'll stay overnight?"

Jiang Tiantian glared at her and reached out to scratch her, saying, "You're aiding and abetting evil, you're not a good person either."

Jiang Lili couldn't stand the tickling and immediately retorted, "You're just being hypocritical after getting the benefit. If you're so capable, just watch."

Jiang Tiantian blushed deeply, and her hand movements became even more exaggerated. "What kind of dirty talk are you talking about?"

Chen Fan glanced at the two sisters bickering in the rearview mirror and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. When girls get crazy, men really have nothing on them.

……

Soon they arrived at the old house, where they met up with Zhou Zhengdong and Zhou Yali. They then took the offerings and headed to Qingshan Cemetery.

Zhao Wanru didn't go with them; she had to stay home to take care of the baby.

Generally speaking, children under the age of seven should not go to visit graves, but there are a few specific boundaries.

Children under three years old have insufficient Yang energy and should absolutely not go; children under five years old whose third eye is not yet closed should try to avoid going.

Children under seven years old should not go unless they are their biological parents.

Children of this age are indeed prone to psychological or physical discomfort if they go to a cemetery.

In many places, children are only taken to visit graves after they turn 12 years old. By this age, they are generally able to understand the meaning of life and death and have the ability to adapt to the cemetery environment.

The little one is only six months old, so it's definitely not possible to bring him along.

The group of five people fit perfectly into one car and soon arrived at Qingshan Cemetery.

As with any other memorial service, upon arriving at the tombstone, Chen Fan busied himself burning paper money and incense, while Zhou Zhengdong squatted in front of the grave, quietly recounting the changes Chen Fan had undergone over the past year.

He's written several books, made a lot of money, opened several companies... his business is even more successful than the Zhou family's back then.

Of course, the most important event was getting married a few days ago.

Then he secretly pointed at the two Jiang sisters, and spoke even softer, so softly that even Chen Fan, with his keen hearing, couldn't hear him in the howling north wind.

“Your son is a real handful. He took advantage of the Jiang family’s daughters. If you’re watching from heaven, please pray that he doesn’t mess things up, or things will get really out of hand and he’ll have to come to America with me.”

(End of this chapter)