Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapters 322 and 323: A myriad of lights, the fragrance of rice paddies.

Over here, the two brothers finished their conversation.

Meanwhile, Han Xixi wandered around the kitchen and finally decided not to have a late-night snack, but just some watermelon would be fine.

Lin Jianping had already made preparations.

It was huge, washed clean, and filled with cool well water in a large tub.

When you cut it open, the flesh is bright red and juice is flowing out.

One bite and you'll experience a crisp, sweet, and refreshing sensation, without the icy feeling of food frozen in the refrigerator.

On this sweltering summer night, eating a slice of cool watermelon like this is practically enough to make you die on the spot.

"It's delicious, Dad!"

Xi Xi couldn't help but praise her.

Lin Jianping was so pleased with his daughter-in-law's positive feedback that his face was all wrinkled with joy.

"Eat, eat, there's plenty more," Old Lin awkwardly urged.

"You should eat too!"

"I ate it, I ate it every day..."

Lin Jianping smiled kindly, as if he had a habit of saving the best food for the children, and turned to wash the cutting board.

Looking at her father-in-law's thin, short back, Xixi suddenly thought of her own father.

Han Haijun is from the north and is a high-ranking official at the ministerial level.

In terms of height, temperament, and eloquence, he was far superior to Lin Jianping in front of him.

However, when it comes to the profession of "father," Xixi would undoubtedly give her father-in-law a perfect score.

Although he did not achieve great success in the worldly sense, nor did he have a glamorous career, he raised two sons by working as a bricklayer. Moreover, both sons have very positive values, are hardworking, and have harmonious families.

How can a man like that not be considered successful?

At least in Xixi's eyes now, her father, who was a high-ranking official but abandoned his wife, is far less admirable than the father-in-law in front of her who would even save a watermelon for the children.

Xi Xi's eyes welled up with tears, but she also felt a little sentimental.

"Dad, you should eat too~" she said unconsciously, trying to coax him.

"You eat first, there's plenty more at home..."

"It was more than I could eat!"

Xi Xi stomped her foot with a laugh, "Dad, I'm a female celebrity! Eating too much watermelon will make me fat, so I can't eat too much!"

Lin Jianping immediately became serious: "You're not fat, where are you fat? You're as thin as a bamboo stalk, not fat at all, eat more..."

As he spoke, he sat down on the small stool and began tidying up the tender green beans scattered on the ground.

Xixi stopped trying to persuade him and squatted down to the side.

Why are there so many green beans?

"They were just picked, take them home and eat them!"

Lin Jianping smiled憨厚ly, "There are also pumpkins and water spinach, I've packed them all... Your mother told me that the vegetables bought over there aren't as good as those grown at home, so I brought you extra while you were back. There are so many people in your family, you eat a lot, I can't eat this much by myself..."

Lin Jianping and his youngest son have the same personality, and this is the first time Xixi has heard her father-in-law talk so much.

The two were chatting casually.

Lin Xiao and Lin Yu came to the kitchen.

Seeing her brother-in-law's bruised and swollen face, Xixi couldn't hold back her laughter any longer and struggled to suppress it.

It was too hot in the kitchen, so the three young people moved upstairs to the main house and ate watermelon while the air conditioning was on.

I turned on the TV and tuned to Hunan TV. The second episode of "Longing for Married Life" was already halfway through.

It just so happens that the scene is about Lin Xiao and Xi Xi.

The time shown in the video is the last day of the first recording, which was Sunday.

It was noon on the show.

Lin Xiao and Xi Xi had just finished lunch and washed the dishes. They sat at the front door, chatting while looking at the golden rice fields in front of them.

The off-screen sound is the crisp chirping of cicadas, occasionally accompanied by the crowing of roosters and the barking of dogs.

The scorching afternoon sun made the world wilt.

Occasionally a gentle breeze would blow, bringing a touch of coolness, but most of the time it was quiet and windless, with Huanxi Residence and the entire Dafeng Village enduring the scorching heat of the late summer.

After two days of recording.

Han Xixi has completely adapted to the rural rhythm. She is wearing the simplest home clothes, her long hair is casually clipped behind her head with a shark clip, her face is without any makeup, and she is leisurely fanning herself with a palm leaf fan.

This posture is exactly the same as the way she is sitting in the living room eating watermelon right now. Who would believe that this is a popular female star who has swept through the music scene!
In the footage, the couple chatted casually.

"I'm leaving this afternoon..." Xixi said with some emotion.

"What, you don't want to leave?" Lin Xiao replied with a simple smile.

"Yes, I'm reluctant to part with it."

"Why? It's hot, dilapidated, and boring here!"

"It's really hot, but it's not boring if we don't break into a fight!"

Xi Xi responded earnestly, a leisurely smile on her face, "Not only is it not boring or tedious, it's also very peaceful. Those famous figures of ancient times who retired to the countryside probably lived this kind of life too~~"

Lin Xiao smiled warmly from the side: "When other people retire, it's because they've been demoted. You're a great singer doing just fine, why are you talking about retiring? Aren't you being a bit hypocritical and pretentious?"

Xixi wasn't embarrassed when her secret was exposed; instead, she laughed heartily.

The two chatted for a while longer before going back to their room for a nap.

The video was accompanied by an empty shot of the mountains and fields, creating a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere, before the commercials started.

off screen.

The three of them had already finished most of the watermelon, but Xixi was too tired to eat anymore and lay down on the sofa.

Lin Xiao and Lin Yu are still fighting.

While the commercial break was in progress, Xixi's gossip fire ignited, and she didn't care about her brother-in-law's injuries. She was determined to rub salt into his wounds!

"Xiaoyu... what's going on between you and Tiantian?" she asked.

Lin Yu was engrossed in eating melon seeds.

Caught off guard, this unexpected turn of events suddenly made me feel like none of the melons in my hand were sweet anymore.

"Um...uh...nothing's wrong..."

Don't be shy!

Xi Xi sat up straight, her eyes blazing with intense heat.

She patted Lin Yu on the shoulder: "Don't worry, your sister-in-law fully supports you! And I've also asked Tian Tian about it. She likes your classmate, Qin... Qin something again?"

"Qin Jiapeng!" Lin Xiao added, discarding the melon rind and continuing to eat.

"Yes, Qin Jiapeng!"

Xixi said excitedly, "Tian Tian said that she has absolutely no feelings for Qin Jiapeng. It's just that we met here last summer, so she invited them to Jingzhou together. And when Qin Jiapeng confessed to her, she rejected him on the spot, right?"

Lin Yu lowered his head and shook it.

"I do not know."

"You don't know? Weren't you there at the time?"

"No."

"..."

Xi Xi was a little embarrassed, but thinking about it, it made sense. How bold must this Qin kid be to confess in front of everyone when he knew that Lin Yu also liked Liang Tian?

That's not youthful vigor, that's just recklessness!

Xi Xi waved her hand: "Let's not talk about others. Xiao Yu, tell your sister-in-law the truth, do you...do you like Tian Tian or not?"

Lin Yu blushed with embarrassment at the question, his face turning even redder on the bruises.

The colors are absolutely gorgeous.

"like?"

"..."

"dislike?"

"..."

"You silly child, your sister-in-law is trying to help you. If you don't figure out your own feelings now, Tian Tian might really be snatched away by that Qin Jiapeng!"

"what?!"

Lin Yu then became a little nervous, "Didn't you say... Liang Tian doesn't like him?"

Xi Xi said, "They don't like each other now, but feelings develop over time. They'll be going to the same university, so they'll have a natural advantage. What if Qin Jiapeng doesn't give up and keeps pursuing Tian Tian, ​​while you haven't made any moves? Comparing the two, who knows, Tian Tian might fall for Qin Jiapeng?"

Lin Yu's expression was somewhat grave.

"Oh."

"oh?!"

Xi Xi got impatient; even her usually good temper was starting to flare up. "Is this all the reaction you're going to have?"

Lin Yu sighed and said, "Who she chooses to be with is her business, it has nothing to do with me!"

Upon hearing this, Xixi was so anxious she almost screamed.

"Alright, alright!"

Lin Xiao quickly interrupted, "Stop playing matchmaker. These are just young people's business; they know what they're doing. We don't need to interfere!"

As he spoke, he winked at his wife.

Xi Xi understood, remembering their previous plan to stand by and watch the matter, and forcibly suppressed her eagerness.

It wasn't that she wanted to be a matchmaker and deliberately play matchmaker.

Rather, as the only person in the know, she had firsthand information and knew that the two parties involved liked each other. However, the feeling was vague, pure, and simple, and even they themselves didn't know how to break through this barrier.

If no "third party" had appeared, Xixi would have found the ambiguous feelings between the young man quite beautiful and would naturally have been willing to observe and appreciate them.

But now a troublemaker has appeared.

Xi Xi was genuinely worried that such a loving couple would be torn apart for some inexplicable reason, becoming a significant part of youth-angst literature.

However, judging from Lin Yu's attitude...

Xi Xi realized that no matter how anxious she was, it was useless. She could only remain calm and wait for the next episode of this teen idol drama.

……

After we finished chatting for a few minutes, the commercials on TV were over.

It was already 8:30 p.m., and there was only half an hour left before the second episode ended.

The show continues.

Returning to Dafeng Village, the other two groups of guests appeared on camera.

Lin Xiao and Xi Xi watched with great interest; they found it more interesting to watch others than to watch themselves.

Lin Yu, however, felt bored and got up to go back to his room.

Twenty minutes passed.

The camera then returns to Lin Xiao and Xi Xi, and the scene is set at a beautiful sunset.

The sun hangs in the western sky like a big persimmon, sweet and tempting.

The temperature was a bit cooler than during the day, and a gentle breeze had picked up, so Lin Xiao and Xi Xi decided to go for a walk.

Before leaving, Lin Xiao even brought his guitar with him.

"Why are you carrying a guitar?" Xixi asked curiously.

"You'll find out later!"

Lin Xiao kept everyone in suspense.

Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Yu came out of the room again and sat down silently on the corner of the sofa.

The three watched the end of the program with great interest.

The sun is setting, creating a beautiful scene.

So beautiful that even the production crew couldn't help but shift their focus away from the main character, cutting to a dozen seconds of empty shots to showcase the remoteness, grandeur, tranquility, and beauty of the mountain village.

Lin Xiao and Xi Xi walked slowly along the ridge of the field, hand in hand.

In August and September, the rice seedlings have already sprouted ears and turned yellow, and in another month or so, it will be ready for harvest.

As the summer heat dissipated, the villagers came out of their homes to work.

In the golden rice fields under the afterglow of the setting sun.

Every now and then, a figure can be seen in the fields, spraying pesticides, fertilizing, weeding, and irrigating, and so on.

From a distance, it looks like an oil painting.

Xi Xi stopped in her tracks as she watched this scene.

"So beautiful~~" she exclaimed.

Lin Xiao smiled but didn't say anything.

Xi Xi turned to look at him: "Isn't it beautiful?"

Lin Xiao glanced at it, then shook his head with a smile.

“Beautiful?!” His voice was somewhat sarcastic.

“Yes… ah…” Xixi’s words were no longer very confident.

"Look at that old man!"

Lin Xiao pointed to the nearest rice paddy, where a short figure was slowly making its way through the field, carrying a medicine box on its back.

Xi Xi nodded: "I saw it."

Lin Xiao asked, "Do you know how heavy that medicine box he's carrying is?"

Xi Xi shook her head.

"It's full, probably weighing forty or fifty pounds!"

“So heavy?!”

"Yeah, I tried to memorize it when I was little, but I can't remember it!"

"You did such heavy farm work when you were a child?" Xixi asked with a hint of heartache.

"of course not!"

Lin Xiao burst out laughing, "My parents never let me do it. First, the pesticide box is heavy, and second, pesticides are toxic. If you accidentally spray them on yourself and don't wash them off in time, your skin will ulcerate..."

“That’s how it was with my mom. Every time she went to the fields to spray pesticides, no matter how well she protected herself, she would still get skin poisoning, and her legs would rot in patches. Even now, she still has scars on her legs from that time.”

“One year when I was on vacation and came home, I saw that she still had to go to the fields, so I took the medicine box from her and carried it on my back... It was so heavy that I almost couldn’t lift it!”

Xi Xi was shocked when she thought of that scene.

Off-screen, Lin Yu, sitting in the corner of the sofa, also changed his expression, his eyes filled with horror.

In the program.

The relaxed expression on Xixi's face had completely disappeared.

Looking at the old man in front of him, he was thin and hunched over, and his weight was definitely no heavier than Lin Xiao's when he was a teenager.

Lin Xiao couldn't even carry the medicine box on his back, but he carried it steadily on his shoulder, and had to shuttle back and forth in the muddy fields under the scorching sun.

Just a moment ago I thought it was beautiful and picturesque, but now I only feel it is cruel, and there is no beauty in it at all.

Xi Xi frowned.

Lin Xiao laughed and said, "You don't need to feel sorry for them! Now it's all mechanized farming. Xingguang Town is in the mountains, and you can see that the fields are all uneven, so there's no way to farm intensively. That's why they can only harvest and plant by hand."

"The government provides special subsidies for this situation. Moreover, agriculture in Xingguang Town is mainly based on fruit tree planting, with very little rice paddy cultivation. Therefore, the villagers do not need to put in much labor, and it is not as hard as you think."

After hearing these words, Xixi nodded.

The two continued walking and encountered several children picking snails in the stream. Each of them carried a bucket, and they had already filled most of it.

The children were stunned when they saw a group of people carrying long guns and short cannons walking towards them.

Lin Xiao and Xi Xi watched for a while, then continued walking forward.

The children already knew that several big stars had come to the village, but the production crew had stopped them from going to see them. Now that they had finally met them, they naturally followed along with great curiosity, and threw the snails they had collected directly into the haystacks by the roadside.

As they walked further, more and more children gathered around, and Xiao Fang, who was off-camera, couldn't control them, as many children wandered into the frame.

Since becoming a mother, Han Xixi has developed a fondness for children.

Lin Xiao immediately understood from his wife's expression and called the children over.

"Kids~"

Lin Xiao grinned like a freak and leaned down, saying, "School starts soon... Have you finished your summer homework?!"

Hear this.

Lin Yu, sitting in the living room, couldn't help but complain, "Bro, are you a devil?"

Lin Xiao retaliated by flicking his younger brother's forehead on the back of the head.

On TV, Xixi pushed Lin Xiao aside, took over the conversation, and chatted carefully with the children, asking them their names and ages.

Because of their different accents, Xixi spoke Mandarin, while Lin Xiao, having spent over four months in Xingguang Town, had learned the local dialect and asked the question in fluent local dialect. Neither of them were pretentious, and the children quickly forgot about the camera, happily playing with the two guests.

“Sister, I recognize you!” a little boy suddenly said to Xixi.

"is it?"

"You're a big star!"

The boy's eyes lit up.

Xi Xi smiled and squatted down, saying, "I'm not a big star, my job is singing, just like your school's music teacher!"

The children looked bewildered.

"We don't have a music teacher!"

"..."

Well, this conversation is dead.

Xi Xi suddenly felt sad and disappointed: "Aren't there any music lessons?"

The children all shook their heads in unison: "No!"

Xi Xi was so shocked by Qian Qian that she was speechless for a moment.

Seeing the atmosphere turn cold, Lin Xiao quickly moved closer and asked with a grin, "Does everyone know her? Does anyone know me?"

A child raised his hand: "I know you, you're the mayor!!"

Lin Xiao proudly gave a thumbs up: "Looks like our town mayor's fame is no less than that of a big pop star! Kid, you have a good eye!"

The child, upon receiving the praise, immediately became arrogant, remembering that the teacher had taught him to be polite.

So he quickly said, "Thank you, Uncle!"

Lin Xiao blurted out, "No need to be polite... What did you call me?"

Off-camera, the cameramen's lips were all pursed shut.

Cameraman: We don't usually laugh unless we can't help it!
"Do you know what my relationship with her is?" Lin Xiao pointed at his wife.

"A couple!"

"Husband and wife."

"..."

The children eagerly rushed to answer.

Lin Xiao waved his hand: "You're all right, that's correct, we are husband and wife. So what do you call her?"

"Sister—Sister!" they cried out in unison.

"Then what should you call me?"

"..."

The children opened their mouths wide, but hesitated.

For a while, all you could hear on the paddy field ridges were cicadas and frogs, which was incredibly awkward.

Lin Xiao's vision went black; he felt like he was about to suffer from heatstroke.

Xi Xi was overjoyed and came forward with a bright smile. She squatted down and said, "Children, don't you not have music classes at school? How about we have a music class here today?"

The children immediately cheered, shouting at the top of their lungs, "Good!"

They came right away!

In the golden afterglow, two adults and seven or eight children sat directly on the edge of the field, forming a circle.

Xixi was teaching the children to sing, and Lin Xiao happened to have brought his guitar, so he accompanied them.

They started by singing children's songs.

After singing several songs, the atmosphere was cheerful, and the children enjoyed themselves immensely.

The lively atmosphere attracted a few older children, who sat down and naturally joined the field music class.

Xixi noticed that the new children were all fourteen or fifteen years old, so singing nursery rhymes was no longer appropriate.

So he asked Lin Xiao for help.

Lin Xiao immediately coughed twice to attract the children's attention, but once he did, he was at a loss for what to do.

Given the current situation, using "Little Apple" to break the deadlock is the best choice.

This song became a hit everywhere, and he guaranteed that everyone present could sing it from beginning to end.

But here's the thing.

This song was sung just yesterday, during lunch when the six guests first met. Of course, according to the program's editing, it was from the first episode, which aired seven days ago.

Although Lin Xiao is not the director, he did receive an appearance fee, so he has to consider the quality of the program and the audience's experience.

The audience must be annoyed by the fact that he sang "Little Apple" for two consecutive episodes.

Lin Xiao quickly abandoned the idea.

The reason he brought his guitar out today was that he had prepared a song in advance to sing to his wife under the beautiful sunset.

But the plans couldn't keep up with the changes.

However, the lively scene now is more in line with the atmosphere of the song.

"This might be the best arrangement!"

Lin Xiao sighed inwardly and smiled broadly at the children, "Sisters are tired of singing, how about Uncle sings one for you?"

The children were delighted when he said that.

The cameraman outside the crowd, as well as Xixi and Lin Yu in front of the television, were also amused.

The camera, as if struck by inspiration, focused on Lin Xiao.

In the picture, the slanting setting sun casts a scorched yellow hue on his profile, and his forehead is covered with beads of sweat. Behind him are golden, leisurely rice paddies.

"Since today is a music lesson in the fields, let's sing a song about the fields!"

As Lin Xiao spoke, he plucked a string from the zither.

The children immediately cheered and clapped, their hair and cheeks damp with sweat, their eyes full of anticipation.

Jiang Feng and Zhang Yi, a married couple, were slowly walking towards them from a distance.

Jiang Feng had clearly come over because he heard the singing, but when he heard Lin Xiao was about to sing, he turned back in disgust.

In the end, it was Zhang Yi who dragged him over.

Everyone stood quietly, waiting for Lin Xiao to speak.

……

At this very moment, in an old residential area of ​​Mashan County.

Dong Jianhui returned home hungry and sweaty, and rushed into the kitchen without even changing his clothes or taking a shower.

"Honey, you must be starving! Cough cough, I'll cook right away!"

Old Dong skillfully put water in the pot, took out noodles, and then took out two eggs and a bunch of greens from the refrigerator.

A weak voice came from the room: "I'll just lie here all day, I won't starve, don't worry..."

There was no further conversation, only the sound of the television in the room.

After washing the vegetables, Dong Jianhui finally had a moment to go to his room before the water in the pot boiled.

Lying on the bed was a woman who was as thin as a rake. Her name was Li Fang, and she was Dong Jianhui's wife of twenty years.

Seeing her husband come in, Li Fang forced a smile.

Dong Jianhui helped his wife sit up against the bed, brought her a basin of warm water, wiped her body clean, and fed her some water.

The entire sequence of movements was fluid and took less than two minutes.

Li Fang felt much better, but she just sighed, "Why are you back so late? Did you work overtime again today?"

Old Dong chuckled and said, "I didn't work overtime. I drove for Didi for a while. I was planning to take two rides and then go home, but there have been so many tourists in the county these past few days, and the orders have been coming in one after another. I've been going back and forth, and that's why I'm late!"

As he spoke, he gave a somewhat embarrassed, silly laugh.

The water in the kitchen boiled, so he quickly put the noodles in the pot, added eggs and vegetables after it boiled, and they were cooked in less than two minutes.

He scooped out the noodles, put two eggs in a bowl, and cooled a separate bowl of soup.

He carried the noodles back to the room and fed them to his wife.

"You eat first, you must be tired after a long day..." the woman said with concern.

"I'm not hungry!"

Old Dong said casually, picked up the noodles, blew on them twice, and fed them to the woman's mouth.

Li Fang sighed and ate it.

The couple started chatting again, albeit casually.

"You're holding a public office, is it okay for you to drive for Didi on the side? Isn't that against the rules?" Li Fang asked worriedly.

"I won't let anyone know!"

Dong Jianhui smiled smugly and said, "Whenever I take an order, I wear a mask the whole time, and the customers usually sit in the back, so even if I pick up an acquaintance, I won't be recognized!"

Li Fang knew he was just trying to comfort her, and sighed heavily again.

“As the deputy mayor, you’re already exhausted from work, and you still have to drive for Didi after work… It’s all my fault for dragging you down!” Li Fang said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You're here again!"

Dong Jianhui, his face dark, gently wiped away her tears with a towel and said seriously, "Getting sick is a natural disaster. Nobody wants it, but someone always ends up with it. Since we've been hit by it, let's accept it and not talk about being a burden."

Li Fang could only sigh.

Dong Jianhui continued, "Young couples grow old together. You married me so that I would stay with you when I become an old man. If you really feel sorry for me, then adjust your mindset and live well. Living is the best way to repay me. If you can live to be a hundred, I will take care of you until you are a hundred. That is true growing old together!"

Li Fang was amused: "Then wouldn't that make two old witches!"

Dong Jianhui laughed and said, "The old hag won't be lonely. After our son graduates from university, he'll get married and give us a few grandsons, and then those grandsons will have great-grandsons. Let me tell you, the older we get, the more blessed we'll be!"

Li Fang's smile brightened even more when her son was mentioned.

My son, Dong Lele, was admitted to a prestigious university two years ago. He has been smart and filial since he was a child.

Although his home is a long way from Jingzhou, he always returns home during holidays, simply because his mother is bedridden and paralyzed.

Dong Lele also came back this summer vacation.

Li Fang didn't take it seriously at first, but later she overheard her son's phone call and learned that he had turned down an internship arranged by his teacher to come back.

Li Fang was both angry and remorseful. She was so angry that she kept pounding her chest. In order to force her son to return to Jingzhou for his internship, the mother had said all sorts of hurtful things.

Cola just wouldn't comply.

In the end, Dong Jianhui patted his chest and promised to take good care of his wife, and Lele reluctantly left.

The couple looked on with pride when they talked about their son.

During the conversation, Old Dong fed his wife half a bowl of noodles and an egg.

"I'm full, you should eat now!"

"Eat this egg."

"Go ahead and eat. You work so hard every day, eat something nutritious!"

"There's still some left in the pot, cough cough, how can I let myself go hungry?"

Dong Jianhui looked carefree.

Li Fang had no suspicions and could only grit her teeth and eat. The rest of the noodles were quickly devoured by Lao Dong.

He went to the kitchen, brought out some noodle soup, and fed his wife a couple of sips.

Across from the bed.

The TV was showing Hunan TV, and it was showing Lin Xiao and Han Xixi leading a group of children singing in the fields.

"Hehe, why are you watching this kind of show?" Dong Jianhui teased his wife.

"This show is great!"

Li Fang said with a smile, "Besides, this place is your Xingguang Town, it feels familiar to me. I haven't been there since I got sick, and it's rare to see it on TV, so it's like I'm going there again!"

Dong Jianhui nodded, then took another pillow and propped his wife's back up a bit.

He was exhausted, but he leaned against the headboard and watched with great interest.

"Is this young man your new town mayor?" Li Fang asked.

"Correct!"

Old Dong chuckled, "Isn't he quite handsome?"

Li Fang nodded: "He is handsome, but not quite as handsome as our Lele!"

Old Dong waved his hand: "Being handsome is just his least significant advantage. This kid is simply a genius, he can do everything! But what's most admirable is his honesty. He gave up being a big star to come to our remote mountain village to be the town mayor, and he's not one of those people who just comes down to gain experience, he's really working his ass off... I truly admire this kid!"

The couple were overwhelmed with emotion, feeling a sense of satisfaction as if they could see their own son through the screen.

On TV, Lin Xiao picked up his guitar, ready to sing.

Dong Jianhui and Li Fang were also very much looking forward to it.

In the video, Lin Xiao strummed the strings, and then a gentle, melodious sound rang out.

In the golden sunset and amidst the waves of rice, in the gentle breeze and verdant greenery of the mountains and fields.

The children laughed softly, and the chirping of insects mingled with the gentle sound of a piano.

Dong Jianhui and Li Fang's thoughts suddenly drifted back to their childhood.

"To this world"
If you have too many complaints

fell down
I dared not go any further.
why

Why should people be so fragile and depraved?

Please turn on the TV and see how many people are watching.

Strive to bravely move forward for life.
Shouldn't we be content?
Cherish everything, even if you don't possess it.

Do you remember what you said?

Home is the only castle.

Keep running along the rice-fragrant river
Smile

I know the dreams I had as a child
Don't cry.

Let the fireflies carry you away
Country folk songs

Eternal reliance

go home

Returning to the original beauty...

The sounds of piano and singing flowed gently from the television.

The cameraman cut to a shot of Jiang Feng with a meaningful look, showing the senior Jiang's gaze fixed on Lin Xiao behind his square-framed glasses.

off screen.

Dong Jianhui was stunned as he listened to the light and cheerful singing.

He was in his forties, with a rough and tumble personality. He had never liked or listened to the melodramatic love songs that popped up all the time.

Hearing this by chance today, my heart felt as if it had been stirred by the fresh mountain breeze and the rustic fragrance of rice.

His thoughts unconsciously drifted back to his childhood.

He remembered going to the fields with his parents when he was a child. They were doing farm work, and he would sit under a tree on the edge of the field eating watermelon.

I remember Sunday afternoons in junior high school, walking alone through mountains and rice paddies to go to school in the county town, which was more than ten miles away.

I remembered meeting my wife, Li Fang, in high school. Her smile was brighter than any flower, but she would blush and stammer, unable to speak coherently.

I thought of my deceased grandparents.

It reminded me of my deceased friends and my childhood.

It reminded me of all the little difficulties I've faced in life...

Dong Jianhui's eyes suddenly stung with tears.

"This song is awful, it's all so awful!"

Old Dong waved his hand, got up, and went out of the bedroom to the living room to put on his shoes. "There are a lot of customers now, I'm going to run a few more orders. You should go to sleep early..."

"Sigh, why don't you make some chrysanthemum tea to soothe your throat? This constant coughing isn't good..."

"understood!"

After saying this, Old Dong picked up the teapot and slammed the door shut.

I went downstairs and sat in the car.

But it remained motionless for a long time.

He looked up and saw the bright lights in the neighborhood, with warm and lovely silhouettes reflected in the windows of every house.

Dong Jianhui sighed deeply, suddenly feeling very tired, but when he thought of his wife and children, he was instantly filled with energy again.

"Time to go!"

The car starts, and the dashboard lights up.

To the sound of order notifications, he took the steering wheel and drove into the bustling city, amidst the lights of countless homes.

(End of this chapter)