1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

The four women chatted for a short while before they saw the car's headlights shining in their direction!

Feng Jiayou knew that her older brother, Feng Jiazhao, had already driven the car out.

Then he said goodbye to Zhu Lin, Gong Xue, and Liu Xiaoli, and quickly ran downstairs, truly eager to get home.

Gong Xue stayed behind, intending to spend the night with Zhu Lin and return to her General Political Department Art Troupe the next day.

Because it was already late at night, the streets were deserted. It took about half an hour to get from Yanying Factory back to the Yanda Courtyard.

Feng Jiayou almost immediately pushed open the car door and jumped out. Standing in front of the tightly closed courtyard gate, she took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock on the door, but stopped halfway through.

She turned to look at her older brother, Feng Jiazhao, who was taking luggage from the trunk, and asked softly, "Brother, it's so late, Mom and the others must be asleep, right? Why are we knocking on the door like this..."

"Keep knocking, Mom definitely didn't sleep well!" Feng Jiazhao walked over carrying his luggage, his tone certain. "You forgot, Mom is a light sleeper, she wakes up at the slightest noise."

"Besides, she'll definitely be worried about us when we come back, and she won't be able to sleep soundly!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a series of light footsteps came from the courtyard, along with the hushed but undisguised voices of Mrs. Feng and Teacher Gu:

"Who is it? Is it Xuemin and Jiayou who have returned?"

Immediately afterwards, the click of the latch being pulled open rang out, and the heavy wooden door creaked open a crack from the inside.

Teacher Gu, Ms. Feng's mother, was wearing a coat and holding a flashlight, with half of her body sticking out.

The dim flashlight beam first shone on Feng Jiazhao's face, then immediately moved to Feng Jiayou's face!

"Mom!" Feng Jiayou looked at her mother's familiar face, her nose tingled, and she called out!
"It really is you! You're finally back!" A smile instantly bloomed on Mrs. Feng's face, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out.

He quickly opened the door wide, stepped aside to let them in, and muttered under his breath, "Why are you so late?"

"Didn't you say it would be another two days? Was the journey smooth? Have you eaten yet? Hurry up and come inside, it's chilly outside!"

A barrage of questions came at me, carrying the haphazard concern typical of a mother.

Feng Jiayou felt a warm glow in her heart, and the nervousness of returning home instantly dissipated.

She stepped forward and took her mother's arm: "Mom, we're fine, not hungry, just a little tired. Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"Sleep? You can't sleep if you have something on your mind." Feng's mother took her daughter's hand in return, her cold palms sweaty, and pulled her inside, the flashlight beam casting messy circles on the ground.

Feng Jiazhao followed him in carrying his luggage, then turned around and bolted the courtyard gate!

When they returned, the lights in the east and west rooms of the main house were on, clearly indicating that they had been alerted!

"Mom, have Jiazhao and Jiayou come back?"

As soon as the curtain to the east room was lifted, Ke Yumei, the eldest sister-in-law, came out wearing a coat, her face showing surprise and weariness.

Following the other side of the west room, Second Sister-in-law Sun Juan rubbed her eyes and came out. When she saw Feng Jiayou in the courtyard, she was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Oh my, it really is you! You're finally back!"

"Eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law!" Feng Jiayou quickly greeted them.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"

Ke Yumei walked over and carefully examined her sister-in-law by the light coming from inside the house. "You don't look thinner, but your face is a little pale. You must be exhausted. Come inside and rest!"

Sun Juan also said, "I'll go to the kitchen and see if there's any hot water left. I'll pour some for you to drink. Would you like some noodles? There are some leftover steamed buns in the pot from last night; we can just heat them up and eat them."

"No need to trouble yourself, Second Sister-in-law, we're not hungry!" Feng Jiayou said quickly, but her eyes involuntarily drifted towards the main house and the backyard.

Seeing her daughter's thoughts, Feng's mother patted her hand and said, "The little squirrel is sleeping in his aunt's room in the backyard."

"She was fussy last night and cried for a while. Your second sister-in-law and I couldn't soothe her back to sleep, so your sister took her to bed and she just settled down. Be quiet, don't wake her up!"

Upon hearing that her son had cried, Feng Jiayou's heart clenched even more, and she wished she could fly over immediately.

But she still held back and said to her two sisters-in-law first, "Eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, I'm sorry to have worried you."

"We brought you some small gifts on this trip."

As he spoke, he gestured for his elder brother, Feng Jiazhao, to bring over the luggage.

"Where's Jiacheng? Is he on duty again?" Feng Jiazhao put his luggage on the table and asked, not seeing his second son, Feng Jiacheng.

"That's right, that's how their workplace is. Out of 356 days a year, they're stuck inside for at least 300 days!" Second Sister-in-law Sun Juan said, having nothing to say about her husband's logistics department, which seemed to be busier than anyone else's!
"These two are for Liwen and Liqin!"

Feng Jiayou took out two slightly larger paper packages and handed them to the two little ones who were hiding behind their mother, eagerly peeking out curiously.

Actually, the two children had been waiting impatiently. They took the paper package and thanked her with great surprise, saying, "Thank you, Auntie!"

Eagerly opening the box, Feng Liqin found a brightly colored plastic cartoon pencil case and a scented eraser.

Feng Liwen's items included a tin car and a toy gun.

The two children's eyes lit up, and with a cheer, they ran to the lamp and began to carefully examine it, instantly forgetting about the adults who had returned from their long journey. Their little faces were full of excitement.

Seeing the children's happy faces, the adults also smiled, and the dust and fatigue from the journey seemed to be washed away.

"Mom! This is for you!" Feng Jiayou said, taking out the gift she had brought for her mother.

As she took the things, Feng's mother couldn't help but ask again, "Jiayou, tell me the truth, why did you suddenly come back?"

“Yesterday I called Xuemin’s film studio to ask about Lao Wang. He said you guys need to stay in Hong Kong for a couple more days to sort things out. How come… it’s only been one day, how come…”

Ke Yumei and Sun Juan also perked up their ears!

Although they weren't as direct as Feng's mother, they were just as curious.

These days, going abroad or to Hong Kong is a major event; you can't just come back anytime, especially not in the middle of the night.

Feng Jiayou and Feng Jiazhao exchanged a glance.

Once you get home, there's no need to hide things so tightly, but you can't tell them everything either, lest your family worry.

After considering for a moment, Feng Jiayou said, "Mom, we were originally going to stay in Hong Kong for two days, and the negotiations went fairly smoothly."

"But today...this afternoon, there was an urgent matter in Yanjing that required Xuemin to return immediately, so we came back with him!"

"Urgent? What urgent matter? Where's Xuemin? Why didn't he come back with you?" Feng's mother's heart jumped. She had noticed that her son-in-law, Cheng Xuemin, hadn't come in with them. She had assumed he was in the back parking lot.

Only then did he realize what was happening and quickly pressed for an answer.

"As soon as Xuemin got off the plane, he was... picked up by a car sent by his superiors to report on his work." Feng Jiayou downplayed the issue, "We don't know the specifics; it was arranged directly from above!" Feng's mother's expression changed, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she held back.

Her husband and son both work within the system, and through their exposure, they also know the weight behind the words "being picked up by a leader in a car" and "reporting on work."

She looked at her daughter, then at her son, her voice unconsciously lowering slightly: "Then...how did you get back? By train? Or...?"

Feng Jiazhao took over the conversation. His tone was more composed than his sister's, but his words were more impactful:
"Mom, we came back on a private jet. It was arranged by Liao Gong himself, flying directly back from Hong Kong."

"A...a private jet?" Madam Feng nearly dropped the silk handkerchief in her hand, her voice trembling, her eyes wide with shock. "Master Liao?!"

Ke Yumei and Sun Juan were also stunned, their mouths slightly agape as they looked at Feng Jiazhao, as if he were telling a fantastical story.

special plane?

Liao Gong?

This was something from another world to them.

Feng Jiazhao nodded, confirming his mother's guess, but didn't elaborate further: "Yes, it's Liao Gong!"

"We don't know the specifics, but it's definitely something important. Xuemin told us not to worry, that he'd be back once he'd taken care of it!"

The main room fell silent instantly, with only the faint hum of the light bulb and the rustling of the two children playing with their new toys.

Feng's mother, Ke Yumei, and Sun Juan looked at each other, speechless with shock at the sudden news.

Special plane, Liao Gong, emergency recall...

The impact of these words combined far exceeded their expectations.

Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

They dared not think about it; their hearts were pounding with anxiety!
Just then, light footsteps came from the backyard, and then Cheng Xuemin's sister, Cheng Wenxiu, came over, carrying a steaming enamel mug.

"Jiayou, elder brother, you're back! I heard some noise ahead and guessed it was you!" Cheng Wenxiu greeted her sister-in-law Feng Jiayou, who was in the main room, with equal joy and excitement.

"Sister, I just got back!" Feng Jiayou quickly replied to her aunt Cheng Wenxiu.

Cheng Wenxiu smiled gently, her gaze first falling on Feng Jiayou's face, and she looked at her carefully.

Seeing that she was tired but in good spirits, he looked relieved and nodded, saying, "There's still some porridge warming in the pot. I served some. Jiayou, Big Brother, you should both have some to warm your stomachs. You must not have eaten well after sitting on the plane for so long!"

Her voice was gentle, and her movements were slow and graceful, like a spring breeze that instantly dispelled the somewhat heavy atmosphere in the main room.

"Sister!" At this moment, Feng Jiayou had no appetite for porridge and whispered to her aunt, "Little squirrel..."

"She's asleep in the back. She was just fed milk and is sleeping soundly."

Cheng Wenxiu smiled and placed the enamel mug on the table. Inside was a thick millet porridge, emitting the unique aroma of grain. "Don't rush to see him yet. Let the child sleep soundly. Drink this porridge and warm yourself up before you go."

Feng Jiayou smelled the aroma of the porridge, and her stomach did indeed rumble.

Although meals were provided on the plane, she was preoccupied with other things and barely ate anything.

Returning home now, the familiar aroma of food brings a surge of fatigue and hunger.

"Thank you, sister." She took the enamel mug and, ignoring the heat, began to drink in small sips.

The warm porridge slid down my esophagus, and the warmth instantly spread to my limbs and bones, even relaxing my tense nerves.

Cheng Wenxiu then urged everyone to eat something!

After drinking the porridge, I felt warm and my stomach was full.

Feng Jiayou could no longer contain herself and stared longingly at her aunt, Cheng Wenxiu.

Cheng Wenxiu smiled knowingly and put down her bowl: "Go ahead, but keep your voice down!"

Feng Jiayou immediately put down her bowl, as if she had received a pardon, and tiptoed but impatiently went to the backyard!
The backyard is just like the front yard!
The west wing housed the maternal grandparents, while the east wing housed the aunt, Cheng Wenxiu, her husband, Wang Quanwen, and their nephew, Xiao Qingwa.

However, Feng Jiayou did not go to her aunt Cheng Wenxiu's room, but went directly into her own room in the main house.

Because during their time in France, it was Aunt Cheng Wenxiu who took care of the little squirrel and slept in the main room!
Sure enough, once inside the main house, the main lights weren't on, but you could still see them in the darkness.

The little squirrel was sleeping on the cool mat on the kang (a heated brick bed), breathing evenly, its little chest rising and falling gently with each breath!

Feng Jiayou's feet seemed nailed to the doorway, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

She held her breath and moved step by step to the bedside, afraid of disturbing the little one's sleep.

She gently sat down on the stool by the bed and, in the dim light, greedily gazed at her son's sleeping face.

The little guy seems to have gained a bit more weight since just over ten days ago. His face is chubby, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyelids. His little mouth is slightly pouting, and he occasionally smacks his lips, as if he's eating something delicious in his dream.

A small hand is clenched into a fist and placed next to the cheek!
Feng Jiayou's heart softened completely. All the fatigue from the journey, the tension of the negotiations, and her worries about Cheng Xuemin were healed by this little person in front of her at this moment.

She reached out, her fingertips trembling, and gently stroked her son's soft hair, across his full forehead, and finally onto his tender cheek.

The warm touch, imbued with a real vitality, sent a warmth through her fingertips, finally giving her restless heart a sense of purpose!
She lowered her head and placed a light kiss on her son's forehead, which smelled of milk.

And so I just sat there quietly, watching, as if I could never get enough of it!

After some time, Cheng Wenxiu also tiptoed in, carrying a coat. She gently draped it over Feng Jiayou's shoulders and whispered:

"The little squirrel has been so well-behaved these past few days! It's just that it suddenly became a bit fussy today, probably sensing that its mother is coming back!"

"I finally managed to get you to sleep, and now you're sleeping soundly and won't wake up anytime soon. You must be tired after a long day, so go wash up and get some sleep."

"I won't sleep in this room tonight! When the little guy wakes up tomorrow morning and sees his mom, I guarantee he'll be overjoyed!"

Feng Jiayou then came to her senses, grasped Cheng Wenxiu's hand, and whispered, "Sister, you've had a hard time these past few days."

"What's so hard about it? He's my own nephew, I love him more than anything."

Cheng Wenxiu smiled and squeezed her hand. "Go on, I've prepared the hot water for you. It's in the main room outside!"

…………

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